synflux | ( OPEN ) JUNE CATCH ALL

(It feels like a good way to end the month. After starting off on such strange footing, it's nice to finally be back in step. He returns the kiss, smiling and barely able to hold back a laugh. When he pulls back, he nods,)

Mhm.

(And maybe that's why he let himself hang on Aki so lazily, giving all of his weight over. He wonders how Aki will support him.)

I already took a bath. (And he preens because it had done wonders to make him feel more refreshed and even better,) You should, too. You'll feel better.

Mm. It sounds nice.

[ Aki’s arm wraps around Tsurumaru as he leans into him, sliding across his back and tucking under his arm. It feels easy, to hold him close, to lean into him and smile softly. It’s something that floods his stomach with an unfurling attack of butterflies, and Aki sighs softly as he leans close, curling his body around this man.

He adores him. He likes him so much, so, so much…

Squeezing, he nods. ]

You already took one, so we can’t have one together. Do you want to get something to eat instead?

[ Fingers brush absently against Tsuru’s waist, just… Enjoying him. ]

(He lets Aki handle him so easily. He's been handled by him so many times, that not only is he used to it but he enjoys it. He feels comfortable like this, held so gently but securely in his arms. He can feel how much Aki wants him, even when it's so innocent like this and he laughs, kissing his cheek, )

Next time.

(If they have time, that is. Who knows how much longer they'll be in this city.)

Are you hungry?

(And he gives Aki the smallest tug... just so they can twirl.)

Next time.

[ It’s easy to agree to, and an exciting idea. Tugging Tsurumaru into a bath or shower, or something a little more intimate like one of the private baths… If he thinks about it for too long then he’ll end up blushing, so he dodges around the thoughts and focuses on the present instead.

Tsuru wants to twirl, and Aki allows it, no hesitation. He finds it too easy to give into this man’s whims. ]

A little, but I can wait until I’m done getting clean.

[ Grabbing Tsurumaru, he leans in and kisses him again, nuzzling their noses together, quick and soft and intimate. ]

Do you want to pick something while I shower?

(The spin, they twirl, it's like a silly little dance, carefree and fun. When he thinks about it... when was the last time he danced? He feels like he could right now.

Pulled close, another kiss, faces close together, and Tsurumaru looks across at Aki. Pale gold eyes stare back at him, clear and bright compared to the dazed and tired look he'd had before. There's a light in his eye, something bright and curious as he takes a moment to study him, to see how he looks at him...

And he leans in not to kiss but to hug him tight, wrapping his arms around him. Resting his head on his shoulder, he inhales and sighs.)

Have you heard of "room service?"

I’ve heard of it.

[ Aki holds Tsurumaru against his body.

It feels so… Childish and silly, to twirl and dance together, to fall into silliness and idle behaviour. Aki doesn’t have a role here beyond fighting the kaiju and caring for Denji; he doesn’t have to work for Public Safety, doesn’t have to worry about the Gun Devil, doesn’t have to do anything but find happiness and peace.

It’s a little too freeing, so Aki is glad he has something to ground him. Denji and Tsurumaru, keeping him settled and at peace.

A new future, all of his own.

His fingers brush idly over Tsurumaru’s spine absently. ]

We can order it and stay in my room for the evening.

(Humming pleasantly, he slips away only to position himself at Aki's side, both arms wrapped around his one arm.)

I want to try it.

(He's seen the impressive menu in the hotel room. It was pricy but it had all sorts of creative names and delicious sounding foods.)

We can "rent a movie," too.

(Yeah, he's heard the other guests talk about things they do in their rooms, okay. He's learning.)

It'll be fun. (And most importantly,) You can relax, too.

(Aki Hayakawa... the serious one in this pairing.)

Then we can try it.

[ Aki starts to walk them both towards his room, no hesitation as he lets Tsurumaru hang off him and drape all over his body. He has no complaints here. ]

You can pick the food and the film. I’ll be happy to just be with you.

