syckophant | IC Inbox

[Eichi pauses, thinking. It certainly isn't like he didn't enjoy it, so why is he so sour? That's something harder to pin down, even while he thinks about it.]

It's just...

I don't know if Tenn would be okay with it. I want to make my reparations to you, to do my service, and it isn't that it is unpleasant...

[Is this cheating? Should he do it? Should he ask Tenn? No, that's insane.]

[fox tilts his head]

Tenn? Is that your... paramour?

A paramour suggests he is somehow illicit. He is my b... boyfriend. The one I have.

[Wataru is his paramour, thank you.]

[look it was the first thing that came to mind, 'boyfriend' sounds too innocent for eichi]

You feel he would object to this? Hmm... I do not know this person, but I do not wish for others to become drawn into our arrangement unwillingly, or become aggrieved due to it.

[...]

While we have an understanding about exclusivity, I can still imagine Joker and Prim raising... not objections, perhaps, but worry over me. So... you may have a point.

I don't know, that's the problem.

[He leans back in the bath, looking up in thought.]

I don't want to hurt him... and of course there is the fact that he might worry if he did know.

... should it be kept a secret between the two of us? That's...

It doesn't feel good, does it? The idea of keeping it a secret.

No. No, it does not.

It did not feel good keeping you a secret before, either.

I'll have to talk to Tenn.

He's been my support through everything so far, someone I can rely upon to let me vent and he's the place I call home, so whatever he decides... I'll take into account going forward.

It's my only choice.

You sound as though I've condemned you to suffering.

[but, admittedly, fox is surprised to hear eichi speak of someone with such obvious fondness, such tenderness]

... I shall speak with Prim and Joker on the matter.

...I don't know.

[Eichi of course has a way of catastrophizing and following "telling Tenn I fucked Fox and might do so again" ends with "he never speaks to me again and i die a slow death alone in a hospital bed again".]

Lucifer suffers in Hell through no one's actions but his own.

[... brushes some hair from eichi's face, soft (wet) tufts of fur brushing his cheek]

It truly worries you.

Of course it does.

[He hadn't admitted to "the 'l' word" yet, not to Tenn or himself, but he didn't know how he'd continue on without him. It's very frustrating.]

I was doing so good. I was getting better. Maybe I could even have been acceptable for just one person in all of existence. But I had to go out and do this, and Tenn is who I confide everything in.

He was jealous already, knowing Wataru was here and I have feelings for him. You would take me from him less than my Wataru, but that doesn't mean I didn't come out here on something explicitly called a "date", which we messed around on.

[lowers his hand, studying eichi's expression]

... do not give up before you have even tried. He means more to you than you will say, does he not? Tell him your true feelings, tell him what he means to you. If he is so important to you, you cannot afford to lose hope. Paint me the villain for demanding your body as recompense if you must, but do not resign yourself to despair when you have those who love you and whom you love in return all around you.

[fox rises and strides towards the edge of the pool to climb out]

I shall do the same.

[Eichi remains in the water for a moment longer.]

Fox.

... Thank you.

And.... I'm sorry. I have a bad habit of not thinking... Of rushing to conclusions and doing things too hastily.

[He doesn't apologize often. It's hard to, because he doesn't like to admit he regrets anything. He's too prideful for that, but he's trying to be better in many ways and that sometimes means doing things he's uncomfortable with.]

[fox pauses, taken aback. it takes him a few moments to digest eichi's words, to let them sink in. he glances back over his shoulder]

I accept your apology.

[rising from the water, he makes his way back towards the changing rooms]

I shall wait for you by the exit. Take your time.

[Eichi doesn't speak, just nodding and allowing Fox to go. He remains for some time, but begins to feel faint after awhile, which prompts him to get out and dry off.

He's still deep in thought as he cleans and dries himself before dressing and going to meet Fox at the exit.]

Shall we? There are games to play here and sights to see, unless you'd like to get home.

[fox is waiting patiently in his kimono, his hair now floppy]

... not just yet. But I won't keep you here all night, either. How about a game before we head back?

[Shit.

... Night. Eichi has to pretend not to get anxious just at the thought of it. He doesn't have his glowy pillow that Tenn got him.]

Right. What would you like to play?

[fox is looking around at their options, and approaches a throwing game, with a big !!! prize !!! advertised for the person who can throw the ball into the top cup. the prize is probably a giant stuffed panda or sth]

Shall we see which of us has the better aim?

Hmmm.

[Eichi regards it curiously.]

I can certainly try it! I admit I've never tried getting anything into... a cup...

Well, if neither of us succeed, I can try to steal the prize anyway. I am a thief, after all.

[fox picks up one of the balls, rolls up his kimono sleeve, and takes a swing! ... it hits the cup but bounces off the rim]

[Eichi watches carefully, committing the movement to memory, but then Fox fails... Now he has to try to think if he'd seen anyone successfully do this before. He picks up a ball, holding it got a moment and looking at the cup, seemingly trying to calculate something before his first try... which mimics Fox's exactly.]

I should be able to get it, with any luck. Unless you get it first, then I'll be able to get it, easy.

[that's weird, normally eichi is the one doing the puppeteering...]

Let me try again.

[fox reels back, adjusting his stance just slightly, and throws! ... the ball ping-pongs around the rim a few times before falling off]

Drat.

[Hm! Interesting. Fox's shift and throw changed but the result was the same. So Eichi won't get what he needs by just copying him. That's hard, though.

So Eichi tries a little on his own, shifting his stance similarly, but not so dramatically, and then when he makes his second shot...

He overshoots it, and doesn't even hit the cup.]

Oh... Hmm. It's harder than it looks.

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