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The craters and mares of the moon were able to be viewed from his window, a sight so enrapturing it would make astronomers jealous as light leaked out from the half-closed curtains - gifting a sense of light into the dark room. However, it was unfortunately ignored by the red headed boy who was awake at a time deemed to be unacceptable from society’s standards on what is considered for a healthy sleep schedule. Even worse, a posture so irredeemable and very much promising to have consequences in the future, Karma sat cross-legged, hunched over a bright light illuminated from his phone on the bed - blanket long forgotten.
His cold thumb scrolled upwards against his screen quietly, carefully not being too loud by the occasional chuckle that leaves his lips from a funny meme because of the sleeping boy next to him.
Karma occasionally looked up from his phone to check on Gakushuu, ensuring he was getting his rest after a strenuous month. Exam season was harsh on both of them - especially going to a high school like Kunugigaoka High School that emphasised the importance of being first no matter what. But it was all too rewarding to finish them as he was finally allowed to rot in bed and play video games and watch miscellaneous things on youtube instead of being buried with revision materials at his desk late at night.
But he honestly shouldn’t be up so late, Karma can already envision Gakushuu’s lecture in the morning. However, what stopped him to curl up in bed with his warm partner and hold him comfortingly and tangle his feet with his was the very very long reddit thread about whether your partner should love you if you became a worm.
The rational brain of Karma explained that this is important. Very important to ruin his circadian clock. Because what if he did become a worm? Would Gakushuu still love him? Would he still kiss him? Is it even possible to kiss a worm? You can love an animal as a pet, but it would be really weird to love an animal as a romantic partner…How would Gakushuu even talk to him if he was a worm?
Mercury colored eyes glanced up again at Gakushuu, but not to check on him, but to judge whether or not this was worth disturbing his much needed sleep that he deserved. Karma brought a hand up slowly to Gakushuu’s hair, softly running his hand through his strawberry blonde hair. It’s freshly washed, so it was colder than usual due to drying. He travelled his hand around his face and rested his palm on Gakushuu’s cheek, squishing it gently as he watched his pale skin being pulled with no harm.
He thought it over, Gakushuu looked way too cute to be disturbed, but this is definitely way more important.
“Asano.”
No response
“Gakushuu.” He brought his hand to his shoulder that was covered by the shared blanket, shaking him gently.
No response again. Only a small mumble escaped his lips but his eyes were still shut tight.
“‘Shuu…” Karma raised his voice to his normal volume and shook harder.
Finally, Gakushuu blinked in alarm at the sudden aggressive motion, mauve eyes were swirling with sleepiness and alarm. Eyes darting towards the red headed boy, his face was lit and visible due to his bright screen from his phone - the light and shadows causing him to capture the look of a typical ghost.
He was silent, only letting a small mumble that sounded like a “What?” at his calling, face relaxing from his previous crinkled expression and leaned back into his pillow, closing his eyes again as he felt going sluggish again.
“‘Shuu.” Karma spoke again, shaking him again. It was almost comical to watch Gakushuu awake from the dead like Frankenstein as his eyes widened up then turning his head slowly towards the red headed boy. “Whadyuwan…” Gakushuu murmured out loud, slurring his words.
“Would you love me if I was a worm?” Karma asked in one breath.
The question didn’t even register in his head, the only phrase Gakushuu’s brain took was “you love me”. His immediate response was “No.”
Gakushuu turned to his side, back facing Karma (who had a deadpanned look at his one word answer) and closed his eyes again - he knew he was going to be disturbed again after hearing a whine behind him and hands ghosting his shoulder.
“You have to be serious,” Karma stated as he turned Gakushuu over to look at him - eyebrows wrinkled close together and eyes still barely open. “This is a serious question.” He repeated again.
The strawberry blonde man took a few minutes to compose himself in order to retrain himself from grabbing Karma at the hair and shoving him face down to the pillow. Taking a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes to gain a clearer image of his surroundings and sat up slowly, his previously dead arms regaining life to hold him up from behind.
“What do you want?” Gakushuu asked again with a clearer articulation, but what was different was the held ‘this better be important’ look by the way his eyebrows furrowed and his frown deepened by being shaken awake incoherently.
“Would you love me if I was a worm?” Karma repeated his question again with more clarity as well and a lot slower so Gakushuu could understand it.
His face was like stone, unmoving and daunting by the stupidity of the question. “You need to go to bed.” Gakushuu answered quickly, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Yes or no!” Karma quickly urged.
“No!” The strawberry blonde boy yelled out, taking all his strength to even raise an octave. He huffed loudly and laid back down on the bed - tucking himself in as tightly as possible as he heard Karma’s loud and betrayed “No?” from behind.
“Why, no ?” Instead of shaking him, Karma resorted to a more physical emphasis. Dropping his phone on his side, he huddled towards Gakushuu and once his knee was next to the side of Gakushuu’s thigh, he rose a leg to Gakushuu’s other side of his leg and straddled him, sitting upright and staring downward to the boy who grunted at the extra weight and spurted out nonsense with a flush.
“Get off me, Akabane.” Gakushuu yowled out as he dug himself further into his sheets to ignore the sight.
