Chapter Text
01:27
Gyomei sat on the sofa feeding Kaigaku, an eight-month-old baby with terrible nighttime habits and the appetite of five adult Vikings. His dark circles grew with each sleepless night that child caused him.
"Are you satisfied now, sweetheart?" he complained as if the baby could answer him. "Now you're going to be a good son and let your dad sleep, okay?" Again, the baby didn't even react; he was much more focused on filling his tummy.
"If he had any idea how much the formula he's drinking costs, he'd let me sleep at least seven hours," he thought to himself when Kaigaku finally finished his bottle, patting the baby's back so he wouldn't choke. "If you really love me, you'll sleep like an angel now, okay?" he whispered to the boy as he headed towards the baby's room.
He wrapped Kaigaku in the blankets, gently rocked him in his arms, and when he felt he had finally fallen asleep, he carefully placed him in the crib. He left very slowly, and when he closed the door, he let out a sincere sigh of relief; he could finally sleep. He was heading straight to his room when he heard violent knocking on his door. He was extremely confused; it was quite late, and he hadn't invited anyone over. The knocking persisted. He sighed and decided to open the door, afraid the noise would wake his demon in baby form.
He went curiously to the door, and when he opened it, he couldn't have been more surprised. "Good evening, Mei Mei! I hope I didn't wake you." Tengen Uzui, now that's a familiar name. He was a famous artist and a very skilled athlete, but even after achieving fame, he remained loyal to the people who were with him from the beginning, and Gyomei was one of those people. They had been friends for a long time and were very close, sharing secrets, inside jokes, adventures, and stories. Tengen was one of the only people who knew about Himejima's past, and Gyomei was one of the few people who knew about Uzui's past.
But that wasn't a justification for showing up at his door in the middle of the night.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" His voice was hoarse, and at the end of the sentence, he gave a long yawn. "Looks like I'm not the only one keeping you awake," Tengen retorted, laughing at the end. "Has the little devil already gone to sleep?" Himejima sighed again and let the platinum-haired man in. "Are you going to stay there?" "Come in quickly, but be quiet. If Kaigaku wakes up, I'll make you change his diapers." Uzui laughed again, this time more quietly, and entered the house.
Despite its simplicity, the dark-haired man's house was quite spacious, with a modest and cozy decor. He was very happy to see that Gyomei had finally achieved a good and stable life, knowing everything he had been through; it was a huge achievement. "Wow... good thing I gave you those decorating tips, otherwise this place would be a mess." Himejima let out a small laugh. "Oh yeah, if it weren't for you, I'd be in the junkyard." He teased and followed the platinum-haired man to the living room.
Tengen was about to sit down when he noticed a furry patch on the sofa. "Hey, where did that cat come from?" Gyomei sat down and picked up the little animal. "It's Zekka, my emotional support animal. Ubuyashiki thought it was a good idea to try and help with some issues. I don't think it's working, but at least he's cute." The other nodded, it was good that the older one was taking care of his mental health, it was about time.
"Tengen, you're a great friend, but why are you here?"
The platinum-haired man frowned. "Can't I want to see my partner?" Himejima shook his head. "In the middle of the night? I don't think that's an appropriate time." Uzui chuckled, sighed, and assumed a more serious posture. "I came here to make an invitation, actually it's more of a favor." The other raised an eyebrow and nodded for him to continue. "Look, there's going to be a mega-important art exhibition, and the organizers made a gigantic area entirely for my works. So... getting straight to the point, I need someone to go with me, you know?" "Someone to come with me, someone who can help me be less nervous, and I thought maybe you'd like to... so?"
Gyomei gave a small smile, nothing forced or scandalous, but rather comforting. "Zui... you know I've been very busy, I'd love to... but everything's so hectic... I can't give you a definite answer." Tengen pouted. "But... tomorrow is Saturday... the party is only in the afternoon, isn't there any way you could go?" Himejima sighed deeply. "I was thinking of resting this weekend, not to mention I wouldn't have anyone to leave Kai with, and I don't think it's a good idea to take him, I'd still have to look for a car and several other costs." The pink-eyed boy seemed confused. "Just that? I can sort that out quickly if you want, and you can take Kaidemon, it's about time that boy learned what it's like Art." - The other laughed. "Okay, I'll think about it... and I can already guess you're going to sleep here, right?" - Uzui smiled proudly. "Good that you know." - They both laughed.
2:03
Conversation flowed, but Tengen couldn't help but notice Himejima's behavior and appearance. He had dark circles under his eyes and burns at the corners, probably from crying a lot. He yawned frequently, spoke very softly from tiredness, blinked slowly, and at one point, he was sure the man had slept with his eyes open. He was about to end the conversation and guide the other to the room when a loud, scandalous cry was heard. At that moment, Gyomei sighed deeply.
Uzui frowned, and without even waiting, he got up and went towards the baby's room. "Tengen? I was just kidding when I said you were going to change his diapers." - The platinum-haired man stopped in the middle of the hallway and chuckled. "I know, but I think you need a rest, you can go to bed, I'll take care of your pet devil." Himejima tried to argue, but his head was starting to ache and Tengen didn't seem anywhere near backing down. "Okay, but call me if you need anything, you know I take a long time to fall asleep." The other nodded and entered the small room.
2:27
Gyomei was very close to falling asleep when he heard a slight creak of the door, felt something small jump onto the bed and burrow under the covers, a furry cat appeared in front of him. Soon after, the sound of the door closing was heard and Uzui threw himself onto the mattress. "Sorry, did I wake you?" The dark-haired man smiled sweetly at him. "Don't worry, I hadn't even started to sleep, did Kai give you a lot of trouble?" The platinum-haired man adjusted himself and covered himself, facing the other. "Nah, I think he likes me more than you." Himejima started laughing. "Soon his first word will be 'extravagant!'" They both laughed until they fell silent for a moment, not an awkward or uncomfortable silence, just a calmness they both enjoyed so much, since they were intimate enough, so intimate that they didn't mind sleeping in the same room or the same bed, they didn't mind hugging each other in their sleep and waking up cuddled together, but they questioned the status of their relationship? They were friends, good friends, nothing more. It was their special friendship. "Goodnight Gyomei." "Goodnight Tengen." 《 ☆****☆ 》