[ No matter how frustrated or lonely he might get, Nanami's main strength has always been his stubborn resilience. His practical nature simply refuses to see the point in giving up, and over the years he's managed to hone is ability to ignore tedious problems and people and simply move forward, even if that meant falling into a rut of routine.
But when he's finally offered a chance to escape some of that constant discontent, when Geto lets him admit that what he really wants is something good, something beyond the illusion of "just okay" to be functional, Nanami can't hold back. He retrieves his damp clothes and follows his former classmate to the window like they are kids again, sneaking out in a way Nanami wouldn't have suggested when he was an actual student. ]
You'd better not drop me. Don't show off just because it's been a while.
[ Or maybe he should show off and make Nanami's heart speed up a little. Maybe he'll like feeling the rush again. He doesn't want to admit that, but he does flush faintly as he follows him onto the back of the waiting curse. ]
( A grin, the flash of teeth. He would. He is just as prone to boasting now as he was back then, perhaps even a little more now that he's shrugged off the aura of studious good boy he'd been so desperate to project in his youth. Still, Nanami is trusting him and he's not altogether an asshole, so he waits until the other sorcerer is aboard the curse, smile gentling. )
You can hold onto me if you want.
( The girls do, he doesn't mind it.
And then he's steering the stingray curse away from the open window and up, slow and steady above the building tops, the city a glittering jewel below them. )
[ He shouldn't think about the feeling that washes over him at that sly grin. The same warm, slightly buzzing feeling he felt in the bar hours earlier, spurring him to make stupid decisions for vague promises his body knows but his mind refuses to think about. He shouldn't let his eyes linger on the sharp white of Geto's smile and wonder what it feels like on skin--so he doesn't. At least not too long, he thinks, after climbing onto the curse's back. It already feels like an escape to step out of that window, leaving behind the hotel room and his mistakes.
But he's not about to cling to Geto like a child. Nanami keeps his balance, watching the city become a distant cluster of lights as they rise further away, drawing an appreciative breath at the scene as the buildings morph into something else the higher they go. ]
( He has to pitch his voice a little louder, but at least this high up the sound of traffic isn't too much that it drowns him out. He throws Nanami a glance over his shoulder with a shrug of it. ) It's surprisingly calming. No one can see me up here, and I don't have to deal with crowds. The girls used to like it when they were younger too, so on nights no one could sleep we'd take the sting ray and go flying. ( Nightmares had been more common in the early days, on all fronts. Geto had fumbled through parenthood as best as he could, offering reprieve wherever possible. ) They prefer the pelican now though, the wind can't mess their hair up in the bird.
[ He's not sure when he last felt good about any technique. He does his job because he wants to protect people, but Nanami doesn't enjoy using curse energy any more than an office worker likes completing contracts. There's some satisfaction in achieving good results, but it isn't fun or beautiful or fulfilling.
Riding high above the city and feeling the wind blow against him feels good. The lights are beautiful, and he almost manages to smile. Geto talks about taking the girls out at night like it was pleasant for them, and in a way, he's almost jealous. If he had that innocent outlook, would using curse techniques feel any different to him. ]
If you say that, aren't you comparing me to them? Does that mean you want to adopt me?
( A snort of laughter, the sting ray climbing a little higher in a slow elegant arc, Geto's hands pressed to its back but mostly still. )
I could. You'd be less work than two teenage girls, that's for you. You seem like a strict routine haver and trying to get them to stick to one is an uphill battle I'm absolutely losing. But don't let them fool you, it isn't all treats and bullying me into submission! I can be fierce when I want to be.
( It's a little funny, the impassioned way he announces himself, like he isn't famed for being cruel, for being ruthless. The dichotomy of it should rankle a little. But then he's always been fairly bad at denying the people he cares about. Even Satoru never got the full force of his ire. Geto chose to walk away instead, so they could never truly be enemies.
[ The flight and the casual talk feels almost like a dream, a piece of what might have been if things had turned out differently for all of them. What if the higher ups had actually looked out for them and given them the lives they needed when they were younger? Would they all have remained innocent friends?
No, of course not. Life isn't that simple or easy no matter how much support they have. Nanami gives Geto a wry smile, taking in what his former classmate has become. The most terrifying curse user of their time, an indulgent young parent, and also a man willing to rescue him for the sake of old memories. What a mess. ]
You don't have to pay me. If you want me to do you favors, you just have to ask. Make sure they're not too tedious--and try to keep them outside of normal work hours.
( There's an amused light in his face when he speaks, something almost cheeky about the way he all but purrs it. ) Ah, Nanami, what kind of favours do people often ask of you if those are the prerequisite?
