まずい。これは非常にまずい。
ベッドに横になって早１時間、明日も早い時間から準備をして出かけなければいけない予定があるのに、全くもって眠たくないのだ。時刻は夜中の２時過ぎをさし、秋に近づいた夜の冷たい空気と時計の針の音だけが、暗い部屋のほとんどを埋め始めていた。
今から少し体を動かして疲れさせるって言っても、部屋の中で何かするには遅すぎるし、きっと寝ているであろう他の人に迷惑をかけてしまう、でもわざわざ着替えて外に出るのも面倒くさい。
　はぁ～、と深く息を吸い込み、体勢をごろんと横に向け、隣で寝かせていたライオンのぬいぐるみをぎゅっと抱きしめる。
寒くなってきたせいもあってか、なんだか人肌が恋しい。ここまで来たらもう誰か起きていそうな人に声をかけて抱きしめてもらいにでも行こうかな。いやいやいや、さすがに恥ずかしすぎる。２０を超えた大の大人（しかも肩書的には意地悪で邪悪なマフィアのボスである）が？『寝れないから抱きしめてくれない？』とでも言うのか？？
あ～！！はっず…と１人でつぶやいて、思わずベッドの上で足をばたばたさせる。
　だがいつまでもこんなことをしていても埒が明かない。何か温かいスープでも入れてリラックスしよう。と体を起こして近くにかけて置いたパーカーを羽織り、部屋を出た。

　他の人を起こさないように静かに階段を降りて、キッチンに入りケトルに水を入れ、ぱち、とスイッチをまわし、ソファーに深く腰掛けた。
　寝静まったシェアハウスの中に、お湯の沸く音と自分の呼吸の音が静かに響いていた。
　ぼーっとお湯が沸くのを待っていると、不意に背後からとん、とん、と階段を下りてくる音が聞こえてきた。ぱっと後ろを振り返ると、ブランケットにくるまったシュウが
やほ、と手を振りながら入ってきた。
「ごめん、もしかして起こしちゃった？全然眠れなくて何か暖かいスープでも飲もうかと思って」
「いや、僕はそろそろ寝ようと思って支度してたら下から音が聞こえたからね」
「そうなんだ。シュウも何か飲んでく？お湯、もうすぐ沸くけど」
「じゃあせっかくだし、僕もスープ貰おうかな」
　タイミングよく沸いたお湯を止め、棚からマグカップを２つ出してカップスープの粉を入れて、熱いから気を付けて、と言ってから手渡す。

　２人でソファーに腰かけると、彼が入る？と言って肩にかけていたブランケットを広げて、にっこりと笑った。
その笑顔にドキッとして、少し赤くなった頬を見られないようにカップに視線をうろうろとやり、うん、じゃあ…とその腕の中に入り込んだ。

　２人きりの部屋で、どちらも特に話をするでもなく、ただ柔らかな時間を夜の冷えた空気に混じるスープの香りと、彼の柔らかな髪からほのかに香るシャンプーの匂いと一緒に過ごす。
　背中に伝わる小さな鼓動と息遣いが、次第に微睡みへと誘う。
それを察したのか、彼はさっきまで握っていた俺のカップを取って、自分のと一緒にサイドテーブルに置き、優しく頭をなで始めた。
「僕のことは気にしなくていいから、そのままおやすみ、ね。」
　そう呟いてそっと髪にキスをおとすと、視界の端で紫色の火花がはじける。

「Sleep tight,いい夢を」




This is bad. This is very bad.

It has been an hour since I lay in bed, and I have an early start tomorrow, but I don't want to sleep at all.
The time is past 2:00 a.m., and the cold air of the approaching autumn night and the ticking of the clock are the only sounds that are beginning to fill most of the dark room.

Even if I said I was going to exercise a little now to tire myself out, it was too late to do anything in the room, and I would be disturbing the others who were probably sleeping, but it was too much trouble to go all the way outside to change my clothes.

I inhaled deeply, turned my body to the side, and hugged the stuffed lion that was lying next to me.
Perhaps it was because it was getting colder, but I was missing the human skin.
I think I should call out to someone who might be awake and ask them to hug me.
No, no, no, no, it's too embarrassing, as you'd expect from a grown man over 20 years old (and a mean and evil mafia boss, by the way)
'I can't sleep, can you give me a hug' you say
Ah~ Too embarrassing... I mumble to myself and involuntarily flap my legs on the bed.
But I can't go on like this forever.
Let's make some hot soup and relax.
I got up, put on the parka I had left nearby, and left the room.

I went down the stairs quietly so as not to wake the others, entered the kitchen, filled the kettle with water, flipped the switch, and sat down deeply on the sofa.
The sound of boiling water and the sound of my own breathing echoed silently in the quiet of the share house.
While I was idly waiting for the water to boil, I suddenly heard the sound of a staircase coming down from behind me.
I turned around and saw Shu wrapped in a blanket, waving his hand as he came in.

” I'm sorry, did I wake you up I couldn't sleep at all, so I thought I'd have some warm soup.”
” No, I was getting ready for bed when I heard a noise from downstairs."
" I see. Would you like something to drink, Shu The water will be boiling soon."
" Then, since you're here, I'll have some soup too."


I turned off the boiling water at the right moment, took out two mugs from the shelf, filled them with soup powder, and handed them to Shu after telling him to be careful because they were hot.

We both sat down on the couch, and he asked if I wanted to join him, and spread a blanket over my shoulders and smiled at me.
I was so thrilled by his smile that I let my eyes wander over to the cup to avoid him seeing my slightly reddened cheeks, and then I said, "Yeah, well..."
I walked into his arms.

We were alone in the room, neither of us talking much, just spending soft moments together, the smell of soup in the cool night air and the faint scent of shampoo in his soft hair.
The small beat of his heart and breath on my back gradually lulls me to sleep.
He takes my cup, which he had been holding earlier, and places it on the side table with his own and begins to gently pat my head.
" Don't worry about me, just keep going and have a good night, okay"

He kissed my hair softly, and purple sparks flashed at the edge of my vision.

"Sleep tight, sweet dreams."

投稿日:2022'09/23