doing something

[unbr8kable]

Who: some kids
Where: the dead zone
When: Day 335, after graduation

[After many a tiny finger food and many more tiny glasses of wine and one overblown and completely not sad at all!!! graduation ceremony, what better place to go than the dead zone? What better thing to do than climb up the giant, golden chain up to the crack in the sky? Sure it burns to the touch, but what's a little more pain on the pile--that's the point of all those tiny glasses of wine, right?

So never mind the slight sizzling sound, nor the uncomfortably familiar odor of burning flesh all the way up. There's a goal at the end; one that--in theory--will make this all worthwhile]

Comments

[unbr8kable]

[She doesn't even attempt to break the link as she stumbles out of the pool. It takes a minute, body uncharacteristically clumsy and waterlogged, but eventually she makes it out, tugging him after]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He stumbles after her, unsteady - more so than before even, from just the effects of the wine, as though his body hasn't quite caught up with having the things that have been restored to it yet]

[unbr8kable]

[Once they're out, she gets a shoulder under his, half to keep him from stumbling, half just to stay close]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He has no problem with this - leans in against her, a warm weight at her side as they make for the gates]

[unbr8kable]

[She leans back, falling into step like a (somewhat coordinated) three-legged race back to the gates and the chain back to Tokyo F]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Back they go - past the watermelon tree, past the empty courtyard filled with abandoned things, past the gates with their shattered ruins]

[At last the chain stands before them, and the abyss]

[unbr8kable]

[She leans into him, soft]

...You ready?

[crossmyheartandhope]

...yeah.

Let's get outta here.

[unbr8kable]

[Goes on and gets out of there]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Back down they go]

[unbr8kable]

[It is pretty simple to get down, less because gravity is on their side (between that and being soaking wet and noodle limbed and de-powered gravity being on their side actually seems like a problem,) and more due to being able to actually touch the chain without their flesh sizzling--just being on the other side of the whole experience altogether makes anything following it mindlessly simple and lighthearted.

Soon enough they're stumbled back to the hideout--safely back home]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He's still not entirely steady on his feet, by the time they get back home, but he's getting better - time, maybe, and the shock of event itself, and the walk back home doing some work to sober him]

[He kicks his boots off to lie sodden in the genkan and then heads in, dripping on the floor as he aims for the electric kettle]

[unbr8kable]

[She just starts stripping right at the door, cape and jacket dropping to the floor with a wet squelch. So there's slightly less of a trail of water as she pads over to the closet...and when she returns, unceremoniously dumping a towel over his head]

I can handle this if you wanna shower up or whatever.

[crossmyheartandhope]

We just took a shower, didn't we?

[But he wraps the towel around himself instinctively - leans in closer, so that he can wrap it around her, too]

[unbr8kable]

[She cants towards him, easy, curling her arm around him]

That was before doing the drowned rat tour of Tokyo-F in winter. Thought you might wanna warm up again...or at least rest some, after I dragged you halfway across the city.

[crossmyheartandhope]

I mean, I'm good with holing up for the rest of the night if you are.

[unbr8kable]

Yeah. I mean, if you don't mind. But I can go pick up something if you want.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Nah... I'm good. We got stuff here, yeah?

And you're here. That's the important part, anyways.

[unbr8kable]

Hah... The important part's that you're okay...that one good thing actually happened today. So if there's anything else you need to cancel the rest out, just say.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...you wanna get changed?

And we can take it easy in the fort some. I ain't even gonna steal all the body heat, this time.

[unbr8kable]

That'd be nice.

[She reaches up to rub the towel through his hair]

...Go on. I can handle tea. Wet spandex sounds like a bigger problem.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Hey, I got cooler superhero gear than spandex.

[But he turns to go - turns back - presses a kiss to her cheek, soft, before he turns again for real]

[unbr8kable]

[She ducks her head and lets him go, cheeks warm despite the previous trek in soggy outfits]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[It doesn't take him long; he's back in a few, in an undershirt and boxers gooseflesh raised along both arms from the cold]

Your turn, dude. I'll take over tea stuff.

[unbr8kable]

'S pretty much done, the water's boiled in a minute. You can relax.

[She has a towel around her shoulders for her own dripping hair, and their mugs are already set for toddies, one much more honey than booze and one the opposite. She steps out of the way, back to the genkan to grab the rest of her clothes]