"How many 'this's were you going to have?" Ty asked blandly enough, passing over the drink easily enough to accept the cigarette, taking a long drag. Most likely it was going to be his last one for a while, and he wanted to savor it. He didn't typically smoke, not cigarettes anyway, but something about drinking always made him crave one.
He settled down next to Kira, in too good of a mood to argue with him over the timing of their arrivals, but he sobered slightly at the mention of his mom, at the question not asked.
"She's taking it way too well, I think. She's already talking about what she's going to do with my room." He rolled his eyes slightly at that, fond and exasperated all the same. As if she didn't have dozens of other rooms to decorate, and they both knew she wasn't going to touch it, just like his brother's was still in the same condition as it was the day he left. "But if you and your mom can keep dropping in to check up on her, I'd appreciate it. You know I hate leaving her alone in that house."
But he couldn't stay there his whole life, watching her grow weaker and weaker by the day. And both his mother and Delilah were right, as they always were. He couldn't waste his potential just sitting at home twiddling his thumbs.
He chanced a glance over at Kira, nudging their shoulders together slightly. "What about you? Do I need to enlist babysitters for you too?" It was probably too late to talk about whatever it was Kira was keeping to himself, all the secrets he hoarded to himself and they both pretended weren't there for the sake of their friendship. Or maybe that was just Ty's ego, thinking that if he couldn't help Kira, who could?
"Moms generally take it well when you finally do what they've been tell you." Not that he's ever made Etsuko quite that happy - and she certainly seemed smug, telling him not to waste the weekend avoiding this party. Would that his gifts weren't inherited, and he never had to think about his mother or sister knowing anything about what he does with his free time.
Or the expiration date hanging over it all.
Don't waste the weekend indeed.
Kira nudges Ty back, the smell of smoke replacing its taste, its stain on his fingers. It's always different, when someone else is smoking nearby. Like watching Etsuko read cards. Like a hookup playing porn on his tinny laptop speakers before they go at it. Kira nudges him again, really just nudging himself out of that trail. Of smoke, of thought.
"Is that what you've been doing up to this point? Babysitting me?" In small defiance, he turns his cup and pours it without a glance at the street. Someone he did not hit shouts up that he could have, and he keeps his eyes on Ty. "Gonna drag me in for a time-out?"
"Got a lot of experience with that, do you?" Ty joked a bit dryly, because for all of the things Kira had done or hadn't done, Etsuko was fiercely protective of him. Even when Ty had thought it was crazy for Kira to drop out of school, she had defended him, and while Ty couldn't be sure she supported what her son was doing, she made no move to stop him, either. It was a bit worrisome, but while he had always felt welcome in the Akiyama household, there were still matters between them he didn't understand.
He let out a small noise of shock when Kira dumped his cup, going to stop him, and failing that, to take the cup back from him. He called out an apology to the person below, turning to swat at Kira lightly.
"Seriously? Did you have to do that?" He complained, not sure if he should address the increasingly odd behavior that Kira was displaying or if he should leave it alone. Four years would just make more secrets between them, and he didn't want to leave on a sour note, picking at something that may or may not be a wound. "I would say I would spank you but you'd probably be into it. C'mon you menace, let's go inside."
"I would be very, deeply into it," Kira intones, dropping into that faux-serious register and looking up at Ty without tilting his face. While not specific to his best friend, his flirtation style has always been antagonistic.
And if all his antics can do is steal Ty's attention, again and again, holding it until that final break where he has to walk away--
Well. Kira braces in the window to block Ty's return, just long enough to get another small shove to the shoulder. He gives a low whistle, flicking his cigarette with as much disregard as he poured the drink. "Chaperone me daddy."
After prom night, something had changed in their interactions. Or perhaps, they had for Ty. As soon as he had gotten confirmation that Kira wasn't looking for anything long term, not even with him, and that they 'wouldn't work out', he had been very diligent in cutting down on his flirting. He'd kept distilling his longing glances until they were hopefully more within the realm of friendly, and he'd been very careful to cultivate their friendship and not take it personally. At least Kira had told him, instead of keeping him on the hook for who knew how long.
Except all of his efforts melted in the face of some subpar and highly sarcastic flirting, his traitorous heart still stuttering.
"If that's what you're into," Ty said slowly and carefully, face jovial if neutral, "then you should ask Ronan. He has bigger hands and we all know he'll be the best dad out of all of us." With that out of the way, he stubbed out his cigarette in the empty cup that Kira had dumped out, nudging at Kira with his knees.
For a bit is about all Kira can stand, in a big enough crowd. Smoke breaks help, alcohol helps. Whatever Felix brought in that eye dropper definitely helps. Chaperon or guest of honor, Kira's always known how to lose Ty at a party.
