illequipped | i make another inbox post

[Aha, the sudden death round. Emil is expecting it after their very saucy breakfast, honestly, but that still doesn't prepare him for actually, actively being kissed. He murmurs out a surprised little "oh" when Lalli tilts his face downward, and ah— there it is... The kiss!

...And the second kiss!! He hums and drops the comb onto the bed, reaching for Lalli's waist and loosely curling his fingers in the back of his shirt. It's a second or two before he remembers to look up at Lalli again, flustered - boy, is his face red. Who knew that two real, intentional kisses would undo him so much more easily than one half-asleep kiss to the hand! Whew!

Well, first things first: Dumb Emil Things(tm):] You smell nice.

[Is it still a compliment, when he smells like Emil's shampoo... yes, of course. Even with half a head of messy hair, Lalli is super fresh and looks, hmm, like the loveliest person Emil has ever seen, this close to his own face— His heart stopped thirty seconds ago, or else he'd do something like laugh nervously and say something even dumber, right here and now.

Very fortunate.]

Feel free to do that... whenever you want.

[Two quick, simple pecks, because while Lalli isn't as, um, easily panicked as Emil—hmm. The first set of kisses was a test? An opportunity for Lalli to test the kissing waters, if you will. He was fairly certain than Emil wouldn't mind, and kissing a forehead didn't seem like a terribly tricky thing, but what if... what if...

Doubts! Stupid, stupid doubts that begin to fade when those hands brush against his back, then fade entirely when Emil actually looks up at him to say that oh-so ridiculous thing. ...Pfft. Other people are mysteries, but Lalli's spent enough time around this one to know that a dopey Emil is... a happy Emil. Plus Emil is just so red? His cheeks are so warm? Lalli's heart is still pounding; like, a part of him is still... slightly nervous about this new thing of theirs, and yet as he looks down at the face he's holding—the face he kissed!—and realizes that he's the cause of all this dopiness? Well. He really can't help but to feel a (tiny) bit smug.

And listen—it helps. Now he doesn't need to worry about things; now he can just, you know, focus on what's important, like barely turning Emil's face to the side. Whenever he wants...]

Mm. I will.

[A hint of that smugness creeps into his voice, because what about... now! Yes, now seems good; it's why Lalli leans right back in, unable to resist nosing into that soft hair before he presses a lingering kiss to Emil's temple. Hey, who's in a hurry to pull away... not him, even though he feels the need to murmur:]

...You smell nice, too.

[Like that strong shampoo, yes, but also like... Emil??? Don't ask; this is just Lalli Romance at its finest.]

[Oh, now he's smug again, of course. Emil likes that, actually, conceptually; not that a smug Lalli is always very easy to handle, but that Lalli likes this enough to be smug about it is... good! In its own way. That Lalli likes kissing him enough to declare he'll do it whenever he wants, hoo boy... that makes Emil's long-since-stopped heart kick back into high gear.

There's just so much Lalli happening right now? And Emil is clingy, gripping his shirt more certainly to tug him closer. If he's going to linger there and say nice, sweet things, he might as well move the rest of him over. Come here!! Tell him more about how admirable his hair care routine is, he's very interested in hearing about that...]

You can't get away from combing your hair that easily.

[But actually... maybe? For like, ten minutes? Yeah.]

[Emil pulling him forward is... unexpected, but—strangely enough!—not unwelcome? Like, Lalli still stiffens, focus shifting from Emil's hair to everything else about this current arrangement, but—hey, he's survived kissing this boy three whole times! Surely scooting a bit closer won't be the end of him.

First, though? Emil. A sort of half-huff, half-sigh escapes Lalli, because listen, dumb boy...]

My hair is fine. [He pauses, considering how, exactly, to best go about this moving business before he winds up letting his hands drop down to Emil's shoulders. Is this okay?? He doesn't know, but it feels okay, so—hmm. Hmm.] ...And you said I can do this whenever I want.

[So naturally this smug baby wants to do this for however long it takes for his tangled hair to be forgotten, which is why he brushes his lips against Emil's temple one last time before finally, cautiously moving to close some of this distance between them. The way they're sitting makes things rather tricky, and he's not quite sure where their limbs are supposed to go, but... they can workshop it...]

[Just stick quite literally to his side and everything will be juuust fine. Emil scoffs - he's going to brush that hair if it kills him - but he's more than content to sit here and tug Lalli into another poorly-arranged hug. Kiss him freely, please... it's all good.]

