[ mei's sulk is bad enough that he's shut down masa-san, even if he could tell he was judging him for doing so. the real masa-san...would have judged him also, but he might have yanked him out of this sulk he was in, might have told him he was a fucking moron for challenging miyuki but might have slid a milkshake across the table, too. this hero business isn't just about saving people or personal power, and he learned that the hard way when his former mentor died in a fight. saving someone. mei had brought him back to life, sort of, but there's nothing that makes you feel more like icarus than turning to your partner and realizing he's gone, and it's your fault.
there's a lot of things that mei is. he's arrogant and obnoxious, he's smart and powerful. but the inside of his chest feels hollow most days, because for as full of himself as he acts, mei hates himself, and events like this don't make it better. the worst part is that he knows that he's terrible. that no one who's been around him has stayed long--not masa, not kazuya--and now he's taken that as an opportunity to push people away.
itsuki's trying. mei knows that. he knows that, objectively, he's acting like an asshole. that he deserves a better partner, but mei wants--he wants to be the best. and if itsuki is the one he takes with him there, not masa-san, not kazuya, then he's going to take him there, even if it takes them both clawing and scratching the entire way there.
once he says no, mei rolls his eyes and pulls his protective facemask back over his face, settling in with the welder again to fix his suit, but it feels halfhearted. a part of him wants to give in and just collapse on him, maybe start crying out of frustration or sadness or anger or a mix of all three, but narumiya mei is nothing if not prideful, and there's no way he'll show that kind of emotion on purpose. he keeps working, sparks flying even as itsuki comes close, and it's only when he crouches in front of him that he flicks off the flame and shoves the mask back up.
he wants to say something, some kind of comeback, kick him out, get masa-san started back up to carry him out by the scruff of the neck, but something tight constricts in mei's throat and all he gets is a -- ] Tch. [ noise as he turns his head away. there's still blood dripping down his split lip. ]
You're so nosy. [ he says, but it's got half the fight it usually does. it's the closest to an allowance he'll ever get. ]
[ The absence of Harada-san is enough of an indication of just how bad Mei is feeling right now, how much of a sulk is going on right now. Back when he first started spending more time here, Itsuki can easily recall the first thing that the AI said to him. "Take care of him where I can't." Seven words and they had so much impact on him, were so telling of what he was getting himself into. Maybe he should have backed out then, joined a heroes guild or something, but... but he couldn't just leave Mei after that, could he?
Besides, Narumiya Mei was exactly why he had wanted to be a hero.
There were no illusions about what kind of person he was, though. No idol worship that could possibly have pulled the wool over his eyes. He knows what kind of person Mei is, and yet Itsuki stays, despite all attempts to push him away. Maybe he's always been a little bit of a pushover at his core, but there's something sturdier that makes him, especially in the face of a Mei-sized sulk. So he's not planning on going anywhere, no matter what. And if that means that they fight, that maybe Mei will come to hate him, well, then that's what's going to happen. But he's going to fight for Mei, to do everything he can for him.
Like, now.
He should probably not get in between Mei and his work, but Itsuki has been through worse things than a welding torch and an upset, heroic genius. Sometimes, though, he sort of wishes he'd take the torch to him - maybe it'd hurt less than the harder days. ]
Someone has to be. [ Someone has to care, is what it sounds like in his soft voice, and Itsuki only has a moment of pause before he takes Mei's chin in his fingers and turns him to look at him. His thumb sweeps over the blood, smearing it just as much as he's cleaning it away. ]
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itsumei hell has ruined us
there's a lot of things that mei is. he's arrogant and obnoxious, he's smart and powerful. but the inside of his chest feels hollow most days, because for as full of himself as he acts, mei hates himself, and events like this don't make it better. the worst part is that he knows that he's terrible. that no one who's been around him has stayed long--not masa, not kazuya--and now he's taken that as an opportunity to push people away.
itsuki's trying. mei knows that. he knows that, objectively, he's acting like an asshole. that he deserves a better partner, but mei wants--he wants to be the best. and if itsuki is the one he takes with him there, not masa-san, not kazuya, then he's going to take him there, even if it takes them both clawing and scratching the entire way there.
once he says no, mei rolls his eyes and pulls his protective facemask back over his face, settling in with the welder again to fix his suit, but it feels halfhearted. a part of him wants to give in and just collapse on him, maybe start crying out of frustration or sadness or anger or a mix of all three, but narumiya mei is nothing if not prideful, and there's no way he'll show that kind of emotion on purpose. he keeps working, sparks flying even as itsuki comes close, and it's only when he crouches in front of him that he flicks off the flame and shoves the mask back up.
he wants to say something, some kind of comeback, kick him out, get masa-san started back up to carry him out by the scruff of the neck, but something tight constricts in mei's throat and all he gets is a -- ] Tch. [ noise as he turns his head away. there's still blood dripping down his split lip. ]
You're so nosy. [ he says, but it's got half the fight it usually does. it's the closest to an allowance he'll ever get. ]
p much yeah
Besides, Narumiya Mei was exactly why he had wanted to be a hero.
There were no illusions about what kind of person he was, though. No idol worship that could possibly have pulled the wool over his eyes. He knows what kind of person Mei is, and yet Itsuki stays, despite all attempts to push him away. Maybe he's always been a little bit of a pushover at his core, but there's something sturdier that makes him, especially in the face of a Mei-sized sulk. So he's not planning on going anywhere, no matter what. And if that means that they fight, that maybe Mei will come to hate him, well, then that's what's going to happen. But he's going to fight for Mei, to do everything he can for him.
Like, now.
He should probably not get in between Mei and his work, but Itsuki has been through worse things than a welding torch and an upset, heroic genius. Sometimes, though, he sort of wishes he'd take the torch to him - maybe it'd hurt less than the harder days. ]
Someone has to be. [ Someone has to care, is what it sounds like in his soft voice, and Itsuki only has a moment of pause before he takes Mei's chin in his fingers and turns him to look at him. His thumb sweeps over the blood, smearing it just as much as he's cleaning it away. ]