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Akira stares outside the kitchen window, his hands mindlessly drying a plate.
The streets outside are covered in a thick blanket of snow, giving the scenery a dreamy-like appearance.
He can see people struggling to make their way wherever, the view an entertaining distraction: a man stomping around in hopes of traversing the snow without any incidents, a clear frown on his face; a couple holds hands in the distance, their bodies trembling before one of them seems to slip and both of them fall onto the ground; he even catches a glimpse of a dog diving into a tiny mound of snowflakes, a woman running after him with an exasperated expression. And all of their outfits, no matter the colour palette, stand out against the white mattress draped over the whole city, if not the entire region.
It’s winter, and a very cold one at that.
Akira averts his eyes from the tiny figures to stare at the sky, humming a little tune of his own. Unlike the past few days, the clouds have dissipated, the few ones left behind no longer grey and menacingly huge, but smaller and of a softer white gradient, allowing for the sun to warm up both the outside and the inside of their homes. It seems the worse has passed, or that’s what he’s heard this morning over the radio anyway. It’ll probably snow again next week, but it won’t be that big of a blizzard, hopefully.
With a tiny sigh, the alpha finishes putting away the last plate, the off-tune melody coming to a sudden halt as he does so. His stare drifts towards the wall clock, its hands indicating that it’s already past three in the afternoon. He’s been in here for a while, huh? And there’s still things he has to get done… For example, grocery shopping.
He looks over to the fridge, his smile fading ever so slightly when he sees the shopping list pinned to the door, a cruel reminder that he needs to go out into the freezing weather and leave the comfort of home behind. There’s nothing less exciting than knowing he has no other option, the empty cabinets and the understocked refrigerator mere proof of so, but if he were honest, he’d much rather stay at home with his husband.
Speaking of… Where is he?
Akira looks at the living room across the kitchen, but the omega is nowhere to be seen. The couch is empty, and the heavy blanket normally draped over it, which Goro is very fond of, is missing as well. Even the loveseat the omega likes to curl up on has been left untouched, aside from the pillows it comes with which are, notably, also nowhere to be found. Both pieces of furniture almost look the same as the day they bought them years ago, when they moved in. The memory gives Akira a subtle sense of nostalgia, his eyes round with tenderness.
Now more eager to know where the brunette is, he walks over to their bedroom, slowly opening the door before poking his head inside, but… nothing, his husband isn’t there. In fact, the sheets aren’t on the bed either. The clean mattress is all that remains. He can’t even see Morgana snoozing as usual, and Akira knows this is one of the cat’s favourite spots to nap. This and definitely Goro’s…
“...!” With hurried steps he makes his way to the studio at the end of the corridor, his hand grabbing onto the doorknob with perhaps more strength than necessary before he pulls it open, his eyes opening in delight at the sight.
He finds the omega by the only window in the room, surrounded by pillows, sheets and nesting blankets, Akira even swears he can see some of his shirts and sweaters hidden in there. The nest he lays in is big, Goro has managed to cover almost the whole floor in different types of cloth, but most importantly, he has gathered his favourite napping spot right under the sun. Goro’s chest rises and lowers with each breath, comfortably sprawled under the sunrays, his round face the only part of his body resting by the shade, the pillow under it appearing to be the raven’s. Curled up on top of his torso, Akira spots Morgana as well, the cat purring in contentment.
It’s moments like this that remind him just how close both of them have become over the years.
The alpha silently takes out his phone from his pants pocket and snaps a picture for his ever growing collection with a smile, his own chest heavy with warmth and adoration.
“You know…” The sudden voice stirring from slumber startles him, the device almost slipping out of his hands. “It’s creepy to stare at someone while they’re asleep. Let alone take pictures of them.”
When Akira looks at him, Goro’s eyes are open, his stare impassive and somewhat droopy. He has a wrinkle right below his eye, a product of the passage of time, that makes him look even more handsome.
“I was doing no such thing.” He retorts, a playful smile tugging at his lips. He loves the way his husband’s eyebrows furrow, a huff escaping his lips.
“I heard the camera shutter, dumbass.”
“It must’ve been your imagination.”
“Hah! Care to lend me your phone, then?” Akira holds the device closer to his chest, protecting it from devious hands.
“I think I’d rather have it stay close to me.” Goro lets out a chuckle, Akira’s heart fluttering at the sound. God, he loves him so much.
“Of course you would…” Laughter fades and all that stays is the comfortable silence between both, Morgana shifting from one position to another.
