Something I wrote on a whim because I really wanted to write them again. This happens soon after they become friends with benefits, a while after Chisaki left Tartarus.
No warnings here. It's a cuddly, cute little drabble that I heard awakenes the need for hugs. Enjoy!
A soft morning in the Chisaki' flat. Post canon. 1k words.
Chisaki woke up with his face smashed against Nikodem’s shoulder.
It was a long awakening. One of those you experience after a long, long day and dreamless night. When your brain is late to catch up with your body stirring and experiencing existence again.
Nao was still asleep, holding Kai tightly around his sides. His breath was tickling Kai’s hair and one of his feet was hooked around one of Kai’s. The blanket that Chisaki gave Nao for the night was somehow thrown over his own legs, leaving Nao with nothing to shield himself from the chill of the old flat. And Kai’s duvet was thrown off of the futon. But it was fine, Nikodem was so warm it was enough of a furnace for Kai.
He was wearing his quirk stopping undergarments, obviously. Otherwise Kai wouldn't probably let himself cuddle this close to the other man. It didn't matter that he was already used to the annoying quirk that Nao was an owner of. He still wasn't a fan of getting paralyzed during the night.
Probably was a key word here, though. The last thing he remembered from a late, or maybe early? hour of the night was Nao’s tired, low, soothing voice and his hand in Kai’s scalp. And Kai, to his current horror, was cuddling by himself to Nao like his life depended on it.
For a second it felt like something died inside of Chisaki. So much thoughts filled up his head, still half asleep. He tensed. And then noticed that he's not facing the window like he did in the night and the surprise pulled him out of his small panic.
Just, the surprise was somehow stronger. Kai clearly remembered laying down on the opposite side of the futon. He always did. It was his side of the futon. He couldn't sleep on the other side. And he didn't change sides in the night, for sure. Nao’s hands squeezed his body slightly more then and he thought to himself: "no way".
Nao was waking up too. His face was scrunched from the light, falling onto it, and he hummed with sleepy annoyance. Kai observed it, suddenly realizing how close they were. They were still cuddling. It wasn't what they did. Like, after sex, sure. But not just randomly. Not because-
Not because one of them needed comfort. They didn't comfort each other with touch. They talked. That was the base of this relationship. First, Kai didn't exactly like being touched without a reason and there was a very limited list of touches he was comforted with in his entire life. Second, Nao’s quirk. Not to mention the… specific intimacy hidden in this kind of a cuddle.
It wasn't this kind of a relationship. They were friends. With benefits. This wasn't the benefit they settled on.
"Hi," hummed Nikodem, way less floored by the whole situation than Kai. He opened his eyes and smiled. "Slept well?"
Kai felt too asleep still to use his voice. He only hummed back.
"You didn't wake up anymore, right?"
One of Nao’s hands began sliding up Kai’s back, sending electricity through his spine. Kai took a long breath, to calm himself down. Nao was just trying to comfort him further. He shouldn't be reading too much into his actions.
Now, it was embarrassing and humiliating. He didn't even remember the dream anymore. Back then, during the night, when he woke up wheezing and trying to grab anything close to him, he thought he would die. He was sure of it. He didn't remember the dream, he didn't remember falling asleep, but he could recall the dread he felt, clear and sound. And it embarrassed him.
Nikodem didn't share the sentiment. He yawned, stretched his body, still pressed against Kai’s, and hugged him close again.
For a second Chisaki was about to agree, but then stopped himself. Still a bit tense, he pressed himself against Nao, putting his head more comfortably against his shoulder. Then, he froze, waiting for a reaction from the other man. He was pushing boundaries, at least he felt like it. But they were already cuddling!
Nikodem reacted right away, adjusting his position as well. He put one of his hands in Chisaki’s uneven hair and began playing with it softly.
Nao laughed and they laid in silence for a moment, eyes closing and bodies relaxing.
"I'm cold," hummed Kai after a moment. Without a word Nao jumped into action, reaching for the duvet, laying behind the other man. He threw it over them and went back to the comfortable position. "...I'm sorry."
"Ah. Don't even joke." Kai didn't have an answer to that, so he kept quiet. "How often do they happen?"
"Sometimes. First time when you're staying."
For a moment Nikodem contemplated that answer, moving his hand against the back of Kai’s head. Suddenly he tickled the inside of Kai’s ear, earning a twitch and a kick to his calf.
"Don't remember." Chisaki glared at Nikodem for annoying him and then sighed, knowing the other man wouldn't stop asking. "You can't do anything. Stop worrying."
"It's not easy when I care about you!" Nao whined and suddenly got into Kai’s face. He left a quick, sudden kiss, knowing very well otherwise Chisaki would fight him - considering the morning breath - and sat down on the futon.
"Stay. I'm gonna put your prosthetics to charge and start making some food."
There was a big hand in Kai’s hair again and Chisaki, feeling annoyed, shook his head to throw it off. Nao only laughed, getting up and gathering Kai’s prosthetics. Kai didn't sleep with them when Nao was staying over, they weren't perfectly comfortable during the night.
"Wait." Suddenly Chisaki remembered something, because maybe Nikodem just got up in the night? Changed their positions when he was back from the toilet? Nao paused and looked at him, slightly worried. "How did I end up here? I fell asleep on the other side of you."
Nikodem blinked, smirked and shrugged.
"You're so tiny I had to throw you over during the night. Like a plushie, maybe?"
Kai blushed just slightly under Nikodem’s smirk. Well, it was one of the characteristics Kai was into - the huge dumbass could toss him around oh so easily - but it was still embarrassing. And hot. He couldn't decide which was it more.
"Fine fine. I want eggs."
While Nikodem’s laughter was filling the room, Kai turned around to face the window. And with surprise noticed it was snowing. Tiny, white snowflakes were falling outside, covering the balcony in a thin layer that would most likely melt until the night.
And, under the duvet, with the sounds of a huge man in his kitchen that would jump to comfort him even though they weren't a couple or anything like that, Chisaki felt like he could stay there forever.
