illequipped | i make another inbox post

[Lalli, please, how is he supposed to relax with all of this face poking now? Not that he's doing anything to stop him, but goodness. They should just stay in all day, but hmm, point made...]

I'll get some food— from breakfast! It's safe enough if we stay here, but you don't need to go anywhere outside of this room.

[So there! It's like he's freeing Lalli from the arduous task of getting his own food, but actually he just wants him to stay in bed so he doesn't wind up in another coma so soon. A little bit of both if he's totally honest. Either way, the menu is porridge and fruit bits for tomorrow... all of tomorrow.]

[Lalli likes this face, which means that Emil just has to deal with pokes and prods and whatever else a sleepy Lalli decides is absolutely necessary. Guts' memory and everything that came with it was, uh, gross? In many different ways? And Lalli's fine, really; he's over it, but touching Emil is still a welcome reminder that things are (mostly) back to normal.

Anyway, listen to this boy who will definitely whine about cold, disgusting porridge... pfft...]

I do. For work.

[He's... fairly certain that he's supposed to report in tomorrow night, anyway. Time is tricky, now that he's lost so much of it, but he's aware there's nothing he can do at this point in time and that's what matters. That, and this, which is why he lets his hand just sort of... settle against that cheek. He's okay now; he'll be even better tomorrow, dumb boy, which means that he should put up a fuss about being able to take care of himself, but... mmph. Effort. He settles for a sigh instead.]

...Bring coffee.

[Now that he knows what that muddy stuff does?? He's going to need it.]

[Nooo, Lalli isn't allowed to go anywhere. Work sucks! Emil isn't going to work! Which, to be fair, no one in the city really wants the Strangers anywhere, and business is less than booming lately... still, Lalli should definitely take another night off. He'll argue this point later, when he's not cozy and comfortable with a hand on his cheek. Hmm.]

Pff, what? You drink coffee now?

[Character development! Wow! It's going to be cold coffee, too, but he'll remember to get some. He stops fussing with Lalli's hair to let his hand slip down, and then very, very casually drapes his arm over him. Time... to do this, don't fuss.]

I'll get it! But you should still sleep now, you know.

[Coffee is disgusting, but... useful, he supposes. Kind of. It's not, however, a thing he cares to argue about once that arm settles atop him, even though Emil's stupid little "Pff" definitely deserves some type of pushback. Later, perhaps. Tomorrow, when his brain isn't trying to process this new and not entirely unwelcome gesture.

...Huh. A part of him is yelling that he's trapped, that he needs to scoot away, but it's a very, very small part of him. It's just... Emil! Emil's arm, which he's thrown over Lalli's shoulders many a time, and there's something—well. Maybe "comforting" isn't the right word to use, but this type of contact somehow makes Lalli feel... secure, even though he's stretched out on top of the bed instead of safely tucked away underneath it. It's a reminder that he's not alone, which is dumb? Like, he can hear Emil breathing, but...

But. He shifts a bit, almost like he's seeing how much wiggle room he really, truly has, before he noticeably relaxes. Okay! ...Alright.]

You should, too.

[It's the middle of the night? He's just saying, but in case it isn't perfectly clear—hmm. He slides his hand down a bit, fingertips lightly pressing against Emil's lips in that classic "Shut UP" kind of way. No more talking. It's banned, except for one last thing:]

...Good night.

[And now he'll put his hand back on that cheek, even though it's probably-definitely going to slide off the second he dozes off.]

[Let him talk... No, no, he's content. He gets to more or less hold this boy and sleep and he doesn't have to go fetch any coffee until morning. It's a good night indeed! He's not even going to say anything— just smile and nod a little, then settle in for a nice, safe sleep.

...In the morning, though, he will dutifully get up to get breakfast and coffee. Soon, after he wakes up and spends some time looking at Lalli up close. Sleeping close to Lalli: fairly routine, but sleeping close to Lalli in a way that isn't, like, separated by a mattress or a coma: new and exciting, in a heart-fluttering kind of way. Ah... this nice face that he likes so much, here in a new context that makes his chest ache in a way that's almost... pleasant? He's not stupid; he gets it! But boy, articulating it in proper words is way too hard. He shifts his hand up, to brush his fingers over that very fine cheek, hmm. Hmm!

