"Keita, let's do it again." Rintarou said, eagerly wrapping his arms around Keita's body and pulling him closer.
"No." Keita flatly refused him. "I'm tired. Besides, aren't you working tomorrow?"
"Yes, but I can still go for another round." Rintarou grinned, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
WHACK!
"Stop looking at me like a pervert and go to sleep!" Keita snapped.
A soft whimpering could be heard coming from the curled up Rintarou. He was holding his head, rolling from one side to the other. Apparently, Keita meant to get his point across, so he had been a bit too energetic with his kick.
"Why did you have to hit my head so hard? What if I become dumb?" Rintarou whined, while massaging the top of his head.
"Impossible." Keita declared firmly, not sparing his lover even one look of pity.
"Ah, I knew you love me too much to think so little of me."
"You're already this dumb. There is no lower level for you, Rintarou." Keita finally dealt the killer blow.
Rintarou's health points quickly went down to zero, so he could only stay still and cry silently.
But he was quite the resilient type. Even when falling, he wouldn't stay down for long.
Hence, a few moments later he opened his mouth again.
"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time. Why is your cat called Fukuharu?"
"What's with this random question?" Keita looked at him, surprise visible on his sleepy face.
"Nothing in particular. This just popped into my head and I realized that I have always been curious about it, but somehow never got a chance to ask."
"You are a really weird one."
"Hey, haven't you been mean enough to me today? Still want to beat a man who's already lying down?" Rintarou complained.
At the same time, he plastered his body along Keita's. Then, he pulled the other man closer to his chest, snuggling and nuzzling his neck like a big, playful dog.
"Hey, stop that. It tickles." Keita squirmed and tried to push him away.
"Then answer me and I'll stop." Rintarou continued to rub his face against Keita's neck.
"Alright, alright you weirdo." Keita huffed in defeat. "I'll tell you about it. Though, in my opinion, it's really not a very interesting story."
With a deep sigh, he snuggled into his lover's arms and quieted down for a moment. He placed both palms on top of Rintarou's hands, then began playing with the man's fingers absentmindedly.
After shifting his position slightly, Keita eventually began to speak again.
"One spring, three years ago, I was walking outside, heading towards the park for a breath of fresh air. For some strange reason, I decided to stop by the convenience store and buy something warm to drink. Though it was the beginning of spring, the temperatures were very low. Barely minutes after I left the house my body started feeling really cold. While contemplating if I should give up the walk and return home, I heard animal cries from a nearby tree. I followed the sounds and I eventually saw a kitten.
By the looks of it, the animal was probably not even one year old. It was holding onto a branch and meowing desperately for help. At first, I tried reaching up for it, but the branch was too high-up for me. Climbing was out of the question as well. So, in the end, I just stood under that tree until I managed to convince the cat to climb down by itself. When it did, I caught it and brought it home with me. The poor thing was not only shivering and starving, but also had an injured paw."
Rintarou let out a throaty chuckle, then mumbled a question into Keita's hair.
"How long did you have to wait for the cat to come down?"
The man's voice was low and soft, tickling Keita's ears pleasantly.
"An hour." Keita replied softly.
Hearing that, Rintarou let out another small laugh. A moment later, he began nuzzling Keita's neck again, followed by a series of gentle, loving kisses. He traced along his lover's neck line until he reached the base of Keita's jaw.
With a light nip, Rintarou continued to speak.
"That's so like you, Keita. I'm not even surprised. But what about the name then?"
"Well, I thought it would be obvious by now. I named it Fuku from luck, and Haru from spring. It was a lucky encounter on a spring day."
"Hmmm, lucky encounter you say. Then what about me?" Rintarou asked softly.
By now, his voice was drifting slowly, until only his breathing could be heard. He was most likely on the verge of falling asleep.
Keita remained quiet for a while, listening to Rintarou's calm and steady breathing. He could feel the other person's chest moving with each breath, and feel the puffs of hot air brushing against his neck. He was conscious of that heart beating so close to his back, almost feeling its vibrations through the skin.
But apart from all of these, Keita was even more conscious of the man's hold. Rintarou's long arms curled around his waist, keeping him close like he was something precious and dear.
It was a warm and cozy feeling, one which made Keita realize what Rintarou's presence in his life truly meant. The man was just like the summer after a long and cold spring.
Keita took a deep breath, listening to their two different heartbeats gradually falling in sync. Right now, it seemed as though he and his lover were molded into one being. So, he instinctively snuggled closer, wanting to reduce the distance between him and that person to nothing.
"In my life, you are a ray of sunshine, Rintarou. More than luck or chance, to me you represent love, a steadfast, mind sweeping, overpowering love."
Keita's soft whispers floated in the air, blending with the rhythmic breathing coming from behind him.
He soon fell asleep as well, with a smile on his face and his chest filled with the sweetness of happiness.
END