[ Had his mistake been to answer to begin with? To answer with immediate rejection? But, it hadn't been the first time, and if he starts going along with whatever Gojou's on about at a particular moment, there really will be no discouraging him.
Maybe it isn't worth mulling over, but he has the time for it. Nanami deliberately lives off campus, not so far as to be inconvenient, but a few subway steps into Tokyo. Focusing on practical analysis of how he'd gotten himself into this helps distract from his irritation, even resentment, at having to leave his apartment at ten pm to humor the vagaries of the strongest sorcerer. He'd been off work since seven. Made himself a little dinner. Had long since changed out of his suit into more casual clothing. Had been minutes from pouring a glass of whiskey before receiving that text.
Now, he's sitting on the train, now walking the remaining distance, now knocking on Gojou's front door. At least by this point, he's suppressed the worst of his aggravation. ]
[ Gojou doesn't answer the door right away. When he does answer it, he's swaying a little. It's almost as if he's been hitting the whiskey a little himself? This might explain a lot. But if he has, it's definitely more than necessary. ]
Nanami~. [ He singsongs, reaching out to grab his arm. ] Welcome to my home~.
[ Neither his blindfold nor his sunglasses are on, and his eyes are quite bright. ]
[ That Nanami had been compelled to leave the comfort of his apartment, trudge through train and streets, only to wait a more than polite, acceptable amount of time for the door to open, undoes most of his work at curbing his bad mood.
He's frowning when the door opens, having been seconds from knocking again, and though he wouldn't have told Gojou off for his delay, the tenor of his frown shifts when he sees him. Is he... swaying? There's an instability to be sure. Despite the late hour, Nanami is wearing his sunglasses, as curses don't have any regard for convenient times and locations, and for Nanami, they serve the conventional sorcerer purpose of masking his attention. He's glad for them. Gojou's eyes are striking enough filtered through green shades.
Distracted by both his eyes and his condition, Nanami doesn't try to pull away. Though, he probably wouldn't have anyway. The path of least resistance with that sort of physicality was simplest with Gojou. ]
Gojou-san. Have you been drinking?
[ If so, given the man's distaste for and total inability to hold his alcohol, it's... concerning. If so, maybe he really should have answered that first text kindly. In an instant, aggravation evaporates, displaced. ]
[ He sways a little more and holds onto Nanami more tightly. His voice isn't exactly affected by the drinking - what's happening is he's speaking a little slower to make sure he doesn't mess up any words. But even if he wasn't, he'd be fine. He's just being extra careful. ]
Come on, come inside. I can get you something too~.
[ He pulls on Nanami's arm as he takes a step back inside the doorway. ]
[ Is that a problem? That remains to be seen. Nanami refrains from saying that, or asking what he'd like to: Is everything all right? The answer to that, too, might come out with time, and asking it without any reason but Gojou drinking was bound to result in Gojou brushing it off. Or teasing him for caring, which he doesn't, except that it looks as though he might not be able to escape as quickly as intended.
In any case, he doesn't answer, allowing Gojou to clutch then pull his arm and, with it, pull him inside. He'll get it back eventually. ]
No, I don't need anything.
[ In his own apartment, he'd really wanted that drink. Here, it's true that he doesn't need to drink. More importantly, it's a bad idea. Especially when Gojou calls drinking fun.
Once inside, he quickly scans the apartment for evidence of anything obviously amiss before bending to remove his shoes. If Gojou hasn't let go of his arm yet, it's probably a little awkward. ]
There won't be anything fun about the headache I'll get.
[ He's not talking about a hangover. Nanami hasn't had one in years. ]
SORRY IT TOOK ME AWHILE TO REPLY I'VE HAD A HECTIC FEW WEEKS
I'm sure you can handle your liquor better than that.
[ Gojou pouts. But when Nanami leans over, he does finally let go of his arm. He closes the door behind the other man, and sways a little as he stands in place. ]
We're drowning our sorrows, today. Can't you join me?
[ The royal 'we', to be more specific. There's nobody else here. ]
It isn't a question of what I can or can't handle.