I know, but I'm just saying! Your hair looks so much nicer when you care about it for just a minute.

[Minimal effort is all he asks, right now... that's it! Just two minutes of caring about appearances and he'll cover the rest! That's definitely not too much.]

[Dopey Emil is so much better than this Emil! Come back! Lalli wonders, briefly, if kissing an entirely new spot will do the trick, but—hmm. Where can he press another kiss, you know? Where does he want to press another kiss... this is complicated stuff...

Well, how about this—a kiss right above Emil's ear, after Lalli reaches up to smooth some of that hair out of the way.]

Mmn. [Does he want Emil to think that he looks nice? Yes, weirdly enough, but also:] Sometimes you say too many things.

[That's just, like, Lalli's opinion, man. Emil totally should've left it all at "Do this whenever you want," but is Lalli still going to RELUCTANTLY slink back down? Maybe. Yes. Enjoy the lack of new and exciting kisses, since apparently hair is faaaaar more important...]

[Wow, this treatment, so unfair after his very generous smooches and compliments. Emil rolls his eyes; thanks for the additional kiss, love it(!!), but wow...]

But you still talk to me.

[Lalli loooves him, so there. Emil manages to mash smug and flustered together, since he's still flushed and looking like a doofus while he says these bratty things. It's fine! He only needs a minute or two to finish making Lalli's hair look halfway decent, then Lalli can kiss him wherever he wants.

It's a great plan. He picks up the comb again, smoothing back the bit of Lalli's hair he's already combed before he continues his magnum opus here. This whiny boy...]

It's not like we have somewhere to be. We have the whole day! [...for kisses, specifically. For those things.]

[Lalli likes this chatterbox very, very much, but please, let his messy hair... rest. Never mind the fact that this short combing break isn't a bad thing; his heart certainly appreciates it, and it's also nice to sit back and see Emil's dumb face again, but! Still!

...Still. Lalli does his best to look unimpressed with this attention as he brings his hands right back up to Emil's face. Palms against his cheeks, fingers slipping back into that miraculously tangle-free hair... the best of both worlds.]

The whole day...

[He likes the sound of that? He has to quietly repeat that? Like, yes, work is still a Thing that will creep up far too soon, and yet—listen to that pleased little hum. Despite his best efforts, it's oddly difficult to stay grumpy this morning.]

Good. [A beat, and then, because he's greedy and because that comb hits another stupid tangle:] You should kiss me again.

[Nice try, but combing will continue even if Lalli puts hands all over his face. He even nods despite that, because yes, the whole day. Miraculous! Imagine if they were at all responsible and didn't take whole days off just to kiss. What a life that would be...

But, ah— jeez, Lalli is dead set on not letting Emil's blush fade away, saying things like that. So demanding!!]

Hmm, well, I can multitask?

[He can kiss and comb at the same time... He shifts to lean forward and press a kiss to Lalli's forehead again, while he tugs the comb through the rest of that tangle. Don't focus on that! Focus only on the kiss and the combing will all be over soon.]

[Lalli says what Lalli wants, just like Lalli does what Lalli wants... and hey! It's all working out! ...Mostly. This de-tangling business is still annoying, of course, but as long as more forehead kisses are on the table, he supposes that he can deal it. He could get used to this! He already is getting used to this.

Actually, though, are more forehead kisses on the table? Time to be brat, aka time to sigh and make sure that Emil can't just pull away.]

...Again.

[Yeah, yeah, this whole thing is almost over, but that doesn't mean he's not going to milk it for all it's worth.]

[Wow! Needy! Emil leans back just enough to properly raise an eyebrow at Lalli, then leans in to kiss him again, anyway. Slightly longer this time, juuust so he can get this last tangle out... there! The comb is done, which Emil makes abundantly clear by tossing it elsewhere on the bed and cupping Lalli's face in his hands, still leaned in close for head kisses.

Hmm! To think, not even an hour ago he nearly lost his mind when he got caught kissing, and now Lalli is insisting and he's just doing it, like it's nothing! Like kissing Lalli is not the most heart-pounding thing he's done in months.]

It has to be your turn sooner or later, you know.

[Kiss him... everywhere.]

[Finally! Goodbye, comb; hello, Emil's full and undivided attention. The corners of Lalli's lips most certainly are not curling upward.]

When I want it to be.

