[ jiaoqiu's fingers come up to stroke up and down therion's back. up his spine, gentle. and then back down again. he doesn't mind that therion's got him tangled. it's okay. it's grounding.
the rawness in therion's voice means that jiaoqiu should be careful, he knows. he thinks. he really does, he thinks so hard for a good minute on how to get across what he wants to, and for all his smarts and cunning, comes up with nothing. he's just as raw. he's shaky, from putting therion together, fixing wounds that he's seen a thousand times, wounds that have killed the people he's loved in his life so often.
he can't think. so he just says what comes to mind. ]
Don't vanish. Keep coming back to see me. [ exhaustedly. ] If you are injured, let me fix it. If you're hungry, let me feed you. If you're cold, come share my bed.
that's his immediate thought, fierce and sharp across his subconscious - no flickers of lupitoxin to influence it, either. it takes him back to years and years ago, to darius swearing he and therion would take care of each other, that they were partners. sharing stolen meals, patching each other's injuries, sharing laughter and cheap drinks, cigarettes and beds. and it was perfect - or at least he thought so, at the time - right up until it wasn't.
jiaoqiu is not darius. they really couldn't be more different, actually, but the fright of it remains, the burn of betrayal that became subcutaneous and changed his every interaction from then forward. he's stepped forward, step by tentative step.
he wants to ask it again - why, but he won't get an answer, and therion swallows, hard. his voice is gravel, barely loud enough to be heard. ]
I can't make any promises. [ he can't, he won't, but god does i want you to have hang sticky in his lungs, and it's all he can do not to choke on it. good intentions, kindness, and... actions that have proven it, bit by bit, over time.
but "i can't make any promises", as jiaoqiu must know by now, is therion for i can try. he doesn't like to be tied down. but maybe he can find his way here more often than he already does. maybe... maybe twice in a row doesn't have to be because he's suffered a grievous injury.
the truth is that he does like it here. that he keeps finding himself here, that he thinks about jiaoqiu when he's three cities over, that he picks up groceries that he likes and slips them into his cabinets and his fridge when he's not paying attention, or not around. he likes his stupid, shitty spicy food, he likes being fussed over, he likes having a spot to curl up in that's out of the rain and the snow.
there's a long moment of silence, and then when therion speaks up again, it's even quieter - muffled, like he can't bear to look up, because he can't. ]
[ foxians live for a long time. jiaoqiu has lived for a long time, and he's seen most everybody fall apart and die before his eyes. he watched his closest friend rip his other closest friend apart, and then herself, and somehow is still here to remember it. he did not think he had more to give.
and he thinks, when therion says he can't make any promises, jiaoqiu feels the same way. he can't promise he will be patient and he can't promise he will always be able to get out of bed, he can't promise he will always be present. but he can try, and that's something, right? they can both take slow steps in the right direction. therion can come visit once, twice in a row. jiaoqiu can remember that it is thursday, and he can cook enough for two, and that can be a start.
he wonders if he'll regret this. maybe. he is not always very good at living without regrets. but the feeling of having therion warm and patched up here outweighs all of that. so he just stays, and nods. continues to stroke therion's back with one hand.
and then when therion finally speaks: ]
My plans were to go to bed. So no. I don't have plans tonight. [ he mumbles, with a little half-hearted laugh. ] Why?
[ that's what it has to be. a chance to try. he can't promise he won't disappear, but he can try and find his way back. he found his way in here today - to jiaoqiu's shaking hands, and the memory makes the injury in his shoulder sting again, bracingly so. somehow, it helped. somehow, he was able to smooth over something he nearly wrecked, and it makes those tentative steps forward feel that tiniest bit more possible.
he finally lifts his head to fix jiaoqiu with a dry look - he looks tired, but manages unimpressed, the look pointed. ]
You have some. [ plans. he doesn't exactly know what, but here he is. and... here he's staying, is what that really means. at least... for the first time, maybe he'll stay the night. they can do whatever. fuck around, is usually the default - he does have jiaoqiu practically koala'd into his lap - but whatever else happens is fine, too. it's a grab back at normalcy in what is a very, very abnormal situation. ]
[ this tracks, actually, not getting immediately what therion means. it calls him back a bit to the second time they met, when therion had to actually undo his belt to get him to understand what he was getting at, and that out of all things makes jiaoqiu wheeze out another little laugh, because christ.
here he is. jiaoqiu has plans. okay. ]
My apologies. I do have a guest, don't I. [ he murmurs, head resting on therion's shoulder. he peeks up at therion when he's gazed at, eat flicking. ] You should eat.
