likethelight | IC Contact @ Deer Country

[ ...There is a sudden piercing growl. No small one but a long, surprisingly loud rumbling squeal that draws out and whines like the angry gnashing of a quivering blob.

It's his stomach. And Allen draws back, looking slightly sheepish. ]

We probably should. [ ehe... ]

Edited 2023-03-18 02:59 (UTC)

[ He chuckles softly, a muted sort of sound further buffered by the way he lifts a hand to hide the sudden burst of jubilation coursing through him at the god-awful sound of his stomach protesting their dalliance.

I knew it.

His shoulders shake lightly even as he tries to hold himself still. ]

Edited 2023-03-18 03:13 (UTC)

[ When the sound runs its course, he pats his shoulder as if consoling him for the hold-up. ]

I'll set the table.

[ He offers, eyes still creased with humor even if the smile has already faded. ]

Edited 2023-03-18 03:13 (UTC)

[ ... what.

Was that... did he laugh?

Allen flushes at that, staring a little as his heart beats faster. Somewhat dumbfounded and utterly amazed at the same time. Such a soft sound it would be so easy to miss or dismiss coming from someone else, but that's really unmistakable coming from Shouto. And... ]

[ ...and there aren't words to describe how happy that makes him. And he finds it impossible to swallow for a moment as his heart has lodged in his throat. Suddenly, he thinks, maybe he understands why Shouto says he likes his laugh so much.

It takes him a moment to snap out of it, blinking as he half-catches what he said. He breathes. ]

Alright. [ It takes him a moment, mind jogging to catch up. ] It'll only take me a moment to finish.

[ But Allen reaches out to snag the corner of his apron when he turns to go, leaning in to kiss his cheek quickly as he gives a small tug. ]

Don't forget to take this off or you'll get egg everywhere. [ A pause. ]

And flour. [ You can thank Allen for that. ]

[ He'll thank him for more than that later. For now, he takes his word and turns toward the table, already mapping where to place each dish when he feels a tug at his apron, and turns to check what's wrong. Did he forget something?

No. Instead, he's met with an unexpected kiss that leaves him staring at Allen for a moment, dumbfounded.

What was... that for?

He asks in that silent way of his, the words jumbled in his head and before he can make sense of them, he's given an order and automatically starts to undo the knot at the back of the apron Allen insisted he wear before they started. In the end, he says nothing, returning to his task, and if his eyes wander to Allen now and then, at least he has the decency not to look away when caught. ]

[ He'll take the apron from him with a smile that comes very softly to him, removing his own a moment later and setting them both at a corner of the counter as... he probably shouldn't get flour all over the finished product. He busies himself with the final assembly then as Shouto sets the table, occasionally feeling him looking at him and glancing over.

It's a little surprising and makes him blink, catching him looking at him in a way that makes him half want to ask what he's thinking of, but he just smiles to him gently after a moment instead before turning back to what he was doing. It leaves a peaceful sort of feeling in his heart, and the feeling of Christmas and some of the fantasy he'd had about it returning. A more intimate setting than he'd always envisioned, and that also touches on some warm sort of ember in his heart where he decides he might like this version better.

A Christmas also with definitely a very unorthodox menu, but Allen hasn't the tiniest regret. He finishes pouring the mitarashi syrup over the dango with a small flourish, exactly as if they were a platter of pancakes. Actually, they're higher than a stack of pancakes, and he surveys them and the soba that's been set in a serving bowl with the dipping sauce to the side. There's the oddly cut fruit as well.

He might have re-chopped the rest of the scallions though. Just so they weren't all in... one mangled piece. ]

Done!

[ he sounds so proud of himself. christmas lunchy-breakfast accomplished. ]

[ As if called by a bell, Shouto treks into the kitchen a moment later. He makes sure to thank him for his hard work, before picking up each dish, one at a time, and placing it in its assigned spot. The cutlery is already distributed by the time he sets them down. He even made tea while he waited. A warm cup waits for them at the table, all that's missing is the guest of honor.

