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Tadashi woke with a groundless feeling; something wasn’t right and it wasn’t only the lack of his alarm ringing, the-
‟Ai. . .” Tadashi groaned softly, rubbing his knuckles across his face, squinting-
‟Ainosuke-sama!” Tadashi bolted upright, barely wincing as he banged his brow into Ainosuke’s knuckles. He only stared at Tadashi for a moment longer, eyes wide in the dim, silvery light. ‟I’m sorry, master! Did you call for me?” He twisted, thoughtless, reaching for his phone - he had never failed to wake and appear when Ainosuke required him before, but he must-
‟No.” Ainosuke said, and Tadashi stilled, looking back at him. ‟I didn’t call for you.”
Tadashi licked his lips, just a little uncertain. Tadashi had to be ready for and handle countless situations that would be unprecedented or unthinkable for many in his supposed position, and so he did - swift and flawless as he must always be, to be worthy of his master, easy - but this was. . .
‟What do you need from me?” Tadashi asked helplessly, unaccustomed to being lost this way.
Usually he knew, often even before Ainosuke turned to him to give orders or request something; was already prepared, had the answers.
Ainosuke watched him in silence as his mind raced, then clasped his shoulder. Tadashi shivered, nudging into the touch before he could think. Ainosuke smiled, however, so Tadashi smiled back, relaxing just a little, even if he still wondered why his master was here, in his bedroom.
‟Are you all right, Ainosuke-sama?” Tadashi asked gently.
Ainosuke sniffed dismissively, which was not actually an answer, and Tadashi hummed, near-silent.
He tensed, eyes widening, as Ainosuke moved, and didn’t think to move back himself - to make room - before Ainosuke was there, close against his side, in his bed.
The thin moonlight filtering through his curtains silvered Ainosuke’s hair and skin alike, his eyes dark with only a hint of the heart’s-blood glow normally so evident in them. Yet he was warm, so close, and though there was a tremor in his arm as he brushed against Tadashi, he was relaxed.
Ainosuke was too rarely truly relaxed, and it made Tadashi sigh, pleased even if also confused.
Tadashi blinked, watching Ainosuke as he rearranged the duvet and slid down, curling onto his side, as though he did this every night - as though he belonged there. Tadashi began to move away - there wasn’t much space between himself and the edge of the bed there; Ainosuke barely fit and it wouldn’t do for him to fall off - but Ainosuke wrapped an arm around his waist, then huffed, squeezing. ‟How do you relax in this bed, puppy? There’s not nearly enough space, and. . .” He shifted again, curling his fingers into Tadashi’s pajama shirt and tugging.
Tadashi happily gave up on moving away and allowed himself to be urged down, lips twitching. ‟There is not,” he pointed out dryly, drawing Ainosuke closer and settling them both closer to the middle of the mattress, ‟generally - in fact ever - anyone else in it with me.”
Ainosuke made a low growling sound, his hold tightening, and Tadashi smiled, closing his eyes and nudging his cheek against Ainosuke’s hair.
‟There had better not be.” Ainosuke said sharply, voice low, fingers curling into Tadashi’s hair at his nape, just tightly enough to sting. Tadashi sighed contentedly, and Ainosuke’s grip didn’t ease, but he rubbed Tadashi’s nape with his thumb, voice softening into a hum.
Tadashi drew a deep breath. Ainosuke was warm and still wonderfully relaxed, big and broad and taking up an incredible amount of Tadashi’s bed; his presence here was faintly surreal but it was always a pleasure for Tadashi, his master’s closeness. His master choosing to be close.
He nuzzled into Ainosuke’s hair, tousled somewhat less than artfully for once - usually it was either tamed precisely or tousled very intentionally around wild spikes - and smiled as Ainosuke’s arm snugged tighter around his waist even as his fingers loosened in Tadashi’s hair, lightly cupping his neck instead.
Tadashi fell asleep content with the sharp awareness of Ainosuke’s touch, his master’s hand at his neck, thumb on his pulse.
