Game 035 [Action] - Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart

[neverplaysfair]

[ If you're up and about late, late on the border of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you might happen to catch Joshua making his way from the plaza towards Community Housing 5, holding what on closer inspection reveals itself to be a violin case. He's rather under-dressed, especially considering the snow is picking up, but he doesn't seem to mind much at all.

A little later, you can find him on top of Community Housing 5, sans violin case. He's just sitting in the snow, staring up at the stars that occasionally peek through the clouds. ]

Comments

[nattocat.livejournal.com]

I'll give it a try tomorrow. A Christmas present for the cat.

[ He manages to hold back the CAT puns here, too intent on getting upstairs. ]

You wanna grab a dry shirt first? Or just take it off, if the cold won't bug you.

[neverplaysfair]

[ Guess what Joshua will be doing, then? Taking off his shirt as he's walking and tossing it over his shoulder for Sanae to catch. Or not. ]

[nattocat.livejournal.com]

[ Hope you don't mind some cake on that shirt, Josh. Arms loaded, Sanae gives up on getting the jacket off and just follows Josh to his room. ]

[neverplaysfair]

[ Not really. But one thing that's now clearly visible to Sanae is the pair of scars running down Joshua's back. They're still there, still all the way down, but they're not so discolored as they've been at times in the past. A little bruising around the edges, but it's mostly just the reddish-brownish of wounds that look like they're on their way to making impressive-looking scars, except that these are the scars, these aren't healing any time soon.

Joshua doesn't even act like they're there as he makes his way up the stairs and down the hall to Sanae's room. ]

[nattocat.livejournal.com]

[ He slows down a little, tripped up by the rawness of the wounds, the way they still look so fresh and painful. That's not what a scar should look like, and it bothers him that there's little left to do about it. Not without some very extreme warping of Josh's Soul and code, at least, and even then he's not sure how much can be reversed, only slowed.

He thinks of the bullet wound in his waist and wonders just how many scars they'll have by the time they get out of here. If they ever do.

Once they're in-- ]

... get comfy and I'll tuck you in, then.

[ The amusement seems a bit lacking. ]

[neverplaysfair]

[ For a moment, Joshua's quiet, the expression on his face almost pained...

And in an instant it's gone, and he's climbing into the bed and under the covers, kitten nowhere to be found. He lays on his back and quickly pulls the sheets up to cover the faint white lines across the left side of his chest. ]

You'll make me feel like a teenager all over again at this rate.

[nattocat.livejournal.com]

[ Sanae doesn't quite manage to keep himself from staring, eyes on those scars now, so much less dangerous and yet somehow even more of a weak point. His gaze lingers even after the sheets are in the way. ]

Do teenagers usually get tucked in, or are they too good for it by then? More like that time you were ten.

[neverplaysfair]

[ Joshua notices, and his eyes narrow just a little, the amusement waning just a hint. ]

A good question. It all depends on the teenager, I suppose.

[ And Sanae just might happen to notice that Joshua has a death grip on the blanket. He doesn't like the fact that you're eying the scars, and he doesn't like the idea of you trying to touch them. ]

[nattocat.livejournal.com]

[ He notices, blinks, and offers Joshua a small smile that is honestly apologetic. Harmless, he hopes. The scars are a topic he plans to address, but not now. Not tonight. ]

Wish I remember much about you as a kid. I watched you just like the rest, but it does start to blur. 'Specially in the RG.

[neverplaysfair]

Maybe I remember better than you do. [ He giggles, though it's still a little strained. The trust they had going is shaken, and even if it's not enough for Joshua to back out now, he's still a bit less comfortable than he was before. ] I don't seem to recall ever being tucked in, then.

[nattocat.livejournal.com]

I can think best in the Higher Plane -- think differently, at least. Here and like this, I'm too human.

[ But he approaches the bed anyway, nice and slow and careful. No sudden movements. His eyes have left Joshua's chest now, but he feels like it at least needs to be acknowledged: ]

I'm not gonna bother those.

[neverplaysfair]

You'd better not. [ There's just a bit more edge to it than there normally might be. Joshua's grip relaxes but doesn't let go. Almost a year later, these are still scars he's afraid of, still things he's twitchy about, and he doesn't like it. He doesn't like it one bit. ]

[nattocat.livejournal.com]

Just said I wouldn't, didn't I? Wouldn't turn around and do it anyway.

[ Sanae takes a seat on the edge of the bed, looking Josh over again, but he's very deliberately keeping his eyes from staying on the man's chest for long. ]

[neverplaysfair]

You can say whatever you'd like. In the end, it comes down to what you do. [ He still doesn't let go of the covers. ]

[nattocat.livejournal.com]

D'you think I'm going to?

[ His tone is too gentle to be mocking. ]

[neverplaysfair]

It doesn't hurt to be cautious. [ Though his tone is more teasing than wary, there's a hint of seriousness to it ]