Work Text:
Yoriichi had a problem.
As far as problems went, this one was not terribly important. It wasn’t like his car breaking down last week, making him late for work. Or the looming electricity bill from the last big heatwave when he’d left all the air conditioners on in the third-floor apartment because if he didn’t they’d die of heatstroke.
It wasn’t a problem that Michikatsu got really chatty when he was tired. Really, it was amusing more than anything else. Normally, his brother was rather quiet. Observant. He thought about what he’d said before he said it. But once Michikatsu hit a certain level of tiredness, he’d look at Yoriichi with half-droopy eyes, and all bets were off on what he’d say or do.
It ranged from full conversations to words that had zero connection with each other. Last Monday night, all Michikatsu could say was “green” leaving Yoriichi guessing what the hell his brother was trying to tell him. It was twenty questions and a repetition of the word over and over again, until Michikatsu finally lifted a tired arm, and yanked a sprig of pine needles out of Yoriichi’s hair, before falling fast asleep with his mouth half formed around the word “green”.
Yoriichi had pried the needles from Michikatsu’s hand in amusement, pressed their foreheads together and had fallen asleep, mingling their breaths.
Completely forgetting his library book sitting on the nightstand.
The library book he really, really wanted to finish before returning.
But the next night, as he propped his pillow up behind his back, and flipped open to the first page. Michikatsu deftly yanked the book off his lap, put it back where it was, and demanded a kiss goodnight. A kiss that led to more kisses, and then to other things… Yoriichi decided tomorrow night he’d start the book.
But then…
“Why don’t you play video games with me anymore?” (Aniue, we just played Roblox together an hour ago) “Oh… yeah… I forgot.”
That night, Michikatsu went on for two hours about the game before drifting off with nonsensical mumbles still tumbling from his pretty lips. Yoriichi had laid curled up against his back, waiting for so long for the sound of Michikatsu’s voice to drift away.
Thursday night, Yoriichi didn’t get home in time to consider reading. Didn’t even get home in time to see Michikatsu off to bed. He’d stumbled in from his shift, exhausted, heated some leftovers, ate, and then cuddled under the sheets with his brother.
Friday night for sure…
“Did you ask Sumiyoshi if I could pick up some hours at the shop?” (I did. Remember, he texted you asking if you could come in on Sunday to help me rearrange all the displays for the Halloween turnover.) “Yes, but that’s one day. I was hoping for something more permanent.” (I thought you liked your job?) “I do… sometimes… but I need a reason to duck out of Muzan’s upcoming company party. The prep and the party…” (Oh.)
Saturday night?
Yoriichi tried to wear Michikatsu out with afternoon sex, but things got out of hand, and the next thing he knew it was 6 a.m. Sunday. He had several text messages from Sumiyoshi asking him where he was because they had an early morning delivery, and Yoriichi was late.
At least the returns for library books ran on a two-week window…
By Wednesday, Yoriichi had read all of two sentences in the book…
On Thursday, Yoriichi got clever and went to bed with his earbuds in. Hoping Michikatsu would take the hint and go to sleep peacefully while he binged this book. But his brother stood at the end of the bed, running his hands through his dark, shower-damp hair. He frowned, ignored the earbuds, and told him that Nakime had asked him out again.
“Can we do a switch date? You know she can’t tell us apart. And if I say yes…” (Hell no. Just tell her you’re taken. It’s true.) “You’re no fun, Yori.” Michikatsu snatched the earbuds and leaned in to lick the shell of his ear. Causing shivers to traverse his spine from the sensitive touch. “Besides. If I tell people I’m seeing someone, they are going to want to know who…”
Michikatsu was right. They couldn’t exactly reveal that they were an item. Yoriichi had steadfastly insisted he was ace to all of his friends and family, from the moment they revealed their feelings to each other almost a decade ago. And that might hold some truth… if someone who was ace could only be into a single person ever. Literally, the thought of even kissing anyone else made his stomach tie into knots.
Thursday night flew by with a discussion on how to handle Michikatsu’s coworker and her unwanted advances…
The book would have to wait until Friday.
On Friday at 7 p.m., Yoriichi looked at the digital screen for the subway with a sense of extreme disappointment. It seemed there had been an accident on the line.
“It’s okay, Yoriichi!” Sumiyoshi said beside him. “We’ll just take a walk to the next station, and hop on after the delay.”
“I suppose.” Yoriichi agreed.
By the time he got home, he didn’t even have the energy to get out of his clothes or under the covers. That night, he slept on the couch.
Yoriichi dreamed about returning the library book, knowing only the first two sentences of the story.
Saturday night, Yoriichi got desperate and tried drugging Michikatsu with melatonin, which was silly because if anything it made his brother talk more. (Goodnight, Aniue.) "Just one more thing..." (You said that ten subjects ago.) "This time I mean it." Michikatsu didn't mean it, not really.
And that was the unfortunate end of it. The weekend went by in a whirlwind. Talking, sex, tossing the melatonin in the bathroom cabinet to be forgotten until it expired or he decided on throwing it away, cleaning the apartment. Giving in to Michikatsu’s nagging about his work situation to text Nakime and letting her down as gently as Yoriichi could that his brother was just not interested in a relationship. But he was still excited to be on the same bowling team for company events. This was an activity that Yoriichi found hilarious… (Isn’t bowling for old people, Aniue?) “Shut the fuck up, Yoriichi. You’re just a pain because you know you’d lose.”
Game on.
Yoriichi didn’t let go of the challenge and spent most of the afternoon on Sunday at the bowling alley with Michikatsu. He didn’t win, but they had fun.
On Monday morning, Yoriichi returned the book to the library with a sense of resigned sadness.
He still wanted to read it, but he supposed the last two weeks hadn’t been all that bad.
When Michikatsu yawned that night and snuggled into his side, his brother kissed his neck gently.
“Hey, you’ve seemed pretty sad today.”
“I didn’t get a chance to read my library book.” Yoriichi shrugged. “It was on interlibrary loan, so I probably won’t get to take it out again for a while. I really wanted to know what happened.”
Michikatsu blinked up at him, his crimson eyes hazy with sleep. “Oh… oh…” His brother moved, shuffling off their shared bed and stretching his hands to the sky. “Mmm… be right back.”
Thinking he was just going to the bathroom to get a sip of water, Yoriichi looked up at the ceiling, replaying that one sentence… the opening sentence of that book in his mind. The world trembled. The sky was flashing, bright streaks flying across it like errant birds falling to the ground.
“Here.” Michikatsu shoved something in his face. Something with a black cover, and a title he’d stared at for the last two weeks with longing. Yoriichi blinked, grabbing onto the book. “Mmm… I bought it like three weeks ago, but… I wanted to spend time with you, so I put off reading it.”
Yoriichi’s fingers fluttered across the cover, over the golden crown in the center, and Michikatsu returned to his side, snuggling in next to him. His heart filled up happily, and he couldn’t help the smile on his face.
“I love hanging out with you, too. Hey…”
“Yeah?” Michikatsu mumbled.
“Would you like me to read it to you? Then we can be together and enjoy it.” Yoriichi asked hesitantly. Not sure how his brother would take the suggestion, but the way Michikatsu hummed in the affirmative made everything worth it.
Yoriichi opened the book.