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[Their hugs have become tighter recently, have started lingering for just a bit longer, but—ah, being pulled to him like this is new. A good kind of new, though, and she finds herself pressing her forehead against his chest as she slides her arms around him. It's nice to hug him when he's actually standing upright. He's, um. He's very tall! Very solid!

And very silly, because honestly, if only things were so convenient...]

I wish that you could hear me, too.

[Hmm, that sounded a little... petulant? Not that it matters, since he still can't hear her, but now it's her turn to sigh.]

Edited 2018-06-07 09:04 (UTC)

[He's a simple boy with simple, romcom-based desires. What better way to fix this than narrative convenience? He's out of other ideas! He wraps his arms around her even so, and it's true that he can't hear a thing still, but with her pressed so close he can feel the slight movement when she sighs, so at least... they're both incredibly frustrated about this. Not much of a relief.

It's not long before he lets go of her with just one arm to wipe his face on his sleeve, as this time he is definitely tearing up. It's a little bit of everything: almost a whole week, the fear he won't be able to talk to Ochako again, the much broader fear that this will happen to everyone else and he'll be totally left behind... Stupid.]

Shit— sorry.

[Don't mind his stress tears, he is handling this deftly.]

[Ochako pulls back just far enough to see him, wishing for the hundredth time that she could say something comforting. Even the most awkward-sounding attempt would be better than this heavy silence, especially when he's apologizing for, what, tearing up in front of her? Feeling down? Those are two things he should never, ever apologize for, but finding a way to express this to him is... okay, it's simple. If she can prevent herself from overthinking every little detail, it's incredibly simple.

Still, she hesitates a moment longer before slowly, carefully reaching up to cup his face between her hands. There's the chance that this could backfire, but she forces herself to ignore that thought and offer him a small smile, because hey, crying is fine! She is, as always, here to help him in any way that she can, and she uses a thumb to gently swipe away a tear or two while she waits for him to say... something. Anything. Please let her know that she hasn't made things worse.]

[He's totally not crying, there's no need to be concerned— At least, this is the defense he's going with, before she reaches for him. Touching his face is... different, very much so, and he can't help but look surprised. The problem is that he suddenly can't find any words to say, and hitting her with a bunch of "uh" and "um" wouldn't be, hm, the smoothest thing in the world? He's never felt so perfectly split between comforted and freaking out at once before; this kind of adrenaline could kill a lesser teen...

Maybe there are some good things about being forced to stay silent—no, no, it would be better with words, but he still thinks it for a second. For once it's Okuyasu's turn to blush like it's going out of style, but he can't float away to freedom. What does he say! At a moment's notice!

He puts his hands over hers, squishing his own face for a moment in the process. It's fine, it's all good—] Thanks.

[He doesn't need to be smooth; he doesn't even need to thank her, although that one word is definitely relieving to hear. He wouldn't say that if he actually minded the face-touching, just like he wouldn't cover her hands with his if he wanted her to remove them as soon as possible, so. Things are working out? He's possibly feeling better? She can feel the warmth of his cheeks underneath her fingers, it's true, but blushing isn't necessarily a bad sign; at worst, it means that she's let this carry on for bit longer than necessary, and the easy way to fix that is to just... let go...

But she isn't—partly because his hands are still on top of hers, and partly because she just... doesn't want to let go. There's something nice about touching his face like this! It almost feels like she could pull him down to her if she really, really wanted to, and that's interesting. That's very interesting, actually, and she wonders what he would do if—

Ah, okay, she's getting ahead of herself here. Making sure that he's okay is the most important thing, which is why she ignores how warm her own face feels as she gives him a questioning look. Is everything okay? Does he want to talk about it?]

[He won't be completely okay until this bizarre silence curse lifts, that's a given— but he's better for the moment; not bursting into ugly sobs! That's a plus! And it's thanks to Ochako, as usual - so many good things in this town are thanks-to-Ochako-as-usual, he's realizing, including... not sulking for the past 6 days solid. He only sulked a little, so it's a victory.

That said— He's not moving, either. Maybe this should feel awkward, or at least a little strange, just standing here with both of them holding his face, but it doesn't! Sure, he's red in the face and it's beyond obvious, but it's also... comfortable. So comfortable that he plain doesn't say anything for a long moment, before he blinks himself out of just staring at her and grins, sheepish.

But it's a grin, so good job!!] Oi, what? I'm good, for real!

[That's a much better reaction than she was expecting, and she feels another one of those slow smiles begin working its way across her face. Hmm. Ochako is always happy when the people around her are happy, even in a place as terrible as this, yet she's at her happiest here when she looks at Okuyasu and catches him smiling, or laughing, or reaching out toward her. And there's something a little scary about that, honestly; two of her friends disappeared without any warning at all, and there's no guarantee that the same thing won't happen to him, or to her, just like there's no guarantee that he'll ever be able to hear her again, but... still. Is this weird limbo they're stuck in really where she wants them to stay?

The answer to that is no, and so, instead of wasting time fretting and making this way more complicated than it should be—she pulls him down to her, raising onto her toes before lightly pressing her lips to his. A chaste kiss, one that will only last a few seconds before her nerves get the better of her and she starts to pull away, but! A kiss!!]

[Always true to form, Okuyasu doesn't precisely register what she's doing until her lips are on his, and that's the most different thing yet! He has no time to think about the possibilities or the uncertainty of the future (honestly the very phrase gives him hives) or even how long he won't be able to hear her voice because she is totally kissing him!!—

Awesome, he manages to think, and after the split second where he's absolutely stunned, he lets go of her hands to put his arms around her again and lean down more comfortably. It's only a couple seconds but it's a couple seconds that seem much longer, here in this brand new world where his First Kiss is actually a thing! That happens! Holy shit!!

Teens^TM. She pulls away and he is just- looking at her, an absolute buffoon, red in the face all over again. But he's smiling, genuine... and a little goofy, in all honesty.]

You- you can say that again?

[Is that smooth? Is that anything?]

[It's only as she releases his face and settles back down on her heels that she realizes, wow, that— that was bold. That was incredibly bold, and she's both proud of herself for making such a critical move and embarrassed by the fact that she seriously yanked him down for a kiss in the middle of her kitchen. Was that too much? Was she too much? The insecure thoughts keep rolling in, but before she can bury her face in her hands and drift up to the ceiling, she does the smart thing and, you know, looks up at him just in time to watch him say that line.

Ah.

Look, there are so many things for her to appreciate here: his smile, his blush(!!), his clear delight. And she does appreciate these things! Really, she does! That line, however, is undeniably corny, which is why she blinks at him... and then throws her arms around him once again, breaking out into half-amused, half-relieved giggles. He is the best.]

[Clear delight is definitely Okuyasu's M.O. for the rest of the day, that's for certain. He still can't actually hear her laughing, which would be a lot more upsetting than it is by default if, you know, she wasn't so close and so overjoyed about kissing him. When he squeezes her into another tight hug he lifts her clean off the ground again, only a fraction less energetic than their dramatic reunion hug the other week. Then he's laughing, too, and for the first time all week it feels like things have finally fallen into place the way they should be.

And she kissed him, which he needs to reiterate to himself a few times just to be sure it's true; a kiss! A whole kiss! A real one!!

When he puts her back down on her feet he's still grinning like a fool, leaning down to rest their foreheads together (a cute and romantic thing from movies that does not adequately advertise how much neck bending really goes into it, conceptually, but whatever--). Hmm, hmm, now he can call her cute, right--]

Dunno when I can hear you again, [one smooch and his worldview goes from "what if it's never" to "maybe this weekend Mr. F will get off my case," incredible] but I'm totally down for more kisses in the meantime.

[Mood: greatly improved!]

