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It rained on that day. But the storm was brewing far before that moment, far before he had the chance to breathe in the scent of rain and damp dirt. It all started with a phone call and a glass of expensive wine.
The dining room candles were lit, flickering off too little light for the gloomy day they dined on. On the old oak table lay beautiful fine china, white porcelain decorated with gold blooming flowers. Crystal wine glasses and polished silver glinting in the low candlelight were placed carefully around the dishes. The table itself was cloaked in a velveteen cloth, the blood red sheen reflecting like fire.
A beautiful older woman reclined at the head of the table, a silk red dress draped over milky skin, allowing an ample amount of cleavage to peak through the low neckline. Her perfectly manicured fingernails tapped absentmindedly on her crystal glass of wine as she looked towards the grandfather clock against the wall, pendulum swinging away to show the passage of time. Soft round brown eyes reminiscent of a doe lock eyes with a pair of very similar eyes as a teenage boy swings open a heavy wooden door.
The boy flicks his eyes away immediately and hunches forward, twisting the bottle of fine wine in his fingers, which were so bitten down scabs were forming from the blood produced. The beautiful woman set her glass down on the table sharply, mouth curling up into a subtle sneer that ruined the innocent impression her face naturally gave off. While her eyes were sharply trained on the young man's practiced movements (elegantly filling her glass of wine almost to the brim) she twirled a string of her fluffy, silver-brown hair around a perfectly manicured finger.
The boy bowed to her, moving backwards. He paused in that position, waiting. His own fluffy brown hair was duller and some of it stuck to the back of his neck from sweat. The old white button down seemed to be a tad small for his body, and the dark slacks that graced his legs were tight in a similar fashion. A grey vest wrapped around his thin torso, almost but not quite hiding the old stain on the front pocket of the button down. He was remarkably thin, he wrists looking like they would snap if you held them too hard.
"Are they here?" A high, beautiful voice akin to a bird song resounded through the room, interrupting the constant tock of the clock. The boy pressed his lips together, shaking his head and keeping his eyes trained on the floor in front of him. The woman made a grunt of irritation, hands drifting towards the glass of wine in front of her.
"Why not?" Her eyes hooded slightly as she sipped down the drink, gazing into the smooth depths of the red drink.
"I don't know, Mother," the boy responded obediently, exhaling shakily. His voice was a bit lower than the woman's in front of him, but just as beautiful. A beauty hindered by the obvious fear he radiated.
"Don't call me that. What do you mean you don't know. Did I tell you to call them, boy?" The woman practically snarled, glaring at the young man in disdain.
"They didn't answer," the boy closed his eyes, throat constricting and hands fisting into his already tight clothing.
"What do you mean they didn't answer, Shigeru? I didn't ask for backtalk, I asked for answers! Call them again!" The woman reacted violently almost immediately, slamming down her glass and pushing back her chair in a rush to stand up. As she raised her hand, poised to strike - a loud ringing tone broke through the tension of the dining hall. Her hand paused in midair, and she shot a glare at the younger boy, subtly cowering away from her. Pulling back and smoothing down her dress, her mouth stretched into a perfect, practiced smile.
She glided elegantly out of the dining room, with each step being a perfect amount of distance from the last. Shigeru, after a moment of hesitation, followed. He watches her move through the hallways, his own habit of resting his hands in front of him elegantly and airy walking style perfectly imitating his mother's. They paused in front of the still-ringing phone, and her beautiful hand wrapped around the handle, picking it up with a click and holding it to her ear.
"Hello? This is the Yahaba residence, Yumei speaking," she chirped out the words like a welcoming swallow prancing in your hand, sweet and inviting. Shigeru's mouth pressed harder together as he watched the older woman's face grow darker as the conversation went on.
