Gift Fic for snow
To: snow
From: santa_johnny
Title: Upgrade
Pairing : Taiga/Hokuto
Rating: PG13
Warnings: None
Notes: Merry Christmas, snow! I hope you like this fic! ♥
Summary: Taiga is determined to make their thing into a Thing.
- - -
“You have cream on your face,” Hokuto said in a low voice and reached his hand to brush off the small white stain from Taiga’s cheek.
Taiga suppressed a shiver when the next thing Hokuto did was to stick out his tongue and lick the cream from his finger, and suddenly Taiga was thankful for the photo shoot being over already. The staff members were collecting their supplies and no-one was paying much attention to the four boys anymore.
Juri looked at Taiga, glanced at Hokuto, and looked Taiga again. Then he sighed, rolled his eyes, and grabbed Shintaro’s wrist.
“Come on Shin, I really want to make it to the next train so we need to run.”
“But I thought--” Shintaro tried to complain in vain before he noticed what was going on behind them. He only managed to let out a knowing “oh” before Juri dragged him away, waving to Hokuto and Taiga with his free hand and nodding to the staff members to thank them for the day’s work at the same time.
Taiga rolled his eyes and chuckled, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he waited for Hokuto to finish his piece of cream cake. He knew better than to watch Hokuto while the man ate though; rule one of the healthy self-preservation tactics one needed to learn when living and working with Matsumura Hokuto.
The tactics that Taiga, at least, needed.
“Do you have anything planned for tonight?” Hokuto asked in the dressing room where they changed into their own clothes.
“Nothing much,” Taiga said with a shrug, taking the white shirt he had worn during the photo shoot to the cloth rack where the shirts worn by Juri and Shintaro were already hanging.
“Come over?” Hokuto said lightly, as if that wasn’t the most straightforward thing he’d said this far, and Taiga raised his eyebrows in surprise. Sure thing, they had been flirting with each other ever since their Bakaleya times - for two years, Taiga suddenly realized and wondered where the time had gone so quickly - but it had always been playful enough to be brushed off with a laugh. However, a sudden invitation like that, without any additional explanation such as “let’s watch a movie” or “I need help with my homework,” was new and implied much more as far as Taiga understood.
Taiga was quite sure that the cleverest thing to do would have been refusing the invitation with some lame excuse. For some reason he found himself unable to do so.
“Okay,” he heard himself saying, and felt more than a bit overwhelmed by the dazzling smile that Hokuto gave him in return.
-
“We need to stop by the nearby supermarket,” Hokuto said once they sat in the train, “Mum said she wants to make Vietnamese summer rolls tonight but she didn’t have time to go shopping.”
“It’s fine,” Taiga said. Did he mind going shopping for dinner groceries? No. Disneyland? No. AKB concert? No. A backpack trip around the world? Definitely not. Taiga blinked a few times as he realized there weren’t many places in the world to which he wouldn’t agree to accompany Hokuto if the man asked him to come along.
And there he had thought he was just having an innocent crush, and nothing more. Damn.
“You look so serious,” Hokuto said and chuckled quietly, “What are you thinking about?”
“You,” Taiga said honestly, never one to filter his words much.
“Me?” Hokuto asked and raised his eyebrows, a pleased hint of a smile playing in the corners of his mouth.
“I am not going through this conversation in a public train,” Taiga murmured, narrowing his eyes, and Hokuto answered with an amused chuckle.
“You started it,” he said but, thankfully, dropped the topic. Taiga shifted on his seat and locked his gaze onto the bright colored advertisements hanging on the ceiling, knowing they had a serious discussion waiting ahead. He wondered what it was in him that always made him open his mouth even when it would probably have been cleverer to just hold his tongue.
On the other hand, he couldn’t say he regretted bringing up the topic. It had been amusing while it lasted, this long-lasting game of cat-and-mouse they had been playing. But there was a time for everything, and Taiga knew it was finally time to finish the game.