Akira catches the way Goro’s eyes droop, the brunette clearly fighting against slumber. He wants to climb into the nest and smother the brunette in kisses, cuddle him close and offer his own body as a heated blanket, Goro has always told him his body temperature is the same as a furnace after all. But he reminds himself that he still has chores to finish, and delaying them will only make him less willing to actually do them than he already is.
“Are you not coming in?” The omega mutters, his expression warm and inviting, silent permission to allow the alpha into his nest. Akira hates having to turn him down.
“Sorry, love. I have to go get groceries or else we’ll starve.” Goro pouts before making himself comfortable, one of his hands moving closer to Morgana just to pet his fur. The cat purrs louder, nuzzling his head against the brunette. “Want to come with me?”
He knows the omega will say no, but he asks anyway.
“Not really, the sun feels pretty nice.” As if Goro would pass any opportunity to sunbathe, especially after days of constant snow and aggressive coldness.
The alpha stares at him with an understanding smile. He really, really wants to come in and kiss him, indulge both of them in a gentling session under the sun’s warmth, but if he starts now he knows he won’t want to leave anymore. The sooner he goes, the sooner he’ll come back.
Akira nods before saying, “Alright, I’ll see you in a bit then, honey.”
Just as he turns around to make his way outside and leave the omega to rest as he pleases, a sudden shout of ‘ wait ’ startles him. Akira whips his head around, his nerves on alert at the sound of panic, but finds Goro, as expected, just as cosy as before, albeit his face is red and his eyes are avoiding his. Even Morgana has woken up, his pupils slit with caution and dilating right after, worriedly pawing the brunette’s chest.
“Akechi! Are you okay?”
“Yes, just-” Goro hides his face with a pillow, waving his hand as if trying to dismiss both of them. “Ugh, nevermind, just go.”
The raven looks at him with a slight frown, already familiar with situations like these. Sometimes Goro needs a little bit of coercion to voice out his wants and needs, and Akira is certainly stubborn. Both of them can be.
“No, Goro. What do you need?” He looms over the nest, but doesn’t step in. “Water? A snack? Do you want something from the store?”
“No, none of that. Just forget about it.” The brunette lays on his side, bringing a surprised Morgana with him, their little friend meowing when Goro squashes him against his chest, his back facing the concerned alpha. The tips of his ears burn bright, partially hidden behind his hair.
“Hey! I’m not a plushie!” Although he complains, Mona puts very little resistance, paws pushing against the omega’s chest in hopes of at least getting some kind of breathing space.
“There’s something you want, what is it?”
“I already told you, it’s nothing! Are you deaf, maybe?” The brunette pats behind him until he touches the hem of a blanket and throws it on top of himself, curling into a ball. Akira muffles a chuckle at his husband’s childish attitude.
“...” Without saying a word, the raven stalks forward, getting rid of his slippers before taking the first step.
Goro mumbles something under his breath, trying his hardest to find the best position to go back to sleep in, his body aching from a long week of work. With the sun pleasantly warming him up and a stomach full of rice and some nice tuna, it doesn’t take too long for his mind to start drifting away from consciousness, eager to go back into his nonsensical dreams. Still, the moment he feels a presence behind him, he turns around, his pout morphing into a scowl.
“Weren’t you going to-” Then, soft lips lock with his, promptly silencing him.
Akira holds his jaw for a few seconds and when he does finally let go of Goro, he has a smug smile plastered on his face.
“You could’ve just told me you wanted a kiss, honey.” And it’s truly a sight to behold, the way the omega’s face flares up into a bright red, possibly brighter than the Sun itself, in obvious embarrassment.
When Akira gets bitten in return, it’s Morgana who yelps from the sudden aggressive movement, the alpha bursting into a fit of laughter instead.
(...)
“Akira, what happened to you?”
Akira looks up from the cereal box he’s holding. They’re chocolate flavoured and star-shaped, but Goro likes the original ones better, so these ones won’t do.
“Oh, these?” He points at his face, knowing that both the bridge of his nose and his left cheek alike bear a teeth mark. He smiles though, as if proudly showing them off. “Just normal Goro-like signs of affection.”
Haru, who he’s stumbled upon during his shopping trip, opens her mouth for a second before closing it again, probably not wanting to ask further questions about the topic. It’s not like she (or any of their friends, for that matter) isn’t aware of Akira and Goro’s rather unique relationship. Still, with some of the bruises they came with at times, it looked more like they had gotten into a pretty nasty fight instead of… whatever else they might have been doing.
