[ mgh. he knows he's opening himself to being bullied even more but it's fine. he takes his own coffee and leans against the nearest piece of furniture, hiding the rest of his embarrassment behind the lip of the drink, sulking a little even if he doesn't really mean it. ugh.
he takes a long drink and just makes a noise whenever jiaoqiu thanks him, waving it off and settling back in. unaware of jiaoqiu's plans, he watches him - watches those ears perk up and looks away again. any satisfaction is easily kept off of his face, even if he does feel it, something small and sweet and fluttery kept as far away from the surface as humanly possible.
he looks jiaoqiu and his blanket up and down, and gives him a judgy look. ]
Wow. Thanks for the lesson in civility. I'll keep it in mind. [ so, so dry. acerbic as ever. and just to nitpick for nitpicking's sake, he continues - ] What were you going to do if I was actually someone breaking into your house?
[ with your naked bare ass and your blanket cape. he does not deny the implication. he doesn't really miss it, either. ]
thinks about how he should probably not joke about dying in front of therion
closes his mouth. tries again. ]
Perhaps I was relying on a knight in a scarf that doesn't belong to him to save me. [ he teases. ] I would have been fine. I don't like combat, but it doesn't mean I can't protect myself. Even naked.
[ adjusts his blanket. actually, he'll just go put on pants. that's it, just loose sweat pants and no underwear because he doesn't really care enough to get totally dressed when therion has had his fingers like, inside him. when he wanders back out, he's holding his coffee cup in both hands, shuffling across his apartment to where therion is so that he can get in his space and be annoying. bunts his head against therion's jaw. ]
Hm. I'll need a shower, too... [ nyeh. he's sticky and gross. but also he smells like therion and his foxian brain likes that, so. y'know. ]
before jiaoqiu gets away too far, he gets the scarf tossed on top of his dumb head for his trouble because he forgot he was wearing it. how dare you compare him to a fantasy cop ]
Sure. I guess they might laugh themselves back down the fire escape.
[ he doesn't doubt that jiaoqiu could probably defend himself. but, then again, he can't think of any other thief who would be dumb enough to look at jiaoqiu of all people and consider him some kind of target for theft. there is nothing in here worth stealing, as jiaoqiu has told him many, many times, and also, the idea kind of rankles him a little bit? he's the one that made the comment, but also. no. not allowed.
he's mostly back to his normal, grouchy self by the time jiaoqiu comes back - just kind of standing in the kitchen, holding his coffee, mind off down a different path entirely, wandering back to the fact that he's staying here, at least for now. it's being head bunted that gets him to snap out of the swirl of emotions he's still feeling about the concept of staying somewhere - therion makes a noise, tilting his head up and shutting his eye, making space for this very animal behavior to happen without any actual complaining. letting him into his space like this is a sign enough he's not bothered. ]
What are you complaining to me about it for. [ grumbling. ] And you're the one that put on pants.
I am complaining because you're the one who made me need one.
[ yawns. he's happy to be allowed here, pushing his luck, pushing boundaries. but he wasn't very worried about it - therion bought him coffee and got mad when jiaoqiu implied that someone else could steal from him. he figures he's got some leeway in being close. it's sort of all he wants, right now, and it's been so long that he's just letting himself go for it. he leans against therion with a little huff, sipping his coffee. he can make food in a second. cuddle him first. ]
You can take them off me later, once I've checked to make sure that your wounds haven't reopened. You know that I am in possession of a door? Yes?
[ quit going through the window you dingus
he hasn't quite realized that therion did not mean to come back, originally. ]
[ don't think you have leeway he's so mysterious and edgy and distant!!! he has so much leeway. for now, at least, or maybe forever? you never know.
anyway. he sighs as if put upon about the injuries and the door comment, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. ]
I didn't feel like digging for your keys. [ thankfully, he's a good liar - he's perfectly fine to keep up this cover story. it's more embarrassing to think that he left and came back. god. not only that, but - there's something that feels very real about using the door that he's just not going to prescribe right now. so. window like a creature it is. ] And I'm not an amateur. I'm fine.
