Work Text:
“Mikoto-san.”
The name is soft, stretched golden like honey. It always makes Mikoshiba feel so warm every time Mayu calls his name.
“Yeah?”
Mayu gazes at him. His eyes are dark, irises almost black.
Almost.
Mayu’s gaze is typically always half-lidded and lazy, long black strands of hair falling into his vision. Light reflects in his eyes all the time, glimmering with affection and contentment. But there was this one time, during the warmth of summer and running an errand for Nozaki, ice lollies cold between their lips, that he noticed their true colour for the first time.
It started off normal. Work had taken longer than Nozaki expected, and to say thank you to everyone - by which he means everyone, all the assistants were here - he wanted to cook them dinner, just to realise he didn’t have enough meat and veggies left. Mikoshiba volunteered to run the errand, and Mayu gave a little sigh as he pushed himself up off his pillow and said he was coming too.
They got all the necessary shopping done, that part was normal too. It was most definitely a one man job - there was no need for Mayu to come along.
Mayu followed him around like a particularly attached little duckling, never far behind Mikoshiba as he inspected vegetables, murmuring his own input when Mikoshiba couldn’t decide which tomatoes looked better. He stood way too close behind him, dipping his head down to Mikoshiba’s shoulder to get a better look at the produce, tapping at his choice.
Mikoshiba was more than used to running by this shop, being the nearest one to Nozaki’s and having to buy the randomest things sometimes, and one thing he knows is that the brand of fish sauce Nozaki prefers is always running out, the last bottles always tucked near the back of the shelf. Before he could reach over and grab it, Mayu leaned over him and picked it up effortlessly, dropping it into their shopping basket.
And then plucking even that out of Mikoshiba’s hands to carry it himself.
Mikoshiba spluttered, trying to grab it back, but Mayu easily manoeuvred out of the way, asking him what the next item on the list was as if nothing was wrong.
Eventually, they finished up their expedition with an ice lolly each. It was summer, so despite it being well into the evening the sun still shone, low in the sky, warm and bright.
They were chatting about something - rather, Mikoshiba was chatting and Mayu was humming along - and he was so absorbed in telling Mayu about the plot of the latest game he was playing that he didn’t even notice the hand holding his lolly was loosening its grip.
Mayu leaned down just a little, grasping Mikoshiba’s hand to guide his hand back up, making the tip of his lolly tap lightly against his lips. He murmured a soft be careful, mikoto-san, and that’s when Mikoshiba noticed it.
The evening sun shone through the strands of Mayu’s fringe, alighting his brown irises that glowed like warm embers, soft and inviting, a golden brown like caramel and indulgence itself.
As Mayu’s fringe fluttered in the quiet breeze, so did the shadows on his face, the warm brown of his eyes shifting back into their usual dark and piercing selves.
When he could feel his ice lolly starting to melt down his fingers though, he quickly snapped out of it, speed walking away from the situation before remembering who exactly the situation was and slowing back down for him.
So anyway, Mayu’s eyes were the most lovely shade of brown when they felt like revealing themselves.
“Did Mikoto-san wander off?” Mayu tilts his head, gaze searching.
“Ah, sorry, Mayu! I got lost in thought, what was it you wanted?”
“I finished drying the dishes.”
Mikoshiba looks over to Mayu’s side of the sink, and true to form, all the dishes were neatly stacked and dried.
Mikoshiba tilts his head up slightly to meet Mayu’s gaze and beams. “You did such a good job, Mayu! Thank you for helping me, you really didn’t have to.”
“You’re right.”
“Mayu -“
“So can I have a reward?”
Mikoshiba’s pauses where he was about to start a complaint. “Reward? Like what?”
“A kiss.”
“A -“ Mikoshiba’s face bursts into flames, not even capable of finishing his sentence. Mayu hums.
No one else is around. All the others had already gone home. They had offered to stay and wash the dishes since Mikoshiba already went on an errand, but thunder was on the way and even Nozaki doubted his ability to squeeze 6 people into his apartment to stay overnight. Mikoshiba was planning on staying the night anyway, and waved everyone off, just insisting they do all the heavy work next time.
Nozaki was already in his room - he was working the whole day and somehow made enough food for all of them, he was not making Nozaki do the dishes, host responsibilities be damned - so really, there really was no one other than him and Mayu.
“I - “
Mayu stood there patiently, waiting for Mikoshiba to gather his words. “F-fine! But only a little peck, okay?”
Mayu gives him a small, pleased smile, and Mikoshiba curses his rapidly beating heart. It’s not even the first time they’ve kissed! But it makes him so nervous every time. The only reason he can even bear it is because it’s Mayu, and Mayu would never laugh at his embarrassment or inexperience or push him for more than he’s comfortable with.
Mayu cups his face, tilting his head up just a little. Mayu likes to do this thing he calls ‘admiring’, where before he even kisses Mikoshiba he likes to gaze at his face like his own little pre-kiss ritual.
It was difficult getting used to Mayu’s gaze. It still is, to be fair. Having such an intense gaze pinned solely on him. Mikoshiba is aware he’s good looking, but he’s also aware of how much of a farce his cool-guy demeanour is.
