[In spite of the flippancy, there's genuine concern in Jin's face. Who knows what Asher had done while apart from Audentes? Jin's hand slides to the back of Asher's neck, fingers winding in the hair at the base of his neck. (It's almost too neat. But he looks good, actually-- closer to the original, tightly pressed, clean-cut Asher he'd originally met. Certainly in sharp contrast to Jin's appearance, with the very recent commotion of battle clinging to his whole body like static electricity. Even his hair's been hacked a few inches shorter, an inaccurate, hurried cut, obvious from even just a glance.]
[It's true- The Asher standing before him is a cry back to the one Jin met on his very first day, complete with a messenger bag strung over his shoulder. He smells of expensive cologne and is clad in a relatively ostentatious white suit, once again seeming ill-suited to the affairs that Audentes typically handles.
He rests a hand gingerly upon Jin's shoulder, stroking the bare flesh that isn't in disrepair, checking for tenderness or swelling as he does.]
[He chuckles, ducking his head; helping out on his off-Audentes mission had been no mean feat. Jin's still not entirely sure how he and the other agents of ALASTAIR had made it out of that mess alive, much less to resounding (?) success.]
I'll tell you the whole thing later. [At the moment, he's keen on enjoying the sound of Asher's voice and the feel of Asher's hand on his shoulder.] What about you? You look--
So you come back all dressed up from your fancypants mission and expect me to swoon into your arms, just like that?
[The smirk on his face and the hand pressed against Asher's chest, holding that bit of distance between them, belie the way he rolls his eyes and the way that his brows furrow together.]
[At that he has to take a moment to laugh to himself, beaming. Asher likes to talk a lot, which is strange, seeing as his moments of silence often seem to say so much more. There is a warm boyishness about the way he looks back at the other man, who seems older despite being at least two or three years his junior.]
Yeah, really: it looks great. Fits good on you, too. [liar you dont know how suit fittings work, you just know that it's not 2 fuckin tight like the rest of asher's dumb wardrobe] Can I see the back?
[He tilts his head a little, curious, and his eyes drift over the finely-tailored, pristine suit that Asher's clad in. Gods know how he's managed to keep it in this condition on cat planet: there's not even any cat hair on it.]
What'd you even do? I was on a camp in the freakin' mountains the entire time. [He pulls his hand away and gestures to his own clothes, no different from what he'd shown up wearing on his first day in Oska. There are some tears and scuffs in the outfit and his shoulder armor: clearly, he wasn't vacationing up in the Skaultan highlands.] I mean, look at me.
He consoles himself by answering in his own mind: Defend an innocent man.
The images come reeling back, like a series of snapshots flash after flash. The contrast between the photographs of Mina, alive in one and dead in the other, makes him sick all of a sudden.
After Woodhurst, it had just felt like too soon.]
Oh, um.
Sure.
[Asher turns around on the balls of his feet, clearly distracted.]
I helped out with a trial for this murder thing.
Some kid got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and this big scary lawyer dude was tryin' to pin it on 'im-
You didn’t have to tell me while you were turned around, weirdo.
[The distant tone seems... off, somehow, but without seeing Asher’s face, Jin doesn’t take it for all that much. Asher's tired, distracted; gods know that a planet full of cats after a full murder trial was disorienting. But knowing Asher to be a lawyer-to-be rather than a full-fledged one...
His smile wanes, just a little, with concern. Jin reaches for Asher’s shoulders, to gently spin him back around.]
Soooo... my big scary lawyer dude stepped in with the other ALASTAIR agents to prove the kid innocent?
[Asher is whisked around and finds himself losing his balance slightly. Instinctively, his hands gravitate towards the other's body, traveling over fine leather and intricate detailing. Being upset for too long is difficult with such a wonderful reason to celebrate right in front of him, so he drops it for the time being, lips upturned slightly.]
Somethin' like that.
