#* ... featuring: nanami kento.

[2econdlead]

status: open. featuring: kento & you. verse: college au.

beer trickles against his neck and past the collar of his shirt, dripping over his chest. discomfort seizes him, a shudder rippling through him as he tries to clean himself up to the best of his ability. the kitchen is as crowded as the rest of the house, and the lights insistently dimmed in favor of mood lighting and various pulsing, glowing lights, a mimicry of a club.

he finally makes it outside, fresh air. it's too cold for the pool, but the jacuzzi is occupied and it looked like the occupants didn't care who was around. so, kento wanders to the edge of the yard, near the fence that surrounded the rest of it, a sprawling view of the city ahead. he hears the soft footfalls through the grass, glancing back.

"got sick of it too?"

[5ubjugate]

for kento & maria: [ 3 PM ] a city sidewalk gloomy with mist & countless puddles

from: meme.

mist clings to his skin, damp and unpleasant. but, his block is the next one and soon, they could duck into the warmth of his apartment and escape the chilly afternoon.

her hand is tucked comfortably in the crook of his elbow, and he makes sure that his pace isn't too quick, strides even with hers. he maneuvers them around larger puddles, partly because he didn't want the ends of his trousers to get wet and also for her sake. he cringes when they step into an unavoidable puddle. he'll change as soon as they get in. or, he'll be too distracted with @cderiva , too distracted with making sure she feels comfortable, too distracted with a growing desire for warmth and something more. in that case, he won't need to be worried about changing into something dry.

they're stopped at a crosswalk and kento gently pries her hand from his elbow as he stretches his arm out to settle instead across her shoulders. public displays of affection weren't really his thing. at least, not when he'd initially thought of what it would be like. not that this is really all that overt. but, it's a form of ... possession when he thought of it as he did it. even if it was mostly just to feel her closer. to make sure she feels as warm as he does with her by his side.

maria's face tilts up, and he glances down at her with hazel eyes that look a little greener than brown right now. a smile melts across his lips; he melts in general.

his lips part to say something, but the walk sign switches on and they're walking forward. he'll tell her when they're inside. when his hands find her waist and pull her to him. he just wants to get home.

[2econdlead]

from: continued.

the vending machine isn't too far off, but they take their time. they match each other stride for stride. their final interaction before @hangvn 's defection still rings clear in the back of his mind, impossible to forget as its attached to his final goodbye to his best friend. everything is all tied together and impossible to separate from one another, more of why he couldn't stick around. couldn't see what he was doing as mattering at all anymore.

"it seemed like the most efficient way to get to where i needed to be at the time." that being, financial stability outside of the jujutsu world. investing in a dream felt foolish now, but at the time, it was all that was keeping him tethered, driven towards something that actually looked like hope. ultimately, a dream couldn't save him.

but, he still thinks about malaysia on his bleakest nights.

"i suppose we all return to what we know in the end." he sighs, coming to a stop in front of the machine. the coins are already clinking in his hand. "take your pick."

[5ubjugate]

You will always be a fool. - nanami

from: meme. verse: main, during season one, encounter before he returns to sorcery.

jaw tenses how it oft does in the presence of the honored one. it has been years since he's last been in contact with gojo and nothing has changed. except maybe that the light around him burns brighter and the light in nanami has dimmed, nearly snuffed out. if there was ever a spark in him in the first place.

thumb and middle finger stretch across his eyes, adjusting his spectacles ... their teal sheen reflects back at @ho11owpurple , his face peering back at him instead of the eyes behind. kento is silent for a few beats, throat clearing once, hands idle at his sides.

"why are you here?" if it's to cajole him into returning to the fold, he may have come at just the right time. but, he isn't prepared to admit that to the other man. he isn't prepared to admit it to himself.

[5ubjugate]

for kento & maria: [ 9PM ] the threshold of an apartment, knocking to be let out of the hailstorm.

from: meme. setting: they've been on a few dates, she's been to his place once or twice, surprise visit with dinner, perhaps.

the knock outside the door breaks through his concentration, eyes darting from the page of the cookbook he's reading through. the insistent knocking is mildly alarming ... maybe one of the neighbors? the storm raging outside could likely cause a power outage, but judging by the lights still illuminating his own home, it's suffice to say that likely isn't the case.

moving over to the record player in the corner, he lifts the needle and pauses the music filtering through. a jazz album he picked up from the record store; a recommendation from the owner.

as soon as the music cuts out, he hears @cderiva 's voice and his feet take a less leisurely pace towards the door.

kento steps aside for her as she hurries in. water drips all over the entryway, quickly creating puddles. he excuses himself to grab a couple towels, setting one down on the floor and the other offered to her. he helps her out of her jacket and whatever else she has with her. it's a hustle of activity all at once, a disruption ( a welcome one because it's her ) to his quiet night in.

"are you just getting off work?" kento welcomes her further into his home, setting about to make a cup of tea. he sets out an assortment for her to choose from while he heats the water. "i would have picked you up from the station with an umbrella." then, he remembers his phone is charging in the other room. shit.

[5ubjugate]

from: continued.

sweat beaded at his temples, gelled hair displaced as short strands hung down across his forehead. straightening, kento adjusted his glasses first, forefinger and thumb adjusting its place, and the palm of his hand smoothly pushes the straying strands back into the rest of his hair. it holds for just a few moments before they start to shift again and fall across his forehead.

"i've alloted you twenty more minutes than what i originally intended." spoken with a finality that said: enough for now.

he figured when he agreed to indulge @colorescaelistis in training that they would likely be engaged past the hour agreed upon. not that he particularly minded, at least not tonight. his head feels clearer than it has in a while.

"let's take a seat." kento settles on the cement steps leading up to the stadium seating alongside the training grounds. from the insulated cooler he'd brought along, he hands takuma two evenly split halves of an egg sando. he lightly toasted one side of each slice as to prevent the moisture from the egg and kewpie blend to seep into the bread. he places the cooler in between them, a choice of water or pocari sweat included inside.

"your stamina has improved."