windfall | what i desire most, what i fear most

[Aki still doesn't quite look like he believes this whole thing about Angel using his ID but he can't figure out how else they would have done this. He doesn't think Denji would steal this much stuff... Would he steal anything, anyway? He seems pretty happy with his current ability to earn a salary and it's not like he has finances to keep track of... He'll have to work this out later.]

[But since he only made a plate for Aki, as if he's somehow the target of all of this or something, Angel starts none-too-inconspicuously unboxing the skewers they got before, since they were good and he'd like some more now, thanks. If he's going to be eating, it seems like enough to allow Aki to accept the plate of various sweets and even though he thinks it'll give him a stomach ache in the morning... He accepts it along with the beer, finally telling him, You should have something, too. I can't eat all of this.]

So, if I was gonna stay the night... [Angel slowly slides down the edge of the counter to take a seat on the ground, taking the balled-up shorts and socks with him that he grabbed from beside the toaster.] Where would I sleep?

Oh, yeah…

[ A quick look Aki's way, in case he's got a superfluous and fussy opinion on the prospects of Angel staying here, but he seems to be chewing, so Denji carries on with a reach for one of the jam jars. Blueberry. ]

The floor in front of the TV is comfy. [ The lid to the jar is suctioned on there tight. Annoying. He takes one of the spoons he brought out for everyone earlier to twist the tip under the edge. ] Plus, ah — [ There goes the spoon, dropping to the countertop, then off it to the ground, with a clatter. But it seems to have done the trick because the lid comes off. Head reclined, Denji tilts the jar toward his mouth, just barely avoiding putting his lips around the edge to allow a few slops of the jam to fall in. He licks his lips, as well as some droplets of the stuff that have erred down his fingers. ] You can fall asleep while watching movies and stuff. Those naps are the best. I do it all the time.

[ Also, though he can usually tell by the heaviness of the footsteps, who's home and who's not, he kinda likes being nearby and waking up to see Aki slide into his room. Sometimes he'll even nudge him awake and tell him to move to his proper bed. ]

[ Denji looks up from where he's hovering over Power's shoulder as she rolls her palms together and pulls for some capsule toy she wants. He'd listened to her vent not five minutes ago about how these things are rigged against her specifically, how they must have some desire sensor or something, yet here they are…

Well, that aside. He tries not to look any noticeably brighter than usual as Aki approaches. Like he's not happy to see him before sundown for once. ]

No way. We left him with food and water and some of Meowy's toys! He'd basically be set for life with those things — so if it's just for one day, he was probably fine… He's a good little guy.

[ It'd taken everything in him not to simply stow the devil into his backpack and bring him to class. But he seemed content, at least, when Denji brushed his fur and left him inside for the day. They might have to clean up his poops, though. If they see that he didn't break anything, what're the odds that Aki will agree to letting him free in the apartment with Meowy while they're away? ]

Anyway, I'm surprised those smarty-farties up there were really okay with you leaving earlier.

[ …He's talking about the student council. ]

[Aki still doesn't seem like he's keen on the idea of Angel staying the night, even if he went out and did all this with Denji of his own volition (honestly he's still surprised about that). In the meantime as Denji considers where he can sleep and comes up with the floor in front of the TV while drinking jam like it's some kind of soda... Angel looks between him doing that and Aki taking a drink from his own can of beer and thinks this household isn't so different from one another as he thought.]

[Still.]

I don't wanna sleep on the floor. Even my cell has a bed. [It's more like a cot but it's still off the ground.] ...Should you really be eating it like that, anyway?

[That clues Aki in to look at Denji and see him with the jar of jam and... Right. "Don't drink it like a soda," he tells him, like he doesn't let him do that all the time. "And he can... I don't know... Can't you and Power fit in one bed for the night?" Power sleeps pretty much on top of him anyway, right...?]

[Leaving a devil who barks with cat toys made no sense to Aki this morning and it still doesn't make sense now. He begins walking, reminding Power to throw her capsule away because she keeps hoarding the containers themselves because she swears Meowy wants them. But surely not this many.]

They're not smarty-farties.

[Though, he isn't friends with any of them. But Aki isn't friends with anyone, so it's not their fault. Not entirely.]