[ He’s a simple man, happy and contented as he lets himself lean a little closer, smile warm and fond. ]

I’ll bathe and join you.

(He spoils him. He completely spoils him and he's aware of it. Still, he isn't a selfish spirit. If anything, he's the opposite of that. He's selfless to a fault at times which is probably why he gives Aki a tug and scolds him,)

At least say what you want to eat. (He's serious,) Tell me the things you want.

(Then, he can learn more. More pleasant things, especially.)

[ Aki pauses for a moment, thoughtful. The urge to flirt is there, but he resists the urge, shoving it aside and focusing instead on Tsurumaru and giving himself a little bit of thought, to consider what he wants. ]

Something simple. Tempura, if they do it, or a rice dish. It's too hot for anything fancier.

[ Rice balls sound good too... Aki wants to cook himself, if he's honest, but he also doesn't have much energy for it. ]

(Don't you dare, Aki Hayakawa.)

Something light.

(He nods to himself. It's a nice note to keep to himself for the future too. When they get to the room, he'll wait for Aki to open the door and then... he will immediately run to the bed and throw himself down face first.

Because he's actually 12 and really likes how these beds feel.)

Eeeeh, these beds are good! Much better than the ones back at the base. Do you think we can ask for an upgrade?

[ Watch him. ]

Something light.

[ Aki kicks his shoes off as he enters the room, shoving off his light jacket and hanging it up before he watches Tsurumaru fondly. He wants to walk over, to lean down, to crawl onto him and kiss him, but he's probably a little sweaty. He should shower first.

Still, he does lean down and ruffle his hair gently, unable to resist. ]

It wouldn't surprise me if they offered it. We can always ask LILITH.

I thought futons were nice!

(Beds are definitely better. You can't jump on a futon. You don't have to put a futon away every morning or hang it up in the sun. He tilts his head to look up at Aki,)

You don't even have to worry about them trying to kill you in your sleep.

(It makes sense in his head, I promise.)

They're what I'm used to.

[ ... Okay, dear. Aki smiles, leaning down to kiss his cheek gently. ]

I'm going to shower. Do what you want for a little while, okay?

(Ah, truly spoiled...

He'll start to sit up and nod.)

I'll order for us.

(It's what he said he'd do and he's excited to give this """room service""" thing a try. LILITH will surely front the bill.

By the time Aki comes out, he's already placed an order for them. It's only western dishes but some sandwiches and ~shrimp cocktail~ should be fine, right? He's also flipping through the TV to find a movie but he keeps getting distracted. He's truly an old soul. )

[ Aki lets himself enjoy the shower, lets himself relax, to wash away the fighting and the sweat and the exhaustion. He permits the time for himself, to just... Relax. To breathe. It's nice, to just have a small amount of time for himself, even as he longs for Tsurumaru's company.

When he comes out, the towel is hanging low on his hips, his fingers gripped around the place where the two sides meet. His hair is dry enough that it's not dripping, and he looks a little more at peace. ]

Have you found something you want to watch?

There are so many movies! I don't know how I'm supposed to pick.

(He's watching the screen, flicking through the different previews. So caught up in what he's seeing he doesn't even look at Aki at first. After a second, he looks over and,

Ah.

Well, his attention is on other things now.)

You can pick whatever seems most interesting right now. We can always watch more later.

[ Aki is reaching for a spare towel, to begin to dry his hair when.

Ah, well.

There are eyes on him now.

Lips curling a little, he raises his eyebrows at Tsurumaru. ]

... Tsuru?

(It's not that he hasn't seen Aki stripped down before. They'd been to the onsen before! There have been physicals. Plenty of changing rooms, too. But all of those times had been different. Those times had been before, well... before certain things were said and done. It's different now. There's a new appreciation for what he sees and his eyes trace over Aki's body. Just when his eyes begin to wander low, he snaps back up to look him in the eye, just in time to catch that smile.

(Why does he feel like he's the one being menaced now?)