"Yes, of course! Have a wonderful evening!" As she delicately put the phone into place, the forced smile dropped, and she whirled around to glower at Shigeru. He stepped back in fear, and Yumei raised her foot kicking him on the ground. The heel of her shoe dug into his stomach as she kicked repeatedly, screams of frustration flowing past her lips. Shigeru curled into a small ball, ignoring the sharp hints of pain irritating the bruises already littered across his skin. Gritting his teeth, he raised his arms to protect his face, trying to minimize the damage. Her beautiful voice grew hoarse, and she panted as she reached down to slip her beautiful ruby high heels off her delicate little feet. She threw them at his face, covered by his too thin arms. She staggered away before pausing again to turn to him.
"This is all your fault! If it weren't for you, I'd be married to a rich man, with a dream life! With children that listened to me! Get out of my house, you disgusting blight on my existence!" She hurled the insults at him as she rested her hand on the run-down wallpaper, catching her breath. Then after another beat of silence, she tottered out of the hall, presumably into the dining room to her waiting wine.
Tears flowed down Shigeru's face as he collected himself, slowly pushing himself up off the creaking wooden flooring. He held his stomach as he limped in the opposite direction of his mother, trying to breathe past his tears. He reached the back door just as a strike of thunder sounded from overhead. He took in a shaky breath, wiping the tears away in a jerky motion with the back of his hand. He grabbed the cold metal handle and pulled the door open in a careful swing, only opening it halfway so it didn't creak, then equally carefully closed the door behind him.
The sky above him roared as clouds rolled and crashed against each other, threatening to further rain down soon his measly little existence. The water on the stone steps splashed as he quickly made his way through the garden choked with weeds and towards a towering treeline. Despite his pain, the rain was only temporarily stopped and he wanted to get to his cottage before it began again. The uneven muddy path worn through the woods by none other than his own two feet guided his way as he moved towards his home. At about the halfway point, tiny drops of water from above started pattering his stained button down.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" He gave a low whimper as he tried to pick up the pace. His foot caught on a branch, and his hands flailed out to try (and fail) to catch himself. His knees hit the ground first, followed by his palms. The rain pelted his already battered back as he lay there in the mud, shocked. He looked to his right, cold settling in, and pried himself from the thick mud below him. At least the mud feels cool, Shigeru thought. He looked down at himself, surveying for a moment, then pulled himself off the beaten path. The farther he walked, even above the sounds of storm, there was the sound of moving water rushing along, fed by the skies above it.
The young man pushed some offending branches from his way, and paused at one end of the riverbank, looking at the other side of it, eyes widening in surprise.
There, a gold dappled black - albeit damp - wolf lounged under the shelter of a large spruce tree. His paws were laying almost primly on top of one another, and they sat there almost elegantly, occasionally shaking off the water that managed to filter through the branches of the tree above it.
Shigeru squirted through the thick rain, and he could just make out a golden key dangling from the beautiful animal's neck, glimmering even in the gloomy light of the dark day. He exhaled loudly, reaching a hand up to push his hair that was plastered down from rain from his face. I hope I don't disturb him, Shigeru thought briefly, finally pushing his way past the treeline.
The wolf's head shot up, ears flicking and eyes narrowing in suspicion as he tracked Shigeru's every movement. Shigeru ignored it's blazing glare and stumbled into the river. The rain pelted into his tender flesh like knives, but he ignored the pain. Kneeling down in the rushing (but small) river, he started scraping mud off his clothing. Despite almost slipping and falling several times, he continued frantically cleaning his clothes, face screwed up in panic.
His pants could be saved, but both his button down and his vest, as old as they were, were completely done. The vest was silk, and there was no way that was coming out of it. The shirt was white (barely) and none of the dark mud stains had a chance in hell of being redeemed.
Once he seemed most of the mud off, he climbed from the bank, soaking wet, to limp towards a tree with a rather thick covering of branches. Pushing his back up against the rough bark, he slowly slipped down, his ruined button down riding up as he did.
Sitting on the cold, slightly damp ground, Shigeru ignored any and all possible distractions as tears began to stream down his cheeks. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, then buried his face into the little nook he created. His shoulders shook as he cried with all his deeply broken heart. After what seemed like ages, the cold rain seeped into his bones and the sky having long given up it's pouring torment, he sat there. His face turned up to the sky, where the rolling clouds were finally dispersing as the pinks and golds of the sunset peaked through.
