Chuu-Chuu Chamber | Kaname Date & Gustave

[loveauthority]

Welcome to the Chuu-Chuu Chamber!

The crew lets you into a dim bedroom, the ambient sound of a rowdy tavern muffled by the rugs scattered across the ground. Outside of the decor, there's also a large timer on the wall... looking somewhat out of place among the oil lamps and such. Very retro in the medieval sense.

The timer starts at 5 minutes, and the crew will helpfully inform both of you that unless you start kissing, getting handsy, so and so forth before your time is up... you'll be kicked out of the room!

If you do, you'll find, the timer then starts over -- at 4 minutes!

Then 3.

Then 2...

And so on and so forth, until there isn't any time at all between activities. Better get busy!

Comments

e33 spoilers if u haven't reached act 2 itp...

[9999]

[ w... why is this room completely different from the rest of the house? why does he hear restaurant noises? Rest assured that Gustave was very antsy before they went in, but even he is momentarily distracted by the weird-ass room. The antique decor isn't even strange to him - it's just strange in the context of literally everything else in the manor.

He blinks a few times, looks over at Date with a raised eyebrow, looks at the timer and immediately tries to put it out of his mind, and then looks back to Date. ]

That's... I don't know what I was expecting, but not this. A-anyway...

[ they should probably at least sit down or something, but anxious Gustave is unable to wait, apparently. Sparing one more glance at the door to make sure it's closed, he looks at him, grim and largely apologetic. ]

I... I haven't been completely honest with you. I've been in denial about it myself. [ he takes a deep breath. ] I don't actually have a year. I don't - I don't have any time left. Before I came here, I was killed. I'm almost certain. If I go back there, I'm not... coming back.

[ his voice trembles a little bit. He's scared to even say this. Terrified, even. He doesn't want to die, and this makes it that much more real. But he doesn't have a week left anymore to come to terms with it or figure out how he's going to tell Date - let alone the others. ]

I'm sorry...

[gumai]

[ Thankfully, Date is now familiar with this everchanging room and doesn't need to adjust too much. Though, he is quietly grateful that the room they've been given is not the same as that room he was given with Hong Lu. That was bad. But he can tell Gustave is anxious too, far more anxious than he was expecting him to be after such great results.

So, he's watching him with concern on his face and steps closer, his hand lifting as if to hold Gustave's arm but he doesn't touch just yet. He's just... letting him speak, letting him confess.

And what a confession it is. Date's eye widens as the reality of it comes crashing down and his brain blanks out for a moment. Gustave is... dead? Well, he's dead in his home world so that — that means — ... what does that mean?

Immediately, he shifts to problem solving mode because the emotional reality of having connected so deeply with someone who really, truly has no time left is too ... it's too much. So, how does he solve this? ]

It's okay.

[ First, right off the bat. Gustave apologizes but he doesn't need to. Not to Date. ]

Gustave, this doesn't change my feelings for you and — did you hear Anna? We still have the week here if we want it. I'll stay if you will. And in that time... we can figure out what to do.

You can't go back. That's... [ He thinks briefly of Maelle, what she must be going through. Fuck. ] I know it hurts. I know you must be scared and stressed and not sure what to do. But we have options. It's not a lost cause yet.

[ He decides then — he'll use his wish on Gustave if he must. ]

[9999]

[ he tries not to think about what Maelle is going through - at least not beyond hoping she's alive. He never wanted to do this to her; she's already lost so many people, and he knows how much it hurts her because she's told him. The last thing he ever wanted to do was be another adult in her life who left her behind. But - fuck, they knew the Expedition would be dangerous and he'd die a hundred more times before he let the white-haired man lay a finger on her.

Date's reaction is surprisingly calm. It's not the first time Gustave's seen him able to turn on a dime and slip right into his detective role, but it's still impressive - as expected of someone who solves murder cases, he supposes. It's less surprising that he's willing to stay here with Gustave and figure it out. Of course he is. Date would do anything for him, he thinks sadly. ]

I know what you're thinking. I don't want you to use your wish on me, Date, it's... not fair. I want you to use it for yourself. Just...

[ he sighs, pressing his lips together tightly. He doesn't want to get emotional - especially not when Date's able to keep so cool. ]

I had to tell you - you deserve more from me, you know? I know we haven't known each other long, but you treat me like a king, and I just... [ he gestures vaguely, frustrated. ] Merde. I'm sorry about this. I wish it wasn't like this.

[gumai]

[ He looks away briefly when Gustave calls him out on the obvious. Of course he'd use his wish on Gustave, of course he'd make sure he can give him a future. But of course, in turn, Gustave wouldn't want him to do that. What an impasse they're at, both wanting the best for each other and not willing to let the other sacrifice anything for it. It's almost funny.

