[ Yu doesn't have anywhere else to be, because for the first time in days, his schedule is free. There are things he could be doing, friends he could be checking in with, tasks he could be seeing to, but he's carefully slipped out from under all of them, just for this. He can't quite exactly put a name to what he and Minato are, right now; but whatever that is, it's soothing to him, and he'll allow himself the creature comfort of seeking it out when it feels like everything is on the verge of coming apart.
He gets there first, because he makes an effort to. He's quietly a little pleased when there's a tree nearby this pond; it gives him something to lean against, something to take his weight when he's feeling the ache of supporting himself. It takes a great deal to grind him down like this; he used to feel this way after a week of plunging into the TV World and they were all desperate to save whoever it was that needed saving. But back then there was a certain confidence: we'll save them.
And while he has confidence they'll get through this, it's the not knowing that's worse. The other shoe has yet to drop.
Minato will find him empty-handed, leaning there; no CereVice, no mask, though the first is in his pocket. The second is tied to his left wrist, specifically so that he can't fiddle with it, something which has become a bad habit since it's become a mess of cracks. All that keeps him occupied now are his thoughts as he stares at the water. ]
[Minato is true to his word, walking briskly to their meeting place so that he'll be there in the specified time. There are many things weighing on his mind just then such as whether he can even protect his team mates this time, and in a way the thought of spending some time with Yu right now is soothing as he feels little need to reassure his friend of anything unless he was being completely honest.
Minato's own mask is tied to his wrist where it's both present and yet not immediately visible, and he's only begun to do so after discovering the hard way that these masks wanted to be seen, and hiding them was futile in the long run. He's been dwelling on a certain thought, on how a Persona was a reflection of one's self...what did this bloody mask say about him then?
These thoughts are relegated into the background as he catches sight of Yu leaning against the tree, staring at the pond as if it holds answers to the uncertain future. His pace picks up then, footsteps audible as he nears his friend.]
[ Yu glances up at his friend, shaken from his thoughts, and his expression is unreadable: blank, but not emotionless, either. Not thoughtful, nor upset, nor really anything. It's as if he's waiting for something.
Once Minato draws near enough, Yu reaches for him, his hands gently closing around Minato's wrists, his ring and pinkie fingers trailing into the other's palms. This grip he uses as leverage to very gently tug Minato closer. As he does so, he leans his head down just enough so that he can press his forehead to Minato's and shut his eyes.
Up close, Minato may be able to tell that he seems extraordinarily tired. He's running on very little sleep. Hiro texted him hyperventilating at 4 AM, and he's been awake ever since. His apartment is an awful, awkward place to be, because he and Rise aren't speaking. He's still reeling from talking to Mosley and realizing that he's been making enormous mistakes in his logic for weeks, unchecked, unbalanced, and he's put people in danger because of his foolishness. This, all of this, this burning, he keeps exactingly, carefully, quietly, just beneath the surface of his skin. And they need him. Everyone; they need him. ]
No, [ he murmurs, quiet, all hush as something painfully taut within him slowly begins to come unwound again. ] You're alright.
Edited (i wanted to make it worse while i had the chance) 2016-02-08 04:49 (UTC)
[Minato has been feeling troubled too after finding the mask attached to his face waking up one morning, every now and then losing himself in watching the blood drip more and more with each passing day. Drip, drip, drip... It reminds him of the blood he always sees during the Dark Hour, both real and not real in how the mask remains smooth to the touch, clean in spite of its stains.
He's unemotional and silent as Yu pulls him in, instinctively able to sense the other's exhaustion and need before Yu presses his forehead against his. Minato might not know the full extent of why his friend is feeling this way and why he hasn't gone to his other friends for support, but in the end the reason isn't as important as the reality of the situation and he rests his forehead on Yu's as well, awkwardly placing his hands around the other's shoulders in what looks like a hug.]
... [That being said he's never quite been able to handle overwhelming emotions and he shies away from talking, not knowing what to say.]
[ It is an awkward hug; it's not close enough to be a good one, a properly warm one. It still makes Yu's lungs swell raggedly. For a moment he's still, like he might be content that way, but then his arms wrap themselves loosely around Minato's waist in return. He tilts his head, and their noses brush; he leans forward a little more, and he's able to press the side of his face against Minato's hair instead.
