[ Now Rinne's getting shy. He ducks his head to look at the hands grasping at his shirt. ]
... Sure.
[ Once he finishes unbuttoning, he pulls the fabric off his back and sets it aside. He has to tug the kimono off first. It doesn't take long. The black cloth slides off Takasugi's smaller shoulders, revealing smooth muscle and fair skin. He looks fragile like this. He was never meant to change a nation, and yet... ]
You remember what I said about showing skin?
[ A rough palm starts mapping the shape of his narrow waist. ]
( is he supposed to recall it properly while he's trying not to make any weird noises? okay. he thinks back, lips pressing tight together. air escapes through his nose as those fingers leave invisible marks, the touch being more than a little distracting. stay still, shinsaku.
but eventually, gradually, he tugs on a wisp of a thought, pulling it to the forefront of his mind. )
How only family should be permitted to see it?
( he raises his arms, bare shoulders cold and ready. there's never any shame in his face at having to expose himself. and as long as this coddling is done with affection, and not out of necessity... then he'll gladly let rinne pick him piece by piece. )
[ He inserts one arm into one of the shirt's sleeves, then another. He gives the collar a gentle tug to place it over Takasugi's shoulders. It's a loose fit. He'll never be able to fill it in.
That's fine. They were always two different people, so Rinne doesn't expect him to. ]
I know this is fun for you, so I won't force you to do anything. And I only learned about these things from you, so maybe I ain't got the right to say this. But after you save this world, you'll be off on your own again, won't you? I bet you'll end up somewhere fun, having lots of adventures in your own Takasugi way. You'll be meeting new people...
So when you do this again, it's gotta be with someone like family.
[ ...
Wait, why is he talking about something sad again? Not good. But he doesn't know how else to please him, and the only way he knows how will get boring fast.
Sweetly, he asks, ] What else do you want to do, Shinsaku?
("treat me like family, then" is the first thing that comes to mind, but he won't say that. it'll just ruin the mood.
rinne makes it sound like he's willing to offer the world, but takasugi doesn't need all that. he doesn't need the world. he's seen other countries, and read about them, and there are stories where men are given everything they've ever wanted in the form of riches and kingdoms and conquest. yet, what always stood above it all was the unobtainable, the genuine affection of another and the pursuit of the flesh.
the shirt doesn't fill him out the same way, but a stupid, giddy smiles grows across his face. rinne is obviously larger than him, but seriously? the shoulders on this thing are huge. takasugi grasps at the collar and presses it against his nose—amagi-kun's scent... did he sleep in this overnight, or slip it on before coming over? don't mind him, or the way his tail is wagging over this. his curled bun is a bit messy now from having this pulled down over his head, but he can tidy it up later. )
Off on my own... probably. For all I know, I could even be here still, just wandering.
( if he'd been a proper servant from the start, the answer would have been clear: he'll disappear and return to the throne. but now, he...
he straightens up from his not-so-subtle sniffing, smile a little more tender. )
If that happens, I'll figure out a way to cross this ocean and write to you. I'm eager to explore what's beyond these countries, for both our sakes. Maybe I'll spread the name of 3kon far and wide, and become a global sensation. But for now, ... let's just lay down. I want to burn the image of my lover's back into my mind.
[Traveling this whole wide world all alone? That doesn't sound fun. Won't be take someone with him? He obviously has someone in mind, what with all the sniffing, but before Rinne can say anything about it, he's on the mattress with Takasugi again.
Takasugi, wearing his shirt... The sight of it makes his face burn.]
But I'm facing you?
[His arms are spread out across the mattress uselessly. Is Takasugi planning something?]
I dunno if I like writing letters... Can't we do video calls, at least? I gotta see your face at some point.
It'll be hard to call you when everything is wrapped up and you're back home.
( if they're sent home. but that's another sad little detail he isn't going to discuss right now.
look at rinne, all flopped out on his back like a fish... don't he and shiina-kun do this? or do they sleep completely separate? there's no way. but he would rather die than ask. )
Nevermind. We'll do it this way. The longer this drags on, the more embarrassed I feel.
( takasugi doesn't hesitate to be handsy, sidling himself sideways so his back is facing rinne. he props himself on an elbow so he can reach back and pull rinne in towards him, wrapping the younger man's arm around his waist. you know, like... so he can be the little spoon. don't make him say it. he was going to be the big one??? )
Hold me like this for a bit. I've got to go in and respond to a summons from Patho-Gen later, and it'll give me something nicer to think about. Oh. And I'll help you take those measurements before you leave, just in case you think I forgot any.
[What was that about measurements? At the mention of their makers, Rinne wraps his arms tighter around Takasugi's waist. His nose presses against the nape of Takasugi's neck, breathing him in before he goes.]
Patho-Gen? Is this about the riot?