[ like, actually fine. probably? if he reopened something, he didn't feel it. he has climbed much scarier buildings with worse injuries. he also made it up here last night with it freebleeding, so making it down and back up again was fine.
all of this grumbling, and yet, jiaoqiu is allowed to lean against therion - despite his warm face which is only just now coming down to pink, he's pretty cold from being out in the frosty daylight, so he drinks his own coffee with only the usual perfunctory level of complaining about being nagged at, and quietly lets jiaoqiu get as close as he wants. it feels nice, though he won't admit that, either. ]
jiaoqiu will just settle here for a minute, then. he rests his head against therion's uninjured shoulder, tail swishing gently, sipping his coffee. they could be sitting in bed and doing this if therion hadn't tried to abscond, but here they are. slowly, they can warm up right here, and get used to touching. therion doesn't need to say that he likes it, jiaoqiu can tell. ]
I'd still like to check for possible infection.
[ he was very thorough about cleaning, but still. a beat. he noses a little at therion's jaw. ]
You won't be going several days without changing your bandages, in any case. [ ... ] Last chance to tell me what you'd like to have to eat.
[ several days, huh. some part of therion balks at that, but he doesn't show it. can he even make it several days? can he be here that long without feeling like he has to run off? who knows. the idea makes him feel a little twitchy, but he says nothing of it for now, just looking down at the cup in his hands, thinking about the bitter blackness of the flavors, the bright and brilliant spice of the food jiaoqiu often makes.
the nosing at his jaw keeps him from lingering on it for too long - subtly, unintentionally, he tilts a little into it. ]
Whatever's fine. [ he's never once had an actual meal request. he wouldn't even know what to ask for, and frankly, whatever jiaoqiu comes up with tastes better than 95% of the things he eats on a daily basis. ] 'm not hungry.
[ which he knows jiaoqiu will not stand for because he absolutely has not eaten since like three dumplings last night, but that's fine. jiaoqiu seems to be in a really good mood, so if he gets all fussy and naggy, it'll be annoying, but his mother hen behavior is kind of secretly a little bit charming (and a lot funny) so if he can get him to fuss about it then he'll be annoying about it on purpose. ]
Not hungry! You've had a couple of dumplings and then vigorous activity directly after. How are you not hungry? You should be ravenous.
[ huff huff huff!!
he bites a little at therion's jaw, just an absent gnaw, and then finally pulls away with a sigh. he doesn't want to - what he wants to do, he thinks, is push therion back to bed and just nap the rest of the day away, but that's his natural rotting tendencies speaking. he should make them food, he should make them get clean, he should fuss while he's allowed to. greedy. therion won't stay forever, so he has to take as much as he can before he's gone. ]
I'll go make us something. [ fwips his tail at therion's ass. whack. ] Go get clean. Unless you'd like to wait for me.
[ there he goes... predictable... well, he's not that predictable, but the nagging is like clockwork. therion shrugs, unrepentant, though he does put a hand on his face and give it a little push when he starts gnawing, snorting and rolling his eyes. ]
Let's just call it learned experience. [ dry and unbothered, and casually admitting to the fact that he doesn't eat. for most of his life, therion didn't know where his next meal was coming from, and most days, he still doesn't. it's really only ever showing up here that he's guaranteed anything. (that, and, well, his own skills. he's a good thief. it's just not exactly like he's eating home cooking.)
he jerks when his ass gets smacked and turns around to try and grab at that fluffy tail in retribution, but after a moment, he shrugs and moves past jiaoqiu like he owns the damn place, and goes to the kitchen, and
unceremoniously sits his ass right on the counter with his coffee. ]
[ wauhgh!! his tail!! he makes a disgruntled noise when therion grabs at it, but it's not serious.
there is far more grumbling when therion sits! on his counter! with his ass! if he had his fan he would be whacking him with it. maybe. he's still thinking about learned experience - and how upsetting it is to him to think about therion learning how to not be hungry out of necessity. ]
You -- !
[ is what he says instead, tail puffing up. god. grouchy, as he starts digging through his fridge to find eggs and hot sauce: ]
You tempt fate, with how many knives I've got in this room. Get down from there.
