[He doesn't need more than a little opening to pry his fingers into the space of the opening and yank it open just enough to slip past Oushi, grinning.]
You really thought you could uninvite me? [Vanitas laughs, leaning against the door to close it behind him. So this is Oushi's room.]
[ and the second vanitas manages to duck inside, oushi crowds around him, both hands coming up to flatten against the door on either side of vanitas' head: both to shut it firmly behind him, but also to keep vanitas caged in where he is. purely to keep him from nosing around, of course. and while this particular position might be perfect for just that, it also (unfortunately?) puts them awfully close together........
oushi, for the time being, opts not Ignore That Part. ]
[Vanitas did plan on forcing his way through to look for evidence of Oushi's momentary catboy era, but instead he's met with the sound of those hands landing against the door behind him and he can't move. He can't even bring himself to look away from him. Apparently he is very much susceptible to the kabedon phenomenon without even knowing what it is.]
I'm listening now.
[Well, as long as Oushi isn't saying anything important. All Vanitas would hear are sounds that might be words if those green eyes staring him down weren't so pretty.]
[ the amount of times oushi has been involved in a kabedon is exactly two (2), and both times had been by accident. one was a massive, explosive failure that — to this day — still haunts him whenever the night hours get too long and too quiet. this second one is — far from a failure, in a wild twist of events, but it's the kind of success that's so unexpected that oushi is so shocked he can't even carry on or follow through and so it may as well as be a failure, to be honest.
all this to say — seconds trickle by, and all that's happened thus far is a lot of staring while their faces hover mere centimeters apart. he should say something, shouldn't he? ]
...I forgot what I was saying.
[ probably not that.
but, to be fair, that's partly vanitas' fault. he thinks oushi's green eyes are pretty? well, they're nothing comparedo to vanitas' bright blues, which feel ten times more distracting. not to mention the length and thickness of those lashes, making each blink feel like a direct hit to the softest parts of his heart.
after another pregnant pause, he steps back, belatedly realizing he'd lingered on for too long and now it was just awkward. figures that the one time he might have perfected such a Classic Move™ he'd just as quickly mess it up. ]
[It takes Vanitas less then a couple seconds to become intensely aware that not only is he in Oushi's room, but he's also very much in his personal space. His face is close enough that he could kiss him if he turned his face in just the right way.
His cheeks grow brighter as the thought makes itself at home in his mind, and he ends up closing his eyes for a little too long to call it a blink. He's not afraid of the contact or the closeness, just afraid of what he might do to take advantage of their proximity.]
You were..saying that I don't like to listen. [Vanitas swallows, and when he blinks again Oushi is pulling back. He lets out a sigh, unaware that he was holding his breath for however long that interaction lasted. Too bad there's no one to commend him for the amount of self restraint it took him just then to not close the distance between them with his mouth.]
Where are those cat ears from the video? If you still have them, you should put them on so I can see.
[ oushi rubs at the back of his neck, as if to ward off the heat that'd been gathering there. that had felt — close, just then. close in both physical proximity, and in terms of a true test of restraint. somehow, it felt like he had been holding his breath, hoping for something, and now that there's more distance between them he feels both relieved and bereft.
confusing as fuck, honestly. he is almost grateful vanitas changes the subject... rather, he would have been, had it not been that particular subject. ]
Why do you want to see them on me so bad?
[ there is, of course, suspicion deep in his voice. he doesn't think vanitas aims to be particularly cruel about it, but it just simply doesn't occur to oushi that this might be something vanitas would find pleasant, rather than damning. ]
[Whatever had just happened, Vanitas felt it too, and something makes him want to leave the moment behind them and not have to try to figure out exactly why he would have been so easy to fold if Oushi had pushed him just the tiniest bit. When usually Vanitas is the one doing the pushing, and typically has the tendency to be stubborn whenever he's on the receiving end.
Something about Oushi just makes his brain malfunction in unpredictable ways, and the best way to deal with it is to not.]
Because I watched the video and saw the potential for your cuteness.
[He doesn't see the ears as he glances around, but then he sits on the edge of the bed for a better perspective of decent hiding places. Vanitas tries to be subtle when he slides his hands under the pillows and blankets, pulling out whatever his fingers catch on first. Hopefully Oushi doesn't keep lube under there or else he's about to be exposed.]