And how to find him again. Usually by following the clip in the crowd, the stutter of confidence and desire and oblivion that rings out through the group - and there he'll be at the center. After that taste of Felix's stash, it's all running together, a neutral static that Kira can live in for hours, a whole night. One more cigarette, just to mellow the high, keep Ty from thinking he's anything like too plastered, and he finds Ty the old fashioned way.
A text to Delilah and he finds them in the kitchen, hugging it out. Kira leans in the doorway and lets them; his own goodbye isn't going to have much of an audience, if his gifts are anything to be believed.
"I hope the person you assign to babysit me in your absence is better at it than you," he eventually says, as they break apart.
Saying good bye to everyone still felt a bit unreal, like some hazy stoner dream where everything was soft and colorful and nothing hurt. It was strange to have so many people that he loved in one place and think that he might not see them again. His goodbyes had never been more permanent than a summer, and even then, he kept in touch with those closest to him throughout most of the experience. Four years sounded insane in his head. Even after saying good bye to his mother, saying it to Delilah who looked proud and concerned for him in turn, it felt like a dream.
Selfishly, he wanted to hold onto that feeling and turn away from the thought of leaving them all behind for four years, best case scenario. He wasn't keen on thinking of the worst cases.
He couldn't say he was surprised that Kira had stuck around to wait until most of the crowd was heading out as a sign of respect for Ty's flight tomorrow, and he only gave Delilah a pointed look when she looked between the both of them, unimpressed. Still, he had asked her to try to get along with Kira better and to look out for him when she could, so she kept her mouth shut, patting Ty on the shoulder one last time before leaving them both alone.
"I like to think I did a good job. You're still alive, right?" Ty asked innocently, turning to look at Kira. "You heading out too?"
"For now," he offers, never too faded to lose that cryptic tone. Some things you just grow up with, build humor and personality on. If he'd only wear his glasses around another human being, they might notice and remark, how terribly like his mother he could be.
Though he struggles to imagine Etsuko, drunk and high at a party, gently hip-checking his step-father or father before him.
"Depends," he elaborates eventually, looping an arm with Ty's to keep from bouncing off-balance from his side. "Where were you planning to spend your last night in the city?"
"Well you'll be in better hands from here on out, so you can stop with that attitude." Ty said, more amused than anything, moving to accommodate Kira by his side. He was sure the last thing Kira was a long, drawn out and soppy good bye, so he was fine with just soaking in his quiet company. He was going to miss him, shitty attitude and all, but he doubted it would be welcomed if he said so.
He arched an eyebrow at the question, a bit suspicious. "Not in a gutter drunk after you've gotten me to lose most of my money, if that's where this is going."
"My attitude will still be intact when you crawl back here," he promises, Delilah surely no match--or simply too concerned with other things--for his habits and moods. Kira has built a world view on not-changing, not when his time is foretold as being so short. He's not planning to start now.
Except for what it seems he'll do tonight, but that isn't the change. He'd fuck somebody after a party, the only difference is who he's meandering toward the door with.
Felix has both brows up when he catches them at the edge of things, and Kira shrugs, turns Ty away before he can see. "Not really. I was mostly asking if you wanted to go back to yours or mine."
"Crawl? C'mon, give me some credit." Ty said, trying to sound wounded, but he was mostly laughing, shaking his head. There were few constants in the world, he supposed, and Kira's somehow shitty but endearing attitude was one of them. He wasn't sure what he would do if he started to be uncharacteristically kind and honest with him, even though he wanted that just once. He must really be getting nervous if he wanted sweet words from Kira.
He arched an eyebrow at the question, not even bothering to read too deeply into them. Kira had made it clear, after all, where they stood. Even if he was trying to be blase and had given him space all throughout the party, their best moments were usually when they were alone. He probably wanted to selfishly spend time with him now that he had said good bye to everyone else.
"Your attitude seems to be better already, if you're giving me the choice." Ty teased, slinging an arm around Kira's shoulders. "Let me take you home. All my stuff is there so I can leave straight for the airport and don't have to make a pit stop along the way."
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He settled down next to Kira, in too good of a mood to argue with him over the timing of their arrivals, but he sobered slightly at the mention of his mom, at the question not asked.
"She's taking it way too well, I think. She's already talking about what she's going to do with my room." He rolled his eyes slightly at that, fond and exasperated all the same. As if she didn't have dozens of other rooms to decorate, and they both knew she wasn't going to touch it, just like his brother's was still in the same condition as it was the day he left. "But if you and your mom can keep dropping in to check up on her, I'd appreciate it. You know I hate leaving her alone in that house."
But he couldn't stay there his whole life, watching her grow weaker and weaker by the day. And both his mother and Delilah were right, as they always were. He couldn't waste his potential just sitting at home twiddling his thumbs.
