[Action Thread][Keys][Open to Hayate and Nanao][finished]
Nanao had just changed into a pair of soft shorts and a tank top to stave off the heat. She pondered pulling her hair down to brush it out, but after another wave of heat hit her skin, she changed her mind. With a shrug, she padded back into the living room, feet carrying her automatically over to the bookshelf, away from the still unlocked door, away from the key sitting on the end table by her purse.
Though he generally preferred to go barefoot, Hayate wore his old leather sandals whenever he left the flat, and sometimes he was tempted to wear them in his own room. What had the new guy on the fifth floor said about blood and worse in the carpets, after all?
He walked down the stairs at a leisurely pace, pulling absently at the railings as he went, testing their strength yet again. Same as before, squeaky but strong.
On the first floor, he cast a distracted glance toward the broken pane in the front door, aware of the slightly lower temperatures in the ground floor apartments. That made sense, considering that heat has a tendency to rise, but his mind was wandering and he was trying not to think too deeply about his current course of action.
Yes, that's good, Hayate. He sighed. Very responsible, aren't you?
He tapped on the door of apartment four, wondering why he felt the need to involve himself in another relationship when the last had ended so badly. Still, he didn't want to stop, either.
Loose braids slid over Nanao's shoulders as she automatically turned to the door, staring for a long moment before she moved to answer it. Figuring she knew who it was, she opened the door and smiled a tired smile.
"You move fast, don't you?"
She kept her tone light and soft, wanting to make sure Hayate didn't regret visiting her. Closing the door behind him, she cast a quick glance around the room.
I should've cleaned up some...
I do, don't I? Feeling a bit foolish, he walked quietly inside. Her recent journal entries had brought his attention to the fact that he'd been very vague about their present relationship. He hooked the thumb of his left hand through a hole at the hem of his tank top, since his loose linen pants had no beltloops. The slight clutter in the room was no bother, as he was far more focused on Nanao.
This shouldn't be so difficult. He was over thirty, and had thought himself perfectly competent before he started thinking about women again. "I guess the question is, am I moving too fast?”
As she leaned a leg against the end of the couch, she watched him with hooded eyes. "Not really. I trust you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have let you see me the other night." With a slow movement, she tipped her head back and looked at him openly.
She'd never been good with expressing herself openly, so she had to settle for random scribbles in a journal, and what she posted on the online journals everyone in the building could access.
"I just want to know what this is... "
The conversation could easily get uncomfortable, and with his lungs as irritable as they often were, he didn't want to risk sounding harsh. He closed the distance between them, running a hand over her shoulder and around to softly rub the back of her neck.
She had trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms, right there on the couch. Why was it so difficult to talk about a relationship with her?
Because you're ten years older than her, and you're dying, his mind provided. Even if it was a slow death. It would be wise to just tell her that, right now, by way of an answer. But it wouldn't be easy.
"I feel like I'm being cruel, just by wanting to be with you. I don't know what I have to offer you." Pathetic. He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I don't know what you want this to be, either, or how willing you are to tie yourself to someone whose health is questionable at best.”
His touch lulled her, calmed her, just like it had in the past. In his presence, everything seemed clear and right to her, but she heard doubt in his voice at the moment. She reached up and curled her fingers around his free hand, squeezing gently.
"Stop that... this is what you have to offer me. It's nothing cruel."
He brought her hand to his face and kissed it, looking directly into her eyes. "I have no delusions and I won't lie to you. I think about you every morning when I wake, wonder how you're doing throughout the day, and look forward to seeing you when you get home. I'm not a healthy man, but I love spending time with you..."
This was like diving head first into unknown waters, even after his previous girlfriends. Since his early twenties, he didn't like taking risks. ...but there was no point in being indecisive here, either. "I don't want to weigh you down with the burden of a sick boyfriend, but I don't want to stop spending time with you, either..."
The hand behind her neck shifted slightly, fingers weaving into her hair just enough to touch her scalp but without pulling. "...and we aren't really acting like friends, anymore. Are we?"
Her hand turned over in his, fingers gently touching his cheek. “I choose my own burdens, Hayate.” In her life, she’d never felt so sure of something. Crystal clear clarity was an oddity to her in the best of times, but things just snapped into place right here; right now.