A rustle sounded from his right, and then the sound of water being shaken off a pelt reached his ears. He couldn't muster the energy to move his head in that direction, worn out from crying and the rain. His chest hurt, and knew he was probably about to get very sick, but he really didn't care. Maybe he would die. Maybe he would finally be set free. Maybe then the pain would end.
The sound of a huff brought his attention back to the world around him, and he coughed a little, finally (slowly) moving his head towards his accidental rain companion. The wolf cocked his head to the side, ear flipping up in a cute way. His gorgeous amber eyes seemed almost intelligent, something like concern weighing down the beautiful color. Shigeru offered him a weak smile. His chest rose and fell laboriously, and anyone with half a brain could tell from his ruddy complexion that he was not feeling good.
His eyes fell closed, as he ceased to struggle leaving them open for so long. His head slowly slipped to the side, and he let it, losing the fight to keep himself awake.
When his eyes blinked open, he was curled in familiar warm bed sheets, soaked clothing having been torn off and dropped on the floor, and sloppily changed into new underwear and pajamas.
How the fuck did I get here? Shigeru, in his delirious state of mind managed to think. Sunlight filtered through his dirty window, directly hitting his face. His body shook and sweated as he turned over and pulled a pillow over his head to block out the sun, wishing he had the energy to get up and pulled the curtains closed.
He coughed, his chest burning as he closed his eyes again, slipping back into the dream world.
At the edge of Shigeru's hearing, there was a scrape of claws on his door. He heard it creak open, like the very shitty door that it was, and he coughed, hoping whatever just came into his room wouldn't kill him. Or steal his things. Nails clicking on the hardwood floor grew nearer to him, and something wet was shoved in his face.
Shigeru groaned, trying (and failing) to move his face away. He opened his eyes with great difficulty, glazed-over brown meeting concerned amber. The wolf, he thought. It was like a very realistic fever dream. A bag hung from it's teeth and the wolf (with a bit of struggle) set it on the bed in front of his face. The brown haired boy slowly dragged his hand over to the bag, pulling out the contents.
A single bottle of cold medicine. Shigeru's eyes watered, and he coughed again, meeting the eyes of the lupine creature in front of him.
"Where did you get this? Smart boy," Shigeru managed after a moment of heavy breathing. His usually beautiful voice was hoarse from coughing, and he knew he looked absolutely terrible, but that was okay, no one was here to see it.
The wolf gave a small 'boof' and nosed at the bottle. Shigeru slowly twisted open the cap, and poured two small white pills into his palm. He didn't even bother trying to get up to find water and popped them into his mouth, swallowing with extreme difficulty. He set the bottle on his rickety nightstand without putting the cap back on and collapsed back into his blankets.
The wolf restlessly paced back and forth for a moment as Shigeru watched with heavy lidded eyes. Then he nosed the door closed, trotting over to the bed. It nimbly jumped up and settled in the space next to him. Shigeru's mind was half I'm going to hate washing these sheets , and half oh crap, he's huge. Shigeru dismissed the thoughts with a shake of his head and rolled over to bury his nose into his new companion's fur. Sighing and running weak fingers through the soft tresses for a moment - that, oddly enough, smelled of coffee and lavender - before leaning fully into the warmth and closing his eyes to rest.
His dreams were strange.
Sometimes a gorgeous man would be taking care of him. Strong arms and gentle calloused hands holding him up to swipe a cloth across his skin, sometimes a large, beautiful animal laying next to him. It all seemed like a strange hallucination to Shigeru, like a projection of want and dreams. He wanted to be loved so badly that he had simply made someone up to love him.
It wasn't all that strange to assume. After all, know one in their right minds would ever love him.
Shigeru's eyes fluttered open to an expanse of a familiar ceiling. He looked around to find his animal companion, but there was no creature besides himself to be found. Frowning, he sat up and examined the room. There were paw prints scattered everywhere, on his sheets (especially in the space carved out next to him), all over the floors, and even a few on walls or drawers. The doe eyed man pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a pounding headache materialize.
