fiddlestick | aefenglom IC Inbox

[ oh, um— ]

I can stay like this. [ it wasn't about his enchantments, those were actually full! eren just hadn't particularly thought about cleaning up when . . . ] It's not worth the effort.

[ he's going to get dirty again. ]

Er...okay?

[He blinks a little, confused. He tilts his head a little]

Does that mean you're gonna back to painting right away?

[ oblivious as to where the confusion could be coming from but seeing it, nonetheless, eren brings his talons back to his side. idly, they rub and fidget against his sweatpants sides. ]

I was going to pick up more paint, so I’ll still get messy. But I can, [ awkward, gesture, ] help you.

Ah...

[Well that explains it. Elliot turns a little pink, feeling a little awkward with the way Eren suggested that]

T-That's okay, I know how to shower.

[ first thought without actually thinking: wanting to go with. second thought after thinking: he already blew it when he absently said he didn’t need to and . . .

clearing his throat to get rid of the thickness swelling in it, eren simply nods, lips pressed together as he quietly follows up with: ]

I can wait.

[ kill him ]

[rest in pieces Eren.

Elliot blinks a few times, because that's such an AWKWARD way to put things and also the feedback from the bond is weird too.]

Er...okay?

[Slowly, as if he's trying to figure out how to decipher the spongegar]

Were you hoping we'd spend more time together?

[ it’s not like he planned to get him all dirty, that was just some impromptu playing around— he didn’t measure that. he didn’t quite measure this either and falls into silence, eventually raising his hand to gesture as his face, down to his neck, felt like it was burning enough that his ears pin down. ]

I— Yeah.

[ primitive sponge deciphered. ]

[Ah. So thaaaat's what it was. Elliot's face goes from confusion to a warm smile. His arms will wrap loosely around Eren's waist- a more affectionate gestures.]

Hehe, okay. I'd like that.

[ his ears pin up— he can do this. eren's arms lift as elliot's arm goes around his waist, just underneath where his wing membranes connect to his ribs and hips. tentatively, his hand finds his bond's shoulder (reaching lower would be awkward to hold, long arms). magic exchange. good. ]

Where to?

[Ah yes sweet magic exchange. With Fie living with Shinjiro he doesn't get this as often anymore, so it feels nice]

Probably first my place to wash up. [Which that gives him an idea] Oh! I bet I could teleport us there.

[ it's a lot faster than walking like eren did, even if he didn't mind the exercise (a tiny chip to his overall 5am workouts). ]

Go ahead.

Okay! Here goes...

[He's done this trip by himself, but never with another person. But if it was his Bonded- it should be fine right? He closes his eyes and visualizes his home, singing a little to channel the magic. There's a swell of it, and runes appear and then--

The scenery changes. No longer are they in Elliot's music studio, but his living room. ]

Oh good! It worked@

[ —that feels strange no matter how it happened and eren has to let go of his bond to get into a full body shake. like electricity? like magic washing over you? he didn't know but it made his spines feel tingly and want to stand even after he's done shaking. ]

No one home—?

[It's a strange feeling for sure. Now that they've reached their destination, Elliot will pull away as well. ]

Ah, no. Towa's at work and Fie moved out to live her boyfriend.

Everyone else is... [He gives a little half shrug and looks away. They've gone home]

[ oh. hrm. ]

Good thing I came.

[ he says this as he starts walking with elliot to wherever the bathroom should be. it's lonely as balls in here, though eren wasn't entirely one to talk when he purposely isolates himself in a hole. ]

[Yeah but it's a pretty nice hole ok. He'll head over to the bathroom on the first floor, grabbing a couple towels from the closet on the way. ]

Aha, it is. I do miss the noise from everyone else sometimes. And Fie did offer me a spot at her new place, but...

[He shrugs] I couldn't get comfortable there.

[ “with her bf” so he could only come up with one, miraculously not himbo explanation: ]

Too crowded?

Haha, not exactly. More...

[how to put it]

I felt like a third wheel? [He's not sure if that explanation works. So he makes a "hmm" noise before he reaches over to touch Eren's hand.

As he does so, a quick memory plays out. Elliot was having a family dinner with a woman that was clearly his biological sister and her boyfriend. The dinner itself was going well, there isn't anything wrong - but there was no denying the feeling of awkwardness tied with the memory thanks to Elliot and Neithardt not at all sure how to go about changing their relationship from formal to one of a casual brother-in-law relationship. Not only that, but there were clearly moments where Fiona and Neithardt would share a look that lovers do or start to say something, but then stop when they realize Elliot was still there.

The memory fades a moment later, and in the present time Elliot is scratching his jaw]

Eheh, that feeling, but all the time.

Edited 2020-08-12 21:15 (UTC)

[ hah, so, he was right. to repeat that, eren’s lips curve as he rubs the back of his neck: ]

It’s crowded. [ they were talking about the same thing, eren’s simply never heard of the third wheel metaphor. shouldn’t it be fifth wheel, since there’re things with three wheels? either way— some relationships could, others couldn’t. and in other better news . . . ] Is that your sister?

[Right, Eren used that wording again but...it seemed like he was having some understanding. Must be one of those times that Eren doesn't know slang. Ok.

He nods]

Yeah, that's my older sister. Fiona.

[ he couldn't take too much out of the memory, so asking, as they get to the bathroom and carefully taking the towels out of his hold: ]

You guys get along?

[ nevermind that, with elliot's hand now free and slippery in his earlier getaway to his jaw, eren's hand brushes back to his palm. ]

[Elliot lets him have the towels, moving to start to remove his paint-covered shirt.]

Oh yeah! We live together when I'm not traveling. She's a musician too, so plays accompaniment to my stuff when I need it.

[So very close! And similar interests!]

I don't mind her boyfriend either. It's just he's also my father's second-in-command in his division and was my military instructor too so ... it's hard to see him as my sister's partner, you know?

[It'd be like if Levi started dating Armin]

[ (you will never speak of such cursed imagery again)

even if eren couldn't exactly relate with the feeling (honestly, his younger self would've thought it cool), he could acknowledge it being felt. the "crowded" feeling. he's never had to think about his friends pairing off . . . and still doesn't enough that it'll never be weird until it actually happens. he won't even be around for it, if anything. ]

I wonder how it would've been, sometimes, [ he trails of, and walks over to turn the shower knob open. hot water and steam helps his psychology for getting in later. ] if me and my brother grew up together.

Oh yeah, I forgot you have a brother.

[It doesn't come up often, but then again so do very few things in Eren's life.

His shirt off, he plugs up the sink and fills it so he can put the shirt to soak. Better to do it now so there's a better chance it'll come off in the wash later. Not even magic can solve some stains you know.]

I can't say for sure. My sister and I are close, but it's because we share common interests. But even then she can be really annoying sometimes. [Especially when she starts doting on him like a little kid] And I know some siblings who...well, let's just say they don't get along at all.

[ that's fault advertising, magic should be able to do everything . . . :( eren considers the fact that he doesn't talk about much at all when it came to his life and elliot had shared a lot and— not that he feels obligated, but he does want to continue the conversation with substance. he brought up zeke because he wanted to in the first place. so, almost abruptly after a small beat: ]

I don't like him. [ just straight up. straight out. ] His way of thinking pisses me off. [ and it's in his nature, eren assumes. ] . . . It wasn't like he had a choice to think for himself, though.

[ and eren did? well, he thought he did. sure his world shaped him, but his parents never imposed an idea onto him. he created his own. and that probably created a monster. ]

Dad raised us both differently.

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