August 19 / Heights / PG-13 / ENDDUUU

[karina]

Characters: Daiki
Time: After this thread.
Location: Ferris Wheel

The line for the ferris wheel wasn’t as long as Daisuke thought it was going to be. He could easily see over the heads of the people in front of them and they had about four carts before it was their turn. Dai still had his arm around Chi, seeing that was the only way to avoid another confrontation. There was no way that he was going to let Chi wait in line alone again. Dai wasn’t the fighting type, but not everyone knew that, and he was almost positive that no one was going to mess with a person that was more than just a few inches taller than them. His arm was relaxed on the smaller boy’s shoulders, as if it belonged there.

Eyes were glued to the two boys on the line, from dirty glances to ‘holy-hell-he’s-tall’ glances – Dai was used to those types of stares. He’s been getting those stares since he was in middle school, and now that he was six four with purple hair, people couldn’t look away. Granted, it didn’t help that he had another boy in a romantic embrace but Dai didn’t mind it. They could look if he wanted to; he just hoped Chi didn’t mind.

Chiaki had told him that there were going to be a fireworks show soon, and Dai was tingling with anticipation. The last time he had seen fireworks was back at him home festival, and he was excited to see them with Chi. He was very excited to see them with Chi. Daisuke might be romantically disabled, but he wasn’t stupid. He had read many a manga where the main couple had gone on a ferris wheel, he knew what happened. It was super romantic and he couldn’t think of anyone else that he would want to share this memory with.

As the boys approached the front of the line the tall boy let his arm drop from his boyfriend’s shoulders and let took his hand instead, weaving his long fingers around Chi’s smaller ones. He threw his head back and smiled at the height of ride. Finally something taller than him. “Wow,” He exclaimed in amazement, “And I thought I was tall.” He looked down to Chi with a huge smile on his face, “Ready?” The attendant was gesturing toward the oncoming cart, and Dai tugged on Chi’s hand to go forward.

[true]

The line in front of them was nice and short; Chi was giddy as they waited, Daisuke's arm draped naturally over his shoulders. They'd maintained physical contact ever since the incident at the Tunnel of Love - likely Dai's strategy to prevent a repeat of what had happened earlier - but that was okay, being touched by Dai in any way, shape, or form was wonderful. To outsiders, they probably looked ridiculous, a midget boy holding hands with an obscenely tall purple haired one, and they'd received plenty of inquisitive - sometimes hostile - looks. Chi would smile and shrug it off; he liked Dai, and that was all that mattered.

Dai's arm slipped from his shoulder to his hand, their fingers interlacing like they always did, Chi's hardly half the size of the other's. "Wow, he exclaimed, tilting his head back to get a better view. "And I thought I was tall." He looked down at Chi, a huge, eager smile on his face. Aw, Dai, you're so cute~ Chi thought, glancing upward. It really was tall, hundreds of feet of intertwined metal bars alight in the night sky. Soon, the fireworks would start - he wanted to be inside when that happened, right next to the boy he adored.

“Ready?” Dai asked, tugging him toward the car that the attendant had opened for them. "Uh huh!" Chi mused, leading Dai inside before sitting down on the bench. The metal car rocked a little as he stepped; his stomach shifted slightly, but it was nothing serious. This wasn't a big deal, was it? He squeezed Dai's hand - everything was going to be okay. "This is gonna be so much fun~"

[karina]

Before he knew it Dai was being strung along into the swaying metal cart. Daisuke hadn't said anything, but this would be his first time on a ferris wheel, this was actually his first time at a carnival. It was more wonderful than he could have ever dreamed. It was the lights, and the laughter, and the joyous atmosphere that you couldn't feel from just watching a movie or reading it in a book.

Excitement bubbled in his chest as the boys took a seat in the cart. Dai was supposed to sit across from Chi right? It only seemed logical, to even out weight distribution. He was thinking way too into this. Just sit down, Daisuke. The boy shifted uncomfortably as the ride creaked and moaned under their weight. Calm down. This ride is perfectly safe. he convinced himself before smiling at Chiaki, who was looking a little green himself.

Daisuke's smile grew when Chi squeezed his hand, "This is gonna be so much fun~" the boy smiled. Dai pushed away the urge to raise an eyebrow, because there was something about Chi's attitude that seemed forced.