It's alright that Minato is silent. He is, too. He's run out of words to say. Yu will stay like that for a long time, merely hanging on, until he finds he has the strength to speak again.
The first thing he says, low and steady and achingly concerned, is: ]
I'm fine. [And for now Minato is fine staying this way too, letting Yu take comfort in his presence without being seen and questioned, needed somewhere else.
Minato's voice is equally low but the most distinct part of it is how hollow it seems to sound as he lifts his wrist to look at his mask and pulls away from Yu to show it to him.] The blood's covering more than half of the mask now...the changes should be consistent with everyone else's masks. [He's staring at it all the while, a hand reaching to touch the part that's still white.] What about yours?
[ It's the hollow sound of it that catches at him. Minato can be quiet, even quieter than he is, but there's still usually a kind of warmth to him, a presence. It's one of the things that's drawn Yu to him from the very beginning. The lack of that color is distinctive, and distinctively worrying. The concern is there on his face as they part, and for a moment, his eyes linger on Minato's expression before he turns his attention to the mask itself.
His mouth tightens, and his own fingers lift to brush the mask's smooth surface. He knows he won't be able to feel anything, because of what's been true of all the masks, but still, it looks so real...
In response to the question, he twists his wrist to make his mask visible. What was once a single hairline crack has splintered outward into a dozen, tracing wildly all across the surface of the mask. That hairline crack has become thicker, wider; it seems like the mask shouldn't be holding together at all, but somehow it still does. Yu even raps a knuckle on it, as if for emphasis; it holds together just fine. ]
It's just like this. I've been careful with it, but the cracks keep growing. [ He pulls in a breath. ] I've managed to keep it off my face, though.
[The concern makes Minato feel a little uneasy as he's more concerned about Yu than himself, knowing that the other has been working very hard to find answers from their previous meeting. He diverts attention from himself by looking down at the mask, staring at the cracks spreading everywhere and feeling a shiver within a deep part of his mind.
His gaze lingers, finding scant comfort in seeing those cracks while looking away from the blood on his own mask.]
That's good. [Then why does he not sound convinced, even to himself?]
I guess we'll be finding out what all of this means soon...are you ready?
[ Of course they're both more worried for each other than for themselves. Yu can hear it in Minato's voice, that the other is as unconvinced as he is, and for a long moment, just looks at him.
His free hand finds Minato's, fingers skating over warm skin, and he clasps it gently. The set of his expression is quietly resolute. ]
I don't know. [ It's the honest answer. ] We've done everything we can. We armed ourselves and our friends with information... we learned everything we could. We weren't making anymore progress... the best we can do now is be there for each other. [ The shape of his eyes softens into something wounded and worried, though his expression is otherwise unchanged. ] Dipper and Hiro will need our support.
[Minato nods mutely, watching how Yu's eyes soften and say so much more about how he feels than the expression he wears on his face. It's why he smiles faintly in response and grips Yu's hand gently but firmly- They might not have much hope, but they've tried their best.]
I agree. We'll need to stay strong not just for them but also for all our other friends...let's do our best, Yu-san.
[ Yu is quiet again, watching him thoughtfully, soaking in that smile. His expression is quiet, too, a piece of unknowable aside from the mysterious half-smile that’s formed on his lips, a reflexive response that he can’t seem to help.
They might not have much hope, but they have each other. Yu’s always found that’s really what counted.
He gives a hum of assent, standing a little straighter. The shape of his eyes is different now, soft still, but warmed by his smile. Affection touches their corners, making them crinkle just so. ]
Yeah. We will.
[ The way his heart beats in his chest tells him he should take a chance. He never did get to do this on their date, after all.
He’s still got one hand free, and that he lifts, fearless, unhesitating. He hooks his fingers under Minato’s jaw, and lets his thumb trace the faintly jutting line of his cheekbone back and forth, back and forth. It’s as if he’s trying to memorize that pale expanse with fingertip alone. ]
Minato-san, [ he murmurs.
And then he leans in, with no one to stop him this time, to press a kiss featherlight and soft to the corner of Minato’s mouth. There he lingers for only a moment before pulling away. ]
[Minato can't say he wasn't expecting this after how things went in their date before this, and he swallows involuntarily when fingers are pressed to his jaw, pulse picking up speed as Yu leans in to kiss him.
He's also not that surprised that it's a relatively tame one after the fiasco at the library and to his credit he doesn't do anything outlandish like backing off or running away, but Minato's unreadable expression as Yu pulls away is a pretty good indicator that he still doesn't know quite what to make of all of this.]