Kizu lays curled up on one side of the low table in that quiet manner of hers. She never eats but she likes to watch Tim eat twice his weight in food, while Shouto does the same with Allen, wondering if three portions are really enough. The koi are there too. Swimming in the large aquarium he used to transport them to the bath. He's letting it refill with fresh water, probably why he was absent for a while there. In the meantime, he brought them in to join them for Christmas celebrations. There's even a dish with their food on the side closest to where he set the aquarium which takes up exactly one length of the table. ]

They're waiting on you.

[ He says when he walks into the kitchen to pick up the last item of business, taking Allen's hand in his and leading him out. ]

Let's go eat.

[ "They're waiting on you." It's something that catches Allen offguard, wondering who "they" are but also hitting something that feels like an old, old ache. Hearing something you desperately needed to hear for so long but had long-buried that desire and kept it hidden from even yourself. It's why it feels a bit like a dream when Shouto takes his hand and leads him out, feeling like a cloud on a tether. Why it feels more like a dream and hits that ache carved into his soul even harder when he sees everything set out, even Kizu waiting on one side of the table. Timcanpy moves even if Allen doesn't at first, flying over to sit on the table on the side near Kizu before turning to look back expectantly at him.

With the aquarium across from them. ]

Oh! [ He breaks away, immediately distracted by the presence of the koi and kneeling beside their aquarium and pressing his face up next to it. ] You brought them out too! [ !! Amazing. He wiggles his fingers at them and watches as they glug and cloister near to see if he has food. He wiggles them again, clearly enthralled. _Hello.

He looks back to Shouto then, his expression hard to read. Awe-touched but also a little hesitant. Like he might be asking is this real? It doesn't feel like it but it also does, and it keeps hitting that strange ache in his chest over and over. ]

Shouto..

[ He stops, trying to find the right words to convey what he wants to say. Staring with such a delicate and amazed sort of expression and makes his pale grey eyes shimmer and seem a more wet silver than usual. ]

Merry Christmas.

[ Ready and waiting, their unique little brood of omens and companions of the aqueous-dwelling variety. Shouto would never consider them pets, in the same way, he'd never consider Tim anything less than Allen's soul given tangible form and, therefore precious, and absolutely off limits. The little omen flaps his wings next to Kizu, who sits up to acknowledge his presence. She, too, sets her eyes on Allen, tilting her head slightly in that familiar way Shouto sometimes did. The koi, twice their size since Shouto first brought them home from the market where he was undoubtedly fleeced for the pair of them, turn toward the tapping sound coming from a familiar face. They scuttle closer, knowing they can usually get more food from Allen, and open their round little mouths, maybe not so little anymore, in search of food. ]

It's their first Christmas, too.

[ Is all he says, pointing to the dish crawling with frozen shrimp and crayfish. Ready to eat and one of their favorite foods if you don't count the live ones.

It's his and Kizu's second, and given how their little abode has grown three times its original size, they're practically ecstatic. It's in the way Kizu sits primly next to Tim, tail swishing back and forth. The way Shouto sets his hand on the small of Allen's back and leans down to press a kiss to his lips as if it's the most natural thing in the world. ]

Merry Christmas, Allen.

Edited 2023-03-18 15:59 (UTC)

[ Tim arches his wings slightly both in curiosity and greeting when Kizu sits up to greet him in her own way, thoughtful and playful both as he assesses whether she's still offended from earlier. When she doesn't appear to be, he settles in next to her like a content little golden blob. Rosy-cheeked and festive.

It should say a lot about Allen too that while he's surprised and delighted that the koi are present too, he doesn't question it either. For the same reasons that he's always seen Tim as his best friend and like a little brother to him, and not just an arcane construct programmed to follow him because Cross bequeathed him so. Sure, he's self-aware and savvy enough to know most people would probably find it a little weird, but he finds it delightful and normal.

So hearing Shouto say it's because it's their first Christmas too— he just turns and his eyes crinkle lightly as he smiles in a very soft, warm way at him. Accepts the kiss in that manner too, meeting him partway softly and briefly like he finds it as natural as breathing, and lets his fingers rest delicately along his cheek. It's an easy half-embrace to lean in to, surrounded by omens and koi and feeling his chest tighten at just how full his heart feels.

So he breathes out when it ends but lingers in that loose embrace, wavering slightly in responding only for weighing a realization against a guilty pang and wondering if he shouldn't curb himself— but letting it go when he thinks about what the person he felt guilty over would have said about it.