She thinks it wouldn’t do them any harm if they toned it down a little.
“I’m glad to know he’s doing well.” The petite alpha offers him a smile, checking the tiny list Sumire gave her this morning before leaving for practice. Almost everything on it is crossed out except for a specific brand of cookies.
“He’s doing fine, aside from the cold weather.” Akira jumps when he finally spots Goro’s favourite cereals, quickly snatching a box and putting it inside his already half-filled cart. “He even brought out his nesting blankets yesterday, and I found out he’s built a nest in our studio just this afternoon.” He looks at his friend, his expression a bit troubled. “Probably since it’s the warmest room in our apartment.”
Goro’s never been good with cold temperatures, so winter is always a season where Akira spends most of the time worried to ensure his mate is as comfortable as possible.
“Hmm.” Haru’s gaze shifts towards the paper bag dangling from her arm. “Oh, why don’t you gift him one of these?” She pulls out a box with a panda plushie inside, and Akira is pretty sure he’s seen Makoto wear a shirt with the same mascot somewhere. “They’re plushies that serve as heating pads. I’m getting Mako-chan this one since it’s Buchimaru, but maybe Akechi would enjoy something of the sorts as well?”
Akira’s eyes light up in interest, hands reaching out to hold the box. The plushie looks to be the perfect size to cuddle with. He can already picture it, Goro laying on his nest, happily hugging the toy to warm himself up from the freezing bite of winter. The look of absolute delight he imagines his husband would bear is enough to convince him.
Haru jumps a bit when he turns to stare at her, his eyes opened like a maniac and a wide, overly excited smile stretching the lower part of his face.
“Haru, you need to tell me where you got this from.”
The alpha can’t wait to see Goro’s cute expression of surprise when he gets home.
(...)
It’s softly raining outside, the weather showing no signs of getting any warmer anytime soon. Akira sits on the middle of their bed, staring at the plushie form of his husband’s favourite Featherman character in front of him with a scowl.
It’s mocking him, the bastard.
It doesn’t matter if the thing is wearing a mask, or if it's an inanimate object to begin with, because the raven knows that behind that visor made out of felt the bastard is secretly making fun of him.
Ever since he brought it home days ago, this thing has spent almost every living second attached to Goro, the omega greatly enjoying the warmth emanating from its tiny squishy body. Whenever and wherever, this bastard is always firmly snuggled against his mate’s torso. Even times when the brunette would usually seek Akira out as a source of warmth have been stolen by this lousy replacement, and the alpha misses Goro’s undivided attention.
He glares at the plushie, this being the only time he gets to do so because the brunette is in the shower. Maybe he should’ve gotten him something else, like one of those expensive nesting blankets he likes so much, but then he remembers the look of absolute delight his mate had when he opened his gift and how excited he had been to use it, and Akira feels his mood deflate, unable to even think of taking that happiness away from him.
“This is really a new low. Even for you.” The raven turns his head around so fast, Goro is surprised he doesn’t give himself whiplash.
“Goro!” Akira’s mood shifts within seconds at the sight of his husband standing by the door, an unamused look on his face. He must’ve missed the sound of the shower stopping. “Are you still feeling cold? Do you need me to bring you anything?”
The alpha diligently sits by the edge of the mattress, opening his arms as if eagerly welcoming Goro to sit on his lap. The brunette stares at him with a raised eyebrow, a hint of a smirk on his lips. There’s a mean glint in his eyes that has Akira shivering in place, although his posture is no less inviting than before.
“Are you seriously feeling jealous over a plushie?” The brunette completely skips over his questions, arms crossed over his chest. The alpha’s breath hitches at the remark, pouting as he looks away. “Aren’t you a little too old for something so petty?”
“Hey, it’s not petty!” Akira’s frown returns, his expression souring when he turns around to catch a glimpse of the thing still invading their bed. “And it’s not my fault. I bet it’s laughing at my misery.”
“You bought it for me, Akira. Maybe you shouldn’t listen to every piece of advice your friends give you next time.” Our friends, the raven thinks, but doesn’t straight up say.
“But you like it!” Goro finally takes a seat on his lap, his legs dangling from one side while circling his arms around the alpha’s neck. The raven’s hands subconsciously move to hold him by the waist, his face still pouty as he squishes his cheek against the omega’s chest to look up at him with sad puppy eyes.
“Of course I like it.” Goro snickers, showing him a toothy smile. “Kira is really good company.”
Akira’s brain pauses for a second, his stare blank as he blinks a few times, processing the fact that his husband just called the plushie by name.
“... Kira?” The alpha’s expression morphs into something akin to devastation. “But that’s my nickname!”
Goro bursts into a fit of laughter, his hands gripping his husband’s shoulders to prevent himself from falling when he throws his head back. Akira has never looked more offended than he does now, his eyebrows furrowed in genuine indignation. The brunette curls up forward, his laughter still strong as he rests his forehead against the shoulder of a very disgruntled looking Akira.
“See? It’s taking everything from me! It’s even trying to steal my identity!” Goro lightly slaps his arm as his laughter slowly dies down into broken giggles, his face red and his eyes watery with one or two tears. “Goro, this is serious!”
“You’re being overdramatic.” Akira opens his mouth to try and voice his complaints, but they all quiet down as soon as he looks up at the touch of Goro’s hands tilting his head before he kisses him.
The raven closes his eyes after, his hands gripping the omega’s waist just a little tighter while both of them enjoy the taste of each other’s mouth, Akira’s ridiculous body heat a comfortable sensation against the brunette’s colder skin. When they pull apart, the alpha is quick to leave another kiss under his husband’s jaw, his chest rumbling with a deep purr that has the omega chuckling.
“You’re such a fool.” Goro rests his forehead on top of Akira’s, his smile making the raven’s heart flip. Even after all these years, Goro remains the most beautiful person Akira’s ever met. “You could’ve just told me you were feeling left out, you know? And here I thought I was the emotionally constipated one.”
“Goro.” It’s the way his husband’s eyes shine, the way his snarky smile subtly softens as he pulls away, his hands resting on top of his shoulders, that has Akira’s ability to cohesively form a sentence disappear. Whatever he was going to say is lost in transmission. “I- Goro, I love you so much.”
“Hey, you can’t keep evading my comments with love confessions.” He says that, yet the brunette still kisses his cheek, the alpha’s eyes opening in excitement before returning the kiss just as eagerly, if not more.
“I’m sorry. I just thought it was a little dumb of me to feel that way.” Akira takes advantage of their positions to kiss the side of his neck. “And you looked really happy. I didn’t want you to feel bad just because of me.” He yelps when Goro suddenly pinches his cheek.
“I wouldn’t have felt bad anyways if you just told me you wanted to spend more time together, you idiot.” The raven pouts at the reprimand. “You sometimes treat me like a fragile doll that can’t be disturbed, Akira. Stop putting my comfort above yours for everything we do. You’re also human, remember?”
The raven knows, but he also knows he can be a bit too much sometimes. A little too clingy, a little too overbearing… He just doesn’t want the brunette to feel uncomfortable, that’s all. Especially not because his husband was feeling jealous of a plushie as if the thing was about to take his place as Goro’s personal heater. Maybe Morgana was right when he called him crazy whenever he brought the topic up.
Akira yelps again when sharp teeth bite the bridge of his nose, startled eyes looking up at Goro.
“I get it, I get it! Stop biting me, you menace.”
“Hah. As if you didn’t like it when I bite you.” Akira averts his eyes, his cheeks gaining a bit of colour.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh.”
They fall into peaceful quietness, the alpha laying his head on top of Goro’s chest. He can hear his heartbeat, the rhythmic sound almost like a lullaby that eases the tension out of his body until he feels fully relaxed.
“Does that mean we can cuddle now, love?” Akira looks at his mate with hopeful eyes, a tiny smile appearing on his face, mimicking the brunette’s very own.
“What have we been doing all this time?” Goro giggles as soon as the whine leaves the raven’s lips, the alpha unnecessarily dragging out the last vowel of his name. “Okay, fine. Ugh, you’re such a sap.”
It’s the brunette’s turn to shriek when Akira suddenly lifts him up by the legs and carries him around the bed to help him lay comfortably on the mattress. Grey eyes quickly look over at the lonely plushie taking up room in the middle of the bed before he’s getting rid of it by putting it inside the closet, a smug smile on his face. When he comes back to lay by Goro’s side, the omega looks at him unamused, yet his arms open so that the alpha can settle in between them, Akira eagerly squishing his face against the softness of his mate’s tummy.
“Am I warmer than-”
“Finish that sentence and I won’t let you in my nest anymore, ‘Kira.” The raven gulps the words down, snuggling closer to his mate instead.
Morgana finds them an hour later, both of them fast asleep and clinging to one another. He lets out a sigh before jumping on the bed and curling by the raven’s side, joining his family’s napping session with a purr.