In case you need me

A man in a suit opened the door to his home and stepped inside, blood stains all over his clothes. He had been away for over two days and was exhausted, judging by the dark circles under his eyes.

Quick steps came from the other room, followed by a slender figure.

Jiro looked up, but it took him a few seconds to realize who it was. He stared at the other man's worried face in sudden awe, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing.

"What happened to you? Are you hurt again?" Natsuo questioned cautiously.

Jiro slowly walked over to him, then brushed his fingers through his hair, which had changed since he last saw him. His previous, shoulder-length hair was now more like a wolf cut with sharp, choppy layers. Instead of brown, it was bright teal, a color that complemented his blue eyes perfectly.

"Your hair. It's beautiful," Jiro uttered, marveling at the transformation.

Natsuo's cheeks glowed red as the man kept touching his scalp, but he didn't back away. He nervously fiddled with his fingers, something he always did when anxious or self-conscious.

"Did you get into a fight?" he wondered as his attention shifted back to the bloodstains on the other one's outfit.

"It's not mine, so don't worry about that," Jiro said somberly. His work had been horrible, clogging his mind with stressful thoughts and terrible flashbacks, but he tried to push it aside.

Over the past few days, his thoughts had returned many times to his housemate. He found that thinking about him brought him back to his senses and strangely calmed him down, when the task he was forced to do had completely worn him out.

Jiro realized he was still stroking Natsuo's hair, so he quickly stopped, withdrawing his hand away.

For a moment, time stood still between them as their gazes locked. Jiro felt like a magnetic force pulled him towards the other man, almost hypnotizing - until the blue eyes turned away, breaking the sudden trance between them.

"What have you been up to while I was gone? Did everything go well?" Jiro asked, after clearing his voice with a cough.

"I'm fine. Is there anything I can do for you?" Natsuo replied as he changed his weight from one foot to the other.

"I think I will just take a bath and go to sleep. I'm really tired," the yakuza laughed stiffly.

"Well... have you had anything to eat?"

"No, but I don't have an appetite. I will make us breakfast in the morning, so we can eat together," Jiro smiled and ruffled his roommate's hair again, a slight smirk on his face.

(Later that night)

Natsuo tossed and turned in his bed, replaying the night's events in his head.

There had been something unsettling in the air. Jiro's demeanor had seemed troubled and he had refused to tell him what was wrong, after Natsuo had prepared the bath for him - a task he really wanted to do, even though the other one insisted he could do it himself.

Jiro always looked relieved when he returned home, but not this time. Even his smile had come across as forced as if he was desperately trying to hide his distress.

Natsuo got up from his bed, feeling like he was guided by his inner compass. He timidly headed to other man's room, wondering if he was still awake in the early morning hours.

The master bedroom's door was closed. He still approached it, but stopped behind it, without going in. His hand hovered in mid-air as he pondered whether he should check on him or if the man preferred to remain alone.

A sudden sensation made his heart race uncomfortably.

They had slept in the same bed from time to time. Respectfully, they kept their distance, but stayed relatively close to each other - as a result, Natsuo had made a discovery. He had always been a light sleeper, a condition worsened by living on the streets, but also by nightmares from the yakuza cellar where he was struggling for his life and survival.

While he had slept next to Jiro, he had drifted off easily and woke up feeling strangely refreshed. Still, somewhere deep in his mind, his intuition told him that two men shouldn't sleep together in the same bed, sharing such intimacy. It was suspicious, no matter how safe it felt, and it shouldn't have happened.

When he finally decided to let Jiro be, much to his surprise, the door opened and the man with tattoos stood before him, watching him with a questioning look.

"Is something wrong?" Jiro asked hoarsely.

"Sorry, I - I just... thought I would check... if..."

Natsuo lost his voice and couldn't bring himself to answer the question, realizing his intrusiveness and awkwardness. The older one stepped aside and gestured for the younger man to come in. The latter spotted Jiro's expression, which looked distant and troubled, as if he were looking beyond the room's walls.

"Were you... on your way somewhere?"

"No, but I think I heard you, so I came over to check."

"I can leave, if you want..."

"That's up to you," Jiro answered blankly.

Natsuo hesitated, but realized that his roommate really was having a hard time and needed comfort - no matter how small.

"Well... go lie down..."

Jiro, wearing only his underwear, complied and lowered himself onto the messy bed. Natsuo followed him and tucked him under a blanket with trembling hands, covering him well.

"Would you like me to stay here... in case you need me?" he murmured, uncertain if he was overstepping his line, but committed to offering his help.

"Stay," the yakuza answered in a weak voice, so his housemate joined him beside him, but kept his distance.

"Do you want to talk about… anything?"

"No, not now," Jiro said quietly. He turned his back on the figure beside him, curling up under the covers, so that only a little bit of his white hair peeked out.

(A while later)

Natsuo woke up from his dreamless sleep when he felt someone pressing against him. He was startled and frozen when he recognized Jiro's face resting against his slim chest. The man had snuggled up close to him before falling asleep again.

He was both frightened and moved by the intimate position they were in. In some way, Jiro's trust touched him, but he was also scared of what it could mean.

The white-haired man's brows furrowed and his muscles trembled slightly. His grip tightened as he seemed to be caught in some struggle in his dream.

Natsuo felt he had no other choice but to stay there and watch over him, hoping that his presence could soothe his former classmate's pain even - if it was just a tiny bit.

He gulped and let his shaky hand rest on Jiro's back, keeping it still and trying not to wake him. In his mind, he repeated that no one was there to see them, to judge them - it was only them.

His eyes closed and he eventually drifted off into a peaceful slumber, free of nightmares, held close by the other man.