cigsandbeer | IC INBOX

"No", Gojyo answers a little too quickly to be entirely truthful, eager not to start a fight.

...

"--It's a bit weird", he amends after a few moments.

"But that's 'cause I don't... like change."

"I know," Hakkai admits, turning just a little to look at Gojyo directly for the first time; a little smile touches his lips. "But I don't - it doesn't have to make things different. Just... if you want, you would be welcome. Always, for me."

Gojyo too risks looking Hakkai in the eye for a moment.

He's used to people leaving him. But Hakkai chose to go after him all those years ago when he brought the umbrella, and he hasn't left since. He has a husband now, and he's leaving their world, and he still doesn't want to leave Gojyo. Even if he wants more than Gojyo would give, he's still not leaving him.

He's proven enough times by now that he intends to stay that Gojyo really should let himself believe him, shouldn't he?

"...Okay."

No 'let me think about it', no 'maybe someday', no 'let me get used to the idea first'. He'll trust that Hakkai really means what he says, even if Gojyo's answer is 'no'.

"Okay," Hakkai agrees, slumping back against Jedao's comforting weight at his back, and looks down at his teacup.

Rather mournfully, he remarks, "It doesn't seem fair that you're the only one who's been drinking tonight, Jedao-shei."

Tea is very calming but some hard conversations do actually call for alcohol. Especially now that they've been accomplished without anyone misunderstanding, shouting, or walking out.

"Such are the rewards of foresight," Jedao says loftily. "Shall I fetch y'all one bottle or two?"

"Please," Gojyo immediately says. He feels like a wrung-out rag that's sprinted a marathon-- okay, that simile makes no sense. But that's what it feels like, and all they've done is sit one the couch and talk.

"Two, please," Hakkai says firmly. Their couch isn't small but fitting three people on it means they'd have to actually try if they wanted to avoid each other's personal space, and Hakkai is accepting that excuse to not avoid Gojyo's. He might be leaning on Jedao, but he's leaving his knee where it is, casually resting against Gojyo's leg.

Jedao gives him a little squeeze and kisses the nape of Hakkai's neck before sliding off the couch. He could float some alcohol in, of course, and maintain the pretense of being too drunk to walk, but they've been very brave, and he wants to give them a moment of feeling unobserved, even if Hakkai, at least, knows Jedao can check the room cameras. He gives Gojyo's shoulder a little tentative pat on his way past, a small affectionate-acknowledgement gesture.

"Thanks for coming to get me," he says, warm as it is soft, even though he didn't need it, because Gojyo came because he cared. Then he's gone through the doorway into the study to get them something nice from his stash.

"I just didn't have anything better to do with my evening", Gojyo protests half-heartedly with no real defensiveness in his tone.

As Jedao disappears into the kitchen Gojyo sighs deeply, like he really did run a marathon, and finally relaxes somewhat into the couch. After a moment, he does press his own leg just a little into Hakkai's. It is rather cramped, after all.

Hakkai hums agreement as he lets himself relax bonelessly back into the couch.

"Well, I've spent worse evenings," he remarks, with a quirk of a smile. The bar for Hakkai's worst evening is very low, and Gojyo was there, so he knows - but this, even if it was difficult.... It's not so bad.

If Gojyo's letting himself press his leg back against Hakkai's, well, Hakkai's not being careful about whether flopping back into the cushions means leaning against Gojyo's shoulder or not, either. He lifts his teacup and downs the rest of the tepid tea in a single gulp, leaving it empty for liquor.

After a moment, he raises his voice to call, "Jeep? You can come sit with us."

Jeep chirps loudly from the corner of the room where his bed is nestled on a bookshelf, and where - Hakkai suspects - he's been watching to see if any of his people need an off-road vehicle dropped on their heads to make them stop being stupid. A rustle of leathery wings, and the little dragon comes soaring in towards the back of the couch.

Right, the stupid tea. Gojyo didn't even so much as touch it while it was still hot. But since sacrifices must be made for the sake of alcohol, he likewise tosses his tea back in two quick gulps and makes a face over it. Well, ot could be worse: it could be cold coffee.

"Hey," he greets Jeep, and doesn't even feel bad that he didn't think to wonder where the little dragon was. Jeep can take care of himself.

"It's bad manners to eaves-drop."

"Well, he won't tell anyone," Hakkai says. "Will you, Jeep?"

With another chirp, Jeep eels forward to settle half on Hakkai's shoulder, tiny claws pricking through the fabric of his dress shirt, and half on Gojyo's. His tail is definitely in Gojyo's face.

Hakkai politely doesn't laugh about it out loud.

Is this the first time Jeep's tail has been in Gojyo's face? Probably not.

"Uff", he grumbles, but only brushes the tail off his face without further comment. But, well, he guesses their shoulders will just have to continue touching now or it'd disturb Jeep's chosen resting spot.

Hakkai does let himself chuckle at that, settling in more securely and reaching a hand up to stroke Jeep's mane.

"How did the breach treat you?" he inquires, while they're waiting on the alcohol. An easier subject seems like a good idea just now. "I was a teacher. And a spymaster, though I think I liked the teaching better...."

"Oh man, it was so ridiculous. I was a student, and a secret spy."

Uh--

"And me and my team kept fighting Jedao's team."

Gojyo doesn't know if Jedao can hear them all the way to the kitchen, but he specifically chooses to frame it as Jedao's gang, just in case. Guns don't need beds indeed.

"Oh no," Hakkai says, but he keeps his voice lighthearted - yes, that kind of conflict might well explain why Jedao had been upset enough to hide in the engine room and get very drunk. Although he'd bet there were more angles to it than just that one.

"I recall that the students would keep fighting each other after hours. With proper deniability, of course, as long as they were professionals and not just moonlighting like some of our dignitaries' children..."

The amateurs had been so much more of a headache.

"At least you being a spymaster teacher makes a lick of sense", Gojyo says, likewise keeping his voice grumbling-but-in-a-lighthearted-way. "Unlike most of the things that went on in that breach."

How did no one figure out their secret identifies when in retrospect it was so obvious who was who?

"I've been a teacher in a few different breaches now," Hakkai admits. "It makes me miss it, a little. Tutoring isn't the same. But I don't know if I'd really want to again, as myself....

"I'll grant it made more sense than most of that breach. Even if I was working on a concealable freeze ray that would fit in a cell phone."

Which he's almost sure isn't a real thing that would work. It's a shame he can't recall the technical details.

Gojyo snorts a little at the mention of the freeze ray. What a ridiculous breach.

"Ellie was my little sister, and that was just annoying."

And they had a father who loved them, but we're not touching that.

"She teases you like a little sister already," Hakkai points out with a little smirk, and finds the good spot to scratch just under Jeep's chin. "I can see it."

Parents are a tricky topic, and he's not about to ask any more than Gojyo is to bring it up.

"The Admiral pairs us up for two months in a row and now I can't get rid off her", Gojyo complains in what is surely the most convincing performance of the century.

"Next thing you know it's going to be permanent," Hakkai laughs - well, it's a joke, but he wouldn't be surprised. Gojyo would be good for a kid who's had to look out for herself too much.

Jedao's actually hearing isn't anything special, but he is keeping tabs on the conversation through the cabin surveillance system, so it hardly matters. He gets two of the bottles Hakkai picked up during his run from Stockwood - a nice sake that Hakkai has opened before, a known favorite, and a whiskey that he hasn't, therefore probably bought for someone else's tastes - and a chokecherry cognac from drowned New York for himself. A tray and tumblers He sets it all down on the table and then wriggles back into his spot.

"Ugh, no, I'd want a--"

He was about to say 'a hot woman' but manages to remember in just the last second what kind of conversation they've just had. Thankfully, Jedao has good timing for once.

"All right! Now it's a proper evening!"

"So it is," Hakkai agrees, and takes Jedao's hand, threading their fingers together. He pours out a few generous drinks with his spare hand - the cherry cognac for Jedao and himself, because frankly sake isn't quite strong enough for his feelings at the moment, the whiskey for Gojyo - and hands them out, leaving his teacup on the table. It seems it's going to be a slightly classier round of drinks than he'd been imagining, but it's not as if he minds a clean cup.

"Bottoms up," he toasts, glancing from one of them to the other with a smile shading towards shyness.

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