purrtagonist | [acatalepsy ic contact]

[in the end, Akira's response is simple and honest]

Yeah.

[why even deny it, when he speaks of his best friend with such powerful words?]

I do.

[it's only a few words, but they're filled with so many emotions it's hard to identify them all-- fondness, gratitude, admiration, and. . . maybe a touch of yearning. oops]

[ ... Ah. So it really is like that.

Rion's way too open-minded to really balk at the idea of two guys together, so that's not what has her glancing down at her hands with a slightly crestfallen expression. It's the knowledge, though, that Ryuji is someone so precious to Akira that he even sounds like that now. She hadn't known that when she'd confessed to him, so she thinks that apologizing now would just be pointless.

But she's not sure what to say or do here. Is she supposed to say or do anything in the first place? ]

[it seems as though Akira doesn't really expect her to say much. after all, he isn't finished. and he's acutely aware that it probably stings for her to hear something like this on the heels of her confession]

[but still. proceeding otherwise without all of these being in the open felt. . . wrong. wrong and unfair. if she decides she isn't interested after learning about how Akira feels about his best friend, then that's her perogative]

I told him about-- you. And how I felt about you, too. Do you know what he told me?

[prepare yourself, Rion]

"Dude, grab a baseball bat and hit that way, way outta the park! If you got something to go after, go out 'n get it, y'know? Grand slam it all the way to IHOP."

[. . .]

Ignore his phrasing, he absolutely didn't mean it that way.

[JUST. TO BE CLEAR]

[ ... er. ]

Grand-slamming and baseball bats aside...

[ Oh, boy. Once again, this is a lot to process. ]

Does that mean you didn't tell him how you felt?

-- Are you actually okay with that?

[FLAPS. . . A HAND. . . he's sorry for his best friend, Rion]

No. I didn't tell him. [but] I think his feelings for me have always been platonic, anyway.

[and rather than risk making things awkward, in that moment, Akira recalled what Ann had told him-- don't treat Rion like a second choice. and maybe, just maybe, if he hadn't been thinking about that, he probably would've realized that during that conversation both he and Ryuji were doing the "I want my best friend to be happy, so I'll step back graciously" dance. but that doesn't really matter; that conversation still solidified what Akira wanted to do. and that's why he's here now]

So I guess that's just. . . how things are going to be.

[becaaaause]

[ANOTHER DEEP BREATH]

If you don't mind that these are feelings that I'm still working on getting over, then--

I'd really like to take you to dinner. Finally.

...

[ Rion is quiet for longer than usual-- which probably isn't all that unusual, given the topic here. If Akira had told him, or if Ryuji hadn't encouraged this--

Well. She's very much aware that his bond with Ryuji is an incredibly powerful thing and he's only met Rion here. She hasn't shared those experiences with him, or saved him from the darkest depths of his own bitterness-- and honestly, to her, that's fine. There's no sense in feeling any kind of regret about that. Comparing herself to his best friend would be absolutely stupid, so she doesn't.

But there's still a trace of uncertainty when she looks back up at him, choosing her words carefully even as her fingers curl rather tightly into the fabric of her skirt. ]

And you're sure that this is-- [ Rion hates this, not sounding as confident as she normally does, but-- ] That I'm what you want?

[that was literally the last question he wanted her to ask, both to him and herself. but he supposes, after all of that? it's to be expected, even though his expression flinches a bit when the words leave her mouth]

[so he shifts on the bench to face her, expression fierce]

You're incredible, Rion.

[he says that so simply, like it's just. a fact of life. after all, how he feels about Ryuji doesn't diminish or change how he feels about her]

I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't absolutely sure.

[ She nearly winces, seeing him flinch like that-- because there was no way it wasn't a painful question to someone struggling with his feelings like he was. But she'd wanted to make sure. Absolutely sure-- that Akira wasn't doing this for anyone else's sake. Not for Ryuji's, not for hers. But because this was what he'd decided on, for himself.

So Rion holds his gaze for a few more seconds-- and then sighs, softly. ]

You didn't have to tell me all of that. That you did-- says a lot. So take as long as you need to deal with those feelings.

... Because you're stuck with me now.

[ah]

[his pulse pounds loudly in his ears, but he doesn't reach out for her just yet. even though his hands itch to cup her cheeks in his palms]

I wanted to be honest. [Akira doesn't like lying, or hiding things from people. he never has] So you could decide for yourself if you really wanted to-- [gestures. between them] -- despite everything.