-
“A hundred sheets of rice paper,” Hokuto’s mother said slowly once they brought her the plastic bag full of dinner groceries, looking at her son with suffering eyes, “How many people do you think we’re feeding tonight? A whole unit of starving juniors?”
“Considering the current highly flexible system utilized by our company when arranging us into various different formations, the two of us totally count as a unit of juniors,” Hokuto said solemnly, “And we are starving.”
Eventually, Taiga couldn’t help wondering if it had been a misunderstanding all along. During the dinner, he sometimes felt as if Hokuto was watching him but he couldn’t actually catch the man doing so, and so Taiga suspected it was just his own imagination. He even wondered about Hokuto’s invitation. After all, it had been “come over”, not “stay overnight”. Maybe he should just thank Hokuto’s mother for the delicious meal and go home before he’d do something stupid that would most probably be very embarrassing for both Hokuto and himself.
Then, once, Taiga met Hokuto’s eyes across the table. The look in the man’s eyes caused an involuntary chill running down Taiga’s spine, and he felt the effect of that look in his body for the rest of the dinner.
“You were rather quiet during back there,” Hokuto pointed out later as he closed the door of his room.
Taiga, his arms full of beddings handed by Hokuto’s mother, shrugged. There hadn’t been much to say. At least not anything that Hokuto’s family would have needed to hear.
“Just drop them down,” Hokuto chuckled, and suddenly Taiga was very much aware of how close Hokuto was standing behind him.
“You know,” Hokuto continued softly, undisturbed by Taiga’s ongoing silence, “I’ve been watching you. For quite a long time, actually. I know you have noticed. And, well. You never seemed to mind. As far as I can tell, you’re not bothered at all, are you?”
“I’m not,” Taiga admitted, squeezing the pillow and the duvet even tighter when he heard Hokuto taking a step closer.
“So I’ve wondered,” Hokuto murmured, “if you’d be bothered if I did something more than just look. Something like this.”
Taiga closed his eyes and sighed quietly when he felt Hokuto’s fingertips ghosting across his sides. It was only a light, tentative touch, and Taiga knew Hokuto would withdraw immediately, should he express any hint of discomfort or reluctance.
But Taiga didn’t want Hokuto to stop. What he felt as Hokuto’s fingers slowly traveled up and down his back and sides was far from discomfort.
“Don’t stop,” he said quietly, and felt a sudden puff of air against his neck, as if Hokuto had been holding his breath while waiting for Taiga’s reaction.
“I hoped you’d say so,” Hokuto chuckled, and this time Taiga could hear the relief in his voice. He glanced across his shoulder to meet Hokuto’s eyes for the first time since they had left the dinner table, and froze when Hokuto leaned in to press his lips on Taiga’s.
The angle was rather awkward and strained Taiga’s neck, but the warmth of Hokuto’s chest pressing against his back felt too good, the slow movement of Hokuto’s lips too enticing, that Taiga could have even imagined stopping him. Especially when Hokuto wrapped his arms tightly around Taiga’s waist and squeezed.
Taiga was forced to break the kiss a moment after, however, when his neck started to actually hurt. Hokuto didn’t seem to mind but simply moved on to plant small kisses all over Taiga’s neck.
“I want you,” he murmured against Taiga’s skin, making a sweet shiver run down Taiga’s spine.
At first he only answered with a nod, but after a second he realized he couldn’t do it just like that. Hokuto deserved to know.
He turned slowly around to meet Hokuto’s dark eyes and took a deep breath to give himself a second to prepare.
“I want you too,” he said slowly. He wasn’t exactly afraid of Hokuto’s reaction as much of his own ability to be clear enough. “But, you know. Flirting is one thing, and this is another. I don’t do one-night stands.”
“If it’s commitment that you want, I can do that,” Hokuto chuckled and reached to cup Taiga’s cheek with his palm, brushing the pale skin with his thumb.
