[ What about his moon... He looks like he’s considering that before something seems to catch his attention up ahead, and he uses one hand to point. ]
Ah, there’s the apartment building. The two connected, see? In the first one, take the elevator to the fifth floor. We’re nearly there... If we could, let’s be quiet in the hall. Cute Tori is my neighbor, and I’d rather not worry him to see me in this state.
Is what Keito wants to say, but... maybe it's embarrassing? There's things that have already happened here that Keito doesn't want to talk about in public, and they're not even indecent.
Of course, the idea that Eichi's moon does have indecent side-effects is worrying. It's not like Keito has missed the strange tugs at his mood he's experienced thus far, even if he's stubbornly ignored them. Either, way, it's enough for Keito to agree with Eichi's proposal that they be quiet, though when he mentions Tori... ]
Himemiya is here, too?
[ That's news - potentially bad news, if it's just Tori and not Yuzuru as well. ]
Yes, he is. He wanted to be close to me, but I didn’t want to have him so dependent, so I thought next door would work. I’d like to keep an eye on him, since Yuzuru isn’t here, after all. He—
[ The rest of his updates (which were honestly going to be unnecessary rambling) are cut off as he leans heavier into Keito, lifting his hand to cover his mouth in a series of coughs. Things aren’t going to settle as easily this time, it seems. ]
[ Yes, that all makes sense. Tori would happily cling to Eichi for the rest of his life if allowed, but it's important for him to learn independence. He's nodding along and above to praise Eichi for his thinking, but then that coughing fit has to go and interrupt things.
Even as Eichi leans more of his weight against Keito, Keito loosens his grip on Eichi. He's not intending to let him go, of course, but if he's struggling to breathe then clinging to him isn't going to help.
Keito gives the coughing a moment to pass, then slides his arms more securely around Eichi. ]
Come on. We'll talk again once you're sitting.
[ Eichi had better have a replacement for his medication here - or at least some decent tea. ]
[He nods his agreement, and the rest of the walk is silent. The apartment building is simple and cute enough. There's a board in the lobby for everyone to post things, and Eichi has a poster there about an upcoming concert by himself, as well as a separate one for "fine"... even if fine seems to be just him, Tori and Wataru. The elevator is probably working again, thank god, so they can get up to the fifth floor easily enough and to Eichi's apartment.
Once he's sitting, he does pull out medication that he seems to carry with him and takes some, and there's plenty of tea to find in the cabinets. Keito will find, if he looks, that Eichi hasn't stocked nearly anything else in terms of food, and that the place looks pretty bare for decorations.]
[ Even with his attention more or less wholly on Eichi, Keito doesn't miss the important details. The community board stands out, of course, and the convert posters in particular. Those are both good signs, probably. Then again, they could be warnings of impending disaster.
He'll keep an eye out.
He's not sure what he's expecting from Eichi's apartment, but it's... cute. More importantly, it's tidy, though he didn't entirely expect something else. Reassured by both the apartment's state and the sight of Eichi's medicine, he eases Eachi down to sit on the couch, then makes an immediate bee line for the kitchen. He's temporarily both baffled and exasperated by the lack of food in Eichi's cabinets, but he focuses on making tea for now. A few moments later, he returns with a cup of tea for each of them and a glass of water for Eichi, all of it balanced on a tray. ]
Here. There's honey and lemon, so it should help until your medicine kicks in.
[ Huh, he hasn't had to make tea for Eichi like this in a while. At some point or another it turned into Yuzuru's job. ]
[The water first, to wash down that pill, and he sighs lightly as he glances down at the tea. Fingers reach out to curl around the warmth of it, and for a moment, his expression softens.]
Just the two of us having tea like this... It's nostalgic, isn't it? [Something as simple as making tea? Well, right now he thinks it is.] I don't normally ask something like this, but for the sake of Chroma, would you sit next to me?
[If he's bringing up Chroma he clearly means next to him close enough that their arms touch, but he's sure Keito will get the point. His rabbit ears settle back a little, and he's not even thinking about them.]
[ Nostalgic...? Keito had been thinking similar things, to be fair, but 'nostalgic' isn't quite the word he would have landed on without prompting. And in any case... ]
It was only when you came to my house that I made the tea, though.
