[ - he wasn't ready, not even a little bit. He'd texted the eta to Chuuya, sure, but he was fairly sure they'd just meet back up at the apartment or something. Chuuya would just answer whenever Baren called him or something sensible like that. He wouldn't just be waiting so that the second that Baren stepped off this hell bus after hours of excruciating boredom, Chuuya would be right there and.
Baren catches him immediately, automatically taking a step away from the rest of the group even as he wraps his arms around Chuuya's waist immediately, as if it's the most natural thing to keep him close.
He recognizes these feelings as Not His - the flutter, the rush, the lightness - because he's still navigating his own space of being surprised, confused.... His emotions are a mess, especially as he slowly but carefully tries to understand these emotions as - Chuuya's? This is what he feels?
[chuuya definitely won't be caught complaining about that-- he kisses baren back intently, like he's the only thing that matters, and right now he may as well be.
those feelings only get stronger too, the warmth deepening like a stoked fire, and if baren picks up something that feels possessive in there... he isn't wrong. knowing them, though, that might not be as easily identifiable as coming from chuuya.
he at least isn't going to keep this going too long in public, he's got some restraint here, so when he runs out of breath (for the second time, at least, the first time doesn't stop him) chuuya breaks it off and rests their foreheads together.]
Surprised? C'mon, you didn't really think I'd just sit at home waiting, did you.
[At the end of the day, it's still Baren. And Baren, as soon as he even has a fraction of his vision back once Chuuya pulls away from the kiss, is immediately going to walk the both of them away from the rest of the group. Public displays of affection are fine. Holding onto each other as they walk, Chuuya sitting on his lap, the idle kisses - those are fine for other people to see.
But this - when his heart beats so fast that he wonders if it's gotten stuck in his throat - he needs distance. Privacy. Just the two of them.
He keeps his forehead resting against Chuuya's even as his mouth curls into something between a grin and a grimace.]
I forgot that sometimes you just don't have common sense.
[Though he can't feel as though he minds right now.
(He's still too busy reeling from the other feelings - the warmth, the intensity, the possessiveness. They're familiar, but not enough to be exact. These are sharper, more certain, unwavering. What is it? Something in him craves to know what is it?)]
I haven't seen your dumb ass in a month, what did you expect...
[chuuya leans back juuust enough to flick his forehead for that comment. no common sense, huh...
he doesn't mind going somewhere more private, though. he may have thrown himself at baren in full view of the group, but there are things he still just doesn't say in public, like:]
Missed you, love. Next time don't get left the fuck behind.
[baren might hate that word but as far as chuuya's concerned, he's just going to have to deal with it right now.]
[ugh he hates forehead flicks. there's the flash of genuine irritation on his face for a moment -
which disappears the second that chuuya gets sincere, as it always does. he flusters immediately, his heart racing faster and face flushing as 'love' registers in his ears. this is of course the second that tanuki-san feels like catching up to them, scampering up baren's leg up up to his shoulder - the heart stone tied around his neck coming into contact with baren so chuuya can feel it.
he can feel the immediate need to run, as if those words are too good for him. the embarrassment, the disbelief, the way that it feels like the ground beneath baren's very feet have been pulled out from under him because he hasn't heard it in a month. but even with all that there's the wave of possessiveness even as baren's grip around chuuya tightens as if he doesn't want to let him go.
there's the snap - ]
Shut the fuck up, Chuu, that's not my fucking fault!
the recognition of this warmth that isn't his - it's too foreign, too unfamiliar, too unashamed and certain to be his - and he seems to blink as it clicks.
love isn't just a word.
and in this cocktail of confused emotions, there's one more added: awe.]
[so that's what it feels like on baren's end, what's behind all those reactions-- it very nearly dims chuuya's own outpouring of emotions to feel that need to run, but the possessiveness there holds it stable and the way baren holds him tighter keeps him in place.
is it really like this for him every time...?
that only makes chuuya more certain he wants to change it, though, wants to make him stop feeling that urge to go along with the need to keep him close.
what does stop him short are baren's words and the awe he can feel, and he leans back to look him in the eye, a brow raised.]
I thought you knew that. I keep telling you I do, yeah?