“Commitment isn’t the same as being someone’s regular bedwarmer,” Taiga rushed to continue, “You might be ready to fool around, but are you also ready to be serious with me?”
Hokuto’s thumb stopped moving and his eyes grew big as he processed through Taiga’s words.
“You don’t have to answer right now,” Taiga said quickly, “I kind of want to do this anyway. I just… if you want to keep doing it, I want it to be more than sex.”
Taiga was definitely functioning against his own morals there, but he sternly silenced the indignant voice of his conscience. However painful it might be later, he wanted to take the opportunity now that he had one.
“Deal.”
Taiga blinked once and twice, hardly believing his ears.
“It’s fine I said. We have a deal. Now drop down that damn pillow. You won’t need it anyway,” Hokuto said and Taiga found himself obeying blindly, letting himself be lead to Hokuto’s unmade bed.
“I’ve been looking at you,” Hokuto repeated his earlier statement. While talking, he gently pushed on Taiga’s shoulders until Taiga was lying on his back. “I’ve imagined what it would feel like, to have you here, being able to touch you like this.”
Looking up into Hokuto’s eyes, Taiga felt how excitement pooled into his stomach as Hokuto climbed on top of him, his knees on both sides of Taiga’s hips and his hands next to Taiga’s head.
“This isn’t too much, is it?” Hokuto asked quietly, “Promise me you’ll say right away if I do anything you don’t want me to.”
His words made a huge lump appear on Taiga’s throat as he nodded. He had liked it when Hokuto had been straightforward and possessive, but he liked this concerned and caring version of the man even more.
Some part of Taiga’s thoughts was probably visible on his face since after a moment of looking at him Hokuto let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head and brushing Taiga’s hair away from covering his eyes.
“God, you’re so… so perfect,” he whispered almost like he was thinking aloud instead of talking to Taiga.
“You’re not bad yourself,” Taiga murmured, feeling pleased even though his face was burning of embarrassment.
“May I kiss you?” Hokuto asked.
“Do I look like I’d stop you?” Taiga retorted and, without waiting for Hokuto, reached his hands up to pull Hokuto down to him, bringing their lips together at the same time when Hokuto’s whole weight pressed against his body. Taiga hummed happily at the feeling and wrapped his arms tightly around Hokuto’s waist, keeping him there even when Hokuto tried to hold himself up, probably fearing he’d squeeze Taiga flat on the bed or stop him from breathing.
“Concentrate on this,” he hissed against Hokuto’s lips, “You’re not going to break me. I’m not made of glass!”
“I want to treat you like you were though,” Hokuto murmured and lightly nibbled Taiga’s lower lip with his teeth. “Will you let me?”
“As you wish,” Taiga chuckled, feeling amused yet curious at the same time. He let his head fall back down on Hokuto’s pillows, relaxing and waiting what was about to come.
“Close your eyes,” Hokuto asked in a husky, low voice that made Taiga shiver, and brushed his fingertips across Taiga’s eyelids so he had no choice. “And keep them closed.”
The mattress shifted a bit as Hokuto moved to lie on his side next to Taiga, close enough that Taiga could feel his breathe against the skin of his neck.
If asked about it later, Taiga couldn’t have explained clearly how it felt; he didn’t know words for the combination of sensations that slowly drifted over him when Hokuto reached his fingertips to lightly touch Taiga’s cheek, moved to his temple, and slowly continued across his forehead and then down along his hairline. The light touch under Taiga’s chin tickled a bit and he couldn’t help a squirm and a silent laugh.
“Sorry,” Hokuto whispered and leaned in to press a tiny kiss on the corner of Taiga’s mouth, letting his fingers continue their travel down the side of Taiga’s neck.
“You aren’t ticklish here are you?” Hokuto asked and stopped by the collarbone right above the neck of Taiga’s shirt.