[He leans in again to press a gentle kiss to Jin's lips, short but sweet all the same.]
Either way, it looks like you could really use a breather.
[There's the smile and easygoing nature again. Must've been nothing, after all.
Even on a far-flung planet, it's good to feel, once more, at home. Jin kisses back and squeezes Asher's hand, reassured and ready to follow him back to... wherever the heck he's staying on Terra Felis.]
Not the same way he does when he takes hold of Jin's fingers, like he is now. The jovial sort when he isn't upset, Asher smiles a lot, but there is a special understated manner in which he grins at the monk from across the way, more light in his eyes and color in his cheeks than usual.
He is content to walk hand in hand with the broader man, sniffling and sneezing as he may be, without a care in the world. As long as Kung Jin is still beside him, he is happy, no matter the circumstances.
Whether they be talking cats or sudden death.]
I know they probably got you a room, but...
You wanna crash with me for a lil' bit?
[Somewhere deep down, he thinks he knows what Jin's answer will be.]
Of-- [Jin cuts off with his own sneeze: Asher's contagious, apparently. That or they're both allergic to cats?] Excuse me. [He smiles sheepishly, sniffling a little.] Of course I do, Ash. We haven't seen each other in... a month? Maybe more? Like hell I'm going back to wherever my place is right away.
[Jin traces the back of Asher's palm with his thumb.]
Wait, you did? You didn't have to get me a souvenir, or anything.
[Jin looks away, an uncertain frown crossing his face: it hadn't been Asher's fault that he'd been called away to another mission right before his birthday, but it'd still been more than a little lonesome without him. (Of course, he also didn't have to not tell anyone the day-- but Kung Jin's nothing if not proud. He wouldn't have been able to stomach the pitying glances any more than he already had.) Hell, he'd barely remembered until halfway through the day was out, with how chaotic those last few weeks in Woodhurst had been.
He can play this off, can't he? So no one celebrated your birthday with you, big deal.]
Twenty-four's not an especially big year, anyway. It was okay, there were more important things to worry about in Woodhurst. Like the Bristol virus, for one.
[Asher's sentimental nature flares up immediately, and he reaches out to touch the side of Jin's neck with his own free hand.]
Don't say that.
[Even he realizes the gesture is a little extreme, especially with everything that Jin has just said and done. His wrinkly brow knit with worry, Asher lets his thumb graze the side of Jin's cheek, carefully avoiding any of the bruises.]
Twenty-three was a big year for you.
[He shouldn't say this here, right out in the open-]
In the time that I've know you, you've-
[But he has never been great at keeping his feelings inside.]
[He presses his lips together, eyes darting away momentarily; it's a gesture that'd easily be taken for timid were it anyone other than Kung Jin. Reassured by the gentle caress of Asher's thumb on his cheek, Jin leans into his partner's hand, lips turning up in a hesitant, albeit sincere, smile.
After all, he would never show this side of himself to anyone but Asher. That, in itself, is a testament to how different things are now.
Since when had Kung Jin learned to trust this much?]
I... guess you're right. I have, haven't I.
[Suddenly, he laughs-- an easy chuckle.]
Remember when you told me you were really great at playing Street Fighter?
[Asher has paid even closer attention, perhaps too close, right from the very start.
He is surprised Jin remembers any of the things he had said from their very first conversation, recalling firsthand how small he felt when the monk had given him a once over and scoffed, unimpressed. It's strange to think that somehow they ended up here, sharing more than just a few kisses and holding hands like a real couple, instead of trading barbs like the foolish men they usually are.
Lashes flutter downwards as he glances to the side, laughing softly and hesitantly, as if he is going to utter some sort of well-kept secret. Asher leans back on the soles of his feet, rocking forwards once, and slips his hands into his pockets.]
I lied.
[Asher is a lover of video games, sure, but he's not particularly skilled.]
I actually kinda suck.
