Keith grabs his usual take-out a few blocks down the street, his order including his usual dumplings but this time, he adds the spring rolls and chicken and vegetable stir fry, hoping Koku would eat them without a fuss.
Lately, Keith has noticed Koku's picky tastes when vegetables are mixed into his meals. Koku has a habit of removing every green nutrition off his plate as if a plague has descended on his meats and dumps it on Keith's plate without so much as a word. But Keith would not have it, ever so politely returning them back and Koku repeats the action again.
They end up having a food fight when both of them refuse to give up. The battle doesn't last because who can win against a god? But Keith might have had a chance if a beat of Koku's wings didn't put him on the losing side but at least they clean the mess together.
Surprisingly, Koku is good at helping him around the place, tidying up when the pillows are out of place or making sure their own coffee mugs are side by side each other, a pot of hot coffee readied to be served, it's the smallest of details that Keith starts appreciating that makes his day a little different.
Even Koku develops a habit of using Keith's kitchen, trying out the different recipes taped on the wall but he's still a beginner and likes the simplicity of pancakes. It's an acceptable dish, a step up from not burning the food and setting off the fire alarm. Despite the mishaps, Keith promises him they'll work on the beef stew together.
But the stacks of books in Keith's bedroom gives Koku a headache. Maybe it's because Koku trips over them without realizing they're there when he enters Keith's room, and Keith laughs, the scene is hilarious and he dares joke about Koku's short legs until he's met with a face full of feathers. It hurts like a bitch. He shuts up about Koku's height from now on, and the books stay where they were. Not for long, Koku stops paying attention to them and Keith would find him browsing through the pages, asking him questions about driving a car one day.
They make it work between them and the days become easier than the first.
It's baffling, new, an incredible indescribable feeling that Keith hasn't felt in a long time. In the end, it's worth seeing Koku's gentle side when he's not on his full-on murder mode and other times, Keith wonders what else is there but the thought of it makes his entire face heats up like a tomato.
Entering the building, Keith takes the elevator up to his floor while the smell of his dinner makes his stomach growl. When he arrives at his door, he inserts his key into the lock and turns.
"Koku, I got food." Keith calls out as he enters inside his apartment and removes his shoes to the side, placing them on the wooden rack. But the sight in front of him has him almost dropping his food. "Are those my... pants?"
Keith finds Koku lying in the middle of his room, bundled in heaps of Keith's clothes, all scattered on the floor. From old worn out shirts and work pants still clean from his dresser, all of them belonged to Koku.
"Um." Keith couldn't move. "Is that my tie?"
He only has two pairs of them, his second secures around Koku's left wrist. Wings hunched behind Koku while he snuggles in the warmth of his nest, his cheek rubbing against their blanket they share and inhaling the scent as he breathes into the material, his face a tint of crimson and a moan that stirs something in Keith.
Perhaps he walked in at the wrong moment: an intimate one, no less. He tries tip toeing into the kitchen to put the food on the table but he halts in mid-step, hearing his name in the air.
"Huh?" Keith turns around, finding the younger man staring back at him. "Hey there."
"You're back," Koku answers, breathless but a welcoming smile. His hair a mess and pointing in different directions. One strap of his tank top hangs low, revealing a shoulder and it doesn't help Keith especially when Koku is wearing his shorts he borrowed.
"Yeah, got us some take out." Keith tries keeping it cool, showing the plastic bag to Koku as he lifts his arm. "You feeling hungry or were you in a middle of something?" He doesn't want to push Koku if he's busy with his makeshift "bed", but he's also mind-numbingly curious as to what Koku is exactly doing. Is there a term for this activity? A heat cycle is it?
"Yeah, but maybe in a bit."
Keith blinks. "Maybe I should leave. You finish up what you're doing."
"Actually, can you come here?"
"Oh okay." Keith doesn't expect the invite but he'll do it. "Just gimme a sec." He puts the bag down in the kitchen and heads to Koku. "What's up?"
Looking closely, Keith sees his scarves and socks buried in the pile, the leather belts surrounding the clothes serve Koku as a barrier of sorts. Keith is more confused than before.
Koku's left wing brushes the back of Keith's knees gently. "Come lie with me. It's comfortable down here." He pats the empty area on his right.
"Is it?" Keith raises a brow. "I mean, I think you raided my entire closet."
"I left your underwear alone though."
"How nice. I would hate to go to work without them."
"As if it'll bother you."
"You're right, it wouldn't." Keith lowers himself down, taking the spot and careful not to put pressure on the wing but Koku lifts it with ease, giving space for Keith until he's comfortable. When Keith settles, Koku maneuvers himself, grinning in the process as he climbs on top of Keith instead.
"Fuck."
The oxygen leaves Keith's body, watching Koku straddling him and without warning, Koku dips his head underneath Keith's neck and inhales, nose pressing into Keith's throat and Keith fastens his arm around the small waist to keep Koku still.
"Are you sniffing me?" Keith's eyes widen.
"I don't think I can get enough of it, you smell really nice. I kind of miss it when you left." Koku takes a deep breath, rubbing his face into the heated skin and sighing.
"Is that why you…? I wasn't gone that long, you know?"
"Yeah, sorry about that." Koku admits, a bit shy. "But let me do this, okay? And then we can eat." His set of wings flap once, then twice before pulling back, he sits upright and rests his palm against Keith's chest.
"You don't have to apologize," Keith swallows.
The view from below has Keith's heart racing. He's not sure what's going on but Koku's face is almost ravishing, he wants to kiss those soft lips and steal more than just Koku's breath away. But the steel gaze keeps Keith rooted on his back, the wings fan out on both sides and rise as if this is God's last stand before he strikes, and Keith prays that he's not dreaming, he's too much in awe to even form words and readies for his death.
Darkness swallows them both, the army of black feathers nestles above them in a shape of a cocoon, hiding from the artificial lights trying to seep in, and Koku dives for Keith's mouth, enveloping their lips together in a pure rush. Keith's entire frame succumbs to the sweet taste, not giving a second thought as his glasses are taken and placed a safe distance away.
The kiss goes on for an eternity, Koku doesn't want to stop, he groans in desperation, his hips involuntarily rotates against Keith's crotch, and Keith can't take it anymore, the teasing and the ache growing in his pants. He shouldn't have to suffer like this but the amount of cursing he's done has Koku still in control.
"You…" Keith parts slightly, his chest heaving. His hands reaching underneath Koku's top. "You better eat your vegetables after this."
Koku nips at the bottom of Keith's lip, his smile is dangerous yet clever. "Never." The word sends a shiver down Keith's body. "But you can try convincing me."
"How so?"
"Kiss me again and I'll show you."