rinyula (rinyula) wrote in areyougame, @ 2008-10-19 10:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | *the world ends with you, author: rinyula |
Made for each other, The World Ends With You (Joshua/Neku)
Title: Made for Each Other
Author: rinyula
Rating: PG
Warnings: Stalking, some (mild) language.
Word count: 1,704
Prompt: The World Ends With You, Joshua/Neku, friends and enemies - I can't believe I actually trusted you
Summary: The world could end, and Joshua would still be there to annoy him.
A/N: Took the prompt very literally - hope it's okay.
It's never a good sign when he feels Joshua before he sees him. "Go away."
"Mmmmm," Joshua says, pressing right up against his back. He's clearly not listening. "You've been a little moody lately. Is someone bothering you, Neku? Tell me, and I'll erase them for you."
Neku squints back at him. His hair is falling in his face; it's difficult to see. "Idiot. You actually think that's sexy, don't you?" After a moment, "It's not; and now you mention it, there is someone bothering me. I think the grey-haired asshole's even around here somewhere."
It takes a moment for Joshua to get that, blowing the hair out of his eyes as he leans back and regards Neku with a pout. "Not funny, Neku. And my hair's not grey."
"I don't find it particularly funny to have you molesting me at every corner like some creepy stalker. Don't you have other people's lives to ruin?"
Another pout. "But yours is the most fun, Neku..."
Neku tries not to let his irritation show. If Joshua gets to know how much this bothers him, he's already won, and then he'll never leave Neku alone.
Sometimes, Neku thinks that Joshua knows anyway, and just likes seeing him struggle to contain his annoyance. Smug bastard.
It'd started out innocuous enough. Neku had (after the initial shock) got used to Joshua showing up whenever he pleased, and while he still hadn't forgiven the bastard for dying on him (or not) and killing him (twice, at that) and then restoring them all without a word (even a text would've been nice), that couldn't diguise the fact that Neku held a sort of grudging respect and trust for Joshua, something that Joshua capitalized on mercilessly.
That had been at the beginning. Recently though, Joshua had started getting a lot more touchy-feely. A little too much, to Neku's taste. And okay, Neku had always known (or at least really strongly suspected) which way Joshua's preferences lay, but he'd never expected for them to be directed at him.
...If Joshua just asked him, instead of acting like some creepy stalker, he might get a different answer.
Neku grabs his hand when Joshua starts sliding it a little too suggestively over his stomach. "Get off, you freak."
Joshua's hand withdraws, but he doesn't sound at all happy when he says, "Honestly, Neku, what's the problem? It's almost like you don't want me to touch you."
Yes, that was the problem right there, but Joshua had an ego the size of Shibuya and probably couldn't even comprehend someone actually not wanting him. He probably expects Neku to take it as a compliment. "That would be about right," Neku says bluntly. He kind of wishes Joshua wasn't this crazy, but that would be like wishing the sun wasn't hot. It was sort of an ingrained part of his nature.
Joshua laughs at his response. "Not feeling up to playing today, Neku?"
"Or any day. Go away."
"Fine," Joshua sighs melodramatically; Neku blinks at having got his way so easily until Joshua adds, "I'm due at the WildKat in fifteen minutes anyway. Maybe I'll see you there, Neku."
...The bastard. It's Wednesday, Neku's day for - for, well, he's not exactly sure what it is, but he goes down to the WildKat - always on his own, never with the others - and talks to Hanekoma over coffee he has to pay for about art he'll never produce. Sometimes Hanekoma sketches stuff for him, gives him a few tips. He'll look over Neku's work, if Neku brings it, and suggest pointers to improve. It's better than any art class Neku's ever taken, but more importantly it's his, it's private.
Having Joshua waltz in there, all over-bearing arrogance and confidence, would ruin it.
Neku shifts enough so that he can look round and properly glare at the Composer, but it doesn't have any discernible effect. Joshua just waves a hand and winks, fading into white as he teleports away.
Neku has to walk, and he spends every minute of the fifteen it takes to get to WildKat hating every fibre of Josh's being.
*
"- can't believe I ever trusted you!"
Neku storms out of the shop, and Hanekoma sighs. He'd always known it was going to be a risk having the two of them in the same enclosed space at the same time, but he'd hoped it might've gone better.
The problem was that Joshua's powers were so strong, so unconsciously used to absorbing power from everything that lived, breathed, was in Shibuya, that when they clashed with Neku's powers (which were stronger than any mortal living in the RG should, technically, have, and a damn sight stronger than most high-ranking Reapers, even Conductors) and Neku's powers resisted, tensions started running high. Like a spoilt brat, Joshua wanted the one thing he couldn't have.
