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[hippie_ninja]

This is Jesus. Leave a message.

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[braveoff]

"I don't," Drake reassures him, smiling softly at the kiss. In a way it means more that Jesus thinks he's rusty but is willing to shake that off for him? Not that he believes it'd be an issue, being out of practice. All this kind of thing requires is paying attention to the other person... and that's not something he's ever seen Jesus have a problem with.

[hippie_ninja]

"How's the pressure? More?" He doesn't know if Drake will be honest with what he wants, or if he's just grateful to have this at all, but he's hoping.

[braveoff]

Jesus is probably catching on by now that Drake doesn't tend to make those kinds of requests. Not for himself, anyway. Not even with Jesus, who tends to offer more than Drake would have asked for in the first place. It's just something he has to warm up to with everyone and even though Jesus is making faster progress at it than most people, he still worries about burning through that kindness by asking for too much. By even accepting too much.

That's not something Jesus needs to be concerned with at the moment, though. This is simple. A physical thing that isn't putting any strain on him, so there's no reason Drake would hesitate to speak up. He gives another hum at the question, this one half pleased and half thoughtful, considering.

"Yeah, but... slowly?" There's weeks of stress to work out of his muscles, and he can feel them resisting Jesus' efforts. It doesn't hurt yet but he's pretty sure if the other man increases the pressure too quickly he won't be able to help tensing up worse. Luckily Jesus is patient by nature, so Drake doesn't mind asking.

[hippie_ninja]

"Slow," he echoes quietly, focusing on warming Drake's muscles for now. "I can do slow."

He can feel the places Drake is most tense and for now he just touches on them, smoothing his hands over them, getting Drake used to him. "Just breathe slow for me."

[braveoff]

Not for the first time since they've met, Drake finds himself struck by how good it feels to just... be casually touched with affection. It's been years since he was around anyone like Jesus, who would just reach out to him or kiss him or seek contact at all, without it necessarily having some deep emotional weight. Drake loved Ephemera like he'd never loved anyone before, and every touch meant something and that was amazing. But he'd forgotten (or bottled up so he didn't miss Lup too much) how much he loves this, having a friend draping over his shoulder or taking his hand or like right now, simply wanting to help him work out some tension with no strings attached.

"M'breathing," he assures Jesus, grinning, but does start paying attention to how he's breathing. Slowing it down and drawing it out, smooth and even. And just that does make a difference Jesus will be able to feel, his body yielding to the warmth and pressure of the other man's hands.

[hippie_ninja]

"There we go," he murmurs, soft, pleased the moment he feels Drake finally yield to him. He increases the pressure, just a little, slow as can be.

"Want me to stay over tonight?"

[braveoff]

"Yeah. I like you here." That was true even before, but now... it's so much better when Jesus stays. "Is Nibbles gonna be okay?"

[hippie_ninja]

"He should be but d'you mind if I bring him over, too?" Nibbles is a survivor, like V, like Jesus, but it's also winter and he's hairless and Jesus never knows if he's warm enough. He frets a little, but it feels good--strange, but good--to fret over something so small.

[braveoff]

"You totally should," Drake answers, already thinking about how to make the naked cat comfortable at his place. "I'll take Sable to the pet store and we can get him stuff for here?"

A box, litter, food... probably way too many treats and toys, because he knows himself...

[hippie_ninja]

Drake isn't the only one who is continually surprised about being wanted around to the point a living space would get modified to accommodate him.

"Yeah?" He's grinning. "He doesn't take much--he won't take up much room. And if he gets in the way..."

[braveoff]

...Jesus. Buddy. That actually has Drake twisting his head a little further, to give him a Look.

"He's like six pounds, what's he gonna do? I'll just make sure there's nothing breakable out he'd wanna knock over."

Since. You know. He's a cat. That's honestly the only thing Drake's at all worry about, and not even because he cares about the glassware or whatever -- he just wouldn't want there to be shards on the floor Sable could get hurt on. She's not gonna chase Nibbles so it's unlikely they'll fight... what else could he do? Scratch at the couch? Who gives a shit?

[hippie_ninja]

"He knows how to open drawers and cupboards." Jesus locks up anything he doesn't want Nibbles to get at, because he comes home sometimes to every drawer and every door opened. "He likes to hide under the sink."

But he knows by looking at Drake this won't deter him and he smiles at him, fond and grateful and just enjoying the sense that he and the cat have a place here.