[ does not bother enforcing this because he likes that therion didn't leave. hehe. ]
therion looks unbearably smug where he's settled, leaning back against the cabinets with his coffee, the expression on his face that just says "i know you won't". awful. the worst. ]
[ DON'T JUST SAY THAT AFTER HE SO VERY NICELY AVOIDED MAKING A DIE JOKE
throws a dishtowel at him. unfortunately he does not have a rebuttal so therion wins this round.
he will cook! he's also chatty. therion absolutely does not care about what sushang did at work the other night nor does he give a shit about jiaoqiu's chore list, but he will hear about it. it's mostly just to fill the silence, and at the very least he doesn't seem to need therion to be an active participant. he can just listen or zone out if he wants.
but eventually he'll finish making an omelette with a bunch of diced ham and chili peppers and shove it into therion's hands on a plate. eat!! ]
[ hehe. victory. he puts his hands up to block getting hit in the face with the towel and then just takes it, snickering to himself like an asshole. he loves winning.
and... while jiaoqiu cooks, he just kind of leans back against the counters, holding his coffee, and watches him. he might not seem like he's listening, but he is - occasionally he reacts with a noise here and there to prompt him to keep chattering, but for the most part, he's very quiet, just watching him.
it's such a contrast to the other side of jiaoqiu, watching him hustle and bustle like this. he'd have to be blind to miss how lively he is here, how i like it when you stay was nothing but the truth. his mouth's still tingling a little from that surprise kiss earlier, and he sits there, wishing he had his own scarf to bury his face in and quietly having feelings that he keeps to himself, feeling warm and scared and safe and wildly comfortable and uncomfortable all at once. he's never had this much of effect on someone. no one has ever cared about his presence. ever.
the plate coming into his hand almost startles him. he takes it, looks down at the omelette, and takes whatever silverware come too. there's a pause. ]
[ years ago, he did this exact thing for two other people. she went for a morning jog, dragging their crow out with her, and when they came back she poked and prodded and wheedled jiaoqiu out of bed and laughed every time that he fake-scolded her for sitting on the counter, only shut up by the crow at his back, leaning to take dishes so that he could clean. this was how it was. this is what he was, under the layers of sediment and dust that he's allowed to gather over his soul.
he wasn't alone. he had purpose. like now. it brings the part of him that was not always miserable and broken out to see the sunshine.
when therion speaks, jiaoqiu's ear flicks. he goes back to his stove, to make himself one as well. ]
[ therion doesn't let him get very far. he reaches to snag him by the waistband of his sweats when he comes close to deliver the plate, so he can't turn, and then in one fluid movement, leans over and steals a kiss.
it's short, but a piece of punctuation. he pulls back a second later, and says - ]
... Thanks for breakfast.
[ and then hops off the counter and goes to properly sit down somewhere to actually eat it and behave himself, for once. maybe it's the novel fact of being cooked a meal at all. maybe it's just that lively, living creature standing in this room, instead of all the misery he's seen under the surface. maybe it's a thank you for putting up with - whatever this is. he doesn't really know, either. he'll maybe never stop expecting the shoe to drop, but... he's not too bad at living in the moment. and for right now, the moment's a good one - whether he's stolen it away or not. ]
[ here's the thing - it startles him, but this time, it's a good startle.
therion leans down and drags him back, and the kiss makes jiaoqiu let out a squeaky sound. it's embarrassing, and even worse, he's left standing a little dumb in the middle of his kitchen, as therion hops down to go sit. the only place is really the armchair in the living room - he doesn't have a couch, doesn't have any seating made for two people. when he bought this apartment, it took him months to buy anything that wasn't his bed. the armchair was an afterthought, something to make the black hole seem a little less imposing, make his living room look less empty.
jiaoqiu watches therion wander off, ears perked up and eyes open. touches his mouth briefly, fingertips at his bottom lip.
maybe he'll buy a table. maybe two chairs. ]
... You're welcome. [ he says, lamely. and then he turns to make himself food, feeling like an idiot. ]
he's very smug about this for no reason. jiaoqiu gets to feel the way his mouth pulls up into a smirk as he's pulling away - he likes to pigtail pull and he likes to win, and it's the god given nature of a thief to be just a little dramatic. a little extra.
he waves two fingers over his shoulder to the "you're welcome" and plops down in the armchair, draping both legs over the arm and balancing the plate on his stomach so he can eat like a creature, and also like he owns the place. this is the cat you have invited into your home to stay, unfortunately, and whether he stays or not, he will at least act like he does. the food is, of course, delicious and very spicy, which he finds he never quite gets all the way used to. much like jiaoqiu himself. (and maybe that's why staying, at least sometimes, could start to work. because he can't ever be too complacent here, and that suits therion better. a moment on his guard is a moment he's closer to safe.)
he's eaten most of his food by the time jiaoqiu is done - another part and parcel of life on the street. eat fast, eat your fill, and tuck the rest away if you can. ]
[ ugh, smug thieves, the worst. jiaoqiu huffs, berating himself quietly for being so easily flustered.
