One of the benefits of living together with Yukimura Seiichi is that Yukimura is a relatively quiet sleeper. He doesn't snore or make odd noises, which Shiraishi is infinitely grateful for.
One of the downsides, however...
A cold wind blew over his exposed shoulder as Yukimura turned around, taking a third of the blanket with him.
Instinctively he tried to pull it back, but it was a vain effort, as Yukimura's bodily weight pinned it down firmly under his body.
"Seiichi..."
No response.
He sighed.
Reluctantly opening his eyes, he turned around.
He was greeted by Yukimura's peaceful sleeping face, breathing softly.
And for a moment the cold melted away as a smile made its way to Shiraishi's face.
...Just for a moment, though. It was still a bit too cold for his taste without blanket.
Once more he tried to pull a bit of the blanket towards him, not all of it, but hopefully enough to keep him warm.
It didn't make a lot of difference. All it accomplished was stirring Yukimura a bit- please don't be woken up...!
He'd feel bad if he disturbed Yukimura's sleep on accident. After all, Yukimura kinda needed it at the moment, and he didn't- Ah, he's still asleep.
He's just moving around a bit, letting just a bit go of the blankets...
Wait. Chance!
He quickly used that tiny opening to sneak closer to Yukimura, and even though he should be vast asleep, he felt Yukimura's arms wrap around his waist, felt him bury his face in his chest.
Letting out a satisfied hum, he closed his eyes and ran his hands through Yukimura's hair.
You're so warm, Seiichi...
Even if Yukimura would be wrapping himself in the blanket now, he'd have to wrap Shiraishi with him.
Shiraishi drowsily smiled at his own ingenuity. At least he'd be sleeping warmly tonight.
A small beam of light made its way through a small gap in the curtains, calling Shiraishi awake in the earlier hours.
He didn't want to wake up yet. Not when Yukimura was in his arms like that.
Unfortunately, he had to wake up in time to take care of the garden. Some of their plants were a bit picky about their watering times, after all.
He pulled away, at least, he made an attempt.
An attempt about as useful as trying to untangle Yukimura's hair after two days of turning around in bed.
Ingenuity, my ass.
Somehow, Yukimura had managed to wrap them both in a cocoon of blankets, and Shiraishi found himself unable to move an inch.
No, it wasn't just the blankets.
Legs entangled with his, arms firmly around him, Yukimura had no intention of letting him go.
At least, not as long as he was asleep.
Shiraishi didn't want to resort to this.
"Seiichi..."
He softly shook Yukimura, but...
No response.
"Seiichi."
"Nooooo..."
Yukimura gripped him tighter.
"Seiichi, let me go. I have to water the plants."
"Noooooooo...!"
"It can't be helped huh..."
"?"
Shiraishi somehow managed to pull out his left arm.
"To think it'd come to this..."
He pulled a bit on his bandage, slowly unwrapping it. "Seiichi, do you want to die?"
Yukimura finally opened his eyes.
"...You're really using that on me?"
A sigh. "Fine."
He felt the blankets unwrap themselves as Yukimura let him go, untangled his legs.
"Thanks."
Shiraishi smiled, even as Yukimura threw him a pout.
"You should sleep a little longer..." Shiraishi got out of bed and put on some loose clothes.
"I'll be lonely without you."
"If it's that bad, you can always huddle the blankets together and pretend it's me."
"...you know I can't do that," Yukimura said, yawning.
"You can always try," Shiraishi laughed.
He bent down and placed a kiss on Yukimura's forehead.
"I'll be right back."
The next thing Yukimura saw was Shiraishi, doing his morning exercises.
"You woke up?"
"Do you know how mesmerising your shape is right now?"
Light softly falling on his shoulders, clothes either curving around his body or raised up his limbs to show his lightly tanned skin-
Yukimura had the vague regret of not having his sketchbook ready next to their bed.
"I can take a guess~"
"Will you pose for me again someday?"
"With or without clothes?"
"Your choice."
Shiraishi laughed, let out a breath and changed position.
"Want to join, Seiichi?"
Yukimura smiled and got out of bed. "Sure."
Yukimura remembered the first time he'd done yoga with Shiraishi. Somehow, Shiraishi had convinced him after an intense match against Atobe that left his muscles all sore.
It was awkward at first, yes.
