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After spending the spring awkwardly skirting around how to handle their situation in private, Souta finally opened up to Keisuke, who somehow already knew exactly what was going on. It was only a couple of ‘almost’ dates, and a few more actual dates later that Nao and Souta had officially started dating dating.
Out of the blue Takeo had suggested going on a holiday as a group in early summer, and Souta had agreed without actually thinking what that might entail. It was only when Keisuke reminded him that he would have to spend time with his friends and his now boyfriend that it clicked. By that point, it was too late. Keisuke had invited Inoue, who had invited Saya, so the six of them planned their overnight trip to Okinawa.
Split into pairs as if by fate, also known as Keisuke, Souta and Nao were paired off into their own separate room. Keisuke and Takeo had their room and Inoue and Saya had theirs, all a stone’s throw from each other.
Sliding open the door, Souta instantly threw his bag an impressive distance to the bed closest to the window.
“I’m claiming that bed!” he said, throwing his arms into the air in celebration.
“Woah, fine.” Nao swung his bag onto the bed closest to him, giving Souta a sarcastic smile as he slid the door closed. “I didn’t want that bed, anyway. This one looks so much better.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, you’re just jealous.” Souta returned Nao’s smile with a cheeky one of his own.
He felt giddy, this was the first time that they were spending time alone away from home. Even if they weren’t technically alone, it was more than they had been at Souta’s house recently. They had already confessed to each other, and while it had been a long road they hadn’t really spoken too much about what dating actually meant for them.
“Jealous? Maybe I am,” Nao retorted, leaning up against the wall next to his bed and folding his arms. “Maybe we should just share them, then.”
Souta looked at him in confusion. “Huh? Like… swap beds tomorrow night?”
“Or that...”
Just at that moment, the sliding door slammed open with a bang and both boys turned to look.
“C’mon guys, we’re heading out to the beach soon. You two need to get changed!!” Takeo called through the open door, already wearing his swimming shorts and flip flops.
“You need to knock, Takeo,” Keisuke quipped as he walked past him towards Inoue and Saya's room, which was just down the hall.
“Huh?? No I don’t,” Takeo retorted, following Keisuke. “And don’t tell me what to do!” He continued arguing to himself as their voices faded down the hallway.
Nao turned to Souta, and smiled as he noticed how flushed Keisuke’s comment had gotten him.
“What the hell is Keisuke saying? What does he think is happening in here??” Souta turned to grab a change of clothes from his bag.
Nao shrugged with a very noticeable self-satisfied smile, grabbing his own clothes and heading to the bathroom to get changed before Souta had a chance.
After the two of them got changed they headed towards the reception area where everyone was waiting, beach hats and sunglasses in hand.
“You guys ready to go?” Keisuke called, propping his sunglasses on the top of his head. He had a huge tote bag slung over his shoulder, pulling his whole body to the side.
“What have you got in there?” Souta asked, pointing directly to the oversized bag.
“Before I answer that question, let me ask you one: Did you bring a towel?”
Souta paused, staring blankly at him.
“Exactly.” Keisuke rummaged through the bag and tossed Souta a folded towel. “You’re welcome.”
“Okay… fair enough.”
The six of them made their way to the nearest beach, which was around a ten minute walk from the hotel they were staying at. The morning breeze was warm, and the smell of salt hung in the air as they began to get closer to the water. Inoue had snuck her way to the front where Keisuke was leading the group and had struck up a lively conversation with him, leaving Saya to entertain an excited Takeo. Nao and Souta followed close behind, but just far enough away to attempt their own conversation without being overheard.
“You could have just borrowed my towel,” Nao said, gesturing to his bag which Souta could only assume contained a towel.
“I can’t just rely on you for everything, now can I?”
“Why not?” Nao’s expression told Souta that he was being deadly serious. Souta couldn’t help but laugh at how earnest the question was.
