Hello, my wonderful readers~ Firstly I'd just like to say that this fic was written for Shoichi's birthday, so Happy Birthday Sho-chan~! :D I barely managed to get it done in time so sorry if there are any grammatical or spelling mistakes. Please do correct me if there are! Also forgive me if either Byakuran or Shoichi seem a little OOC.
On with the story! Enjoy~
Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.
Byakuran would never cease to be amazed at the petite redhead's strange habits. The white-haired male sighed softly then stared helplessly at Shoichi. Said redhead was snoozing away, completely oblivious to the fact that he was still sitting upright at his desk. Remarkably, his hands were frozen in mid air, just hovering above the laptop's built-in keyboard and his head was tilted only ever so slightly to the right. Byakuran had initially doubted whether or not Shoichi was actually asleep, but then he remembered that this was Sho-chan he was talking about; the guy who could fall asleep half-standing while trying to change into some comfortable clothes (much to Byakuran's pleasure) and pour a late night glass of milk at the same time (much to Byakuran's displeasure, since there wasn't much milk left at all in the carton by the time he had found the poor man, but there was a large puddle of the stuff to take care of).
His eyes travelled from the sleeping redhead to his unusually messy desk. A sleek, silver laptop lay up and running in front of him, and the rest of the table was littered with various textbooks, notebooks and pieces of paper. Byakuran spotted something next to the laptop, and upon closer inspection he realised it was the missing coffee jug.
"So that's where it was."
Next to the empty jug was a plain white mug, and by the looks of how clean it was, Byakuran had a sneaking suspicion that the redhead had been so absorbed in his work (again) that he had drank the coffee straight from the jug. With another soft sigh, Byakuran carefully removed Shoichi's massive headphones from around his neck, placed them somewhere safe, gently scooped up the smaller man in his arms and proceeded for his bed.
Despite having done this many times before, he couldn't help but marvel at how comfortably his precious Sho-chan fit in his arms, as if they were made for each other. It made him smile a genuine smile each time he thought about it. Ever so carefully, he brushed away a few stray locks of Shoichi's hair and simply admired his cute housemate's sleeping face. His brief moment of admiration was short-lived, however, since the man in his arms slowly began to stir.
"Well this is rare~ Sho-chan's never woken up whenever I tuck him in. Maybe he wasn't in deep sleep, or maybe he was already going to wake up?"
A pair of eyelids fluttered open to reveal hazy emerald ones that immediately met gleaming lavender ones.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty~" greeted Byakuran quietly, with affection rather than mirth in his voice. "Or should I say goodnight?"
Shoichi stared blankly at the beaming man's face for about eight seconds before his eyes widened in shock.
"B-B-B-Byakuran-s-san?!" stuttered the now fully-awake Shoichi.
"Yes~?" sang the older male.
"Wh-what are you d-doing?"
"Why, taking you to bed of course!"
Whether it was deliberate or by mistake, no one will ever know but Byakuran probably shouldn't have used such misleading words, for the redhead's face flushed pink and he immediately began squirming violently in the older man's arms. That wasn't a very brilliant idea since it resulted in the unsuspecting white-haired male to take a step back in surprise, only to step on an empty soda can, lose his balance and topple back, taking his younger redheaded friend with him. Their fall was luckily not as painful as Byakuran had anticipated, thanks to the ridiculously thick carpet Shoichi had decided to get for his room.
"Perhaps that thing finally did have a use after all."
"B-Byakuran-san! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"
Byakuran opened his eyes, briefly wondering when he had even closed them, and trailed his gaze down to meet Shoichi's worried one.
"It's fine, Sho-chan, really."
Shoichi breathed a sigh of relief, only after which did their positions register to him. Byakuran was pinned down by Shoichi, who was sprawled across his chest and both of Byakuran's arms were wrapped firmly around his thin waist. Shoichi's cheeks darkened by a few shades and he coughed awkwardly.
"U-um... You can let go now."
"Why? This is comfortable~" said Byakuran. Noticing that Shoichi's glasses were at the verge of falling off, he pushed them up for him with a smile.
