halloforigin | 2017 OPEN RP POST

[ Maybe she's been too frazzled today, because even though he snaps at her, Yayoi only hunches her shoulders slightly instead of offering a full-body flinch or cringing back. The way he speaks, she's learned, isn't always how he feels, and he's got a valid point. Matatagi isn't the kind of person who offers someone something just to appease them.

So after a few seconds of silence, of steady breathing to make sure her voice won't crack-- ]

Okay. Yes-- I will.

[And just like the breaking of a dam, the pressure is released and he can feel something flooding throughout his body. Relief...something he honestly can't say he's felt too often in his life. Money was tight--even in his happiest moments he knew he could never truly relax. His mother would always look at him worried that he was sacrificing his childhood in order to provide, and could never get the security of being a child.

She was right.

But for now...in this one fleeting moment, the pain in his ribs and legs ebbs away, and like salve to a burn, he feels it wash himself clean of anything negative.

It only lasts as long as he'd allow it to (a couple of seconds), before his dark heart takes the reins once more...but it was worth it.]

Good. So that's settled.

[And now, with that answer given, he turns to face her, eyes glittering as always...but there's also something different to them. Something bitter, but warm. Like black coffee.]

...The first aid kit's in the closet.

O-okay! [ Well, there went all that composure she'd been struggling to build up, but Yayoi really does want to tend to his wounds before anything else. She does pause, gazing at him, to register that something in his eyes has changed and that something makes her face grow warm...

And then she hurries off to find the kit, returning within a matter of minutes and kneeling in front of the couch. If she focuses on this, she can slowly let it sink in that they're... dating now.

They're dating. ]

What hurts the most right now?

[Her reaction--the scuttling of a mouse as it tries to find a hideout is almost too much. From the moment he said the first aid kit's location, she'd booked it in that direction, hair bouncing and voice squeaking all the way. It's enough to cause his stomach to flip, and his breath to hiccup into a laugh, his only defense for his ribs being the arm tightly wound around them.]

Hahah!!

[It hurt...it really hurt. But right now, he doesn't really seem to care as her reaction of it finally registering was too funny to hold back. It's not til she returns that he's limp on the couch, gasping for air and holding his midsection like it's going to come apart at any second.]

Right here. I think one of my ribs cracked.

[ ... it's almost a shame she'd missed his hysterical bout of laughter, because when she returns to find Matatagi practically sagging into the couch and clutching at his midsection like that, it's not the most reassuring sight.

Still, from where she kneels now, she struggles not to bite her lip and instead lifts the lid of the kit. ]

Can you... lift your shirt for me? I can't do much about ribs, but we can at least tape it...

That'll be good enough.

[Her request is done without hesitation, Matatagi lifting up his shirt as far as it'll go until it reaches his armpits, using his weight to press it into the back of the couch and keep it there while she can start to go to work.]

Guess I'll be out of commission for awhile with this...

[A pause.]

What about you? Not hiding anything, right? Precure armor's pretty good, usually, but--

[He wants to make sure.]

[ As frazzling as it is to see this much bare skin, it's easier to keep that flustered feeling under control when it also greets her with some scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Yayoi's eyes are narrowed in concentration when she first applies some ointment to her fingers to become carefully smearing over the more visible injuries, but when she lifts them at his question...

She smiles, instead, and shakes her head. ]

I'm all right. Just a little tired, but no injuries.

[Muscles tense at the ointment, both cold against his skin and slightly stinging, but Matatagi bears it for the sake of getting it taken care of. After all, he often had to set an example for his brothers when he'd gotten scrapes, and if he'd avoided every contact with medicine, there's no way Shun or Yuuta would cooperate even for a second.

The conversation helps, at least, her answer easing his brows slightly.]

Good. Can't say the same for the guy you pummeled. [His chuckle shows absolutely no remorse for it, either. The guy had gotten what he'd deserved that time, and if someone could make Cure Peace that angry, then they weren't exactly too deserving of much sympathy to start.]

Guess you're going to be on nurse duty for awhile.

I don't mind. You getting hurt this badly was mostly my fault, anyway.

[ And she'd rather take care of him for once, since usually, it's the other way around-- in his own way. ]

C'mon, you know it wasn't your fault.

[A small wince as that ointment settles in, eyes casting up to her.]

Don't cut that guy a break. It's his fault for messing with us.

... I know. But I still don't like seeing you like this.

[ She can at least start taping up his ribs now, taking even more care on this. ]

[And he mostly complies, letting her move him and moving himself in any way he can to get that tape around him as effortlessly as possible.]

I'll be fine--I've got two brothers a girlfriend who'd cry if anything happened to me, you know.

[His knuckle knocks lightly against her cheek. For as much as he liked to call her out on her crybabyness, it wasn't anything he wished on the girl. A happy Yayoi was what had captured his dark heart anyway.]

But man, that oni-guy's really got it out for you.

[ Yayoi's cheeks flush as she ducks her head a little bashfully; "girlfriend" does seem like it's going to take some getting used to, but she likes hearing it. ]

He's not really fond of weaklings, and he thinks people who cry are weak... so I think he thought I'd just be the easiest target. He's usually the one I end up fighting because of it.

[Believe him. It took him ages to work the courage up to say it the first time. He's saying it as many times to break it in as he can.]

Asshole.

[Rich, coming from a guy who used to tell her the same thing on a daily basis. Even he knows it's a bit hypocritical, shifting himself.]

And he still thinks that even though you kick his ass?

Mm, but I do still cry a lot.

[ So yes. But she draws back, nodding to let him know she's all done. ]

Yeah, you do.

[He's not going to mince words with that one. You can always trust this boy to confirm your worst traits.]

HE better not make you cry, though. Or next time I see him it'll be personal.

[He's not above breaking out Parkour Attack.]

Only I'm allowed to.

E-eh--

[ wait, hold on-- ]

Matatagi-kun, I don't think that should be something to be proud of...

What?

It means I'm never gonna let it happen, alright? Not from any chump that messes with you.

[And if she does cry, he'd better be the reason for it--cause he can fix it.]

... [ What a tsun. But it makes her giggle, nodding her head with an increased degree of enthusiasm. ]

Mm! I do feel a lot safer with you.

[There we go--that's a better face for her to wear. His smile can't help but spread, trying to play it cool despite the jolt a sentence like that gave him.]

Heh. A lot of people would disagree with you on that one.

Screw them.

I wouldn't go that far... [ this pure child. ] But I also wouldn't agree with them.

[This girl.]

Of course you wouldn't. You'd find the good in almost anyone.

[His finger pokes at her forehead, although with no amount of real force and more just to see her reaction.]

[ It earns him widened eyes and a small noise, wordless, and she gives her head a shake. ]

If it's there, it's not hard to find.

Edited 2017-08-09 03:00 (UTC)

Yeah?

[He has some doubt about that--but really, what could he expect from a girl who was Cure Peace? Of course that'd be her mentality...of course she'd search for the one speck of gold in the dirt.

He smiles, closing his eyes.]

You didn't think that when we first met.

[Might as well get reminiscent, if he's going to really date her...because man, is that a 'so how did you two meet' story that's never getting told.]

W-well, you really looked angry at the time... and I didn't know why you could still move around, but you didn't want to listen to me at all.

[ ... It was admittedly a very rough time. ]

And I guess you reminded me of the people who bullied me, even though you turned out to be different.

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