[ As for the request... well, Eichi isn't above flat out demanding attention when he wants it, but something about this current request seems much softer than what Keito is used to. More... vulnerable, he thinks. It's a bit disquieting, but Keito doesn't hesitate to comply, stepping around the coffee table and settling down close enough to touch. Remembering how clingy Eichi was on the way over, he offers out his hand, though he doesn't go as far as to take Eichi's hand himself. ]
I think it's a confusing, potentially dangerous place that asks too much of the people that live here, and I doubt the city officials are concerned with finding a way to send us home.
[ And because Keito never gives Eichi a break, even when he's doting on him: ]
And I think you're in worse shape than you want to admit. Hibiki told me your health took a turn for the worse before I showed up.
[ Wataru had said a lot of unnecessary and, if Keito is being honest (which he never will be), flat out hurtful things, but a few useful pieces of information made it through as well. ]
[ Well, Eichi thinks the days at Keito’s house were the nicest days of his childhood, but he doesn’t decide to go off about that. As much as he wants to change the subject from his health, if Wataru brought it up, that’s enough of a sign that it’s bad. He can’t deny that. So, he sighs. ]
Wataru said something unnecessary. It must be that I worried him... But, you know, I haven’t told him much about that other place I was taken to. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t share that, either.
[ Not that he thinks the two are going to be too chatty, but the topic always seems to come to him... ]
When I was kidnapped by that cult, they forced me to drink a strange wine that had lasting effects through to my last moon cycle. I had Cordis traits during the Iris moon, until now during the three moon cycle where I have my usual.
It could just be that my body isn’t dealing with it well. [ it’s not only that, but. ]
[ Eichi's right that Keito's not intending to chat casually with Wataru any time soon, and equally right that their conversations always come back to Eichi. Regardless, Keito's already come to terms with the fact that Wataru cares for Eichi, even if he's far too reckless with Eichi's health - so of course, for him to actually mention that Eichi's health is bad must mean it's a catastrophe.
The point is... ]
I don't think we'll be speaking much. He seemed aggravated with me.
[ Honestly, Keito didn't even realize that Wataru could get angry, but it means that Eichi's secret is safe with Keito. As for the rest, it's... worrying. He's not happy about the idea of Eichi being kidnapped, or drugged, or stuck indefinitely under the influence of his moon. He's heard about the cult, at least, and he'd been warned to not trust the foxes, though he's not totally sure if the two are truly connected.
But hey, at least Eichi is (indirectly) giving him an answer to the question he dodged earlier. ]
If it was just rabbit ears, even you wouldn't have this much trouble. What else lingered?
[Belatedly, he reaches for the hand that had been offered, his other lifting the tea like it's a casual thing, even if he doesn't feel like it's very casual at all. This is a Keito who remembers nothing, after all... Not that the Keito who remembered anything would be very different. It's always felt a little difficult to move closer like this. Maybe admitting that he wanted to was the hardest part.
Ah, but these questions just keep coming. There's no point in hiding things, is there? If Wataru is going around explaining things, and if he's upset, then he might even tell him more as some sort of a jab. Eichi doesn't want to fuel that.]
The day after we were freed, I felt fine. It's only when my moon cycle was meant to begin that things changed again. Normally, I have rabbit features like I do now. But instead, I had fox ears, nine fox tails, and aside from the rest of the physical changes, my personality shifted a bit as well. Despite it being Iris, it seems as though I received Cordis traits...? Such as pheromones.
I got up to a bit too much. ["a bit." He sips his tea slowly.] Indulging myself and having fun with sleight of hand that I seemed to learn from nowhere, I didn't rest much.
On top of my packed schedule, and a health drop that had me hospitalized a couple months ago, it must have caught up to me. As soon as the three moons began, though, I reverted to "normal," if you can call this normal. I should be fine now, if I just take it easy for a day or two. But I don't have the time or luxury to take longer than that. I have scheduled performances, and interviews, and the like.
[ Fortunately, Keito is distracted from calling Eichi out on his 'casual' hand holding by-- ]
Pheromones?!