"Byakuran-san!" whined Shoichi. Despite his apparent annoyance, he actually couldn't help but agree with the man below him. Not that he'd ever say it out loud. After all, it wasn't good for Shoichi's heart to encourage such intimate behaviour. Nevertheless, he made no move to free himself, and Byakuran made no move to let go. So they lay there; Byakuran staring at the ceiling and Shoichi listening to Byakuran's heartbeat. Was it his imagination, or did it sound unusually fast?
"Seriously," piped up Shoichi after a few moments of silence, "What were you doing?"
"I already told you. I was taking you to bed like always."
"What do you mean 'like always'?"
"You really don't know?"
The confused expression was answer enough.
"You have an interesting habit of spontaneously falling asleep under amazing circumstances, and so I always carry you to bed whenever I find you."
Shoichi, to Byakuran's disbelief, looked genuinely surprised.
"Do I? I never knew..."
"...Are you really telling me you wake up hours later in your bed and not wonder how you even got there?"
Shoichi nodded; a thoughtful look on his face. "I always assumed that I went to bed myself. But that explains why I can't remember going to bed in the first place..." He looked up and smiled at the older male. "Thank you for always taking care of me, Byakuran-san. If it weren't for you I probably would've gotten hurt or something."
Byakuran's composed demeanour faltered for a second and he felt his heart do a little back flip at the sight of those pure lips curving upwards into that innocent, thankful smile that Shoichi rarely displayed. But within the blink of an eye, he quickly recovered from his momentary daze and returned the redhead's smile.
"My pleasure, Sho-chan~ Just try and make sure you don't fall asleep halfway studying again, or you'll wake up with a sore neck and stiff muscles."
Shoichi gasped. "Studying! I completely forgot!"
In one swift movement, Shoichi wriggled out from Byakuran's now loose grip on his waist and, stopping only for a moment to adjust his shirt, he hurried back to his desk. Byakuran silently cursed himself for ruining the moment, picked himself up and strode over to Shoichi's side. Said redhead was scanning through the open word processor document, frowning deeper and deeper each time he spotted a mistake.
Byakuran took a look at the screen whistled lowly. "That's a lot of typos you got there, Sho-chan."
Shoichi simply groaned and said, "I know. Just how sleepy was I?"
"Sleepy is far from it. You'd have to be drunk to make these kind of errors!"
Shoichi ignored him and began muttering to himself while scrolling down. "Blasted coffee didn't help. Maybe I should get a new brand; something with more caffeine."
Byakuran, who had heard the barely audible mumble, said, "What you should get is a good night's rest. You can continue in the morning." He made a move to close the laptop but Shoichi grabbed his arm before he could do so.
"You know I can't, Byakuran-san. Exams are coming but our department never goes easy on us, so I've got a shit load of assignments and projects to complete before I can get some real studying done."
"If this isn't your real studying then I'm afraid to find out what is."
Byakuran pondered over Shoichi's statement for about a minute. There was really no use trying to dissuade Shoichi since once he set his mind on something, he'd give it his all and neglect everything and everyone else in the process. And so, Byakuran came to the conclusion that he would simply watch over the younger man.
As if sensing the change of heart, Shoichi let go of Byakuran's arm and resumed his work. Byakuran watched him for a bit before a thought came creeping into his mind.
"Sho-chan, what if you're just tired?"
"Of course I'm tired," deadpanned Shoichi. "That's what the coffee is for."
"Silly Sho-chan~ Too much of anything isn't good. Also, coffee won't be as effective anymore if you keep drinking so much."
"I have no choice," mumbled Shoichi.
"Yes you do. And you can't even use coffee to cure tiredness in the first place. Sleep, maybe, but not tiredness."
"What do you mean?"
"If you're tired, and if you're studying, you should have something sweet. Sugar gives you energy and it's actually good for you when you're in that situation."
Before Shoichi could respond, Byakuran continued. "I know! You should try it. Then you'll get what I mean. Here, have some delicious marshmallows~"
The redhead's typing paused for a second as his ears picked up what Byakuran had just said. "No thanks, Byakuran-san. I don't like sweet things, especially marshmallows."
