[ when cloud wakes, nier isn’t next to him. there isn’t a trail, nor is there any note to speak of. the sheets are folded into a small bundle at the foot of the bed as though he hadn’t been there to begin with.
well, it’s more that he hadn’t actually rested. it was an elaborate farce, you see, because the kitchen’s brimming with flowers and streamers — and at the center is a large cake. it’s been crafted meticulously, with an...almost child-like (albeit cute) caricature of cloud’s face etched on its surface. it’s surrounded by candles, one for each year of his life, and the words “Happy Birthday Cloud” stretch across the cake.
Nier blows the party horn hanging from his mouth. there’s a party hat on his head, of course, positioned neatly at the corner. ]
[Waking up to find (a lack of) Nier was disconcerting. But as he wakes up- as sleep fades into thought, he guessed that the guy had gone off to his sick bondmate.
...That's fine, he guesses. He said it was fine to his face, so why shouldn't it be?
So. He drags himself up to shower, dress, and pad around the house, lingering by Zack's door for a moment to- no. It's the night time. He's either out, or... well, out. Unconcious. Didn't feel right to wake him just for someone to talk to.
So. He moves downstairs and... ... There's a different smell. A sickly sweet smell of flowers and... baking? A few investigative steps later to follow the source and...
Well.
He blinks, dumbfounded. It's not like he's annoyed. Or ungrateful. He's just... confused, to be frank. At all the colours, all of the streamers, and... all of the effort.
He glances to Nier (and his hat), off-guard. Vulnerable.]
It's not...
[August 11th. Or was it the 19th? A headache's coming.]
...Yeah. You're... right. Thanks.
[A few (small) steps over. And a glance at the cake.]
Shouldn't have gone to all of this effort. It's... [He's undeserving.] ... You've got other stuff on your mind, right? This must've taken a long time.
I wanted to. [ the reply comes simply, no different from a breath. should cloud investigate the smell, he'll find that it doesn't actually resemble...well, cake. there's a meat-like undertone, buried beneath starch. ]
It's an important day. I had to celebrate it.
[ nier's features brighten, bursting into a benign smile; a flower in bloom. ]
I made sure you could eat the cake, too. It won't make you sick. I promise.
[ he looks so proud of himself — so enthused. it's a little insufferable. ]
['I wanted to.' It's a theme that's pretty common with Nier- he does a lot of things because he just wants to. It's refreshing, to be honest. A lot of people he knew, himself included, didn't really do anything of the sort. Couldn't. Wouldn't. Sometimes both. Especially in his own case.
He turns his head to view him just as he smiles, and... it's good timing. He's glad he did. It's not something that he can just say, but Nier's smile...
It's nice. Really nice.
He sidles a little closer at the sight of it, moving his gaze to the cake. ...That's sure him, all right. And the effort still makes him feel a little bit terrible. Nier must've been up all day with this. The thoughts are enough to make him move his gaze back, just to check if he's wearing any burns from the sunlight that must have filtered in while he worked...
Burns or not, an arm moves around his waist.]
S'more than I [imagined.] expected. Thanks.... really. I don't know what to say.
[ a weight shifts against him — it's warm and reminiscent of home. there's a faint trace of a burn, a smudge of pink and not much more, but he leans into cloud's touch regardless. ]
You don't have to say anything. [ the mirth hasn't left his voice. one hand scoops the lighter into a hand, tossing it up into the air before catching it. ]
But...you do have a wish to make.
[ his eyes gleam expectently before he presses a delicate kiss to his nose. ]
Are you ready?
[ the candles haven't been set just yet. but there are chairs positoned aronnd the table, right behind the cake, as if he had been waiting all this time. ]
[It's kind of something, how alive Nier seems to come when he's babying other people. He knows by now, it's to do with his... differences to everyone else, what some people would describe as a compulsion. What others would describe as something wrong.
...He's enabling it. The only way to describe this is enablement, but...
He really does look happy like this. So, other than a quizzical look at the idea of making a wish on a (expertly assembled) pan of meat made into a cake, he says nothing contradictory. If he wanted him to, sure. He'd do it.
His fingers tighten into the folds of Nier's shirt as he lowers his head to touch his lips against the bridge of his nose, and he nods.]
Never done anything like this before. Not even as a kid.
