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[ it’s not so simple would’ve crossed his mind with more vigor, but now it’s just a weak hush to him obliterated by the strength of one thing only: the sharing and the ultimate mellowing his forehead receives upon any gentle press invited. ]
We’ll see.
[ but undeniable was the surge that couldn’t be described any better as the bubbling of a hot bath in his gut. a harmless one that tempted more and more, a step up from butterflies. it’s the exact thing that makes a difference to hear just as eren would say it others, everyone but himself. he inhales, wants to say something—
but thinks his gifts are better at expression. he was to peel himself away of course, back to the hole under the bed, but all he needs to do is just slink beneath the space in a half crawl to drag out, firstly: a square wrapped in leather. ]
Ready to see you?
We’ll see.
[ but undeniable was the surge that couldn’t be described any better as the bubbling of a hot bath in his gut. a harmless one that tempted more and more, a step up from butterflies. it’s the exact thing that makes a difference to hear just as eren would say it others, everyone but himself. he inhales, wants to say something—
but thinks his gifts are better at expression. he was to peel himself away of course, back to the hole under the bed, but all he needs to do is just slink beneath the space in a half crawl to drag out, firstly: a square wrapped in leather. ]
Ready to see you?
[the brief stoppage in his own throat feels so natural for the manner in which today has unfolded that Styx doesn't think it useful to attempt to sort out whether it had come from himself or his bonded. even without the connection, their fatigue was synchronized through experience.
it's good that Eren seems to have gathered up enough energy to enter their home under his own power; this allows the drummer just enough time to properly shut the door at last. the chill seeping through the entryway would take a few minutes to dissipate, but that was fine. their presence would warm things better than the insulation.]
's hard sometimes, isn't it? You're pushing with all you got, 'nd it still feels like you're standing still.
[effort didn't work like that, he knew, but when progress remained so infinitesimal for so long it became more of a struggle to hold onto a logical perspective. what good was conjuring up flames if his friends still cried?
thoughts like that...they came from the dark hole in his mind like grasping hands. years of worthless could never erode as easily as one might hope, not when they carried the whispering voices of all the people he'd disappointed in his life. how much momentum could motivation build up, really? his desire to protect had never flared higher, but at times it still felt like nothing against the solidity of his natural limitations.
...not right now, though. there's enough weight being shared between them as it was, and - today, perhaps, it was better to stand still. how else could he brace anything against himself?]
it's good that Eren seems to have gathered up enough energy to enter their home under his own power; this allows the drummer just enough time to properly shut the door at last. the chill seeping through the entryway would take a few minutes to dissipate, but that was fine. their presence would warm things better than the insulation.]
's hard sometimes, isn't it? You're pushing with all you got, 'nd it still feels like you're standing still.
[effort didn't work like that, he knew, but when progress remained so infinitesimal for so long it became more of a struggle to hold onto a logical perspective. what good was conjuring up flames if his friends still cried?
thoughts like that...they came from the dark hole in his mind like grasping hands. years of worthless could never erode as easily as one might hope, not when they carried the whispering voices of all the people he'd disappointed in his life. how much momentum could motivation build up, really? his desire to protect had never flared higher, but at times it still felt like nothing against the solidity of his natural limitations.
...not right now, though. there's enough weight being shared between them as it was, and - today, perhaps, it was better to stand still. how else could he brace anything against himself?]
[we'll see. what more could Styx ask for, really? it's better than outright acceptance in a way, because - we. whatever came they'd experience together, hearts and desires linked. that's hope, a bright ray of sun through the winter clouds...it leaves him just as warm as the dragon, even when Eren pulls back.
where is he going, though? curiosity guides him to tip over the side of the bed and follow the other man's actions, hair fluttering directly into his vision and sabotaging a solid ninety percent of this plan. it's pressed into place when they both sit up again, allowing his silvery eyes to behold the mystery square.]
Me?