Whisking the blankets back in a smooth motion, his feet hit the floor and he padded over to his bathroom, flicking on the light switch as he went (thank god this place was installed with electric). The bathroom was also full of paw prints, and Shigeru had a feeling he was going to be seeing that sight regularly.
An old, yet large mirror was installed over a metal tub for holding water. He grimaced at his awful reflection in the mirror. His hair was a greasy mess, his completion was terrible, and his lips were chapped. The only saving grace was that he didn't have a runny nose so his nose wasn't peeling from blowing too much. At least I feel better.
He slipped his pajamas off (was he wearing these before?) and turned on the water to the shower. It was a bit broken, and sometimes the water pressure gave out, but Shigeru was grateful he got to take warm showers.
After washing off the grime on his body (not too bad considering he clearly spent a couple of days sweating in bed) he stepped out of the cracked porcelain tub - courtesy of his mother - and wrapped the hanging towel around his waist. Water dripped down his back and legs as he walked out and rummaged through his drawers.
Pulling on some underwear and a long old button-up pajama top that went down to his knees, he rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Sheets and blankets were changed, the floors were swept and wiped down, and all paw prints cleaned.
The moment he plopped down on his bed huffing from exhaustion, there was the sound of scratching at his door. The old wooden door swung open to a wolf who froze upon seeing Shigeru up and wide awake. Shigeru's hands flew up in the air in a 'wait' motion.
"Wipe your paws before you come in here, I just cleaned the floor you trampled mud all over," the silvery-brown haired man griped, posing to get up to help the animal wipe down. But to his surprise, the wolf casually wiped his paws on the doormat outside and padded in, paying no heed to Shigeru's surprised expression as he used his muzzle to nose the door closed.
"Did your Mr. Bossman house train you? Is that why you're so smart?" Shigeru reclined on his pillows as he watched the animal hop up onto his bed and settle into what Shigeru had aptly decided the animal thought was his spot," And pretty. You're just about the prettiest animal I've ever seen."
The wolf huffed, looking away - as if he was embarrassed - as the young man beside him carded his slender fingers through his well cared for coat. When Shigeru tried to pull away, the wolf growled a little, immediately (gently) swiping at his hand. Shigeru raised his eyebrows, then gave him a sharp look (a face stolen from his cousin Oikawa).
"Don't you growl at me, Mr.Grumpy. Behave." Shigeru warned, flicking his nose, but went to pet him anyway. In hindsight, snapping at a fully grown wolf the most wealthy bachelor in the town kept as a pet was probably not a good idea, but somehow Shigeru knew the big guy wouldn't hurt him.
"You think you're all big, mean, and scary, huh? I don't think so. I think you're a big softie. Aren't you?" Shigeru vigorously scratched at the wolf's back, and he reflectively started to tap his leg on the bed, (his tail wagging as equally vigorously) flipping onto his back as Shigeru's hands moved to his belly. When The brown eyed boy finally stopped to take a breather - wheezing, he still hadn't completely gotten over his illness - the big wolf looked up at him with a sort of silly confusion that made Shigeru nearly fall off the bed laughing.
It was a month after he had gotten over his illness when he was reading on his bed, back leaning against a lounging wolf (who had most definitely claimed the left side of the bed. Shigeru had lain on the left side one night and at about three in the early morning, the animal had come in through the door and roughly shoved him over, snorting at him arrogantly. As if to say, how dare you lay in my spot, as if it wasn't Shigeru's bed, but the wolf's. Shigeru had of course rudely shoved him off the bed when the other hopped in it in retaliation, but that's another matter entirely) when his wolf sat up suddenly in alarm, ears straight up, listening for something. Shigeru nearly fell forward onto the floor but caught himself on the nightstand.
"What are you-" the wolf jumped off the bed and rushed into the bathroom, nosing the door behind him shut. The minute it closed, his own door burst open, slamming against the wall behind it and leaving a dent in it. Yumei Yahaba stood there, in all her glory, her beautiful little nose turned up at her surroundings, and her pretty eyes narrowed at Shigeru. Her chiffon blue dress pulled up from the floor carefully, and her perfectly manicured hands clenched.