[He's not sure how to describe it. His brows knit together as the words fail to leave his lips, if only because he doesn't know what to use to describe his emotions. The heart stone does the job for him -
Because never once in his life has Baren felt this type of emotion before. This kind of sincere and certain love for another person that you're not related to by blood, tied by a new bond that is created out of fondness and sweetness and interaction, not out of DNA and preconceived notions of what unconditional love looks like. He's wrestling with it. Trying to understand it.
This is what Chuuya feels all the time?
This is what Chuuya feels for him all the time?
There's no hiding his disbelief, letting it filter through the stone right to his partner.
With it comes a wave of a different feeling, a different notion: I don't ever want this to change. There's the flicker of guilt (I don't deserve this) but it passes quickly in favor of the hope that this feeling will never go away. That Chuuya will always be his, beyond a shadow of a doubt. So he can't do much more than shake his head, recognizing his own inability to bring his feelings into the air between them.
Instead he leans in to press their lips together again and in that kiss he murmurs, soft:]
[but chuuya's smiling against his lips, and that warmth hasn't faded. the hope in that mix of emotions didn't go unnoticed, and it's met with the same from chuuya's own heartstone as he steals another kiss from baren.]
But I'm still going to keep telling you, you know that, right?
[if baren is only starting to believe, he'll continue until he does. even if baren does fully believe it, that's never going to stop chuuya from reminding him that it still holds as true as it ever has, maybe more.
[Home used to be where Okuni was - and in some ways, it still is. There are different types of home and Baren can recognize that he's lucky... so lucky to even know that. When he spent most of his life with only a place to live that he held no attachment to...
He'll press another kiss to Chuuya's forehead, tender and sweet.]
[nope it's not helping them out at all - but Tanuki-san can get an idea. he'll shake off the heart stone (and baren will let go of chuuya with one hand to catch it and pocket it) before hopping back down to the ground and in a puff of smoke turn bigger. he lays down a little lower so it's easier for baren to settle on his back, and bring chuuya along]
[and Baren will move to get them both situated, his arms wrapping around Chuuya's waist even as Tanuki happily trots along to bring them home. he takes less populated paths, just because he knows that baren would prefer to deal with as few other people as possible at the moment.]
Like I wouldn't be dragging you in with me anyway.
[he was promised a week and by god he's gonna have his week. things coming up at work definitely won't stop that.
when they get to the apartment, chuuya reluctantly pulls himself away just long enough to unlock the door and step inside, where they're welcomed with excited meowing.]
Rimbo-!
[--the cat trots past him to paw at baren, still meowing. pick him up!!]
[RIGHT PAST CHUUYA - and Baren laughs as he hears the meowing, immediately crouching down the floor with arms open to meet Rimbaud immediately and pick him up, kissing his face and giving him scratches.]
Hey handsome, settle down - you didn't need to miss me that much.
He hasn't seen you in a month, Baren, of course he missed you.
[remember the pics, baren?? this cat loves you? rimbaud is licking baren's face happily, purring up a storm.
meanwhile chuuya's going to go check and make sure he has food and water before he returns to flop onto the couch, gesturing for baren to come join him.]
[ugh he was trying to forget the pics, they were too sad. but baren is laughing at all the little kitty kisses, holding onto rimbaud and continuing to give him his scratches and kisses in return.
but he'll follow after chuuya easily enough, joining him on the couch.
it's good they're back together but given that this is still baren - ]
Alright, if you don't wanna get outclassed by Foxy you have a week-long lead - status report?
[IT'LL PUT THEIR FAT, OLD CAT TO SHAME. but Baren will settle in anyway, curling one arm around Chuuya while the other continues to hold onto Rimbaud. apparently he's just going to get completely piled on here.]
What - do you want something more from our time together than this?
[Baren doesn't completely get it. When there's a mission in front of him, with answers that he doesn't have yet, he'll run forward to grab them single-mindedly. Even as Chuuya makes himself uncomfortable, Baren tries to tilt his head, to understand.
He doesn't quite.
But he knows that the good boyfriend thing to do is to meet Chuuya where he is, leaning over to press a kiss against the top of his head with a sigh.]
