Once in a while, Hokuto got the leisure to wrap up the day before the clock hits his ideal bedtime, and today was especially an extravagant day because his schedule ended before 7 pm. He decided that he would just relax at home with an easy homemade dinner, a moisturizing face mask, and a movie that he had left on pause for too long. On a day like this Hokuto always feel the urge to cheat on his diet so he made simple yakisoba with some fatty meat topping, he has been craving some greasy shits for weeks.
After he finished his meal and barely gotten 10 minutes into the movie he watched on a streaming site his phone dinged, it was a Line from Jesse;
“Hokuto, can I come to your place tonight?” the younger texted, followed by a sticker with puppy eyes face.
“Hmm, I don’t mind but that’s rare for you to visit so suddenly. Did something happen?”
“I just need some recharge~” Jesse replied nonchalantly but Hokuto could smell that the other is probably bothered by something, so he just play along.
“Okay then, have you eaten yet? I made yakisoba earlier so I can make one more serving if you want” Hokuto offered.
“Don’t bother, I have just eaten a bento box. I just want some cuddle u,u” Hokuto chuckled at the gross kissy-face sticker the younger sent but he found it adorable too.
“LOL, you silly!
Tell me when you’re 10 minutes away, I’ll prepare the bath”
“Hehe Okay, Thank you~”
Hokuto paused the screen of his smart tv, the movie can wait. Then he took off the face mask and finished his skincare routine while waiting for Jesse to contact him.
Around the time he expected, his intercom rang; indicating that Jesse has arrived. He immediately opened the door lock and welcomed the guest in.
“Hihi Tadaima ” Jesse greeted him with a smile that peeked through the mask he was wearing.
“ O– Okaeri ” Hokuto replied in a slightly flustered gesture because he was still not used to Jesse’s tadaima .
Jesse chuckled at Hokuto’s reply as he put down his mask and entered Hokuto’s house, “Why are you still embarrassed by simple greetings”
“I don’t know, somehow I just haven’t gotten used to it” Hokuto rub the back of his neck as he answered.
Jesse broke into an AHAHAHA mess and caught Hokuto in a bear hug, “You are so cute!~”
Just when Jesse was about to lay a kiss on Hokuto’s cheek a hand stopped him, “Stop! I’ve finished my skincare. You, go take a bath first” Hokuto retorted as he gestured his thumb towards the bathroom direction.
“Pfff cheapskate~” Jesse pouted but he let go of Hokuto and ended up doing as the older said anyway.
Jesse put his belongings and went straight to the bathroom, Hokuto already prepared a new towel, a pair of change clothes, and underwear; since they started dating they somehow always have some underwear stock of each other’s size prepared in their closets. It makes Hokuto feels itchy when the fact crossed his mind, but he would just brushes it off, it shouldn’t be weird for a couple right… right?
Jesse didn’t take a long time in the bathroom; he went out in less than 15 minutes, just when Hokuto was in the middle of brewing tea for them.
“Hokuto~” Jesse was already standing close to him and linked his arms around Hokuto’s waist in no time, the taller snuggled up onto Hokuto’s shoulder.
“Welcome back” Hokuto chuckled and caressed Jesse’s hair that jutted out on his side, he could hear Jesse’s muffled giggle, “the tea will be ready soon, just dry your hair first” He continued.
“Hmm, okay I’ll wait in the bedroom,” Jesse said as he snatched a kiss on Hokuto’s cheek, “ Hurry up, ‘Kay!” then he winked and dashed into the room followed by hihihihi sound before Hokuto could even retort.
With two cups of tea in his hands Hokuto entered his room, Jesse was already sitting on the bed while his hands playing with his phone, Hokuto took a seat beside Jesse and handed him a cup.
“Thank you” Jesse took the cup and put his phone on the side table, Hokuto responded with a nod.
They took sips of the tea quietly, both leaning onto the bedhead beside each other.
“I don’t usually like herb tea, but your recipe is delicious” Jesse smiled at Hokuto as he said it.
“It’s not necessarily a recipe though, I just followed what’s written on the packaging” Hokuto answered with a soft giggle.
“Well, you made a good choice of herb tea then”
Jesse put his cup on the side table and suddenly make a place for his head on Hokuto’s lap while the older just let him do as he likes.
Hokuto also put his cup aside so his hand could comb through Jesse’s soft-unstyled hair, “So, what happened today?” he asked Jesse in his gentlest voice.
