streetwalkers | ROLESWAP AU MASTER POST

[ he doesn't let go, though. in fact, his arm might be shaking.
his whole body might be trembling. why can't he push these thoughts away, though? why now? ]

I'm taking good care of you. [ why, though? when did he start caring so much? ] I'm trying -- [ and maybe it was the first time he truly felt the pressure of consequence. he doesn't understand anything right now, which only drowns him in this episode even further.

his black eye and his empty pockets
they're screaming failure at him and he can't make it shut up. ]

...Yeah.

[This is weird. This is weird and embarrassing and he can't really be blamed if his cheeks heat up, can he? It's just strange to think that someone who used to say "I hate you" all the time is now so insistent on taking care of him. It makes him feel wanted in a way he hasn't his whole life, and he doesn't know quite what to do with that.

So he dodges eye contact, looking at the floor but not trying to get away anymore.]

You're fine. Y-You saved me...

[ ah. that's a cute face. fuck. ]

I saved you. [ he repeats, soft on his lips. well. that's a positive thing. that's probably the highest amount of praise a person could get, right? it does its best to relieve him, and in the back of his mind he wonders if that's enough.

for the first time, shinji feels needed.
how surreal. it's good. he exhales, shaky. ]

Maybe you saved me, too. [ he's not sure what would have happened after byakuya had died, but he knows that it would have been awful. even with their current conditions, living this way felt worlds better. ]

Do you trust me now? [ because you didn't the night we left. ]

Not if you say stuff like that.

[He mutters, jerking out of Shinji's grasp so he can root through the kit.

They're too different, in some ways. Shinji craves being important, correct, and praised, but those same things makes Byakuya uncomfortable. While Shinji's been told he's worthless and convinced himself he was great, Byakuya's spent his life convincing himself he's awful, clinging only to the fact that he does what he's told for confidence.

He stopped doing that when they left. All of his suffering had been okay because he was doing what he had to for the family. It was okay if he did something terrible, because it was doing what he was supposed to. But he'd panicked at the thought of dying. On his own he would have ended up going along with the plan anyway, hating it all the while, but instead he just had to tell Shinji and Shinji--

Shinji saved him. And at the time, he thought he deserved to be saved after he worked that hard. But now he spends his days alone wallowing in his self-loathing, and all he can see in himself is a helpless parasite. Just like the worms, he's a pathetic insect that has to feed on someone else to survive, and without the family he's no longer helping anything by living.

So, for Shinji to say that Byakuya has saved him too feels like a joke.]

Wouldn't it be easier if you only had to take care of yourself?

Mm. Probably not. [ maybe he answered too quickly, but he was being totally honest. his voice is dry, with just a hint of bitterness as he chuckles to himself. at a glance, shinji probably seems like a slacker to some. always chatting someone up or inviting them to dinner, squandering as much time as he could at school before eventually having to head home. he was ambitious. whether it be with academics or sports, he was focused and confident. he used as many distractions he could to keep his mental block firmly in place. ]

If I were alone, then who would praise me?

[ without class rankings being posted, who would envy him? without team sports, who would rely on him? without byakuya at home, who would be the barrier between him and zouken? shinji has no trouble believing that if byakuya were to die, then zouken wouldn't take issue with killing shinji, too. ~~or he would die trying to kill zouken, either one.~~

it seems like a trivial thing, perhaps.
but recognition is what keeps shinji matou functional.
if byakuya needs him and relies on him, then he can keep going. ]

You could just go to a school here, if we didn't have to hide because of me. You'd have girls all over you, just like always.

[Not that girls didn't like Byakuya too, at first. Of course, they're twins. From a distance, he's cute too, and quieter. But he avoids them and it's always flubbed right away when he blurts out something rude and awkward.

That's something that makes him jealous. It's not fair that Shinji can make friends and he can't.]

You could find people.