He looks back at Gustave as he continues and he can feel his frustration, his anxiety, almost potent in the air with the way it bubbles at the surface for Gustave. Date swallows, steps closer to him. He's trying to focus on logic and let his emotions fall to the wayside but it's so hard when he can see Gustave in so much pain. He wants to hold him so, so, so badly. His hands curl into fists at his sides as he resists reaching out. ]

Maybe we don't need the wish. [ Just... well... ] If you're alive here, maybe you're able to be alive elsewhere. Just not... in your world. They had to revive you somehow if they were able to bring you here and — and why would they bring you here if there was no chance of a future?

[ So, the implication is: maybe Gustave can come home with him, and they can have a longer time to figure out what to do next. Since this interdimensional technology exists, there has to be a way to use it for good. Use it to save Gustave. ]

You keep saying I deserve more from you, you keep apologizing, but — [ He sighs, closes his eye and considers. ] There's a lot I haven't told you about my past that you should probably know before you think I'm better than I am.

date resisting the hug when they've already made out in a closet smh

[9999]

[ he can't deny that there's a kernel of truth to Date's words. Anna had said much the same to him - that she'd sort it out somehow. He doesn't know if he believes it yet. It's true that he is alive here, though - somehow - and that they were all brought together here, somehow. Why? He doesn't know. He hadn't exactly had many other options but to accept the offer they made him. ]

... I don't want to abandon my family. Or Lumière.

[ his entire life, he's spent trying to help both - he loves them more than he loves his own life, provably. It feels so petulant to turn down that offer, but Gustave knows if he left, kept on surviving somewhere else, he'd be miserable thinking about the life he used to have. He knows where his home is, where he belongs.

Maybe if it was only temporary. Maybe if -- whatever they used to take him here in one piece could put him back there in one piece, too. It's all abstract, magical, and he's not good at relying on things he can't put together sensibly on a sheet of paper. It feels like wishful thinking, still. Then again, hasn't he built his life around wishful thinking? Hoping against hope that this time, they'd get their miracle?

(But look how that turned out. Again, he feels trapped between his hopes and reality.) ]

... But I don't want to die, [ he admits. ] Fuck. I'm scared out of my mind, Date. And I don't want to lose you, either! Whatever you did in the past - you're enough, I told you. You're - you're all I have left, now.

he's trying so hard to be chill ok

[gumai]

[ At first, it stings just a bit when Gustave says he doesn't want to abandon his family of Lumiere. Not because that's what Date is asking him to do but because he wonders then if Gustave is more willing to go back to death than try to figure out a future elsewhere. That's ... sad but understandable, Date thinks. He wouldn't begrudge him that even if it makes his heart hurt in a way that's nearly unbearable.

But then Gustave continues — says he doesn't want to die. Says he's scared. That he doesn't want to lose Date.

You're all I have left now.

Date gives in then, can't bear it any longer. He steps closer one more time and his arms go around Gustave to envelop him, pull him against his chest and hold him so, so tight and so, so close. One hand around his torso, the other cradling the back of Gustave's head as he holds him tight. He turns his head, presses his lips to Gustave's temple and just clutches him close. ]

Come here.

[ After a moment of holding him, of clutching him so, so tight, Date exhales slightly and closes his eye, just staying pressed against him. ]

Listen, even if you did come back with me, it's not permanent. It's only until we figure out how to get you back to Lumiere. You're not abandoning anyone — not your family and not me either. What we need is time, that's all. Just more time.

[ He tucks his head a little lower, pressing his forehead to Gustave's. And then, his voice is quiet as he says — ]

I... I said I'd take care of you. I meant it. I'll do anything to get you back home, even if it means I lose you. I know how much they mean to you.

poor date... the least chill man

[9999]

[ Sophie was so much more graceful about all of this than he's being right now, he keeps thinking. Literally anyone who knew both of them could have predicted that, but he finds himself wishing he could be more like her. Unfortunately, it's as he told Maelle before: death is cruel and violent no matter the circumstances. He believed it then, and still believes it now. When Date embraces him, he folds into it easily and does his very best not to crumble to pieces, hands grasping tightly at the back of his shirt. He'd like to be dignified about it, yes - yet he can't resist the comfort of a pair of sympathetic arms, releasing a shaky sigh.

It's always a matter of time, isn't it? There's never enough. When their foreheads bump together, he meets his gaze, big dark eyes a little watery, despite his best efforts. Gustave's supposed to be the optimistic one. He wants to believe Date so badly. ]

Everything, [ he says quietly, and he knows Date can understand, somehow - if it were the home he'd made with Mizuki on the line, surely he'd feel this desperation, too.

