thomas aka jealous girlfriend // for beastthatbearsme, illscreaminstead

[makemebow]

[ Thomas won't lose Chris.

(not to Kaito)

He won't lose, and so he times things. Times it so that when Kaito is due to meet with Chris (and he knows, he always knows), he'll be entering Chris's office to find that Thomas is already there.

(already there and straddling Chris's lap, kissing him almost aggressively and sliding his hands over Chris's torso)

(Chris is his)

(he intends to make sure Kaito knows) ]

Comments

[illscreaminstead]

[He's clutching his knees.

He wants to turn around but he doesn't want to face him, after this. Either he didn't know and Kaito has slapped him awake or he did know and Kaito is alone.

All he can think to do is speak. To tell him why.

He tries to keep his voice calm but there's a faint tremble in it, and his throat is too tight for it to sound normal, really.]

He told me that once it's covered all of me, I'll have finished my penance.

[makemebow]

[ Kaito is speaking and all Thomas wants is for him to stop. He doesn't want to listen because-- because...

(because Chris is everything)

(niisama and promoter and protector and)

(he's the one who makes it better when Thomas is hurt, he's only supposed to hurt people who are bad and IV doesn't like VI but Kaito isn't bad and even VI isn't, he's competition but he's not bad) ]

I--

Please. I don't want to see it any more.

[illscreaminstead]

[He hears that and he doesn't waste time pulling his shirt back on, turning to face Thomas again.

(although he can't really look at him right now, so he settles for staring at the floor in front of his own knees)

It takes a moment for his head to clear, for him to remember V's order.]

...he said you'd stay with me tonight.

Do you have anything to pack?

[He doesn't want to rush him to move, not now, but he also doesn't want to run over their half-hour time limit.]

[makemebow]

[ Once Kaito's shirt is back on, Thomas lets his gaze drop to stare down at the floor, shivering.

(it takes him a moment, when Kaito speaks, to even register)

(everything's hazy, like when he looks back on IV, everything's like it's happening to someone else but there's nobody else for it to happen to right now) ]

I... I don't know...

[ Everything he owns belongs to V, doesn't it?

(but...)

Dragging himself to his feet, Thomas shakes his head slowly. ]

There's... nothing I can take, of-- of his. So there's nothing to pack.

But there's... one thing I want to take. In my room. Will you come with me?

[illscreaminstead]

[...mm. He should have expected something like that, that everything would be V's, even the things for Thomas.

But...if he has something of his own, that's important.

He nods.]

Yes. Lead the way.

[makemebow]

[ Thomas's gaze flicks about nervously, as he leaves the room.

(he's aware of the time limit too, even if he's out of it)

Even once he gets Kaito into his own room, he doesn't relax, only moves across the room to his bed and reaches down beside it to grab at something.

(something stuffed down the side, something secret)

(it had always seemed something so childish, something he'd not wanted Chris to know about because that would mean V knowing, too)

(and so this is the one thing that belongs entirely to Thomas)

He turns, once he has the thing in hand, turning to Kaito and clutching the ragdoll to his chest. His face goes hard, almost defiant.

(daring Kaito to say something)

(this is his one thing, the thing that belongs to him and nobody else)

(so perhaps it's childish, but Thomas will fight for his right to keep it close, to not let anyone say a word against him for this one thing of his) ]

[illscreaminstead]

[He watches him search, curious.

But then he sees the doll that Thomas is holding and suddenly he turns away, his head ducks down a little.

(that one item, that comfort object)

(IV Thomas has always seemed younger than he should, and it reminds him)

(Thomas' devotion to his nii-san doesn't help anything)

(it reminds him of--)]

Let's go.

[His voice is tight.

(of someone he lost)]

[makemebow]

[ Thomas watches Kaito. Watches the way he turns away, goes closed-off.

(he doesn't understand)

(but he)

He reaches out, when Kaito says that. Keeps the ragdoll clutched to his chest with one hand and, with the other, grabs at one of Kaito's hands.

(he thinks on some base, childish level, that Kaito looks like he needs the comfort of that kind of meaningless, undemanding physical affection)

(affection with no layers, no implications, no lies, only the act itself)

(Thomas knows that he needs it himself, right now) ]

Can-- can we get something to eat?

[ Hesitant, quiet.

(shyness, perhaps, discomfort around Kaito even now because Kaito isn't Chris)

(or something

else)

(the faintest thought in the back of Thomas's mind, the voice that says but what about Michael and is silenced swiftly because this thought alone is bad enough, let alone--) ]

[illscreaminstead]

[Maybe...

...maybe he had the wrong idea about Thomas, at first. Maybe he judged him too harshly, because...

(because he had what Kaito used to have)

(he had Chris' love, Kaito thought, and he was jealous because that meant Chris was capable of it, too, just not for him, not for Faker's son)

(but no. Chris and V switched places a long time ago)

(V used to be the mask, right?)

He looks at Thomas and holds tight to his hand and gives him...a smile, the most hesitant and strange-looking smile, like he's forgotten how to do it and he's not sure he should. It works, other than a moment where he has to turn his face quickly away, to brush a few tears out of his eyes.]