[ Once his shoes are off, Nanami straightens with a sigh, the exhale further softening the rigid set of his frown. That isn't saying much, as his mouth settles only into a more neutral line as he studies Gojou behind his sunglasses.
Because he stands inside Gojou's apartment and that man's eyes are bare, he raises his hand to his face, removing those sunglasses, if a little slow in it. ]
That's a bad idea. What do you have to be sorry about?
[ He doesn't intend it as a callous question. The poisons of adulthood, the ugliness of their job, and to delve into a truly serious topic, lost classmates -- it isn't as though Gojou, flippant though he usually was, wasn't entitled to or capable of feeling. He might be the strongest, but he's human, too.
But, if he says something asinine like "the sorrow of or broken bond", Nanami will have a hell of a time keeping himself from shoving his shoes back on and walking right out. ]
It's getting close to certain anniversaries. Ones I don't want to think about.
[ So no, it wasn't anything about their bond. Or maybe it was, but more of a want to know that Nanami was there, was going to stay there - unlike certain people, who left and then died. This is entirely ignoring the fact Gojou himself was the one to kill him. ]
So, I drink instead.
[ Then he can ignore the fact that it was all his doing. It had been a necessity to take, but still. ]
[ It might have been easier if Gojou had said something stupid like that. Instead, he speaks plain of the one thing Nanami could not, and would never even attempt to, turn his back on. When he sighs again, he expels the whole of his resistance, giving up his hope of spending only a short, cursory time here before retreating at the first opportunity.
He tucks his sunglasses into the pocket of his jacket, which he then moves to shrug out of. It wasn't as cold as it usually was at this time of year, but he'd definitely needed a jacket, which became excessive once indoors.
It probably isn't the best idea to drink away one's sorrow, particularly for a lightweight like Gojou. But, he isn't one to judge or interfere unless that or another's welfare was endangered, and further, it isn't as though each time he drinks heavily, it never has anything to do with his own memories. ]
Then, let's drink. What do you have?
Edited (wow why did it take me so long to catch calling NANAMI a lightweight) 2021-05-29 08:44 (UTC)
[ Maybe Gojou is already a little more drunk than he should be. Because after he heads into his home towards the bar area, he glances back at Nanami and realizes he's taken the glasses off. And this sparks a reaction from him. ]
Vodka, tequila, some really nice wines... the usual. You know your eyes are pretty, right?
[ Yes, he's definitely already a little drunk. He wouldn't say this otherwise, not even to tease. ]
[ Is that really the usual for Gojou? Though at this juncture, after all this time, he should be past the point of any surprise when it came to the other man -- predicting unpredictability and expecting erratic spontaneity -- it does surprise him to learn Gojou keeps a substantial stock of booze.
Maybe the job actually got to him, now and again. Maybe just those anniversaries. Maybe he could better stomach them mixed sweet. ]
Do you have any mixers?
[ Also surprising, if only because it doesn't sound like Gojou's teasing him: that he compliments his eyes. Nanami shakes his head. ]
No.
[ Why would he know that? His eyes are thin, small. Gojou keeps the entire sky in his eyes. It's ludicrous from him. ]
[ It was the sweetness, really. The sweeter the drink, the easier it was to keep down. And keeping down a drink was the point, really? If you couldn't do that, then you couldn't get drunk off of it. ]
Yes.
[ It's an answer to both things, really. Gojou is going to be insistent on this, mostly because he likes being right. ]
Juices, mostly. Soda is gross and nothing about it is redeemable.
[ He leans on the counter and props his chin up with a hand. He's meeting Nanami's gaze intently. ]
Unlike your eyes, which are very redeemable. They're very rich in colour.
[ Nanami doesn't feel strongly about soda. Probably kids drank too much of it, but that's what kids do. As for himself, he doesn't really drink it, except in the occasional mixed drink, where the carbonation serves it.
He gestures to the bar. ]
May I serve myself?
