Work Text:
Narciso Anasui didn't know what events in his life had led up to this moment, but he was currently regretting all of them.
"Oh, you're awake." Weather said as if nothing was wrong at all. As if Anasui wasn't lying on his couch, wearing his sweater, in his apartment that Anasui had just broken into earlier that day.
It had only been his intention to be here for a few minute tops, but he had found himself being unable to leave. Mostly because the sweater he had stolen had been so soft, the couch had been so much more comfortable than his own and the scent of the apartment was too familiar and safe that he hadn't been able to keep his eyes from blinking shut and falling into the deepest slumber he had been in for a long time.
And now Weather was staring at him. Frankly, it was embarrassing.
"I'm leaving." Anasui said as he shot up and tried to tug the stolen clothing over his head as fast as possible. Tried to, being the keywords, because as soon as he moved to stand up he tripped on the blanket Weather had apparently draped over him. Anasui never fell to the ground however as the man caught him just in time before he could acquaint himself more intimately with the coffee table in front of him.
"At least stay for dinner." Weather said. He sounded tired even though he tried his hardest to cover it up. "And keep the sweater if you like it."
Up close and in his arms Anasui could see all the signs of sleep deprivation. Weather's icy blue eyes were framed by a vignette of blood vessels and drooping eyelids. His skin had an unhealthy tone to it. There wasn't a bit of adrenaline left in his body. He was likely running on caffeine alone, if the smell of his breath was anything to go by.
"You are way too calm for someone who just got his apartment broken into." Anasui remarked as he untangled himself from the man's grip and the blanket that had somehow formed a knot around his ankles.
"Honestly, it's the least crazy thing that has happened to me this month."
Right. Of course.
After the defeat of Pucci, Weather had become quite a powerful pawn in the hands of the Speedwagon Foundation. Whenever there were any issues with stand users who just wanted a taste of power, whether that be of the foundation itself or random local governments or wanting to dominate the entire world, Weather was sent to defuse the situation. His stand was strong and versatile and therefore he was one of the first people they contacted when there was trouble afoot.
Anasui didn't bother asking for any of his stories. He didn't want to hear them. Weather didn't want to tell them either, judging from the slump in his shoulders and eyebags that travelled lower and lower down his face every time they met. It had been an unspoken rule between them, unless the stand user is still around and is a possible threat, to not mention the battles they had to go through.
And maybe there was just a slight jealousy. Anasui never got called. The foundation didn't know what to do with him. He was too unpredictable as a character and it didn't seem like they knew the full capabilities of his stand. There had been one instance where he got a job that was just dismantling a safe without setting off any alarms that would trigger a self-destruct sequence. Apart from that, he had just been rotting in his own apartment, taking care of Emporio when he was back from boarding school and not doing much else. Which coincidentally was exactly why he was here to begin with.
In his own apartment he felt like a caged animal. He knew Weather likely wouldn't be home and since their apartments were next to each other it had been easy to go over to his place. And so his feet had subconsciously carried him to Weather's front door, which Diver Down had unlocked before the thought had even crossed his mind. Weather's place had been a little messy, but the foul mood he had been in ebbed away. While Anasui would never want to go back to prison, he had missed the time that they shared a cell and had each other to rely on. While anything out of place usually bothered him, somehow here he didn't mind. This felt like looking into another life while the other person wasn't there. A time capsule. Then Anasui had seen the discarded sweater on the arm of the couch and without putting much thought into his actions, had put it on. He could have used the excuse that the heater hadn't been on, but in reality he couldn't care less about temperature. After that, he had promptly fallen asleep.
And now they were here, somewhat awkwardly staring at each other.
"It's been a while since I saw you without any makeup on." Weather said before breaking eye contact crossing the small distance to the kitchen.
"Really? I haven't touched my kit in at least a month." Instead of running off now that he had the chance, Anasui followed him like he was connected to him with an invisible string.
"That long? When was the last time we spoke?"
There was a pot on the stove, which held something that looked like it was supposed to be soup, that Weather stirred in absentmindedly.
"Two, no three- wait no, three and a half months ago. You know right before you had that big mission and when Emporio was home from boarding school." Anasui answered.
Home was a strange word. His own apartment barely felt like a home. It was a collection of rooms he stayed in but had no emotional attachment to. He lived there so he had a bed to sleep in and a kitchen to cook in. If neither of those things were necessary for survival, then he wouldn't have even moved in.
"Has it really been three and a half months?" Weather paused his stirring. "What have you been up to since we last spoke?"
"I've painted my walls white again. Thrown away everything that was unnecessary." He said. Even though it felt hard to admit that there wasn't much else he had done in the meantime. "My place pretty much looks the way it did when I just moved in."
The walls of his apartment, which he had painted a soft baby pink with the help of Jolyne, had started to bother him. The color was too bright, too happy. It didn't matter that it made the place his, because the longer he lived there, the more it started to grate on him. Because the colors didn't remind him of his own tastes, but instead reminded him of the woman he had to let go.
