𝑺𝑶𝑭𝑻𝑪𝑶𝑹𝑬 ღ 𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑶 𝑯𝑰𝑻𝑶𝑺𝑯𝑰 𝑿 𝑫𝑬𝑵𝑲𝑰 𝑲𝑨𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑹𝑰

XII

Thursday, 22th of August

Kaminari's POV

I wake up the next morning next to a lanky boy whose fluffy hair tickles my cheek. I brush his curls away from my face, looking down at the sleeping boy. Hitoshi looks so peaceful when he's asleep. Short puffs of breath escape his lips, his face resting on my chest. I admire the boy in my arms. How could I be so lucky?

Last night after our confessions, we continued to talk till midnight, sharing our secrets with each other, and the moon that sat still above us. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Hitoshi felt the same way. 

Hitoshi's chest rises with a steady, slow pace, and he mumbles something in his sleep. With my left hand, I stroke his arm that is draped over me. The skin on his wrist is smooth, and I trace over it with my fingertips in small circles. Hitoshi's eyes flutter as a warm stream of the morning sun spills from between the curtains, touching his face. A distinctive twittering of birds could be heard coming from outside, and it forces him to wake up.

"Morning," I say, and he yawns a "morning" back to me. His voice is somehow even deeper and raspier than before. Hitoshi seems to notice the position we had slept in, as a pink color rises to his cheeks. He starts to get off me but I stop him, pulling him closer to my body.

"Nuh-uh, don't go anywhere," I murmur, stroking his back softly with my hand. His tense body relaxes again, melting under my touch, and he replies with a quiet "okay". I let out a yawn, and groan as the sun hit my eyes, nearly blinding me. I cover my eyes with my arm, exhaling deeply and Hitoshi shifted next to me.

"You wanna know something?" Hitoshi whispers, his voice sleepy and low. I run my hand through his soft hair, humming in response.

"I've never- uh, slept as good as I did tonight, with you," he says, and the confession makes my heart swell. I squeeze him closer.

"I didn't see any nightmares, nor did I wake up in the middle of the night. It's strange. Just how sleeping next to another person can change... things. For some reason it brought me, comfort, I guess," Hitoshi says.

"Comfort?"

"Yeah. Just, knowing that you're.. here. You'll be here if I see a nightmare, and you'll be here when the morning comes. I'm not alone anymore," he replies in a quiet tone, drawing small circles on my chest with his finger. The pained expression Hitoshi had tears on my heartstrings. Despite the fact that I was closer to him that I have ever been, I still felt like there was something blocking my way. Still, I couldn't quite reach him, even if he was in my arms at this moment.

The suffering of the past. Memories that he couldn't forget. A shadow following him everywhere he went, for years and years. As selfish as it is, I wish I could make him forget it. Every single thing that is causing him pain.

But what can I do? Make him feel okay? Will it be enough?

Hitoshi's POV

I suppress a smile as I look at Kaminari who eats a piece of toast while scrolling through Twitter. It was a bizarre feeling for me, waking up and feeling refreshed, and not wanting to die. I wanted to keep this morning in my memory forever. I felt more alive than I ever had, yet I felt scared at the same time. I was afraid something, or someone was going to take this happiness away from me. Take him away from me. 

"Is there something on my face?" Kaminari's voice interrupts my train of thought, and I shake my head.

"Just.. watching you," I reply, sipping on my tea.