[ Of course he wouldn't without permission. It isn't his home. He'd like to use the question, and if permitted, the act of making himself a drink, to completely ignore the double meaning of that yes. Gojou doesn't seem inclined to give him the opportunity, but at least Nanami has no sense of machismo or ego that would compel him to find a challenge in Gojou's eyes and meet it.
He looks away, staring at a bottle of wine. ]
Do you need another drink?
[ Simply not acknowledging that Gojou said anything else about his eyes. ]
[ Gojou hums as he thinks about the question. Technically, he's had enough - but has he really? He's still able to stand straight. He's only wobbling a little. On these anniversaries, he likes to drink his own self under the table - quite literally. ]
[ If he knew Gojou was considering stopping, he would have encouraged that. But, because he'd insisted that Nanami drink withhim, join him in drowning his sorrows, and Nanami had agreed, he wasn't planning to now go back on that and drink alone.
Not that he isn't briefly tempted to, as he reaches for two glasses and considers the options, pretend to mix something for Gojou only to slide him straight juice. ]
[ Gojou has a suspicion something is up. He does have six eyes after all, and every single one of them sees clearly. But the part of him that has a feeling Nanami is pulling a fast one also recognizes that maybe he's had too much already, so he pushes the suspicions away and says nothing when he takes the drink. ]
What are you helping yourself to?
[ He'll wait to drink until Nanami has something in his hand. ]
[ In the end, Nanami is only tempted to give Gojo only juice. Gojo doesn't seem so badly off that Nanami feels it's his place, or at all appropriate, to decide for him what he should be drinking. If the man wants to drown his sorrows, he's entitled and, as an adult, can decide for himself. Nanami would only intervene if he was endangering himself or another person, which isn't currently the case.
So, he prepares something sweet and moderately strong, sliding that to Gojo. For himself: a Gimlet, or ]
[ Gojou toasts back in a similar fashion, then... stares at the cup instead of taking a drink? It's not that he's trying to examine the drink or anything, it's that suddenly he's struck by good sense. Is it really a good idea to keep drinking? ]
...how's yours?
[ After a longer moment of pondering, he finally takes the down the entire drink in one go. Better to regret after than keep thinking about it. ]
SPEAKING OF A HECTIC FEW WEEKS... sorry;; also wow oops again, Gojou***
[ After the cursory toast, naturally they should drink. The cool glass presses to his lip, beginning to tip, until Nanami realizes that Gojou stares at his own. Nanami pauses for a fraction of a second, regarding him over the rim.
He would have liked to know that Gojou was reconsidering his invitation, debating the merits of continuing to drink. Having been reluctant to drink here from the start, and wary that Gojou had been drinking at all, Nanami would have been more than content to make non-alcoholic drinks, or even just pour water.
But, he isn't a mind reader. With Gojou's last word on the subject encouragement, he chooses not to overthink the queerness of Gojou's reaction to his drink. With that, he sips from his glass, swallowing only a mouthful, not the whole. ]
Fine.
[ And, after Gojou drank his in one-- ]
How was it?
[ Aside from the occasional exception of Ieiri, Nanami only makes drinks for himself, alone in his apartment. He can't help but be curious as to what a man with a tooth as sweet as Gojou's thinks of it, basic though the cocktail was, though he might have drunk it too quickly to really notice the taste. Nanami does think it, now: maybe Gojou should slow down, slow to a stop. ]
Edited (tmw accidentally hit post instead of preview ) 2021-06-16 05:19 (UTC)
IT'S OKAY i celebrate tags from you whenever i get them <3 so no worries if it takes awhile
[ He really had downed it too fast to notice the taste. Gojou isn't sure if he should confess that. It feels like it'd be putting all of Nanami's work to waste. But it's not something that's worth lying about, either. Most things aren't. ]
I couldn't tell. It went down too fast.
[ Unfortunately, drinking it so quickly seemed to have been a mistake, because it's already hitting him hard. He sways a little in place, then says the only logical thing he's said all night. ]
Maybe I should stop.
buries face in hands, WILL YOU ACCEPT... slow tags here + picture prompt
[ Given his own preference for honesty and almost total lack of ego, Nanami accepts Gojou's answer with an inexpressive nod. Besides, he'd suspected that was the case and it hadn't been that much work.
