SLEEPING AT LAST | bajifuyu

twenty-five

Summer had begun, and the cicadas sang from the lull of the night until the stretch of the morning. Chifuyu admits that the only thing he likes in the summer is the school break, lazing around in his room, reading manga non-stop until he dies from second-hand embarrassment.

He also likes that he has enough time to waste, running around with Tokyo Manji, doing mundane things—perhaps atrocious things that cause them to laugh for days. He can never predict where their imagination will land, but Chifuyu is sure that Draken is always the victim.

The squeak of boiling water in the kettle fills the room, ringing in his ears while he expertly prepares breakfast. It became his routine to wake up early and prepare his breakfast, or maybe two of them, a peaceful time to reflect on the past months he spent with Toman—with Baji. It's therapeutic for him, one way or another.

"I am amazed at your cooking skills," arms snake his waist, and he felt a weight lean on his shoulder.

Chifuyu side glances the lad behind him, "You are just a terrible cook, Kei."

Baji sulks at his claim, leaning closer to him, murmuring how cruel he is. He only chuckles at his partner's cries and wiggles his way out of his grasp to turn the stove off. He pours the boiling water into two cups, one contains coffee, and the other is milk—it has come to his attention that he isn't a fan of caffeine despite Baji's addiction to it. Well, other than desiring sleep, Chifuyu hates how caffeine overdrives his nerves.

"Why don't you try helping me?" putting his hands on his hips, "I might take these toasts all for myself."

"Kisses?"

Chifuyu scrunched his nose, seeing his awaiting face, "Did you even brush your teeth? You fucking stink. Take those plates, or I'll eat all of them?"

Baji panics, franticly taking the plate of toasts lying on the countertop, "No yakisoba?"

"Yeah, UTI told me they're planning on infesting your kidneys," Chifuyu place the cups on the dining table, sitting across from where Baji sat.

"Tell them my regards."

"Sure, I will, especially on your death bed."

Silence hogs the dining area after their exchange, happily eating Chifuyu's breakfast: two eggs, a miso soup, a couple of toasts, and their beverage. Simple yet filling for their growling stomachs. Chifuyu would occasionally glance at his boyfriend, awaiting something to fall out of Baji's mouth. Praise for his cooking, a piece of news from Toman, or perhaps an offer from the lad.

A date or so.

Quite bold of Chifuyu to think, but he finds the time quite right for something like a summer date to happen. Baji's parents were out of town for the entirety of summer, and they planned to spend summer together. There's nothing in their way to go on a date now, so what's there to stop them? Though desperate, it will take a dead person for Chifuyu to admit his fantasy.

"Oh, Fuyu, I know I'm handsome," a smile gracing his lips, "All of this glory is yours. Don't act like someone will take me away."

"Yeah, I still can't believe that you're mine."

It was now Baji's turn to flush red, flattered at his bold words, taking a sip of his coffee. Chifuyu might be lying if he says seeing his boyfriend flustered didn't humor him; it's a show he wouldn't trade for the world.

"You're that bold, huh?" Baji said, finishing the last bits of his miso.

"I've been under your care, Baji-san," his polite statement made the black-haired boy spit his soup, unpleasantly reaching Chifuyu's face.

Immediately wiping his face, "Oh fuck, I'm sorry."

"You owe me a date, then,"

"A what?"

"A date, Kei."

Chifuyu might not be as stoic as he deems himself to be, especially in front of his boyfriend.

Good heavens, as Chifuyu could describe, inhaling the fresh air around them. Unlike the mellow breeze of spring, the summer's humidity made him sticky, his clothes clinging to his skin and the annoying buckets of sweat on his head. As he stood there, aggravated at the sticky mess he's in, Baji still had the energy to roam around and play with the stray cats.

"You're the one who insists on going out, and now you're on the shade," Baji had a hand rest on his hip, grimacing at him. If not for the cute kitten in his other hand, Chifuyu would probably retaliate a violent comeback, but he holds himself back, afraid to scare the kitten.

"Yes, I know. Let me cool off because, unlike you, I can get heat strokes." Chifuyu offers his hand to Baji, wanting to have the cat in his arms.

"Peke J would be jealous. Remember what happened after you play with a random cat after school?" Baji sat beside him after giving the kitten, watching Chifuyu play with it.

He grimaced at the memory of Peke J attacking him; scrapes littered his body and arms. The sting of the alcohol on his wounds was a lot worse than the injuries he got during brawls—nothing tastes bitter than betrayal itself.

"Let's not go back to that day, shall we?" Chifuyu gave back the cat, "I'll get us some ice cream."

"Yeah, I'll wait here!"

Going to the opened stalls near them, Chifuyu fish out the wallet in his pocket, eyeing the ice cream truck sandwiched between a Takoyaki stall and a Taiyaki one. The park has been brimming with life, a reminder of summer, numerous stalls, and people popping out amidst the sticky heat of July. Arriving in front of the ice cream truck, he examined the menu before picking out what he wants.

The order was fast, only taking a minute for the vendor to hand him two ice cream cones. He immediately went back to where Baji waits, smiling from ear to ear with a cold treat in hand until he catches a glimpse of the boy approaching him with hurried steps, unreadable expression plastered on the latter's face.

"Kei, I only had-"

It surprised him when Baji pulled him by the arm, causing the ice cream to fall from his hand. Chifuyu winced at the contact and tried matching his pace. He tried to decipher the cause of the latter's stress, trying to see past through his stoic face.

"Kei, what the fuck? What happened?" He pulled his arms from Baji, voice laced with worry, waiting for his reply.

It upsets Chifuyu, but it was no longer about the wasted ice cream nor the harsh grip he had on him. More than whatnot, it's Baji's state he is concerned about at the moment. When his boyfriend faced him, the gloss in his onyx eyes was enough reason for Chifuyu to shake.

"Pah Chin got arrested. He stabbed Osanai."