Work Text:
It’s been a long day for both of them, but they find that they do not care. Not when the other energizes them.
So even though it’s past dinner time and neither of them have eaten, Chiaki finds himself in the living room of his and Kuro’s shared apartment, swaying to the jazz in the background. They had both come home around the same time, and Chiaki put on music like usual, instrumentals to just have him listen to something when it’s quiet. But instead of Kuro going to make food, or even asking what he should make, he grabbed Chiaki gently.
“Can we dance?” is what he asked.
And of course Chiaki agreed, but as he melts into Kuro, he realizes that they really haven’t been dancing this whole time. They are holding each other, swaying back and forth, back and forth. They’ve been like this for a while. Although it is nice, calm, even Chiaki knows they can’t stay like this forever. He looks up at Kuro, taking his head off of Kuro’s shoulder. He stares, not wanting to break the calmness of it all. Kuro smiles gently.
“What is it?” Kuro whispers.
Chiaki hesitates a bit before speaking, “We need to eat.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Not really.”
“Then can we stay like this a bit longer?” Kuro is still whispering, “I just really want to be with ya like this right now.”
Chiaki nods and puts his head back on Kuro’s shoulder.
They haven’t stopped moving, the song has changed. They sway to the new tempo as if nothing has changed. It’s slower than the last song, and they just take it one step at a time. Going, never stopping.
Chiaki doesn’t move when he speaks this time, “Why?” he asks, whispering once again.
“Why what?”
“Why did you want to do this? Not that I mind of course, I like it, but why?”
Kuro moves his hands to where both of them are on Chiaki’s waist, touching his lower back, “Because we haven’t had a lot of time together recently. We never do, really. And I just wanted to spend it with ya.”
Chiaki doesn’t respond. Considering how nothing changes with Kuro, he figures Kuro does not care that he didn’t.
They continue to go back and forth, the song changes again. They continue going back and forth, the sun has set. The room is no longer orange with the sun, but yellow with the lamps that had been turned on beforehand. It’s not bright. The two do not speak. The song ends.
Kuro pulls back, still holding on to Chiaki.
“We should eat,” Kuro says, a new song starts playing in the background.
“I’m not hungry,” an unspoken fear.
“We can do this again soon,” a spoken promise.
Chiaki nods and the two go to the kitchen. Neither of them would be able to say what was made that night, nor does it matter. They speak about their days and as time goes by it is soon time for bed, time to rest.
In the bed with both of them in it, Kuro lays his head on Chiaki’s chest. One bedside lamp is on, Chiaki’s fingers are in Kuro’s hair.
“You know,” Chiaki says, “I’ve been missing you too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I mean, we both come home late usually and our schedules never align. The fact we were both here tonight is almost a miracle!” Kuro chuckles at that while Chiaki continues, “And it just makes me think that even though I spend a lot of my time doing things I love, I don’t spend most of that with the one I love the most.”
“I get what you mean,” Kuro says, yawning, “I like my job and the friends I have. But it’s not the balance I want.”
“Balance is a good word for it.”
It goes quiet again. Both are sleepy, tired.
And even though the conversation didn’t finish, it’s a nice silence. They can talk about it again later. But for now the promise of being close once again, swaying, is in both of their minds.
With that thought, they fall asleep cuddled up and smiling.