Perhaps given Gojou's unique metabolism and continuous reset, downing a drink would have an immediate impact, whereas for every other person they would need some time for digestion. That, or its the accumulation of everything he's drunk before. Whatever it is, Nanami watches him sway, and looks at him for a moment longer after he speaks. ]
You shouldn't have started to begin with.
[ And why had he insisted Nanami come over to begin with, why had he suggested they drink together? Given the man's condition, Nanami doesn't press the point, any exasperated irritation tempered by concern. Instead, he reaches to take the glass back from Gojou, taking enough liberties in his kitchen to wash it in the sink before filling it again with water. This he slides back to him. ]
Drink some water and go to bed.
I ALWAYS ACCEPT SLOW TAGS considering i'm... slow too...
[ The water is fine. Gojou drinks that, knowing that Nanami will be persistent if he doesn't. He's willing to give a small concession, if only not to be bothered later. But the going to bed part - well. That's far from what he wants. There's a frown that's tugging his lips downwards, and he doesn't even try to pretend there's not an element of pout to it. ]
That way lies loneliness.
[ Although he always hated being alone, it was on this particular anniversary that he hated it the most. Being alone led to thoughts which then led to feelings, and that was the worst of all. ]
[ It isn't the first time he's thought Gojou childish and he knows it won't be the last. However, it is the first time that his immaturity isn't rooted in levity, teasing and boundlessly frivolous, at least insofar as Nanami has been privy to. Even that pout, which might have otherwise grated (and probably been exaggerated), looks different in this context.
The difference keeps Nanami tempered and holds a sigh in his chest, even before Gojou speaks loneliness.
Again he looks at him, the moment long and quiet. The comparison and contrast continues: at almost any other time, when that pout would be ridiculously jutted instead of slight and sad, Nanami would have followed his reluctant part in their rapport, retorting that he couldn't really be lonely once he was asleep. Chafing against the ropes Gojou would be trying to catch him in, loneliness an excuse to bother him.
Instead, he lifts and sips from his own glass, sets it back down. ]
[ Although Gojou is usually perceptive of other people's emotions and ideas, he has no idea that Nanami is seeing him differently right now. So when he answers, he's quiet from the fact he's a little nervous to speak. A rare emotion for him, but this day tended to bring about the rarities. ]
You to stay.
[ The answer comes quickly. He had it in mind all along. Maybe he's just being a brat again, but he wants Nanami to stay as long as possible, as long as he can stand it. If that means until the next day, so be it. He'd be delighted. ]
I'll sleep if you're there.
[ He's being honest and it shows in his eyes. Maybe it's because the other is one of the few things left from that time - or maybe, though he would never admit it, he is attached to this man on his own merits. ]
[ There isn't any question of whether Gojou speaks honestly. Not tonight, not here, regarding one another across the counter in the lull brought on by Gojou's need.
Certainly, at any other time a request like this would chafe, surely a joke, surely self-indulgent and insensitive caprice. At this time, it's a request he simply doesn't understand, why it should be him, except that that way lies loneliness. Troublesome, yes, inconvenient, his plan to spend as little time here possible already undercut, now it looks as though he won't be leaving at all.
No, he won't be leaving tonight.
Nanami knows it even as he blinks at the immediacy of the answer, at the strangeness of the of the following claim, even as he finds himself still staring. He knows it before he even begins to think about it, to balk or to puzzle over it. He knows it as he picks up the Gimlet to finish it, a longer drink, tipping the glass farther back. It's when he moves to take the glass to the sink that he answers, his voice plain. ]
Then I'll stay.
[ It isn't a problem to sleep on Gojou's couch for one night. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tfln cont'd (communication studies)
[ Had his mistake been to answer to begin with? To answer with immediate rejection? But, it hadn't been the first time, and if he starts going along with whatever Gojou's on about at a particular moment, there really will be no discouraging him.
