[Yeah, the fever isn't going down anytime soon. He's still burning up with droplets of cold sweat forming on the back of his neck. But Akechi doesn't let that hold him back. He reaches to grab the front of Akira's yukata and pulls him closer, giving his dry and chapped lips a quick lick.]
Don't--- ha, don't be stupid. [He pants out, chest raising heavily up and down as he catches his breath, looking almost uncharacteristically meek under Akira.] Hah.. you just can't keep up.
[Akira sighs, laughing softly and settling, folding his arms over Akechi's chest and draping across him like a cat.]
No, I could. You can't, because you're not at your best right now. So it's not a fair competition. [He reaches out to brush his hair off his face, looking at him carefully.] ...have to wonder if you even meant to start that, or if your brain's already boiled.
[He's about to huff a protest at Akira, that he's always at his best (though, if he were to stop and think he'd realize that Akira is right) no matter of his condition, but is stopped by the latter part of his musings.
Akechi looks up, confused as if he didn't understand what's the issue.]
[He smiles, hopelessly fond that Akechi is allowing him to see him in this state, groggy and feverish and human, and cranes his neck forward. Carefully, he taps his lips over the corner of Akechi's, and then smooths a hand over his hair.]
[It's truly a rare treat, for both of them, to have Goro bare and vulnerable without any of his defenses or shields. Again, he places his trust on Akira. The lips briefly visits his and Akechi tries to kiss him back, but is a few seconds too late, leaving him mouthing at the air.
Yeah, he's slowing down here, not being able to keep up with Akira. He hums softly and buries his face in the other's shoulder. It doesn't take too long until the sleep finally claims him. He's so out of it that he'll definitely be unconscious until the late afternoon or something.
That coffee still better be good when he wakes up!]
[Akechi mouthing sleepily at the air is unreasonably cute, and also extremely silly. Akira carefully rearranges himself and just takes to smoothing his hair and keeping a constant soothing amount of contact with him, only slowing and finally stopping once he's gone still and his breathing has leveled out for a while.]
[He doses, just a little, but doesn't sleep overmuch, worried about moving and disrupting Goro. Dumb asshole that he was sometimes, he deserved a good night's rest after the day he'd had. Akira, honestly, did as well, but he'd worry about that later.]
[It's a good handful of hours later that he finally extracts himself from Akechi's sleeping cocoon, once he was sure his fever was on the way to breaking. For one, he has to fucking pee, thanks, and for two, Akechi might appreciate something to eat when he wakes up. So he slinks off and comes back with some basic breakfast. He keeps everything mild-- a clear soup as opposed to miso, very gently-seasoned fish, and of course, rice. He's been out of his bed about two hours by the time he moves back to it, settling to sit and carefully brush Akechi's hair out of his face again.]
[His thermos of coffee is in his hand, still warm, to appease him for waking him up.] Hey, swat me off if you think you need to sleep more, but I think your fever's broken.
[If Akechi has any dreams he doesn't remember them. Honestly, he'd almost pass for a dead if it wasn't for his slowly rising chest and quiet breathing. So, he doesn't even do as much as stir when Akira eventually untangles himself and gets up. Then again, it's not a wonder considering how high his fever had been. His body was focused on breaking the fever and patching itself back together after the events of the previous day.
And when he eventually does wake up, it's a slow process. The fever is gone but he still feels a little disoriented and groggy, last night's events being nothing but a hazy memory in his mind. He does remember Dazai, calling Akira, fighting him and then coming back to his place together. But the details still escaped from him. ]
Mmmm... [Akechi moans quietly into the pillow, shifting under the blankets.] Akira?
[What the fuck, Goro Akechi has absolutely no business being this adorable. Excuse the fuck out of him. This is unfair, and has to be illegal, somewhere, somehow. Akira bluescreens just enough to look stupid staring blankly for about fifteen seconds before he reboots enough to grin shortly and find Goro's hand. He presses the thermos into it.]
[Akira Kurusu is so lucky that Akechi isn't quite awake enough yet to judge his brain malfunction there. But eventually the mention of coffee does stir him awake enough. He opens his eyes and sits up, hissing sharply as he puts weight on his injured hand. It's enough to jolt him to this reality from his hal-asleep world, events from yesterday rushing back to him.
