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He wakes up at half past six in the morning, sitting up slowly in bed as his eyes adjusts to the dark. The air in the room is cool, proof of winter’s refusal to give in to spring. He shivers, rubbing his arms through the long thick cotton sleeve of his shirt and forces himself to leave the warmth of the quilt.
The apartment is silent, empty as he makes his way around. He’s left the windows open, enjoying the cold air while airing out the apartment after being shut for the entire night. Soon he’ll have to close them and start warming up the apartment, but that won’t be for another half hour at least before the water warms up enough for him to take a shower. So he cleans, dusting the little nooks and crannies and sweeping under the table and beneath the couch. He starts boiling the water and laying out the ingredients for breakfast, never mind that he’s no longer cooking for a dozen people and it is much, much too early to start for two. He still does it anyway, carefully weighing out the rice and letting the fish thaw.
Two years since they graduated from Seirin, two years they’ve been sharing an apartment located five minutes away from the station that would take them to their University. And while the medical and business schools were located at opposite ends of the campus, it was comforting to return back to their shared space, and spend the rest of the evening relaxing alongside each other despite the staggering amount of homework.
He shuts the window with a click, turning on the heater before returning to their room. The lump under the quilt hasn’t moved an inch, and he smiles fondly. His shower is quick, dressing warmly for the day ahead. A brief check on the weather forecast prompts him to prepare their umbrellas, and extra thick coats just in case they get caught up in something.
It is just past eight when he starts cooking, a part of him missing the hustle and bustle of an overcrowded kitchen with everyone rushing to finish their morning routines in time for breakfast. But there’s an even bigger part of him that’s grateful for the quiet, appreciative of the time he gets alone to sort his thoughts out and revel in being no one else but himself.
Distantly he hears the bedroom door click open, followed by the sound of someone yawning and the soft rumble of a hungry stomach. He counts down from ten, lips quirking up in a smile when the footsteps come to a stop at the entry to the kitchen the moment he hits zero.
“Mornin’ Mitobe. Is breakfast done?”
He turns his head, quirking it slightly to the left as he empties the pan of the fish.
“Gotcha. I’ll go wash up then.”
By the time Koganei returns to the kitchen, he’s done washing up and the table is laid. They both take their seats, bowing their heads as they say their greeting before digging in. The fare is simple: miso soup, white rice with a bit of sesame seeds on the top and a fried mackerel lightly seasoned with lemon. Across the table from him Koganei is wolfing down his breakfast, helping himself to a second bowl of rice.
He looks at Koganei for a moment, eyes meeting for a few seconds before he blinks.
“Yea ‘s still ridiculously cold out. Wish it’d start warming up already.”
He swallows, blinking a few times before taking another bite.
“Yup! Got it draped over my bag. Don’t worry I won’t forget to take it with me again.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“I swear I won’t! … But it was fun having you nurse me the last time I had a fever.”
“…”
“Aww but you’d look good in a nurse outfit! Sure you not gonna wear one?”
Sighing quietly, he finishes his second bowl of rice, and returns to the sink. The light scrape of a chair on the tiled floor is heard, and Koganei appears at his side. Carefully he slides the ceramic bowls into the sink, bumping their hips as he shifts to make space for the other boy.
“I got this.”
He looks up at the clock and shakes his head.
“Eh? Oh crap you’re right it’s late!” Drying his hands Koganei flees the kitchen. The sounds of muffled cursing echoes in the apartment, faint thuds making him shake his head as the other rushes to prepare for school.
He hangs up the apron when he’s done, patting his shirt down and steps out of the kitchen. Koganei is to his right, sitting on the step of the genkan and pulling on his shoes. Patiently he waits behind him, pressing the umbrella into his hands along with a cloth wrapped box when he’s done.
“Ah! Almost forgot!”
A hand wraps around the front of his shirt, pulling him down as their lips meet in a brief kiss. The smile on Koganei’s face is brighter than before, eyes sparkling as he drops back down from his tiptoe.
“Thanks for the meal Mitobe! I’ll cya when I get back!”
He nods, and smiles.
“Have a safe trip.”