There is enough for you. I'll even allow you to eat on the chair, if you want. Just this once. [ a beat. there's a bit of a half smile he's hiding. ] Painkillers. And then I take you to bed.
[ because if there's one way to knock a guy out, it's to get an orgasm out of him, clearly ]
Oh, wow. Permission. Let me celebrate to show my joy.
[ sarcastic as usual. he's still got this arm full of foxian, all fluff and the occasional bony angle, and jiaoqiu peeking up at him like that gives him all kinds of really unfortunate Feelings tied to the offer, and that's just a lot. the stupid flick of his stupid ears makes him want to shove him out of his lap because he doesn't know how to react to anything like a normal person.
but with a perfunctory roll of his eyes, he lolls his head to look back at him and make proper eye contact. even his usual grump is sanded of all of its edges. ]
this is not a joke, therion is sarcastic at him and jiaoqiu just lightly bites his shoulder. not enough to break skin and barely even hard enough to be felt, but he bites him. it's fine, neither of them know how to react to things like normal people. his tail swish-swishes against the floor. ]
I suppose.
[ he kind of doesn't want to get up because this is the most he's been held in years, but... he'll get up. carefully, he dislodges himself, and then stands. his bones creak and crack when he stands up. oof. but jiaoqiu offers out his hands, ready to help him stand. ]
[ well this is wildly different than the last time a half animal bit him! this time it is much less harmful. or, maybe more harmful, if the thunder of his heart in his chest is any indication. thankfully, he just makes a noise, grossed out, and tries to push his face away like a brat. it's also the most therion has been held in years, but that's part of the reason why he pushes from it.
so, when the hand comes, there's a long minute where he just kind of stares at them, caught before he's able to make fun of him acting like a little old man. it feels like some kind of weird metaphor.
but... after a second, he takes his hands and hoists himself up. he's still tired - his body hurts, and he needs to sleep off the adrenaline and the aches and pains of the fight, so that's the only reason why. definitely. that's it. ]
[ yeah, that's definitely it. also he bit him on the shoulder that wasn't bitten!! to be clear!!
anyway. carefully, jiaoqiu helps him up. he hesitates, like he's going to keep holding therion's hand, and then seems to decide against it. instead, he lets go, and very gently ushers therion to the chair. ]
Sit, sit. [ and he'll go get them food. it's something easy to eat - dumplings, with spicy meat and that produce that therion stole for him inside. he'll just bring them both a whole plate of them. ]
[ imagine he just bit on top to show his dominance. no, the other one
anyway this is cute behavior, but therion is lame and does not think this as he is ushered into the chair. he sits down unceremoniously, and barely has time to open his mouth before he's being presented with food. embarrassingly, his stomach growls - his cheeks flush. ]
Alright, alright, what are you going to do, feed it to me?
[ pointless flustered blustering!!! embarrassing. he takes a dumpling before jiaoqiu gets any idea and pops it into his mouth. and it's... really good, but that doesn't surprise him at all. tasty. it shuts him up long enough to chew on it. ]
[ he is really, really considering climbing into the chair with therion... he thinks about sitting in his lap and that probably shows on his face, but. again, he doesn't. maybe it's nerves, or maybe he just doesn't think he's allowed, or deserves it - instead, he sits on the floor next to the chair, setting the plate in therion's lap. he'll lean against the chair as he does. ]
I could. [ he says, tail swishing again. ] Would you like me to?