“Will you stop being so dramatic?” Souta feigned a serious expression, subduing a smile as he watched Nao’s expression shift to a smirk as he took the bait.
“Why don't you make me—”
“Ugh, will you guys ever stop bickering? You're like an old married couple,” Takeo complained from in front of them, half turning to them as he called over his shoulder.
“Bickering? We're not—” Souta began to complain, but then became painfully aware just how much his friends could hear his and Nao's conversation. His attention shifted to Keisuke, who was already looking at him with a small but knowing smile.
I knew this trip was a dumb idea.
“Ugh, we weren’t even bickering!” Souta complained, stomping his way to the front of the group and taking off ahead, adding a couple of skips to his step as he got closer and closer to the beach.
It had been a few years since Souta had been to the beach, and the idea of sinking his feet into the soft hot sand filled him with unbridled joy. Ice cream, sunscreen, and spending the day lounging about with no worries with his friends and his boyfriend, what could go wrong?
Souta took one final leap into the sand as he reached the perfect spot to set up for the morning, close to the water and the cooling greenery that lined the beach. The white sand spread far into the distance, and Souta had to shield his eyes with his hand to look down the full stretch of it to avoid being blinded by the glare of the sun. Takeo, Keisuke, Saya and Inoue had set up nearby and had already made their way a little ways down the beach.
Nao appeared beside him, following Souta’s gaze down past the rugged rocks and other beachgoers. Nao turned to him, quietly sliding out the sunglasses that were tucked into the front of Souta’s shirt and placing them on his face.
“Oh.” Souta let his hand fall to his side, relaxing his furrowed brows and looking down the beach with ease. “Thanks…”
Nao let out a laugh, and Souta could see him watching him from the corner of his eye.
“What?” Souta frowned, his cheeks growing a little warmer.
“Nothing, nothing.” Nao sighed, tracing the shoreline with his eyes. “I’m glad I got to be here with you, that’s all.”
Souta’s heart leapt in his chest, catching his breath in his throat momentarily. “Nao…” he whined. “That’s unfair.”
Nao took one more glance down the beach before leaning dangerously close to Souta’s ear. “I know.”
Souta could almost feel the sly smile on Nao’s lips as he said the words. He leaned in a little closer, giving Souta a kiss on his temple before casually grabbing his towel and laying it out beside Souta’s.
It wasn’t the first time they had kissed— this wasn’t even a big deal, but somehow the act sent a wave of electricity through Souta’s entire body, even the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.
Seriously unfair.
“Di– I– I need to… Do you have any sunscreen?” Souta finally managed, the flush on his face spreading to his neck and ears, and burning especially hot on the spot where Nao had just kissed.
“Yup.” Nao reached into his bag and pulled out a small bottle of sunscreen, handing it to Souta.
“Thanks…”
After applying enough sunscreen to cover an elephant, Souta rushed over to the water’s edge where the rest of his friends were and stormed in, holding his arms around his body as the cold water splashed his legs, and eventually reached his torso.
“It’s SO COLD!” he yelled out, throwing his arms into the air.
Keisuke was standing with just his feet in the water, his shirt slightly damp from where Takeo had splashed him moments before. He pushed his sunglasses further up his nose and re-positioned the summer hat he was wearing as he looked up towards Souta to get a better look.
Wait… A sunhat?
“Where did you get that hat from?” Souta asked, wading his way through the water towards Keisuke.
“It’s mine, Ueshima-kun!” Inoue called from a little farther down the beach where she and Saya were crouched, collecting shells together.
Souta looked across, then shifted his gaze to the hat that she was wearing. He pointed to it accusatorily. “Then whose hat is that?”
“Mine,” Saya sighed, not looking up.
Inoue flashed Souta a guilty grin, then continued scouring the beach for cute shells.
Souta turned in search of Nao, who was slowly making his way down the shore. Nao was carefully stepping along the beach, watching his feet as they sunk into the sand slightly where he stepped. Just the sight of Nao brought a smile to Souta’s face, a warmth radiating from his heart through his entire body as he watched.
