Pure Matchablossom fluff

Only one bed

The trek back through the forest was far from a pleasant one. Every few moments, Kojiro would poke him with a thorned stick, just to keep his sane and awake. Kaoru looked like he'd collapse at any moment, his eyelids practically purple and feet barely lifting as he took more and more steps. He'd lost count of how long it'd been since he'd slept uninterrupted.
"Gods above I'm going to strangle you if you or your poking death machines touch me one more time," he glared, glaring to the stars with a guttural sigh.
"Kaoru..." Kojiro smiled, another thorn inches from his arm.
"What?" He snapped.
"Can you even reach?"
Amongst the off-beat chirping and occasional howl of the midnight forest echoed the sweet sound of fist against flesh and Kojiro's pure, genuine laugh—something so rarely heard. Kaoru caught himself inhaling a sharp breath, unable to muster the strength to brawl with him further.
"Just hurry up and find as an inn you idiot." Despite the words, Cherry's tone held no underlying bite. A heavy droplet of water landed on his shoulder and—if not for the series of identical beads that followed in its wake—he would've sent a guttural sigh to the heavens, having assumed some sky-dweller had perfectly timed its evening shit with the coordinates of his head. Indeed, the rain had begun to pick up, triggering the pair into a rushed jog. Kojiro would kick water from freshly formed puddles his way, savouring the creativity of Cherry's string of curses—all of which he could tell he'd learnt from him.
"Calm down loser, there's one like ten minutes away."
"Ten minutes?" He hissed, pulling his jacket tighter around himself as they picked up pace once again.
At some point he'd began shaking, his lips donning a tinge of blue. The trees croaked with the force of the wind, branches mere feet above them threatening to end the pair then and there. Even Kojiro's breaths had begun to turn precariously hoarse, the sting of cool air dangerous to his already compromised lungs.
"I think I can see it," he yelled over the bellowing rain, cursing as he misjudged the depth of the puddle before his and drenched his socks. For his sake, he chose to ignore the loud cackle Kojiro had let slip. Only a few more minutes until they were safe from the rain.
True enough, they released a joint sigh of relief as the scent of burning wood overtook the stench of mud and water-soiled clothes. The inn was old and unstable, with dust-plagued helves and half-smashed windowpanes. A barely flickering flame the only source of light for the pair as they ascended the stairs.
"We only have single rooms available at the moment," said the auburn-haired lady, voice monotonous as if reading from a script. She took a sip out of a mug filled with something that—by the intoxicating smell of it—was definitely not coffee. "It's seventy for a one-bedder, ninety for two singles."
"We'll take the two—"
"The one bed will do," interrupted Kojiro, sliding in front of him. "By any chance," he added with a wink, "are you able to do sixty for it?"
Kaoru turned his face down at the sight of a new rosy undertone appearing on the lady's cheeks, something indiscernible in his gaze. Kojiro slid the money across the table, his hand lingering against hers as she gracefully took it from him. With a low chuckle that had something panging in Kaoru's chest, he took a step back, the key swinging around his fingers as he sent a final coy glace his way.
"Hurry up."
Kaoru snatched it from his hands, slamming his shoulder against his hard enough that his breath caught in his throat. The unsteady stairs groaned under each forceful step he took. He was cold and wet and drained and hungry and so, so, so incredibly tired. He refused to acknowledge any other emotions—refused to accept what might have made his blood boil or why he had to try so damn hard to keep from running back down to the lady and smashing that stupid mug over her stupid perfectly thin face.
Kojiro was muttering about something to do with them not being able to afford the additional hot water bill, though he was simply background noise to the white hot...something that burnt in Kaoru's head. Something that was very quickly forgotten the moment he unlocked the door and was hit with an unyieldingly cold blast, his teeth clattering so hard Kojiro wondered how they hadn't shattered yet.
"Couldn't you flirt your way into getting us a fucking furnace?" Kaoru sent a glare his way, to which his brows creased.