And even if he doesn't know if he believes they can figure out how to save his life, or how to get him back to Maelle and Emma and the others, he does believe that Date means what he says - that he'll do anything to help him, no matter what. It's so selfless and kind that it almost hurts. So he inhales, closes his eyes. ] Okay... Okay. We'll find more time.

[ he'll talk to Anna - he'll talk to someone, he'll figure things out. Date is right - it's not a lost cause yet. There are options. He has to believe there are options. Just being here should be impossible; why not try to accomplish some more impossible things? ]

... You'd really do it, wouldn't you? You'd use your wish on me. [ he murmurs, quiet, trying to even out his breathing. Relax. Focus on what's in front of him. ] You said that week one, I remember... I thought you were just drunk.

he just HAS SO MANY FEELINGS

[gumai]

[ He would feel that desperation. He has felt that desperation. Mizuki has gone through so much pain that she shouldn't have to carry and he's taken care of her, held it for her, been her trusted rock. And then — and then he disappeared, didn't he? For six years. He'll never forgive Tearer for taking those six years from him.

Which is why he wants to reunite Gustave and Maelle. Which is why he would use his wish to do that. He hears Gustave's incredulity, watching his face as his eyes close and he tries to calm down. His hand moves from the back of Gustave's head to cup his cheek, hands not gloved for once so it's calloused hands — more worn than Date seems the type to have — cradling Gustave's skin and rubbing his thumb over his cheek.

He leans up, presses his lips to Gustave's forehead, and then again to the cheek he's not holding before he nuzzles him gently and just holds him tighter with his other arm. ]

My wish is... stupid, selfish. Something I have to live with and can't change. Using it on what I want would be living in denial of a truth I can't run from.

[ Once again, Date knows exactly what his problems are, he just doesn't want to deal with them. But if using his wish meant Gustave survived and could go home to his family, then he would do it. He would sacrifice fixing his body for that in a heartbeat. ]

You are more important, Gustave. Maelle, your sister, your team, Lumiere. They need you. And you need them. If I could help you go back, then I will. Even if it meant never seeing you again, even if it was a one way trip, I'd be happy knowing you were happy.

[9999]

[ He feels like he's being babied a little bit - Date is just so affectionate, physically; he really is like a cat - but he lets it happen. So much for his tough talk about being able to take care of himself; Maelle and the others wouldn't let him live it down if they saw him like this, he's sure. In his defense, he's trying to cope with his own imminent demise. Surely he can be allowed a moment of weakness or three. And if his thoughts are this self-deprecating again, surely it's actually helping.

Date's comments are unreal, still. It's absurd that he's willing to go so far for someone he met a few weeks ago. Gustave doesn't bother questioning him on it, at this point. He knows he means it. He's an absurd sort of man. All he does is shake his head faintly - the minimum he can do to let Date know he's being ridiculous, too generous. Not thinking about himself. Gustave is beginning to suspect his eagerness to give his own wish away is at least partially because he doesn't feel he deserves it. ]

... You never did tell me what it was.

[ he sets a hand on Date's shoulder, tries to pull away from Date's clinging grasp, enough to look him in the eye, at least; the old floorboards in the misfit room creak as he shifts his weight. It wasn't about Mizuki. There's something else that he's not sharing. A lot of "somethings", judging by what he's said before. But they're alone now - really alone - and maybe Gustave can't bear to keep thinking about his truncated future, because he knows they'll only go in circles from here, one of them trying to give everything to spare the other. ]

major major major aitsf spoilers

[gumai]

[ The spotlight is on him and his secrets now, and he looks a little helpless as Gustave pulls away from him to look at him properly. He realizes the same thing Gustave is thinking — they're alone and it's time to share. He thinks back to Boss' warnings. The threat of sharing his secrets on camera and how many things that would ruin back home. After all his past, his real past, is a state secret and he can't share it with anyone.

But he wants to share it with Gustave. He wants him to know the truth.

So, Date's eye closes for a moment as he takes a deep breath and tries to figure out where to start. If he just takes his mask off — he'll look like an insane person and Gustave will have every reason not to trust him ever again. But if he can explain first... ]

There's this... technology in my world with an incredible power. It can swap two people's bodies, their memories, their consciousness, their entire minds, put into someone else's body.

And a while back... about twelve years ago at this point, I was in an accident had my body forcibly swapped. The person I was swapped with is the person who originally had this face.

[ A pause and then he steps back, he looks... concerned for a moment before his resolve comes and he sighs, lifting his hand to pull off his eyepatch first. He'll tuck it into his pocket and from there, his hands move to the very edges of his hairline, his face, fingernails catching on the edges of something barely there, almost invisible. And when he has a hold on it, he pulls to peel it off. It's a mask, a real mask, covering the very edges of his face, reshaping it to be something that it's not.