I just help out because I felt bad leaving them last semester in the middle of things. I'll probably stop after finals. [By then he'll be way busier with other things. Applications, interviews... All the things he doesn't want to think about too deeply yet.] Besides, I thought you had a crush on the treasurey secretary. What happened to that?

[Reroute and change the topic. Typical way to drop a topic for him and distract Denji with something else. And speaking of...]

Did you schedule your make-up exam yet?

[ He was just taste-testing! He didn't even drink that much from the jar, there's plenty leftover. Denji makes an annoyed sound, half-tempted to knock back the rest of the jam instead of sliding the lid back into place the way he is. The only reason he doesn't do precisely that is because he doesn't need to be contracted with Future to foresee himself dripping jam and juice all over the ground where Angel is still sitting. He already did Power's laundry once this week, he doesn't need to be guilted by her in doing it again. ]

That's fine, I guess. I'll text her to watch her step so she doesn't, y'know, step on his face when she walks in. [ He wiggles a hand out to Angel, a silent prompting for him to pass one of the skewers. ] You don't snore, do you?

[ Denji does. So does Power. Good luck. ]

[ Like the cartoon villain she is, Power gasps, exaggerated shock flashing across her face as she hides the capsule behind her back, sweating like it's the end of the episode and a hero has swooped in at the last moment to thwart her plans. She puts up a bit of a fight, but she does wind up throwing away the little plastic ball — into Denji's backpack. 'Tis her personal garbage can, after all.

As Power is living in a fantasy of her own making, Denji lets her do whatever, mulling over the questions fired at him in that typical bland and detached affect of his that makes you wonder if he's really listening at all. He doesn't look up from his phone. ]

The make-up's in two days.

[ Surprise, surprise, he did as he was told. Except he probably wouldn't have if his teacher hadn't approached him herself toward the end of lunch earlier. ]

And, yeah, I liked her a lot. [ One time, during a rainy day, she shoved her folded umbrella into his stomach before running away to catch up to another girl holding a clear one. He's never forgotten that. ] But I walked in on her making out with, um, that vice-prez chick. So it was a no go.

[ It's here that Denji's expression shifts, as if he feels awkward and sheepish just talking about it. Being an idiot, he'd dropped the sports equipment he'd been lugging to the shed when it happened, causing them both to spin around to look at him. Augh. ]

But what about you? [ Your turn, Aki. ] How'd it go talkin' to your secret admirer? Powy and I tried to spy on you guys, but we couldn't find a good spot.

[Angel still looks displeased with this situation, though he gives up one of the remaining kebabs to Denji.]

They'll end up touching me in the middle of the night. [His gaze goes up to Aki instead.] Don't you have space?

[Aki raises his eyes to the ceiling, like he's trying really hard to figure out a way to shut him down, but... He does have an extra mattress pad that could pass as a futon, so it could work... Angel seems to key in that this is Aki losing the ability to deny him and begins stripping his socks off.] Good, then I'll sleep in there, instead. You smell more normal, anyway.

[Is that a complement... Aki isn't sure. He doesn't deny Angel the right to sleep in his bedroom, but he doesn't look thrilled about it, either. But Angel points out,] I thought he said I was supposed to make you stop crying. [To which Aki points out, "I'm not crying," but the point is still made.]

[This is why Aki has to clean his backpack out every single day...]

[But two days - He'll note that down when he gets home. Surely Denji can cram in two days. He shrugs along about the story of Denji finding out about the tryst between the two student council girls, it's not like there weren't rumors... but when he brings up his stupid note again, Aki shoots him a tired look with a hint of annoyance. He thought he made it clear with a slap to the back of both their heads how he felt about them digging through his bag.]

Nothing happened. I just told her I'm not interested. [She made some appeal about how she was going to Tokyo post-graduation as well and how they could move there together, but Aki shot it all down. No, thanks. He doesn't need another person to worry about.] Who starts a relationship their senior year, anyway? There's too much else going on for something like that.

[That said, he reaches out to deliver another series of whacks to the back of both of their heads.] And don't spy on me.

[ A smile briefly surges to his face when he receives the meat skewer only to promptly hook downward again at the movement of this conversation. They're going to share a room? And he's being called smelly out of nowhere?

