IC Inbox

[swordfucker]

Guren Ichinose | Red | #A5211F

Text | Action

Comments

[passio]

[ why is guren challenging him! they're supposed to be comfortable and getting warm and falling asleep soon, and guren sounds like he wants to wrestle. he huffs, but it could be a laugh, too—like he's trying to be angry and can't quite get there. guren has the upper hand. ]

No!

[ the exclamation point comes from the slightly forceful way he writes it out, and the sound of his fingers hitting guren's chest. ]

Resting!

[swordfucker]

...Resting.

[ It would be easy for him to change everything right now, but they’ve just gotten this back. This friendship might be fragile, and he doesn’t want to risk it in any way. He can’t. He runs his hand down Dextera’s arm from his shoulder just a little, and glances away. Stop it. He has to keep telling himself. ]

Alright, alright. Resting.

[passio]

[ dextera feels, somehow, more defensive than he usually is. not because of guren, it's not that he's putting distance between them, but rather—there's something in the air that he can't name, can't grasp, and it worries him not to be able to pinpoint it. they did just get this back, and he's happy.

so he's willing to think of it as the relief of a friendship restored, even if that doesn't seem quite right. ]

...

[ dextera calms down after that, letting himself settle against guren in silence. for a moment, there's nothing but the sound of the rain and their own breathing. ]

[swordfucker]

[ It’s relaxing and comfortable, but Guren feels like it might take a long while to fall asleep. His heartbeat is finally controlled, but he’s paying too much attention to it between the other soft sounds, and closing his eyes just makes him feel it more. Dextera is here, so close.

But when he does start to drift off, it’s very comfortably. He rarely gets to sleep through the night entirely, so each time he dozes off with Dextera is a chance to fix that. He’s in and out, his snores soft and breaking when he stirs again, but eventually he’ll fall asleep just like this.

It does feel warmer. ]

[passio]

[ dextera isn't so quick to fall asleep either, but he makes a good show at pretending, closing his eyes and keeping his breath even—and he enjoys himself, listening to guren drift and doze, and eventually, he can hear guren stay asleep. it means everything to him, after that tension. knowing that guren has probably been pushing himself, too, focusing too hard on his work as he always seems to do. ]

...

[ inevitably, dextera is going to drool on guren's shoulder, but guren is the one who asked for it by making himself such a good pillow. ]

[swordfucker]

[Drool is fine, even if he'll definitely call him out on it. For now, it's the morning, and Guren wakes up to a view of the ceiling, and the warmth of Dextera still cuddled up next to him. He doesn't even stop to check if Leliel has snuck in somewhere, busy trying to shift just enough to steal a glance of Dextera while trying not to wake him.

They could just stay here like this for a while. It wouldn't hurt. The only motion he does take is to move the hand that's around Dextera slowly, and brush some of his hair out of his face.]

[passio]

[ the rain stopped overnight, at some point, but it was enough to lull dextera into a good sleep. after everything that’s been happening, what else could he ask for? he has no remarkable dreams, and he hardly even moves when guren shifts and touches his hair.

dextera’s fingers twitch, but otherwise, he still seems out like a light. usually, he’s good at waking up and setting to the day, but something about the circumstances here have him practically unconscious.

leliel did pick her way over to them, but she’s on the other side of dextera, warm against his back. ]

[swordfucker]

[He's stuck in this moment. It's so peaceful. Dextera is using him as a pillow, that stupid drool spot on his shoulder is only endearing, and he doesn't want to wake him up at all. He should enjoy a moment like this, away from his home, away from that guilt that Guren isn't even sure he should be feeling.

His fingers still where he'd moved the hair aside,and he keeps his own breathing steady. Slow. It's so warm... and Guren doesn't think he'll ever be able to get across how much he cares. He's not sure he can even admit it to himself.

It's in the middle of thinking like that that he moves automatically. Just a small shift, turning and ducking his head just enough that his lips press over Dextera's hair, a soft kiss to the top of his head. It's nice, but the action alone twists and knots something in Guren's stomach that he doesn't think he can fix or even address. It's worried, it's sad, but it's longing, too. He's weak in so many ways. He knows this.

If Dextera wakes up, he's already prepared to shift even more and pretend like he was waking up himself and just happened to brush there. But if he doesn't, then he's going to stay like this until he does.]

[passio]

...?

[ it’s such an unfamiliar feeling that it does wake him up, his breath catching slightly in his throat as he’s so gently roused from sleep that he could probably go right back to it if guren didn’t say anything. they’re close. that’s all dextera thinks, right now, and he’s not questioning why or if they were this close to begin with.

he sighs, a conscious sound, but he doesn’t seem ready to move yet.

there are things he needs to do, business he needs to take care of—but right now, he’s still sleepy. guren is right here, and that much is all that matters to him when his eyes are still closed. he doesn’t realize much of anything else. ]

[swordfucker]

[Ah—

Dextera is awake, he thinks? But he's still, he's not moving or opening his eyes, and Guren moves his face casually back as if he was just stretching or moving. Nothing is said, and so he says nothing himself. If anything, if he's questioned, he'll claim Dextera was still dreaming.

Which is a little mean... So hopefully he doesn't have to say a thing.