Byakuran, who had pulled out a packet of his favourite marshmallows from goodness-knows-where, froze in mid-motion. Oblivious to the older man's shell shock, Shoichi continued absentmindedly. "To be honest, out of all sweet things, I dislike marshmallows the most. I've tried them only once in my life; just a little bit, but it was a weird experience. They were surprisingly chewy." He shuddered involuntarily at the memory.
A minute of silence passed, during which Shoichi's own words sunk in. His rapid typing came to a sudden halt when his brain had finally processed the implications of his statement and slowly, almost hesitantly, he swivelled around to find Byakuran crouching in one corner of his room, dejectedly tracing spirals on the carpet with his index finger while sulking.
Shoichi sweat dropped.
"Um... Byakuran-san? That was, uh... An accident. I mean- S-sorry?"
Byakuran didn't answer. His mind was currently occupied with a mental debate between itself. Byakuran loved marshmallows, but he also loved his precious Sho-chan (not that the little redhead was aware of this fact). He badly wanted to defend his equally precious marshmallows but at the same time he didn't want to disagree with his beloved Sho-chan.
"It's like I'm being disloyal to them both..."
Byakuran eventually came to the conclusion that he wanted Sho-chan to love marshmallows just as much as he did so that they could all be a happy threesome. And so with a sudden boost of determination, the previously distraught male sprang up and pointed a seemingly accusing finger at Shoichi.
The redhead raised an eyebrow.
"Your point of view was perfectly valid, but it was still unforgivable! Just you wait, Sho-chan. I'm going to make you love sweet things, especially marshmallows, if it's the last thing I do!"
***
Byakuran immediately set out to do the impossible the very next morning. Strategy Number One, as he had dubbed it, would utilise stealth. It was mutually agreed that Byakuran and Shoichi would take turns making their meals for the day. Today it was Byakuran's turn to prepare breakfast, and that was the key to success in Strategy Number One.
Half an hour after Byakuran had set the table, a groggy Shoichi shuffled into the dining room while trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. As he took his seat opposite the older male, Byakuran greeted Shoichi with his usual, cheerful, "Good morning, Sho-chan~"
"Mm...? Oh, 'morning," muttered the sleepy redhead before stifling a yawn.
"You sure seem tired this morning," commented Byakuran, eyeing the younger male.
Shoichi simply nodded in reply and Byakuran silently watched as Shoichi reached out for the carton of milk with the intention of pouring some in the bowl of cereal that Byakuran had filled for him, like always. Shoichi glanced at Byakuran while doing so and noticing the unmoving man, he said, "Aren't you going to eat?"
"What? Oh, I already ate~"
"...Then would you kindly explain why there's a plate of untouched buttered toast sitting right in front of you?"
Byakuran's smile faltered. He mentally cursed and vainly wracked his brain for an excuse to that inexcusable mistake. It was unnecessary since Shoichi simply sighed, too tired to deal with Byakuran's antics so early in the morning. Instead, he opened the carton of milk and was about to pour it in his bowl when he suddenly noticed something.
Despite his sleep-induced haze, Shoichi spotted hints of white among the wheat-brown of his cereal. He carefully put the milk down, picked up his spoon and shovelled it through the cereal. When he raised it, he was surprised to find a tiny marshmallow sitting among the cereal. If he looked carefully, it looked just like those pocket-sized one that Byakuran always carried around for 'emergency situations' (what kind of situation required marshmallows on the double, Shoichi would never know).
He squinted.
No, it was one of those marshmallows. After months of shopping for the same product, he'd be an idiot to not to recognise it, regardless of the fact that he didn't have his glasses on at the moment.
Shoichi stared blankly at the little sugary treat, clearly not amused, then at Byakuran who was smiling ever so innocently. He wasn't smiling for long, since a few seconds later he was hit square on the forehead by the little marshmallow.
Needless to say, Strategy Number One failed epically.
***
The next day he put Strategy Number Two into action. This strategy involved bargain. It was a simple plan that had a 90% success rate according to Byakuran. All he had to do was buy that pair of headphones that Shoichi had been dying for, which was exactly what he was doing as he went over his little plan again.
Half an hour later, he was tiptoeing up behind the oblivious Sho-chan with his recent purchase behind his back. Nothing except the light tapping of keys could be heard and so Byakuran decided to tease the other male a bit just for the heck of seeing him flustered. He carefully leaned down, positioned his mouth right next to Shoichi's ear then whispered, "Sho-chan~" in the most soft, singsong voice he could muster.