[for as long as the drummer had labored over his gift, pouring every drop of himself onto that paper, it had never occurred to him that his bondmate might have been working towards the same goal. he stares a little more obviously now, surprise popping gently over their tether with his gaze flicking from package to dragon and back again.
oh...oh. this was really exciting. there isn't much time for Eren to experience his witch's surprise, not with the rumbling river of excited anticipation flooding it away moments later. the big guy has to give his own cheeks a slap, as if he's clearing his mind for a long-awaited fight, before he can answer that question in the affirmative.]
...yeah! Uh, pretty sure.
[he laughs easily and then allows his eyelids to flutter closed, broad hands stretched out for the gift to be deposited therein. no one's told him to do this. no one's even indicated that Eren knows about this customary way of receiving presents. but here he is all the same, a bright grin plastered across his face already even as he waits. what a child.]
where is he going, though? curiosity guides him to tip over the side of the bed and follow the other man's actions, hair fluttering directly into his vision and sabotaging a solid ninety percent of this plan. it's pressed into place when they both sit up again, allowing his silvery eyes to behold the mystery square.]
Me?
[for as long as the drummer had labored over his gift, pouring every drop of himself onto that paper, it had never occurred to him that his bondmate might have been working towards the same goal. he stares a little more obviously now, surprise popping gently over their tether with his gaze flicking from package to dragon and back again.
oh...oh. this was really exciting. there isn't much time for Eren to experience his witch's surprise, not with the rumbling river of excited anticipation flooding it away moments later. the big guy has to give his own cheeks a slap, as if he's clearing his mind for a long-awaited fight, before he can answer that question in the affirmative.]
...yeah! Uh, pretty sure.
[he laughs easily and then allows his eyelids to flutter closed, broad hands stretched out for the gift to be deposited therein. no one's told him to do this. no one's even indicated that Eren knows about this customary way of receiving presents. but here he is all the same, a bright grin plastered across his face already even as he waits. what a child.]
[ sorry, mettaton and company— as soon as the box’s weight taps onto his palm, eren’s remaining fingers snap into a curl much like a predatory plant around it; the arm is given freedom, but the box is now taken by both greedy claws. any words that the puca has spoken are replied to with a now disinterest grunt as he marvels, like a child in a candy store (this will not age well) at the boxed, sleek black knife. his tail returns to him as he also chooses to walk some paces away from them, but just enough to give himself protective space to inspect the new addition to his collection. how lovely a point, the shine, it even looks like its been carefully crafted into one as his talons diligently lift the faux blade from its cell.
the dragon’s tail curl’s around his own ankles, and his possession runs amok in his thoughts. eren allows the object to fall flat on both palms now that he venerates it, touches and licks and creates too much friction for molded chocolate to handle. the blade’s face dents as its turned over eagerly, almost immediately turned over once more when keen reptilian eyes catch the molded spot of his own damn finger.
]
the dragon’s tail curl’s around his own ankles, and his possession runs amok in his thoughts. eren allows the object to fall flat on both palms now that he venerates it, touches and licks and creates too much friction for molded chocolate to handle. the blade’s face dents as its turned over eagerly, almost immediately turned over once more when keen reptilian eyes catch the molded spot of his own damn finger.
[ the couch seemed so close yet so far away. how many steps was it, five? ten? he was beyond his limit of walking and he knew that when he’d hit those cushions he’d be out of commission for the rest of the day. as it should be— he should be getting rest. eren does his best to get there on his own, borrowing the drummer’s broad arms once more when he simply couldn’t coordinate. the rest of the way would have to be a descent, down with care and to the side of him that was numbing less. the rest, including his tail, fell limp at soon as there was something holding him from beneath: cushions, thank god.
he needs to breathe, now. his shoulders ache and in a matter of moments the pressure on his side is uncomfortable, but, endurable. his neck was bandaged underneath his winter poncho, but it was wet and beginning to seep through. just a dot from the outer layer that would soon reveal a larger stain on hospital gauze. ]
Forward is all I ever see. [ even if he feels like he’s running in place. his words come between breaths, and while his limbs feel heavy to beckon his witch, something in their bond does it for him: a suggestion, if anything, to come closer and stay close. ] I wouldn’t’ve made it this far if it weren’t for that.
