Work Text:
“This should be it,” Tecchou said, stopping in front of an inconspicuous-looking building, hidden in a narrow side street.
Jouno pursed his lips and rested a hand on the handle of his suitcase. “I assume the commander has outdone himself again.”
Letting his eyes wander over the foreign name decorating the front of the old hotel, Tecchou shrugged his shoulders. Domestic missions abroad usually didn’t come with a first-class stay and he could honestly care less where he slept as long as he got to finish the objective on time.
“So should we go in?” he asked, looking back at Jouno.
“That is what we are here for, isn’t it?” Jouno bit back and walked past Tecchou, leading the way. His suitcase was nearly double the size of Tecchou’s, the beige colour of it matching the light blue of his sweatshirt.
Following suit, Tecchou headed straight for the reception and greeted the woman behind the counter with his broken English. “Hello. We have a reservation under the name of Kitamura.”
The receptionist had her long blonde hair tied back in a bun and gave him a warm smile, welcoming them to the country before looking up the fake name.
Standing next to him, Jouno was fidgeting with the collar of his sweatshirt where the clasp of his cape would be, clearly in a bad mood.
“Thank you for waiting,” the woman said with a smile, handing them a keycard. “Your room number is 201 and tourist fees have already been paid for. Breakfast hours are from six to ten and if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I wish you a pleasant stay!”
“What about the other room?” Jouno asked as Tecchou took the card from her. “The reservation was for two rooms.”
She gave them an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid your reservation only included one room, sir.”
Tecchou felt Jouno tense beside him.
“Unfortunately we are already fully booked for tonight. But if you’d like I can check the availability for the remaining night of your stay?”
Jouno smiled at her. “Perhaps you should check again. It would be awfully unfortunate if you were to lose your job over something like–”
Kicking Jouno in the calf, Tecchou quickly cut him off. “It won’t be a problem at all,” he said, trying to reassure her. “We will be fine with that room. Thank you for your help.”
Before she could react, he grabbed Jouno by the elbow and pulled him along, their suitcases bumping into each other.
Inside the elevator, Jouno crossed his arms in front of his chest and stood the furthest possible away from Tecchou, his chin raised defiantly.
Sighing quietly, Tecchou leaned back against the steel wall and ran a hand through his hair, his muscles aching. Long-haul flights always took a lot out of him but the mere promise of also working the evening made him feel more than exhausted already.
The head of an European smuggling organisation was holding an open banquet tonight and it was their job to scope out one of his right-hand men and report back with information to take them down.
Undercover assignments weren’t Tecchou’s favourite kind of missions to begin with but the limited amount of two days they had here made tonight their only chance and Tecchou more tense than ever.
“Larger than expected,” Tecchou commented once they made it to their room. Straight after, he excused himself to the bathroom and relieved himself, his bladder nearly bursting with all the tomato juice he drank on the plane.
After washing his hands and quickly splashing some water into his face, Tecchou returned to Jouno sitting on the bed in the middle of the room, his hands folded neatly in his lap.
“Tecchou-san,” he said, his tone eerily calm. “Do you mind telling me where the second bed is?”
“There’s only this one,” Tecchou replied, watching as Jouno’s face darkened.
“There’s only one bed in this room and you didn’t feel the need to comment on that?”
“I didn't think it was a problem.”
Getting up, Jouno walked over to him and pressed a finger into his chest. “I don't even want to work with you on a regular day where I get to go home at the end of it,” he growled. “What makes you think I would want to share a bed with you?”
“Okay,” Tecchou replied flatly, not really feeling like arguing over this right now. “I’ll sleep on the floor then, you can have the bed.”
Jouno puffed out his cheeks and let out a loud exhale but didn't object any further, instead bending down to rummage around his bag for the mission file.
Dismissing Tecchou entirely, he opened the brown folder and let his finger run over the raised dots lining the pages in swift motions, presumably confirming the details of tonight’s assignment.
Stopping briefly, he tapped one spot twice, nodding to himself. “We’re supposed to be there at six,” he told Tecchou, and when he pressed a button on his watch, Tecchou heard the familiar automated voice inform them about the current date and time. “That means we have about two hours to get ready and head out.”
— ⋆ ✸ ⋆ —
They both showered and got ready again before finally making it out of the hotel, and while Tecchou was still fixing his bowtie as they hurried towards the bus stop, he was already feeling a lot better than he did upon their arrival, his step light and excitement sparking in his chest at the prospect of exploring a new country.
It was a lot louder on the street compared to Japan, the sounds of people laughing and talking filling the city with life, music playing from some of the balconies, and Tecchou was fairly certain he could also smell the ocean, the warm wind carrying the saltiness through the narrow alleys.
Amidst all the chatter and bustle, their bus was making its way through the rush hour traffic at a snail’s pace, honking repeatedly.
Next to Tecchou, Jouno was standing as still and straight as a pole, his brows subtly creased and lips pursed, and Tecchou watched him with slight concern, realising that all of this must be very loud for someone with heightened senses like Jouno.