[ There's no surprise in him when Minato doesn't respond in kind, or really respond at all. As Yu pulls away and looks down at his friend with a horribly tender look, he can't help but wonder if this, this closeness, their tangled fingers, that smile from a moment ago, is still something he's managing to misread.
But he isn't being pushed away. He does know his friend well enough to know that if this were something Minato didn't want, he would already have received a much firmer no somewhere along the line. He hasn't been pushed off... Minato hasn't left. Despite himself, despite all the uncertainty he continues to feel, he can't keep himself from continuing to hope.
Yu smiles, sweet. ]
It's alright, [ he murmurs, though not in the common tongue. Daijobu. ] ... mind staying for a little longer?
[ If it's awkward for his friend now, he wouldn't blame him. But he'd be happy to just spend a while here, quiet, leaning into him, remembering what peace feels like. ]
[It is awkward for Minato even if he's quick to shake his head- he doesn't mind letting Yu lean into him, he really should know better since he's the one who has been on multiple dates before but all the same can't help but feel unnerved being with someone who understood him so well.
Someone who wasn't Ryoji or Aigis, that is. This was a little...different to say the least, and Minato had actually been alive then to make matters a little less complicated than they could have been.]
I don't mind. [Then he hesitates, something which might only be apparent to Yu if he notices that the hand he's holding has moved a little.] It's been stressful lately, and I'd like to spend some time with you too.
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[ Yu doesn't have anywhere else to be, because for the first time in days, his schedule is free. There are things he could be doing, friends he could be checking in with, tasks he could be seeing to, but he's carefully slipped out from under all of them, just for this. He can't quite exactly put a name to what he and Minato are, right now; but whatever that is, it's soothing to him, and he'll allow himself the creature comfort of seeking it out when it feels like everything is on the verge of coming apart.
He gets there first, because he makes an effort to. He's quietly a little pleased when there's a tree nearby this pond; it gives him something to lean against, something to take his weight when he's feeling the ache of supporting himself. It takes a great deal to grind him down like this; he used to feel this way after a week of plunging into the TV World and they were all desperate to save whoever it was that needed saving. But back then there was a certain confidence: we'll save them.
And while he has confidence they'll get through this, it's the not knowing that's worse. The other shoe has yet to drop.
Minato will find him empty-handed, leaning there; no CereVice, no mask, though the first is in his pocket. The second is tied to his left wrist, specifically so that he can't fiddle with it, something which has become a bad habit since it's become a mess of cracks. All that keeps him occupied now are his thoughts as he stares at the water. ]
no subject
Minato's own mask is tied to his wrist where it's both present and yet not immediately visible, and he's only begun to do so after discovering the hard way that these masks wanted to be seen, and hiding them was futile in the long run. He's been dwelling on a certain thought, on how a Persona was a reflection of one's self...what did this bloody mask say about him then?
These thoughts are relegated into the background as he catches sight of Yu leaning against the tree, staring at the pond as if it holds answers to the uncertain future. His pace picks up then, footsteps audible as he nears his friend.]
Yu-san. Hope I'm not late.
no subject
Once Minato draws near enough, Yu reaches for him, his hands gently closing around Minato's wrists, his ring and pinkie fingers trailing into the other's palms. This grip he uses as leverage to very gently tug Minato closer. As he does so, he leans his head down just enough so that he can press his forehead to Minato's and shut his eyes.
Up close, Minato may be able to tell that he seems extraordinarily tired. He's running on very little sleep. Hiro texted him hyperventilating at 4 AM, and he's been awake ever since. His apartment is an awful, awkward place to be, because he and Rise aren't speaking. He's still reeling from talking to Mosley and realizing that he's been making enormous mistakes in his logic for weeks, unchecked, unbalanced, and he's put people in danger because of his foolishness. This, all of this, this burning, he keeps exactingly, carefully, quietly, just beneath the surface of his skin. And they need him. Everyone; they need him. ]
No, [ he murmurs, quiet, all hush as something painfully taut within him slowly begins to come unwound again. ] You're alright.
no subject
He's unemotional and silent as Yu pulls him in, instinctively able to sense the other's exhaustion and need before Yu presses his forehead against his. Minato might not know the full extent of why his friend is feeling this way and why he hasn't gone to his other friends for support, but in the end the reason isn't as important as the reality of the situation and he rests his forehead on Yu's as well, awkwardly placing his hands around the other's shoulders in what looks like a hug.]