[ But of course, Eichi moves on without explaining further, and the rest of Eichi's story manages to be even more concerning and upsetting. But at least it all makes sense, and Keito is willing to accept that explanation as true. It certainly seems like enough strain to take Eichi down for the count, even if he'll try to stubbornly power through.
It leaves Keito at an impasse, however. He's known for years that trying to prevent Eichi from doing exactly what he wants to is impossible, and by now he's accepted that it's actually better to not nag him. That doesn't mean he's just going to sit aside and do nothing, though. ]
You should give me my schedule. You're terrible at managing your own time, so I'm sure I can find more downtime for you.
[ Is it really friendship if you don't casually insult them in the process? ]
And this... moonlacing I've heard about. It's supposed to give us money and energy, right? Would that help your condition?
[Ugh. He wants to argue that schedule thing, but... Keito might actually be helpful to him. He's been shoving in as much as he can and he doesn't want to limit that, but he does need to find better ways to organize it so that he can pace himself. He'll probably have to go over it with him later for help. Later. After he's over that rude comment that has him pouting a little.
It works out, anyway, since the question right after has him taking a slower sip of his tea, eyes sliding to watch Keito dubiously.]
It does provide stamina, feel incredibly nice, and can even encourage the body to recover things like wounds more quickly. It's no cure, but...
[It's something. His fingers curl with Keito's hand to make his grip a little more secure, and he presses his teacup over his mouth so that he's just peering over it.]
Are you saying you'd moonlace with me?
[Technically, they're moonlacing right now. Chroma is created by this hand holding— but the more intimate an action, the more it gives. Something like this with someone like Keito feels natural. They did this as kids, didn't they? So it's easy for Eichi to feel like it's not intimate, and Keito, who's likely clueless right there, Eichi is sure doesn't feel it's intimate at all. So, that lowers the amount gained in both ways.
Beyond that, he's wondering what Keito might be thinking the line of moonlacing is.]
[ Keito actually has a solid idea of what moonlacing entails, from the very basics to the most intimate of acts. The benefits of being a nerd that likes to research via reading, even if he'd wanted to throw the book away in embarrassed rage when he was done with that passage.
He's not sure if the hand holding counts in this instance, but... he's already noticed it's somehow less intense than when he'd done it with Weiss.
He should probably just admit to it with a flat yet, but the aloof way that Eichi acts, like peering over his teacup makes him look mysterious instead of just pompous, further saps Keito's good will. ]
You wouldn't stand for cancelling any of your appearances.
[ Neither his personal pride and his professional pride will allow for it. Keito knows that much by now. ]
So if it'll help, then I want to.
[ The use of 'want' is conscious, but sincere. Even if it might be terribly awkward, Keito isn't thinking of this as something he has to do. ]
[That hopeful feeling he'd been holding onto drops suddenly, and he looks a little sour as his teacup lowers again and he sets it back on the table. Despite Keito's conscious use of the word "want," Eichi doesn't take it the way it's intended. "If it'll help, then I want to." So it was for that. So that's all he's thinking about? Of course it is. He was an idiot to think otherwise. His hand slips away from Keito's to brush down some wrinkles on his pants, and he doesn't bring it back, even if it already feels too empty.]
I'm not interested.
[That's a simple thing to say to a very complex situation. He's interested in moonlacing with Keito, but not like this. Though he's used the excuse of weakness to get together with plenty of others, doing it with Keito is... It's just that he's a burden again, isn't it? It doesn't matter what Keito might have thought they'd end up doing with "moonlacing." If it's purely another task on his to-do list, then he wants no part of it. And how could he think of it as anything less, when his first meeting with Eichi in this place ended with Eichi nearly falling over?
His eyes focus on the tea on the table, rather than Keito.]
Do you really think that I've managed to last this long without having others who will moonlace with me? I've done it plenty, you know. Moonlacing with you... it won't help at all. [That's what he's thinking, from his misunderstanding here. But it's making his chest tight to say these things when he's been hoping he'd appear all of these months.]
Rather than focusing on me, why don't you concern yourself with finding your own partners?
Eichi's sour expression is hard to miss, and Keito's own is sliding into exasperation even before Eichi abruptly backs out of the agreement Keito was sure he was about to make. It's not hard to see why he is, of course, but it's aggravating.