That they'd forgive him for it.

He cups Shouto's cheek then and smiles, soft and a little mysterious, and brushes his nose lightly against his in a quiet and infinitely fond manner. Like inviting him close to share in a secret. ]

I think it's already my favorite.

Edited 2023-03-18 17:06 (UTC)

[ Not offended, simply not as playful as Tim. Her bouts of playfulness come and go, and if her fluffy tail brushes against his wings, it's entirely on purpose.

The presence of the koi might sound odd to some people, but Shouto operates on his own terms. He ascribes value to what he cares for, not what others consider important. It's one of the reasons Endeavor found him so difficult to deal with, unable to instill his values by any means. Maybe that's why he's so headstrong about these things. Why kissing Allen is something he no longer has to second guess.

He made up his mind.

Shouto greets the lingering kiss with eloquent grace handing over the reins to Allen and smiling fondly in return at the shared secret. ]

It's one of mine, too.

[ He says, brushing his thumb over his hand. ]

Let's join them.

[ He leads him to the table and sits beside him instead of opposite. ]

Itadakimasu.

[ He tells him and starts plating Tim's plate with a bit of everything with Kizu directing him to add one or two scoops of one thing or another. 'More of this one?' he asks her, making it obvious who he's taking directions from. Kizu's words are for him alone, but it's easy to see her approval by the way her fluffy tail swishes with more bounce to it when he gets it right. With Tim's plate full, he pours him a cup of tea and does the same for Allen, sencha, nothing extravagant.

Kizu gets up to help him feed the koi. She stands on her hind legs, stretching herself to her full height, to peer over the water as Shouto drops a few of the crayfish and crab into the aquarium with a pair of chopsticks he set aside for the task. When they're done, Kizu opts to watch the koi zip around in search of the food, munching happily on the crustacean. She slips back to Tim's side when they stop chasing the crayfish and opts to watch Tim instead, taking care to watch what he eats with more gusto.

Shouto, too, returns to Allen's side, smiling fondly at him as he serves himself a healthy helping of cold soba with a generous amount of dipping sauce, and slurps the noodles, looking positively pleased with the taste. If he hums lightly for a second that's only because he's happy. ]

Edited 2023-03-18 18:05 (UTC)

[ Tim, used to only Allen reading his wants, stares up in outright at Kizu and Shouto as they serve him. Kizu especially, watching as she directs Shouto with the fluff of his own tail flicking back and forth in growing eagerness too. The rosiness on his cheeks deepens as his whole body wiggles with joy when he can finally begin eating—doing so very noisily as he especially targets the skewers of dango and eats them sticks and all. He saves one stick though, careful to pull the dumpling off without damaging it, and sets it on the table between them. He he rolls it towards her as an offering, while looking hopefully at her._Toy?

Tim and Allen are both enchanted to watch Shouto feed the koi, Allen laughing lightly when they zigzag around in pursuit of tidbits. He begins to help himself too, taking the lion's share of the dango and half the remaining fruit, and a modest amount of the soba as he leaves that primarily for Shouto. He does offer Shouto a skewer of them as well once he's helped himself, not too unlike how Timcanpy offered Kizu the wood itself. _Dango?

Regardless of the answer, his demeanor is bright and light-hearted, a lively and happy smile that hasn't left his face since they sat down. And when Shouto hums softly, Allen shifts ever so slightly so that their shoulders faintly touch. His own smile turning briefly more inward as his expression also becomes thoughtful, warm and touched, and his chewing of one stick of dango at a time slowing. He remarks kindly on how Kizu seems bigger again, with animation and a small laugh at the koi when they cluster over near him and press their faces up against the glass at seeing he too has food, and then more softly and near Shouto's ear when he points to a place on the wall and asks him what he thinks about hanging some of the pictures there later after they frame them. He might kiss the corner of his jaw faintly when he does, in a soft and nostalgic way.

On and on, filling the lulls of Christmas brunch with gentle conversation and a lighthearted demeanor. Telling stories, including a couple about performing as a child with Mana on Christmas. The good stories, carefully preserved as such in his memories and separated with care from the not so good ones. ]

[ Tim. That skewer is not a stick, and even if it was, she is not a dog. She outright rejects it, turning away to look at the koi instead. Shouto, at least, takes the offered dango and eats it between his first and second helping of cold soba. He's still a growing boy, and he's growing faster than Allen it seems.

