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“I’m home!” Tobio called, sliding out of his shoes and dropping his sports bag in the genkan, shuffling down the hallway to where Kei sat waiting for him in the living room. As soon as Tobio saw him, he seemed to deflate. Quickly, Kei shuffled toward the other end of the sofa and allowed Tobio to throw himself down in the remaining space.
“Welcome back,” said Kei, stroking Tobio’s hair as he laid his head down in Kei’s lap. “How was the training camp?”
“Remember the ones we had in high school?”
“Y-yes…”
“This one was longer and more painful. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but oh my god that was tiring and stressful. Coach says I’ll definitely be playing in the next game, but said if I don’t bring my blocking ability up to par this time, I’ll sit out for the next three—I’m not even a middle blocker! I’m a setter!”
College volleyball has different standards than high school volleyball; being an all-rounder like Tobio meant that you were also held to different standards than the rest of the team. Training harder, longer, to better each and every skill you had in a majority of positions. It’s almost as if the coach is saying he expects Tobio to fill in for other positions if need be, instead of just playing setter.
An amused smirk tugged at the corners of Kei’s lips. It was an age-old complaint at this point, but he knew that it was only to let Tobio cool down a bit. There was no way Tobio hadn’t eagerly leapt into training no matter what kind it was.
“Wanna watch a movie?” Kei asked.
“Yes,” mumbled Tobio, petulant.
“Then you’re gonna have to let me up. I need to put a disc in, and the remote is all the way over there.”
“I changed my mind.” Tobio wound his arms tighter around Kei. “I don’t want to watch a movie.”
“Stop being a child,” said Kei without heat. He ran his fingers through Tobio’s silky hair before he pressed the palm of his hand to Tobio’s forehead and pushed. “If you let me up, we can watch Mulan again.”
“I thought you liked that dinosaur movie better—what’s it called again?”
“Dinosaur,” said Kei, amused. “That’s what it’s called.”
“A+ creativity there.”
“True. But I’m willing to watch Mulan for the hundredth time because you’re the one who’s tired and upset,” said Kei. “Like a baby,” he adds, and chuckles as Tobio swipes at his arm, pouting. “Let me up.”
With a theatrical groan, Tobio sits up and allows Kei to stand.
“Hurry up, pillow, my head’s starting to hurt again,” says Tobio, lifting an arm into the air and waving it. “You’re so slow.”
“Man, would you just give me a chance?” says Kei, the half-smirk on his face taking the bite from his words. “You’re so whiny and needy when you’re tired.”
“You bet I am.” Tobio let his arm fall across his chest. He sighs. “I could just sink right into this sofa I swear, I’m so freaking tired.”
“If we’re gonna watch Mulan again, you’re staying away for the whole thing, or else.” Kei points the remote at Tobio warningly, as he sets the disc into the DVD player. When he gets no answer, he sighs, presses a button on the remote so the drawer closes, before he rejoins Tobio on the sofa, lifting Tobio’s head up to set it on his lap. “Swear to god you’ve seen this movie a hundred time.”
“And I’ll see it a hundred times more,” mumbles Tobio, yawning. “I hardly complain about your Dinosaur movie, so be quiet and let me enjoy this.”
Despite Tobio’s insistence that he can make it through the entire movie, he falls asleep right around the time Mulan goes to the shrine and question who she is inside. Kei only notices because Tobio doesn’t complain about him demanding to know how it’s possible to wipe off all that makeup in two swipes of her arm.
To make matters worse, before the movie started Kei set the remote on the coffee table. He now cannot get up to go to bed or turn off the movie without moving Tobio and waking him up. He has to sit through the entirety of Mulan. Not to say it’s a bad movie, but it isn’t Kei’s favourite; he’d never go out of his way to watch it when he’s bored.
Kei’s starts to nod off around ten minutes before the credits are due to roll. His back’s starting to ache because the sofa was never designed to be a makeshift bed. He’s caught, however, between waking Tobio up and shepherding him to bed, or staying there and allowing Tobio to sleep where he’s comfortable.
“Come on, sleepy-head,” says Kei affectionately, as he gently lifts Tobio’s head off his lap and pushes him up into a sitting position.
“Mmm?” Tobio moans. He rubs his eyes and yawns loudly. “Whazzamatta?”
“It’s time for bed,” says Kei soothingly. “You need to get up.”
“B-but Mulan’s playing—”
“That finished fifteen minutes ago, Tobio.” And that entire fifteen minutes was spent deliberating whether he, Kei, should move Tobio. “It’s time to go to bed now.”
“I fell asleep?”
“You did.”
“Aw, damn it. I’m sorry, Kei.” Tobio stands, wobbles, but Kei leaps to his feet and steadies him. “I know you only put it on because of me. Sorry you had to watch it by yourself.”
“Don’t worry about it. Move before I sling you over my shoulder and carry you to bed.”
“Do that and I’ll divorce you.”
Kei snorted. “We’re not even married!”
He starts pushing Tobio in the direction of their bedroom, and with a tired groan, Tobio obediently goes.
Their whispered argument dies as they enter the bedroom. Tobio strips to his boxer shorts and climbs into bed, asleep within seconds, leaving Kei to tuck him in properly because the great lump didn’t bother to pull the blankets over himself.
“Goodnight, Tobio,” says Kei.
He brushes Tobio’s fringe back so he can kiss him on his exposed forehead. It’s something he’d deny if anyone caught him, but Tobio’s practically dead to the world and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
With that, he strips down to his own boxers and climbs into the bed as well, shuffling around until he finds a comfortable position to sleep in.
Next time this happens, Kei’s gonna insist on watching Dinosaur no matter what.