Shooting Hoops [KYO/Closed]

As far as distractions went, this was probably one of the best ones I could come up with. I'd been cooped up inside, drawing and letting my mind wander and at this point I needed at least some kind of a release to get my mind off of everything. It seemed like I was one of the few people with energy around here anyway, and I was alone in my basketball practice. So instead of being a game it was more of me practicing by myself in this hot sun.

"It's too fucking hot," I mumbled, pausing and looking up at the sky. It wasn't supposed to be this hot at this time of year, was it? At the very least I didn't think so. I shot another basket, making it with a soft swish and wiping my forehead with the bottom of my tank top. I didn't have a towel so it would have to do.

At the very least this was a good thing to focus on to get my libido down, at least for the moment. Because after that run in with Kyo I had pretty much been firing on all cylinders when it came to that. Now that I was outside I was sweating though, and it was becoming irritating.

Regardless, I managed to make another basket from a different spot on the court, eyes narrowed before I groaned and just tossed the shirt aside. It was gross at this point and I didn't care to use it. It wasn't like they would get mad at me for being more comfortable while I exercised and did something productive.

That was better already. I didn't even care that I was probably going to get a sunburn.

I just went back to shooting hoops.

Hooray for stress relief.

I’m really not certain what everyone else around here was on, as it was quite chilly in Tucson – especially secluded way up here on top of this hill. I mean, not that I’m a walking weather app or anything but I’d say it was in the mid-forties or so. Not exactly my idea of beach weather, kicking it without a shirt on. Nah, in fact I had even donned that long sleeved shirt again, just to fight against the somewhat brisk wind chill as it ripped through the open air of the rec area outside. I needed to get out and about; I was starting to go mad from cabin fever. Besides, I wanted another hit off of my electronic fag… not that I couldn’t get away with smoking it inside of my unit or anything.

In any case it was hard to ignore the half-naked body riddled with familiar tattoos actually doing something energetically. I paused in my meaningless wandering, leaning up against a nearby tree as that basketball bounced off of the concrete with a hollow echo. Are you fucking kidding me? Not only can the guy draw but he’s apparently good at sports too.

Fuck him, man. I suck at everything.

As he busied himself with swoosh after swoosh I meandered over to the other’s discarded tank top, swinging a foot as I hooked it over the toe of my shoes. Yes, I was wearing them this time. And in one smooth motion I kicked the thing playfully aside too, watching as it crumpled into a pile farther away.

Just to be annoying, of course. I smirked at Jiho’s busy back, a slow plume of water vapor escaping my nostrils.

I had literally just gone to shoot when I saw my shirt move from out of the corner of my eye and I turned as the ball left my hands, hearing it ricochet off the back of the hoop as I frowned. I hated that sound, and without really meaning to I scrunched my nose in distaste, the ball landing... Somewhere. I didn't really look where it landed, as it was my shirt I was more focused on.

I opened my mouth to yell at whoever it was, furrowed brows and slight scowl on my lips until I saw Kyo and my expression immediately softened into a smile as I shook my head at him.

"... Thanks," I said, not even bothering to go get the shirt. "You made me miss." Instead I ran off to grab the basketball, making sure no one could swipe it before I was finished.

Eh, it was about time for a break anyway.

Flicking my hair off of my face I walked over to Kyo, watching as he smoked and very quietly looking him up and down before stopping in front of him.

"Oh no. You kicked my shirt away. I am so mad." I smirked, speaking with a flat tone and rolling my eyes. "Wanna try?" I asked, offering the basketball to the other man with a shrug. I was a bit overheated from all the running around, anyway.

I shrugged coolly to the other’s sarcastic thanks, making no effort to go retrieve his shirt. “Someone had to.” Make you fuck up, of course. I was starting to feel jealous.