Well! Breakfast! Uh, he kind of has to wiggle out of these blankets and get out of bed very carefully, so as not to disturb any cryptids, but after a brief detour to the bathroom he'll be ready to hunt for breakfast. Lalli can sleep through this, if he managed to sleep through the rest of Emil's fidgeting around, but - actually. He pauses when he's just about reached the door, looking back at Lalli. Now that he thinks about it, and remembers another time Lalli was very tired, and remembers all of his incredibly concerned feelings from yesterday, what if he just-

Casually... stops by the edge of the bed and... leans down to press his lips to Lalli's temple. Nice!! Now he disappears to get food, which will be ready and waiting whenever Lalli decides to get up and join him in the world of consciousness.]

[As deep a sleeper as Lalli is, he's used to sleeping in a little nook all by himself; sleeping in a bed is, you know, different in and of itself, but adding someone else into this equation? Beds shift in a way that the floor does not. Noticeably so. Not that Lalli snaps awake every time Emil so much as fidgets, but every now and again the blanket twitches, or the mattress barely moves, and Lalli's brain fires up just enough to go, "...Ah. Emil. Still here..."

So it's good, honestly. A nice reminder of where he is and who he's with, even if it means that Lalli is more or less dozing by the time morning rolls around. He senses Emil moving around beside him; he even kind-of-sort-of registers that light touch to his cheek (aha), but he's too warm, too comfortable, to seriously consider opening his eyes. How long will it take Emil to go get breakfast, anyway? Fifteen—no, twenty minutes, at best. Plenty of time for Lalli to continue dozing.

Which means, of course, that Lalli is still in that not-quite-asleep, not-quite-awake state when Emil makes his way back to the bed, but before his hazy mind realizes that Emil is once again here—oh. Oh. He thinks (knows?) what that feeling was; he thinks (knows?) that he should open his eyes to confirm, but by the time he's convinced his stupid body to do what he wants it to do, Emil is... long gone. It's just Lalli, alone, as he slowly brings a hand up to press against the spot that Emil possibly... kissed...

Ah, it's official: Lalli is going to die. Lalli is going to die right here, right now, in this very bed, because how can he remember to breathe when he thinks about Emil kissing him? And he missed it! ...Mostly! It's strange, really; even chaste kisses are, in theory, Weird and Uncomfortable, and yet—well. Here Lalli lies, wide awake, staring up at the ceiling as he wonders what Emil meant, and if Emil liked it, and if Emil will ever do it again.

(He hopes so? He hopes so.)

Anyway—tiny kiss, huge effect. It's why Lalli is still in the bed when Emil finally comes back with, uh, however much he's managed to carry all by himself; he sits up quickly enough, hand falling into his lap as he silently watches the boy who kissed him. Like, what should he even say? "Did you remember the coffee?" "You should kiss me again, now that I'm awake?" ...Hmm. Never mind the fact that he put Emil in a similar situation a week or so ago; now he's the one living through this mess, and that means he's going to (unwittingly) make this morning far more awkward than it needs to be. Hi, Emil... good morning... enjoy the staring...]

[Emil is lucky enough to kiss and run, as it were. He has plenty of time to feel kind of giddy and even a bit smug about his very daring kiss move on the way down to the kitchens, and while he's explaining several times how he needs to take two helpings because someone is sick (more or less) not because he's eating double servings, and while he's avoiding being seen by anyone going to morning training... Well, it's not hard to think about kissing Lalli only as much as his little heart can take. Any more and his heart would burst, so the morning is going great.

He remembered the coffee, too! He's setting up said breakfast and coffee when he looks over and notices Lalli is up and staring at him, ah—]

Oh! You're up! Hi!

[Lalli!! Emil is still a touch giddy, something he clumsily attempts to hide by fussing over the porridge some more. Ahaha... his boy... his immensely talented secret kisses...

Ah, wait.]

...What? [This staring is more... intense than usual? Hi?] I didn't forget anything!

[Aha. That's... good to know, even if Lalli is currently focusing less on his stomach and more on Emil's, mmm, everything. Does that type of kiss only happen when someone is, like, lying down? Does he have to be asleep—or, well, look like he's asleep—in order for it to happen again? Or maybe, just maybe, if he sits and stares and sends out "Kiss me!" vibes—

...Okay, no, he's being stupid. He knows he's being stupid, and thus he forces himself to slip out of bed and pad right over to Emil's side. The plan... is to say exactly what he's thinking. The plan... goes right out the window as he pretends to take careful inventory of the stuff sitting on their makeshift breakfast table.]