Denji takes a bath everyday, he does his laundry like he's supposed to, he remembers to wear shoes when he knows he's going to be walking outside, yet Aki's never invited him to sleep on his futon. He has his own room and he doesn't even like the douchebag, but still…

Sniffing at the inside of his collar, the line of his brow furrows as he follows their fluid exchange. How easy it is. How Aki already looks a little brighter than before. He can't help but think to himself a second time: But still. ]

But you were…

[ Crying, that is. He's mumbling around the meat in his mouth, not really trying to be heard at this point. He takes another bite, then another. The skewer was better when it was fresh and hot off the grill. Ah, well. It's still food, and it's still something better to have in his stomach than the strange pit that's sunken in there. He tosses the empty stick into the trash. Moves to the sink to rinse his fingers.

He only pipes up again once the faucet is turned on, as if he feels more comfortable speaking having some background noise overlaid his voice. That way he can't hear the nerves teetering in the way he talks. ]

Are… you two really gonna sleep in the same room? Isn't that kinda naughty?

[Aki is in the middle of asking Angel why he left the bureau without shoes on as he works to pull Power's socks onto his feet, the size fitting him pretty well - though they're socks so it's not too difficult. When Denji speaks over the rush of water, however, Aki looks at him with an annoyed stare, flatly stating, "Of course it's not," while Angel tilts his head at him.]

Is it less naughty if I slept in your room?

[What a weird thought process. Is it because they're buddies? But Denji and Power are buddies and they sleep in the same room... Hmm. He purses his lips, something clicking silently behind his eyes. He was fine with him in his room, but not fine with him in Aki Hayakawa's room...]

...But if this is a sleepover, spending the night alone in this human's room sounds kind of boring. Since he'll probably just fall asleep.

["As opposed to doing what?" Aki asks, but Angel only shrugs, staring at Denji almost expectantly.]

Ow, hey!

[ He yanks back too little too late, his hands clamping down on the stinging spot on his head, afraid Aki might go in at him again. Try and collect another toll for the price of entry into the parts of his life he keeps hidden from them. ]

Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same thing! [ And then, irrationally irritated: ] We just wanted to know.

[ That's not a crime. Although invading Aki's privacy kinda is. But it's his fault that he's the sort of guy to say stuff like, I'm fine, before forlornly staring off into the distance. Usually, he says what he means. Until he doesn't, which always leaves Denji grappling to understand what signals he missed in the moment. ]

There's always stuff goin' on with you. With that attitude, you'll never date someone. Or get laid.

[ This is pretty righteous coming from Denji when he regularly makes so much trouble for Aki. But he means well. ]

[ Low-hanging fruit. Angel doesn't even need to look at him to plant the seed. ]

That's —

[ A breakneck flick to the handle forces the gush of water to come to an acute stop. Denji whirls around, Eureka! scored into the wide open exuberance that pulls his mouth open, like the words can't leave his throat fast enough. It's way too late to be this energetic, to be this easy to read. ]

That's right, Aki's suuuper boring! In his spare time, he reads the newspaper and, y'know, bird watches and stuff. [ Now he's just making things up. ] Like get a hobby, right? [ One of Denji's favorite hobbies is watching the news solely because the news anchor is hot. But this ain't about that. And he's already on a roll, toweling off his hands to tuck some of the snacks into his arms as he marches into Aki's bedroom. ] That's why I should come along!

[Denji thinks Aki would spy on him if he got a confession?? Of course he wouldn't. He would look into whoever it was, sure, and make sure they weren't a bad match for them, maybe strike up a casual conversation to double check, but he wouldn't lurk in the bushes to watch the actual scene. ...Probably.]

[There's no staring off into the middle distance this time as Denji accuses him of always being busy, and how that will keep him from getting laid. He passes a look at him tiredly.]

I'm not interested in that right now.

[Seriously, his short term plan is passing the written exam to work for Public Safety in a few months. He doesn't even need a high school degree for it, he's only finishing that to set an example.]

Besides, she wasn't my type. I'm not going to waste time with someone I don't even think is that attractive to begin with.

[...That sounded mean. He shakes his head.]

I mean, she looked fine, just - You know. Everyone has a type. [He hates when Denji talks about sex, it makes him feel like a horndog for just the simple idea of liking a girl with long hair. Ugh.]

Hey, don't bring food into my room!

[Aki is hurrying after Denji the moment he starts to gather things and passes him with them toward the door.]

And I don't birdwatch, anyway - Sitting outside is relaxing!

