[As soon as Elmott send his text, another phone in the vicinity buzzes immediately. How odd! In fact, he can also hear the sound of something cooking in that direction. Also in said direction is a lively melody sang by a talented singer, his notes round compared to the sharp sizzling of what smells like bacon filling the air. The radio is also on, though at a lower volume. Why? Well...]
Cooking, cooking at Elmott's place~ Second best to~ [hold on let him text before flipping the bacon] Sleeping at Elmott's place~
he had the bathroom door closed and jumped in the shower immediately so he wouldn't have to feel weird about waiting to see if yan qing would text him back or not. so much happened yesterday, none of it actually feels real. it's only until he picks up on the scent of bacon that makes him pause, and then squint in the direction of his kitchen. ]
No.
[ anyway, he's showered and changed and already has a cigarette in his mouth when he makes his way to the little kitchen, pausing in the doorway once he catches sight of yan qing. it takes him a second to realize he's the one cooking, and that he has a really nice singing voice... and that if this is actually a dream, he doesn't mind staying asleep for a while longer. it's hard not to smile. ]
Who said you could use my kitchen, huh?
[ he comes up behind yan qing to steal a piece of bacon, not even bothered by the heat when he pops it in his mouth. ]
[He doesn't jolt in surprise when Elmott sneaks up behind him. It's not his house, and he figured the man would wake up eventually. He knows this, but he doesn't stop him.]
Ahhh, don't eat that! [Yet he lets Elmott eat the crunchy piece of bacon, only waving the spatula as he scolds him.] If your tongue gets burnt before you get a taste of my stupidly delicious cooking, that ain't on me.
[His voice tickles his ear despite the distance, and that's when Yan Qing is made acutely aware of how tall Elmott is. He always has his back slouched, and they'd always been sitting down whenever they'd ride his bike, so Yan Qing hadn't quite noticed until now. Even as the scent of breakfast wafts across the room, he can smell Elmott's shampoo—
Well, anyway.]
You oughta thank me! [In petty revenge, he swipes Elmott's cigarette and puts it between his own lips.] Judgin' by the looks of this place, it ain't everyday you get someone to cook for ya. I used to work in a mansion, you know. My recipes are high class! Iiii just don't wanna cook if I can help it. Now siddown. Breakfast's the most important meal of the day!
[The bacon goes onto their plates, already decorated with pieces of toast and two sunny-side up eggs, and he serves them both on the small table Elmott has propped up.]
[ this might be where, if taiga was here, he'd say something like, would you kiss it better? but taiga is unfortunately (or fortunately) not here, so. he doesn't.
elmott leans against the counter next to him while he cooks, hiding his smile under the guise of chewing on that crispy piece of bacon. he doesn't usually have someone cooking for him, so it's... nice, in a way, that yan qing wanted to do it on his own volition. but maybe the simpler answer is that he just likes the way yan qing looks in his kitchen and how he fills the negative space, bringing more color and vibrancy into his apartment since he moved in the first day. ]
All right, master chef. No one's doubting you.
[ besides, he can tell just from the smell alone that it's good. or maybe it's just because it was made by yan qing. by the time the food is served, elmott has tea ready, and it all feels very domestic — much more intimate than sharing meals with the crew. the embarrassment he'd normally have is undermined by how unexpectedly nice it all is, and he figures he might as well enjoy it for as long as he can. ]
It's good, though. [ the table is small enough that if elmott stretches out his legs, his knee would easily brush yan qing's. he tries not to think about it too much. ] Why don't you wanna cook?
[He takes a drag before setting the cigarette down on a nearby ashtray, then takes his apron (Elmott's apron) off and hangs it wherever the room allows. Yan Qing's back to wearing the clothes he had when he first stepped into the amphitheatre, pressed and clean. Strangely, it's as if he'd never even gotten those wings...]
'Cause it's a pain in the ass, duh.
[Yan Qing usually eats a little faster than Elmott does, but today he paces himself. He takes a little bite of his toast, takes a little bit of his egg. It's all for show in the end; Servants don't require food to sustain themselves anyway. But if it makes Elmott feel at ease, he'll gladly take his time. It seems to be working, and it's not just Elmott who feels that way.
He takes a bite, and in his delight, bumps knees with Elmott in the process.]
Oh, you're right! Hehe. [He was praised...] I don't need to eat, anyway. I eat whatever I want whenever I want.
[ it's almost like nothing happened yesterday— like he didn't get those wings, like he wasn't trying to bring yan qing back from whatever was happening back at the tournament. if it weren't for the faint scars still on his body, he wouldn't have believed it himself.
but it's there in the way yan qing's knee bumps against his, in the way he takes his time today despite the fact he doesn't need to. ]
Thanks for the meal, then.
[ it's not the first time they've eaten together, but it's the first time yan qing's made him anything. and maybe that says something too, something that makes his chest tighten again in the same sort of way yan qing has always made him feel.
he lets his knee linger against yan qing's, swallows down the bacon and the egg and the weird fluttery feeling. ]
[Everything's going so well. Elmott rests against Yan Qing a little longer than usual and Yan Qing's trying not to let it affect the way he speaks. He's not used to this, the subtle shows of affection that he doesn't make. Between the comfort Elmott gives and the unfamiliarity of the situation, Yan Qing thinks he could mess up at any moment.
[ everything's going so well, it's nice and comfortable and their knees are touching under the table. very sweet, almost romantic, even. but elmott is not prepared for yan qing's answer and had taken that moment to take a sip of his tea.
so he chokes on it, and manages to avoid getting it on yan qing and instead gets it all over the remains of his breakfast. nailed it. ]
[ sometimes it's hard to tell whether or not yq is just teasing him or if he's actually telling the truth; this is one of those times. elmott's face is an unsurprising shade of red that matches his hair, his expression caught between annoyance and embarrassment as he tries to pull himself together again. ]
No. [ he is going to steal a piece of toast off yan qing's plate tho. he deserves this ok. ] Quit messin' with me.
[And he lets him steal it, because that's fair. Like he said, he doesn't need it. He's satisfied with simply watching Elmott eat and get flustered at the mention of, well. That.]
Aww. But you got excited, didn't you? That's nasty, El. Hahahaha! [literally just make him shut up please] ...I don't think I ever told you what I am. You know about familiars, doncha?
[ he chews the toast with a little more hostility than necessary, willing his face to cool down. it doesn't really work but he's trying. more importantly, what yq says is a good distraction at least. ]
Not that much, but yeah. [ like anila's sheep maybe?? ] Is that what you are?
Something like that. [He takes a sip of his tea.] I'm a Servant. Hmm, how do I put it... A Servant can be aaaanything from history or myth brought to life. Usually, mages summon these types to duke it out in wars, and they're pretty high-level, you know? But my circumstances are a bit different this time around. In other words, I ain't human and it's a miracle I ain't dead yet.
[He leans back.]
But Servants are pretty strong... I can't imagine why a mage would risk their life to go up against one. [hint hint]
Edited (ehhhhh adds to this) 2020-02-07 01:14 (UTC)
So they summon you to fight their battles for them?
[ it's clear that he doesn't seem to be a fan of it, but mages come in all types. it's not his place to pass judgement on magic he isn't familiar with. but that doesn't mean he has to like it. ]
Yeah, well. [ wow don't call him out like this?? ] Not all mages are the same. Some are dumber than the rest.
Do I know it, haha! [Then, with a hint of playfulness in his smile:] I kinda like the dumb ones, though.
Well... This time around, we're fighting something even greater. Billions of lives are at stake and all that. But I'm here for the time being, so until I go back... I gotta make the most of this, I guess.
[This, meaning this particular moment, the momentary warmth — everything. Before he has to go back to the cold reality of the Lostbelts, he has to try and commit everything here to memory.]
Haha. Sorry, that's pretty heavy for breakfast conversation, ain't it? Why don't we talk about something else?
I said before you could get as real as you want, remember?
[ but that sounds familiar, if only because that's a regular day in the life of djeeta's crew. something is always threatening the skies and it's up to the singularity to save the sky dwellers, etc. but elmott had chose this of his own volition, from what it sounds like, yan qing didn't have that luxury.
he picks at the leftovers of yan qing's plate, tapping the side of his foot against yan qing's shin without really thinking about it. ]
... You ever thought of staying here, if you could have that choice?
[He doesn't know. He doesn't want to think about it because in the end, it's not like he can. It's not like he would. Even if Ritsuka could show him that he had a choice, he wouldn't have the heart to abandon them when they still need him. He can't be too selfish.
But he feels Elmott right in front of him, comfortable enough to reach out to him like this, and he doesn't want to ruin this.]
That would be nice, wouldn't it? [His smile doesn't reach his eyes, but it tries.] If everyone could stay here, a lot of our problems would go away, just like that.
Not that it's a problem... Servants are just ghosts, anyway. They're never supposed to stay for long. The same goes for everything else, right?
[ They're never supposed to stay for long. The same goes for everything else, right?
something cold sinks into his stomach, leaves a sort of bitter taste in his mouth despite the bacon and toast he had earlier. yan qing isn't wrong; they may not be the same, but it applies to them both — one day he too will burn out like his flames, returning to the ash it came from. staying here wouldn't allow him to escape that fate either, if he somehow doesn't make it back first. ]
Guess so. [ that's the thing about connections, sometimes they can still break no matter how much you want to hold onto them. elmott had known from the start that all of this would be temporary, but it didn't stop him anyway. ] You're kind of a pain in the ass for a ghost, though.
[ his tone is dry, but he looks up at yan qing through his lashes, fighting down the beginnings of a smile. ]
But I guess that's how I'll remember you, even after you leave.
[He ducks his head and huffs out a laugh, embarrassed and giddy for once. He's riding on a high and it still doesn't feel real, after all that's happened. Was it really this easy to find someone who fit him the way he'd only ever imagined? Reality is stranger than fiction, he thinks, if it will let him have what was unattainable within the margins of those pages, those waters.
Honestly, he wants some things to last forever.]
Shut up. I ain't going anywhere, alright?
[He can't control the heat that floods his cheeks, and he can't bring himself to upstage Elmott either, but maybe he's better this way.]
[ it doesn't work that way, elmott knows. a lot of things are out of their hands; neither of them could be here the next day, that's just how it is here. but even so, he chooses to believe anyway. for as much as he'd struggled in life, for all the cynicism that's made him weary, he's always held on to that bit of optimism that never left him.
who knows. maybe one day, they'll run into each other again. yan qing's left his mark in his life in just a few months; he doubts he'll really forget him at all. ]
Mm, [ there's an ache in his neck that's likely from sleeping on his couch for so long, but other than that, he's fine. ] I got you to thank for that.
[ he didn't actually expect yan qing to stay for as long as he did. but, ]
[ ugh why. like, he gets it, the guy goes around giving fake names to people he meets, elmott doesn't think very many people know his actual name. so it doesn't surprise him when yan qing requests it, it just feels really intimate for some reason. ]
Thanks, Yan Qing. [ he says it quickly, ducking his head to hide the pink in his cheeks. ] That good enough for you?
[Ah, there it is. There truly is something different about someone important saying your name... Yan Qing's tickled pink himself, and he's looking forward to hearing it more. He snorts and leans in, but honestly? He can already see Elmott's ears flattening against his head.]
What're you getting shy for? [He nudges the side of his leg from under the table.] I'm the one who should be blushing here!
Shut up. [ he wants to disappear beneath the table entirely, especially when yan qing leans in and nudges his leg. he can't do anything about his ears but he does cover his face with one hand. ] I ain't shy, all right, stop lookin' at me like that.
[ except he also likes the attention so. what a dilemma. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Cooking, cooking at Elmott's place~ Second best to~ [hold on let him text before flipping the bacon] Sleeping at Elmott's place~
[Yan Qing shut up. Anyway, this is his text:]
I'm always rite lol
no subject
he had the bathroom door closed and jumped in the shower immediately so he wouldn't have to feel weird about waiting to see if yan qing would text him back or not. so much happened yesterday, none of it actually feels real. it's only until he picks up on the scent of bacon that makes him pause, and then squint in the direction of his kitchen. ]
No.
[ anyway, he's showered and changed and already has a cigarette in his mouth when he makes his way to the little kitchen, pausing in the doorway once he catches sight of yan qing. it takes him a second to realize he's the one cooking, and that he has a really nice singing voice... and that if this is actually a dream, he doesn't mind staying asleep for a while longer. it's hard not to smile. ]
Who said you could use my kitchen, huh?
[ he comes up behind yan qing to steal a piece of bacon, not even bothered by the heat when he pops it in his mouth. ]
no subject
Ahhh, don't eat that! [Yet he lets Elmott eat the crunchy piece of bacon, only waving the spatula as he scolds him.] If your tongue gets burnt before you get a taste of my stupidly delicious cooking, that ain't on me.
[His voice tickles his ear despite the distance, and that's when Yan Qing is made acutely aware of how tall Elmott is. He always has his back slouched, and they'd always been sitting down whenever they'd ride his bike, so Yan Qing hadn't quite noticed until now. Even as the scent of breakfast wafts across the room, he can smell Elmott's shampoo—
Well, anyway.]
You oughta thank me! [In petty revenge, he swipes Elmott's cigarette and puts it between his own lips.] Judgin' by the looks of this place, it ain't everyday you get someone to cook for ya. I used to work in a mansion, you know. My recipes are high class! Iiii just don't wanna cook if I can help it. Now siddown. Breakfast's the most important meal of the day!
[The bacon goes onto their plates, already decorated with pieces of toast and two sunny-side up eggs, and he serves them both on the small table Elmott has propped up.]
no subject
elmott leans against the counter next to him while he cooks, hiding his smile under the guise of chewing on that crispy piece of bacon. he doesn't usually have someone cooking for him, so it's... nice, in a way, that yan qing wanted to do it on his own volition. but maybe the simpler answer is that he just likes the way yan qing looks in his kitchen and how he fills the negative space, bringing more color and vibrancy into his apartment since he moved in the first day. ]
All right, master chef. No one's doubting you.
[ besides, he can tell just from the smell alone that it's good. or maybe it's just because it was made by yan qing. by the time the food is served, elmott has tea ready, and it all feels very domestic — much more intimate than sharing meals with the crew. the embarrassment he'd normally have is undermined by how unexpectedly nice it all is, and he figures he might as well enjoy it for as long as he can. ]
It's good, though. [ the table is small enough that if elmott stretches out his legs, his knee would easily brush yan qing's. he tries not to think about it too much. ] Why don't you wanna cook?
no subject
'Cause it's a pain in the ass, duh.
[Yan Qing usually eats a little faster than Elmott does, but today he paces himself. He takes a little bite of his toast, takes a little bit of his egg. It's all for show in the end; Servants don't require food to sustain themselves anyway. But if it makes Elmott feel at ease, he'll gladly take his time. It seems to be working, and it's not just Elmott who feels that way.
He takes a bite, and in his delight, bumps knees with Elmott in the process.]
Oh, you're right! Hehe. [He was praised...] I don't need to eat, anyway. I eat whatever I want whenever I want.
no subject
but it's there in the way yan qing's knee bumps against his, in the way he takes his time today despite the fact he doesn't need to. ]
Thanks for the meal, then.
[ it's not the first time they've eaten together, but it's the first time yan qing's made him anything. and maybe that says something too, something that makes his chest tighten again in the same sort of way yan qing has always made him feel.
he lets his knee linger against yan qing's, swallows down the bacon and the egg and the weird fluttery feeling. ]
What do you need, if you don't need to eat?
no subject
He figures he should be honest.]
Sex.
no subject
so he chokes on it, and manages to avoid getting it on yan qing and instead gets it all over the remains of his breakfast. nailed it. ]
no subject
I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Sort of. Hahaha, should I make you another plate?
no subject
No. [ he is going to steal a piece of toast off yan qing's plate tho. he deserves this ok. ] Quit messin' with me.
[ huffs....... ]
no subject
Aww. But you got excited, didn't you? That's nasty, El. Hahahaha! [literally just make him shut up please] ...I don't think I ever told you what I am. You know about familiars, doncha?
no subject
[ he chews the toast with a little more hostility than necessary, willing his face to cool down. it doesn't really work but he's trying. more importantly, what yq says is a good distraction at least. ]
Not that much, but yeah. [ like anila's sheep maybe?? ] Is that what you are?
no subject
Something like that. [He takes a sip of his tea.] I'm a Servant. Hmm, how do I put it... A Servant can be aaaanything from history or myth brought to life. Usually, mages summon these types to duke it out in wars, and they're pretty high-level, you know? But my circumstances are a bit different this time around. In other words, I ain't human and it's a miracle I ain't dead yet.