He was still debating whether to risk being snapped at and start a conversation, when the bus driver had apparently had enough of all the cars blocking the road and stopped a fair way off from the supposed stop, opening the doors and gesturing for the waiting crowd to hurry.
Setting himself into motion with the rest of the people, Tecchou nearly bumped into Jouno who stood unmoving, closed eyes trained on the ground.
“This is ours,” Tecchou told him, when he realised that Jouno had no way of knowing that it was their bus that had arrived.
Turning his face towards him, Jouno simply nodded and followed Tecchou towards the bus, the two of them one of the last people to get on.
— ⋆ ✸ ⋆ —
“Good evening,” the bouncer greeted them at the entrance. He was wearing an expensive-looking suit and his hair was slicked back generously, a white lanyard dangling from his neck. “Your names, please.”
“Kitamura Tecchou,” Tecchou replied after a moment, gesturing towards Jouno. “This is my partner. Ito Saigiku.”
Checking the list, the man crossed off their names and stepped aside, letting them pass with a curt nod. “Have a nice evening.”
“Don’t say it like that,” Jouno complained once they’re inside, his tone more irritated than usual, his shoulders tense.
“Like what?” Tecchou asked, confused. He was pretty sure he didn’t make any harsh grammatical mistakes there.
“Partner,” explained Jouno. “It means something else here.”
“Oh,” Tecchou said. He didn’t know. “Sorry.”
Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Jouno waved a hand in the air and started to walk into the general direction of the main hall. “Let's just get this over with as soon as possible. It shouldn’t be too hard once we find him.”
They agreed to split up after that, scouting the venue to see who managed to locate their target and get his attention first.
With his hands buried deep into the pockets of the tux the commander gifted him specifically for this mission, Tecchou wandered the vast halls aimlessly for a while and tried to ignore how uncomfortably the fabric itched on his skin and how his bowtie felt like it was suffocating him. He missed the familiar weight of his sword on his hip.
Eventually, he ended up in a more secluded room, cut off from the rest of the festivities. There was a couch in one corner and a small bar in another, an unoccupied piano next to it.
A few people were quietly talking about something, laughing with wine glasses in their hands, but Tecchou’s gaze immediately focused on Jouno at the bar, white hair shining golden beneath the warm orange light.
Letting out a huff, Tecchou took note of the tall man standing next to him, badly dyed hair tied back in a ponytail exactly like in the photo they were given in their mission file. Seemed like Jouno won that one.
Casually, Tecchou joined them at the bar and ordered a Spicy Margarita. During the flight, Jouno repeatedly threatened to kill him himself if he dared to even think about ordering one of his “horrifying concoctions” so Tecchou did a little bit of research in the hotel and it turned out Margaritas are not only very white but also feature a salted rim. Which might be the way to go for tonight.
While he waited, Tecchou leaned against the counter and pretended not to know Jouno, listening to their hushed conversation.
“Let me buy you a drink,” their target said suddenly, the strong scent of his aftershave filling the air as he moved.
“Oh, I don't drink,” Jouno replied swiftly, his tone strangely sweet as it curled around the foreign words. “But, please, go ahead. Don’t let me stop you from enjoying your night.”
Risking a glance to his left, Tecchou found the man looking thoroughly disappointed, a frown on his face. He grumbled something Tecchou didn't catch and ordered another drink for himself. “Is it because of your… condition?”
Tecchou felt his own brows raise at the rude question but Jouno didn’t even flinch, his fingers playing with the glass in his hands.
“Ah,” Jouno hummed, laughing quietly. “I should’ve expected nothing less perceptive from someone like you.” He paused and smiled down at his drink. “It’s quite troublesome to lose control of your senses if you only have four to begin with, you know?”
Even though Tecchou knew this was all just a spiel to get the information they came here for, it still made his skin crawl to hear Jouno talk about himself like that. As if he wasn’t a member of the Hunting Dogs, one of the most prestigious military units of the country. As if he didn’t hunt down and capture several powerful Ability Users, all by himself.
The man laughed harshly before leaning in with a wink. “I can think of a few things that could be useful for.”
Tecchou took a sip from his Margarita and tried not to crush the glass in his hands. This wasn't how someone like him should be talking to a Hunting Dog. How anybody should be talking to Jouno. He took another sip from his drink and grimaced. It was definitely lacking soy sauce.
But Jouno merely gave another laugh, breathy and bashful and so unlike Jouno, that Tecchou was dying to steal another glance at his face.
“You told me earlier that you enjoyed playing the piano,” the man suddenly changed the topic, gesturing towards the huge piano behind Tecchou. “Why don’t you prove it to me? I’ve always wanted to see a blind person play.”
The comment nearly made Tecchou suck in sharp breath, a muffled cough slipping past his lips, and the icy blue eyes of the man grazed him for a second before Jouno quickly caught his attention again with a laugh and a brush of his fingers across the man’s arm, gracefully sliding off his stool.
“I’d love to,” Jouno said with a smile, and Tecchou was suddenly overcome by a burning sensation of regret. He wished it had been him who found their target first.
