demarcates | IC INBOX

I am not! And besides which, this is for a perfectly worthy cause.

[ He smiles a little at that. ]

I'm doing this for you. There is a small difference, Toshi.

Kondou-san...

[ he doesn't know what to say when it's put like that even though he also doesn't know the supposed small difference mentioned. still, something about it said like that pricks his shyness because why why why he shouldn't be. as much as Hijikata realizes it makes him feel really happy to have Kondou's attention he knows the others need him more.

to argue with him, though, seems so pointless so instead with him looking down now he only can reach to wrap his hand around the other's now and keep it like so because whatever Kondou's keeps brushing up against his, anyway, and now holding his hand is an extra good distraction to focusing his feelings towards. ]

[ "Because of him" makes it sound as though Kondou doesn't have a choice, or that he feels obligated to. But doing it for him is what Kondou is after, that he wants to make Hijikata happy for his own reasons, not just because he's sick of seeing him look so miserable most of the time. He has a lot weighing on his mind at the moment, and if Kondou can alleviate even some of that, then it's worth it - isn't it?

Arguing is definitely pointless, though he'll give Hijikata that explanation if asked. Soon enough it isn't his main concern, however, when he feels Hijikata's hand wrap around his, and his smile widens considerably then. Though the blush on his cheeks doesn't seem like it'll go away any time soon, either... ]

A-ah, is there anything in particular that you'd like to try first?

Whatever you like, it's all new to me.

[ there's a lot of people, though, so it does seem to be a popular thing for the locals.

that's got to mean something. maybe. Between this and the speakeasy they get a lot of entertainment from the nightlife in this place. western culture is so... busy. ]

How about we try some of the food first? I've found something that seems palatable. We could both use the sweetening up.

[ Congratulations, Hijikata, you have officially got the worst date ever. ]

[ oh man, that liking of sweets is going to kill them both, isn't it. ]

All right, let's try it.

[ this could be the worst decision he's made in zelien yet. ]

[ Of course it is! Kondou wastes no time in dragging him over to the stand, after gaining his approval. ]

I've only tried one of these. The bright pink food is rather sweet, but it's delicious!

[ Hijikata officially has no say in the matter, as Kondou gets a bag for him. ]

It's food...? [ but that doesn't even look edible! Hijikata looks a little surprised, enough he can't even object because he's sure he never would have thought that to be food if Kondou hadn't just told him so.

...and just how sweet is sweet, anyway? ]

It is! Come on, Toshi, just try a little bit.

[ Don't mind Kondou as he takes the liberty of opening the bag, then tearing off a small chunk of the candy floss before offering it up to Hijikata. ]

It won't bite.

[ from the look on his face, Hijikata may or may not believe him. nevertheless, he isn't going to refuse the offering, especially after he agreed to go try some of this stuff with the other. it takes him a second or two but then he finally does reach up to be able to take it from the other.

the only thing is that once he gets his hands on it, he looks ever more confused by the texture because it really doesn't feel like something anyone can eat.

is Kondou even sure he really ate this stuff...

ah, well, he's going to have to hope that his friend is sure because he's just going to put the supposed food in his mouth before he gets any more reasons to maybe not try it. ]

[ Don't mind Kondou: he's just going to stand here and watch with an eager look on his face, hoping that Hijikata will like it just as much as he does. And well, even if he doesn't, then Kondou will likely finish it off for him.

... but he'd prefer that he liked it for what it was! ]

[ ...COULD YOU NOT LOOK AT HIM WHILE HE'S GOT SOMETHING IN HIS MOUTH HUFF.

hijikata seems suddenly overly conscious of this for a moment, even though the scenario is really not all that new. same thing, different place, different time, different... food. it's enough to make hijikata puff his cheeks ever so slightly (you are so embarrassing, kondou-san) before glancing off a little as he focuses on eating this because wow that hopeful look makes him feel really bad about disappointing him.

the thing that does surprise him, though, is that having let it linger in his mouth does seem to confirm its edible because he can taste it... and what the hell it really has no substance to it, it's pretty much already melted.

...it melts? what the hell. he goes to say something after swallowing and getting the taste mostly off his tongue. ]

...It's

[ REALLY STRANGE. ]

...really sweet.

[ an understatement they can't have anything sweet for about a week now after that, do they really expect people to eat a BAG of it...??? ]

...It's good, though.

[ Guess whose face automatically lights up when Hijikata doesn’t seem to mind it? Kondou’s, of course. He’s just pleased that he can share something like this with him, though of course there’s no guarantee that he’ll actually eat more of it after that initial mouthful. Kondou, on the other hand, is already eating some of it himself. The man has a sweet tooth that can never be soothed; it just can’t be helped. It all has to go. ]

You like it? I'm glad! The sweetness took some getting used to, even for me, but I think it’s worth it. It’s just so different to anything that we have at home.

[ Says the man who spends a large chunk of his time trying to find or actually eating sweet things. Who would have thought. After putting a good dent in his own bag of it, however, he gives Hijikata something of a mischievous look, and edges slightly closer to him. ]

Or should we find you something sweeter? [ Teasing, always teasing. ]

[ well, at least someone's predictable.

...or... not.

hijikata blinks, pretty well aware he's getting teased (because when is he not wow when does kondou learn he always loses at this game when he instigates it!!!), but he doesn't really seem to have much of a counter to tease him back with. it throws him off, and he sort of knows he shouldn't say it, he really is just asking for it— ]

Like what...