“Not really,” Taiga murmured and turned his head just lightly, allowing the other man more room. He found out he didn’t feel anything very special most of the time; Hokuto’s warm touch felt nice enough but that was pretty much it - until he dragged his finger right along where the skin was the thinnest on the bone, and Taiga couldn’t help a shiver.
“Like it?” Hokuto asked, and Taiga heard the smile in his voice.
“Hmm,” he agreed. Hokuto brushed his fingers across the same spot for a few more times before continuing again, exploring the shape of Taiga’s chest and shoulders through his t-shirt. In the same way, he went through Taiga’s whole body until Taiga was completely relaxed, barely awake, and all but purring of all the good things Hokuto made him feel.
“Are you sleeping?” he heard Hokuto’s amused voice asking next to his ear.
“Almost,” Taiga murmured back, turning to his side and snuggling closer to Hokuto until he could press his nose against Hokuto’s chest and breathe in his familiar scent. “I’d love to just stay here.”
“You can if you want to,” Hokuto said in such a gentle voice that it made Taiga’s heart swell of warmth.
“You won’t feel disappointed?” Taiga asked, glancing up into Hokuto’s eyes.
“Why would I?” Hokuto chuckled, tugging on his duvet that was half under them, and Taiga shrugged.
“You said you wanted me. Such a comment usually implies more than this.”
“And you said you wanted this to be regular,” Hokuto reminded him, “If you really meant it, I don’t mind if you sleep now. We’ll have time to do many things later, don’t we?”
For a moment Taiga stayed quiet and unmoving, thinking about Hokuto’s words. Then, with a sigh, he decided they really needed to have the talk right there and then.
“Do you even understand what it means?” he asked, fiddling the hem of Hokuto’s plaid flannel shirt but making sure he kept looking into Hokuto’s eyes.
“You tell me,” Hokuto chuckled, and Taiga wondered if he was seeing a flash of insecurity in the man’s eyes or if it was just his own imagination.
“In my books, being regular equals with dating.”
“We seem to be on the same page then,” Hokuto said, and his delighted smile made Taiga’s mouth twist into a smile as well.
From: santa_johnny
Title: Upgrade
Pairing : Taiga/Hokuto
Rating: PG13
Warnings: None
Notes: Merry Christmas, snow! I hope you like this fic! ♥
Summary: Taiga is determined to make their thing into a Thing.
- - -
“You have cream on your face,” Hokuto said in a low voice and reached his hand to brush off the small white stain from Taiga’s cheek.
Taiga suppressed a shiver when the next thing Hokuto did was to stick out his tongue and lick the cream from his finger, and suddenly Taiga was thankful for the photo shoot being over already. The staff members were collecting their supplies and no-one was paying much attention to the four boys anymore.
Juri looked at Taiga, glanced at Hokuto, and looked Taiga again. Then he sighed, rolled his eyes, and grabbed Shintaro’s wrist.
“Come on Shin, I really want to make it to the next train so we need to run.”
“But I thought--” Shintaro tried to complain in vain before he noticed what was going on behind them. He only managed to let out a knowing “oh” before Juri dragged him away, waving to Hokuto and Taiga with his free hand and nodding to the staff members to thank them for the day’s work at the same time.
Taiga rolled his eyes and chuckled, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he waited for Hokuto to finish his piece of cream cake. He knew better than to watch Hokuto while the man ate though; rule one of the healthy self-preservation tactics one needed to learn when living and working with Matsumura Hokuto.
The tactics that Taiga, at least, needed.
“Do you have anything planned for tonight?” Hokuto asked in the dressing room where they changed into their own clothes.
“Nothing much,” Taiga said with a shrug, taking the white shirt he had worn during the photo shoot to the cloth rack where the shirts worn by Juri and Shintaro were already hanging.
“Come over?” Hokuto said lightly, as if that wasn’t the most straightforward thing he’d said this far, and Taiga raised his eyebrows in surprise. Sure thing, they had been flirting with each other ever since their Bakaleya times - for two years, Taiga suddenly realized and wondered where the time had gone so quickly - but it had always been playful enough to be brushed off with a laugh. However, a sudden invitation like that, without any additional explanation such as “let’s watch a movie” or “I need help with my homework,” was new and implied much more as far as Taiga understood.
