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

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

[Fontaine: The technological hub of Teyvat.

For as long as anyone can remember, the country of Fontaine has always been the innovative center for the continent. High speed rail was originated here, and now spans across the entirety of Teyvat and beyond. High rises and skyscrapers pepper the skyline, modern Victorian buildings supporting a gear-like aesthetic from an era gone by. A thousand years ago, it was a much different place, but now it thrives with the bright lights and bustle of its people. One can hear the occasional street performer playing for cash, as businessmen and tourists alike walk down narrow cobblestone streets. People are buried in their phones, some take pictures as they gawk at the sights of the city, but one young man in particular walks languidly down the street, enjoying the life around him. He's in no hurry to get where he's going, as he has plenty of time to get there, noting a deli across the street from where he is now that he'll have to try.

Unfortunately, he is on business, so that'll have to wait.

Never being one to be dressed completely formal, he wears a comfortable pair of slacks and dress shoes, with a collared shirt that isn't buttoned up all the way under a grey vest. Various pieces of metal are woven into the vest, notably a crest on his right shoulder with a chain attached to it that hangs under his arm to the back. On his belt lies a Vision, glowing blue with hydro. The young man always seems friendly and easy going, but what lies underneath is something that not many are allowed to know- the heir to the family business of a company who develops tech for various products is also the right hand man of the mafia that runs the city.

And, their true business behind the scenes; creating Delusions to sell on the black market.

Today is a day where some investigating has to be done, and he's headed to see an old friend of his, from university. One that he's sure can help him with this problem he has. Entering the building, he swings in quietly to give a polite wave and a smile to the only person there.

Someone who looked exactly like their brother, whom he can only assume is the twin sister he'd yet to meet that he'd heard about.]

Hello, I was wondering if Aether was in today? I had a...business proposal for him, and I'm sure that he'd love to hear it. Unless of course, you might be of assistance instead.

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Hey, that's not true. I'm just struggling with it, that's all.

[Cue another dropped dumpling. He kind of got it halfway up to his mouth that time, before the failure of it dropping back into the container greeted him once again. Ajax frowns, sighing at his complete lack of ability to do this.]

So...

[He says, clacking his chopsticks together for a second, as if he might of figured it out before one slips out of his hand. He catches it before it hits the floor, before putting it back in his hand. A little embarrassing...]

...will you accept my offer, or not?

[ sure, no emotional distress at all, even if his expression says so.

as she watches him drop his food for the nth time that evening, lumine wonders if he's ever going to be able to eat properly. probably not, seeing how inept he is, even with just moving the sticks around. it doesn't even involve picking things up, just clacking or moving them together. ]

Mm, well, if you're the one deciding the favour based on your own feelings, what if none of the favours I asked is something you'd grant?

[ because he gets "upset" over it, so he rejects it. ]

That's no different from me offering free services, isn't it?

Hey now, [he protests, debating at this point whether he should just go with a tried and true method and either use his fingers or stab them like he did last time.]

You should know me well enough by now what you can ask of me and what you can't. Do you really think I'd just outright reject every single request? Unless you would only use it to make me upset on purpose, then perhaps I would reject every request.

[Going with the stabbing method for now then. One poor dumpling cries out in non-existent pain as he stabs it and eats it.]

Well, I was planning on using it when you're misbehaving.

[ which is 90% of the time they're together, really. so having an advantage over him or some form of leverage would be nice to rein him in. he does need that proverbial leash, otherwise he'll just act out on his own. she supposes that the material his mother has shown her is pretty good for blackmail, but.

lumine takes a bite out of one more dumpling before she sets her container with the leftovers aside. ]

I'm taking a shower before heading to bed. You should probably, too, since you've gone out.

[He debates if he should misbehave right back into the shower with her like last time, but he knows that he'd be proving her point. And, he doesn't really want to, only wanting to quickly get in and out to let his hair dry and lie down. It had been a long day, if it evident by the worn expression on his features still despite their playful conversation.

Ajax eats a few more dumplings before setting his own container down, unable to finish it. Maybe he hadn't been nearly as hungry as he thought, but who could really have an appetite after this week.]

A hot shower would do me some good. Would you like me to come help you again with yours? Perhaps that could be the favor you ask of me.

[He asks, despite having no intent on actually doing so.]

[ lumine gets up from her seat, stretching her arms above her head, but pauses to look at ajax's face. a thoughtful expression briefly settles on her face as she studies ajax's, debating if she should bait him into it. a moment later, however, she shrugs and waves a hand dismissively in the air as she walks over to the bathroom. ]

Nope, not wasting my favour on something you're clearly not in the mood for.

