roneal | (no subject)

He raises an eyebrow at the "joke", but Shinjirou seems to realize on his own that it was rather inappropriate - especially in public. Jade lets it slide, though he has to wonder if that's what Shinjirou really thinks about him.

It's unlikely, he decides. He likes to think Shinjirou respects him more than he fears him - though he has to admit the reverse is a possibility too. Still, it doesn't corroborate with Shinjirou's attitude.

He raises an eyebrow again when he sees Shinjirou's choice. Touching the fabric - on an innocuous place this time, his shoulder - confirms that it's as thick as it looks. "You really dislike the cold, don't you?"

"Huh? Who doesn't?" It seems like he's averted a fully negative reaction successfully -- at the cost of wearing something that constricts him with memories of someone that he grew up with. He doesn't know if that was worth it.

Shrugging, he decides that acting suspicious is one thing, but perhaps being able to distract Jade with honesty will work just fine. He waits until the shop assistant and a rather loud lady joined by her exasperated husband have left the area. "I did drugs," he quietly admits.

And he'll have to figure out a way to get another pack once the desired effects wear off, but Jade doesn't need to know about that little detail. Rubbing his arms, he looks up at Jade. "I'm not a junkie, tho. Sorry, should have said something sooner. Right?"

He can't say it's too much of a surprise, but it's a disappointment nonetheless.

It's also suspicious how Shinjirou is seemingly bringing it up out of nowhere, but Jade already knows what he's trying to hide. At least, he's fairly certain he does; getting overconfident would be a mistake. The more he learns about Shinjirou, the more he can't shake off the feeling that there's something more to him. Surely an ordinary person wouldn't put themselves through the things he did, even if they were desperate to learn control.

"I see," he says neutrally. "You should have, but that's in the past now. I'm more interested in what you took. It won't cause any problems, will it?"

"Nope." Shaking his head, he tugs on the vest, trying to arrange it in a way that doesn't feel like he's put on an Aki costume. Eventually he returns to his crossed arms stance. "It's not addictive nor hallucinogenic."

Which might raise the question as to why someone would take drugs anyway, he figures and stumbles trying to come up with a good reason. "It was more of a tranquilizer." Close enough to the truth while still obscuring the grand scheme of things. "But yeah, as long as you're not putting me in the freezer, shouldn't cause problems."

As soon as Shinjirou stops fidgeting, Jade reaches out to try adjust the vest back into its proper position.

Sedatives make sense, considering what he knows of Shinjirou. But despite the reassurances he was given, Jade isn't entirely convinced that there won't be any trouble. Shinjirou must have been taking drugs for quite awhile if his body systems are affected enough that his thermoregulation abilities are impaired.

Briefly, Jade wonders if Shinjirou would enjoy temperature play.

"I'll try to avoid doing that." He says aloud. "Is there anything else you need to confess?"

Despite the vest annoying him in general, he doesn't protest when Jade readjusts it; even raising his arms slightly to make it easier. He needs to be sure that Jade forgets about his odd initial reaction to a simple piece of clothing.

Which is also why, though he flinches, Shinjirou doesn't mutter keep your voice down.

"Not here." Looking over his shoulder, there's another couple nearing the section. They seem happier than the one from before, but they're also quieter. "And I don't think there's anything else you'd be all that interested in."

He's aware of the couple, but only lowers his voice a fraction, to signal that this is a private conversation. None of what they're saying would make sense out of context.

"Is that so?" He taps lightly on the leather collar, once, then smiles. "I'm afraid you're not entirely correct. I'd like to hear whatever you have to say."

The tap makes him oddly hyper-aware both of his surroundings and his own body. Straightening, posture rigid as much as it is upright, he narrows his eyes. "I don't think so." Jade may be curious and Shinjirou can't judge him for that, considering that Jade's got to deal with him every day ... but there's things that no one likes to hear and Shinjirou got plenty of them.

"I'm pretty boring and you kinda already know more than anyone else. I mean if I tell you that I sometimes have nightmares, that's just normal?" Their content, not so much. "And I don't wake up screaming anyway, so whatever."

Does he really know more than any other person? Jade doubts it, though he has to wonder. Shinjirou doesn't seem like he's close to anyone, Akihiko aside, and he's obviously keeping secrets from his friend.

But if what Shinjirou is saying is true, then Jade feels mildly sorry for him.

The feeling doesn't last for long; he's more interested in the almost defensive way Shinjirou is carrying himself in.

"What else?" If there's one thing he knows, it's that Shinjirou is far from boring. But he doesn't plan on grilling him any further than this; they are in public, and he's fine with letting Shinjirou keep some secrets (for the moment, at least). Approaching him like this probably won't yield much results anyway.

"... what, do you want a list of my favorite movies?" Sadly, while completely innocuous, that would also be information he finds too embarrassing to talk about. Then a thin smile tugs on his lips. "I'm good at wielding axes."

The young woman nearby gasps and Shinjirou jumps, glancing at her. It turns out she's fawning over a jacket for her boyfriend. Sighing, he pulls the vest over his head and pushes it into Jade's arms. "It's getting late," he says, carrying the notion that it's Jade's fault entirely. "Let's go and look for ties and a belt."

Marginally less frustrating than talking about himself in public. He doesn't know what to do with the attention anyway. Having someone focus on him this much is something he normally shies away from by scaring them off; impossible with Jade, unfortunately.

Axes? Jade would have thought that Shinjirou was being sarcastic, but his jumpiness seems to imply otherwise.

Interesting. Where would Shinjirou have obtained an axe? And what did he need one for? It doesn't mesh with his fear of doing harm either. Jade is half-tempted to ask him more, but Shinjirou is already turning away, and he had promised himself not to inquire any further for the moment.