At the mention of Kizu's size, Shouto merely nods with a knowing look. He remarks that Tim has been growing too and that he's thought about serving him two portions instead of one, which is a wonder since one portion is already twice his weight in body mass.

The discussion of where the pictures should go piques his interest leaving him suggesting a few spots for Allen to take over. The kiss catches him off guard, but it's only a tiny hiccup before continuing their discussion, and if he leans a little closer, it's only because he's not used to sharing one side of the table.

The day continues with Allen regaling them with stories of his performances with Mana. Shouto listens to them with interest, asking questions here while adding very little to the conversation from his own experience. Later, when Allen starts placing the pictures in their frames, Shouto pulls out his stash of tools. He starts hammering away, letting Allen dictate where he wants each picture, while Kizu plays with Tim throughout the house, forgetting about the stick incident. When they're done, Kizu hums her appreciation, and Shouto drags the aquarium to each 'site' for the koi to look at. They mostly ignore them but seem to look up in the general direction of the frames that display them prominently. Shouto guesses those are their favorites.

Lunch is a quick affair, mostly made up of leftovers. Shouto insists he brings something from one of the open restaurants for dinner, so Allen doesn't have to cook after their busy day. They have the creme brulee he made early that day. The custard base is rich and creamy with a nice layer of hard caramel he melted very carefully with his left hand. All in all, it's not bad. Aside from the two that he messed up when he got water on them, the rest are passable.

After hauling the aquarium throughout the house, he takes the koi back to the bath at the end of the day, filled now with fresh water. He and Kizu spend some time in the freezing water washing them with a bamboo toothbrush to remove any grime and getting a few tail swipes for their trouble. When he's done, he cleans himself up on the wooden bench outside the bath, stripping down to wash himself before bed. As the day draws to a close, he bids the koi goodnight and turns on a nightlight for them before heading to bed with Kizu in tow, feeling happily content for their first Christmas in their new house. ]

[ Timcanpy is so crestfallen. Sticks are for everyone!! They make great chew toys for all toothy individuals!! He flops onto his round side next to her in dramatic woe, but it's more cuddly than anything. And Shouto isn't growing that much faster!!! And Allen will catch up! ... height-wise, at least. Mostly.

The promise of a nice dinner puts him in an even better mood for the rest of the day—and that of the desserts Shouto had made which Allen has been agonizingly curious to taste. He occasionally tries to find excuses to sidle into the kitchen and try to steal a taste... but mostly he behaves. And quickly excuses himself to wash himself earlier rather than later as he can feel the flour in his hair begin to thicken into something pasty. Even if that's cold, really cold to when they can't use the bath and there isn't actual hot water, but he doesn't feel like preparing anything fancy and is actually, being Victorian and usually poor, rather used to having to quickly wash oneself with cold water. At least it's still fresh running water and not a pitcher. But he might still drape on Shouto when he gets back in an effort to try and warm up.

When they aren't hanging the pictures, he sits by the koi and beckons Tim and Kizu over, attempting to entertain them with card tricks and sleights of hand. Tim is like an adoring small child who finds it all delightful with chattering mechanical squeaks, and for Kizu he tries disappears a card to replace it with one of her overpriced toys Shouto had been overcharged for. Shouto he'll do it for as well if he joins them, producing a coin from behind his ear with a rakishly cheeky smile, before rolling that between his red left fingers and snapping up two cards instead: ace and king of hearts. If he's entertained that's great, and if he's not Allen is undaunted and continues to play with the omens and koi, chatting happily with them. Until eventually he gets bored of that and curls up instead in the reading nook with plans of reading something he got from the archives a while back... but quickly dozing off for a while instead, especially if Shouto joined him at all. They got up very early...

