[ This conversation is the gift that keeps on giving. If Endo weren't on pain medication and already caught up in how this conversation has played out, this is the moment that would make him giddy — charmed by how he managed to draw forth such an honest display of color in Accelerator's cheeks. It isn't the reaction he expected, despite his overt attempt to fluster Accelerator further; it is, however, the reaction he would've wanted, if he were capable of deep forethought in this state.
Still, despite his joy, the medicine does manage to dampen him just enough that getting too excited almost seems exhausting. As he approaches that level, an undetermined point of no return, he naturally scales himself back, just enough. But no amount of painkillers can keep Endo from noticing — and then reacting — to the way that Accelerator looks at his hands.
His hands!
It's all over after that. While Accelerator is once again doing his deep thinking, Endo leans impossibly closer, looking more wild than any injured guy should. And he does the unthinkable: he considers touching him, a brief brush of fingers on whatever limb he manages to catch first. In normal situations, if Endo were wholly himself, he'd never do such a thing. His approach, whether to fighting or stuff like this, is to wait for the first move. That's just how he operates. But Endo is, for better or for worse, too drugged to think about that, and not as smart or as tactical as he should be, which means two things: he begins to move toward Accelerator — and he nearly falls off the bed.
That happens to coincide with Accelerator's comment, which surprises Endo so thoroughly that he glances up at him with wide eyes even as he is (very painfully, it turns out) jerking back from the edge. The surprise lasts as long as his near-fall, which is to say, not long at all, because once Endo is no longer in danger of toppling over, he laughs so hard, he's nearly in tears — both from the laughter itself and the pain from the jostling of his ribs.
He quickly puts a protective arm around his mid section, trying to steady his diaphragm, but doesn't stop laughing, not even as he punctuates the obnoxious sound with various pained noises: ]
Ow — shit. Fuck. Ah.
[ He tries to take a steadying breath, forcing out: ]
Man, you can't just tell a guy he isn't worth anything.
[ After which he curls a little in on himself, simultaneously hoping for more pain meds and never wanting to take them again. ]
[Endo trying to get up in his personal space is something Accelerator had clocked, but with everything else in his head causing a veritable tsunami of complicated thoughts of feelings it doesn't occur to him that he's leaning and leaning and about to fall out of the bed until it nearly happens. That sharp jerk freezes his brain for a split second, which is enough to provide him some mental clarity. He blinks, and one singular thought takes over:
Wow, what a dork.
As funny as a concussion would have been, a head injury would be a poor addition to all of those injuries so it's good it didn't actually happen. Having to get a nurse would be a pain in the ass.
Since Endo dissolving into painful laughter affords him the time to sort himself out Accelerator takes it, exhaling and quietly sitting back in his chair. Another sip of coffee, and he decides that yeah, this is funny. It's ridiculous, him overthinking shit is ridiculous, and honestly, getting to tease Endo back a bit feels nice. Maybe it's because insulting people is something he's way more comfortable with than trying to unravel the black box that is relationships and sex. Maybe Endo's laughter is just really infectious. He doesn't know, he doesn't really care.
He lets out a small, amused huff, and when he replies his tone is incredibly dry.]
No? Don't tell me you want to be treated with kid gloves.
[He isn't serious about that at all. There's no way it's true, but the mental image of Endo wanting to be treated gently after what he dished out earlier is funny in an ironic kind of way.]
[ Endo's in the process of getting a hold over himself when Accelerator makes that slight, near-laugh sound, and it makes him laugh again — not quite as hard, but definitely building off of his still-lingering mirth. This whole situation is pretty ridiculous, all things considered — from where they started, to where they are now — but all these little interactions feel like wins. It is progress, even though Endo's not currently framing it that way. Though he pays no mind to it now, later he'll have to do some thinking about the fact that he's genuinely having a good time — no complications, no frills. Hell, even his more immediate goals have taken somewhat of a backseat; not out of mind or off the table, but Endo's more rooted in the present than three steps ahead.
When he finally feels like he can get a breath in without jostling his ribs, he says: ]
Nah.
[ Because Accelerator is right: there's no way he'd want to be treated with kid gloves. Not here, not during a fight. If he's remotely interested in someone, whether due to their strength or god-like wings, he wants to see what they dish out, regardless of the form it comes in. That includes teasing — which will open more doors for Endo later, when he's capable of analyzing all these moments with a clear head. ]
This is better.