Jade folds the vest neatly and drapes it over one arm, at the same time adjusting his grip on the bag with the shoes. "This way," he says, leading the way to the ties.

Shinjirou doubts that Jade doesn't have any further questions, but he's quite positive that he's managed to distract him at least a bit. It is odd, after all. Axes are great for beating Shadows to a pulp, though.

There's no one else around looking for ties which is an improvement over the other sections. On the other hand, they are ties. It can't get more formal in Shinjirou's opinion. This stuff is for uniforms and business people. He makes a face, picking a random, marine-blue tie up and turning it over in his hands.

"Are you sure this isn't going to look silly on me? I guess if someone decides to choke you on the spot it's kind of useful."

"It's either this or a ribbon," he returns, the image of Gekkoukan's uniform flashing in his mind. "Besides, you don't have to wear it every time we go out. It's only for special occasions."

He picks up another tie as well, one in an even more subdued shade of blue. A second later, he puts it back down. "Of course, if you want to give someone a convenient handhold, I wouldn't object."

His grimace falls apart at the word ribbon. Wouldn't a bowtie be the more common alternative? He lowers his hand, eyes narrowing as he continues to stare at Jade. This is the second coincidence within less than an hour.

"Y-yeah, of course you wouldn't." Even the image of a blank-faced guest yanking on his tie can't shake the unease that settles over him like a cloud of dust. "A tie's better, then."

Busy with browsing the selection of ties, Jade doesn't look up, seemingly oblivious to the way Shinjirou is staring at him. It's not until the little stutter that he finally glances back at Shinjirou.

"I'm glad you agree." He takes a step closer, looking at the tie in Shinjirou's hands. "Have you made your choice?"

"... yes." Putting the tie on top of the vest, he tries to figure out how to word his concerns in a way that don't give away what he's worried about. His lips start to bleed slightly from all the gnawing and he licks it away in a hurry. He's not exactly good at being secretive, certainly not in Jade's league.

"Did you know that my old school uniform had ribbons?" It's direct, yes, but he's doing his best to sound casual, turning towards a selection of belts.

"Does it?" He sounds mildly curious as he moves behind Shinjirou, looping the tie around his neck. He doesn't do it up yet; just stands there, one hand resting against Shinjirou's neck, still lightly holding onto the tie. "Why ask now, all of a sudden?"

His hand stops mid-air, still a few inches away from a simple brown belt. "You mentioned ribbons?" He turns his head, chin brushing over Jade's arm. They are dancing around the issue here and it doesn't matter who'll step on whose feet, in the end it's going to hurt him, not Jade.

His blood pumps through his veins, neck twitching with his pulse. "Just small talk."

"Ah." He can almost feel Shinjirou's heartbeat pounding under his fingertips. Tension is radiating off him in waves, but Jade chooses not to comment on it. "In that case, no, I wasn't aware of it."

He doesn't usually lie outright, but in this instance, he's aiming to unsettle Shinjirou. It doesn't really matter if he's convincing or not.

"I thought ties were a more common choice for senior grades?" His other hand is on Shinjirou's tie now, toying with the silky fabric between his fingers. "Or did you leave before then?"

In that case, Jade says and Shinjirou shuts his eyes, eyebrows knitting together. Jade must have known. A slight tremble running through his body, Shinjirou hugs himself. What else does Jade know about him -- more importantly, what does Jade know about Mitsuru and Aki?

Bending forward as if to fight off stomach cramps, he tries to find his voice and a way, any way, to calm down. It wouldn't help his case if he started freaking out in public. "Guess the principal likes ribbons." His voice sounds strained, but he manages to get the sentence out without tripping over the words.

"And technically I'm still enrolled."

"It won't be long until they forget about you, I hope." The school might be used to Shinjirou's absence, but as long as he remained on their records, the potential for an investigation still remained. "Though I suppose you're old enough to drop out officially."

Shinjirou's body language is becoming unacceptably extreme; they might attract attention if this goes on. Jade crosses the two ends of the tie together, right over Shinjirou's throat. "Stand up straight. Is something wrong?"

"I bet they're glad I'm gone." Except for two people -- and those two are the only ones that matter to him. All the others, students and teachers alike, he's never gotten along with anyway. Gossiping little shits that went pale the moment he popped up in person.

He takes a deep breath, then rolls his shoulders and straightens. "... you know what's wrong." He raises both hands, wrapping his fingers around Jade's grip. Despite everything, the physical contact soothes him. "Can I please sit down for a minute? I'm dizzy."

His hands still when Shinjirou grip closes around them, but Jade doesn't protest. Neither does he deny that he knows exactly what is bothering Shinjirou.

"Now?" He asks instead. "We'll have lunch after this. Can you hold on until then?"

"... yeah, I think so." He's the opposite of hungry. His stomach is filled with worries heavy as a boulder, but he knows it's important to eat and if it means getting the chance to sit down, then there's that too.

He drops his hands slowly. It's difficult to stand the way Jade wants him to when he'd rather dash and hide from the attention. Staring at Jade, though his eyes are unfocused, surprisingly helps. Even if Jade knows things Shinjirou would have rather kept away from him, he still doesn't want to disappoint him.

"What about that tie now?"

"Let me take care of it." He doesn't meet Shinjirou's stare, wary of putting too much pressure on him. Shinjirou is doing well so far; his body feels stiff, small tremors running through his muscles, but he's standing straight and that's what matters the most.

Jade works faster than he had in the changing room. They're no longer alone in the aisle now; Jade can feel curious eyes watching them, and he acts accordingly, quick and deft as he does up the tie. But his touches are far from innocent. His hands brush along Shinjirou's neck, his chest, and when he pulls the length of tie taut against Shinjirou's neck, it's with a very deliberate intent.

When he finishes, he pulls the tie up tighter than it needs to be.