they’re at a bar, quaint and quiet with personal bustle mostly confined to the tables themselves. there’s something else similar to this, a club, xiu had mentioned, where humans stick back to chest, where music thrums through their veins and everything one sees is lighted up briefly by the neon light sparkling by. it sounds overwhelming to say the least. still, sora had wanted to drink, wanted to indulge in this alcohol thing the humans so fancy. he’s only ever seen the empty bottles that float out to sea. fragile browns and greens that sparkle only when the light hits it at a certain angle, at a certain time of the day. so here they are, at a bar in town, a table for themselves tucked in the back of the bar, further away from the others. it’s comfortable, especially after sora’s had a taste of some variations xiu’s ordered for them. he feels relaxed, loose limb and hazy minded but still tight lipped, the horrors engraved too deep into him. fingers dance around the table, picking up different glasses to bring to plump lips and the siren sips.
at some point, xiu leaves to get them something more, or at least he assumes that’s what it is, sora doesn’t know, too enraptured by the alcohol spread out over their table. all he knows is that one moment xiu’s there opposite him, sipping at his own glass, watching sora and then the next, the seat opposite him is empty. he sets the empty glass down, blinks once, twice before head is swinging round to try to catch sight of xiu. which, bad idea because he can almost feel his brain sloshing around in his skull and it’s weird. feels like he’s underwater. weird. maybe he’s had enough. the fox had told him to alert him when sora felt weird after all, maybe this is his cue. “ xiu, xiu, xiu, ” it’s more breath than syllabus, his voice barely there at all because he’s afraid, so afraid and would always be perhaps but a part of him thinks that calling out for the fox would bring him back soon, soon, sooner. maybe it’s his voice, maybe it’s just how the two of them are, in tune at some level but xiu does appear out the corner of the siren’s eyes. at the sight, sora breaks into a lax smile, giddy, eyes disappearing into crescents and makes grabby hands for the fox. xiu strides just that bit faster to get to the drunken boy. “ what’s wrong? ” he asks but there’s nothing wrong, nothing wrong, he just wanted the fox near. right, right, that’s all isn’t it? sora rests the back of his head against the back of the posh chair, looking straight up at the fox who looks down at him. closer, closer. his right arm stretches up, gestures for the fox to lean down and then curls itself into the wisps of hair at the base of the fox’s neck. pulls him down, down, down. hooded eyes blink, once, twice, thrice. xiu leverage one arm on sora’s shoulder.
their lips meet and sora’s nose rubs against xiu’s chin briefly. it’s a soft peck and then sora guides the fox upwards again, separating them. he can only spy the column of xiu’s neck, can’t see his eyes from their current position but his lips are still right there, still so tempting, so he goes for another peck, soft, brief before angling himself towards the side, towards the other’s ear like he’s grown accustomed to in public. the free hand cups over his mouth and then he says, quiet, quiet, terrified of his magic, “ i think i feel weird. it’s like i’m underwater, xiu. ”