bakerstreet | cuddle up and get warm

The hell, how's that surprising?

[ oh. maybe it's because of the leather. the leather's in the way. maybe if he...removes his scarf, too, for a start, it'll serve as a second blanket to drape over them.

it sort of works? ]

'course I'm comfy, I'm like, a champ at this stuff...

[ self-described, but a champion nonetheless! ryuji's hands go on autopilot, diving right between ann's thighs. wow, it actually is warm here...is this a girl thing? ryuji feels so shriveled, he's not sure he has anything left on him at all. ]

It just is!

[ he's shifting once more and she reacts by sitting up and away from him, only to fall back again when she notices he was... – what was he doing exactly? the scarf was removed and now draped over them like a second (tiny) blanket, and she's left deciphering if this had anything to do with the comment about him being 'comfy'.

before she could ask, however, ann finds herself almost bolting upwards again at the sudden intrusion of ryuji's hands between her thighs. from beneath red mask she turns even redder – twisting in their makeshift embrace to stare up at him. ]

H–Hey! You want to maybe ask before putting your hands there?

It's warm here! Whaddya want me to do, slap a buncha frostbite fingers all over ya?!

[ this is ryuji's excuse, at any rate—he doesn't know what his true motives were here, only that someplace was radiating warmth, and he had to seek it out. besides, isn't this better than any of the other alternatives available? he doesn't spare many thoughts towards what's past here below the costume. if he'd made a break for ann's chest instead, well... ]

S-sorry, just...bear with it for a while, yeah? I won't stop ya if you wanna retaliate...

[ he's clueless to how she would, of course, but the option is there. just to help level the playing field between them some. ]

[ a small noise of frustration, but she sulkily turns to settle against his chest again. ] Fine... But you better not try anything funny!

[ she may not have any power in the way of spells but she's still very much armed and would not hesitate to use her whip against him. ]

And I'm already between your legs so really, dunno how I'd retaliate more than that.

Then kick my ass later or somethin', I dunno...

[ ann has a valid point. for a while now he's been overlooking where she's sitting and the way their legs are hooked over one another's. no matter what sort of spin you put on it, the two of them look awfully intimate, stuck in such a position as they are.

it's all about getting warm, damn it, nothing else.

ryuji spreads his hands out as far as they can reach, tucking his fingers underneath ann's thighs. despite the material stretched across them, there's even heat over here as well. plus, they're...nicely shaped, a new piece of information that's never dawned on him before. he'll need to spend a long, hard think after all of this is over, beginning to see ann in a new light than he had previously. ]

Don't complain when I actually do. [ she grumbles, legs parting but only to allow his hands room to fit comfortably. she couldn't argue that it was important the two of them stayed warm and considering she was playing small spoon and using most of his body heat for herself ann wouldn't deny him.

even if she was now very aware of his roaming fingers and their movement.

it was fine. ann reminds herself that she and ryuji are friends – and had been friends for quite a while. this was strictly because of the cold and she was absolutely not taking any enjoyment out of the fact that strong hands were currently caressing the underside of her thighs. ]

Not like there's anywhere else to shove 'em...

[ ryuji's grumbling too. how is this his fault when ann had to be one to sit right here in front of him! he isn't the one who automatically volunteered to cuddle up so close (or at all, dammit), press right up against him, when she could have easily sat anywhere (anyway) else.

look at her, in that skin-tight suit, which he thankfully can't see due to the blanket, due to staring ahead at the furthest frigid wall, doing his best impersonation of joker. line-face and all. with his eyes forced to failure, he has to feel, and it's not doing him any new favors, either. ann has a nice body, to say the least, goes with the territory when she's paid to flaunt it. she has a nice body, and despite all his well and good intentions, ryuji's still a red-blooded young man at the end of the day.

so maybe his red red blood means he's not so withered and shrunken any more, the longer they sit here. it's nothing short of a miracle ann's perched where she is so she can least avoid his direct line of fire, as it were, and make this ten times bigger of a deal than it needs to be. he's a young man and this is a perfectly natural reaction to her involuntary wiles, it can't be helped.

