embrace
by mikkimikka for kitska
pairing: ROT Reiji Otoya Tokiya
summary: It's winter and so Otoya asks Reiji to bring a kotatsu into the dorm.
written for UWFE:S2 (Utapri Writers Fic Exchange: Season 2)
"Tokiya, A little help here."
Otoya's voice rang clear breaking, along with the opening of their room door, the silence Tokiya had preciously been basking in. He looked towards the door, blinking bleary eyes. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He hadn't realized he'd dozed and tried to pretend he was alert by throwing his arm on the back of the chair. He was greeted with the sight of his red head roommate and bandmate tugging in a table on its side. Tokiya watched without budging as the table top was placed on the floor in the center of the room.
"Tokiya!" Otoya said setting his hands on his hips.
"What, it looks like you've got it under control," replied Tokiya.
Just then Reiji came through the doorway.
"There's more," Reiji said to Otoya as set down the box he was carrying..
Tokiya got up then, taking a peek inside the box Reiji brought in as Otoya passed him on his way to the door. There were table legs in there and there was one more box outside of the doorway. Otoya picked it up and brought it inside, closing the door behind him.
When Otoya set it down Tokiya noticed it held a neatly folded quilted futon and extension cord. He closed the door behind him when he entered the room.
"A kotatsu," Tokiya said, looking back up at Otoya and then at Reiji.
"It's winter, Tokiya!" Otoya said as if it were the natural answer to a question not yet asked. "Right, Rei-chan."
He looked over at their sempai for confirmation and that was exactly what he got. Reiji got to the floor beside Otoya, patting his red head.
"That's right! And what better way to spend the winter but trapped under the kotatsu!" Reiji said.
Tokiya was no stranger to being trapped under a kotatsu. He'd spent his own fair share of winter trapped under one himself. Sitting in a home watching TV with a tub of ice cream and curled up under those blankets wasn't even yet a distant memory. However, that was something Tokiya didn't expect to relive at that period of time; at least, not inside the western styled dormitories Shining boarded them in.
"Let's set it up!" cheered Otoya breaking away from Reiji and pulling two table legs out of one of the boxes.
Tokiya sighed but decided to help out at the very least though he had the impression that the kotatsu in the room was about to change their group dynamic. For one, Reiji hadn't really stopped by their room since having moved out to live with his own members. But perhaps having the kotatsu around would change that.
"Whose kotatsu is this?" Tokiya asked as he pulled out the floor blanket and spread it out on the ground.
"It's Rei-chan's!" Otoya replied without missing a beat.
The red head was attaching the legs onto the table top.
Reiji laughed, "Otoyan was bugging me about how winter just isn't winter without one so I borrowed one from my family. They had an old one lying around."
"Hey! I didn't bug you," Otoya pouted.
"No, no," Reji waved Otoya off. "I understand when my hugs aren't enough to warm you anymore."
He feigned hurt and Otoya, the pure guy that he was fell for it. He reacted by dropping everything to coo and comfort his sempai. Tokiya had to look away, something strange having grabbed at his heart as it so often did when it came to those two. He didn't understand why.
The three of them had spent the same amount of time together. Why was it then that he so often felt like an observer rather than a participant in the friendship? Tokiya had a suspicion as to why.
He peaked up through his bangs at the other two as the played around, wrestling with the 2nd futon cover for the kotatsu. Reiji had Otoya bundled up now in the quilt.
"Rei-chan! No fair! No fair!"
"You started it! What do you mean by no fair?" Reiji said, the playful edge of his voice was laced with something else. "Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"
Otoya froze in his fight against Reiji's hold, cheeks flushing just a bit as his red eyes met Reiji's steel colored ones. Reiji's biceps flexed and Tokiya saw the way Reiji's gaze drifted from Otoya's eyes down to his lips. Otoya's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.
Tokiya stood. He wasn't going to witness anymore of that!
The sudden movement broke the spell though and the couple disengaged, or rather, Otoya leaped out of Reiji's arms, letting the quilt fall from his shoulders.
"Tokiya?" Otoya asked.
One look at Reiji and Tokiya knew that he knew. It was written in the smirk on his face. Reiji was aware of his jealousy, but the issue was Tokiya wasn't even sure what he was jealous of and who it was directed to.
"Sorry, I suddenly remembered something," Tokiya said, making it up on the spot. He returned to his original position on the floor. "But it's OK."
"You jumped up like you left the stove on!" Otoya joked. "Here help me. I have the legs set up already!"
Tokiya did as told and helped Otoya set up the rest of the kotatsu, plugging in the extension cord and putting the table top over the quilted futon. He didn't notice the way Reiji watched them fondly and he almost jumped in surprise when once the kotatsu was finally all put together Reiji slipped right into place under it.
