Hokuto squinted as soon as the ceiling lights switched on.
He was staring down at his script before the bright lights reflected off the white pages, abruptly assaulting his eyes as Taiga watched his discomfort with his hand still on the switch.
“... You're still awake?”
The irritation made Hokuto rub his eyes with fingers, applying pressure as his glasses clattered against his knuckles. He let out a tired sigh. “Why would you ask me that when you're just going to turn on the lights?”
His boyfriend frowned as he switched the lights back off, letting the amber bedside lamp solely occupy the room once again. Hokuto could feel the mattress gently sink under him, letting him know that the added company sat beside him.
“Well, I only turned them on when I found you were still awake…”
“I expected you to be asleep since you have work early tomorrow.”
Hokuto’s vision was still blurry from the rubbing when he pushed his glasses back up onto his nose, but slowly the freshly washed and fluffy hair of Taiga came into focus.
Despite the lingering irritation in his eyes, he couldn't resist reaching over and ticking the long strands behind Taiga’s ear. They were still warm to the touch from the hairdryer and faintly smelled of his own shampoo.
It had been a while since Taiga had been able to stay over.
Both of their schedules had been particularly busy with his filming and Taiga’s intensive stage play. Even on the rare days that they managed to spend the night together, Hokuto couldn't remember the last time either of them were still awake for long enough to say goodnight before one of them fell asleep.
The days that had passed since he last watched the sleep settle in Taiga’s eyes had made his heart lonely, though he wasn't about to admit that out loud.
But it was enough to ask Taiga to stay the night despite his scheduled work the next day.
“I didn't feel like sleeping yet.”
Taiga smiled before taking his turn to play with Hokuto’s hair, brushing his bangs from his forehead to see the beginning of graying shadows under his eyes that were hidden behind his glasses.
He sighed softly, his fingertips soft on his cheeks where he traced the signs of wear on Hokuto’s skin.
“You should sleep.”
“I can't.”
“Why not?”
“I'm not done memorizing my script.”
“With the lights off?”
“The lights were hurting my eyes…”
Hokuto chuckled once seeing the face of disapproval Taiga gave him.
It wasn't the first time Taiga had lectured him about rest. After all, their personal philosophies towards work were rather opposite.
Taiga only ever liked to bite off what he could chew, but Hokuto liked to take and take to the very limit he could handle before he collapsed.
The scolder and the scolded were usually the other way around, but Hokuto knew that work was something Taiga took seriously.
He would have never heard the end of it had he not taken a day off the last time he nearly fainted during dance practice.
“If your eyes hurt, you should sleep.”
“But I have to finish. I can't hold up work tomorrow just because I didn't finish getting through the script.”
“Then how much longer?”
“Maybe another half hour?...”
“Okay, but what if your eyes still hurt tomorrow?”
“It's fine, I have some eye drops.”
The wooden drawer rattled quietly open as Hokuto pulled at the handle to take the small bottle from inside.
Eye irritation was unfortunately a frequent visitor of his. His eyes have always been on the weaker side and he had worn thick prescription glasses since highschool. Eye drops had been his savior many times before and it would be his savior again tonight.
But before he could take off his glasses and open it, a hand stopped him from pulling off the small cap.
“Hokuto?”
“Hm?” He asked, looking at the hazy shape of Taiga beside him.
“Can I help you put your eye drops in?...”
“Huh??”
Before he could answer properly, his shoulders were shoved backwards abruptly but thoughtfully as his head was caught by his soft pillow.
All things considered, Hokuto’s eyesight wasn't horrible. Yes, it was quite bad but he wasn't legally blind yet. He could still see most shapes and could decipher what they were, and if they were close enough, his eyes were still able to focus on them.
With all that being said, even without his glasses, he could still see the smile on Taiga’s face as he leaned over him.
“Taiga–...” He sighed in a scolding tone as he reached for the blue blur he believed to be the bottle in Taiga’s hand, only for his wrist to be caught and pinned down against his own sheets.
“Please?”
“But why?...”
“Seems fun?”
“Can’t you have fun with something that isn't my eyes?”
“Please?...”
Hokuto sighed again.
As much as he hated to admit it, Hokuto was just as – if not more – susceptible to the sweetness Taiga exuded that made his other members wish to spoil him, especially when it was just the two of them alone.
He knew Taiga knew too from the soft laughter that came from his nose as his resistance under Taiga’s grip relented.
“Be careful will you?”
“Of course, of course…”
As Taiga moved up on the bed beside him, he couldn't help but grow nervous.
He had grown used to the close proximity of objects in his eyes after years of putting in and taking our contacts, but the idea of having someone else be in control of something so close to his retinas still made him anxious. Even if it was in the dexterous hands of his beloved boyfriend.
Hokuto swallowed as he heard the plastic pop of the cap come off.
“Look up.”
He tried to keep his eyes open as Taiga cupped his cheek and directed his chin with the tips of his fingers.
“Ready?”
But as the blue tip produced a small orb, he couldn't help but flinch just before it fell.
“Hokuto…”
Taiga complained. Hokuto was about to snip back but resisted when he felt the soft sleeve of the pajamas he kept for Taiga in his home brush the stray drop from his cheek.