... ah. Fine then, pet. We won't talk about it yet.
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[ - he wasn't ready, not even a little bit. He'd texted the eta to Chuuya, sure, but he was fairly sure they'd just meet back up at the apartment or something. Chuuya would just answer whenever Baren called him or something sensible like that. He wouldn't just be waiting so that the second that Baren stepped off this hell bus after hours of excruciating boredom, Chuuya would be right there and.
Baren catches him immediately, automatically taking a step away from the rest of the group even as he wraps his arms around Chuuya's waist immediately, as if it's the most natural thing to keep him close.
He recognizes these feelings as Not His - the flutter, the rush, the lightness - because he's still navigating his own space of being surprised, confused.... His emotions are a mess, especially as he slowly but carefully tries to understand these emotions as - Chuuya's? This is what he feels?
He wants to ask.
He decides he wants to kiss Chuuya more.
So he does that first.]
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those feelings only get stronger too, the warmth deepening like a stoked fire, and if baren picks up something that feels possessive in there... he isn't wrong. knowing them, though, that might not be as easily identifiable as coming from chuuya.
he at least isn't going to keep this going too long in public, he's got some restraint here, so when he runs out of breath (for the second time, at least, the first time doesn't stop him) chuuya breaks it off and rests their foreheads together.]
Surprised? C'mon, you didn't really think I'd just sit at home waiting, did you.
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But this - when his heart beats so fast that he wonders if it's gotten stuck in his throat - he needs distance. Privacy. Just the two of them.
He keeps his forehead resting against Chuuya's even as his mouth curls into something between a grin and a grimace.]
I forgot that sometimes you just don't have common sense.
[Though he can't feel as though he minds right now.
(He's still too busy reeling from the other feelings - the warmth, the intensity, the possessiveness. They're familiar, but not enough to be exact. These are sharper, more certain, unwavering. What is it? Something in him craves to know what is it?)]
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[chuuya leans back juuust enough to flick his forehead for that comment. no common sense, huh...
he doesn't mind going somewhere more private, though. he may have thrown himself at baren in full view of the group, but there are things he still just doesn't say in public, like:]
Missed you, love. Next time don't get left the fuck behind.
[baren might hate that word but as far as chuuya's concerned, he's just going to have to deal with it right now.]
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which disappears the second that chuuya gets sincere, as it always does. he flusters immediately, his heart racing faster and face flushing as 'love' registers in his ears. this is of course the second that tanuki-san feels like catching up to them, scampering up baren's leg up up to his shoulder - the heart stone tied around his neck coming into contact with baren so chuuya can feel it.
he can feel the immediate need to run, as if those words are too good for him. the embarrassment, the disbelief, the way that it feels like the ground beneath baren's very feet have been pulled out from under him because he hasn't heard it in a month. but even with all that there's the wave of possessiveness even as baren's grip around chuuya tightens as if he doesn't want to let him go.
there's the snap - ]
Shut the fuck up, Chuu, that's not my fucking fault!
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the recognition of this warmth that isn't his - it's too foreign, too unfamiliar, too unashamed and certain to be his - and he seems to blink as it clicks.
love isn't just a word.
and in this cocktail of confused emotions, there's one more added: awe.]
.... You - really love me.
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is it really like this for him every time...?
that only makes chuuya more certain he wants to change it, though, wants to make him stop feeling that urge to go along with the need to keep him close.
what does stop him short are baren's words and the awe he can feel, and he leans back to look him in the eye, a brow raised.]
I thought you knew that. I keep telling you I do, yeah?
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[He's not sure how to describe it. His brows knit together as the words fail to leave his lips, if only because he doesn't know what to use to describe his emotions. The heart stone does the job for him -
Because never once in his life has Baren felt this type of emotion before. This kind of sincere and certain love for another person that you're not related to by blood, tied by a new bond that is created out of fondness and sweetness and interaction, not out of DNA and preconceived notions of what unconditional love looks like. He's wrestling with it. Trying to understand it.
This is what Chuuya feels all the time?
This is what Chuuya feels for him all the time?
There's no hiding his disbelief, letting it filter through the stone right to his partner.