[ his expression tells her as much, hating how effectively she can read him now. besides, it's obvious that he just wants to get into bed and sleep as he did the day before. lumine can't blame him, not after the events of the past couple of days. she too would like to do so, but lots of things to still do.

in any case, she disappears into the bath, the door closing behind her with a quiet thud and a clicking of the lock, and emerges almost half an hour later in nothing but a towel, steam hailing her exit and water dripping from her hair. ]

Shower's free, [ she calls out to ajax, padding over to the bedroom. ] I may have used all the hot water, though.

[There's a part of him that's glad she didn't actually take his offer. Not that he wouldn't enjoy it, but he could fall asleep right here on the couch. He can tell she's considering making him eat his words, breathing a sigh out when she turns instead to go take a shower. Ajax almost does pass out, sinking into the couch as she showers, blinking his eyes back to wakefulness when she emerges.]

You what? [he mumbles groggily, picking himself up from the couch, peering at her as his eyes focus.] It didn't feel like you were in there that long.

[He walks past her to head to the bathroom himself, walking in and jumping in the shower himself. The water is turned on, and for about a minute he's taking a nice shower, until-]

Lumine-!!!!

[The water goes ice cold, and he's trying to hurry now to clean himself so he doesn't have to freeze. He shouts from the bathroom, the temperature shocking him completely awake. Any tiredness he felt dissipates, jumping out of the shower. He emerges minutes later, walking out in a towel himself with his clothes in his hand.]

[ again, lumine just shrugs at his remark, closing the bedroom door shut so she can change in peace. not that that peace lasts very long, his outcry drawing out a giggle from her as she towels herself dry and slips into a camisole and a pair of shorts. if he was sleepy earlier, then he's not sleepy now, that shower definitely giving him the wakeup call he doesn't want or need.

by the time he's out of the bathroom, she's done drying her hair, tossing the towel onto a chair. she'll take care of that tomorrow when she does the laundry, she thinks. ]

What, Ajax?

[ her response is delayed, barely able to stifle the laugh that nearly bubbles out of her throat, as she crawls into the bed. she pulls her laptop onto her knees, going through the files she's reviewed earlier.

better to look preoccupied, so he doesn't bother her at all. ]

I did warn you, you know.

[He swears he can hear her holding back a laugh, sighing before he goes upstairs first to grab some underwear for himself to change into, slipping into the boxers upstairs and tossing his own towel into a hamper up there before coming back downstairs. He enters the room, not really upset, just...awake. More awake than he was while eating, that's for sure.]

You know, I'm pretty sure you did that on purpose.

[Note to self- do not let Lumine shower first, or shower with her to avoid this.

He crawls into bed, only having a single regret- not having something cold to press against her skin in revenge. Instead, he crawls over next to her, pressing himself against her side because he's still cold and that was cruel!]

I think it's your responsibility to warm me up now.

[ lumine throws him a flat look when he walks into the bedroom, shirtless and just in his boxers. she shifts closer to the edge of the bed, knowing that he'll try to crowd her in as he's always wont to do—and he really does, pressing against her side, his skin cooler than hers. then again, she did shower in hot water. ]

You'd feel warmer if you put on a shirt, stupid!

[ she tries to push him away to no avail, finding him a clingy leech. a part of her regrets waking him up with that cold shower; if she didn't, she's pretty sure he'd be asleep by now and she'd have peace and quiet to herself. if she tires him out, though ...

why did aether stay at the volkovs, why. is this punishment for having sex with ajax in their shared bed? ]

It can't be that bad. You're from Snezhnaya.

[Her skin is warm against his own, clearly enjoying her warmth. It seems like a perfectly fine way of getting revenge for her wasting all the hot water, cuddling up closer next to her and refusing to let go despite her efforts to remove him from her side.

Turns out this was a win win situation for him.]

Though I can't deny that, I'd still much prefer being warm. It's not as if we keep our houses cold in Snezhnaya.

[Ajax grabs the covers to pull them up over him a little better, her presence next to him soothing. He could easily fall asleep on her like this, and he's positive she'd hate it. He doesn't seem to feel bad about invading her space, a content smile on his face as he closes his eyes.]

You make a better pillow than I thought you would, Lumine.

