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]

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.]

[alloutoflove]

Mmmhh.

[ It's a low pleased sound, caught in her throat. The touch is soothing -- hypnotic, in a way -- and in spite of herself, Chisa finds herself drooping further. By the time the credits are rolling, she's half-asleep, leaning heavily against Juzo's side and breathing slow and steady. She should get up to change the disc, but that involves getting up, which seems like the worst thing right now. ]

[rockyxiii]

. . . Yukizome. I'm gonna carry you to bed if this is how it's gonna be.

[He says it quiet and teasing, lips curving into a warm, fond smile. She's very cute like that. And hey, he did say she needed to take a break. This is a nice break.]

[alloutoflove]

Noooooooooooo.

[ It's a whine, playful as it is petulant, and she tries to wedge herself closer to him, freeing one arm enough to throw it across his waist. And then she yawns, hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. ]

We were gonna do movies, I want to watch movies.

[ But I still don't want to get up, ]

[rockyxiii]

You're not watching anything like this! This is what you get for working yourself to the bone for me this morning.

[Ah, it feels good; he curls his arm to hug her even tighter, letting out a breath. Juzo's never been someone who easily initiates or allows casual physical affection, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want it—badly, even—and it happening now is damn good.]

[alloutoflove]

[ The squeeze pulls a high-pitched noise out of her, involuntary, and she bursts into giggles in immediate response. It's the sort of thing that she wouldn't be able to repeat if she tries, and she wriggles a little in his grip: not because she doesn't like it, but just to see how hard he's holding on. ]

I've worked harder! And longer! But I usually don't do it for someone I like as much.

[ She tilts her head up so she can beam at him, sleepy and smug both. ]

[rockyxiii]

. . . Yukizome . . .

[He looks down at her, captured, and slowly squeezes her again. He'd tell himself he's trying to replicate that silly noise, but that's not really it at all.]

[alloutoflove]

S--Sakakura-kun?

[ In spite of the confidence she'd had that morning, there's something very different about actually being in this position; his name comes out more like a breath than anything else.

Her mouth twitches, like she's trying to smile like she always does, but can't quite manage it, as she stares back. ]

[rockyxiii]

[Shit. How did it come to this?! There's no mistaking what's going on in this moment, and he's still confused as to how it happened, considering everything—

No, no, he can't let her think he'd ever betray Kyousuke. Juzo shakes his head and breaks the eye contact, looking away with a hard swallow. It's more difficult than he expected.]

This—wasn't a good idea. Shit, I'm sorry, I never meant to . . . I'm going crazy, right? Is it just me, or—?

[alloutoflove]

U-um.

[ She doesn't move even when he turns his head, her breath hitching. It's soft, but it's still audible, and she can feel her face going warm. ]

I-it's not -- it isn't just you.

[ And then, because she can make a good guess about what he's fretting about: ] I talked to M-- to Kyousuke, this morning.

[ The name switch is deliberate, and she watches his face closely. ]

[rockyxiii]

You . . . did?

[He's dumbfounded; right now, it's not sinking in yet what that could be about, though he notices the name thing and turns back to her wide-eyed and surprised. What? Had something happened with them—?]

[alloutoflove]

I did.

[ Now it's her turn to look away, dropping her gaze to -- oh, he's shirtless. Oops. She stares at his shoulder instead, her face going red. ]

Just, I've been thinking a little about some -- and I wanted to know how he felt about it, and... ah.

The next time he comes home, we thought, maybe, if you wanted, we could -- you know. Figure things out.

[ Please get it. Please, please get it, because even if she's been thinking about this, and she managed to get it out on the phone, there had at least been the distance. She didn't have to see Kyousuke's face when she brought it up. ]

[rockyxiii]

Y . . . Yukizome, I . . .

[Ohhh. Ohhhhh yeah. Yeah he gets it. His mind swirls; this is all backwards, isn't it?! It's gotten all twisted up and confused, the direction of things, who's hearing this first and how, and who's the one bringing it up, and—

His chest feels hot and tight and prickly with the promise here, but he needs to tell her everything. He can't let her misunderstand his feelings. It's just hard when he's questioning his own feelings himself right now. He doesn't even know where to begin.]

I—yes! I mean . . . maybe. —I need to tell you everything first. I—do you both feel—what are you saying exactly? You both want—to figure things out? M-munakata—? And you also—?

[alloutoflove]

He was a bit surprised, but he wasn't bothered. It was more -- he hadn't even thought it was a possibility. But it's not like we don't -- you know, it isn't as if -- we both care about you.

[ We both love you, but she's not going to say that just yet. His reaction has her backing off a little, though, her head tilted, brows drawing together. The immediate instinct is there to reach out, to try and soothe him, but for a rare once she's just as nervous, and the distance helps to hide her jittering. It doesn't seem like he doesn't want it, but -- what he'd said was... ]

What else did you want to tell me?

[rockyxiii]

You both—I-I'm not asking if you care about me . . . I know you do.

Do you both—want me?

[It still hardly feels real, hearing it from her, all of this happening in this way. But there's one thing he knows: he wouldn't feel right being with Chisa if Kyousuke didn't want him too. And the same's true in reverse, too, but right now he's much more certain of Chisa's feelings on the matter, since she's the one he'd been seconds away from . . . from what? Kissing? Are they going to—?

He's the one to reach out his hand, lightly touching her arm.]

[alloutoflove]

Aah, well... the thing about Kyousuke is -- mm, well, you know what he's like about things.

[ Stoic, reserved, concerned with propriety, any number of things along those lines. She looks down at his hand on her arm, then lifts her own to cover it with hers. ]

He didn't say so in as many words, no. But I think he does. It's just that he'd never thought about it before. But it's also not like -- this is a weird thing to bring up, isn't it? Our friendship is a lot more important. I know he'd say the same.

But, I mean... if you at all wanted to, you know. We're already this close; I think it'd be... I think it could be good.