SAS 3

[shattermelt]

Kippei wasn't entirely sure how Shinji's conversation with Akira was going to go - he hoped that Akira wouldn't freak out too much for Shinji to handle, but there was no guarantee that it wouldn't end badly.

He could just call Shinji later and find out, but he couldn't be sure that Shinji would answer his phone, and he'd rather see for himself. He waited until after dinner, when he could reasonably tell his mother he was going to see a friend, and ignored the way An was smirking at him as he left the house. She totally didn't know anything.

"Hi," he said when Shinji's mother opened the door, flashing her a hopeful smile. He'd only met her once or twice, but hopefully he looked trustworthy. "Is Shinji here?"

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[shattermelt]

"Oh...yes! Yes, of course!" She smiled brightly at him and stepped aside to let him in, delighted because Shinji was always talking about his tennis captain and he'd clearly made things better for Shinji at school. She was very grateful to the other boy, and approved of how he ran the tennis club.

"Come in. He's upstairs in his room. Just follow the corridor to the end. Tell him if he wants dinner, I put it in the oven to keep it warm for him. He wasn't hungry earlier..." His appetite had been disappearing for weeks now and she was worried about how tired he looked. She was going to have to take him to the doctor if things didn't improve soon.

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[info]shattermelt
2010-10-26 12:43 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreenTrack This Select
Kippei gave her a thoughtful look, nodding as he stepped in. "Maybe I can take a plate up to him?" he offered. Shinji might feel more like eating up in his room, a little further from everyone's thoughts.

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[info]ayretala
2010-10-26 12:46 am UTC (link) DeleteFreezeScreenTrack This Select
"Oh, that would be lovely. Here..." She hurried to the oven and got the plate out, wrapping it in a teatowel and handing it over with a happy smile. "Thanks so much, sweetheart!"

Shinji was already frowning, feeling something itching it's way into his awareness and by the time Kippei reached the top of the stairs he knew what it was, though he didn't really believe it. He got up and peeked out his bedroom door, gaping because that really was Kippei coming down the hallway.

"What..." What are you doing here? Oh yeah, great way to greet him. "Uh...hey."

Kippei just grinned at him, because Shinji was completely adorable peeking out at him like that.

"Hey," he answered. "Brought you something," he added, holding out the plate, and brushing a kiss on top of Shinji's head as he gently pushed his way into Shinji's room, setting the plate down on the desk and himself on the side of the bed.

"How's your head?"

[ayretala]

Tachibana Kippei was sitting on his bed. Shinji had no idea how his head was because he was pretty sure he was having a meltdown. Kippei was in his bedroom, on his bed, and he'd brought his dinner up. Shinji just stared, for a very inappropriate amount of time. And then he realised Kippei had kissed his forehead and he flushed a deep red, closing the door hurriedly and going to his desk, sitting in his chair and just staring some more.

"Hey," he found himself repeating himself. "Um. Fine...head's...fine."

[shattermelt]

"That's good," Kippei noted, nodding and watching him intently, trying not to look too worried. He kind of doubted that Shinji's head was 'fine', but he looked a little better than he had earlier.

"You talked to Akira?" he asked warily, not entirely sure that he wanted to know how that had turned out. Maybe Shinji hadn't told him after all.

[ayretala]

"Yeah." Shinji was still staring and it took him a while before he thought to shake it off and just relax, smiling nervously because Kippei was in his bedroom. Yeah, that was going to take a while to sink in.

"He...he freaked a bit, but he was okay with it. Just worried. Thinks I'm radioactive and going to die or something."

[shattermelt]

Kippei blinked and then laughed, shaking his head, but he was relieved that Shinji had been able to tell at least one other person without major consequences.

"Good," he said again, giving Shinji a hopeful smile. "Things are a little better, hm?" Getting there, anyway. Having people who knew what was going on and wanted to help, at least, that was something.

"You going to eat that?" he asked wryly, motioning to the plate he'd brought in. "Your mum's all worried." It didn't take any mind reading to know that, for sure.