"...I think he overreacted a little," Joshua says petulantly into the silence, and Hanekoma laughs; it's been so long since he's heard that particular whiny tone to his boss' voice: somewhere back in '76, maybe.
Joshua frowns at him, and Hanekoma holds back another laugh at how brilliant, yet simplistic, he is.
"If I were you, I wouldn't have insulted his artwork. It means a lot to him, y'know, boss."
Joshua waves a hand dismissively. "Spilt ink on canvas."
"You of all people should know what art and designs can do." The red pins come to mind, and a glance at Joshua's face shows him that his Composer's thinking of them too; there's a distinctly cold look in his eyes. "I don't think you shoulda talked about the Game either; it's still a bit of a sore subject."
Joshua shoots him an annoyed look. "I suppose you're going to tell me what else I did wrong," he says, voice dripping with sarcasm. Joshua hates having his faults pointed out.
Hanekoma makes like he's considering it. "All in all boss, I'd say you were a little tactless. And if you want into Neku's pants, which I think you do, you're going the wrong way about it."
There's no point in being anything but blunt with his Composer: hedging what he really wanted to say usually ended up with them almost getting killled, he'd found out early in their relationship.
Joshua doesn't say anything. When Hanekoma risks a glance over, he sees that Joshua's almost lost control of his RG form, slipping back into a complex array of bright light and wings. The silence stretches on.
When it's clear Joshua's not going to say anything more, and may in fact be ignoring him like he's five years old again (how many years ago was that? Too many, and enough that Joshua should be ashamed), Hanekoma gets up and heads for the back. "The whole following him thing. He needs space. He needs to feel like he's in control. It's a human thing."
"I've given him space," Joshua says sulkily, obviously forgetting to ignore him for a second. "I gave him lots of space after the Game!"
Hanekoma wants to say: that's exactly when you shouldn't have given him space, you needed to explain things to him, you needed to be there for him and help him deal with it. But he doesn't, because Joshua has to learn about human interaction for himself, or there'll be no gain from it. Instead he shrugs, starting to wash and clear up.
The clatter of coffee cups and mugs is the only sound for several long minutes, which stretch into several long hours. Finally, when Hanekoma goes to check all the locks as a not-so-subtle hint, Joshua rises gracefully to his feet.
"I'll think about it," he says firmly, and vanishes in a flash of light and feathers.
The fact that Joshua, overbearing, gets-what-he-wants-and-gets-it-now Joshua, is willing to compromise surprises Sanae. It must be love.
*
"Did you miss me, Neku?"
Neku looks up from the design he's working on, all flowers and twisting vines. when he'd promised to help Shiki sort out some of her ideas for clothes, this hadn't quite been what he'd had in mind. Still, a promise was a promise, and Neku had been finding the tracing, editing and re-sketching almost calming and therapeutic.
"Oh. It's you," he says flatly. Although he hadn't really expected it to be anyone else. None of his other friends can materialize out of thin air, after all. "Come to piss me off again?"
Joshua frowns slightly at that, elegantly brushing back a few errant strands of hair that have fallen over his face. Neku's eyes unwillingly follow the motion of his hand. He is pretty, a wistful voice in his head mutters; like, really pretty.
He's also a complete bastard. Neku squashes the voice and ignores it.
"Perhaps I was a little out of line last time," he says, and Neku gapes at him.
"Is that an apology?"
Joshua doesn't deign to answer that, instead moving in to circle the back of Neku's chair like some giant bizarre predator. He leans over, brushing the side of his cheek with Neku's as he points at the design and says, "It's nice."
Neku turns his head slightly, just slightly, to one side. Joshua is actually looking at the design intently, which amazes him, and is looking sincere, which makes a kind of jolt happen around the region of his stomach. He tells himself it's just because Joshua's the Composer, right? He should know what good art is.
He feels it rather than sees it - Joshua's close, too close; his hair mingling dull silver with the bright orange of Neku's; his breath warm on Neku's cheek; his hands snaking down and clasping at Neku's shoulders - as Joshua turns his head.
He stops there. It's almost hesitant. "Neku, may I..." - and Neku's reminded of that kid's game, mother, may I, and wants to laugh but can't because Joshua's asking, for once. Neku doesn't think it'll last, reckons that Joshua will be insufferable about five seconds afterwards and they'll be back to yelling at each other like sworn enemies in ten and warily friends again in fifteen, but it's enough for now.
"Finally," Neku mutters, and leans forward to kiss him.