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[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

[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. ]

[masakados]

[His sigh against her lips is warm, satisfied, his hand sliding against the back of her neck. He's still intent on keeping her gathered as close as possible to him, staying that way. It's like he plans on following through on sticking to her even right now.]