Game 015 [Video] - Look Before You Leap
[ Backdated to Valentine's Day evening, a little while after Kat's Kradle closes for the night ]
[ The journal switches on, and there's a moment of erratic movement before the video settles to show Joshua standing in Kat's Kradle, setting up the journal. After a moment, he pulls back with a soft giggle, and walks towards the middle of the cafe, leaving the journal propped up to broadcast what's happening. He calls offscreen: ]
I'm done fixing the hole.
[ There's a pause, and then the sound of someone tromping on down the stairs. Hanekoma steps forward and edges into view, looking to the newly-patched gap in the ceiling. ]
Huh. Guess you've got more patience than I thought, J.
[ Joshua grins in response. ]
Well, I was just so curious about what my present might be.
Yeah, well. Guess you worked for it.
[ There's a laugh to his voice as the man moves offscreen again, but this time there are no footsteps up the stairs -- Hanekoma goes so silent that it seems like he's vanished from the room entirely, and suddenly there's faint noise from the second floor. It lasts only a moment, and then he's back. Back onscreen, too, grinning as he holds something behind his back. ]
Feel like guessing?
Another kiss?
[ Josh leans forwards a little. The exasperation in Hanekoma's voice is audible. ]
It's not a kiss.
[ And then that expression shifts to a grin, and Sanae produces a single rose and a pair of fuzzy cat ears from behind his back. ]
Hey, the bet was something romantic. Roses are romantic. Debt repayed.
[ Joshua's grin falls to a neutral expression, possibly even annoyed, as he looks over the gifts. ]
You said it would be better than before.
Said it'd be better than your Christmas gift. I didn't like your Christmas gift, so sure, I consider this better.
[ Amused Hanekoma is amused. Nothing like cheating Josh out of manual labor. ]
What, you want chocolate, too?
[ Unamused Joshua is unamused. ]
Do you want the hole back?
Hey, punish me, not the cafe.
[ The grin fades to a smile, and the guy raises an eyebrow. ]
Fine. Do you want another hole where you happen to be standing right now?
[ He considers this, considers Joshua, and then makes a little exasperated noise and gestures for Joshua to move closer. ]
Josh. C'mere.
[ Something flashes in Joshua's eyes, and he takes a step towards Hanekoma. Hanekoma catches Josh by the shoulder and kisses him, really kisses him, not just faking it and moving away. Surprise. Josh is frozen for all of a moment. Then he reaches for Hanekoma's collar and pulls him closer, kissing back. Sanae makes a noise that could easily mean either 'I like this' or 'GTFO,' but there's not a whole lot of resistance. He lets it go on for a moment more, and then he breaks the kiss and it's over.
There's a pause, and Joshua licks his lips. ]
Hee hee, I take it back. You're not too bad of a kisser.
[ And he reaches forward and snatches the rose and cat ears.
And that exasperation's back. Hanekoma swipes at his mouth with the back of a hand, determinedly unimpressed. ]
Hey, you held up your end and I held up mine. Don't expect it to happen again, 'specially when you look like that.
[ Pointed look at Joshua and his... fifteen-year-old... -ness. ]
I can fix that for you if you'd prefer.
You'd still be a little too male for my tastes. And don't go offering to change that, too, Josh.
[ More exasperation, as he tries to make a show of Do Not Want. ]
I got my roof fixed, you got your Valentine's Day gift, and now I get to go brush my teeth for an hour and pretend this never happened. Just don't go spreadin' it around, yeah?
Oh, don't worry. I won't.
[ And Josh walks back towards the journal. He picks it up, and there's a brief flash over his shoulder of Hanekoma's face twisted in utter shock before the feed cuts off. ]
[ The journal switches on, and there's a moment of erratic movement before the video settles to show Joshua standing in Kat's Kradle, setting up the journal. After a moment, he pulls back with a soft giggle, and walks towards the middle of the cafe, leaving the journal propped up to broadcast what's happening. He calls offscreen: ]
I'm done fixing the hole.
[ There's a pause, and then the sound of someone tromping on down the stairs. Hanekoma steps forward and edges into view, looking to the newly-patched gap in the ceiling. ]
Huh. Guess you've got more patience than I thought, J.
[ Joshua grins in response. ]
Well, I was just so curious about what my present might be.
Yeah, well. Guess you worked for it.
[ There's a laugh to his voice as the man moves offscreen again, but this time there are no footsteps up the stairs -- Hanekoma goes so silent that it seems like he's vanished from the room entirely, and suddenly there's faint noise from the second floor. It lasts only a moment, and then he's back. Back onscreen, too, grinning as he holds something behind his back. ]
Feel like guessing?
Another kiss?
[ Josh leans forwards a little. The exasperation in Hanekoma's voice is audible. ]
It's not a kiss.
[ And then that expression shifts to a grin, and Sanae produces a single rose and a pair of fuzzy cat ears from behind his back. ]
Hey, the bet was something romantic. Roses are romantic. Debt repayed.
[ Joshua's grin falls to a neutral expression, possibly even annoyed, as he looks over the gifts. ]
You said it would be better than before.
Said it'd be better than your Christmas gift. I didn't like your Christmas gift, so sure, I consider this better.
[ Amused Hanekoma is amused. Nothing like cheating Josh out of manual labor. ]
What, you want chocolate, too?
[ Unamused Joshua is unamused. ]
Do you want the hole back?
Hey, punish me, not the cafe.
[ The grin fades to a smile, and the guy raises an eyebrow. ]
Fine. Do you want another hole where you happen to be standing right now?
[ He considers this, considers Joshua, and then makes a little exasperated noise and gestures for Joshua to move closer. ]
Josh. C'mere.
[ Something flashes in Joshua's eyes, and he takes a step towards Hanekoma. Hanekoma catches Josh by the shoulder and kisses him, really kisses him, not just faking it and moving away. Surprise. Josh is frozen for all of a moment. Then he reaches for Hanekoma's collar and pulls him closer, kissing back. Sanae makes a noise that could easily mean either 'I like this' or 'GTFO,' but there's not a whole lot of resistance. He lets it go on for a moment more, and then he breaks the kiss and it's over.
There's a pause, and Joshua licks his lips. ]
Hee hee, I take it back. You're not too bad of a kisser.
[ And he reaches forward and snatches the rose and cat ears.
And that exasperation's back. Hanekoma swipes at his mouth with the back of a hand, determinedly unimpressed. ]
Hey, you held up your end and I held up mine. Don't expect it to happen again, 'specially when you look like that.
[ Pointed look at Joshua and his... fifteen-year-old... -ness. ]
I can fix that for you if you'd prefer.
You'd still be a little too male for my tastes. And don't go offering to change that, too, Josh.
[ More exasperation, as he tries to make a show of Do Not Want. ]
I got my roof fixed, you got your Valentine's Day gift, and now I get to go brush my teeth for an hour and pretend this never happened. Just don't go spreadin' it around, yeah?
Oh, don't worry. I won't.
[ And Josh walks back towards the journal. He picks it up, and there's a brief flash over his shoulder of Hanekoma's face twisted in utter shock before the feed cuts off. ]