Edited (sorry my phrasing aSLKDFJASF) 2017-05-05 01:27 (UTC)
[In the grand scheme of things, it's not an especially impactful admission. Of course the Asher then, well over half a year gone, would've been wracking his brain for anything to say to Jin in the moment: sure, he couldn't actually fight, faced up against the temporal insects that'd infested Oska. Maybe it'd made sense at the time, in all the disarray.
But right now Jin's taken totally aback, blinking, dumbfounded, at Asher. It's stupid. It's so stupid. Something about the ridiculousness of it all, that even that pointless excuse had been a lie-- something about how the weight of the last few months settles into him, down to very tissue and fiber-- sends him into more than just a little chuckle.
Whole, up from his belly, enough that he ducks his head once more, leaning into Asher for support: Kung Jin is laughing.]
You dumbass! You really-- hah-- you really had to lie about--
[The peal of laughter breaks off into another sneeze. Jin sniffles, giggling as he shakes his head and breaks eye contact. He can't look him in the face. He'll just start laughing again.]
Gods. [Jin's tone softens.] It's so good to be back.
[Jin laughs and everything is right again, and Asher smiles too.
The first time had managed to make him laugh it'd been by mistake, and although he was annoyed at the time, it had definitely changed some little thing inside, to see a man so menacing crack a smile that wasn't bitter or tinged with disdain. He watches the contours of Jin's face move, grinning a little wider as he notes those familiar wrinkles around the eyes, and slides an arm around a waist that's thicker than the ones he's so used to holding.]
Whaaaat!
[Said on an exhale, after elbowing Jin gently.]
Okay, okay... So I wasn't total garbage, but-
[r u pulling him closer u cheeky son of a bitch]
I wasn't about to be winning no nerd league championships, ya hear?
Edited (last edit it is Fine) 2017-05-08 19:00 (UTC)
[Jin's smile is warm as the laughter tapers off at last. Asher'd jabbed him with his elbow, lighter than this, the night they'd been thrown quite literally into each other in Perdition's Rest: he rubs his side, not in pain, but in reminiscence.
Things have changed. He doesn't regret any of it. ]
They have championships? [pffft.] Who even has time to play that many video games?
[He leans into Asher's arm, fitting there as seamlessly as if they'd never left each other's side at all.]
It doesn't matter. Let's just get back to your place already.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[In spite of the flippancy, there's genuine concern in Jin's face. Who knows what Asher had done while apart from Audentes? Jin's hand slides to the back of Asher's neck, fingers winding in the hair at the base of his neck. (It's almost too neat. But he looks good, actually-- closer to the original, tightly pressed, clean-cut Asher he'd originally met. Certainly in sharp contrast to Jin's appearance, with the very recent commotion of battle clinging to his whole body like static electricity. Even his hair's been hacked a few inches shorter, an inaccurate, hurried cut, obvious from even just a glance.]
Really, though. [Jin smiles gently.] I'm glad you're okay, too.
We have a lot to catch up on.
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He rests a hand gingerly upon Jin's shoulder, stroking the bare flesh that isn't in disrepair, checking for tenderness or swelling as he does.]
What happened?
[Spoken softly.]
Did you get into a fight?
[Those fingers in his hair, they're comforting.
Jin is comfortable.]
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[He chuckles, ducking his head; helping out on his off-Audentes mission had been no mean feat. Jin's still not entirely sure how he and the other agents of ALASTAIR had made it out of that mess alive, much less to resounding (?) success.]
I'll tell you the whole thing later. [At the moment, he's keen on enjoying the sound of Asher's voice and the feel of Asher's hand on his shoulder.] What about you? You look--
[gr e at? ?? ?? wt f]
You look nice.
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[Asher squares his shoulders back, cocky grin resurfacing as he processes the look on Jin's face, clearly one of quiet adoration.]
I mean, I know I look nice, but-
[He takes a step closer, so that there's hardly any space between them.]