(He's the one who is supposed to menace people.)

Face tinging with pink, he covers his mouth and tries to regain his composure,)

Hurry up and dry off.

(Yeah.)

If that's what you want.

[ Aki saw those wandering eyes.

It's not as if it bothers him. There's something nice about being appreciated, even if his cheeks are a little red in return. His hair is hanging damp, sticking to his face, and his expression is warm as he moves forward and reaches for his spare clothes. He can use the style chip later, but there's a robe and some sweats, and they'll be enough for now.

Tugging the sweatpants on, he turns to put the towel back in the bathroom before he comes over to sit beside Tsurumaru, lifting the towel to begin to dry off his hair. ]

I wonder if they have a hairdryer in here.

[ It would be nice, but... Not his main concern right now. ]

Did you pick food?

(The bed is big enough. It's not like the single sized ones back at the base where they have to make room for one another. Still, he shifts to give him enough space to get up and go over to one of the dressers,)

It's in one of these drawers.

(As he searches,)

Mhm. It hasn't come yet. They said they'd knock and leave it outside.

(He finds the dryer and comes back. It's wireless, lightweight, probably something fancy given the current year so he settles back next to Aki reaches for him,)

Let me.

(He'll dry his hair.)

That's normal. Thank you, for ordering it.

[ Aki shifts, making himself comfortable on the bed as Tsurumaru moves around. When the hairdryer is discovered, he's reaching out to take it before the offer is made, and then he feels his face soften into a smile.

He can't help it. His heart aches a little. ]

Go ahead.

[ Turning, back to Tsurumaru, he closes his eyes and tilts his head back. ]

Thank you.

Eh~, I can't wait.

(Its just room service but he's excited. It's his first time trying it out. The whole idea is so novel to him.)

You can do the same thing in Neo Tokyo, in a sense. (Switching the dryer to a low and cool setting, he starts to run his fingers through Aki's hair gently,) You can get food at any time if you fill out the right form.

(Applications. He means if you use the right apps.)

I thought it would be a lot of paperwork... but there's no paper at all! It's so easy.

(He's happy to chatter away as he takes care of Aki,)

Food is so convenient to get these days... humans have come so far. (Because at the end of the day, no matter how human he may seem, Tsurumaru isn't human. He's spent most of his years simply observing. He's witnessed plenty of famines and hes' heard of how people struggle in times of hunger.) It's really wonderful.

(And it's only at the end that he changes the setting to something warmer and a little stronger to make sure Aki's hair is all dry and soft,)

There. All done!

(... And he takes his hands and gives Aki's hair a good ruffle for fun. Maybe a little harder than he needs to.)

[ Aki leans back into the touch, letting Tsurumaru talk and discuss and do whatever he wants with himself while he takes care of drying him off.

It's nice, to just relax, warm and languid from his shower, calming down from the intensity of everything. He feels less like he might snap into pieces, less like a brittle candy now and more like someone who can breathe properly.

Turning his head a little, he hums absently. ]

We had take out where I was from, but you'd have to call or go and pick it up yourself. It's more convenient here.

[ Nodding, he leans slowly, back and back, until he's collapsed against Tsurumaru and expecting his twig of a partner - are they partners? Maybe they should clarify - to hold him up. ]

Thanks.

Wah!

(It isn't what he expects but he catches him all the same. Arms wrapped around him, to support him and now looking down at him...

He looks better, Tsurumaru thinks. Maybe it's because he's refreshed from his shower but he really does seem better these days. He seems more relaxed. He seems happier. He has more fun. He smiles more.

(Good, he thinks. This is how it should be.)

Leaning down so their faces are close,)

You're heavy. (And he smiles. It's clear he doesn't mind. He's stronger than he looks. This is nothing for him.) Are you comfortable?

(And he adjusts his hold so Aki can slink more into him, so he can hold him in his arms, run his hand across his chest.)

( OPEN ) JUNE CATCH ALL

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