This is the apocalypse, they really shouldn't be doing this. But at this point Eugene couldn't really be blamed, not when Daizou is asking for it. He's surprised that Daizou actually approaches him about it, they've loved each-other for a long time but they've only formally discussed it once. Daizou is a private man, and it's hard to get him to react to certain things personally. The one time they discussed about it was right before Daizou left for the military, and it was more of a business conversation than it actually is a personal one. One of the very few things Eugene is.. exasperated about Daizou is his tendency to keep everything under very tight wraps, not willing to involve himself personally in anything.
Not to mention the Daizou that left did not came back as he was, but Eugene loved him all the same. He's just more quiet, reserved, efficient to the point of almost robotic if it weren't for the occassional jabs or the little chuckles that slipped out every now and then. Daizou used to smile very boyishly, especially after he kissed him on the forehead before he left for the military.
That was back when they were around their early twenties. It's been almost another twenty before they meet again. Eugene never forgets anything, literally. The perks of having photographic memory is that he can remember what Daizou looked like even in his dreams.
Now Daizou's smile is just.. there. Like it was painted on very sloppily, his smile never did reach his eyes nor came from his heart like it used to but there are moments when he smiles at the kids more softly and gently, less of a blur in the background and more present but it was always split second. He smiles differently around Eugene, it almost reaches his eyes, the corners barely wrinkling from his stiff smile. Like it's a rarely oiled engine, rust covering every nook and cranny and the only way to get it function as smoothly as before is to use it often.
For some reason, Eugene guards that feeling with an iron cage. He's not a very possessive man, but he only wants Daizou to smile like that at him. Only at him.
One conversation led to another, and Daizou is now sitting in front of him without the bandages and his wound gleams in the moonlight. They're near by a river, the sound calming and serves as a background noise that almost deludes them into a sense of relaxation. He finds that he doesn't mind the wound all that much, finds it attractive. He does miss Daizou's unscarred face, but this? This is almost better.
"I've never kissed you," he said in the most Daizou way possible, deadpan and impersonal. Like he's talking about someone else. "Or is my memory failing me again?"
Eugene swallowed. "No, no. You haven't, that's right." He rolled his sleeves up, carding his hand through his hair. It's getting longer. "Why do you ask?"
"I was hoping to be wrong," Daizou said, something akin to grief flickering in his eyes. He got his hands out of the running water, shaking it off and placing it at his own neck; the heat must be getting into him. Daizou never really liked summer, Eugene distantly remembers, he just puts up with me because I like summer.
"Well," Eugene crossed his arms, "you were shy back then. You tease me a lot but you were very shy." He chuckled, mirth and nostalgia dancing in his eyes like fireflies. Daizou was always one to heckle at him, but whenever he's faced with the same shit as Eugene; he gets flustered and ran away before anyone could say anything. "Someone flirted with you at a bar we used to frequent and you threw a drink on their face before apologizing, then grabbing the wrong coat. I was there."
Daizou lightly smacked him in the arm. "Why didn't you stop them."
"It was funny! I admit, I was a little jealous but I knew from experience that if other people.." Eugene leaned into Daizou's personal space, infuriatingly close because it's hot and he snaked a hand onto Daizou's waist. He can visibly see the other man swallow, hands clenched and trying his best to stay relaxed. "..do this, they'll either get a punch from you or you push them until they nearly topple over."
