stealhearted | are you hurting the one you love?

You've met Yusuke, right? [ Yusuke would, if given an unlimited supply of money, singlehandedly keep a few snack companies in business, Akira's pretty sure. For someone that's constantly eating, he's still thin as a rail... which really just makes Akira think he's not eating the rest of the time. ]

Futaba likes the little chocolates shaped like bears.

[He squints, setting his jaw.]

Point taken. Just chocolates, or the panda crackers filled with chocolate?

Grab both. I'm not hip to the ways of the panda chocolates. [ He says it completely deadpan, as though the knowledge of the forbidden panda snacks is the most important thing in the world and he is sorely lacking in it. ]

[A very distinct grimace.]

How have I paid more attention to this notion than you have, you're practically her older brother. Solid chocolates would melt and get on her fingers and disrupt her typing, does she eat them when it's warm?

She's not usually typing when she's over here! She just likes to bite their heads off and pretend she's a kaiju. [ There's a startled bark of laughter from Sojiro at that. ]

[The grimace worsens.] I should have known better than to expect sense... Chocolate Bears and Hello Panda for Sakura. ...any other requests?

Pretz. Any flavor. [ Yusuke will eat them. ]

Past that, whatever you want. I don't need the change. [ Akechi is the only one in this household that has to worry about money, honestly. ]

[His face is going to get stuck in this perplexed grimace at this point. He nods, waving a hand.] Do you have a basket you typically take when you do laundry?

There's a bag upstairs. The cloth one. [ It's... cute how absolutely dedicated Akechi is to doing this laundry thing Correctly. Akira knows it's because Akechi feels the need to prove himself vaguely useful, but --

Housewife. Cute. ]

[He nods, the action... curt, almost-- he's not necessarily annoyed, he's just very determined. Akira absolutely has him pegged in that he's wholly dedicated to ensuring the laundry is done Right. He makes his way back upstairs, wanders around picking up their laundry and putting it in the cloth bag mentioned, and then comes back downstairs.]

...once I've regained my own things, I'll wash this as well. [He looks down at himself to indicate the collection of things he's wearing that all belong to Akira, save for his underwear. ...which he'd really like to not still be wearing, honestly, but sacrifices must be made because he absolutely will not borrow underwear from Akira Kurusu He Will Not.] Is there anything else you need? [He glances briefly at Sojiro.] That extends to you as well, naturally.

[ Sojiro just flaps a hand dismissively. There's not much he needs, these days, aside from a back that hurts less and kids that get into less trouble. Akira just grins. He can't kiss Akechi goodbye, so he just offers -- ]

Be safe.

[You absolutely may not, sir. The... fondness in Akira's departure salutation makes his shoulders pull tense, and he frowns at the laundry in his arms.] ...yes. I'll be going, then, [And he does-- stiffly and clearly with no idea how to handle much of the situation at hand.]

[But he manages laundry without incident, walking carefully the farther he gets from Leblanc until he discovers the laundromat is within his now-expanded distance meter, and overall judging himself a bit for taking something as basic as laundry so seriously. He obtains laundry soap and baking soda, setting their things to wash and dutifully adding the baking soda for the apron before neatly folding the cloth bag atop the washer to designate its use.]

[And then he meanders to the nearby small supermarket for snacks, which is a task far more daunting than laundry, honestly.]