And the face that is revealed when Date pulls it off is different. Though maybe it's more like this? It's older, a little rougher, skin not nearly as perfectly smooth and unblemished as he usually looks. He holds the mask in his hand and he can't quite look Gustave in the eye just now. ]

I lived with this face [ He gestures towards the mask in his hands. ] for six years. It's how Mizuki knows me, it's how my friends know me, it's my face. But —

[ . . . ]

This face... [ And now he means the one under his mask. ] is the one I was born with. This is my original body, and I have it back now after catching the people who stole it in the first place. But it no longer feels right, it's no longer me. Kaname Date is a different man. This is the face that belongs to... Hayato Yagyu.

Hayato Yagyu was a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo. He was a lone wolf type of guy, deeply miserable, and hated criminals with a burning passion. He — [ Can he confess this part? Can he really say it out loud?

... He can't. Not yet. He can't bear Gustave's expression when he finds out that Date has killed so, so, so many people. ]

... He wasn't a good cop. He did some things that the MPD covered up, all in his pursuit of justice. And eventually those things caught up to him, got him blackmailed by the yakuza and forced to work for them alongside the MPD. He did... terrible things for the yakuza. Terrible, terrible things.

[ He can't admit to being an assassin. He can't. ]

And they used Hayato to find out about the body swapping device, and stole his body. But there was an accident and Hayato ended up in a different body, with no memories of who he used to be.

That person was found by Hayato's old friend, another police officer, and she hid his past and renamed him. Kaname Date. He would work for her, with no memories of who he used to be, and they would bury Hayato Yagyu in the process.

But the past always comes back to haunt you, doesn't it? And eventually, the old owner of Kaname Date's body remembered what happened and wanted his body back. He did get it back and in the process, Kaname Date was returned to Hayato Yagyu's body. Other things happened — the original owner was caught, killed. The case was solved. And in the end, happy ending, right? Hayato Yagyu had his memories back and didn't have to be Kaname Date anymore.

But that's not — I'm not Hayato Yagyu anymore. I'm Kaname Date. And this face is not Kaname Date's face. So, my wish — my wish was to get it back. To get my face back, so I don't have to wear a mask anymore. So I can live in peace as the person I've chosen to be.

[ But... ]

I know that's not healthy. I know I should accept having this face again. I know all the arguments for and against this. But that's... that's the truth, Gustave. That's who I really am.

uh oh sisters

[9999]

[ Well, if he was looking for something else to think about, this is one hell of a distraction. All he can do is watch, dumbfounded, as Date literally peels his face off - and all he can think is how did I not notice? He's been looking at this man every day. Hell, he's kissed this man, and he never even had the slightest suspicion it was a mask, that the skin he was touching was fake. The technology in Date's world obviously outstrips that of his own by miles and miles. That's not news - he'd known that since the first time they spoke in the kitchen - but when he's standing there with his face in his hands, explaining that he'd swapped bodies before, the vast gulf between what they know feels deeper than ever.

However, the actual distance between the two of them doesn't really feel any wider. It's extremely bizarre to look at Date and see someone else's face - someone he doesn't recognize, as if he's talking to someone just dressed up as Date. The man looking back at him is more haggard, a little older, in a way he hasn't seen since he was a teenager and the last dregs of the "older generation" were gommaged. Gustave's brow furrows as he listens to his outlandish story, of being reborn as another person by accident and then being forced back into the person he used to be and coming out in the end as neither of them. But the voice telling it to him is still Date's. The one recounting the tale is Date. He alludes to all these crimes he supposedly committed, but to Gustave's ears, they're a lifetime away, done in another world by another man.

It's a lot to process, undoubtedly - he'll still be processing it later, hand in hand with whatever remains of his own future - but he finds that it doesn't really change anything. Yes, there's a stranger looking at him, but the illusion is so weak that just closing his eyes would break it. To Gustave, the reality is as simple as Date describes it: that's not who he is. Not really, despite what Date just claimed. ]

... You say all that, but I already know who you really are.

[ hesitantly, he reaches out with a hand - the flesh-and-blood hand - and touches it to this unfamiliar face, brushing his thumb across his lip as he speaks, then his cheekbone. ]

You've been Kaname Date the entire time. You shouldn't have to wear a mask just to be yourself. [ after a moment, he nods to himself a few times, still working through all this information, what he thinks is right. ] You don't have to just -- accept your fate. I never have. Make your wish.

[gumai]

[ It definitely felt deceptive in a way to be wearing this mask as he touched Gustave, as he kissed him. But he couldn't take it off — he still can't, not while the cameras are on. His real identity is a secret only a select few are allowed to know, buried deep in police cover ups and an agreement that he is Kaname Date now going forward. So now, as Gustave reaches out and touches his face — his real face — he almost feels like cracking apart at it. How long has it been since someone's actually touched his real face? How strange.

