I should have been updating/editing/finishing other things, but... meh. I decided to give the 1sentence lj challenge a shot: 50 themes, one sentence each. So here they are, prompt set Epsilon. Have at 'em! SHQ
Full title:
FRIGHTENED, BUT NOT SO MUCH WITH YOU, AND SORT OF LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ROUGH BITS, BECAUSE THEN YOU'LL HOLD ME TIGHTER
#01 – Motion
It's strange to think that, right now, after all that he's strived for, the motion of Rei's lips against his own is all he really wants.
#02 – Cool
His fingers are cool against the warm skin of Rei's neck, but the look in his eyes is anything but.
#03 – Young
And you'd think he was never young, Rei muses, watching as Kai sneaks a cookie from the cooling plate on the counter.
#04 – Last
It's been hell- fighting and awkwardness and dealing with parts of himself he never wanted to face, never wanted to look at –but at this moment, so close to him, lips touching, lost in warmth, all he can think is: at last.
#05 – Wrong
Kai has never been fond of water, but when Rei climbs out of the pool (all that tan skin dripping, all that black hair shinning), he finds himself thinking that maybe there's nothing wrong with getting a little wet.
#06 – Gentle authoress'
When Rei loses the match, Kai doesn't offer any words of comfort; the gentle way he takes Rei's arm and cleans every scratch is more than enough.
#07 – One
If he knows anything about dealing with Kai Hiwatari, it's that one touch is never enough.
#08 – Thousand
Pressed against the wall, Kai's lips working at his neck, Rei can think of about a thousand ways this could all go wrong- but somehow (and it might be the way his tongue feels right there), he just can't bring himself to care.
#09 – King
Riches or no, Kai isn't royalty- but in the afternoon sun Rei's eyes shine like gold, and Kai is certain that no king could possess anything nearly as precious.
#10 – Learn
Their first kiss is tentative and graceless and over far too soon, but they have all the time in the world to learn.
#11 – Blur
Their blades blur in the dish, but that doesn't matter, because their eyes are on each other (they're fighting an entirely different match).
#12 – Wait
It's late, but Kai's tie and jacket are disposed of with plenty of enthusiasm, and Rei barely has time to think It's always worth the wait before thinking takes a backseat to… ahem, other things.
#13 – Change
'It's amazing,' thinks Tyson, grabbing a handful chips, watching as Kai smiles and whispers something into Rei's ear that startles a laugh out of the neko-jin, 'It's amazing just how much a guy can change.'
#14 – Command
Rei does not approve of Kai doling out commands like he owns the place- not even if he is captain… not even if it does turn him on, just a little.
#15 – Hold
He's warm in his arms, and complete, and even though he knows that nothing is constant, there is nothing he wants more than to somehow hold on to this forever.
#16 – Need
"These," murmured Kai, untangling one hand from Rei's hair to tug at the waistband of his pants, "Really need to come off."
#17 – Vision
Kenny blushes, rubs his eyes and stumbles away, mumbling something about his vision getting worse, because there is no way he just saw Kai and Rei doing… things… in the training room!
#18 – Attention
It's not that he's desperate, Rei reasons, slowly unwrapping his hair while Kai pretends to read- it's just nice having Kai's full attention once in a while.
#19 – Soul
A golden ring is not a soul, but Kai thinks Rei will understand.
#20 – Picture
There's only one known picture of Kai laughing, and Rei is not telling what he did to get it.
#21 – Fool
Pressed close, the door locked behind them, minds dissolving with heat and touch, the two of them think how stupid this is, how this could ruin everything, if anyone knew, if anyone found out- neither of them have ever been more content to play the fool.
#22 – Mad
It's hard to stay mad at someone who's making you swallow and fidget and blush, but Rei thinks it's cute how Kai tries anyway.
#23 – Child
Even a child can smile, Kai… can't you smile for me?
#24 – Now
Long, long nights of being alone and uncertainty about the future vanish like so much mist, because at this moment, with his arms around your neck and his breath mingling with yours, you are in awe of how right this feels, how last week and next year and anything that could possibly happen absolutely pale in comparison to this, this here and now.
#25 – Shadow
His eyes are shadowed when he tells you, and maybe it's better that way, because you don't think you could stand to se him cry.
#26 – Goodbye
It's a movie kiss, long and passionate and heavy, but you want it to stop, you almost hate it… because it feels like a goodbye.
#27 – Hide
You should've known when you saw the tattoo on his back- the character for wild, black ink slashed onto his skin -you should've known right then you couldn't hide.
#28 – Fortune
"You know you can use the stars to tell your fortune?" comments Rei, blinking up at the constellations wheeling above them; Kai glances briefly at the sky, fixes Rei with a half-smile, and replies that he knows very well what his future holds.
#29 – Safe
You're a traitor; even if he denies it, you know it's true, you feel it, so you grit your teeth and you say No, and it hurts, oh, shit, it burns, burns like flames are licking where your heart should be… but, you tell yourself, at least this way he's safe (just don't look him in the eye, and you can keep him safe).
#30 – Ghost
Rei doesn't believe in things that go bump in the night, but he believes in Kai- so when night comes and darkness falls (memories and demons descending on leathery wings), he kisses away the nightmares and holds him close, where ghosts can't touch him.
