Work Text:
Sleeping in Togami's room is quite abnormal to Naegi, and it's not the fact it's much colder than the boy's own. It's the fact he can't sleep in it, knowing there's a human beside him from the soft snores falling from the heir's lips.
It's not like it's weird to be sleeping in the same bed as Byakuya, but it is quite strange. The idea he was even allowed in here is strange to him, the way Byakuya would allow himself to be vulnerable to a murder. It's not like he'd kill Byakuya, he'd never! Just.. Byakuya is a guy to assume, he'd probably believe it.
He remembers exactly what led up to being able to sleep in the heir's bedroom itself, every step he took, every breath he breathed. It all started with Naegi making some master plan of his, in the middle of the night, around 10 pm, which was more of a dumb thought than a genius, award worthy plan. Now, in the cold bedroom of the other, he's thinking it over and he's surprised it worked, from how idiotic it was.
The plan was the fact that he didn't feel safe in his own room, because of the flashbacks of Maizono when he stared at the bathroom door of his. He'd imagine walking into there, seeing Maizono next to the shower, on the cold bathroom floor, in the dead of night, when he couldn't sleep, which isn't ideal. So, he came to the conclusion that he should have a sleepover in someone else's room, so he can't stare at that specific bathroom.
It's just a horrible memory in general, he's glad that all of his.. other friends' deaths didn't happen in that bathroom. He wouldn't know how to live if it did, and to be honest, he's surprised he did. He sometimes thinks back to Maizono, what would've happened if Makoto.. died then. The way he was framed for murder, it could've happened and he could've been the blackened.. He sighs every time he thinks.
Naegi then, at that moment, thought of the possibilities of who he could ask to share a room with for the night. He listed Hina or Kirigiri, but immediately shook his head at the idea. They're both.. girls, and if Naegi knows anything about being a gentleman he knows sleeping with your own gender is much safer, and less awkward between the two of them.. And it's not that Fukawa would let him, anyway…
The last two people he could ask are Hagakure and Togami, since they're both males, at least he thinks so.. He doesn't know anymore, since Chihiro got found out as a dude, and Togami does look suspiciously pretty..
His eyelashes are long enough for him to pass as a girl, or be one, and his hair isn't short. It's quite long, since it goes to his chin. Maybe you could put it in some sort of mini pony?
But enough of that, he had to find out which one would be better to share a room with. The cons of Hagakure were he'd probably be a loud snorer, Naegi truthfully believed it. He is honestly greatful the bedrooms are soundproof, or else he'd have to chop his ears off just to have a good night's rest.
At Least that's what he thinks. They've all chopped him up to being a stupid guy, so isn't that what stupid men do? Snore? It makes him wonder if he'd snore loudly like a train, or loudly like he's going "Mimimi", like how a cartoon would sleep.
It'd be quite funny, and Makoto doesn't wanna laugh before he sleeps… He doesn't want that 5th grade habit coming back. Just thinking about that gives him the chills, having to alert his mother..
And the cons of Togami were he'd probably degrade Naegi in the morning, or in the doorway for that matter, speaking of how he doesn't allow peasants in his territory. But, his room is closer to Naegi's and after a few days of investigating this tall building and all its floors, Naegi's legs were starting to cramp.
But the thing is, how would Naegi get Togami to agree to letting him sleep in his bed? Naegi immediately thought of money, since that's one thing Togami is interested in, but then again Togami has too much money, and Naegi is quite broke at the moment.
There's no way he'd accept money, as he did say that the amount of money for the motive was nothing to him, and it was below him. He'd never just have that money handed to him, he'd probably want to make it himself. Plan two, then.
Maybe if he happened to find something that did peak Togami's rare interest, he'd be able to slide into those sheets of his, as weird as that sounds.. Then, Naegi remembered that Togami had always been one to freak out when he saw specific gifts Naegi had gotten from the MonoMono Machine.
He didn't know why these gifts were so special to Togami, as he literally got them out of a capsule, but whatever counts.
Let's see, there was the Scarab Brooch, which looked like what it sounded like. A Scarab was a type of large, dung beetle, and a brooch was, well, a brooch.
He didn't know why Togami was quite interested in this thing, as it was quite literally a beetle, but he'd write a reminder to get Togami one for their sleepover, in case straight up asking him doesn't work. And Makoto is 100% sure that just asking won't work, so getting on Togami's good side is definitely what he'd need to sneak into the other's bed.
..
So that's what Naegi did. He stopped by the school store, gambling his coins away until he opened a capsule to reveal a Scarab Brooch. He pick-pocketed it, and since it was already night, and he was so rudely kicked out of the Dining hall, he was ready to ask Togami if he could stay the night.
He walked over to the dorms, standing in front of Togami's dorm and gulping down the saliva sitting on the roof of his tongue. Naegi picked his hand up, which was already shaking from the idea of who he was about to confront, knocking roughly around 5 times on the heir's door.
Then, the door opened to reveal Togami's lanky figure in the door. He was in a shirt and some pants, very different from what Naegi had seen him in previously the other days. He looked like he had just woken up, from the way he rubbed under his glasses. Before Naegi could hold up a stare at the man's body, he spoke.