You— [—kissed me? ...Mmph.] —didn't.

[Forget... anything. ...Lame! So lame, and he feels foolish for no real reason at all. It's not a big deal? Or, well, it shouldn't be, but this seemingly simple thing is somehow making everything else oh-so complicated; like, thinking of a short sentence is requiring far more effort than it really should, which is probably why, after a second or so of mental fumbling, Lalli unconsciously reaches for something safe and familiar:]

Hyvää työtä.

[Good job! A Finnish phrase that Emil should understand, given his, uh... past experience(s) with it.]

[Hmm, what's he doing... Emil watches Lalli stare a bit more and then finally get up and come over, curiously. He... didn't! That's right, he did breakfast-and-coffee so good and he deserves so much admiration and appreciation for his efforts. Maybe Lalli just isn't fully awake yet! That's it.]

Hyyy— oh. Oh, right. It sounds different when I can understand you, somehow.

[But ah, yes, his favorite Finnish phrase that he's terrible at remembering. He, uh, won't remember it now, either. It's not like he has any reason to learn Finnish, now that they can understand each other all the time! Give him a minute.

In this minute, he reaches up to fix Lalli's hair with one hand, because of course he does. The bedhead? Adorable, but let him get his fingers up in that and make it look neat and tidy. Give him a miiinute...

And then the obvious Language Thought occurs to him, making him pause.]

Assuming that we aren't stuck in this terrible city forever, do you think we should learn, you know, how to talk to each other? I can teach you Swedish!

[Narrator: he could not, in fact, teach a whole goddamn language.]

[Emil fixing his hair isn't as exciting as, say, Emil pressing a quick kiss to his temple, but it's still nice. Doubly so, given Lalli's strange inability to just, like, bring up the thing occupying the forefront of his mind, which is why he just barely leans into that touch. He'll find the right words... eventually. Maybe. Or maybe he'll skip over words entirely, but for now—this. Appreciating what's freely given.

While also thinking about awful-sounding Swedish, because dear gods. Is learning Swedish useful? Yes. Will it be easier now that they share a common tongue? Yes. Does he necessarily want to? Well...]

...Hrmh. [A grumpy-ish noise, then, as he takes a moment to study Emil's face. He will do this thing if he has to, but hey, consider this:] You should just learn Finnish.

[Yeah! You do all of the work, Emil!]

[Wow? Respect his language. Not that Emil wants to learn Finnish, to be fair - it's weird and has too many gibberish sounds and everything is hard to spell! This was his idea, though, so he thinks he should get to choose...

Fine, though! They'll argue about that later. Emil hums, continuing to fuss with Lalli's hair even as he nods for him to take some underwhelming breakfast. Eat this and love him, thanks.]

Well, we'll see. [Can Lalli teach Finnish? Is that possible? They're both hopeless.] For now, I know you're hungry, you were staring at it like it's going to run away! Let's eat!

[Lalli will be an absolutely terrible teacher, but if teaching Emil Finnish means learning less Swedish? Hey! He'll consider making an effort. Just like he'll consider continuing to ignore the food Emil graciously provided in the hopes that this contact will continue, but...

...Damn. Even he knows that he's been caught, which is why he can't help but to quietly sigh. It's either eat breakfast or admit that he was thinking about other things, so!]

I'm not that hungry. [He Is. But, uh, actually? Just to prove a point, because he's a bit of a brat?? Let him reach up to pat that arm in an appreciative kind of way.] ...Kiitos.

[He supposes he can pull away from Emil's hand in order to eat breakfast. Gosh. Never mind the fact that all it takes is him, like, actually picking up a bowl of porridge to remember just how hungry he really, truly is; he'd gladly starve for a little longer, but it's fine. He's fine. He'll take a bite of this porridge, reach for a cup of coffee he knows he needs, keep a close eye on every move Emil makes while saying nothing at all... you know, normal(-ish) stuff! Yeah!]