[ he tries removing part of the poncho, his talons catch on the fabric’s hood, and bbrrrrrrp. it rips, and he can’t pull further without ripping it more. ]
he needs to breathe, now. his shoulders ache and in a matter of moments the pressure on his side is uncomfortable, but, endurable. his neck was bandaged underneath his winter poncho, but it was wet and beginning to seep through. just a dot from the outer layer that would soon reveal a larger stain on hospital gauze. ]
Forward is all I ever see. [ even if he feels like he’s running in place. his words come between breaths, and while his limbs feel heavy to beckon his witch, something in their bond does it for him: a suggestion, if anything, to come closer and stay close. ] I wouldn’t’ve made it this far if it weren’t for that.
[ he tries removing part of the poncho, his talons catch on the fabric’s hood, and bbrrrrrrp. it rips, and he can’t pull further without ripping it more. ]
[ the wrapping, as mentioned, was simple— just leather and something to tie it with, but it was large. half styx’s size, really! just a solid square with a bit of a reverberating sound when knocked like an untuned drum. pulling the strings and peeling away the leather would reveal splashes of color against a pitch black background. an artist’s canvas. a better look would garner a painting, one that seemed to birth a pillar of sunny, passionate hues from the horizon of a rising sphere only outlined, touched by shocks of blue like lightning. a rise to greatness, in eren’s eyes, that was sometimes not based on power, but of a spirit so grand it was brighter that the murky sun below it. or maybe that was the moon, or the earth. art was up to interpretation.
the important thing was: that’s what eren tasted, felt and saw in styx. the excitement passed onto him builds up as his tail quietly begins to flop at its tip, like a cat at play, only eren was very intent on feeling what he felt right then and there. ]
the important thing was: that’s what eren tasted, felt and saw in styx. the excitement passed onto him builds up as his tail quietly begins to flop at its tip, like a cat at play, only eren was very intent on feeling what he felt right then and there. ]
[it really is a massive thing, and Styx is truly a child in his element being allowed to pull away even the simple wrappings which covered it. oh, this was a real canvas...it was so sophisticated that the big guy can't keep a tiny spike of uncertainty from zigzagging through him. much like the coat which Karin had gifted him weeks ago, this feels too rich to be left in his possession.
but it's him. this is him, isn't it? the drummer's gaze briefly wanders over to his dragon, silently requesting confirmation of this fact, before it returns to the canvas. it was. and you couldn't leave a fragment of yourself behind, no matter what.
he stares at the piece in earnest then, admiration riding strong in the background throughout the shifting emotions his developing understanding brings. Eren was so fucking talented to have done this. it was so goddamn gorgeous and raw in the sentiments that had surely charged those paints...god.
slowly but surely he slides off the bed in order to slip into a half-crouch, bringing him face to face with his own countenance shone through the lens of his bondmate's eyes. it's stunning - but what really blows Styx away the most is that he can see himself in those brushstrokes. the colors resonate with his very soul, echoing back into a weight on his chest. painful and knotty but no less precious for it...ah.
was this what pride in one's self felt like?
he has to sit then, even the top of his hair obscured from the dragons' sight. it makes no difference, not when all of his emotions are flying through their connection like an electric current. never before in his life had the witch believed himself to be beautiful but now...fuck, what else could it be? staring up at the very embodiment of noble power, there could be nothing here but gorgeous.]
...fucking love it.
[the words warble through the air at long last, muffled by his position and gentle sniffling alike. tears were an inevitability when faced with this sort of overwhelming love for himself, shining with the honest hand of an artist; he can't hold it all within himself without collapsing inwards.]
