week 5, tuesday

[digestif]

Majima-kun!

[ that might sound like trouble, but it's just Mizuki. Who is often synonymous with trouble, and with the cheery expression on their face, might still look like it as they catch up with him in the streets of the west wing. ]

There you are! I was looking for you. [ they've got two small paper parcels in their hands, one of which they hold out to him. ] Are you busy? If you're not, come sit down with me for a while.

[ it's a croquette, still warm; they must have grabbed it from one of the stores. Not high-end food in the least - still, it's comforting and familiar, which is more than they can say about most things here. And they have a feeling they're going to need those two things to get through this. ]

Please?

Comments

[digestif]

Eh? Goro-kun, don't tell me you're shy and weak to compliments? That's really cute.

[ the c-word is BACK with a vengeance. One gets the sense Mizuki is not really joking, though. They shift, resting a hand on his shoulder and their chin on top of it to more directly look at him with a smug smirk... before continuing without an ounce of shame. If he's shy, they want to fluster him. ]

I'm serious, though? The way you stood up for me back with Guy-kun made me really happy - how you're always trying to protect Kaname-chan and Nito-kun, too. You're strong, but you use your strength to protect what matters to you. You're easy to talk to, and you're honest and straightforward... I like that. [ their eyes narrow in catlike satisfaction. ] Of course, you've got a thousand and one flaws, but to be honest, I like that about you, too. Is saying that fighting dirty?

[haw]

[ well, if their goal was to get him to blush, then they've achieved it. with the arm that isn't wrapped around them, he reaches for the back of his neck and rubs it sheepishly for a few moments... before bringing it back around to hide his face a little. ]

Geez... an' here I thought I was the sappy one. Even though we're together—[ ugh, they are, aren't they, as if he still hasn't completely grasped that despite everything that's happened, ]—hearin' about myself like this is still embarrassin', ya know?

[digestif]

[ success. They give their best angelic smile. ]

Sorry, sorry! Your reactions are just fun, so I can't help teasing you. [ a beat. ] Oh - not that I didn't mean it, though.

[ it does feel weird to hear him say they're together, though - it gives them pause for a second, too, if only mentally. They can't believe they're seriously doing this: literally setting themself up for a fall. At the same time, though...

They doubt their ability to sever this attachment. Their eyes linger for a little while on the harsh edges of his profile, half-hidden by his hand. They recall his dejection from only a few minutes ago when he'd thought they were shooting him down. And they recall their unease from last week, when they'd thought he was gone, and the frustration of being hopeless to help him during the trial. Throwing all of it away now would be worse than losing it in a few weeks, wouldn't it? ]

[haw]

[ he keeps his eye closed for a bit out of sheer embarrassment... but the way they so fondly comment on his personality gets him to peek at them through the cracks between his fingers.

. . .

god. he doesn't even want to think about the eventual future that's just around the corner. that's why he's gotta start living in the present, right?

he places his hand at the side of their head and nudges them lightly, encouraging them to
sink even further into the crook of his neck. ]

Even the flaws part?

[digestif]

[ teasingly: ] Especially that part.

[ they go along with coaxing, nuzzling up against his neck and closing their eyes. Mizuki normally isn't the most physically affectionate of people, especially in a manner as docile as this; as someone who's constantly trying their damnedest to be completely impenetrable, they don't like the vulnerability it shows. But it's all right. Just for a little while. They're alone. Majima is warm and comfortable; they can feel his pulse faintly beneath his skin.

It's all right to love him just for a little while. ]