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

[armanyo]

[ it's a truly heroic effort. no wonder you're the true route. ]

You only guess? No, no, no, that won't do at all. We need certainty.

[ ....... yeah sure? all right. ]

[keeptrucking]

[He's totes worth it, thanks. It'd be nice if he had some certainty about what exactly, down to the letter, out loud in words Joe is wheedling him about... but that would be too awkward to ask, because he's 12.]

Okay. Sure, why not. [this enthusiasm???] I mean... yeah.

[armanyo]

[ asking and having an open and honest conversation is far beyond them. together, they're probably 25. ]

That's more like it!

[ have another appropriately timed hand squeeze. he shifts against the couch just a bit, just to get more comfortable, but tugs daichi with him to resume their earlier closeness. ]

[keeptrucking]

[This is... the end of anything making sense... no, that was hours ago. But one of these Daichi is going to wake up and realized he moved in with Joe or something and had no idea, at this rate.

He's trying. He doesn't resist moving a little to stay, well... cozy. Other than the gay secret code he doesn't know, this is nice.]

Yeah, yeah. It's not like it's a big deal... [Stop being a dork.... that's endearing?? He's not smiling, god. Lame.]

[armanyo]

[ so lame!

there is no gay secret code. he's literally just playing gay chicken right now because the last thing he wants to do is make one of his closest friends uncomfortable. that'd be awkward. no crush is worth making someone feel that weirded out. so baby steps it is. ]

Yeah?

[ oh no there's a mischievous smirk and he's using his free arm to reach out away from the couch towards the table where the neglected fries are. what will you do, daichi???? ]

[keeptrucking]

[Everything is a gay secret code to Daichi. Girls are a straight secret code. How does he do any of this. Let him go get a piece of paper and pass Joe a "do you like me? Y/N" note instead of using his words, which is apparently too mysterious.

Anyway he just got comfortable and now he has to beware fries again. Fry code: it's bad.]

If you put food in my face again, I'm changing my mind. [For like five minutes, at least.]

[armanyo]

[ actually, the middle school style note would probably work best. maybe you should go do that and save them both the headache, daichi.

the look remains and he's still leaning ever-closer to the fries, fingertips brushing against the plate the fries are resting upon. ]

Hehe, try and stop me.

[ twelve years old. ]

[keeptrucking]

[It's too late now, they're in fry hell. He'll send a text from the bathroom later and it will be as stupid as that sounds.]

Hey. Hey. Don't do it. Don't do something you'll regret.

[Will he, though? Will he regret heckling Daichi with more fries?? Daichi has no choice but to reach for Joe's arm with his free hand and try tugging his hand away from the plate. Please, spare him.]

[armanyo]

[ but!! the fries!! ]

Me? Regret?

[ joe is trilling again and he is wiggling his hand in daichi's grasp, still trying to get to those elusive fries. he's trying to squirm slightly away, too, all the while remaining attached to daichi via his other hand.

truthfully? it's a hot mess. this is a hot mess right now. ]

[keeptrucking]

Don't do something I'll regret? Stop—wiggling!

[Aren't you a grownup?? He can't get away from Daichi if Daichi just pulls his other arm more. around? himself? It's a strategy.]

[armanyo]

[ what a strategy!

joe is just laughing at this point, only half-heartedly trying to reach for the fries. ]

There's no soda to spill this time, Dai.

[ just a helpful reminder, gosh! his arm will stay put where it is, now snuggly tucked around daichi. pray for them. ]

[keeptrucking]

That doesn't mean you should be shoving stuff in my face.

[You big goddamn dork. And no, no fries, this hand is coming over to Daichi too. So, uh, hug... him? God save Daichi.]

[armanyo]

But it's funny.

[ shameless.

what's also shameless is that he adjusts so that the hug is more comfortable, both arms loosely hugged around daichi. they might as well be spooning at this point. joe's chin comes down to perch on daichi's shoulder. ]

Revenge of the carbohydrates.

