consumingly | open post

Does he know you're bringing someone home?

[How awkward a situation is he being brought into? Is this like when a couple on the verge of divorce adopts a dog to try to solve relationship issues?]

[Accelerator draws in another deep breath, gradually feeling his mood even out. It's good, no unnecessary destruction of hospital property, no confusing feelings. Hell, even his coffee tastes a little better. He has no problem giving a small eyeroll at the light teasing.]

I didn't have to think that hard. [At the very least, he absolutely refuses to admit that he gave the phone more than the bare minimum of thought. If he did, chances are he'd circle back around to being embarrassed, and he'd like to avoid that happening again.] You seem like the kind of person who'd care about the aesthetics of it, and I can afford the best one, so....

[He trails off, shrugging. So it apparently wasn't difficult for him to drop ¥250,000 on a new phone for a near-total stranger. The only thing about it that might be considered underwhelming is the colour, since Accelerator picked out one in plain black. There was no way he was going to go with something flashy when black is a colour just about everyone would be fine with. Besides, his own preferences lean heavily towards the monochromatic. Black is understated and cool, in his opinion.

Glancing over, he notes that Endo is having to open the box with one hand. Not the hardest thing in the world to do, but he gets what a pain in the ass it is only having the use of one hand. It's why he reluctantly adds:]

... I can put the SIM card from your old phone in for you.

[Opening a box is one thing, annoying but manageable. Opening the tiny SIM tray with one hand, meanwhile, seems like it would be frustrating beyond belief.]

Nah.

[ This was an impulse buy. Takiishi has no idea.

But: ]

He won't care.

I...see.

[He doesn't understand a damned thing. But he'll learn quick!]

Any other rules or things I should know?

That covers everything.

[ He'll probably run into plenty of rules that Endo doesn't personally view as such along the way. That's the kind of thing that happens when you have a whole system dedicated to living with one person, and then you drag someone else into it.

But! That's a later problem. ]

Just relax. You got it easy with me.

[ Debatable. ]

[As if relaxing is going to be an option under the current circumstances.]

And...what should I call you?

[ Distracted by the box and a little tired after all that laughing, Endo doesn't fully process what Accelerator says — at first. He gets the gist, and it makes sense. Endo does come across as a guy with a taste for luxury, even when he's dressed down and hanging out with his gang. His street clothes may be simple but they're brand name, just like almost everything else he owns. Though Endo'll give him credit — it's surprising he managed to pick up on that with everything that's gone on today.

Once again, it proves Accelerator's been mulling Endo over in his head.

Instead of acknowledging that though, he pulls the phone of out the box. Black may be the safe choice, but it suits him just fine. He approves, and he also accepts the help, moving to hand over the phone when —

His brain, still not as sharp as it needs to be, finally catches up with the rest of what Accelerator said. ]

Wait a second.

[ He pulls the phone back before Accelerator can grab it, then makes a point of looking at him with wide eyes. ]

Did you just say you could afford it? Meaning, you bought it, even though I gave you my wallet?

[ This is a trap, and if Endo weren't on pain medication, he would let Accelerator walk right into it before the grand reveal, because that's how he normally rolls. But that edge of his? Still gone. His remaining impulse control? Probably laughed out of him. His mind? Too tired. He's off enough that he doesn't even allow all that much of a pause, his timing thrown completely out the window.

To make matters worse, he prefaces it with a serious: ]

Accelerator.

[ Then: ]

You wasted your money on me.

[ What was all that about Endo being a waste of money? All that stuff about how he definitely isn't jealous of Endo's women for keeping his attention and filling his pockets?

With a purchase like that, he might as well have handed over a credit card himself!

Endo may not survive another laughing session, but that won't stop him from beaming at Accelerator as though he's made his whole week. ]

Edited 2025-08-26 08:37 (UTC)

Endo.

[ That's it! No frills, nothing indulgent, not even a title. Just a name! But that's because all of this is eventually supposed to feel as real as possible. How could he believe it, if all he's hearing is master or sir or whatever else people have their slaves call them?