Chi never tried to pry into Dai's personal business, he had always waited for Daisuke to reveal them on his own, so Dai wouldn't pry either. If Chi wanted to tell him what was bothering him, he would, "Yeah, extremely fun." He gave Chi a reassuring squeeze as the cart moved.

Daisuke wasn't usually good with small places, but he was doing surprisingly well with this. Taking a peek out of the window as they ascended. Blue eyes widened in awe as the lights of the carnival shrunk away into tiny specks of light, little stars on the ground below them. Thankfully Dai had no problems with heights, "Oh wow.... It's so beautiful." He turned to Chi, tugging him toward the window, "Don't you think, Chi?"

[true]

"Yeah, extremely fun." Dai squeezed his hand from across the gondola, the look in his eyes more than a little strange. What's going on? Chi thought to himself, head spinning as he glanced out the window. Is there something on my face? With his free hand, he wiped at an imaginary blotch on his chin. Nope, there was nothing there; nothing that he could feel, anyway.

"Oh wow.... It's so beautiful." Daisuke tugged him towards the window as he stared, awestruck, out the window. "Don't you think, Chi?" One glance outside and Chi instantly agreed - the world was so tiny below them, shrinking further as they ascended, people moving around like so many colorful ants. It was peaceful up in the air with Dai; but he grasped his boyfriend's hand for dear life when the car shifted slightly, fighting off the urge to cling to him as though he were his only chance at survival.

"Y-yeah, it's super pretty!" Chi felt like smacking himself in the face - this always happened to him. He would voluntarily put himself into a situation that would evoke his fear of falling, only realising what he'd done when it was too late to chicken out. This case was no exception. "U-um.. Oh, god!" The cart rocked again, just a little bit, buffeted by the wind. Chi threw his arms around Dai and closed his eyes, using the other boy as a focal point so that he didn't shit himself. "S-sorry, I forgot that these things move! Heh..."

[karina]

Yeah there was definitely something going on with Chiaki. He wasn't as talkative and as hyper as he usually was. In situations like this Chi would be hitting on him or throwing some cute innuendo at him, but he was just sitting there. Dai started feeling a little insecure. Maybe he was talking too much. So much that Chiaki didn't have time to say anything else. His thoughts went in circles before Chiaki spoke, admiring the bright lights below.

Dai was looking at something else now though. His blue eyes rested on his boyfriend, watching flecks of colored light pass on his features from the carnival below. A stirring began in his abdomen and he smiled, his hand flinching to brush a stray hair off of the other boy's face. Daisuke didn't know if you were allowed to call boys beautiful but... that's all he could think about when he looked at Chi. Beautiful.

The rocking of the passenger car didn't bother Daisuke in the least. He had checked out the engineering of the ride before he entered, it was a work of art, and truth be told, Daisuke wouldn't mind taking it apart and rebuilding it. Back to the point, it was a SAFE work of art. There was no way that this would go down. Chi didn't seem to know that.

Desperate arms were clinging to him before he could bat an eye. Dai blinked at the smaller boy and held his arms out as if that would steady the car -- which was swinging madly. "S-sorry, I forgot that these things move! Heh..." The tall boy almost winced at the pang that shot through his heart. The blush already moving in on his face, that was probably the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

Gently, Daisuke pulled away and looked at the clearly flustered boy, "Chi, are you afraid?" The answer was obvious but Dai wanted to ask anyway. He didn't think it was possible for Chiaki to get scared.

[true]

Chi’s face was too buried inside of Daisuke’s shirt to see anything, really; but he could feel the flux of the container around him and with every sway he pulled himself closer. Shit. This had happened to him before, why was he unable to learn his lesson? Chiaki was well aware that heights scared the pants off of him but for whatever reason he threw himself headfirst into situations that involved them all the time. He remembered the last time it had happened: he’d been walking with Asuka and they’d come across a bridge off of the road, overlooking a pretty little creek. He’d insisted on walking on it, but it had swayed and bent and groaned horribly before he could make it across. He’d been near the edge when the paralysis set in - the drop was too steep for his little heart to handle - and Asuka had had to carry him halfway home before he finally remembered how to walk. At the moment, clinging to Daisuke was the only thing keeping him from repeating that incident.