Taiga was quite sure that the cleverest thing to do would have been refusing the invitation with some lame excuse. For some reason he found himself unable to do so.
“Okay,” he heard himself saying, and felt more than a bit overwhelmed by the dazzling smile that Hokuto gave him in return.
-
“We need to stop by the nearby supermarket,” Hokuto said once they sat in the train, “Mum said she wants to make Vietnamese summer rolls tonight but she didn’t have time to go shopping.”
“It’s fine,” Taiga said. Did he mind going shopping for dinner groceries? No. Disneyland? No. AKB concert? No. A backpack trip around the world? Definitely not. Taiga blinked a few times as he realized there weren’t many places in the world to which he wouldn’t agree to accompany Hokuto if the man asked him to come along.
And there he had thought he was just having an innocent crush, and nothing more. Damn.
“You look so serious,” Hokuto said and chuckled quietly, “What are you thinking about?”
“You,” Taiga said honestly, never one to filter his words much.
“Me?” Hokuto asked and raised his eyebrows, a pleased hint of a smile playing in the corners of his mouth.
“I am not going through this conversation in a public train,” Taiga murmured, narrowing his eyes, and Hokuto answered with an amused chuckle.
“You started it,” he said but, thankfully, dropped the topic. Taiga shifted on his seat and locked his gaze onto the bright colored advertisements hanging on the ceiling, knowing they had a serious discussion waiting ahead. He wondered what it was in him that always made him open his mouth even when it would probably have been cleverer to just hold his tongue.
On the other hand, he couldn’t say he regretted bringing up the topic. It had been amusing while it lasted, this long-lasting game of cat-and-mouse they had been playing. But there was a time for everything, and Taiga knew it was finally time to finish the game.
-
“A hundred sheets of rice paper,” Hokuto’s mother said slowly once they brought her the plastic bag full of dinner groceries, looking at her son with suffering eyes, “How many people do you think we’re feeding tonight? A whole unit of starving juniors?”
“Considering the current highly flexible system utilized by our company when arranging us into various different formations, the two of us totally count as a unit of juniors,” Hokuto said solemnly, “And we are starving.”
Eventually, Taiga couldn’t help wondering if it had been a misunderstanding all along. During the dinner, he sometimes felt as if Hokuto was watching him but he couldn’t actually catch the man doing so, and so Taiga suspected it was just his own imagination. He even wondered about Hokuto’s invitation. After all, it had been “come over”, not “stay overnight”. Maybe he should just thank Hokuto’s mother for the delicious meal and go home before he’d do something stupid that would most probably be very embarrassing for both Hokuto and himself.
Then, once, Taiga met Hokuto’s eyes across the table. The look in the man’s eyes caused an involuntary chill running down Taiga’s spine, and he felt the effect of that look in his body for the rest of the dinner.
“You were rather quiet during back there,” Hokuto pointed out later as he closed the door of his room.
Taiga, his arms full of beddings handed by Hokuto’s mother, shrugged. There hadn’t been much to say. At least not anything that Hokuto’s family would have needed to hear.
“Just drop them down,” Hokuto chuckled, and suddenly Taiga was very much aware of how close Hokuto was standing behind him.
“You know,” Hokuto continued softly, undisturbed by Taiga’s ongoing silence, “I’ve been watching you. For quite a long time, actually. I know you have noticed. And, well. You never seemed to mind. As far as I can tell, you’re not bothered at all, are you?”
“I’m not,” Taiga admitted, squeezing the pillow and the duvet even tighter when he heard Hokuto taking a step closer.
“So I’ve wondered,” Hokuto murmured, “if you’d be bothered if I did something more than just look. Something like this.”