He chanced a glance over at Kira, nudging their shoulders together slightly. "What about you? Do I need to enlist babysitters for you too?" It was probably too late to talk about whatever it was Kira was keeping to himself, all the secrets he hoarded to himself and they both pretended weren't there for the sake of their friendship. Or maybe that was just Ty's ego, thinking that if he couldn't help Kira, who could?
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Or the expiration date hanging over it all.
Don't waste the weekend indeed.
Kira nudges Ty back, the smell of smoke replacing its taste, its stain on his fingers. It's always different, when someone else is smoking nearby. Like watching Etsuko read cards. Like a hookup playing porn on his tinny laptop speakers before they go at it. Kira nudges him again, really just nudging himself out of that trail. Of smoke, of thought.
"Is that what you've been doing up to this point? Babysitting me?" In small defiance, he turns his cup and pours it without a glance at the street. Someone he did not hit shouts up that he could have, and he keeps his eyes on Ty. "Gonna drag me in for a time-out?"
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He let out a small noise of shock when Kira dumped his cup, going to stop him, and failing that, to take the cup back from him. He called out an apology to the person below, turning to swat at Kira lightly.
"Seriously? Did you have to do that?" He complained, not sure if he should address the increasingly odd behavior that Kira was displaying or if he should leave it alone. Four years would just make more secrets between them, and he didn't want to leave on a sour note, picking at something that may or may not be a wound. "I would say I would spank you but you'd probably be into it. C'mon you menace, let's go inside."
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And if all his antics can do is steal Ty's attention, again and again, holding it until that final break where he has to walk away--
Well. Kira braces in the window to block Ty's return, just long enough to get another small shove to the shoulder. He gives a low whistle, flicking his cigarette with as much disregard as he poured the drink. "Chaperone me daddy."
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Except all of his efforts melted in the face of some subpar and highly sarcastic flirting, his traitorous heart still stuttering.
"If that's what you're into," Ty said slowly and carefully, face jovial if neutral, "then you should ask Ronan. He has bigger hands and we all know he'll be the best dad out of all of us." With that out of the way, he stubbed out his cigarette in the empty cup that Kira had dumped out, nudging at Kira with his knees.
"C'mon, let's go be social for a bit."
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And how to find him again. Usually by following the clip in the crowd, the stutter of confidence and desire and oblivion that rings out through the group - and there he'll be at the center. After that taste of Felix's stash, it's all running together, a neutral static that Kira can live in for hours, a whole night. One more cigarette, just to mellow the high, keep Ty from thinking he's anything like too plastered, and he finds Ty the old fashioned way.
A text to Delilah and he finds them in the kitchen, hugging it out. Kira leans in the doorway and lets them; his own goodbye isn't going to have much of an audience, if his gifts are anything to be believed.
"I hope the person you assign to babysit me in your absence is better at it than you," he eventually says, as they break apart.
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Selfishly, he wanted to hold onto that feeling and turn away from the thought of leaving them all behind for four years, best case scenario. He wasn't keen on thinking of the worst cases.
He couldn't say he was surprised that Kira had stuck around to wait until most of the crowd was heading out as a sign of respect for Ty's flight tomorrow, and he only gave Delilah a pointed look when she looked between the both of them, unimpressed. Still, he had asked her to try to get along with Kira better and to look out for him when she could, so she kept her mouth shut, patting Ty on the shoulder one last time before leaving them both alone.
"I like to think I did a good job. You're still alive, right?" Ty asked innocently, turning to look at Kira. "You heading out too?"
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Though he struggles to imagine Etsuko, drunk and high at a party, gently hip-checking his step-father or father before him.
"Depends," he elaborates eventually, looping an arm with Ty's to keep from bouncing off-balance from his side. "Where were you planning to spend your last night in the city?"
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He arched an eyebrow at the question, a bit suspicious. "Not in a gutter drunk after you've gotten me to lose most of my money, if that's where this is going."
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Except for what it seems he'll do tonight, but that isn't the change. He'd fuck somebody after a party, the only difference is who he's meandering toward the door with.
Felix has both brows up when he catches them at the edge of things, and Kira shrugs, turns Ty away before he can see. "Not really. I was mostly asking if you wanted to go back to yours or mine."
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He arched an eyebrow at the question, not even bothering to read too deeply into them. Kira had made it clear, after all, where they stood. Even if he was trying to be blase and had given him space all throughout the party, their best moments were usually when they were alone. He probably wanted to selfishly spend time with him now that he had said good bye to everyone else.
"Your attitude seems to be better already, if you're giving me the choice." Ty teased, slinging an arm around Kira's shoulders. "Let me take you home. All my stuff is there so I can leave straight for the airport and don't have to make a pit stop along the way."