Twilight, Sanemi Shinazugawa

thirty, reluctance

—☆—

Sanemi's arm drifted across the mattress, his fingers skimming the empty sheets where you had once laid. A flicker of concern crossed his face as he realized you were no longer beside him. His eyes slowly opened, scanning the dimly lit room for any sign of you.

The shoji door was ajar, a sliver of moonlight cutting across the floor. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out the shadow of a familiar figure sitting on the engawa.

Stretching as he rose, Sanemi grabbed a yukata to cover his bare body. After a moment's hesitation, he picked up the blanket, draping it over his arm before quietly stepping outside to join you.

The moment you heard his footsteps, your head turned to face him, and his heart clenched at the sight of your eyes meeting his. "I didn't mean to wake you," you apologized, brows furrowing with concern.

"You didn't," he shook his head, stepping forward to sit beside you. "What're you doing out here?"

You hugged your knees to your chest, your gaze fixed on the night sky. "I couldn't stay asleep." Sanemi's eyes traced over you, noticing the faint shiver of your body beneath the thin kimono you'd wrapped around yourself.

"Do you usually have trouble sleeping?" he asked, draping the blanket over your shoulders.

You nodded slowly. "Sometimes." A pause lingered between you before you asked the question that had been weighing on your mind. "Will you regret tonight?"

Sanemi's eyes widened, his expression shifting to one of bewilderment. "Why would I?"

A soft sigh escaped your lips as you struggled to find the right words. "I just.. I never thought someone like me could ever enjoy something as.. intimate as this. All I've thought about these past few weeks is, 'How will this go wrong?' 'When will it all blow up in my face?' I've never felt this way about anyone before, and... it scares me."

You met his gaze, sadness etched on your face—an emotion he'd rarely seen from you before. "I don't want this to go wrong. I don't want to ever regret this."

The thought of losing him, especially now that you'd fallen so deeply for him, was unbearable. You couldn't imagine how you'd go on if he were taken from you.

"I will never regret you," Sanemi spoke, his voice low but certain. He lifted his hand, gently cupping your cheek, his thumb brushing softly against your skin. Instinctively, you leaned into his touch, your eyes locking with his.

Without breaking eye contact, he closed the distance between you, capturing your lips in a slow, tender kiss. Pulling away, you smiled as you gazed into his eyes, something hammering deep in your heart.

You knew that what you felt for Sanemi was far more than mere affection, and as you sat together beneath the starry sky, the three words hovered on the tip of your tongue. His expression told you he was thinking the same.

But the words never came. Instead, you leaned your head on his shoulder, shifting closer to him for warmth. His arm wrapped around you, and your gaze returned to the sky, cheeks flushed.

"What are you looking at?" Sanemi's eyes remained fixed on you even as yours were drawn to the stars above.

You lifted your hand to point at what caught your eye. "Andromeda."

His gaze followed your finger, and he hummed as he observed the constellation. "Are there more?"

Your eyes widened slightly before you nodded and turned your gaze back to the sky. "Cassiopeia is nearby," you murmured, your finger tracing the outline of another cluster of stars. "There."