HELLO. HI. july first and i already miss gay people
fyothaniel + "i know what you're capable of."
lemon futon + "everyone's going to be talking about us for weeks.."
lucygin + "told you it was a good idea!"
marghigu + "i just want you to be okay."
“I know what you’re capable of,” Fyodor whispers, his breath ghosting against the shell of Nathaniel’s ear. His fingers trail down Nathaniel’s arm, the touch feather-light.
Nathaniel fails to suppress a shiver.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he says, though the lie sounds weak even to him. There is no chance of fooling Fyodor with something as pitiful as that. Still, he stands his ground. He doesn’t know what else to do.
“I think you do.” Fyodor tilts his head, something deliciously malevolent glimmering in his eyes. His tongue darts out of his mouth, wetting his lips. Nathaniel’s gaze hooks on the movement.
He hates himself for it.
“Your current organization is not allowing you to live up to your full potential,” Fyodor tells him. He sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. “Your ability can be used for so much more. It can be used to right the world in God’s eyes.”
“You do not know God.”
Fyodor raises an eyebrow. “Don’t I?” He steps back, as if in concession. “He told me to rescue you. He told me you would listen, if I said just one word. One name.”
“I already told you about Mar—”
“Phoebe,” he interrupts.
Nathaniel’s blood runs cold.
-
Katai buries his head in his hands, doing his best to drown out Kajii’s delighted laughter. He never should have agreed to this. He never should have left his apartment. He should have stayed in his room, wrapped up in his futon, where he’s safe and doesn’t have to worry about his boyfriend making a complete and utter embarrassment out of them both.
But no. He agreed to a picnic date at the park. It sounded nice, in theory—just the two of them in a secluded corner, maybe shaded from view by some trees, eating a simple meal, enjoying each other’s company…
It shouldn’t have turned into a big thing.
(Why did he ever expect something could be normal when Kajii is involved?)
“Everyone’s going to be talking about us for weeks,” Katai groans, left utterly mortified in the wake of Kajii’s lemon explosion. With lemon juice, instead of bombs, but still—
Kajii cackles. Most of the lemon juice landed on him, and Katai internally shivers at the thought of it drying, sticky, plastered to his skin. He spins, facing Katai, with a wide grin on his face.
“That’s the point!” he exclaims.
Katai can only let out a resigned sigh.
-
“I told you it was a good idea!” Lucy exclaims smugly as she folds her arms over her chest. “I can’t believe you doubted me!”
But Gin’s frown only deepens. They narrow their eyes, as if studying the sight before them, and then shake their head. “It looks bad.”
“Wh— No it does not!”
Gin nods.
Lucy, despite herself, looks down at the cake again. Sure it doesn’t look the best, but it certainly doesn’t look terrible. Maybe they had to make a few substitutions and the oat milk didn’t work as well as regular milk would have, but hey! It still smells totally edible! And the frosting mostly covers up the fact that it’s slightly lopsided.
“It’s not a masterpiece,” Lucy admits. “But it’s fine! I bet it still tastes delicious.”
Gin huffs. He gestures to the kitchen around them. “It wasn’t worth the mess,” they say simply.
Lucy bites her tongue. She can’t deny that it does sort of look like a tornado went through the room, and it’s going to be hell to clean up. Still—
‘We had fun,” she points out. “That was worth the mess.”
Gin rolls his eyes, but the corners of his mouth tick up into a fond smile, and Lucy knows she’s won.
-
“I just want you to be okay,” Higuchi mumbles into the warm skin of Margaret’s throat. Margaret’s nimble fingers weave through her hair rhythmically, a soothing motion despite everything.
“I am,” she promises. “Trust me, I have suffered far worse than this.”
“I know, I just—” Higuchi’s voice breaks off into a chittering sound. She clears her throat twice before she can continue speaking. “I worry. And I know it’s hypocritical because my job is way more dangerous than yours, but…”
Margaret sighs. She pulls back, slightly, then lifts Higuchi’s head with a gentle hand under her chin. Before Higuchi can apologize or say anything else, Margaret guides her into a soft kiss.
Against Higuchi’s lips, she says, “We will be alright. We have overcome much in the past, and we will continue to overcome hardships in the future.”