Shigeru scrambled up - slightly panicking over his state of dress, his favorite giant white button down and nothing else - and bowed respectfully to her. After the incident, she had grounded him to his cottage with the usual punishments; he was to only have a single meal of cheese, bread and water every two days, and he was not to leave.
His wolf kept bringing him random game and fruit - albeit a but slobbered on, but fine once washed - so he had gained weight in the last two weeks, finally filling out. He looked less like a bruised ghost that could be blown over at any moment, and now like the strong, good-looking young man he was.
"I need you to do something, boy. Do you know that wolf? The one Sir Kyoutani keeps?" Shigeru tried not to flinch at the mention of the very wolf that was standing in the bathroom, and pointedly looked in her pretty face so he wouldn't glance at the bathroom.
"Yes ma'am. Everyone knows about it," Shigeru swallowed thickly, desperately hoping his wolf won't make a noise and draw her attention.
"It has been announced that the person that catches the wolf and gets the key from around his neck will be the one to marry Sir Kyoutani," his mother glided into the room, ever elegant despite her apparent disgust at her surroundings," this my child, is your chance to redeem yourself for mother. This is your chance to make everything you did better again. I want that key. Okay?" She placed her hand on his cheek in what Shigeru would have thought was an affectionate way if not for the obvious distaste in her eyes. He shuddered when he called herself his mother; she never did that in that tone of voice. That was acknowledging his existence, and her utter hatred for it. Shigeru wordlessly nodded, hoping his heartbeat wasn't so loud she could hear it.
Shigeru's mother laughed and twirled delicately, her dress fluttering up in an ethereal manner. Without bothering to look at him again, she practically skipped out the door and down the path in humming like the song bird he was often compared to. Shigeru shut the door after her, and took a few steps to collapse face first in the bed. The click of a door, and clack of nails on hardwood signaled to him his only friend had (somehow, Shigeru had no idea how he opened that particular door, it wasn't like it was loose or anything) let himself out of the bathroom.
"Why is it my fault, I wonder? That I was born? Why is it always my fault? Am I really that bad?" Shigeru lifted his head to give his wolf a defeated look. Golden amber eyes looked back at him for a moment (with an unidentifiable emotion swirling within their depths) before giving a single lick to his cheek. Shigeru laughed quietly, reaching his arm up to wrap himself around the big guy's neck, nuzzling into the soft, thick fur.
"Don't worry. Even if I get hurt, I won't let her go anywhere near you," Shigeru kissed his head in promise, scratching at one of his favorite spots behind the ears and avoiding the key he always sported around his neck. His wolf gave him a low growl, sporting a grumpier face than usual.
"I'll be fine, you adorable grump," Shigeru laughed, flicking his nose and plunging himself back into his fluffiness. I'm used to it , Shigeru thought as he claimed his friend with ample amounts of petting, And I have you now, so I'm not scared.
"We've tried everything! From traps, to guns, to food, hell, I even hear the Yamizawa's even brought in a female wolf. The damn thing is clever as hell, and nobody has seen a lick of that damn key for weeks!" Kojihana slammed his patched up hat down to the battered tavern table in frustration, smoothing back his greasy black hair and plopping down on a chair that was as old as he was.
"Don't worry old man, someone will get it, eventually," one of the other hunters laughed from another table where a small poker game was layed out.
"What's the point of someone, dammit, I wanted to get it for my granddaughter. She would be set for life! She's been dreaming about it ever since the announcement was made, and I wanted to make it happen for her," Kojihana's shoulder's sagged, and he placed his face in his hands. A barmaid tapped on his shoulder and he jumped a bit.
"Would you like to order?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Rice wine, please, cheaper the better," Kojihana sighed, glancing at a booth in the corner, where a familiar young man sat," Yahaba, what about you? Have you seen anything?" Shigeru jumped when he name was called, almost spilling his water.