[ he gives him the most flat look in the world!!!! ha ha very funny. it's softened considerably by the dumplings, because they are fucking delicious - he really likes spicy food, likes the way it lingers on his mouth, and another plucked up dumpling disappears a second later. he's been hungry his entire life, and some things don't fade. it's a silent appreciation, and he looks down at jiaoqiu for a second where he's on the floor, feeling - some kind of way about it, but letting it go for a second.
instead, mimicking his softer tone (and actually doing a like, freakishly good job at it, he sounds WAY too much like jiaoqiu), he says: ] "Germs, germs."
[ i don't want your yucky germs! or maybe he does. he has had his fingers in his mouth before. that's besides the point. ]
Maybe I should call you a -- a parrot instead. [ a beat. avoids... calling him a crow. he clears his throat, and then reaches to pick a dumpling off the plate and munch on it. ]
[ the beat does not go unnoticed. he watches him eat on the floor for a second, about to open his mouth to imitate him again, and then closes it, thinking better. thinking of that swishing, wagging tail. of the warmth of another body and the way he'd said if you are cold, let me warm you. all therion ever does is take. maybe he can try - maybe in his own way, like a cat slowly coming closer, maybe he can try a little give.
he scoffs, rolls his eyes. ]
Yeah, yeah. Your hands are clean, but you'll be complaining about your old bones next.
[ he picks up the plate of dumplings, kind of abruptly, and scoots over in the little chair. it's not the first time they've shared it, though it is the first time it's been - well. not because they were half undressed. ] I don't want to hear it.
he's surprised, by this, enough that it shows up on his face. his ears pin down briefly, and then puff back up, flicking a little. for a long moment, it seems like he might say no, like he might stubbornly keep himself on the ground, but... therion is offering. he's giving, in his own way. and he can't push that away, not when it's so clearly an effort to try. a follow up, a follow through.
so, carefully, jiaoqiu climbs up onto the chair. he groans appropriately, making a show at rubbing at his back. ]
So very generous. [ he jokes, lightly.
and then he arranges himself. settles in the chair itself, but eases sideways, resting his legs over therion's lap. he's pretty light, even if he's bony and a bit gangly. he will also reach for the dumplings again, using it as an excuse to lean against therion. ]
Unfortunately, the state of my bones is irreversible. You'll hear them, even if I don't make any mention.
[ shut up!!! (he didn't actually say anything about it) shut up!!!
whatever. this is - better, this is better. it felt weird to be split on two different levels like that, especially for a skittish little thief, and despite his complaining about jiaoqiu's complaining, he does care and know it's probably bad for him to just sit on the ground like that. he should get to sit in the chair. it's not like therion also desperately craves human contact or anything no matter how cognizant he is of it.
because therion's expecting it, he doesn't really tense this time. he makes a little noise as he takes up space, squishing them both into the recliner seat and nudges his thigh so his old bones aren't digging into therion's scrawny ones, then lifts the dumpling plate again to allow him to get himself settled properly. and. it's nice. it's really warm, actually. he's allowing himself to kind of be trapped here, with the legs over his lap, but while as always he's aware of the exits, he's not acutely searching for them.
once jiaoqiu's arranged himself, he puts the dumpling plate back on top of jiaoqiu's legs and - lets him lean in close, too, grabbing another dumpling to eat quickly, letting the spice burn his mouth and the back of his throat and focus on that instead of the unfortunate little heart-thumping feeling he gets at being so close. ]
I don't think you know how not to mention them. [ ooooh ooowww et cetera. the eyeroll and grousing are once again deeply perfunctory. ] At least you're not full of shit about being old.
[ it's actually questionable if therion even knows how old he is, let alone jiaoqiu, so he can't really complain. his fake id says he's 22, but having a real ID would require him to exist in any kind of system, which he simply does not. ]
[ therion is right, it's probably bad for him to sit on the ground for multiple reasons, and it's not just his bones.
it's much warmer, here. it's softer. they're both sort of stringy people with not a lot of padding, but having a warm body to curl up with is always so much better than nothing. even that's too impersonal, he thinks - it's not just that therion is a warm body, it's that therion is therion, and that's why it's nice. his tail tucks in close, and he hums soft, reaching for another dumpling. the spice feels good. for the most part, he feels good too - encouraged, even, because therion is eating, is sassing him. it's normal. which means he isn't about to bleed to death, and he isn't about to run. the grouching rolls right off jiaoqiu's back, as usual. ]
I've been around for a while. [ he says, finally. he rests his head against the recliner, closing his eyes. ] I suppose it's my memories that I should be more concerned with, not my body.
