Every day is the end of the world.
Inspired by a Reaper Request given on the second day of the second week.
The title is taken from the 31 Days theme for October 9, 2006.
"No. Way."
Given everything that he has seen in life and in afterlife (and he has seen quite a lot, in a lot of different universes), Joshua is almost surprised by Neku's current expression. He had not thought that human eyeballs were capable of stretching themselves out that big and that wide.
"No way! I'm not gonna do it!"
"From what I remember, Neku," Joshua replies, with the cold and calculated gravity of someone talking to a complete idiot, "the Reaper asked me to do it, not you."
"Then I'm not gonna be the partner of someone who will!"
"Now you're being ridiculous. Not that that's new to me," Joshua added after a thoughtful pause, as he turned and headed straight for Shibu Department Store's street. When he's taken five steps and there's still no Neku following along behind him, the boy rolls his eyes and rounds back, to take his partner by the wrist and tug him along towards Cadoi City. About a minute of shocked silence passes before Neku jerks away and splutters something about being able to walk by himself, thankyouverymuch.
"The hell're you on, steroids?" the auburn-haired boy mutters, sullenly rubbing at his wrist. Joshua smirks, and that gesture widens just a fraction when his partner scowls at him.
"Careful: your anger makes me stronger. Since you appear to have forgotten," Joshua added, pulling that I'm Making Fun of You in a Not So Secret Way tone again, "none of these people can see us. It really doesn't matter what we wear… we could streak all of Shibuya, if we wanted to."
"That's not the point."
"Then what IS your point?"
And Joshua finds it curious, how, when Neku blushes, he blushes right down to the part of his ears that aren't swallowed up by those tacky blue headphones. More muttering, but Joshua is no longer interested.
They reach Cadoi without event, and Neku puts up another half-hearted, mumbling protest right before Joshua sweeps into Darling Designs like he owns the place and tells the saleslady quite matter-of-factly that he would like a blouse, a skirt, a hat and a pair of shoes in his size. Nice and classic colors, please, and something that'll flatter his hips and maybe match his cell phone.
A few minutes later, after Joshua's swept off to the dressing room, the saleslady almost literally bounces up to Neku with an armful of something horribly frilly and flowery. She looks happy. Like someone who's totally made her days for the rest of her life.
"Would you like to try these on, sir? I think they'll totally match up with your boyfriend's set!"
Neku spends the rest of his time in the shop and the whole way back to the Reaper trailing after the only-too-well-practiced clip-clop of Joshua's high heeled feet, looking like some wounded animal who's very much interested in the possibility of melting into ground.