𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓 ➛ ryusae

chpt 20 ➛ shidou

The night had been a quiet one after their moment on the balcony. Sae and Shidou had retreated to bed, where the warmth of each other's presence ignited a shared excitement for the future, replacing any lingering doubts with hope and anticipation. They didn't talk much—there wasn't a need to. Instead, they shared soft kisses, quiet laughs, and the kind of connection that spoke louder than words. Before long, they fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. 

When morning came, they both woke up to soft sunlight streaming through the window. Sae was the first to stir, his internal clock waking him before Shidou even shifted. He lay there for a moment, watching the way Shidou's hair stuck out at odd angles and listening to his even breathing. A faint smile tugged at his lips before he carefully slipped out of bed, taking care not to wake him. By the time Sae was dressed, Shidou had woken up, groggy but grinning as he stretched.

"Morning, superstar," Shidou mumbled, his voice thick with sleep as he stretched out on the bed, his limbs sprawling lazily. "Planning to sneak off without me, huh?"

Sae turned from where he was adjusting his sweater near the door, rolling his eyes. "You're the one who sleeps like you've been hit by a train. I figured I'd let you rest a little longer."

Shidou laughed, a warm, rough sound that filled the room. "You're too considerate for your own good," he teased, propping himself up on his elbows and flashing that signature grin of his. "But no way am I letting you ditch me. Give me ten minutes—five if I skip breakfast."

Sae raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Skipping breakfast isn't going to help anyone. You've got ten minutes."

Shidou saluted him dramatically before hopping out of bed, already moving with his usual boundless energy. Sae watched him for a moment, a faint smile creeping onto his face. Even this early in the morning, Shidou's energy was infectious.

True to his word, Shidou was ready in no time, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he tugged his shirt into place. "Alright, genius. Where to first? Big plans for the day?"

Sae gave him a small shrug, though his tone carried a hint of fondness. "Just the usual. Training, for starters. Then we'll see where the day takes us."

Shidou stepped closer, reaching out to tug lightly on the sleeve of Sae's sweater. His grin softened, replaced by something more sincere as he met Sae's eyes. "How about we make a deal? Until the day you leave for Spain, we don't leave each others side."

Sae's lips quirked into a faint smile, his eyes narrowing slightly in mock skepticism. "You're saying this like I don't already spend most of my days putting up with you."

"Yeah, yeah," Shidou replied with a laugh, nudging Sae's shoulder. "But this time, it's intentional. Just us, together. Deal?"

For a moment, Sae didn't respond, his gaze lingering on Shidou's face. There was something disarmingly genuine about him in that moment, and as he looked up, Shidou's face from the night before flickered in his mind. Finally, Sae gave a short nod. "Deal."

Shidou grinned wider, clapping his hands together. "Alright, then let's get moving. You know I'm not the patient type."

They left the room together, stepping into the crisp morning air with intertwined fingers, not hiding their little secret anymore. The world felt quieter, as if it was giving them the space to just exist together. As they walked toward the field, their conversation flowed easily, the banter as natural as breathing. 

The training itself was routine. It wasn't a groundbreaking session, but it didn't need to be. What mattered was the connection they shared, the unspoken understanding that this was going to be their last in a while. They pushed each other like they usually do, and by the time they were done, sweat clung to their skin, and their muscles ached pleasantly from the workout.