[ but, y'know. foxians don't ever really make it to the age to get mara-struck, because around three hundred-ish their organs just all stop working pretty abruptly, so at least there's that. isn't this fun conversation fodder! his ear flicks, and he reaches for another dumpling, but this time, he breaks it in half, and then lifts one half like he is in fact going to feed therion. ]
[ hmm. that makes him think back to that cemetery again, to the nearly faded, out of time figure in front of two gravestones. how many of those gravestones are there? scary. the idea to someone like therion - someone who has no connections - is almost like proof that the way he lives his life is correct. that getting attached to anyone only ends poorly, whether it's by death or by betrayal.
only...that's the thing. that's what this is - attachment. he feels it, the urge to cut loose again, the sudden little stab of fear that comes from the idea of caring for someone else long enough that to lose them one way or another leaves another scar. he feels it in jiaoqiu attached to his side, physically, in the warmth of his body. it'd probably be better for them both if he fucked off forever - temporary pain from another miserable little grave to melt beside. if he even had one.
he's pulled out of that stream of thought by the dumpling in his face. thankfully, this is a good enough distraction - therion gives jiaoqiu an extremely flat look. ]
[ the horrible thing about this is that jiaoqiu also thinks it might be better for therion to fuck off forever. not because he doesn't want him here - he does. that's the problem, right? they're both reaching for each other. both reaching, and thinking I can't subject him to this. jiaoqiu can't find more to lose if he doesn't have anything to begin with, and past that, therion doesn't deserve to be assigned anchor. it's a heavy thing. it's a burden, jiaoqiu thinks.
but for right now, he can't find it in himself to pull away. so he doesn't. he just gives therion a little smile, tail wriggling. ]
[ HELP he's so funny. jiaoqiu unfortunately thinks this is very endearing, and there's that spark of life again, the desire to tease. therion's ears go red, and jiaoqiu zeroes in on it like a target. the heavy things can come later. for now, he's indulging, greedily pulling those reactions out bit by bit.
he leans a little closer, and carefully feeds therion a piece of dumpling, expression impish. and then just as carefully, he leans up just a bit to press a kiss to therion's ear. maybe he bites it a little, too, not hard - just a nip. ]
[ he thinks this is stupid!!! he thinks this is very stupid!!! in fact, when he nips at his ear like that, therion bites his fingers. rude.
his ears get redder afterwards though so hey. he extricates the dumpling bit and swallows it, pulling his head back some. the motion jostles his front fringe, just a little bit, showing the edge of his scar once more when he leans away. ]
You'd think you of all people would know not to stick your fingers in someone's mouth. [ in a wolf's mouth, but he doesn't repeat the nickname. ]
I've had my fingers in worse places, let me assure you.
[ this isn't even meant to be dirty he just means he's had his hands in some really rancid places
he does know how it sounds though, and he grins a bit about it. the bite gets him to shake his hand out, but it's a really perfunctory motion because one, he barely felt it, and two, if therion wasn't chewing he'd shove his fingers right back in. he wipes his hand on his own shirt, because therion is shirtless.
said grin fades just a little bit when the edge of the scar shows itself, though. it's been months, and he's always avoided it because therion seems skittish about it. but jiaoqiu is in his lap, and therion said he'd stay. maybe...
carefully again - he brings a hand up and touches therion's cheek, sliding just a little under the fringe of hair. not all the way up, not moving it aside, just kind of an ask for permission. can he see? ]
[ he can't help but snort a little bit at the dirty joke, intentional or otherwise, because his sense of humor is akin to a frat boy's and this is the kind of person he is. however!! there's not much to laugh about a second later.