Anasui and Jolyne had dated for exactly thirteen days, one hour and eight minutes. They had clicked well at first, but then after a few days it got awkward. Domesticity came as a stark contrast to their previous life of thrilling stand battles. Conversations were forced and living together was difficult, even if neither of them wanted to admit to it. As much as Jolyne tried, she just did not feel the same. Going through a life-changing event together isn't enough to make a person fall truly, deeply in love.
It happened quite abruptly, the break up. They had gone out shopping together. Jolyne had jokingly mentioned how it would be fun to dye the green parts of her hair pink to match his and so they had ended up in a drug store looking for hair dye. When she found it, she hadn't immediately put it in their shopping cart, but instead held it an arms length away as if asking herself 'is this really what I want?'. She had been completely quiet, even though she had been talking easily up until that point. The longer she stood there, it became less about hair dye and more about them in general.
"I think this isn't going to work." She had said as she put it back on the shelf. And Anasui stayed silent. He could only nod, understanding her despite not being able to accept it at the time. It hurt. Anasui had been completely honest when he said he wanted to marry her.
Jolyne had stayed with Hermes that night and moved out the next morning.
It had been a year since then. A year of being alone in a much too brightly colored apartment that never felt like home, in which he would sometimes find relics of the woman who had left him. Hair ties, a packet of her favorite gum, sometimes random receipts he knew weren't his. And so he had slowly started throwing everything away until he was left with only the necessities and the only thing left to change back were the walls.
Weather didn't need to ask if he was okay. They both knew Anasui wouldn't answer truthfully if he asked. The silence that fell between them spoke loud enough.
Anasui picked up a spoon to taste test the soup as a way to steer their conversation elsewhere. He immediately regretted it.
"This soup tastes like ass." Somehow there were too many spices and yet no flavor. How Weather had managed to keep himself alive until now was a true mystery.
Weather looked at him with those tired eyes and took a sip himself. Then he pulled a comically confused face. "I don't know what kind of ass you've been eating."
Anasui choked on the remainder of the liquid in his throat. The aggressive coughing soon turned into genuine laughter. "Okay, I'm taking over. You clearly can't be trusted with a stove." He steered Weather forcefully to the nearest chair. "Sit."
The man protested weakly but sat down without a need for further force.
Anasui steeled himself for his attempt to make this trainwreck of a soup slightly less inedible.The cupboards in the kitchen were filled with barely used kitchenware and spices. There also weren't that many groceries in the fridge, the stuff that was there was likely from a grocery trip Weather had done earlier that day with no intention of making a five star meal. But Anasui had learned from the days he didn't feel like leaving his house and having to improvise with any leftover ingredients.
With a base that awful, it was a miracle that it was somewhat decent by the time he was done with it. It was no longer a swamp brown, now it was more of a brick red, courtesy of the tomato paste Diver Down had dug up from what hopefully wasn't the apartment on the floor below them.
"Eat." Anasui said while all but shoved a bowl of soup into Weather's hands and took a seat on the other side of the dinner table. Weather's lips had curled into a badly hidden smile. "What are you grinning about?"
"It's nice to have someone take care of me." He simply responded. Their knees knocked together under the table. Neither of them felt the need to pull away.
"Did you ruin it on purpose? So I would cook for you?"
"I wouldn't dare."
"That's even worse! That means you have willingly been eating slop that is somehow worse than the shit they fed us in prison."
"It wasn't that bad-"
"Yes it was! Did you lose your taste buds in a tragic stand battle?"
Weather just laughed. Light and airy, a soft smile on his face. The complete opposite of how he had looked when Anasui had just woken up. It suited him much better than those tired grimaces he plastered on his face whenever they ran into each other while he was in a hurry. Always running, helping others as if he had nothing left to live for himself.
In general, Anasui only cared for himself and whoever he was romantically involved with. Yet Weather, as well as Emporio, had managed to slip through the cracks of his carefully crafted facade. Though, who was he kidding, the cracks had grown so big the facade had shattered the second he decided to step into Weather's place unannounced. He wasn't made to be on his own. If it was true that stand users were drawn to each other, Anasui was glad it was Weather who had stumbled onto his path.
He pressed his knee a little firmer against Weather's. Weather softly nudged him back. They sat in comfortable silence as they finished their soup.
"It doesn't feel like it has been three and a half months. With you... it's easy. Everybody else is so demanding. I missed you." Weather said eventually. "Please come over more often. Not just for the food."
"I would, if you were here more often." Anasui bit back, though both of them knew the irritation was not aimed at Weather at all.
"I can ask the Foundation to send us on missions together."
"Or you can ask them to fuck off and give you a break." Anasui's eyes drifted over to the window beside them. The sun had set a long time ago and the sky had turned into a deep blue color. It was getting late. Weather's body betrayed him as his shoulders had sagged down so far, it looked like he was going to topple over. Anasui nudged his leg again, this time there wasn't much resistance. "You should go to bed. You're practically falling asleep right here."
