Nai shudders again. He was sitting with Gareki on the couch and Gareki was reading, his book propped open on his knees as he half sat half laid on the couch. Nai was sitting just passed his feet, trying to subtly rub warmth into his arms through the sweater that Yogi had given him. It was thick, and yet he still felt shivers running down his skin.
"What are you doing?" Gareki asks, looking up from his book. Nai turned to see his bright silver-blue eyes staring at him in that same distant yet absorbed way that only Gareki could pull off.
"What do you mean?"
Gareki narrows his eyes, "Are you cold?"
Nai's eyes widen.
Gareki shifts, swinging his legs off the couch and standing up.
"Gareki where–," Nai began, but Gareki was already out the door.
"Was I annoying Gareki-kun?" Nai wonders, frowning and feeling the ear-like tips of his hair droop around his face as he pulls his knees up to his chest. He hadn't meant to be a bother. He just wanted to sit next to Gareki.
Nai sits like this few moments wondering if he should leave the room and go somewhere else, when Gareki returns, a steaming mug in his hand.
"Careful it's hot," Gareki mutters as he handed the white mug to Nai.
Nai takes it carefully and peers into the cup to find rich brown hot chocolate swirling around inside.
A slow smile spreads across Nai's face and he brings it to his mouth to sip before hastily pulling back as the hot liquid touches his skin.
Gareki sighs as he sits back down on the couch, this time beside Nai. "Told you to be careful," He grumbles as he picks up his book again and flips it open. Casually he throws his arm back and drapes it around Nai's slender shoulders, gently drawing the smaller boy into his side.
Nai feels his face heat up and an uncontrollable smile pulls at his lips.
He leans against Gareki and begins to blow on the cocoa before taking another sip.
A few moments later Gareki realizes that it's been still and quiet it for some time. He glances over to find Nai's white-haired head slack against his shoulder and his body curled into him like a cat. The white mug is empty now and clutched between his hands.
"Nai?" Gareki murmurs before seeing the slow, steady way that Nai's chest is rising and falling. The smaller boy is asleep.
Gareki feels heat rush his cheeks and he looks away, back down at his book. His arm tightens protectively around the white-haired niji's shoulders.
It isn't long before the words on the pages start to blur together, and the warmth of Nai against his side has made his whole body feel cozy and relaxed. There's a rustle of pages as Gareki's book falls softly into his lap and Gareki's head droops slightly until his cheek comes into contact with something warm and soft like fur. He closes his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Later that night Hirato is walking through the halls of the ship when he notices a light on in on of the sitting rooms and glances around curiously. The room is totally silent.
He's about to sigh and turn off the light when he notices a bit of black hair showing over the back of one of the couches. Hirato steps forward into the room.
As he comes around the front of the couch he expects to find Gareki reading again, but his eyes widen in surprise at the scene he finds instead.
Gareki is sound asleep, his book open in his lap and his face smooth and peaceful as he dreams. One arm, though, is wrapped warmly around the shoulders of a curled up Nai who has tucked himself into Gareki's side, his head resting against Gareki's shoulder and Gareki's cheek resting against the top of Nai's head.
Hirato freezes in place as if the slightest move might disturb the moment.
He slowly reached into his pocket for his phone.