{004} Log: White Day [CLOSED]

[lovesickkiller]

Who: Misa Amane + Lazarus, Cesar, Emilia, and Stefan.
What: It's reverse-White Day! A chance to thank those who have helped her out so far.
Where: Various houses in Locke City and Las Vegas
When: March 14
Warnings: None expected

It was a little unorthodox to be giving chocolate instead of receiving it on White Day, but since no one else here seemed to have even heard of the holiday before, Misa figured that she could take some liberties. She really did feel bad for not using Valentine's Day as an opportunity to thank those who had taken her in and helped her out in this strange new city, even though she'd had a pretty decent excuse for laying low during that time. There was a lot that she owed the people here, and if nothing else White Day could function as a delayed Numbered appreciation day this year.

A small package of handmade chocolates in hand, Misa visited the homes of those she felt most indebted to one by one. She had prepared a little box for each of them; nothing fancy, just chocolate fudge squares dusted with cocoa. Maybe store bought would have sufficed, but Misa thought they all deserved a personal touch.

Some addresses were harder to come by than others, but one way or another Misa approached each door with a firm knock, and waited.

Comments

[lovesickkiller]

Misa reaches over to flick his arm. "I don't," she verifies. "Do you want some of the covers?

[dead_black_eyes]

He flinches slightly at that arm flick. "Good..." he says uncertainly. "You mean sharing the covers? Is that OK?"

[lovesickkiller]

"Yeah, I don't have to hog them all."

She sits up enough to get the blanket out from under her, then throws one side over him. Completely casual. Just two friends sharing a bed. Nothing to see here.

[dead_black_eyes]

He seems terribly puzzled by her answer, but doesn't protest, maneuvering so he can get under the covers.

"It'll be warmer like this, for sure. Do you have any sort of thing I should be aware of? Night terrors? Bed-wetting? I can lay down plastic and be very discreet about it."

[lovesickkiller]

"Oh my God Lazarus, what is wrong with you??"

She ducks her head under the covers, too mortified to even look at him. A muffled voice insists, "I am a normal sleeper!"

[dead_black_eyes]

He ducks his head under the covers, too, almost reflexively.

"Nothing important..." he says, wide-eyed and chastised. "And I'm a normal sleeper too, very normal. With Xanax."

[lovesickkiller]

Well now they are both under the covers, staring at each other, and Misa is blushing at the proximity. It seems a lot more intimate under the covers, even accounting for the terrible conversation that prompted it.

"Good, then... we'll both sleep normally! So don't say anything else weird!"

[dead_black_eyes]

"Weird how? I have a really hard time drawing a bead on just what you consider weird sometimes," he admits. "If we're going to be sharing a bed for any length of time, any reactions or tendencies should be given fair warning, even those that are discreet. To employ a euphemism, willows aren't the only kind of wood in Willow Ridge, some...times."

[lovesickkiller]

Misa lacks the words to even begin to respond to that. A look of absolute horror on her face, embarrassed for him and herself and everyone who has to exist in a world where that sentence has been spoken, she abruptly pushes at him with both hands.

"That! That is weird, and- out!"

[dead_black_eyes]

Though Misa's struck dumb by Lazarus' blithe words, the man himself seems completely unaware that he's crossed a line being so frank and shameless about something that, while natural, isn't exactly a common topic in polite company. Perhaps because he's so very blithe, the shove catches him completely off-guard, and though he makes an effort to cling to the twin-sized mattress, the abruptness and the lack of ample space to recover combined send him spilling over the edge. He's dumped in a sprawling tangle of bony limbs onto the floor.

[lovesickkiller]

Misa wasn't expecting her shove to be quite that effective. She pokes her head over the side of the bed, looking down at him with some alarm.

"Are you okay...?"

[dead_black_eyes]

There is not a lot there to cushion his bony ass when he hits the hard floor, but he manages to keep his wince from registering too obviously on his face. There will be a lot of bruises a few days from now, but in the meantime he can keep it together enough to make it seem like he's totally OK and not feeling the pain sing through his muscle and bone demanding notice.

"Yeah, I'm fine..."

His voice sounds tight as he starts inching away toward the door.

[lovesickkiller]

"Sorry, I didn't mean-!"

Misa hops to her feet, leaving their blanket behind, and bends over to help him up. She is exceedingly aware of the fact that he wants to be alone and she doesn't, and she just gave him the perfect reason to leave.

"I didn't think you would fall."

[dead_black_eyes]

"No...! It's... it's really OK."

He continues to inch backward; it is a very good reason to leave. In fact, when she said "out", it sounded a heck of a lot like she wanted him to.

"If you changed your mind about wanting to be alone I completely understand."

[lovesickkiller]

"I didn't!" she insists, still holding her hand out expectantly. "Just don't talk about gross things like that and we'll be fine! You can come back!"

[dead_black_eyes]

He stares at her hand for a very full few moments, as if expecting some kind of trick to spring from it, before reaching out and gingerly taking it in his.

"Now that I'm aware you find it gross, it won't be mentioned again," he says, probably reading way more into the sentiment than Misa ever intended to convey.

[lovesickkiller]

Misa attempts to pull him up, with minimal success. He may be skin and bones, but he is still quite a bit taller than her and not quite as insubstantial in the weight department as she is.

"Good," she says. "Any girl would find that gross, you shouldn't talk about things like that in front of someone you aren't dating."

He probably shouldn't talk about it around anyone, but she doubts that Lazarus is in danger of dating someone anytime soon based on this display.

[dead_black_eyes]

The leverage is all wrong, and Misa is a tiny thing. Lazarus pulls himself up rather than leaving the bulk of the effort to her, cautiously joining her in the bed.

"It is true that we aren't dating," he murmurs. "I will refrain, and face away from you, like this..."

He curls on his side; she can come in contact with the curved shell of his back, but nothing else unexpected or unwanted this way.

[lovesickkiller]

Something about the way he says 'it is true we aren't dating' sends butterflies through her chest; his voice is as monotone as ever, but Misa reads into it all sorts of sentiments, like 'we could be' or 'unfortunately'.

"Okay. That... fixes that."

Misa lies down behind him, throwing the blanket back over the two of them and grabbing a pillow. She keeps some space between them at first, but eventually grows bolder and presses against his back.

"I think you're a good person, Lazarus," she whispers against his ear.

[dead_black_eyes]

He stiffens almost immediately as she cuddles up against his bony back; it can't be particularly comfortable, but by merit of being so very spare, it's easy to feel his breath and his heartbeat through his frame.

He's silent for a second after the confession-slash-reassurance, and then he mumbles something about wanting that in writing.

[lovesickkiller]

Misa giggles, but doesn't respond one way or another. Lying with him is not particularly comfortable, but it is reassuring, and it has been a while since she had anyone to share a bed with. It's nice, even if the way they got here is not particularly romantic. She rests a hand against his ribcage, finding comfort in his heartbeat.

It isn't long before her breathing evens out and Misa drifts off to sleep.

[dead_black_eyes]

Fortunately, she seems to take it in stride, laughing in a lilting, girlish way as her hand seeks out a place on his scrawny form where it can feel the soft, steady thrum of his heartbeat. It's usually at a slightly elevated rate, a combination of anxiety and caffeine keeping it higher than normal, and that's certainly true now... but gradually, it slows into something like a relaxed state, enough for him to drift off himself.

Once sleep at last manages to claim Lazarus, it has a hard time letting go.