[ omg!!

the way he presses against her even more, pulling the covers over him as if to cement his place next to her is infuriating. especially when she can barely move her hand, her arm trapped underneath him as he sidles closer. lumine tries to push him away again, groaning when he closes his eyes and lets his weight sink against her. how heinous.

she gives it a few moments, attempting to ignore him and focus on her work, until her arm starts to fall asleep, thanks to ajax. with a sigh, she shuts down her laptop and sets it aside on the night table, tossing a withering glare at her proverbial paperweight. ]

Considering you've been cuddling me to sleep for the past couple of days like your personal body pillow, I'd assumed you'd already come to that conclusion.

[ she's getting used to it, much to her horror. not even when she was dating other guys had she done something like this before. ]

Ajax, look at me right now.

[He doesn't see that glare, very content with where he is right now. As if almost to add insult to injury, he nuzzles his head against her as he breathes out a long, happy sigh.

Ajax doesn't see the issue with using her as his personal body pillow. It's the most relaxed he's been while falling asleep, instantly soothed by her presence, letting him doze off far quicker than he'd ever been able to alone or with anyone else- and with how quickly he's gotten used to this, he isn't sure if he'd ever want to go back.

He peeks out from underneath his eyelids, barely moving his head to look up at her. Ajax is already feeling sleepy, and this might be a trap.]

Hm? You're glaring at me.

[ way to notice it, captain obvious.

lumine stares at him flatly for one long moment, before she starts to lean down, seemingly trying to kiss him. but instead of pressing her lips against his, she bites the tip of his nose and pulls away, squirming so she can lie down properly on the bed and on her side away from him. ]

Bedtime, since you're clearly falling asleep on me already.

[ and that's a good thing, because it means he's tired to do anything else other than sleep. another peaceful night, thankfully. ]

[The bite really isn't a surprise. He makes an unhappy noise when she bites him, his expression quickly changing into a frown as she turns away from him. Which is fine by him, scooting right up to her and pressing himself against her back for another night of body pillow cuddles, rubbing his nose against her back to offset the feeling of her teeth on the tip of it.]

Mmmmm, alright.

[As usual, it's not long before he falls asleep, comfortable right where he finds himself. His arms wrap around her, a leg finding its way between her own, and he begins to snore softly.

A little drool comes out. He doesn't mean to. He's sorry, really.]

[ ... she can never understand how he can fall asleep like this.

not even she clings like this to aether when they share a bed, the both of them still occupying their respective sides of the bed with her twin brother sometimes invading her space with an arm or a leg. but ajax? lumine squirms a little to loosen his grasp, but all it seems to do is tug her closer towards him. there's just no escape until it's way, way, way too late in the evening.

with a heavy sigh, she just settles her weight into the bed and tries to sleep. at the very least, the warmth is nice, comforting, lulling her to sleep after a few more minutes of squirming.

lumine wakes up first, however, extricating herself carefully out of ajax's embrace to keep him from waking up, and pads over to the kitchen. she makes coffee first, the scent of the dark liquid bringing her back to her senses, cradling the warm cup in her hands as she sits at the table. breakfast can wait a little longer until she's more awake, she thinks. ]

[He's not sure what time it is when he finally wakes, finding himself in bed alone. She must have gotten up earlier than him again, stretching as he lays there for a moment before rolling out of bed. Ajax rubs his eyes as he wanders into the kitchen, the smell of coffee wafting out of it, pouring himself a cup and joining her at the table.]

Morning, [he says groggily, sipping slowly on it. The hot liquid is nice on his tongue, closing his eyes to savor it as he slowly wakes up.]

You know, I was thinking, it would be beneficial if we had our own little gym here in the teapot. Do you think Tubby could whip one up for us?

[That would make him happy, for sure. Then maybe he could con Aether and herself into training with him.]

[ lumine only looks up from her 2nd cup of coffee when ajax finally walks in, still looking half-asleep, making a beeline towards the coffee. she snorts in amusement, taking another sip of the warm liquid and closing her eyes. she needs another half cup, maybe, before she can be plucked out of her chair and made to do her work for the day. she can't deny, after all, that living in the teapot has made her a little too laid-back, and it's honestly disconcerting.

she opens her eyes, gaze flickering at ajax, when he mentions about the gym, though. would that help her get back to her routine, she wonders? maybe, but with how deeply peaceful their life is in this realm ... ]

Is this your way of saying that you're getting chubby? [ she takes another sip of coffee, close to finishing it off. ] You were feeling a little soft on the sides, you know.

[ she makes a show of pinching her waist, grinning at him over the rim of her cup. ]

I'm sure your mom will be glad to know you're getting bigger in size.