Scratch that. It pisses Keito off, and he doesn't make any effort to hide it. He wasn't really fussing with his tea much so far, but now he's flat out ignoring it. ]
For someone that hates having his decisions made for him, you never mind making them for other people. What was the point of picking a fight with me if you're just going to forget everything that happened when I fought back?
[ He's irritated, sure, but there's undeniable threads of exasperation in there, along with that oddly patient note it gets when he's lecturing someone. He did not put on four layers, dance around in the summer heat, deal with Hibiki's giant robot, and then join in on that farce Anzu came up with afterwards just to have Eichi shrug it all off. ]
If you're interested, that's fine. If you're not interested, that's also fine. But don't act like I'm doing anything or offering anything out of some sense of obligation.
[That's right... Of course he couldn't forget that. But half a year back home, and another near-year here, most of the latter without Keito... It's so easy to forget. It's so easy to fall back into those same worries. Eichi tries to keep up his irritation, for the sake of being stubborn like he normally does. But his shoulders ease up slightly, and he looks to the side at Keito, expression softening.
Iris has him feeling even more affectionate and needy than normal. Even without that, he would have given in to this eventually. But...]
I thought...
[He pauses, folding his hands together so he has something to squeeze without pathetically reaching out again.]
No. You're right. I got a bit too emotional and lashed out without thinking...
[That's as close to an apology as he gets, usually, so that's pretty good. But he's back to looking away, parting his hands so one can rub at one of his rabbit ears idly, a subtle fidget.]
...I've missed you, Keito.
[He says that fairly softly, god it's embarrassing. He hates his moon.]
[ Keito was both ready for an expecting a fight, to the point that it's a tiny bit surprising when Eichi just... lets it go. It's not a bad thing exactly, but when Eichi even apologizes Keito can only include that his time here has been exactly as rough as Keito has been thinking.
Being flat out told that Eichi missed him is embarrassing, though. Keito lets his gaze slide away, and though he's lucky enough to not blush he can't quite manage to not sound flustered. ]
If you're willing to say something like that, I can only assume it's been too long since I lectured you.
[ He'll have to change that - but for now he's not happy to leave it as just a joke, either. ]
... I can't change that I only just now arrived, but I can promise to stay by your side from here on out.
[He's embarrassed too, of course, but he's serious. He's afraid. He's sad, he's been lonely, he doesn't know how to handle this. He sets his teacup back down on the table and squeezes Keito's hand.]
You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep. It's not that I don't think you mean it, Keito... It's that I think it's impossible for you to decide.
[Otherwise... Why would he have vanished before? He knows that wasn't Keito's choice. He knows he would have stayed, no matter how hellish it all was.]
Even now, I don't want to let go. You can call me childish for it, if you'd like.
[Only on occasion. That's such a cute, Keito-like thing to say, and it really hits him in the heart. It's Keito, here, here and holding his hand, here and reassuring him in the most clumsy of ways. Eichi can't help but breathe out a laugh, ducking slightly to cover it with his free hand, but it's short, and it's mostly air, and a cough follows it.
Still, he turns into Keito. It's fine to be a bit childish on occasion, then. So, as usual, he's taken off his mask as Emperor for him. And, as usual, he'll lean on him like this, selfishly turn to him and expect him to help, even if it's unfair. Even if it's too much work.
Without releasing their joined hands, he leans into him completely, burying his face into the spot between Keito's neck and shoulder, his free hand wrapping around his waist loosely. It means his rabbit ears twitch a little next to Keito's head, and he's definitely coughing into him a few times, but there's warmth, and more Chroma, and he just wants to stay like this for a little while. Like a child. Like when they were kids and he got really scared.
How long is he going to be here, after all? He doesn't know, but he wants to make the most of the time they have. He doesn't want to take it for granted.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ Though he already suspects the biggest shocks are going to come from Eichi. This whole conversation is already quite startling on its own. ]
Cordis... I'll remember that.
[ And since there's no avoiding it... ]
And what about your moon?
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Ah, there’s the apartment building. The two connected, see? In the first one, take the elevator to the fifth floor. We’re nearly there... If we could, let’s be quiet in the hall. Cute Tori is my neighbor, and I’d rather not worry him to see me in this state.
