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

[rockyxiii]

. . . That's what's so special about you. The way you treat us—it makes it obvious what kind of person you are. That's why no one else can live up to you and Munakata.

[alloutoflove]

[ Her eyes go wide for a moment at that before she breathes out a laugh. There's a faint flush on her face and a smile she can't suppress. ]

What a rare thing, hearing that sort of praise from you...

[rockyxiii]

Consider it a gift to the hostess.

[He wants to touch her cheek, suddenly, and almost reaches out, but instead he just goes for more food instead, watching his chopsticks. Ahem.]

You know I'm shitty at that kinda thing, but you deserve to hear it sometimes. I dunno why you put up with us.

[alloutoflove]

You can't say that, you already brought one of those!

[ But she laughs at that, shaking her head. ]

But you know, I could make the same argument. You didn't need to put up with me, the first time we met. And now look!

[ Look at how she's just so?! happy?? this is awful, how dare you. ]

[rockyxiii]

You kidding? You'd have made my life hell.

[He says that with the most fondness, and a big grin.]

So, you pick out some movies for us, Yukizome?

[alloutoflove]

Only a little!

[ Again, she says it brightly, with no shame. ]

Today, we're going classic. They're ready whenever you are!

[rockyxiii]

You're gonna have to put most of this away for dinner . . .

[He's still eating, and it's delicious, but he's pretty eager to settle in with movies too. It's too bad he can't fully appreciate movie snacks on his diet. booooo]

Let me give you a hand cleaning up, at least.

[alloutoflove]

Nope.

[ She shakes her head decisively at that, giving him as stern a look as possible across the table. ]

You're the guest, so what you can do is get yourself comfortable when you're done here. ...if you have to do something, you can get the first one queued up.

[rockyxiii]

What? Come on! That's all you're gonna give me? You're going way too far.

[alloutoflove]

My home, my ruling! Too bad.

[ She beams at him, lacing her fingers together to rest her chin on. ]

You get to take it easy now.

[rockyxiii]

I'll get you back for this.

[But all right. He shakes his head again and pushes back to go set up the movie marathon, towel and shirt both slung over his bare shoulders. At least he's dry now. The shirt isn't quite, yet.]

[alloutoflove]

[ It's maybe twenty minutes or so before she emerges again, humming to herself. She's still got her apron on, spotless, as she wanders over to the couch. There's also a bowl of popcorn in her hands, which she hands off to him. ]

Ready?

[rockyxiii]

[He's hung up his shirt to dry, and the towel, and gotten the video stream ready to go, and is sprawled comfortably shirtless on the couch. Aw yeah. He's ready to take that popcorn and grin over at her.]

You got it. You really should've accepted my help, though.

[alloutoflove]

Are you questioning my skills?

[ She considers his position on the couch for a moment, then sits herself -- delicately at first, just a little too close to him.

And then she scoots, ostensibly to get herself comfortable, until she's wedged up against him, and though she's significantly smaller than he is, it can't be a comfortable position for his arm. ]

Don't challenge me in my own home, you.

[rockyxiii]

[He lifts his arm automatically at the pressure, and, after a moment's hesitation, drapes it over the back of the couch behind her. Ahhh, she's so close. It's nice . . . he'd like her to be closer, but he doesn't want to be the one to make that move when she'll misunderstand . . . ]

You know that's not what it's about! You deserve a break once in a while.

[alloutoflove]

You say that like I don't like it! I do. It's soothing.

[ She tilts her head back a little to smile at him; the gesture lets her hair brush against his arm. And she holds that for a few seconds, deliberate, before she reaches to snag the remote and tucks her knees up under herself -- which, coincidentally, does scoot her a few centimeters closer to him. ]

And anyway, what do you think I'm doing now?

[rockyxiii]

[This definitely feels . . .

Well, but it's not, right? They're friends. She has a boyfriend. A boyfriend Juzo would love to get his hands on, in fact, if things were different, because he's gay, definitely gay, and so neither of them are approaching this in any questionably tense way. So . . . why does it feel like that anyway . . . ?

He smiles at her and turns back to the TV to start the movie, his weight shifting just slightly more in her direction. It's just friendly. It's nice.]

As long as you remember that and don't go running off in the middle of it to spoil me any more.

[alloutoflove]

No promises!

[ She chirps it, bright as anything, then hits play. The movie is exactly what you'd expect for its era and genre: cheesy to bad special effects, overly exaggerated acting, grainy lighting and film quality, but also still compelling in some inexplicable way.

Which is to say, in spite of other plans she'd been idly entertaining, Chisa does get into the film, occasionally nudging Juzo with her elbow at particularly bad parts, grinning at him.

Honestly, if it just stays like this, that's fine too. Though it'd be nice if she could actually get him to put his arm around her; he's warm. Which means, about three-quarters through the film, she stands. ]

--I'm going to get a blanket, okay?

[rockyxiii]

You cold?

[He shifts to let her get up; he'd been pretty into the movie himself, embarrassingly. It's that kind of movie, stupid and fun, and she'd felt good against his side.]

[alloutoflove]

A little! It'll be colder later, so I might as well get something now. Do you want one?

[ She's already padding away as she asks that, called over her shoulder. ]

[rockyxiii]

I'll be fine. . . . But I guess it wouldn't hurt, just in case.

[He doesn't get cold easily, though. But he is still shirtless.]

[alloutoflove]

[ She's only gone for a minute at the most before she returns, two blankets folded in her arms. One of them looks like the sort of throw blanket you might use normally, but the other looks like it was probably dragged off her bed.

She drapes the first one in Juzo's lap, then bundles herself onto the couch with the latter. This time, though, she thumps herself against his side, a bit more aggressively and openly than the last time. It's all right if she's got the blanket, right? ]

[rockyxiii]

[He leaves the throw there, draped over his spread legs (he's a dude after all), and Chisa's ploy works: when she leans against his side, he puts his arm fully around her shoulders. The blanket does feel like it adds a protective layer that makes it acceptable, somehow.]

Thanks. You didn't miss much. Just a lot of screaming.

[alloutoflove]

I could hear it.

[ She hums when he does that (finally!), snuggling closer until she can put her head on his shoulder. This is much nicer than before; as much as she's still trying to pay attention to the movie, she is drifting a little. It usually takes a lot more concentrated effort to get Kyousuke to do this, so she's going to enjoy it while she gets it. ]

[rockyxiii]

[As awkward and distant as Juzo is, he's also much more physical of a person than Kyousuke is. Once they're well and settled and it's been a while, his hand moves to rub at her side, distracted and aimless, just enjoying the feel of the repetitive motion and her warmth.]