Maybe it isn't worth mulling over, but he has the time for it. Nanami deliberately lives off campus, not so far as to be inconvenient, but a few subway steps into Tokyo. Focusing on practical analysis of how he'd gotten himself into this helps distract from his irritation, even resentment, at having to leave his apartment at ten pm to humor the vagaries of the strongest sorcerer. He'd been off work since seven. Made himself a little dinner. Had long since changed out of his suit into more casual clothing. Had been minutes from pouring a glass of whiskey before receiving that text.
Now, he's sitting on the train, now walking the remaining distance, now knocking on Gojou's front door. At least by this point, he's suppressed the worst of his aggravation. ]
no subject
Nanami~. [ He singsongs, reaching out to grab his arm. ] Welcome to my home~.
[ Neither his blindfold nor his sunglasses are on, and his eyes are quite bright. ]
no subject
He's frowning when the door opens, having been seconds from knocking again, and though he wouldn't have told Gojou off for his delay, the tenor of his frown shifts when he sees him. Is he... swaying? There's an instability to be sure. Despite the late hour, Nanami is wearing his sunglasses, as curses don't have any regard for convenient times and locations, and for Nanami, they serve the conventional sorcerer purpose of masking his attention. He's glad for them. Gojou's eyes are striking enough filtered through green shades.
Distracted by both his eyes and his condition, Nanami doesn't try to pull away. Though, he probably wouldn't have anyway. The path of least resistance with that sort of physicality was simplest with Gojou. ]
Gojou-san. Have you been drinking?
[ If so, given the man's distaste for and total inability to hold his alcohol, it's... concerning. If so, maybe he really should have answered that first text kindly. In an instant, aggravation evaporates, displaced. ]
no subject
[ He sways a little more and holds onto Nanami more tightly. His voice isn't exactly affected by the drinking - what's happening is he's speaking a little slower to make sure he doesn't mess up any words. But even if he wasn't, he'd be fine. He's just being extra careful. ]
Come on, come inside. I can get you something too~.
[ He pulls on Nanami's arm as he takes a step back inside the doorway. ]
Drink with me! It'll be fun!
[ Is that a word he ever uses for drinking? ]
no subject
In any case, he doesn't answer, allowing Gojou to clutch then pull his arm and, with it, pull him inside. He'll get it back eventually. ]
No, I don't need anything.
[ In his own apartment, he'd really wanted that drink. Here, it's true that he doesn't need to drink. More importantly, it's a bad idea. Especially when Gojou calls drinking fun.
Once inside, he quickly scans the apartment for evidence of anything obviously amiss before bending to remove his shoes. If Gojou hasn't let go of his arm yet, it's probably a little awkward. ]
There won't be anything fun about the headache I'll get.
[ He's not talking about a hangover. Nanami hasn't had one in years. ]
SORRY IT TOOK ME AWHILE TO REPLY I'VE HAD A HECTIC FEW WEEKS
[ Gojou pouts. But when Nanami leans over, he does finally let go of his arm. He closes the door behind the other man, and sways a little as he stands in place. ]
We're drowning our sorrows, today. Can't you join me?
[ The royal 'we', to be more specific. There's nobody else here. ]
I FEEL THAT
[ Once his shoes are off, Nanami straightens with a sigh, the exhale further softening the rigid set of his frown. That isn't saying much, as his mouth settles only into a more neutral line as he studies Gojou behind his sunglasses.
Because he stands inside Gojou's apartment and that man's eyes are bare, he raises his hand to his face, removing those sunglasses, if a little slow in it. ]
That's a bad idea. What do you have to be sorry about?
[ He doesn't intend it as a callous question. The poisons of adulthood, the ugliness of their job, and to delve into a truly serious topic, lost classmates -- it isn't as though Gojou, flippant though he usually was, wasn't entitled to or capable of feeling. He might be the strongest, but he's human, too.
