[Tsuyukusa really can't help it. He likes high places. One of Heihachi's neighbors has a tall wall surrounding their house. The spirit has no concept of privacy
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[It's a testament to the goodness in humanity, the way the last weeks have gone. It was a little rocky at first. Rumors that a demon was staying with Heihachi caused no few debates at work, and a few instances of concerned neighbors coming by. But somehow no one's turned it into a fight. In fact, the immediate neighborhood has kind of accepted it, and the sight of him on the porch has become normal. Instead of questioning his safety when they see him, people are starting to just ask Heihachi how Kouki is doing, if he's feeling any better, and Heihachi is just loving being able to talk about all the cute tsundere things he does
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[Kouki was deeply suspicious of everyone that wasn't Heihachi, at first, half expecting them to be somehow related to Raikou, or otherwise just terrible. But slowly he's warmed up to the neighborhood in general, his ventures out of Heihachi's home lengthening until he's eventually hit the level of familiarity that many of the stray cats around have: don't pet it, but there's no real use in worrying about it otherwise. He's becoming bolder, more and more feline in the places he chooses to prowl, though this was the first time he'd actually attempted wall-walking since
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[He figured it was good. A little fall isn't going to kill his tree, after all. If the mess he showed up in in the first place wasn't enough to take him down, there isn't much that would. Although... that one had been close. Seeing him act like himself, seeing him interact with people without looking like he expected them to hurt him at any more... it's something Heihachi was a little concerned would never happen again, at first. But now it seems so much better, and he's never been so grateful to be able to put his arm around someone's shoulder. Because for awhile there, he couldn't touch so casually without sending Kouki into a flashback.]
I thought so! Hey, I was going to make soup tonight, so let's go home, okay?
[He opens his mouth, about to point out that he won't even eat the soup, so why try to coax him home with it-
But then there's a childish whoop from down the road in the direction opposite Heihachi's home, and his mouth is snapping shut while he nods gruffly.]
Soap. Right. Let's go.
[He clearly isn't paying attention to his words, more preoccupied with confiscating Heihachi's vegetables, grabbing his hand and steering them rapidly among their neighbors in an effort to escape the children already catching wind of a situation of interest.]
[He's laughing though, and he waves at the neighbors as he's pulled off towards home. He's hungry, ok? Don't diss his soup! His point was that it's hot out and his veggies are going to wilt in the cloth bag if they don't get home soon. So as soon as they do, he's going to start cooking. He may not be the best cook, but he's sufficient for his own tastes, and all he really has to do is chop things roughly and throw them in the cooking pot with some water and miso.]
Are the kids bothering you again, Kouki? I think they like you because they know you're secretly sweet.
[He picks up on that too. He's gotten used to seeing kids peeking into the yard, hoping for a glimpse of green hair and a bandaged face. He thinks it's cute, and funny how Tsuyu-- How Kouki, a name he's almost never slips up on anymore, grumbles and snaps and yet still watches over them like a really grumpy mother hen.
But regardless, he wants his lover to himself this afternoon, so he's tightening his grip on his hand, grinning, and without warning running. Let's escape, shall we?]
[Heihachi very obviously catches him by surprise, taking off like that. (Mostly because with his eye trying to pick the children from the other people on the street, he doesn't exactly have vision to spare to catch Heihachi's grin, or other visual cues. The squeeze was hardly any warning at all, either.)
But it isn't difficult for him to take up the stride, after one or two faltering missteps as he tries to regain his bearings, and then he's easily outpacing his lover, just for the sake of smugness.]
[No fair using your tree powers, man! But actually Heihachi doesn't mind being the one pulled along. Running all-out feels nice, and he's just laughing with the thrill, the feeling of air rushing by and of his lover's hand in his, until they reach home and the relative safety of the yard.
He's left panting from the effort, but happy, so he leans in to kiss Kouki on the cheek, trying not to laugh too hard.]
[Kouki doesn't even have the decency to look winded, and seems pretty amused at the state Heihachi's in, but growls half-heartedly when his lover kisses his cheek and crosses his arms around the bag of vegetables.]
are you phone-tagging me from school? B(treewhisperingSeptember 16 2011, 18:17:41 UTC
If you say so. Come inside anyway, I got something for you.
[Always so difficult, aren't you? But it's the normal kind of difficult, the kind of grumbling and fussing without meaning it that he's always done, before -- before he had a reason to move in, so it just makes Heihachi smile. Everything he does that shows he's doing alright is a breath of relief. And there is one good thing about this mess: now that he's staying, they get to spend even more time together.
Anyway, he really did get Kouki a present, so once he gets inside he'll be taking that bag back.]
........8D;; b-between classes!saplingspiritSeptember 16 2011, 19:09:25 UTC
...got something?
[He seems vaguely perplexed, but does as Heihachi requests, even if he drags his feet a little just out of principle.