[despite his strong feelings for Ryuji, which are still going to take time to get over. even if he's made the active choice to start doing just that]

I mean-- it's a lot, definitely.

[ She can't deny that, and he'd been honest with her; she ought to be honest with him. ]

And saying it doesn't hurt at all would be a lie... but it's not like you led me on or gave me false hope or anything like that. You let me know there were things you were dealing with, and that you weren't ready to give me an answer yet, and I'm glad you didn't try to force yourself. I don't think this was an easy decision for you to reach, either-- and you still gave me a choice.

... [ Slowly, she presses one palm to her chest. ]

I think that it's still going to be tough, but I want to try being your strength too. Because you're also incredible, Akira, and you're worth it. I absolutely won't back down on that.

[and slowly. . . he beams, something wide and bright that lights up his eyes and his entire expression. despite how complicated this has been, despite how complicated his own feelings are, despite how much a small part of him does mourn for what could-have-been-but-wasn't with Ryuji. . .]

[he's pretty happy to hear that from her]

[and it's definitely one of those moments where actions speak louder than words, because suddenly his hands are on her face and he's embracing the #yolo deep within his heart as he dips his head and catches her mouth in a kiss]

[IT'S PROBABLY NICER TO ASK FIRST, BUT. ANYWAY]

[ She probably should have expected that. Maybe if she'd been a little less tired, she would have expected that, but surely, Akira would have wanted to wait until she'd fixed her hair and made herself a little less dusty and scraped up--

Then again... this is Akira. This is absolutely something he would do, and not even bother to ask, and Rion would laugh except he's kissing her and it's warm and pleasant and sends a rush of heat straight through her that prompts her to respond.

Her hands lift, fingers seeking out the wavy strands of his hair to sink into, and she mumbles something that's probably "Really" but then she's tipping her chin up a bit and kissing him back.

He started it. ]

[he absolutely started it, and he has absolutely no regrets. especially when she reciprocates, fingers carding through his hair, scraping against his scalp. she doesn't laugh, but her huffed really draws a chortle from him, muffled against her lips as it is]

[but it's only a hitch, because after the laughter fades away he's diving back into kiss wholeheartedly, fingertips tracing patterns against her cheeks. he started it, and he's not about to be the first one to end it. at least, not yet]

[ She'd been a little concerned that he might have had reservations, even now, but there's no hesitation to be found in the way he kisses her. It's an enthusiasm she's never faced until now, and the way he touches her only drives it home, even if it feels like heat is following the lackadaisical patterns his fingers are tracing against her skin.

Rion does have to catch her breath, not having been prepared when he'd moved in to kiss her the first time, but when she does finally draw back, she's still absentmindedly stroking her way through his hair.

Also she's definitely pink-faced, but laughing breathlessly. ]

Kissing before the first date... you really are a rebel.

[there's a touch of red to Akira's cheeks too, and when she pulls away, he only bothers to crack open one eye to peer at her underneath a half-lidded look and scruffy bangs. his hands stay on her cheeks, even though his fingers still, coming to rest near her jawline to carefully frame her features]

[god, she's cute]

I've always preferred to do things my own way, at my own pace.

[his heart said KISS HER, and lo. he did. and she reciprocated. that's all there is to it]

[ She's gratified to see that she's not the only one at least a little flustered here, although this thought is loudly drowned out by the one quietly squealing about how cute he looks when he's ever-so-slightly blushing and his hair is a mess.

She's not going to say that out loud, though, slowly easing her fingers out of his hair to press her palms to his cheeks. ]

Really? [ so dry, even though she can't seem to stop smiling. ] I hadn't noticed.

It's pretty hard to miss.

[comes Akira's snappy reply, and he opens his other eye to regard her with a fond look. and then--]

[-- he totally smooshes her cheeks together. LIKE A JERK!!]

[ what a punk, and Rion would say that, except it's hard to talk or look indignant with her cheeks squished together like this.

So the loving thing to do is take the higher road and put up with it, which

is not what Rion chooses to do, he's getting one hand slipping from his cheek to his chin.

In order to shove it.

Young love. ]

[. . . YOUNG LOVE]

Urk-- Rion. . .!

Try not to forget this is an idol's face you're manhandling.

We're very fragile.

[ sure. ]

[lets go of her cheeks to give her an exasperated (but still incredibly affectionate) expression]

I thought you were the kind of person who would've taken "fragile" as an insult.

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1/2 i'm so sorry for all of these multiple tag comments

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