He stretched his fingers out, and then clenched them into a fist at his side. I want to hold his hand.
“CATCH!!”
Before Souta had a chance to react, a beachball slammed him in his head, shunting him to the side. He swung around, gripping the side of his face with one hand. “TAKEO!”
Takeo took off down the beach laughing, then yelling for help as Souta launched the ball directly at his head. Souta leapt towards Takeo, splashing him with water and knocking them both fully under the waves.
After being dragged out of the water by Keisuke for ‘causing a scene’, Souta withdrew to his beach towel to dry off. He’d been relaxing in the sun, splayed out on the towel for a while, when he started to wonder what everyone else was doing. He looked up just as a shadow passed over him, and above him stood Nao who was holding two ice lollies.
Souta blinked as Nao handed him an ice lolly, the red one, while Nao bit into the blue one he had in his other hand.
“I thought you didn’t like anything too sweet?”
“It’s good every now and then…” Nao replied, gesturing with the ice lolly. “Quickly, before it melts.”
“Oh!” Souta took it, one hand holding the wooden stick and the other cupping underneath as red droplets had already started to stain the sand between them.
“Thanks.”
“Sure.”
Nao took a seat next to Souta, brushing off the small amount of sand that had been kicked onto the towel as he sat.
“Are you not too hot in that T-shirt?” Souta asked, taking a final bite of his lolly, then grabbing a tissue to wipe his hands.
“Hm?” Nao looked down, he was wearing a black T-shirt and dark blue swimming trunks. “Not really. It’s not that hot.”
“Really?” Souta looked stunned. “I’m boiling. I had to take my shirt off as soon as we got here.”
“I noticed.” Nao sat next to him with a small smile.
“Oh, I bet you did.” Souta smirked, but after catching Nao’s soft but earnest eyes watching him, he quickly turned away. “A-anyway I wonder what Keisuke has planned for tonight. I wonder if we could have a barbeque on the beach?”
“Hmm… I don’t know if they would let us do that.” Nao laughed, turning his attention to their friends who were still enjoying their time in the water a few meters away. Nao shifted his weight slightly, grazing Souta’s hand with his fingertips.
The feeling of Nao’s cool hand against his sun-warmed skin startled him, and he glanced down at it hesitantly. His heart had filled his chest with nervous butterflies, but he gulped them down, moving his fingers to interlace between Nao’s ever so slightly. The thumping in his chest continued as he averted his eyes, choosing instead to look out over the sparkling blue water.
The two sat in silence, listening to the distant chatting of their friends, the lapping of the waves on the shoreline and the birds calling from above the water. Souta felt at peace, in spite of his heart threatening to escape his ribcage. He took a deep breath in before sighing it out.
“You okay?”
“Yup!” Souta spun to face him with a cheeky grin, weaving their fingers closer together, the towel crinkling under his palm. “I’m good. This is fun.”
Nao let out a small laugh followed by a small hum of agreement, then watched Souta with a comfortable smile. They stayed like that for a while, taking in the sound of the ocean and the heat of the sun.
“Soutaaa! Naooo! We’re going to head into town to pick up some lunch!” Keisuke called from the water’s edge, giving the two of them a chance to untangle their fingers from each other before their other friends saw.
“Coming!” Souta yelled back. He stood up, holding his hand out to help Nao stand up. Nao took it, standing up and dusting the sand off his clothes.
As they made their way over, Souta noticed the aggressive sunburn that the rays had bestowed on Takeo’s skin.
“Did you not use any sunscreen…?” Souta asked, prodding his shoulder. It felt ridiculously hot.
“Huh? Yeah?” Takeo turned his back, revealing a few patches of non-sunburned skin in the shape of a handprint, along with a strip along his shoulders that he had clearly attempted to apply some sunscreen to.