But Shiraishi lovingly guided him through the steps of a few basic positions, and afterwards he felt just a little lighter in his limbs.
In due time, it became a part of their morning routine.
"Breathe out. One... Two...
Annnnd...
That's it for today."
Yukimura let go of his foot, shuffled up to Shiraishi and kissed him in thanks.
When they separated, Shiraishi took hold of Yukimura's cheek and kissed him again, 'You're welcome.'
"Can I brush your hair?" Shiraishi asked him.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were treating me like your personal doll."
Shiraishi laughed.
"I'm not. I just really like brushing your hair.
Then, let's do it like this. I get to brush your hair, and you can make breakfast.
Deal?"
A smile.
"Deal."
Yukimura never understood why Shiraishi sometimes wanted to brush his hair. Heck, even he himself didn't want to brush his hair.
He always thought of it as a necessary evil, a challenge to be overcome first thing in the morning.
Even if his brush got stuck in his hair, even if he'd be struggling for times on end, he'd pull through and bear the pain.
Yukimura put on his clothes and took place on the chair.
"Can I?" Shiraishi asked him, getting the brush from the counter.
"Of course," Yukimura said, throwing his hair back.
Shiraishi... had a certain way with his brush.
He always started from the very tips of his hair and slowly worked his way up, a thing Yukimura assumed Shiraishi learned from his sisters.
Yukimura's mother did that, too, though she was still too rough with his hair. It hurt every time, and usually he just gave up and did it himself.
Shiraishi, though...
Yukimura closed his eyes and leaned back.
Shiraishi held the higher parts of Yukimura's strands in his other hand and gently ran his brush through the lower parts.
After every brushed strand he'd run his fingers through them, softly humming a song.
It didn't hurt at all.
"How many times have I told you your hair is beautiful?"
"Too often. Should I come with a counter-compliment? Because I have just as many ready."
Shiraishi briefly stroked his cheek, burying his face in his hair.
"Ahh, ecstasy."
"Kuranosuke."
"What, won't you allow this little indulgence?"
Shiraishi pressed a small kiss into his hair.
Yukimura laid his own hand on top of Shiraishi's, which was still cradling his cheek.
"No, it's alright. Go on."
"Mmmh."
Shiraishi put his brush down and ran his hand through Yukimura's half-brushed locks again, gently, slowly.
If Yukimura said he wasn't enjoying this, he'd be lying.
Shiraishi's thumb stroked his cheek from under Yukimura's hand.
Yukimura let out a satisfied purr.
Honestly, "You can drag out brushing my hair as long as you want."
"Oh, yeah, I was brushing your hair."
He felt Shiraishi's hand slip away from under his own.
But before Shiraishi could let go of his cheek, Yukimura caught Shiraishi's hand with his own, entangling his fingers with Shiraishi's.
"Don't stop yet..."
"At this rate we'll never get your hair brushed," Shiraishi moved closer to his ear, "Seiichi."
Ah god, he loved it when Shiraishi did that.
"Don't care."
He was well-aware he was being childish in demanding Shiraishi's affection this way. But it was morning, and Shiraishi next to his ear was a bit too blissful, so he could forgive himself.
"It's your fault for being like this," Yukimura whispered, opening his eyes.
Shiraishi gently pushed Yukimura's head backwards with his other hand.
Yukimura was greeted by Shiraishi's loving smile.
"I'll continue all you want later, Seiichi. But only if you let me finish your hair."
Shiraishi leaned over to kiss him upside down. The feeling of his lips, brushing against his own, was enough to distract Yukimura to let Shiraishi untangle his own fingers from his.
"Mmmmh..."
As Shiraishi moved back just enough for Yukimura to lock eyes with him, Yukimura took in a breath and continued:
"Only if you let me have a say as well. I'll give you a proper kiss, too.
Maybe a few dozen, if you're lucky."
"Good."
"You seem awfully confident in your luck."
Shiraishi laughed. "Wouldn't you think I'm awfully confident in my skills, instead?"
He leaned back again, picked up the brush and continued going through Yukimura's hair.
"With skills, you mean the skill to make me want more of those sweet lips?" Yukimura laughed, and continued:
"I'll acknowledge that. But...
Do you really think those skills will be enough?"
"What, you doubt my skills?"
Shiraishi gently ran his brush through Yukimura's hair, making longer strokes as his hair allowed him.