if he can just...shift, adjust, no one will be the wiser. they can wait this out, the cavalry will arrive, and everyone can go on with their lives like this never ever happened. ha ha, wow, guys, what a wild trip the metaverse that was, huh!? they're phantom freaking thieves, this is all standard, normal, perfectly natural. not anything to worry or scream or actually kick anyone's ass about. ]

[ on the cusp of dozing off again, ann opts to not reply; instead nestling against ryuji and allowing herself to be lulled by the security he provided by simply being there. while it was true that ann was to blame for their current position, it was not as though she had some sort of ulterior motive. cuddling for warmth was commonplace in situations like these and seeing as she's currently allowing his hands to grope at her thighs he really shouldn't be complaining!

the silence stretched between them and briefly ann finds herself wondering if he had also fallen asleep, an eye opening to peek. no, he wasn't sleeping – if anything ann found that ryuji looked more rigid than ever. it was... mildly disconcerting, and she was about to say something when she feels ––

–– what was that?

as soon as her mind utters the question, she knows the answer almost instantly. the realization brought with it a quiet inhale and even more questions – specifically, how should she react to it? of course, it would be perfectly normal and sound to scream and threaten violence. they weren't dating, they weren't even interested in each other like that! ... right? she takes a moment to reflect, noting that... while ryuji had a habit of being... himself, that wasn't (always) such a terrible thing. he clearly cared about her, considering his bravado of keeping her warm even while he suffered the brunt of the bad weather, going so far as to wrap himself around her for safety.

maybe... just this once she wouldn't say anything. they could both wait it out until help arrived and then continue on as though it never happened.

... or maybe –

teeth worry against her bottom lip, biting down lightly as she works up the nerve to tuck a hand behind her back; fingers grasping the obvious outline that had formed within his outfit. the position was awkward and she wasn't sure what she could do beyond this, but instinct guides her far enough that she gives him a firm, but gentle, squeeze. ]

[ this would be ten times easier (and twenty times more tolerable) if he were fast asleep. instead, here he is, trying and failing to finish homework in his head. otherwise, how else is he supposed to weather this? not everyone can be perfect gentlemen all day long, ogle an ass like ann's all day long and get away without saying anything about it. ryuji doesn't know how the rest of the team can survive, mona notwithstanding. he's a cat, anyway, no matter what he says, so what's with all the acute interest past his lofty imagination? can't he go find a clean, simple alley cat to get all hot and bothered?

hot...at this rate the chill won't be bothering anyone soon. if this was ann's cunning plan all along, it's totally working.

her next one, though, maybe less so. ]

Gah— [ this is...no longer the tender touch of a soft butt (nice work, monamona), but something else altogether. ryuji automatically jolts at the contact, like being struck by one of his own lightning bolts, and that's bad enough, but the squeeze...why'd she have to go there!? ] W-w-what the hell're you doin?!

[ self-preservation is the only thing keeping him from backpedaling. as soon as they lose the connection, it's all over, and they'll be back at square one. what to do...when ann's practically got him by the balls, here, he's in no position to do anything to retaliate. if he doesn't say another word, maybe they can let it slide, physically let it go. what on earth would motivate anyone to do otherwise? ]

[ of course she should have expected his reaction and she almost jerks her hand away because of it; face burning as though she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have (and perhaps that were true?) instead, however, her head merely turns to look up at him; free hand pushing the cat-like mask aside. ]

Sorry, I... [ she stumbles, unable to keep eye contact with him. ] I was trying to help and — and I haven't... I mean, I've never done this before so like —

[ her hand really does pull away then. ] I'm sorry, I should have asked or something. [ ann doesn't really know how she would have gone about asking him but she also realizes she shouldn't have touched him without permission. had it not been for the fact that the two of them were forced to stay together until their rescue arrived, she would have already made an attempt to flee the scene from embarrassment. ]

[ did he actually fall asleep? this is the dream world, ryuji's not hearing this right now; no effing way is an entire ann takamaki going to sit here and just—just willingly grab his junk like she owns the thing—do what she's doing, and yank her hand back like it's her fault! what's happening next, is she going to confess!? this isn't just the metaverse, it's a straight-up dream, plain and simple, with no way out.

he'd smack himself silly if he could. bracing himself for ann to do it for him, he stares at nothing, stares at her, fully stupefied when she simply. stares back. no hell-raising, no hitting, there isn't a thing. ]

For real?! Help with what!

