chemex | ɪɴʙᴏx [ᴇxᴘɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ]

Good.

[At least he's not like Akechi, who was a little bitch about getting himself patched up. Her eyes linger on the partially-healed wound, and before she can help herself, she reaches out to gently touch the edge of the bandages.]

I... really thought you would hate me. After what happened.

[He shudders, involuntarily, at her touch.]

...why? It wasn't like you did it on purpose.

[She draws her fingers back when he shudders, glancing up to check his expression to make sure it's not one of pain before she touches his skin again.]

Yeah, but I still attacked you. I worked really hard to try to get people to trust me, but...

[She lays her hand flat against the center of his chest, gentle over the bandages.]

I hurt a lot of people.

[It's not pain, so much as it's just... slightly overstimulating? He feels raw, but he doesn't dissuade her from resuming contact.]

...I never stopped trusting you.

I hope you don't regret that.

[She rests her forehead against his shoulder with a soft exhale of breath, closing her eyes once again.]

You'll stop me if it happens again. I know that, I just keep thinking about... a lot of things. I'm tired of thinking about everything that happened, everything that might happen, everything that didn't happen...

[If he regretted trusting people that weren't the most trustworthy people at varying times of their lives he would probably not trust very many people at all. Regrettably, he still trusts Akechi Goro with his life, make of that what you will.]

[He sags into her a little.] ...then don't think about it. Just... vibe.

[Oh, like it's that easy? She tilts her head to gaze up at him with another crooked smile and reaches up to let her fingertips barely touch his lip near where it had split.]

I'd ask if you wanted to help with that, but I already injured you pretty badly.

[He fails to understand her meaning, tilting his head. He doesn't flinch away from her touch, though.] Help... with what?

Not thinking.

[She brushes her thumb gently against his lower lip, raising her eyebrows in what she hopes is an invitation. He had kissed her back at the party, kind of, before all this had happened, and he's the one inviting her to just "just vibe," which she assumes means relax and enjoy each other's company, so...]

Doing something stupid because it's fun, without worrying.

[Please excuse him, Akira.exe has encountered a problem and must stop.]

[He hears her, he thinks. He processes the suggestion slowly, her thumb against his lip a constant gentle reminder. Something stupid because it's fun, without worrying...]

[He swallows.] Uh. I could maybe help? [He's definitely stupid, you could definitely do him because he's fun.]

[Oh no, he's cute when he's surprised. She huffs through her nose in something a little closer to one of her usual giggles as she slowly draws her thumb away from his lips to instead cup his cheek.]

Maybe? [Yeah, this is easier than feeling sad and feeling guilty and feeling worried about everyone and everything around. It feels so much more normal to just tease someone like this.] Only maybe?

[He swallows audibly, a flush blooming from the center of his chest to his shoulders and slowly creeping up his neck.]

...don't have the experience to give more than a maybe.

[Ooooh. He's shy. That's also cute. To his credit, she only giggles a little bit, even as a matching flush starts to color her cheeks.]

That's kind of surprising. You kissed me at the party, so I just assumed...

[Her fingers trail carefully down to his jaw, coming close to his lips again. All the while, she keeps her head against his shoulder, watching his reactions.]

[He shakes his head just barely, laughing a fragile little sound.]

Bravado. And foreheads don't count. [His heartbeat is throbbing in his throat, but he's not uncomfortable. He means it when he says he trusts Kotone, just-- didn't really expect this, he thinks.]

[Hmm, they count for her, but sure, okay buddy. She tilts her head a little more against his shoulder, imagining that she can hear his heartbeat beneath his skin as she smiles up at him.]

Want to do something that counts, then?

[He swallows, audibly.] Uh.

[A laugh rattles its way up his diaphragm and he rubs the back of his neck, shrugging the shoulder she isn't leaning into.] I'm. Game if you are, I think?

[The shift from holding her, nuzzling her hair, kissing her forehead, to this nervous wreck in front of her is almost charming in a way. And-- it's a really, really good distraction from everything else. Just having someone who trusts her, is at least a little interested in her, is a lot right now.

So she shifts up onto her knees and leans in to press her forehead against his, relishing the warmth of the contact as her lips curve into a grin.]

Don't be nervous, [it's little more than a murmur as she tilts her head to press the softest of kisses to the corner of his mouth.]

[He closes his eyes on instinct when she puts their foreheads together, and feels more than a little silly that he freezes up rather than seizing the opportunity. She'd all but asked, brought up that he kissed her at the party, and-- Well, he can at least return it when she catches the corner of his mouth. His is a little less delicate, involves a bit more bonking of their noses, and has absolutely no consideration for his split lip, but the Some Kind Of Way he feels right now, he thinks he'd like to bleed on his own terms.] Performance anxiety. It'll fade. [He hopes.]

[She giggles and wrinkles her nose when he bonks it, catching his cheek with her hand to hold him still as she repositions for a better angle. Unlike him, she's very mindful of his split lip, keeping her own kiss as gentle as she can and pulling away almost as quickly to kiss his cheek instead.]

It will, [she promises, carefully running her thumb just below his lower lip with a lazy smile.] The point is not to worry, remember?

[He huffs softly, sulking.] Absolutely not-possible.

Then I'm not doing a very good job.

[She leans in again, still trying to be careful of his split lip as she kisses him more firmly, the hand on his cheek pulling him in as if to reassure him that she's got him; whatever he's worried about, he can trust her.]

[He's worried about-- everything, really. He can't not be. He doesn't know how to not try to carry the world on his shoulders. But he does lean into her mouth, after a moment, specifically pressing his split lip against hers for a moment before mumbling.] ...don't worry about being gentle, it. I don't mind. [He doesn't know how to say he likes pain???]

[She gets it. She does. But sometimes, you have to just put the world down for a little while before it crushes you.]

Okay. [There's no giggle this time, just a soft acknowledgment as she simply rolls with it and captures his lower lip briefly between her teeth -- not to bite, just to suck gently before pulling him into a firmer, deeper kiss. She's not trying to make him bleed, but she won't shy away from it either, unless he seems to be in genuine pain.]

[Some days he thinks it might not be so bad to be crushed by the world.]

[Anyway, the not-bite elicits an immediate response-- a soft, breathy sound he doesn't think to abort before it happens, and his ears burn scarlet but he's trying not to think so he just presses his mouth into hers more insistently. His hands can't figure out where to go, so he carefully, stiffly places them at her waist, not sure what more-- or less, for that matter --to do with them.]

[Oh, good noise, a quiet one she files away for later investigation. Hands at her waist is a good start, one she rewards with a soft, pleased sound muffled by his lips as she squirms just a little beneath his touch. Her own hands fall to his shoulders as she breaks the kiss just enough to catch a breath and push herself up to straddle his lap and bonk their noses together.]

You can touch, [she encourages with a playful grin, as if her cheeks aren't flushed scarlet and her lips aren't swollen from kissing. Speaking of kissing, she goes right back in, catching his lip with more purpose and just the slightest more pressure from her teeth.]

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