tampered | I never had to ask for you to find me

When: Sometime this past weekend after Rosiel broke Setsuna (for like, what, an hour?).
Rating: PG-13, tops, mainly for Setsuna's mouth.
Characters: Setsuna Mudou and Sakuya Kira.
Summary: Well, Setsuna's a mess and pulling away from everything, and Kira's going to be Kira, while Setsuna's cursed in a female body. Probably will have some eye-roll worthy angst on both sides.
Log:

After slamming the device into the nearest wall of a shop, Setsuna had almost abandoned it. What did he need the damn thing for anymore?! But he stopped himself to shut it off, then took it. Someone might try to get a hold of him, you could never know. And if someone needed him...well, he couldn't walk away from that.

Still, he sort of hoped he would get left alone for a bit.

He retreated to the one place he almost always felt calm and comforted at - Xanadu. He couldn't go back to the apartment, not after the fight he had with Kira that morning. It would be too awkward, too unfair.

It wasn't long before he had a bunny in his lap, and some other socialized animals surrounding him, the feel of their presence relaxing him from his earlier outburst. Despite that, his expression remained bitterly pained. He thought he had gotten past this.... Then Rosiel had to expose all of the cracks like that.

His hands remained gentle with the rabbit, that patiently accepted petting, in his lap, but Setsuna's voice was harsh under his breath.

"This sucks."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Setsuna doesn't answer that question - Kira proves he knows the answer anyway, later. For now he mutters, "Why're you here?" Some of the animals had scatted at his arrival. The rabbit stays with Setsuna, but watch Kira warily. Some of the others just don't care.

"...cute? I'm pretty, thanks. Cute is for little girls. This body is too sexy for that," Setsuna retorted automatically, only to clamp his mouth shut quickly. Was that teasing? Fuck?! He didn't know what he was saying half the time. He was only playing, trying make the most of this situation. Forget it. That's just an excuse, isn't it?

"A lot of what he said, yeah, is bullshit. But it isn't all. He's right when I go back, no one's going to give a fuck about me. Anyone who did is dead," Setsuna muttered.

"Because I want to be." Kira didn't exactly have the Disney princess gene, so he wasn't surprised that the animals weren't staying around. He lit the cigarette and shook his head.

"The dress is cute." No comment on the body, it was just easier. He took a long drag, then exhaled slowly before talking again.

"There're still people who care for you around." At the very least Sara, he knew that much. "Sure it'll suck. Life's not supposed to be easy." Especially not for Alexiel and her reincarnations. "Still goes on."

Setsuna just pet the rabbit more, gently, carefully, but his hands were shaking with pent up rage and frustration. He didn't dare give anymore retorts to the cute or dress bit, though.

At least he bothered to look up on the last bit.

"I honestly can't think of a single reason to bother returning anymore. You're here!" The part that made him feel sick was knowing he WOULD return when he found a way, and he wouldn't stop looking, either. He had a responsibility to get back to, no matter what.

"Besides! I never said I wanted life to be easy, but it could fucking stop sucking THAT MUCH!"

As his tone of voice escalated the rabbit left his lap, bringing a frustrated, strangled cry from the blond. "Dammit...."

Kira waited for the rabbit to take off before crouching down next to Setsuna and wrapping his arms around him. Female body, but still Setsuna. For a moment he closed his eyes, face buried against the long hair, unable to help how the color he imagined was a lot darker. He opened them again, combed his fingers through blond strands.

"You'll find reasons again. I know you will. Nothing can bring you down, you're too stubborn."

He hugged Setsuna closer, his voice quiet. "And I'm here now."

Feeling those hands in his hair - but gentle this time as opposed the first time, when they were in Alexiel's hair - Setsuna could imagine Kira was likely thinking of someone else, but that didn't matter. Not when Kira was being so soft...holding him like Setsuna might be something precious. It almost frightened Setsuna, how gentle Kira was being, had been.

Now that he thought about it, Kira had been soft on him for a while, hadn't he? When had that started....

Guilt-ridden, Setsuna muttered, "I know. I was trying to make the most of it, then I screwed up," while his throat tightened. Once the discomfort passed, he looked at Kira, carefully, and asked, "You okay, Senpai?"

"Of course I'm okay. I'm not the one suddenly needing a bra." Kira managed to make the quip sound lighthearted enough.

The City didn't make it easy on anyone. The last thing he had needed was to hold her in his arms. Especially when it wasn't her, it was really Setsuna. Once more denied. But how he felt wasn't the focus here, wasn't his focus.

"Feeling any better?"

Not for a second does Setsuna believe that, but he never expected an honest answer from Kira to start with. That's okay; it's clearly time to start stalking the stalker. Instead of giving any of that away, though, Setsuna pulled out a white strap from behind a dress strap and retorted, "But I am wearing a bra," as he stuck out his tongue. It's a pretty, silky, lacy white one too, Kira.

"Of course I am," Setsuna told Kira with a big smile. No, not really. But he didn't want to focus on the other stuff, and he would be okay, and he knew that. Besides, he was more worried about Kira now, and he couldn't give that away, not if he wanted answers.

"Excellent, I'm proud of you." Kira chuckled, better at handling the concept of Setsuna with breasts now that they weren't surprisingly suddenly pressed up against him when he really hadn't expected that to start his day. Add Setsuna's words to that and... Never mind, he wasn't going to allow himself to be thrown like that again.

"Now, how many dates did you get?"

Setsuna snorted to that.

"None, unless you count Karl inviting me into his home. And dinner with Jast. If anyone had asked me out I would've turned 'em down," Setsuna said with a shrug.

"I'd count Karl. Not Jast. Matter of intention."

Kira ran his fingers through Setsuna's hair again, but he pulled back before he could really appreciate how long it was. Just Setsuna, no matter the body.

"I'll treat you for ice cream, pretty lady."

It was as though all of the stress and tension built up through that day left Setsuna at once. He looked far more comfortable and smiled warmly.

"Sure. It's a date."

"It is."

I never had to ask for you to find me

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

End?

Happy End!