As Jiho disappeared off to fetch the basketball I simply stood where I had parked it at the edge of the court, hands shoved past the waistband of my pants due to the lack of pockets to keep warm. I had no shame. Besides, my groin was the warmest area on me anyway. Not that it was really cold, but regardless. I needed a place for my hands and couldn’t shrug them into any shirt or pants folds.

Maybe they’d hand out hoodies.

Once the blonde returned I exhaled yet another slow cloud of mist, this time the scent smelling faintly of cherry this time instead of mint. I pretty much loved my doctor… even if he was a bit of a whack job. Who the hell wasn’t here? I suppose dealing with crazies takes its toll on people eventually.
I smirked to the other’s flat commentary, shrugging a shoulder. Good, let me kick your pants off too then you can run around in the nude. Wait… yeah. Better not to go there. Shifting the eCig from one corner of my mouth to the other it bounced over the hoops in my lip momentarily, dark eyes then dropping to the ball in Jiho’s hands. I scoffed, and loudly at that.

“Did you miss the point of conversation where I mentioned I suck at everything.” I mumbled, lips holding my cigarette in place. Seriously though. I wasn’t about to make a fool out of myself and chuck the basketball at some poor sap’s passing by head.

Though it would be funny as hell as it bounced off of their skulls.

I took a moment to purse my lips as I shook my head.

"I still don't believe you," I replied, sighing softly. "I'm gonna find something, mark my words." Silently I reached up, ruffling the top of the other man's hair before making an absent attempt to fix it, nails dragging idly along his scalp as I looked back at the court. Until I caught the faint scent of cherry and turned back around, brow quirked.

"... Did you get a new flavor?" I asked, looking at the eCig and then back up at Kyo, hand dropping away as I tossed the basketball between my hands and hummed in thought. I liked cherry... Cherry always tasted nice. Tasting cherry off of someone else would be even nicer. Mm.

I shook myself from the thought and chuckled at myself.

"You sure? Absolutely positive? Because if you don't wanna try I'll just put the ball away. It's no fun just playing with myself." I quirked a brow, pouting playfully before smirking and shrugging a shoulder. Yes, I always picked my words carefully.

Again I shrugged. Wasn’t my deal if he believed me or not. I knew it, and that was all – saying as how it’s my own personal lack of skill sets anyway. I’m pretty positive I’d know better than he, hah.
It’s cute of him to want to try though, so that I didn’t seem as useless to him. Nobody’s ever fucking cared before.

A mental institution really was the last place I would have assumed to make any sort of a acquaintances, or even a friend.

In any case as the man reached out and ruffled my hair I made a tiny sound in false complaint around my filter, letting the younger then try to uselessly pull them back into place. It wasn’t like I cared any, I rocked bedhead daily. Especially in this place. Wasn’t like I was trying to look my very best for a bunch of unstable people.

When Jiho’s attention returned to my eFag though I nodded, finally withdrawing my hands to pluck the thing from a set of full lips. “Yeah. I really smoke too much.” It was a nasty habit, I know. My hues glanced down at the slender stick between tattooed fingers while rolling it back and forth absentmindedly. “Next is caramel.” Which kid of sounded gross to me but I really wasn’t picky, not if I was being allowed my nicotine fix inside of here.

My words were surprisingly… relaxed, though it might be just because I didn’t entirely loathe my company. I could calm down and not be so on edge all the time around this man.

In any case chocolate irises lifted slowly to focus on Jiho’s sculpted features while he asked if I was completely sure, nodding my head slowly. “Positive.” I didn’t need to give this man a reason to laugh at my sucktitude. I did however allow for the faintest tug of a smirk to dance in amusement across my lips. Funny he mention playing by himself…

"Fine."

It was a falsely indignant huff that left me, the smile on my lips clearly making sure that he knew I was kidding. I patted his cheek, smiling at him and cupping his cheek for a second before walking off to put the ball away. On the way I grabbed my shirt, tossing it over my shoulder as I walked. When I finally tossed the basketball away I slipped the tank top back on, walking back toward Kyo with a smile.