jiaoqiu's hand on his face always elicits Emotions, but this is different. he's always jerked his head back and dodged out of the way of anything getting anywhere near his bang fringe, whether in the heat of the moment or even just on a windy day. it is, in essence, a piece of armor, covering an extremely vulnerable part of him in more ways than one. it's the echo of his final fight with darius, a vicious, knives out conflict that had ended with therion's trust shattered along with many of his bones. a wound that he cared for himself, that never healed quite right. a weakness, a vulnerability.
his breath catches. sharp, obvious. therion tries to play it off, quickly, voice going disinterested and bored, like this isn't a huge deal. ]
What? This? You're not missing anything. You really want to look?
[ because clearly he's sooooo unbothered by this!! it's flimsy, and the last question is asked almost flippantly. jiaoqiu could back off here, or he could press forward. for the first time, it seems like there might be a chance that he won't back away from it. ]
[ the fact that therion hasn't jerked back violently like all the other times is a good sign. that's something. but even though he's trying to just play it off, jiaoqiu can hear the shift in his breathing, the way that his heartbeat kicks up a notch, if only for a moment. whatever this is, whatever caused what therion is hiding - jiaoqiu doesn't know for sure, but he imagines it's significant, that it's the reason why therion ducks and dodges any affection, genuine feelings. scars like that run deep.
the doctor in him is curious, wants to see. but it's more than that. sliding out of that last piece of armor. like walking an empty fox home in the rain.
he pauses. ]
But if you tell me to stop, I will.
[ he wants that to be clear, before he pushes therion's hair aside. jiaoqiu is a brat, a void, a bad person, but what has always been important to him is consent. he couldn't always get it, on the battlefield. now, in his small apartment, in a beat up old recliner, he can offer trust, and see if he gets it in return. ]
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no subject
the rawness in therion's voice means that jiaoqiu should be careful, he knows. he thinks. he really does, he thinks so hard for a good minute on how to get across what he wants to, and for all his smarts and cunning, comes up with nothing. he's just as raw. he's shaky, from putting therion together, fixing wounds that he's seen a thousand times, wounds that have killed the people he's loved in his life so often.
he can't think. so he just says what comes to mind. ]
Don't vanish. Keep coming back to see me. [ exhaustedly. ] If you are injured, let me fix it. If you're hungry, let me feed you. If you're cold, come share my bed.
I want to give. I want you to have.
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that's his immediate thought, fierce and sharp across his subconscious - no flickers of lupitoxin to influence it, either. it takes him back to years and years ago, to darius swearing he and therion would take care of each other, that they were partners. sharing stolen meals, patching each other's injuries, sharing laughter and cheap drinks, cigarettes and beds. and it was perfect - or at least he thought so, at the time - right up until it wasn't.
jiaoqiu is not darius. they really couldn't be more different, actually, but the fright of it remains, the burn of betrayal that became subcutaneous and changed his every interaction from then forward. he's stepped forward, step by tentative step.
he wants to ask it again - why, but he won't get an answer, and therion swallows, hard. his voice is gravel, barely loud enough to be heard. ]
I can't make any promises. [ he can't, he won't, but god does i want you to have hang sticky in his lungs, and it's all he can do not to choke on it. good intentions, kindness, and... actions that have proven it, bit by bit, over time.
but "i can't make any promises", as jiaoqiu must know by now, is therion for i can try. he doesn't like to be tied down. but maybe he can find his way here more often than he already does. maybe... maybe twice in a row doesn't have to be because he's suffered a grievous injury.
the truth is that he does like it here. that he keeps finding himself here, that he thinks about jiaoqiu when he's three cities over, that he picks up groceries that he likes and slips them into his cabinets and his fridge when he's not paying attention, or not around. he likes his stupid, shitty spicy food, he likes being fussed over, he likes having a spot to curl up in that's out of the rain and the snow.
there's a long moment of silence, and then when therion speaks up again, it's even quieter - muffled, like he can't bear to look up, because he can't. ]
... You got any plans tonight?