He woke well aware of his master’s presence and touch, warm - perhaps a little too warm - and contented, but . . . confused. He was in his room, and his alarm was ringing, it was his usual time, everything else was as expected, but. . .
Ainosuke groaned, clinging a little harder and burying his face against Tadashi’s throat. He shivered, swallowing, and shut the alarm off before settling back. Ainosuke huffed quietly, and Tadashi trailed his fingers over Ainosuke’s shoulder, then down his spine. Ainosuke relaxed again - not that he eased his hold any - and made a softer, thrumming sound, and Tadashi smiled.
He ran his fingers through Ainosuke’s hair, memories of the night before - baffling as it had been - falling into place in his mind; Ainosuke at his bedside, Ainosuke sliding into his bed. Tadashi shifted languidly, mostly pinned beneath Ainosuke’s sprawling, clingy weight. He should really be getting up - Tadashi’s days were long and precisely regimented - but. . .
Ainosuke sighed, fingers flexing against Tadashi’s hip, and he silently admitted he wasn’t going to, not yet.
Besides, his master was right here; Tadashi would still need to wake him, no doubt, but he wouldn’t have to go far to do so - and he wouldn’t be able to dress and prepare beforehand. He indulged, closing his eyes and soaking up the feeling of Ainosuke sprawled heavily against him, pinning him; while he was blessed to be allowed much of his time at his master’s side, the quiet moments were . . . far harder to find.
He clasped Ainosuke’s forearm with one hand, the other smoothing down his back, up again to his nape, ruffling his already messy hair even further.
When his alarm went off again he was ready for it, and shut it off more quickly. He drew a deep breath, let it out slowly, and squeezed Ainosuke’s shoulder, rubbing firmly.
He groaned and twisted, but not only was he only turning closer into Tadashi with every movement, Tadashi was very well practised at this routine.
Ainosuke grumbled, but he allowed Tadashi to urge him awake and, slowly, up; Tadashi scratched lightly between his shoulder blades and he arched, moaning contentedly. He twisted to look over his shoulder, smiling at Tadashi, and he stilled for a moment, chest tight and stomach fluttering.
‟Ohayou, Puppy.” Ainosuke said, rough with sleep, and reached out himself, smoothing Tadashi’s hair out of his face, petting along his jaw.
Tadashi leaned into the touch, sighing, nosing the heel of his master’s hand. ‟Ohayou, master.” He pressed a kiss to Ainosuke’s palm and his eyes warmed. ‟I apologise, I have not yet prepared coffee or your morning reports.”
Ainosuke laughed softly, squeezing Tadashi’s wrist. ‟I believe I preferred this morning all the same.” He yawned. ‟But you can go do that now.”
‟Of course.” Tadashi agreed immediately, sliding out of bed and disconnecting his phone from the charger. Normally he would dress first, but as Ainosuke rose, stretching, and turned towards him. . .
Ainosuke had presented an expectation. Tadashi could dress later, but for now, his master was awake and ready for their morning routine to begin - and Tadashi was already behind.
Tadashi headed downstairs as he did every morning, with the addition - making his nape prickle - of his master following at his heels.
The surreal feeling only deepened as Ainosuke followed him into the kitchen, and Tadashi was fairly certain he saw a maid ducking away and scurrying out of sight. The household staff was well paid - and, Tadashi was aware, somewhere between awed and terrified of him; they rarely had much to do with Ainosuke - and well trained, and quite loyal; Tadashi tried to put it out of his mind as he went about making coffee for his master as he did every morning, only in his pajamas . . . and with Ainosuke perched on a stool at the island nearby, watching.
Tadashi was perhaps more aware of Ainosuke’s presence, his gaze, than what he was doing, but he had performed this task countless times, when he was practically still asleep or reality was wavering due to lack of sleep; he took down Ainosuke’s morning mug, preparing the coffee precisely as his master liked it without needing to think.
He bowed his head slightly as he proffered it, and Ainosuke accepted it with a hum, wrapping his fingers around the porcelain. Tadashi poured the rest of the pot into his own mug, blowing on it absently as he turned back to his master.
