Waking up to that familiar breathing and the feeling of a warm foot brush his ankle was one of the small pleasures in Akutagawa Jiroh's life. He loved to watch Hiyoshi sleep. He always looked so comfortable, and his ever present scowl, which Jiroh had grown accustomed to over the years, was lost and exchanged for a slight smile. He placed a soft kiss on Hiyoshi's slightly parted lips, to wake the other up. "...If it's earlier than noon, you woke me up way too early for a Sunday." Jiroh chuckled as he flopped over Hiyoshi, who released a sound something close to an 'oof' at the adding of extra weight on his chest. "It's 8:30! Time for breakfast!" Jiroh jumped up, and Hiyoshi growled as he shoved his head under his pillow. "I don't want food. I want sleep..." Jiroh laughed some more as he bounced out of the room. "But we're going out today! We're meeting up with the old gang from high school, remember?" Hiyoshi didn't move.

"They're your friends. Why don't you visit them on your own..."

"But you said you'd come! And they're your friends too!" Hiyoshi threw the pillow covering his head at the other, who simply walked out of the doorway and into the kitchen.

"Fine. Don't come then." Jiroh said cheerfully from the other room.

Hiyoshi sighed. He didn't have to put up with that 'fine' crap. Jiroh was acting like he was his wife, and that was deeply unsettling.

He stretched and stepped out of bed; as he was already awake, there was no point in trying to fall asleep again.

He walked to the kitchen and watched as Jiroh poured some Lucky Charms into a bowl for himself, and toast popped up for Hiyoshi, who preferred a less sweet start to the day.

"...Okay." Hiyoshi mumbled from a mouthful of bread.

"Eh?"

"I'll come." Jiroh grinned.

"Of course you will." Hiyoshi gave a glare as he swallowed his last bite of toast.

"Not because you asked me to, but because I changed my mind." Jiroh sipped the sugary, pinkish milk from the bottom of his bowl, then stood and stepped toward the sink where he dumped the dish.

"Whatever you say." Hiyoshi felt his face warm at the statement. He was not that easily bent to another's will. Well not anyone else's at least.

"Hey, you know I..." Jiroh turned to face Hiyoshi at the words.

"Yeah. I know." Hiyoshi let out a deeper than usual breath before standing to help the other with the small pile of dishes that had formed since the previous morning. It was hard for Hiyoshi to say things like 'I love you'. It was far easier just to know, and he was glad that Jiroh knew...

"I love you too, you know?"

"...I know."

The End

Back to 30 Kisses Arc index page