no subject
and he thinks, when therion says he can't make any promises, jiaoqiu feels the same way. he can't promise he will be patient and he can't promise he will always be able to get out of bed, he can't promise he will always be present. but he can try, and that's something, right? they can both take slow steps in the right direction. therion can come visit once, twice in a row. jiaoqiu can remember that it is thursday, and he can cook enough for two, and that can be a start.
he wonders if he'll regret this. maybe. he is not always very good at living without regrets. but the feeling of having therion warm and patched up here outweighs all of that. so he just stays, and nods. continues to stroke therion's back with one hand.
and then when therion finally speaks: ]
My plans were to go to bed. So no. I don't have plans tonight. [ he mumbles, with a little half-hearted laugh. ] Why?
no subject
he finally lifts his head to fix jiaoqiu with a dry look - he looks tired, but manages unimpressed, the look pointed. ]
You have some. [ plans. he doesn't exactly know what, but here he is. and... here he's staying, is what that really means. at least... for the first time, maybe he'll stay the night. they can do whatever. fuck around, is usually the default - he does have jiaoqiu practically koala'd into his lap - but whatever else happens is fine, too. it's a grab back at normalcy in what is a very, very abnormal situation. ]
no subject
here he is. jiaoqiu has plans. okay. ]
My apologies. I do have a guest, don't I. [ he murmurs, head resting on therion's shoulder. he peeks up at therion when he's gazed at, eat flicking. ] You should eat.
There is enough for you. I'll even allow you to eat on the chair, if you want. Just this once. [ a beat. there's a bit of a half smile he's hiding. ] Painkillers. And then I take you to bed.
[ because if there's one way to knock a guy out, it's to get an orgasm out of him, clearly ]
no subject
[ sarcastic as usual. he's still got this arm full of foxian, all fluff and the occasional bony angle, and jiaoqiu peeking up at him like that gives him all kinds of really unfortunate Feelings tied to the offer, and that's just a lot. the stupid flick of his stupid ears makes him want to shove him out of his lap because he doesn't know how to react to anything like a normal person.
but with a perfunctory roll of his eyes, he lolls his head to look back at him and make proper eye contact. even his usual grump is sanded of all of its edges. ]
You gonna get off of me?
no subject
this is not a joke, therion is sarcastic at him and jiaoqiu just lightly bites his shoulder. not enough to break skin and barely even hard enough to be felt, but he bites him. it's fine, neither of them know how to react to things like normal people. his tail swish-swishes against the floor. ]
I suppose.
[ he kind of doesn't want to get up because this is the most he's been held in years, but... he'll get up. carefully, he dislodges himself, and then stands. his bones creak and crack when he stands up. oof. but jiaoqiu offers out his hands, ready to help him stand. ]
no subject
so, when the hand comes, there's a long minute where he just kind of stares at them, caught before he's able to make fun of him acting like a little old man. it feels like some kind of weird metaphor.
but... after a second, he takes his hands and hoists himself up. he's still tired - his body hurts, and he needs to sleep off the adrenaline and the aches and pains of the fight, so that's the only reason why. definitely. that's it. ]
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anyway. carefully, jiaoqiu helps him up. he hesitates, like he's going to keep holding therion's hand, and then seems to decide against it. instead, he lets go, and very gently ushers therion to the chair. ]
Sit, sit. [ and he'll go get them food. it's something easy to eat - dumplings, with spicy meat and that produce that therion stole for him inside. he'll just bring them both a whole plate of them. ]
no subject
anyway this is cute behavior, but therion is lame and does not think this as he is ushered into the chair. he sits down unceremoniously, and barely has time to open his mouth before he's being presented with food. embarrassingly, his stomach growls - his cheeks flush. ]
Alright, alright, what are you going to do, feed it to me?
[ pointless flustered blustering!!! embarrassing. he takes a dumpling before jiaoqiu gets any idea and pops it into his mouth. and it's... really good, but that doesn't surprise him at all. tasty. it shuts him up long enough to chew on it. ]
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I could. [ he says, tail swishing again. ] Would you like me to?