Oh shit.
He takes the offered coffee, feeling his ears heat up from embarrassement.]
You know you didn't have to stay. ['Don't you dare to leave ', words echo in his mind, making him to press his gaze down.]
[Akira mentally scolds himself for not preempting the motion that shocks Akechi awake with pain, but it's done and knowing Akechi, he'll do it every morning until it heals. This is why he wants it set by an actual nurse of some form. He smiles, despite himself, breathing out a faint chuckle.]
I wasn't just going to leave. Start slowly, with that, [He gestures to the coffee.] Until I can finish breakfast. [He moves off the bed and back toward the kitchen.]
[He purses his lips together into a thin line, giving Akira no answer. The thermos is awkward turned around in his hands until his rival leaves the bed. Only after he's gone back to the kitchen corner does Akechi open the lid and take small sips of the warm beverage.
It's not the best that Akira's done. The quality definitely suffered from sitting overnight on his night stand but strangely enough Akechi doesn't complain. In fact, he can feel regaining some of his strength after each sip, color slowly returning back to his face.
He doesn't say anything for a while, allowing an awkward silence to fall between them as Akira busies himself in the kitchen.
Then, after what feels like an eternity, Akechi clears his throat.]
[Akira is happy to immerse himself in breakfast, pan-frying some sort of fish in oil and mild seasoning-- who knows where he got any of it, though the fish is probably one he caught. He's almost forgotten about how down bad he is when Akechi speaks again, and he startles so badly he nearly drops his spatula.]
[Laughing nervously, he shakes his head and scoops the fish out of the pan onto two plates.] Hey, I'm not doing a walk of shame, it can't be that bad.
[he really doesn't need to bother looking at Akira's direction to know that he's just as flushed and red as he is.
Another pause, followed by another attempt to clear his throat and find his voice ]
I probably should thank you. For having enough brains for once to stop before we did something we both truly would have regretted. Don't worry, I promise to do better in future.
[He is starkly silent, outside of a few rigid motions, then-- he flicks off the burner, scoops the fish out onto two plates, and sets his spatula down all in rapid succession, pivoting quickly and marching over to Akechi. He stands over him, a severity to his expression that is somehow entirely ambiguous. Is he angry? Upset? Who knows, but there's a set to his jaw and a crease to his eyebrows that makes him very focused in whatever unreadable expression it is.]
[Akechi's head sinks in lower. The tension from yesterday is suddenly rushed back to his body, making his shoulders stiff and spine feel prickly and heavy.
No luck with Akira just laugh and letting it go. He curses his own tongue. He should just have stayed quiet and pretend not to remember a thing from his feverish mind.
He inhales deep, filling his lungs with air before speaking up.]
I don't know. [He hates the way feeling of defeat creeps to his voice. At the moment he had meant it, acted on an instinct rather than reason and logic. But now, in the light of a new day, they're once again standing in a crossroads.]
[It's like Akechi has taken his ribcage in both hands and pressed both thumbs together in the center of his sternum until it cracked, and he wheezes faintly on exhale.]
This-- Akechi this isn't something you can just turn back on me. This isn't-- [His hands work into fists, unclench, and then his shoulders drop as he leans his head back and closes his eyes at the ceiling. He speaks very quietly, directed upward, opening his eyes to stare and hope he isn't making a mistake.] ...yes, I think I did. And I'll let you make of that what you want.
[His hands curl into fists again and he spins on his heel back to the kitchen, putting rice and soup into bowls to keep them busy.]
[That response somehow manages to rouse anger within him. Okay, "somehow" is unnecessary, he's always angry and that jazz.
But how dare Akira get frustrated with him when he's actually trying his best to be honest here. To piece last nights events together into a coherent picture. Right now everything is so confusing and he doesn't know how to make sense of things. Would Akira really prefer him to lie? Tightening his grip around the thermos he lifts it and takes the last sip of the hot beverage. He lifts his head to look at the back of Akira's neck and the urge to throw the empty thermos at him is really strong.