"I like cherry," I finally said, having to push my hair back. It was starting to get to me - I needed a trim. "Not sure how I'd feel about caramel. Sorry for messing with your hair." I quietly started heading over to the tree next to the court, sitting down in the shade and looking back to Kyo before patting the spot next to me.

I was acting... Giddy. Giddy was a good way to describe it. Only with Kyo, though, the rest of the people here could suck it. But I'd smile for him, at least.

That sounded horrendously cheesy, my mind was going cheesy, lord help me.

I made a tiny face in indignant complaint as the other patted my cheek, scrunching up my nose all the while still entertaining the faintest hint of a smirk pulling across my bejeweled lips, pulling my own features away. Dark eyes followed Jiho too as he moved to return the ball to one of the on duty supervisors, returning the electronic cigarette to my mouth and then delving those hands casually past the waistband of my pants again, tucking the thumbs over the edge while fingers pressed up against my warm lower stomach. Yup. I don’t even care.
As the other man returned and pulled his tank back over tattooed flesh too I simply smirked, refraining from making any sort of a comment over his admittance to liking cherry. I’m surprisingly… mellow right now. And to his apology? I only shrugged a single shoulder. Hair was hair, and mine certainly wasn’t styled. I didn’t even have any kinds of products inside of this place. No big deal.

In any case my gaze followed the younger as he perched underneath a nearby tree, allowing for my shoes to pad across plush strands of green grass to join him. Sinking to my ass with a groan I got comfortable, pulling knees lazily up to my chest and wrapping arms around them, connecting with fingers hooked around the opposing wrist. What now? Dark orbs stared out at the other patients and nurses ambling about, before I finally decided to speak up around the filter in my mouth at a bland attempt to make conversation.

“Doctor Mori said he’d help me leave soon.”

I watched Kyo walk over and turned more to look at him, eyeing how he was sitting but saying nothing. He was so closed up. When he spoke, though, I felt my shoulders drop a bit. I wasn't sure if it was noticeable, but I definitely felt it.

Why was I reacting like this? This was great news, and I was really excited. A bit jealous, but excited. I nodded, pulling one leg up and leaning my head back against the tree. I sighed softly but smiled nonetheless, looking back over at the other man and nodding.

"Well, that's pretty awesome," I said, still nodding even as I looked back up. "You'll have to live it up for both of us." I chuckled softly, eyes closed.

I had no hope of getting out of here soon, even with good behavior. At least, I was pretty sure of it. And if Kyo left I would pretty much have no one to talk to, and I'd be stuck back in boredom for the length of my stay. I wasn't exactly looking forward to that. Besides, I'd miss his face. Shaking my head at myself, I moved so that I was lying down, arms behind my head in an attempt to cushion them from the ground.

"I'd miss you," I said, joking grin hiding the truth of the statement at least a bit as I looked up at Kyo.

Hm, I didn’t even think that I was so closed up. But I guess it was just natural for me to come off as such, after so long of being tense and constantly on my guard. It’s a wonder Jiho even had the gall to come talk to me in the first fucking place, the first day I had arrived. I’m not exactly friendly. Nor did I notice the tiny stoop of the man’s broad shoulders, only shifting my attention back to one side as the man leaned up against t trunk of the tree with me to watch idly. Awesome indeed. I was concerned though, did Jiho not get a doctor to come speak with him? He seemed alright in the head to me. Of course, there’s probably a lot of technical shit I’m not delving into, personal information and all of that. I frowned around my electronic filter.

“What have they said about you?” I figured that was an easy enough start, to see if he really was hiding how much of a whack job he must have been. I couldn’t help it, my curiosity burned like wildfire. Call me nosy… or just curious about someone I’d come to enjoy around here. Maybe partly worried for him.

I did scoff though when he said he’d miss me, reaching out to playfully shove the man as he sprawled out against the grass. “There’s not much to miss.” Maybe my asshole personality, I’m sure that’s a real treat.