No, they weren’t acting like friends. If they were, she’d never been around a ‘friend’ like this. “You’re always on my mind, too… I meant what I said. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
Though he generally preferred to go barefoot, Hayate wore his old leather sandals whenever he left the flat, and sometimes he was tempted to wear them in his own room. What had the new guy on the fifth floor said about blood and worse in the carpets, after all?
He walked down the stairs at a leisurely pace, pulling absently at the railings as he went, testing their strength yet again. Same as before, squeaky but strong.
On the first floor, he cast a distracted glance toward the broken pane in the front door, aware of the slightly lower temperatures in the ground floor apartments. That made sense, considering that heat has a tendency to rise, but his mind was wandering and he was trying not to think too deeply about his current course of action.
Yes, that's good, Hayate. He sighed. Very responsible, aren't you?
He tapped on the door of apartment four, wondering why he felt the need to involve himself in another relationship when the last had ended so badly. Still, he didn't want to stop, either.
Loose braids slid over Nanao's shoulders as she automatically turned to the door, staring for a long moment before she moved to answer it. Figuring she knew who it was, she opened the door and smiled a tired smile.
"You move fast, don't you?"
She kept her tone light and soft, wanting to make sure Hayate didn't regret visiting her. Closing the door behind him, she cast a quick glance around the room.
I should've cleaned up some...
I do, don't I? Feeling a bit foolish, he walked quietly inside. Her recent journal entries had brought his attention to the fact that he'd been very vague about their present relationship. He hooked the thumb of his left hand through a hole at the hem of his tank top, since his loose linen pants had no beltloops. The slight clutter in the room was no bother, as he was far more focused on Nanao.
This shouldn't be so difficult. He was over thirty, and had thought himself perfectly competent before he started thinking about women again. "I guess the question is, am I moving too fast?”
As she leaned a leg against the end of the couch, she watched him with hooded eyes. "Not really. I trust you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have let you see me the other night." With a slow movement, she tipped her head back and looked at him openly.
She'd never been good with expressing herself openly, so she had to settle for random scribbles in a journal, and what she posted on the online journals everyone in the building could access.
"I just want to know what this is... "
The conversation could easily get uncomfortable, and with his lungs as irritable as they often were, he didn't want to risk sounding harsh. He closed the distance between them, running a hand over her shoulder and around to softly rub the back of her neck.
She had trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms, right there on the couch. Why was it so difficult to talk about a relationship with her?
Because you're ten years older than her, and you're dying, his mind provided. Even if it was a slow death. It would be wise to just tell her that, right now, by way of an answer. But it wouldn't be easy.
"I feel like I'm being cruel, just by wanting to be with you. I don't know what I have to offer you." Pathetic. He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I don't know what you want this to be, either, or how willing you are to tie yourself to someone whose health is questionable at best.”
His touch lulled her, calmed her, just like it had in the past. In his presence, everything seemed clear and right to her, but she heard doubt in his voice at the moment. She reached up and curled her fingers around his free hand, squeezing gently.
"Stop that... this is what you have to offer me. It's nothing cruel."
He brought her hand to his face and kissed it, looking directly into her eyes. "I have no delusions and I won't lie to you. I think about you every morning when I wake, wonder how you're doing throughout the day, and look forward to seeing you when you get home. I'm not a healthy man, but I love spending time with you..."
This was like diving head first into unknown waters, even after his previous girlfriends. Since his early twenties, he didn't like taking risks. ...but there was no point in being indecisive here, either. "I don't want to weigh you down with the burden of a sick boyfriend, but I don't want to stop spending time with you, either..."
The hand behind her neck shifted slightly, fingers weaving into her hair just enough to touch her scalp but without pulling. "...and we aren't really acting like friends, anymore. Are we?"
Her hand turned over in his, fingers gently touching his cheek. “I choose my own burdens, Hayate.” In her life, she’d never felt so sure of something. Crystal clear clarity was an oddity to her in the best of times, but things just snapped into place right here; right now.
No, they weren’t acting like friends. If they were, she’d never been around a ‘friend’ like this. “You’re always on my mind, too… I meant what I said. I’ve never met anyone like you.”