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Yosh’ki’s such a quiet sleeper…
The ever-vigilant creature keeps watch, though not with his eyes. He keeps them shut, focusing his tactile senses to hone in on any disturbance in the still midnight air surrounding them. The opportunistic hunter scans every nerve ending for evidence of an anomalous impurity - one that might threaten to infiltrate Yoshiki’s room, to give him nightmares or possess him.
‘Hikaru’ doesn’t sense them often, but often enough that he seldom spends his nights in Yoshiki’s room sleeping. The monster wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he let yet another impurity latch onto his beloved or cause him harm. Sleep is more of a relaxing and optional pastime to him, anyways.
In the midst of his surveillance, the monster feels a bristling chill roll over him from the balls of his feet to his knees, all the way up to his slightly exposed stomach. It makes every hair follicle on his legs stand at attention, small goosebumps covering his usually-smooth skin.
Yet, the uncomfortable sensation is not paired with the impending sense of danger characteristic of an impurity’s assault. It is instead matched with the start of a low electric whirr sourced from Yoshiki’s in-room A/C unit.
C-cold…
‘Hikaru’ feels an instinctual shiver resonate from the base of his tailbone - one of those uncomfortable human sensations he can only force himself to tolerate. He clenches his jaw, biting his tongue to distract himself as the muscles of his back and shoulders tense - a futile attempt to keep himself warm.
I shoulda asked fer a blanket… ‘Hikaru’ regrets as he turns onto his side, lessening this contact with the heat-leeching floor. Not that it woulda helped much…
He recalls something Yoshiki taught him during one of his many bouts of curious questioning.
Blankets only reflect one’s own body heat.
Something ‘Hikaru’ doesn’t intrinsically have.
He can force his body to produce heat by controlling his metabolism at a cellular level, but it takes an intense amount of control and focus - focus he doesn’t want to draw away from his invaluable watch dog task.
‘Hikaru’ curls into a fetal position, facing Yoshiki’s bed. He tries his best to shield at least half of his body from the chilling breeze, interlacing his legs with each other to see if any heat resonates between them. Amplification is impossible, however, when the starting point is zero. The most he can provide is a lukewarm flesh wall for himself.
He braces, holding himself in a close embrace as his teeth begin to chatter. His toes, being closest to the fan, are bordering on numbness. It’s another one of those uncomfortable human sensations he will likely never get used to.
Why’s he gotta put the fan so high? ‘Hikaru’ contemplates with disdain. Da humans sleep better when they’re cold er somethin’?
‘Hikaru’ sits upright to check his hypothesis, facing the brisk wind head-on for a split second before turning to Yoshiki. His head comes perfectly face-to-face with the slumbering teenager’s, who is clearly far from conscious. His breath is slow and purposeful, lips parted slightly. His eyes flutter back and forth under his closed lids, like he’s rapidly searching for something. His hand, lying palm-down by his cheek, twitches every few moments.
The vulnerability of his usually stoic and stone-faced friend makes ‘Hikaru’s heart melt. He’s like a stray cat, skittish and bristling, but now unbothered and easily approached in a vast and tranquil slumber.
‘Hikaru’ raises his right hand, placing the back of it to Yoshiki’s cheek, careful not to make a sound.
S-so warm…
‘Hikaru’s frigid hand feels like it’s nearly burning at the contact. He presses it into Yoshiki’s skin, lost in the blissful tingling of the heat transfer from human to monster.
It’s addictive, soothing every discomfort in his nerves all at once. In one of his hands, at least.
How’s he so warm… when it’s so cold in here… ‘Hikaru’ puzzles in amazement, turning his hand over to make sure it warms on both sides.
He notices Yoshiki’s hand beginning to twitch slightly more rapidly, retracting his own before the black-haired boy begins to stir proper. But immediately, he’s met with his cruel and cold reality once again. To the monster, missing the half of him that affords him freedom from earthly troubles, it’s unfathomably miserable.
Yet, the solution is laid out before him, quite literally.
After a split second of hesitation, ‘Hikaru’ extends his right hand again, this time to gently poke Yoshiki in the face. He drags his finger along the ridge of Yoshiki’s nose, causing it to twitch like a rabbit.
‘Hikaru’ snickers to himself at the sight.
“Yosh’ki?” ‘Hikaru’ whispers urgently. “Hey, Yosh’ki?”
He’s only met with a huff of air in response, not dissimilar to a horse.
“Yosh’ki? Ya awake?” ‘Hikaru’ repeats.
The silence provides him with the only answer he needs.