[Which sounds like an actual attempt to be witty, but it's really, really not; it's just Lalli repeating the rules of this... whatever-it-is, even though he knows full well that he wants to kiss Emil right here, right now. Repeatedly. Who knew that kissing someone could be so nice?? Truly, this is a day full of firsts.

But ah, Emil's forehead is much too far away, and does Lalli feel like straightening back up? No, because it's much easier to just, like, lift his chin a bit and press a quick kiss to the underside of Emil's jaw. Is this fine... he doesn't know, so he's, um, trying not to think about it. Acting without thinking... such a dangerous way to handle things out in the real world, but here...]

Oh, right, of course.

[It's Lalli being a brat, that's what it is. He's cute, though, so Emil will accept him as he is... A great idea, because he gets a kiss anyway? In a surprising place, one that makes him sputter, aha— so many kisses... He slides his fingers into Lalli's hair, considering. Nice? Nice.]

Hmmmm. Do that again.

[Is he allowed to make demands too? Of course, don't be silly. Just smooch.]

[Well! Now he can't help but to think about where, exactly, he just kissed Emil, but—it's fine, right? It's fiiiiiine. Surely Emil wouldn't have asked for a second kiss if it was, you know, a weird place to kiss, so...

...So. It's a good thing his hands are still right there on Emil's face; it allows him to tilt Emil's head back a tiny bit more, just to better expose that one particular spot before he kisses it once more. But... slower, this time? Softer? Because instead of immediately pulling away, he sort of... lingers there, silently—nervously!—waiting for some type of response. Good? Okay? What's the verdict?]

[The, ah, the process of kissing him there might be a little weird - but then again, they're doing this whole thing a little weird, and that's just how they are as people, so! Emil is fine with it! More than fine, in fact, with Lalli staying this close to him. Aha...

...Oh, is he supposed to—]

...Again?

[How many kisses can he get!!]

[On the one hand, the thought that Emil might just like what he's doing here is excellent; on the other hand, though, only Lalli is allowed to be this greedy, which is why he puffs out a quick breath against Emil's poor, defenseless skin. Boy? Boy.]

...Pfh. [PFH!!] One more.

[And he does indeed come back in to plant a third, equally as soft kiss in that same spot, but! Boy. So needy.

Anyway, three back-to-back kisses in this new, interesting place—whew. It's good! It's neat to know that he doesn't necessarily have to stick to the same, mmm, two or so spots, but he finally lets his hands fall away from Emil's face. Back down to his... shoulders? Yeah, that seems safe; now he's free to lean back and, like, slowly blink over at Emil, and Emil is free to move once more. Tell him he's great. Tell him he's the best kisser of all time.]

[Wow! Boy! Emil appreciates his third kiss in a row, obviously he does, but please!]

You like doing it. Don't act like it's a chore!

[Please! Emil leans in for one quick forehead kiss, free of charge, then shifts his hands down to Lalli's waist as he sits back again. Hmm, what now... Well, he's needy and he wants to cuddle, but how to express this without being so needy about it? A grand task. He'll just... shift back some... come with him and lie down, it's getting cozy time.]

I like when you do it. Come here.

[Kissing that beautiful face is the opposite of a chore, but don't read him like this! Let him pretend like he's doing Emil a favor here, because otherwise this is all so... mmph. He's not the one susceptible to feelings and empathy, and yet hearing Emil say that wonderful thing while trying to tug him down with him is...

...Well! It's NICE, probably because all of this kissing has made him—wait for it—weak; like, he wants to stay close to Emil, which is why, after a split-second delay, he follows Emil's lead. Down he goes, propping himself up on one elbow as he awkwardly tucks himself close-ish to Emil. Should he settle all the way down? Probably, but he needs an extra second to adjust—and to, you know, reach out to brush Emil's hair back behind his ear as he considers maybe admitting this ridiculous thing. Hmm. Would it be so bad... would it...]

I do like it. [A hum of consideration, and then, just because it will be a wild thing to hear out loud:] ...Kissing you.

[That... sure is the thing he's been doing and enjoying all morning, yes, but saying it makes it? More real?? Somehow??? He's not embarrassed, per se; he's certainly not a grade-a blusher like Emil, but some color is definitely making its way to his cheeks. Ah...]

And you like kissing me.

[That's a fact!!! ...And a bit of a question, too. All rolled into one. Anyway, when can he press his face against Emil's shoulder and pretend he's asleep, please and thank you.]

