Work Text:
Every morning, the alarm sounds like a jackhammer hitting the bedside table. And every morning, you groan as your boyfriend turns off his first alarm. Yes, the first, because the second, thirty minutes later, is even more devastating.
You often work until nightfall so you savor every minute of sleep like a precious currency. However, Miyuki is an early bird with a dedicated sports routine; stretching, running, protein breakfast, then he’s out practicing with his team. Still, every morning you're roused by that dreadful noise, and as soon as it stops, the second salvo hits.
What is even stranger is how Miyuki himself doesn’t get out of bed at 5AM. He’s a very steady guy, you know his routine, since it never changes. His day starts precisely at 5:30AM, which means his first alarm is way too early. Given, non-Miyuki people hit the snooze button every five minutes. So what is that peculiar boyfriend of yours doing for thirty minutes every morning?
“Kazuya,” you call him while watching TV. “Why do you have two ringtones if you don’t get up first thing in the morning?”
It’s naïve of you to expect an honest answer out of your emotionally avoidant boyfriend. He simply dismisses you with a teasing joke, like he always does. “What, you don’t like waking up earlier than the sun with me?”
You frown. “I need my beauty sleep.”
“You’re already pretty.” Seeing your grimace, he laughs, then takes a more serious tone. “Does it bother you? Sorry. It’s not anything important. Force of habit, I guess. I’ll tone it down.”
And you think it’s settled. Over the next few days, you don’t hear the alarm and the annoying snooze anymore. Nothing changes in your daily rhythm, which proves this stupid alarm wasn’t needed in the first place.
Then you come home late one evening, later than usual. Your boss insisted to buy drinks for the whole team and this forced interaction completely wiped you out. You rush home, throwing your shoes into the hallway. There’s no effort to remove your make-up and dirty clothes. And your body is so heavy you fall onto your bed where Miyuki didn’t wait for you to doze off. He's wearing the silk eye mask you got him for his birthday. It must be his catcher reflexes that make him move closer to you and drape his arms around your frame.
The smell of alcohol must have shaken him, because he sniffs your hair and grumbles, “You should take a shower.”
“Don’t wanna. Too tired,” you groan and turns to him. Even with his sleeping mask, he remains a peaceful sight to admire, and you wonder how did you manage to tear down his walls and pry into his vulnerability.
“Did you have fun?” he asks, almost whispering.
“Meh. Too many people. That guy from HR hit on me.”
“Too bad you’re taken,” he huffs, too weary from his training to get jealous properly. “Now go take that shower or get out of my bed, stinky.”
You take a deep breath, promising him you will do so in a minute. But your eyelids are heavy and they draw you to sleep. Then, you open your eyes and the clock shows 4:46. Your body aches everywhere and there’s dry drool on your face. Miyuki is deeply asleep on his side of the bed, showing you his back. Finally, you groggily take that shower and put on fresh PJs. By the time you’re back in bed, it’s almost 5AM. Oh no, that annoying alarm will strike...
And it does.
However, Miyuki’s ringtone is not the default jackhammer sound anymore. But a soft buzzer, which explains why you couldn’t hear anything these past few days. Not only is he a light sleeper but he’s also more sensible to sounds than you.
He wakes up in a heartbeat.
It takes him a couple of seconds to take off his eye mask and reach his phone to quiet his alarm. Then he’s back deep under the blanket, rolling closer to you. His entire chest presses against your back as he wraps his arms around your waist. He nuzzles his nose against your neck and clasp a light kiss there. You shiver, but keep quiet, although you want to shout your surprise at him. It’s a strange feeling, you enjoy it – it makes you feel fuzzy and loved – but it is so uncharacteristic of him you’re too stunt to react. The man who is always denying display of affection is... cuddling you?
He stays like this for a while, heavily breathing, half asleep. His dream must be a pleasant one. Miyuki inhales your soapy scent and shifts again; this time, one of his thighs enlaces your hips, and his mouth travels from your neck to your shoulder blades and makes a nice stop on your biceps. This hallucinating scene is a proof of your hangover.
His second alarm strikes the end of the allotted cuddle time, and he sighs deeply. Like he doesn’t want to get up. He gives your body one last squeeze then he gets out of bed and takes his phone with him in the bathroom.
Sleep hits you at last once the bed is wrinkled and empty.
For the entire day, you can’t focus at work. You text with him regularly, but you don’t say anything about the secret morning cuddles. Knowing him, if you even vaguely mention it, he’d blush and deflect, then he’ll stop his ministrations altogether, too embarrassed he got caught. And it isn’t the point. It is just so nice to think part of his morning routine is to spend time with you.
