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Ever since they first met, Akito and Toya had been attached at the hip -- That was something neither of them could deny. As much as either boy would scoff at their friends' repeated notion that you could never find one dog without the other lurking nearby, it was plain to anyone with eyes that those two had been a package deal from day one.
Pretty much every free period the two had would always be spent together -- hell, Toya had chosen to attend Kamiyama solely based on the promise of being able to spend more time with Akito. Even on their off days, they'd stick to each other like a pair of magnets. And if by some miracle you caught one of them on their lonesome, chances are their partner would still be at the forefront of their thoughts.
For Toya in particular, it took no time or effort at all to begin treating it as the norm. They were partners, after all -- in every sense of the word at this point. It made sense that Akito's presence soothed Toya's heart, and for the casual yet distinctly affectionate sensation of the younger's touch to spread a cozy warmth throughout his entire body.
It was familiar, comfortable, being able to spend the bulk of his time with the boy he loved most. Eventually, every disheartening thought that plagued Toya throughout his daily life would be effortlessly swept away by mantras of 'I'll be able to see Akito soon' -- For how could he possibly find it in him to be sad at the reminder that he'd be allowed the simple pleasure of coexistence with his amazing partner?
Today was one such scenario, in which exam week had finally come to a close. Toya was often hailed as the most talented academic in his grade, possibly among the smartest in the whole school, but even he found himself burning out at the finish line. He'd never been so grateful to hear the sound of the bell ring out, wanting nothing more than to meet up with Akito as he always did and unwind the compounding stress that had overtaken his brain.
"Ah... Akito." Toya couldn't help the immediate happiness that bubbled up in his voice as soon as he was able to spot his partner in the hall, only halfway through the muscle-memorized walk between classrooms when he was forced to halt. "Are you ready to go?"
"Oh. Hey, Toya." Betraying his casual tone, Akito practically bounded his way forward. He met Toya's smile with a soft look of his own, earning a couple faux gags from the younger's passing classmates. Finally, there wasn't an event nor test in sight to hinder them. They could spend a while forgetting the rest of the world existed and-
"Sorry, dude. The soccer club asked me to help out again."
Oh.
"I see... That's okay, Akito." Toya chose to lie through his teeth, mostly because he had no clue why it didn't feel that way. "Text me when you get home?"
"...Yeah. Sure thing." Akito answered after what seemed to be a brief moment's hesitation, as if vaguely sensing the disquiet layered beneath Toya's eyes, before turning around to stroll toward his intended destination. "See ya later, partner."
With an ineffective calming exhale, Toya turned his back in preparation to leave. He wasn't a fan of the sinking feeling that haunted him throughout his entire walk home, nor could he really figure out the reason it loomed over him. Sure, he was looking forward to spending some time with his partner after a week of having only seen each other for the sake of cramming and practice... but Akito had his own business to attend to, and that was okay. Toya was perfectly capable of waiting an extra day for his sake.
>> Akito: gonna be late. ena dragged me to go shopping again
That was the text which awaited Toya in the squad's group chat the next day, its reader unable to help the frown which instantly weighed down the corners of his mouth. He understood, of course -- Akito was his own person with his own life and Toya couldn't expect him to drop everything for his sake, but it continued to elude him as to why his heart seemed unable to accept this conclusion that his brain had come to.
Well, for now, it was all he could do to perform his warmup with the girls while he waited for Akito to arrive. The thought of asking to stay over after practice certainly crossed his mind, but... He could easily picture Akito declaring an impulsive desire to jog his way home, after which he would certainly end up crashing until the remainder of the night passed him by. He was the type to find comfort in his personal routines, after all -- It was best to let him be until he could ease back into normality in his own way.
Practice went about as it usually did, though Toya found it more difficult than it should've been to get himself into his typical groove. That incessant feeling which begged to be named pawed at his chest with little patience to be heard of, irritating every nerve in Toya's body with each passing moment of failed discernment -- It made no sense. Akito was right there dancing and singing next to him, the only difference being a few measly minutes that he couldn't bask in his partner's presence. Why did this nonsensical wave of loneliness, the saltiness of which he hadn't tasted in a long time, choose to wash over him now?
