[Akira sucks in a startled breath at Goro's hands slipping under his shirt, but settles a moment later. He's not used to Goro feeling warm while he's cold. He laughs softly, nuzzling against Goro's face.]
[Will they, though? They've been doing this for months now. And while they have learned to live together, finding their routine around the apartment and not to snap at each other at every turn, they still keep finding each other in these situations. Digging the knife deeper into their wounds, only to end up licking them later on. It's quite pathetic in Goro's mind. But then again, what else could one expect of them? Two fucks up of the society.
Goro props his head up, to search Akira's eyes.]
I'm sorry. For everything. I didn't realize just how.. terrified the thought of losing you is.
[A faint glassy sheen forms over his eyes as he looks down at Akira. He can feel his heart jump to his throat, bringing a slight pink hue to frame his face. And finally, that breath he took earlier is released, his shoulders rolling back in relaxation.]
Okay. [Then he leans back in, placing his lips between Akira's eyes.] Thank you.
Quite. [He admits with a nod.] Let me go wash my face and change out my clothes. Drink your tea in meantime, it's important to monitor your hydration while recovering from hypothermia.
[Enjoy your lukewarm tea that's still probably a little bit too bitter. But it was made with love. Or with as much love as Goro Akechi can pour into cup of tea.
Goro gets up from the bed, leaving to bathroom. He proceeds to do all his usual nighttime routines, washing his face and applying some moisturizing cream and combing his hair and tying it up in a ponytail. Being trapped in backwater fantasy-land is no reason to skip good skin care, you know! So, it takes a while before he's ready. Then he returns to their bedroom, undresses himself until all he's wearing is boxers and loose t-shirt.]
How are you feeling? Is your temperature getting back to its normal state?
[Akira drank the whole cup anyway, wanting to get through it before it went completely cold. He's still sitting up, somewhat, when Goro returns, but he's sagged over against the wall and looks about half asleep. He sits back upright at the sound of his voice, smiling on instinct.] Still kinda cold, but I can feel my toes again.
[She snorts a laugh at the visual, but doesn't argue it. Nor does she think that'll be a term that's entering her vocabulary, except maybe to tease Akira...?]
Wanna go out and do anything? [she asks, blowing on her coffee again and squeezing his shoulders a little. It's kind of an awkward angle, but she does her best!] Or we could hang out here. Goro's probably got some nerd games we can play, right?
[ Akira will receive a delivery of a dozen or so chocolate dipped madelines - (little French cakes in the shape of a shell) in a perfectly wrapped white gift box tied with a red ribbon.
Along with the following handwritten note attached - the penmanship is as perfect as the gift wrapping: ]
[Christmas unfortunately also falls under the time that can only be described "difficult" when it comes to Akira and Goro. Instead of celebration of closeness, appreciation your friends and so, it works as a beginning of the end. It's time when a mad man went and decided to rewrite reality, placing the two young men into situation that neither of them asked. Not really.
February is going to be amazing...
Anyway, to Goro Christmas had little to no meaning. He was used to spend it either at work or alone at his apartment. But this time was different. His relationship status had changed and well.. this was popular holiday for couples, right?
So when Akira gets home on the 25th, he'll find a wine bottle and small wrapped box containing an astronomical watch. In the fridge there's also small cake (don't worry, Kotone made it). No card or anything, but Goro really doesn't think there's need for anything]
[Mitsuru also gave herself away calling him the Gentleman Thief, because he's never actually designated himself that verbally to anyone but her, but-- he's so charmed. He is going to make coffee to go with these madelines immediately.]
[Truth be told, Akira doesn't have much of an opinion on Christmas. His family life has always been distant at best, until Sojiro and Futaba (and the rest of the Thieves, honestly), but the Japanese tendency to focus on couples for Christmas had previously gone over his head. So while the mistletoe was fun, and he loved the vibe of the Christmas spirit, nothing about it ever really resonated specifically with him.]
[He did not want to think about February, thank you.]
[Anyway-- he did get Goro some Christmas gifts! He has them wrapped neatly in a bag in their closet, actually, and had a sushi dinner planned (he'd been practicing his sashimi cuts for this). They hadn't really discussed anything, but Akira knew how much Goro liked sushi, and he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to give him things. Still-- somehow he hadn't considered that this would subject him to being given things, as well. So the wine and the box are met with startle, and he sits down with the box, turning it over in his hands a few times to admire the wrapping.]
[He doesn't want to open it without Goro there. That feels like part of it.]
[It's their first proper holiday as couple, so there's no way that a nerd like Goro Akechi would waste the opportunity to do it by the playbook. He had the whole romantic scenario planned out -- aside from the dinner, for the obvious reasons, when he had heard the familiar sound from the outside of their apartment. A soft meowing along with some rattling.
It was the cat he had came across during the winter solstice festival with Yu Narukami, one that had for some reason followed him around whenever he went out.
Now, Akechi wasn't exactly a pet person but he knew how much the absence of Morgana affected Akira. Of course, he didn't expect another cat to replace the Metaverse Guide but... well, he had a feeling that it could perhaps mend some of Akira's scars that he didn't share with anyone -- him included. So, off to cat wrangling he goes!