But, if he says something asinine like "the sorrow of or broken bond", Nanami will have a hell of a time keeping himself from shoving his shoes back on and walking right out. ]
no subject
[ So no, it wasn't anything about their bond. Or maybe it was, but more of a want to know that Nanami was there, was going to stay there - unlike certain people, who left and then died. This is entirely ignoring the fact Gojou himself was the one to kill him. ]
So, I drink instead.
[ Then he can ignore the fact that it was all his doing. It had been a necessity to take, but still. ]
omg oops OUR bond
He tucks his sunglasses into the pocket of his jacket, which he then moves to shrug out of. It wasn't as cold as it usually was at this time of year, but he'd definitely needed a jacket, which became excessive once indoors.
It probably isn't the best idea to drink away one's sorrow, particularly for a lightweight like Gojou. But, he isn't one to judge or interfere unless that or another's welfare was endangered, and further, it isn't as though each time he drinks heavily, it never has anything to do with his own memories. ]
Then, let's drink. What do you have?
no subject
Vodka, tequila, some really nice wines... the usual. You know your eyes are pretty, right?
[ Yes, he's definitely already a little drunk. He wouldn't say this otherwise, not even to tease. ]
no subject
Maybe the job actually got to him, now and again. Maybe just those anniversaries. Maybe he could better stomach them mixed sweet. ]
Do you have any mixers?
[ Also surprising, if only because it doesn't sound like Gojou's teasing him: that he compliments his eyes. Nanami shakes his head. ]
No.
[ Why would he know that? His eyes are thin, small. Gojou keeps the entire sky in his eyes. It's ludicrous from him. ]
no subject
Yes.
[ It's an answer to both things, really. Gojou is going to be insistent on this, mostly because he likes being right. ]
Juices, mostly. Soda is gross and nothing about it is redeemable.
[ He leans on the counter and props his chin up with a hand. He's meeting Nanami's gaze intently. ]
Unlike your eyes, which are very redeemable. They're very rich in colour.
no subject
[ Nanami doesn't feel strongly about soda. Probably kids drank too much of it, but that's what kids do. As for himself, he doesn't really drink it, except in the occasional mixed drink, where the carbonation serves it.
He gestures to the bar. ]
May I serve myself?
[ Of course he wouldn't without permission. It isn't his home. He'd like to use the question, and if permitted, the act of making himself a drink, to completely ignore the double meaning of that yes. Gojou doesn't seem inclined to give him the opportunity, but at least Nanami has no sense of machismo or ego that would compel him to find a challenge in Gojou's eyes and meet it.
He looks away, staring at a bottle of wine. ]
Do you need another drink?
[ Simply not acknowledging that Gojou said anything else about his eyes. ]
no subject
[ Gojou hums as he thinks about the question. Technically, he's had enough - but has he really? He's still able to stand straight. He's only wobbling a little. On these anniversaries, he likes to drink his own self under the table - quite literally. ]
You'll make me one? I'm touched.
no subject
[ If he knew Gojou was considering stopping, he would have encouraged that. But, because he'd insisted that Nanami drink withhim, join him in drowning his sorrows, and Nanami had agreed, he wasn't planning to now go back on that and drink alone.
Not that he isn't briefly tempted to, as he reaches for two glasses and considers the options, pretend to mix something for Gojou only to slide him straight juice. ]
If I'm helping myself to your stock, it's polite.
no subject
What are you helping yourself to?
[ He'll wait to drink until Nanami has something in his hand. ]
no subject
So, he prepares something sweet and moderately strong, sliding that to Gojo. For himself: a Gimlet, or ]
Gin and lime juice.
[ Lifting the glass in a distant toast. ]
Kanpai.
no subject
...how's yours?
[ After a longer moment of pondering, he finally takes the down the entire drink in one go. Better to regret after than keep thinking about it. ]
SPEAKING OF A HECTIC FEW WEEKS... sorry;; also wow oops again, Gojou***
He would have liked to know that Gojou was reconsidering his invitation, debating the merits of continuing to drink. Having been reluctant to drink here from the start, and wary that Gojou had been drinking at all, Nanami would have been more than content to make non-alcoholic drinks, or even just pour water.