Hope he's ready for Allen's rather dramatic reaction to his crème brulees though. While he cracks the caramel on top a bit cautiously, noting how it isn't burnt, the face he makes when tasting it is one of absolute shock. And he slams a hand down hard on the counter. It's good!!! Really good!!! And he says it very emphatically and like it's a really big shock, which it is!! But he'll also never tell him that or that the bar was set incredibly low after his cooking debut at the baking contest and jam debacle... Instead, he's radiantly hopeful and a little shiny-eyed when asking him if he thinks he'll try baking more things._{Maybe he just needed to find his niche...}

He sits and watches Shouto clean the koi for a while when he does that, leaning against the tub with his chin resting on his folded forearms. Tim joins him and Kizu outright though, paddling around in the water like a yellow ducky and trying to play with whichever koi isn't currently being cleaned. He laughs when one of the koi wriggles and splashes Shouto with their tail, clearly one of the reasons why he enjoys watching. But he excuses himself after a while to go make sure everything is cleaned up and get the futon ready—and maybe have a few moments to get lost in his own thoughts and have time to himself. Timcanpy stays with Shouto and Kizu though.

It's also one of the few days where they've really been... able to take so much time to just enjoy each other's company? All six of them, for a whole day. Between Allen's commitment to Sanctuary and Shouto's work with the more open-minded and less lethal Hunters, it's hard for the time they have for themselves to sync up. Or, has been... since November Allen's tried to find ways to have what time he has for himself match up with Shouto's. And it's been the silver lining with the deep snows and his own symptoms from Dorothea's sickness that they've had a lot more of that the last few weeks.

Nice doesn't even cover it. It's the most wonderful kind of feeling he could never even describe, like his heart is full to overflowing with a deep kind of contentment that makes him feel whole. Without a haunting feeling of guilt, and that might be the most shocking of all.

When Shouto finds him he'll be standing by the mostly-made bed and just staring out one of the windows into the snowy night with a bit of an odd expression on his face. Disconnected and distracted, like he'd spaced out in the middle of putting the pillows back. He snaps out of it immediately, of course, with a gentle kind of smile that's as heartfelt as much as it's also a little bittersweet, and just asks him to bed. With a touch to the side of his head, brushing back a lock of hair in a quiet and loving manner, before taking his hand and tugging him to follow. ]

Edited 2023-03-19 04:08 (UTC)

[ After the long day, Kizu curls up to sleep, fading into golden light to slip back into her Sleeper. He bids her goodnight and walks in on Allen looking out into space. He stops for a second, unsure what to make of it, before walking in without commenting on it.

They all have their secrets.

A thought that's set aside when Allen beckons him to bed, tugging him forward.

He follows without a second thought. ]

[ They do. And part of him wonders a little at how obvious he might have seemed, and if he was he appreciates that Shouto doesn't comment on it all the more. It isn't a bad thing. He was just lost in thought and dwelling on a ghost of Christmas past.

To him, it's like saying hello to someone dear.

He is maybe a touch more sentimental and affectionate for it, or simply because of having a heart full to bursting with new happy memories. Rolling onto his side after getting into bed and they've said goodnight and just watching Shouto for a moment as Tim makes a nest in the blankets on the other side of him. Whether he's noticed first or not, he just reaches out to let his fingers graze against the side of his cheek, brushing some of his hair back. Following to trace along the outside of his ear where the pale bloodstone band is in a very quiet, appreciative kind of manner.

Just smiling when he is noticed, eyes soft and warm, and shaking his head lightly as if to say it's nothing. He just tucks a little closer to Shouto then, burying his nose into the blanket by his arm. ]

Good night, Shouto.

[ It's a final soft murmur, before he lets his eyes close to drift off. ]

[ Ghosts and secrets are signs of life. No one is free of them. Some are too big to bear. Others are small and easily kept. He doesn't ask which it is. Doesn't question what has him staring off into the distance on one of the longest nights of the year. He'll tell him if he needs to know.

Shouto slips into bed beside Allen, giving Tim enough room to bury himself in the covers. That, too, he doesn't question. Along with why Tim needs to eat or why he recently started to grow. He has his theories, ones he keeps to himself. In much the same vein, he doesn't question those fingers skimming across his cheek or the way they linger on his bloodstone. Allen's bloodstone. At times like this, he doesn't think it matters if he doesn't fully understand. The feeling matters, strong and vibrant despite the secrets and ghosts.

With the night growing darker and the chill seeping in, he scoops Allen into his arms in a loose embrace, radiating a gentle heat to keep the cold at bay. ]

Good night, Allen.

Edited 2023-03-19 07:39 (UTC)

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