It isn't that he dislikes being indoors. It's that no matter how much he does so he just can't get used to it. Some part of him will always yearn for the breezes just outside the walls.
[Any lag he sees from Kouki, he just assumes is his usual habit of being a pain, just in case anyone should realise how nice he has the capacity to be. It's like he has to bristle about everything, just as a defense.
Anyway, he's going to make him deal with some suspense -- that is, he's pulling the vegetables out of the bag first, and getting his dinner started. The present can wait a little.]
[Heihachi just laughs lightly. He's gotten pretty good at reading his tree by now, so he does his best to get the soup going asap. It takes maybe twenty minutes, but after that he reaches back into the bag, pulling out a little piece of cloth folded around something, and pokes Kouki in the shoulder.]
Here! The doctor said your bandages were about ready to come off, so...
[Yeah, he got you a pretty eyepatch. it's the thicker band kind, rather than with string, and it's covered on top with a neat blue-and-gold brocade -- it was probably expensive. But Heihachi's been squirreling away the extra bits of his salary all these weeks, and finally managed to get this today, just in time.]
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I thought so! Hey, I was going to make soup tonight, so let's go home, okay?
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But then there's a childish whoop from down the road in the direction opposite Heihachi's home, and his mouth is snapping shut while he nods gruffly.]
Soap. Right. Let's go.
[He clearly isn't paying attention to his words, more preoccupied with confiscating Heihachi's vegetables, grabbing his hand and steering them rapidly among their neighbors in an effort to escape the children already catching wind of a situation of interest.]
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[He's laughing though, and he waves at the neighbors as he's pulled off towards home. He's hungry, ok? Don't diss his soup! His point was that it's hot out and his veggies are going to wilt in the cloth bag if they don't get home soon. So as soon as they do, he's going to start cooking. He may not be the best cook, but he's sufficient for his own tastes, and all he really has to do is chop things roughly and throw them in the cooking pot with some water and miso.]
Are the kids bothering you again, Kouki? I think they like you because they know you're secretly sweet.
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[He's instantly indignant, voice rising enough that some of the children quiet for a moment in favor of searching out that incongruous head of hair.
A lot of things can be said about Kouki, but he certainly doesn't blend into a crowd.
He seems to realize his error a moment too late, freezing for a half-second before glancing nervously over his shoulder.]
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[He picks up on that too. He's gotten used to seeing kids peeking into the yard, hoping for a glimpse of green hair and a bandaged face. He thinks it's cute, and funny how Tsuyu-- How Kouki, a name he's almost never slips up on anymore, grumbles and snaps and yet still watches over them like a really grumpy mother hen.
But regardless, he wants his lover to himself this afternoon, so he's tightening his grip on his hand, grinning, and without warning running. Let's escape, shall we?]
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[Heihachi very obviously catches him by surprise, taking off like that. (Mostly because with his eye trying to pick the children from the other people on the street, he doesn't exactly have vision to spare to catch Heihachi's grin, or other visual cues. The squeeze was hardly any warning at all, either.)
But it isn't difficult for him to take up the stride, after one or two faltering missteps as he tries to regain his bearings, and then he's easily outpacing his lover, just for the sake of smugness.]
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He's left panting from the effort, but happy, so he leans in to kiss Kouki on the cheek, trying not to laugh too hard.]
Feel better?
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Of course not.
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[Always so difficult, aren't you? But it's the normal kind of difficult, the kind of grumbling and fussing without meaning it that he's always done, before -- before he had a reason to move in, so it just makes Heihachi smile. Everything he does that shows he's doing alright is a breath of relief. And there is one good thing about this mess: now that he's staying, they get to spend even more time together.
Anyway, he really did get Kouki a present, so once he gets inside he'll be taking that bag back.]
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[He seems vaguely perplexed, but does as Heihachi requests, even if he drags his feet a little just out of principle.
It isn't that he dislikes being indoors. It's that no matter how much he does so he just can't get used to it. Some part of him will always yearn for the breezes just outside the walls.
Still, he relinquishes the bag easily enough.]
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Anyway, he's going to make him deal with some suspense -- that is, he's pulling the vegetables out of the bag first, and getting his dinner started. The present can wait a little.]
Yep! I'll show you in a bit.
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But he huffs, and tries to feign disinterest in whatever Heihachi has for him, instead glancing back out the open door.]
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Here! The doctor said your bandages were about ready to come off, so...
[Yeah, he got you a pretty eyepatch. it's the thicker band kind, rather than with string, and it's covered on top with a neat blue-and-gold brocade -- it was probably expensive. But Heihachi's been squirreling away the extra bits of his salary all these weeks, and finally managed to get this today, just in time.]
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And promptly goes red. Though that certainly doesn't keep him from running a thumb over the fabric gently.]
You didn't need to do that.
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