Keisuke shook his head. “I did offer to put some on him, but he ref—”
“I put it on just fine, stop whining!” Takeo rolled his eyes. “Anyway, c’mon, let’s go!”
The six of them went back to their respective rooms to change, and clean the sand from their feet. Somehow they had managed to waste almost four full hours at the beach, and it was already getting close to 4pm. They had all decided on where to eat— a local restaurant which served something that everybody liked.
When they arrived, the waiter seated them at a large booth table and quickly took their drink order before disappearing behind the bar.
Nao and Souta sat comfortably close to each other. Nao had his knee resting gently against Souta’s to bridge the gap they had to keep while in others’ company.
“I'm just gonna use the restroom before the food gets here,” Nao said, gesturing for Souta to let him out of the side of the booth.
Souta obliged, quickly making his way out of the booth to let him out, then taking a seat again. After Nao was out of earshot, Saya spoke up.
“You and Iseya-kun have gotten close, huh?” she called across from the other side of the table. The comment seemed innocuous enough, but it still filled Souta with anxiety. Do other people really notice it that much? Does it look weird? Are we being obvious?
“I'm jealous you guys are such good friends!” Inoue quickly added, flashing Souta a smile. “I remember when we first became friends, Saya-chan, you were stuck to me like glue!” She let out a laugh.
Saya nudged her with a small blush. “Miyako… we don't need to talk about that,” she said.
“Oooh, you just got called out.” Takeo joined in with the laughter.
Not long after, Nao returned from the toilet and their food arrived. The table was piled high with colourful food, ordered by people who clearly had eyes bigger than their bellies.
“I'm stuffed.” Takeo leaned back in his chair, hands planted firmly on his stomach. “Does anyone wanna go for ice cream?”
“We had ice cream like two hours ago…” Keisuke gave him an incredulous look, resting his elbow on the table in front of him. Inoue giggled from the other side of the table, agreeing with Keisuke.
“Who says you can only have ice cream once in a day?” Takeo said confidently, then groaned. “Maybe ice cream isn't a good idea right now though.”
“Let's go for dessert later! We had such a big lunch we don't need much for dinner — I say we should treat ourselves.” Inoue smiled, and her smile turned into a grin when everyone happily agreed to her plan.
Making their way back to their room to sleep off their lunch, the six of them said their goodbyes until later in the day and went their separate ways. Souta walked into the room, followed by Nao who locked the door behind them.
“I'm honestly not really tired, but I might lie down for a bit,” Nao said, making his way over to the bed farthest from the door.
“Ahhh..” Souta sighed. “Me too.”
As Nao sat down on the bed, he looked up to Souta who was also making his way around. “Hey, that's my bed.”
“I know.” Nao watched him approach with a smile, his hands resting softly on his knees as he was sitting.
“Then—” Souta stopped, a slight blush had found its way across his cheeks as he put the pieces together. “Are you— do you—”
“Yup.” Nao's smile widened, he reached over and patted the sheets next to where he sat.
Oh… oh no.
“You're such a…” Souta mumbled, staring down at Nao's hand, which playfully invited him to sit every time he patted it down on the bed.
“Hm?” Nao's smile didn't falter the whole time he was looking up at Souta. “C’mon, or Takeo will wake up from his nap and hammer down our door.”
“Oh!” Souta spun around. “We should probably lock the do—”
“Already done,” Nao cut in, grabbing Souta’s wrist and pulling him down to the bed next to him.
The two lay side by side facing the ceiling, their hands almost touching.
This is more awkward than I expected.
Nao reached over, wrapping his hand around Souta’s and entwining their fingers together. Souta sighed, he felt nervous but the warmth felt comforting.
This closeness wasn't anything new, other than their study sessions they'd also cuddled while watching a movie at Nao's house. But this was the first time they had been alone, actually alone since they started officially dating.
They had shared two kisses so far, even the thought of it still sent an electric shock through Souta's mind.