[Angel slowly maneuvers himself onto his feet, now clad in Power's socks, but takes the moment to pull the sweater off his wings so he can flex them. They were way too bunched up in that position. Following them after they're already gathered inside, he looks like someone who put a sweater on after putting on a backpack, the fabric bunched between his neck and his wings as he stands in the doorway. Aki sighs and opens his closet.]

You can use one of these, just take that off. Here. [He offers out a zippered sweatshirt that he can wear on his front, which Angel accepts as he pulls off Power's sweater.] I don't want you cutting holes in anything. And Denji - Don't leave any wrappers on the bedding, and eat over a plate so you don't spill crumbs.

[Seems like he didn't take long to accept Denji's terms. Angel squats down next to him to get at the food.]

A type?

[ That gets him thinking, but talking about dating always does — mostly with his dick, rather than his head. But that aside, does he himself have a type? Probably. There are definitely girls who he can't get along with, girls who stress him out, girls who get under his skin…

One such girl is walking just slightly behind him. Or she was.

"My favorite type of human is the kind with fatty thighs!" Power cackles wildly, careening in between Aki and Denji, her deceptively strong arms pinching their heads to her shoulders. "To eat, of course. Romance is but a parlor trick of the mind — and I'm immune to such debuffs!" ]

Ugh — [ Denji staggers, spitting out part of her hair that'd flown into his mouth, but he doesn't try to detach from her grip. ] No one asked you! And that's not the kinda type we're talkin' about at all!

[ His neck stretches out, to look at Aki from past Power's side profile. ]

So what is it — tits, ass, legs? Glasses or no glasses? The class rep or the flirty idol sort? [ … ] I'm just curious. I'll tell ya mine if you tell me yours.

Yeah, yeah! I know… [ To Angel: ] Geez, does that mouth do anything other than complain?

[ Seeing Power's sweater go unused now, he claims it for himself. Shoves his arms through the sleeves to keep himself warm, but not putting it on all the way, just letting the fabric hang there on his chest. It's not as if Aki's gonna be offering him a sweatshirt so he'll just resource his bib elsewhere. Unlike with the jam, he can just shake the crumbs off!

The plain bread, beer, all that's left of the ice cream, and probably whatever other snacks that had already laying on the counter gets arranged on the sheets. Weirdly enough, he also brought in the frying pan and tissues. Oh, and the sponge cake — Denji divides that three ways into slightly off proportions, but whatever. It's cake! He seriously doubts anyone is going to fight him on he eye-balled his cuts. If Power were here, she probably would, though. ]

Hey, we should play a card game or something! [ That feels like something you'd do at a sleepover, right? ] I bet the jerk has some hiding around here. Lemme see…

[ He's just gonna crawl over and open a few drawers here and there. Maybe he'll even find his porn stash? That'd be fun. ]

[Power yanks her arms around them and Aki keeps his back strong, barely bending at her yank and just groaning an annoyed sound as Denji does the same. He briefly scolds her on cannibalism - which she refutes because she's totally not human, duh, but then Denji is poking at him again about his taste and he makes a face. Discussing it with him is so...]

I already know yours. Or else you wouldn't watch the news as much as you do.

[Aki is also pretty good at guessing which girl in the school Denji will affix his crushes to next. There's a long list. Now that he's been scorned by the student council vice president, he'll probably he turning his attention to that one girl on the basketball team. The only one who doesn't wear a sports bra to practice. Not that Aki has noticed, too, or anything. She can just jump high, that's all.]

Like I said, I'm not interested right now. Who starts a relationship right before they plan to move, anyway? This isn't some romance manga.

[Denji doesn't get far. His fingers go around the edge of the drawer to his night stand and Aki nearly kicks it shut with how hard he stomps his foot against the edge of the drawer, glaring at him.]

Don't go around opening people's things without asking. There are cards in the living room, if you want them that bad.

[But the suddenness of his movement has roused Angel's interest, and once he successfully scares Denji away from there, either by force or by enough grousing, it leaves the area open for Angel as he redirects him toward the living room while asking if Denji even knows how to play any card games. Angel pulls the drawer open and looks inside, then very loudly says,] Huhhh. I see.

[Aki has his palm slamming the drawer shut again before either of them can blink. He would have the fox eat them both if he was able to right now.]