[He knows what they want from Takasugi. They can't have it. Takasugi's smaller in his stronger arms, and it makes Rinne want to protect him.]
( there's a heat in him like that time at the waterfront. a thrilled little panic at arms squeezing him from behind, and of someone being so adamant about holding him without pity. he glides slender fingers around the thick of rinne's wrist to hold him in turn. the red on his neck spreads like a vine, all the way down to his stomach, and takasugi needs to briefly clench his eyes shut to savor the moment.
because he really does like it, doesn't he? feeling smaller for once. not powerless, exactly, but— )
... Sure. You can go with me.
( another promise he's trying to keep: to invite rinne along on any risky adventures he dives into. )
But it was going to be fine, really. If anything went down, literally everyone would know for miles with the sort of fireworks I'd let off. They probably just want me to file a report and pinky promise not to cause any trouble at their facility again. Not that I'm planning on doing anything like it again at current... at current, at least.
( despite the recent horrors, he makes it sound light. )
[Rinne draws closer, knees fitting into the backs of Takasugi's shins. He knows this is just how it is. He doesn't want to change him. But if Takasugi is going to save this world, he'll need to stand by someone who won't crumble so easily. Someone he won't destroy a city for, because he won't need to. He needs something unshakeable, invincible... Something Rinne isn't yet.
But at the very least, he can hold Takasugi's hand. Carefully, his fingers lace with his.]
Are you scared?
Edited (hated it. this is better.) Date: 2025-10-30 04:16 am (UTC)
but the truth is, takasugi has changed. in how he intertwines his fingers back and how he allows the spark he’s ignited to influence him, a something he might have overlooked or flat-out denied anyone else if they sought to impose him in some way. a lightning strike never waits for anyone's permission, after all. the second one hears the thunder, it's too late to react, and takasugi always moves in much the same way. he doesn't wait for anyone to shut their eyes and hide their helplessness before he jumps into action.
but for rinne, there's a slight delay. for rinne, he looks back to make sure he's following along in the rain. )
For me, a man who's been sick more times than I can remember and under fire on the battlefield? No. It's true that whatever they can force us to do is despicable and pushes our limits beyond our belief. ( his voice grows a little quieter. ) ... Beyond my belief, since I wasn't there. But I'm not worried about what they'll do to me. If I start stressing over it too much and become stagnant, I won't be able to protect you. If anything, I'm only scared that they might implicate any of you based on what I've done. Which... I guess I should've thought about at the time.
( he holds their hands together a little tighter. funny, how it almost feels like this is a hand's primary function when you're trying to be comforting. )
Besides, they can't bruise me too much with how popular we've been getting. I'm supposed to be the sexy one, right? I've got to keep my handsome face intact.
( a joke. he needs to joke to keep the melancholy out. that's what a reliable hero is, right? someone who isn't crestfallen. and honestly, it's the truth. he doesn't fear for his own life. he's never been afraid to die, for all the pain he's faced. it might even be a little exciting to go toe-to-toe with patho-gen's worst eventually. )
I know. But if we can't cross that ocean together after all this, I'mma start crying.
[He swings a leg over Takasugi's, trapping them both on the mattress. Then again, it's not a trap if Takasugi's so willing to stay. The softness of the sheets wears Rinne's voice down, melting it into something syrupy and thick. He's getting so comfortable, laying here with a man he shouldn't have anything to do with, he thinks he might do something he'll regret.
Well, it's too late to worry about that.]
I wish you could tell 'em you can't make it. Maybe a fox ate your summons, yeah? Nom nom.
[Rinne thanks the gods his shirt collar is loose enough for him to give that window of smooth skin small, playful bites.]
( a quick hitch of breath betrays his calm, even if the nibbles are hardly the sort to puncture the skin.
he was doing so well. so well until just now, legs snaking around his body to hold him still even if they both know he won't pull away until he has to. it's almost like responding to a different summons, the way he tries to tilt his head back, bushy tail bristling with interest as it lays tucked between his legs.
"don't cry", he wants to say. he'll find a way. beyond the sea, the skies, and even that bridge that only lets one cross a scattering of stars once a year. )
Amagi-kun...
( his lips part, expectant, a burst of air staggering through. )
[Haha. Takasugi always gets so excited when Rinne uses his mouth.]
I know, I know.
[Rinne used to be so shy, afraid of what Takasugi might do or others might say. Now, he doesn't hesitate to lean in and meet Takasugi's reddened lips with his own. He won't cry. No one can keep Takasugi away from him for that long. He just needs to stay strong. For Takasugi, and for Niki. For as long as they need him. One day, they'll find that they were always capable of standing on their own, just like Rinne believed they would. Until then...]
Help me with your room and I'll walk you to Patho-Gen HQ.