With that, Endo lets go of his hand. No use overdoing it before they even get home. Instead, he stretches out, just shy of entering Yukimiya's space, and says: ]

I'm gonna take a nap. We're a ways out.

[ Question time is officially over. ]

You better take one too.

[ Not an order. Just a friendly warning. ]

[It's a skill most soccer players cultivate, sleeping in a moving vehicle. Yukimiya takes off his glasses, clips them to the front of his shirt, crosses his arms and tucks his head. And yes, drifts off to sleep.]

[Finishing off his coffee, Accelerator holds his hand out for the phone expectantly, brows furrowing when Endo suddenly pulls it back. He doesn't see what the problem is when all he's going to do is stick the SIM card in (assuming it wasn't crushed along with the rest of the older phone). Stick the dumb thing in and hand it back over, that's it. Simple. Why the shock over something so basic?

Unfortunately for him, Endo puts it all together, and all Accelerator can do for a second or two is stare.

Oh. Goddamnit.

This reaction is even worse than before. He's snapping before he can stop himself, slamming his empty can of coffee on the little table next to the water jug. Endo doesn't need to be explicit about the comparison he is making, that he's the same as the women he fools around with. That is clear as day and it makes Accelerator want to crawl into a hole.]

I wasn't going to get hassled by some shitty cops for using a credit card that obviously doesn't belong to me, that's all! [He was just being practical, okay??] If you think there was some deeper meaning to it then you're fucked in the head!

[Of course, given how this entire conversation is gone this feels like an entirely new level of embarrassment his entire face is now heating up, so that's just great.]

[ By this point, Accelerator probably won't be surprised by the fact that Endo does not so much as flinch as he begins to throw a fit.

While Accelerator is slamming the can on the table and calling out his sanity, Endo is watching him with a grin on his face. Except, rather than it looking as wild or excited as many of his expressions have been before, this time it turns subdued, quieter than anything else he has put on display so far. Whether that's due to the pain medication or the fact that Accelerator behaving like a little (weak) force of nature without flipping the switch on his collar, not even Endo would be able to say. ]

What's with all the drama?

[ Oh, he knows. He's also very much enjoying that Accelerator is blushing all over again — somehow, it's even more charming when it accompanies the near-destruction of property.

Drawing out the word: ]

Relax.

[ And then: ]

I'm not overthinkin' it.

[ Just having a little fun at his expensive at all! ]

And I wouldn't've put out anyway. [ He gestures to his arm. ] Too injured.

[ And also, he's too enamored with his godlike form. If Accelerator let that side of himself come out again, that'd be a different story. Even if Endo would probably end up in even worse shape after everything was said and done. ]

Edited 2025-08-27 02:03 (UTC)

[Endo being so calm and relaxed is almost as bad as being teased even more than he already is. Not that that has stopped, since that last remark certainly sounds like more teasing. Accelerator doesn't really want to sit and think about how serious he's being, this is already too much for him to handle.

Grabbing his crutch, he hauls himself to his feet. With no coffee to help stabilize him he isn't sure he can take any more ribbing or discussions of relationships without losing control and breaking something, so retreating seems like a reasonable option. It isn't cowardly if it's in service of protecting other people, right? Especially a hospital full of sick and injured people.]

You can figure the damn SIM card out on your own. I've got shit to do.

[He growls that out, snatching up his empty can of coffee to toss it into the trash on his way out of the room.]

[ When they arrive, Endo pokes him awake — literally. He steps out of the car with a yawn, stretching his arms and then folding his hands behind his head. ]

Bring your leash.

[ He isn't going to lead him in with it — for now. Just in case Takiishi's home. He may not care about what Endo does or doesn't do, but it'd still be weird to just waltz in there with a guy in the position of a dog. It'd be better for him to explain it first.

He waves Yukimiya in front of him so that he enters first, just in case he gets a surge of courage now that they're in society again. ]

Door's unlocked.