He does make it back before Akira, taking the cat to the bathroom to clean up the poor feline. So, when he hears their front door open and shut Akechi, hurries to step outside of their bathroom. His manner of dress.. isn't really what one would expect him. Instead of a fancy gear to match the romantic scene set by the table, he's wearing sweatshirt and slacks, with sleeves pulled up and wet stains on his middle body. Oops.]
Ah. You're back already? I thought you'd take longer.
[Akira looks up when Goro exits the bathroom, and just smiles broadly at him for catching him in a moment of domestic vulnerability. In comfy clothes, except with slacks (he didn't think Goro owned anything other than slacks, even in Tokyo), and inexplicably Wet. He chuckles, shaking his head and getting up to reach for him.]
It's Christmas, nobody was at Lupin so we closed early. Why are you wet?
[Yeaahh, the slacks might belong to Akira, to be complete honest. It's like they have their school jerseys here.]
Really now? There aren't any lonely souls in Aldrip looking comfort from the drink on this night of all nights? Well, color me surpri-- ah wait! [Oh uh. It seems like Goro Akechi had done amateurish mistake by leaving a wet cat unattended as he came to greet Akira. So before he has even a chance to address the question a very wet tortoise-shell cat just zooms out behind Goro's legs, shedding the towel it had been wrapped in along the way while making its way to further into their apartment.]
[Akira wears a sort of comfy-casual style of "fashion", and in all honesty would delight at seeing Goro wearing his clothes for any reason. Aforementioned delight may eventually culminate in realizing he likes seeing Goro in his things in a way that puts blood in a southern head, but that's fine, right? Right.]
[He chuckles, shaking his head again, and starts to reply to the quip, when-- oh. He stands very still when the wet blur darts out into the apartment, immediately recognizing it as a small animal. He waits until she slows and eventually stops, and sinks into a crouch, transfixed.] ...Goro did you bring home a cat?
[The said dark blur makes a few rounds around their shared living space, before diving underneath the safety underneath of the couch. For what it's worth? The feline doesn't look aggressive at all, just spooked and confused by the sudden water-treatment and being indoors.]
Ah, well. Yes, in fact I did. [Goro admits, feeling unexpectedly meek about it. This isn't exactly how he had wanted to introduce Akira to the cat. He had a whole speech and all prepared, but guess this'll have to do. He clears his voice with a few coughs and walks behind Akira.] I believe I met this feline at the festival with the feast and mistletoe. I gave it a few scarps of my plate and apparently it remembered our interaction, as it began to follow me around. I heard it meow under our balcony and brought it in. You do like cats after all.
[Akira waits until the cat has wedged herself under the couch and his movement won't be as disruptive and gets up, still watching the couch as he moves to Goro and envelops him in a hug.] You softie, [Quietly-- fondly.] ...Merry Christmas. [He turns to Goro, then, bumping their noses together with intent to kiss him.]
Shut up. Just because I'm not fond of animal negligence doesn't mean I'm soft. [He grunts, but hugs Akira back and closes his eyes for the duration of their kiss. Well, at least the kiss is soft and tender. Goro parts his lips slightly just to have a taste of the other, giving Akira's bottom lip a lick.]
You look after the cat. I'll go change my clothes for something more appropriate.
[It's so soft and tender. He is so in love with this stupid tsundere. He chuckles into the kiss, lingers, and pulls his lip into his mouth to run his own tongue over it after that little lick. Goro, you tease.]
[He loosens his hold to let him pull away, nodding.] I don't mind you being comfy, it's just us. [But he dutifully claims the towel shed by the cat and carefully takes a seat on the floor with it in about the middle of the room. Fairly immediately he starts drumming his fingers on the floor and making soft "pspsps" noises.]
That's not the point, you idiot. [He rolls his eyes as he steps away from Akira.] Unlike you, I have standards for date nights.
[Which is rich, considering that they've really never done one properly. Not really. There's always been something going on. First him getting shot, the maze, Akira's kidnapping... All the in-between times were for recovery from all the incidents and them finding their place in each other's space.
But he is determined to do it right, this time!
Goro excuses himself to their bedroom to get rid of the wet (and smelly) clothes. Meanwhile! The cat had begun to lick her wet paws but stops to lock her eyes with the human that just dropped into her view. The fingers clearly do interest her, as her attention goes to them immediately and she begins to follow them with her gaze.
After a quick moment, she takes a tentative step forward, then another and another, slowly crawling towards Akira until her tiny little head peeks under the couch. ]
[He drones an affirmative sound, and then the statement catches up with him and his fingers still, his head whipping in the direction of Goro's departure.] Wait, is this a date night?? I can dress up!!
[His fingers, now still, make for an excellent pouncing target.]
[Oh, Akira you adorable dork. Adorkable idiot. Goro shouts something from their bedroom as an answer as he continues dressing up, taking his sweet time like always. Getting pretty is almost a full-time job after all!
But as soon as Akira's own attention turns away from the cat, she sees an opening and makes a brave leap from underneath the couch, paws playfully stretched forward to capture the drumming digits!]
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