Work Text:
It’s almost 12 a.m. A knock at the door breaks the quiet of Riku's apartment, and somehow, she already knows who it is. When she opens it, Sion is standing near there with his work bag hanging from his shoulder, dressed in a handsome white shirt and formal pants. Riku is standing in front of him in a white tee that belongs to Sion, something he had left at her place the last time he stayed over two days ago, paired with black tennis shorts.
There’s exhaustion written all over his face. The kind that makes him look like he just wants someone to pull him into their arms and hold him until he falls asleep and let him forget about everything for a while. He isn’t supposed to be here. He should be at his home. At his parents’ house, technically, since he still lives with them. But tonight, he wanted to be with Riku. He needed to.
For a moment, they simply look at each other before a smile slowly finds its way onto both their faces, soft and relieved, like they’ve both been waiting for this without saying so. Riku opens the door wider, letting him in, and as he steps closer, she reaches up and runs her fingers through his hair, gently rubbing it. Sion leans forward until his forehead rests against hers, his hands finding her waist, holding her close as they look into each other’s eyes.The room is quiet except for the soft hum of the night, bathed in the warm orange glow of the lamp Sion had gifted her for her twenty-ninth birthday last year. And for a moment, with his forehead against hers, Sion finally looks like he’s exactly where he needs to be.
Riku's hands slide up around his shoulders before she closes the distance between them, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. He kisses her back, slow and gentle, melting into her touch as though he'd been craving it all day.
When they finally pull away, they stay close, foreheads resting together, their noses brushing lightly.
Sion's eyes flick down to her lips again. A tiny pout forms on his face.
"Mmm...One more?" the younger one mumbles, his voice soft and almost whiny. Riku lets out a quiet laugh, her thumb brushing absentmindedly along the back of his neck.
"Just one?"
He nods with an innocent little "Mhm."
She chuckles and leans in once more, giving him another sweet kiss before they finally pull back, both smiling.
“Have you eaten?” Riku asks.
Sion gives her a gentle smile and nods. “Have you?”
“Yes.”
Riku reaches for his bag and turns around, placing it on the table before heading into the kitchen. “I’ll get you some water.”
Sion walks over to the sofa in the living room and lies down on his back, practically giving in to exhaustion the moment he settles onto it. To him, this navy-blue sofa is the best sofa in the world. It’s comfortable, warm, cozy, fits his height perfectly, and, more importantly, it’s wide enough for two people to sleep on comfortably. Actually, Riku’s apartment might just be his favorite place in the world. That sofa holds so many memories of them, of their relationship. It has seen endless movie nights with them curled up in each other’s arms, laughing quietly into each other’s skin, whispering things only the two of them understand. It’s been there for their late-night talks that slowly drift into sleep, for lazy sunday afternoons where time doesn’t matter, stolen kisses, and sleepy naps tangled together. Everything.
Riku comes back to the living room and finds him lying on the sofa with his eyes closed. She places the glass of water on the table before sitting on the edge of the sofa near his hips, quietly looking at him for a moment. Then she lies down beside him, turning toward him. Almost immediately, Sion slips an arm around her waist and hooks one leg over hers, holding her close even with his eyes half-closed.
Looking up at him, she gently pats his head before letting her fingers sink into his hair, combing through it slowly. “You must be exhausted,” she murmurs.
Sion looks down at her through heavy-lidded eyes. “Mmm. I had extra work today.”
“Still, you didn’t have to stay at work this late. I’ve told you that multiple times,” Riku says with her voice soft but scolding.
“I lost track of time,” the younger one whines.
Riku caresses the nape of his neck, her touch slow and gentle, while her fingers softly run through his hair, occasionally giving it a tender little rub as she keeps looking at him.
"Don't scold me yet...." Sion mumbles, pouting just enough to make her sigh.
“Promise you won’t push yourself too hard. Please.”
Sion pulls her a little closer with the hand resting on her waist. “Okay, I promise. I won’t.”
He looks at her for another moment before pouting slightly. “Sorry.”
They move closer, embracing each other tightly. Riku feels the fabric of his shirt between them and, after a moment, pulls back slightly. She reaches for the buttons, wanting to feel his skin against hers instead. Sion simply lets her, watching quietly as she slowly unbuttons his shirt, revealing his skin little by little. She pulls the shirt free from where it’s tucked into his pants, then gently peels it away from his shoulders and arms. She helps him lift himself slightly so she can pull it off completely, then places it on the floor beside the sofa.
Almost immediately, they settel back into each other’s arms, their bodies pressed comfortably together. Riku loves the feeling of Sion’s bare skin against hers. There’s something so familiar and comforting about it, something that makes her feel like she could stay like this forever. Sion squeezes her tighter in the hug. “I missed you.”
Riku presses her lips softly against his chest. “Me too. I missed you more.” Sion loves it when Riku does that, when he feels her lips against his skin, especially his chest. It’s something that happens often when they cuddle, and even after all this time, it still makes his heart flutter.
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Sion asks.
“Just the same routine. And unfortunately, I have to clock in for work a bit early. There’s a meeting.”
Sion suddenly starts giggling, a soft, almost whiny sound. Riku looks up at him. “What?”
“It’s been two years since we’ve been together now, and I still get butterflies when you do this.”
Riku blinks. “Do what?”
“Talk against my skin.” He looks down at her, smiling. “The movement of your lips against my chest.”
Riku looks at him for a second before leaning up and gently biting his skin. “How about this?”
Sion lets out a surprised squeal and immediately pulls her even closer, practically squeezing the air out of her as they both dissolve into laughter, tangled together on the sofa.
“Can I–” Sion blurts out.