[ayretala]

"Mmm," Shinji turned up his nose a bit but peeked under the teatowel and then blinked because it was simple, and delicious looking; rice and satay and he quietly got it out in the open and took a satay stick to nibble on, surprised he felt like eating at all, but then he wasn't downstairs with the whole family there expecting to talk about what he did all day. Instead he was in his room. With Kippei.

"Things are better," he agreed softly. "I don't mean to make her worry, just...things will get better."

[shattermelt]

Kippei nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. "I know. Listen, it might be...a good idea, to tell your family something. Not the truth," he said hurriedly, "at least not all of it, but... just that you've been having really bad headaches, migraines or soemthing, so they know there's an actual reason you're having trouble being around people and want it quiet and stuff. Might help, don't you think?"

[ayretala]

"I guess," Shinji agreed softly, but he looked worried and wretched and felt worse. "I don't want my mum worrying all the time, I feel really bad about it. I don't like lying to her, and my dad wants me to go see a doctor, but I can't! There's nothing wrong with me!" Well, nothing a doctor was going to figure out anyway. He sighed and slumped back in his chair, nibbling with less interest on the chicken.

"I'll think about it."

[shattermelt]

"It will get better," Kippei told him softly. "It will. We need to help you figure out a way to block things, too. Gotta be a way to at least...turn down the volume, or something." He watched sympathetically as Shinji picked at his food.

"I wish I could fix it." He wished he could just make it all better, right now, but life didn't work that way.

[ayretala]

It made Shinji smile as he stole a look at Kippei, looking sexy as hell. On his bed. Had to stop focussing on that! He shrugged, not really caring about anything right then and putting the chicken stick aside.

"It's okay. I don't mind it...Godd stuff has happened too." Like finding out Kippei liked him. That was definitely good.

[shattermelt]

Kippei smiled faintly, and held out his arm. "Come here, you," he ordered gently, shaking his head. If Shinji wasn't going to eat then he could damn well get over here where Kippei could hug him, because he obviously needed it. And, well, because he wanted to, but whatever.

[ayretala]

Shinji felt like he was being pulled forward by an invisible force and was suddenly sitting beside Kippei on the bed, watching him with wide blue eyes, feeling nervous and excited being so close to Kippei, alone in his room.

"You've never come over to my house before..."

[shattermelt]

Kippei shrugged. "Wanted to make sure you were okay," he pointed out, wrapping his arm around Shinji's shoulders and squeezing him in a sideways hug, resting his cheek against Shinji's hair.

"Long day, huh?" he observed wryly. "You gonna be up to school tomorrow?" Personally he thought it wouldn't be that unreasonable if Shinji only came to practise without going to his classes, but he wasn't sure if they could get away with that.

[ayretala]

"Long day," Shinji agreed, contemplating it was a whole now that it was over and done with and deciding it had been better than yesterday. It made him smile and shrug, because it didn't really matter, he wasn't avoiding school anymore. He had to learn to control this before it really did kill him, and he had Kippei and Akira to help him now.

"I want to go. I get to have lunch with you, and I can hang with Kira in class. And I want to go to practise. Well, as long as Ishida doesn't smash me in the head again!" That had been so uncool, but he had no one to blame but himself.

[shattermelt]

"Mhmm," Kippei agreed with a faint smile, reaching up to rub Shinji's head with strong fingers, sifting through Shinji's hair and stroking it a little as he massaged the scalp beneath.

"Still sore?" He wasn't entirely sure how Shinji had managed to let himself get hit with a tennis ball, but he assumed it had something to do with being distracted because of stuff he was hearing.

[ayretala]

If only it had been something as simple as what he was hearing. No, Shinji knew he had been watching Kippei, and he wasn't even that sorry about it all. Especially since he was damn near melting into Kippei's hands as they stroked his head into mushy goodness. He sighed happily and let his eyes slide closed, sinking into the comforting touch.