[ yeah he’s dodging, ]
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Is what Keito wants to say, but... maybe it's embarrassing? There's things that have already happened here that Keito doesn't want to talk about in public, and they're not even indecent.
Of course, the idea that Eichi's moon does have indecent side-effects is worrying. It's not like Keito has missed the strange tugs at his mood he's experienced thus far, even if he's stubbornly ignored them. Either, way, it's enough for Keito to agree with Eichi's proposal that they be quiet, though when he mentions Tori... ]
Himemiya is here, too?
[ That's news - potentially bad news, if it's just Tori and not Yuzuru as well. ]
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[ The rest of his updates (which were honestly going to be unnecessary rambling) are cut off as he leans heavier into Keito, lifting his hand to cover his mouth in a series of coughs. Things aren’t going to settle as easily this time, it seems. ]
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Even as Eichi leans more of his weight against Keito, Keito loosens his grip on Eichi. He's not intending to let him go, of course, but if he's struggling to breathe then clinging to him isn't going to help.
Keito gives the coughing a moment to pass, then slides his arms more securely around Eichi. ]
Come on. We'll talk again once you're sitting.
[ Eichi had better have a replacement for his medication here - or at least some decent tea. ]
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Once he's sitting, he does pull out medication that he seems to carry with him and takes some, and there's plenty of tea to find in the cabinets. Keito will find, if he looks, that Eichi hasn't stocked nearly anything else in terms of food, and that the place looks pretty bare for decorations.]
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He'll keep an eye out.
He's not sure what he's expecting from Eichi's apartment, but it's... cute. More importantly, it's tidy, though he didn't entirely expect something else. Reassured by both the apartment's state and the sight of Eichi's medicine, he eases Eachi down to sit on the couch, then makes an immediate bee line for the kitchen. He's temporarily both baffled and exasperated by the lack of food in Eichi's cabinets, but he focuses on making tea for now. A few moments later, he returns with a cup of tea for each of them and a glass of water for Eichi, all of it balanced on a tray. ]
Here. There's honey and lemon, so it should help until your medicine kicks in.
[ Huh, he hasn't had to make tea for Eichi like this in a while. At some point or another it turned into Yuzuru's job. ]
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[The water first, to wash down that pill, and he sighs lightly as he glances down at the tea. Fingers reach out to curl around the warmth of it, and for a moment, his expression softens.]
Just the two of us having tea like this... It's nostalgic, isn't it? [Something as simple as making tea? Well, right now he thinks it is.] I don't normally ask something like this, but for the sake of Chroma, would you sit next to me?
[If he's bringing up Chroma he clearly means next to him close enough that their arms touch, but he's sure Keito will get the point. His rabbit ears settle back a little, and he's not even thinking about them.]
What are your thoughts so far?
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It was only when you came to my house that I made the tea, though.
[ As for the request... well, Eichi isn't above flat out demanding attention when he wants it, but something about this current request seems much softer than what Keito is used to. More... vulnerable, he thinks. It's a bit disquieting, but Keito doesn't hesitate to comply, stepping around the coffee table and settling down close enough to touch. Remembering how clingy Eichi was on the way over, he offers out his hand, though he doesn't go as far as to take Eichi's hand himself. ]
I think it's a confusing, potentially dangerous place that asks too much of the people that live here, and I doubt the city officials are concerned with finding a way to send us home.
[ And because Keito never gives Eichi a break, even when he's doting on him: ]
And I think you're in worse shape than you want to admit. Hibiki told me your health took a turn for the worse before I showed up.
[ Wataru had said a lot of unnecessary and, if Keito is being honest (which he never will be), flat out hurtful things, but a few useful pieces of information made it through as well. ]
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Wataru said something unnecessary. It must be that I worried him... But, you know, I haven’t told him much about that other place I was taken to. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t share that, either.
[ Not that he thinks the two are going to be too chatty, but the topic always seems to come to him... ]
When I was kidnapped by that cult, they forced me to drink a strange wine that had lasting effects through to my last moon cycle. I had Cordis traits during the Iris moon, until now during the three moon cycle where I have my usual.
It could just be that my body isn’t dealing with it well. [ it’s not only that, but. ]
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The point is... ]
I don't think we'll be speaking much. He seemed aggravated with me.