I chuckled to myself. What had they said about me? Not fucking much, to be completely honest. They said that blackouts were unusual, and then they tried to get me to talk it out. Which was really not that helpful in the long run, because I couldn't rightfully talk out what I couldn't remember in the first place.

"They haven't said shit to me," I said, shaking my head. "My doctor did give me a pack of cigarettes, so that's cool. But... I have no idea. It's starting to get me anxious." I pursed my lips, about to speak but laughing instead as I was shoved, shooting out a clearly false bit of a retort as I rolled my eyes.

"That's not true at all, now is it?" I asked, reaching up to shove him back. I ended up managing to finagle my way so that my head was closer, and smiled. "I'd miss a lot. About you. I mean... I wouldn't really have anyone to talk to, or... I'd just miss... your face and... Ah, ignore me." The words came out in a flustered huff, a hint of an accent slipping into my tone which I immediately noticed. I frowned, covering my face with one hand, the other resting lazily near where Kyo was situated.

I sounded like a stuttering moron, but it was what it was. Nerves or... something.

Hn. Why was I not surprised. This fucking hospital, I swear to god. When Jiho explained that he hadn’t heard a word I exhaled a long, slow sigh myself, rolling sharp orbs bitterly. But… he got a whole damn pack of smokes? My brows arched upwards in disbelief. “Wow… what. They must be stupider than I thought.” I chuckled. Not that I thought Jiho was dangerous with a box of fricken’ cigs or anything, but I mean.. .it’s a hospital. And that’s really saying something as I had extremely low standards for Acropolis anyway.

When the man retorted about what he’d miss though I smirked lazily around my electronic filter, tipping to one side as the younger shoved me back in return with a chuckle. “My face?” I laughed quietly, peering down at the other’s head as it lay near my own drawn up knees. I refrained from commenting that he’d drawn me the last time we were in his open unit so if he really missed ‘my face’ that badly he could just stare in his sketch book, hah.

“Well… maybe they can’t find anything wrong with you either and you’ll be let out soon.” I had sort of high hopes for my friend then. At least he hadn’t entered any sort of shady ass deal like I did with Doctor Mori. Oh well. I wouldn’t mention it.

I shrugged. "I still have some left, because I've been saving them. If you ever want one, I have them in my room. And I know a spot out here where you can smoke without getting caught." Thanks to Mori. I grinned. And I knew that I had drawn him.

Drawings weren't the same as real life.

"Yes, your face," I said, uncovering my eyes so that I could look up at him. I would miss that... quite a bit, actually. To the point that my heart kind of sunk when he'd mentioned leaving. I chuckled to cover it up, though. "I'd just... Miss you. Okay?" I'd hoped that I'd get out of here soon, get back to my apartment in Los Angeles... Speaking of, I had no idea where Kyo even lived - I'd never asked. So I cocked my head, brows furrowed.

"Where are you from?" I asked quietly, trying to figure out a way to rest my head on Kyo's leg or something and giving up when I realized I really couldn't. "Because I'm here from L.A. And I never asked where you lived."

I wasn't trying to sound creepy, I was just genuinely curious. I hope it didn't come out creepy.

I’d definitely keep the other’s offer in mind if I ever ran out of my replaceable filters and Mori decided I didn’t deserve a new one quite yet. Wouldn’t be hard, with how I smoke. “Hnn. They don’t even monitor out here?” Then what the hell was the pint of the surveillance? My bows lofted skywards incredulously once more as I muttered around my lazily smoking cig. “How the hell do they still receive state funding…” Or however the fuck hospitals worked. I don’t know. I’m a dumbass.

Meeting the other’s dark gaze as he uncovered his features I snickered softly again, listening to him clarify blandly. “Okay.” Yeah yeah, sure. The thought did bring a smile to my own façade though.