"That feels so good!"

[shattermelt]

Kippei chuckled a little, but it felt good to be doing it, too. "Here," he murmured, nudging Shinji's side, "turn around." He shifted until he was sitting sideways on the bed and motioned for Shinji to sit in front of him, so he could reach up with both hands and give Shinji's head and shoulders a proper massage. Kippei was pretty sure he needed one after the last couple of days, and even if he didn't...well, it was a good excuse.

[ayretala]

It took a great deal of effort not to moan and Shinji bit his lip to stop himself, shivering a little as he slowly relaxed and the pain finished subsiding.

"God, can you do that every night?" He hadn't realised what he'd said at first, then he flushed and just laughed at himself. "Sorry...just feels good."

[shattermelt]

Kippei chuckled, shrugging a little as he kept working, slower and more caressing than anything now, running his fingers through Shinji's hair to smooth it, humming contentedly in the back of his throat. Damn right, it felt good.

"I can do that," he agreed. Sure, why not? Have an excuse to see Shinji every night and...yeah. Absolutely.

[ayretala]

He sounded eager and it made Shinji laugh, opening his eyes to look over his shoulder at Kippei in amusement. The man was so strange, but so exactly what Shinji wanted in so many ways.

"You don't need an excuse to come see me, you know. I like having you around." Would do just about anything to have that happen all the time.

[shattermelt]

"Maybe not to you, I don't," Kippei observed with a wry smile. He was silent for a minute as he finished stroking Shinji's hair smooth, then wrapped his arms around him from behind, trapping his arms, and rested his chin on Shinji's shoulder.

"My sister was smirking when I left," he noted dryly. He wasn't sure what she thought she knew, but she was too damn smart for her own good.

[ayretala]

"Mmm she thinks you like me," Shinji muttered, amused because she was right. "And she knows I like you, or...she thinks I watch you all the time at practise and she thinks that means I'm interested. Which I am, but she doesn't need to be so weirdly righteous about it all. He was smiling though, not really minding that An knew, because she didn't seem to mind.

"Did you mind? That she sort of knows?"

[shattermelt]

Kippei snorted softly in amusement. "The day I can't handle my baby sister's teasing is the day somebody needs to just shoot me," he informed Shinji, shrugging a little.

"I like you," he agreed softly. "I like you more than anything. I want to...keep you safe, and...I don't want you to hurt anymore." He sighed, because that was impossible, but he wished like hell it wasn't.

[ayretala]

Shinji felt heat bloom through him, blushing wildly and licking his lips nervously. He hadn't heard much past 'I like you', of the opinion that was the important part. His smile was slow and shy, but stunning when it finally emerged.

"Really? You like me...more than anything?" More than tennis. Like...how? Like as in he was a really good friend? He already knew that wasn't it. Like like...it only made him blush more.

[shattermelt]

Kippei hummed a soft agreement, releasing Shinji and reaching up to turn his head so he could see the smile, his eyes warming as it melted another piece of his heart.

"Really," he whispered, leaning in to kiss it softly.

[ayretala]

His lips were soft and warm and impossibly gentle. Sweet, Shinji decided, his eyes sliding closed as he sank into the feeling of it before he began kissing back, feeling scared but wanting more, pushing against Kippei and toppling him back onto the bed. He leaned in for more kisses, tentative at first but growing in confidence when Kippei just kissed him back.

[shattermelt]

Kippei's mind fuzzed out into white noise as Shinji kissed him back, hesitant but eager, and it was better than he'd even imagined. He let Shinji push him down and groaned softly as Shinji's weight fell on top of him, sliding his fingers into Shinji's hair and cradling his head to kiss him deeper, soft and slow and holy god, sweet.

"You taste like moonlight," he murmured in a soft, husky voice, smiling up at Shinji with heavy-lidded dark eyes.