[ oushi does get exposed — but in a very different way. evident when his eyes widen a fraction, and that deep flush crawls its way back onto his cheeks. he lifts a hand, attempting to hide behind a fist, but the way he glances off to the side is pretty damning. ]
...You think I'm cute?
[ did he just give rin absolute shit for exposing something that was meant to be private? yes. does he now think maybe being that exposed isn't so bad, if it leads to being called cute? also yes. two things can be true. ]
[Vanitas opens his mouth to respond, then closes it again when he sees how flustered Oushi is. It's definitely cute, but maybe it's the right thing to do to keep it to himself.]
So what if I do? I also find you handsome sometimes. [He offers cautiously, remembering the video and just how awkward and shy and combative he seemed in that video while Rin toyed with him. There's a little twinge of jealousy when he thinks about it, but it's an unreasonable feeling so he tries to dismiss it immediately.]
I don't have freckles that light up like you do, so I guess you wouldn't know.
[ despite his asking, he didn't actually think vanitas would admit it. he could never tell, really, when something will come easily when it comes to the other man. when he thinks about their first meeting, how often they had fallen into misunderstanding, he has to wonder how they had ever gotten anywhere at all. sometimes it's terrifying and sometimes it's exhilarating, and sometimes he can't quite figure out which one it is until long after the moment has passed. ]
...I'm kind of slow about these things sometimes.
[ most times. he tries not to get too caught up in the way it makes his heart beat so frantically; finding someone attractive doesn't have to mean more than just that, after all. ]
I guess it's also a little hard to believe. Even in my own world, I'm pretty plain looking.
[ he fixes his gaze on vanitas' features. even objectively, the man was undoubtedly beautiful.
he lifts a hand to his cheek, scratching a finger down over some freckled hearts. ]
This gives it away, but it's still nice to hear, right? I think you're gorgeous.
[Try as he might to find some reason to twist the truth and manipulate the situation, he has no reason to keep that information from Oushi. Obviously he finds him attractive considering the things they did together in that dressing room. It's only the nature of that attraction that changes depending on his mood.
Something tells him that they both have temperaments that few would categorize as stable.]
I don't think you're slow. I think you want to hear me tell you all the ways I find myself attracted to you.
[When the words "plain looking" leave Oushi's mouth, Vanitas swats him in warning. Is he doing it on purpose to fish for praise, or is he serious--]
I don't find you to be...plain. [Normal, maybe. But not plain, mediocre, or mid as they apparently like to say.] Your eyes are pretty, but very intense. I can tell that you're always thinking hard about something even if I can never tell what it is. And your lips.. [He's thought of them on a couple occasions, but maybe now isn't the time to reveal that.] I mean your face is pleasant.
[Vanitas stops fumbling his words long enough to hear that part, laughing loudly.] To balance out my unfortunate personality.
[ that flush on oushi's face deepens, lips pursing on an argument. hot-headed as he is, he's been getting better about picking his battles, and knowing which aren't worth it — especially if it's just being contrary for the sake of it. two things can be true, he'd say; that being dense and wanting desperately to hear all the ways vanitas likes him are two very separate, but equally embarrassing things. but that's just mincing words at this point.
to that end, oushi finds the more vanitas does say, the more he doesn't really know what to do with it. so maybe it's best if he didn't get what he wants after all. ]
It's not that unfortunate, [ he mumbles, bashfully glancing vanitas' way. oushi has met many an unlikable person, and is now keen enough he knows he isn't exactly mr. congeniality either.
rather, vanitas is a lot like an itch you can't quite reach, or one too far under the skin; you can't ignore him — he simply won't allow you to — and you're left chasing after the ghost of him long after he's already enchanted and eluded you. ]
The ears are there, under the mattress.
[ is it a reward for flustering him with all that flattery? or an attempt to turn the focus back on vanitas' original task? two things can continue to be true. ]
[He's so cute when he blushes, Vanitas thinks absently. But forces himself to refocus as their conversation continues. He kicks off his boots so he can make himself comfortable on the bed, folding his legs under himself respectfully. The temptation to lie down flat with his face in the pillows Oushi uses is there, but he resists with every bit of decency he has in his being--and it's not much, but it's enough.]