's perfect.
but it's him. this is him, isn't it? the drummer's gaze briefly wanders over to his dragon, silently requesting confirmation of this fact, before it returns to the canvas. it was. and you couldn't leave a fragment of yourself behind, no matter what.
he stares at the piece in earnest then, admiration riding strong in the background throughout the shifting emotions his developing understanding brings. Eren was so fucking talented to have done this. it was so goddamn gorgeous and raw in the sentiments that had surely charged those paints...god.
slowly but surely he slides off the bed in order to slip into a half-crouch, bringing him face to face with his own countenance shone through the lens of his bondmate's eyes. it's stunning - but what really blows Styx away the most is that he can see himself in those brushstrokes. the colors resonate with his very soul, echoing back into a weight on his chest. painful and knotty but no less precious for it...ah.
was this what pride in one's self felt like?
he has to sit then, even the top of his hair obscured from the dragons' sight. it makes no difference, not when all of his emotions are flying through their connection like an electric current. never before in his life had the witch believed himself to be beautiful but now...fuck, what else could it be? staring up at the very embodiment of noble power, there could be nothing here but gorgeous.]
...fucking love it.
[the words warble through the air at long last, muffled by his position and gentle sniffling alike. tears were an inevitability when faced with this sort of overwhelming love for himself, shining with the honest hand of an artist; he can't hold it all within himself without collapsing inwards.]
's perfect.
[forward is all that Styx sees now, tugged by the strings of his bond and his own tender heart. oh, that's - he'd laugh any other day, he thinks, for how much this reminds him of his cat getting stuck in blankets after trying to 'hunt' them. even now there's a faint ripple of affection as he crouches, reaching out with fingers only slightly less clumsy than the claws he began to untangle.
it's not really funny, he knows. many have been the days when simple little accidents like this have felt like blows powerful enough to hurl him from the precipice.]
'm glad. [softly spoken, with a tone that doesn't require response if answering proves too taxing.] Guess that's kinda selfish, but...'m real glad I got to meet you.
[even like this? a traitorous voice in the drummer's mind whispers, gleeful with its malicious doubt. Styx flinches when his own broad hands tear more of that poor poncho but still answers back to himself with a resounding yes. especially like this.]
it's not really funny, he knows. many have been the days when simple little accidents like this have felt like blows powerful enough to hurl him from the precipice.]
'm glad. [softly spoken, with a tone that doesn't require response if answering proves too taxing.] Guess that's kinda selfish, but...'m real glad I got to meet you.
[even like this? a traitorous voice in the drummer's mind whispers, gleeful with its malicious doubt. Styx flinches when his own broad hands tear more of that poor poncho but still answers back to himself with a resounding yes. especially like this.]
[That was a fast grab. As soon as Eren takes the box, Mettaton's nearly concerned that in his reverie, he'd forget to hand back his, well, hand... But Eren gives his arm at the tug of it, and Mettaton takes his precious limb back. His ears bolt upright at the sensation of his transaction gone so smoothly, and the Puca even jumps for joy. Just a little skip to his step, a sort of half-circle first around Eren, then around the... invisible Mikasa.]
Fabulous!! It's a deal, then. Well! I'd better be heading off, so I can put myself in the capable hands of a queen of a machinist! I have an appointment already set. [Like he's off to get his nails done, or something.
Mettaton bounds forward by a few steps, sure to proclaim loudly that he intends to leave... Even though he can tell Eren's absorbed by the knife.]
You really do like... ... [... Nevermind. It was near ritualistic and rapturous, the way he was just... —Well, Mettaton knows that he'd better head off before the knife melts.] Whatever. Hope you find that knife as sweet as I do, darling! Toodles!
[Mikasa... come hither. If she doesn't, it's not that Mettaton knows where she is. He sort of gazes at the air, unable to see where she is at all. Then, he makes a dash for it.]
Fabulous!! It's a deal, then. Well! I'd better be heading off, so I can put myself in the capable hands of a queen of a machinist! I have an appointment already set. [Like he's off to get his nails done, or something.
Mettaton bounds forward by a few steps, sure to proclaim loudly that he intends to leave... Even though he can tell Eren's absorbed by the knife.]
You really do like... ... [... Nevermind. It was near ritualistic and rapturous, the way he was just... —Well, Mettaton knows that he'd better head off before the knife melts.] Whatever. Hope you find that knife as sweet as I do, darling! Toodles!
