me???? tired???? sleepy??? yes constantly

[thesettingsun]

it's a howard/shuji psl post

Comments

dating, the very idea

[thesettingsun]

[So, the thing with the essay help and the relaxing and the tentacles had happened. And they'd both confirmed that they would like to do more of that kind of thing in the future, probably somewhere a little less scandalous.

That means Shuji shouldn't be nearly as nervous as he is about sending Howard this text a week later.]

Are you busy this weekend?

[ohrlyeh]

[That...had happened. It's made Howard a little antsy - what if Shuji decided he didn't want anything to do with him anymore? That could be a possibility. He's just a weirdo, with this weird new ability, and now Shuji could suddenly find it within himself to be disgusted, and-]

[Oh, that's the sound of his phone.]

oh no i'm free. completely. absolutely free

[thesettingsun]

[That's a positive response. Shuji couldn't hope for anything better.]

Then, do you want to get dinner together?

[ohrlyeh]

[Dinner? What, like a....a...]

[A date...?]

sure. i would be happy to

[Oh my god. Is he going on a date????]

[thesettingsun]

[It's a date, and this is why Shuji's heart is thumping so loudly that it makes it hard to catch the buzz of his phone every time Howard texts him back.]

Olive Garden at 6 on Saturday okay?

I'm looking forward to seeing you.

[ohrlyeh]

[HoooOOOOOO okay. He needs to calm down. It's a date. That's fine. He hasn't gone on a date in ages, but that's okay.]

absolutely fine. can't wait to see you then

[Now to have anxiety over what to wear to said date for the next two hours. FUN.]

[thesettingsun]

[The clothes are the easiest part of this for Shuji. He's put enough thought into his outfits to know what's worth wearing to a date.

The most difficult part: basically everything else, starting with his arrival. How early should he show up? He can't be late and make Howard wait, that's just unacceptable. But if he shows up too early Howard will feel awkward about making him wait, and he doesn't want that-

Uuuuugh.

He makes reservations, because nobody wants to have a fifteen minute wait for their table on date night. On Saturday evening, he shows up ten minutes early, dressed to the nines and vibrating with nervousness.]

[ohrlyeh]

[They've literally had sex in a classroom, tentacles and all, and yet this is what Howard is most nervous about.]

[Eventually he finally finds an outfit he likes and arrives nervously, right on time. Shuji is already there, of course - his eyes widen when he sees him (wow, what an outfit) before he comes over to him.]

I-I'm sorry I...kept you waiting. [He says, voice low.] You...you look good.

[thesettingsun]

You're really handsome.

[Not that he isn't the rest of the time, but especially now, all dressed up like that, Shuji feels his heart skip a beat.]

You don't need to apologize, I just didn't want to make you wait.

we need to go xeno-er

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji had gotten a very, very distressed text from Howard, and had hurried to his side to provide hugs. At the time he'd gotten to Howard's home, Howard had looked more or less normal, but he'd said there was some other body change he'd gotten, temporary like the tentacles. Something worse. A lot worse.

While stroking Howard's hair in an attempt to be soothing, Shuji had said that no matter what it was, he would still kiss Howard when he was like that. Howard had said no, Shuji had insisted that nothing Retrospec coul do would make him not want to be affectionate towards his boyfriend-

-and that had led them there. In the middle of the park in the dead of night, so no one else could possibly see.]

Is this okay?

[They're surrounded by trees. No one else will be out in the park at this hour anyway, but Shuji wants Howard to be comfortable. Or as comfortable as he can be, considering the circumstances.]

[ohrlyeh]

Y-yes. I suppose.

[Shuji is ging to hate him. Shuji is going to run away. Shuji is going to regret this relationship, because Shuji will look at him and be terrified of him. He can't stop thinking of all the possible ways this could go wrong, and he stands there in the middle of the clearing, shivering. It isn't even cold outside - he's just scared.]

We don't need to...do this. I mean, maybe it's better off that you shouldn't know... [He sighs.] I-I just don't want to ruin everything...

[thesettingsun]

You aren't going to ruin everything.

[Shuji reaches to take Howard's hands in his and gently squeeze them.]

I'm not going to force you to do this, but no matter what, I'm not going to be scared of you. Because you're my boyfriend. It'd be silly to be scared of my boyfriend.

[He couldn't fear Howard. As long as he knows it's still Howard, who once refused to get out of his chair for an hour because there was a cat sleeping on him, who Shuji's seen with whipped cream on his nose - it's just impossible.]

[ohrlyeh]

I-I guess.

[There's a sudden swell of emotion in his chest - Shuji loves him, despite everything. Maybe it'll be okay. Maybe this won't go over poorly.]

