[Thread] When You Need It The Most

[invisikid]

Characters: OU Naoki Kashima, AU Lyle Norg
Where: First in front of the first building, then around the compound
When: Early Afternoon
Summary: After a brief scare where Lyle thought the Demi-Fiend had vanished, the pair decide to go for a walk.
Warnings: Fluff, flirting, awkward; the usual with these two.

Comments

[hands_of_reason]

Chill never bothered him, Gehenna made sure of that. The little demon parasite instilled a longing for the colder seasons that Naoki couldn't deny he was glad to have now that fall was setting in. Shirtless in the almost glassy coolness of the wind, it didn't cause so much as a shiver of discomfort. If anything, it just meant he didn't have to worry so much about keeping his body temperature up, since the cold would just drop it anyway.

Smiling when he saw the familiar brown of Lyle's hair, he walked over to where the Legionnaire waited, a lingering bit of leftover happiness that he'd been so worried over during the last few days mingling with the guilt that he'd made the younger worry at all.

"Afternoon, love," he hummed, obviously in a good mood already. "Hope you weren't waiting too long?"

[invisikid]

Another nickname? He sighed, not fighting a flustered smirk already tugging at his lips. He never stopped, did he? But it was nice to hear his voice. Turning, the younger threw the Demi-Fiend a look, only to have whatever witty retort fail on his tongue when he realized the other boy's state of dress.

His eyebrows shot up. "Sprock, aren't you cold? You're going to get sick if you walk around like that." He muttered with a frown, glancing at Naoki's bare chest, then back up to his eyes.

[hands_of_reason]

He blinked innocently at his concern. "Cold? Not really. Feels good out here to me." And it did, really. Much more comfortable than being out in the heat of summer, for sure. "Don't worry about me. I'll be alright. I'm more concerned with you getting sick out here." He actually hadn't been sick in a long while, though whether that was just due to demons maybe having a stronger immune system or the fact that, in the Vortex World, there was really nothing to get sick from, he didn't know. If anything would make him sick around here, though, it wouldn't be the cold.

Warm smile spreading, he offered a hand to the Legionnaire. "Anyway, you ready? I want to take advantage of all the free time I can get."

[invisikid]

He couldn't help but be skeptical. Though Naoki's resistance to fire made some sense in relation to his acceptance to cold. "If you say so..." He dropped the subject hesitantly, though it was obvious that the older teen's request that he not worry would be ignored completely. The Legionnaire was more stubborn then that. "I'm not going to get sick either. I'm a biochemist." As if that solved all possible chances of him getting a cold. But it was a rather persuasive matter-of-fact voice. Almost preparing for a physical onslaught of chill caused diseases, he tugged the folds of his jacket collar up more- though not fully unfurled so his cold pinked cheeks and ears were still visible

[hands_of_reason]

At least he tried to keep him from worrying, so that has to count for something, right? Laughing quietly at Lyle's argument, he replied with a pleased, "Well, if you do get sick, I'll take care of you." It wasn't often he could be this nice and caring for someone, and it felt satisfying to be that way again, especially because it was something he wanted to do for the Legionnaire. He deserved someone to be there for him, at the very least, and what sort of boyfriend would Naoki be if he wasn't that someone? Noticing him hitching up the collar of his jacket, the Demi-Fiend tilted his head slightly in concern. "Do you want a scarf or something? I got two, but I haven't used either yet; I don't think I'll need them

[invisikid]

The Legionnaire shook his head, feeling the rough edges of his coat catch on strands of his hair. ""I'm fine," If they stopped by Naoki's place again before they parted, he'd consider taking one of those scarfs off of the older boy's hands. But for now the weather was fine enough, especially in the full gaze of the sun. Instead he let himself be tugged, taking the quick short strides needed to fall in step with the Demi-Fiend. The tightening grip on his own was like a balance between the two of them, like a slow steady blending of boundaries and freedoms that came with the blending of friendship and whatever this was growing to.

"A surprise, huh?" He asked, a bit after a considering pause. The following 'should I be concerned?' was left unsaid, merely hinted at with an amused grin. Even so, he never stopped letting himself be led, or enjoying the mix of warm and cold and fall.

[hands_of_reason]

"Yep, a surprise. One so secret even I don't know what it is." Which was just his way of saying he had no idea where they were going without actually saying, 'I have no idea where we're going'. One thing about it was obvious, though: they were definitely moving away from the buildings.

Wanting to keep the silence away, he glanced over at Lyle. "So, what have you been up to these last few days?" Hopefully he had more of a story than Naoki did, which was no story at all. Aside from near philosophizing with Hao and the few days he spend randomly singing like an idiot, he hadn't really been doing much of anything.

[invisikid]

He laughed. He couldn't help it. That was just something Naoki would do. Lyle gave him props for creativity though, and felt all the more willing to walk closer when they weren't in the open glare of the buildings. It had nothing to do with Naoki; Lyle was just never one to flaunt relationships, even if it was rather obvious when he liked someone, ergo having it never really matter in the end. Especially since no relationships had previously even come to the slow gain of footholds he and Naoki had no

[hands_of_reason]

Naoki was glad that he laughed, relieved that his lack of planning didn't bother Lyle. A little shiver sparked up when Lyle moved closer, spreading quickly like electric ripples from the epicenter their arms clashing. It wouldn't be fair to compare this to any of his past relationships, as the past was something he'd learned to leave behind, and there wasn't any vast history to speak of. His dating record could be counted on one hand, with only one other male in the ranks, not counting Lyle. Even then, it had been a fluke of a relationship, and something that was in mutual agreement between them to never speak of in public again

[invisikid]

"No, uh..." He reached up with his free hand, training his eyes on the ground ahead of them with a nervous laugh. He ran the gloved fingers through his hair. "She wasn't bad, she... uh... talked about... scent." And the fact that theirs were apparently all over one another. Sprock, that implied so much. "That's how she figured out I knew you. Heh, that was an interesting introduction."

They had the street to themselves, so it seemed. The stray Econtrian paid little mind to them, thank the weather or the time of day or simple luck. Each brush was a comforting step into the other boy. Little mattered, not even the time limit, the notions he usually kept track of with absentminded accuracy for the sheer way his mind worked and it was nice to subtly realize that this was part of why he'd let Naoki kiss him so easily. Nothing he could pinpoint, like the inability to define exactly what this was.

"..." A quick glance up at the taller teen, reassurance in that tumble of inner thoughts.

[hands_of_reason]

He gave Lyle a curious look. Scent? After a moment or two, he finally gave in to the urge and slapped a hand against his face with a little groan, barely hiding the little rush of blood that stained his expression pink. "...Oh, hell. I wondered why my room was a mess, but now it makes sense." That damn cat! This is why he didn't ever get a cat- too aloof and prickly, and too curious. "I need to get a lock. ...Or a dog." And have a nice conversation with the demon over a little concept called 'personal space,' a thing she never did respect much anyway. "But she didn't get violent or anything? Didn't say anything odd; threatening

[invisikid]

"Violent? Well..." He paused, considering. "I did kind of feel like..." He raised his free hand again, curling his fingers a mimicry of catlike claws and wiggling them ominously, making a face. "A fish in a fish bowl." But it was all in jest. Sure, the demon had made him a little wary, but she'd been well behaved. So he laughed afterwards, attempting to reassure Naoki. "So she went through your stuff..." It was such an amusing idea, especially when it was embarrassing. His smell being all over Naoki's room, clothes... They'd been close enough for so long that their scents intermingled like that, and it was just now that they held hands, acted like whatever sort of couple or pair they were

[hands_of_reason]

He chuckled at the pantomime claws. "She's like that to everyone, really. I only put up with her because I needed an extra hand before I took on the Assembly of Nihilo." After a pause, he added, "A group trying to set up a Reason. They almost killed everyone Ikebukuro for their own gain." It wasn't something he'd thought about in a long time, but remembering it brought a sour taste to his mouth. They were going to kill all the demons in the Mantra building just to have their Magatsuhi... And he was so close to destroying the Nightmare System when he was pulled here! He had Ose right under his thumb; it would have all been over

[invisikid]

"...I am too." The Legionnaire returned the smile shyly, shifting his grip as if reassuring himself their hands were still connected. Sometimes it was easy to just feel the blend of their pulses and hold and warmth and not feel the individual fingers. Especially after hearing more about Naoki's world, his burden. He'd seen that look, the one that the Demi-Fiend got when he was thinking about something painful and was keeping it to himself. But Lyle hesitated to press it. How often did they have such a calm moment like this, only for it to collapse into some twist of their separate dark pasts? They were in a war, they were going back home to wars in their own sense, and who knew when another battle would start. So he decided to be terribly selfish, impulsive and needy

[hands_of_reason]

Honestly, he didn't want to ever think of that world again. He never wanted to see it again. The only reason he was even willing to go back was to fix the huge mistake he'd made in allowing Yuko to kill everyone. If that hadn't been weighing on his shoulders, he'd make every plea and bargain in the book to escape returning to his Vortex World, that horrible place he'd never be able to look at the same way again. He'd have to live knowing that every single one of those people had died because he didn't stop her, and he'd have to live that life without Lyle around to make that burden lighter. The Legionnaire was honestly a blessing, and he was already starting to wonder how he'd be able to keep going without that support

[invisikid]

The sudden change in proximity had him reeling, the flush never managing to recede even when the Demi-Fiend wasn't enforcing it at all. "Sure," Honestly, the papers didn't seem so important anymore. Not so much when Naoki had that odd edge in his voice and was all the closer. He stood and basked a moment, that strange and not too unpleasant feeling squirming in his stomach. "You're more then welcome..." He pressed, closing his eyes. "It might be boring though."

But he couldn't imagine sitting and working, leaving his friend, his boyfriend to sit and watch. No, the work was shot. And he didn't care at all. He could go through the motions, but nothing would be added or changed to his already complete formulas. If Naoki let him, he would tug softly at the other teens hand, and lead him back to the 2nd building, where they would ascend the stairs towards Nyi-Eski.