Convincing Logic

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The thick drapes were pulled shut against the early morning cold, but he could still hear the steady tapping of rain as it turned to ice against the glass. Gusting winds drove the tiny droplets into the window with more force than was right at 6:24 am. What a miserable day – freezing cold, wet, and at this time of the year, not even a trace of the sun in these few minutes before the alarm would signal the beginning of a new day.

Kakei let out a soft groan – lamenting the impending noise, the impending day. The air around his face made him shiver at the thought of leaving the warmth of his blankets. He would not have minded the temperature so much if the sun had begun to rise, but that was another half an hour away. He glared at his clock – 6:26, only four minutes left. It was only his strong sense of purpose that allowed him to begin stretching his body awake.

The man next to him, now beginning his own journey to consciousness, turned and wrapped an arm around his waist in an effort to stop the movement. "Don't get up yet," he murmured before letting his lips wander to his companion's neck.

A soft sigh later, the reply came, "I have to open the store."

"You work too hard. Let the boys handle it today."

There was a long pause then as Kakei took in the sounds of the rain and wind, the chill of the air, the complete dark of the room, and lastly, the warmth of the body next to his. He ventured to reach an arm out from under the blankets and flipped the alarm off. Relaxing, he pulled Saiga's arm tighter against his chest as though to physically prevent himself from changing his mind. "Just this once," was his only explanation.

Saiga was so pleased he would have laughed had he been fully awake. As it was, there was merely a subtle vibration in his chest and a slight curvature to the lips he had pressed to Kakei's skin.

"Something funny?" It was not meant defensively, but as an indication of genuine curiosity.

"Only thinking." He paused to let out a light yawn, already headed back to sleep. "Glad you're not a morning person."

And as Kakei began to wonder, not for the first time, how it was possible for Saiga, in his sleep, to run his thumb in those small relaxing sweeps, he decided that maybe this morning wasn't quite as bad as he had originally thought.

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