[Alright, breakfast time!! Emil, who is having a perfectly normal morning, settles in to eat some crap porridge with Fruit Bits without a second thought. He gives Lalli a look for the additional Finnish, briefly - yes, yes, he's heard the case for doing all the hard work himself, he doesn't need a reminder - but it's fine! He remembers that one!

...Probably. Don't ask him, but he's pretty sure he's got it down. He's not going to fuss over Finnish, just like he's not going to point out that Lalli is that hungry, thanks much, because he's such a nice person who is in a very good mood this morning. Everything is... decent! Better than it was! And yet, today's cryptid staring seems more persistent, somehow.]

Really, is there something on my face? What did I do?

[And Lalli promptly chokes on his gross coffee—no, no. He does take a cautious sip of it, pulling a bit of a face when the bitterness smacks him all at once, but... hmm. In a way, it's good that Emil asked that very specific question? Oh, Lalli could sit here in silence for the rest of the morning, turning that kiss over and over again in his mind, but now that Emil has specifically asked what he did...

Lalli fidgets. Lalli looks down at the contents of his mug. Lalli considers telling Emil that he has a huge smudge of dirt on one cheek, but a) that's lying and b) even if his heart is doing that weird flippy thing again, this really isn't a big deal. He recognizes this, which is why his eyes eventually slide back up to Emil's face. 3... 2... 1...

...Okay.]

You... kissed me.

[A quiet, yet blunt, sentence, one that Lalli follows up by leaning forward far enough for him to lightly tap a finger against Emil's temple. Could he do this to his own face? Yes, and that would probably make more sense, but Lalli is how he is! And... he likes Emil's face. Even a slightly awkward excuse is a good one.]

Here. [But just in case that's not, like, crystal clear:] When you thought I was asleep.

[To be fair, he... was? Kind of? Anyway, Emil, that's the top story of the day.]

[Emil does choke on his fruit bits a little, coughing, eyes watering some while Lalli reads him his own death sentence. His secret kiss was not secret at all? Who could have foreseen this incredible twist?! He's reeling for a moment there, not sure what he's supposed to do now that he's been called out. It's like the morning after he was drunk— he's embarrassed automatically, but as the reality of getting caught being sappy sinks in...]

You kissed me that other time! And I wasn't asleep at all!

[Defensive?? Please help, just staring at him doesn't give him any reassurance that this thing he did was okay, let alone- imagine!!- a good thing. ]

[Lalli sits back with a barely audible huff, because really! Emil is the one who caused all of this; there's no reason for him to be so... dramatic about it? Nor is there a reason to bring up that hand kiss that Lalli remembers, yes, but barely. Just barely. There wasn't a lot of thinking going on that night! He was very, very tired and very, very happy to see his best friend, okay!

But since Emil decided to throw that into the mix... well...]

I know. It's not—

[There are many different ways he could take this right now, honestly, but he's... flustered? Almost? There's something incredibly awkward about this, and that makes Lalli want to, like, curl up underneath the bed and let this all pass on by. ...But he can't! He can't, and that means things are about to get... petulant.]

It's not fair? [Nothing in life is fair, really. Lalli knows this, and yet onward he goes.] You saw yours, but you made me miss mine. You wanted to hide it!

[From HIM! His own first kiss! This is stupid.]

[Alright, this is new. Emil doesn't know what to expect- maybe Lalli will get moody, maybe he'll melt down onto the floor like he did the last time they, ah, talked- but declaring that it isn't fair is somewhere at the bottom of his list. It's not even on the list at all. He did what...]

That's— okay, I thought you were asleep. That isn't... hiding.

[He sort of flinches when he says it, because now it sounds like hiding?? It's true that he wasn't going to bring it up himself, and that's pretty close to hiding— and hold on, who says he can't secret kiss whoever he wants! This IS stupid!!]

Do you— nnh. [Nope, he's not yet talented enough to ask boys if they want him to kiss them. That's insane! The sheer boldness!!] I'm sorry? I could, uhhh...

[uhhhHHH fill in the blank. Emil's gay mad libs. Give him a verb.]

[It's somehow easier for Lalli to talk about kisses and everything that comes with them when he's... well, not quite annoyed, but? Whatever he is now? On the road to being annoyed, maybe. Not that it's all Emil's fault; this is just a complicated conversation that Lalli isn't entirely prepared for, and he's as frustrated with himself as he is with anything else. He wishes that he had been awake. He wishes that he knew how to bring this up without having it turn into... this.