Date sighs quietly, his eye closing as he leans into Gustave's touch. He's still the same man in a way, isn't he? Gustave says as much. You've been Kaname Date the entire time. He has, he has, that's who he wants to be. Boss was right to take him, to name him, to give him a new life. And that's the life he wants to live, the man he wants to be.

This man is also the one who holds such deep affection for Gustave. The face might be different but the expression is familiar as he opens his eye again and looks back at Gustave, raw affection on his face as he looks back at him. Make your wish he also says and Date isn't sure yet, isn't as confident. Can he really do that? He needs to make sure Gustave is okay first, that he's safe and they have a way to send him back home.

His face hand lifts up to curl fingers around Gustave's wrist and he turns his head, pressing a kiss to Gustave's palm before looking back at him. ]

Thank you. [ For the acceptance, for not rejecting him. ] I still... want to be sure first but if we don't need it, I'll use it.

[ Simple as that. Gustave is still his priority and they'll figure this out together. ]

[9999]

[ yeah, it's still him, all right - it is, again, very odd to see a face he doesn't recognize making an expression he very much does, the same adoration that Date wore him down with in the first place. It's as if he's looking at Date's older brother or something. But no: this is Date. Both faces belong to him. Maybe he doesn't recognize him on the outside, but the inside hasn't changed a whit. ]

Well. You're still pretty either way, I promise.

[ Gustave gives him a wry smile, almost apologetic, and tilts his head a little, hoping he can force himself back into feeling more normal. Grab a wisp of the confidence Date seems to have that things will work out. The fear is still roiling in his gut, but he can't deny that getting his worries out into the open, sharing them with his -- whatever Date is to him, has made him feel better, even if they haven't disappeared entirely. He keeps his hand to Date's cheek, smoothing it over the new (old) skin as Date leans into his touch, cautiously curious, exploratory. There's nobody that looks like him anymore in Lumière. And there's something a little exciting, too, about knowing this is the deepest part of him, the one he kept hinting that he'd give to Gustave as long as nobody else could see. ]

... Is it really all right for you to tell me all this?

[ it's a bit late now, obviously, but still - he can't help wondering. Does Mizuki even know he looks like this? Does anyone? His brow knits together in concern again - and then he proceeds to nearly jump out of his skin as the timer ticking down behind them blares a warning tone. Thirty seconds. ]

[gumai]

[ The alarm blares and Date also looks surprised like he completely forgot about the timer. Which, well, he did. He was just in this moment with Gustave and for a moment, he panics at the idea of someone barging in on them, of seeing his face. But he takes a moment, breathes, tries not to give in to the panic and instead takes a step closer to Gustave, back in his personal space again. ]

Oh, no, probably not. [ He laughs, a little wry. ] Boss will kill me, but I wasn't going to lie to you.

[ He's going to tuck his mask into his pocket now, a show of acceptance that he doesn't put it back on right away even though he's already finished sharing the truth. But it's so he can reach out with both hands and cup Gustave's face, leaning in closer. ]

Can I kiss you? Like this. [ . . . ] You already said I'm pretty, so no takebacks.

[ Hehe. He jokes but there's also a hint of worry in his expression. He's still thinking about the stress Gustave is under, the uncertainty of their future, the comfort Gustave needs and Date wants to give. So his voice is a little quieter as he says, ]

I just... want a bit more time with you, like this.

[ Alone. Truly alone for the first time in weeks. If they kiss, the timer resets for a little bit, and they have more time to talk or just... be together for a bit longer. ]

[9999]

[ at that admission, he just gives a dry laugh. So he's in trouble, then. Not that Gustave will tell anyone. Why does Date trust him so much?! He can't help thinking about what he said just a bit earlier, with the purple rose, and "to feel like you could fall for them" - and it's crazy, but it sure as hell seems like Date already has fallen for him, the way he talks about him and treats him, and the thought makes him feel skittish, his pulse quickening. He can't even pretend he'll meet him there someday when he doesn't know if he'll be alive tomorrow. Time remains his enemy. But despite feeling guilty, like he can't properly return the sheer affection Date keeps piling on him, opening his heart and spilling his darkest secrets and everything (he deserves more, just like Gustave had said!) - he still doesn't have it in him hesitate at all when Date asks to kiss him. ]

You - you better? I mean, the clock...

[ he glances over at it in a weak gesture, but he doesn't even finish his sentence as Date takes his face in his hands. Fuck the clock, honestly. He inhales sharply, leans in and presses his lips against Date's, careful like it's the first time again - because it kind of is, in a weird way. He feels different. But he's not different. He still has Date's scent, his taste, though the way they fit together has changed...