[ sure, he could. but that sort of companionship was always sort of false. because of his family and the rumors his name carries, he never befriended anyone (save for one classmate who was awfully persistent) on a level that wasn't superficial. in the end, it was all to help shinji justify and validate himself. with byakuya, now, it was a different sort of validation. he could feel it in the very core of himself and it was so much more intensely satisfying and productive and it even made him a little uncomfortable, considering how much he found himself craving it. ]

It's better if it's you. [ he shrugs, awkwardly casual in its delivery. ]

I know you actually mean it.

...Huh?

[Well that was both unexpected and embarrassing.]

But-- I'm not really...

Exactly what I said, Byakuya. [ ah, he kind of wants to embarrass him more. ]

You're a shitty liar.
You're not fake like most people are. [ like shinji is. ]

T-That's just because...

[Because he's too scared to bluff.]

Anyway, you're just used to me. I don't want to see you get beat up like that to take care of a parasite, so it's fine if you go and do something important instead.

You don't get it. [ it's sad how much byakuya doesn't get it. ]

This is important. I'm finally doing something important -- [ and that's probably why it feels so great? he's never felt more useful, really. and it's why when he fails, like he did tonight, it feels so much fucking worse. ] This actually matters.

[Maybe if Shinji says it enough, it'll really sink in. Right now there's still a barrier, and he's trying to make what his brother says match what he himself believes.

It doesn't really work. There's an alien feeling of warmth and security trying to come to life in him, and all the usual doubt and anger and hopelessness trying to squash it. It's a tumultuous sensation, and he freezes with his hand on the pill bottle he was looking for, his thoughts too scattered to make much sense. It's not safe to feel anything like comfort or happiness. Those things aren't for people like their family. What they were allowed was pride, but he tossed that, so what is this weird thing that's making his chest tighten and his eyes burn only a little less than his cheeks?

Things were a lot more straight forward when they just grouched at each other. It was simpler when they just confirmed each other's self-image. Byakuya had set aside the part of him that wanted to cling a long time ago, so it's really unfair of Shinji to drag it back up now.

He doesn't know what to do, so instead of do anything he just stands there and trembles with the effort not to do anything stupid like cry.]

[ in shinji's mind, this was all byakuya's fault for igniting something in him by confessing he was afraid to die. that's when shinji knew he really needed to do something important. something that actually mattered; not just on a surface level. ]

I don't want you to die, okay? [ it's true. regardless of their strained relationship, shinji isn't so far gone that he wanted byakuya dead. he is a little surprised, however, that he had become this dedicated to his cause. really, he hadn't even noticed it until now. not only did shinji not want byakuya to die, but he wanted byakuya to have a good life. it was going to take a lot more work. ]

I don't want you to be scared or anything like that. [ and he'll keep working no matter what, but sometimes he really needs someone to tell him that he's doing a good job. ]

It's important. [ his resolve on this matter is as stubborn as ever. it's the only thing he's confident in, even though it's really foreign for him to say. ]

[No. No, it won't compute. The pieces don't fit.

But even though it's confusing and terrifying and painful, that warm thing won't go away, either. The feeling of being needed -- specifically him, specifically Byakuya, not just a role he can sort-of-kind-of fill -- can't be denied.

He still doesn't know what to do with it, though. Even if he acknowledges it's there, it's overwhelming and weird.]

Okay...

[His voice is small and shaky. Shinji's saved him from death already, but fear is definitely still the biggest part of him. But he'll try. It's just... a lot.

He thinks he needs to sit down. Right here on the floor. Just sit and breathe and maybe-- yep, yes, he's gotta cry.]

[ this sight isn't unfamiliar to him. in the past he would turn around and walk away, cursing him for not being able to handle himself. it was a mixture of bitterness and jealousy, if only because he didn't feel like he could afford breakdowns like that. all that time he'd thought it was byakuya who had the freedom, when it was actually the other way around.

he watches, sympathy pangs threatening to tear him apart. he's not going to leave him alone this time. he's just going to quietly sit down beside him. he feels awkward, if only because he's never had a conversation like that with anyone, much less with byakuya. he'll keep telling him until he believes it, though. ]

[The whole situation is awkward, honestly. He just doesn't know how to deal with the changes. He's buries himself too deep in his mental routines. It's scary -- but Shinji said he didn't want him to be afraid. But no, that he can't do. He's not sure that's something he can ever give. The thought makes his gut wrench with guilt, and that translates to a less than graceful hiccup.

