Inbox;

[flaredo]

"Heeey, you've reached Yang! Well, actually, you didn't reach far enough, 'cause I'm not here right now! But don't yang up! Just leave a message on this baby, and I'll get back to you soon enough, okay?"

[ Please specify VOICEMAIL, TEXT or CALL. ]

Comments

action;

[flaredo]

... Thanks. I'm starting to think I should just keep you by my side all the time.

[ Which is unusual for Yang Xiao Long, Free Spirit, Independent Woman-- but Naoki's more than her boyfriend, he's her partner. Even though they'd agreed to conduct investigations separately this time... she just feels better when he's by her side, just like now. He should be able to feel the turmoil and swirl of her emotions subsiding slightly, with every pass of his palm over her back. ]

action;

[masakados]

[As he takes in how her emotions start to calm, he thinks maybe he can help after all. Not completely, but he knows that not being alone, being with Yang, helped him. His eyes shut as he presses his forehead against her hair, feels it brush to his cheeks.]

I wouldn't mind if you did. [One of his hands slides up her back, to stroke along the side of her neck before tucking behind it.] I mean, that's saved me.

[--because he's not the same as he used to be, and he realises this.]

Re: action;

[flaredo]

Saved you... huh? All I did was care, Naoki... [ A quiet murmur, and she snuggles closer, seeking out his warmth as her knuckles press against his back. He's touched her plenty, at this point, but no matter the situation, she always finds that sense of security behind it. ]

[masakados]

That was an amazing thing for me, you know. [Naoki tightens his arm around her as she snuggles in. A soft kind of relief works through him, just because she's here close to him and he can keep her close. Even though he's still worried, so worried it hurts.] Not everybody can care like you do.

[Though it can be hard on people sometimes too. Like now.]

[flaredo]

I do happen to like being unique. [ Although she thinks it would have been better if more people had cared about Naoki and his opinions before he'd met her. It's almost her usual level of sass, if she wasn't still so exhausted and worn down from what the jungle had put their motley crew through. Ruby, at least, had been safe, which had been the utmost priority.

But Minato, and Link... ]

[masakados]

You're pretty unique, so that's lucky.

[Murmured as he presses his lips to her temple. He's moving to cup her face with one of his hands, to urge her to turn it up so he can see her eyes. He feels as though he's had his chin tucked over her head this whole time.]

[flaredo]

[ Probably because she's had her face buried in his shoulder this whole time-- but she lifts her head, meeting his eyes with her reddened ones. She looks tired, vulnerable almost in the way Naoki had appeared to her when he'd called her to come over. Maybe not as desperate, but there's a raw sadness to her now, that she can't seem to gloss over behind her usual confidence. ]

[masakados]

[Naoki's thumb touches underneath one of her eyes, his expression softened with concern. He leans in close, kissing above her eye before placing his forehead against hers.]

Don't keep anything back, okay? [He'll just say that and squeeze her, palm skimming over her back.]

[flaredo]

Like I could, with you. [ completely sincere-- she closes her eyes against the warm pressure of his forehead, releasing a sigh that trembles more than she would have liked. ]

... I'll be okay, though. You're here with me.

[masakados]

You won't be able to get me to leave you alone.

[His voice is earnest and there's not a bit of him that doesn't mean it. He's going to be stuck on her side. Now is the last time Naoki would want to leave Yang by herself.]

[flaredo]

You say that like I'd have a problem with it.

[ Well, okay, maybe he can't accompany her into the shower, because Ruby would make noises... but it's nice to have him with her, where she can't be trapped by her own spiral of thoughts. ]

[masakados]

So it'd be no problem at all to have me glued to you all the time?

[Naoki chuckles, nudging his forehead against hers. His lips find her cheek in a brief press.]

[flaredo]

I think between the two of us... you'd be the one blushing and getting more flustered about it.

[ She slips a hand between them, thumbing gently over the two lines across his cheek. ]

[masakados]

[Naoki mmphs, his eyes lidding when her thumb strokes along his cheek like that.]

Hey, I don't blush as much as I used to.

[flaredo]

But you still blush more than I do. It's great.

[ Said with relish. She just adores the way his face gets all flushed, okay? ]

[masakados]

It's not my fault hardly anything makes you blush.

[Naoki wrinkles his nose lightly and turns his hand to poke his finger against her cheek.]

[flaredo]

There's nothing about being with you that embarrasses me, that's all.

[ Ducking her head a little, just to escape that finger. ]

[masakados]

I guess I'll just have to be even more sappy than usual and hope that works.

[He smiles and tucks his finger underneath her chin. No escaping. But, he's not poking her cheek again, just encouraging her to lift her head back up.]

[flaredo]

Do your worst, demon lord.

[ Very dry, as she lifts her head again. ]

[masakados]

Right now?

[He's kind of preoccupied-- right now all he wants to do is make her feel a little better, more secure, ease the pain she went through.]

[flaredo]

... I wouldn't be surprised that way.

[ And she likes snuggling this close, what they're doing now... ]

[masakados]

Saving it for later it is.

[He cups his hand against the back of her head, sliding down over her hair.]

[flaredo]

For now... I'm fine with this. More than fine.

[ She's needed this. ]

[masakados]

[Naoki smiles softly and brings his face closer so that he's brushing a kiss over her lips.]

I love you.

[flaredo]

I love you too. [ She can say it so easily now, and still with so much sincerity, her eyes bright with the emotion of it all when she leans back in to kiss him. ]