[He leans back.]
But Servants are pretty strong... I can't imagine why a mage would risk their life to go up against one. [hint hint]
no subject
[ it's clear that he doesn't seem to be a fan of it, but mages come in all types. it's not his place to pass judgement on magic he isn't familiar with. but that doesn't mean he has to like it. ]
Yeah, well. [ wow don't call him out like this?? ] Not all mages are the same. Some are dumber than the rest.
no subject
Well... This time around, we're fighting something even greater. Billions of lives are at stake and all that. But I'm here for the time being, so until I go back... I gotta make the most of this, I guess.
[This, meaning this particular moment, the momentary warmth — everything. Before he has to go back to the cold reality of the Lostbelts, he has to try and commit everything here to memory.]
Haha. Sorry, that's pretty heavy for breakfast conversation, ain't it? Why don't we talk about something else?
no subject
[ but that sounds familiar, if only because that's a regular day in the life of djeeta's crew. something is always threatening the skies and it's up to the singularity to save the sky dwellers, etc. but elmott had chose this of his own volition, from what it sounds like, yan qing didn't have that luxury.
he picks at the leftovers of yan qing's plate, tapping the side of his foot against yan qing's shin without really thinking about it. ]
... You ever thought of staying here, if you could have that choice?
no subject
But he feels Elmott right in front of him, comfortable enough to reach out to him like this, and he doesn't want to ruin this.]
That would be nice, wouldn't it? [His smile doesn't reach his eyes, but it tries.] If everyone could stay here, a lot of our problems would go away, just like that.
Not that it's a problem... Servants are just ghosts, anyway. They're never supposed to stay for long. The same goes for everything else, right?
no subject
something cold sinks into his stomach, leaves a sort of bitter taste in his mouth despite the bacon and toast he had earlier. yan qing isn't wrong; they may not be the same, but it applies to them both — one day he too will burn out like his flames, returning to the ash it came from. staying here wouldn't allow him to escape that fate either, if he somehow doesn't make it back first. ]
Guess so. [ that's the thing about connections, sometimes they can still break no matter how much you want to hold onto them. elmott had known from the start that all of this would be temporary, but it didn't stop him anyway. ] You're kind of a pain in the ass for a ghost, though.
[ his tone is dry, but he looks up at yan qing through his lashes, fighting down the beginnings of a smile. ]
But I guess that's how I'll remember you, even after you leave.
no subject
Honestly, he wants some things to last forever.]
Shut up. I ain't going anywhere, alright?
[He can't control the heat that floods his cheeks, and he can't bring himself to upstage Elmott either, but maybe he's better this way.]
You feeling better?
no subject
[ it doesn't work that way, elmott knows. a lot of things are out of their hands; neither of them could be here the next day, that's just how it is here. but even so, he chooses to believe anyway. for as much as he'd struggled in life, for all the cynicism that's made him weary, he's always held on to that bit of optimism that never left him.
who knows. maybe one day, they'll run into each other again. yan qing's left his mark in his life in just a few months; he doubts he'll really forget him at all. ]
Mm, [ there's an ache in his neck that's likely from sleeping on his couch for so long, but other than that, he's fine. ] I got you to thank for that.
[ he didn't actually expect yan qing to stay for as long as he did. but, ]
So... thanks.
no subject
And I accept your thanks! But only if you say my name again.
[As much of an optimist he seems, Yan Qing can be quite the opposite. He wants to make sure Elmott remembers that name, too.
He does remember, doesn't he?]
no subject
Thanks, Yan Qing. [ he says it quickly, ducking his head to hide the pink in his cheeks. ] That good enough for you?
no subject
What're you getting shy for? [He nudges the side of his leg from under the table.] I'm the one who should be blushing here!
no subject
[ except he also likes the attention so. what a dilemma. ]
You're never shy anyway, so it doesn't matter.
no subject
What? Hahaha. Even I get shy, you know! I get shy, angry, sad and scared... Even a perfect guy like me feels things like that.
[Yes. He said it.
And he's still looking. And smiling.]
But now I'm starting to learn what kind of person you think I am. Is that what made you wanna kiss me?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)