And then Daisuke was pulling away from him, a blush on his face as he looked down. ”Chi, are you afraid?” Chi nodded and wished that he had enough brains to avoid his own fear. The problem was that he never thought about it - and even if he had, the promise of a romantic, firework-lit ferris wheel ride with Daisuke was far sweeter than the off-chance that he had a panic attack; though now it seemed as though he was getting a lot more of the latter.

“Y-yeah, just a little.” He laughed nervously, eyes focusing on the floor. “I’m bad with heights - thunder, too, but heights, mostly. I thought I’d be okay if I was with you, but…” The car shook again; he yelped and jumped into Daisuke’s lap, burying his face in his chest again. They were halfway to the top, now, and the fireworks would be starting soon. He would miss them if he didn’t pull his head out of his ass, but at the moment that was not a viable option. “I-I’m sorry,” he said, sighing a little. “I didn’t mean to ruin a perfectly romantic ferris wheel ride…”

[karina]

Scared Chi was turning out to be cuter than Dai had expected. For once he was the one who had to comfort Chiaki, and he felt... kind of happy about it. Daisuke had thought that Chiaki was fearless, and since Daisuke was so... fearful of almost everything, it was nice to know that he could help Chi this once. He felt helpful.

“Y-yeah, just a little. I’m bad with heights - thunder, too, but heights, mostly. I thought I’d be okay if I was with you, but…” Chi squealed as the car swung from side to side. Suddenly the smaller boy was in his lap, burying his face into Dai's shirt. A grin worked it's way up on Dai, and he rested his head on Chi's. He placed hand hands onto Chi's back and rubbed small soothing circles into it, hoping the action would calm him down. "Why would you let me chose the ferris wheel if it scared you, Chi?" He asked, feeling a little guilty about not getting food.

What could he say that would make Chiaki feel better? The thought of explaining the beautiful mechanics of this ride to Chi crossed the lavender boy's mind but he decided against it. Chi wasn't stupid, but not a lot of people understood mechanics, and confusing Chiaki wouldn't help the situation. So he settled for the back rubbing, his hand stopping to put it self into smaller boy's hair.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin a perfectly romantic ferris wheel ride…”

Again, here went Chiaki apologizing for things that were clearly not his fault. The boy smiled, pressing his lips to his boyfriend's forehead, "Don't be sorry. You didn't ruin anything. This is pretty damn romantic to me." He was trying to make Chiaki smile, but he wasn't lying. The was romantic to Daisuke. He was holding his boyfriend in his arms in a ferris wheel. What was more romantic than that?

The car had come to a stop at the top of the ride, "Hey Chi, " Dai said gently, taking Chiaki's face in his hands, he made sure that their eyes were leveled, "Everything is going to be okay." The tall boy smiled reassuringly, nuzzling his nose against Chi's. "Won't you watch fireworks with me?"

[true]

As Daisuke traced circles around his back, his head resting on top of his, Chiaki couldn’t help but stop shaking, if only a little. Being there was more comforting than anything he’d ever tried in the past, and in all honesty, there was no place he would rather be than right there in his boyfriend’s lap – on a ferris wheel or on the ground, it didn’t matter. "Why would you let me choose the ferris wheel if it scared you, Chi?"

Chiaki loosened his grip on Daisuke’s waist a little. “Because! I didn’t want to miss this opportunity for the world~” His voice came off in its usual singsong way, but then the cart rocked again and he yelped again, pressing himself up against the boy underneath him. Dai continued to rub his back, stopping only to put one of his hands inside his hair. Chi felt sort of like a little kid, clinging to someone much bigger and much stronger than him; but it hardly seemed like Daisuke minded at all.

And then Daisuke kissed him on the forehead – Chi got the distinct impression that somewhere along the line their roles had been reversed. Up until now he had been the one making all the moves, pushing forward; but now Daisuke was kissing him on the forehead, trying to make him feel better. He had no problem whatsoever with filling the role of the move-maker but this - whatever they were doing - all felt completely natural. Maybe they didn’t even need labels like that to describe the way they acted together; maybe they were just Chi and Dai, they were crazy about each other, and that was all that mattered. "Don't be sorry. You didn't ruin anything. This is pretty damn romantic to me." Chiaki blushed so hard that he was afraid his face would burst into flames. Daisuke was a lot better at romance than he gave himself credit for; or at least his natural sweetness made it seem that way. And he was right, wasn’t he? Chi had read every variation of the ‘romantic ferris wheel ride’ cliché imaginable and yet they all paled in comparison to the real thing.