I wasn’t expecting any sort of curious conversation though. At least it gave us something to do and talk about. I hung my head to watch as the other shifted to get comfortable, completely oblivious to the hunt for a limb as a pillow. From eh? Like… born? Or where was I living before I got carted off here? “California? Holy shit. They brought you a long way from home.”

Now was my turn for lips to frown slightly. So much for plans of us ‘hanging out’ once we were released. There was no way in the world I’d be able to afford Los Angeles. Ah well. People came and went in my life, I was used to it. How to answer that though… it wasn’t like I had a place of my own. Pulling another slow drag from my eSmoke I took my time trying to churn my mind, debating an answer that wouldn’t entirely embarrass me for being such a loser.

“Um… Here. Well… I was born in Colorado but I’ve been here for a while.” Here as in Arizona, definitely not Acropolis. I shrugged.

I saw the smile after that 'okay' and had to avert my gaze lest I start grinning like an idiot. But when he spoke again I frowned. Oh he lived... Hm. Well if I... I could always just...

Wow even my mind was stuttering like an idiot. Instead of thinking of what to say I ended up blurting out the first thing that came to my mind, which was probably a bad choice in the long run but who cared. I probably sounded desperate.

"I have a two bedroom apartment. And I live by myself. With a dog, but..." My voice trailed off. Was I actually blurting this out right now? "Ah, fuck..." I added in mumbled Korean, closing my eyes and once again covering my face with my hand. "Nevermind, I... Uhm..."

I could pay the rent by myself, though, so it wasn't like it was a big problem...

No. No, mind...

I was pretty sure my face was pink right now and I shivered, pushing my hair from my eyes and sighing. I instead turned my head upward, nudging Kyo's leg down and finally moving to rest my head on his thigh. That was better.

At least now I was comfortable as I embarrassed myself.

Did he just… suggest that I live with him? Wow, talk about forward. I couldn’t help the tiny, one sided smirk that tugged at my tiers to the offer however. Truthfully, it would be a load off of my shoulders. The man had no idea that I was a useless runaway without a real place to call my own. No job to support me, no experience to you know... not be a failure. Not to mention I have severe sticky fingers. He’d be missing so much shit. And he was so open to trust me already? Poor guy didn’t know hardly anything about me.

I shifted, puling the cigarette from my lips as I turned the tiny glowing red light off, exhaling my last plume of water vapor out past my nostrils for now lest I go through the entire damn cartridge. Flipping the slender cylinder in between tattooed digits now I simply stared down at it, unsure of what the other muttered in his home tongue. I got the idea well enough though, especially with how flustered he was acting.

“That’s bold, to trust me like that.” I flashed the other an all-but innocent grin, showing off those wondrously crooked teeth. Hinting that I was a dangerous man? Well… he did know that I skipped out on going to jail by coming here. Obviously I was at least a little hazard to society. “Why the hell do you have two bedrooms?” In L.A.? Damn, just what did he do for a living to make that kind of money? “Do you live with someone?” Now I was just mostly curious, glad for the company and conversation to get to know him better.

That flush was hard to miss though, and I simply reached out to thumb across those tinted cheeks with an amused, smug smirk just as he forced my legs apart and claimed my upper thigh as a pillow. I shifted, sitting cross-legged instead.

Why did I trust him?

Good fucking question.

"I just... I just trust you. Is all."

Yeah, he had sticky fingers. To a point, I did too. After all, I'd stolen my car and it was a wonder the court hadn't found out about it. So he'd been about to go to jail instead of here - I was in the same boat with that one. And he'd offered me good conversation and maybe I was... I don't know how I felt about him, actually. But he was making me act like a lovesick moron so there was that.

"I live by myself," I replied, shifting and getting a bit more comfortable before I felt fingers brush my cheek and I felt my eyes close, head moving into the contact on instinct. I nibbled the inside of my lip - usually I would have shied away from stuff like that. "Always have. But the second bedroom is there for guests. When I have them, which... Is rare. So why not offer it up, right?" Yeah, that was all there was to it.