( The curse clears the tops of the buildings now, the people below barely noticeable beyond tiny pinpricks. The higher they go the looser his shoulders become, the less the chokehold of his emotions become. He tips his face up towards the dark night sky, the twinkling of stars, offering an easier smile this time. )
I'll bear it in mind. You do the same. Don't work yourself into a state in the morning, I don't think any less of you now, and I won't if it happens again. Besides, it's been nice. Being useful in a different way.
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no subject
But when he's finally offered a chance to escape some of that constant discontent, when Geto lets him admit that what he really wants is something good, something beyond the illusion of "just okay" to be functional, Nanami can't hold back. He retrieves his damp clothes and follows his former classmate to the window like they are kids again, sneaking out in a way Nanami wouldn't have suggested when he was an actual student. ]
You'd better not drop me. Don't show off just because it's been a while.
[ Or maybe he should show off and make Nanami's heart speed up a little. Maybe he'll like feeling the rush again. He doesn't want to admit that, but he does flush faintly as he follows him onto the back of the waiting curse. ]
no subject
( A grin, the flash of teeth. He would. He is just as prone to boasting now as he was back then, perhaps even a little more now that he's shrugged off the aura of studious good boy he'd been so desperate to project in his youth. Still, Nanami is trusting him and he's not altogether an asshole, so he waits until the other sorcerer is aboard the curse, smile gentling. )
You can hold onto me if you want.
( The girls do, he doesn't mind it.
And then he's steering the stingray curse away from the open window and up, slow and steady above the building tops, the city a glittering jewel below them. )
no subject
[ He shouldn't think about the feeling that washes over him at that sly grin. The same warm, slightly buzzing feeling he felt in the bar hours earlier, spurring him to make stupid decisions for vague promises his body knows but his mind refuses to think about. He shouldn't let his eyes linger on the sharp white of Geto's smile and wonder what it feels like on skin--so he doesn't. At least not too long, he thinks, after climbing onto the curse's back. It already feels like an escape to step out of that window, leaving behind the hotel room and his mistakes.
But he's not about to cling to Geto like a child. Nanami keeps his balance, watching the city become a distant cluster of lights as they rise further away, drawing an appreciative breath at the scene as the buildings morph into something else the higher they go. ]
Do you do this a lot?
no subject
( He has to pitch his voice a little louder, but at least this high up the sound of traffic isn't too much that it drowns him out. He throws Nanami a glance over his shoulder with a shrug of it. ) It's surprisingly calming. No one can see me up here, and I don't have to deal with crowds. The girls used to like it when they were younger too, so on nights no one could sleep we'd take the sting ray and go flying. ( Nightmares had been more common in the early days, on all fronts. Geto had fumbled through parenthood as best as he could, offering reprieve wherever possible. ) They prefer the pelican now though, the wind can't mess their hair up in the bird.
( A pause, and then a huff. )
Yours looks fine, by the way.
( Helpful. )
no subject
Riding high above the city and feeling the wind blow against him feels good. The lights are beautiful, and he almost manages to smile. Geto talks about taking the girls out at night like it was pleasant for them, and in a way, he's almost jealous. If he had that innocent outlook, would using curse techniques feel any different to him. ]
If you say that, aren't you comparing me to them? Does that mean you want to adopt me?
[ See? He has humor. Kind of. ]
no subject
I could. You'd be less work than two teenage girls, that's for you. You seem like a strict routine haver and trying to get them to stick to one is an uphill battle I'm absolutely losing. But don't let them fool you, it isn't all treats and bullying me into submission! I can be fierce when I want to be.
( It's a little funny, the impassioned way he announces himself, like he isn't famed for being cruel, for being ruthless. The dichotomy of it should rankle a little. But then he's always been fairly bad at denying the people he cares about. Even Satoru never got the full force of his ire. Geto chose to walk away instead, so they could never truly be enemies.
A sigh, dramatic and for effect. )
You can barter for an allowance, I suppose.
no subject
No, of course not. Life isn't that simple or easy no matter how much support they have. Nanami gives Geto a wry smile, taking in what his former classmate has become. The most terrifying curse user of their time, an indulgent young parent, and also a man willing to rescue him for the sake of old memories. What a mess. ]
You don't have to pay me. If you want me to do you favors, you just have to ask. Make sure they're not too tedious--and try to keep them outside of normal work hours.
no subject
( There's an amused light in his face when he speaks, something almost cheeky about the way he all but purrs it. ) Ah, Nanami, what kind of favours do people often ask of you if those are the prerequisite?
( The curse clears the tops of the buildings now, the people below barely noticeable beyond tiny pinpricks. The higher they go the looser his shoulders become, the less the chokehold of his emotions become. He tips his face up towards the dark night sky, the twinkling of stars, offering an easier smile this time. )
I'll bear it in mind. You do the same. Don't work yourself into a state in the morning, I don't think any less of you now, and I won't if it happens again. Besides, it's been nice. Being useful in a different way.