Before Riku can ask what he means, he lifts his hand and slips it underneath her T-shirt. “Can I take this off?” he asks.
How could Riku refuse?
She gives him a quiet, “Mmm.”
Sion gently pulls her T-shirt off, revealing a black cropped camisole hugging her golden-tan skin. His eyes linger for a moment. The warm orange light spills over her body, catching softly against her shoulders and the smooth skin of her arms, following the gentle curve of her waist, and the faint glimpse of cleavage framed by the neckline of her camisole. . There’s something about the way the light settles on her that makes her look even softer, almost glowing against the dimness of the room. His eyes wander over the familiar details he’s come to love—the graceful line of her shoulders, the gentle curve of her waist, the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips, the delicate line of her collarbone that always seems to tempt him into leaving a kiss there.
Even the smallest things about her seem to hold his attention, the warmth of her skin, the way she moves, the way she looks at him whenever she catches him staring. He’s seen her like this countless times. He’s touched her, held her, memorized the feeling of her against him more times than he could count, and somehow, none of that makes the feeling any less intense. If anything, it makes him appreciate her even more. His fingers trace lightly over the straps of her camisole, his touch slowly wandering over the familiar curves of her body before following the line of her waist and tracing along her thighs. He knows every little detail of her by now, every curve and every place his hands naturally seem to find, yet he never seems to get tired of discovering her all over again. Even after two years, he still finds himself looking at her like he can’t quite believe she’s his, admiring every little thing about her as though he’s seeing her for the first time.
Riku reaches up and pulls him into a kiss. Their lips meet softly at first, almost teasing, before melting into something slower, deeper, and wonderfully familiar. Sion smiles against her lips, making Riku smile back as the kiss deepens on its own. They take their time, savoring every sweet kiss and every shared breath, neither of them in any hurry to pull away. Whenever they part, it's only by the smallest distance before one of them closes the gap again, drawn back together naturally as breathing. Their matching pendants rest between them, cool against warm skin before gradually taking on each other's warmth. Riku's hand moves to the back of his head, her fingers slowly running through his hair, while Sion's hand glides along her back, soaking in the warmth of her skin beneath his palm.
After a moment, Riku pulls back just enough to speak. “It’s your birthday next week. What do you want?”. Sion smirks against her lips. “Since I’m turning twenty-five, mmm I need twenty-five kisses from you. That’ll be my gift.”
Riku breaks the kiss, smiling against his lips. . “Twenty-five? I know you’re definitely going to ask for more by the end of the night. ”
Sion blinks at her, then tilts his head with the most innocent expression he can muster. “Can you blame me?”
Riku laughs quietly. “Greedy.”
“You can call it whatever you want.” He pulls her closer. “As long as I get my kisses.”
Riku smiles against him, letting herself sink into his embrace. They stay like that for a while, wrapped around each other, until the chill finally gets to her. She shifts slightly in his arms. “I’m cold. I’ll get us a blanket.”
But Sion doesn’t let Riku move. His arm slips around her waist, gently pulling her back toward him.
“I’ll keep you warm, Noona.”
Riku lets out a quiet laugh before looking toward the bedroom. “We should probably move to the bed.”
Sion follows her gaze for a second before letting his eyes fall shut again, his cheek nuzzling lightly against the top of her head.
“Mmm... don't make me move,” he mumbles, his voice heavy with sleep. “I don't think I have the energy.”
Riku smiles to herself, gently brushing a few strands of hair away from his forehead.
He only hums, his grip on her never loosening.
“...Let's just stay here.” he mumbles.
“The bed's more comfortable,” Riku says softly.
"Maybe" he murmurs, "but you're already here....I don't think I'll sleep better anywhere else."
“Alright” she murmurs, settling back against him. “We’ll just stay like this ”
She gives up on the idea of getting a blanket and settles back against him, letting herself sink into the warmth of his body.
And so they stay there, wrapped around each other in the quiet of the night, sharing their warmth and sinking into the comfort of one another. For now, nothing else matters. Nothing can come between them.
On this chilly, intimate night, they eventually fall asleep tangled in each other’s arms, still caressing each other even as sleep slowly takes over. Riku’s fingers remain loosely curled in Sion’s hair, occasionally brushing through it, while his arm stays wrapped securely around her waist, keeping her tucked against him. Their bodies are warm against each other, breathing slowly falling into the same rhythm.
They’ve fallen asleep like this countless times before, in their favorite place in the world, away from all the noise and everything waiting for them outside. Just the two of them, wrapped around each other with nowhere else they need to be. Their bodies seem to know where to find each other even in the dark.
They’ve become each other’s safe place, somewhere they can simply lie down and let themselves be tired. The person they can come back to after long, exhausting days, someone who brings them back to a calm and steady place when everything else feels overwhelming.
These quiet, intimate nights have slowly helped them build something stronger between them, to understand each other, to grow around each other, to learn each other’s rhythms and somehow harmonize without even trying. They’ve learned the little things: when the other needs to talk, when they need silence, when a hand held tightly is enough, and when all they really need is to be pulled closer.
Most importantly, they’ve learned how to be each other’s ground.
Maybe that’s why they rarely argue. They understand each other’s need for peace. They know when to speak, when to listen, and when all the other person needs is to be held a little tighter.
With each other, they’ve found a kind of quiet equanimity—a peace that doesn’t need words.
And tonight, like so many nights before, they fall asleep with their bodies close, their hands still touching, and the warmth of the other person surrounding them.
Maybe this is what they’ve always given each other without realizing it, the ability to simply stop for a while. To breathe. To feel safe. To come home to each other.
For both of them, there is nowhere else they’d rather be.