[Mikasa... come hither. If she doesn't, it's not that Mettaton knows where she is. He sort of gazes at the air, unable to see where she is at all. Then, he makes a dash for it.]
[ at least he could tell that the chuckle was a fond one, and not that he was being funny. then again, eren could argue about this being an ironic thing of the ages. his talons are lax and easy to pull out of his problematic catch when the hands working him are dexterous in comparison. that, and not as sharp (at all).
eren has had his long, ongoing fair share of selfishness, and maybe styx was right in a way— but eren couldn't see it as selfish. there was nothing left for him. redemption was out of his sights and he hardly thought he deserved the chance. he'd hit his all time low and there was still someone out here to look at him the way no one could. maybe it was selfish of eren to say that he enjoyed that, that he caressed the thought every night and clutched it tight into the unwinding talons in the drummer's hands now.
but it still made every part of him, not just his gut, tremor with cloying solace when all he knew was hell— and that haven wasn't something his own imagination created for his safety. styx was real, not the vast expanse of cloudy freedom in the sky as millions were plowed beneath him. ]
I'm glad you're here with me, Styx. [ there's a strain in his voice, one that makes the deepness of it go soft and quiet as the sting in his nose burns his eyes once he takes styx's hands in his own. ] So that makes two of us.
eren has had his long, ongoing fair share of selfishness, and maybe styx was right in a way— but eren couldn't see it as selfish. there was nothing left for him. redemption was out of his sights and he hardly thought he deserved the chance. he'd hit his all time low and there was still someone out here to look at him the way no one could. maybe it was selfish of eren to say that he enjoyed that, that he caressed the thought every night and clutched it tight into the unwinding talons in the drummer's hands now.
but it still made every part of him, not just his gut, tremor with cloying solace when all he knew was hell— and that haven wasn't something his own imagination created for his safety. styx was real, not the vast expanse of cloudy freedom in the sky as millions were plowed beneath him. ]
I'm glad you're here with me, Styx. [ there's a strain in his voice, one that makes the deepness of it go soft and quiet as the sting in his nose burns his eyes once he takes styx's hands in his own. ] So that makes two of us.
[ love for one's self— eren doesn't know if he's ever felt it in his life. he's always been dangerously lacking in preserving himself in most angles that were harmful. while his desire to live was so over the fucking top that he'd destroy the world for his freedom, eren's never sat and contemplated if he loved himself. he hated possibly everything he became and only now was beginning to wonder if he could change that. it was a marvelous, extraordinary feeling. it wasn't his, but what if it could be? hell, no— it was a part of him already if he was glimpsing into it, letting the hotness of a teary face and moved binding so intimately stroke him so deep.
eren doesn't say anything else— he only feels and soaks the overloading response of happiness and trying not to, like. break in half, in a positive way. that, and, there's something in his pocket, something that isn't wrapped, but encased in a rustic trunk roughly the size of a softball, if not slightly larger. ]
One more.
[ he's smiling at this point now, allowing himself to grin a grin he's spent years without. ]
eren doesn't say anything else— he only feels and soaks the overloading response of happiness and trying not to, like. break in half, in a positive way. that, and, there's something in his pocket, something that isn't wrapped, but encased in a rustic trunk roughly the size of a softball, if not slightly larger. ]
One more.
[ he's smiling at this point now, allowing himself to grin a grin he's spent years without. ]
[what!
Styx's head pops back up over the painting at those words, those absolutely impossible words - one more. one more what, gift? it can't be. but there's something else in the dragon's hands now like some sort of magic trick, and those bleary eyes of his witch go wide in amazement.]
You can't give me two, man, 's way too much.
[but damn, look at that smile. it's an expression that the drummer can feel without even having to lean into their connection and there's absolutely no way he can deny its request.
Styx mirrors it instead and pushes himself back up onto his feet, spending far too much time carefully leaning the canvas just so against his desk so that he can still gaze at it when he returns to sitting next to his buddy. you'd think that he was handling gold rather than a mere picture for the amount of fussing he gives it before finally settling onto the bed, satisfied. shit, where the fuck was he going to hang this later?
...maybe it's better that Eren is feeling so freely right now. his bondmate's excitement reels the big idiot back in quite neatly, hands politely folded in his lap as he waits for the unexpected encore of gift giving.]
Styx's head pops back up over the painting at those words, those absolutely impossible words - one more. one more what, gift? it can't be. but there's something else in the dragon's hands now like some sort of magic trick, and those bleary eyes of his witch go wide in amazement.]
You can't give me two, man, 's way too much.
[but damn, look at that smile. it's an expression that the drummer can feel without even having to lean into their connection and there's absolutely no way he can deny its request.
Styx mirrors it instead and pushes himself back up onto his feet, spending far too much time carefully leaning the canvas just so against his desk so that he can still gaze at it when he returns to sitting next to his buddy. you'd think that he was handling gold rather than a mere picture for the amount of fussing he gives it before finally settling onto the bed, satisfied. shit, where the fuck was he going to hang this later?
...maybe it's better that Eren is feeling so freely right now. his bondmate's excitement reels the big idiot back in quite neatly, hands politely folded in his lap as he waits for the unexpected encore of gift giving.]
[Mikasa didn't leave. Not immediately. The horrible thing known as fae brain making her take a step closer to record Eren's reaction.
Then for a second a chittering-laugh slipped through the illusion and she still...
Then she too bolted. The illusion coming undone completely as she got to the corner Mettaton had turned down. ]
Then for a second a chittering-laugh slipped through the illusion and she still...
Then she too bolted. The illusion coming undone completely as she got to the corner Mettaton had turned down. ]
[ and in the trunk . . . is a literal piece of eren crafted into a dynamic piece of jewelry. or maybe just a full on metal accessory— it’s a bracelet of bumpy texture. they’re all scales, black in color but immediately taking on an orangish sheen that flipped between red and plum. it all depended on how light bounced off the iridescent surface, shown to fasten together with a clip mechanism made from the smaller spines he’d occasionally shed— they look like crystal blue gems carved from the most elusive of stones. it was literally made out of pieces of himself. ]
There’s never too much I can give you.
There’s never too much I can give you.
'Course there is.
[was there? the casual way that Styx protests, easy and without apprehension, that's a gift his dragon had given him. there's no one else in any world that he can deny the way he can Eren - an action that in anyone else might imply callousness...but there could be no clearer sign of how deeply they trusted one another.]
- hey!
[but there's a limit to how stubborn the drummer can be even with his bondmate, and with something so literally dazzling catching his attention any urge to continue arguing evaporates in an instant. he very gingerly takes the bracelet from its casket, holding it up between big fingers and admiring the seemingly infinite shifting of hues. wow, this was so cool? he could practically hear the screaming drumbeat which must accompany such an accessory, and it has him grinning broadly up at his companion.]
Dude, where'd you get this? It kinda matches yours scales 'nd shit, that's so killer!
[...ah. whether there was 'too much' Eren could give his friend or not, more critical thinking was very obviously welcome at all times. Styx........]
[was there? the casual way that Styx protests, easy and without apprehension, that's a gift his dragon had given him. there's no one else in any world that he can deny the way he can Eren - an action that in anyone else might imply callousness...but there could be no clearer sign of how deeply they trusted one another.]
- hey!
[but there's a limit to how stubborn the drummer can be even with his bondmate, and with something so literally dazzling catching his attention any urge to continue arguing evaporates in an instant. he very gingerly takes the bracelet from its casket, holding it up between big fingers and admiring the seemingly infinite shifting of hues. wow, this was so cool? he could practically hear the screaming drumbeat which must accompany such an accessory, and it has him grinning broadly up at his companion.]
Dude, where'd you get this? It kinda matches yours scales 'nd shit, that's so killer!
[...ah. whether there was 'too much' Eren could give his friend or not, more critical thinking was very obviously welcome at all times. Styx........]
[very carefully, the drummer threads their fingers together and gives them a gentle squeeze. it can't be selfishness if they're both happy, right? that's just...gratitude, in its rawest form.
no wonder Eren wasn't the only one whose eyes were burning.]
's a good match.
[and not an ounce of hesitation. there is a sureness in his heart that not even today can chase out, with all his deficiencies laid bare. after all, this too was his reality.
he'd thought to fetch the first aid kit after making sure that his friend was situated neatly but that plan has changed. bandages could always be applied later...but this sort of salve could only be applied here and now.]
no wonder Eren wasn't the only one whose eyes were burning.]
's a good match.
[and not an ounce of hesitation. there is a sureness in his heart that not even today can chase out, with all his deficiencies laid bare. after all, this too was his reality.
he'd thought to fetch the first aid kit after making sure that his friend was situated neatly but that plan has changed. bandages could always be applied later...but this sort of salve could only be applied here and now.]
[ eren laughs inwardly, in a huffing and content soft of way as he admired his bonded's naturally earnest reactions. with a gentle, swishing rub of his palm into styx's hair, he allows their foreheads to touch again and his hand slides to the side of the witch's face, the entirety of it firmly cupped and started by the back of his nape being clasped for a moment. ]
Look closer, [ so maybe— it wasn't that obvious, but eren doesn't scrutinize the failure to realize the bracelet's true origin, instead, lifting his arm and pulling the fallen sleeves of his woolly poncho to expose a brilliant slate of . . . the same exact thing. ] for reference.
Look closer, [ so maybe— it wasn't that obvious, but eren doesn't scrutinize the failure to realize the bracelet's true origin, instead, lifting his arm and pulling the fallen sleeves of his woolly poncho to expose a brilliant slate of . . . the same exact thing. ] for reference.
[ the silence is just as stifling as eren trying to hold in a sniff too loud to the point that the still intact veins in his neck strain. with an exhale, it comes out— and the fact that he's in need of crying to just fucking put it out there. he wasn't saddened. he wasn't alone for once, how could he be anything but beholden?
how much space is still vacant for two massive beasts to share a sofa? it might not be too much, but maybe for just a few minutes . . . it could work? eren's laced fingers and talons in between tug kindly once, then twice at the spaces that had him generously holding styx's hand and languidly trying to shift his body into the back cushions until his spines are smoothed along the curve of his vertebrae. the pull on the drummer's arm is guiding into the space he's made for him to lay on his side with him, for just a few moments.
it wasn't like he was dying; maybe the bandages really could wait. ]
how much space is still vacant for two massive beasts to share a sofa? it might not be too much, but maybe for just a few minutes . . . it could work? eren's laced fingers and talons in between tug kindly once, then twice at the spaces that had him generously holding styx's hand and languidly trying to shift his body into the back cushions until his spines are smoothed along the curve of his vertebrae. the pull on the drummer's arm is guiding into the space he's made for him to lay on his side with him, for just a few moments.
it wasn't like he was dying; maybe the bandages really could wait. ]
Edited 2021-01-27 21:03 (UTC)
[it's plenty obvious to someone whose brain was firing on all synapses, but Styx is...himself, analytical skills further clouded by all of the excitement today has rained down upon him to boot. there's never any harm meant, and that is what makes the stupidity so easy to accept.]
Closer..?
[ok, well, they had already gotten pretty close physically so this wasn't very hard to agree to! Styx spares several seconds for rumbling laughter at being affectionately held before diving into a bout of extremely intense staring. scales...bracelet. scales......bracelet. scales...............]
- are these yours!?
[ladies and gentleman, we finally have a winner! and before the new year has actually rolled around, miracle of all miracles.]
Closer..?
[ok, well, they had already gotten pretty close physically so this wasn't very hard to agree to! Styx spares several seconds for rumbling laughter at being affectionately held before diving into a bout of extremely intense staring. scales...bracelet. scales......bracelet. scales...............]
- are these yours!?
