( unfortunately for rinne, there's no immediate movement inside. no stirring from the very even queen that's visible through the window, takasugi curled up in and threading fingers through the thick bush of his red tail for warmth, lying flat on his back. every morning gets increasingly colder on this island, making him wake up later and later even as a fairly late riser, and...
those shinsaku's are getting pretty persistent, aren't they?
he casually turns his head towards the window, blinking tiredly, only to spot a familiar shape clinging to the frame.
a very familiar shape.
well. that's one way to wake a guy. takasugi shoots up, swinging the folds of his hakama fast enough to nearly trip as claws click across the floor. he quickly unfastens the window, letting the golden morning light stream through, it catching in the sharp strands of pink that make up his hair to where it catches flame. the initial panic subsides just as quickly as it came when he slides the glass open and steps aside, making it easier to just jump in.)
You're crazy smart, Amagi-kun, but you can be crazy surprising, too. I can't believe you tackled an entrance like this before I did.
( the freak likes it. but who was expecting any less? )
[Aha! There's the man he wanted to see. There's a there's a glint in his eye as his lips tug into a smirk — the kind of look he makes when he's up to no good. But in Takasugi's eyes, nothing Rinne does is ever truly so bad. Maybe that's why this grin isn't as sharp as it often is on stage. Maybe that's why its warmth draws Takasugi in as Rinne climbs out of the cold to join him. ]
Aww, no shocked faces for Rinne-kun? Well, whatever. Morning to you too, Prez. You could say I'm just crazy!
[ Rinne doesn't miss a beat. As soon as his shoes touch the floor, he briefly places a hand on Takasugi's shoulder and starts walking around the room, taking in every detail with a curious eye. That's a lot of fox fur on the bed... What other messes should he be noting? ]
I'm guessin' ya just woke up. I hope I got the timing right. I was planning on hitting two birds with one stone today.
( there are questions that bubble to the surface of his mind as he watches rinne study his room with a child-like curiosity, like it's some garden made to impress and not just a place to dump various car parts and whatever he can use to manufacture change in mini arahabaki, with empty pill bottles on a nearby dresser and that long sword set neatly against the wall: an "are you still keeping it close, dreaming of me?" since the last time they saw each other, and maybe even a "how have you been feeling?". but takasugi, perhaps out of some mercy and early morning fatigue, decides not to do that.
he stamps lightly across the room, eyes crinkling in thinly-concealed amusement. )
And what two birds are those? But I did just wake up, thanks to a certain someone. I'm not even fully dressed yet, as you can see. Still, ... what was so urgent that it had you trying to break in through my window just to see me? Were you just that desperate to get a glimpse of me in bed?
( the smile on his face is stupid and sleepy, takasugi opening his arms while wiggling his soot-black fingers, like, feel free to jump right in, amagi-kun. )
[Shamelessly, like Takasugi would be totally okay with that. Well, he would be. Isn't that why Rinne's still inside in one piece? It's why Rinne's here in the first place. If he ever cried within these walls, it's hard to believe it now. He feels better about visiting today.
Still, he swerves away.]
I ain't just here to jump ya, though. [He shuts an eye and makes a picture frame with his hands, enclosing Takasugi square in the middle, and pans around.] I gotta get a good idea of what your room's like before we start shopping.
[It's like a garage. Is this what a tech guy is like? He zooms in on the dresser and closes in on the shot.]
Oh? What's that I see? Looks like someone's finally been taking his meds....
but, ... ah. he didn't expect an honest answer. takasugi keeps his hands out, flexing his invisible hold on rinne, his gaze drifting elsewhere and then back. )
Considering all the effort you went through to show me just how selfish I was being, I thought I might as well. It's not something I would do for just anyone, though. All the bitter medicine I stuffed down my throat in life was so... Well. Let's not talk about all that.
( he scratches at leftover sleep in the corner of an eye, moving to tug that familiar white jacket off a tattered wooden hanger and start smoothing out the folds of it. )
[ As he peruses the labels on the bottles, Rinne glances at Takasugi from the corner of his eye and grins. He's medicating for him? ]
Yeah, for you. You spend all that time messing with machines, you ain't got the mind for making a home. So! Niki and I figured we could help spruce this place up. You could freeze to death in this dump, and we can't have a company without our CEO. Who'll make the tabloids when our scandal comes out?
[ The bottle in his hand is cold and empty. Takasugi should throw it out. ]
Besides, Habaki-chan ain't the kinda girl who cooks and cleans.
