"I'm home," he said, removing his coat and shoes.
He didn't hear the usual 'welcome back'.
Puzzled and slightly worried, he went to their living room.
Akashi was sprawled on the couch, fast asleep.
Nijimura looked at him in surprise. Akashi was never one to sleep on the couch, and even if had, he'd probably have cleared it out, he thought, eyeing the papers crushed by Akashi's body.
He went to the sleeping man. "Sei?" he shook him lightly. "Seijuurou? C'mon wake up."
Akashi stirred lightly before continuing to sleep.
Nijimura scowled. The idiot must have overworked himself.
He ran a hand through Akashi's soft red hair, and smiled slightly at the way the other boy nuzzled up to his touch, even in his sleep.
He took in Akashi's peaceful expression and he felt a fierce urge to protect him, even though Akashi was the last person to require protection.
He examined the sleeping redhead for a moment, before the scooping him up in his arms.
Nijimura staggered slightly- Akashi was heavier than he looked- and that was when Akashi's eyes flew open.
"Nijimura-san?" his voice was slightly husky from sleep, and he looked so adorably tousled and confused, that Nijimura's heart swelled with affection.
"Sei, go back to sleep."
"I can walk," Akashi protested weakly, but Nijimura just held him tighter, and he relented with a soft inhale.
Nijimura took them to the bedroom, and placed Akashi softly on the bed.
Akashi opened bleary eyes, trying to focus on Nijimura, but Nijimura kissed him softly on the forehead. "Sleep, Sei," he said, wrapping up the smaller boy in blankets.
He finished tucking him in, and wondered what he'd do for dinner. Akashi usually cooked, since Nijimura was hopeless with anything that wasn't instant noodles.
He could order out, but he wanted to do something nice for Akashi. He could call his mom and get that tofu soup recipe, Akashi would -
A hand tugged on his sleeve.
He looked at Akashi, confused.
"Stay," came Akashi's voice, slightly muffled underneath the blankets.
Nijimura smiled.
He climbed onto the bed, and threw the covers over himself.
Akashi immediately wrapped his arms around Nijimura, tucking his head against the crook of the surprised Nijimura's shoulder. Nijimura hesitated for a moment, before he held Akashi firmly against himself.
His other hand stretched to reach for the cordless phone.
"Kuroko?" he asked softly, so as to not disturb the sleeping Akashi.
"Nijimura-senpai, how nice of you to call." Kuroko's voice was polite, but Nijimura knew he was irritated.
"Listen Kuroko, I'm sorry to disturb you, but do you think you can whip up some tofu soup?"
"I would if I knew the occasion," Kuroko sounded puzzled.
"Akashi's tired. And you know I can't cook. I'll owe you one, okay?"
He heard a soft sigh. "Of course Nijimura-senpai. I'll come over in around 2 hours, Kise-kun is out for a shoot and he's taken our car. I'll come by when Kise-kun is back."
"Don't bring him. Akashi's sleeping."
"Of course. But Kise-kun can behave when I ask him to."
Nijimura scowled. He recognised Kuroko's passive-aggressive tone, after all he'd dealt with his various moods in Teiko. "Fine, bring that brat. But if Akashi so much as twitches-"
Akashi groaned softly in his sleep and Nijimura froze.
Kuroko was saying something, but Nijimura didn't want to hear his explanations of how Kise had changed for the better, because a thin sheen of sweat covered Akashi's forehead despite of the coolness of the room.
"Gotta go, see you," he cut Kuroko mid-sentence, and he knew he'd suffer for that when Kuroko came home.
He wiped the sweat off Akashi's forehead. His forehead was cool to touch, not warm at all. So he wasn't running a temperature at least.
He sighed in relief, and settled more comfortably against the sheets, letting Akashi's soft breaths and the thud-thud of his heart beat lull him to sleep.