[As Rinne searches for Takasugi's tongue and another deep kiss, he wraps his arms around the trembling body like he could crush his bones. He doesn't.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2025-10-29 03:28 am (UTC)... Sure.
[ Once he finishes unbuttoning, he pulls the fabric off his back and sets it aside. He has to tug the kimono off first. It doesn't take long. The black cloth slides off Takasugi's smaller shoulders, revealing smooth muscle and fair skin. He looks fragile like this. He was never meant to change a nation, and yet... ]
You remember what I said about showing skin?
[ A rough palm starts mapping the shape of his narrow waist. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-10-29 04:27 am (UTC)( is he supposed to recall it properly while he's trying not to make any weird noises? okay. he thinks back, lips pressing tight together. air escapes through his nose as those fingers leave invisible marks, the touch being more than a little distracting. stay still, shinsaku.
but eventually, gradually, he tugs on a wisp of a thought, pulling it to the forefront of his mind. )
How only family should be permitted to see it?
( he raises his arms, bare shoulders cold and ready. there's never any shame in his face at having to expose himself. and as long as this coddling is done with affection, and not out of necessity... then he'll gladly let rinne pick him piece by piece. )
no subject
Date: 2025-10-29 05:18 am (UTC)[ He inserts one arm into one of the shirt's sleeves, then another. He gives the collar a gentle tug to place it over Takasugi's shoulders. It's a loose fit. He'll never be able to fill it in.
That's fine. They were always two different people, so Rinne doesn't expect him to. ]
I know this is fun for you, so I won't force you to do anything. And I only learned about these things from you, so maybe I ain't got the right to say this. But after you save this world, you'll be off on your own again, won't you? I bet you'll end up somewhere fun, having lots of adventures in your own Takasugi way. You'll be meeting new people...
So when you do this again, it's gotta be with someone like family.
[ ...
Wait, why is he talking about something sad again? Not good. But he doesn't know how else to please him, and the only way he knows how will get boring fast.
Sweetly, he asks, ] What else do you want to do, Shinsaku?
no subject
Date: 2025-10-29 02:06 pm (UTC)rinne makes it sound like he's willing to offer the world, but takasugi doesn't need all that. he doesn't need the world. he's seen other countries, and read about them, and there are stories where men are given everything they've ever wanted in the form of riches and kingdoms and conquest. yet, what always stood above it all was the unobtainable, the genuine affection of another and the pursuit of the flesh.
the shirt doesn't fill him out the same way, but a stupid, giddy smiles grows across his face. rinne is obviously larger than him, but seriously? the shoulders on this thing are huge. takasugi grasps at the collar and presses it against his nose—amagi-kun's scent... did he sleep in this overnight, or slip it on before coming over? don't mind him, or the way his tail is wagging over this. his curled bun is a bit messy now from having this pulled down over his head, but he can tidy it up later. )
Off on my own... probably. For all I know, I could even be here still, just wandering.
( if he'd been a proper servant from the start, the answer would have been clear: he'll disappear and return to the throne. but now, he...
he straightens up from his not-so-subtle sniffing, smile a little more tender. )
If that happens, I'll figure out a way to cross this ocean and write to you. I'm eager to explore what's beyond these countries, for both our sakes. Maybe I'll spread the name of 3kon far and wide, and become a global sensation. But for now, ... let's just lay down. I want to burn the image of my lover's back into my mind.
( gently pressing fingertips against rinne's chest, like. down, down. )
no subject
Date: 2025-10-29 04:47 pm (UTC)Takasugi, wearing his shirt... The sight of it makes his face burn.]
But I'm facing you?
[His arms are spread out across the mattress uselessly. Is Takasugi planning something?]
I dunno if I like writing letters... Can't we do video calls, at least? I gotta see your face at some point.
no subject
Date: 2025-10-29 05:08 pm (UTC)( if they're sent home. but that's another sad little detail he isn't going to discuss right now.
look at rinne, all flopped out on his back like a fish... don't he and shiina-kun do this? or do they sleep completely separate? there's no way. but he would rather die than ask. )
Nevermind. We'll do it this way. The longer this drags on, the more embarrassed I feel.
( takasugi doesn't hesitate to be handsy, sidling himself sideways so his back is facing rinne. he props himself on an elbow so he can reach back and pull rinne in towards him, wrapping the younger man's arm around his waist. you know, like... so he can be the little spoon. don't make him say it. he was going to be the big one??? )
Hold me like this for a bit. I've got to go in and respond to a summons from Patho-Gen later, and it'll give me something nicer to think about. Oh. And I'll help you take those measurements before you leave, just in case you think I forgot any.
no subject
Date: 2025-10-29 05:33 pm (UTC)Patho-Gen? Is this about the riot?
[He knows what they want from Takasugi. They can't have it. Takasugi's smaller in his stronger arms, and it makes Rinne want to protect him.]