Mayu leans in and Mikoshiba closes his eyes on reflex. Mayu’s soft lips press against his, warm and comforting. He grips the fabric of Mayu’s shirt loosely around his hips. Something about Mayu is so welcoming. Like a perfectly weighted blanket. He means that literally too; Mayu has slept on top of him quite a few times.
Mayu pulls away, their lips disconnecting with a soft sound from the residue of Mikoshiba’s pink-tinted strawberry lip balm.
“Another.”
Mayu’s hands are still warm around his face. Mayu doesn’t tend to show his emotions on his face a lot, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel them, or that they aren’t there for you to see in some other way. Right now, even though Mayu’s tone is as flat as ever, Mikoshiba knows he’s whining for another a kiss.
“I said one peck, Mayu… but okay.”
Mayu smiles softly at him, giving him another warm and short close-lipped kiss.
It’s so warm, standing here with Mayu. Like molten sugar being poured into his stomach, caramelised butterflies fluttering like crazy. No matter how many times he does this, he still gets so nervous. He pulls away, just enough to part their lips, casting his eyes down to where his hands twist in Mayu’s shirt. Mayu gets the memo, kissing Mikoshiba’s forehead gently.
He pries Mikoshiba’s fingers off his shirt to take his hands in his own, gently tugging them towards the bathroom. Mayu nudges him towards the door, intention clear.
“You don’t want to go first?” Mikoshiba asks. “You can sleep quicker, that way.”
Mayu thinks. Nods once.
Mikoshiba laughs quietly, stepping out the way so Mayu can get through.
Mikoshiba walks over to their futons and sits down, stretching his back. It’s been a long day, productive and well spent. They managed to get the majority of the pages sorted ahead of schedule for the sake of the Nozaki family’s upcoming vacation. Mikoshiba will miss Mayu, that’s for sure. Even if they text all the time, Mikoshiba will miss him being around. Mayu’s been visiting more often, and is even more tactile with him than he was before. He seems to take any excuse to nap on him, even resting his head on his thighs as Mikoshiba sketches out flowers.
Mayu doesn’t talk a lot, but Mikoshiba delights in the moments where Mayu talks whilst pressed against his body and can feel the vibrations of his voice. Not that he’s ever going to tell Mayu something so embarrassing.
The door clicks open. Mayu stands there, holding the door open in clear invitation.
“Feel free to turn the light off and start sleeping,” Mikoshiba says as he gets up. “No need to wait up.”
Mayu nods as Mikoshiba passes him to enter the bathroom. All the assistants - including Chiyo, even though she’s never once slept over - have a toothbrush at Nozaki’s house. But Mayu and Mikoshiba have stayed over often enough to warrant their toothbrushes staying in the toothbrush cup that sits on the sink instead of tucked in the mirror cabinet. It’s a standard manual one, which means Mikoshiba typically tends to zone out brushing his teeth before suddenly coming to after 5 minutes have passed. It just means his teeth must be extra shiny, right?
He spits out the toothpaste and rinses his mouth before exiting. Mayu didn’t switch the lights off. Mikoshiba would like to think it’s because he was thinking of him, but he knows otherwise. Mayu probably didn’t want to spend the effort to rummage around the dark till he got to his futon. He could also sleep no matter how bright it was, so there’s that too.
Their futons are pressed up to one another, Mayu sleeping near the edge of his closest to Mikoshiba.
Mikoshiba’s held Mayu before. It’s always been casual, and Mikoshiba’s always been awake. This is different. They’re going to be both be asleep. Mikoshiba wants to hold him, to cuddle him and stay close, but he feels those rapturous butterflies in his stomach again. It’s not scary - it’s Mayu. But somehow his stomach doesn’t want to get the memo. How is sleeping somehow scarier than a kiss?
He switches the light off and slides underneath the covers, watching the faint outline of Mayu’s chest rise and fall as he breathes. His hair is overdue for a cut, slightly longer than usual. His face is always peaceful when he’s sleeping. Mikoshiba can’t help but admire him.
Eyelashes flutter and dark eyes stare at him. His heart skips a beat.
“Mikoto-san?”
“Go back to sleep, Mayu.”
Mayu hums. Shuffles a little closer to him. Rests his hand on the back of Mikoshiba’s head.
Before Mikoshiba can ask what he’s doing, the hand on the back of his head shifts, moving back and forth languidly.
“Relax, Mikoto-san.”
“…Are you petting me?”
Mayu blinks at him. “Is it working?”
Mikoshiba lets out a soft laugh. “Yeah. It is.”
Mayu continues his ministrations for a little longer. It’s soothing, having a pattern to focus on. Gazing at Mayu’s sleepy expression is making him sleepy too. Mayu’s hand slows down, hardly moving anymore. He takes it back and places his hand between them.
“Mikoto-san?” He whispers gently.
“Hmm?”
“Good night.”
Mayu looks at him, and it’s like a switch has flipped in his head. Mayu looks so fond. Like it really was worth it staying up to coax Mikoshiba to sleep instead of sleeping himself. The urge to pull himself into Mayu’s embrace is strong, but he withstands it. Instead, he reaches out to rest his hand over Mayu’s, squeezing it gently.
“Good night, Mayu.”
—
He wakes up being spooned by Mayu and a face full of Nozaki.