Heroes Without Capes

Mother

Kimishita woke up to the rays of the sun tickling his face and a heavy weight crushing down on his chest. A warm, breathing heavy weight.

A snoring one, actually.

He stirred, trying to figure out where he was and what had happened. Why was he... who...?

The memories came back in an instant. Kiichi's visit, the confession, the sleepover, their late-night talk. Falling asleep cuddled together in each other's arms. They must have rolled over in their sleep, and now Kiichi was on top of him, his face somewhere between the pillow and his shoulder, drooling into Kimishita's shirt. His arms were still tightly wrapped around Kimishita's back, holding him close the way he used to hold pillows in his sleep back when they were in middle school.

Kimishita smiled to himself, relaxing into the hug. They could still stay like this for a while, he told himself. It was Sunday. They had nowhere to go, nowhere to be except here, lazily basking in each other's warmth for a little longer.

Closing his eyes, he tangled his hand in Kiichi's hair, playing with those soft, fluffy streaks of red, gently patting his head as he shifted until Kiichi's hair tickled his cheek. His arm rested on Kiichi's back, returning the embrace Kiichi was still holding him in.

Maybe he would have stayed like that forever, but just as he closed his eyes and was about to drift off again there was a buzz from the nightstand. He blinked, groaned and turned his head, only to find a phone lit up that definitely wasn't his.

He grimaced. Kiichi's phone. What was that doing here? Kiichi must have put it on the nightstand sometime during their countless rounds of Uno and forgotten it there.

Kimishita looked down at Kiichi, still sound asleep on top of him. He wouldn't wake up and answer his phone anytime soon. Should Kimishita pick up for him? On one hand it was intruding on his privacy. On the other hand, if someone was calling because they were worried...

Sighing quietly, he reached out and picked up the phone. The caller ID read Sis.

"Hello?" he mumbled drowsily, holding the phone to his ear.

"Oh, good morning," Kiichi's sister said from the other end of the line. "Did I wake you up? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I was trying to reach Kiichi, he disappeared on us yesterday with a very cryptic text saying he's staying over at a friend's... I just wanted to make sure he's okay."

Kimishita stifled a yawn. "He's with me. Don't worry."

"That's a relief." Kimishita could almost hear her smiling through the phone. "Still asleep, is he?"

"Like a log."

She laughed. "That's Kiichi for you. If you know a trick to wake him up before noon, do tell me." She paused for a little, suddenly going serious. "By the way, Kimishita-kun..."

Kimishita jolted and blushed. "How did you...?!"

"I know your voice. Besides, you two have seemed close lately." Kimishita blushed even redder, glad that she couldn't see it through the phone. "Anyway, when Kiichi wakes up, tell him to hurry home. Our parents... aren't happy about him leaving."

Figures, Kimishita thought. After their son had come home out of the blue, collapsed and slept for twenty-four hours straight, completely exhausted and likely with a fever or something similarly awful, no parents would be too happy to see him leave the house again mere hours after getting up without an explanation and stay over with a friend, only sending a text not even specifying which friend. In their place he would have been angry too.

"All right," he said slowly. "I'll tell him, senpai."

"Thank you! I'll try to calm down our parents in the meanwhile. Sorry for waking you up, but I'm glad Kiichi's fine! I won't bother you any longer, then." There was a shuffling, as if she was walking somewhere or lowering her phone. "Goodbye!"