...Why can't they just crawl into bed and go back to sleep? That, at least, was easy, but instead he has to think of things to say, all while Emil... stumbles through this in such an Emil-like way. You could what, Emil? Just say it! Don't be stupid!

Or let Lalli handle it, which is a wild thing indeed. Have another, much louder huff.]

Kiss me. Again. [He's mad! That's why his heart speeds up as he says that, so let him just. Look down at his coffee as he focuses on his righteous indignation and not the fact that he very much wants this thing to happen because... well, just because. Hmm.] You should.

[It's only fair!!]

[Letting Lalli handle this brand new experience is, apparently, the correct choice! Even if he's huffy about it, Emil can work with that - it's something to keep in mind, he knows, that he should freeze up, uh, less, but right this second— hoo boy. The boy. Who he's made maaaybe a little mad with his fumbling, but give him a pass! He's new at this!

One deep breath later... alright. Maybe he can speak whole sentences again.]

Well, stay right there, then!

[If Lalli's going to take up attitude, Emil will be as extra as possible, which in this case means getting up to move around their little table (rather than knock over all the coffee, you're welcome), take hold of his face in both hands, and kiss him rather inelegantly on the forehead. Complain about that!! ...Well, he could, is the thing; Emil lets out a little huff, closing his eyes for a second or two just to calm down. This is, hmm, not the most sensible way he could have done this...

Well, Lalli will just have to take him as he is, if he's going to demand Kisses the Right Way in the middle of breakfast. Emil is still holding his face; he looks at him again, then leans down to kiss him one more time. Still on his forehead, but softer now— the real sappy, genuine article. Appreciate his effort.]

[As cliché as this is—ah, but it all happens so quickly? Kind of like that time Reynir just up and grabbed him, except this time he isn't listlessly staring off into space as he tries to ignore everything around him; he is, in fact, still giving his coffee a Look, stubbornly refusing to glance over Emil's way even though he hears the unmistakable sound of a chair being pushed back. Stay here? Fine! He will! Leave, or kiss him, or—

Or grab his face and then kiss him. Aha. That's... certainly unexpected; like, he's so surprised that he doesn't even register the kiss until a split-second after it occurs, and that realization comes with a fresh surge of annoyance. Complaints: 1. He didn't have enough warning! and 2. That wasn't as, mmm, soft a kiss as the first one, but as his eyes flick up to hopefully catch Emil's... oh? A second one. A gentler, better one that he kind-of-sort-of gets to see.

...Okay. Okay. Anger: fading; now he's free to focus on other, better things! Or, um, he would be, if he didn't feel so... dazed. Sluggish. His heart is racing too fast, and his face feels far too warm, which—huh. Because of Emil's hands? Maybe? He reaches up to presumably push them away, but he winds up, like, loosely wrapping his fingers around Emil's wrists instead, all while he works to process the last... thirty seconds...]

Nnh—

[Well! That about covers it!! He didn't die on the bed while he waited for Emil to come back, but the chances of him dying right now? High. He needs a second to blink, to swallow, before he goes for words again.]

...It. [Was good! Great!! He lifts his chin as much as he's able, trying to get a better look at this boy who's absolutely going to be the death of him.] It wasn't in the same spot.

[That's not Lalli trying to smoothly ask for another kiss, because like hell he knows how; that's just Lalli being a petty, greedy baby. The forehead was better, but kiss his temple again, anyway!!!!!]

[Well— staring at him some more is some kind of appreciation of his many efforts, Emil supposes. At the very least, Lalli doesn't look so mad at him about kiss timing now, after his Proper, Soft kiss, and he's calling that a win. It allows him a moment for reality to catch up with him— you know, the part where now he really is kissing Lalli repeatedly and not even while he's (supposedly) too asleep to comment on it. Aha.

But this is... well. He wants to do this, and apparently Lalli wants him to kiss him, so despite the fact that he feels almost lightheaded, this is great? ...Yes! It's great!

And Lalli finds a new, different complaint, if it can be called that. Emil blinks at him, then his expression tries to frown and smirk knowingly at him at once, and that looks stupid— this boy and his demands.]

