Karamatsu refused to go back to bed with the other two, instead electing to go for a quick walk, which he didn't return from for several hours. When he did, only Choromatsu was home.
"Oh, Karamatsu-niisan! Okaeri! Jyushimatsu is out looking for you, I decided to stay and wait. I'm glad I did. Now we get some time alone," Choromatsu said with his V-shaped smile.
"Ah. Yes I supposed that's true."
"I'll make you some tea, wait here."
Karamatsu was left to resume his pondering. This series of dreams, seeing as they couldn't be real, were odd for so many reasons. While he could remember the previous dreams, he couldn't remember being awake in between. Therefore, he must be in a coma. Perhaps his brothers had beaten him too senseless and put him in this state. Or perhaps it had been his own fault this time. His last coma had been dreamless, though, so this was all new to him.
How strange, though, that this was what his mind was providing him.
His coma theory was the best answer he could come up with, though he'd admit there were many holes in the theory.
Choromatsu reentered the room, two cups of tea in his hands. He sat down close beside Karamatsu, very close, resting his head on his shoulder. Karamatsu forced himself not to tense up. Sighing in resignation that he hoped would come off as a pleased sound, he rested his own head on his brother's.
Before he could take a sip of tea, the shoji slid open, revealing Jyushimatsu, still smiling, but brows drawn in annoyance. Within a second, he was pressed against Karamatsu's other side. He was wrapping his arms around Karamatsu's, face pressed into his shoulder, nuzzling, muttering "Me too, me too!"
Both arms being occupied, Karamatsu resigned himself to not being able to enjoy his tea. He had a feeling it would have tasted bitter anyway.
The next day, he awoke to Osomatsu cuddled up to him. Must be him he was dating that dream. The next, it was Todomatsu. Then Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu. Just Ichimatsu. Todomatsu, Choromatsu, and Ichimatsu, then none of them, then all five. Every dream was different, and when they were the same, the storyline continued. Sometimes there were new confessions, sometimes he couldn't recall the start of the relationship.
It was hell on Karamatsu's mind. Nothing was real. Sure, he still felt things. Pain. Hunger. He tried to feel them as often as possible. Being purposefully careless. Pissing off Ichimatsu as much as possible when they weren't dating so he'd hurt him, make him believe that as long as he felt it, this could maybe be real. He'd taken to starving himself. The pangs of hunger growing worse by the day before he'd give in and have a meal. They told him maybe he was just crazy now. Hallucinating. Perhaps his whole life had never been real.
But at least when the pains made themselves knows he could believe, this moment, at least, must be real.
Right?