“You okay?” Nao rolled over to face Souta, his hair falling slightly over his face as he moved. Without a second thought, Souta reached over and moved it from his face. Their eyes met, Souta's heart hammering in his ears and his breath catching in his throat.
“Yup! Yes!” he choked out. Even though his brain desperately wanted to break eye contact in an attempt to hide his nerves, his body refused. Nao’s eyes shifted down, then back to meet his gaze.
Oh god.
Nao propped himself up on his elbow, leaning in closer to place a soft, quick kiss on Souta's lips before slumping back onto his side. It was so quick it barely registered in Souta's mind before it was over, but it quickened the pace of his heart by tenfold.
“Why do you look so worried?” Nao said with a small laugh, placing his thumb over the crease between Souta's brows and rubbing it gently.
“I'm not— I don’t—” Souta rolled back over onto his back and let out a grumble, covering his face with both hands. “I don't even know what my face looks like right now.”
Nao laughed, sitting up fully to try and pull Souta's hands away, tugging at both of his elbows. “I'll tell you, let me see.”
“Noo! Stop!!” Souta protested, crossing his arms over his head and covering his face with them. Nao kneeled up, using only a little of his strength to try and pry Souta's arms away from his face.
Leaning fully over him, his knees locking in on Souta’s torso, Nao gave one final pull, revealing a frantic and red-faced Souta.
Souta yelled out as Nao grabbed both of his wrists, pulling them up so Souta couldn't hide his face. “Okay, fine! I won't hide any more!” Souta yelled, and Nao finally let go.
Suddenly a rattle, then a loud knock on the door startled them from their play fight.
“Why is your door locked?” The voice behind the door could only belong to Takeo. “Keisuke texted you! We're going to go get desserts now, are you guys coming?”
Nao froze, looking at the door then back down at Souta who was lying beneath him. Souta's face, if possible, got even redder as he realised the position they were in. Literally and figuratively.
“Helloooo?” Takeo called from the hallway.
“Yeah!!” Souta called back as Nao jumped off the bed and straightened out his clothes.
He quickly but quietly went to the door, then turned back and scruffed up the bed closest to him. He looked at Souta with a slightly nervous smile, then spun around and unlocked the door.
“Sorry, I was asleep,” Nao yawned as he pulled the door open slightly.
“Oh, sorry. Are you guys still coming with us?”
“Yes!!” Souta called from the other side of the room. “Just let me put my shoes on!”
“Sure! We'll wait for you by the entrance again,” Takeo replied. “Don’t take too long!”
As the door closed, Nao turned to Souta with a shrug. “Keisuke is gonna make fun of us if you go out with that face.”
“I can't help it, okay?” Souta stood up from the bed and made his way over to the bathroom. “I'm gonna wash my face really quick.”
As Nao and Souta approached the group, Inoue looked up and spotted them.
“Hey guys! You ready to go?”
Souta nodded in response.
“The dessert place is only a ten minute walk so we should be back before it gets dark,” Saya said, She glanced up and down the street, checking the route on her phone.
Saya and Inoue took the front, followed by Souta and Keisuke, leaving Takeo and Nao behind them. Souta felt Keisuke's eyes on him as they began walking, who raised his eyebrows very slightly as they made eye contact.
“What?” Souta pouted, knowing exactly what Keisuke was doing.
“Oh, nothing.” Keisuke smiled, turning his attention forward. “Are you having a good trip so far?”
“Yeah, it's been a lot of fun.”
Souta noticed Inoue looking at them over her shoulder as he spoke. He turned his gaze to Keisuke, then back to Inoue as they shared a smile before Inoue turned back away, her cheeks becoming pink.
“I take it you've had a good holiday, too?” Souta looked at Keisuke with a smirk.
“I don't know what you mean, Souta,” he claimed, but his smile told a different story.
“Hmmm? Is that so?” Souta teased, but Keisuke didn't reply, and he knew exactly what that meant.