Jouno walked past him towards the piano and Tecchou couldn’t help but follow him with his eyes, his heart thumping steadily against his ribcage. Surely, Jouno was hearing it, too.
He used to be obsessed with musical instruments of any sort when he was younger, has probably been to the local music store more often than he was at home, drilling the staff with childish questions about how wood could make sounds and why a piano made of stone couldn’t exist. But between being homeschooled and trained to join the military as soon as he turned sixteen, there was never any spare time for him to actually learn to play one. He never knew Jouno could.
Sitting down at the piano, Jouno straightened his back and placed his fingers on the keys, hesitating for the briefest of moments before he started to play, applying gentle pressure.
Almost immediately, Tecchou found himself as enthralled as he was when he was younger, listening to his mother play on the nights he couldn’t fall asleep.
It was a tune Tecchou wasn’t familiar with, the melody of Jouno’s fingers flying over the keys incredibly gentle and lighthearted, and when Tecchou tore his gaze away to look at his face, he found him with his head tilted slightly, an unusually genuine smile playing around his lips.
He played the entire song with ease, his fingers bouncing off the keys after every note. His hair swayed slightly every time he released the pedal with his foot and the golden bell of his earring glinted beneath the light, reflecting the red of his dyed tips.
Before Jouno could finish the song, however, last note still lingering in the air, Tecchou was roughly pulled back into reality by the sound of loud clapping next to him.
“Astonishing,” the man praised, walking towards the piano and wrapping an arm around Jouno’s shoulders, guiding him back to the bar. “Colour me impressed, Saigiku.”
Saigiku. For some reason, Tecchou really disliked how he butchered the sound of Jouno’s name.
“Thank you,” Jouno replied, resuming his position on the stool between Tecchou and their target. He still hasn’t acknowledged Tecchou in any way. Which was fine. This was an undercover operation, after all. In a low voice, Jouno added, “I told you I had lots of practice.”
“Yeah, I can tell you’re pretty good with your hands.”
Jouno let out a quiet huff of air in reply, his usual smile on his lips as he reached for his glass and took another sip.
Suddenly, the man leaned in close, brushing the hair out of Jouno’s face. “You really are a pretty thing,” he murmured, barely loud enough for Tecchou to hear.
Jouno didn’t flinch, he even kept the smile on his lips, but Tecchou could tell by the way his back straightened that he disliked the sudden contact, his aversion to touch one of the earliest things Tecchou learned about him when they were assigned their first joint mission.
“Thank you,” Jouno replied politely. “I can't see you as such but I can tell you must be quite handsome yourself.”
The man clicked his tongue and lowered his hand, tilting Jouno’s chin up. “It really is a shame about your eyes,” he muttered. “Such a waste of potential.”
Tecchou felt his jaw clench.
The man looked Jouno up and down with a hungry expression, a lazy smirk on his lips as his teeth bit into his lower one, and Tecchou wondered what Jouno could sense from him right now, how much he could gather from the sound of his pulse, his breaths, his muscles. The blood in his body.
All of a sudden, a piercing shattering noise echoed around the room as the barkeeper slipped and sent several bottles and glasses flying, shards of glass exploding across the counter. Tecchou promptly shielded his eyes with his hands, knowing Jouno could fend for himself, but the man apparently thought differently. He grabbed Jouno roughly, pressing him against his chest while he hid his own face in his hair, and Tecchou heard a quiet surprised gasp escape Jouno at the unexpected grip around his waist.
“That was a close one, huh,” the man grinned at Jouno when it was over, his hand on the back of Jouno’s head, brushing through his hair. “How about we go up to my room and I check for any remaining shards?”
“Excuse me, sir,” Tecchou heard himself say suddenly. “I’m gonna need to borrow my partner here for a minute.”
The man looked up at him in bewilderment, his brows furrowed. He clearly didn't want to be interrupted. “Your partner?”
Tecchou took a step towards them and instinctively reached for where the hilt of his sword would have been. “Yes.”
He didn’t really know why he felt so irritated, why he recklessly compromised their mission like this, but something inside of him really didn't want him to treat Jouno like this any longer, to talk to him like he was a damsel in distress. It felt like fire ants crawling up the inside of his lungs, stinging him relentlessly.
“Please,” Jouno interrupted, giving the blonde man a tight-lipped smile, “Matteo, will you excuse us for a moment? I won't be long.”
Very obviously pissed off, the man glared at Tecchou, his bright blue gaze piercing, but reluctantly let go of Jouno anyway, reaching for his newly refilled drink.
Brushing past Tecchou without another word, Jouno headed straight for the exit and didn’t wait for Tecchou to follow, his steps turning angry as soon as they left the room.
They rounded a corner into a more secluded area of the hallways and Jouno abruptly stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face Tecchou with a stone-faced expression. “Tecchou-san,” he said, his tone menacingly low. “I do hope you are aware that you just seriously compromised our assignment? I nearly had him.”
Tecchou pulled his shoulders back and straightened up. “I know.”
Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Jouno leaned back against the wall. He was wearing a beige three-piece suit with a tie the same shade of red as his hair. “I am perfectly capable of handling myself.”
Tecchou grit his teeth. “I know.”
“And I told you not to call me partner, didn't I?”
Jouno paused, waiting for him to react with brows furrowed in disapproval. Tecchou tore his gaze away and stared at the wall instead.
“Sorry.”
He didn't know why it bothered him so much.
Jouno scoffed and pushed himself off the wall. He was just about to walk back into the room when Tecchou impulsively called out again. “Would you have gone up to his room with him?”
Jouno didn’t hesitate a second. “I would have done what was necessary to get the information out of him.”
Tecchou’s breath caught in his throat and they both knew Jouno heard it, too.
“But he mistreated you.”
Jouno arched a brow. “I’ve dealt with worse.”
Tecchou hesitated, clenching and unclenching his fingers at his sides. He really missed the comfort of his sword. He opened his mouth and asked, “Don’t you care about your body?”
“I care about completing the mission, Tecchou-san.”
Tecchou’s mouth snapped shut. He tried to control the angry thrum of his heart and found it an impossible task.
Wasn’t he the first to place justice above all? What right did he have to sabotage their mission, putting innocent civilians at risk, when Jouno himself was obviously fine with the way things were going?
“Apparently you’ve run out of excuses to lecture me on,” Jouno stated drily, turning his back towards him, “so I will try and salvage what you broke.”
Tecchou stared after him for the longest time, even after the door fell shut behind him, something he didn’t understand raging in his chest and making it hard to breathe. Eventually, he managed to move his frozen body and made his way towards the elevator, heading up to their room.
Evidently, Jouno didn’t need him around for this.
— ⋆ ✸ ⋆ —
Tecchou had been reading about the social system of ants for several hours when the door suddenly unlocked and Jouno walked in, a frown on his face.
Tecchou looked up from his book in surprise. “Jouno?” he asked. He didn't expect to see him again tonight. “What are you doing here?”
“Last time I checked this was also my room,” Jouno bit back, his fingers brushing the wall as he walked.
Tecchou put the book aside. “I know but– Weren't you supposed to be with him?”
“There was no need,” Jouno replied, loosening his tie. “Our target is planning a large-scale shipment to Japan in about a month using fake cargo ships.”
“How did you–”
“After someone ruined my original plan,” Jouno cut him off, giving him a pointed look, “I managed to soothe him by letting myself be invited to a few drinks. He’s currently puking his guts out on the rooftop.”
“I see,” Tecchou said, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was already way past midnight. “I’ll just get my stuff and then you can have the bed.”
Jouno clicked his tongue and walked over to him, his hair slightly dishevelled. “Don't be stupid, you're not sleeping on the floor.”
Tecchou frowned, looking up at the other man. “But I thought–”
“Don't make me say it twice.”
When Tecchou just blinked at him in silent surprise, Jouno ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh, the smell of whiskey hitting Tecchou. “Let’s just go to sleep. I’m exhausted and still have to spend a whole other day with you tomorrow.”
After Jouno vanished into the bathroom, Tecchou busied himself by starting to gather all his things strewn across the bed and fluffing the pillows he crushed while reading. He just finished putting on his sleeping shorts and taking off his shirt when the door to the bathroom opened again.
Still wet, Jouno’s hair looked even longer than usual, red framing the soft curve of his jaw as he had it tucked behind his ears. Tecchou stared, watching as little beads of water dropped onto his loose shirt, beige sweatpants revealing long legs and bare feet.
“Do you have to sleep like that?” Jouno’s voice cut through the silence, making Tecchou snap out of it.
“Like what?” he asked, cocking his head.
“Half-naked.”
Tecchou looked down at himself and shrugged. “I get hot at night.”
Dismissing the conversation with a sigh, Jouno got into bed and laid down on the side facing the window, his mouth pressed into a thin line and brows subtly creased like something was irritating him.
Not bothering to wait for Tecchou, he turned onto his side, back facing Tecchou, and pulled the blanket over him until only the top of his head peeked out. “If you disturb my sleep, I will kill you.”
“Okay,” Tecchou said before climbing into bed next to Jouno, “I’ll try not to.” When he pulled on the blanket to cover himself, too, he was careful not to rustle it too much. He rolled onto his side, back facing Jouno, and turned off the lamp on his nightstand, the sound of Jouno’s even breathing in the dark quickly lulling him to sleep.
— ⋆ ✸ ⋆ —
When Tecchou woke up the next morning, he felt like his body was caught between several hot coal stones.
He sluggishly blinked his eyes open and moved his limbs tentatively, only to find his movement constricted, trapped by something he couldn’t identify in his sleepy state. When he angled his head to get a better look, his eyes widened in shock. The weight pressing down on him, locking him in place, was very much alive.
Lying nearly completely on top of him, Jouno’s head was resting on Tecchou’s chest, their legs tangled together and his arm slung across Tecchou’s middle.
Immediately, Tecchou stiffened and felt warmth spread from the rest of his body to his face, not used to being this close to Jouno.
