gently posts

[luxuriant]

[The meeting with the Project Head had turned so quickly wrong. Zelos only wishes he could say he was surprised. He wasn't. All of his bad decisions thrown out and broadcast across the entire ship via the network. Meetings he never knew had been recorded, but hadn't exactly ruled out the possibility... Information shared that he had been so reluctant to give away but still came across quite blunt in text form.

Everything. And yet... not everything. No signs of his motives, no recorded meetings of the Project Head showing him pictures of his sister supposedly safe and sound in some place without him. There was just him as the villain.

Not only did he have that to deal with, but the physical fight between himself and the Head had gone over equally well. That is to say not well at all. No amount of angel skills (which he noticed were a lot more tiring here than normal) or magic or melee could take care of the guy. Made out of water... He was tricky too. Smart.

And Zelos had been forced to visit the clinic afterwards to deal with his own wounds as best as he could. With the message out for all to see, he hardly felt it was necessary to message Jack. ...Maybe Jack was upset after all. Or didn't realize the extent... He knows he got an earful of Sheena earlier, and that was enough to twist his hope into something a little more bitter.

He was just going to finish cleaning off the blood and go find somewhere to sit and think, maybe. Somewhere away from people so he doesn't have to sit through another speech of how could you where he can't defend himself. Where he doesn't want to.]

I really messed up, huh... [Quietly, he mumbles this to himself, pausing from what he's doing to rest his hands on the counter and stare down at it. He's such a mess, really.]

Comments

[gelu]

[For some reason it's a bit unexpected, feeling fingertips lacing into his hair and finding himself being drawn into something that's more of a full and proper hug, for once. Not that Jack's complaining, of course--the warmth returns alongside that gesture, and Jack shifts his other arm to drape idly over Zelos's side, fingertips trailing absently up his spine as he takes in the heat of his skin with every point of contact between them. The movements are practically half-automatic, again, more instinct than anything...but it feels right, while they're still so close like this.]

[He's still feeling a good deal more drained than ought to have been normal, but that's regaining more quickly now, alongside thoughts and focus clearing more and more. And there's that nagging, almost foreboding sense somewhere in the back of his head--the one that knows he's going to have to address this entire situation directly very very soon--but having Zelos here, right now, company that's solid and warm and assuring just by presence alone (he hasn't left yet, hasn't gotten bored or gotten second thoughts)...it's a grounding thing, one that Jack finds he's immensely grateful for.]

[He keeps forgetting he doesn't have to deal with things by himself, anymore.]

[So he shifts fully into the hug, eyes flickering shut, breathing a soft hum along Zelos's jawline; then opens his eyes again, a brush of lashes against the latter's jawline, and there's a second hum with a bit more tone in it this time.]

...Geez, sounds like you've got a hammer in there. [Did your heart just get ten times larger Zelos........but this close that rate is pretty audible. It's a rather strange sort of sensation, actually--as Jack's never been this close to somebody before, and it's honestly been centuries since he last heard a heartbeat that was his own or otherwise--but the sound of it's still hard to mistake for anything else, either way.] You alright?

[It's not necessarily concern--not just yet--a question that's more curious than anything. And with that slightly shaky exhale of yours to accompany it, come to think of it...]

1/2

[luxuriant]

[The cool breath and closeness are all comforting, and Zelos doesn't react much to it aside from how he already has. It's those words that draw his attention out of his relaxed state, and he's shocked first and foremost.

A hammer--?

...His heart. Oh damn, was it really that noticeable? At this close of a distance, he guesses-- it was hard to remember how it was with normal hearing! Sometimes he underestimates.

Anyway, now he's being questioned, and serious or not, it causes a spike of nervousness that Zelos is not familiar with facing at all.

And he feels completely uncool.]

2/2 shakes head

[luxuriant]

...Haha... You think so?