it doesn't take him long to finish cooking - he checks on therion every so often, just leaning around to see if he's still there. very casually, like it doesn't matter if he is or not, of course. even when he doesn't have someone right in his line of vision, it's... really nice to have someone else in his apartment. his tail won't stop swishing back and forth as he works.
when he carries his own food out to the living room and sees that therion is nearly finished, he looks slightly amused. part of it is the street rat thing, but also, he likes that therion likes his food as much as he does. ]
And where am I supposed to sit when there's a big bad wolf in my armchair, hm?
kicks back a little further and folds his arms behind his head? on purpose? because he is the worst kind of guy and he's clearly in some kind of mood here, though it's not a bad one. ]
[ were he the kind of man to roll his eyes, he would roll his eyes. however, he is too Dignified for this, theoretically, so he just raises an eyebrow. the brattiness makes his chest feel warm, though, and it isn't hard to tell that he's happy with how his tail won't stop swaying.
he hums, and then makes his way over and just sits down on therion. he moves the plate out of the way first, but he is indeed just going to plant his furry butt on therion's lap, as awkward as the positioning is, because he has a point to make and he will be making it.
[ okay this is exactly what he was expecting but also ]
Urk - god, your ass is so bony -
[ LIKE HIS IS ANY BETTER well whatever at least he's not getting tail shoved in his face or something. he pushes at jiaoqiu until he's in a more comfortable position, kicking his legs kind of uselessly on the other side of the armchair before he readjusts and props himself up better. there. fine. he can sit in his lap. ]
[ THEY'RE BOTH BONY it's fine, they sort it out. jiaoqiu maybe does in fact put his tail fluff in therion's face as they readjust, because he sucks.
but once they're sitting, he flops down and makes himself comfortable, ears droopy in that sort of way that's more like he's very relaxed than upset. he will eat his omelette with his fingers. just because he's a cook doesn't mean he has to use cutlery.
and like, listen, foxes don't really purr, and neither do foxians, but the rumbling sound he makes once he's tucked up close is pretty close. ]
[ HE COMPLAINS!!! SO MUCH!!!!! ABOUT THE FUR IN HIS FACE and immediately swats his tail and pulls at it if jiaoqiu will let him, like a five year old. because internally, he is a five year old.
however, therion loves complaining so he's clearly not that bothered by it, and despite all his harrumphing and grumbling, he settles back with his attachment and watches him eat it with his fingers, one arm folded behind his head. out of sheer necessity, the other has to drop down in the space, and it ends up kind of braced around jiaoqiu, which is... fine, also. god he's so warm ]
[ he does let him pull it, and unfortunately he's into that shit so the purr-rumble gets briefly worse. backfired...
in any case, he eases into the arm around him with a happy sound, letting his tail settle on and between therion's legs, like a big poofy blanket. you cannot believe how huge his tail is, it's obnoxious. ]
Stop pouting.
[ he says primly, sucking hot sauce off his fingers like a five year old. they match! ]
[ it is huge. he is constantly covered in pink fur now? it's the worst. even when he's not been here for like a week, he still finds it on himself and then feels weird about it and then has to show up and bother him, which is definitely not a sign of the fact that he has feelings or anything.
anyway,
he gets a scowl over pouting. rude? and therion pinches him in the side for it, but he'll answer his question, nonchalant as ever. ]
Fine. [ why wouldn't it be. it's like a little sore but he's so distantly unaware of any pain in his body that he doesn't care about it. ] Not really any different than yesterday.
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he takes a long drink and just makes a noise whenever jiaoqiu thanks him, waving it off and settling back in. unaware of jiaoqiu's plans, he watches him - watches those ears perk up and looks away again. any satisfaction is easily kept off of his face, even if he does feel it, something small and sweet and fluttery kept as far away from the surface as humanly possible.
he looks jiaoqiu and his blanket up and down, and gives him a judgy look. ]
Wow. Thanks for the lesson in civility. I'll keep it in mind. [ so, so dry. acerbic as ever. and just to nitpick for nitpicking's sake, he continues - ] What were you going to do if I was actually someone breaking into your house?
[ with your naked bare ass and your blanket cape. he does not deny the implication. he doesn't really miss it, either. ]
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thinks about how he should probably not joke about dying in front of therion
closes his mouth. tries again. ]
Perhaps I was relying on a knight in a scarf that doesn't belong to him to save me. [ he teases. ] I would have been fine. I don't like combat, but it doesn't mean I can't protect myself. Even naked.