[Oho, he said it!! Emil is instantly delighted, of course, and his dopey grin is tempered only by his equally delighted, very fond feelings, so he can keep this smile to a soft one instead of beaming like a fool. Know that the urge is there, while he settles his arm loosely around Lalli and makes himself comfortable.

He said it and he's blushing... oof... Emil has never lived a more exciting day than this.]

I do like kissing you.

[Which he only says so smoothly because Lalli said it first, of course; it will be a long time before his confidence catches up with his incredibly soft heart. At least he's genuine— kissing Lalli is, indeed, in his top five favorite things to do...]

There are loads of things I like doing with you. And about you.

[Would Lalli like, while he faux sleeps... a numbered list.]

[Damn! Way to launch a full-fledged attack on Lalli's heart! Way to make him momentarily freeze, hand stalling mid-comb as he blinks down at that very nice face, because—oh. Aha. He's not stupid; like, none of this is a truly shocking surprise, but again, there's just... something about actually hearing these things spoken out loud? The difference between Lalli knowing(?) and Lalli knowing(!) that Emil likes him for him...

It's A Lot, but it isn't... bad. He doesn't feel entirely overwhelmed; he feels soft and warm and strangely... happy, and the only thing he can really think to say is—]

...Ah.

[So he's doing swell, as evidenced by the way he pulls his hand free from that hair and slowly, finally sinks down beside Emil. He's doing great. He's one part smug, three parts mush, and he's melting, but 1. Love him! 2. Don't say a thing about how flushed his face is, even after he decides to be a demanding brat once more. Is this even a surprise???]

Again? [Or, well. As he wriggles a tad closer, trying to encourage Emil's arm to move to a more comfortable spot:] ...Tell me again.

[That he liiiiikes things about Lalli, even though Lalli is too thrown to relay what, exactly, he wants to hear. No one has ever liiiiiked things about Lalli. He doesn't even need a list; just hearing Emil repeat that one (1) basic line will probably end him.]

[Oh! Who knew such a simple statement of the whole, honest truth could undo Lalli so easily. Emil watches him blush, and melt, and try to play it off, and oh— he's putting all of those things on his numbered list. He hums, not quite smug but knowingly, and obligingly shifts to hold Lalli more comfortably. Maybe toy with the ends of his hair, idly, while he considers that pretty face he likes sooo much.

To tell him again, though—] What, that I like you very much? You know.

[And Emil, who fishes for compliments like it's a sport knows what he's doing, the greedy boy, but he still has to say it. It's one thing to say he likes Lalli very much - simple! - and another to put the specifics into words. Lalli has saved his life more than once, that's easy to appreciate in words, but what's harder to say the way he wants it to sound are things like... the way it feels to be around him, comfortable in a way he's never been comfortable around another person, even his family. The way they're so, so completely different, but hinge together in just enough places to fit without trying to change things about each other (Lalli's bathing habits a separate issue).

...Sure, he could say those things, but he knows he'll fumble the words and it won't have the same depth of emotion he actually feels. He could say "I like being around you," and it would be true! But not enough, and he's becoming very particular about this now.

He also knows Lalli very well, he thinks, and he knows the kinds of things Lalli likes to hear, so instead of trying his hand at shitty romantic poetry right out the gate, he says:] You're so clever, you know? Remember when you won all of those games for me?

[Flattery comes first, accept him.]

[Lalli is a complicated boy with some surprisingly simple wants, but being liked is—well, it didn't used to be a thing he cared about? It still isn't, really, because he's been the odd one out for so long that it's old news; as long as the people around him recognize that he's very, very good at what he does, it's... enough.

Except, of course, when it comes to Emil, because Emil is the exception to just about everything. Like, Lalli actually cares about what Emil thinks? What Emil feels? And that's... difficult, at times, considering how different Emil is, but Emil is important! So, so important, for so, so many reasons, and being liked by him is—mmph. Hearing Emil say that he likes him is—MMPH. Thrilling! Dizzying, in the best possible way. It's not the same high as, say, being kissed, but as Lalli turns that phrase over and over again in his mind, he feels his heart speed up all the same. Someone likes him very much... Emil likes him very much...

...Ah. It's wonderful to be liked, you know? To like. Lalli tilts his head back the slightest bit, too focused on Emil to notice his own small, slow smile as he thinks back to those oh-so easy games. Yes, he won so many of them, and yes, he's pleased that Emil remembers.]

Mm. Because you were bad at them.

