insurmountable | i'm dragging a heart that weighs a ton / holding out for not just anyone

[ look who's taking advantage of their agreement, lumine rolling her eyes as he tries his best to keep her preoccupied with him. he even closes her laptop, an attempt to keep her from working in the middle of all of this. it's an admirable effort, and one she'd applaud him for. except she's two steps ahead of him as usual.

lumine turns her head enough when he tries to leave another kiss to her cheek, catching his mouth instead with hers. she kisses him slowly, gently—and pulls away after a few seconds, her hands opening her laptop again. ]

There, [ she says breathlessly, her gaze focused on the screen as it lights up once more. ] I kissed you, Ajax. So it's your turn to keep your end of the deal.

[ you know, the "leave her be with her work and go watch an episode" part of the deal. he did agree to that if she were to kiss him, and she just did. ]

I'm glad you're being a good sport about this.

[Her kiss sends a shudder through him, finding himself melting beneath it, the slow caress fogging his mind. Ajax won't fight it, his hand on her side rubbing her as he falls under her spell on him. But it seems like it's over before it had even really begun, breathless as well when they break. His head falls into the crook of her neck, eyes closed as she opens her laptop again.]

Since I must, [he begins, sighing with content against her.] But that was far too short. I think I've missed this more than I thought. One more, if only to make up for putting ourselves through unneeded agony.

[A kiss outside their deal, because he finds himself wanting for her more and more as he sits there with her. A last ditch effort too, though if it works or not is a different story. But to the man who'd thought it was the end, there's no loss here really. Just more opportunities.]

[ oh, ajax. is that really something he should be telling her?

he's quite greedy, though, that much she knows. greedy and spoiled, always wanting to be indulged like a demanding cat. and if he had shown her this side of his since day one, lumine wouldn't have entertained him. would've shut it down quickly and permanently. she doesn't exactly have the patience for it, after all.

but as it stands, well ... it's a bit different now, she supposes. and he knows that very well too, how much things have changed in the past several weeks. ]

One more, as requested.

[ lumine presses a kiss to the side of his head as her hands start moving across the keyboard once more. again, no talk about the kind of kiss he's referring to, so. ]

[His eyes move upward to glance at her when she kisses the side of his head. It's cute, and he likes it- but that was certainly not the kiss he was referring to. It's not as if he doesn't know what she's doing, but it's not quite like how a business deal works. Instead, he smiles, laughing quietly as the gesture. Ajax finds this amusing, fun even- and he sits up, removing himself from the crook of her neck.

His hand lifts up from her side to press on the side of her cheek, to turn her face towards him, leaning in front of her a little to press his lips to hers.

His kiss is anything but quick, at least he doesn't intend for it to be so, softly caressing her over and over. And if she hasn't pushed him away, he tries to deepen the kiss, letting his tongue dance with hers as his hand cups her cheek.

Finally, after that prolonged, intimate kiss, he breaks. Ajax's eyes look clouded over, almost mesmerized by her as he smiles back, pleased with his antics and how her lips had fogged his mind despite willingly walking into it himself.]

I'll be going now, but I'll be back in a half an hour or so.

[ this is unneeded agony in itself, the way he drags her around according to his whims. not accepting a no for an answer, indulging in his own desires without any thoughts of the other person. it's selfish, really, and downright avaricious.

but lumine doesn't dislike it. it's annoying, exasperating, but she's not anyone different. she's just as selfish, just as greedy—she just has more self-control than most people.

her eyes flutter close when he pulls her into another kiss, longer, more intimate as if it's a secret kept between the two of them within the four corners of her room. her hand curls around his wrist, anchoring herself so as not to be swept away, as she leans in closer to press their lips in full. it's achingly sweet, her heart skipping a beat with every caress of his mouth, her own lips responding in turn. nothing fervent, nothing desperate, just the two of them drinking in each other.

and yet, lumine doesn't admit that she's missed this in the week that they've been apart. even when he pulls away, even when she leans her forehead against his, their lips a scant distance away. ]

Okay ... [ she murmurs quietly, unmoving, her eyes flicking back to the screen of her laptop. ] I'll see you in a bit.

[That deep ocean blue stares back at her for a moment too long, finding it hard to pull away despite the agreement he'd made with her. It's as if his head suddenly became weighted down by whatever force had pushed them back together, before finally deciding to close the gap between their lips one last time. Ever greedy, forever trying to put himself at the front of her mind when he's not around.