I think my habits by this point mean there’s severely something wrong with me. I literally cannot stop swiping things, even if I don’t need it. It’s bad… and needless to say this little shipment of me to a mental institution really wasn’t about to teach me any sort of lesson. Especially since my plan was to sue them silly, then I’d have enough money to fucking live someplace nice myself.

Like L.A.

When the man explained that he lived alone my brows lofted skywards once more, brimming with questions. “How do you afford that?” I didn’t even think that it was a rather straightforward question, nor that it might be considered rude to ask about one’s financial stability. Maybe just because I didn’t have any myself. Of course, I didn’t really have any good manners in general. “What do you do…?” Jobwise, yanno.

If he somehow was freeloading a two bedroom place off of some stranger I’d seriously be impressed. Monthly? That’s hard. Especially when you have to keep up on utilities and things as well.

How was I even supposed to explain? My situation was... Odd. Gang leader, lots of random operations, taking a cut of every single person's earnings... Plus I still got my own pay...

Why not be truthful for once? Or at least kind of truthful.

"I lead a gang," I replied softly as I looked up, wiggling my brows. It wasn't like it wasn't truthful - in fact, that was more truth than almost everyone got out of me. "Yeah. But... I don't know, some of my shit gets paid for, some doesn't. It's a weird system."

And this was a weird conversation. But I was oddly calm. Even that was weird to me.

Eventually I closed my eyes again, settling back into my spot and almost nuzzling my head against leg to get comfortable. I let out a content sigh, crossing my arms lazily across my chest.

"I got this. You wouldn't even need to pay a bill." I chuckled to myself.

I was offering him a lot but... Who cared? I was happy to.

He led a gang. My lips pursed tightly together in a show of disbelief, eyebrows quirking skyward as I watched Jiho’s own wiggle at me tantalizingly. Being in a gang didn’t pay. Unless all the members of is gang just stole paychecks and then spit it between one another. That seemed fishy to me. “What.” I asked bluntly, stated with skepticism.

Weird indeed.

When he reassured me that he would be able to take care of everything I uttered a sound partway between a scoff and an amused chuckle, knowing that my own stubborn demeanor and need to take care of myself - like I was proving in my own head that I wasn’t an entirely useless human being – would prevent me from ever agreeing to be spoiled in such a way. I grinned, leaning my back against the tree trunk comfortably whikle Jiho readjusted himself in my own lap.

“Wait, explain this to me. How the hell do you make money being n a gang?” My brows worked themselves together in confusion, dropping my attention back down to him. “Like are you in some sort of mafia, doing underhand dealings for cash?” I smirked, even though the probability that this could possibly be a truth was nagging at my mind. Jiho was likely more dangerous than I thought, eheh. And here I am, just a troublesome drop out who breaks the law in less serious offensives.

Good thing he liked me, I suppose.

Now that I thought about it, I guess it was more like a mafia style business than a gang. Hm, maybe I should stop calling it that.

"Yeah, kind of," I said, lips pursed in thought. "Though... I don't know..." I sighed softly, turning so that I was on my side facing Kyo, head still comfortable in his lap. It wasn't like I wanted to keep going and going, but at the very least I was earning good money. At this point, I could probably just retire. I chuckled softly at myself. "It's kind of a long story."

I looked up at him, smiling softly and reaching up to rest my hand on the other's cheek for just a moment before I let my hand slip to rest instead next to my head on his lap. Yeah, it was a good thing that I liked him... liked him... I toyed absently with the fabric of his pants, tracing the creases.

"But I don't... It's really rare that I find someone I trust. I rarely ever tell people what I do," I mumbled, eyes meeting Kyo's as I smiled gently. "You're special."

With that I grinned, chuckling a bit.

I couldn’t help the quiet huff of a snicker that escaped me. Jiho sure did double back on his default ‘I dunno’ words a lot. I wondered what he was hiding up in his head that he didn’t want to publicly speak about.