With his chest rising and falling evenly, it seemed like Jouno was still asleep, so Tecchou did his best to breathe through his nose and calm his racing pulse, scared of waking the other man with his ear directly above Tecchou’s heart.
Excruciatingly slowly, he pulled out his numb arm and haphazardly brushed away the strands of hair sticking to his face with the back of his hand, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on Jouno to make sure he didn't rouse.
Settling back against the pillows, he stared at the ceiling for a moment, focusing on the feeling of Jouno against him, his breath tickling his bare chest and the faint smell of his minty shampoo filling his nose. Realistically, he knew Jouno would kill him for this, but he found that he actually didn’t dislike the situation as much as he should, Jouno’s weight on top of him strangely comforting and his shallow breaths calming.
Angling his head downward again, Tecchou decided to watch Jouno for a moment, indulging himself by studying his sleeping features because he didn’t often get the chance to look at him like this.
There was neither a frown nor a smile on his face right now, his shut eyes relaxed and lips slightly parted, the ends of his hair resting in the hollow of his cheekbone. Like this, Jouno looked a lot younger, almost innocently so.
Objectively, Tecchou had always known that Jouno was a handsome man, but he never noticed how his white lashes brushed against the height of his cheeks like feathers, how his nose curved slightly where it dipped, how the tip of his ears peeked out from underneath his hair.
A faded thin scar ran from the edge of his nose to the right corner of his mouth and Tecchou felt his chest tighten, his stomach fluttering. He was overcome by the sudden urge to trace it with his finger and ask Jouno the story behind it. He wanted to brush the hair out of his face and look for more stories etched onto his skin in the form of scars he didn’t know.
Tecchou swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling light-headed.
“Are you done staring?”
Startling at the sudden sound, Tecchou inhaled sharply. “Ah,” he breathed, “Sorry, did I wake you?”
Jouno’s words were thickened with sleepiness, his voice slightly deeper than usual. “Your heart rate spiked the moment you woke up, it was impossible not to.”
“Sorry,” Tecchou apologised, grimacing when he realised Jouno had been awake the entire time.
“You snored the whole night,” Jouno complained, reaching up to rub at his closed eyes.
“Sorry.”
“And I doubt you’re supposed to move around as much in your sleep as you did.”
“Sorry.”
“And it’s beyond me how can one person radiate so much warmth in only a few hours. You're worse than the heater I bought for our mission in Russia.”
“Sorry.”
But neither of them made a move to change out of their current position, Jouno’s head still resting on Tecchou’s chest. And eventually, Tecchou gave in and rested his arm around Jouno’s shoulders, his skin sparking everywhere it made contact with Jouno’s.
— ⋆ ✸ ⋆ —
Eventually, they made it out of bed and decided to spend their final day walking around the city, something Tecchou always looked forward to the most on missions abroad.
Tecchou let out a quiet gasp, excitement bubbling in his chest as he compared the sight in front of him with the picture in the guide he bought at one of those tourist shops. “That’s the bridge with the world’s largest span,” he commented, his tongue peeking out between his lips as he circled the bridge on his map. “I’ve always wanted to see it up close!”
They took the scenic route into the city, walking through the historic centre, and Tecchou kept gazing at different things, circling them on his map, while Jouno trailed a bit behind him, hands buried in the pockets of his chino trousers.
“The window on the front looks kind of like a flower,” Tecchou told Jouno when they passed by a basilica, looking back at him. He stopped and checked his map. “I think that one park should be somewhere close here…”
They continued walking through the city and Tecchou kept halting at every second corner, commenting something and describing what it looked like to Jouno, the paper map in his hands gradually filling with circles.
After Tecchou stopped them for the hundredth time, Jouno cut him off before he could start talking. “Tecchou-san,” he said, his voice slightly gruff from disuse.
“Yes?” Tecchou asked, letting other people pass them by.
“I don’t remember asking for live commentary.”
Taken aback, Tecchou blinked at him for a moment in silence. Then he let his shoulders drop and averted his eyes. “Right,” he said. “Sorry.”
He felt stupid for describing everything in detail now.
Nibbling on the inside of his cheek, Tecchou let his gaze travel across the plaza, all too aware of Jouno’s attention on him.
Suddenly, his eyes struck gold and he lit up, his body straightening like a puppet on a taut string.
“What is it now, Tecchou-san?” Jouno asked, clearly irritated. “Did you spot yet another colourful house?”
“Jouno,” Tecchou replied, ignoring his question, “there’s one last thing I want to show you.”
Raising his brows, Jouno looked at him in disbelief for a second, but followed Tecchou up the street anyway.
“Here,” Tecchou announced proudly, coming to a stop in front of a small brass block next to the fountain in the centre of the plaza.
Jouno frowned. “What am I supposed to be doing with this?”
“Put your hand on it,” Tecchou explained, brushing the back of his fingers against Jouno’s arm.
Scoffing quietly, Jouno reached out until his slender fingers made contact with the brass surface of the block, feeling the structure. He froze. “You brought me to a tactile map?”