I'll go with you. Who knows what else they'll do?
no subject
Date: 2025-10-29 05:58 pm (UTC)because he really does like it, doesn't he? feeling smaller for once. not powerless, exactly, but— )
... Sure. You can go with me.
( another promise he's trying to keep: to invite rinne along on any risky adventures he dives into. )
But it was going to be fine, really. If anything went down, literally everyone would know for miles with the sort of fireworks I'd let off. They probably just want me to file a report and pinky promise not to cause any trouble at their facility again. Not that I'm planning on doing anything like it again at current... at current, at least.
( despite the recent horrors, he makes it sound light. )
no subject
Date: 2025-10-30 01:30 am (UTC)[Rinne draws closer, knees fitting into the backs of Takasugi's shins. He knows this is just how it is. He doesn't want to change him. But if Takasugi is going to save this world, he'll need to stand by someone who won't crumble so easily. Someone he won't destroy a city for, because he won't need to. He needs something unshakeable, invincible... Something Rinne isn't yet.
But at the very least, he can hold Takasugi's hand. Carefully, his fingers lace with his.]
Are you scared?
no subject
Date: 2025-10-30 01:32 pm (UTC)but the truth is, takasugi has changed. in how he intertwines his fingers back and how he allows the spark he’s ignited to influence him, a something he might have overlooked or flat-out denied anyone else if they sought to impose him in some way. a lightning strike never waits for anyone's permission, after all. the second one hears the thunder, it's too late to react, and takasugi always moves in much the same way. he doesn't wait for anyone to shut their eyes and hide their helplessness before he jumps into action.
but for rinne, there's a slight delay. for rinne, he looks back to make sure he's following along in the rain. )
For me, a man who's been sick more times than I can remember and under fire on the battlefield? No. It's true that whatever they can force us to do is despicable and pushes our limits beyond our belief. ( his voice grows a little quieter. ) ... Beyond my belief, since I wasn't there. But I'm not worried about what they'll do to me. If I start stressing over it too much and become stagnant, I won't be able to protect you. If anything, I'm only scared that they might implicate any of you based on what I've done. Which... I guess I should've thought about at the time.
( he holds their hands together a little tighter. funny, how it almost feels like this is a hand's primary function when you're trying to be comforting. )
Besides, they can't bruise me too much with how popular we've been getting. I'm supposed to be the sexy one, right? I've got to keep my handsome face intact.
( a joke. he needs to joke to keep the melancholy out. that's what a reliable hero is, right? someone who isn't crestfallen. and honestly, it's the truth. he doesn't fear for his own life. he's never been afraid to die, for all the pain he's faced. it might even be a little exciting to go toe-to-toe with patho-gen's worst eventually. )
no subject
Date: 2025-10-30 02:49 pm (UTC)I know. But if we can't cross that ocean together after all this, I'mma start crying.
[He swings a leg over Takasugi's, trapping them both on the mattress. Then again, it's not a trap if Takasugi's so willing to stay. The softness of the sheets wears Rinne's voice down, melting it into something syrupy and thick. He's getting so comfortable, laying here with a man he shouldn't have anything to do with, he thinks he might do something he'll regret.
Well, it's too late to worry about that.]
I wish you could tell 'em you can't make it. Maybe a fox ate your summons, yeah? Nom nom.
[Rinne thanks the gods his shirt collar is loose enough for him to give that window of smooth skin small, playful bites.]
no subject
Date: 2025-10-30 03:21 pm (UTC)( a quick hitch of breath betrays his calm, even if the nibbles are hardly the sort to puncture the skin.
he was doing so well. so well until just now, legs snaking around his body to hold him still even if they both know he won't pull away until he has to. it's almost like responding to a different summons, the way he tries to tilt his head back, bushy tail bristling with interest as it lays tucked between his legs.
"don't cry", he wants to say. he'll find a way. beyond the sea, the skies, and even that bridge that only lets one cross a scattering of stars once a year. )
Amagi-kun...
( his lips part, expectant, a burst of air staggering through. )
🎀
Date: 2025-10-30 10:25 pm (UTC)I know, I know.
[Rinne used to be so shy, afraid of what Takasugi might do or others might say. Now, he doesn't hesitate to lean in and meet Takasugi's reddened lips with his own. He won't cry. No one can keep Takasugi away from him for that long. He just needs to stay strong. For Takasugi, and for Niki. For as long as they need him. One day, they'll find that they were always capable of standing on their own, just like Rinne believed they would. Until then...]
Help me with your room and I'll walk you to Patho-Gen HQ.
[As Rinne searches for Takasugi's tongue and another deep kiss, he wraps his arms around the trembling body like he could crush his bones. He doesn't.]
Until then, we can play for as much as we like.