[ ugh, but this is his favorite thing, juggling all of these emotions at once. everything outside of this is so exhausting, so slow that it makes his brain race and race and race to fill the empty hours until his whole skull hurts. with riddle, there's so much to focus on, so many people to be and things to say and new expressions to learn. just like when they skate together, it's exactly the right speed.

he can be riddle's partner in crime even as he's holding riddle in a comforting squeeze, even as he's listening to the sound of his breathing to make sure it's evening out, not raspy enough to prompt him to fetch the water bottle he's got on the nightstand. baby him and conspire with him and empower him all in the span of one affectionate sigh—it's his favorite brand of chaos and that smile is his greatest reward. ]

Mhm. That'd add way too much drag. Better to just cut off his face and nail it to the deck. We gotta make sure we're the same, y'know?

[ so much motion to keep track of, riddle's got a face burying against him that he needs to trace, legs twining with his that he needs to lock together with one decisive snap. not confining, because both of them can't sit still for long enough to feel trapped; more like a place to hold and be held. ]

We gotta stay together.