( takasugi breathes in lightly, the weight of that declaration settling on his shoulders. they don't have to go through all that trouble, especially not when they were still healing from the scars that contemptuous souls had rubbed into them with methods he still didn't quite have a grasp on. they don't have to offer him anything, really, but it makes sense. the seasons are getting colder, so he should furnish his house more to endure them. his weak constitution is likely to weaken even further.
with rinne's back turned, takasugi's brow furrows slightly, his arm pausing as it works to slip itself inside an arm of fabric.)
Our scandal, huh.
( scandal. does that word have to sting for others, when it makes him feel so happy to hear it? )
But man, am I glad I chose my subordinates based on skill and not their status. It's a good idea; otherwise, I'm never going to get anything more luxurious in here. The second there's money in my hands, it goes right out the window, or back into one of our various projects. I'm all for it. We can grab items for the both of you as well. It's not just about me. Though...
( he pauses, pulling his arm out of the sleeve. that same hand makes a beckoning motion. )
There's a lot in this room that does revolve around me. Two birds, was it?
[ Rinne has to do this. Anything is better than moping around, letting his helplessness sink in while doing nothing. But Takasugi makes another request — no, a command? — and Rinne nearly finds himself taking a few steps forward, all too willing to follow through. ]
Now hold it, tiger. Who said I revolved around you?
[ Yet the mattress sinks beneath his knees as he pushes Takasugi down and crawls forward. It doesn't take much. With an open palm against Takasugi's beating heart, it feels like anything is possible. From this angle, his blue eyes seem to shine with hunger. ]
I'm just doing what I want, and I ain't that good at anything you tell me to do. Doncha just means I'm good for you?
( always ready to pounce like a tiger whenever takasugi pushes. malkuth did describe him as cat-like in his shifted form, didn't she?
he tried to picture it later, rinne swiping like a big kitten with his claws out. but even as rinne shows his figurative fangs above him, takasugi leans back into the bed, refusing to raise a single finger in defense. the life that is his heartbeat pulses beneath that hand, beating ever so steadily.
let rinne bite him if he wants. it won't change anything. ... maybe. )
Hahah. Even I know everything about you doesn't revolve around me...
( honest, drowsy. he raises arms around rinne's neck, exhaling softly into it as he tries to drag him down. )
... But I wish it did. Especially with how you're just a tad warmer than me. Can't all the serious stuff be for... Mmh. Give me five, ... ten minutes like this. I'll even recite the usual if you want. You know, about crows... and killing, and all that.
[ It's a scandal. Rinne knows how Takasugi likes that. Rinne thinks he likes it, too. There will always be somethng intoxicating about the things he isn't supposed to do. So, for a moment, he forgets. About his code, about his pride, about what he felt and what he came to do — he forgets it all.
Then Takasugi pulls him in...
... ?!?!
All the signs were there, but Rinne truly didn't expect this. ]
W-wait. Hey, Shinsaku. I gotta measure the room!
[ And some lines have to be drawn, but Rinne doesn't fight him. It's soft here. ]
he delivers it as confidently as always, for all his body language is practically melting into the sheets and this hold he's got around rinne. it'd be easy to break out of his grip, to shove him aside like always and slide off the bed and persist in whatever else he came here to do in gauging the length of a bedroom. but isn't it just as fine to lay here with him, to stay for a moment and be snug in this niche calming effect they seem to have on each other? takasugi always sleeps like the dead until the light gradually rattles him out of it, but he's daydreamed about this to the point of insanity, maybe—the act of lounging in his very own bed linens with a man who always gains ground in him so effortlessly.
takasugi sinks back further, nudging a leg against rinne's side. )
This is my favorite scent, you know. Amagi-kun's. Like tasty beams of sunlight shining through a summer canopy… or, ...
( it's fine to admit that, right? it's long been fine. his sleepy brain says so, takasugi getting so cozy that he might just doze off again. )
So, ... if I can't have you for longer, then at least give me a minute to soak in it. I won't do anything more than this, if that's what you're worried about. My impulse control is... well, it is. There, I mean. Occasionally.
[ The spoiled samurai who's used to getting what he wants?
...
No, he doesn't always get what he wants. But oh, Rinne's suddenly so fond. Takasugi shouldn't be holding back for anybody. If anything, Rinne should be leaving.
......
Rinne is strong enough to break out of Takasugi's hold, true. But he's also strong enough to lift Takasugi up by the waist and roll his own back onto the mattress. This is an angle he's still getting used to. It isn't bad, though. Rinne's a little embarrassed, but if this is Takasugi's favorite scent, then let him lie in it. This bond of theirs is always looking for reasons to indulge him. Rinne really shouldn't, but it reminds him of his childhood — a time before anyone else could tell him that doing even this much for anyone was wrong. ]
Don't sleep, dumbass. How else are you supposed to remember this? I got fifteen minutes to kill, but we gotta talk about something.