[And so his first reaction to it all is a chuckle of sorts. Normally his chuckles are with more purpose. Forced and joking and in your face, but this one is sheepish, and he's quick to shift with it. Some form of nervous fidgeting probably. A quick duck of his head closer, kissing at Jack's neck quickly before he pulls away slowly and sits up, back turning to him as he stays seated on the bed.]

That's just what happens when you get out of practice, I guess! [Crude. And so mismatched with that chuckle.

Already he's missing the closeness of Jack's cool skin, but having already pulled away like this he'll simply turn to glance over his shoulder at the guy.

...What was he doing. This was bad, right? Jack would be better off with someone else. Not having to deal with him and all of his issues, he'd only end up hurting him somehow and just--

Letting out a short sigh, he smiles and leans back a bit on his hands, eyes still fixed on Jack.

I'm no good at things like this. What am I supposed to say?]

Not bad. [And that, with the smirk that follows, is something he's rather sure was not the top of the list of things he should say in this moment. Crude and horrible all over he guesses...

But what is expressing himself.]

creys into drink tbh

[gelu]

[Ah.]

[He'd taken a wrong step somewhere here.]

[Zelos's reply might have been received without half as much of the doubt that Jack suddenly finds himself having, as far as honesty goes--but it's the gestures that Zelos uses to accompany the words that set up red flags in several different places all at once. Jack blinks at the chuckle that accompanies the guy's response initially--a distinctly different chuckle, not at all of Zelos's typical easily-seguing brand, sheepish and somehow less to do with any actual mirth--and it's this that sets the genuine edge off of his next statement about lack of practice. A joke gone awry, not quite placed right. (Jack would know all about those, has made his fair share of them in his lifetime.)]

[But before he can respond to that one way or the other Zelos is already moving, which is more of a surprise; Jack finds himself frowning before he can catch himself, but he lets his arms relax so that the latter can slip free, passing his palms over the now-empty mattress on either side of him before bracing his hands to push himself a bit more upright. And warm skin's well and properly gone, now, and now they're back...at status quo?]

[Jack's not sure why. It must have been something he'd said, he's sure of it--and he'd be lying to say there isn't an unhappy, chagrined note of thought chasing its way through his head now, a nervousness of his own. He'd probably done something wrong, somehow, and--]

[He's looking at Zelos the entire time the guy's moving, sure, but for a bit Jack's so preoccupied that it takes him a moment to notice how the latter's eyes are still fixed on him. ...Alongside a comment like that...]

[And then, quite suddenly and startlingly, it's a wave of acute self-consciousness that he honestly can't remember ever having before.]

[Cheeks flushing (ugh no not again this is just ridiculous), Jack shifts in place, pulls up into a proper sitting position, frame folding in slightly despite himself.]

Uh-- [He runs a hand distractedly through his hair (this doesn't help in the least), and ah, this is all a bit of a mess in more than one respect...] Thanks--I guess... [Had that even been set down as a compliment in the first place? (Well, what else would it have meant?) It's Jack's turn to be a bit sheepish by his own right, though now they're rather effectively sidetracked from the first topic. ...Which is something that Jack is aware of, in a peripheral sort of way. But it's kind of hard to ignore this sort of thing, too, and if Zelos doesn't really want to talk about it anyway, for whatever reason...already messed up once, hasn't he? Man, but he really has no idea what he's--] ...You call that out of practice?

[ADMITTEDLY EQUALLY HIDEOUS ACTUALLY but two can play at this game...! Or attempt to, at any rate. If that's the tact Zelos is really going to be shifting this onto.]

[Which means that Zelos clearly really needs to learn how to express himself in better ways some day, though, with outcomes like these...]

[luxuriant]

[Zelos still had his own mess of thoughts, of course, but he was so used to shoving those to the back. They only inconvenienced him and everyone else in the process-- why should he bother with them?

And now, especially, while Jack is making that sort of embarrassed face, and that nice color comes in through his cheeks. The body language, the mumbled thanks, and oh-- those words that follow.

It's all too easy to hop right onto. Worry about the reality of it later. Enjoy the fun of it now. Same old, same old!