#31 – Book
Kai smirks as Rei flips through the book, blush darkening with the turn of each page, eyes bulging at the illustrations; when he finally snaps it shut and looks up, the corners of his mouth are curled upwards in something too sly to be a smile, and his eyes shine with something bright, something wild… Kai grins.
#32 – Eye
'If beauty is in the eye of the beholder', Kai muses, idly running his fingers along the smooth curve of Rei's neck, 'And I have him all to myself, then the whole world must be blind.'
#33 – Never
"So Kai, you'll never believe what happened when I went over to Tyson's today… I, uh… sortapromisedwe'dgotoakaraokebarwithhimandMax."
#34 – Sing (continued from #33)
"…Rei, it will be a cold day in hell before I sing, much less in a karaoke bar."
#35 – Sudden
It's sort of sudden, the way his hands curl into your hair and his lips crush against yours, but that's okay, because it's sort of perfect, too.
#36 – Stop
"Kai, I know the phone is ringing, and I know you have a thing- don't give me that look, you have a thing, damnit -about answering the phone, but I swear to all that is holy, if you stop now, I will make you suffer, and when I'm through, you won't be able to look at a phone the same way ever again."
#37 – Time
Confidence, strategy, patience: those are important, those are key; but whenever you see him smile, the only thing you're sure of is that there's no time to waste.
#38 – Wash
Rei blinked and cursed, hand trembling slightly as he tried to apply the mascara; this is what he got for letting Mao blackmail him into wearing it the other night, and for letting Kai see him with it on, and for giving a damn when Kai got that look in his eye… but in the grand scheme of things, he reasoned, closing one eye and carefully running the small black brush through his eyelashes, pride was a small price to pay for getting full command of a certain captain.
#39 – Torn (continued from #19)
A man, while cleaning, finds a picture in his room; it's dusty and worn, torn in places, and shows two boys: one frowning slightly, one grinning, the two of them holding hands… he smiles and shakes his head, letting his thumb run absently over the cool, smooth gold of his wedding ring.
#40 – History
Sometimes he thinks about the history they have (as teammates, as friends, as more), but mostly he thinks about their future (something tells him it's so much brighter).
#41 – Power
Rei is curled up on the couch with Kai, watching a movie, when the power goes out; he scowls, but then a warm hand slides up his thigh in the dark, and all he can do is grin.
#42 – Bother
"Why," sighed Kai, staring down at the empty shampoo bottle that lay forlornly in what he'd thought to be an oh-so-clever hiding place, "Do I even bother?"
#43 – God
He waits in the white hall, doctors and nurses bustling by, and prays to any god that will listen for him to be okay.
#44 – Wall
Kai Hiwatari Rule of Conduct # 44: A wall is a suitable substitute for a chair, but a wall is not a suitable substitute for a bed... even if it seems like a good idea at the time.
#45 – Naked
Kai Hiwatari Rule of Conduct # 45: When dealing with Rei Kon, it's always best to resolve any conflict as quickly as possible, preferably naked.
#46 – Drive
It's his fifth night on the couch, and there are a number of things about to drive Kai Hiwatari batshit insane: a) the thought of what he's missing out on b) the fact that he'd wait until all of his hair turned grey to partake in what he is so tragically missing out on c) how lumpy the couch is d) why the hell the couch is so lumpy in the first place, because it was an expensive couch, damnit e) it wasn't this lumpy when it was new g) it felt fantastic when it was new, actually h) the first day they got the couch, they made sure it was comfortable almost continuously, taking occasional breaks to doze, shower, then stumble back to the cushions f) he should buy a new couch g) he should buy Rei flowers h) Rei might kick his ass, but if it gets him back in bed, it might be worth it g) scratch that- definitely be worth it
#47 – Harm
Watching him train (the scarf whips around him a little, brushing past muscles and sweat and skin), Rei considers how this (Feeling? Crush? He doesn't really want to think about it) could destroy their friendship, break already tenuous bonds with his former team, maybe even cause a media scandal; he decides not to say anything, not just yet… but in the meanwhile… well, there's no harm in looking, right?
#48 – Precious
You fall asleep with his arms wrapped around you, and outside you hear cicadas and wind; some things you don't have to think about for them to be precious.
#49 – Hunger
Kai likes watching Rei cook, so he leans against the wall and watches, takes in his movements, his motions, all the details; the kitchen is thick with the scent of curry, heady and spicy, but a different kind of hunger is growing inside of him, and all the spices in the world can't compare to the taste he's craving.
#50 – Believe
Memory believes before knowing remembers, believes longer than recollects, longer than knowing even wonders… he can still remember their first kiss: he knows it was sunny that day, but he remembers feeling chills, and he knows that Kai doesn't like candy, but he remembers him tasting of liquorice, dark and sweet- and as hard as he tries to learn everything about him (likes, dislikes, quirks, needs), he's only human, and he forgets things… but he'll always remember their first kiss, always believe, come hell or high water, in liquorice and chills.
A review is an authoress' best (non-sentient) friend. Will I make a new friend? SHQ