Once upon a late night in Japan, Echizen Ryoma followed Tezuka Kunimitsu home. KTezREch

The journey home was uneventful. It was too late for buses to operate and he knew that he shouldn't have stayed that long on a school night. Scratch that – ever!

He sighed and kept walking. A 10 minute bus-ride turned into a 1 am 45 minute walk. It was creepy. His mind kept going back to the others: have they arrived safely? Are they in trouble? Do they need anything?

He paused as he reached the entrance to his house. Weight bumping into him made him freeze in terror. The muscles in his back arched him to a chopstick.

When the weight was removed, he remained in his position.

"Eh?"

Tezuka, alarmed by the voice, turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Buchou? What am I doing here?"

Tezuka's amusement couldn't be hidden from his eyes. "Maybe you should be the one answering that."

"I was going home." He blinked once. "Did you move, buchou?"

Tezuka's brow twitched. "Do you have any idea where you are?"

Echizen looked around, more awake. He leaned his head to one side, "Your…home?"

"And why would yours suddenly be anywhere near?"

"It… I… don't… know."

Tezuka watched his kouhai look around anxiously with genuine confusion. He sighed. "Echizen."

Echizen jumped.

"I cannot send you home at this hour. You will call your parents and inform them of where you are. We will wake up earlier than usual to take you to your house in the moring."

Echizen blinked as if waiting for Tezuka to say something else.

"What?"

"Uhm. Am I going to spend the night in your home?"

"Unless you prefer to sleep with the dogs outside."

Echizen frowned at the stingy humor. "Che. Buchou is mean after midnight."

Tezuka's brow twitched again. "Let's go inside."

"Buchou…"

Tezuka paused and turned again, a bit frustrated.

"I really… I really thought I was going home!"

Tezuka's expression softened. "Iie. It doesn't matter."

"I swear, buchou… I'm so sorry! I'll run 500 laps tomorrow! I swear, I didn't-" Echizen stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"500 laps won't cover it."

Echizen gulped.

"I wasn't serious. It's almost 2 in the morning. We both need to rise early. Let's go in, Ryoma-kun."

Ryoma watched him intently then nodded and followed. Buchouwasn't serious?

"Leave your bag and shoes near mine and follow me."

They went to Tezuka's room.

"I'll bring the futon for you. I don't have anything your size to sleep in, unless you don't mind sleeping in a t-shirt a few sizes larger."

"I don't mind," he quickly replied, nerves getting the best of him.

Tezuka automatically nodded and pulled out a t-shirt for Echizen.

Minutes later, Echizen was pulling the covers over him in the futon wearing the t-shirt and boxers near Tezuka's bed. He had called his house but no one answered, che, didn't even notice I wasn't home before going to bed, and turned to his side, facing Tezuka.

"Oyasumi, buchou."

"Oyasumi."

"Ne, buchou?"

"Aa?" Tezuka murmured.

"This feels more home than home."

Tezuka's eyes opened and watched Echizen's looking back at him with a small smile before closing and settling. Tezuka kept watching Ryoma easing into peaceful sleep until his own eyes drooped longer… longer… longer… then closed for the night.