Taiga closed his eyes and sighed quietly when he felt Hokuto’s fingertips ghosting across his sides. It was only a light, tentative touch, and Taiga knew Hokuto would withdraw immediately, should he express any hint of discomfort or reluctance.
But Taiga didn’t want Hokuto to stop. What he felt as Hokuto’s fingers slowly traveled up and down his back and sides was far from discomfort.
“Don’t stop,” he said quietly, and felt a sudden puff of air against his neck, as if Hokuto had been holding his breath while waiting for Taiga’s reaction.
“I hoped you’d say so,” Hokuto chuckled, and this time Taiga could hear the relief in his voice. He glanced across his shoulder to meet Hokuto’s eyes for the first time since they had left the dinner table, and froze when Hokuto leaned in to press his lips on Taiga’s.
The angle was rather awkward and strained Taiga’s neck, but the warmth of Hokuto’s chest pressing against his back felt too good, the slow movement of Hokuto’s lips too enticing, that Taiga could have even imagined stopping him. Especially when Hokuto wrapped his arms tightly around Taiga’s waist and squeezed.
Taiga was forced to break the kiss a moment after, however, when his neck started to actually hurt. Hokuto didn’t seem to mind but simply moved on to plant small kisses all over Taiga’s neck.
“I want you,” he murmured against Taiga’s skin, making a sweet shiver run down Taiga’s spine.
At first he only answered with a nod, but after a second he realized he couldn’t do it just like that. Hokuto deserved to know.
He turned slowly around to meet Hokuto’s dark eyes and took a deep breath to give himself a second to prepare.
“I want you too,” he said slowly. He wasn’t exactly afraid of Hokuto’s reaction as much of his own ability to be clear enough. “But, you know. Flirting is one thing, and this is another. I don’t do one-night stands.”
“If it’s commitment that you want, I can do that,” Hokuto chuckled and reached to cup Taiga’s cheek with his palm, brushing the pale skin with his thumb.
“Commitment isn’t the same as being someone’s regular bedwarmer,” Taiga rushed to continue, “You might be ready to fool around, but are you also ready to be serious with me?”
Hokuto’s thumb stopped moving and his eyes grew big as he processed through Taiga’s words.
“You don’t have to answer right now,” Taiga said quickly, “I kind of want to do this anyway. I just… if you want to keep doing it, I want it to be more than sex.”
Taiga was definitely functioning against his own morals there, but he sternly silenced the indignant voice of his conscience. However painful it might be later, he wanted to take the opportunity now that he had one.
“Deal.”
Taiga blinked once and twice, hardly believing his ears.
“It’s fine I said. We have a deal. Now drop down that damn pillow. You won’t need it anyway,” Hokuto said and Taiga found himself obeying blindly, letting himself be lead to Hokuto’s unmade bed.
“I’ve been looking at you,” Hokuto repeated his earlier statement. While talking, he gently pushed on Taiga’s shoulders until Taiga was lying on his back. “I’ve imagined what it would feel like, to have you here, being able to touch you like this.”
Looking up into Hokuto’s eyes, Taiga felt how excitement pooled into his stomach as Hokuto climbed on top of him, his knees on both sides of Taiga’s hips and his hands next to Taiga’s head.
“This isn’t too much, is it?” Hokuto asked quietly, “Promise me you’ll say right away if I do anything you don’t want me to.”
His words made a huge lump appear on Taiga’s throat as he nodded. He had liked it when Hokuto had been straightforward and possessive, but he liked this concerned and caring version of the man even more.
Some part of Taiga’s thoughts was probably visible on his face since after a moment of looking at him Hokuto let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head and brushing Taiga’s hair away from covering his eyes.
“God, you’re so… so perfect,” he whispered almost like he was thinking aloud instead of talking to Taiga.
“You’re not bad yourself,” Taiga murmured, feeling pleased even though his face was burning of embarrassment.
“May I kiss you?” Hokuto asked.
