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Shino is used to waking up at odd times of the night, given the schedule the twins are forced to keep due to their work. He’s practically hardwired to wake up to the sound of a key in a lock, or the soft creak of a door, or hushed voices around him – in this case, all three.
Shino squeezes his already closed eyes tighter as a light is flipped on, curling further into the arm of the couch. He scowls as the intruders – well, the twins in this instance, but they’re intruding on his nap so it still applies – make absolutely no effort to keep silent, bumbling around the room like the behemoths he believes they secretly are.
“Ah,” Ao’s voice sounds from across the room. At least, Shino assumes it’s across the room. “Shino is awake.”
How does he always know-
Shino’s thoughts are cut short as a cool hand is pressed against his forehead, running up through his hair. He gives up, blinking his eyes open to peer up at a semi-concerned-looking Sousuke.
“Did we wake you?”
Shino makes a small sleep-noise, rubbing at an eye as he sits up. Sousuke, at least, is always more apologetic about it than Ao. “It’s fine,” He rubs the back of his neck, “Did you finish your reports?”
“We did,” Sousuke offers him a smile. “Even though Ao tried to get out of it.”
“Tche,” Ao appears in Shino’s peripherals, leaning against the open doorway leading from the living room, arms folded. “I don’t care for Rio Satomi.”
“He’s our boss,” Sousuke chides.
“He’s got his eyes set on Shino,” Ao counters with a light glower. “He’s too interested.”
“He does not,” Shino sighs, leaning against Sousuke when the older man takes a seat next to him.
“My point still stands,” Ao makes a distasteful face, “I don’t like him.”
“Ao,” It’s Sousuke’s turn to sigh. Shino feels like they sigh about Ao a lot. “Just…don’t say that to him in person.”
“Obviously,” Ao tightens his arms, “He signs our paychecks.”
Yet another thing Ao seems to resent about the blonde. Still, Shino doesn’t think Satomi is all that bad. It’s more that…Ao’s personality will never, by any definition of the term, be compatible with Satomi’s.
“We should let Shino get back to sleep,” Sousuke makes a valiant attempt to change the subject before Ao gets too passionate about his borderline hatred.
Shino frowns, snagging his fingers in the sleeve of Sousuke’s jacket, “I’m not tired.”
“You were tired enough to fall asleep on the couch,” Sousuke points out.
Ao moves from his spot on the wall, walking forward to the couch so he can yank Shino up from his seat and into his arms. Shino yelps in protest as Ao turns and heads towards the bedroom, “Oi!”
“Oh, hush.” Ao slides the bedroom door open with his foot, something Shino has yet to be able to imitate, “You were trying to ask if we could sleep with you, anyway”
“I wasn’t!” Shino denies immediately, flushing when Ao chuckles at his response – as if he’s amused that Shino still attempts to keep things from him.
It really is a lost cause, most of the time. Ao has said it before - that he knows everything about Shino. Lately, Shino’s started to believe him.
His back hitting the mattress brings him out of his brief thoughts, knocking the breath from him in a soft whoosh. He glares up at Ao’s smirk, pushing to his elbows, “You didn’t have to toss me.”
“You wouldn’t stop squirming,” Ao shrugs, heading for the closet where their more traditional clothes are kept.
It’s another strange habit the twins seem to have, but neither can sleep unless they’re wearing proper yukata. Ao always wears darker colors; blacks, indigos, and navys. Sousuke prefers brighter ones; shades of light blue and white.
Shino continues to pout at the closet – and the injustice of Ao’s general being – as Sousuke enters the room, following his brother into the smaller storage room.
He turns, crawling up towards the pillows and flopping on his side while he waits for them to resurface.
“Are you going to change?” Sousuke calls from the closet.
Shino thinks about it. He usually sleeps in a jinbei, considering how easily he overheats wedged between the twins and their completely, unfairly bigger and taller bodies. However, changing requires moving, and he really is quite comfortable where he is.
“No,” Shino calls back eventually, already feeling sleep tugging at him again. He lets his eyes flutter closed, listening to the soft voices and creaking floorboards coming from the direction of the twins.
He doesn’t open them until twin weights sink the mattress on either side of him. Sousuke rests behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist loosely. Ao, in front of him, pillowing his head on his arm and resting the other just under Sousuke’s.
“We took the day off tomorrow, by the way.” Sousuke says, breath fanning across the back of Shino’s neck. “You can sleep in.”
Shino tips his head back so he can blink at the eldest, “Why?”
“He feels guilty that we’ve had so much work lately,” Ao answers for his twin, moving closer to the duo. “He wants to make it up to you.”
Shino blinks, “You don’t have to do that. I know work is important.”
“I want to,” Sousuke replies firmly, tipping Shino’s head back down with a finger. “It’s not going to be a problem.”
Shino hums, “If you say so.”
“We say so,” Ao taps Shino’s cheek lightly, moving his hand back to its place on his waist shortly after.
Shino inhales in response, relaxing between the two. “G’night, then,” He yawns.
He hears the twins answer in unison, as they always do.
“Good night.”