His little trick proved successful when Shoichi jerked forward with a little cry of surprise, mashing his keyboard in the process. The redhead spun around to face Byakuran with a blushing face and was about to scold the man for sneaking up on him like that before Byakuran pulled out what he had been hiding behind his back. Shoichi's frustration instantly dissolved and he gaped at the package in Byakuran's hands. Byakuran could almost see the twinkle in his eyes as he gazed at the pair of headphones which brand and specifications he couldn't have been bothered remembering (his smart Sho-chan knew these things, of course). Then Shoichi blinked; suddenly remembering that he was supposed to be angry at Byakuran and faked a cough to hide his embarrassment.
"S-so," he started, while adjusting his glasses. "You uh, wanted to say something?"
"I wanted to give you something~" corrected Byakuran. "You've wanted these headphones for quite a while, haven't you?"
"Yes, but..." Shoichi eyed the older male warily. "Why are you giving them to me all of a sudden?"
"I just felt like it," answered Byakuran with a light, casual shrug of his shoulders.
Shoichi stared at him, then at the box in his hands. Finally he looked back up at Byakuran with narrow eyes and asked, "What's the catch?"
"Catch?" asked Byakuran innocently. "What're you talking about?"
"Byakuran-san," began Shoichi in a warning tone. "Shall I remind you of all the other times you 'just felt like' giving me something?
"Your memory's as sharp as ever, isn't it, Sho-chan?"
"No, I just can't forget that time you got me that special Blood & Peppers CD that had all their unreleased singles. I still get nightmares."
"Oh, come on. The movie wasn't that scary."
"If it wasn't then you could've watched it yourself!"
"But that's too boring~"
Shoichi sighed noisily; the sign of defeat. "Oh, whatever. So what's the catch this time? Another movie?"
"No, nothing big. I just want you to eat a marshmallow~"
Shoichi promptly refused.
"Why not? It's just one little marshmallow. And in exchange you get this~" reminded Byakuran, brandishing the box in his hands once more. "It's a good deal, isn't it~?"
Shoichi gave one last glance at the headphones before turning back to face his laptop and saying, "No thanks. I can get them myself. I've just managed to save enough anyway."
And that was it. Byakuran couldn't argue any further since it's not like he could force Sho-chan to accept the gift. Thus Strategy Number Two had failed as well.
But later on when this entire ordeal had ended, Byakuran would quietly leave them on his beloved redhead's desk anyway.
***
On the third day, Byakuran decided bring out the big guns. Strategy Number Three would allow him to go all out, which was pretty much the only option he had left. This time he was absolutely certain that this plan would work, because if there was one sure fire way to make Shoichi eat marshmallows, it would be this way.
Shoichi was currently working away on his laptop. Next to him was a steaming mug of coffee. He had just raised it to his lips – it was amazing how his typing speed never decreased when he used one hand – and taken a nice, long sip when suddenly a hand came crashing down on his desk. He did a spit take on his coffee and spluttered and coughed for a good two minutes before recovering. After doing so, he directed a death glare at the owner of the hand. But his gaze faltered ever so slightly when he saw the equally dead serious look on the older male's face.
Shoichi swallowed nervously and asked, "Wh-what?"
"I challenge you to a Choice match."
"...Huh?"
"You heard me."
"I did, but... Why, all of a sudden? You can see I'm working on a project so-"
"If I win," interjected Byakuran, "you have to eat an entire packet of marshmallows."
Shoichi momentarily stiffened, before sighing and saying, "You're still on about that? Just let it go already, Byakuran-san. You know as well as I do that it's not possible to force someone to do something."
"Losing a Choice match wouldn't be forcing."
Both men knew that they were technically incorrect, but this was Choice they were talking about. It was the game they had created together, and it was created for only them. One of the most basic yet important rules was that the winner could do or take whatever he wished, but there was also this unwritten rule; this code of honour, that once you've accepted the stakes, no matter what they are, there's no turning back.
If it were ever made reality, it would be quite a dangerous game indeed.