"It's not that I doubt your skills, Kura. I just think they won't make it when I involve myself."
Shiraishi neared his ear again and whispered "Want me to put them to the test?"
Involuntarily a chill went up Yukimura's spine.
"Weren't you brushing my hair?"
"I'll take that as a 'later'."
Shiraishi put his brush to the back of Yukimura's hair. Now that Yukimura's hair was becoming less unruly, Shiraishi had more space to play around with his locks.
In between brushes, Shiraishi took it upon him to twirl some of those brushed locks around his fingers.
At times those warm fingers would graze the nape of Yukimura's neck, softly, and Yukimura was sure Shiraishi could feel it rising in temperature.
'Skills, huh...'
Yukimura let out a breath.
Long, languid strokes Shiraishi made, a sign that his hair was near to being orderly again.
At last, Shiraishi turned to face him and put it onto himself to brush Yukimura's bangs.
Even though Shiraishi focused on the strands next to Yukimura's face, Yukimura could not help but stare at Shiraishi's eyes.
Shiraishi himself didn't think of them as any special, but Yukimura found the brown hues warm and inviting.
"That should finish it."
Shiraishi's voice called him back to the present.
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
"Were you staring, Seiichi?"
"I was."
Shiraishi laughed. "I'm flattered."
He turned around, putting the brush back where it belonged.
Meanwhile, Yukimura stood up from the chair and sneaked up on the unsuspecting Shiraishi.
"Say," Yukimura called, putting his hand on Shiraishi's shoulder. But when Shiraishi turned around, he quickly slipped that hand under Shiraishi's waist and disturbed Shiraishi's footing by stepping forward with his own leg.
Startled by the sudden approach and out of balance, Shiraishi fell easily into his trap.
Yukimura entwined his hand with Shiraishi's as he strengthened his own foothold and solidified his armhold under Shiraishi's waist, and in that very moment, he went in to steal a kiss.
A proper one.
He connected his lips with Shiraishi's, and in the small gap created by Shiraishi's gasp, carefully deepened the kiss.
Within bare moments, Shiraishi melted into the soft caress of his lips against his, giving up on standing and giving in to Yukimura's touch.
A familiar, hot, pleasant feeling found its way from Yukimura lips to his cheeks to his very core.
It swirled around with every passing second, stirring in Shiraishi's stomach as well as Yukimura's.
Shiraishi almost didn't notice when Yukimura slowly slid his lips away.
"Yes, that's it."
Yukimura untangled his fingers and let go of his waist-
"Uwah!"
-prompting Shiraishi to fall rather ungraciously to the floor.
"Well then, time to get started on breakfast."
Yukimura leisurely walked out of the room, while Shiraishi lay on the ground for a few more seconds, breathless.
The result, a blushing-red flustered Shiraishi, was rather satisfying in Yukimura's opinion.
"Wait, Seiichi!"
He heard the vague sound of Shiraishi bumping into something while scurrying back to his feet, and was just about to start descending the stairs as Shiraishi ran around the corner.
"What's it?"
"...Only one?"
Yukimura chuckled.
"It seems you're not lucky today~"
Shiraishi threw him a sad face. Or, rather than a sad face, it was a pout.
A cute one at that.
At least, Yukimura found it to be.
"I..."
Shiraishi walked closer, and lifted Yukimura's chin. "...can't accept that."
Shiraishi's tongue entered Yukimura's mouth just as he was about to speak up.
It was too easy.
Shiraishi was the only person at the moment Yukimura could drop his guard this badly for, and the only person who could make dropping his guard so enjoyable.
He was burning as fire licked the inside of his mouth, as firm hands pushed his wrists to the wall.
Yes, his body was set aflame, but...
When the inevitable time came to breathe, Yukimura brought his finger to Shiraishi's lips, despite Shiraishi's efforts to pin him to the wall.
"No."
"No?"
"Not now, and definitely not before breakfast."
A tinge of disappointment in Shiraishi's eyes.
"Please?"
"I don't want to right now. Sorry."
Shiraishi let out a dejected sigh.
"If you don't want it...
Well, it's not like I can force you. Your 'no's are set in stone, after all."
"You know me well.
Well then..."
Yukimura briefly kissed Shiraishi on the cheek.
"...Would you like eggs for breakfast?"
Shiraishi smiled.
"Don't forget the curry powder."