"I probably should." He made no move to stand up.
Anasui didn't want to leave either. But he couldn't really stretch their time together any longer. "I guess I'll be going now."
He was the first to move, but his feet didn't carry him very far. Anasui lingered in the hallway to the front door, his fingers worrying the cuffs of the stolen sweater he was still wearing. He didn't want to go back to the apartment that was his, but didn't feel like it belonged to him at all. He didn't want to leave because for the first time in what seemed like forever he actually had felt alright.
A heavy weight pressed against his back as Weather hugged him from behind and pulled him close to his chest. "Please stay." He murmured against Anasui's neck.
"Okay." Anasui found himself saying, without even taking a beat to think it over. Both of them seemed a little surprised at the lack of hesitation.
"Okay." Weather echoed and steered him to his bedroom.
They don't separate for long, just long enough to undress and slip underneath the covers. The bed was big enough for them to have room for themselves, but Anasui didn't see the point in that. They were past denying their need to have the other close. Weather didn't protest as he curled up to his side.
"Sleep." Anasui ordered as Weather once again attempted to resist the sweet siren's call of sleep.
"I don't want to. That would be cutting our time short."
"What, do they expect you to get back to work first thing in the morning?"
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"If they try that tomorrow, then they will regret it." Anasui meant it. He was protective over those who he cared about, perhaps too much, but he couldn't help it. Nobody hurt the rare few that captured his heart and he would gladly remind them if they even did as much as try.
Weather shifted so he was looking straight into Anasui's eyes and all thoughts of violent murder stopped, as they often did around him. "Would I be overstepping any boundaries if I told you how much I want to kiss you right now?"
Anasui huffed. "You tell me. I have broken into your apartment, you walked in on me wearing your clothing and I'm basically on top of you right now. If anyones overstepping boundaries, it's me."
"It doesn't hurt to ask."
Silence fell between them.
"Well?" Anasui prompted.
"What?"
"Tell me how much you want to kiss me."
"Oh." Weather, clearly way to tired too form a coherent thought, stumbled to gather some comprehensible words to string together. "I want to kiss you... a whole lot."
Anasui snorted and then barked out a laugh. "I was expecting something more romantic with that opening, but it'll have to do. Go ahead."
After some hesitation, like he wasn't sure if he had heard it correctly, Weather leaned in and pressed their lips together. It felt right. Like they should have done this a whole lot sooner. The kiss was fairly innocent for Anasui's tastes, but he could let it slide. It still was the best kiss he had in a long time. And if it was up to him, they had plenty of time to improve upon it. It didn't last long, as Weather was cut off by a yawn.
"Will you be here when I wake up tomorrow?" Weather asked him as he combed his fingers through long pink locks.
"Where else would I be going?"
"I don't know, home?"
"If I would be going home then I would still be in the same place tomorrow."
Weather just stared at Anasui blankly. He was far too tired to be able to process that comment.
"I'm calling this home." Anasui gestured to the space between them. "This. You. When I walked in here this morning I felt at ease for the first time in so long. I'm not leaving even if you wanted me to."
"I wish I had more energy so I could show you what that means to me."
"But you don't. So go to sleep."
And for the first time that night, Weather finally listened.
The next morning Weather woke up to an empty bed. Though he couldn't find himself being worried or sad. The bedding was still warm where Anasui had been laying. Soft sounds of kitchen tools and the occasional hushed voice echoed through his apartment. He closed his eyes again to hold on to the last moments of sleep, while he enjoyed the sounds of a not so empty home.
The muscles in his shoulders felt relaxed for the first time in ages. The stress that had settled in them, while not gone completely, had melted away somewhat. It seemed that Anasui's presence had been just what he had needed. He had been able to sleep through the entire night without waking up or having nightmares, it had been a long time since that happened. If only he had known that his cure had been so closeby.
Weather blinked his eyes open when the sounds grew a little closer and the door to his bedroom was opened. Anasui walked in wearing nothing but his sweater and a pair of underwear, balancing a tray of breakfast foods while Diver Down floated next to him with two cups of steaming coffee. He had a phone, one that looked suspiciously like the one Weather owned, pressed to his ear and held in place with his shoulder. That would explain some of the talking he had heard. Although Anasui's volume had noticeably gotten louder as the person on the other side of the line had decided to say something that predictably pissed him off. Someone from the Speedwagon Foundation, if Weather had to guess.
Whatever it was, it could wait. And so when Anasui was close enough and distracted with putting his tray on the bedside table, Weather took his chance to steal his own phone back and hung up the call immediately.
"Hey! I was right in the middle of negotiating better working hours for you-" Anasui never got to end his sentence as Weather pulled him into a kiss.
"Move in with me." Weather breathed in the small space between them.
Anasui didn't answer him, he just kissed him again in response. More enthusiastic this time, the spat with the Speedwagon Foundation member completely forgotten. Weather couldn't help but smile. He had never been so glad to be home.