[ what...does she...have her sights on, exactly? rubbing two sticks together to spark a fire is one thing, but what does this have to do with two people trapped in a lonely little room? no actual fire's getting made here, and it's going to do a fat lot of good keeping the cold out of here...unless...

they do say (mysterious, the eponymous they), exercise keeps the blood pumping, makes your heart race, helps you to stay warm. no way in hell is this what ann's trying to offer, though. impossible! improbable! not for ryuji! this is a dream, or some flavor of twisted nightmare that's only just begun. ]

I mean... [ he speaks without thinking, eyes darting from where her hand's gone to, to her, her hand, and back again. they don't need to do this, and yet... ] You could. Uh. You could put. Put it back... [ oh, no. dream-ryuji's gone on autopilot, letting it happen. ] Y-you just gotta. Uh. Warn a guy...

[ like, who does this when they don't see it coming, in any capacity? does she even want to see it, for that matter? ]

[ the outburst only makes the blush on her face darker, head turning quickly in an effort to hide flustered countenance. ] Just... Help! [ she didn't have an excuse, even now she couldn't come up with a reason as to why she suddenly decided to grab him in such a way. curiosity? maybe. desire? surely not!

...

at least, that's what she told herself. perhaps some small part of her was attracted to ryuji, but this was hardly the time nor the place to act on such thoughts — especially when she hasn't had a moment to decipher these feelings herself.

when he speaks again, she's listening closely; glancing out of the corner of her eye. he... wants her to keep going? for a moment, she's speechless — but she's turning towards him again, a hand pressing gently to his chest. ]

That's fair... [ her voice was quiet, said hand sliding downwards slowly. ] ... Here's your warning then. [ fingertips trail along the outline again, the heel of her palm rubbing against him. ]

... Is this okay?

[ what little blood's left in ryuji clearly isn't his brain, since he doesn't spare a thought towards the ramifications of this. they're friendly nowadays, they work together on the same team, but shouldn't this be reserved for couples? there's no way ann's girlfriend material—or maybe ryuji's not cut out to be anyone's sweetheart, either, who knows.

regardless of their future arrangements, this is where they are now. for a second he thinks she's turning to slap him, shove him, take that discarded scarf of his and strangle him with it, anything besides actually giving. later he'll have all sorts of questions. the best he can manage until then, however, is some more useless gaping of his mouth— ] Wh—... [ —and a sharp intake of breath, eyes widening comically.

she isn't at a hundred percent, where he'd like her to be, but ann's close enough that it'll work for him. he shamelessly tries and fails to immediately chase the pressure, bucking mindlessly like a creature in rut. embarrassing. ]

What gives... [ stretched thin as he is, in no small part to the adrenaline, there's little more he's willing to do than sit here and take it. no one said anything about keeping your hands off (all ryuji confirmed is hands on, always on), yet he's going to all the same. ] Why now, wh-why—

[ hold it, sorry, come back later. she's still rubbing and he has no room left to think about anything else besides this. ann has it easy, given how this is the most attention his body's ever gotten to-date. unless his luck persists it's probably going to be the last time he gets it, too. he's not going to be caught looking a gift panther in the mouth. it's just asking to be bitten, and not in the fun way. ]

[ despite the sputterings, ann doesn't take the time to respond — instead noting his reaction and trying again; hand sliding lower to reward him with the friction he so desperately sought. blue eyes peers upwards from beneath a veil of dark lashes, palm once more pressing itself firmly to keep bucking hips still. ]

Shut up... [ the command was uttered, but softly — unlike the tone she took whenever he decided to be louder than usual. she wasn't about to answer his questions because she couldn't answer them. why now? why at all? she didn't know; but told herself it was something to evaluate later, when she was alone. for now, ann would continue palming ryuji through the leather of his pants — finding that she was much warmer now than she was prior to all of this. ]

You have to... [ she pauses, now suddenly embarrassed — it was fine when she was practically jerking him off, but to vocalize it was where the line was drawn. right. ] ... You have to tell me if I'm not doing it right... Ryuji...

[ how on earth's ryuji supposed to do anything if he needs to keep quiet and keep still? suddenly it feels like he's gotten the raw end of the deal, and for as much as he wants to continue to protest, he does exactly as he's told. he sags, jaw clamping shut as his gaze shifts elsewhere. what else is there but to sit here and take it? yeah, it feels good, even with the layers separating them and all, and yet... ]

Can't I at least... [ his small eyebrows pinch together, self-conscious. ] Lay down or somethin', I dunno...

[ though it's a tight fit, it's not like the blanket won't give them coverage here in the corner. these aren't ideal conditions for much of anything, let alone a healthy hormonal dosage of fooling around, but it's too late for either of them to turn back now. even if they never speak of it again they may as well see it through. ]

[ at his request, her movements pause — hand pulling itself backwards as she considers their position. if he lays down, there would be no way for the two of them to share the blanket equally. she wants him to be comfortable but not at the risk of him catching hypothermia. as if lost in thought, ann doesn't readily respond; instead sitting up and idly chewing on her lower lip. ]

... Won't that be cold? [ she finally questions after a moment, head tilting to gaze up at him. hesitation is etched upon flushed features, second-guessing her actions now that she's stopped and had time to rethink it. ]

I — Maybe we shouldn't do this... [ a pause. ] Here. [ that is to say she didn't want to not do it but rather — it would be prudent to wait until the two of them are someplace safer, right? right. blue eyes scan his face for some sort of response, he must also think it's ridiculous for them to be fooling around in the metaverse, especially with the dip in temperature and possible enemies lurking about.

gaze sweeps over him, over the obvious outline in his pants and she exhales quietly, hand placing itself on his chest instead of between his legs again. ]

[ will they, won't they...this is getting more frustrating than the zipper teeth ryuji's constantly wrestling himself away from. can't she make her mind? ann's hands say one thing, with her mouth she says another, and there's a third unreadable emotion in her eyes on top of it all. it's just making him feel bad, wondering if she's right, if they really just abandon this and wait it out, blue balls be damned.

and even if she should, he's the last one who's ever going to force her into anything, period. the balls, quite literally, are all in her court. ]

Well, which is it, jeez... [ he grumbles, avoiding any eye contact with her, none of it containing a trace of vitriol. ] Either do somethin' or geddoff, I can't choose for you.

[ huffing, he scoots backwards, as if pretending the momentum in it's going to do anything to change their situation. ]

They say friction keeps ya warm and all, but damn, if you're gonna be like this, nothing's worth it. [ although his body slumps, one of his knees wobbles back and forth erratically, nervous. ] Just forget it, I guess.

[ too bad. he was this close to reaching out for her too, reeling her in snugly. that may have been nice, but a small squeeze to her leg is all he can manage. ryuji's no pig. if she isn't interested, she isn't interested. end of story. ]

[ irritation prickles at the base of her skull, even if his tone was gentle to soften the blow of his response, ann still receives it poorly — arms folding themselves across her chest as she turns away sharply. ] You're the one who's acting like you're not interested! [ she snaps, spine rigid as she stares at the wall opposite them. his body reacted like she wanted, that much was true, but his hesitation made her doubt if it were sincere.

the idea that ryuji didn't find her attractive stung a little more than she thought it would. her posture slumps then, shoulders curving forward as the brief anger she attempted to hide behind dissipated. ]

Fine... [ seeing as he pulled away she didn't have anywhere to lean, instead pulling her legs upwards to rest chin against the point of both knees. maybe if she were lucky the others would show up soon. or maybe the floor would open up and swallow her. either option was fine. ]

What the hell, whaddya want me do, be some kinda caveman pervert and get all up on ya—

[ so saying, his body twists and without thinking. his legs lock with ann's, and he wrestles her over to the floor, hands slammed either side above her head. his stare is mindless, and it takes a minute for the rest of him to catch up, blanket hanging off his shoulders.

well. that happened. ]

This the sorta stuff you like—?