They walked a small distance to a local dessert shop which had a range of different cakes, ice creams and pastries lining the window. As the group approached, Takeo and Inoue rushed up to the glass, their noses almost pressing against it as they excitedly discussed which option to choose.
As quickly as they entered the door they were seated at a table for six, a comfortable round table with cute pastel chairs and embroidered placemats sitting in front of each of them.
Souta picked up one of the menus, turning to Nao and pointing at one of the pictures. It was a blueberry and raspberry parfait with drizzles of syrup, piles of whipped cream and lots of colourful chocolate sprinkles. “I bet you’ll get this one,” he laughed.
“Yeah, yeah.” Nao looked at him with a comfortable smile. “That’s so me. How did you know?”
Souta laughed, then pointed to a different picture just as the waitress approached them.
“Nah, I think this is more you.” This time the image showed a small selection of wagashi in different flavours. “I’m still kinda full from earlier, so do you want to share?”
Nao nodded in response, and they all ordered their desserts.
After such a hectic day of fun, chatting, eating and relaxing it didn’t take long for the group to get tired and retire to their rooms to prepare for the long trip back home the next day.
“Good night, Souta,” Nao called from his bed, a hint of a mischievous smile on his face as he spoke.
“Good night! See you tomorrow.”
*
Souta was suddenly awoken with a shake, but before he could say anything, a hand covered his mouth. As his eyes began to focus, he saw Nao standing above him, one finger pressed to his own lips.
After a quiet ‘shush’ he guided Souta up and out of bed, handing him his jacket and shoes then gesturing for him to follow.
What the hell is going on?
Souta yawned, grabbing his phone as he slipped his shoes on and checking the time.
4am?!
“Erm...” Souta whispered as quietly as he could manage. “Where are we going…?”
Nao turned to him and paused to think. He slowly unlocked the door and pulled it open. “You’ll see.”
They walked down the corridor, walking past Keisuke and Takeo's room, and then Inoue and Saya’s room. Souta had to stifle a laugh as he heard a loud snore from one of the rooms they passed.
Was that coming from Saya and Inoue's room, or Takeo and Keisuke's room?!
As they exited the main doors, Nao guided them to the left down a cobbled path, then through a small gate. The cobbles were replaced with a gravel path lined with trees. The moon gently shone through the leaves, lining the path with scatterings of white light, and the stars offered just enough illumination to guide them. The smell of fresh pine lingered in the air as they passed under a low hanging bough, and Souta held his hand above Nao to protect him from hitting his head.
After they had been away from the hotel for a few minutes, Nao turned back and held his hand out at his side. Souta quickly took it, his heart fluttering in his chest.
“Where are we going?” Souta asked again, still in a quiet voice.
“I told you, you'll see.”
Nao shifted his bag further onto his shoulder then pulled Souta down a different path and then up some steps. They walked for a few minutes in silence, the cold air against their skin a reminder that this was a time of night they shouldn’t be awake for.
As they reached the top of the steps, the trees gave way to an open grassy area with small patches of bushes and flowers. Nao let go of Souta's hand and made his way to a lone tree. Leaning down he pulled a blanket from his bag and unfurled it onto the grass.
He turned around and walked back over to Souta, taking his hand again and guiding him over to the blanket, sitting them both down in the middle. Nao laid back and pulled Souta down to lie next to him.
“What are we…?”
“Stargazing, what else?” Nao smiled.
“Stargazing?”
“I don't know, I just thought it would be fun. The night I stayed at your house and saw the glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling… I've wanted to go stargazing with you since that day.”
Souta’s heart filled his chest. That's the cutest thing I have ever heard.
“Wow. I didn't have you pegged as a romantic.” Souta smirked.
“I can be romantic when I want to be.”
Souta could see from the corner of his eye that Nao was still watching him, and it took a moment for him to look back towards the sky. The cool air felt calming against Souta's warm skin after being in the sun all day.