[He gets a bag of small bear-shaped chocolates, two cartons of Hello Panda (the strawberry one, hilariously, is something he's claimed for himself but intends to place as an item to share), a few varieties of Pretz, and then is left entirely to his own devices. He wanders the aisles a few times, carefully selecting a few savory and a few sweet snacks-- he remembers Ann especially liking sweets --and then claims a small variety of fruit and vegetable bowls. Haru grew vegetables, and Makoto seemed the most likely to be health-conscious of the group of them... A bag of cat treats, and he pauses for a long time staring down a selection of jerky snacks before grabbing two flavors and calling it a day, except that he hasn't selected anything he could assume was "for Akira". He makes another baffled circuit through the store and ends up with a drink for each of them, his basket now fuller than he thinks he's ever had a basket of groceries, and tosses in a bag of spicy shrimp chips and an odd roll of candies also advertised to be spicy. Because for some reason, Akira Kurusu liked spicy things, and that was disgusting, but he was spending his money on a snack run so he may as well allow it. At the checkout, he deliberates a while before picking up a pack of the cigarettes he's seen Sojiro smoking before. He still has money leftover, and that only bothers him because Akira saw fit to give him far more than he could ever need.]

[He comes back to Leblanc roughly an hour and a half after he left, the cloth bag of laundry carefully worn over his shoulder (and all the items in it folded) and two shopping bags in one hand.]

[ Akira is reading, when he gets back. It's... it's a book about Robin Hood, don't judge him. The cafe is empty, but it looks like someone recently left -- there's a few empty cups on a table, and fresh coffee is being brewed. ]

Welcome home. [ Akira offers, automatically. It's not home, not really, not for Akechi, but... it could be, maybe. One day. ]

How was laundry?

[He doesn't focus on the book, so judgment for it can come later. He lingers near the doorway, the "Welcome home" hanging in the air a bit uncomfortably until he nods, making an affirmative sound. He can't just... ignore it, but he can't quite bring himself to play along, either. He moves into the cafe and sets the bags of snacks down at the end of the bar, shrugging gently.]

Uneventful? Though I imagine that's best, and also most common, when speaking of laundry. I'll leave it in the bag until you've finished here. [He disappears upstairs a moment, setting the bag down near the desk, and takes a moment to sit on the edge of the couch. This was... bizarre. He had some degree of independence, at least, which he was endlessly glad for, but he would very possibly never be able to be away from Akira again, long-term. This sort of placid domesticity would likely become his new normal. It made the tips of his fingers strangely cold.]

[He makes his way back downstairs a moment later, reclaiming the bags and moving to sit near Akira and show him the spoils. Specifically, he sets out the spicy shrimp chips and candy, but doesn't say anything of them. It's... still surprisingly easy to tell that he got something for each of them.] Ah, Boss-- [He remembers the rest of the Thieves calling Sojiro that, and struggles a bit with it himself, but figures it's easier than being staunch. He claims the pack of cigarettes and offers them.] ...I hope I didn't take note of an off-brand from your usual.

[Gestures of good faith, Akechi is realizing, are terrifying when made honestly.]

[ Sojiro looks briefly surprised, then squints a little -- it's technically breaking the law to buy those for him -- but he appreciates the gesture and offers a thanks before going back to his newspaper. Akira, meanwhile, roots through the bags, nodding in agreement. ]

This looks like a good variety. Thanks. [ It's an easy thank you, like it's something that Akechi actually did that saved Akira time and effort. ]

[He is Almost Eighteen let him buy you cancer sticks, sir.]

[Cancer Sticks delivered, Akechi makes his way back toward Akira, and doesn't quite get there before a sudden wave of very acute exhaustion leads him to stagger sideways into a bar chair three shy of where he'd left his bags of snacks. He isn't entirely aware of what's happened until he's braced between the bar and the chair itself, and he carefully arranges himself to sit like he'd meant to do it the whole time, despite the absolutely hoodwinked look on his face.]

--Goro? [ It slips out before Akira can stop it, sounding deeply concerned. He steps over automatically, hovering slightly with his hand floating just behind Akechi's back. Even Sojiro looks a little concerned, mid-lighting a new cigarette and paused on an inhale to watch carefully. ]

Are you-- okay?