Unsure how to interpret the tone lacing Jouno’s question, Tecchou tilted his head slightly and asked, “Is that okay?”
But Jouno didn’t answer him and instead started to delicately explore the map in front of him, his fingers lightly moving across the buildings and streets embossed on the surface in silence.
As soon as he’d spotted it from the distance, Tecchou easily recognised the map as what it was, the first time he saw a tactile map like this in one of the books he read still ingrained in his mind. Jouno never wanted to talk to him about any of that, but that didn’t stop Tecchou from trying to learn about all the different kinds of accommodations available for visually impaired people.
Mesmerised, Tecchou watched Jouno explore the city in his own way, effortlessly tracing the cathedral right in front of them and pausing on the elaborate design of the roof. Tecchou was very much aware that he was staring but also very much unable to stop himself.
He let his gaze travel upwards, following the shape of Jouno’s bare arms over his chest to his neck. When it landed on his face, Tecchou’s throat tightened up to the point he thought there was something wrong with him, his stomach plummeting. He held his breath and studied the small smile that tugged at the corners of Jouno’s lips, the curious expression on his features and the relaxed shape of his brows.
His heart rate doubled in speed. Maybe there was something wrong with him. He should ask the commander for a medical check-up once they were back home.
“Tecchou-san,” Jouno interrupted his thoughts, not looking at him.
Tecchou straightened his back and steeled himself. “Yes?”
“Thank you.”
When Tecchou’s heart skipped another beat, he knew Jouno heard it, too.
“Of course,” he mumbled, taking a cautionary step away from the other man anyway. “Hopefully it was better than my live commentary.”
— ⋆ ✸ ⋆ —
After walking around the city for a little while longer, they came across a small jewellery shop, various pieces displayed in the dusty shop window.
“Tecchou-san?” Jouno asked, when Tecchou suddenly stopped in front of it, holding up the people behind them. “What is it?”
But Tecchou wasn't hearing him, his eyes focussed on one particular item on display that immediately caught his attention.
Tecchou turned towards Jouno. “Can we go in here for a minute?”
Jouno knit his brows close together, contemplating briefly before giving in with a sigh and following Tecchou into the shop, a small bell jingling above their heads as they entered. “It smells expensive in here,“ Jouno commented, his nose gently scrunched. “I didn't take your tastes to be this extravagant.”
“They’re not,” Tecchou replied matter-of-factly, because truthfully he couldn't care less about the price or rarity of items. As long as something fulfilled its purpose, it was more than fine in his book.
“Then what are we doing in here?” Jouno questioned, crossing his arms in front of his body. “What kind of shop is it anyway?”
Just then, the shop assistant came over, hands neatly folded in front of her elegantly striped dress. “Good evening,” she greeted them with a polite smile. “Can I help you with anything?”
Tecchou pointed towards the pair of earrings in the shop window. “Can I have a look at these?”
“The earrings? Of course!” the woman confirmed before heading outside to retrieve them from the display stand.
“Earrings?” Jouno repeated, his tone slightly confused in a way Tecchou seldom had the pleasure of hearing. “Have you suddenly decided to care more about your appearance than just building muscle?”
“They’re for you,” Tecchou argued bluntly, which was enough to shut Jouno up, surprise evident in the way his brows shot up when he drew back visibly.
Returning with the earrings, the assistant handed them to Tecchou with a smile and an urging to take as much time as he needed.
Carefully, Tecchou turned the thin gold threads over between his rough fingertips, scared that he’d end up breaking them at any moment.
“Can I hold them to your face? To see if they suit you?” he asked, addressing Jouno who was watching him intently, no doubt listening to the quiet clinking of the jewellery.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Jouno eventually relaxed his shoulders and raised his chin slightly, facing Tecchou directly. “If it will stop you from sweating nervously, fine.”
Stepping closer, Tecchou held one of them up to Jouno’s right ear, pushing away the one he was currently wearing with his pinky finger.
“What colour are they?” Jouno asked and the sensation of his cool breath fanning out on his neck reminded Tecchou of this morning, Jouno’s hair as soft on his chest as it was against his knuckles now.
“Golden,” Tecchou answered quietly, turning the threads in his fingers a little. “With red gems.”
Jouno scoffed. “How original.”
“No, but they’re–” Tecchou broke off, feeling his cheeks heat up. He admired the gems again, several smaller ones worked into the multiple threads of gold before they melted into one, a golden bar on the other end. “They’re very delicate. Pretty. They remind me of you.”
Tecchou couldn’t really see Jouno’s face but he heard his breath catch in his throat.
“You're unbelievable…” he heard him mutter, turning his head away.
Lowering his arms and taking a step backward, Tecchou asked, “Would you mind if I bought them for you?”
When he spotted the light flush dusting the bridge of Jouno’s nose, he felt his heart flutter strangely in his chest, something akin to breathless exertion bubbling somewhere between his ribs.
“I don't need new earrings,” Jouno argued absentmindedly, his attention focused on where Tecchou's heart was dancing wildly.