[Once inside, Yukimiya takes his shoes off on autopilot, as if he could pretend for a moment he's just over at a friend's house, instead of wearing a collar and holding a leash as a pet bought by some psycho.]

Nice place.

[ Another night without Takiishi.

Takiishi doesn't leave often, but on the nights that he does, Endo finds himself restless. He wasn't like this before — if Takiishi disappeared for a while, Endo would simply carry on as normal until he came home — but ever since that night on the roof, it's been different. Takiishi is expanding his world, meeting new people, and spending entire nights with new "friends," while Endo feels stuck in place, languishing without his purpose, pining for Takiishi's return.

Nowadays, Endo spends these nights pestering someone into giving him attention. He usually picks Sakura, though sometimes he'll head out somewhere by himself, looking for a different form of company. Anything to distract himself — and force someone to look at him for a time.

Tonight, as he goes through his recent messages, he pauses at Umemiya's last check-in, which he left on read. Umemiya's another complication in everything that's been going on lately, and though Endo's gotten a little better about it, he still vacillates between wanting their arrangement and pushing it away. It's difficult for him to find a middle ground — and it's difficult to accept his needs — when Umemiya is giving him everything that Takiishi won't.

A significant part of him still deeply yearns for it to come from Takiishi.

But the part that wants it from Umemiya isn't small, either.

Endo lies on his couch and stares at the ceiling. They're overdue for another session, but he's been dragging on the wait, trying to be there for someone he isn't sure wants him anymore.

Without fanfare or preamble, with no hello or sorry I didn't get back to you, Endo texts: ]

wanna come over

[Those words feel dangerous.

He can't quite articulate why him going to Endo and Takiishi's home (he's certain they live together, despite never having asked explicitly) feels so much more dangerous than having Endo in his home. Both are expressions of vulnerability, of opening oneself up. But this makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up.]

You sure?

[ There are a few things that suck about having a broken arm. Not being able to punch is one of them, but it's at the bottom of the list. Endo doesn't take most fights all that seriously, so the impact isn't as significant as it could be. He'd rather dodge around and play with an opponent than get all worked up for someone weak and unimportant, anyway. But there are other complications, the most annoying of which is how uncomfortable it is to fold his hands behind his head so he can walk around like he prefers. He still does it, but the effect isn't nearly as satisfying.

That's why receiving the news that his cast isn't getting removed any time soon nearly puts him in a rare bad mood.

Only nearly, however, because he finally has Accelerator in his presence again. Granted, it hasn't been too long — and Endo has been bothering him over text plenty — but nothing beats needling him in person and slowly building to his goal. He's tired of making his plans take a back seat, thanks to broken bones and pain medication. Those wings are on his mind a lot — and therefore so is his future with Accelerator.

Besides, Noroshi is already working on obtaining a way to fix his situation. It's easy to stave off annoyances when there's an (illegal) answer to this setback.

So! Endo stops thinking about that — and refrains from folding his hands behind his head — while he and Accelerator make their way to a small restaurant. Before Endo had an idea of Accelerator's deep pockets, he would've been prepared to spend a pretty penny on wining and dining him for the sake of the future. Now he's angling for Accelerator to pay instead. It hits different when the guy who said Endo (and his bedroom exploits) were a waste of money ends up being the one who funds him after all.

The walk itself has been a little quiet, between Accelerator's normal deep thinking sessions and Endo being a little distracted by the news he received at his appointment, but when they get to the small, chic, and very high-end restaurant, Endo announces: ]

This is it!

[ He holds the door open for him because he's such a gentleman. ]

I figured you'd prefer something nice and quiet.

[ It is quiet inside. But that's because it's also very intimate. All the booths are private. The atmosphere is more romantic than it is two frenemies eating lunch because one of them supposedly needs cheering up. ]

that's a stupid question

[ It isn't, though, because the answer is no, he isn't sure.

It's a bad idea. Takiishi could return earlier than planned and walk in on them. Yeah, he probably wouldn't care, but Endo's never brought anyone into their space before. It feels like the violation of an unspoken rule, and he doesn't want to insert more distance in their relationship. But he can't leave — not if he wants to be here in case Takiishi needs something. So his options are being alone and this.

And right now, Endo doesn't want to be alone. ]

Text me the address. Anything special I should bring?

[Seems like they're doing this, risky though it might be.]

[ Endo starts by sending him the address to their house.

The question is a little tricky, though, depending on how he looks at it. On the one hand, he has pretty much everything they could need when it comes to food and entertainment. On the other, he has absolutely nothing for more involved sessions — no toys, no restraint. Endo's subsisted on Takiishi alone all this time. ]

bring whatever you want

[ He almost types more — a less kind continuation about how it's his job at the Dominant to figure out what's needed or not, but holds back. It may not always seem like it, but Endo is trying more lately. He just doesn't always do well at it. For better or for worse, Umemiya's really the only one he's ever been freely angry, irritated, and bitter toward. It's easy to fall back on that as a weird kind of comfort. ]

[ What a good pet. Endo removes his shoes, too, and heads deeper into the house. ]

I'll give you a tour so you know what's off limits.

[ It's simple enough: living room, kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms. But before he takes Yukimiya to the room that will be his for the foreseeable future, he pauses before Takiishi's. ]

Whatever you do, don't go in here. Even if the door is open.

[ Lest Takiishi get upset to find something out of place. He wouldn't want anyone in his space.

Endo doesn't care about that kind of thing. His room is relatively plain, all things considered. And if Yukimiya is going to serve him, he'll be in and out of there, anyway. ]

Your roommate's room? Sure, I'll stay out.

[He is wondering what the mysterious other party here is going to think about him being here. Maybe...maybe he'll be sympathetic? Help Yukimiya escape? But he isn't going to try anything stupid without meeting the guy.]

See you in half an hour, then.

[He packs a duffel bag, and turns up on Endo's doorstep right on time.]

[Accelerator has been busy since he stormed out of the hospital. Thankfully, being in town on business (or rather, "business") is a great excuse to compartmentalize extremely messy feelings about everything surrounding one Endo Yamato. It gives him something else to focus on, something important.

At least, it does when he isn't getting texts from Endo. This, this is why you never lend your phone out to other people. They acquire your number and then start socializing with you relentlessly. And Accelerator, against his better judgment, responds to at least half of those texts. One part of him is convinced it's a terrible idea, another part figures it can't hurt (they had, after all, sort of gotten along in the hospital, however briefly), and a third part is just bewildered by the fact that he's doing something as normal as texting someone who isn't Last Order back for reasons that don't include world-ending catastrophes.

Look, he has a couple of names in his Contacts List, but he does not consider any of those people friends. Not even that Level 0. So this is new and strange behaviour for him. He's glad Last Order is back home, because if she stole his phone for the umpteenth time to take photos he'd never hear the end of it.

He'd definitely never hear the end of it if she knew he was going for lunch with Endo, too. But... it's fine, he's hungry, and he doesn't mind the company. Of course, he's expecting somewhere fast and casual, so when they finally stop at the restaurant Accelerator can only stare.]

..... I would've preferred fast food.

[Or a shitty chain restaurant, or even a convenience store. The idea of somewhere quiet is nice, yes, but he's never been a fan of high-end cuisine. When you grow up in a research facility you don't exactly develop high-end tastes, and he's vaguely uncomfortable as he steps inside, looking around.]

Is this the kind of place you normally eat at?

[He feels sorely underdressed for a place like this, having shown up in a long-sleeved shirt with a monochromatic geometric design on it and dark jeans. Oh well, too late to go change.]

[ Endo then leads him to the final room: a small guest room. It's plain and pretty boring, especially compared to the rest of the house. ]

This'll be yours. If you wanna decorate it or get some stuff of your own, you'll have to earn it.

[ By doing the one thing he was hired to do, of course. ]

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