[ He lies back on the bed, all that laughing having taken a lot out of him. The urge to nap is suddenly strong, but he finally reaches for the bag that was sitting on his lap, but now sits toward the edge of the bed. Peeking inside, he raises his eyebrows. ]
Whoa — you guessed right.
[ New and expensive is Endo's taste, alright. He changes phones a lot to keep up with the new models — and for other reasons, too. He hadn't given Accelerator specific instructions about the purchase, but if he had made a direct demand, the newest iPhone would've been at the top of his list. ]
Guess you were thinking hard about me, huh? Tryin' to figure me out?
[ Accelerator gets only the briefest teasing smile before Endo takes the box out of the bag and begins opening it — one-handed, of course. ]
[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.]
[ 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. ]
[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. ]
[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.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
accelerator is so cute lol
Still, despite his joy, the medicine does manage to dampen him just enough that getting too excited almost seems exhausting. As he approaches that level, an undetermined point of no return, he naturally scales himself back, just enough. But no amount of painkillers can keep Endo from noticing — and then reacting — to the way that Accelerator looks at his hands.
His hands!
It's all over after that. While Accelerator is once again doing his deep thinking, Endo leans impossibly closer, looking more wild than any injured guy should. And he does the unthinkable: he considers touching him, a brief brush of fingers on whatever limb he manages to catch first. In normal situations, if Endo were wholly himself, he'd never do such a thing. His approach, whether to fighting or stuff like this, is to wait for the first move. That's just how he operates. But Endo is, for better or for worse, too drugged to think about that, and not as smart or as tactical as he should be, which means two things: he begins to move toward Accelerator — and he nearly falls off the bed.
That happens to coincide with Accelerator's comment, which surprises Endo so thoroughly that he glances up at him with wide eyes even as he is (very painfully, it turns out) jerking back from the edge. The surprise lasts as long as his near-fall, which is to say, not long at all, because once Endo is no longer in danger of toppling over, he laughs so hard, he's nearly in tears — both from the laughter itself and the pain from the jostling of his ribs.
He quickly puts a protective arm around his mid section, trying to steady his diaphragm, but doesn't stop laughing, not even as he punctuates the obnoxious sound with various pained noises: ]
Ow — shit. Fuck. Ah.
[ He tries to take a steadying breath, forcing out: ]
Man, you can't just tell a guy he isn't worth anything.
[ After which he curls a little in on himself, simultaneously hoping for more pain meds and never wanting to take them again. ]
they're both doofuses omg
Wow, what a dork.
As funny as a concussion would have been, a head injury would be a poor addition to all of those injuries so it's good it didn't actually happen. Having to get a nurse would be a pain in the ass.
Since Endo dissolving into painful laughter affords him the time to sort himself out Accelerator takes it, exhaling and quietly sitting back in his chair. Another sip of coffee, and he decides that yeah, this is funny. It's ridiculous, him overthinking shit is ridiculous, and honestly, getting to tease Endo back a bit feels nice. Maybe it's because insulting people is something he's way more comfortable with than trying to unravel the black box that is relationships and sex. Maybe Endo's laughter is just really infectious. He doesn't know, he doesn't really care.
He lets out a small, amused huff, and when he replies his tone is incredibly dry.]
No? Don't tell me you want to be treated with kid gloves.
[He isn't serious about that at all. There's no way it's true, but the mental image of Endo wanting to be treated gently after what he dished out earlier is funny in an ironic kind of way.]
no subject
When he finally feels like he can get a breath in without jostling his ribs, he says: ]
Nah.
[ Because Accelerator is right: there's no way he'd want to be treated with kid gloves. Not here, not during a fight. If he's remotely interested in someone, whether due to their strength or god-like wings, he wants to see what they dish out, regardless of the form it comes in. That includes teasing — which will open more doors for Endo later, when he's capable of analyzing all these moments with a clear head. ]
This is better.
[ He lies back on the bed, all that laughing having taken a lot out of him. The urge to nap is suddenly strong, but he finally reaches for the bag that was sitting on his lap, but now sits toward the edge of the bed. Peeking inside, he raises his eyebrows. ]
Whoa — you guessed right.
[ New and expensive is Endo's taste, alright. He changes phones a lot to keep up with the new models — and for other reasons, too. He hadn't given Accelerator specific instructions about the purchase, but if he had made a direct demand, the newest iPhone would've been at the top of his list. ]
Guess you were thinking hard about me, huh? Tryin' to figure me out?
[ Accelerator gets only the briefest teasing smile before Endo takes the box out of the bag and begins opening it — one-handed, of course. ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.]