"What is it, Naegi?" Togami said, his voice a little rough on the sides from being so rudely-awakened, but he didn't have any energy to fight with the brunette, who was always a thorn in his side with his spiky hair.
Naegi gulped, bringing a hand up to his cheek and scratching it slightly, "Uh, I was wondering if I could ask you something..?" He let out, bamboozled at the fact he could even speak words anymore with the way Togami's sleepy teal eyes were tearing into his own pair.
"Spit it out. I don't have time for this, Naegi, it's around 2:30 in the morning." Togami said, bluntly as ever. Though, he knew he was right in the idea that knocking on someone's door at 2 am might not have been the best idea.
"Can I sleep in your room tonight," Naegi blurted out, bringing a hand out to his chest to clutch it. "Please, B-Byakuya!" He begged the other, who stared at him like he had some sort of incurable disease that was rapidly contagious.
Blinking slightly, Togami then readjusted his white-rimmed glasses. Naegi swears he saw the other sweat, but maybe it was his imagination. "Why would I let someone like you, a peasant, into my room without a reason? You're not sleeping with me."
..
It took a while to get Byakuya to agree, his ways of shutting Naegi down fitting right into place. But as soon as Makoto took out the item he'd been holding and keeping in his pocket, Togami flipped out. He looked at it, back at Naegi, and started to berate him in the middle of that hallway on how he got that and why exactly he was showing it to him.
Makoto can't just say "Oh, I'm bribing you," so he answered with a slight chuckle, explaining that he got it from the gambling machine in the corner.. and would give it to Togami if he so, nicely, let him into his room to sleep just so he could get rid of the nightmares that haunt his own brain at the late hours of midnight.
Togami only felt more rude then, telling him to leave him alone, but those blue teal eyes were locked onto the brooch like it was the end of the world, and that was the only food item ever. He seemed so interested, so cultivated by this little object Makoto would've given to him anyway if they were to just hang out. Too bad he rolls in bulk, because he has like 17 thongs.
It went on, just Togami being angry, and even more bribing and begging from Makoto, before Togami took the Scarab Brooch, grabbing the sleeve of Makoto's shirt and dragging him into the room painfully. He shuts the door behind him, making the only light of the room the space below the door.
And then, it all ended with Togami finally agreeing to Naegi's scheme, putting the Scarab Brooch on the desk sitting in his room, leaving it to be found tomorrow and cherished by the pale man's imperfect eyes.
Naegi then rubbed his arm from how harsh that pull had been, before seeing Togami slipping into bed, slowly getting below the covers in the dark room, making the brunette follow behind him.
At first, it was awkward. None of them were asleep, just sitting in the bed, awkwardly next to each other. Makoto would shift slightly and Togami would be on his tail, telling the other to "Stop moving," and threatening to make him leave his room if he were to get too close.
Togami always seemed like a guy to enjoy his personal space, Makoto thought, but god was he so forceful about how "This was his side," and "Don't even go near me". It's like being strapped down to a bed, not being able to move or even breath under the blanket.
Such harsh rules for a plush comforter, a mattress and a pillow, just one, or a half of one, as Togami was taking most of the room. It only makes Naegi wonder if it's a twin size bed, or a single bed. Is that even a size of matttess?
..
And that leads Naegi to where he is now, sleeping in Togami's room, well, not actually sleeping. He can't fall asleep like this, his eyes just won't close. He tries to shut them, trying to keep them closed for at least twenty seconds, but they fall back open to the dark void of Byakuya's freezing cold room, staring at the textured ceiling of the dorms.
Speaking of Togami, he seems a little stressed over there, the way he shuffles around. Naegi thinks about flipping over and asking him what's wrong, since Togami seems to be having a bad dream.
Makoto doesn't want to infer what he's dreaming about, for all he knows it could be a giant moth chasing him and tickling him until he can't breath, but the way Togami is huddled up makes him think it's serious.
What was it Togami said to him when they were hanging out? Or "hanging out," is more of a friendly word. Makoto thinks they're friends, while Togami thinks otherwise.. So he should just say Togami was tolerating him for the time being. But he did say something important, a thing or two about the way his life was like.
Makoto wishes he had listened to more of what he said, but he didn't, since he wasn't really sure what Togami even meant.. But from what he was sure Togami said, he had a harsh up-coming in his heir role.
The way his father made them do all that, made Makoto's stomach sink like he was on a rollercoaster. His friends', or "not".. lives are definitely more complicated than his own..
..Maybe he was having a nightmare on said memory? It didn't sound ceremonious, it sounded messy and bloody. But he did say "They got exiled," instead of dying, so maybe it wasn't physical? But he can't imagine a "fight" that was explained like Togami explained it to not be harsh. Maybe they just got kicked out after they got injured? Is that even.. legal?
..
Togami turns over, meeting Makoto's face. If it wasn't for the dark, Makoto would make out a few more facial features than he can now. All he sees is a slight light, from under the door, shining on the back of Byakuya's head, making some of his face visible to the human eye. His eyelashes, how long they are, are visible, the peaceful attributes of his face.
