thehauntedfrequency

doggone

[In the time following his departure from Tabito and Manabu's company, the alias "Grey" has wound up sticking.

Not that everyone calls him that, he's used a few other aliases since then, but it's what he's wound up thinking of himself as. If Grey had taken the time to think about it a bit more he might have picked something with a little less connection to Rezo's name, but it's still leagues better than thinking of himself as "Rez- wait, no, just a copy." And maybe that's why he's felt significantly calmer since he left Sairaag.

By his own standards, Grey has been laudably well-behaved; sure, he's been mostly doing under-the-table psychic work, often on behalf of criminals, but! He's been trying to keep a low profile so it's usually things like clairvoyant spying rather than anything violent, and he's been making a point of not doing anything that directly impacts the galaxy railways.

It would be extremely awkward if Manabu Yuuki had to try and arrest him, after all.

He's found himself frequently thinking about Manabu, much to his annoyance. He has no serious expectations of ever seeing Manabu again, so it's simply a waste of mental bandwidth to find himself wondering what Manabu is doing right now or where he is, or to reminisince over their incredibly brief acquaintanceship. Grey can only suppose that because Manabu was the first reasonably normal person he got to know after leaving Sairaag that Manabu is going to stick out in his mind for a while.

And it's probably because of the real estate that Manabu is hogging in Grey's mind that he's been very aware of every mention of the SDF that crosses his path. He hasn't exactly been tracking the SDF's activities deliberately, but he does pay attention to the news and the SDF frequently winds up in there, even if Manabu's name in particular isn't normally dropped.

Until the day it does.

SDF Officer Taken Hostage By Pirates]

* * *

[It's taken several weeks of investigating, but Grey has been able to track down The Huntress's client, a Dr. Parish and associates. It must be a small galaxy, because Dr. Parish is someone Grey knows. Sort of.

Rather, Dr. Parish was a colleague of Rezo's who collaborated with the man on chimera research (and other unsavory things) in the past. Not only that, the man was an ardent admirer of Rezo's superior psychic prowess, and desperate to improve his own meager abilities.

He'd had quite a shock when Grey approached him in town, but after the initial surprise it had been sickeningly easy to convince Dr. Parish that he was the real Rezo. Grey can only surmise that the man wants to believe too badly to let himself be properly suspicious. It had only taken a day for Grey to be invited to tour Parish's laboratory.

The lab's located on the grounds of a former Marquess's estate, a ways out of town and secluded by trees, a high wall, and a long drive. Grey's done a little recon before, but actually being here is different, especially since he has to navigate by cane at the moment. Grey is doing his best to politely nod and smile as Parish guides him from room to room, explaining their work and occasionally handing him things to examine himself.

But evidently Parish realizes that "Rezo" isn't entirely interested, because he stops partway through an explanation of some stem cell experiments he and a few others have been working on to say "Of course, the really interesting specimens are kept in the basement floor."

Grey already knows this. He hopes his expression seems the right sort of eager.]

Interesting?

["Something along the lines of what we did in the past. Would you like to see them?"]

Nothing would please me more.

[Grey can practically hear Parish's delighted grin. To soothe the surge of irritation, Grey reminds himself that he's going to kill this man before the end of the day and allows Parish to guide him out into the hall and to the basement entrance at the back of the building.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[silently compliant and more sharply focused by the second his hand touches that hard flesh, Manabu curls his fingers around him, heart rate rising as Grey chases his high. he’s already spent, but he still feels that urge in him second-hand; his hair stands on end as he hears and feels Grey come.

with hot breath on his shoulder, Manabu shivers a little, still tingling from the experience; it’s somehow surreal despite being so tactile.

eventually, his hand withdraws, resting on Grey’s hip.]

…You okay?

[Grey makes an acknowledging sound. Manabu is being partly crushed beneath Grey, who's still addled by pleasure and trembling a little as he lays there. He's always vaguely thought that he knows about sex, about what it's like, but the knowledge he inherited from Rezo's memories and from the books he's read turned out to be a pale shadow of the actual experience of Manabu's hands on him.

It slowly dawns on him that Manabu's asked a question, and that he's also lying on top of Manabu, and that he should probably do something about both of those. Grey braces himself, lifting himself off of Manabu, and attempts to formulate an answer.]

That was...

[Despite the unfortunate phrasing, Grey does not proceed to tear into what a horrible mistake that all was. His thoughts are more genial than that, albeit not very coherent, and after panting a bit he slumps and manages to mumble a brief review into Manabu's neck.]