I'm glad you think so, but the majority would disagree.
[With the tendency to go out of his way to be unlikable, and character traits that blur lines if not just seeking to cross them, he could never consider himself a "good" person, and because of that he could never understand anyone who sees him and appears attracted. There's just no way.]
Thank you. [He pushes himself onto all fours, pulling back the mattress to grab the ears, putting them on his own head and glancing in the direction of the mirror, up on his knees for a better view without getting up. Questionable as he may be as a human, he still finds that he wants Oushi to think of him fondly--even if it never amounts to anything.]
Maybe it's because I also have a bad attitude, [ oushi muses, lifting a shoulder in an idle shrug. he's had plenty of time to mull it all over, of course, and lose himself to hours of pitying self-reflection. it is a wonder he has people he can call friends at all, but he thinks that's far more a testament to the kind of people mitoki and batayan are, than oushi himself.
while vanitas searches, oushi finally takes his own seat at the very end of the bed. the twin-sized thing is juuuuust slightly big enough to accommodate them both sitting, but there is very little else room in his suite to account for a chair.
when vanitas sets the cat ears on himself and turns to show oushi, the latter is wholly unprepared for the sight of it. the fake fur on the headband is just the right color of black that it blends seamlessly against the smooth inky strands of vanitas' own hair, making for a really believable cat person look.
oushi had never been the kind of guy to really think much of finding such things attractive but. he realizes rather suddenly how very wrong that assumption was. ]
...Good, [ he eventually says, after realizing he'd just been staring for the better part of a minute. he clears his throat a little, reaching up to scratch at a warm cheek. ] Too good, [ he admits, as if offended. ] If you didn't mind wearing a maid costume, they'd probably hire you right away at that cat cafe.
[Vanitas had every intention of getting Oushi to put the damn thing on his head up until that very moment. He knew they'd suit him, but also suspected he might be shy about it. So initially his plan is to show him that it's not a big deal by wearing them first, but with a reaction like that he understands now why he might be hesitant.]
Let the record show that I enjoy your attitude.
[He almost ends the sentence with a "nya" but he doesn't have the fortitude to do so with any amount of seriousness behind it. How does he even end up putting himself in such a compromising situation for Oushi's amusement? He's down bad, isn't he?]
No! No, never. Absolutely not! [A maid costume is a step too far. And being seen like this by other people is certainly out of the question.] This kind of thing is for your eyes only, understand? [Vanitas glares right into Oushi's soul through his enchanting green eyes. Like a cat ready to hiss and swipe at the smallest perceived offense.]
[ oushi doesn't know what to do with that admission — that this is something meant for his eyes only, implying this isn't something vanitas would normally do, and not for just anyone. it ignites a warmth inside his chest that spreads like wildfire, and his hands clench at his sides in an attempt to stifle the fumes.
it does very little. but knowing this now, oushi does little to hide the way his eyes see intent on burning this particular image of vanitas into his mind. because he can. because vanitas is doing this for him.
the maid costume comment had been an idle, absent-minded thing. something tossed out to diffuse the intensity of his honest response. he would have been more than happy to let it go with vanitas' fervent dismissal, but being asked something like that flat-out has him turning inward, looking into the deepest parts of his soul and— ]
Yeah. [ a pause, and then he's lifting a finger to scratch along the tip of a very pink nose. ] I mean — wear what you wanna wear, don't be uncomfortable for anybody, even me. But.
[ but. if this is just hypothetical, if vanitas is just asking to ask. ]
You have the legs for it, [ he says as mildly as possible, as if he knows he has to offset the way his eyes trace over said legs and recalls, quite vividly, how they had looked bare and bracketing his waist. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[It's safer to tease him from here, but he doesn't get the same satisfaction from finding Oushi's last nerve and prancing all over it from far away.]
no subject
no subject
1/2
he'd just flung them on the shelf like an idiot. ]
there are better things to do in my room
2/2
[ lol if u thought that was rizz on purpose ]
no subject
You're really leaning into the whole sex hotel atmosphere being this forward..
no subject
[ esp bc all he did with the headband is shove it under his pillow..... listen his suite is small. ]
no subject
[And the only way Oushi would know whether or not this is a bluff would be if he opened the door to look.]
no subject
is he?
slowly, the door to the 4 of hearts suite creaks open an inch... and then another more.
eventually, it's wide enough oushi can poke a head out and look... ]
no subject
You really thought you could uninvite me? [Vanitas laughs, leaning against the door to close it behind him. So this is Oushi's room.]
no subject
oushi, for the time being, opts not Ignore That Part. ]
I should've known you don't like to listen.
no subject
I'm listening now.