His sempai pulled the quilt over his lower body.
"Tokiya! Turn it on!" Reiji said.
Tokiya did as told and then slipped under the kotatsu as well. He felt around for the controls, and when he couldn't find them lifted the blanket enough to peek under and adjust the temperature. Once done he settled in, sighing contently and closing his eyes.
Otoya's giggles caused him to open them again.
"It's so cozy. So good...," Otoya said from where he sat.
Otoya was across from Tokiya and Reiji was beside him on the left looking just as pleased to just be warm. Otoya let out another content noise and laid his head on the table.
"I'm never going to leave here for the rest of the winter," Otoya said shifting so that his arms were under the futon as well.
"Don't get careless and fall asleep under there," Tokiya said though he felt his eyes growing heavy as well.
"Maybe I should be saying that to you," laughed Reiji who looked the perkiest of the three.
With a sudden movement Reiji stood, "I'm going to get us some mikan from the cafeteria. I'll be back."
The sempai was out the door in a blur and Tokiya watched his back as he left. His attention was brought back to his roommate when he felt a sock clad toe press against his leg. He turned his head and was met with Otoya smiling broadly.
"Great idea, huh? Nothing beats this."
Tokiya had to say, he agreed.
Still, his hunch was correct about it changing the dynamic of the place. Over the next few days if Reiji didn't have any idol schedules, Tokiya would return home to find Reiji in their room under the kotatsu. Sometimes Otoya would be with him but more often than not Reiji would just be alone there as if he owned the place, watching their tv, eating carl cheese snacks and drinking tea.
It was comforting to always know there was someone to come home to. If it wasn't Reiji it was Otoya and on special days it was both. Tokiya was an introvert but he could find peace even with their presence in the room. He realized then, that despite the inconvenience of the Master's Course he'd missed this aspect of it.
It was after a particularly late schedule that Tokiya returned home to find the TV was on and the light as well. However, it looked like no one was in.
"I'm home," he tried in a soft voice yet received no answer.
He pulled off his coat and scarf, hanging them up near the door and then stepped further in. He approached the kotatsu ready to grab the remote to turn off the television when he realized the reason everything was still on.
Otoya was sprawled out on the ground, his entire body under the kotatsu and only his head sticking out. His hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat and Tokiya took a second to wonder in amazement how Otoya didn't burn up under there.
He crouched down.
"Otoya," he said.
He reached out and touched Otoya's shoulder through the quilt.
Otoya's eyes scrunched but he didn't get up. Instead he rolled onto his side.
"Rei-chan," he whined.
Hearing Otoya call for their sempai caused that feeling tightened in his chest again, but he continued on.
"Otoya, get up. You can't sleep under the kotatsu. You'll get sick."
Tokiya wasn't sure if he believed that but he'd heard it all his life. If nothing else though, he knew it wasn't comfortable.
Otoya groaned and sat up, rubbing his face and blinking.
"Tokiya?" he said, looking at the other STARISH member.
Tokiya smirked, "You got careless."
He brushed back a lock of sweaty hair behind Otoya's ear. Otoya blinked at the intimate action and Tokiya stood moving to his desk. His heart unclenched as he allowed himself to admit that the action had been purely self indulgent.
That would not the only time someone fell asleep at the kotatsu. As winter waged on Otoya fell victim to the warm embrace of the kotatsu more than anyone else, but Reiji would fall prey to it eventually.
Tokiya found him hunched over the table top, his head buried in his arms. He was breathing shallowly, and Tokiya almost didn't want to wake him. Tokiya closed the door behind him quietly, or rather he thought he did, but just the click of it shut had Reiji lifting his head and turning his head to Tokiya.
He smiled a sleepy smile at his junior and Tokiya felt the stress of the day melt away at the sight of it. He couldn't help but give a small smile back.
"You're turning into Otoya, sleeping at the kotatsu."
"Aw, I wasn't asleep," Reiji said, leaning back on his hands still looking up at Tokiya.
The raspy quality of his voice gave away the fact that he was lying. Tokiya found that his only regret was that Reiji's waking on his own took away Tokiya's excuse to touch him.
The next time Tokiya found Otoya sleeping he wasn't alone. Reiji was awake, seated at the kotatsu eating a mikan. He didn't even look up when Tokiya entered and offered with an out stretched hand a segment of the fruit. Tokiya shed his outer layers and retreated into the safety of the kotatsu. He reached out to grab it but Reiji bypassed his hand instead stuffing the citrus between Tokiya's parted lips.