"Oi, Toya." Akito's voice cut clean through his partner's clouded thoughts, catching him just before he could resign himself to making his way home as the girls were already starting to do. "You wanna come by my place? Folks aren't home to bug us and you look like you could use some R&R..."
Toya could only blink in surprise at the sudden query. It didn't exactly take a rocket scientist to see through his sullen demeanor, that much even the boy himself could tell, but still -- It was like magic how Akito always seemed to have an acute awareness for Toya's needs, even when the older wasn't quite sure what he needed. All he knew was that the opportunity to seize some alone time with his partner sounded like nothing short of heaven and then some.
"...I snagged some of that iced coffee you like if that helps."
"Oh." cracked Toya, only then realizing that he'd completely frozen up. "Yes, of course. That sounds lovely, Akito."
"Sweet." was Akito's simple reply, a satisfied glimmer in his eyes telling the rest of the story even as they went half-lidded from his smile -- like nothing could've possibly pleased him more than to be able to care for Toya in his time of apparent need.
Allowing the wind which laid within the fog of his brain to knock itself out of him for too long, Toya was hardly granted any time to react before his personal space was suddenly made to merge with Akito's -- and it was in that moment, where Akito's arm wrapped itself snug around his shoulder with absolute warmth and security, that a moment of clarity finally dawned upon Toya all at once.
Akito's arm slung around his shoulder, the tight yet comforting hugs Akito would pull him into, the pure bliss contained within the tender mutual caress of their lips coming together... All those shows of affection he'd allowed to worm their way into his sense of normalcy, then proceeded to deny himself for over a week -- to say Toya had developed a craving for those sensations only Akito could deliver unto him, amplied tenfold now that he could place the source of his hunger, would be a vast understatement.
He missed Akito. He missed being able to love Akito, to be more precise. As silly as it sounded, it felt like his body was physically starving to be reminded of what it felt like to be held and adored by his partner. At this point, he truly couldn't be blamed for shutting off his brain and allowing the unspoken desires within his heart to usurp its place at the helm; for he'd surely die if he went another minute outside of Akito's embrace.
"Toya? You good?" It was once again Akito's voice that snapped the boy in question back into reality. All of a sudden, they were inside Akito's bedroom, as if Toya's mind was loath enough to delay securing his prize that it blurred out the journey from park to house altogether.
Or maybe Toya had just gotten dizzy partway through their walk -- He'd already instinctually melted into his partner's initial touch, his brain no doubt reducing itself to a goopy puddle in tandem. And now he was in Akito's bedroom, wherein laid the mattress they often slept together on, the closet in which Toya had taken clothes from an equally uncountable amount of times... and the scent which Toya had come to identify as solely belonging to Akito, jellying his every muscle like some sort of fast-acting relaxant with each breath -- It surrounded him from all corners, until ultimately he was submerged deep enough in the echo of promised affection that he may as well have just grown gills.
"Toya." Akito repeated in a much more firm tone, the weight of his hands falling upon Toya's shoulders very much not helping the older remember what words were. "You sure you're okay...? You've been super spacey all day, even by your standards."
"I..." Toya tried to recollect himself with a clueless blink, frankly not even remembering the first time he answered Akito's question. "I don't know, to be honest..."
Akito hummed in understanding, the grounding pressure he was putting on Toya's shoulders relaxing into a gentle, almost massage-like motion. "Is it somethin' I can help with?"
In lieu of words, Toya gave a solemn nod. It was a bit ironic, honestly. Usually it was him who knew best how to express himself with words, yet here he was -- barely able to choke his voice out far enough to achieve the one thing he'd been aching for so badly he could cry if he was made to wait a second longer.
One of Akito's hands swooped upward in a painfully gentle motion, and a simple ghosting against Toya's cheek was all it took for everything to crumble. Like a dog desperate for attention, Toya practically shoved his face against the curve of Akito's palm. The sudden weight caused Akito to falter for but a moment, gaining what he could only describe as another impatient nuzzle as he fumbled his way to steadiness -- just in time for one of Toya's hands to squeeze at the wrist which connected them so, his whole body going slack as he soaked everything in with a relieved sigh.