[ Honestly, Keito didn't even realize that Wataru could get angry, but it means that Eichi's secret is safe with Keito. As for the rest, it's... worrying. He's not happy about the idea of Eichi being kidnapped, or drugged, or stuck indefinitely under the influence of his moon. He's heard about the cult, at least, and he'd been warned to not trust the foxes, though he's not totally sure if the two are truly connected.
But hey, at least Eichi is (indirectly) giving him an answer to the question he dodged earlier. ]
If it was just rabbit ears, even you wouldn't have this much trouble. What else lingered?
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Ah, but these questions just keep coming. There's no point in hiding things, is there? If Wataru is going around explaining things, and if he's upset, then he might even tell him more as some sort of a jab. Eichi doesn't want to fuel that.]
The day after we were freed, I felt fine. It's only when my moon cycle was meant to begin that things changed again. Normally, I have rabbit features like I do now. But instead, I had fox ears, nine fox tails, and aside from the rest of the physical changes, my personality shifted a bit as well. Despite it being Iris, it seems as though I received Cordis traits...? Such as pheromones.
I got up to a bit too much. ["a bit." He sips his tea slowly.] Indulging myself and having fun with sleight of hand that I seemed to learn from nowhere, I didn't rest much.
On top of my packed schedule, and a health drop that had me hospitalized a couple months ago, it must have caught up to me. As soon as the three moons began, though, I reverted to "normal," if you can call this normal. I should be fine now, if I just take it easy for a day or two. But I don't have the time or luxury to take longer than that. I have scheduled performances, and interviews, and the like.
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Pheromones?!
[ But of course, Eichi moves on without explaining further, and the rest of Eichi's story manages to be even more concerning and upsetting. But at least it all makes sense, and Keito is willing to accept that explanation as true. It certainly seems like enough strain to take Eichi down for the count, even if he'll try to stubbornly power through.
It leaves Keito at an impasse, however. He's known for years that trying to prevent Eichi from doing exactly what he wants to is impossible, and by now he's accepted that it's actually better to not nag him. That doesn't mean he's just going to sit aside and do nothing, though. ]
You should give me my schedule. You're terrible at managing your own time, so I'm sure I can find more downtime for you.
[ Is it really friendship if you don't casually insult them in the process? ]
And this... moonlacing I've heard about. It's supposed to give us money and energy, right? Would that help your condition?
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It works out, anyway, since the question right after has him taking a slower sip of his tea, eyes sliding to watch Keito dubiously.]
It does provide stamina, feel incredibly nice, and can even encourage the body to recover things like wounds more quickly. It's no cure, but...
[It's something. His fingers curl with Keito's hand to make his grip a little more secure, and he presses his teacup over his mouth so that he's just peering over it.]
Are you saying you'd moonlace with me?
[Technically, they're moonlacing right now. Chroma is created by this hand holding— but the more intimate an action, the more it gives. Something like this with someone like Keito feels natural. They did this as kids, didn't they? So it's easy for Eichi to feel like it's not intimate, and Keito, who's likely clueless right there, Eichi is sure doesn't feel it's intimate at all. So, that lowers the amount gained in both ways.
Beyond that, he's wondering what Keito might be thinking the line of moonlacing is.]
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He's not sure if the hand holding counts in this instance, but... he's already noticed it's somehow less intense than when he'd done it with Weiss.
He should probably just admit to it with a flat yet, but the aloof way that Eichi acts, like peering over his teacup makes him look mysterious instead of just pompous, further saps Keito's good will. ]
You wouldn't stand for cancelling any of your appearances.
[ Neither his personal pride and his professional pride will allow for it. Keito knows that much by now. ]
So if it'll help, then I want to.
[ The use of 'want' is conscious, but sincere. Even if it might be terribly awkward, Keito isn't thinking of this as something he has to do. ]
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I'm not interested.
[That's a simple thing to say to a very complex situation. He's interested in moonlacing with Keito, but not like this. Though he's used the excuse of weakness to get together with plenty of others, doing it with Keito is... It's just that he's a burden again, isn't it? It doesn't matter what Keito might have thought they'd end up doing with "moonlacing." If it's purely another task on his to-do list, then he wants no part of it. And how could he think of it as anything less, when his first meeting with Eichi in this place ended with Eichi nearly falling over?