“I know,” Tecchou replied before gazing at the golden threads in his hands again. They really did suit Jouno just as much as he thought they would when he first saw them in the window. “It will be a gift.”
Without waiting for a reply, Tecchou nodded to himself and turned around, only realising that he forgot all about the assistant when he noticed that she was no longer standing next to them, instead manning the counter and smiling warmly at him when he walked over to pay.
— ⋆ ✸ ⋆ —
After some back and forth they decided to go out for dinner tonight, Jouno’s choice.
When Tecchou spotted their bus approaching from afar, he preemptively brushed his knuckles against Jouno’s and let him know it was their ride, earning him a slight softening of the frown on his face and a nod, the streets filled with just as much noise and clamour as they were the day before.
The restaurant Jouno picked out – after he made Tecchou swear on his Hunting Dogs honour to not order something he would classify as weird – seemed to be a rather classy establishment, the lighting dim and attire formal.
The waiter greeting them at the entrance bid them a good evening with a curt bow and asked for their reservation with a polite smile. He was looking at Tecchou but it was Jouno who spoke first, one of his usual smiles decorating his features as he gave him his fake name.
After being led to their table, a bit further off to the side near the window overlooking the city, they were both given a menu, the waiter excusing himself with another bow.
“This is–” Tecchou started, not quite sure what he was feeling.
“Not what you expected?” Jouno finished in a low huff, his hair shining golden beneath the warm light. “This is all covered by the government’s budget, so why not splurge a little?”
Tecchou let out an amused snort and reached for the menu, his stomach growling.
After spending the longest time agonising over the choices and wondering whether there was any way to ask the waiter for panna cotta with plain pasta without being murdered by Jouno, he suddenly realised that Jouno hadn’t even touched his own menu yet, instead sitting with his face turned towards the window, the street lamps outside illuminating his face.
“Have you decided already?” he asked, watching him intently.
“I’ll take pasta bolognese,” Jouno replied without turning towards him.
Tecchou furrowed his brows. “But they have so many other interesting dishes,” he argued. “You came all the way here just to order pasta bolognese?”
Jouno sighed, finally leaning back into his seat with his hands folded in his lap. “If you must know– I forgot to check the menu on my phone ahead of time,” he explained. “But they’re bound to serve pasta bolognese in Italy so that’s what I’m ordering.”
Tecchou’s frown deepened and he lowered the menu in his hands. He couldn’t quite tell in the low light but it seemed like Jouno was clenching his jaw. His mouth opened of its own accord and he heard himself say, “I can read it out for you?”
“Don't be ridiculous,” Jouno bit back immediately, words sharp. “This is a serious establishment.”
Sitting up straight, Tecchou decided to take more drastic measures and leaned across the table, the edge of it digging into his ribs. “What are you in the mood for?” he asked, challenging Jouno.
“Stop it,” Jouno growled, pushing at his shoulders in a vain attempt to get him off the table.
“No.”
Jouno kicked his feet under the table. “I swear to God I will kill you myself if you don’t stop right now.”
“No,” Tecchou repeated stubbornly, not budging. “You didn't come all the way to a foreign country just to order the most basic dish. Not on my watch.“
Jouno pressed his lips tightly together and huffed, his arms crossed in front of his chest again. After a short moment of silence, he said, “Seafood.”
Nodding sharply, Tecchou flicked through the open menu until he found the seafood section, tapping his finger on the drawing in the corner of the page. And then he started reading out the names one by one, glancing up at Jouno after every dish.
Reaching across the table, Jouno pushed the menu down with his hand, his skin cold against Tecchou’s. “Stop it,” he hissed. “You’re completely butchering the pronunciation.”
Tecchou cocked his head to the right. “Have you found something you like yet?”
“I'll take pasta bolognese,” was Jouno’s reply, so Tecchou simply pulled out the menu from beneath Jouno’s hand and continued to list the dishes, forcing back the smile when Jouno growled at him quietly.
“Stop,” Jouno called eventually, a hint of red on his cheeks. “I’ll take that one.”
A sense of accomplishment surging through him, Tecchou shut the menu with a small smile and placed it on top of Jouno’s closed one.
“See?” he said, “Seafood salad. That’s plenty different from pasta bolognese. I’m glad we did that.”
Grumbling something incomprehensible under his breath, Jouno turned up his nose and paid him no further mind until the waiter returned to their table and took their orders.
— ⋆ ✸ ⋆ —
By the time they got back to the hotel, they were both stuffed and exhausted and Tecchou immediately collapsed onto the bed the moment he entered their room, burying his face in the sheets.
“Get off the bed,” Jouno scolded, shutting the door. “You spend one day in a foreign country and forget all basic manners, is that it? Take off your shoes and go shower first, you animal.”
Groaning, Tecchou sat up again and dragged himself to the bathroom, going through the motions as fast as he could.
Jouno went in straight after him and by the time he got out, Tecchou was already in bed, blanket pulled up to his neck and book in hand. He looked up and felt that same stutter in his chest again when his eyes swept across Jouno, a healthy flush to his cheeks as steam followed him out of the small bathroom.