[ because kondou definitely said that he didn't try any other food and how does it get sweeter than pure sugar, anyway, and don't look at him like that unless you got something good, mister, because he suddenly feels really embarrassed that he isn't preempting this. ]

[ How does it get sweeter than pure sugar? That depends entirely on one's viewpoint; it's slightly subjective. But it doesn't take much for Kondou to tug at the front of his jacket, pulling him in just enough so that he can give him a brief kiss. It might be something that could be considered sweeter, right? (Also, he still tastes like candy floss, so there's that too.)

Once he pulls back, that grin is ever present on his face. As it always is when he starts to tease Hijikata. Even if he doesn't manage to win most of the time, he does where it counts the most. He'll take his temporary victory and cherish it with pride. ]

You always look so unsure, Toshi. I'm really going to have to do something about that.

[ oh, yep, that's sweeter and not in a way that hijikata can object.

it's not until he's staring at that grin and hears kondou speaking again that he seems to snap out of what is apparently a little daze and everything just hits him like a pile of bricks—but mostly, that he's blushing furiously and he actually— ]

[ —AUGGFH DO SOMETHING LIKE WHAT.

but before that gets spit out he stops himself and just has to blush even more, but this time he's flustered a lot more like a little cat that just got caught playing with a toy it definitely didn't ask for or need NOPE. ]

—I definitely do not.

Ahaha, you certainly don't now! I believe that I may have fixed that rather well, if I do say so myself.

[ Goodness, he's just so cute, what is Kondou going to do with him. He laughs and then squeezes his hand, rather giddy over his reactions. It's so nice to see him like this, letting his guard down every once in a while. Even if it technically means he has to cheat somewhat in order to achieve it. ]

[ no no he's not cute put that word away even in your action brackets.

hijikata wants to say something in reply to that, but what is proper he doesn't know because only kondou is actually aware of how he looked for a few seconds there. the squeeze to his hand makes him a little more aware again but there's nothing to help him here.

there's only one thing left to do.

give him that candy floss bag, he needs to put something in his mouth to pretend he has no words because he's eating, not because he's speechless. ]

[ Oh I'm sorry did you not want Kondou to refer to him as cute? What if he finds a synonym for it instead?

Only Kondou is aware of how he looked for a few seconds there, and he's not going to tell anyone else (mostly because they won't believe him). But that doesn't mean he won't enjoy it for all it's worth. He looks positively gleeful, as though each of Hijikata's reactions from now onwards are individually rewarding.

(That would be because they are.)

But he surrenders the bag without fuss, figuring that he should give him some room to breathe before continuing his onslaught. ]

[ oh my god.

the one thing he can say (or at least he can think back on concerning this) is that kondou is in a good mood. that's worth more than anything, even over the most little of things. it does cross his mind for half a second even as he fusses with the bag and candy before putting some into his mouth, but it's gone so soon to be left for that later time, after all, because—

—hijikata winces a little when his teeth get a second round of that sweetness and wow it really is sweeter than he remembers from just a moment ago but it's now some reluctantly forming love/hate feeling towards it: he much prefers the taste on kondou's mouth over it by itself, anyway. this is just not worth much of anything on its own, now.

he says nothing, but he pauses abruptly even in eating and swallowing the candy floss to look at kondou again in realization as if the other could hear that thought of his loud and clear. the result is him looking slightly mortified in his flustered huff before using the bag to give kondou's upper arm a tiny little reprimanding swat resounding with a crinkled sort of whack for this nonexistent ability.

fucking rude of you to be doing anything like that, to be honest.

( although, considering everything along with the fact his blush hasn't gone away—or it's back again who knows—kondou could probably easily guess that hijikata's mind definitely just betrayed him in favor of teasing him, too. ) ]

Edited 2014-01-16 13:06 (UTC)

[ Hey now just what do you think you’re doing!

Kondou makes a startled noise when the bag makes contact with his arm, more out of surprise than anything else. It’s not as though a bag of candy floss could actually hurt him upon contact – his life would be a much more difficult place if it could. Still, he turned to look at Hijikata then, trying to figure out just what was going on here. Nothing made him deserve the pain of being hit with delicious food! ]

Toshi? What is it?

[ The candy floss is supposed to go in your mouth, not to be used as a weapon. There are limitations set upon you even as the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi! ]

What did I do?

[ He’s not sure whether he should be playing along or not… Though the fact that his blush is still present is giving Kondou a few ideas. If only he could read Hijikata’s mind, that would make his life a lot simpler. But alas, it doesn’t seem as though it is destined to be. There’s no way that he actually knows what is going on with him right now, though his mind is starting to make up plenty of excuses for him, and he almost feels bad for being mildly entertained by this. ]

[ hitting you with a bag of puffy pink candy like a tsuntsun teenage girl after a first kiss, that's what... ]

Everything.

[ no, he can do what he wants this candy floss is the new default weapon for the shinsengumi and you can't stop him (unless it gets eaten, then maybe there's a little bit of a roadblock there)!

and while he indeed does say everything, there's no malice just flustered embarrassment because oh my god kondou's never done that before he doesn't know how to come back from new and creative inventions of teasing from kondou isami.

there's a pause before he smacks kondou's shoulder again with the bag. ]

That's for whatever you do next in case I miss it.

Since you're hitting me for something I'm not sure that I've even done yet, does that mean I get a free pass before you hit me again?

[ As much as he's teasing him, however, he knows that Hijikata is reacting like this because he's flustered on some level. Thankfully for him, Kondou doesn't seem to have decided whether he should continue on teasing him, or hold back some. Right now he certainly seems to be taking his time to make a decision... ]

[ he didn't even think of that, but... ]

It does.

[ that is how it works, isn't it. free pass. leave it to kondou to look at it with an optimistic tint. ]

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1/2 i'm never using this icon again this is it

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I find this hilarious because the tag above it in my inbox references how they're married

omg

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