Just to make sure you weren’t crazy, you wake up early again the next morning. Indeed, Miyuki cuddles you for thirty minutes nonstop. Same thing the next day, and the next, and so forth. This idiotic man really set up an alarm thirty minutes early just so he could cuddle you. And it is always innocent; a hug, a couple of kisses and some rubbing. But he never does anything indecent when he knows you’re not able to give consent.
For days you stay silent and enjoy secretly receiving his care. Then, for once, you’re facing him so you can admire his handsome features. But you forget to pretend to sleep so you let out a weak moan when he traces your veins with his finger. What’s the fuss with the mole he’s playing with? Does it bother him? So, stupidly, you look him in the eyes.
“Morning,” he says, sheepish.
“Mm-in',” you mumble back. “Busted.”
“Thought you hated my alarm?” he teases you, while getting even closer. His hands roam over your ribs and settle on your waist.
“You...You woke me!” You blush and squeak, “Kazuya! Why were you touching my moles?” You throw the blanket on your head so you can hide away from his mocking grin.
He takes it off to stare at you, and gently removes strands of hair out your face. “Do you hate it? It makes you uncomfortable?” His fingers rub your cheeks like you’re too delicate to handle and he’s scared he hurt you with his quirks.
Your nose shrinks and you shake your head. The way he makes sure he isn’t crossing any boundaries is precious to you. You melt in his arms. “How long have you been doing that? Waking up early to cuddle me?”
“Dunno. Since we got together, I guess.” He leans to kiss your lips good morning. “At first I was just randomly waking up.” Another kiss on your cheek. “Then I thought.” Your throat. “I might as well just make it a ritual.” He grins. And the sight of him makes you hot. Is it because of the heavy blanket or your boyfriend’s fiery eyes?
“Why...? I mean, you could have told me if you wanted to... you know.”
“I don’t want sex,” he says bluntly. By now you've learned to not feel rejected by his harsh words, you're used to his directness. He hugs you tightly. “This. It’s my favorite part of the day. I feel like I’m recharging.”
“That’s what sleep is for, idiot!”
He squeezes your waist anxiously as his eyes squint. “So you hate it.”
Oh, no.
Sometimes Miyuki knows how to surprise you. Whether it’s by showing unprecedented qualities or by forming incorrect conclusions based on obvious common sense. Isn’t he a genius catcher? What can’t he catch your drift? How can a guy speak sarcasm like a mother tongue but struggle to detect genuine emotions? He’s usually so sharp! Maybe he really can’t see anything without his glasses. Maybe his mind is still half-asleep. Maybe he got hit by a dead ball yesterday.
You take his face between your palms and say clearly, “I love you. I love that your big baseball-obsessed brain can’t handle holding hands in public but will get up thirty minutes early just to cuddle before you go. Don’t you ever change,” you say with no irony.
“I don’t like PDA, true. But I didn’t want you to think I cuddle you to initiate sex. I like touching you sometimes. Just not in public. I didn’t want to pressure you so it was easier that way. It’s my only way to spend quality time with you before we get busy with our days.”
“I wouldn’t have been mad.”
“I know. But you love sleeping so much, I didn’t want to wake you. I’m starting to think you might be the reincarnation of the Sleeping Beauty. You’ve been trash-talking my alarms for weeks, I listen when you talk, you know.” He gives himself an auto-congratulatory smile.
You heave a big sigh. “Jeez, you think too much. You really have a lot to learn about girls.” Your hands find his sturdy shoulders and bring him closer to you until your bodies are pressed against each other.
He smirks. “Teach me then.”
He places your thighs around his hips so there’s not an inch of space between you. You laugh heartily, remembering the sheer strength this man possess. And it’s your turn to kiss him, this time deeper and slower. He welcomes the thought with even more passion and wandering touches.
Miyuki plays with your soft hair for a while then whispers in your neck, “We can’t stay like this too long, my second alarm is going to go off any minute.”
“That’s why people don’t plan cuddle time!” you chastise. “It’s supposed to throw off your schedule. Make you late and such.”
“I see.”
He unlocks his body from yours and swings over you. He stands on his arms while you look at him from under. His duality always baffles you at the most unique moments. Like today.
“In that case, we might as well make the most of it,” he says, grinning like he just got the most mischievous idea. And he kisses you again.
The irritating alarm buzzes, but you don’t care anymore.