Us || Sanegiyuu

Chapter 19

The ravenette blinked sleepily, taking in the room around him. As he slowly sat up, his head pounding and his mouth feeling like sandpaper, he was surprised to find Sanemi sleeping next to him. For a moment, he just stared at Sanemi's sleeping form, confusion and embarrassment warring inside him. Remembering bits and pieces of the previous night's events didn't help to clarify the situation.

He carefully extricated himself from the futon, his hangover making even the simplest movements a challenge. As he stood up and looked down at Sanemi's sleeping form again, the memories came flooding back.

He cringed, remembering the demanding way he'd asked Sanemi to talk, the way he'd leaned into his touch. And the worst part was, he couldn't remember how Sanemi had reacted. Had he been annoyed? Amused? Disgusted?

Giyuu ran a hand through his messy hair, feeling more embarrassed by the minute. He contemplated waking Sanemi, but the idea of facing the conversation that would follow filled him with apprehension. Instead, he decided to retreat to the bathroom, hoping the cold water would help clear his head.

In the bathroom, Giyuu splashed cold water on his face. As he looked at himself in the mirror, the memories of the night came rushing back again. He remembered Sanemi's voice, his apology, his confession, reassurance as he helped Giyuu to the futon. The way his fingers had carded through his hair. The words they had spoken - or at least, the words he had spoken - echoed in his mind, each one more embarrassing than the last.

Giyuu let out a quiet groan, burying his face in his hands. He had never been so humiliated in his life. Not only had he made a fool of himself in front of Sanemi, but he'd also revealed his deep-seated feelings in a drunken slur. The thought alone was enough to make him want to run away and never show his face anywhere near Sanemi again.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. It was too late to worry about the damage he'd done; the only thing he could do now was face whatever followed.

With a resigned sigh, he turned off the faucet and walked back out of the bathroom, bracing himself for the conversation that awaited him.

As he stepped back into the bedroom, he saw that Sanemi was now awake and was sitting up, rubbing at his eyes sleepily.

Sanemi rose from the floor, anticipation flooding in his gut. He could see the embarrassment and trepidation etched on Giyuu's face, a stark contrast to the carefree state he'd been in last night.

When their eyes met briefly, Sanemi found himself almost wanting to smile at the sight of Giyuu looking so sheepish, so utterly unlike his usual self. But he held back, knowing that Giyuu was on the verge of a breakdown. He could see his shoulders sag with shame, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

After what felt like an eternity, Sanemi finally broke the silence. "Morning," he said, his voice rough from sleep. He looked at Giyuu, taking in his disheveled appearance, the bags under his eyes, and the telltale signs of a hangover.

"Morning," Giyuu replied, avoiding eye-contact. He fidgeted awkwardly, uncomfortable in the silence that followed.

He had so much he wanted to say, so many things he needed to apologize for, but the words were stuck in his throat. He was terrified of Sanemi's reaction, afraid that he would be met with annoyance, or worse, disgust.

Sanemi let the silence linger for a moment longer, contemplating whether to tease Giyuu or ease his worry. Deciding to go with the latter, he took a step towards Giyuu. "You look like you're about to throw up," he commented, his voice light. "Headache?"

Giyuu nodded, still not meeting Sanemi's gaze. "Yeah," he admitted, his voice quiet. "And I feel nauseous." The headache was relentless, each pulse of pain reminding him of the alcohol he'd consumed. He could feel the nausea rising in his throat, but he pushed it down, not wanting to add vomiting to his current humiliation.