[ Denji whines can be heard from the living room about how he so too knows how to play card games, that he's watched plenty of yakuza play Oicho-Kabu, though they probably wouldn't have the type of deck needed for something like that. He also knows different dice games, too, if they have any and that Aki shouldn't judge a book by its cover! Never mind that all the games he knows are just from street gambling rings…

But anyway, when Aki suddenly wheels back inside his room, Denji is hot on his feet, a deck of standard playing cards in his hands, to find out what's going on. He immediately clocks Angel is sitting in front of the very same drawer he'd been trying to investigate and nearly jumps for joy. ]

Ehhhhh! What is it? [ He hops on Aki's bed to land by Angel's side with an oomph. ] What'd you see? I wanna see, I wanna see!

[Angel almost cringes away from him when he gets so close. Honestly, at this point it's not even due to not wanting to touch him, he just hates having his personal space invaded by a guy like Denji. He's so active and jumpy, he's just like a dog.]

I saw lotion. [Aki shoots him a look, standing up to his full height and glaring at them both. Lotion is a completely normal thing to have by your bed. His hands get dry in the winter, okay.] And I think I saw diaries.

["--Those aren't diaries!" Aki snaps suddenly, looking almost horrified at the assumption. But of course that only prompts Angel to ask,] Then what are they?

[Aki looks beyond frustrated with clear embarrassment as he stares at them both, two faces primed to mock him if it's something worth it. He could lie, sure, but then what if Denji goes digging again? Ughhh.]

...Baby year books. [He mutters it. Deeply frustrated, deeply embarrassed.] Like - Those things parents keep to document a baby growing up. You know. Nothing special.

[He keeps most of the few keepsakes he has from back home in there but those... those have photos in them. And he knows there's photos of him in there as a baby. And he definitely doesn't want Denji to go digging.]

I don't want you to get your sticky fingers on them - So don't dig through my shit, and play your yakuza card games instead.

[Angel mutters something about babies being gross.]

[ Such an Aki answer, of course, drags a scoff out of Denji. ]

Just what kinda boring ass manga do you think we're livin' in?

[ Where they just go to school, ponder the facelessness of their futures without the reward of something sweet on the side? He's being pushy about it, but not without his own reasons. Pushing Power's arm off of him, Denji jogs a few paces ahead, turning to walk backwards, using his pointer finger and thumb on both hands to create the corners of box. A tiny, tiny box. ]

Dude, you're thinking of it from in here. You need to think — [ Suddenly, the width of his arms stretch out! ] — out here! Imagine you've passed all that. You're a city guy now, you're all moved in, you've got a job… Then what? What's left?

Babies are weird, [ Denji agrees. They fought one not too long ago. That Typhoon devil, the way it sheared through buildings and streets and people with its pudgy legs, infant cry, and cyclonic brain fats still a vivid memory. How Reze could cooperate with something like that is beyond him. ]

But I still wanna see. [ Because saying it two times before wasn't enough. Despite his persistence, though, he doesn't reach for the drawer again, his legs kicking back-and-forth off the side of Aki's bed. ] And I'm sure your bird buddy here wants to see, too! [ Angel just said babies were gross… ]

I didn't know parents were s'posed to keep stuff like that. Does it have pictures of, like, you in diapers? Eating worms? Shoving a crayon up your nose? That why you're all shy about it?

[ Obviously, Denji doesn't have his own baby books to speak of, so he wouldn't know what exactly is documented inside. It's probably why he shows the same interest in them as he would if Angel discovered a secret pile of adult erotica. ]

[Aki slows as Denji gets in front of them, watching his show with an unimpressed stare. When he gives his question, Aki only has one, almost immediate, response.]

Making sure you graduate.

[He pushes past him as Power laughs, says something about that being a never-ending dream. So Aki shoots back over his shoulder,] That's the same for you. If one of you fails, you both fail.

[She's definitely upset at that idea and snaps something about being the ruler of her own destiny but Aki is already walking ahead, not waiting.]

[He doesn't want to tell them the truth. That, of course he cares about making sure they graduate. But he already has a long-term goal. He has for almost a decade at this point. He's never wavered from that goal, not once. And if it means he has to sacrifice ideals like a lover, or an upscale apartment to come back to, or anything from that sort of brand of normalcy... Of course he will. He's been thinking beyond the box ever since he watched his normalcy vanish before his eyes.]

what i desire most, what i fear most

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