...mm. We should eat.

[makemebow]

[ It's hesitant and unsure, maybe, and maybe there are tears too, but... but Kaito is smiling at him. And right now, that's important. Only hours ago, it wouldn't have mattered at all, but now

(now he has seen the mark on Kaito's back and the fact he can smile at all is important, let alone at the brother of the man who hurt him that way)

there's nothing more important.

(for that smile, and for his own sake, Thomas will)

(no, IV will)

(go through with this, will give into the voice that tells him he has to)

(because that voice is IV, isn't it? that part of Thomas that hasn't broken, that tiny ember that Kaito's presence has kindled into a candle flame, that he thinks, in time, Kaito could kindle into a roaring fire strong enough to take down all of this)

(hot enough to keep Kaito warm, in return) ]

Ah. There's a... an American place I like, a couple blocks away.

[illscreaminstead]

[He nods, pulls his hand away gently to slip on his coat (he took it with him from the other room, when they left).

(he considers, for a moment, whether to go back for the case with his collars)

(and then he decides)

(no)

(the next time V wants him in collars he can take them himself)

(it is a very small rebellion but he feels better for it)

...he thinks, for a moment, and he silently takes Thomas' hand again before they walk to the door. Another rebellion, of sorts.]

[andstandtall]

[ There's an odd, but definite shift to his posture, when Kaito takes his hand again. The way that he lifts his chin higher, squares his shoulders.

(there's still Thomas there, more than usual, in the way that he clutches the ragdoll still to his chest)

(a comfort for that side, to keep himself entirely present)

(Thomas ought to enjoy Kaito's company just as much, shouldn't he?)

(but)

It's IV who's the one who uses Kaito's grip on his hand to actively lead the way out, tugging him down the street almost insistently.

They have to get to that place, to that blind spot. To that place that Chris let slip to him, back...

(back when Chris was still in there, he thinks) ]

[illscreaminstead]

[He's thrown when Thomas(?) tugs him along like this -- with his height, he has to jog a little to keep up.]

What's our hurry?

[He feels like they're not really headed to this restaurant Thomas was talking about, from the urgency of the tugging.]

[andstandtall]

I'm hungry, is all.

[ They're not there yet, after all, not out of the cameras.

(he is hungry too, besides that)

(he supposes it's good, that Chris chose that out of all the blind spots to tell him about)

Which means, too, that he ought... ought to be a little more Thomas. He forces his voice back into the higher, more childish range it's more often in, the range he'd slipped out of a moment before. ]

I-- I thought you'd want to eat and get back quicker. Don't you have duels later, or anything?

[illscreaminstead]

[...ah. Duels. Somehow he'd nearly forgotten.

(that aside, though, he can tell that this isn't quite Thomas)

(and he's curious)]

...not tonight, I think.

I'm hungry as well, though, so let's hurry.

[The tone is a little different than it should be. An acknowledgement that he's caught the change, he's wondering.]

[andstandtall]

[ IV glances back at Kaito and nods (hesitant, hesitant, he has to be Thomas for the cameras), then tightens his grip and keeps tugging until they reach their destination.

(he wasn't lying about it being an American diner, at least)

Pulling Kaito in, he shuts the door behind them and then seems to almost slump with relief, exhaling slowly. ]

Ah... Kaito.

We can talk, here. But we should take the chance to eat, too.

[illscreaminstead]

[He looks back and forth, watches the way Thomas relaxes. He can't think why, unless...

Unless this was...]

A blind spot?

[He knows about the cameras. He couldn't not know, after belonging to Heartland for so long, and then to Chris. He knows there are holes. But he didn't know that Thomas would know one.

He tries to wipe the shock off his face, relax.]

...Yes. We should eat.

[Luckily, someone's there to lead them to a table quickly.]

[andstandtall]

[ He waits until they're seated, keeping his ragdoll held at his side and resting it carefully on the table once they're left alone. Shifts, for that, into Thomas, because it's Thomas who needs the doll so much, Thomas who cares for it so much.

When Thomas looks up, when IV focuses on Kaito, the change is... visible. He holds his eyes open wider as Thomas, more childish, more cherub even if he doesn't know that he's doing it. IV is more relaxed - but tense, too, because he can really comprehend the possibilities of what he's going to suggest when he's in this state of mind - and he watches Kaito intently. Watches him and reaches out to knot their fingers together on top of the table.

To present a united front. Make it look more normal; they're just a couple, here, and the only thing odd about them is the ragdoll on the table.

(anchor the both of them, too, don't let anyone see the little tells of the underground) ]

He--

He hurt you.

[ It's a low murmur, like IV is telling himself more than anything. ]

...and-- and Thomas. He made him... he made me that way.

[ IV stumbles over his words, because he's Thomas and Thomas is him but at the same time they're not and he doesn't know how to make it make sense to himself, let alone Kaito. ]

You. You gave me this, though. This side. You brought it out.

Kaito, I--

I need you.

If either of us could ever leave, it would be--

It'd be together.

...would you try? With me?