Awkward Redhead Bonding Time [Closed]

[bloodyashes]

Characters: Your local sources of Stupid Fabre Genes
Setting: The sauna. //swoon
Format: Knowing us, probably actionspam.
Summary: Asch attempts to corner his wayward replica with a hairbrush, and gets dragged into the baths instead. Awkward bonding ensues.
Warnings: Here be awkward, naked redheads.

[Alright, enough was enough. Luke's usual mess of hair was bad enough, but something about it today was just terrible enough to really set his original off. To that end, Asch has snagged his hairbrush out of his room and is now stalking his way down the stairs after his replica. A quick peek over their connection gives him a location, and -

Why is Luke going to the sauna, anyway?

...Doesn't matter. Asch stomps his way into the locker room with every bit of authority he can muster, that hairbrush held not unlike a weapon. Why couldn't he have gotten the version with short hair, again?]

Alright, idiot, where are you?

[At least he's not abusing the mindlink this time? Be grateful for small blessings, Luke.]

Comments

4/4 Done

[bloodyashes]

[...After all, it's awkward enough to follow his replica into the sauna with nothing but a towel and a hairbrush to his name.

But follow he does. You have challenged the wrong original to a stubborn-off, Luke. He is simply the most stubborn there is.]

Happy, now?

[Don't mind the scars or the way he adjusts the towel tighter around his waist. He's still a badass, okay.]

[sacred_flamer]

[In the time it took Asch to be a pretty princess and finally join him, Luke had already dipped himself into the sauna, looking for all the world like heaven had just come to the Tower. He still had a silly, pleased grin on his face by the time Asch came in, and he angled his head back to look at him, fighting against a laugh.]

Sheesh, about time.

[bloodyashes]

[Fuck you very much, replica. In contrast to Luke's lazy indulgence, Asch looks distinctly self-conscious and uncomfortable - be very glad that it's just you, Luke, because that is absolutely the only way that towel is coming off and getting left right next to the water for later. The hairbrush goes there too, for the moment, just so that Asch can sink all the way down to his chin in the water.]

This was not how I planned to spend the day.

[sacred_flamer]

It's not going to kill you to relax every now and then you know, especially in this place.

[Luke let out a sigh, sinking down himself. Oh damn, this felt so good...!]

[bloodyashes]

This isn't something I find particularly relaxing.

[True, the water's nice, but... Asch shifts a bit under the surface. Weaponless and naked... Even telling himself that, if worst comes to worst, he still has fonic artes to defend himself - and hyperresonance, if it comes to that - he feels terribly exposed.]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke paused, giving him a look.]

...you don't need to protect yourself all the time, 'ya know.

[bloodyashes]

[...He's honestly torn between glaring and snorting. For once, he opts for the latter.]

Like you would know anything about it.

[Luke, who never had to protect himself from anything... The underhanded tactics of the world Asch is familiar with wouldn't even occur to him. The bath was a fantastic place to run into assassins, precisely because most people relaxed there.]

[sacred_flamer]

[Excuse you, are you forgetting the part where he just fought against three dragons?! Not to mention everything else he's been through here?! He let out a rude noise, glaring at him.]

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

[bloodyashes]

[Make all the rude noises you like, Luke.]

It's exactly like I said. You don't have a cautious bone in your body. You just trust that everything will turn out okay.

[Under the water, he shifts again, reach up to run one hand through the strands of his hair that aren't yet completely soaked.]

Sometimes, it doesn't.

[sacred_flamer]

Well, true... but is it so bad to trust people first?

[Luke gave a small shrug, turning away to look out across the water.]

...it was just me in that mansion. I had no one except Guy and sometimes Natalia... so I don't really see anything wrong with trying to give people a chance first. And that applies to everything else too.

[bloodyashes]

[There's a significant pause, where Asch simply stays there, hand in his hair, before he drops his hand into the water with a small splash.]

The last person I put that kind of total trust in was Van. I don't think I need to tell you how that ended up.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke fell very quiet at that.]

...no, you don't.

[bloodyashes]

[He folds his arms under the water.]

So you can't blame me for protecting myself from that.

[sacred_flamer]

Not everyone's like Van though. Take... well, my roommate! He's not a bad guy.

[...so he thinks.]

[bloodyashes]

[A pause, and raised eyebrows.]

And how much do you actually know about him?

[Seriously, Luke, did you have to pick Lunch of all people as your example?]

Not everyone is like Van, but there's plenty that are, too.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke let out an affronted noise.]

I know him well enough that he's told me some stuff in confidence, you know?

[As in, not going to blab!]

Fine. If not Lelouch, then Yu-sensei.

[bloodyashes]

[Well, he could read your mind, but then again, he's not that terrible.

At the mention of Narukami, though, Asch's face shifts into something unreadable, almost but not quite a smile.]

That one... I wish I knew what to think about him.

[And while he doesn't exactly elaborate, a little bit of the tension slides out of Asch, his shoulders slumping underneath the water's surface.]

[sacred_flamer]

He's a good person... they do exist, Asch.

[Luke paused, stretching himself under the water, a few joints letting out some satisfying pops before he rested back against the edge.]

[bloodyashes]

Not enough of them.

[There's a moment's pause, where Asch takes a deep breath and closes his eyes - for a moment, he ducks under the water completely, then surfaces and shakes out his hair slightly. As is typical of when they get wet, his bangs have fallen loosely across his face.]

He's someone I want to believe in. But I don't know that I can.

[sacred_flamer]

He puts up with me? Isn't that reason enough?

[bloodyashes]

[A pause, and then a snort.]

If that's your judge of character, I haven't been worried about you enough.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke rolled his eyes.]

Hey, not many people can. Besides...

[A small smile worked it's way onto his face.]

...he's helped me out, even when he didn't know me, even when he didn't need to... so yeah. Sensei really is a great guy.

[bloodyashes]

Please. Even at your worst, you make friends easily.

[A bit of envy in that comment? Maybe. Asch sighs into the water, his breath blowing ripples across the surface.]

I want to trust him. I want to trust a lot of people. But it's not that simple.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke just sighed; Asch had to know what he was going to say next, so he didn't bother, instead dunking his head under the warm water.]

[bloodyashes]

[That he does - Asch leans his head back against the edge until Luke comes back up.]

Don't give me that look. You've never had a reason to distrust people.