Oh my God.

[We really did all that... Manabu really...]

Y-yeah…

[admittedly, the weight of Grey on top of him feels good, bracing - keeps him in the present as opposed to floating away and assuming all of this is fake.

it’s not fake, though.

the both of us…

we really…]

I guess… We needed that…

[the hand at rest on Grey’s hip lifts and moves to lay the palm on his back, feeling the rhythm of his heart and rise and fall of his breath. real. present.]

[Grey will eventually shift so not as much of his weight is on top of Manabu, although he still has Manabu's shoulder and arm pinned beneath him and is lying as close as he possibly can while still allowing Manabu to breathe. His own breath is still heavy, although it's gradually slowing down under Manabu's hand, as is his heartbeat.

Grey ruefully reflects that Manabu's correct; the longer they'd gone on, the harder it would have been for Grey to not explode. He could try and say that he's had a hell of a time keeping his hands off of Manabu, but that statement would ring hollow considering how much he's been touching Manabu... And not all of it can be explained by necessity.]

Self-restraint doesn't suit me.

[And considering Manabu's personality...]

Nor you, perhaps.

[his hand is sticky. his body feels…heavier by the second. but there’s a relief and contentment he can’t fully grasp filling him, and he doesn’t have the disposition to doubt it, despite the circumstances he’s been through.

Grey still feels warm. smells nice. his voice still tickles his ears, even though he has the wrong ears to tickle.

Manabu closes his eyes. restraint?] Don’t know what…restraint would be good for. You were already in my head.

[Hand, pelvis, and the rest of him... Grey is in need of a shower but he's too comfortable where he is to care. And honestly, quite overwhelmed by everything he's feeling. Idle concerns about clean up and where his relationship with Manabu goes from here are firmly filed away as an issue for Tomorrow Grey.

Right now, he just wants to exult in the afterglow, and Manabu's sweet admissions.

Doing his best to keep his voice casual:]

For how long?

[Y'know. While we're here, why don't you just recite a dissertation of when, how, and why exactly you become attracted to him.]

Um. A, a while… [wow, he can be both mellow AND bashful.

he clears his throat.]

That…that week…

Oh.

[Manabu doesn't have to specify what he means by "that week" as Grey remembers it very well himself. It's more than a little odd to think that technically, they've only spent less than a month regularly interacting with one another- it feels like Manabu's been part of his life for much longer.

Grey's fingers curl a little against the sheets. While he hadn't really admitted his own attraction to himself until relatively recently, in retrospect he's been attracted to Manabu since the very beginning.]

...We could have done this much earlier.

I don’t know…

[he turns his head just slightly in Grey’s direction, eyes still closed.]

Something like this… I don’t know if I’d have let myself before. Not then. [not when he had the job. normalcy. things to keep him busy and keep Grey as just some figment of dreaming.] I would’ve messed so much up…

But…so much is already messed up now… [so by comparison…]

...

[Grey can't be properly offended by Manabu's words, because he's had similar thoughts himself. But the reminder still leaves him cold.

Manabu's in no position to be Grey's... whatever this is, and under normal circumstances this could never have happened. It's a good chunk of why Grey was so resistant to their mutual attraction, and their circumstances haven't really changed any. Manabu's still Manabu, and Grey's still... nobody.

It's just that by happenstance, Grey wound up being the one with the information and the means to find Manabu, and then watch over him while he's still in a vulnerable state. With the mixture of mutual attraction and temporary dependence and isolation, this was inevitable, but impermanent.]

So that's how it is.

[He'll deliver Manabu to Destiny, Manabu will bring the results of their investigation to the authorities, hire a tailor, and go back to his job. Probably eventually marry some Tabito miner's kid, one who likes dogs.]

You'll get your life back eventually, Manabu. And until then...

[Grey shifts, raising himself slightly above Manabu, and presses a kiss against his temple.

Until then, you're mine.]

I think you should try to sleep.

[the thing Grey doesn’t get, though, is that he’s already a fixture in Manabu’s life - that, if he can help it, he wouldn’t be letting him go by choice. making such an emotional connection, just to let it go…?

that only makes sense if one of them were already a ghost.

getting his life back already has a piece carved out for Grey, even if Manabu can’t see how or where it can be carved; he’s already decided.

Manabu’s skin tickles where it’s kissed; his tail gently thumps.]

Mn…don’t go anywhere, okay…?

[Grey's heart squeezes a little at those words as he settles back against the mattress.]

Of course not.

