openmisc | Daniel/Emery

Well, now he's aware of having hair. She looks a bit sourly at Daniel but doesn't protest. "Well, I guess you're the one who has to look at me for a while."

"Yes, but it's your look."

He reaches into his pocket with one hand and takes out his cell phone. He is still getting used to it, but he can at least do this much. He flips on the camera and shows them both.

Emery is in many ways hyper-attuned to appearance. Disguises can turn on a mole in the right place or even more ephemeral traps, a torn coat, a recent injury. But she's very rarely actually looked at herself. Even since retooling this default body. The oddest sensation--it's shyness, not very familiar--creeps up and he turns his gaze down after a couple seconds of close regard. "Weirdo."

He puts the phone away, staying close. "You're pretty. That's all I'm saying." Not an objective truth, but Daniel's always been partial.

Besides, it's fun to rile Emery up with compliments.

Emery has a moment to enjoy knowing he thinks so before it gets weird again. There've been far too many feelings discussed already. Not the time, even as his last few months on the barge dredged up a lot of old memories, insecurities about their nature being prominent among them. Emery sticks out their tongue and leaves it at that.

Childish. In an equally childish move, Daniel bumps his shoulder gently against them and then sits back. "Let me finish my film in peace. Then we can - go out. Take a walk. I'll show you the city. Unless you went exploring before you found me?"

"Of course I did. And I'll probably go again when you're asleep." Gotta find some hell to raise. "But that's not a tour." She didn't see whatever dumb stuff Daniel's going to pont at then.

"Don't get in trouble tonight!" he laughs. "Not that I don't think you can handle yourself. But you can't get caught."

Everything he's planning on showing Emery could certainly be called dumb. It's architecture. It's art. It's details of the city that have caught Daniel's eye.

Emery snorts. "I'm a shapeshifter. None of it's your problem. But." They peer at him with a deliberate intensity through their hair. "Daniel." There's a strange pleasure just saying his name, pinning him here and now. "I am made of trouble." He leans in close, play-menacing, which just happens to be an excuse to brace a hand on Daniel's chest.

Daniel's heart leaps in his throat as Emery presses closer. Unexpected enough that his eyes widen in something more like delight than fear.

"Yes," he mutters, voice light, feeling that hand like a thousand pounds against his ribs. "I think that's my favorite thing about you."

This is just a good place to be now. Still under Daniel's arm, being looked at and liked somehow, but also with this little bit of edge. Can't be too soft and easy with Daniel. That's no fun. "You're the first human I got to know that wasn't an assignment." And still one of... not many. Envy never had a lot of friends, and most of those were something other than strictly human. "Is this how all the dull ones are? Just waiting for trouble to show up?"

"Yes," he laughs, and there's a not-quite-nervous tilt to the word. "And it's - it's not dull. It's quite exciting at night. There was a fight across the street. Just last week!" Each word is a stutter, like he's trying to sound more confident than he really is.

"Did you have anything to do with the fight, Daniel?" Emery's not sure how often she ever actually said her chosen human's name, but now she's got a taste for it. And now there's a reason for all the glorious overacting and performative menace she was always the best at. She finds Daniel's chin with one fingertip and angles his jaw down just a few degrees for uncomfortably intense eye contact. The sort of move that would have rattled the hell out of the Elric brat or some political stooge she was meant to frighten.

Daniel sits back, uncomfortable, but maybe not for the reasons Emery might be anticipating. "I - I didn't," he stammers. "I don't cause fights!"

That's a lie. That's a bold lie. But Daniel's never really gotten out of the habit when it's harmless.

"No, you have me do it for you," Emery reassures him, finally letting the sinister grin go. You can only tease Daniel so long. They do know that, even if poking the boundaries is the most fun bit.

And when that grin goes, Daniel follows his most intrusive of intrusive thoughts. He leans forward quickly and presses a kiss to Emery's cheek.

"Yes, exactly. Because you enjoy it."

He shouldn't really be so surprised. He's accepted Emery now, having been so many different ones, but the first has a certain... weight. He remembers the anger after that first breach. It was mostly just over having to be a human, but the intimacy was a shock and a taunt and he does remember why violence seemed like the right answer. It's a lot.

So. Even if Emery no longer lives in terror and loathing where it comes to her own desires? Daniel has definitely scored a point. Shutting Emery up, even for a second, is an accomplishment. A second goes by. Two. Finally-- "Well it's-- it's a good thing one of us does, the way you get under people's skin!"

It's the small things in life that matter. Nice walks in town. Getting ice cream with friends. Knowing he's responsible for getting Emery to be this surprised, for two entire seconds.

"Like yours?" he teases.

Emery swats at his shoulder, and it's probably a good thing this body isn't nearly as strong as the old one, because he's pretty careless about it. "Yes, you're very annoying, congratulations."

It's Daniel's turn to lean against them, cackling a little under his breath. "Yes, but you're still here, aren't you?"

The hit to his shoulder is well worth it.

If Daniel hadn't been so obviously laughing at him, he might have let it go, stayed on the defensive. She really is off balance. The idea of actually enjoying things she wants is no longer terrifying on its own, but it's big and new and intimidating. But pride won't let Daniel win this exchange. "Will you quit acting surprised about it? You told me to come." They wrinkle their nose, cranky, and before they lose their nerve, tap Daniel's cheek with a kiss in return. It is very obviously an imitation, the same motion exactly. Emery is confident only with something to mimic. "It's why I graduated, stupid."

He laughs, about to refute that, and then pauses.

"The reason you graduated?"

Oh, no, feelings again. How can they constantly be dodging the damn things and still find more? Emery can only hope the flow of dumb emotions will calm down soon. It's early still. At least if he has to talk to someone about feelings, it's...

"When you told me to come here. It's the first thing I wanted to do more than disappear." She turns her gaze sulkily away, embarrassed.

"To come here. And sit on my couch and tease me and keep me safe."

It seems a little overwhelming, but Daniel leans against their shoulder again, the arm around them curling into a hug.

Emery is still irritated at having to say it, but the absurdity cracks through a bit. "Yeah, slightly better than not existing," they say flatly before sighing and turning to hug Daniel properly. This is more familiar than kisses, but before today it was a thing that happened in extremis, not just because it's... Nice.

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