Work Text:
The walk back to you and your boyfriend Chuuya’s apartment is uneventful, except for the heavy weight of exhaustion creeping up your spine. Your eyes heavy and droopy, back slouched, and bag hung low on your shoulders, you drag your feet up the steps to the door and fumble with the lock.
The second you step foot in the warm atmosphere of the place, you practically melt to the floor in relief. As much as you do love the cold winter weather, it always makes you feel so exhausted and weak at the end of the day.
All you want to do now is shower and crawl into bed.
“Chuu! I’m home.”
You call out into the apartment and hear no response. It’s not unusual, he always works late, but it’s slowly become a habit of calling out in hope.
You throw your bag on a nearby table and shrug your coat and shoes off. Making your way to the bathroom you quickly shed your clothes and hop into the steaming shower. You procrastinate getting out-the warmth of the water soothes you almost to sleep-till you remember that if Chuuya is working late, you’d like to make a warm dinner for him to come home to. Mmmmhh soup…
Maybe I’ll use up that cabbage?
You think to yourself while padding yourself dry.
Slipping into some of your comfy clothes-baggy sweatpants, and one of Chuuya’s old shirts you stole from him-you make your way into the kitchen and get to work.
While doing so, you listen to music and dance around the kitchen, all whilst occasionally stirring the soup, chopping vegetables, and cleaning up a bit.
Only once you finished did you realize how much time has passed-and how long Chuuya’s been out-you push those thoughts away, only scrubbing harder at the dishes.
You’d be lying if you said Chuuya’s occupation didn’t make you worry quite a bit-though you trusted him, and understood he was capable of fighting for himself-even if he did come home with a scratch or two.
Time flew by as you had already finished the dishes, the dinner, and stress cleaned the entire kitchen. It was only once you sat down by the kitchen island that you felt that familiar creep of exhaustion take hold of you once more.
You yawn.
Well… if Chuuya’s working late he won’t mind if I just rest my eyes for a bit, right?
You fight back another yawn as you make your way to the bedroom and collapse onto the plush sheets.
Wrapping yourself up in the blanket smelling of chuuya you slowly drift off-not before you hear the front door opening and closing, then a familiar sound of keys hitting the table and shoes taken off.
You quickly jump up-exhaustion temporarily forgotten-running up to Chuuya and hugging him.
He seems surprised you’re still up at this hour, eye bags of his own to show for it. He hugs you back just as tightly, kissing your slightly damp hair and forehead.
“Missed me?”
Chuuya teases.
You nod quickly, hiding your smile by nuzzling into his chest.
He laughs softly before you peel yourself away.
“I made dinner.”
“Mmhh, what did you make?” He hums as you lead him to the kitchen.
You lift the pot cover to reveal the now cold soup and turn on the heat.
“It’s like a miso soup, kinda? with lots of vegetables-carrots, cabbage, uhhh a lot of other stuff I wanted to use up-but I thought you’d want something warm after a long cold day.”
As you ramble on, he slowly comes up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist, chin settled on your shoulder as you heat up the meal.
Something warm settles in your chest, as you lean your head on his.
“Sounds good, I think I’m gonna hop in the shower real quick though.”
You nod and feel him press one more quick kiss to your cheek before leaving the kitchen.
As you wait for him to finish up, you heat the soup up, and once he finally comes back you both share the warm meal, a nice contrast to the long cold day you both had.
Once you finished and got ready for bed, only then did you feel restless. It was well past midnight, but now, once finally able to rest, you couldn’t find the exhaustion that once held you close.
You shift to your side, looking over at Chuuya who stares at you.
“I can’t sleep.”
You state bluntly-partially because it seems obvious from your restless state but also the annoyance that follows it.
“Me neither, my body feels tired but my mind is restless.”
“Aw, im sorry, you worked late tonight, did everything go okay at work?”
He shook his head.
“Yeah, just annoying paperwork and tying up loose ends. What about you? You look tired.”
You laugh softly, pulling the covers up and eyeing his face, his hair, his tired expression.
“Also annoying paperwork, meetings and calls. Though I did see a cat on my walk back home.”
His eyes widen slightly, amused by your little story.
“What kind?”
“A cute little orange cat. He or she was sneaking its way into some kind of store over by the river.”
He smiles and you look over at his rustled reddish hair. You smile back, hand moving up to play with his still damp hair.
“Actually, you guys kinda match.”
His hair is soft and just a little wet from his shower when you come up with the most brilliant idea.
A small smirk creeps up your face and chuuya narrows his eyes, sensing your up to something.
“What?”
“Can I braid your hair?”
You ask sweetly, eyes fluttering, fingers toying with his hair.
He laughs, hand batting yours away.
“What?! No stop.”
He continues laughing as you try to tousle his hair even more.
“Pleassseeeee pretty please? It’ll look so cute!”
His laughs die down and he looks up at you now sitting up, much closer.
“Fine.”
He sighs, as he reluctantly sits up alongside you.
You laugh out and settle down behind him, hands already moving to his head.
He always had the most beautiful red hair. With heavy layers and bangs it was hard to braid together, but you could just imagine waking up and seeing his almost curly hair.
Your hands brush through his hair gently as to not spook him, fingers scratching slightly at his scalp calming him. You section off his hair and begin wrapping each strand around each other till you reach the end and tie it off with a loose hair tie.
You move out from behind him to settle in front of his face. Eyeing your work a smile slowly creeps up your face.
“Does it look good?”
He asks laughing to himself.
“You look great, you should let me braid your hair more often.”
“Yea? Alright.”
He says softly. He leans forward and presses a soft kiss to your lips. You bite back a smile and lay back down beside him. Arms wrapping around each other, legs almost automatically tangling together, a warmth blooms in your chest achingly familiar of something so much more than love.
You gaze into his heavy lidded brown and blue eyes, his puffy lips, sharp nose-tracing his features with your eyes, almost in awe of the person laying beside you.
Chuuya notices you’re staring and his face contorts to confusion.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, just tired.”
You smile slightly, shaking your head before nuzzling into his chest. He hugs you back tightly his hands rubbing circles on your waist and back, fingers tracing patterns into your skin.
Being in his warm embrace brings back that feeling of comfort and safety, his breathing and movements slowly lulling you to sleep.
Even in sleep, even whilst dreaming, you’re with him. In love with him.
‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