[ don't tease him ]
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instead, mimicking his softer tone (and actually doing a like, freakishly good job at it, he sounds WAY too much like jiaoqiu), he says: ] "Germs, germs."
[ i don't want your yucky germs! or maybe he does. he has had his fingers in his mouth before. that's besides the point. ]
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jiaoqiu makes a FACE. ]
Maybe I should call you a -- a parrot instead. [ a beat. avoids... calling him a crow. he clears his throat, and then reaches to pick a dumpling off the plate and munch on it. ]
My hands are clean.
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he scoffs, rolls his eyes. ]
Yeah, yeah. Your hands are clean, but you'll be complaining about your old bones next.
[ he picks up the plate of dumplings, kind of abruptly, and scoots over in the little chair. it's not the first time they've shared it, though it is the first time it's been - well. not because they were half undressed. ] I don't want to hear it.
[ so come on. come over here. ]
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he's surprised, by this, enough that it shows up on his face. his ears pin down briefly, and then puff back up, flicking a little. for a long moment, it seems like he might say no, like he might stubbornly keep himself on the ground, but... therion is offering. he's giving, in his own way. and he can't push that away, not when it's so clearly an effort to try. a follow up, a follow through.
so, carefully, jiaoqiu climbs up onto the chair. he groans appropriately, making a show at rubbing at his back. ]
So very generous. [ he jokes, lightly.
and then he arranges himself. settles in the chair itself, but eases sideways, resting his legs over therion's lap. he's pretty light, even if he's bony and a bit gangly. he will also reach for the dumplings again, using it as an excuse to lean against therion. ]
Unfortunately, the state of my bones is irreversible. You'll hear them, even if I don't make any mention.
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whatever. this is - better, this is better. it felt weird to be split on two different levels like that, especially for a skittish little thief, and despite his complaining about jiaoqiu's complaining, he does care and know it's probably bad for him to just sit on the ground like that. he should get to sit in the chair. it's not like therion also desperately craves human contact or anything no matter how cognizant he is of it.
because therion's expecting it, he doesn't really tense this time. he makes a little noise as he takes up space, squishing them both into the recliner seat and nudges his thigh so his old bones aren't digging into therion's scrawny ones, then lifts the dumpling plate again to allow him to get himself settled properly. and. it's nice. it's really warm, actually. he's allowing himself to kind of be trapped here, with the legs over his lap, but while as always he's aware of the exits, he's not acutely searching for them.
once jiaoqiu's arranged himself, he puts the dumpling plate back on top of jiaoqiu's legs and - lets him lean in close, too, grabbing another dumpling to eat quickly, letting the spice burn his mouth and the back of his throat and focus on that instead of the unfortunate little heart-thumping feeling he gets at being so close. ]
I don't think you know how not to mention them. [ ooooh ooowww et cetera. the eyeroll and grousing are once again deeply perfunctory. ] At least you're not full of shit about being old.
[ it's actually questionable if therion even knows how old he is, let alone jiaoqiu, so he can't really complain. his fake id says he's 22, but having a real ID would require him to exist in any kind of system, which he simply does not. ]
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it's much warmer, here. it's softer. they're both sort of stringy people with not a lot of padding, but having a warm body to curl up with is always so much better than nothing. even that's too impersonal, he thinks - it's not just that therion is a warm body, it's that therion is therion, and that's why it's nice. his tail tucks in close, and he hums soft, reaching for another dumpling. the spice feels good. for the most part, he feels good too - encouraged, even, because therion is eating, is sassing him. it's normal. which means he isn't about to bleed to death, and he isn't about to run. the grouching rolls right off jiaoqiu's back, as usual. ]
I've been around for a while. [ he says, finally. he rests his head against the recliner, closing his eyes. ] I suppose it's my memories that I should be more concerned with, not my body.