Karma just crossed his arms together, no expectations to move off until he had a proper answer. “Why would you not love me as a worm?” He asked again, the hurt in his voice irked Gakushuu more, maybe if it wasn’t 12 or 1 or ‘whatever time it was o'clock in the morning, he’d be more reasonable.
Gakushuu rubbed his eyes together, “Because, you’re a worm .” He murmured, hoping his reason would be enough. “You can love a worm.” The red headed boy countered, shrugging his shoulders as if Gakushuu was the silly one.
“Do you have a worm you particularly love?” Hm. Fair enough. Karma doesn’t know any worms he was interested in. “No, but I’d love you if you became a worm,” Karma’s point absolutely means nothing to Gakushuu at the moment, because he can’t magically transform into a worm in the first place, the promise holds no warmth in his cold heart. “Okay you’re averting the question, Shuu.”
Gakushuu snorted at this, growing tired quickly at the excuse, he took in another deep breath, as if he was going to declare a speech. “I am definitely not, since your ears aren’t working, I clearly said no, worms are filthy and ugly, goodnight.” He would have chosen a better choice of words, but he couldn't be asked to actually try and form a defense for this argument.
Before he was able to flop back down to the bed and go back to his dream. He saw the way Karma’s determined face morphed to melancholy, eyebrows scrunched together as if he was actually hurt at his words and lips a little too up like a puppy being told by his owner they aren’t going for a walk that was promised. It was all an act. This isn't the first time Karma has put up a front to get what he wants from Gakushuu.
But he hated the fact that his heart did tug a little at his change in mood. knowing he won’t be able to sleep peacefully if he leaves it here.
Gakushuu sighed quietly, rising up slowly from the bed. He took his hands and slid them underneath Karma’s shirt (which was Gakushuu’s shirt) and his palms came in direct contact with the sides of Karma’s hips. Rubbing his thumb in soothing circles as he pressed a small kiss on Karma’s pout.
“I love you in human form, the only form you actually have,” Gakushuu hushly explained to him as he pressed a gentle kiss again on Karma’s lips, it was a little troublesome to crane his head up to reach his height, but it was nothing worth noting off. “That’s not enough?”
Karma soon reciprocated his affection, unfolding his arms and loosely wrapped it around Gakushuu’s shoulders, pulling him closer to feel his warmth. “It is,” he responded quietly in the same tone as Gakushuu, allowing him to trail his warming lips from his lips then to his jaw, following small pecks along his jaw till he reaches Karma’s ear. “I’m just saying, what if I was a worm?”
Gakushuu pulled away slowly, hands still holding Karma’s hips as he averted his vision to think of something coherent. “I’d, well, hm, I’d love you still, but…since affection such as kissing or holding you would be out of the equation, I’d have to resort to other measures to display love,” He explained carefully and slowly, as if he himself is figuring out how to handle the question, identifying variables that can’t fit into the question on how to show love to a worm like physical affection like kissing or hand holding, and acts of service may vary, like he’s unable to show the care he puts into his appearance for Karma when going out, regardless if it’s a school uniform or a regular hangout - Gakushuu can’t help but tighten and straighten his tie before he leaves the house or coordinating colors of his outfits to see what brings out his eyes more before leaving for a date.
“I’d show love to you if you became a worm by, keeping you in a container, filled with wet soil and plants on my night stand, I would feed you everyday, clean your container on a weekly basis,” A basic regime would be needed if he were to love Karma as a worm, he’d have to keep him comfortable and happy, so food, space and sunlight are essential for a creature. “I’m not sure too much on how to love, love a worm, but it’s a start, hm?” It’s the best he can do right now, and seeing the way Karma’s eyes captured a surprised but mischievous glint was a good signal he answered the question correctly.
Karma’s hands found the back of Gakushuu’s hair, twirling a strand as he let out a small chuckle, “I’m your boyfriend, not your pet ,” he clarified with no ill intent behind his words, humming with a little glee and pressed a kiss on his cheek. “But I like the effort.”
He’s a little relieved and thankful for his quick thinking, an answer that was able to satisfy Karma’s nonsense was all he needed to regain some sleep as he felt a yawn bubbling up and his body berating him for continuing to entertain his theatrics. “You know what I like?” Gakushuu quietly asked, his lips upturning at the red headed boy’s affection, which wasn't helping him fight back to sleep anymore. Karma let out a little hum in response, urging him to continue.
“If you get off me and get some much needed sleep.”
With nothing back to argue, Karma just laughed and pressed his lips onto Gakushuu then slid off his lap. It took a few minutes to place his phone on the bedside desk and clumsily try to find the charging hole of it with the wire due to the dark. Feeling the short vibration indicating its charging, Karma brought the forgotten blanket that was left on the edge up to his shoulders.
The warmth of the blanket was easily able to lull him to sleep, but he still needed to reach out to the boy next to him in order to sleep in peace.
Gakushuu was accustomed to Karma’s pre-sleeping habits. So he wordlessly let himself curl towards his touch, Karma’s arm wrapped around his waist, bringing him closer while the strawberry blonde headed boy manoeuvred his head to lay on the space between Karma’s head and shoulder.
“Goodnight, Akabane.” He murmured as he felt sleep over take him quickly, his limbs going slack as he relaxed into his arms. Gakushuu wasn't sure if he heard Karma say it back or not, however he did feel a pair of lips on the side of his head, which was enough for him.