[ adjusts his blanket. actually, he'll just go put on pants. that's it, just loose sweat pants and no underwear because he doesn't really care enough to get totally dressed when therion has had his fingers like, inside him. when he wanders back out, he's holding his coffee cup in both hands, shuffling across his apartment to where therion is so that he can get in his space and be annoying. bunts his head against therion's jaw. ]
Hm. I'll need a shower, too... [ nyeh. he's sticky and gross. but also he smells like therion and his foxian brain likes that, so. y'know. ]
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before jiaoqiu gets away too far, he gets the scarf tossed on top of his dumb head for his trouble because he forgot he was wearing it. how dare you compare him to a fantasy cop ]
Sure. I guess they might laugh themselves back down the fire escape.
[ he doesn't doubt that jiaoqiu could probably defend himself. but, then again, he can't think of any other thief who would be dumb enough to look at jiaoqiu of all people and consider him some kind of target for theft. there is nothing in here worth stealing, as jiaoqiu has told him many, many times, and also, the idea kind of rankles him a little bit? he's the one that made the comment, but also. no. not allowed.
he's mostly back to his normal, grouchy self by the time jiaoqiu comes back - just kind of standing in the kitchen, holding his coffee, mind off down a different path entirely, wandering back to the fact that he's staying here, at least for now. it's being head bunted that gets him to snap out of the swirl of emotions he's still feeling about the concept of staying somewhere - therion makes a noise, tilting his head up and shutting his eye, making space for this very animal behavior to happen without any actual complaining. letting him into his space like this is a sign enough he's not bothered. ]
What are you complaining to me about it for. [ grumbling. ] And you're the one that put on pants.
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[ yawns. he's happy to be allowed here, pushing his luck, pushing boundaries. but he wasn't very worried about it - therion bought him coffee and got mad when jiaoqiu implied that someone else could steal from him. he figures he's got some leeway in being close. it's sort of all he wants, right now, and it's been so long that he's just letting himself go for it. he leans against therion with a little huff, sipping his coffee. he can make food in a second. cuddle him first. ]
You can take them off me later, once I've checked to make sure that your wounds haven't reopened. You know that I am in possession of a door? Yes?
[ quit going through the window you dingus
he hasn't quite realized that therion did not mean to come back, originally. ]
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anyway. he sighs as if put upon about the injuries and the door comment, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. ]
I didn't feel like digging for your keys. [ thankfully, he's a good liar - he's perfectly fine to keep up this cover story. it's more embarrassing to think that he left and came back. god. not only that, but - there's something that feels very real about using the door that he's just not going to prescribe right now. so. window like a creature it is. ] And I'm not an amateur. I'm fine.
[ like, actually fine. probably? if he reopened something, he didn't feel it. he has climbed much scarier buildings with worse injuries. he also made it up here last night with it freebleeding, so making it down and back up again was fine.
all of this grumbling, and yet, jiaoqiu is allowed to lean against therion - despite his warm face which is only just now coming down to pink, he's pretty cold from being out in the frosty daylight, so he drinks his own coffee with only the usual perfunctory level of complaining about being nagged at, and quietly lets jiaoqiu get as close as he wants. it feels nice, though he won't admit that, either. ]
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jiaoqiu will just settle here for a minute, then. he rests his head against therion's uninjured shoulder, tail swishing gently, sipping his coffee. they could be sitting in bed and doing this if therion hadn't tried to abscond, but here they are. slowly, they can warm up right here, and get used to touching. therion doesn't need to say that he likes it, jiaoqiu can tell. ]
I'd still like to check for possible infection.
[ he was very thorough about cleaning, but still. a beat. he noses a little at therion's jaw. ]
You won't be going several days without changing your bandages, in any case. [ ... ] Last chance to tell me what you'd like to have to eat.
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the nosing at his jaw keeps him from lingering on it for too long - subtly, unintentionally, he tilts a little into it. ]
Whatever's fine. [ he's never once had an actual meal request. he wouldn't even know what to ask for, and frankly, whatever jiaoqiu comes up with tastes better than 95% of the things he eats on a daily basis. ] 'm not hungry.