"I'm sorry, would you rather sleep outside in the cold all to your lonesome? I hear there's a pub just down the road, I'm sure some horny old man would just love to offer you his bed for the night." It was a low blow, and Kojiro knew it.
Cherry pushed past him, making a beeline for the bathroom. His eyes stung—from the rain, he told himself. And if Joe heard his gentle sobs, he made no word of it.
They had no spare clothes to change into, stripping themselves down to their undergarments and praying to whatever divine figure watching over them that their freshly hung clothes were dry before morning.
"Stick to your side," was all Kaoru said before slipping between the covers and closing his eyes.
He was long gone by the time the bed gently dipped under Kojiro's weight when he settled in as far away from his as humanely possible, sending a quick glance Cherry's way to make sure he hadn't woken before drifting off himself.
The duvet did nothing to shield them from the cold. The quick once-over Kaoru had done with the towel hadn't properly dried his hair, leaving a wet stain along the already too-cold pillow. Twice now, Kojiro had woken up due to Cherry's endless tossing and turning, the mattress practically reverberating under his shivering body. Close to what he assumed to be midnight, he gave up, flicking Kaoru on the forehead with a blunt fingernail. Much to his surprise, he didn't appear to be plotting his death when his eyes flinched open.
"You're trembling." Joe's voice was barely louder than a whisper as he scooted closer to him, placing a warm hand over Cherry's cheek. He made no move to push him away, welcoming the heat with an ever-so-slight lean into his palm, the move so subtle that Kojiro wondered if he'd imagined it. He took it as a sign; Kaoru was okay.
"Don't read into it," Cherry muttered before shifting onto his back, opening his arms for Kojiro. His ear was warm against Kaoru's chest, and he relaxed further with every cozy puff of breath Joe released. He wondered why he hadn't made any snarky comments about the racing of his heart, until he realised his was thundering just the same. Kojiro wrapped both his arms around his waist, entangling his long legs around Kaoru's in an endless arrangement of limb and bedding. Kaoru noted the softness of his hair against his fingers, how right it all felt.
Despite the clear heaviness of his eyelids, he did not give into oblivion until his mind registered what Kojiro had muttered against the hollow of his neck, voice hoarse with sleep: "love you...Cherry..."
He felt the larger man slump against him, his hand going slack against his cheek. For someone who prized himself on his ability to stay up late with ease, he'd passed out surprisingly fast. At least he seemed comfortable, his soft snores filling the room with a sense of drowsiness. The corners of Kaoru's lips tugged upwards as he placed a gentle kiss against Kojiro's forehead, snuggling deeper into his embrace ever so slightly.
"Goodnight."

******
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Kojiro was already chuckling softly when Kaoru finally woke up, shielding his eyes against the morning sun. He didn't care; he was so incredibly comfortable and warm, and no number of shit-eating grins from him would stop Cherry from falling back asleep against—
Oh.
How and why he'd ended up sprawled across Joe's body was a mystery to him. As was the gentle hand he'd let rest in his hair and the bare leg plastered atop his.
"You comfy there?" Kojiro mused, lightly flicking him on the nose.
In an instant, Kaoru sat up, blushing at the sight of a wet patch on his singlet from where he'd been perched: drool stains.
"I see you've gotten quite fond of me over the years, Cherry." His voice was teasing, though there was something sincere underpinned within it. "You need me to hold your hand?" Kojiro called out as he stalked into the bathroom, "or are you good?"
He knew he was fucked the moment Kaoru stopped in his tracks, spinning slowly to face him once again.
"I am this close to punching you in the balls." When Kaoru held his two fingers up in warning, they were touching. Kojiro couldn't move in time to deflect his death blow, doubling over the moment his fist made contact with unshielded flesh.
Cherry's shrill giggle annoyed enough hungover residents that the pair were escorted from the property and tossed to the freshly mowed lawn, as if subjects of mockery. But they were happy. And that was all that mattered.