The kiss is warm, full and loving- and yet so brief at the same time, a single caress before he pulls his head away from her and stands up on the other side of the bed. Ajax turns his head to give her one last grin before he exits the room, closing the door behind him and returning to the living room to watch an episode of whatever show strikes him in the moment.

But he'll be back as soon as it's done half an hour later, his head peeking back into the room to see if she's finished her work or if she'd persisted and kept working.]

[ lumine waits until he's gone, the door closing behind him, before she sets her laptop aside. a message is quickly sent to her assistant, advising her of the emergency at home and telling her to reschedule any of aether's meetings, conferences and trips under her name until further notice. she doesn't want it to affect or put the company in a bad light just because the ceo disappeared all of a sudden.

once that's done, she tucks herself under the comforters, reaching out for the book she's left there last week. she has 30 minutes before ajax shows up again, and she's hoping that she'll be at least asleep by then.

... maybe she should've picked a more boring book, like the history of liyue customs or something. especially when 30 minutes later, she's still sitting up on her bed and has barely progressed a page, distracted by today's events and unable to concentrate. ]

[At first, he's glad to see that the laptop has been set aside and that she's not working, which he was afraid of when he returned. He didn't want to have to pry it out of her hands so she'd truly relax instead of burying herself in work. He almost begins to speak, to chide her a little about starting without him, but he catches himself before a single word can be uttered out of his mouth.

The look on her face is painted with distress, and now he wishes that he'd come back to her working instead. Ajax instantly understands, his face turning down as he enters the room, wordlessly crossing over to the bed and climbing onto it to sit next to her as he slips under the comforter as well to be close. His arm slips behind her, pulling her into his side, as the other hand finds one of her own to hold it- she must be thinking about Aether and worrying herself about it.

What they might be doing to him, where he might be, if he was even still alive. Ajax doesn't like to think on that last part, though his logic tells him he is. He's perfect bait, and he mafia lord doesn't see how killing Aether is beneficial at this stage of the game. But they don't know that for sure, and he tries not to think on it too hard lest his stomach drop like it already has too many times today.

Ajax doesn't think that any comforting words would help right now, after what they'd seen their enemies do in Inazuma. So he sits silently with her, as a support, a rock, or anything she needs him to be in the moment.]

[ lumine looks up from her book when he pads inside the room, her expression immediately shifting from desperate to blank to confusion when he wordlessly slips into her bed and pulls her to his side. she blinks at him for a bit, wondering what's going on. if he's watched something weird or terrible on the tv.

she honestly doesn't remember what aether's been watching lately, though she's pretty sure he's had a few horror movies bookmarked. is that what he watched for the past thirty minutes? ]

What's up? [ she asks him, peering at his face. ] If you're bored, I can't say this book is interesting enough, though ...

[ he can read something else, if he wants. there's a few other books on the shelf he could try out if he wants. ]

[He laughs, though it's short and quiet, his own expression switching from concern to something more gentle. He wonders if she even realizes that whatever inner turmoil she was feeling was worn right on her face for him to see, but he doesn't point it out to her. Getting her mind off of the day was, after, part of the point of this.]

No, it's not that at all. I'd just rather be in here with you, is all. This is the book you were talking about?

[Ajax inclines his head towards it, not having seen it previously. Looks like she's barely even started, but he's sure it's because she was preoccupied with worrying about her brother.]

[ ... huh. lumine peers at his face a little longer before she finally relents, shrugging her shoulders. ]

Mm, but it seems I'm not in the mood tonight.

[ there's just too much in her mind right now, she supposes, and her attention span seems to waver every five minutes. in any case, she closes the book with a snap, handing it over to him and slipping a little further down into the comforter. her other hand reaches out for her laptop; if she can't focus on reading, then maybe she can return to working, instead. ]

Are you sure you don't want to go back to the living room to watch the series? I'll stay here awake for a little longer.

[He takes the book, setting it down next to him as she reaches for her laptop. That's also got to go, and as soon as it hits her lap he goes to grab it before she can even open, almost as if she was handing it to him, to put it with the book on his other side. It seems Aether was right, she really does bury herself in work when she's distressed like this.]

I'm sure. I don't watch a lot of TV as it is.

[He doesn't have time, really, to sit down and watch through a whole series. But even if he did, he doesn't want to leave her to her own thoughts that surely are plaguing her right now. If it had been his sibling, he'd be distraught in the exact same way.]

Instead of reading a story, why don't you tell me one? Anything at all. Or, I can tell you one, if you'd like to hear, haha.