M’lucky he’s such a heavy sleeper, ‘Hikaru’ connives to himself, recalling the time he was able to draw a constellation map upon his friend’s mole-covered cheeks.
He stands up and walks around to the foot of Yoshiki’s bed with a ninja-like affect. There, he find the perfect access point to his end goal, where he can risk disturbing Yoshiki as little as possible. He leans forward to place his hands upon the mattress, starting a forward crawl between Yoshiki and the wall behind his back.
“Pardon the intrusion,” the monster hushes.
On all fours, he makes his way up towards the head of the bed until he aligns himself with Yoshiki’s pillow. From behind his turned back, ‘Hikaru’ can’t make out if Yoshiki’s eyes are open, only feigning sleep, but he trusts his own instincts enough to catch any abnormalities. The coast appears to be clear so far.
‘Hikaru’ lowers himself with cat-like grace, sinking his full weight into the plush mattress ever so slowly. He turns onto his side to parallel Yoshiki’s position and flips one foot under the labor cat blanket draped across his friend’s midriff. It’s barely big enough for Yoshiki alone, especially with every inch of height he gains, but ‘Hikaru’ is determined to make it work.
The blanket is only a half-effectual, inconsequential facade for the true source of warmth he seeks, anyways. Once under the covers, ‘Hikaru’ motions to share their skin as well. He presses his leg forward, locking it between Yoshiki’s knees with the gentlest motions he can muster. His hips follow suit, shuffling forward and forcing his upper body to make contact with the slumbering boy’s back. It’s gentle enough to not rouse the beast, but the proximity provides the monster with exactly what he needed.
‘Hikaru’ places the flats of his frigid palms to Yoshiki’s shoulder blades. He finds the perfect rest for his forehead between them, atop the clothed ridges of Yoshiki’s spine. It’s like Yoshiki is his very own personal space heater, emanating a radiant warmth that permeates from his chest to the monster’s very being.
‘Hikaru’ takes a deep breath, sinking even further into the mattress at the well-deserved return of his clever handiwork. The inhale is filled with Yoshiki, from his laundry detergent to his shampoo to his natural scent baked into the linens.
I should do this more often… ‘Hikaru’ smiles to himself, nestling in as he nuzzles his cheek against the back of Yoshiki’s cotton pajama shirt. The relief he feels is immediate and immense, as if every goosebump and shivering muscle was never present in the first place.
In Yoshiki, he can find peace.
It’s a peace he always wishes to protect.
And so he does, continuing his guard duty against any encroaching impurities from the comfort of his new outpost. The room falls silent once again, save for the A/C unit and the occasional rustle of ‘Hikaru’ shifting positions to warm different parts of his body against his friend.
Until…
“‘Hikaru’… what’re ya doin’?”
Yoshiki doesn’t move - a speaking statue, still facing the other direction. Though from the anxious apprehension in his tone, ‘Hikaru’ can tell he’s been awake for quite a while, like he’s been working up the courage to say something.
‘Hikaru’ freezes in place, a statue of his own creation.
“Ah- um…” ‘Hikaru’ chokes. “I was cold.”
That makes sense, right?
“Oh,” Yoshiki states, devoid of emotion, like his vocal cords are made of stone too. “Do… ya want me ta turn the A/C down?”
“But you’ll get hot then, right?” ‘Hikaru’ reasons, palms still pressed against Yoshiki’s back and legs still firmly interlocked.
“Mm… probably,” Yoshiki exhales, almost defeatedly.
Two counts of silence follow.
Does that mean he wants me ta leave?
“Sorr-“ ‘Hikaru’ starts, retracting and pushing himself up onto his elbow to begin excusing himself.
“What parts a’ ya are cold?” Yoshiki voices, simultaneously lowering his left shoulder to the bed to lay on his back, following closely after ‘Hikaru’s motions.
‘Hikaru’ pauses, no longer touching Yoshiki at all, but also no longer increasing the distance between them. Their eyes meet for the first time since they went to sleep, Yoshiki’s dark irises complemented by the cool blue overtones of moonlight.
“Er- um… my hands… an’ feet… mostly,” ‘Hikaru’ lists, looking towards his half-warmed fingers that are already missing Yoshiki’s back.
“May I?” Yoshiki propositions. He outstretches his right hand as he turns his body fully over to face ‘Hikaru’, his messy bangs falling to the opposite side with the shift in gravity.
His left mitt meets his right, cupping larger palms over the backs of ‘Hikaru’s hands. ‘Hikaru’ allows himself to fall back down to the pillow to give his forearms more range of motion, no longer anchored to his supporting elbow. Yoshiki uses the opportunity to pull them in close to his chest, forming an all-encompassing heat around the monster’s frigid digits. The cave formed by this chest and arms emanates like a sauna, which is perfectly amplified by the focal point of his hands.
