i have cut to the feeling on repeat

[keeptrucking]

[Scene: two losers go to a shopping mall, because Daichi was wandering around looking disappointed in himself yet again and Joe has Better Ideas Than That. Daichi can't remember if he was actually asked if he wanted to be here, or if he was simply dragged along for the ride again and couldn't refuse once they were already at the mall. Joe just happens so much at once, despite all of Daichi's half-hearted complaining, so... here they are.

At the mall. Daichi is, at least, not sulking about whatever he was feeling inadequate about before. Instead:]

Man, my feet hurt... [Here, he affects his best (worst) Joe Voice:] Let's go shopping, Daichi! It'll be fun! —It's been nearly three hours and all we have to show for it is one magazine. C'mon, you could have done this without me.

[This menace... Why is he here, Joe? Why??]

Comments

[keeptrucking]

[No, he's a good boy and drinking is bad for you? Also what if beer is gross and he embarrasses himself?! Soda is safe.

Joe can have his water, Daichi slides it over as he sits back down.]

Don't say it like that. Drink your water.

[armanyo]

Aye aye, Master.

[ if only joe was capable of not telling jokes. no wonder him and hibiki get along so well.

he uncaps his water and takes a swig.

and you know what? you know what time it is?

it's fry in the face time one last time. ]

[keeptrucking]

Don't call me that, either! [Joe!! Thin ice, mister.

Daichi's peaceful soda drinking is interrupted by another goddamn fry, and everyone wants to know: what stupid anime noise does he make?!

It's an eep. He actually says "eep," out loud and loudly, at a fry in his face. It was surprising!! Watch him spill soda on his uniform, now, as a bonus.] Joe...

[armanyo]

[ i'm fucking crying.

joe blinks, long and slow, and then is hurrying to grab some napkins he had fetched earlier. in a flash of arms, he begins trying to dry and soak up all that soda on his uniform.

he didn't expect a fry to be so startling?!? ]

Eh, eh, this won't do at all. You're going to need something dry.

[ ........ ]

[keeptrucking]

[when you >Sneak up on Daichi, this is what you get

But wow, now there's all this Joe up in his space again. That's fine, it's totally his fault Daichi spilled soda all over himself like a child... don't speak. He's speaking. Don't.

Daichi is holding his fucking scarf out of the way, so at least that much of him will remain dry. Priorities. Now then—]

Uh, what?

[armanyo]

Your clothes are wet and sticky.

[ phrasing? ]

Lemme go grab something. Hold please.

[ he's to drop the collection of napkins unceremoniously on daichi's lap. and then stand up to head to his bedroom to grab a light grey pullover. he has clothes aren't suits?! by gosh. ]

Ta-da! [ he says as he returns. ]

[keeptrucking]

[Daichi knows where this is going because he does occasionally exist in the real world, but he's not doing anything about it while he's suddenly covered in napkins and left to try and soak up as much soda as he can on his own.

At least not until the Bizarre Reality of Joe trying to dress him in his clothes comes back to stare him in the face. Huh, it really isn't a suit.]

You—hmm. [he'd object, but he sure is wet and sticky. nnngh. give him the shirt.] Do you even have laundry machines in here...?

[armanyo]

In the basement, yup. Couldn't get a place with in-unit.

[ the woes of being an adult: using the washing machine in the basement. still, he dangles the sweatshirt in daichi's face. ]

Eh... Sorry about the soda. Really.

[ it wasn't his intention. for once. ]

[keeptrucking]

[Hmm... HMM...... he'll choose to believe this. He still gives Joe a look, taking the sweatshirt and piling the crumpled napkins onto the counter next to what's left of his soda.]

Yeah, yeah... don't worry about it. Where's your bathroom?

[He will not strip in the kitchen.]

[armanyo]

[ what about the living room? this is a legitimate question?

either way, he points down the hall. there's only three doors: a bedroom, a closet, and a bathroom. good luck finding it by process of elimination. ]

Don't get lost.

[ JOE PLEASE. ]

[keeptrucking]

[Slightly more likely than the kitchen, but only just??? Spill a different drink on him next time and find out.]

You only have one hallway!

[He's going, please clean up after him while he finds the right room and changes into your sweatshirt. It's just too big for him enough to be noticeable, embarrassing. He'll reemerge in a couple minutes with his soda-soaked clothes "folded" up in a ball, and twists of twists, he's taken off his scarf voluntarily. What a mystery.]

I'm wearing more of your clothes today than I expected.