[ Or he'll start overthinking. ]
Like... Oh! Name five things you like about your number one idol Rinne-kun and why.
[ That's so embarrassing, Takasugi would have to regret pinning him down on this bed, right?! ]
( true. there have been countless moments where he hasn't held back. so many times that usually led to tears streaming down rinne's face, with that resolute smile of his touching and shattering takasugi's heart simultaneously in a way that few can. in trying to hold each other's burdens, and in trying to accept the word "family" again, he's been listening and telling of his restraint for a good while now. but every man cracks around the one they love, takasugi's fingers curling claws into material as rinne flips him and stirs him out of his drowsiness.
which, ... stupid amagi-kun.
the urge to kiss him is ridiculously strong now that the sensation might as well be a fist gripped around his heart.
he tries to glance away from the blinding sight below him, but there's no point. no point and no need, because he likes the way rinne holds him too much to ignore it. takasugi opts to simply cluck his tongue instead, every inch of him screaming internally over the closeness when he was really just trying to be more docile. it must be painful to watch him be so predictable in situations like this, where he fights the urge to adjust his body along the thick of rinne's waist, lest it gets him too excited. )
Is this a test of how dedicated I really am?
( crumpling whatever fabric rinne's wearing in his claws as he thinks now. let's see. )
One: that bold voice of yours, the way it crowds others to drown them out naturally. Two: the way you sing, like you're spilling salvation into every lyric. Three: how much better you've gotten at kissing over-time. ( no hesitation whatsoever while saying this. ) Four: the clear vision you have of your dreams, the glint of it in your eyes so vivid whenever I close mine. And, five... five... uhm, ...
( wait. why is this what comes to mind immediately? well... circumstances being what they are— )
That "Nii-san", ... was strangely compelling. So... make that five.
[ This was a mistake. The one getting embarrassed is Rinne. What's with that third item? And how is the fourth item even worse? Please, just kill him. It'd be so much easier than listening to all this praise. ]
[ Sorry. Sorry? He likes this as much as Takasugi does, but really, he's just glad Takasugi's being honest at all. He's pretty sure Takasugi wasn't like this before... ]
Well, it's not like I don't get you? We're both men of culture, after all. I remember when I first heard my pesky little brother call me that after so long... Ah, memories. Honestly, it's starting to get kinda annoying!
[ Lie. He's not even going to get into how Niki used to call him this, too. ]
"Nii-san, come back!" "Nii-san, they need you!" Like a baby crying for his mommy.
[ But if he's so uncute, why is he still ranting about him on Takasugi's bed?
Playfully, he twirls a lock of Takasugi's hair around his finger. ]
Don't worry, Shinsaku. I know what you wanna hear.
( is that why he likes it so much? because it's like rinne is clinging to him verbally? his younger sisters had their own mischief, each living their lives independently to some extent. he wasn't the greatest brother in leaving them, either, and looking back, it only made all of their lives harder. but... )
Annoying, huh. But it didn't used to make me feel so...
( he's not going to say it.
rinne clearly gets it, takasugi having felt evidence of that first-hand, and his smugness makes takasugi want to thwap him in the face with a pillow. he tilts his head to the side, the creases of his black kimono sliding for the movement. there's a good ten seconds of silence before he gives. )
[ Yes, this is it. Rinne finally knows another one of Takasugi Shinsaku's weak spots. Better yet, it's a weak spot he created himself! Good job, Rinne-kun. You still know how to do your job and make people happy.
Well? This part should be easy now, right? Rinne grins, glowing and giddy for it. He knows exactly what to say and how to say it. It's on the tip of his tongue, never quite ready but ever so present. ]
His claws dig into the sheets. He breaks into a cold sweat. That's funny. He should have said them by now. These are the words he's always wanted to hear, aren't they? In fact, he's already said them. Multiple times, in fact. But the thought of saying them now at this very moment brings his beating heart to a stop. Wait. Hold on. There's nothing to be scared of. The words he's dying to say should convey something very natural for him to feel. Hiiro is family. He should only do right by his family.
But when Rinne lets Takasugi lie on top of him and calls him family, another feeling begins to creep up on him, dyeing his soul with something darker and more sinister. Either way, who is he kidding? Just because Niki said it'd happen doesn't mean his Hiiro would actually do it. Whatever fantasies he has in his head, however innocent... It'd be embarrassing to carry them out now. ]
Nii-san, you idiot.