[ why's he being like this? why's she, more importantly, when all ryuji wanted to do was not take advantage of the girl, no matter how tempting it was to settle atop her thigh right now and ride it out. he's already made enough mistakes as it is, but his expression's still wild, chest surging from the sudden exertion he launched into without abandon. ]

I didn't say that! I just meant —

[ the angry retort dies quickly as ann suddenly finds herself on the ground, eliciting a surprise yelp; chest heaving as blue eyes stared upwards, ryuji's face now much closer than it had been previously. her heart beat wildly within her chest, loud enough that she almost didn't hear his question, face flushed pink when she realizes... she actually did like this.

or rather — she liked him holding her this way. ]

... Kiss me.

[ she means to say this in a manner more assertive than she actually felt, but instead notes it sounds petulant — and a little like pleading. bare hands run up his leather clad arms, she's no longer cold despite the lack of blanket; the tip of her tongue poking out far enough to lick both her upper and lower lip, gone dry from the boldness of her request. ]

Please.

[ wait, wait: this actually worked? could he have been taking a more forceful approach this entire time? ryuji doesn't know how to feel about this one, or about the desires of one of his closer friends in general. it's wrong on a number of levels while feeling so right at the same time, like they were long overdue for an encounter like this.

or maybe this is just ryuji's overactive imagination talking here. either way, it is what it is, and who is he to deny her anything no matter how far it's gentled down? ]

Holy shit, yeah, I'm gonna...

[ he's gonna. he's gonna need a moment, too, to mold the palm of his hand across her cheek, fixated on the motion of her tongue, a little tease of what it's about to do if she wills it thus.

oh, man. they could be kissing, she wants to kiss him, so ryuji's gonna. never mind that it's a first for him to lean down and finally do so, slanting over her in the lightest press of their lips he can manage. it isn't, not really, given this is ryuji here, who wouldn't know the meaning of the word delicate if it undelicately smacked him upside the head. does he get points for trying? he truly is, breathing in shakily every time their lips stick and slide together, surprisingly sensitive.

wow, kissing, what a concept. to think he could've done this with anyone if they ever gave him the chance, and ann's the one letting him do it now. what a concept, he's never going to want to let go of this, or of her. ]

[ there's a part of her — a very small part, that almost wants to laugh. she doesn't, of course, because of nerves and the knowledge of what an obvious mood ruiner that would be. he's jittery, and he's also nervous, it's etched into his expression and the way he fidgets, mumbling to both himself and to her. she exhales slowly, fingers coming to gently press against the nape of his neck; head tilting into the touch of his hand.

when he (finally) does kiss her, ann finds herself surprised by how light it is. how hesitant. she wouldn't call it delicate by any means, but it endeared her to him all the same. he was trying, and for that, she would too.

his name is said on a sigh, pulling him closer; body fitting itself to his as she leads the kiss — teeth nipping gently, silently requesting entrance. when it's granted, she'll grow bolder; tongue sweeping into his mouth to taste him. her movements are guided by instinct, by his reactions; shifting beneath him so that a leg pressed itself between his, as if apologizing for the neglect. ]

[ of course he's nervous—none of this is right, let alone reasonable, and yet with the ever-pressing need to stay warm and his ever-pressing hardness in his unfairly tight pants, there isn't much else he can do for it other than to play along. the worst case scenario is that ryuji hurts her feelings, or gives all their friends a traumatic eyesore if they happen to walk in to the wrong place at the wrong time. or, maybe, if this works out...

that's for future them to determine. until then, ryuji follows where ann leads, even into their heated kiss, mumbling something dazed and wordless before he's claimed completely, tongue rolling against hers, short circuits snapping off in his brain like a chain reaction. who knew this is what it'd be like? no wonder most of his peers are always chasing tail if this is the end result. it's so amazing, and all she's done is barely kiss him, provide the space for him to grind down on if so chooses.

with how ample her thighs are, he might choose, too far gone to feel any sense of shame about the whimper in the back of his throat. he needs the pressure, needs the heat crawling up to abate how abysmally cold the room continues to be, their breaths melting into steam any time they naturally part. ]

cuddle up and get warm

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