[Well, as long as Oushi isn't saying anything important. All Vanitas would hear are sounds that might be words if those green eyes staring him down weren't so pretty.]
no subject
all this to say — seconds trickle by, and all that's happened thus far is a lot of staring while their faces hover mere centimeters apart. he should say something, shouldn't he? ]
...I forgot what I was saying.
[ probably not that.
but, to be fair, that's partly vanitas' fault. he thinks oushi's green eyes are pretty? well, they're nothing comparedo to vanitas' bright blues, which feel ten times more distracting. not to mention the length and thickness of those lashes, making each blink feel like a direct hit to the softest parts of his heart.
after another pregnant pause, he steps back, belatedly realizing he'd lingered on for too long and now it was just awkward. figures that the one time he might have perfected such a Classic Move™ he'd just as quickly mess it up. ]
no subject
His cheeks grow brighter as the thought makes itself at home in his mind, and he ends up closing his eyes for a little too long to call it a blink. He's not afraid of the contact or the closeness, just afraid of what he might do to take advantage of their proximity.]
You were..saying that I don't like to listen. [Vanitas swallows, and when he blinks again Oushi is pulling back. He lets out a sigh, unaware that he was holding his breath for however long that interaction lasted. Too bad there's no one to commend him for the amount of self restraint it took him just then to not close the distance between them with his mouth.]
Where are those cat ears from the video? If you still have them, you should put them on so I can see.
no subject
confusing as fuck, honestly. he is almost grateful vanitas changes the subject... rather, he would have been, had it not been that particular subject. ]
Why do you want to see them on me so bad?
[ there is, of course, suspicion deep in his voice. he doesn't think vanitas aims to be particularly cruel about it, but it just simply doesn't occur to oushi that this might be something vanitas would find pleasant, rather than damning. ]
no subject
Something about Oushi just makes his brain malfunction in unpredictable ways, and the best way to deal with it is to not.]
Because I watched the video and saw the potential for your cuteness.
[He doesn't see the ears as he glances around, but then he sits on the edge of the bed for a better perspective of decent hiding places. Vanitas tries to be subtle when he slides his hands under the pillows and blankets, pulling out whatever his fingers catch on first. Hopefully Oushi doesn't keep lube under there or else he's about to be exposed.]
no subject
...You think I'm cute?
[ did he just give rin absolute shit for exposing something that was meant to be private? yes. does he now think maybe being that exposed isn't so bad, if it leads to being called cute? also yes. two things can be true. ]
no subject
So what if I do? I also find you handsome sometimes. [He offers cautiously, remembering the video and just how awkward and shy and combative he seemed in that video while Rin toyed with him. There's a little twinge of jealousy when he thinks about it, but it's an unreasonable feeling so he tries to dismiss it immediately.]
I don't have freckles that light up like you do, so I guess you wouldn't know.
puts hand over the timestamp
...I'm kind of slow about these things sometimes.
[ most times. he tries not to get too caught up in the way it makes his heart beat so frantically; finding someone attractive doesn't have to mean more than just that, after all. ]
I guess it's also a little hard to believe. Even in my own world, I'm pretty plain looking.
[ he fixes his gaze on vanitas' features. even objectively, the man was undoubtedly beautiful.
he lifts a hand to his cheek, scratching a finger down over some freckled hearts. ]
This gives it away, but it's still nice to hear, right? I think you're gorgeous.
no one has to know
Something tells him that they both have temperaments that few would categorize as stable.]
I don't think you're slow. I think you want to hear me tell you all the ways I find myself attracted to you.