[He carefully arranges himself around Manabu until they're both hopefully in a comfortable position, and closes his eyes. He briefly reflects that, thankfully, he longer needs to worry about his body somehow betraying his attraction when they lie close- Manabu's already well informed on that matter!

The exhaustion from the day wars for a while with Grey's own intense emotions in the wake of their intimacy, but the former eventually wins out. Grey curls up against Manabu and sleeps.]

[Manabu wakes up to a kinder echo of their first forming, spooned against Grey like he meant to fit there all along. he blinks slowly, blearily taking in his view of the apartment as memory sinks in.

he and i…

his stomach flutters and his face warms up to remember it. he can feel Grey breathing behind him, further informing that reality; Manabu stays still for a while just to listen and be certain.

eventually he dares to move, to carefully start to turn himself around and see him there. he still sleeping…?]

[Grey is awake, though not entirely willingly. He's not sure how long he's been lying there by the time Manabu starts moving, or which one of them woke first, but he spent some time after waking just quietly holding Manabu and absorbing the moment.

He'd held Manabu like this before, hadn't he? At the hotel on Destiny. He hadn't known what to make of it at the time, and had been quick to let go. It's strange how much has changed.

Grey loosens his grip once Manabu begins to stir and turn around, but stays close. As Manabu's face comes into view Grey smiles, taking in the sight of him. The messy hair and big dark eyes that he's come to know so well.

But affection is mixed with wariness, leaving him tongue-tied. How will the events of last night stand up in the scrutiny of the daylight?]

Uoh-[he’s awake! aforementioned eyes blink and widen a bit more, his face growing red. was it weird to be caught looking at his sleepy face?

sheepishly:] Uh, hey. Hi. Morning. You okay?

...Good morning. I'm doing quite well.

[Is that a weird thing to say, after last night? Although surely it would be better than claiming to be doing horribly??? Which he isn't, he's in a better mood than usual- minus some nerves about how Manabu potentially feels about last night.

So Grey shifts and leans over to press a soft kiss against Manabu's forehead.

Y'know, just testing the waters a little. With the equivalent of a cannonball dive.]

Re-really? [the tail wagging starts on contact - kiss-activated, apparently.] I’m glad…

[that…was permission to kiss him, right? he went first, so!

so, yeah! Manabu goes for it, though his aim isn’t very finessed while laying on his side.]

[Grey lets out a little laugh of startled delight. Oddly, he wasn't expecting to get a kiss in return, but he certainly isn't complaining. The last of his nerves retreat, leaving Grey grinning like a besotted buffoon.]

You seem to be in high spirits yourself.

[He can hear that tail thumping.]

That’s not weird, is it? [maybe it is, but he can’t un-feel a feeling just felt.

but the light of day telegraphs his nervous uncertainty even better than the clues in the dark.]

I don't know what's normal, and frankly I don't care. If you're happy about it then that's good enough for me.

[Sure, he could commit valuable brain energy to trying to figure out what is the Normal, Socially Acceptable Response to a morning after, but that would be a waste of time that he is instead going to spend giving Manabu a second kiss.]

[any half-thought response is silenced by a kiss, and Manabu’s brain spins once more. he could leave it at that, start the day…

…but instead follows the impulse to kiss back again, scooting in to impose himself that much more for the inch given.]

[As far as starts to the day go, this is an excellent one. Lying in bed, exchanging lazy kisses with Manabu, feeling his skin buzzing with pleasure...

After a bit of brainless kissing Grey raises his hand with intent to touch Manabu in some way, and then abruptly remembers that he's. Kind of gross still, after last night. So reluctantly he scooches back and begins to sit up. As he does, he tosses a faux-casual question Manabu's way.]

Shall we share the shower this morning?

[Not mentioned, but hoped for: "And make out more while we're there."]

Eh?? [he needs a second to get out of the little stupor that kissing puts him in.

shower? sure.

wait—-] Same time? Isn’t it small…? [isn't that a safety hazard?]

I will admit it, it may be cramped. But it will be more efficient, no?

[One of them is likely to wind up banging their hip against the sink or something similar- either Grey by virtue of being the larger guy, or Manabu by virtue of his Klutzy Shonen Protagonist energy- but it's one of those open showers so at least they won't have a curtain or door to contend with?]

Besides, we've already gotten very close.

That…that’s true… [one of his floppy ears twitches.

he sits up, rubbing the back of his neck.] Mn—-okay. I,
I can wash your back…?

[that would be justification enough for being a little handsy?]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject