All you've gotta do is smile that smile [CLOSED]

[koukai_kirai]

Who: Toshizou Hijikata and Souji Okita
What: Domestic fluff and slow emotional torture?
When: June 19th, before this post
Where: The Far Shore, Hachiman's shrine
Warnings: Just Kiss Already, Hijikata flaunting his manly physique all over the place, ???


It's been about three months now.

Three months, and they haven't exactly been easy ones. There's trouble in Heaven, as sure as there was on earth, threats known and unknown to contend with, and no end of work for them to do. Hijikata works himself hard every day and goes to bed tired every night, just like he did when he was alive.

But it's different, somehow. It's a good tired, most nights. Working to protect humans from dangerous ayakashi, to ensure the well-being of the shinki he knows, to guide the gods who came from softer worlds... It's a lot to do, but he feels good about it, most days.

The evenings are long now, and that means more time for Hijikata to train before it gets dark, out in his dojo with the shoji open to let a breeze come through. It's humid, though, and it's his own damn temple, so he ends up dispensing with his gi top fairly immediately. He trains until he can feel his muscles protesting before he finally relents and heads back towards the main residential building.

So as purposeful as he can be about teasing Souji, now and then, it at least starts as an accident this time. He really just happens to be shirtless, breathless, lightly disheveled, and covered in cooling sweat when he happens across Souji in the gardens.

"Enjoying the view out here?"

Of the garden, of course. Nice evening, fireflies out by the pond and all that.

Comments

[spes_phthisica]

Yes, the view is indeed very lovely. Happy multicolored ducks, rich greenery and fireflies and all. Some of the sprightlier ducks seem to be trying to catch the glowing bugs, but are being horribly clumsy about it, making Souji giggle quietly as he watches them. He's about to say something to that effect when he turns his head, and suddenly words are no longer likely to happen any time soon.

It's not fair. It just isn't. How is it even possible to look like that? Souji feels himself swallow involuntarily, and still his mouth suddenly seems far too dry, as his gaze follows the path of a bead of sweat sliding slowly right down the middle of Hijikata's chest.

"I, uh- Very... pretty?" No, wait, with the way he's staring, that definitely needs some elaboration. "The view." Nailed it.

[koukai_kirai]

Well, Hijikata would have to be pretty damn oblivious to miss that. He's got a good 20 years of practice at noticing people noticing him, after all.

The merciful thing to do would probably be to go and retrieve his top from the dojo, but there's not really a smooth way to excuse himself to do that so soon after saying hello.

And besides... It's sort of fun to tease Souji a little. He'll give as good as he gets sooner or later anyway, so why rob himself of a little amusement here and there?

Hijikata rolls his shoulders, stretching out his tired muscles, and does a good job of looking perfectly casual about it. Again, he's had practice. "That's good. It would be a waste not to appreciate it." After a long beat, just as casual, he adds, "The garden's beautiful this time of year."

[spes_phthisica]

He's doing that on purpose, right? Well, maybe not looking like that, and Souji knows he's been practicing so it's not strange that he's shirtless and sweaty and far too beautiful. But the stretching? And that remark? That's completely on purpose, right?

Souji honestly isn't sure if he hopes it is or not. If it is, it certainly has its desired effect as Souji goes a delicate pink and tries - unsuccessfully - to tear his gaze away.

"Your temple is wonderful in a lot of ways." Wait, help, did that sound like he meant...? "It's difficult not to enjoy it." Yes, he sure is making things better right now, isn't he?

[koukai_kirai]

Yes, he's definitely still got it.

Hijikata runs a hand through his hair. It's a bit of a mess, honestly, even slightly beyond his usual preference for looking just ruffled enough to be casual -- it's probably been about four or five months since the last time he cut it, and even considering that he's trimmed it to keep it tidy, it's at something of an awkward length now. Long enough to be troublesome, too short to tie out of the way very effectively. He'll be happy when it gets just a couple of inches longer, but at least he knows he can carry it off, for the time being.

"I'm glad to hear that," he murmurs, catching Souji's eyes with his own gaze for just a calculated, fleeting moment. "I'd hate to think there was anything you were lacking here."

[spes_phthisica]

It's endearing, really, the way Hijikata's hair keeps falling in his eyes right now, and the way he keeps brushing it away irritably when it ends up tickling his cheek. It makes his own hands itch to brush it away, smooth it down a bit, try to tie it a bit better despite not being quite long enough for that yet. It's a thought that brings a smile to his lips, and the only problem is that thinking about touching Hijikata's hair leads to thoughts of his hands slipping from his hair onto his shoulders, following the contours of his spine down to-

While the smile stays, the blush also deepens noticeably, and Souji's eyes once more skitter away momentarily as he tries to remember how to breathe like a normal person. "I'd be pretty silly if I did." He swings his legs, the familiar childish gesture made slightly jittery with tension. "I can't imagine how I could be any happier." And he does really mean that, even if he has to forcibly banish more thoughts of fingers over sweat-slick skin from his mind once again.