[ladies and gentleman, we finally have a winner! and before the new year has actually rolled around, miracle of all miracles.]
[this was good as well...Styx had wanted to do this anyway after everything was wrapped up, and it feels as if some tension in his chest has been released when he feels the other man give his hands a little pull.
can they really fit properly on this single piece of furniture? not really. but the drummer sure as hell doesn't care, not when he's settling very carefully into the spot reserved just for him. he's glad to be the one on the end, his back arced against the world; Eren could cry in safety now, without fear of his vulnerability being plucked away by undeserving eyes.
it's something that could easily be spoken aloud, but he feels words may shatter the entire moment. he allows it to dampen their bond instead and focuses on foreheads nearly brushing, legs pressed up against one another. there isn't room between them for much more than a sigh now but he likes it, tangled hands still held between one another. if he's careful he can hear the rhythm of both their heartbeats.]
can they really fit properly on this single piece of furniture? not really. but the drummer sure as hell doesn't care, not when he's settling very carefully into the spot reserved just for him. he's glad to be the one on the end, his back arced against the world; Eren could cry in safety now, without fear of his vulnerability being plucked away by undeserving eyes.
it's something that could easily be spoken aloud, but he feels words may shatter the entire moment. he allows it to dampen their bond instead and focuses on foreheads nearly brushing, legs pressed up against one another. there isn't room between them for much more than a sigh now but he likes it, tangled hands still held between one another. if he's careful he can hear the rhythm of both their heartbeats.]
[ just— a smile. a content as fuck smile as the realization sits into his bonded's head and detonates. eren can't help to let the emotion blaze as it should, only perhaps taking styx's arm to help him clasp the accessory's spine-clips into place. ]
Dude, this is fucking killer!
[Eren's feelings crackle like a firework, but they aren't the only sentiment in the night sky of their bond. he'd thought that the artwork was amazing, but this - this! what the hell, this was the coolest thing he'd ever seen, let alone been given. a fucking dragon blacksmith...god. it was like something out of a dream.
he's so excited that, much as he tries to remain still it simply can't be done. his bond's aid is appreciated since the drummer's free hand is clapping Eren on the chest repeatedly, gentle thump thumps of pure exhilaration. look at it!! it fit his massive wrist perfectly, what the hell!]
[Eren's feelings crackle like a firework, but they aren't the only sentiment in the night sky of their bond. he'd thought that the artwork was amazing, but this - this! what the hell, this was the coolest thing he'd ever seen, let alone been given. a fucking dragon blacksmith...god. it was like something out of a dream.
he's so excited that, much as he tries to remain still it simply can't be done. his bond's aid is appreciated since the drummer's free hand is clapping Eren on the chest repeatedly, gentle thump thumps of pure exhilaration. look at it!! it fit his massive wrist perfectly, what the hell!]
[ a smile pops into a grin eventually, both at the ecstatic pats and the sky high emotion running with it, but eren manages rather well in getting the bracelet on either way the positive agitation is hurled at him. his heart is beating in a way that felt like he was at a show— the way amplifiers would makes the beats of a drum or strum of a loud guitar vibrate through the whole body. that’s what this felt like, yes! now made complete when the dragon presents the drummer’s wrist back to him. ]
If you need something to defend yourself with, [ a pat on it, ] you just need to think it. There’s a spell under the scales.
If you need something to defend yourself with, [ a pat on it, ] you just need to think it. There’s a spell under the scales.
[despite having gotten a wonderful view of the thing moments ago Styx still turns his wrist this way and that, admiring the jewelry anew. it looks different on his hand, he determines - just as beautiful, if not more, but different. almost as if its iridescent colors were determined by the warmth of his flesh now.
...man, this is so fucking cool.]
For real? [like...like a giant spiked fist kind of defense? oh, dude, what the hell-! his eyes were literally shining now.] That's sick as hell, how'd you do that?
...man, this is so fucking cool.]
For real? [like...like a giant spiked fist kind of defense? oh, dude, what the hell-! his eyes were literally shining now.] That's sick as hell, how'd you do that?
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