Instead he sets it on the night stand, scuffles out of bed and walks to kitchen. His good arm snakes around Akira's waist as he pressed his own body closer from the behind, trapping him between his chest and the kitchen counter. Then, he leans to press a not-so-light kiss on the back of Akira's neck.
Yeah, he's angry. If this is what Akira wanted then fine.]
[Thank you for not concussing him with his own thermos, Akechi, that's very thoughtful of you.]
[The thing about Akira, and his specific sort of frustration, particularly with Goro Akechi, is that he isn't mad at him for his feelings, not by a long shot. And he's certainly not mad at him for his attempt at honesty, no-- it's that he's brushing it all off, that he "doesn't know", but then he pulls things like this. Like those lips on the back of his neck, like the arm around his waist, coiling around him like a viper. His shoulders pull tight, and he somehow manages to rotate in the narrow space Akechi leaves between him and the counter, tossing the spatula to land somewhere hopefully on the counter.]
Akechi, stop, what the fuck. [He puts his hands on his collar bones, pushes gently.] You're misunderstanding me again. [A beat, and the frown on his face softens.] ...no, I'm not explaining myself properly, again.
[When the struggle begins Akechi only tightens his hold on Akira, now both arms wrapping around him now. He can't really curl his injured finger properly but that doesn't stop him from grabbing on the fabric of the Yukata, pulling them just closer to fight off Akira's protests]
Why the fuck are you angry?! [He snaps at him, almost growling at him. No, Akechi doesn't get it. Is dealing with people and relationships always this frustrating?] Do you want me to whisper some fucking sweet lies to your ear? Tell you that I've wanted you this whole time or some other stupid shit?!
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Don't--- ha, don't be stupid. [He pants out, chest raising heavily up and down as he catches his breath, looking almost uncharacteristically meek under Akira.] Hah.. you just can't keep up.
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No, I could. You can't, because you're not at your best right now. So it's not a fair competition. [He reaches out to brush his hair off his face, looking at him carefully.] ...have to wonder if you even meant to start that, or if your brain's already boiled.
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Akechi looks up, confused as if he didn't understand what's the issue.]
You didn't like it?
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[It's a simple statement. He rubs his thumb gently over Akechi's eyebrow.] ...I just worry you'll be upset about it later.
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You're hard to please. [Pot, kettle. But furthermore:] I give you what you want and you're still not satisfied.
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You're one to talk. Hey, [He taps Akechi's jaw, gently, trying to get him to turn toward him.]
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He slowly opens his eyes at the tapping on his jaw. He turns to face Akira's way, briefly staring at him before closing his eyes.]
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Sleep some, yeah? We'll talk about this later.
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Yeah, he's slowing down here, not being able to keep up with Akira. He hums softly and buries his face in the other's shoulder. It doesn't take too long until the sleep finally claims him. He's so out of it that he'll definitely be unconscious until the late afternoon or something.
That coffee still better be good when he wakes up!]
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[He doses, just a little, but doesn't sleep overmuch, worried about moving and disrupting Goro. Dumb asshole that he was sometimes, he deserved a good night's rest after the day he'd had. Akira, honestly, did as well, but he'd worry about that later.]
[It's a good handful of hours later that he finally extracts himself from Akechi's sleeping cocoon, once he was sure his fever was on the way to breaking. For one, he has to fucking pee, thanks, and for two, Akechi might appreciate something to eat when he wakes up. So he slinks off and comes back with some basic breakfast. He keeps everything mild-- a clear soup as opposed to miso, very gently-seasoned fish, and of course, rice. He's been out of his bed about two hours by the time he moves back to it, settling to sit and carefully brush Akechi's hair out of his face again.]
[His thermos of coffee is in his hand, still warm, to appease him for waking him up.] Hey, swat me off if you think you need to sleep more, but I think your fever's broken.
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And when he eventually does wake up, it's a slow process. The fever is gone but he still feels a little disoriented and groggy, last night's events being nothing but a hazy memory in his mind. He does remember Dazai, calling Akira, fighting him and then coming back to his place together. But the details still escaped from him. ]
Mmmm... [Akechi moans quietly into the pillow, shifting under the blankets.] Akira?