"...Don't be silly, Byakuran-san. I already told you, exams are coming up and we don't get any bre-"
"Oh, I see. I didn't think Sho-chan would be scared of losing~" teased Byakuran.
Shoichi froze. Byakuran smirked.
"The bait worked~ It's so easy to get Sho-chan riled up."
"Let's do it," demanded Shoichi, in a low voice.
"What was that? I couldn't hear yo-"
"I accept your challenge!" declared the redhead, suddenly spinning around to face the older male. "However," continued Shoichi darkly, much to Byakuran's surprise, "If I win, then I'm locking up your marshmallow supplies for a week."
Byakuran's eyes widened by a minute fraction. A week? An entire week? Seven days? One hundred and sixty-eight whole hours without marshmallows?! Was this redhead trying to kill him or something? He'd slip into withdrawal within forty-eight hours!
After a long pause, Byakuran clicked his tongue lightly in frustration before meeting Shoichi's eyes and voicing one word. "Deal."
Byakuran could clearly see the determined look in Shoichi's eyes and the way he stared directly into Byakuran's lavender ones sent pleasant shivers down his spine. It seemed that his little Sho-chan was just about as serious as him. This would be an interesting match.
"Oh, how I love a good challenge~"
And an interesting match it was. Both males unleashed their strongest strategies since one was playing to protect his valuable fluffy sweets (clearly, he had lost sight of his original goal) while the other played to protect his pride, as well as prove a point. At times curses would be muttered, tongues would be clicked in annoyance or even laptop keys mashed in agitation. Both Byakuran and Shoichi played with such concentration, intensity and ferocity that to an onlooker, it would seem like they had put their very own lives at stake (which, in a sense, a certain lavender-eyed individual did) rather than just a simple, sugary treat.
But even interesting, heated matches had its losers.
And that loser was Byakuran.
With a satisfied smirk, Shoichi wordlessly placed his headphones down and left the room to get himself a drink, leaving a shell-shocked Byakuran staring at the big, red 'GAME OVER' that filled his screen. He was slowly falling into a pit of despair at the prospect of not having marshmallows for a week the longer he stared at those two short words. As if that hadn't been bad enough, the loss brought him back to his senses and made him realise that his final plan to get his beloved Sho-chan to love marshmallows had failed.
Needless to say, he had hit rock bottom.
"But I just can't give up...!"
After a few minutes of pondering, Byakuran fisted his hands in his hair and sighed noisily.
"If only he wasn't so damn stubborn! What am I supposed to do, shove them down his-"
Byakuran blinked.
Now there was a thought. He calmed down all of a sudden, focusing all his energy on the little idea forming in his mind. Slowly, he smirked in a way that put the Cherisher Cat to shame.
***
Finally. He was nearly done with that blasted project his lecturer had given him. Just a few more paragraphs and he'd be done! With that thought in mind, Shoichi's typing rapidly picked up speed to match the pace of the music that was booming through his headphones. It was almost midnight and the only light source in his room was from the laptop screen, but as always, Shoichi was much too absorbed to take note of any of this.
He also failed to notice his door opening slowly, and then close a few seconds later.
The chorus of his favourite song started and he paused typing to max out the volume, then sang along in perfect tune. He was completely unaware of his admiring, one-man audience shrouded in the shadows.
Once the chorus ended, he lowered the volume just a tad bit and resumed typing. Time and again he muttered verses of the song he was listening to under his breath. The hidden visitor approached the oblivious redhead.
And then, it was light, but Shoichi felt the mattress sink under something's weight.
He gulped. "Or someone."
The redhead tapped the 'Pause' key on his keyboard after which he swiftly slid his headphones off while scanning the area around him. Unfortunately all he could see was pitch black since his eyes had yet to adjust to the lack of light in the rest of room. Then, to his horror, the weight began to shift towards him. He turned slightly to his left and stared straight ahead, trembling lightly as vivid images of that horror movie Byakuran had forced him to watch formed in his mind.
It took a while but slowly, he began to make out the figure of a person. Suddenly the figure moved and he found himself face-to-face with Byakuran. Shoichi's eyes widened and he did his best to swallow when he realised how close their faces were. His eyes travelled from the older male's own lavender ones to his smirking lips, then further down to his body. Byakuran was leaning forward and supporting most of his weight on his right arm; his left one not too far behind and he was kneeling, one leg behind the other. The cat-like pose and the sly smirk made him look for all the world just like the Cherisher Cat.
