Everything or Nothing

Pain Scales

Dazai wakes up first—as usual—and part of him has come to really enjoy that, the time in the morning where he can just listen to the birds outside the window, feel Chuuya's breaths hitting his chest, stroking his fingers in intricate, invisible patterns across the redhead's back.

Objectively, it's become the most peaceful part of his day.

And watching Chuuya wake up? It's oddly endearing, the way he slowly starts to squirm, his feet lightly kicking at Dazai's legs, eyelids twitching against invading sunlight streaming in through the windows.

And, for the first time, Dazai thinks of it—a tiny seed in his head, one he isn't even consciously aware of right now, it's just flashes and images of fantasies—but later—months later, it becomes...something.

Then, of course, come the noises. Soft little grunts and sighs as the smaller teen turns his head, his cheek slowly dragging against Dazai's shirt. It's been a little over a month now, since Chuuya has woken up in his arms, but—

Dazai isn't even ashamed to say that he's memorized this little routine, and he knows the exact moment when Chuuya wakes up.

It's when one of his arms tightens around Dazai's back, like he's suddenly aware of the fact that he's in the arms of a human instead of a very comfortable body pillow, and next comes the clumsy, fumbling journey off his other hand, blindly patting at Dazai's arm, his shoulder, then the side of his face—until his fingertips brush over his mouth, and he can feel the way Dazai is smiling, in spite of himself.

Then, of course, comes the sleep voice—low, kind of rough, and Dazai really resents their circumstances, because it's hot—

"Mornin'..." The redhead mumbles, his fingers slipping down over Dazai's chin as he presses closer, bringing both arms around his boyfriend's shoulders to pull himself up, nuzzling his face into Dazai's neck.

The brunette hums in response, his hands still rubbing up and down his boyfriend's back. "Good morning, sleeping beauty."

Chuuya's nose wrinkles slightly with annoyance, because Dazai calls him that a lot. "Can you come up with another nickname?"

"What?" Dazai gasps softly, sounding deeply offended. "I love that one! It's apt!"

"How?"

"You sleep a lot," Dazai smiles and Chuuya rolls his eyes because yeah, no shit "and," he tilts Chuuya's face up, stroking his thumb over his cheek bone, "you're beautiful."

Even though it's true, he said that with the express intention of making Chuuya red, and he watches with satisfaction as that plan comes to fruition. "Could you not?"

Dazai blinks, a smile slowly spreading across his face, "Call you Sleeping Beauty, or call you beautiful?"

"Neither, not this early in the morning, anyway—"

"Is ten really early?"

"Not this soon after I wake up then, happy?"

"Mmmm..." Dazai pouts slightly, burying his face back in Chuuya's hair. "No."

"What do you mean, no?!"

"Because you're especially cute when you wake up, so I can't just not say anything—"

"Dazai—"

"What if I came up with other nicknames?"

Chuuya groans, but he's cuddling closer to him all the while. "That couldn't possibly end well—"