Minutes pass, at least, and he lets himself move a little more, legs stretching, moving the blankets a bit with them, and a hand covering his mouth to stifle a yawn.]

You awake?

[passio]

[ sloooowly, dextera nods, and he stretches his limbs out with the space he has—and a little squeak leaves the back of his throat, his high voice higher still. he tries to roll onto his back, and leliel squawks at him. ]

—!

[ his eyes are open after that, and there was any part of him wondering what it was that woke him up in the first place, it's gone once he worries about whether or not he hurt his chicken. it seems like she's fine, though, just annoyed... because she shuffles away from him, settling on the floor just a few steps over.

dextera exhales and looks to guren once more, offering another nod that's more awake this time. ]

[swordfucker]

[It's a squeak and then a squawk and Guren is smiling to himself as he sits up, stretching his own arms now that both are free. Ahh, he's so comfortable, he doesn't want to move at all... Can't he sit around and be lazy?

But he's got so much to do today.

So, he pushes himself up, fixing his hair with one hand and reaching down to offer to help Dextera up with the other.]

Morning.

[passio]

[ dextera doesn't want to move either, really. he hasn't taken on half the responsibilities in town that guren has, and so there's nothing he must do today—but now that the rain seems to have let up, he should go and check on the chickens outside, and maybe tend to the flowers and other plants he's been taking care of around town.

his life is very peaceful, really. ]

...

[ he takes guren's hand, and when he sits up, it's immediately obvious that sleeping on his damp hair has earned him a cowlick. ]

[swordfucker]

[Oh... no... it's so cute, he wants to laugh immediately. He's managing a straight face, though, as he stares Dextera down and then reaches over with his other hand, trying to move it the right direction, and pressing down with his palm. Defeat the cowlick...

He'll try, anyway.]

You've got bedhead.

[passio]

[ never in his life has he had bedhead. this is new to him! he doesn’t even realize what guren is trying to do until he feels his hair aggressively bouncing back up despite guren’s attempt to smooth it down. ]

...?

[ he touches where guren’s hand was, and blushes. ]

[swordfucker]

[Look at him, he's embarrassed... Which means Guren should stop. Instead, he's standing there with his hands on his hips and this stupid smirk on his face, eyes too lit up.]

It's a good look.

[With a line like that, he just pats Dextera on the back as he passes him, crouching over near Leliel to offer her a little pet or two.]

[passio]

[ no! guren is so cruel to him, but the reality is that dextera missed this. he missed being teased while knowing that there was nothing cruel behind it, and he missed guren’s casual touches that are so easy to think nothing of, to take for granted. ]

...

[ sleep has made him feel much less wound up, than the night before, and seeing guren go to leliel eases him the rest of the way.

for her part, she lets out a quiet bok and nuzzles guren’s hand, either hungry or happy to see him. perhaps both. ]

[swordfucker]

I've got a lot to do today.

[Guren says it as he pets Leliel affectionately, though he's a little sad he doesn't have any snacks readily available.] But I should have time to stay for breakfast, if that's alright.

[passio]

[ like it was ever going to not be all right. dextera nods quickly, his hair bouncing when he moves. ]

Plans?

[ now that they’ve made up, he kind of wants to follow guren around like a duckling... even if that’s unreasonable. ]

[swordfucker]

Yeah. Not like they're anything fun.

[Hmm, that could be a tsun comment about anything, so he says it like that. Standing up, he knows that he doesn't want to invite Dextera along when he's going to be bleeding into vials and meeting up with a vampire. He's not aware of the statue waiting for him back home, either, and that will be its own mess.

Then, there's the various potions he's found, testing them... One by one, he has two, giving time between so the effects don't mix.]

All of these new people just means there's more people to worry about babysitting. Kids, troublemakers, perverts... It's exhausting. [Shut up Guren] I wish I could just sleep here all day.

[passio]

[ if dextera knew guren was going to be bleeding he wouldn’t hope to be invited, so maybe it’s for the best that he’s ultimately too shy to attach himself to guren’s errands. ]

Come back tonight?

[ just an offer, not a request or a demand. if guren wants to spend time here, he’s all too welcome... though dextera realizes that guren probably has things to attend to at home as well. ]

[swordfucker]

[The offer is so nice. He feels wanted, and he's not about to leave Dextera alone, again.]

I can do that. [Tonight should be fine, he thinks. Though he'll learn he'll have to babysit Fushimi a little and make sure he gets sleep without Yata... He'll always make time for Dex.]

You know you can always come over to see me too, right?

[passio]

[ dextera nods, slowly, but the reality is that he is probably never going to come over to guren’s house unless he’s invited first. he feels awkward, still, around the people guren lives with—though he’s making some progress with akira. ]

...nervous.

[ a surprisingly honest answer, really. ]

[swordfucker]

[ That’s honesty, and it comes as a surprise to Guren. He drops his smile to watch Dextera, as if the explanation might continue, but when it doesn’t, he asks himself. ]

It makes you nervous? Why?

[passio]

[ guren seems concerned, but it’s nothing so severe. just plain, normal awkwardness. ]

People.

[ they’ve never made him feel unwelcome, in the house—even fushimi—but dextera is so bad at people all the same. he feels like a bother. ]