Steam still lingered faintly in the air, trailing from the hallway where the bath had ended just minutes ago. The evening sun bled through the windows, casting long golden rays into the quiet living room. And on the couch, sprawled like a victorious emperor after conquering two kingdoms, sat Shin.
One arm lazily draped over each side, he cradled the two trembling forms of Ai and Yuki against his chest. Both of them clung to him with loose limbs and flushed cheeks, breathing shallowly, dazed in the haze of post-bath ecstasy.
Ai curled into his left side, her damp hair sticking to her neck, her cheeks still burning from the memory of how many times she'd broken in the tub. She didn't even try to count anymore. Her lips barely moved as she murmured up to him.
"Onii-chan… you're too much… again… I… I can't even sit properly…" she mumbled, voice barely a whisper as she nestled closer.
Yuki, on Shin's right, was no better. His slim body shivered as he nuzzled against Shin's shirt, red-faced and utterly defeated. His tsundere pride had been shattered in the water, and yet even now, he tried to cling to it.
"B-Baka… y-you… you broke me, stupid… idiot…" he mumbled, his voice catching in his throat. "M-My legs won't even… gah!"
But his hand, small and trembling, still gripped Shin's shirt like a lifeline. His words said "stupid," but his face said something far softer.
Shin looked down at them with a lopsided, smug grin—the grin of a man who'd won something greater than just desire. He didn't need to say anything. The look on his face said enough: Mine.
On the carpet in front of the couch, Aiko sat cross-legged, her long hair down, her arms loosely wrapped around Asahi, who lounged back against her. The little boy's face lit up with joy as his eyes sparkled watching the anime flashing across the TV screen.
"The hero's parents were killed by a secret organization," Asahi explained excitedly, pointing at the screen. "Now he's fighting them with his childhood friend and now girlfriend! She never left his side!"
Aiko smiled softly, watching the story unfold. The way Asahi clung to it, the brightness in his tone—it made her chest feel warm.
"You're a little hero too, A-Chan," Aiko whispered, brushing her hand through his soft hair.
Asahi giggled, tilting his head back to beam up at her. "Really?"
"Really," she said, her voice proud. "You're my hero."
He blinked, heart fluttering, then turned his head toward the couch.
"But my real hero is Onii-chan!"
Shin chuckled as he heard it from his throne on the couch. His voice came low and playful, "Oh? I got promoted from being just the pancake guy?"
Asahi puffed out his chest proudly. "You're the coolest! Strong like the anime guy! And you make the best pancakes!"
Ai giggled softly against his chest while Yuki squirmed in embarrassment. Shin ruffled Yuki's white hair and kissed the top of Ai's head, then looked at Asahi with a warm smile.
"How about we call Rika-nee-chan?" he asked.
Asahi sat up straighter, eyes sparkling. "Yes! I wanna show her the anime!"
Ai blinked at the name. "Rika?"
"Mm," Shin nodded. "It's been a while, right?"
Ai's lips pouted slightly. Her cheeks puffed with a mix of irritation and teasing. "If you're gonna call her, then… you better answer her confession first, Onii-chan."
Yuki blinked, brows furrowing.
"…Eh?" he whispered hoarsely, dazed. "Wait… Confession? What confession?"
Shin leaned back slightly, his eyes flicking toward Yuki's flushed, confused face. The boy's cheeks were still pink from earlier… and now his brows were furrowing deeper, the way they always did when his brain refused to accept something that didn't fit his little tsundere logic.
Yuki whispered again, more urgently, "Wait… when I met her—two, three days ago—Rika was only in love with Ai. I remember! I thought she liked Ai!"
Shin chuckled and leaned closer, brushing his lips to Yuki's ear and whispering back with a low hum, "That night only."
Yuki's face exploded in color.
"Y-You—! Y-You mean—?!" he squeaked, choking, eyes wide.
Shin only gave a wicked little smile and, just to add to the embarrassment, planted a soft kiss on Yuki's ear.
"B-Baka! D-Don't—don't do that so suddenly!" Yuki squirmed like a trapped kitten, burying his burning face in Shin's shoulder.
Shin, still smirking, pulled out his phone. With Ai still melting against him and Yuki trembling beside him, he typed a message to Rika, knowing she'd still be in class.
> Shin: Asahi's here. The others are too. Come over if you're free after school?
The reply came almost immediately.
> Rika: I'm so excited!! I want to meet him! Also… I need your answer. For real this time.
Shin looked at the message for a moment longer, his expression softening. Rika… he knew how long she'd been carrying that weight. Always hiding, always smiling… just like Ai once did. He was never good at ignoring people who looked strong just to keep others from worrying.
He put the phone down and let his arms draw the two precious bodies beside him in closer.
Ai curled tighter into him, letting out a soft coo of pleasure as his warmth enveloped her.
Yuki grumbled something about him being "stupid" and "way too clingy," but didn't move away either. His little fingers curled into Shin's shirt, and his ear still burned where Shin had kissed him.
Shin's hand gently stroked Ai's hair, his thumb brushing along her temple before pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Then he turned his head and did the same to Yuki, planting a soft kiss between his bangs.
The two didn't speak. They just pressed closer, comforted in silence.
On the floor, Aiko watched them quietly. Her eyes flickered up to Shin's smile, and then back down to Asahi, who was now animatedly explaining the plot twist in the anime. Despite everything—the tension, the heartbreaks, the tangled threads of feelings—right now… it was peaceful.
It was warm.
Shin closed his eyes for a moment, holding Ai and Yuki in his arms, and listened.
To the TV.
To Asahi's excited chatter.
To the steady breaths of the ones he loved.
---