[ but, y'know. foxians don't ever really make it to the age to get mara-struck, because around three hundred-ish their organs just all stop working pretty abruptly, so at least there's that. isn't this fun conversation fodder! his ear flicks, and he reaches for another dumpling, but this time, he breaks it in half, and then lifts one half like he is in fact going to feed therion. ]
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only...that's the thing. that's what this is - attachment. he feels it, the urge to cut loose again, the sudden little stab of fear that comes from the idea of caring for someone else long enough that to lose them one way or another leaves another scar. he feels it in jiaoqiu attached to his side, physically, in the warmth of his body. it'd probably be better for them both if he fucked off forever - temporary pain from another miserable little grave to melt beside. if he even had one.
he's pulled out of that stream of thought by the dumpling in his face. thankfully, this is a good enough distraction - therion gives jiaoqiu an extremely flat look. ]
Seriously.
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but for right now, he can't find it in himself to pull away. so he doesn't. he just gives therion a little smile, tail wriggling. ]
I said I would.
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but fine. opens his mouth. behind his fringe, his ears start turn a little red? this is weirdly embarrassing. ]
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he leans a little closer, and carefully feeds therion a piece of dumpling, expression impish. and then just as carefully, he leans up just a bit to press a kiss to therion's ear. maybe he bites it a little, too, not hard - just a nip. ]
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his ears get redder afterwards though so hey. he extricates the dumpling bit and swallows it, pulling his head back some. the motion jostles his front fringe, just a little bit, showing the edge of his scar once more when he leans away. ]
You'd think you of all people would know not to stick your fingers in someone's mouth. [ in a wolf's mouth, but he doesn't repeat the nickname. ]
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[ this isn't even meant to be dirty he just means he's had his hands in some really rancid places
he does know how it sounds though, and he grins a bit about it. the bite gets him to shake his hand out, but it's a really perfunctory motion because one, he barely felt it, and two, if therion wasn't chewing he'd shove his fingers right back in. he wipes his hand on his own shirt, because therion is shirtless.
said grin fades just a little bit when the edge of the scar shows itself, though. it's been months, and he's always avoided it because therion seems skittish about it. but jiaoqiu is in his lap, and therion said he'd stay. maybe...
carefully again - he brings a hand up and touches therion's cheek, sliding just a little under the fringe of hair. not all the way up, not moving it aside, just kind of an ask for permission. can he see? ]
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jiaoqiu's hand on his face always elicits Emotions, but this is different. he's always jerked his head back and dodged out of the way of anything getting anywhere near his bang fringe, whether in the heat of the moment or even just on a windy day. it is, in essence, a piece of armor, covering an extremely vulnerable part of him in more ways than one. it's the echo of his final fight with darius, a vicious, knives out conflict that had ended with therion's trust shattered along with many of his bones. a wound that he cared for himself, that never healed quite right. a weakness, a vulnerability.
his breath catches. sharp, obvious. therion tries to play it off, quickly, voice going disinterested and bored, like this isn't a huge deal. ]
What? This? You're not missing anything. You really want to look?
[ because clearly he's sooooo unbothered by this!! it's flimsy, and the last question is asked almost flippantly. jiaoqiu could back off here, or he could press forward. for the first time, it seems like there might be a chance that he won't back away from it. ]
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I'd like to see all of you.
[ the fact that therion hasn't jerked back violently like all the other times is a good sign. that's something. but even though he's trying to just play it off, jiaoqiu can hear the shift in his breathing, the way that his heartbeat kicks up a notch, if only for a moment. whatever this is, whatever caused what therion is hiding - jiaoqiu doesn't know for sure, but he imagines it's significant, that it's the reason why therion ducks and dodges any affection, genuine feelings. scars like that run deep.
the doctor in him is curious, wants to see. but it's more than that. sliding out of that last piece of armor. like walking an empty fox home in the rain.
he pauses. ]
But if you tell me to stop, I will.
[ he wants that to be clear, before he pushes therion's hair aside. jiaoqiu is a brat, a void, a bad person, but what has always been important to him is consent. he couldn't always get it, on the battlefield. now, in his small apartment, in a beat up old recliner, he can offer trust, and see if he gets it in return. ]
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