‟Perhaps you would like to retire to your rooms, Ainosuke-sama?” Tadashi suggested; would Ainosuke care to return to their normal morning routine, rather. And once they had, Tadashi could catch up on what he should have been doing this morning; fortunately he always prepared reports and schedules the night before, and they were ready, waiting to be brought from Tadashi’s own office in the antechamber of Ainosuke’s study to him there or in his suite. He took a sip of his coffee; it was hot enough he could barely taste it, only the heat on his tongue, but it didn’t matter.
‟Yes.” Ainosuke agreed, sliding off the stool. ‟Tadashi, accompany me.”
Tadashi followed obediently, already mentally restructuring the day to be sure he fit all his responsibilities into it and kept Ainosuke on time. It was his job, and he was well-practised at it; by the time he had finished his coffee and properly woken up he would have at least the morning sorted, and they could be back on track before Ainosuke needed to leave for his first meeting.
Ainosuke went to his bed - rumpled, it was clear he had been in it, before he abandoned it and came up to find Tadashi, whatever had driven him - and sat there rather than passing into his sitting room. He gestured, and Tadashi took another drink of his coffee, then set his half-empty mug on the bureau and bowed before going into the closet.
Ainosuke’s suit hung ready, and he brought it out to the hanger on the outside of the door, smoothing it absently. He returned to the closet to choose a shirt, coming to the door and showing it to his master for approval. Ainosuke waved a hand carelessly; a yes, this morning.
‟You should sleep with me.” Ainosuke declared, and Tadashi inclined his head, quirking one brow. ‟Tadashi!” Ainosuke prompted.
Tadashi slipped the shirt off the hanger and returned it to the empty side of the closet, then stepped back out. ‟I did last night.” he pointed out, laying the shirt out over the foot of the bed.
‟No. . .” Ainosuke crossed his legs, frowning. ‟I slept with you. In that ridiculous little garret.” He sniffed, judgemental.
Tadashi suppressed a twitch of his lips. It was hardly a garret, and Tadashi had been comfortable there for years. However, with Ainosuke’s luxurious bed before him, the room feeling even larger than usual with the doors to the sitting room alongside thrown open, to say nothing of the closet at his back, he could hardly be surprised at how . . . cramped it might have felt to his master.
‟I apologise if you were not comfortable there, master.” Tadashi said politely as he selected a tie, though he still wasn’t entirely clear why Ainosuke had spent the night in his room. Had come up to it at all.
If he had simply wanted Tadashi’s presence, he could have summoned Tadashi - he would have been at his master’s side in moments, regardless of the time or reason, and surely Ainosuke was well aware of this. Had done so any number of times, and Tadashi had never failed to respond when summoned.
Ainosuke had never been in his room before, and there was no reason-
‟You should sleep with me.” Ainosuke repeated slowly, emphasising.
Tadashi frowned slightly, eyes narrowing. He knew Ainosuke better than anyone, and it was his life’s work to understand his master in any mood, whatever he said; it was rare that Ainosuke baffled him, but every so often, with something entirely new. . .
Tadashi licked his lips, beginning to put it together, and suppressed a smile. How do you relax in this bed? Garret. With his master. Here.
‟Well. . .” Tadashi said, and Ainosuke lifted his chin slightly, arching one brow. ‟A good dog’s place is at his master’s side; as you have of course said yourself. Master.”
Ainosuke smirked, elegant fingers curling around his mug, thumb sweeping back and forth. ‟Indeed. You are my good dog, are you not?” Not quite a summons, yet. . .
Tadashi left the tie across the bureau by his own coffee and crossed to the bed, going to his knees before his master with a smile.
Ainosuke made a soft pleased sound, dropping one hand to Tadashi’s head, ruffling his hair.
His shoulders relaxed, and Tadashi leaned closer, bringing one hand up to rest on Ainosuke’s shin.
‟I am never happier than when I may be by your side, anata.” Tadashi said softly, stretching up obligingly when Ainosuke’s hand slipped beneath his jaw. ‟Anywhere.”
Ainosuke bent to kiss him, fingers tightening. ‟Then it pleases me to have you remain so, Puppy, and never stray.”