“Do I look like I’d stop you?” Taiga retorted and, without waiting for Hokuto, reached his hands up to pull Hokuto down to him, bringing their lips together at the same time when Hokuto’s whole weight pressed against his body. Taiga hummed happily at the feeling and wrapped his arms tightly around Hokuto’s waist, keeping him there even when Hokuto tried to hold himself up, probably fearing he’d squeeze Taiga flat on the bed or stop him from breathing.
“Concentrate on this,” he hissed against Hokuto’s lips, “You’re not going to break me. I’m not made of glass!”
“I want to treat you like you were though,” Hokuto murmured and lightly nibbled Taiga’s lower lip with his teeth. “Will you let me?”
“As you wish,” Taiga chuckled, feeling amused yet curious at the same time. He let his head fall back down on Hokuto’s pillows, relaxing and waiting what was about to come.
“Close your eyes,” Hokuto asked in a husky, low voice that made Taiga shiver, and brushed his fingertips across Taiga’s eyelids so he had no choice. “And keep them closed.”
The mattress shifted a bit as Hokuto moved to lie on his side next to Taiga, close enough that Taiga could feel his breathe against the skin of his neck.
If asked about it later, Taiga couldn’t have explained clearly how it felt; he didn’t know words for the combination of sensations that slowly drifted over him when Hokuto reached his fingertips to lightly touch Taiga’s cheek, moved to his temple, and slowly continued across his forehead and then down along his hairline. The light touch under Taiga’s chin tickled a bit and he couldn’t help a squirm and a silent laugh.
“Sorry,” Hokuto whispered and leaned in to press a tiny kiss on the corner of Taiga’s mouth, letting his fingers continue their travel down the side of Taiga’s neck.
“You aren’t ticklish here are you?” Hokuto asked and stopped by the collarbone right above the neck of Taiga’s shirt.
“Not really,” Taiga murmured and turned his head just lightly, allowing the other man more room. He found out he didn’t feel anything very special most of the time; Hokuto’s warm touch felt nice enough but that was pretty much it - until he dragged his finger right along where the skin was the thinnest on the bone, and Taiga couldn’t help a shiver.
“Like it?” Hokuto asked, and Taiga heard the smile in his voice.
“Hmm,” he agreed. Hokuto brushed his fingers across the same spot for a few more times before continuing again, exploring the shape of Taiga’s chest and shoulders through his t-shirt. In the same way, he went through Taiga’s whole body until Taiga was completely relaxed, barely awake, and all but purring of all the good things Hokuto made him feel.
“Are you sleeping?” he heard Hokuto’s amused voice asking next to his ear.
“Almost,” Taiga murmured back, turning to his side and snuggling closer to Hokuto until he could press his nose against Hokuto’s chest and breathe in his familiar scent. “I’d love to just stay here.”
“You can if you want to,” Hokuto said in such a gentle voice that it made Taiga’s heart swell of warmth.
“You won’t feel disappointed?” Taiga asked, glancing up into Hokuto’s eyes.
“Why would I?” Hokuto chuckled, tugging on his duvet that was half under them, and Taiga shrugged.
“You said you wanted me. Such a comment usually implies more than this.”
“And you said you wanted this to be regular,” Hokuto reminded him, “If you really meant it, I don’t mind if you sleep now. We’ll have time to do many things later, don’t we?”
For a moment Taiga stayed quiet and unmoving, thinking about Hokuto’s words. Then, with a sigh, he decided they really needed to have the talk right there and then.
“Do you even understand what it means?” he asked, fiddling the hem of Hokuto’s plaid flannel shirt but making sure he kept looking into Hokuto’s eyes.
“You tell me,” Hokuto chuckled, and Taiga wondered if he was seeing a flash of insecurity in the man’s eyes or if it was just his own imagination.
“In my books, being regular equals with dating.”
“We seem to be on the same page then,” Hokuto said, and his delighted smile made Taiga’s mouth twist into a smile as well.