"No, sir, I haven't. I haven't even managed to get a look at his pelt sir," the lie slid out of Shigeru's mouth like flowing water in a river, with how many times he's told it in various ways in the past few weeks. In truth, the wolf visited him everyday, stealing his bed and prancing around his tiny cottage like owned it. Shigeru couldn't say he hated it.
He was lonely, after all.
The old man sighed and shook his head, muttering something under his breath Shigeru couldn't quite hear from his position and waved him off. The barmaid soon came back with his drink, and the older man forgot about the conversation entirely.
Shigeru bowed politely to the bar master (who bowed back) and he made his way back home. He shivered, pulling up the ratty scarf wrapped around his neck. The days were getting colder as they grew shorter, heading into autumn. Shigeru, recently gaining in weight and strength, was much better off than he was the few years before this, but he still hated the cold. Which is why he immensely looked forward to going home and seeing his very warm best friend.
But when he finally reached home, something was wrong. The door was flung wide open, and deep scratches appeared in the doorframe. Concerned, Shigeru sped up his walking pace, and cautiously peeked through the door only to drop his jaw in shock. The entire room was a mess. Mattress ripped and falling from the bed, table, lamp, and nightstand overturned, bathroom door swinging off the hinges, stray book pages flying in the wind the front door was letting through, holes everywhere in everything, and
B
L
O
O
D.
Shigeru's head went blank.
Where did he go?
What happened to him?
Am I going to be alone now?
Shigeru ran out of the door looking around frantically. Splatters of blood made a small trail away, then disappeared in the under, as if someone had covered their tracks. His wolf was smart, so Shigeru wouldn't be surprised. Thoughts races trough his head. Where would I want to be found…? Shigeru's eyes lit up, and he made a run for the river.
Bursting out of the treeline, his eyes scanned the space under the big spruce tree, one of the wolf's favorite places to sunbathe. There he lay, on his side, and Shigeru could just barely see his flank rising and falling. Uncaring about his clothing or the cold, he waded across the knee deep water to get to his friend.
Upon arriving and falling to his knees to look at him, he noticed blood matting the fur around his shoulder. Shigeru reached out to touch it, and immediately the wolf sprung up, growling.
"It's just me, okay? I just want to see if you're alright," Shigeru held his hands up, but despite his soothing voice, extreme distress was painted all over his face. The wolf whimpered, leaning over to lick his cheek.
"It's going to be fine, everything will be alright, I promise," Shigeru's voice choked up and his vision blurred and he reached up to wipe his eyes. When his hand came away wet, he realized his was crying. Hands shaking, he panicked.
"What if you die? What if I never see you again? Don't leave me alone, please, you're all I have," Shigeru sobbed, holding onto the wolf's head and pressing him against his chest. The wolf shook him off after a moment of his crying, and suddenly, Shigeru heard a crack.
It sounded like the crack of bones.
Shigeru looked up to see something he couldn't quite describe, something his already overloaded mind almost could handle.
The wolf became a man.
A very beautiful, very naked man that was bleeding profusely from his shoulder. Familiar amber eyes met brown, and the man (wolf's?) bare chest (adorned with a hanging golden key, further cementing this was reality and not some weird fever dream Shigeru had somehow cooked up) heaved with effort.
"I'll be fine," a low timber resounded through his ears, a voice that practically made him shiver," I pulled out the bullet already, and my kind heals quick. It's fine, stupid. Don't cry." The man's rough, yet vaguely familiar calloused hand reaches up to gently wipe away the tears from Shigeru's frozen face.
"You, you, you-" Shigeru sputtered, blinking in shock, reeling back slightly by the touch that startled him back into reality.
"I am the wolf. The wolf is me," the face of the Kyoutani Kentarou looked back at him, face subtly showing both amusement and nervousness. Shigeru merely blinked back at him, trying to dethaw himself.
Then, Kyoutani reached around his neck and pulled the key off of himself, holding it out to Shigeru. Shigeru reflexively grabbed what was given to him before stiffening more than he already was, string at the gold and leather necklace that lay in his palm.
