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

[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 . . . ]

[alloutoflove]

[ It's so cute... at least she knows him well enough to be only a little surprised. There's a reflexive smile on her face when she peeks at the cake itself -- how like you -- that's replaced an instant later by a determined frown. Chisa follows him to the table, but she doesn't sit right away; she puts the cake down and points at him instead, dramatic as anything. ]

Of course I am! What are you going to do if you don't fit into your own class in time, Sakakura-kun?! You know how much of Munakata-kun's funding is riding on this!!

[ Okay, that's a little bit of a low blow, and she knows it. But she also knows that bringing Kyousuke into it, even as just a reminder, will be better motivation for Juzo than just her shaking a finger at him. It's not the sort of gamble most people would take, but she knows that however much he blusters, he's not going to make good on any threats to her. ]

[rockyxiii]

[He winces. Low blow indeed. That'd be banned in the ring, missy!

He fwumps down at their table with a sigh, face in palm, elbow propped up.]

It's one piece of cake! Dammit . . . I know! I know how strict I've gotta be. That doesn't mean I've gotta like it!

You better give me a bite of that thing. A bite.

[His beautiful cake . . . he'll just have to come back after the match . . .

This is, without a doubt, the hardest part of boxing. Hitting people? He's great at that. Taking hits? No problem. The endless training, the need for intense levels of stamina to make it through a match under those conditions? He's cool with all that. But the weight limits? Whose idea was that, anyway?!]

[alloutoflove]

One bite.

[ She says it agreeably, settling into the seat opposite of him with considerably more grace. ]

When you win, Sakakura-kun, I'll make you a proper cake. You can think about what you'd like in the meantime.

[ Baking might not be her specialty, but that doesn't mean she's not good at it. It's a domestic household thing, of course she knows how to do it pretty damn well.

She dips the fork into the cake, and holds it out. Here you go, you can have the first bite. ]

[rockyxiii]

[A cake from Chisa is a treat that he can't help but smile at the thought of. He was going to win anyway, of course, but now he's got something to look forward to when he does beyond just impressing Chisa and Kyousuke . . .

(Really, that's all the reason he's ever needed, though.)

He blinks when she holds the fork out. Is she feeding him? Isn't that a thing she should be saving for Kyousuke?! But before he knows it, he's leaning forward anyway, just a little flustered, to accept the bite. Anyone watching is gonna get the wrong impression . . . !]

[alloutoflove]

[ She didn't prompt him! That's a difference!

A very fine line of difference, and one whose rules change depending on the scenario, but the point is that it exists. (Except for how it sometimes doesn't. Chisa never bothers to worry too much about this.)

She does beam when he takes the bite, either way. ]

Good?

[rockyxiii]

[It's so good. It's so good! He takes the bites, swallows it, and then immediately drops his head down onto his folded arms on the table in pure despair over how good that was and that's all he gets!]

One more.

[alloutoflove]

Nope!

[ There's that bright tone again, though it's a different flavor this time. Being friends with Yukizome Chisa means learning how to read all the varieties she has. She puts the fork down and reaches across the table to ruffle his hair -- just a quick gesture, there-and-gone. It's not unlike how one might pet a child to soothe them. Her voice does gentle, though, going softer than before. ]

It's only two more weeks. You can do it.

[rockyxiii]

[Dammit, he'd expected that. Fine! The ruffling is . . . nice, on a level he won't admit to, and in fact when he lifts his head he's frowning and already pushing his hair back into place.]

Aah, I've done it for longer before. I let myself get spoiled once I stopped boxing. I've gotta remember why the hell I ever signed myself up for that stuff in the first place. . . . If I hadn't I probably wouldn't care, though. It's not like I ate that much cake as a kid.

[It's all about wanting what he can't have.]

[alloutoflove]

Sakakura-kun...

[ She cocks her head a little at that. The gears are turning, and there's a look in her eyes that would be calculating in most other situations. As it is, even though she has the fork in her hand again, she hasn't actually tried the cake herself, yet. ]

Do you like sweets that much?

[ It is very, very, very gently accusatory. Obviously he'd always abstained when he'd been actively boxing, but even after that, he'd always been dismissively grumpy about them. Note to self, text Kyousuke asap depending on the answer. ]

[rockyxiii]

. . . You're gonna tell Munakata, aren't you?

[He knows her! Dammit, he'd tipped his hand way too much! Well, it was about time. He can never hide anything from them forever, except just one thing.]

[alloutoflove]

Of course I am.

[ She doesn't even bother to deny it. Why should she? Now she feels slightly guilty for taking the cake -- not enough to give it back to him; one of them needs to be responsible, here, but enough that her initial plan of eating it in front of him is right out.

So she puts the cake back into its box, closing it up, removing it from sight. There. ]

You're so difficult to shop for. We'd both be happy to find something you'd want.

[rockyxiii]

That's exactly why I keep that kinda thing to myself. You two'll go nuts spoiling me if I tell you what I want.

[First World Friendship Problems with Sakakura Juzo. He watches her put the cake away with a sigh. That's . . . thoughtful of her. He might have flipped the table watching her eat the whole thing.]

[alloutoflove]

That's because you won't be a good boy and just say when you like things.

[ She sighs as well, putting her chin on one hand. ]

And I don't want to hear complaining about being spoiled from Mister "Dinner's on me just because I got the check first, even though it's my birthday and it's supposed to be my treat."

[rockyxiii]

I had the money! I didn't need you guys to pick up the bill.

[He's silent for a moment before he continues, looking off to the space beside her head rather than at her face.]

You two came out with me—that was all I cared about.

[alloutoflove]

Of course we did. But!

[ She jabs a finger at him, and maybe he's not looking at her face, but she's staring directly at his. ]

The point is, you should let us take care of you, once in a while. Otherwise, isn't that unfair to you?

[rockyxiii]

[Oh, fine. He looks back at her with a frown, though not a very upset frown, all things told.]

I don't need taking care of! You guys both do plenty for me. That's what you don't get! . . . Even just having people like you to tell me happy birthday . . . that's more than I can ever repay you for with just some—dinner.

[alloutoflove]

Mmnn.

[ She shakes her head at that, smiling in response to his frown. ]

Wishing someone well, or anything like that... that's easy. That's something I can do for any of my friends. But you're my best friend. So of course I want to do more for you than that! ...Kyousuke, too. We both want to.

[rockyxiii]

Yukizome . . .

[He softens a little, even as he scoffs at her, uncertain of what to say in response to that.]

You could start by not being such a stubborn pain in the ass.

[That's affectionate.]

[alloutoflove]

It takes one to know one!

[ Jab! Jab! She's still pointing at him, dramatically. ]

You could try being more obedient, once in a while!!

[rockyxiii]

[He reaches over to grab for her hand, playfully now, his expression slipping into something more smiling and lighthearted.]

Not gonna happen. Munakata's already got my loyalty . . . you too, Yukizome. I've gotta draw the line somewhere.

[alloutoflove]

Ah!!

[ Caught! She shakes her hand a little in his grip, though she's not even trying to actually get free. Oh no, what will happen. ]

Just for that, you'll get two cakes. Three! No, four--!!

[rockyxiii]

I'll arm wrestle you for them.

[He pushes their hands down to the table without letting go of hers, holding it casually—not terribly intimately, but it's nice, he has to admit.]

[alloutoflove]

I like flowers better than cake!

[ That's... not always true, actually, but sometimes. Sometimes it's true. She wiggles her hand a little harder under his, though it's still not even a token attempt to get free. ]

Remember that! When it's my birthday!!