[ which he knows jiaoqiu will not stand for because he absolutely has not eaten since like three dumplings last night, but that's fine. jiaoqiu seems to be in a really good mood, so if he gets all fussy and naggy, it'll be annoying, but his mother hen behavior is kind of secretly a little bit charming (and a lot funny) so if he can get him to fuss about it then he'll be annoying about it on purpose. ]
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Not hungry! You've had a couple of dumplings and then vigorous activity directly after. How are you not hungry? You should be ravenous.
[ huff huff huff!!
he bites a little at therion's jaw, just an absent gnaw, and then finally pulls away with a sigh. he doesn't want to - what he wants to do, he thinks, is push therion back to bed and just nap the rest of the day away, but that's his natural rotting tendencies speaking. he should make them food, he should make them get clean, he should fuss while he's allowed to. greedy. therion won't stay forever, so he has to take as much as he can before he's gone. ]
I'll go make us something. [ fwips his tail at therion's ass. whack. ] Go get clean. Unless you'd like to wait for me.
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Let's just call it learned experience. [ dry and unbothered, and casually admitting to the fact that he doesn't eat. for most of his life, therion didn't know where his next meal was coming from, and most days, he still doesn't. it's really only ever showing up here that he's guaranteed anything. (that, and, well, his own skills. he's a good thief. it's just not exactly like he's eating home cooking.)
he jerks when his ass gets smacked and turns around to try and grab at that fluffy tail in retribution, but after a moment, he shrugs and moves past jiaoqiu like he owns the damn place, and goes to the kitchen, and
unceremoniously sits his ass right on the counter with his coffee. ]
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there is far more grumbling when therion sits! on his counter! with his ass! if he had his fan he would be whacking him with it. maybe. he's still thinking about learned experience - and how upsetting it is to him to think about therion learning how to not be hungry out of necessity. ]
You -- !
[ is what he says instead, tail puffing up. god. grouchy, as he starts digging through his fridge to find eggs and hot sauce: ]
You tempt fate, with how many knives I've got in this room. Get down from there.
[ does not bother enforcing this because he likes that therion didn't leave. hehe. ]
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[ DON'T JUST SAY THAT
therion looks unbearably smug where he's settled, leaning back against the cabinets with his coffee, the expression on his face that just says "i know you won't". awful. the worst. ]
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throws a dishtowel at him. unfortunately he does not have a rebuttal so therion wins this round.
he will cook! he's also chatty. therion absolutely does not care about what sushang did at work the other night nor does he give a shit about jiaoqiu's chore list, but he will hear about it. it's mostly just to fill the silence, and at the very least he doesn't seem to need therion to be an active participant. he can just listen or zone out if he wants.
but eventually he'll finish making an omelette with a bunch of diced ham and chili peppers and shove it into therion's hands on a plate. eat!! ]
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and... while jiaoqiu cooks, he just kind of leans back against the counters, holding his coffee, and watches him. he might not seem like he's listening, but he is - occasionally he reacts with a noise here and there to prompt him to keep chattering, but for the most part, he's very quiet, just watching him.
it's such a contrast to the other side of jiaoqiu, watching him hustle and bustle like this. he'd have to be blind to miss how lively he is here, how i like it when you stay was nothing but the truth. his mouth's still tingling a little from that surprise kiss earlier, and he sits there, wishing he had his own scarf to bury his face in and quietly having feelings that he keeps to himself, feeling warm and scared and safe and wildly comfortable and uncomfortable all at once. he's never had this much of effect on someone. no one has ever cared about his presence. ever.
the plate coming into his hand almost startles him. he takes it, looks down at the omelette, and takes whatever silverware come too. there's a pause. ]
...hey. Doc.
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he wasn't alone. he had purpose. like now. it brings the part of him that was not always miserable and broken out to see the sunshine.
when therion speaks, jiaoqiu's ear flicks. he goes back to his stove, to make himself one as well. ]
Mm?
[ he's listening. ]
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it's short, but a piece of punctuation. he pulls back a second later, and says - ]
... Thanks for breakfast.