There is one thing he can do, though. He's not sure it's wanted, but it sure is an urge he's pushed down enough times that letting it happen is a bit like letting oneself stand in traffic. After a little while, he releases some of the tension from his body and half leans, half flops onto Shinji.]

[ shinji hasn't had the same experiences as byakuya -- he hasn't endured what byakuya has. in fact, he doesn't really even know the details of it all. until he does, he'll only see things like this in black and white. and though he is impatient, it isn't like he's asking for this to change overnight.

in fact, he's thinking about it. about how scared byakuya always seems to be, when he (softly) falls onto shinji. he's surprised at first, but quick reflexes gather him upright, off the floor. and just like that, shinji held him close. tightly. just like he had when they were young. byakuya was always scared then, too.

once they'd started going to school, shinji had told him to grow up. he thinks maybe if he hadn't; maybe if he'd just indulged him a while longer it wouldn't still be this bad. ]

You'll be okay. [ he swallows the odd lump in his throat, wondering why his heart is beating so fast. ]

[Okay is not something he has ever remotely considered that he would be.

Still, in defiance of what seems like a given, it feels really nice to be told he will be. It fees nice to have someone else acknowledge that there's something wrong now that means he needs to be okay later. He's hardly been able to deal with that knowledge himself without coating it in "but I tried so I'm cool". And it's just unbelievable to be held like that. There's that weird way he can sense what's going on with Shinji, and it makes this space in his arms feel safe like nowhere has for as long as he can remember.

For now it means he can get it all out. But he doesn't have that much snot in him, so he starts to sniff and wipe his eyes.]

S-sorry...

[ shinji groans under the strain of bruised ribs, pulling byakuya in closer. okay was relative. deep down, shinji wasn't even sure if he was okay. but they could find their own version of okay. they could find it together and make it their ideal. it seemed reasonable enough. even with his heart pounding, he can zero in on byakuya's breathing, its leveling consistency feeling like a reward just for him. he shakes his head when byakuya apologizes, dismissive. not necessary. with an exhale, he rests his chin on the top of byakuya's head for a long pause, before shifting and burying his face in byakuya's hair.

being this close to another person and sharing this sort of moment was really intoxicating. ]

[For him, being that close is a little frightening. He's not the touching sort, and he's acutely aware of every place their bodies meet. But it's his brother, and that makes it okay. He's also aware of the way their hearts beat, and of the way he fits here, no matter how alien it is.

Strange doesn't always have to be bad, right? He's not sure how to do something like hold on in return, but he can slowly relax, resting his face against Shinji's collar and breathing in the smell of disinfectant mingling with his skin.]

This is kinda weird...

[ ah, no. he doesn't hear byakuya. or maybe he's just ignoring him. this feels perfect and shinji doesn't want to give it up. it's as if he hadn't realized until now how much he'd wanted to have someone so close to him and now that he's got it, everything feels right and he shudders thinking about how validating it feels. byakuya is warm against shinji, his breathing delicate, and shinji feels like if byakuya stays right here where he is, that shinji can take good care of him. how could anything hurt him like this? it would be impossible.

kinda weird? more like kind of awesome.
or at least that's what the force of emotions blasting through shinji say.
it could be the pressure from the embarrassment of today's events or even just being a misguided teenage boy, but he's starting to feel pretty resolute about what it is he wants and just how he wants it.

shinji had never seeked physical comfort from another person before. emotional, sure. in the form of fake praise from those he went to school with based on academic or athletic accomplishments or simply because he was a matou and no one wanted to be on his bad side. these types of praise were hollow and temporary and to think of them now would only make shinji feel bitter. but with his brother so close, he's realizing that this is what he's been internally desperately craving all of this time. it's a revelation, to say the least. his head is spinning. he feels drunk with emotion.