A very sexy version of the Cherisher Cat.
All he lacked was the cat ears and a tail.
"B-Byakuran-san, wha-mmph!"
Byakuran lunged forward before Shoichi could even finish, closing the gap between them with a kiss. The force at which he came at the younger male pushed him down onto the mattress and Shoichi gasped, providing Byakuran with the opportunity he was looking for. He slipped the hidden marshmallow into Shoichi's mouth, causing the redhead's eyes to widen when he realised what had happened, but he had no choice but to swallow the soft treat.
But it didn't stop there. Byakuran hovered over Shoichi while deepening the kiss by gently exploring the younger male's mouth with his tongue. Shoichi did his level best to try and push Byakuran away but the very little willpower he had to begin with melted away when Byakuran's tongue invaded his mouth. Soon he too succumbed to temptation and found himself eagerly returning the kiss.
"This taste... It's so sweet, just like his marshmallows. But... But it's strangely pleasant... It's intoxicating..."
All thoughts went out the window when Byakuran's tongue melded with his own, causing a barely audible moan to escape the redhead's throat. Soon after that the need for oxygen became strong and so Byakuran began to pull away first.
"More... I want more...!"
Shoichi ran his hands through his silky white locks and Byakuran had barely swallowed a good dose of oxygen before Shoichi unexpectedly wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him in for another, more demanding kiss. Byakuran happily obliged; in fact, he broke the kiss to trail down Shoichi's neck, licking the smooth skin with the tip of his tongue as he went.
Shoichi became terribly aware of how badly his cheeks were burning and how hitched his breathing had become, but he simply pulled the older man closer rather than push him away. Finally Byakuran stopped and began to suck sensually above the redhead's collarbone. The action sent jolts of electricity throughout his body, making him emit a lewd moan and arch his back upwards. But doing so caused their lower bodies to grind against each other, making Byakuran freeze his actions as he shuddered in pleasure at the much-needed friction.
He dove down to steal another kiss from his blushing Sho-chan, and when they broke apart Byakuran suddenly remembered how and why this all happened. He smirked, which made Shoichi ask why he was doing so.
"You ate it," said Byakuran simply.
Shoichi blinked in confusion. It took him a few seconds to realise what Byakuran had meant, and he looked away bashfully when he did, speechless. Byakuran chuckled lightly and said, "See? It wasn't so bad, was it?"
Shoichi was silent at first, but he couldn't stop the small grin forming on his lips and then he broke out into soft laughter. Really, it was amazing how far Byakuran would go to get his way. "No, not really. I'm sorry."
"Well, I'm still not so enthusiastic about sweet things or marshmallows but I guess that just makes Byakuran-san an exception."
"I'll forgive you because you're so cute~" cooed Byakuran.
Shoichi blushed at the supposed-to-be compliment. He briefly thought of berating Byakuran for it but then decided to let it slide this time, since it would only ruin the moment.
"By the way," started Shoichi as he suddenly remembered something. "How did you get that marshmallow?"
Byakuran stiffened. "Eh?"
"You know, the one that you... That I... That we- Oh, you know! That one! How'd you get it?"
"I- From the usual place."
"But I locked that cupboard."
"I know."
"And I had the key in with me the whole time. It's still in my pocket," noticed Shoichi as he patted his jeans pocket.
"...I know."
"S-so when did you- H-how did-"
"Last night. When you were asleep~ It took me ages before I found the right pocket."
Shoichi's face turned redder than his hair.
"P-pervert!"
And Shoichi thought he'd ruin the mood.
Okay, I know. There really should've been lemon since it looked like that was the direction it was going in so sorry if I've disappointed anyone D: Due to the lack of time and my lack of skill in lemon-writing, it wasn't possible for me to add any. Also, it would kind of derail the story if there was lemon XD
Yeah, just in case anyone's wondering, I like making Shoichi do keyboard-mashes~
And yes, unoriginal title is unoriginal.
Reviews are most appreciated :)