Nao lifted his arm, pointing towards a group of stars. “That one looks like Ponpon,” he said with a smile. “Cute.”
Souta followed Nao's finger to the sky and spotted a vaguely cat-shaped constellation in the sky.
“He's not cute, He's a beast.”
After another moment of searching, Souta sprung up to rest on his elbow, reaching his arm up to the sky. “Oh! Oh! That one looks like Dogonaut!” he beamed.
“Huh?” Nao frowned, searching the sky where Souta was pointing. “Where…?”
“Ugh, there!” Souta leaned in a little closer, close enough for Nao’s hair to gently brush against his temple. He gestured again to the sky, closing one eye and following his finger up to make sure it was in the right position for Nao to see. “Can you see it?”
“Oh, yeah…” Nao mumbled. “I see it.”
“Right?! It totally looks like hi—” Souta turned to face Nao, who at this point was mere centimeters away from his face. Souta blinked, then backed away slightly. “Oh, sorry. I guess I got a bit too excited.”
“I can tell.” Nao smiled up at him, but remained still.
The air between them was thick and stuffy. Souta’s heart was beating hard in his chest, but he ignored it. The want, the need to be close to Nao in this moment overpowered every part of his brain that was screaming for him to back off as his nerves were trying to get the better of him. The desire to be close to Nao canceling out any nervousness that crept its way in.
He stayed still, his gaze shifting slowly downwards. He leaned in carefully, closing his eyes and allowing himself to melt into a kiss. Nao lifted his hand and ran it across Souta's shoulder, finding its way to the back of his neck pulling him in slightly closer. After a few moments they broke away from each other, but Nao leaned up to kiss him again.
Souta reached out and placed his hand on the blanket beside Nao to steady himself. His heartbeat was making him feel dizzy, and his eyes were closed so tightly stars began to appear in his vision.
Souta leaned back and took a breath, looking down at Nao. The moonlight hung in the air, reflecting off the dewy grass as it swayed gently in the breeze. Nao shifted his hand from Souta’s neck to his back, pulling him in for a hug.
The two lay together for another 30 or so minutes, long enough for the cool night to seep through their clothes and make Nao shiver.
“We should probably head back now,” Souta sighed, not wanting to be apart but knowing that it was necessary.
The two begrudgingly got up, rolling the blanket away and making their way back down to the hotel, hand in hand. As they reached the start of the cobbled path Souta began to slip his hand from Nao's grip, but he held a little tighter. Nao pulled him in, giving him one final kiss before letting go and walking ahead through the main gate.
As quietly as they could, they returned to their room to get as much sleep as possible before having to wake up again and act like they'd had a full night's rest.
Souta quietly insisted on sharing a bed, but Nao shook his head.
“The beds are way too small,” he whispered. “And do you really think we would be able to sleep like that?”
Souta blushed. He was right, but still annoying. Maybe it's more annoying because he’s right.
The alarm startled them both awake at 8am. Souta rolled over, his foot getting tangled in the sheets as he almost slipped fully off the bed. He heard Nao groan and roll over, slapping his hand against the bedside table to try and find his phone and switch it off.
Nao rubbed his eyes and yawned as he looked over to Souta, who was surprisingly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed considering the circumstances.
“Good morning.” Souta could barely conceal the excitement in his voice.
“Mmm…” Nao mumbled. “Good morning.” His voice was low and quiet, the lack of sleep obvious on his face.
Souta flashed him a cheeky grin. “Isn't this fun?! Waking up like this.” He sprung up, leaping over to Nao's bed and sitting next to him. “It’s like we're living together!” he said as he pressed his hands against his cheeks with sparkling eyes.
“Hmm.” Nao smiled. “That’d be nice, huh?”
A knock at the door, and Keisuke's voice called through. “Guys, we’re gonna head to the bus station soon.”
“Okayyy!” Souta called back then turned to Nao with a smile. “Let's go!”