But, he isn't a mind reader. With Gojou's last word on the subject encouragement, he chooses not to overthink the queerness of Gojou's reaction to his drink. With that, he sips from his glass, swallowing only a mouthful, not the whole. ]
Fine.
[ And, after Gojou drank his in one-- ]
How was it?
[ Aside from the occasional exception of Ieiri, Nanami only makes drinks for himself, alone in his apartment. He can't help but be curious as to what a man with a tooth as sweet as Gojou's thinks of it, basic though the cocktail was, though he might have drunk it too quickly to really notice the taste. Nanami does think it, now: maybe Gojou should slow down, slow to a stop. ]
IT'S OKAY i celebrate tags from you whenever i get them <3 so no worries if it takes awhile
I couldn't tell. It went down too fast.
[ Unfortunately, drinking it so quickly seemed to have been a mistake, because it's already hitting him hard. He sways a little in place, then says the only logical thing he's said all night. ]
Maybe I should stop.
buries face in hands, WILL YOU ACCEPT... slow tags here + picture prompt
Perhaps given Gojou's unique metabolism and continuous reset, downing a drink would have an immediate impact, whereas for every other person they would need some time for digestion. That, or its the accumulation of everything he's drunk before. Whatever it is, Nanami watches him sway, and looks at him for a moment longer after he speaks. ]
You shouldn't have started to begin with.
[ And why had he insisted Nanami come over to begin with, why had he suggested they drink together? Given the man's condition, Nanami doesn't press the point, any exasperated irritation tempered by concern. Instead, he reaches to take the glass back from Gojou, taking enough liberties in his kitchen to wash it in the sink before filling it again with water. This he slides back to him. ]
Drink some water and go to bed.
I ALWAYS ACCEPT SLOW TAGS considering i'm... slow too...
[ The water is fine. Gojou drinks that, knowing that Nanami will be persistent if he doesn't. He's willing to give a small concession, if only not to be bothered later. But the going to bed part - well. That's far from what he wants. There's a frown that's tugging his lips downwards, and he doesn't even try to pretend there's not an element of pout to it. ]
That way lies loneliness.
[ Although he always hated being alone, it was on this particular anniversary that he hated it the most. Being alone led to thoughts which then led to feelings, and that was the worst of all. ]
no subject
The difference keeps Nanami tempered and holds a sigh in his chest, even before Gojou speaks loneliness.
Again he looks at him, the moment long and quiet. The comparison and contrast continues: at almost any other time, when that pout would be ridiculously jutted instead of slight and sad, Nanami would have followed his reluctant part in their rapport, retorting that he couldn't really be lonely once he was asleep. Chafing against the ropes Gojou would be trying to catch him in, loneliness an excuse to bother him.
Instead, he lifts and sips from his own glass, sets it back down. ]
Then, what do you want?
no subject
You to stay.
[ The answer comes quickly. He had it in mind all along. Maybe he's just being a brat again, but he wants Nanami to stay as long as possible, as long as he can stand it. If that means until the next day, so be it. He'd be delighted. ]
I'll sleep if you're there.
[ He's being honest and it shows in his eyes. Maybe it's because the other is one of the few things left from that time - or maybe, though he would never admit it, he is attached to this man on his own merits. ]
no subject
Certainly, at any other time a request like this would chafe, surely a joke, surely self-indulgent and insensitive caprice. At this time, it's a request he simply doesn't understand, why it should be him, except that that way lies loneliness. Troublesome, yes, inconvenient, his plan to spend as little time here possible already undercut, now it looks as though he won't be leaving at all.
No, he won't be leaving tonight.
Nanami knows it even as he blinks at the immediacy of the answer, at the strangeness of the of the following claim, even as he finds himself still staring. He knows it before he even begins to think about it, to balk or to puzzle over it. He knows it as he picks up the Gimlet to finish it, a longer drink, tipping the glass farther back. It's when he moves to take the glass to the sink that he answers, his voice plain. ]
Then I'll stay.
[ It isn't a problem to sleep on Gojou's couch for one night. ]