[But maybe it will, and he'll run and scream from you says a voice in the back of his head. No! No. Shuji wouldn't do that. Shuji, who looks at him like he's the brightest light in the universe, wouldn't run away. He shakes his head.]

Okay, okay, I'll show it to you. But you have to stand really far away, okay?

[He brings up one of Shuji's hands, kissing the back of it gently.]

I don't want to hurt you.

[thesettingsun]

[Howard is the brightest life in Shuji's universe. How else would he look at him?]

Okay. I won't get hurt.

[So Shuji backs away to about the edge of the clearing, to give Howard plenty of space to do his thing.]

[ohrlyeh]

[There he goes. Now it's all up to him. Funny, he had called Shuji over because he was terrified of what he found out about himself, but this almost feels a little like showing off.]

[He takes a deep breath. After making sure Shuji is far enough, he closes his eyes. It's like his tentacles. All he has to do is just relax, think of his body melting into the darkness, think of his body unwinding, unleashing what's really underneath...]

[The change is immediate. His form shines brightly with a blue, eerie light before it twists and expands unnaturally, swelling into the shape of something quite large. The sheer force of the transformation is enough to disturb the nearby trees before it finally settles, the glow disappearing to reveal...]

[Well, this.]

[The head of his new form tilts to the side, gazing down at Shuji with wide, empty holes.]

[thesettingsun]

[The change happens quickly, and Shuji can't help his eyes widening as he cranes his neck up, and up to take in all of Howard's new form.

Yeah, he understands why Howard was so panicked. And why he was afraid to show Shuji and worried that this would drive him away.

But-]

Still want to kiss you, but I don't think I can stretch that high, I'm sorry.

[bf tol]

[ohrlyeh]

Excuse me?

[His voice is deeper, more booming in sound, but it's still, unmistakably, Howard's voice. He tilts his head to the other side, eye holes widening - the fingers of his arms drum on his head as he tries to understand that, well, Shuji isn't...scared. He's not scared of him...?]

You...want to kiss me? But I'm ugly. I'm...

[His wings unfurl at his sides.]

I'm a monster.

boyfriend coat!!

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji has been known to stay the night at Howard's home, but not so often that he keeps a change of clothes there. Normally he just wears the clothes from the day before when he gets up in the morning.

This morning is different. Shuji's usually one to wake up before Howard, that's not the new part - what's new is that when the smell of breakfast being made is enough to rouse Howard from his slumber and get him to investigate, he'll find that Shuji is making pancakes in nothing but his underwear and one of Howard's coats.

Howard's a fair deal taller than Shuji, so a coat that's not too long on him hangs almost to the ground on Shuji. Not that Shuji minds at all - it's warm, and it feels like Howard, and that's more than enough.]

Good morning! Did you sleep well?

[ohrlyeh]

[The smell is certainly what gets him to investigate. He untangles himself from the splay of tentacles surrounding him, blearily pushing himself out of bed. He tends t let go during the night, in more ways than one, and Shuji doesn't mind sometimes being hugged close with his more monstrous appendages. The tendrils start to recede, forming into fingers that he carefully stretches as he walks into the kitchen, pulling on a shirt that was dropped carelessly on the floor.]

Shuji. Good...good morning. I slept pretty well... [He yawns, rubbing at his eyes as he wanders over, and...]

[That's...that's his coat.]

Oh.

[A pause. He blinks at the image before him, still unsure if he's dreaming.]

Wow. That's...far too big on you. [A beat.] You look good, though.

[thesettingsun]

I can't help it that you're so tall.

[Almost anyone would be swamped in Howard's coats. He did the best he could with what he was given, and he wasn't going to cook totally naked.]

I'm glad you like it. Maybe I should make breakfast for you like this more often?

[ohrlyeh]

I think you should.

[He walks up to the other, hands reaching to brush over Shuji's shoulders, sliding down his arms to cup over his waist.]

Somehow, you look more delicious than the food.

[thesettingsun]

How are you already this smooth this soon after waking up? Tell me your secrets.

[Despite that not-very-serious complaint, Shuji gladly leans into Howard's chest.]

[ohrlyeh]

Mmm. I think it's all because of you. Just seeing you makes me wake up better than usual...

[He raises a hand, threading his fingers gently through Shuji's hair. It's a bit messy, but he doesn't care. Just waking up like this, together? It's bliss. It's true, honest bliss.]

The pancakes are an added bonus.

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji loves having his hair played with, especially by his wonderful, adorable boyfriend.]

If you keep distracting me like this, I'm going to burn those pancakes, you know.

[A Tragedy.]

[ohrlyeh]

[He goes from Smooth to Concerned in the span of 0.1 seconds.]

Oh...oh, please don't. [A shake of his head.] It would smell so bad...