[closed]

[kubricks]

WHO: Denji and Makima for sure, maybe other combinations of chainsaw cast?
WHAT:A birthday party and the aftermath
WHERE: Cafeteria and Makima’s room
WHEN: Somewhere in the middle of September
WARNINGS: Makima unfortunately. Also Part 1 spoilers. Will add more specific issues as they come up.


[To say that, for the most part, it’s been a rough couple of months is probably an understatement. And despite her usual unflappable demeanor, there’s been some things grating on Makima too. But she’s thought of a great way to deal with that, and that’s why she’ll be spending a little bit of time in the cafeteria setting up a birthday surprise. Nothing terribly exciting, she’s not going all out for this, no there’s a budget to keep in mind, so it’s just a simple cake in the cafeteria with a card congratulating the guest of honor on their special day.

But that’s enough. She knows it’s enough. A little bit of a smile on her face as she sets it on one of the tables and sends off a couple of messages to the relevant attendees. Just a quick message asking them to come to the cafeteria. It’s very small guest list, but that’s fine, after all, even she won’t be attending the festivities.

No, that’s a bit too public of a setting for the afterparty, if there’ll be such a thing. So she’ll wait in her room for the time being. It won’t take anyone looking for her too long to find her, though if they want to, well that’s another story entirely.]

Comments

[nutkick]

[ he turned around, kept his gaze focused elsewhere— and allowed aki to handle it, to take care of him, even when he promised himself it would be the other way around. even someone as naive as denji understood why makima did it; it wasn't her acting petty and childish, it was something else. a reminder of the life promised for someone like denji, and she didn't need to bother. really. denji knows. he already knows.

by the time his old friend returned to his side, he had enough time to think of his options here. they can't change how they feel, the damage is already been done. with a hazy mind, he nods. yes, he wanted to leave — not sure his room was the best option, but he wouldn't burden aki more. he's quiet during their walk back, and as they reach the room, denji gives the impression this is how their night will end; in silence and defeat. and while that idea is tempting as fuck, because he's tired, he pulls himself together to say something.

- something new. something different.

with one hand on the grip of his bedroom door, he turns to face aki; nothing about his face says he's okay, way too pale and sickish, but his voice is oddly steady. ]

I don't think ... I ever thanked you. For loving Power and I.

[ they already expressed regret, guilt and remorse— but, never this. in such a hellish night, denji figured it was either now or never. ]

I don't think we understood what love is, as cheesy as that might sound, we really didn't. Now I know it was in the way you took us in, the way you made sure there was food on the table, clean clothes on our beds, and teaching us to be less shitty creatures. You didn't need to do any of that. You genuinely loved us.

I guess what I want you to know is ... we loved you, too.

[lifeprice]

[ Walking with Denji back to his room is an easy enough compromise, even if Aki is already planning what he wants to do in the wake of this. His anger and irritation is a present thing, bubbling under the surface, but there's a powerlessness to him that he can't deal with either. He's simply not strong enough to be able to protect Denji the way he wants to, not without the full power of his contracts and the ability to make more, and the fact remains that there's no way he'd be able to stand up to Makima anyway.

Perhaps there is merit in those other surgeries that LILITH offers.

Pausing by the door, expecting to follow the other man inside, Aki almost walks into him when Denji stops and begins to speak, and it whiplashes his heart with a thousand thorns, but a kind of pain that feels good rather than sour and aching.

How is he meant to not comfort him, hold him, after a moment like this?

Tears in his own eyes, Aki reaches out, wrapping his arms around Denji and holding him, tender and warm and as careful as he can be, as if one squeeze too much might break them both. ]

You don't need to thank me for it.

[ Pressing his face into Denji, he breathes out, almost a sniffle. ]

Before I met you both, all I wanted was revenge and death. I sold everything I had to get it, because I would be able to die freely once the Gun Devil was dealt with, and everyone knew it. It's why I took the Curse Devil, why I took the Future Devil when it was offered. Nothing else mattered to me, until...

[ Until Denji. Until Power. Aki shakes a little with the weight of his own emotion. ]

I hadn't felt happiness since I was a child, but then I met you and her. You reminded me what it felt like to care about someone, to want to see them smile, to share their joy and sadness both. Everything I did, everything I chose to do, was because I wanted your happiness more than anything else in the world.

[ More than his own. More than his life. ]

You are important to me, Denji. I love you, and I love Power, and that will never change.