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[You know what? He's just going to gently pat Magpie's head. It's okay. It's gonna be okay.]

There, there. You don't have to process everything at once. Feelings are difficult on even the best of days.

[Yeah, he's not going to argue. No "I'm not having feelings", or "I'm fine, Crow-san", or anything else from his bag of tricks. He just clings, nestling quieter and closer like a kitten to its... well, to its mother. He feels okay, maybe?

Then he has a thought, which he manages to express.] You're cold.

Nothing a kotatsu can't fix.

[He's not letting go yet, though. Not until Magpie's ready.]

We can always head home, and I can set things up for us. The cocoa is still warm, if you'd like to drink it on the way back.

Okay. [To be honest, he is a bit cold. He's starting to realise he can't feel his legs.

But he doesn't want to let go, either. He clings tighter, still trying to do it without being noticed. Without being seen.]

Hold on. I have an idea.

[He's just gonna adjust his grip on Magpie annnd... Stand up, making sure to hold him steady. It's okay. He has good, strong arms.

The cocoa is still right there, but... well. He can make more. Maybe a friendly spirit or demon will appreciate it. Or maybe Magpie will want to grab it anyway.]

[He kind of does. That's perfectly good cocoa, in one of Dojima-san's mugs. Or a copy of one. But he clings.]

My legs are wobbly. Can we—

[Yeah, he'll just lean against Crow while he figures out legs. And clinging, conveniently. His arms creep quietly around Crow's waist.]

Take your time.

[He pauses, looking down.]

Would you like me to grab the mug, or would you? I just don't want to make you uncomfortable.

Edited 2023-12-23 05:49 (UTC)

[Exhausted, he looks up a little, still clinging, before finally letting go and carefully bending to pick up the rapidly-cooling mug.]

There. All done.

[Except he feels incomplete. But now they can go back, maybe.]

If you want to hold my hand, you can. I know you and Raven do rather frequently.

[The important thing is that Magpie chooses it. Crow won't force anything.]

[What? He glances up, startled and wary. Crow isn't meant to... well, he isn't meant to say.

He doesn't take Crow's hand. What he does do, is stand close. Really close. So close he's almost pressed into place like a limpet. Then he looks up again, calmer, a little bit blue, and starting to shiver for real.]

That's spying. You're not meant to leak information. That's terrible detective work.

[But they can go now. Magpie will just... stay here. In fixed orbit.]

In my defense, I'm not consciously spying. But particularly strong feelings do tend to bleed the heaviest, so to speak.

[Still, close is fine. Crow chuckles and looks down at the mug.]

You really should drink that before it gets too cold, though.

[Either way, he'll move when Magpie is ready.]

It's cold.

[But he doesn't sound too grumpy about it, and takes a tiny sip as they start to move as one unit. Then he downs half the mug, of course, cradling the mug in his big gloves.]

I can make some more once we're inside. It's really no trouble.

[Just a short little walk down the snowy road. With the compressed distances they'll reach it in no time.]

I don't want to be any— [He breaks off and almost laughs. He's a mess, isn't he?

He's finished the cocoa, too, cold or not. And he's really cold. He needs a bath, and a hot drink, and bed. But he just murmurs a soft little thank you, until they're through the door.]

You're welcome.

[Crow holds the door for him, and once Magpie's inside, it's straight to the kitchen to fill the kettle with more water so they can have nice, hot beverages.

There's a kotatsu in place of the normal living room table, all primed to get good and toasty and there may or may not be cookies that are still a little warm. Ooh.]

[Magpie doesn't need telling. It's not until the heat of the house burns his skin that he realises how cold he got. Shit.

He scrambles out of his winter clothes and boots, and up to the bedroom, where he strips to the skin and gets into his (his, he chose it, it's his) bathrobe. Then he comes back down, barefooted, and scrambles straight under the kotatsu.

He's little. He can lie flat with his legs folded, and the tip of his nose peeking out from under the quilt, and not come close to burning himself on the heater. A hand creeps out, surreptitiously, to nab one of those cookies from the plate on top.]

[ Aki-chan smelled cookies baking a while ago, but he fell asleep in his room before they were done...they should be done now, though, so he sneaks downstairs and past the snappy Mini-Bread-san to grab a chocolate chip cookie. Or two. Or three. He had a long day of playing in the snow! Cookies and then nap again, he thinks. He loves being able to have two naps in a day. ]

[Too late. Mini-Bread-san has ears like a... well, like a magpie, and the barely-perceptible nose poking out from under the kotatsu quilt becomes a face, with a sleepy little smile and red and swollen eyes.]

Hey, Akira-kun. Don't spoil your dinner with those.

[Magpie, you are eating a cookie. Look, he's nibbling it right now.]

Akira-kun jumps when Mini-Bread-san pokes his head out. Scary!

"Seep'n snak." He nods at Magpie-san, currently under the kotatsu. He is not jealous at all. "Hev gud nep."

But Magpie giggles to himself, a tired, sleepy little giggle. He seems a bit weird, like something wore down all his spikes. He likes Akira-kun, anyway.

"I'm going to nap for years," he confides. "I think Crow-san is making cocoa. You want some too before your nap?"

Edited 2023-12-23 07:17 (UTC)

That would be the kettle whistling.

Crow chuckles and glances toward the living room. "I can make an extra cup for you, Akira-kun. There's plenty to go around." Dum de dum. Just let him turn off the burner and grab some nice mugs from the hutch. "Though I would advise brushing your teeth before either of you nap again."

Magpie huffs. He knows to brush his teeth, but kotatsu so warm. Akira-kun, though...

"He's right," he shares in an undertone. "Hey, you can nap under here if you want. There's plenty of room." And he lifts the corner of the kotatsu quilt. Warmth billows out.

Warmth!!!! Akira-kun grabs his hot cocoa and politely smushes himself under the kotatsu, cookies in tow.

It's weird. He's lived with cousins, but they all pretty much took their lead from their parents. With a strange little smile, he sits up, tucking the quilt tighter around Akira-kun—"Here you go."—before taking his own cocoa and biting his lip as he looks up at Crow.

"Thanks. And... I'm sorry." For the whole sulking in the snow thing, which, now he looks back on it, he barely understands. He's not like that. Is he?

"It's all right. I understand that it was a heavy bomb to drop." Still, he'll go ahead and sit down as well, letting the quilt cover him partway. "What matters is that you're safe. We can worry about the rest once you've had time to wash off and rest."

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