What's that supposed to mean, [he exclaims, sleepily sipping more coffee from his cup. Soft on the sides, he doubts that, she's just teasing him.]

I'm in peak physical condition. There isn't a scrap of fat on me.

[There is still that temptation to check for himself to make sure there is indeed, not any excess weight or anything. But he manages to stop himself from looking, to not give her the pleasure of knowing that she made him even think for a second that he might be gaining weight.]

I just want a place to keep training without having to leave the teapot. It would do you some good too. You should train with me.

[ she watches him from across the table to see if he'll actually check it out himself, but sadly, he doesn't. setting her cup down, lumine moves around the table, wrapping her arms around her neck as if seemingly hugging him—except she leans forward, her chin on his shoulder, as her hands snake down to his waist. ]

Hm, no scrap of fat, is it? [ her fingers start poking him on his sides, pinching and tugging the skin gently. ] Doesn't seem like it.

[ her hands trail up and around his waist and torso in search of wayward soft skin, poking and pinching. she was just joking when she mentioned that little comment, but she's getting amused now, especially when he seems half-asleep still and powerless to stop her. ]

Stop holding your breath, Ajax, [ she whispers right next to his ear. ] That's not playing fair.

[His mind really isn't catching up as she gets up from the table, taking another sip of his coffee, letting it warm him. Maybe he should have listened to her and worn a shirt-

Oh, but that's nice, how she wraps her arms around him, his head leaning back into her shoulder as he relaxes against her. He doesn't even mind how her hands wander downwards, save for when she starts poking him. Ajax has to fight back a shudder because it tickles a little, biting his lower lip and holding his breath so he doesn't accidentally giggle, and so she can't find any part that's all soft and squishy for her to play with.

Though he can't deny that once he starts getting used to her playing with his skin that it feels nice, letting his breath go when called out and glancing over to her as she searches him.]

I still don't know what you're talking about, [he protests, voice light with drowsiness and content with her hands on him, even if that last tiny pinch almost made him giggle with the sensation,] so what if a little of my skin is still pinchable, that's how it's supposed to be.

Hm, really? Are you sure?

[ lumine hums as she continues her exploration of his body, letting her fingers trail across his skin, tracing lines of defined muscle and scars that litter the surface. her lips skim the column of his neck, eyes training on what she's doing—only to pinch him when she catches him off-guard.

she grins when he whines like a child being shaken awake from a deep sleep. the giggle is also something she catches, realising that he must at least be ticklish to react that way. ]

Mm, maybe I was imagining someone else at night, after all, [ a light remark as she pulls away from him, satisfied. ] Definitely not you ...

[It's not difficult, catching him off-guard, quiet hums of content coming out of him as she searches him. Until suddenly, she pinches him again, eliciting a sharp exhale from Ajax, then a sigh of exasperation, though he does nothing to stop it. Even after she's finished, he can still feel those traces over his skin, tingling where her fingertips had touched, like a ghost that lingers over him.]

I think it's a simple case of misremembering on your part. You must have been tired.

[His expression is unapologetic as he takes another sip of his coffee. He'll gladly make her tired over and over again, no matter the method he chooses.]

Edited 2022-08-03 17:02 (UTC)

[ lumine walks over to her side of the table, picking up her cup and walking back to the carafe. she pours herself another half a cup, facing the counter kitchen as she takes a deep swig of the drink. that should be more than enough coffee, she thinks, to completely wake her up for the day. ]

Mm, it must be. One of my exes messaged me the other day, asking how I was.

[ since the attack on their building was all over the news, she's received several messages from close friends if she and aether were all right, messages of concern and assurance. and she would've replied to all of them if it weren't for the fact that they were in hiding and may be tracked.

it's just too risky to give their place away. ]

I suppose he was just that memorable.

[He turns ever so slightly, to shoot her a look- mentioning one of her exes doesn't bode well with him, especially since she's trying to make him jealous on purpose. But it's not as if Ajax hasn't already shown her that side of him, his expression darkening a little. He's jealous. He knows.]

Or perhaps, you just like making me jealous.

[Or he's sure she wouldn't mention it. He drinks a bit more of his coffee, deciding that it needs some cream or flavoring in it, getting up to take the cup over to the counter to fish some creamer out.]

But that's fine by me. I'll just have to work harder to make you forget all about him.

[The grin on his face as he looks down at his cup while mixing the creamer in nothing short of mischievous, his mind already starting to formulate a plan, and a backup plan, and another plan after that just to get what he wants.]

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