Like last night, his hair was still slightly damp, tucked behind his ears, and his white shirt hung off his frame loosely, accentuating the narrow shape of his shoulders.
When Tecchou noticed his missing earring, he scrambled off the bed again and rummaged around in his pockets until he found the small gift-wrapped box he bought earlier that day.
“Here,” he said, holding it out to Jouno. “It's yours. The earrings.”
Jouno pursed his lips. “Maybe you can still take them back,” he mused, not making any move to take them from Tecchou.
Tecchou glared at him and all but shoved the box at Jouno’s chest. “I don't want to take them back,” he said, his tone resolute. “It’s a gift.”
Giving in with a sigh, Jouno reached up and closed his hand over Tecchou’s. His treacherous heart skipped a beat but he thought he must have imagined Jouno lingering for a second, because the next moment he was taking the box out of Tecchou’s hand, opening it with nimble fingers.
Gingerly, Jouno took out one of the long threaded earrings, gold glinting in the overhead lights. He let his fingers run up and down the bands, tracing the shape of the gems, before he put the box with the second one down on the cabinet and raised his arms, easily threading the earring through his lobe.
He let out a shallow exhale and lowered his arms, turning his head in both directions. “It’s certainly lighter than my previous one.”
But Tecchou could only stare in silence, captivated by how much better it looked now than the image he’d had in mind when he bought them, the red of the gems perfectly matching the shade of scarlet in Jouno’s hair. He swallowed thickly. “Wait, let me just–”
Taking a step closer, Tecchou reached up slowly and hesitantly brushed along the side of Jouno’s face, disentangling a few loose strands of hair from the earring and letting the gem dangle freely. “There,” he breathed into the small space between them.
He didn’t step back, all too aware of his heart pounding against his chest, of his throat threatening to suffocate him.
Taking a deep breath, Jouno exhaled through his nose slowly before asking, “I’m assuming your visceral reaction means it met your expectations?”
“You look beautiful,” Tecchou replied promptly, the words no more than a whisper on his tongue.
For just a second, Jouno stopped breathing, his eyelids fluttering in surprise, before he moved back and broke whatever it was that was settling between them like heavy fog, releasing Tecchou from his frozen state and allowing him to take a breath again.
“You really are unbelievable,” Jouno muttered, reaching up to remove the earring from his ear. He put it back into the box and set it down again before heading towards the bed in the middle of the room. “Let’s go to sleep, we have an early flight tomorrow.”
Peeling his tongue from the roof of his mouth, Tecchou licked his lips and inhaled deeply before pushing their suitcases towards the door and joining Jouno in bed.
This time, Jouno didn’t turn his back. So Tecchou didn’t either, causing them to face each other as they lay side by side; the whole world shifted except for each other.
Unable to resist, Tecchou reached out with trembling fingers and a shaking heart and waited, giving Jouno a chance to move away, to draw back, before his calloused hands cupped the side of Jouno’s soft face, his thumb caressing the top of his cheekbone.
“Tecchou-san,” Jouno said in warning, warmth spreading beneath Tecchou’s fingertips. “I don't know what you think you're doing but–”
But Tecchou didn’t let him finish and did the only thing that felt right instead, the one thing that seemed as easy as breathing as soon as he did it, and crossed the remaining distance between them. When he pressed his lips onto Jouno’s, his eyes instinctively fluttered shut, all the pressure and the tension falling off his body as his heartbeat calmed down.
This, he thought. This was what he'd been missing. What his body had been screaming at him the whole time, where the desperate thrum of his heart had been pulling him towards.
And suddenly it all made sense. Why he kept learning Braille even after Jouno told him to stop, why he couldn’t stop staring that one time he caught him in the middle of dressing up in his uniform. Why he felt so angry last night when that man was all over Jouno. Why he felt best when he was by his side.
It was all because he liked Jouno. In the way that you loved someone.
The kiss stayed tentative and hesitant and Jouno didn’t really have any reaction towards it, so Tecchou drew back reluctantly, afraid that he just made a horrible mistake.
“Sorry–” he started but quickly found himself unable to keep talking as Jouno darted forward and kissed him again, stealing the words out of his mouth and the air out of his lungs.
This kiss was more enthusiastic than the first, both of them moving their lips this time, and when their noses bumped into each other uncomfortably, Tecchou used his hand to gently angle Jouno’s head, allowing him to press even closer.
They broke apart and Tecchou gazed at Jouno, his lips as warm as his heart. “Jouno,” he said, tracing the shape of his brows with his thumb. “I think I like you. Love you.”
Jouno laughed, soft and airy, like he did last night but better, and Tecchou could feel an echo of it in his body, light-headed as he smiled and pressed their foreheads together.
“You're not even lying,” Jouno breathed out in a huff, intertwining their legs. “I can’t believe I fell for someone as foolishly honest as you.”
And then Jouno kissed him again, slender fingers coming up to bury themselves in the brown curls he always called a messy nest, and when Tecchou’s hand slid down the side of his neck, he could feel Jouno’s pulse, beating fast beneath his fingertips.