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Coffee. [Oh he is down bad.]
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Oh shit.
He takes the offered coffee, feeling his ears heat up from embarrassement.]
You know you didn't have to stay. ['Don't you dare to leave ', words echo in his mind, making him to press his gaze down.]
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I wasn't just going to leave. Start slowly, with that, [He gestures to the coffee.] Until I can finish breakfast. [He moves off the bed and back toward the kitchen.]
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It's not the best that Akira's done. The quality definitely suffered from sitting overnight on his night stand but strangely enough Akechi doesn't complain. In fact, he can feel regaining some of his strength after each sip, color slowly returning back to his face.
He doesn't say anything for a while, allowing an awkward silence to fall between them as Akira busies himself in the kitchen.
Then, after what feels like an eternity, Akechi clears his throat.]
I'm sorry about last night.
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[Laughing nervously, he shakes his head and scoops the fish out of the pan onto two plates.] Hey, I'm not doing a walk of shame, it can't be that bad.
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That wasn't very far from happening. [he mumbles the joke back at him, carefully running his hand through his hair.]
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I... oh. [Slowly, from beneath the collar of his yukata, his neck up and out to his ears flushes scarlet.]
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Another pause, followed by another attempt to clear his throat and find his voice ]
I probably should thank you. For having enough brains for once to stop before we did something we both truly would have regretted. Don't worry, I promise to do better in future.
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Did you mean it?
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No luck with Akira just laugh and letting it go. He curses his own tongue. He should just have stayed quiet and pretend not to remember a thing from his feverish mind.
He inhales deep, filling his lungs with air before speaking up.]
I don't know. [He hates the way feeling of defeat creeps to his voice. At the moment he had meant it, acted on an instinct rather than reason and logic. But now, in the light of a new day, they're once again standing in a crossroads.]
Did you?
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This-- Akechi this isn't something you can just turn back on me. This isn't-- [His hands work into fists, unclench, and then his shoulders drop as he leans his head back and closes his eyes at the ceiling. He speaks very quietly, directed upward, opening his eyes to stare and hope he isn't making a mistake.] ...yes, I think I did. And I'll let you make of that what you want.
[His hands curl into fists again and he spins on his heel back to the kitchen, putting rice and soup into bowls to keep them busy.]
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But how dare Akira get frustrated with him when he's actually trying his best to be honest here. To piece last nights events together into a coherent picture. Right now everything is so confusing and he doesn't know how to make sense of things. Would Akira really prefer him to lie? Tightening his grip around the thermos he lifts it and takes the last sip of the hot beverage. He lifts his head to look at the back of Akira's neck and the urge to throw the empty thermos at him is really strong.
Instead he sets it on the night stand, scuffles out of bed and walks to kitchen. His good arm snakes around Akira's waist as he pressed his own body closer from the behind, trapping him between his chest and the kitchen counter. Then, he leans to press a not-so-light kiss on the back of Akira's neck.
Yeah, he's angry. If this is what Akira wanted then fine.]
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[The thing about Akira, and his specific sort of frustration, particularly with Goro Akechi, is that he isn't mad at him for his feelings, not by a long shot. And he's certainly not mad at him for his attempt at honesty, no-- it's that he's brushing it all off, that he "doesn't know", but then he pulls things like this. Like those lips on the back of his neck, like the arm around his waist, coiling around him like a viper. His shoulders pull tight, and he somehow manages to rotate in the narrow space Akechi leaves between him and the counter, tossing the spatula to land somewhere hopefully on the counter.]
Akechi, stop, what the fuck. [He puts his hands on his collar bones, pushes gently.] You're misunderstanding me again. [A beat, and the frown on his face softens.] ...no, I'm not explaining myself properly, again.
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Why the fuck are you angry?! [He snaps at him, almost growling at him. No, Akechi doesn't get it. Is dealing with people and relationships always this frustrating?] Do you want me to whisper some fucking sweet lies to your ear? Tell you that I've wanted you this whole time or some other stupid shit?!
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