Makoto feels his throat close up, like he has to cough, but it's much more peaceful. He's felt this way before, yes.. But only in 6th grade. Maybe Togami gave him the flu? He took his shots, but he didn't this year, due to.. being in highschool.. It just doesn't come free with Hope's peak.
Even if Togami gave him the flu, he wouldn't mind. Togami's a nice, or well, sometimes a nice guy, when he wants to be. He'll not look at Makoto funny, not scrunch up his noses…and that's obviously a sign he's being nice.
Or, nice for Togami at atleast. It doesn't take anything out of him to be mean, it's like he's automatically just straight up to everyone.. But, it probably does take a lot out of him to not do those things.
..
Makoto's face warms up when he feels the bed shift, feeling a heat get closer to him. He quickly realises the heat isn't his own body heating up from even being in a bed with someone else, it's someone pressing themself into him. It's a heat, from someone else, not his own.
It's Togami.. and to think Togami is desperately looking for someone to cuddle against him in his sleep is a far stretch, but it seems to be correct. He slowly reaches out his arm to Makoto's side, pulling his arm closer to him, to hold and snuggle against.
It's like dealing with a toddler, as weird as that sounds. He should never compare Togami, the Byakuya Togami, heir of a Company, or multiple? To.. a baby. Or at least that's what he'd tell Makoto, but it's right.
Babies, sometimes, are super clingy with their parents. And that's just the first thing that came to his head, I mean, it's not like Byakuya is a baby..
His attention snaps back over to Byakuya, as if he wasn't already thinking about him in his own head, since Byakuya slowly moved Makoto's hand around his own waist. Makoto doesn't exactly know how to go about this, going from someone hating you to having their hands all over you?
That's not quite a relationship Makoto wants. But, it's not like this is some huge hint that Byakuya likes him. They're just.. cuddling.
Yeah, cuddling is natural. We all do it, maybe Togami was so scared he just needed a little pick up. Togami and scared in the same sentence doesn't seem.. correct. Makoto looks at the sleeping guy infront of him, and it seems he doesn't look that scared anymore. Maybe he's comfortable like this? If it helps Byakuya sleep, maybe he can keep holding him close like this..
Makoto holds his arm on Byakuya's waist, his slightly slender waist, keeping a nice grip on it. Makoto has nothing else to worry about, so he closes his eyes, feeling nice and cosy with Byakuya pressed against him like this. Byakuya seems pretty content, aswell. He breathes quietly, his mind clear of his night terrors.
He supposes both of their problems were solved in that short time. Maybe a little cuddle is all that he needs, a little stress reliever.
Togami presses his hands against Makoto's chest, hugging him closer, as if he's scared of losing him. Makoto only wonders what that head is dreaming of, but he doesn't ask.
He sits in the silence of the room, listening to Togami's soft breathing, the sound of the air conditioning. He doesn't want to ruin this moment and wake Byakuya up, so he doesn't make any sudden movements.
..He does want to reach up and run his hands through Byakuya's hair, even if he can't see it, but it doesn't work like that. He'd never get peaceful Byakuya back, as much as he wants to do it.. He'd probably wake him up.
So he's content with sleeping next to Byakuya, having an arm around his waist while Byakuya holds onto him like a teddy bear, or some sort of pillow. He's slept with his sibling, Komaru, before, but it was at a hotel and they slept on seperate parts of the bed. Now, he's cuddling against someone in a bed.
Oh, he only wishes he had Komaru so he could talk to her about this, a soft tone, but Komaru knows he's bragging and teasing her about how she's never done it before, even if he's only held a guy once, and that's.. right now. And he wasn't even the one to suggest the idea is what's crazy, it was purely Byakuya.
Or atleast, sleepy Byakuya. He is quite passed out, or from what Makoto can see from his constant peeking, opening his eyes and closing them again, not wanting to miss a second of the sleeping guy. It's not that he wants to watch him, to be a stalker! He's not like Toko, it's just, he wants to cherish this.
He's always been a guy to go slow and cherish the moment, that's why he likes to have something to remember the moment, something stupid, like taking a rock home because it was at the scene.
It's not like Byakuya's room has any rocks, so he'll have to remember this by replaying this in his head, instead of thinking about the bathroom in his room covered in pink.
As they lay there, in the cold room, Naegi realises it isn't as cold as he thought before. Maybe it's the way Togami is against him, or maybe it's something between them.
He can feel his own heat steaming off, and if the lights were on, he'd be a bright pink. One that'd be on a magenta crayon, covering his flesh and his freckles.
But, he guesses.. Togami's face is probably pink as well, even if he can't see it in the dark of his room. He thinks about it for a second, and he thinks it'd be nice to watch Togami's face flush with a pink mask, the way it'd match his eyes, even if they're a blue teal, because blue and pink go nice together.
Maybe Makoto would have to get Togami to feel safe enough to drop the strict impression and be real enough, to see the pinkish glow.