[When the words "plain looking" leave Oushi's mouth, Vanitas swats him in warning. Is he doing it on purpose to fish for praise, or is he serious--]
I don't find you to be...plain. [Normal, maybe. But not plain, mediocre, or mid as they apparently like to say.] Your eyes are pretty, but very intense. I can tell that you're always thinking hard about something even if I can never tell what it is. And your lips.. [He's thought of them on a couple occasions, but maybe now isn't the time to reveal that.] I mean your face is pleasant.
[Vanitas stops fumbling his words long enough to hear that part, laughing loudly.] To balance out my unfortunate personality.
🥺🙏
to that end, oushi finds the more vanitas does say, the more he doesn't really know what to do with it. so maybe it's best if he didn't get what he wants after all. ]
It's not that unfortunate, [ he mumbles, bashfully glancing vanitas' way. oushi has met many an unlikable person, and is now keen enough he knows he isn't exactly mr. congeniality either.
rather, vanitas is a lot like an itch you can't quite reach, or one too far under the skin; you can't ignore him — he simply won't allow you to — and you're left chasing after the ghost of him long after he's already enchanted and eluded you. ]
The ears are there, under the mattress.
[ is it a reward for flustering him with all that flattery? or an attempt to turn the focus back on vanitas' original task? two things can continue to be true. ]
no subject
I'm glad you think so, but the majority would disagree.
[With the tendency to go out of his way to be unlikable, and character traits that blur lines if not just seeking to cross them, he could never consider himself a "good" person, and because of that he could never understand anyone who sees him and appears attracted. There's just no way.]
Thank you. [He pushes himself onto all fours, pulling back the mattress to grab the ears, putting them on his own head and glancing in the direction of the mirror, up on his knees for a better view without getting up. Questionable as he may be as a human, he still finds that he wants Oushi to think of him fondly--even if it never amounts to anything.]
How do I look?
no subject
while vanitas searches, oushi finally takes his own seat at the very end of the bed. the twin-sized thing is juuuuust slightly big enough to accommodate them both sitting, but there is very little else room in his suite to account for a chair.
when vanitas sets the cat ears on himself and turns to show oushi, the latter is wholly unprepared for the sight of it. the fake fur on the headband is just the right color of black that it blends seamlessly against the smooth inky strands of vanitas' own hair, making for a really believable cat person look.
oushi had never been the kind of guy to really think much of finding such things attractive but. he realizes rather suddenly how very wrong that assumption was. ]
...Good, [ he eventually says, after realizing he'd just been staring for the better part of a minute. he clears his throat a little, reaching up to scratch at a warm cheek. ] Too good, [ he admits, as if offended. ] If you didn't mind wearing a maid costume, they'd probably hire you right away at that cat cafe.
no subject
Let the record show that I enjoy your attitude.
[He almost ends the sentence with a "nya" but he doesn't have the fortitude to do so with any amount of seriousness behind it. How does he even end up putting himself in such a compromising situation for Oushi's amusement? He's down bad, isn't he?]
No! No, never. Absolutely not! [A maid costume is a step too far. And being seen like this by other people is certainly out of the question.] This kind of thing is for your eyes only, understand? [Vanitas glares right into Oushi's soul through his enchanting green eyes. Like a cat ready to hiss and swipe at the smallest perceived offense.]
Would you want to see me in a maid costume?
no subject
it does very little. but knowing this now, oushi does little to hide the way his eyes see intent on burning this particular image of vanitas into his mind. because he can. because vanitas is doing this for him.
the maid costume comment had been an idle, absent-minded thing. something tossed out to diffuse the intensity of his honest response. he would have been more than happy to let it go with vanitas' fervent dismissal, but being asked something like that flat-out has him turning inward, looking into the deepest parts of his soul and— ]
Yeah. [ a pause, and then he's lifting a finger to scratch along the tip of a very pink nose. ] I mean — wear what you wanna wear, don't be uncomfortable for anybody, even me. But.
[ but. if this is just hypothetical, if vanitas is just asking to ask. ]
You have the legs for it, [ he says as mildly as possible, as if he knows he has to offset the way his eyes trace over said legs and recalls, quite vividly, how they had looked bare and bracketing his waist. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
looks at the date. WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVER DIE
listen i'm the last person to talk about timestamps ok...
(no subject)
(no subject)