[keeptrucking]

[Oh good, now he's in a perfect position for Daichi to whap his now-free-again hand right into his face. Gently. He makes up for it by patting his cheek a little, that's gay. Sigh.]

Revenge of the... [nope, he's got nothing.] You're a real piece of work, you know that?

[But he's still here. Basically spooning. Little spoon lifestyle.]

[armanyo]

Am I a Monet?

[ rude?

joe just laughs again, the noise a mock whine at being hit in the face. the pat is appreciated and before he can even process what he's doing - because that's joe for you - he tilts his head and very mindlessly presses a kiss to daichi's palm.

that's gay.

that's mega gay. ]

[keeptrucking]

More like a crayon drawing.

[That's rude, Daichi.

This movie is still going in the background, meanwhile, and for a whole twenty seconds Daichi pretends like he's actually watching it. He looks at the TV and everything, right up until some crayon drawing dweeb actually puts his actual mouth on his actual, uh, self.

That's real gay. Is that the heart attack slash swooning he's supposed to be on the lookout for? He makes a frankly stupid noise, like there were real words until he tried to say them. Um.]

...Oh. [nailed it.]

[armanyo]

[ ... what in the world kind of reaction is that? oh?

if joe were anyone else, he probably would have reacted poorly. if anything, he would have leaned away or apologized. but it's joe and he's oddly patient despite being the most restless man in the universe. ]

Eh? Oh?

[ but he'll still call him the fuck out. ]

[keeptrucking]

[It's the best he can do on short notice!! Even that tiniest of callouts gets him to wince, now, embarrassed of what a stupid reaction that was...]

Uh... [how does he form words] W-well, I'm not swooning.

[Is this a challenge or a statement of fact?? It's desperation. But he hasn't pulled away.]

[armanyo]

[ that can be misunderstood. that can mean a lot of things, daichi. ]

I can see that.

[ there's a start of a laugh, though, and he's giving daichi a stare out of the corner of his eyes. ]

D'you really think anyone would swoon with just that? [ "just" ]

[keeptrucking]

[Joe, you're dumped? That was so fast.]

Well—maybe...? N-not me, obviously. [He's too cool. Too cool and not looking at Joe, but hmm...]

So, uh... what else?

[he's trying.]

[armanyo]

[ is that an invitation? it sounded like one. ]

Is that a let Uncle Joe explain kind of request, or a hands-on request?

[ joe... he does have the decency to lower his voice to something just above a whisper, the annoying drawl vanishing from it. ]

[keeptrucking]

[Okay, wait. Wait.]

I'm not going to call you Uncle. [Jesus, talk about making it weird. He fumbles blindly for a second before he finds Joe's ear to tug on it. Don't be this weird.

....

any day now—] Since I'm not gonna call you that, it must be the other one.

[armanyo]

Must be.

[ he's just being a dork! it's fine!

well, there's only so much pussyfooting around it that joe can manage. again, while patient, he's far too restless to not take that opening.

joe chuckles and then tilts his head to the side - given the weird angle and all - before kissing the farthest patch of skin on daichi's jaw. ]

[keeptrucking]

[Daichi has been working under the assumption that he'll deal with Joe's more advanced, uh, advances in one of two ways: totally smoothly, or he'll just straight up burst into flame. A futile hope and a grim reality check, basically.

But neither of these happen, which is a new twist. He can't say he's totally cool about it, the tension in his shoulders threatening to get stuck that way, but he also doesn't actually have a heart attack. Nice!

He's still in the game, though, reaching that ear pulling hand back a little more to slide his fingers into Joe's hair. Hey.]

We're working with totally different definitions of "hands-on", huh?

[daichi,]

[armanyo]

[ there's a joke to be had here about daichi's hands on him, but he doesn't make it. instead, he doesn't call attention to how nice it feels to have a hand actually in his hair. just don't knock off his glasses. ]

Hmm. What's your definition?

[ they could be very similar or very different. he isn't so sure right ow, but he's willing to just patiently sit here and find out.

give daichi enough time to recover and all. ]