[inner thoughts, daichi]

[armanyo]

[ inner thoughts: a daichi musical.

by that time, joe has taken off his suit jacket and hung it up on the coat rack. he's just down to some nice slacks and a dress shirt and he's cleaning up the rest of the mess with as much grace as a man like joe can possess. when daichi remerges, he glances up and a grin ebbs its way onto his face. ]

Not too shabby. .... And how much were you expecting?

[ zero filter akie. ]

[keeptrucking]

[Ah, so things just got a lot more Casual in here, apparently... all things considered, he'd rather be awkwardly standing there holding his laundry than getting more fries shoved in his face. Perhaps Joe has learned his lesson (doubtful).

Also: uh.]

N-no, that's not what I meant! [daichi, take a breath.] I mean—none? You kept throwing your hat on me, and now this...

[Please tell him where he can put this laundry before he dissolves.]

[armanyo]

[ you're the one that broke this topic up, daichi. be a man!

joe doesn't dwell on it and instead heads over to gracefully collect the soiled clothes from daichi's clutches. it's a perfect excuse for more non-so-accidental hand grazing.

had you missed it? ]

Eh. Who knows. Maybe it's all a clever ruse.

[ .... oh good he stopped there - ] To get you out of your clothes.

[ he didn't fucking stop. he meant that in a non perverse way, but there's very few ways that it can be taken. ]

[keeptrucking]

[Daichi can't be blamed for his inability to keep his thoughts to himself, please. Joe did this. Joe and his sweatshirt and his hand touching...]

...Again? [Like, okay, he hears and acknowledges the dirty way to take that statement because his mind definitely went there first and with bells on, but also he spent like half the afternoon in a changing room. Joe was there.

Joe, is this a fetish.]

[armanyo]

[ the hand-holding or the clothes thing? ]

Again.

[ he isn't entirely sure why he's agreeing to that but okay? either way, he's going to just grin and grab the plates that have the remainder of their food on them. annnd steer them both towards the small living room nearby to finish the food. ]

Hey now, I'm surprised. It looks good on you.

[ why are they like this? ]

[keeptrucking]

[You know? Both. How is there still food left after all the fries shoved mercilessly at Daichi's face, he wonders while he's maneuvered into the other room. Joe just wants to dress him up - or in this case, down - for mysterious reasons, okay...]

Thanks. You really know how to flatter a guy.

[Sigh, Joe. Well, Daichi's a lot more at ease flopping down on whatever couch Joe has than he was being a fool in the kitchen, so that's a plus.]

[armanyo]

[ that is the worst thing you could have ever said, daichi. if you wanted joe to lay off, that is.

joe flops down beside him, reaching for the remote. a few flicks of the wrist later and he has netflix loading (and chilling) and he tosses a sidelong glance at the brunette beside him. ]

Flatter, huh? I haven't even started in on the flattery.

[keeptrucking]

[Maybe he wants Joe to lay on— Or more likely his mental "want" pile is a hot mess and he's just going to think about Netflix (and chill) now. Yeah.]

Uh huh. [he's not even that handsome... don't compliment him....... melodrama.]

Well, try not to say anything weird, okay?

[armanyo]

Define weird.

[ joe tries to play it cool and not make a show of resting his hand on the back of the couch. listen he doesn't have his arm around you or anything, daichi. it's just comfortable to sprawl his arm out like that!

or something. ]

[keeptrucking]

[This works only because Daichi's hyper-awareness of Joe's hands has looped around so far that he wonders if maybe he's imagining all this touchy-feely stuff. He is not adept at this.]

Uh... what do you think is weird?

[this is uncharted territory: the joe mind.]

[armanyo]

[ you would think joe would be smoother, or better, given the fact he has in fact held down a stable relationship before. but apparently you never really get the hang of these things. ]

Squids, for starters.

[ that's not fucking what daichi meant? ]

But in terms of words? Ehhhhh, not much, I guess.

[keeptrucking]

Squids? [SQUIDS? Is Joe here right now, in this room with him?? Jesus.

Daichi shakes his head, like he needs to physically force squids out of this conversation. Stop. No.]

You know what? Never mind. You're hardly the weirdest person I've ever met, so...

[NO RULES?? famous last words.]

[armanyo]

[ you know what's weirder than squids? saying that he's not the weirdest person you know. it gives him so much leeway.

except he just laughs (almost fondly) at that and drops the squid topic entirely. there is a god after all. ]

Is that the flattery you were talking about?

[ look!! that hand is now patting daichi's shoulder. what was that about touchy and hands? ]

[keeptrucking]

[Considering the rest of their weirdo friends... he's not taking that back, but also don't tell any of them he said that or they'll probably all mock him into next week at once.

Anyway, hhhello hand.]

I, uh... I don't remember. [He wasn't even being serious about this flattery business before Joe made it a Thing?]