[ayretala]

"Moonlight," Shinji mumbled, chuckling softly because that was weird, but amazing and it was so typically Kippei and if he was honest he thought Kippei made him think of the night sky; endless but quiet and somehow reassurring. Like a sleepy embrace.

"Does that mean I can kiss you some more?" Because he definitely wanted to do some more of that!

[shattermelt]

"Mhmm," Kippei agreed, smiling faintly and tugging him down to do just that, taking his time because he hadn't ever kissed anyone like this before, not when he wanted to so badly, not someone he'd wanted to just go on and on kissing forever and never stop. Not when it felt like someone had reached in and wrapped their hand around his heart, squeezing it gently with every breath.

"Anytime you want," he promised breathlessly, reaching up to trace Shinji's cheekbone with his finger.

[ayretala]

"Well that could be awkward if I jump the net in the middle of a match and lay one on you," Shinji laughed, delighted by the idea, and by the fact Kippei was thinking loud and clear that he wanted more; wanted to just keep kissing for forever. And Shinji thought for a while that it could happen, he kissed Kippei so many times. It felt so incredibly good, and every kiss only made him want more. But after a while he stopped, resting his head on Kippei's shoulder and just letting himself process what he was doing. Kissing Kippei. Oh hell yes. He was so doomed.

[shattermelt]

Quiet contentment rumbled in the back of Kippei's throat as he arranged Shinji more comfortably on his shoulder, holding him close and absentmindedly stroking his hair over and over, just enjoying the closeness and the sense of peace. He was pretty sure he'd never been happier in his life.

[ayretala]

The pure joy was the only clear thought in Shinji's mind and the relief it gave him was something he hadn't dared dream of since it had started. He shifted closer against Kippei and just rested, listening to Kippei's soft breathing and enjoying the heat of another body against his own; a new experience for him.

"Kira tried to blame my superpowers on you. Apparently you made me radioactive so you could take advantage of my weakness," he laughed, still thoroughly amused by the idea. As if Kippei was the one taking advantage.

[shattermelt]

Kippei blinked, totally bemused by this idea. "Say what?" he asked blankly. "I made you radioactive?" How could that even happen, seriously. As for taking advantage of Shinji's so-called weakness...maybe. Well yes. But Shinji wanted him to, so that was okay. Right?

[ayretala]

"I demanded to know what was wrong with me that I needed to be radioactive for you to like me...he shut up after that," Shinji noted smugly, leaning up on one shoulder again to look down on Kippei, taking in all the familiar lines of his face. He traced his jaw lightly, fascinated as ever by all the small details that told him this was Kippei, on his bed, saying he liked him.

"You can take advantage of me anytime."

[shattermelt]

Kippei looked amused. "Be careful what you wish for," he warned, though really he wouldn't do anything terribly outrageous. Probably. He closed his eyes and hummed appreciatively as Shinji's clever fingers traced his skin, leaving quicksilver lines of fire in their wake.

"I like your hands," he noted randomly, his voice lazy as he lay with his eyes closed. "You have sexy hands."

[ayretala]

"You have no idea," Shinji grinned. "I've spent hours watching your hands. Just watching you, honestly. It's apparently become my favourite hobby." He smirked, rather proud of the fact. Kippei just made him feel amazing, now moreso than ever before. He twined his fingers through Kippei's and just watched the way his hand seemed to fit in Kippei's, his fingers just the right size to slide between Kippei's comfortably.

"I like everything about you."

[shattermelt]

Kippei opened one eye and squinted at him, slightly amused. "That so?" he asked, finding the note of pride in Shinji's voice rather adorable. He'd never really noticed before how much Shinji watched him, but he was willing to bet if he said as much to An, she'd tell him that he'd been watching Shinji right back, and hadn't realised that either, so basically all it meant was that he was an idiot.

"I guess I watch you a lot," he mused, thinking back consideringly. "Never really thought about it before," he admitted sheepishly.

[ayretala]

"I didn't think about it until I started hearing thoughts, and then I realised everyone else had noticed that I kept watching you." Shinji looked sheepish but was still amused by having learned how bad he had it through everyone else's observations. He definitely didn't regret it, which made it fine in his opinion.

[shattermelt]

Kippei made a slightly startled noise. "Everyone else?" he repeated, wondering suddenly with a rather uneasy feeling who else might have noticed him watching Shinji back. An had sharp eyes anyway so she didn't count, but...it was a little embarrassing to think that other people had known how he felt about Shinji before he did.

"Like who else?" he asked warily.

[ayretala]

"Akira...and Ishida. Sakurai caught me a few times. Mori...but they haven't really paid attention to you. Too busy watching you themselves I think," Shinji grinned, because it was almost impossible to keep your eyes off Kippei at tennis.

"Well, Kira noticed but he just thought you were thinking I was weird or something."

[shattermelt]

Kippei grimaced. "Great," he muttered. His entire team knew he was in love with Shinji, probably. It wasn't so much that he minded them knowing as it was annoying to be so obvious to everyone before he'd figured it out himself.

"What else did Akira say, exactly?" he asked, kind of wishing he'd been there for that conversation now.

[ayretala]

"Um...I'm not...sure? I mean, I remember but I have trouble remembering what people actually said other than what they just thought. But he was talking a lot about me being a mutant or something, and that he was going to help find a way to fix me because he thinks I'm sick or something, and he thought I was weird because I like you...not just as Captain." He shrugged, not seeing how that made him weird. He didn't know how he could not like Kippei as something more, it was Kippei.

[shattermelt]

Kippei eyed him dubiously. Maybe he would just have to get the conversation out of Akira, then.

"So he's not mad at me anymore?" he said finally, remembering the way Akira had been glaring at him during practise.

[ayretala]

"Uh...I don't know. He wants someone to blame, and he was angry you were all smiley when there was something wrong with me....or something. It's Akira, he's insane." Shinji shrugged, never sure what to make of the things Akira thought, or how he came up with those sorts of things.

"I'm not mad at you. Doesn't that matter?"

[shattermelt]

Kippei chuckled softly, letting it go because he obviously wasn't going to get anything coherent out of Shinji on the subject.

"I never thought you were mad at me," he pointed out in some amusement. "But I'm glad you're not." He kissed Shinji's temple and hugged him close again, rubbing his back in aimless circles and wishing again that he could make all this easier for Shinji somehow.

"I'll take care of you," he whispered. Somehow he would.

[ayretala]

Shinji didn't think he needed taking care of, but he appreciated the sentiment, and that Kippei wanted to. It made him feel warm and appreciated in a way he hadn't known he wanted to feel.

"Can I take care of you too?"

[shattermelt]

"Sure," Kippei agreed, laughing a little, not thinking he needed it either, but it was only fair, and it did make him feel warm inside that Shinji wanted to.

"You already do," he noted softly after a minute. "You make all my days better and all my nights brighter. All my good dreams are of you."

[ayretala]

"Hmmm....you dream about me, but yesterday you didn't know you liked me," Shinji teased, finding it adorable. Kippei was a romantic sap...that he hadn't pictured, but he found it cute as hell. And really, he should have known. Kippei was all hard and bristley on the outside, but the whole team had learned what a softie he really was.

"I dream about you an indecent amount of the time."

[shattermelt]

"Oh really," Kippei murmured, raising an eyebrow at him, blushing faintly at the idea of 'indecent dreams' which wasn't what Shinji had said, but still. He wouldn't mind having a few of those himself.

"Well," he shrugged, "I dream about tennis, mostly, so yeah...I dream about you a lot." Since Shinji was his favourite part of tennis and all.

[ayretala]

That made Shinji laugh, collapsing back against Kippei's side until the laughter subsided, then just curling up in the curve of Kippei's body, using Kippei's arm as a pillow and watching his profile.

"I'm glad you dream about me. As long as I'm nice to you in your dreams. I wouldn't want a mean me to be nasty to you."