"Kazu?"
Tomohisa was haste to uncover himself from the soft sheets upon the sight of Kazuna's shoulders that were poorly kept from trembling. He had gathered from Kazuna's droopy features, even through tears ceaselessly tracing down his cheeks, that he'd apparently jolted into consciousness not too long ago.
As spotless Kazuna's mind was from the vision that had brought him into this state, the awful feeling lingered distastefully. "…'s nothing," Kazuna managed to say despite the slightest break of his voice in between syllables; Tomohisa frowned.
Wrapping his arms from behind Kazuna, Tomohisa let the blond male rest his head on his chest. Kazuna stiffened for a half-second, a reflex brought by years of concealing everything to himself yet the silence across the room was palpable with all that he'd kept from everyone around him–the fear and longing of a young boy for his estranged mother. What had been quiet sobs gradually grew stronger–raw with resurfaced pain after holding out for so long. Void of utterances, everything within the corners of the room gave Kazuna away.
Tomohisa drew in a heavy breath as he soothed the other male's arms. Although nothing makes him feel the most powerless than seeing Kazuna as he is at the moment, Tomohisa couldn't be any more relieved for being relied on at times like this. He knows best that it's all he could do for now.
"It's never just 'nothing' if it hurts you this much, Kazu." Tomohisa whispered tenderly and planted his lips onto delicate yellow strands.
It could only be that, Tomohisa thought.
"Feeling better?"
In a more composed state than earlier, Kazuna hummed before turning to the bedside drawer and then pulling twice from the napkin dispenser. He swiped the smooth sheets all over his face until no other spot felt moist, leaving only the slightest dust of pink across his temples, cheeks, and nose.
"That's good. Hold on." Tomohisa shuffled off the sheets and out the bedroom door. The light-haired male came back with a glass of water in hand which he then extended to Kazuna.
"Thank you." Taking a couple of sips and a deep breath, Kazuna shut his eyes for a second before turning back to Tomohisa. "I'm sorry I woke you up. You can go back to sleep now."
"No, don't be." Tomohisa settled back onto the bed. "Was it a bad dream?"
"…uh, no big deal."
"Kazu, it's alright–"
"I said it isn't that big of a deal, Tomohisa." Kazuna's voice grew louder albeit a tad shaky.
Although dejection wasn't usually the aftermath of Kazuna's rebuffs which Tomohisa had always taken lightly since having spent childhood and training days close to each other, Tomohisa couldn't help the ache in his chest this time. He followed with his eyes as Kazuna let out a heavy breath before setting the glass beside the napkin dispenser.
Tomohisa tried searching for the vibrant aquamarine orbs he dearly adores yet they wouldn't meet his own. The prior heaviness of the air was replaced by unwanted awkwardness, which mostly was just Kazuna holing himself into thinking Tomohisa would be deterred by that alone.
For so many times, trying to meet Kazuna where he's at hasn't always been the easiest especially when he himself doesn't want anyone to. Rather than having gotten used to being pushed away, Tomohisa had learned better of Kazuna's tendencies to recoil into his own bubble upon the exposure of his fears. And not so coincidentally, Tomohisa knows all too well that before they had officially gotten together he was the last person Kazuna had in mind to ask for a hand to hold him safe–which Tomohisa could never imagine Kazuna saying to anybody else at all, not even to his members though they all treasure him dearly.
Kazuna cleared his throat. "Sorry, but it's fine. We don't have to talk about that tonight," he said as his eyes stared down at the hems of the duvet where his fingers fumbled under.
"Listen, I know you'd get mad at me for this but, Kazu," Tomohis's expression drooped, "you know I'd never buy that."
"Then what would you?" Kazuna exasperated feebly, still avoiding inquisitive blue eyes.
Tomohisa swept the back of his fingers across Kazuna's cheek tenderly. "Look at me."
And Kazuna was nothing but understatedly weak–from crying and against such a gentle plea from the voice that had made him feel the safest. Upon meeting Tomohisa's gaze, Kazuna instantly saw the dull reflection of his own into the pair of clear blue eyes that had seen through him countless of times before. It's always been through those eyes of his where Kazuna finds the serenity of having his pretentions stripped from him, of the refreshing relief of abandoning his defenses in Tomohisa's protective arms as though he was home.
"You see, you'd never been a good liar– well, at least to me. But you don't have to push yourself right now." The warmth in Tomohisa's voice was soothing, much more than Kazuna would want to admit out loud. Being it no less than embarrassing for Kazuna was an understatement but he couldn't help it. The palm caressing the blond male's cheek came to tuck strands that stray on his face behind his ears, revealing the light flush across his bare face which Tomohisa endeared very much in.
"Until you're ready, Kazu, I'll wait."
As one pair of azure eyes swore silent devotion into the blond beauty reflected in them, nothing else need be said. The air stilled comfortably as they both held each other's gazes in a tacit exchange of trust for honesty–which Kazuna had never once considered as a need and found in someone he'd least expected from.
Before he grew aware of it, slender arms had draped around Tomohisa's shoulders. "You were right…and it was that dream again."
Even if the blond male's voice travelled in a whisper, it was clear of one thing: Tomohisa's intuition had been on point all along. "I'm sorry, Kazu."
"It's fine, really. I don't remember much of it but the feeling from it just…" he trailed off with another heavy sigh.
"I understand," Tomohisa said with a smile. "Besides, I don't mind staying like this until you feel alright again."
Kazuna loosened his arms around him. "Tomohisa."
"Hm?"
"...Thank you."
Kazuna inched closer until their lips met for a brief moment. Tomohisa cupped his face and planted a kiss on the corner of his eye and onto the other. Then he placed another one on Kazuna's forehead, which lingered longer than the rest, and kissed him on the lips a second time. He placed one more on one cheek when all of a sudden Kazuna snorted faintly.
"Aren't you kissing me way too much?"
"Oh," Tomohisa's expression was that of genuine unawareness. "Am I??"
"It really baffles me how you're that surprised." Kazuna let out a hearty chuckle.
"Eh? Is that bad??"
"Nah, nothing I should mind."
Tomohisa gleamed. "Then it's okay to kiss you more?"
Kazuna's fair cheeks flushed. "Hey, I didn't say that!"
"You said it's fine though?" And a quick peck landed on Kazuna's lips once again.
"Geez, that's enough. Let's go back to sleep."
They both returned under the covers when Tomohisa felt Kazuna's arm clutch on his waist; an unusual feat since it's him clinging over his blond partner most of the time.
"You sure you'll be able to sleep by now?"
"With you here?" With a tranquil curl of his lips, Kazuna closed his eyes and pulled himself onto Tomohisa's chest. "I will be."