I'm pretty sure I feel even better.
i hate this
[The smirk on his face and the hand pressed against Asher's chest, holding that bit of distance between them, belie the way he rolls his eyes and the way that his brows furrow together.]
Try again, handsome. I'm not that easy.
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You really like the suit?
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[He tilts his head a little, curious, and his eyes drift over the finely-tailored, pristine suit that Asher's clad in. Gods know how he's managed to keep it in this condition on cat planet: there's not even any cat hair on it.]
What'd you even do? I was on a camp in the freakin' mountains the entire time. [He pulls his hand away and gestures to his own clothes, no different from what he'd shown up wearing on his first day in Oska. There are some tears and scuffs in the outfit and his shoulder armor: clearly, he wasn't vacationing up in the Skaultan highlands.] I mean, look at me.
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He consoles himself by answering in his own mind: Defend an innocent man.
The images come reeling back, like a series of snapshots flash after flash. The contrast between the photographs of Mina, alive in one and dead in the other, makes him sick all of a sudden.
After Woodhurst, it had just felt like too soon.]
Oh, um.
Sure.
[Asher turns around on the balls of his feet, clearly distracted.]
I helped out with a trial for this murder thing.
Some kid got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and this big scary lawyer dude was tryin' to pin it on 'im-
no subject
[The distant tone seems... off, somehow, but without seeing Asher’s face, Jin doesn’t take it for all that much. Asher's tired, distracted; gods know that a planet full of cats after a full murder trial was disorienting. But knowing Asher to be a lawyer-to-be rather than a full-fledged one...
His smile wanes, just a little, with concern. Jin reaches for Asher’s shoulders, to gently spin him back around.]
Soooo... my big scary lawyer dude stepped in with the other ALASTAIR agents to prove the kid innocent?
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Somethin' like that.
[He leans in again to press a gentle kiss to Jin's lips, short but sweet all the same.]
Either way, it looks like you could really use a breather.
You wanna...
[taking jin's hand for the umpteenth time fml]
Come relax with me?
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Even on a far-flung planet, it's good to feel, once more, at home. Jin kisses back and squeezes Asher's hand, reassured and ready to follow him back to... wherever the heck he's staying on Terra Felis.]
A break sounds nice. Lead the way.
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Home.
Not the same way he does when he takes hold of Jin's fingers, like he is now. The jovial sort when he isn't upset, Asher smiles a lot, but there is a special understated manner in which he grins at the monk from across the way, more light in his eyes and color in his cheeks than usual.
He is content to walk hand in hand with the broader man, sniffling and sneezing as he may be, without a care in the world. As long as Kung Jin is still beside him, he is happy, no matter the circumstances.
Whether they be talking cats or sudden death.]
I know they probably got you a room, but...
You wanna crash with me for a lil' bit?
[Somewhere deep down, he thinks he knows what Jin's answer will be.]
I kinda got you somethin' while I was out.
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[Jin traces the back of Asher's palm with his thumb.]
Wait, you did? You didn't have to get me a souvenir, or anything.
[Being together again's more than enough.]
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Wait, Jin.
[He angles his head in a way that the other will recognize, something he often does when a situation is not quite right.]
You don't remember?
[No, no, no.
This shouldn't hurt so much.]
March 31st.
That's your birthday, right?
[It is also a few days after he disappeared from Woodhurst.]
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[Jin looks away, an uncertain frown crossing his face: it hadn't been Asher's fault that he'd been called away to another mission right before his birthday, but it'd still been more than a little lonesome without him. (Of course, he also didn't have to not tell anyone the day-- but Kung Jin's nothing if not proud. He wouldn't have been able to stomach the pitying glances any more than he already had.) Hell, he'd barely remembered until halfway through the day was out, with how chaotic those last few weeks in Woodhurst had been.
He can play this off, can't he? So no one celebrated your birthday with you, big deal.]
Twenty-four's not an especially big year, anyway. It was okay, there were more important things to worry about in Woodhurst. Like the Bristol virus, for one.
sorry 4 the icon repeat rip
[Asher's sentimental nature flares up immediately, and he reaches out to touch the side of Jin's neck with his own free hand.]
Don't say that.
[Even he realizes the gesture is a little extreme, especially with everything that Jin has just said and done. His wrinkly brow knit with worry, Asher lets his thumb graze the side of Jin's cheek, carefully avoiding any of the bruises.]
Twenty-three was a big year for you.
[He shouldn't say this here, right out in the open-]
In the time that I've know you, you've-
[But he has never been great at keeping his feelings inside.]
You've really grown a lot.
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After all, he would never show this side of himself to anyone but Asher. That, in itself, is a testament to how different things are now.
Since when had Kung Jin learned to trust this much?]
I... guess you're right. I have, haven't I.
[Suddenly, he laughs-- an easy chuckle.]
Remember when you told me you were really great at playing Street Fighter?
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[Asher has paid even closer attention, perhaps too close, right from the very start.
He is surprised Jin remembers any of the things he had said from their very first conversation,
recalling firsthand how small he felt when the monk had given him a once over and scoffed, unimpressed. It's strange to think that somehow they ended up here, sharing more than just a few kisses and holding hands like a real couple, instead of trading barbs like the foolish men they usually are.
Lashes flutter downwards as he glances to the side, laughing softly and hesitantly, as if he is going to utter some sort of well-kept secret. Asher leans back on the soles of his feet, rocking forwards once, and slips his hands into his pockets.]
I lied.
[Asher is a lover of video games, sure, but he's not particularly skilled.]
I actually kinda suck.
1/2
2/2
But right now Jin's taken totally aback, blinking, dumbfounded, at Asher. It's stupid. It's so stupid. Something about the ridiculousness of it all, that even that pointless excuse had been a lie-- something about how the weight of the last few months settles into him, down to very tissue and fiber-- sends him into more than just a little chuckle.
Whole, up from his belly, enough that he ducks his head once more, leaning into Asher for support: Kung Jin is laughing.]
You dumbass! You really-- hah-- you really had to lie about--
[The peal of laughter breaks off into another sneeze. Jin sniffles, giggling as he shakes his head and breaks eye contact. He can't look him in the face. He'll just start laughing again.]
Gods. [Jin's tone softens.] It's so good to be back.
[Home.]
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The first time had managed to make him laugh it'd been by mistake, and although he was annoyed at the time, it had definitely changed some little thing inside, to see a man so menacing crack a smile that wasn't bitter or tinged with disdain. He watches the contours of Jin's face move, grinning a little wider as he notes those familiar wrinkles around the eyes, and slides an arm around a waist that's thicker than the ones he's so used to holding.]
Whaaaat!
[Said on an exhale, after elbowing Jin gently.]
Okay, okay... So I wasn't total garbage, but-
[r u pulling him closer u cheeky son of a bitch]
I wasn't about to be winning no nerd league championships, ya hear?
no subject
this, the night they'd been thrown quite literally into each other in Perdition's Rest: he rubs his side, not in pain, but in reminiscence.
Things have changed. He doesn't regret any of it. ]
They have championships? [pffft.] Who even has time to play that many video games?
[He leans into Asher's arm, fitting there as seamlessly as if they'd never left each other's side at all.]
It doesn't matter. Let's just get back to your place already.
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Guy's with a bunch of games and noooo girls.
[He scoffs at first, then remembering inclusivity, right-]
Or guys. Or just, any human contact in general. Anyway-
[The hotel is within sight now, and he fumbles with the keys in his pocket, using the action as an excuse to look away.
Asher's voice grows soft, and while he's playing it cool, it's clear that there's something he is rather nervous about.]
I kinda sorta... Gotcha a birthday present.
If you hate it, just tell me straight up.