he exhales, face sliding down and practically nuzzling into byakuya just above his ear. nope, he's not ready to give up this proximity just yet. ]

[That's a more-than-brotherly gesture for sure. This is all nice, yeah, but it's way closer than he's used to, and Byakuya can't really help ti if his anxiety is running in the background. His face is red, and he curls up more in Shinji's arms. Yeah, it's safe here. It's definitely safe, and he's definitely needed this -- this shoulder to lean on, an anchor in his never-ending sea of fear. But it's embarrassing, too. To think that someone like him is actually needed by someone like Shinji...

It's strange. But he doesn't want to question it too much. Even when he feels like it might cross a line he's not sure he wants it to cross, he should probably just shut up... But then again, maybe Shinji just got hit in the head. Maybe they should step back and breathe.]

Shinji.

[ he did get hit on the head. pretty hard, actually.
but that's neither here nor there, as far as shinji is concerned. he doesn't want to stop; he doesn't want to take a step back. not when he thinks he's so close to getting some peace of mind; there wasn't any time to waste when they were already this close. perhaps he's a little possessed by sensation, or he really did get knocked upside the head stupid, but he's applying his usual strong sense of determination here.

he doesn't notice exactly when his breathing takes on a heavier quality, but it does. somewhere between the internal excitement and the chemical atmosphere, probably. his mouth opens, ghosting over the shell of byakuya's ear before pressing his face into the crook of his neck. with his still open mouth pressed against byakuya's jawline, shinji mumbles something that resembles the other's name. everything in his body language is evident that he's eager to press forward and byakuya's voice catches his ears but sounds miles away.

he starts to shift their position, inevitably ending with shinji straddled over byakuya, but still just as close. ]

[That line he was just thinking about? Yeah, that's crossed. He's not sure how to feel about it, but he's sure that right now one of the biggest things is "too fast". But he doesn't resist falling backwards, and he doesn't say anything else. He just holds his breath and squeezes his eyes shut, trying to sort through all the feelings in his head and decide what the best thing to do would even be.

Their relationship isn't something he can really risk at this point. If he lost Shinji, he'd be pretty much fucked. But it might be better for Shinji that way. Byakuya doesn't want to disappear, but it's okay if it's something he has to do. Right now, it's just a matter of whether or not he has to. If Shinji keeps moving forward like this, it could be something they'll both regret forever. It's wrong. It's something brothers shouldn't ever do.

Whether it's something Byakuya wants to do or not is up in the air and probably unimportant. Whether it's something Shinji's going to hate him for tomorrow is what matters. It's definitely something that they should think about, so he presses the heels of his palms against his brother's shoulders and pushes just hard enough to be clear.]

Hey, wait a minute--

[ pushed upright just enough to look down at byakuya's face, shinji appears dazed, having only been half-ejected from the realm of overeager tunnel vision. he pants, face burning and obviously wanting to continue what they've started. what he's started. no, what they've started. he's not thinking about logistics or morals. he's thinking about body heat and the sounds he could wring out of byakuya if he played his cards just right. it's a while new kingdom of praise for him to frolic in, really, and that combined with the fascination of being way too close, shinji's a little excited. now he sort of gets the impression that byakuya might not be on the same page, however.

that shouldn't be surprising, he is the worrying type, after all.
but with shinji feeling so fixated on him, the corners of his voice can't help but be soaked in impatience. a carnal sort of physicality that rendezvous with lady classmates never seemed to sate and never seemed to last long, given his aggressive nature. "too rough" and "too fast" were always the same complaints until he gave up on them all together. girls didn't know how to have fun at all. but this... this could be so much different. this could be so much better.

staring down at him, obviously worked up, shinji stammers. ]

W-wait... ? [ the opposite of what he wants. which is to be sucking on byakuya's neck, to be completely honest. ]

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