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Sleeping was something Hajime didn’t need as much as humans did.
Just like many other creatures he did need it, but through the years of living at Jacaranda, he also got used to just lying there awake quietly, not making a noise, in order to not wake the others up. And after moving out, he didn’t have to pretend anymore, and he just had more time with his thoughts, trying to figure what it meant to… live the life he was living now.
Also he had gotten used to doing night photography.
That was also something that was helpful for him, especially as it turned out that night photography was more difficult.
Now— now his body felt heavy.
It was odd - he felt pain before, he felt tired before. He definitely had passed out before.
Now, he was exhausted, but also, his mind was racing.
It also didn’t help that there was another body next to him, and Hajime couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes.
Because Kenzaki was lying next to him, in a deep sleep.
He was still bruised from the previous fight, and he was breathing in and out, but his blood was red, and Hajime just looked at him.
And there was also no voice in the back of Hajime’s mind.
He was alone, in the night, his own bruises were red in colour instead of green, and the only voice in his head was his own, telling him that this was too good to be true.
And yet.
And yet, there was only silence.
Hajime was not used to silence.
For as long as he could remember, there was this voice in the back of his head - fight, fight, fight, fight, kill, fight, defeat, try again, fight, fight, fight.
And then the man in the snow, and the Human Undead, and the thoughts that wiggled through this constant stream of fight fight fight fight fight.
There were other voices - trust and faith and hope and—
And love.
How peculiar, was it not?
Love - the love a father showed to his family that he knew he’d never see again, the love a mother showed her child. Love a friend showed his friends, knowing he could do nothing else.
Love written with green blood and a smile.
Many voices whispering to him to live over the heavy beat of fight.
And the years going and going and going, and the fight faded, but the pain grew, the pain of that green-blooded smile, and the voice—
The voice he could only hear after years, when he finally called him one day, and it helped, neither of them needing to sleep, and so they’d stay up through nights, making calls and just— talking.
About everything and nothing.
Hajime would talk about what everyone was getting up to - and about the pictures he was taking, and Kenzaki would talk about the places he visited, the new people he met.
They would not talk about—
They would not talk about why they would stay up so, so late in the night, only talking with each other.
What was there to say?
They never could meet again. All they had were the tiny screens of their phones, and long, late-night calls.
But now–
Now.
Now Kenzaki was asleep next to Hajime, and Hajime could not follow his example, even thought he was human now, whatever that meant, but it definite did mean that his body did need sleep now, and yet.
And yet, he was just laying there, staring at Kenzaki’s sleeping face.
He reached out a hand, tentatively - a cut on Kenzaki’s arm, not bleeding anymore, but Hajime couldn’t stop himself from touching it, the redness of it, and it was real, Kenzaki was real.
And he immediately stirred from Hajime’s touch.
Oh.
That made sense.
Kenzaki’s eyes opened, and as soon as he saw Hajime - he smiled.
“...good. I kind of thought it might have been a dream.”
“Dreamt about things like this often?”
“Quite,” Kenzaki agreed softly. “Dreaming of weird ways we could meet again. In one of my dreams Kotaro made the Master into brownies and it worked.”
“That sounds unlikely.”
“You never know. I didn’t think a Kamen Rider bending time and Amane becoming a monster, and then said Kamen Rider merging together with his friends would be what saves us either. It’s not that much more unlikely now, is it?”
“...he would have made Master into something he could dunk into milk.”
“...true.”
And Kenzaki almost giggled, and Hajime couldn’t help but smile either.
He reached out his fingers again, wrapping his hand around Kenzaki’s wrist - touching him seemed like it would never happen, but here he was.
Here Kenzaki was.
Here both of them were.
“...Hajime.”
“...sorry,” Hajime pulled his hand back, but Kenzaki reached out, weaving their fingers together.
“No, I— I just remembered I wanted to say something to you.”
“...I think I wanted to say something to you either.”
So many things, actually. So many things Hajime imagined he’d tell Kenzaki, if this would happen.
And Kenzaki just smiled, that smile of his that always made Hajime’s heart ache.
“I’m back.”
…such a simple thing, isn’t it? A phrase so many people use when returning home.
And Hajime’s fingers tightened around Kenzaki’s hand.
“Welcome home.”
That was the answer humans said, right? That was the answer, wasn’t it?
But there were so many other things he wanted to do—
But it was so hard to say things, with Kenzaki looking at him with his gentle eyes, the soft smile on his face, their fingers linked together. Instead, Hajime pulled Kenzaki closer to him, and— and it was Kenzaki who kissed him first, their lips touching, and Hajime’s throat tightened, and tears threatened to erupt from his eyes, but he refused to. Not yet. Not yet, not when he could hold Kenzaki closer, kissing him, not letting him go.
He couldn’t keep the tears back for long - especially not when Kenzaki gasped a little, a little whimper in his tone, and Hajime broke.
“...welcome home. Welcome home.”
He whispered between teary kisses, and Kenzaki didn’t let go of him.
Hajime seriously doubted he was going to be able to fall asleep anytime soon.