[ and then hops off the counter and goes to properly sit down somewhere to actually eat it and behave himself, for once. maybe it's the novel fact of being cooked a meal at all. maybe it's just that lively, living creature standing in this room, instead of all the misery he's seen under the surface. maybe it's a thank you for putting up with - whatever this is. he doesn't really know, either. he'll maybe never stop expecting the shoe to drop, but... he's not too bad at living in the moment. and for right now, the moment's a good one - whether he's stolen it away or not. ]
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therion leans down and drags him back, and the kiss makes jiaoqiu let out a squeaky sound. it's embarrassing, and even worse, he's left standing a little dumb in the middle of his kitchen, as therion hops down to go sit. the only place is really the armchair in the living room - he doesn't have a couch, doesn't have any seating made for two people. when he bought this apartment, it took him months to buy anything that wasn't his bed. the armchair was an afterthought, something to make the black hole seem a little less imposing, make his living room look less empty.
jiaoqiu watches therion wander off, ears perked up and eyes open. touches his mouth briefly, fingertips at his bottom lip.
maybe he'll buy a table. maybe two chairs. ]
... You're welcome. [ he says, lamely. and then he turns to make himself food, feeling like an idiot. ]
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he's very smug about this for no reason. jiaoqiu gets to feel the way his mouth pulls up into a smirk as he's pulling away - he likes to pigtail pull and he likes to win, and it's the god given nature of a thief to be just a little dramatic. a little extra.
he waves two fingers over his shoulder to the "you're welcome" and plops down in the armchair, draping both legs over the arm and balancing the plate on his stomach so he can eat like a creature, and also like he owns the place. this is the cat you have invited into your home to stay, unfortunately, and whether he stays or not, he will at least act like he does. the food is, of course, delicious and very spicy, which he finds he never quite gets all the way used to. much like jiaoqiu himself. (and maybe that's why staying, at least sometimes, could start to work. because he can't ever be too complacent here, and that suits therion better. a moment on his guard is a moment he's closer to safe.)
he's eaten most of his food by the time jiaoqiu is done - another part and parcel of life on the street. eat fast, eat your fill, and tuck the rest away if you can. ]
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it doesn't take him long to finish cooking - he checks on therion every so often, just leaning around to see if he's still there. very casually, like it doesn't matter if he is or not, of course. even when he doesn't have someone right in his line of vision, it's... really nice to have someone else in his apartment. his tail won't stop swishing back and forth as he works.
when he carries his own food out to the living room and sees that therion is nearly finished, he looks slightly amused. part of it is the street rat thing, but also, he likes that therion likes his food as much as he does. ]
And where am I supposed to sit when there's a big bad wolf in my armchair, hm?
[ he asks playfully, ear flicking. ]
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kicks back a little further and folds his arms behind his head? on purpose? because he is the worst kind of guy and he's clearly in some kind of mood here, though it's not a bad one. ]
Iunno. That sounds like a you problem.
[ uwu ]
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he hums, and then makes his way over and just sits down on therion. he moves the plate out of the way first, but he is indeed just going to plant his furry butt on therion's lap, as awkward as the positioning is, because he has a point to make and he will be making it.
he is clearly trying not to laugh. ]
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Urk - god, your ass is so bony -
[ LIKE HIS IS ANY BETTER well whatever at least he's not getting tail shoved in his face or something. he pushes at jiaoqiu until he's in a more comfortable position, kicking his legs kind of uselessly on the other side of the armchair before he readjusts and props himself up better. there. fine. he can sit in his lap. ]
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but once they're sitting, he flops down and makes himself comfortable, ears droopy in that sort of way that's more like he's very relaxed than upset. he will eat his omelette with his fingers. just because he's a cook doesn't mean he has to use cutlery.
and like, listen, foxes don't really purr, and neither do foxians, but the rumbling sound he makes once he's tucked up close is pretty close. ]
As if you are any less bony. [ uwu ]
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however, therion loves complaining so he's clearly not that bothered by it, and despite all his harrumphing and grumbling, he settles back with his attachment and watches him eat it with his fingers, one arm folded behind his head. out of sheer necessity, the other has to drop down in the space, and it ends up kind of braced around jiaoqiu, which is... fine, also. god he's so warm ]
You don't see me shoving it on you.
[ currently ]
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in any case, he eases into the arm around him with a happy sound, letting his tail settle on and between therion's legs, like a big poofy blanket. you cannot believe how huge his tail is, it's obnoxious. ]
Stop pouting.
[ he says primly, sucking hot sauce off his fingers like a five year old. they match! ]
How is your shoulder?
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anyway,
he gets a scowl over pouting. rude? and therion pinches him in the side for it, but he'll answer his question, nonchalant as ever. ]
Fine. [ why wouldn't it be. it's like a little sore but he's so distantly unaware of any pain in his body that he doesn't care about it. ] Not really any different than yesterday.
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