[ Yeah, that's what Hiiro would say. ]
Edited (forgot their positions wtf) Date: 2025-10-27 05:50 pm (UTC)
( he can feel the hesitation beat in rinne's chest beneath him, everything about his larger frame going stiff. to takasugi, loving meant surrendering himself to someone to deepen their understanding, in letting them demand a claim on him that he willingly offered. but rinne's comprehension of his own emotions is so, so different. one minute he's confident, and the next a blushing mess. even the things that bring comfort to rinne, that he so willingly wants, are fraught with an edge of uncertainty in every limb. but as takasugi obediently lays on top of him, rinne's heart galloping like a frightened horse against his, he can only think...
about how earth-shatteringly cute it is, his own beating loud and painful as his mouth tugs into a bright smile. )
That's right. A huge idiot, in fact. The type who lays awake at night, wondering if you've fallen asleep yet.
( not that he needs him to, with niki there to look after him. he knows that well enough, even if he can't help it.
takasugi scootches a resting arm up from rinne's side to trace a claw lightly against rinne's bottom lip. he's thinking about it. he's totally thinking about it.
his eyes, always uniform in how hollow and pink they are, shimmer briefly with a blue light, almost like a scale. )
That was barely above a whisper. What're you acting so shy for, after the way you manhandled me on my own bed? You're so cute sometimes it drives me crazy. Do you know how hard it is not to lose it? They should be giving me an award, actually, for most behaved Augmented. ... You know. Putting aside all my recent bad behavior. Anyway, you got what you wanted: I'm totally awake now.
[The claws touch his lips and Rinne loses focus. Takasugi's heart is so loud. Maybe it's not his. Could someone other than Niki really be this happy to be with him? Rinne keeps making this gamble to believe this spirit from another world, and he hasn't lost just yet. He should accept it as truth at this point: this whole world might not want him for who he is, but at least Takasugi will. Takasugi wants him so much, Rinne thinks he sees his eyes shine a color more familiar.
No. He shouldn't look too hard. The last thing he needs to do is hope for something that might not come true.]
I'm not cute, and I'm not shy. I'm just...
[He bunches the sheets into a fist. The other hand smooths Takasugi's hair and covers his neck, drawing him closer.]
I told you I was a monarch, didn't I? Since I'm the firstborn, that meant my younger brother had to serve me. He was supposed to be my protector, my advisor... my servant. He had to dedicate his entire being to fulfilling that role. His life was meant to be used up for the sake of our village. For me.
[Slowly, his own claws trace the curve of Takasugi's cheek, the cut of Takasugi's jaw.]
So loving something expendable, someone beneath me... [The sharp nail of his thumb stops at Takasugi's chin.] It's something I shouldn't do — even when it's all a brother is meant to do.
( the thumb stops at his chin, and takasugi hums. he commits the explanation to memory, refusing to move just yet. )
In other words, it's wrong. But you know, my mentor once told me that you should throw your life away for a cause, and not just for who someone was. If I put my life in danger and die, it would be for you, and not just because of some laws that denote what our connection entails. And rather than wanting his obedience, ...
(my obedience, he almost says, but this isn't actually about him, is it? it never is, he's learning. that bright smile falters slightly. )
Wouldn't you rather he be fearless and reach out to you? You like that, after all. That sort of stubbornness.
( he tilts his chin carefully, letting the dark claw run a line up to his lips.
takasugi pokes his tongue out, tasting the pointed tip like it’s a sweet confection, pressing it like he might break the skin. he doesn't, though. it's just a soft, teasing kiss as he closes his mouth around that finger to combat the vaguely bitter feeling threatening to rise up his throat. after all, he might never get another chance like this. )
Do you see me as someone expendable? ( he is. ) Beneath you?
... no. takasugi thinks he knows, and it scares him. he should've simply made rinne sleep with him instead of getting into whatever they were talking about right now.
his tail rolls once across the sheets behind him, takasugi exhaling sharply through his nose in response. )
Nevermind what Shouin-sensei wanted for me. We're talking about you.
( because yoshida shouin had been so maddeningly calm in his final moments, preaching to the choir to takasugi that he shouldn't die. to live on in his stead alongside the rest of the academy and accomplish what needs to be done, knowing that he wasn't going to be around for any of it, and why was he suddenly on the other end of that again? takasugi came to this world expecting to wear out his life for these people, so enthusiastic about doing all he could before his candle got snuffed by fate itself, but now he was doing much of the opposite. he's clinging to life, the evidence of it on the counter and beneath him. so, why...
he feels dizzy just thinking about it. the world isn't spinning, though, and neither is this room. it's just him. )
... Amagi-kun. I'm going to bite your thumb, okay?