[braveoff]

"Sure, but he doesn't have opposable thumbs to use a can opener," Drake muses, settling back down. "S'ok. Unless he starts tossing glasses or food out of the top cabinets I don't really care, there's nothing like that in the bottom ones."

[hippie_ninja]

"Yeah... I'm just hoping you find him cute instead of obnoxious." Jesus thinks Nibbles is clever and adorable but, well, he has nothing breakable. Fortunately. Nibbles makes his own fun with whatever he can get his paws on.

"He likes dogs. I think he'll get along with Sable."

[braveoff]

"I already do, babe."

Seriously, Drake doesn't give a shit. The glasses and dishware came with the apartment, there's no sentimental value to any of it. If Nibbles turns out to be a cupboard gremlin he'll just replace those things with unbreakable versions.

"Yeah? She's real gentle," he assures Jesus, remembering how even as an untrained puppy she was careful not to hurt that pigeon Sam had released in the apartment. Which is a long story that Drake isn't bringing up, but he's never gonna forget the Pigeon Incident. But speaking of-- he shifts under Jesus' hands, currently working at the curve of his lower back. "A little harder, there?"

[hippie_ninja]

"You're so tense," he murmurs, digging in a little deeper with his thumbs, finding a knot and gently working it out.

"I want to do this again tonight before bed." It's not fully negotiable, his tone says.

"You know, I'm only watching Nibbles until K has his own place. I've never had a pet before. Most of the cats I've seen by now I ended up eating. ...Don't tell K that." He finds another knot. "But I'm going to miss having him around."

[braveoff]

His tone has Drake chuckling softly, because he's absolutely not going to argue. Especially not when he feels the knot release and the little rush of pleasure that comes along with it.

"You're gonna spoil me," he murmurs, sighing with relief.

That's something else to think about, though... pets, apartments, specifically as related to K. Drake's voice is more serious when he speaks again.

"If I didn't fuck everything up with him, do you think he'd want his own apartment? Or would he rather be with someone? Either way I'd make sure he has a private space, but wasn't he always alone?"

[hippie_ninja]

"He had a girlfriend who lived with him back in LA." Only Joi was complicated in ways Jesus doesn't fully understand. "I think he'd like having his own space, but I already break the rules to spend the night with him sometimes. I'll be with him a lot. And he'll finally get to have other guests over; I think it'll be good for him."

[braveoff]

"Oh." Drake sounds a little confused, but shakes it off quickly. "He hasn't mentioned her. Okay... well, if I didn't fuck it up and either of you ever change your mind, I've still got that down payment."

[hippie_ninja]

"K understands grief, Drake," he says softly, his hands gentler for a moment. "He won't blame you for giving in to the hurt for a while. We've all done it."

[braveoff]

"...I meant for you guys. At first, anyway."

Drake doesn't know how long it'll take him to be ready to leave here -- or if he'll ever feel ready. But he knows that it's not healthy for him to stay, preserving this place like a shrine. How many times did he say to Ephemera that it's not moving on to move forward? You don't forget the people you lose, and you never stop loving them. But keeping mementos is very different from torturing himself by refusing to ever leave a place that reminds him of his loss no matter where he looks.

"Just for a while," he echoes, shutting his eyes again. Knowing that the last thing his partner would have wanted is for him to wrap himself in this pain forever.

[hippie_ninja]

"You haven't ruined anything for either of us," he says, his voice soft and confident. Drake can hurt for now; Jesus has his back. Literally and figuratively.

[braveoff]

"Do you actually know that?" He asks, tone flat and tired sounding. Has Jesus talked to K about it? Because why would anyone, let alone a guy as worried about his safety and security as K, want to sign with someone who's clearly having a breakdown? "I haven't gone to see him yet."

[hippie_ninja]

"I spoke to him yesterday." And K had been nervous about the aftermath of Tumenalia, but had quickly been reassured. "He'll understand."

And if K doesn't, Jesus will mediate.

[braveoff]

That makes two of them, then, but Drake is pretty deep in the self loathing at this point... it won't be easy for Jesus to reassure him. He's going to have to go talk to K himself, because unless Jesus asked some very specific questions that he hasn't indicated yet? Drake is worried.

"Understanding's great, but it doesn't mean he'd--" he cuts himself off there, pressing his lips together and exhaling through his nose before turning his face into the bedding. As if he can hide his anger at himself from Jesus when the other man can literally feel him tensing back up again. His sharp, "nevermind," is muffled in the sheets.