[ the contact is brisk and fleeting, but no less real in what it is. it tickles against his skin, gives him a faint rush of honey-like warmth.
he pulls away, if only to step forward and settle into one of the chairs. nier sits with his legs wedged a fraction apart and rests his head against his knuckles, canting it to catch cloud's eyes with his own. ]
They say your wishes won't come true if you say them out loud.
[ be it cakes or lunar tears — it had all been the same. wishes were wishes, transient and immaterial little things that could change the world through belief alone. to want was to live, and that had always been enough for even the most meager of existences. ]
Even if I don't know what it is, I'll try my best to make it come true.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
8/11
well, it’s more that he hadn’t actually rested. it was an elaborate farce, you see, because the kitchen’s brimming with flowers and streamers — and at the center is a large cake. it’s been crafted meticulously, with an...almost child-like (albeit cute) caricature of cloud’s face etched on its surface. it’s surrounded by candles, one for each year of his life, and the words “Happy Birthday Cloud” stretch across the cake.
Nier blows the party horn hanging from his mouth. there’s a party hat on his head, of course, positioned neatly at the corner. ]
Happy Birthday, Cloud!
aaa ♥
...That's fine, he guesses. He said it was fine to his face, so why shouldn't it be?
So. He drags himself up to shower, dress, and pad around the house, lingering by Zack's door for a moment to- no. It's the night time. He's either out, or... well, out. Unconcious. Didn't feel right to wake him just for someone to talk to.
So. He moves downstairs and...
... There's a different smell. A sickly sweet smell of flowers and... baking? A few investigative steps later to follow the source and...
Well.
He blinks, dumbfounded. It's not like he's annoyed. Or ungrateful. He's just... confused, to be frank. At all the colours, all of the streamers, and... all of the effort.
He glances to Nier (and his hat), off-guard. Vulnerable.]
It's not...
[August 11th. Or was it the 19th? A headache's coming.]
...Yeah. You're... right. Thanks.
[A few (small) steps over. And a glance at the cake.]
Shouldn't have gone to all of this effort. It's... [He's undeserving.] ... You've got other stuff on your mind, right? This must've taken a long time.
no subject
It's an important day. I had to celebrate it.
[ nier's features brighten, bursting into a benign smile; a flower in bloom. ]
I made sure you could eat the cake, too. It won't make you sick. I promise.
[ he looks so proud of himself — so enthused. it's a little insufferable. ]
How about it?
no subject
He turns his head to view him just as he smiles, and... it's good timing. He's glad he did. It's not something that he can just say, but Nier's smile...
It's nice. Really nice.
He sidles a little closer at the sight of it, moving his gaze to the cake. ...That's sure him, all right. And the effort still makes him feel a little bit terrible. Nier must've been up all day with this. The thoughts are enough to make him move his gaze back, just to check if he's wearing any burns from the sunlight that must have filtered in while he worked...
Burns or not, an arm moves around his waist.]
S'more than I [imagined.] expected. Thanks.... really. I don't know what to say.
no subject
You don't have to say anything. [ the mirth hasn't left his voice. one hand scoops the lighter into a hand, tossing it up into the air before catching it. ]
But...you do have a wish to make.
[ his eyes gleam expectently before he presses a delicate kiss to his nose. ]
Are you ready?
[ the candles haven't been set just yet. but there are chairs positoned aronnd the table, right behind the cake, as if he had been waiting all this time. ]
no subject
...He's enabling it.
The only way to describe this is enablement, but...
He really does look happy like this. So, other than a quizzical look at the idea of making a wish on a (expertly assembled) pan of meat made into a cake, he says nothing contradictory. If he wanted him to, sure. He'd do it.
His fingers tighten into the folds of Nier's shirt as he lowers his head to touch his lips against the bridge of his nose, and he nods.]
Never done anything like this before. Not even as a kid.
[A faint pause.]
Does it count if you know what it's gonna be?
no subject
he pulls away, if only to step forward and settle into one of the chairs. nier sits with his legs wedged a fraction apart and rests his head against his knuckles, canting it to catch cloud's eyes with his own. ]
They say your wishes won't come true if you say them out loud.
[ be it cakes or lunar tears — it had all been the same. wishes were wishes, transient and immaterial little things that could change the world through belief alone. to want was to live, and that had always been enough for even the most meager of existences. ]
Even if I don't know what it is, I'll try my best to make it come true.