‘Hikaru’ can feel the rapid, undoubtedly anxious pulse of Yoshiki’s heart against his thumbs, yet the tenderness of the gesture makes his tear ducts water against their will.
“This better?” Yoshiki confirms.
“Mm…” ‘Hikaru’ affirms, eyes widened and still in a state of shock from Yoshiki’s unerring kindness.
“Ya can tuck yer feet under my legs, too, if ya want,” Yoshiki adds. ‘Hikaru’ can feel his pulse speed and then slow from the beginning to the end of the offer.
“Mm.”
‘Hikaru’ barely manages a response as he snakes his toes under Yoshiki’s left leg, one locking beneath his calf and the other up by his thigh.
Yoshiki tenses at the sensation, clearly underestimating just how cold ‘Hikaru’s feet could be against his heavily temperature-contrasted skin.
“Y-ya weren’t kiddin’…” Yoshiki jokes, resisting every urge in his body to complain. ‘Hikaru’ catches Yoshiki’s grimace, threatening to retract his legs once again to ease his discomfort, but Yoshiki presses his leg down firmly to trap him.
“It’s ok, jus’ give it a second an’ I’ll be fine,” Yoshiki reassures. “Ya worry too much about me.”
How can he always be this kind… how did I get so lucky…
“O-ok…” ‘Hikaru’ responds.
Between the blanket and Yoshiki’s convection, ‘Hikaru’ begins to feel himself melt at last. Yet the closeness to his beloved is addictive, and allowing a lion to lick his dinner once will only initiate the craving.
“M-my back is kinda cold, too,” ‘Hikaru’ half-fibs.
“Oh yeah?” Yoshiki cynically retorts, clearly clued into the monster’s conniving. “Turn around.”
Even just the brief second detached from Yoshiki’s warmth reminds him how dire his yearning is. He spins his body around like he’s trying to beat a world speed record so it can return as soon as possible.
Yoshiki follows the silent urgency, flipping the blanket back over ‘Hikaru’s central mass. He encroaches quickly to press his pectoral muscles to ‘Hikaru’s shoulder blades, his abdominal muscles resting against the ridges of ‘Hikaru’s lower back.
‘Hikaru’ feels his counterpart’s heart pounding, like he’s trying to fight off a panic attack, yet he only lays completely still, breathing slow and purposeful. The monster wonders if Yoshiki knows how ineffectual his attempt at concealing his nerves is, yet the monster lets him be. So long as he gets to bask in this closeness.
“Gimme yer hands again,” Yoshiki requests, voice now tickling over the back of ‘Hikaru’s neck.
‘Hikaru’ finds Yoshiki’s extended fingers in the ebony before him, though they’re perfectly visible to his otherworldly eyes. Yoshiki clasps around ‘Hikaru’s hands once again, pulling them down and into ‘Hikaru’s own chest. Yoshiki’s arms squeeze around him from both sides, caging him exactly where he wants to be and pulling him ever closer, making him feel safe and small. For the first time he can remember, the monster feels like a precious something Yoshiki never wants to let go.
The honest gentleness is almost enough to make him feel worthy of being that precious something, too.
‘Hikaru’ doesn’t ask before snaking his feet back beneath Yoshiki’s legs. The coldness is far less abrasive this time, he assumes, already warmed slightly from the brief stint mere moments ago.
Yoshiki doesn’t flinch this time, but the muscles in his arms still tense for a spell, pulling the monster ever closer. ‘Hikaru’s anxieties spike when he feels Yoshiki’s muscles vibrate slightly, worried that he’s sapped enough warmth to make him shiver, too. But the sensation dissipates instantaneously when he hears the tell-tale vocalization of a yawn.
“Try ta get some sleep, ok?” Yoshiki instructs, the remnants of the yawn dissipating in his tone as his body jellies once again, primed for sleep.
“Mm’kay,” ‘Hikaru’ agrees. “Thanks, Yosh’ki…”
He knows his response is far from the truth. Between his watch duties and the desire to savor the blessing of closeness he was somehow granted this evening, sleep is the last thing he’d long for.
Protection and warmth. Innate proficiencies unique to one organism, but not the other, paired harmoniously in mutual benefit.
Symbiosis.
I wouldn’t miss a single second a’ this fer the world.
~Fin~
P.S. ‘Hikaru’ absolutely does end up falling asleep because he’s just too cozy