Really? Am I stuck with one spot, forever?

[Ha, jokes!! But that is Emil very coolly sliding in the implication that he can and will kiss Lalli at other times, and hopefully even less awkwardly than this all is. He feels... decent about how breakfast is going, only a step below good because he really has no idea what he's doing.

Still, that seems to be working out for him. He leans around the side this time to give Lalli his long-awaited kiss on the temple, punctuated with a little hum because he is a dweeb and Lalli is greedy. That's three kisses in like, two minutes, though, so please let his tiny heart rest for a second.]

Edited 2019-05-02 10:45 (UTC)

[Well, Emil, how is Lalli supposed to know the answer to that question when he's only been fully conscious for, like, one type of kiss? Or: Of course that humor goes over Lalli's head. Of course Lalli lets out a little mrr and actually considers this silly question-that-isn't-really-a-question while Emil goes in for his fourth kiss of the morning, because there are at least... two acceptable spots, from what he can tell. Possibly.

...No, no. There are definitely two acceptable spots, a thing Lalli realizes as those lips brush against him and he feels another pleasant sort of... jolt rush through him. Who knew! Not him, that's for sure. Kisses have always seemed so weird; he's never wasted time considering what it would be like to be kissed, truth be told, but now that the same wonderfully stupid boy has kissed him in two different places? Lalli still feels like he's this close to dying, and yet he can... see the appeal...

But while more kisses would be more than welcome? While Lalli suddenly wonders what it would be like to kiss Emil in these same two places? He, too, has a tiny heart that's been put through entirely too much at once; it's why he releases Emil's wrists, one hand drifting up to Emil's cheek in an attempt to see if he's the only one roasting alive here. Kiss break!!]

Hmm. [Now it's his turn to hum, all while he tries to think of what to say. Are words even necessary?? For Emil... probably, so:] ...Better.

[Being kissed when awake >>> being kissed when half-asleep, so thanks for giving him exactly what he wanted. That most certainly is not the ghost of a smug smile playing about his lips.]

[Don't worry, smug brat, he's on fire. It's noticeable for sure, but the abrupt upswing from feeling so awkward with Lalli being snippy into much the same giddiness that he felt earlier, after his secret kisses, but tenfold— well, that's enough to keep him right where he is. He doesn't feel any need to awkwardly lean away from Lalli's hand, even if he's a smidge flustered, even if Lalli is being smug.

He really did that! He really kissed this boy three- no, four whole times. And it was good! He slides one hand back from Lalli's face and into his hair; they have not finished breakfast-and-coffee even halfway yet, but it's affection time. Honestly, what else is he supposed to do at a time like this?

Smug pretty boys and their smug little looks... he's weak!!]

You're so difficult, [he says so fondly, and he's smiling, and he means difficult in precisely the right amount that it's, like, very cute. Right now, anyway. At this precise moment, Lalli being a brat is somehow appealing. Hmm!]

[Yes, please mess with the hair that he hasn't washed in, like, two whole days, and then please remind him to go take a shower before he zips off to work. This is important. Anyway, though—feeling the noticeable heat beneath his fingers is... good? Reassuring, somehow, because maybe this means his own reaction isn't that strange. Maybe this means that Emil's heart is pounding, too, even though Lalli isn't about to check that. One thing at a time! One day at a time.

And for now, that means... giving Emil's cheek a quick pat, because him? Difficult?]

Pfh.

[He's not, even though he currently looks and feels like the cat that got the cream, but! Details! Just let him enjoy his amazing victory, which involves him tilting his head into that touch as he enjoys the sight of that very, very nice smile. This is the boy... the best boy...]

But you kissed me.

[So how difficult can he really BE!]

[Don't remind Emil how gross this hair is, he's in Kiss Mode and dealing with it until it's safe to discharge his visceral "ew" response... maybe like on the moon or something. Anyway! Let him touch! They're just looking at each other like saps again... Who needs work when you can have this.

Wow, though.]

That doesn't mean you're less difficult!

[Lalli. Brat. He's great. Emil will have to let go of him sooner or later, emphasis on soon... Ehhh.]

Well, anyway, never mind. What else should we do today?

[How about... stay in and touch faces until Lalli has to go to work? That sounds perfect.]

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