( it's a warning and not a request this time, takasugi doing his best to keep the panic in his voice under wraps.
a commander of a militia never let his weakness show, let alone a hero, but there's life throbbing beneath that skin and he wants to taste it. needs to taste it all of a sudden, leaning in with his elbows to let all that pink rinne smoothed down against his neck spill effortlessly over his shoulder and below. )
[ Rinne's blue eyes widen, taken aback. It's not about the bite — that much is expected from a wildcard like him. But Takasugi warning him at all? ]
Why? Can't you just kiss me?
[ He tries to pull his thumb out. It's because he did something wrong again, right? Surely a kiss would suffice. Takasugi didn't like seeing Rinne in pain. That's still true, isn't it? What's gotten him in a panic, anyway? All he did was answer his questions and try to comfort him. For some reason, it isn't working. He must be missing something. Is there something he hasn't read in a book or seen in his dreams? If only he knew more about Takasugi. ]
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no subject
Date: 2025-10-26 05:02 am (UTC)those shinsaku's are getting pretty persistent, aren't they?
he casually turns his head towards the window, blinking tiredly, only to spot a familiar shape clinging to the frame.
a very familiar shape.
well. that's one way to wake a guy. takasugi shoots up, swinging the folds of his hakama fast enough to nearly trip as claws click across the floor. he quickly unfastens the window, letting the golden morning light stream through, it catching in the sharp strands of pink that make up his hair to where it catches flame. the initial panic subsides just as quickly as it came when he slides the glass open and steps aside, making it easier to just jump in.)
You're crazy smart, Amagi-kun, but you can be crazy surprising, too. I can't believe you tackled an entrance like this before I did.
( the freak likes it. but who was expecting any less? )
no subject
Date: 2025-10-26 02:55 pm (UTC)Aww, no shocked faces for Rinne-kun? Well, whatever. Morning to you too, Prez. You could say I'm just crazy!
[ Rinne doesn't miss a beat. As soon as his shoes touch the floor, he briefly places a hand on Takasugi's shoulder and starts walking around the room, taking in every detail with a curious eye. That's a lot of fox fur on the bed... What other messes should he be noting? ]
I'm guessin' ya just woke up. I hope I got the timing right. I was planning on hitting two birds with one stone today.
no subject
Date: 2025-10-26 03:34 pm (UTC)( there are questions that bubble to the surface of his mind as he watches rinne study his room with a child-like curiosity, like it's some garden made to impress and not just a place to dump various car parts and whatever he can use to manufacture change in mini arahabaki, with empty pill bottles on a nearby dresser and that long sword set neatly against the wall: an "are you still keeping it close, dreaming of me?" since the last time they saw each other, and maybe even a "how have you been feeling?". but takasugi, perhaps out of some mercy and early morning fatigue, decides not to do that.
he stamps lightly across the room, eyes crinkling in thinly-concealed amusement. )
And what two birds are those? But I did just wake up, thanks to a certain someone. I'm not even fully dressed yet, as you can see. Still, ... what was so urgent that it had you trying to break in through my window just to see me? Were you just that desperate to get a glimpse of me in bed?
( the smile on his face is stupid and sleepy, takasugi opening his arms while wiggling his soot-black fingers, like, feel free to jump right in, amagi-kun. )
no subject
Date: 2025-10-26 11:28 pm (UTC)[Shamelessly, like Takasugi would be totally okay with that. Well, he would be. Isn't that why Rinne's still inside in one piece? It's why Rinne's here in the first place. If he ever cried within these walls, it's hard to believe it now. He feels better about visiting today.
Still, he swerves away.]
I ain't just here to jump ya, though. [He shuts an eye and makes a picture frame with his hands, enclosing Takasugi square in the middle, and pans around.] I gotta get a good idea of what your room's like before we start shopping.
[It's like a garage. Is this what a tech guy is like? He zooms in on the dresser and closes in on the shot.]
Oh? What's that I see? Looks like someone's finally been taking his meds....
no subject
Date: 2025-10-27 01:39 am (UTC)but, ... ah. he didn't expect an honest answer. takasugi keeps his hands out, flexing his invisible hold on rinne, his gaze drifting elsewhere and then back. )
Considering all the effort you went through to show me just how selfish I was being, I thought I might as well. It's not something I would do for just anyone, though. All the bitter medicine I stuffed down my throat in life was so... Well. Let's not talk about all that.
( he scratches at leftover sleep in the corner of an eye, moving to tug that familiar white jacket off a tattered wooden hanger and start smoothing out the folds of it. )
Anyway. Shopping? What. For me?
no subject
Date: 2025-10-27 02:15 am (UTC)Yeah, for you. You spend all that time messing with machines, you ain't got the mind for making a home. So! Niki and I figured we could help spruce this place up. You could freeze to death in this dump, and we can't have a company without our CEO. Who'll make the tabloids when our scandal comes out?