There's a palpable tension beneath Gustave's skin this time - that's changed, too, the undercurrent of anxiety pulling him taut like a bow, a faint hint of desperation seeping into his touch. He's looking for escape - and, as he'd said, Date is all he has left. It's easier to pour all his attention here, into this moment, into Date, than spend more of it ruminating on what's to come, whether or not this is the end. There's a yearning there. ]

[gumai]

[ Maybe it's a foolish endeavor, trusting Gustave so wholeheartedly. Maybe it's really silly of him to like a guy so much. He's definitely eating his own words right now, his disbelief that you could fall for someone in such a short amount of time. It's a joke, he said, a completely laughable prospect. But attraction turns into admiration turns into affection. He doesn't love Gustave, he's not in love with him, but he... wants him. Wants to dote on him, wants to date him, wants to see him smile. Is he just taken by pretty looks and a nice smile? He doesn't think so... at least, if it was just that he'd feel a bit more rational.

It really does boil down to how sweet Gustave is, how kind. He's got a bumbling sort of earnestness that Date can't help but want to watch and cherish. Every time he sees him interact with the others, or the quiet moments where Gustave doesn't think anyone's watching him, or even the moments he knows Date is watching and gets so flustered... It's all enough to get Date to want to chase after him, like a dog with a bone. He's so smitten it's ridiculous, and maybe he needed that. Maybe he was desperate for some spark in his heart that gave him a reason to be like this again, to be so doting and romantic. And Gustave just happened to be the right kind of kindling.

Even now as they kiss, as he feels Gustave's anxious desperation in his touch, it only makes Date want to pour himself into the kiss and soothe Gustave that way. So, he does. His hand slides to curl against the side of Gustave's neck, thumb pressed under his ear while his other arm drops down to loop around Gustave's waist and pull him flush against him. He kisses him with deep affection, tilting his head, deepening the kiss and when he breathes in through his nose, he kisses Gustave with all he's got. If Gustave needs escape, needs comfort, needs security, then Date will provide it. That's all he wants to be for Gustave. ]

[9999]

[ As ever, Date seems acutely aware of what he's feeling, even more than Gustave himself is - one could call Date a lot of things, but certainly not inattentive. Before he can even acknowledge internally that he wants more of Date's attentions, more of his affections, Date's giving both to him - after already comforting him, and spilling his own guts, and offering his entire reason for being here, he keeps on giving more. Gustave is not used to this. He's usually the caretaker, the one checking in and making sure everyone's smiling. Date is simply too sweet to resist. There's not even a flicker of doubt in his mind that he's not whoever this face is - not the loner, hurting people, out for himself and himself only. It's hard to believe he ever was that man at all.

He needs that wish. Gustave's well convinced. He follows his movements, pressing up close when Date draws him in, splaying his hands across his back and matching the angle of his jaw when he turns his head, parting his lips to chase Date's tongue when he moves in deeper. Date's a hell of a kisser, just like he had been that first week, and Gustave can only clumsily try to keep up. He lets it go until his lungs are burning and his heart is pounding in his ears and tomorrow is the last thing on his mind because there's no room for thoughts of anything but kissing Date, so devoted, so deserving. ]

Date, [ he breathes after he gasps for air, then seems to reconsider. ] Kaname?

[ that's his first name, isn't it? They abandoned all that in Lumiere when the population shrank too much, but he knows the difference; he wants to call him by whatever name is closest to him as he presses another clumsy kiss to the edge of his mouth, then the junction where his neck meets his jaw, sharper and more angular than he remembers. He thinks suddenly that he gets why some people stay inside on the day of the Gommage. ]

[gumai]

[ When the kiss breaks, Date feels his lungs burn, chest rising and falling as he breathes in sharply. His lips tingle and the last thing on his mind right now is the timer on the wall. All he can think is Gustave. Gustave, Gustave, Gustave. This sweet, lovely, perfect man who has given Date a chance in a way he can't even conceive of how to thank him for. He's breathing hard against him, fingers curling against his skin, aching to touch him more.

And then Gustave calls him Kaname and he almost wants to laugh. They're such a far cry away from Date trying to be chill and suggesting that Gustave call him Kaname in the kitchen that first day, simply because Gustave was hot. This is different. This is more meaningful and a shiver runs down Date's spine as he feels Gustave's mouth on his skin, his jaw. He's about to have a hard time keeping it together, the familiar mix of arousal and adrenaline running through his body but not because of something as simple as a picture of boobs. But instead, something more real, more tangible, someone he feels so much for. ]

H-ha... hahaha... Gustave. Call me that again.