"You just need some lovin'." Akito declared about as pointedly as one could, which of course culminated in the fondest chuckle one could hope to have rung against their ears. Toya could only plead through quarter-lidded eyes in return, truly resembling a twice-kicked puppy in a way Akito couldn't resist wanting to remedy. "Let me take care of you, yeah?"
Finally.
"...Is that- Whoa." Akito yelped as he was suddenly yanked in by the hem of his shirt, pulling the two of them flush together. "Okay then."
It didn't take a genius to figure out what was wanted of him, and so Akito wasted no time. Within an instant, Akito's hands snaked their way downward until he could hug Toya at the waist, the latter's own arms bumbling their way around his partner's neck until he could bury his face into the crook of his neck. They fit together exactly like a puzzle, just as they always did, and yet Toya still sighed into the warm spanse of skin before him -- as if it were his very first time basking in this absolutely perfect feeling. He thirstily soaked up all the affection he could sponge from Akito, every atom lit ablaze with a molten desire to leave no part of his body ignorant to this bliss only his beloved partner could ever provide him.
Akito squeezed slightly at Toya's waist, perhaps just to check if his mind were still on this planet. From that alone, the older might've toppled over; resigned himself to floating out further and further into space. The temptation was certainly there, but the full-body itch spreading throughout his person made it obvious that it wasn't enough.
"Kiss me? Please?" mumbled Toya in a tone that came off as far more whiny than he thought himself capable of. Regardless, Akito clearly didn't need to be told twice, or perhaps even once. The patience with which one hand trailed up Toya's side and tangled into two-toned locks was even less than nonexistent, itching for the exact moment he was given the go-ahead to administer a light tug. It took no effort at all to mold Toya into position like putty, allowing Akito the proper access to descend upon his partner's lips within seconds.
Oh yeah. That was the stuff. The very moment Akito's lips finally fluttered against his, an abundance of fireworks rocketed off through every corner of Toya's brain -- a veritably explosive sensation that he'd come to miss so badly in the embarrassingly short amount of time he'd been deprived of it.
With a pleasant hum, Toya moved to properly slot his lips against his partner's. Akito pushed him deeper into the embrace from the back of his head, using just the right mixture of gentleness and force, and Toya couldn't possibly find it in him to summon even the semblance of a desire to fight it. The younger packed such desperate passion into every act, yet still consciously handled Toya as though he were made of glass... There couldn't possibly be a more Akito-like way of kissing, and it never failed to make Toya weak in the knees.
"...Better now?" Akito asked as they disconnected, softened voice gliding from his throat smoother than butter. If words could kill, then Toya was certain he'd have fallen by Akito's hand long ago -- that's what it felt like to him, anyway, for how else could he describe this unique emotion than that of his pounding heart blissfully dancing against the verge of death?
"Don't worry, I've gotcha..." Akito once again mumbled, keeping Toya connected and reminding him that his inner theatrics were nothing but that. He was here, and so was Akito, enveloped in each other's embrace in a way that he was sure could now be considered among his most basic of needs.
"Sorry... I'm okay." muttered Toya, unable to register when exactly he'd been sat on the bed beneath him. "I missed being able to do this, that's all."
"I get it. All week, I've been missing you like crazy..." Akito nodded along, planting the gentlest of pecks to the top of Toya's head. All the while, he wrapped an arm around his partner for the sake of running a comforting palm against his back -- a simple touch, and yet his object of affection instantly melted into a puddle anyway, the sudden impact of Toya's face against his chest punching a grunt out of Akito.
"You don't need to feel ashamed of needing me, y'know." he began once more, the way Toya practically clawed his way into his lap spelling out that he probably needed to hear this. "I really love you, Toya... and I wanna make you happy. So quit feeling like you've gotta bottle everything up like that."
"...Sorry." Toya ended up chuckling out, though he could tell Akito didn't want to hear that even as the word tumbled from his lips. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you. I just... didn't know it was possible to physically need someone like that, and you were busy, so-"
"So, that's an even better reason that you should listen to yourself, dumbass." Akito scoffed almost cheekily, jostling Toya to an upright position by the shoulders and giving his hair a hearty, two-handed ruffle for good measure. "You know I'd drop anything for you. So c'mon, quit overthinking it and tell me what you want."
"...Take your shirt off?"
"What."
"Your shirt." Toya repeated, delivering an emphasizing tug to the baggy t-shirt Akito had been sporting all day. "I want to wear it while we cuddle. Please?"
For a moment, it seemed the two of them were engaged in some sort of staring contest. Akito had just told Toya that he'd drop anything for the sake of making him happy, and now his partner was gazing into his eyes with a pure, earnest glimmer behind them... Well, it seemed 'anything' would include what was left of his pride this time around, then.
"...Jeez..." Akito grumbled, fruitlessly hoping he could peel off his shirt faster than his current blush could overtake his face -- Toya knew better than to take his feigned annoyance as anything but a farce, though. The older's grin widened, certainly not slowing down the flow of blood to Akito's cheeks, as he moved to throw away his own shirt somewhere wholly unimportant.
"You're stubborn as hell once you decide what you want, y'know that?" chuckled Akito as he tugged off the article from his neck, quick to smack away his partner's sudden worried expression with another fast peck. "And don't say you're sorry about it. I like that about you."
"Here ya-" Akito could barely get midway through his flustered sentence before his discarded garment could be snatched from him. The speed at which Toya threw the shirt over his person was almost too high for Akito to keep up with, leaving him to blink in surprise as his partner looked upon the article with that giddy shimmer decorating his whole face.
...Fuck, he had no business looking as cute as he did in Akito's oversized shirt.
"Thank you, Akito..." Toya hummed, taking advantage of his partner's surprise in order to climb atop him. All of a sudden, Akito was knocked onto his back, finding it very difficult to complain when Toya swooped in to connect their lips in a peck of clear appreciation. "I feel really close to you this way."
"Well, yeah..." Akito tried to quip, though his blush was hard to contain as Toya promptly collapsed atop the free pillow he'd made of the ginger's bare chest. "You're laying on top of me."
Akito had to admit, it would be a blatant lie for him to say this didn't feel nice -- Toya snuggling up to him so peacefully, laid in the perfect position for Akito to simply wrap his arms around the boy in a loving hug and treat his weight as a blanket until they both managed to drift off...
...Maybe he was becoming a bit needy too. Now that he'd managed to regrasp this feeling, he couldn't imagine ever doing without it.
Toya seemed similarly disposed, anyway. He nuzzled into Akito's sternum without a care in the world, as if he hadn't been tripping over his own words just to ask for a kiss only moments ago. Just like before, Toya moved his arms to hug his partner at the neck, allowing Akito the leverage required to press another loving kiss to the top of his head as his own arms found their typical purchase around Toya's waist.
It was adorable how content Toya seemed to be, really. Akito almost had a mind to be offended that this absolute angel of a boy could ever think of himself as a bother, wanting nothing more than to hold him tight in a squeezing embrace that portrayed exactly how heavily he adored his partner. Honestly, the only thing stopping him from flipping Toya around and smothering him in every smooch he deserved and then some was the leg hiked up beside his own keeping him firmly locked in place...
Oh well. He could settle for fluttering another peck right where the tones of Toya's hair parted for now. There was something about the knowledge that he was cuddling Toya that made all of his negative thoughts melt away with one swift wash, a sentiment Toya couldn't have possibly reciprocated more obviously.
"Maybe that's just what love does to a person." was the mutual conclusion they came to in that moment.
"Love you s'much, Akito..." Toya managed to slur out in time with these thoughts, already drowsy from barely half a minute of resting his head atop his partner. Akito mumbled his reciprocation, reaching up to pet Toya's head for what felt like the hundredth time that evening -- and yet he responded like it was the very first, partially dozed off but still finding it in him to become even more boneless against his touch.
It was all Akito could do to hold him ever tighter. Toya clearly had no intention of moving, nor did the possibility ever cross Akito's mind in any meaningful way. How could either of them even think to pull away when nothing had ever felt this astoundingly correct?
They were truly inseparable, and even as they drifted off into slumber together, there wasn't a single atom between them that could find an issue with that.