Tokiya's eyes widened in surprise and he gasped, allowing Reiji to successfully feed him. Tokiya felt the tips of Reiji's fingers slide against his lips. As the fruit passed between his teeth Reiji let go and Tokiya chewed enjoying the burst of the fruit's flavors.
Reiji turned to where Otoya was and carded those same fingers through Otoya's hair.
Tokiya swallowed.
"You shouldn't let him sleep under the kotatsu like that," admonished the younger of the two.
Reiji just looked at Tokiya. He leaned forward, setting his other elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand. He didn't once stop touching Otoya. Tokiya could hear something like a pleased sigh escape Otoya's lips as he scooted closer to their sempai in his sleep.
"You don't have to be jealous," Reiji said at length. "Did you want to pet him?"
Then Reiji switched gears picking his chin up as a new thought crossed his mind.
"Or did you want me to pet you?"
Reiji had looked serious for a second but then he laughed and sat up fully. The eldest of the trio used both hands to clean up the remnants of the orange peel on the table top. He picked up the last segment of the fruit and without thinking pressed it towards Tokiya's mouth who accepted it wordlessly.
This time just like the last Tokiya allowed the fingers to brush his lips but when Reiji was about to pull his fingers away Tokiya reached out and grabbed Reiji's wrist. Reiji was taken by surprise by the movement and by the press of Tokiya's hand against his back bringing him close. The hand that held on to Reiji's wrist let go, moving up and brushing against his chestnut colored hairs. He brushed them back gently, softly.
Tokiya watched his fingers card through those tresses and when he looked down into Reiji's eyes he didn't see a hint of surprise in them.
"You've been wanting to do that for awhile, huh?" Reiji asked.
Tokiya's hand slid down the side of Reiji's head resting against his neck. He brushed back some of the hair there and admired the contrast with the color of his skin.
"Yeah," acknowledged Tokiya, swallowing. "I have."
Otoya shifted beside them, probably disturbed by the movement of the other two at the table.
"Rei-chan, Tokiya," he said, looking up at them.
He said nothing about the proximity of his two friends though. He merely sat up and complained.
"I'm thirsty."
The red head slumped tiredly against the table, resting his cheek on it.
"This is why you shouldn't sleep under the kotatsu," scolded Tokiya, letting go of Reiji in favor of scooting back towards the table and scolding his friend.
Reiji laughed.
"Aw, Tokiya, let him be. I'll get you some water, OK, Otoya!"
Tokiya heeded Reiji's advice only because he was feeling in a particularly good mood. He reached over, ticking the side of Otoya's ear only to be swatted away as if he was a bee.
Tokiya didn't mind. He looked over his shoulder at Reiji crouched over the electric kettle. He couldn't help but feel that a gap had been closed that day.
Winter continued just like that with the three in their kotatsu bubble until winter's end approached. It was an early onset spring, so it seemed. Tokiya didn't have to wear his thickest winter coat, but rather a lighter one. He entered the room and saw the kotatsu in place but neither Reiji nor Otoya under it. It was deserted. One side of the futon flipped up over the table exposed that the heater for it was still on.
Tokiya shook his head as he crossed the room but he halted in his tracks as he noticed the two on Otoya's bed. Otoya's blanket was settled over the both of them, and Reiji was draped over Otoya so completely that all Tokiya saw was the top of Otoya's bright hair against his pillow.
Reiji looked up then and the blanket slipped down exposing Reiji's bare shoulders with Otoya's arm slung over them.
"Excuse me," Tokiya said.
But he made no move to leave. Instead he Reiji sat up, stretching and grabbing his shirt. Otoya sat up as well, though he was clothed. When he looked at Tokiya he was flushed with excitement and embarrassment. He hid his face in the crook of Reiji's arm.
"Ah, sorry Tokiya!" he exclaimed.
Reiji seemed to be taking it more in stride. He shrugged dramatically, "I guess the cat's out of the bag."
Tokiya just chuckled and crossed the room. The bed dipped as Tokiya sat down on it and Otoya pulled his head away from Reiji's body just as Tokiya came close, draping his arm over his red head friend.
"T,tokiya!" Otoya yelped. "Ah, you see... Rei-chan and I... since... last year we-"
Last year? That was a surprise to Tokiya and he looked at Reiji who merely stuck his tongue out. Tokiya turned back to Otoya, touching his fingers to Otoya's chin, turning him towards him.
"Sempai, told me I don't have to be jealous... so I won't be. I want you."
Otoya went even more scarlet at that and Tokiya looked at Reiji.
"And you."
Reiji reached out and pulled Tokiya close by his shirt sleeve. The three fell into an embrace which enveloped the three in a warmth greater than that of the kotatsu on the floor.
-the end-