[ It's not as if Aki is dressed much better in a casual shirt and sweats himself. It's Denji; they've seen each other at their worst already, haven't they?
He's just waiting instead, playing idly with a cigarette and frowning at the couches in the base. ]
[ a minute later, denji made his way to the common area, quick to find his friend waiting for him nearby. it was too quiet, too empty and the vibrant base felt like it was abandoned. everyone was coping with the tragedy in their own way.
he greets aki with a casual 'hey' and when he gets close enough, denji stops and then spreads his arms wide open. ]
[ There's no hesitation in Aki, at least. As soon as Denji is there, arms open, Aki steps forward and wraps the other man in his arms, holding him close. One hand even drifts up to his hair, to stroke his fingers through it gently, as if Denji is a lifeline and Aki is clinging to him with all that he has.
Maybe that's true.
His worries for Denji are probably unfounded, considering how strong he still is, but Aki can't help himself. They're family, so he'll always be worried, even if he doesn't need to be. It's his nature, even with all the other parts of himself that scream insanity. ]
[ no hesitation, no doubts— it has always been that easy with aki. the slow quiet of it, like sinking into warm, comfortable quicksand. denji closed his eyes, chin up and snug on the other's shoulder, he then smoothed his fingers through the inky-dark of the other man's hair, massaged slowly along the curve of his skull.
he knows aki long enough to figure out when something gets to him. at first, denji assumed he would be fine since their life back home sucked so bad he forgot his friend is still human, a bit relieved to find out he had enough life in him to hurt for others; for total strangers. yet, it fed into that subtle guilt inside of denji— the guilt of not feeling anything for all those civilians who have died.
it's a tragedy, but denji would rather focus on his loved ones instead. ]
I wish I could tell you it will get better, but I won't lie to you ...
[ He's taking it better than the others are, he's aware of that. Aki is accustomed to the loss of life, to the way that people die in the hunt for monsters - he's borne witness to it time and time again, after all. It should feel worse, he should feel more miserable, or more guilty, but he doesn't.
He feels... Relieved, almost. Denji came back safe, Tsurumaru came back safe, and so many others did. It could've ended up so much worse for Aki personally.
Leaning into Denji, he sighs softly, letting himself enjoy the warmth and comfort of the familiarity. His family is safe. That's what matters. ]
I know. It's fine, we made our choice. [ Leaning back, he holds on to Denji's head. ] I'm not as upset as the others.
[ the base is quiet, too quiet, almost lifeless. everyone was taking it too hard and denji knew he had to allow his teammates enough time to cope and recover. glancing at aki, it triggered a selfish thought that he's not proud of. so long as his loved ones were safe, denji didn't ... really care about those civilians. why must he grieve people who wouldn't give a shit if one of them died for their sake?
A lot of people aren't used to the kind of things we are.
[ Death, humanity at its best and worst, the suffering that comes with it. A lot of people hadn't lived through something like the Gun Devil - or Devils in general. It's a tough, difficult thing to realise, and Aki is too glad that Denji and Tsurumaru are alright to concern himself too much with the other things.
He's happier here, with Denji, to focus on their time together right now. ]
[ it's true. but, denji is unsure whether that's a flex or something to be concerned about. he understood they had a rough life, but the more he socialized with others, and as the months passed by, he found himself stunned with an odd sense of isolation. most of the outsiders are just so— normal.
it's not something he can change, and denji is content to shrug it off. so long as his loved ones are safe, he has no reason to lose his mind. he nods towards the way out, waiting for aki to join his side as they leave the base. with a smile, he replied. ]
I'm not surprised. That guy probably sampled every flavor available in the market.
[ Or worse, depending on the day, since Denji can often find himself in more moderation. Either way, Aki had concerned himself with finding the best place for ice cream and making sure he had enough time to go with Tsurumaru as well, which was appreciated. They were all struggling in their own ways after the strangeness of what happened in Korea.
Walking together, no hesitation, Aki goes to pat his pockets before he stops. He can leave the cigarettes for now - that's the kind of thing he can worry about later. Just in case Denji asks for one. ]
[ if he wanted to start smoking he wouldn't need to steal one from aki. instead, he'd just buy one from a corner and indulge as much as he wanted. who will stop him? ha. it didn't mean he wouldn't ask for a puff, only because it's funny to watch his friend act all righteous as if denji hadn't lost his innocence ages ago. now that they're outside, mingling with the crowd. they had to pass through the rough parts of the city to get to the restaurant area, and along the way, they could hear the chatter of some civilians about the growing tensions between the two countries due to their failure.
denji didn't seem to care, humming as he considered what else they could do. ]
There's a lot I wanna do. Not suuuure if you're the right guy for it, though.
[ There's a moment where Aki seems particularly petulant about that, as if offended, before he realises the implications and his nose wrinkles a little. The idea of there being other things that Denji might want that Aki has no interest in giving him right now...
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
@topknot/ return from korea
no subject
you?
no subject
[ Gun Devil.
But... Denji deserves honesty, so. ]
I'm upset, and I'm angry, but I'll deal with it.
no subject
is there anything i can do to cheer you up?
no subject
no subject
[ he's ready as there is no need to doll up; sweatpants and a t-shirt are an acceptable look for an ice cream trip. says denji. ]
no subject
He's just waiting instead, playing idly with a cigarette and frowning at the couches in the base. ]
no subject
he greets aki with a casual 'hey' and when he gets close enough, denji stops and then spreads his arms wide open. ]
no subject
Maybe that's true.
His worries for Denji are probably unfounded, considering how strong he still is, but Aki can't help himself. They're family, so he'll always be worried, even if he doesn't need to be. It's his nature, even with all the other parts of himself that scream insanity. ]
I'm glad you're here.
no subject
he knows aki long enough to figure out when something gets to him. at first, denji assumed he would be fine since their life back home sucked so bad he forgot his friend is still human, a bit relieved to find out he had enough life in him to hurt for others; for total strangers. yet, it fed into that subtle guilt inside of denji— the guilt of not feeling anything for all those civilians who have died.
it's a tragedy, but denji would rather focus on his loved ones instead. ]
I wish I could tell you it will get better, but I won't lie to you ...
no subject
He feels... Relieved, almost. Denji came back safe, Tsurumaru came back safe, and so many others did. It could've ended up so much worse for Aki personally.
Leaning into Denji, he sighs softly, letting himself enjoy the warmth and comfort of the familiarity. His family is safe. That's what matters. ]
I know. It's fine, we made our choice. [ Leaning back, he holds on to Denji's head. ] I'm not as upset as the others.
no subject
[ the base is quiet, too quiet, almost lifeless. everyone was taking it too hard and denji knew he had to allow his teammates enough time to cope and recover. glancing at aki, it triggered a selfish thought that he's not proud of. so long as his loved ones were safe, denji didn't ... really care about those civilians. why must he grieve people who wouldn't give a shit if one of them died for their sake?
but, let's not talk about it. ]
I want a triple scoop ice cream.
no subject
[ Death, humanity at its best and worst, the suffering that comes with it. A lot of people hadn't lived through something like the Gun Devil - or Devils in general. It's a tough, difficult thing to realise, and Aki is too glad that Denji and Tsurumaru are alright to concern himself too much with the other things.
He's happier here, with Denji, to focus on their time together right now. ]
I know a place. Tsuru recommended some flavours.
no subject
it's not something he can change, and denji is content to shrug it off. so long as his loved ones are safe, he has no reason to lose his mind. he nods towards the way out, waiting for aki to join his side as they leave the base. with a smile, he replied. ]
I'm not surprised. That guy probably sampled every flavor available in the market.
no subject
[ Or worse, depending on the day, since Denji can often find himself in more moderation. Either way, Aki had concerned himself with finding the best place for ice cream and making sure he had enough time to go with Tsurumaru as well, which was appreciated. They were all struggling in their own ways after the strangeness of what happened in Korea.
Walking together, no hesitation, Aki goes to pat his pockets before he stops. He can leave the cigarettes for now - that's the kind of thing he can worry about later. Just in case Denji asks for one. ]
Is there anything else you want to do?
no subject
denji didn't seem to care, humming as he considered what else they could do. ]
There's a lot I wanna do. Not suuuure if you're the right guy for it, though.
no subject
[ There's a moment where Aki seems particularly petulant about that, as if offended, before he realises the implications and his nose wrinkles a little. The idea of there being other things that Denji might want that Aki has no interest in giving him right now...
He looks away, shaking his head. ]
Never mind. I don't want to know.