"That's yours, I think. If you want it," Kyoutani looked away as if he didn't care either way, but the tips of his ears were a beautiful red. Shigeru stared at him almost fiercely, clenching around the key so hard it dug into his hand in a particularly painful way.
"You want… me?" the brown haired man whispered, looking back down at the key.
"Why wouldn't I want you? You're beautiful, intelligent, and strong. You've worked so hard just to survive, and I admire that. I want you," Kyoutani affirmed, reaching over to loosen the grip on the key in the younger man's hand before he drew blood. Shigeru looked into his eyes, a red hot flame passing through his body, chasing away all the chill of fall. He took a shaky breath, and carefully tied the necklace around his neck.
"It's too cold out here," Shigeru muttered, taking his coat off and wrapping it around Kyoutani's shoulders, careful with the injured one. The bleeding had already stopped, and no treatment had even been done to it.
"Can you walk?" Shigeru asked, mentally running through the small amount of medical supplies he kept in the bathroom.
"It's my shoulder, not my damn legs," Kyoutani grumbled, rolling his eyes, and moving to stand.
"Don't you grumble at me, grumpy," Shigeru reflexively flicked his nose, and Kyoutani made a pouting face very similar to the one he makes in wolf form after he's been scolded. Shigeru hesitated, watching the expression splash across his face, but moved towards the river after a lingering moment, warmth flooding up his neck.
"Fucking cold, fuck," Kyoutani hissed, as his bare legs made contact with the water. Shigeru snickered, and Kyoutani glared at him.
"What happened?" Shigeru's smile faded from his eyes as he asked the question while they walked.
"Your mother," Kyoutani grunted, gripping the jacket tighter to him as a particularly strong wind kicked up. Goosebumps made their way up Shigeru's arms but he ignored them, reaching up to fiddle with the key around his neck.
"Did you not hear her coming?" Shigeru's cottage was finally I'm view, but he didn't bother to close the door as he entered. Not like it would do much anyway.
"Was sleeping. I've been tired, running away from everyone lately," Kyoutani pulled to the drawers to presumably pull clothes out of it as Shigeru went into the bathroom, pulling a small metal tin from the wooden cupboard. He threw the little tin on the bed, waiting for Kyoutani to finish dressing while he looked away, trying not to look. He heard a low chuckle, and Shigeru looked up to see a small grin on Kyoutani's face while he pulled up a pair of pajama pants. The brown haired younger man rolled his eyes, fighting (failing) the heat that crawled up his face.
"How did you get away?" Shigeru asked as he opened the tin to pull out some ointment, his face quickly turned focused as he inspected the wound.
"Clawed at her face - classic, really," Kyoutani shrugged, trying to hold back a brief wince Shigeru caught him make. He gently glided his ointment covered fingers over the wound, snorting.
"Did she run away? I bet she did, she won't be able to stand her perfect face being ruined. And you know what? I bet that's my fault too," Shigeru laughed bitterly while wiping the excess ointment on the sheets and grabbing bandages.
"None of it was ever your fault. She's just a damn harlot dressed in a pretty outfit, don't mind what she says. I've wanted to claw at her face for awhile. How dare she speak to you like that," Kyoutani's low growl reverberated through the small room, and Shigeru's hands which were carefully wrapping the bandage paused.
Then he leaned up and pressed a light peck on the corner of Kyoutani's lips, smiling almost uncontrollably. Kyoutani's eyes went wide, and it was his turn to freeze in shock. Shigeru laughed, going back to the bandage. Silence settled over them while he finished. Not the bad kind, a good, happy, and content kind.
"It's my turn to take you home, right?" Kyoutani suddenly asked, reaching to pull at the scarf that hung around his neck, frowning in that cute way Shigeru was coming to love. The younger looked around the ruined room for a moment.
"Sure, why not?" he muttered, sighing and looking down at Kyoutani, almost lovingly. Kyoutani's grin was almost as beautiful as his eyes.
"I can't wait to show you my garden gnome collection."
"Your what?"