[He's spent most of the last two days in some degree of tired or exhausted, but this... This is new in a somewhat frightening way. He's suddenly so tired he's dizzy, and Lavenza's voice echoes in his head. "The effects are quite detrimental," she said said. Were these those detrimental effects? After barely two hours, and within the same city? After he'd spent the whole night tangled up in Akira's grasp, sure that it would "charge" him to a sufficient degree for-- for something--]

[He reaches out and grasps Akira's forearm with an ugly, gurgled little sound, forcing himself out of the chair. He shakes, but is determined to stand, and he can immediately feel a difference just from touching him. It's frustrating in a way that makes him want to let go, makes him want to push Akira away and run, even knowing he wouldn't make it to the door in a remotely straight line and Akira would stop him. So he just scowls, gritting his teeth and gripping Akira's arm tightly enough it probably hurts, and grinds out words in a clipped, thin tone.] I'm fine. Sorry to worry you.

Boss, I'm going to take a break. [ Sojiro gives a flippant "yeah, sure" and waves them off, but there's a thin line of concern in his brow that gives way to how weighty it is. Akira wraps his arm around Akechi's waist, headless of the fact that Sojiro can see them. It's an emergency! Kind of. ]

Let's go upstairs.

[He's embarrassed. He's shamefully embarrassed, that Sojiro sees him like this, that Sojiro sees Akira reach for him. It's worse because he knows he can't push him away and get to the stairs on his own, and he warbles an almost plaintive repeat of "I'm fine", but his vision spots and his knees choose to buckle, pitching him forward so that he crumples into Akira's grasp.]

[He actually snarls, bracing himself on Akira in order to force his legs back under him, but he doesn't want to make any more of a fool of himself by throwing a rage-fueled tantrum in the middle of the cafe, so it stops there. He loops an arm over Akira's shoulders and seethes, splaying his free hand in front of him.] Wait, just-- let me get my bearings. [The absolute last thing he needs is to just fucking faint like a damsel.]

[ Sojiro, for his part, is studiously observing his crossword as Akira hovers there. His instinct is to wrap his arms around Akechi, but that would only make the situation worse right now, so Akira hesitates for only a second before he reaches down to take one of Akechi's hands in his. It's a single point of contact, but it should be enough, probably, to get him upstairs. ]

I guess that was too far...? [ Or too long, one of the two. Akira's definitely not going to be able to go to an entire schoolday like this, but -- at least half a day, if they keep Akechi nearby... He'll figure it out. ]

[The skin-to-skin contact is worlds more effective than just his arm around his shoulders, Akira's around his waist, and Akechi sways from the abrupt flood of... He isn't even sure what to call it. Warmth? Sensation? Now that he thinks about it, his extremities had started to go kind of numb.]

[He lurches them forward, trying to drag Akira toward the stairs with him, making little more than a disgruntled mumbling bark of sound that if you squint, could easily have been profane. He tries again a moment later.] Shut up.

[ Akira follows, easily, too worried about Akechi to really do more but tag along behind him as they head upstairs. He does steer Akechi to the bed, once they hit the landing, running a hand across Akechi's upper arm. ]

You're freezing. [ Akira can't believe he didn't notice earlier. Akechi was apparently just so focused on laundry that it didn't leave any room for anything else. ]

[With Akira steering him to the bed, Akechi can easily drop to sit and drag the other down with him, immediately curling close to him. He's still seething, but the action is significantly less intimidating by the way his whole body shakes, teeth even chattering briefly.]

I didn't realize anything was wrong until I got back. I made it up here and back just fine... [His voice is shaking almost as badly as the rest of him, but he's pretty clearly incandescent.]

[ Akira grabs the blanket to tuck around them both, even knowing that it's a bit of a lost cause since it's the bodily contact that seems to be helping more than anything. ]

You were gone for around two hours... We'll see how long it takes to get back to normal and go from there. [ Akira's thinking about it clinically, because he doesn't think Akechi wants him to be soft about it. Which -- Akira's trying, but he still runs his fingertips up Akechi's arm, soothingly. ]

Does skin to skin help more?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject