sugarcube | psl || like a ripple that chases the slightest caress of the breeze

[Itsuki puts a hand over his mouth as if on cue... yawn...]

M'not that tired. Just drowsy from a full stomach.

[the way itsuki took so many naps in chroma, that's all he did on that handwaved cr chart,]

Can we talk for a bit when we head back? I miss that.

[he loves sleeping and making out and banging and just spending time vibing in buzen's presence, but he wants to talk to him too....]

[yawn... kawaii....

buzen just huffs a little laugh at that, nodding as he squeeze itsuki's hand and guides him out of the dining hall. a long walk around the citadel it is then.]

Let's just walk around then. What do you wanna talk about?

[swinging their hands as they walk! he likes this a lot too -- walking with Buzen, while knowing that he won't have to be afraid of tomorrow]

Mm... I wanna talk about you. How are you feeling? You must have missed everyone a lot.

[casual couple's walk. buzen tilts his head a little bit at the question before laughing]

... well, I am relieved to be home, that's true. I feel like we were able to succeed in two missions - the one from the Prism, and the one that Ame and I were on before I left. It feels like everything got wrapped up really neatly.

Mm... I guess I did miss everyone. It's good to see them again... but our missions tend to take us away for a while, so I'm a little used to it too. Though that was the longest period of time that I was the only Gou. So getting to see them again...

[he sounds thoughtful even as they walk around]

... well, that's a feeling that we're all pretty used to. Wanting to see each other. Even now, we're waiting for someone.

[Itsuki looks curious at that, glancing sidelong at Buzen,]

Who are you waiting for? ...Another Gou?

[the notion of waiting and wanting to see someone... itsuki's not very familiar with that, at least before arriving in chroma. back then, all he'd done was live his life day to day, making little impact and receiving even less.

in chroma... he'd known very well what it was like to miss someone and want to see them, and wait for them to come back to you,]

Mm.

[nodding! buzen will let his gaze drift off toward the sky - it's dark now, but there are enough lanterns around the citadel that he feels like it's okay to navigate itsuki around. he turns back to him with a smile]

There's more Gous still.... Kotegiri ran into one on a mission - Inaba Gou. He was being used by the enemy though, and not entirely himself... he's not really ready to join us yet.

But it's nice to know that he's out there, and we can wait to see him again.

But we all feel that way. A lot of us didn't even have histories that crossed. Ame and Kumo did, and I think my blade was supposed to be owned by a family near Matsu for a while... but otherwise we're always just waiting for a chance to see each other. Any time we get is precious.

So I'm happy that we got to see them again - and that you got to meet them! They're precious to me. But I'm also pretty used to not being with them, too.

[he nods slowly, looking thoughtful at first. sometimes, he forgets that Buzen's existed for 800 years. in all those years... how long did he spent that time separated from the other swords? he looks down at the sword at Buzen's hip for a moment, before looking back]

I'm glad I got to meet them too. Kotegiri and Kuwa are pretty cute, and I'm looking forward to talking to the others more tomorrow.

[flashbacking to the psychic damage he could sense kotegiri experiencing......]

...It's really different here -- the citadel. But I like it a lot. Everyone's been very kind.

[most of them.

most of those years, especially when he might not have existed at all.

but buzen smiles at that]

Good! Mm, I can help try to introduce you to more people tomorrow... it takes a while since there's so many of us and it can get pretty loud. But it's really fun, I think.

I like it a lot, and I'd like it more if you felt like it was your home too.

[he steps to the side so he bump shoulders with buzen, leaning to the side little so he can rest his head on his for a moment -- even if it makes walking awkward,]

You're here, aren't you? [he hums] So it's always going to feel like home to me.

[smashcut to the ye olde swords bullying itsuki for a week straight, but no]

Should I go see your Aruji tomorrow too? Unless you think he'll be busy...

[so much touching.... buzen just smiles a little bit at that, even as he turns his head just so he can press a kiss to itsuki's cheek, soft and sweet]

... I think that's a good idea. We can talk a little bit - about what it means for you to be here, if you want.

Aruji said it's fine... but you have to follow some of the same rules we do, for the sake of preserving the timeline. Though it depends on how often you leave the Citadel with us too...

[a kissy.... the way he's getting less and less drowsy... it's a miracle...

he laughs a little under his breath, before turning his head to give Buzen a quick kiss on the lips. then he draws back so they can both continue walking,]

So I can leave too then?

[he hadn't exactly thought he'd be trapped, but]

Does that mean I can go on missions with you?

[ ? ]

I don't think we ever intended to keep you here if you wanted to go somewhere else? As long as you follow the rules...

[he will keep emphasizing these rules because it's literally the fate of humanity also partially in itsuki's hands now. if there's anything buzen takes absurdly seriously it's his mission]

Especially since I kind of want to go see Ro soon? [like that'll be something else on buzen's immediate to-do list] So you can probably come with me as long as you stay safe...

Missions... maybe... we tend to go in teams of six swords but - [he's thoughtful for a moment, like he's thinking of something else] .... In general, I don't want you to go if it's too dangerous.

[the way he sounds pretty firm about this? well damn]

[itsuki like `humanity is safe in my hands bc all i care about is marrying buzen and going on six honeymoons with him`

but no, he'll probably need buzen to emphasize it a couple of times -- if only because he's not used to that kind of weight. sometimes... all your actions have very little consequences because you willfully shirk responsibility. at least it's something he's trying to change, especially now that he's come to care for buzen and kashuu and yasusada. he wants to care about the things they care about too.

so it makes sense.... for buzen to sound pretty dead-set on this..... still...]

I want to go with you when you decide to see her. [immediately, and maybe a little too quickly? he squeezes Buzen's hand, as if to emphasize that.

as for missions...]

How dangerous is too dangerous...? [what level could a twink safely clear...]

Mm.... okay.

[he's already so unwilling to agree to this - but he admits that given that itsuki tends to get. jealous? it's probably fair for him to want to be with buzen when he goes to roxana's world, if only for his peace of mind.

as for how dangerous...

buzen frowns.]

... missions in the modern era are fine, because they're performances.

But I don't think I want you to go with us deeper into history. The enemy could attack at any moment. I'm fairly sure that we could protect you most of the time - but if they discover you're there and we aren't with you, you could be in danger or taken hostage.

[put him to work in roxana's world!!! he can do subterfuge as a sexy ikemen -- well, he's thinking of something along those lines. a way to be helpful that doesn't involve fighting. if buzen and roxana have that covered, then he could support them in other ways...

he's distracted from thinking further by Buzen's answer, and he looks surprised. as if he hasn't quite comprehended what going on a mission could exactly mean. his reaction probably proves to buzen that he's not ready, but]

...I won't insist if that's how you feel.

[he'll regret this when buzen's away for two months]

But what if I trained really hard? And learned how to take care of myself if I end up in that sort of situation? That could help, right?

[the way this sounds like he's insisting, but these are hypothetical questions! yeah!]

[ . . . would training really hard work? buzen has to think about it. it's so rare to find a human who is able to stand up even briefly against the retrograde army. they're famed warriors, who are already familiar with the battlefield - and even then, sometimes they don't make it. sometimes they cut through armies without so much as flinching. the battlefield can be unpredictable.

could he really send itsuki out to that type of situation? could buzen open himself up to the possibility of losing him, if it means itsuki got the freedom he wanted?]

.... maybe.

[he'll let his thumb brush over itsuki's hand.]

I still don't think I'd like it. There's nothing for you on these missions. Our war isn't yours, and I don't want to risk losing you.

But if it's something you decide you want, we can talk about it later.

[they're going to have their first fight over this]

[hmm.

itsuki's simple, in that he wants to care about everything the person he loves is involved in. even if it's something as far off as the concept of war. he's thinking less about the big picture and more about how he just wants to be with Buzen, he wants to share that with him.

but he also knows that he's human, and that buzen is a sword. and he knows they've just come from a place where they both died -- even if it hadn't been permanent. maybe that's why Itsuki decides to shelve the subject for now. he tugs on Buzen's hand and ducks his head down so he can kiss him, soft and lingering.]

...Okay. Let's talk about it later then.

[they'll talk about it again so they can chef's kiss fight]

Will you bring your phone with you at least? I'd like to talk to you for however long you're gone for.

[there is a part of buzen that wonders if this is selfish. if he is asking itsuki to remain in one place when he knows that buzen will be doing something dangerous. but he also think that there is something inherently different to it.

in that itsuki is a human, and buzen is a sword. and a sword is always meant to break before a human.

the kiss keeps him from saying it, which means they will definitely be arguing about it later.]

Oh... yeah - I can definitely bring my phone. I don't see why that'd be a problem. You'd just have to wait until I can message you back... but I'll always message you back.

[:/

it's like itsuki has some kind of sixth sense for when to kiss your boyfriend before you can get into a huge argument with them

for now, he thinks that's enough. better than the letters -- for one thing, he'll know that Buzen's alive and for another, they can have an actual conversation in real time... or in whatever time buzen can spare.

will it be enough? he's not sure.

but he thinks he should at least try first,]

It'll be our first time texting each other. [...] I liked reading your letters, but I'm glad I won't have to wait as long to hear back from you.

[that actually gets buzen to laugh, his demeanor immediately softening as they steer away from the serious topic of missions]

Why would I text you or send letters if I ever had the option to be next to you? [???] I want to stay with you as much as I can too, you know.

You're the only one I want to be this close to all the time.

[for now...]

...Mm, I feel the same way. [he's not blushing blushing, but there is a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks,

he lifts up Buzen's hand so he can kiss the center of his palm,]

I like being close to you, but I also like getting to read what you write to me. It's why I kept the letters I wrote to you. They're like tokens of our love.

[itsuki is such a gushy romantic and i find that very funny when buzen is :o? about it]

Ah... Actually, now that I think about it, I don't know if my last letter ever made it to you....

[he'll let itsuki kiss the center of his palm - but he'll also reach out to cup itsuki's cheek after? hmmm...]

What did I even write...

[idiot

buffoon

moron]

[

he kisses the hand cupping his cheek, and looks at him. with. hopeful eyes.]

Do you remember a part of it maybe? A line?

[:( buzen.....]

[help he's so hopeful buzen feels the guilt coming]

[ . . . . hmmmmmm.]

... that week was...

[oh right. it was after meteion and roxana both died. he seems thoughtful about it for a moment, before he uses that hand on itsuki's cheek to guide him closer.]

Some of it was related to the mission... but for what wasn't...

Part of it was about Ro, but we figured that out. And I think I wanted to reassure you that I had Mete-chan... [he pauses, and then laughs] I thought about the letters you sent me, and how they touched me. I still don't think that I'm very good with words, though I'll try to be if that's what you want. Even then, I think I only know simple things.

Like... how I'm yours. And I want to belong to you.

And that I'd cut into anything that ever tried to take you from me.

[

itsuki died that week so imagine how buzen felt about danny! anyway it's fine it's still romantic even though buzen doesn't realize it's romantic,]

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