[Though letting him tell one might take a bit, considering how much he likes to talk.]

[ lumine lets out a strangled sound when he suddenly takes her laptop too, putting it out of her reach. that's rude, she thinks, her lips pursing in annoyance. but she can tell that ajax is not accepting any arguments over it so she relents, simply sinking further down into the sheets. ]

Or we can just go to bed ...

[ maybe that would be better for them who'd had a long day? she doesn't know, but she's exhausted beyond reason, and the only way she'll be able to continue is if she's doing something mindless.

like work. ]

Don't worry, the sofa should be comfortable enough to sleep in.

And the minute I leave, you'll just go back to work.

[He points out, inclining his head at her with a knowing look. Even he knows the importance of work-life balance, and Lumine seems like the kind of person who might have an unhealthy relationship with her job sometimes. This is why Aether was so concerned, though Lumine's demeanor now seems a lot better than how her brother had described her during the week. Ajax will be thankful for that.]

Lumine. [His arm gets removed from behind her, now instead moving to comb through her hair as she sinks further under the covers, a slow motion as the strands filter through his fingers.] It's been a rough week. Rest with me for a while, instead of overworking yourself. You must be exhausted.

[ lumine doesn't say anything to that, unwilling to validate his accusation. to be fair, she wasn't planning on going back to work; he can even take her laptop with him to the living room. honestly, she really just wants to settle back in bed and sleep this all away.

still, he's right. she's exhausted to the bone, feeling as if she hasn't really slept or taken a break or even paused from whatever she's been doing for the past few days. and compounded with aether's disappearance, it's only gotten worse. ]

It's just ... [ she sighs, pulling the covers up to her mouth, her eyes focusing on the window across them. ] There's a lot that's happened, I think ...

[ last week's body invasion, and now aether's kidnapping—all stacked one after another. lumine closes her eyes, shifting closer to him. ]

I wonder if the people who took Aether will agree to a swap.

[Ajax's hand continues to thread through her hair, his palm sliding across her scalp as he shifts his hand, playing with it as the silky strands slide through his fingers. It's not hard to understand the logic behind her thoughts, and he can't say he wouldn't consider the same if he were in her position. But a swap...that's no better, in his eyes.]

There'll be no need. We're going to get him back without making any compromises.

[The Dufont family has put themselves in front of the aim of his wrath now, and he won't let them get away with it. Famous last words, he knows, which is why he keeps it to himself. He'd much rather show it with his actions rather than declare it with his words.]

When we find out his whereabouts, if I tell you to stay here, will you? Or will you insist on tagging along?

[Somehow, though he considered telling her to stay put once they did find out where they were holding his brother, he thinks that she'll hardly want to sit around and wait for his return. Ajax knows how strong Lumine has become, having demonstrated her ability to use three elements at once. And with the statue in Inazuma, that should mean she has four elements at her disposal. He'd rather have her in a fight than most of his men at this point.]

If you want to come, I won't stop you.

Of course, I'll come.

[ as if that needs to be asked. she's promised to protect aether, and she will, even if it's the last thing that she does. lumine knows ajax won't agree to that, but it doesn't really matter when it's her twin brother's life that's on the line. she can't make compromises on that. ]

You're not exactly good at making me stay put, you know. [ she says with a snort, reminding him of the time his men thought her car had a bomb. ] Or trying to convince me to do something you want ...

[ then again, if it's related to aether, there's just no way that she's sitting pretty in her apartment, twiddling her thumbs and waiting for good news. that will kill her. ]

Well, when it comes to the latter, I think I'm getting a little better at it.

[He did manage to get her to agree to let him stay here for a while, and she's not working either. So he'll count that as two for two today, at least. Winning small battles one at a time seems like the right way to go here.]

But... [he says as he sighs, softly smiling down at her, still slouching in bed.] I think you had the right idea. The more I relax, the more tired I get.

[Ajax does wonder if she'll kick him out of her bed, but you never know until you try- so he slides down further under the comforter, as if he were testing out the bed itself to gauge how comfortable it was. Turning on his side, he props his head up on his hand, an expectant smile on his face.]

C'mon, lie down all the way. You'll get a crick in your neck like that.

[ what happened to sleeping on the couch, ajax???

lumine gives him a flat stare as he slips further into the covers, clearly not going anywhere for the night. with a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she mimics his movements, except this time, she turns around and turns her back towards him, reaching out for the bedside lamp to turn it off. ]

You know, I really was serious when I said that the sofa is comfortable to sleep in.