[It's not meant to be an insult; it's just Lalli stating a fact! Just Lalli being Lalli as he, like, reaches up to catch that hand and bring it to his face, because more contact? Yes, before it becomes overwhelming. ...If it becomes overwhelming? Hmm. What matters, he supposes, is that he's happy now, and that he wants to savor this for as long as he possibly can. Greedy...

But still soft, which is why, as he presses Emil's hand to his cheek:]

...Because it made you smile.

[Lalli's biggest weakness... confirmed...]

[Oh, because he was bad at them, wow. Emil makes a face— he's in too good of a mood to be annoyed, but he still thinks he should roll his eyes a bit, to make a point, which is he was very good at the hammer game unlike some twigs he could mention. Anyway, it's alright; he likes the way Lalli looks at him, and that is... special! Lalli is special. Emil wants to tell him all the things he likes so much about him for that very reason! Dang!

He hums, and he's already smiling an easy smile when Lalli moves his hand, but saying all those ridiculous games were just to make him smile makes his heart flutter. His face does that thing it does, when his instinct is to beam full force at Lalli but his common sense tries to be even a touch less embarrassing, screwing up into something dumb-looking before settling into a softer expression. Still smiling! Smiling about smiling— he's thinking too hard about it.

...Still. It's great- wonderful even, to know that Lalli wants to make him smile. That's something so simple, and yet no one has ever wanted to do things for him just to make him happy before. Lalli is sooo good...]

Well, you did a great job.

[He's doing a great job now! Emil genuinely can't keep the smile off his face, giving Lalli a pat on the cheek that's really just a thumb tap, with Lalli's hand still there. It's a thumb tap of approval, before he shifts his hand to more comfortably cup his cheek and keep his hand there, just... enjoying this; he's happy, and so is Lalli, which only makes Emil happier in turn, they're comfortable and warm and so, so close...

Well, surely there's no better place to be than curled up close to his very favorite person, here in a quiet place where nothing and no one can interfere. At least until Lalli has to go to work, but later.

So, since he can't ever stop talking... back to the list.]

...Then you helped me with magic stuff, even when I was terrible at it. And I learned something!

[Praise is, as always, fantastic but—ah, that shifting expression! That smile. Soon—very soon, perhaps—Lalli will have to give Emil a list of his very own, and it will be... something. Something interesting, because how in the world is he supposed to explain why watching Emil's stupidly expressive face is one of his favorite things? "I don't always understand what you're feeling, but seeing you feel things can be nice. Nothing about you is still? I like that. ...Mostly."

...At least Emil's smiles are, um, easier to grasp. The brightest things about the brightest person Lalli knows, even when Lalli isn't the direct cause, but... when he is? When he knows that he is, like he does at this very moment? Aha. So maybe, just maybe, Lalli is more susceptible to ~feelings~ than he'd care to admit, because he suddenly wants nothing more than to close his eyes and bask in this... everything. Making the person who likes him (very much!) so happy, so easily...

It's another one of those things Lalli never, ever expected to care about, much less do, so—hmm. He leaves his hand where it is for a while longer, fingers settling into the grooves between Emil's as he enjoys this level of contact that remains... comfortable. Safe. Something he wants.]

One spell. [And Emil is still terrible, but. Does Lalli want to ruin Emil's happy mood? No. Does Lalli want Emil to keep showering him with affection? Y e s.] You—mmn. Tried.

[Well. Let him make sure Emil's hand can't really go anywhere, beeeeecaaaaause.]

...Sometimes?

[This is as positive as it gets! He has no cute things to share about magic!!]

[this is the romance he craves]

Wow. [Lalli is lucky that he's cute, that Emil likes him so much, and that he's not actually bothered by being shitty at magic— it's not like he wanted to be good at it in the first place. In fact, he was pretty set on not trying at all, so this is all for Lalli's benefit! You're welcome!]

Well, it's not like I was born a mage, so that's good enough! Being alright at one spell when you know hundreds [he's guessing,] means I'm doing fine.

[He knows nothing about magic that Lalli hasn't clumsily tried to explain to him, and... he's okay with that. Really, the effort Lalli put into helping him, teaching him things - that's what matters to Emil, not that he'll completely dismiss magic as a whole to his actual mage friend, but if he's being honest... yeah.

Anyway, who cares!! The point is that he appreciated the gesture. He leans his face closer to Lalli's, not quite leaning their heads together, but almost. Hi, hello, stop critiquing his list.]

I only tried because you wanted me to, anyway. No one else was any good at showing me what to do!

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