Long stories, hah. At least he had a good story. When the other reached up to affectionately cup at my cheek like that I scrunched my nose around a boyish smirk, trying not to put too much thought into just where he had dropped both his hand and where his head lay, as his fingers explored the soft folds of the cotton uniform I wore.

Kind of. Don’t know. Long story. Eyebrows continued to hold their curious, lofted expression as I watched him, practically acting like a bashful schoolboy in my company. The thought made me chuckle. Special huh? “There ain’t nothing special about me.” I murmured, letting my attention tear away as I shifted somewhat, readjusting the long sleeves somewhat as I pulled them over my hands. Instead I went back to watching the doors, nurses and patients meandering aimlessly about.

“So you’re a tough guy in a gang.” It was kind of hard to imagine, with the way he always acted so… affectionate around me. I was still grinning softly just trying to imagine this other side of him. I wasn’t about to press for details, it wasn’t like I was really so nosy. I couldn’t think of anything that needed to be so secretive about it however, maybe he killed people for a living.

“Do they have a name for Yakuza in Korean?”

I couldn't help the fact that I immediately slapped his leg, though it was more of a playful tap than anything. "You're special. I promise," I said, smiling and meeting his eyes for a second before pursing my lips and looking away. It was obvious, it was so obvious with how I was acting, but I couldn't help it. Actually feeling something other than normal irritation and anger was sort of new.

And I had to laugh when Kyo spoke again. A tough guy in a gang? Yeah, maybe. Though now I was more behind the scenes than in front of them. "Yeah, I guess. A tough guy." I looked at Kyo's hands, now covered with his sleeves, and grinned, hand still resting in nearly the crook of the other man's hips. At the question I looked up, brows raised in response.

Was there a Korean word for Yakuza? There were so many language crossings in this question, but yeah there was. So I thought for a second, trying to remember it.

"Mm... Kkangpae," I replied, nodding to myself.

A soft squeak of complaint escaped my lungs along with a reflexive twitch when Jiho smacked me out of protest, puffing up my cheeks in disagreement. Nope. I was dull, drab, pointless, a whole slew of uninteresting descriptive words. I promise. If I had anything going for me I the least bit I definitely wouldn’t be holed up here.

Listening to him speak tough I couldn’t help but smirk. “You don’t look so tough.” Nope. If I didn’t like him I could probably take him on. I had assessed my dominance to most of the other patients in this hospital anyway, just to make sure that nobody took my petite size for granted and tried to fuck with me. Nope, I’m a dangerous, tiny bulldog. Grr. I did poke teasingly at the other male’s exposed biceps though, before returning to my previous position.

Kkangpae. That was interesting. I tried the word out for mysef and likely butchered it something terrible. “Kang-pay.” Yurr. I don’t speak Korean. “Jiho is in Kkangpae.” And not so scary. Heh.

I shrugged. "I may not look tough, but you never know," I murmured, smirking to myself. I could be tough when I wanted to be, and I usually was. Except around Kyo, apparently. "I'm good with my hands." I smirked even wider, unable to stop the chuckle that escaped at my own words. Though maybe I wouldn't mind being dominated...

And that was where that thought ended at about the same time as Kyo poked my arm and I pursed my lips, trying not to smile before I poked his thigh in response, biting my lip.

I looked up when I heard him speak, though, biting my lip and laughing softly. Not at his pronunciation - which was technically right but without the accent so it sounded odd - but more at the fact that it was kind of...

"... Cute," I mumbled softly, staring up at the other man for a second before slowly averting my eyes as I blushed softly and shook my head at myself. "Ah... Sorry, I mean... That was close, you were really close," I said, nodding and just able to feel the flustered accent slip into my tone as I spoke. I cleared my throat.

Fuck, man...

"You're fluent in Japanese, or...?" I asked, once again flipping over onto my back so I could look back up at the other man. My hand dropped to rest near Kyo's as I cocked my head in his lap curiously.