[ The bottle in his hand is cold and empty. Takasugi should throw it out. ]
Besides, Habaki-chan ain't the kinda girl who cooks and cleans.
no subject
Date: 2025-10-27 04:24 am (UTC)with rinne's back turned, takasugi's brow furrows slightly, his arm pausing as it works to slip itself inside an arm of fabric.)
Our scandal, huh.
( scandal. does that word have to sting for others, when it makes him feel so happy to hear it? )
But man, am I glad I chose my subordinates based on skill and not their status. It's a good idea; otherwise, I'm never going to get anything more luxurious in here. The second there's money in my hands, it goes right out the window, or back into one of our various projects. I'm all for it. We can grab items for the both of you as well. It's not just about me. Though...
( he pauses, pulling his arm out of the sleeve. that same hand makes a beckoning motion. )
There's a lot in this room that does revolve around me. Two birds, was it?
no subject
Date: 2025-10-27 04:59 am (UTC)Now hold it, tiger. Who said I revolved around you?
[ Yet the mattress sinks beneath his knees as he pushes Takasugi down and crawls forward. It doesn't take much. With an open palm against Takasugi's beating heart, it feels like anything is possible. From this angle, his blue eyes seem to shine with hunger. ]
I'm just doing what I want, and I ain't that good at anything you tell me to do. Doncha just means I'm good for you?
no subject
Date: 2025-10-27 05:39 am (UTC)he tried to picture it later, rinne swiping like a big kitten with his claws out. but even as rinne shows his figurative fangs above him, takasugi leans back into the bed, refusing to raise a single finger in defense. the life that is his heartbeat pulses beneath that hand, beating ever so steadily.
let rinne bite him if he wants. it won't change anything. ... maybe. )
Hahah. Even I know everything about you doesn't revolve around me...
( honest, drowsy. he raises arms around rinne's neck, exhaling softly into it as he tries to drag him down. )
... But I wish it did. Especially with how you're just a tad warmer than me. Can't all the serious stuff be for... Mmh. Give me five, ... ten minutes like this. I'll even recite the usual if you want. You know, about crows... and killing, and all that.
no subject
Date: 2025-10-27 05:52 am (UTC)Then Takasugi pulls him in...
... ?!?!
All the signs were there, but Rinne truly didn't expect this. ]
W-wait. Hey, Shinsaku. I gotta measure the room!
[ And some lines have to be drawn, but Rinne doesn't fight him. It's soft here. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-10-27 01:43 pm (UTC)( is that a pout? not quite.
he delivers it as confidently as always, for all his body language is practically melting into the sheets and this hold he's got around rinne. it'd be easy to break out of his grip, to shove him aside like always and slide off the bed and persist in whatever else he came here to do in gauging the length of a bedroom. but isn't it just as fine to lay here with him, to stay for a moment and be snug in this niche calming effect they seem to have on each other? takasugi always sleeps like the dead until the light gradually rattles him out of it, but he's daydreamed about this to the point of insanity, maybe—the act of lounging in his very own bed linens with a man who always gains ground in him so effortlessly.
takasugi sinks back further, nudging a leg against rinne's side. )
This is my favorite scent, you know. Amagi-kun's. Like tasty beams of sunlight shining through a summer canopy… or, ...
( it's fine to admit that, right? it's long been fine. his sleepy brain says so, takasugi getting so cozy that he might just doze off again. )
So, ... if I can't have you for longer, then at least give me a minute to soak in it. I won't do anything more than this, if that's what you're worried about. My impulse control is... well, it is. There, I mean. Occasionally.
no subject
Date: 2025-10-27 03:31 pm (UTC)[ The spoiled samurai who's used to getting what he wants?
...
No, he doesn't always get what he wants. But oh, Rinne's suddenly so fond. Takasugi shouldn't be holding back for anybody. If anything, Rinne should be leaving.
......
Rinne is strong enough to break out of Takasugi's hold, true. But he's also strong enough to lift Takasugi up by the waist and roll his own back onto the mattress. This is an angle he's still getting used to. It isn't bad, though. Rinne's a little embarrassed, but if this is Takasugi's favorite scent, then let him lie in it. This bond of theirs is always looking for reasons to indulge him. Rinne really shouldn't, but it reminds him of his childhood — a time before anyone else could tell him that doing even this much for anyone was wrong. ]
Don't sleep, dumbass. How else are you supposed to remember this? I got fifteen minutes to kill, but we gotta talk about something.
[ Or he'll start overthinking. ]
Like... Oh! Name five things you like about your number one idol Rinne-kun and why.
[ That's so embarrassing, Takasugi would have to regret pinning him down on this bed, right?! ]
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Date: 2025-10-27 04:16 pm (UTC)which, ... stupid amagi-kun.
the urge to kiss him is ridiculously strong now that the sensation might as well be a fist gripped around his heart.
he tries to glance away from the blinding sight below him, but there's no point. no point and no need, because he likes the way rinne holds him too much to ignore it. takasugi opts to simply cluck his tongue instead, every inch of him screaming internally over the closeness when he was really just trying to be more docile. it must be painful to watch him be so predictable in situations like this, where he fights the urge to adjust his body along the thick of rinne's waist, lest it gets him too excited. )
Is this a test of how dedicated I really am?
( crumpling whatever fabric rinne's wearing in his claws as he thinks now. let's see. )
One: that bold voice of yours, the way it crowds others to drown them out naturally. Two: the way you sing, like you're spilling salvation into every lyric. Three: how much better you've gotten at kissing over-time. ( no hesitation whatsoever while saying this. ) Four: the clear vision you have of your dreams, the glint of it in your eyes so vivid whenever I close mine. And, five... five... uhm, ...
( wait. why is this what comes to mind immediately? well... circumstances being what they are— )
That "Nii-san", ... was strangely compelling. So... make that five.
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Date: 2025-10-27 04:29 pm (UTC)[ This was a mistake. The one getting embarrassed is Rinne. What's with that third item? And how is the fourth item even worse? Please, just kill him. It'd be so much easier than listening to all this praise. ]
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Date: 2025-10-27 04:42 pm (UTC)That earns Takasugi a smirk. ]
Oh? Ohhh. Ohohoho.
[ Sorry. Sorry? He likes this as much as Takasugi does, but really, he's just glad Takasugi's being honest at all. He's pretty sure Takasugi wasn't like this before... ]
Well, it's not like I don't get you? We're both men of culture, after all. I remember when I first heard my pesky little brother call me that after so long... Ah, memories. Honestly, it's starting to get kinda annoying!
[ Lie. He's not even going to get into how Niki used to call him this, too. ]
"Nii-san, come back!" "Nii-san, they need you!" Like a baby crying for his mommy.
[ But if he's so uncute, why is he still ranting about him on Takasugi's bed?
Playfully, he twirls a lock of Takasugi's hair around his finger. ]
Don't worry, Shinsaku. I know what you wanna hear.
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Date: 2025-10-27 05:15 pm (UTC)Annoying, huh. But it didn't used to make me feel so...
( he's not going to say it.
rinne clearly gets it, takasugi having felt evidence of that first-hand, and his smugness makes takasugi want to thwap him in the face with a pillow. he tilts his head to the side, the creases of his black kimono sliding for the movement. there's a good ten seconds of silence before he gives. )
... Alright. Say it, then. Just this once.
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Date: 2025-10-27 05:26 pm (UTC)Well? This part should be easy now, right? Rinne grins, glowing and giddy for it. He knows exactly what to say and how to say it. It's on the tip of his tongue, never quite ready but ever so present. ]
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Date: 2025-10-27 05:45 pm (UTC)His claws dig into the sheets. He breaks into a cold sweat. That's funny. He should have said them by now. These are the words he's always wanted to hear, aren't they? In fact, he's already said them. Multiple times, in fact. But the thought of saying them now at this very moment brings his beating heart to a stop. Wait. Hold on. There's nothing to be scared of. The words he's dying to say should convey something very natural for him to feel. Hiiro is family. He should only do right by his family.
But when Rinne lets Takasugi lie on top of him and calls him family, another feeling begins to creep up on him, dyeing his soul with something darker and more sinister. Either way, who is he kidding? Just because Niki said it'd happen doesn't mean his Hiiro would actually do it. Whatever fantasies he has in his head, however innocent... It'd be embarrassing to carry them out now. ]
Nii-san, you idiot.
[ Yeah, that's what Hiiro would say. ]
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Date: 2025-10-27 11:51 pm (UTC)about how earth-shatteringly cute it is, his own beating loud and painful as his mouth tugs into a bright smile. )
That's right. A huge idiot, in fact. The type who lays awake at night, wondering if you've fallen asleep yet.
( not that he needs him to, with niki there to look after him. he knows that well enough, even if he can't help it.
takasugi scootches a resting arm up from rinne's side to trace a claw lightly against rinne's bottom lip. he's thinking about it. he's totally thinking about it.
his eyes, always uniform in how hollow and pink they are, shimmer briefly with a blue light, almost like a scale. )
That was barely above a whisper. What're you acting so shy for, after the way you manhandled me on my own bed? You're so cute sometimes it drives me crazy. Do you know how hard it is not to lose it? They should be giving me an award, actually, for most behaved Augmented. ... You know. Putting aside all my recent bad behavior. Anyway, you got what you wanted: I'm totally awake now.
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Date: 2025-10-28 01:27 am (UTC)No. He shouldn't look too hard. The last thing he needs to do is hope for something that might not come true.]
I'm not cute, and I'm not shy. I'm just...
[He bunches the sheets into a fist. The other hand smooths Takasugi's hair and covers his neck, drawing him closer.]
I told you I was a monarch, didn't I? Since I'm the firstborn, that meant my younger brother had to serve me. He was supposed to be my protector, my advisor... my servant. He had to dedicate his entire being to fulfilling that role. His life was meant to be used up for the sake of our village. For me.
[Slowly, his own claws trace the curve of Takasugi's cheek, the cut of Takasugi's jaw.]
So loving something expendable, someone beneath me... [The sharp nail of his thumb stops at Takasugi's chin.] It's something I shouldn't do — even when it's all a brother is meant to do.
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Date: 2025-10-28 04:16 am (UTC)( the thumb stops at his chin, and takasugi hums. he commits the explanation to memory, refusing to move just yet. )
In other words, it's wrong. But you know, my mentor once told me that you should throw your life away for a cause, and not just for who someone was. If I put my life in danger and die, it would be for you, and not just because of some laws that denote what our connection entails. And rather than wanting his obedience, ...
( my obedience, he almost says, but this isn't actually about him, is it? it never is, he's learning. that bright smile falters slightly. )
Wouldn't you rather he be fearless and reach out to you? You like that, after all. That sort of stubbornness.
( he tilts his chin carefully, letting the dark claw run a line up to his lips.
takasugi pokes his tongue out, tasting the pointed tip like it’s a sweet confection, pressing it like he might break the skin. he doesn't, though. it's just a soft, teasing kiss as he closes his mouth around that finger to combat the vaguely bitter feeling threatening to rise up his throat. after all, he might never get another chance like this. )
Do you see me as someone expendable? ( he is. ) Beneath you?
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Date: 2025-10-28 05:21 am (UTC)No. [ He furrows his brows and shakes his head, disgusted by the thought. ] Never.
[ His throat grows tight. Takasugi can hear it in his voice, the way it cracks as he tries to speak. ]
He doesn't have to reach for me. When I'm gone and he no longer needs me, I just want him to live long and be happy.
I used to tell Hiiro he had more freedom than me. Beyond our hometown, the choices he had outnumbered the stars.
[ As the lights in his eyes warm and dim, his thumb soothes Takasugi's lower lip. ]
I'm sure that's what your mentor wanted to tell you.
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Date: 2025-10-28 06:25 am (UTC)... no. takasugi thinks he knows, and it scares him. he should've simply made rinne sleep with him instead of getting into whatever they were talking about right now.
his tail rolls once across the sheets behind him, takasugi exhaling sharply through his nose in response. )
Nevermind what Shouin-sensei wanted for me. We're talking about you.
( because yoshida shouin had been so maddeningly calm in his final moments, preaching to the choir to takasugi that he shouldn't die. to live on in his stead alongside the rest of the academy and accomplish what needs to be done, knowing that he wasn't going to be around for any of it, and why was he suddenly on the other end of that again? takasugi came to this world expecting to wear out his life for these people, so enthusiastic about doing all he could before his candle got snuffed by fate itself, but now he was doing much of the opposite. he's clinging to life, the evidence of it on the counter and beneath him. so, why...
he feels dizzy just thinking about it. the world isn't spinning, though, and neither is this room. it's just him. )
... Amagi-kun. I'm going to bite your thumb, okay?
( it's a warning and not a request this time, takasugi doing his best to keep the panic in his voice under wraps.
a commander of a militia never let his weakness show, let alone a hero, but there's life throbbing beneath that skin and he wants to taste it. needs to taste it all of a sudden, leaning in with his elbows to let all that pink rinne smoothed down against his neck spill effortlessly over his shoulder and below. )
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Date: 2025-10-28 06:52 am (UTC)Why? Can't you just kiss me?
[ He tries to pull his thumb out. It's because he did something wrong again, right? Surely a kiss would suffice. Takasugi didn't like seeing Rinne in pain. That's still true, isn't it? What's gotten him in a panic, anyway? All he did was answer his questions and try to comfort him. For some reason, it isn't working. He must be missing something. Is there something he hasn't read in a book or seen in his dreams? If only he knew more about Takasugi. ]
( 1 / 2 )
Date: 2025-10-28 07:08 am (UTC)( okay. now he's pouting for real. )
( 2 / 2 )
From:cw: incestuous thoughts again but it's been like this for the last few tags and last few months
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