Jesse took a moment before answering Hokuto, he closed his eyes, enjoying the comfortable feeling of Hokuto’s hand on his hair, “I kinda screwed up today, I was so nervous that I blanked when the camera was rolling and what came out of my mouth makes no sense at all” Jesse said, his eyes now looking at Hokuto’s face. His voice wasn’t like the cheerful man Hokuto knows, a dismay can be heard from the way he speaks.
“I see…” Hokuto’s hand didn’t stop its movements even as he was listening to Jesse’s story, hoping it will help to put the other’s feelings at ease.
Jesse might appear as a carefree man but he gets very serious about his job and especially when it’s something he personally likes, so when he thinks he failed to do something he will feel down, “I’m sorry your day wasn’t very smooth, let’s take it as a lesson so you will do better next time” Hokuto continued, then he placed a kiss on the younger’s forehead.
Jesse’s eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment until Hokuto’s lips leave him again, unconsciously the corner of his lips tugged into a smile.
“Mhmm, that’s why I need a recharge, my battery level is only 2% now” In the next seconds Jesse linked his arms around Hokuto’s waist and let his face buried on Hokuto’s belly, his giggles muffled by the pajama Hokuto was wearing.
“There there~” Hokuto couldn’t help but smiling at his boyfriend’s antics and continue caressing the back of Jesse’s head.
“Hokuto, thank you,” Jesse said so after he let go of his hug and looked back at Hokuto, still resting his head on Hokuto’s lap, it was too comfortable and that’s one of the reasons why he loves Hokuto’s thigh.
“You feel better?” Hokuto asked, now his hand cupping Jesse’s cheek.
“Yeah” Jesse smiled and leaning onto Hokuto’s hand, he put his hand on top of Hokuto’s and placed a kiss there. They both chuckled at their own cheesiness.
After Jesse let go of his hand, Hokuto’s hand didn’t leave his face, it trailed the beauty marks on Jesse’s cheek, touching each of them lovingly with the tip of his finger. He always adores the beauty marks on Jesse’s face, trailing it with his finger in the morning when he woke up first was very comforting.
“Jesse, have you ever heard some people say that beauty mark was a trace of being kissed by someone we loved in the previous life?” Hokuto said nonchalantly, still caressing the dots on Jesse’s face.
“Oh, it’s the first time I heard it” Jesse answered, trying to keep his cool and let Hokuto’s fingers wander.
“You must be well loved in your previous life too huh” Hokuto said in almost a whisper but Jesse was able to catch it.
“Hmm, I feel loved just enough in this life though” Jesse answered in his soft-deep voice that never failed to make Hokuto’s heart skip a beat. Their eyes locked into each other, “You make me feel loved, Hokuto”
Hokuto’s finger froze at Jesse’s words, and suddenly Jesse was already sat up close to him, his hand now cupping Hokuto’s cheek, “And I hope I make you feel the same way” Jesse continued.
Things seemed to move in slow motion when Jesse’s face came closer, the nicely sculptured face looked even more breathtaking from such a close distance, and the next thing he felt was Jesse’s lips on the corner of his lips.
Their eyes met when they were only a few centimeters apart.
“Now,” Jesse’s thumb caressed the place he just kissed, “You will have this sexy mark in your next life too”
He paused and smiled at the older, then he moved slightly to the Hokuto’s left cheek and placed another kiss there, “and here too”
The next kiss was on the upper corner of Hokuto’s mouth, “and here” Jesse continued, seemingly immersed in his task leaving marks for his lover’s next life.
His hand trailed down Hokuto’s neck and stopped around his collarbone, caressing a spot that Hokuto recall as another beauty mark of his.
“Jess…” Hokuto called Jesse’s name in a breathy voice, his hand resting on Jesse’s broad shoulder, both of them unwilling to back away from each other.
“So, do you feel loved now?” Jesse asked him softly.
“Uh-huh, very much” Hokuto glued their forehead together, his hand tracing the nape of Jesse’s neck. Clearly, it was the exact opposite of stopping the other.
“Do you think it will leave a beauty mark on your lip if I kiss you now?” Jesse whispered in the most inviting tone.
“I think there’s always an exception, but…” Hokuto paused and backed off a few centimeters to stare right at Jesse “Maybe… me in the next life wouldn’t mind it”
Jesse chuckled at Hokuto’s words “If you said so”
Then they were slowly inching into each other, letting their lonely lips feel the warmth they could never get enough of.
Deep down Hokuto doesn’t really care about his next life, he isn’t even sure whether things like being reborn after you died truly exist. What’s really matters is that Jesse loves him at the very moment, and he loves Jesse just as much.