... [That being said he's never quite been able to handle overwhelming emotions and he shies away from talking, not knowing what to say.]
no subject
It's alright that Minato is silent. He is, too. He's run out of words to say. Yu will stay like that for a long time, merely hanging on, until he finds he has the strength to speak again.
The first thing he says, low and steady and achingly concerned, is: ]
You alright?
no subject
Minato's voice is equally low but the most distinct part of it is how hollow it seems to sound as he lifts his wrist to look at his mask and pulls away from Yu to show it to him.] The blood's covering more than half of the mask now...the changes should be consistent with everyone else's masks. [He's staring at it all the while, a hand reaching to touch the part that's still white.] What about yours?
no subject
His mouth tightens, and his own fingers lift to brush the mask's smooth surface. He knows he won't be able to feel anything, because of what's been true of all the masks, but still, it looks so real...
In response to the question, he twists his wrist to make his mask visible. What was once a single hairline crack has splintered outward into a dozen, tracing wildly all across the surface of the mask. That hairline crack has become thicker, wider; it seems like the mask shouldn't be holding together at all, but somehow it still does. Yu even raps a knuckle on it, as if for emphasis; it holds together just fine. ]
It's just like this. I've been careful with it, but the cracks keep growing. [ He pulls in a breath. ] I've managed to keep it off my face, though.
no subject
His gaze lingers, finding scant comfort in seeing those cracks while looking away from the blood on his own mask.]
That's good. [Then why does he not sound convinced, even to himself?]
I guess we'll be finding out what all of this means soon...are you ready?
no subject
His free hand finds Minato's, fingers skating over warm skin, and he clasps it gently. The set of his expression is quietly resolute. ]
I don't know. [ It's the honest answer. ] We've done everything we can. We armed ourselves and our friends with information... we learned everything we could. We weren't making anymore progress... the best we can do now is be there for each other. [ The shape of his eyes softens into something wounded and worried, though his expression is otherwise unchanged. ] Dipper and Hiro will need our support.
no subject
I agree. We'll need to stay strong not just for them but also for all our other friends...let's do our best, Yu-san.
no subject
They might not have much hope, but they have each other. Yu’s always found that’s really what counted.
He gives a hum of assent, standing a little straighter. The shape of his eyes is different now, soft still, but warmed by his smile. Affection touches their corners, making them crinkle just so. ]
Yeah. We will.
[ The way his heart beats in his chest tells him he should take a chance. He never did get to do this on their date, after all.
He’s still got one hand free, and that he lifts, fearless, unhesitating. He hooks his fingers under Minato’s jaw, and lets his thumb trace the faintly jutting line of his cheekbone back and forth, back and forth. It’s as if he’s trying to memorize that pale expanse with fingertip alone. ]
Minato-san, [ he murmurs.
And then he leans in, with no one to stop him this time, to press a kiss featherlight and soft to the corner of Minato’s mouth. There he lingers for only a moment before pulling away. ]
no subject
He's also not that surprised that it's a relatively tame one after the fiasco at the library and to his credit he doesn't do anything outlandish like backing off or running away, but Minato's unreadable expression as Yu pulls away is a pretty good indicator that he still doesn't know quite what to make of all of this.]
Yu-san... [What should he even say?]
no subject
But he isn't being pushed away. He does know his friend well enough to know that if this were something Minato didn't want, he would already have received a much firmer no somewhere along the line. He hasn't been pushed off... Minato hasn't left. Despite himself, despite all the uncertainty he continues to feel, he can't keep himself from continuing to hope.
Yu smiles, sweet. ]
It's alright, [ he murmurs, though not in the common tongue. Daijobu. ] ... mind staying for a little longer?
[ If it's awkward for his friend now, he wouldn't blame him. But he'd be happy to just spend a while here, quiet, leaning into him, remembering what peace feels like. ]
no subject
Someone who wasn't Ryoji or Aigis, that is. This was a little...different to say the least, and Minato had actually been alive then to make matters a little less complicated than they could have been.]
I don't mind. [Then he hesitates, something which might only be apparent to Yu if he notices that the hand he's holding has moved a little.] It's been stressful lately, and I'd like to spend some time with you too.