[ and she knows this because she's fallen asleep on it a few times already. so it's from experience that she's even saying that. ]

[As far as he's concerned, if she doesn't kick him out, he doesn't have to leave!

Ajax grins, it seems like she's letting him have it his way, scooting up next to her to let his arm wrap around her. His face nuzzles into the nape of her neck, enjoying the warmth of her being so close, clearly happy that she's allowed him to stay.]

I've no doubt it is if you say it is. But being here is far more comfortable than any couch.

[And when he thinks about it, anywhere where she is is better, whether it be a bed or in a fierce battle. He kisses her neck once, before his head settles on the pillow, sinking into it. The exhaustion in his bones seems to keep him at bay from tempting her into anything more than a restful sleep, though he wonders how they'll be tangled with one another when they wake up the next day.]

Sleep well, com..ra...

[His voice trails off, fatigue already taking him. Within the next five minutes, Ajax is already asleep, soothed by her presence and the stress of the week seemingly seeping out of him at last.]

[ she's kicking him out, though!! just not directly, but the implication is there when she points out how comfortable the sofa is.

lumine tries to squirm in his arms but she finds herself being pulled against him. but even before she can voice her protests in this, he's already breathing deeply, his body completely relaxed while pressed against her. she quickly turns in his arm, her expression that of disbelief when she realises that he's already asleep! ]

Ajax! [ she tries to shake him awake. ] Ajax!

[ when there's no response from him, lumine sighs heavily and loudly. honestly, he can at least wait for her to sleep.

still, it doesn't seem like she's able to go anywhere at this rate, simply settling down and tucking herself under his chin to try and sleep. try is the operative word here, taking her several hours of listening to him breathe and snore softly before finally dozing off herself at early dawn. she won't be waking up until it's late in the morning, too. ]

[Ajax wakes first, having fallen asleep hours before she had. Sunlight streams into the bedroom, his eyes fluttering open to the view of Lumine buried in his chest. She's cute, he thinks, as his groggy mind tries to make sense of the fact that he's woken up to an unfamiliar ceiling. Right, they're at her apartment. Despite waking up, he's unwilling to crawl out of bed, his eyes closing once again to let sleep take him. Surprisingly, it's easy for him to fall back asleep, comforted by her presence in his arms.

A few hours later, he'll wake again- and he realizes that he has no idea what time it is. He glances down to see if Lumine is awake yet, nudging her with his forehead as he coos to her softly.]

Lumine...

[ it's the first restful, dreamless sleep she's had in days. even when she's tired from work, her entire body giving up on her, lumine doesn't remember being able to sleep for this long and deeply in her own bed back in her shared apartment with aether. but clearly, she's not allowed to sleep for too long, already being nudged awake.

she frowns, eyes still shut, as she buries herself deeper into his chest. sunlight is starting to creep into her peripherals, reminding her that it's already morning. but a part of her refuses to budge just yet. ]

Mm, no, Ajax ...

[ waking up, after all, means having to face the reality that aether is still missing. perhaps if she slept longer, she'd wake up to a dream where her twin brother is back, safe and sound. ]

Let me sleep.

[It's almost as if she were a cat that's claimed this real estate against him, Ajax feeling like if he moves, he'll surely disturb her sleep even more than he already has. And the rule is once that happens, you aren't allowed to move.

But even moreso, for someone who had been hinting to kick him to the couch last night, it's amusing to him to see her bury herself into his chest, unwilling to get up. He glances down at her through half-lidded eyes, tempted to grant her the request she's asked for, comfortable himself with her pressed up against him. Had it not been for how hungry he was, he could lie there all day with her, staying in bed only to get up for necessities.

But today, his work really begins, not being afforded that simple pleasure of staying in bed.

His hand filters up into her hair, holding her close even as he tries to gently wake her. Ajax nuzzles her again, voice still soft as he calls to her in that high baritone timbre he has.]

It's late, [he coos again, the hand in her hair moving to brush her cheek.] And I can't get out of bed until you do.

[ what a terrible argument to give her this morning.

lumine keeps silent for a moment, annoyance bubbling inside of her as he continues to disturb her peace. a moment later, she turns on her other side and away from him, squirming out of his arms. if he's saying he can't get out of bed because of her, then there. she's made it possible for him to get out of bed. ]

There. Go.

[ she pulls the covers over her head to block out the light, squeezing her eyes shut. hopefully that's enough for him to stop disturbing her. ]

Now let me sleep.

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