His eyes focus on the tea on the table, rather than Keito.]
Do you really think that I've managed to last this long without having others who will moonlace with me? I've done it plenty, you know. Moonlacing with you... it won't help at all. [That's what he's thinking, from his misunderstanding here. But it's making his chest tight to say these things when he's been hoping he'd appear all of these months.]
Rather than focusing on me, why don't you concern yourself with finding your own partners?
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Eichi's sour expression is hard to miss, and Keito's own is sliding into exasperation even before Eichi abruptly backs out of the agreement Keito was sure he was about to make. It's not hard to see why he is, of course, but it's aggravating.
Scratch that. It pisses Keito off, and he doesn't make any effort to hide it. He wasn't really fussing with his tea much so far, but now he's flat out ignoring it. ]
For someone that hates having his decisions made for him, you never mind making them for other people. What was the point of picking a fight with me if you're just going to forget everything that happened when I fought back?
[ He's irritated, sure, but there's undeniable threads of exasperation in there, along with that oddly patient note it gets when he's lecturing someone. He did not put on four layers, dance around in the summer heat, deal with Hibiki's giant robot, and then join in on that farce Anzu came up with afterwards just to have Eichi shrug it all off. ]
If you're interested, that's fine. If you're not interested, that's also fine. But don't act like I'm doing anything or offering anything out of some sense of obligation.
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[That's right... Of course he couldn't forget that. But half a year back home, and another near-year here, most of the latter without Keito... It's so easy to forget. It's so easy to fall back into those same worries. Eichi tries to keep up his irritation, for the sake of being stubborn like he normally does. But his shoulders ease up slightly, and he looks to the side at Keito, expression softening.
Iris has him feeling even more affectionate and needy than normal. Even without that, he would have given in to this eventually. But...]
I thought...
[He pauses, folding his hands together so he has something to squeeze without pathetically reaching out again.]
No. You're right. I got a bit too emotional and lashed out without thinking...
[That's as close to an apology as he gets, usually, so that's pretty good. But he's back to looking away, parting his hands so one can rub at one of his rabbit ears idly, a subtle fidget.]
...I've missed you, Keito.
[He says that fairly softly, god it's embarrassing. He hates his moon.]
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Being flat out told that Eichi missed him is embarrassing, though. Keito lets his gaze slide away, and though he's lucky enough to not blush he can't quite manage to not sound flustered. ]
If you're willing to say something like that, I can only assume it's been too long since I lectured you.
[ He'll have to change that - but for now he's not happy to leave it as just a joke, either. ]
... I can't change that I only just now arrived, but I can promise to stay by your side from here on out.
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You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep. It's not that I don't think you mean it, Keito... It's that I think it's impossible for you to decide.
[Otherwise... Why would he have vanished before? He knows that wasn't Keito's choice. He knows he would have stayed, no matter how hellish it all was.]
Even now, I don't want to let go. You can call me childish for it, if you'd like.
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Well, being logical is his strong point, and he sees the logic in what Eichi says. He's not happy about it, though. ]
Then for as long as I'm in this world.
[ That'll have to do for now, and hopefully Eichi understands that he doesn't mean in a clingy way. As for his wish... ]
... It's fine to be a bit childish on occasion. [ He squeezes Eichi's hand in return. ] So long as it's only on occasion.
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Still, he turns into Keito. It's fine to be a bit childish on occasion, then. So, as usual, he's taken off his mask as Emperor for him. And, as usual, he'll lean on him like this, selfishly turn to him and expect him to help, even if it's unfair. Even if it's too much work.
Without releasing their joined hands, he leans into him completely, burying his face into the spot between Keito's neck and shoulder, his free hand wrapping around his waist loosely. It means his rabbit ears twitch a little next to Keito's head, and he's definitely coughing into him a few times, but there's warmth, and more Chroma, and he just wants to stay like this for a little while. Like a child. Like when they were kids and he got really scared.
How long is he going to be here, after all? He doesn't know, but he wants to make the most of the time they have. He doesn't want to take it for granted.]