[ But first, another kiss, just as desperate and needy as before. He lets go of Gustave's middle to clutch his face with both hands and kiss him hard, eager, tongue and all, and when it finally breaks with a string of spit connecting them together — Date just grins. ]

I want to hear you say my name.

[ Fingers comb through Gustave's hair, touch tender as he looks back at him with such aching fondness. What a whirlwind this has been but god, he can't imagine his feelings doing anything but deepening going forward. ]

gustave "better than a picture of boobs" lastname

[9999]

[ there is a small sort of satisfaction in winding Date up enough to make his kissing degrade into something much less elegant, even if it hadn't necessarily been his intention - and even if it's balanced out instantly by said kiss leaving him gasping for air again, completely outpaced. He is, once again, playing with fire, knowing what he does about Date and his proclivities, but there's something irresistible about him in the heat of the moment, so infatuated and eager, and Gustave so desperate for life. His desire for a distraction - for Date, specifically, to distract him, if he's being honest - outweighs his internal hesitation on pushing this relationship further. There's a lot he doesn't know, but...

Look at him grinning. He couldn't push him away if he wanted to. ]

Kaname. [ he gives him that crooked smile of his, squeezing him closer until there's not an inch of space between their bodies, chest to chest. The fingers in his hair make his skin shiver. ] Just once?

[ it's a gentle bait. If he was with a woman, he knows what he'd do next, but -- well, he's out of his depth here, so he settles for nuzzling his nose into Date's while he runs his hands down his sides, still gentle as can be despite the shift in mood. They'll figure it out. It's got to be easier than saving his life, and they already committed to figuring that out, right? ]

HIGH praise ok

[gumai]

[ It might be gentle bait but the way it lights up Date's entire body — images flashing in his mind of Gustave, indecent and overwhelmed — it really couldn't be more exacting than it is. Date makes a noise then, something of a raw whimper as he surges forward to kiss Gustave again. He wants exactly what Gustave is implying, wants to make the other man cry out his name over and over until they're both spent and beyond wrecked. He wants, full stop, and if Gustave is offering, he will take.

He's had sex with a guy before, but he hasn't dated one and it's been a long time. But he could say that for his experience with women too, Hitomi was his last serious... anything and they haven't done anything beyond some flirting since everything was resolved between them. Really, for all his talk of pornography and all his frequenting of cabaret clubs, he really hasn't had sex in a long time. There's a reason Boss made him go on a dating show. Though he doubts she expected him to actually find someone on it.

Still, he is eager and he has watched a plethora of gay porn so he's pretty confident he knows what to do. They don't even have to go all the way, but he wants to make Gustave feel good, no matter which way that happens. He's half-tempted to scoop Gustave up and carry him to the bed, which might be too much and way too overeager, he realizes. So, when he pulls away from the kiss, he's going to take Gustave's hand in his own, lifting it up to press his lips to Gustave's knuckles again before he leads him over to the bed. See, he can be normal sometimes. Even if his thoughts are very actively not normal at this moment.

He'll sit on the edge of the bed then, looking up at Gustave with an eager, easy smile on his face. His other hand reaches up to take Gustave's other hand in his and he tugs him closer, squeezing both hands gently. ]

Come here.

[ Either sit next to him or — well, he wouldn't mind a lapful of Gustave either. ]

he'll take it...

[9999]

[ Oh, that one was a hit. He can't help his smile turning just a little bit smug before Date rushes in to block him from saying anything else. By this point, he's pretty sure he's had any lingering hesitation kissed straight out of him - and if this other face was a stranger a minute ago, it's certainly not anymore. Gustave lets him pull away with some reluctance, fingers catching on the fabric of his suit jacket, but it ends when he realizes Date's just pulling his knightly kiss-on-the-knuckles schtick (he raises a brow at him; sorry, that's not very normal either, pal) and going to the bed.

Right. The bed. Here's where he'd like to be suave and confident, but alas, he is instead only Gustave. At least the sense of awkwardness is much preferable to the sense of impending doom from before. "Come here," Date says, and he's left with several options on how to make his approach, one of which involves kneeling down and not getting on the bed at all, but he ultimately lets Date take him by the hands and pull him over until he's standing in front of him, at which point he puts a knee on the mattress beside the other man's hip and slips his hands free so that he can shrug off his jacket. ]

Um. Just so you know, I haven't... done this with a man. So...

[ god. this is so unsexy. he blew all his sexy points from a second ago. Gustave tugs his tie loose, then sets his hands on Date's shoulders, then wonders if he should take his prosthetic off, then decides he might still need it, then leans down towards Date, in that order, halfway into his lap, halfway contemplating pushing him down into the sheets. ]

[gumai]

[ It might feel unsexy to Gustave but to Date, this is absolutely doing it for him. From the wry brow raise when he kissed his knuckles again to the way he presses a knee into the mattress beside him. Date lets Gustave's hands go and slides his hands over Gustave's thighs, curling fingers against either side of his hip as he watches Gustave peel his suit jacket off.

His eyes widen just a fraction when the tie is pulled loose and then there are hands on his shoulders and Date is torn between the deeply feral urge to just drag Gustave down and kiss him stupid and the more polite slow build to make things more comfortable for him. He isn't surprised by the admission, considering what he knows of Gustave's history and the place he comes from. He has questions about it, of course — in a society like his, were people more judgmental of homosexuality because the lack of bearing children? Or were they more open to surrogates as a result? Things that are probably embarrassing to ask right now when they're about to screw each other though. ]

It's okay. I know how — and it doesn't have to be that complicated either. We could just... kiss... and touch. Keep it simple for now.

[ He wouldn't mind getting his hands on Gustave's dick and jerking him off until he was a puddle. That would be immensely satisfying for Date. He just wants to make Gustave feel good, in any which way he can do it. And so, as Gustave leans down towards him, he'll grasp the front of his suit to tug him in further and press their lips together again. Any time he's not kissing Gustave is time wasted, really.

And if Gustave will allow it, he'll even pull him the rest of the way forward, into his lap fully so he can start running his hands over his body and, well, basically feeling him up as they kiss. ]

[9999]

[ great questions date!! i wish i knew!!

he kinda figured Date would be more familiar, considering his peerless confidence thus far expressing any sort of physical affection towards him. That's good? It's probably good. Gustave trusts him enough now that he's not worried he's going to suddenly try and sniff his feet or something. Trusts him enough, in fact, to let Date pull him down to both his lips and his lap. It's not like he doesn't know how two men can make love, he just hasn't personally tried it! That's what he might reply with if his mouth wasn't otherwise occupied and if he didn't have the good sense to know that now isn't the time to defend his worldly knowledge.

Touching and kissing is a good start, though. Gustave hums his approval into the kiss - both of Date's words and his roaming hands. He is, perhaps, more fit than one would expect an engineer to be: slim but firm beneath his clothes, with wiry muscles derived from his years of learning how to fight and his recent actual experience being an Expeditioner. ]

Tell me what you want?

[ the question is low and earnest, murmured against Date's lips; his own hands wander up into Date's hair, seeing if they can find some way to pry loose the bun it's always tied into. He's curious, even if it won't be falling around the face he knows. ]

[gumai]

[ It feels good, to touch Gustave like this. His body is warm and solid in his arms and as Date keeps running his hands over him, he's just filled with more and more desire to take, to consume, to obsess. Gustave is so attractive, it's almost unbearable to Date. He wishes he could express just how hot he finds him without looking like an insane person. He might just still do that, damn the consequences, because he needs Gustave to know just how hard he gets him, really.

And when Gustave murmurs that against his lips, Date's gut aches with arousal as he leans up to breathe him in. His hands are settled at the moment, one on the small of Gustave's back, the other sliding lower to grope at his backside and he laughs a little, flustered and wanting. ]

You. All of you. I want to kiss you, to touch you. Let me put my mouth all over you, Gustave.

[ He'll lower his head, pressing his lips to Gustave's neck. He kisses, firm, with a hint of a bite, as Gustave is able to pull the hair tie from his hair and leave it loose around his head now. As he continues mouthing at Gustave's throat, he'll drag him in more properly against him, so he can rock his hips up towards him and show Gustave exactly the reaction his body is having to him — leaving him right now, half hard in his pants. ]

[9999]

[ he was expecting a more instructive reply, like "touch me here" or something, not the unfiltered desire for him in a general sense - Gustave can't help but chuckle a little in surprise, flustered. Date wants him so badly in a way that he's pretty sure nobody else has before; he continues feeling like Date's got the wrong guy somehow, despite the fact that Date obviously knows exactly who and what he's after, from the grazing nips at his throat to the hands grasping his ass and the hard length prodding the bottom of his thigh when Date moves.

Hell. All this, for him? Really? He hasn't even done anything yet. ]

That's -- okay, [ he laughs breathily, carding his fingers through Date's long hair and trying not to let all the kissing and squeezing distract him too much. ] That seems a little unbalanced? You don't want me to...?

[ he trails off, but lets his hand fill in the rest, dropping from his undone hair to slip underneath Date's suit jacket, thumb hooking into Date's belt. Yeah, maybe he hasn't been with a guy before, but the good news is that he has a decent idea of what they want, on account of being one himself. If he's already at half mast, he's probably begging to be touched. Unless Date really is just so into him that touching him is enough. The thought makes him a little light-headed. ]