none of us are free from sin

[alloutoflove]

At some point I uploaded new icons and botched some of my threads. Oops.
Also listen like 95% of this post is extremely nsfw. Double oops.

Stargazing → It's a nice clear night, and even when you live in a big city, there are places to get away and look at the stars. There's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight; maybe now's the time to make a wish.

Domesticity → Sometimes domesticity is a white picket fence and two kids and a dog; sometimes it's an apartment that's a little shabby but comfortable; sometimes it's just the people you're with.

What The Housekeeper Saw!! → What. What are you doing. Why are you doing it.

Spoiler prompt: There's a game you play sometimes, when you're acting. "Baby, if you love me, please please smile," you say, and the other person replies, "Baby, I love you, but I just can't smile." If you can make them smile, you win. If you don't, they win. And sometimes you don't even know you're playing the game. END PROMPT

Wildcard!! → Just what it says.

Comments

WHAT THE HOUSEKEEPER SAW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rockyxiii]

[Once upon a time, Sakakura Juzo gave up professional boxing for good.

But the retirements of professional athletes rarely ever go that straightforwardly. There's always some reason someone wants you back in the ring. Juzo had denied nearly all of them, but this one's a charity match, and he'd managed to be talked into it by Chisa and Kyousuke . . .

And, maybe, he misses it sometimes. Once in a while he's ready for a one-night fling in the ring. But if he said yes to everything, he'd never have time for Kyousuke, and that's more important.

But charity is also important. The big match is in TWO weeks, and to box as a light heavyweight, he needs to get back down to his high school weight of 175 lbs. Right now he's hovering at 180, down from 187, and it's fucking torture. Why had he gone and gotten used to being able to eat cake again, dammit?! He's had no sugar for three weeks. All he can think about is delicious, soft, moist cake. Cookies! Parfaits! Pudding . . . !

It's one Friday evening after he's off duty at Hope's Peak that he breaks and sneaks into a cafe by himself. And there's where Chisa will find him, when she happens into the same shop and approaches the counter just as he's turning away from it, a small white box held between his hands—]

Y . . . Yukizome!

[FANCY MEETING YOU HERE WHILE I'M BUYING SOMETHING I SHOULDN'T BE.]

[alloutoflove]

[ FANCY THAT,

Chisa smiles nice and wide at him: the kind of smile that crinkles your eyes shut and looks benignly sweet and pleasant. It's like she hasn't even noticed the box in his hands, like, oh! It's Sakakura-kun! They're friends, the best of friends, so of course she'd smile if she saw him, right? ♥

And she clasps her hands, like a demure young lady, her voice equally chipper and bright, So Friendly! What A Nice Young Lady, Yukizome-kun!

He's heard her talk this way before. He's been the target of that voice before. ]

Aah, Sakakura-kun? It's a little bit late for dinner, isn't it?

[rockyxiii]

[Ohhhh he knows. He doesn't groan aloud, but it's written all over his guilty expression as he looks at her cute smiling face. So innocent! So sweet! Yeah right.

Maybe he can still get out of this.]

—Uh! Actually . . . Yukizome . . .

[He holds out the box to her in his hands.]

This is for you!

[His expression is not very convincing, but damn if he's not trying.]

[alloutoflove]

Hmmmmmmm...

[ She takes the box delicately, holding it between her fingertips like it's more dangerous contraband than just a cake. The look she gives him is mildly disappointed, one eyebrow raised and her lips pursed. How could you lie to Chisa? ]

For me, is it? Well, I guess even Sakakura-kun can be thoughtful sometimes.

[ Like she doesn't know better, or that he doesn't know she knows better. But after a moment she relents, not quite pouting. ]

You could at least pretend to be more sincere, you know. What kind is it?

[rockyxiii]

[Shit. Well, since the game's up anyway, he relaxes at least, heading over to a table where the two of them can sit together.]

I'd have shared it with you anyway if I didn't know you'd get on my ass if I admitted I was gonna eat any!

. . . It's strawberry pistachio.

[It's this, in fact, a terribly cute and artistic little pastry. It just adds to the gap moe going on here that that's what he bought . . . but it'd looked so good . . . ]

Domesticity,

[deathisanopendoor]

[ There's a period of time—it will only be for about a week, but long enough to make an impact—where Kyousuke is between residences. He's out of the dorms, and he's sold the apartment he had had for a brief time afterwards, in anticipation of living abroad for a time. But since he won't be flying out there for a bit longer, he's imposing upon Chisa's space in the interim.

He wouldn't say that he let things turn out this way entirely on accident. Though he wasn't about to admit aloud that he had hoped for this outcome, either. He can keep that feeling inside himself, and just feel a private, quiet, internal happiness at asking domestic questions like: ]

Yukizome, where would you like for me to put the dirty laundry?

[alloutoflove]

[ Kyousuke is in my house, Kyousuke is in my house, Kyousuke is in my house, we're not married but here's here, thank you god...!!

Is not actually something she'd say aloud, but it's a variation of the same thing she thinks every time there's evidence of him being here. It's not just his presence alone, but all the little signs that they're living together: his shoes in the entryway, the extra dishes, the second toothbrush.

The best part is having him actually here, but just... ]

You can call me Chisa here, you know.

[ One beat. Two. Okay, now about his question: ]

There's a hamper in the closet. I'll sort it out later.

[deathisanopendoor]

Ah...

[ He has to admit, as arbitrarily stubborn as he is about holding out for some mystical "meaningful" moment to switch his form of address, this whole environment tempts him to actually follow her suggestion, more than anything else has so far.

But he won't succumb to the temptation! ...Because!! Because he's going abroad in a week, so doesn't that seem like poor timing?

Instead, he turns to find the closet, open it, and find the hamper, depositing some clothes there. ]

I appreciate it.

[alloutoflove]

[ She gives it a few hopeful seconds, just in case. Just in case!! If you asked her, she'd say that using her name would be a great going-away present, something fond for her to go over when she's missing him.

Never mind that usually, it was the person going away that got the presents.

But it's not like she can actually stay mad at him for long -- if she ever gets to that point at all -- so when the moment passes, she just smiles at him fondly. ]

Mmnn, I should be the one saying that! Things like this are part of my job, so you're the one helping me out, for a change.

What The Housekeeper Saw, Part 2: Yeah OK We Went There. Sorry. Sorry.

[alloutoflove]

[ So the next day, it's kind of dreary and overcast, the sort of day that is, in fact, perfect for staying in and maybe ordering for food.

Unless, of course, you're Yukizome Chisa and you're On A Mission.

The first thing she does, when it's still morning and she has some time before her guest arrives, is to make a quick emergency phone call. The details aren't hugely vital, but there are some definite conclusions and agreements made, and that's the important part. Once that's taken care of, then she rolls her sleeves up and does what she does best: cleaning up her entire apartment and then making the best possible lunch she can.

Actually, she might have gone a bit overboard (again), so by the time Juzo arrives, she answers his knock with a very sheepish smile. ]

Ahahaha, I hope you're hungry...!

Speak for yourself, I'm not sorry

[rockyxiii]

[By the time he actually gets there, it's started to rain, and of course he went out without an umbrella like always, so have a slightly soaked Juzo on your doorstep, Chisa.

More importantly, to him anyway, he knows that look on her face.]

. . . Do I even wanna know how long you've been in the kitchen?

[alloutoflove]

--Probably not!

[ She's not actually apologetic about it, even if it's a little embarrassing. But a beat later she reaches out to grab his arm, tugging like she could physically drag him inside on her own strength. ]

Aah, look at this! Honestly, Sakakura-kun, it wouldn't kill you to use an umbrella now and then... one moment.

[ And off she goes to get a towel for him. At least it smells nice in here. (It always smells nice in Chisa's apartment, even when she hasn't been cooking.) ]

[rockyxiii]

[He allows her to pull him inside, offering the obligatory apology and taking off his shoes. Of course there's a gift tucked under his arm, too, hidden away from the wet, and he sets that down as he gets out of his coat.]

It's not that bad! . . . Smells good in here, Yukizome.

What The Housekeeper Saw, Part 3: Third Time's The Charm

[alloutoflove]

[ AND FINALLY,

It's evening! Not so early that a workaholic would still be at work or forced socialization for the sake of work, and not so late that he would be asleep -- one of those periods of time that Chisa has gotten very good at figuring out exist in Kyousuke's schedule.

About half an hour ago, he received a text from her: ]

Let's video chat later, okay? ヾ(≧∇≦)ゞ

[ Along with a time.

And when the time comes, there's Chisa! Who does not appear to be wearing a shirt! How could this be! But she's awfully chipper about it, so probably it's not a bad thing. Probably. ]

Kyo~u~su~ke! I hope you're alone!!

[ I'm not! ]

[rockyxiii]

[It was his idea, but now that it's actually happening, Juzo is frozen with embarrassment. Beside her on the couch, also shirtless, which is less notable for him, except y'know he's not usually shirtless with Kyousuke's girlfriend and he can't bring himself to look into the camera yet and, aahhhhhhh,]

[deathisanopendoor]

[ Holy shit. What. He and Chisa may have kind of discussed this earlier but this is, to say the least, unexpected. ]

I—yes? Yukizome? ...Sakakura?

[ He doesn't ask an actual question. There's just the implied please explain to me what is going on?! ]

[alloutoflove]

Remember what we talked about this morning?

[ When it was handwaved in an earlier thread that she was going to seduce Juzo so they could keep him as theirs like this and all the other stuff that comes with this and listen, Kyousuke, trust feminine intuition it will definitely go well,

it seems to have gone well. ]

He's got something he wants to tell you -- Juzo! Your turn!

[ And she swings the computer to face him more. Go, buddy. ]

What The Housekeeper Saw, Part 4: Frankly She's Done Far More Than Just Seeing Things By Now

[deathisanopendoor]

[Kyousuke manages to get a weekend off about three weeks after that. He's busy enough that even bartering for a weekend is a pain, and it involved some lies about sick relatives, but he's got it, and it took less than a month, and a weekend is all he needs to fly home and—

Well, without getting ahead of himself, to fly home and meet his two friends at the airport. He's just now stepping out of security, glancing around at the scattered people waiting there.]

[alloutoflove]

[ At the very least, he doesn't have to look for very long, or very hard, because even if Juzo weren't taller than pretty much everyone else milling around, Chisa's up on her toes and waving with unashamed enthusiasm. ]

Munakata-kun!! Over here, over here!!

[ At least she's not calling him Kyousuke in public. Yet. ]

[rockyxiii]

[AhhhhHHHHhhHhhhHH there he is!! If Juzo had a tail, it would be wagging hard right now. He lifts his own hand in a wave, feeling his face slip into a wider, more obvious and cheerful grin than he often lets show in public like this. It's himmmmmmm it's their boy]

Yo!

[deathisanopendoor]

—There you are.

[He's glowing himself, though he feels a little shaky with nervous energy. He walks over to the both of them, hesitating when he's about a step away. To hug... or not to hug?

Well, the answer is probably going to be no if you leave it up to Kyousuke to initiate it, at this rate. But he at least looks very much like he would make the decision to hug one or both of them, in some alternate universe.]

Part 4, the story continues,

[alloutoflove]

[ So eventually, our heroes make it back to Chisa's apartment. For her part, she has a definite spring in her step, her hips sashaying a little as she walks. She isn't humming -- or at least not that loud -- but she's pretty much radiating smug satisfaction. In her opinion, dinner was quite satisfactory in a whole number of ways.

She unlocks her door and opens it with a flourish, turning to smirk over her shoulder at her two guests. ]

Here we are! Home at last.

[deathisanopendoor]

[He's smiling, but there's a nervous anticipation in it. Like maybe, he doesn't know how many minutes he'll have before suddenly he's having sex, and he does not know how much forewarning there will be, now that they're finally safely in private,]

...Thank you for having me.

[rockyxiii]

[For his own part, Juzo is still pretty flustered after dinner, which was an adventure he was not prepared for, and also for everything to come. Which isn't to say he isn't thrilled and jittery with how excited he is, but he's a little less together than the other two.]

A-aah, right, thank . . . thanks, Chisa. Me too.

[alloutoflove]

As if I'd let you stay anywhere else!

[ In spite of her teasing, though, she does briefly go all business, locking the front door and then trying to take the suitcase from Juzo. ]

I can make tea, if you'd like. Either of you.