With it comes a wave of a different feeling, a different notion: I don't ever want this to change. There's the flicker of guilt (I don't deserve this) but it passes quickly in favor of the hope that this feeling will never go away. That Chuuya will always be his, beyond a shadow of a doubt. So he can't do much more than shake his head, recognizing his own inability to bring his feelings into the air between them.
Instead he leans in to press their lips together again and in that kiss he murmurs, soft:]
I've wanted to believe you.
I think I'm starting to.
[Even if it took too long.]
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[but chuuya's smiling against his lips, and that warmth hasn't faded. the hope in that mix of emotions didn't go unnoticed, and it's met with the same from chuuya's own heartstone as he steals another kiss from baren.]
But I'm still going to keep telling you, you know that, right?
[if baren is only starting to believe, he'll continue until he does. even if baren does fully believe it, that's never going to stop chuuya from reminding him that it still holds as true as it ever has, maybe more.
a third kiss, and then-]
Ready to go home?
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He'll press another kiss to Chuuya's forehead, tender and sweet.]
Been ready for about three weeks.
[To be next to Chuuya.]
I've got a lot to catch you up on....
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[despite asking if he's ready to go, though, chuuya... is not moving. he's still holding on to baren.
this is not at all helping them get anywhere, but here he is.]
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What did I promise you again? A week?
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Missed you, little guy. --big guy right now, I guess.
[one more affectionate pat, and chuuya turns his attention back to baren, leaning against him.]
A week sounds about right to me, yeah... maybe it was a week and a half?
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[and Baren will move to get them both situated, his arms wrapping around Chuuya's waist even as Tanuki happily trots along to bring them home. he takes less populated paths, just because he knows that baren would prefer to deal with as few other people as possible at the moment.]
You'd leave your bar unattended for that long....
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[he hums like he's thinking very hard about that. giving it a lot of deep, deep consideration.
finally, he huffs out a sigh, shaking his head.]
One more week is probably all I can really take off. Seemed like it was going fine when I popped in the other week, but...
[don't make him think about work right now...]
I'll worry about it when I go back. They'll call me if anything goes wrong.
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baren's just laughing at that even as he leans in to press a kiss to chuuya's cheek.]
Uh-huh.
I guess if you need to go in I can come with you....
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[he was promised a week and by god he's gonna have his week. things coming up at work definitely won't stop that.
when they get to the apartment, chuuya reluctantly pulls himself away just long enough to unlock the door and step inside, where they're welcomed with excited meowing.]
Rimbo-!
[--the cat trots past him to paw at baren, still meowing. pick him up!!]
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Hey handsome, settle down - you didn't need to miss me that much.
[well.
it has been a month.]
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[remember the pics, baren?? this cat loves you? rimbaud is licking baren's face happily, purring up a storm.
meanwhile chuuya's going to go check and make sure he has food and water before he returns to flop onto the couch, gesturing for baren to come join him.]
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but he'll follow after chuuya easily enough, joining him on the couch.
it's good they're back together but given that this is still baren - ]
Alright, if you don't wanna get outclassed by Foxy you have a week-long lead - status report?
[infomongering dumbass]
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[chuuya makes a face, slumping onto baren and curling against him as he leans over to pet their cat.]
At least give me some time with you first, and I'll explain everything later, yeah?
[it's been! a month! he doesn't mind giving baren information, but he wants his attention before that.]
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[IT'LL PUT THEIR FAT, OLD CAT TO SHAME. but Baren will settle in anyway, curling one arm around Chuuya while the other continues to hold onto Rimbaud. apparently he's just going to get completely piled on here.]
What - do you want something more from our time together than this?
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[he settles in and makes himself comfortable, face half-pressed against baren.]
I was out there for a month, you know? I haven't seen you since. I just-- want a break from it before we all get into analyzing shit.
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He doesn't quite.
But he knows that the good boyfriend thing to do is to meet Chuuya where he is, leaning over to press a kiss against the top of his head with a sigh.]
... ah. Fine then, pet. We won't talk about it yet.
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...thanks. Promise I'll share everything soon, alright? I'm not going to leave you waiting too long.
[it's just that he's been waiting, too.
and then this is probably where chuuya passes out and baren can escape for sanji's bday.]
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