Either way, that smirk that had already formed on his face? It pulled a bit further, all too dark in tone as he turns more completely on the bed so he can properly face Jack just enough to lean in, rather close. Very close.]

Oh... [Like he's just realized something so very good, he says this, a snicker rolling out afterwards as he stops just barely before his lips meet any skin. He doesn't mind making a show of his eyes taking in all of Jack though, as if he's thinking about what he just said very deeply.]

This is gonna be fun. [And just like that (how does even his tone come across so crude, are those the worst bedroom eyes or what--), he raises one hand to pat lightly against Jack's cheek in supplement for not actually kissing him again. The tease.

And he'll slip away to stand up, NO SHAME IN THE WORLD to gather their clothing a bit more neatly.]

[gelu]

[Well.]

[Wow.]

[Whatever sort of response Jack had been expecting--and he'd been expecting something pretty compromising, one way or the other--this still manages to throw him for a very thorough loop, to say the least. He's already half-prepared to get defensive upon spotting how Zelos's smirk widens in that particular way, but no amount of defensiveness or fortifying of thoughts would have been enough to quite prepare for the way Zelos leans in like that anyway. Close enough for a kiss--close enough for a lot of things--Jack's frame stiffens, breath catching, flush deepening a bit because yes it's quite impossible to miss how those eyes rake over him like that. ...Accompanied by those words and that tone, seriously--?]

[The pat on his cheek just tops things off, really, earns a flinch; and then Zelos is moving away, standing up, wandering off as if a perfectly normal conversation had just been wrapped up.]

[Jack takes a moment to stare after him--rubs one of his shoulders as if that'd be enough to shake off this feeling overall, in the wake of that (because it's silly and stupid and that was so obviously teasing and they'd just finished something already besides, and yet--). ...It doesn't work, and Jack doesn't hesitate to send a proper glare at Zelos's departing back before puffing out a sigh that comes out more of a huff and moving to get off the bed and stand up himself.]

You're terrible, you know that? [GRUMBLED...because clearly that's the best way to divert from the current mixture of awkwardness and uncertainty and irritation that's threatening to have Jack actually vocally question what one's supposed to do now, after...all this. But no, he's not sunk quite that low yet, and he's a quick learner, and--clothes, yeah, clothes seem like a good idea first and foremost. The belated realization that they are still in an active clinic has Jack following Zelos over to that spot fairly promptly to retrieve his share of things...pick up his staff...]

[...Flick the crook at the side of Zelos's head as he goes, if he can get away with it......]

[luxuriant]

Heheheheh--

[That was his response to the comment (heavily implying that yes, yes he does know that) up until Jack sneaks in that little flick with his staff. He does in fact get away with it! It thunks against Zelos' head as he stumbles a bit out of his laughter and from picking up his pants, as well, and a free hand immediately moves to cover the spot while he whines in exaggeration.]

Hey, hey, hey, come on, that hurt! [Doesn't he face physical abuse enough!! It's not as if his words call for it or anything, no not at all.

But he's at sort of a loss here. Playing around like this is easy. He can joke and laugh off being hit and keep picking up his clothes, but from here, what are they doing? He's let his thoughts fall back into how he's bad for Jack, that this isn't good no matter what he may want, and at the same time this isn't something that seems so appealing to address immediately regardless. Not seriously in this way. Not... directly.

Ugh! He doesn't usually have to deal with this wave of emotion after something he usually considers so impersonal. It wasn't this time, was it?]

I was just saying what I felt like! Don't get all embarrassed now. [He winds down in this way, laughing lightly (but noticeably fainter than usual) as he trails off, eyes moving aside to the wall instead of Jack now as he thinks of how to word this.]

You're not going to run away, are you?

[And it comes out so hideously-- horribly enough that he almost winces. But he doesn't. He just rattles it off like a joke with the rest of it, gives the bandages on his arm a small look-over while he's at it, and tries not to let himself think on how that came out a little too honestly from his thoughts.]