“Sorry. It's just reflexes.”
“Well stop them.”
“It's harder than it looks, Kyomoto.”
“Alright, well what about this.”
Hokuto blinked as Taiga straddled him.
His hands naturally rested on Taiga’s thighs as he leaned over him, his hair falling down from behind his ear.
Love was a strange thing, wasn't it?
Because the moment their eyes met, all of Hokuto’s worries melted away like warm sugar.
Taiga was so beautiful to him.
The man in front of him was only months away from his thirties yet time must have loved him as much as he did because age only did as much as grace him.
The warm light of the bedside lamp colored his pale skin and made it glow like liquid gold as he came into focus like a miracle.
No matter what lighting he was in, Taiga’s eyes seemed to sparkle, though maybe it was just the rose colored glasses Hokuto saw him through, but it didn't make a difference.
“Just focus on me, okay?”
Taiga had always been beautiful to him.
Sometimes Hokuto still wondered if this was a dream he'd wake up from, because he still couldn't completely believe Taiga ever ended his years of one-sided affection.
Should he have been embarrassed that he was tricked as easily as a child was with their favorite toy while getting a scary shot? Maybe. But Hokuto really couldn't bring himself to care as his heart was too busy melting from watching the pretty almond shape of Taiga’s gaze gently crescent, not noticing the drop that fell into his eye.
He blinked as the cooling sensation spread behind his eyelid before obediently listening to Taiga's whispered instructions.
“Open again?”
“Look at me?”
As the second drop soothed tired eyes, the palm of a hand covered and warmed them with his favorite heat.
All the strain and discomfort built in and behind his eyes seemed to fade away by the second as he let it radiate through him while a soft touch pressed against his forehead.
“Good boy,” he heard Taiga murmur before the soft touch moved to his lips.
It didn't last nearly long enough before it left him and the weight on him shifted away.
Had Taiga not had his hand over his eyes, he would have made it last longer but with no other choice, he just relaxed and let the pain disappear.
“... I missed you...”
“... Don't laugh.”
Hokuto couldn't help but smile and chuckle from Taiga’s sudden confession despite his protests.
If Hokuto was going to be honest, he didn't really think either he or Taiga were exactly good at romance. He had too many worries and anxieties while Taiga’s mind was just a bit strange, so when their feelings somehow matched up so perfectly, it made Hokuto laugh.
Half of it was because it was oddly humorous.
The other half was because he was just happy.
“I'm sorry…” he apologized with a smile still on his lips. “I missed you too.”
“I'm a little surprised you said yes to coming over.”
“... Well… I almost said no because I didn't want to trouble you when you have work but you looked like you would have cried if I didn't say yes.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“If you know the answer to that question then put your script away and go to bed with me.”
“Haha alright, alright…”
Once Taiga removed his hand and climbed off of him, Hokuto closed his script and shut off the bedside light.
Taiga knew him well enough to know he already had it all memorized. He just hadn't had it memorized, but it would be alright. He would review it in the morning in the car.
Hokuto got up to finally slip into bed, but before he could even pull up the covers, he found a body latching around him.
It was troublesome and made it hard to move with Taiga’s limbs wrapped around him, but he knew it was only because it was a product of his affection as he let the extra weight pull him down and the warm attachment fight the cooling weather.
As Hokuto raised his arm, Taiga lifted his head to let it tuck under his cheek as his pillow.
“Do your eyes still hurt?”
Hokuto shook his head as he started to play with Taiga’s hair, gently pulling at the bleached strands to see the length Taiga’s determination managed to keep despite the summer’s heat.
“No, they feel much better. Thank you.”
Taiga huffed proudly.
“You're welcome.”
“Ahh… but you know, actually. It still hurts a little.”
“Hm?”
Taiga looked up as Hokuto rolled into him, putting them face to face while laying on his side with his arm draping over Taiga’s waist. His eyes questioned him as their foreheads bumped.
“Could you do that last part again?”
“Huh? Covering your eyes?”
“No. The part after that.”
There was a brief pause before Hokuto could see the pieces coming together in Taiga's mind. As Taiga’s lips began to curl, Hokuto’s timidly copied their shape as they both smiled.
“Can't you ever be straightforward?”
Well, of course, he could be.
But as Taiga drew him in for a kiss, he didn't see a reason why.
As long as Taiga understood him, there was never a need and Taiga had become rather proficient at his cryptic messages.
It just meant Taiga was still watching him after all these years and nothing made him feel more loved.
After sharing a few more sleepy pecks, Taiga buried his head in the curve of Hokuto’s neck and tightened his hold around him as Hokuto buried his nose in his hair.
When wrapped in Taiga’s natural scent, it didn't take long for sleep to sink into him. The lingering of Taiga's presence in his home had faded over his absence and to be immersed in it again brought a comfort like no other. Even his heat along with his cold fingers and toes he snuck under the folds of his clothes were a welcome guest as they all were things that became synonymous with having Taiga in his arms as he slept.
“I love you.”
The soft rumble of Taiga's laughter hummed against his chest as sleep overcame him.
“I love you too.”