[Hey, would you look at that— Okuyasu is a big ol' softie. Shocking. Ochako, unsurprisingly, loves when he hugs her off her feet, loves when he sets her back down and presses his forehead against hers, and she reaches up to rest her fingertips on his cheeks as soon as can. This is what she was so nervous about? Well, not that the nervousness is gone; this entire thing is still so new, so exciting, but she focuses in on him and decides to just go with it. The less she thinks, the easier it becomes.

So... another kiss? Okuyasu and affection go together like mice and cookies, apparently, but she obligingly kisses him on the corner of his mouth before looping her arms around his neck. Haha. Please ignore how red her face is.]

[This is definitely what tough, thug boyfriends do. He's seen movies. Either way, Okuyasu isn't thinking about his imaginary reputation for once; if being sappy and saccharine around Ochako is what comes naturally, then he will be the sap. It's working right now, obviously, since he's getting more kisses and absolutely eating up all the affection.

But hey, hey, the corner--] Oh, you got jokes, huh?

[She can sass him even without words and this, too, he finds delightful. There's nothing that isn't delightful right now, besides the obvious thing! Worrying about other things comes later; right now there's nothing in this town except for the two of them and the jumble of good feelings between them. Which is all to say that Okuyasu boldly kisses her this time, just as brief but somehow that much clumsier in his enthusiasm. Of course.]

[Of course she has jokes! And she'll think of even sillier ones if they're all it takes to make him kiss her, because hmm, even this slightly awkward attempt of his is... nice. She sinks a bit closer against him, one hand coming up to the back of his neck when she feels him begin to pull away—

But they are still standing in the kitchen, and there's no telling when Mafuyu might come crashing in here for a late night snack, so. So. She slides her hand to his shoulder instead, leaning back to give him a slightly sheepish smile. She's greedy, and she knows it, but hey, it's been a very long week! She's tired!]

[Oh, that's nice-- that's very nice, even if the way she presses closer to him lasts only a few seconds, he can definitely appreciate that. It's all very new and thrilling, and it's pretty damn cute that she's this enthusiastic about kissing in the kitchen. Like, so is he, but it was always a given that he's easily excited--

So-- he can't deny that it's disappointing when she leans back, but it's not enough to spoil the great mood. He shrugs, like, no big!! Really!! They'll have plenty of kiss time another time, very exciting. It would be great to have more kisses right now, though.

He's going to stumble his way through all this as best he can; be patient with him.]

So... what now?

[They're both going to stumble through this, although she will stumble with just a touch more grace. It's fine!! They can figure everything out together.

That question is a good one, though, and she tilts her head to one side as she looks up at him. What's next for them, or what's next in general? One is a little difficult to, um, discuss at the moment, and so she assumes he's asking how they're going to spend the rest of their evening. There's always the couch, and Eminem, and whatever it was they were doing before they came in here and found themselves sidetracked by other things? Boring, perhaps, but it's better than calling it a night when she knows that she won't be able to sleep for a good long while...

So it's back to the couch they go, and it's there on the couch they stay for much, much later than they probably should. Hey, charades is way more fun game to play when every correct guess is rewarded with a kiss.

But they do eventually turn in for the night, and even though Ochako is sleepier than normal when she wakes up this morning, she isn't about to complain. The good mood persists!! Hopefully he's feeling the same way? Hopefully, because down the stairs she comes, stifling a yawn behind one hand as she uses the other to wave at him. Give her a minute to wake the heck up.]

[Charades-but-with-kissing is the best charades yet, for sure. Okuyasu is just as wired for the rest of the evening and totally down with staying up way later than they should-- meaning he, also, is barely conscious by the time Ochako comes downstairs. He has made it to sitting up, and that's about it- even his carefully coiffed thug hair is sticking up in weird places, but listen - it was worth it. To wit, he manages to give her a sleepy grin and not much else for a good minute or so.

Relationship status: optimistic!!]

G'morning, [is what he says when he is awake enough to speak, he thinks, and it's mostly mumbled, but hey.]

[His grin is met with a grin of her own, because hey, Ochako is totally fine with watching him as she waits for him to wake up. Sleepy Okuyasu is—wait for it—kind of cute, and his hair is... interesting, so yes, she's definitely taking note of it. Maybe she'll ask him to wear it down one day, just so she can see if it's as poofy now as it was when he was little.

Aaaaand he's finally conscious. Good. She gives him one last wave before pivoting back toward the kitchen.]

Good morning!

[That's definitely said for her own benefit, since they've, you know, been through a solid week of this. She isn't thinking about the fact that something might have changed; in fact, the only thing she is thinking about is whether she should eat an apple or an orange for breakfast. #Priorities.]

[Okuyasu hums, not getting up to seek out breakfast yet, just slumping here on the couch and rubbing his sleepy face, and hang on, what the fuck--]

Huh?

[Oh, he's awake now and shoving himself up from the couch to beeline into the kitchen, where he grabs her shoulders to spin her around. Hello!!]

I heard that!

[She is spun right around before she even realizes what's happening, and seriously, Okuyasu, she is way too tired to be dealing with—wait, what? Give her a second to process those three important words before her eyes widen and she offers him the very intelligent response of—]

You... did?

[Just lightly shake her or something? She'll be with him soon.]

[Ochako, wake up!! He does in fact give her a light shake, then switches tactics to cupping her face in both his hands. Come back to the land of the living!]

Yeah! That too! I can hear you again— say something else!!

[He's going to pass the hell out right after breakfast if he keeps this up.]

[Okay, now that helps. There's another second of startled blinking, it's true, but then she's smiling from ear to ear as she realizes that, oh wow, he can hear her. He can actually hear her!!]

Okuyasu! [Now it's her turn to reach out, grab on to his shirt, and shake him. The excitement is real!] That means it's over now, right? It has to be! I'm so glad!

[He made it! YAY!]

[He can hear every word!! He'll have to check her ghost messages later, see if those work too, but who cares about those when he can hear her right in front of him, right now! Certainly not Okuyasu.]

Hell yeah! I'm back to normal!

[Overjoyed good-morning-smooch? Hell yeah, but he's not even trying to do anything like aim, so he kisses, like, the side of her nose. It's fine, it's a great morning!!]

[Every single kiss is going to take place in the kitchen, isn't it? God. But that's fine with Ochako, just like it's also fine that he misses her mouth by a mile, because hey— he kissed her without hesitation and they can finally talk again! Playing charades is well and good, but somewhere in the back of her mind she knows that there are things they should discuss... soon. Soon-ish? Sometime today, anyway.

For now, though, she's too thrilled to think about anything too deep. He's holding her face, true, but she's still gripping his shirt, and she laughs as she tries to pull him right down to her.]

Good! I'm going to talk to you all day, just to make up for everything you've missed!

[Or maybe not! She's tilting her head back, she's closing her eyes, so come on, Okuyasu, meet her halfway here.]

All day? [He'd love that, actually, but she already has a better plan and he does meet her halfway with a kiss and giving her, uh, face an affectionate squeeze before he relaxes. He can kiss her calmly, it just might take him a while to achieve the right nuance...

They should eat breakfast, and they should actually talk now that they can again, but, hmm... that all seems distantly possible and distinctly optional right now. He's really not thinking about it in the middle of this. He slides a hand to the back of her neck, keeping her close-- and then he pulls back just enough to give her a patented smug Okuyasu grin(tm).]

You kissed me and then it got fixed, huh?

[Chances are low that these things are related, but it's funny--]

[No, come back—!! Ochako tightens her hold on his shirt, preparing to selfishly pull him back to her before she spots that grin. Oh. The disappointment she's feeling disappears in a flash, because even though he's saying such a silly thing, he looks like the cat that got the cream...

Well, two can play this game! She is, in fact, more than happy to play this game after being unable to tease him for so very long.]

You're right. Maybe I have a kissing quirk? [Recovery Girl 2.0! She lifts her chin a bit, trying her hardest to match his smug look. It's tough.] I wonder if anyone else needs my help...

[It's her duty as a hero to— nah, she's obviously joking. Obviously.]

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