The car came to a stop at the very top of the ferris wheel, the sudden movement wrenching Chi from his own thoughts. "Hey Chi," Dai said, taking his face in his hands, making it so that their eyes were level. "Everything is going to be okay." He smiled and nuzzled his nose against his – Chi’s heart was in danger of bursting. Kiss me, he thought, losing himself somewhere in those azure eyes. Not now, but when the fireworks go off. Do it.

”Won't you watch fireworks with me?” Daisuke’s voice was gentle, exactly what he needed to calm down. Besides, the car had stopped moving for the moment – as long as it stayed still he would be okay. “Mhm! I’ll be okay, now that it’s stopped! ~” Chiaki nodded, releasing his death grip around Daisuke’s waist, sitting up straight so that he could see better out the window. “Sure is pretty out,” Chi said, finally able to appreciate just how lovely the neon lights and starry sky looked now that the ride had stopped moving and his head had cleared. “I mean, you’re by far the prettiest, but the view gets a close second.” He glanced over at Dai and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re so sweet, Dai~” He reached around for his boyfriend’s free hand and slipped his own into it, giving it a light squeeze as they waited for the fireworks to begin.

[karina]

“Because! I didn’t want to miss this opportunity for the world~” The boy answered his question, his voice returning to normal quickly before another rock of the car sent him screaming. Dai bit his lip to stop himself from giggling. it was so odd to see Chi so vulnerable, the very scene was just... funny to him. Chiaki being scared wasn't funny, Daisuke attempting to comfort Chi was funny.

His stomach was being extremely jumpy tonight. Every stray touch, every glance from Chi sent his stomach flipping out of control. Chi was sitting on his lap and clinging to Dai as if his life depended on it, and it was driving the tall boy crazy. He felt like he was about to break a sweat, even though the air around them had made ghosts of their breath. Chi...

There had been audible silence between Daisuke's words, but their bodies seemed to be screaming at one another. They're eyes seemed to be having a completely different conversation, or so that's how Daisuke was translating it. Every blink was tell him to close the short distance between their lips, and kiss away Chiaki's fears. The lavander boy was surprised that he didn't stumble over his words.

“Mhm! I’ll be okay, now that it’s stopped! ~” Now that the car had stopped moving, Chi didn't need to cling to him, and the tall boy had to stop himself from whining. He wanted to grab Chi and bring him closer but.. he didn't have the courage for that, not yet at least. He settled for leaning his temple on Chi's shoulder, facing the window. “Sure is pretty out. I mean, you’re by far the prettiest, but the view gets a close second.”Chiaki kissed his cheek, sending his cheeks flaming. It was so hot in this car. “You’re so sweet, Dai~”

Being at a loos for words, Dai just shook his head, and squeezed Chiaki's hand right back. His eyes blue eyes kept darting from the window, back to his boyfriend. Not knowing which one he should keep his eyes on. The fireworks were about to start, but Daisuke couldn't look away from the dark haired boy in his lap.

A loud boom interpreted Daisuke's thoughts and he flinched, his head snapping straight ahead. His eyes widened as a purple explosion diffused in the dark air. Dai's breath caught in his throat, silenced by the beauty of the scene before him. Flowers of gunpowder and chemicals erupted in the sky, in a breath taking display of colors. The nerdy side of Daisuke took over naming the chemicals it would take to get the firework that color, but quickly snapped himself out of it.

Silently, the purple haired boy turned to his boyfriend, a longing smile turning up the corners of his lips. Everything about the situation was telling him to kiss the boy. To just take his face in his hands and kiss Chi. But Dai was nervous... this wasn't like him, he wasn't the adventurous one, that was Chiaki. Daisuke, just do it. An inner Daisuke scolded him, Just. Fucking. Do. It. He wanted to, he really, really wanted to, but could he?

Yes. He could.

"Chi," he whispered, before taking the dark haired boy's face in his hands. Their eyes locked, electricity flashing between them before Dai gently pressed his lips to Chiaki's. Fireworks exploding behind them.

[true]

Chiaki forced himself to look out the window rather than at Dai; the fireworks hadn’t started and the urge to yank on the collar of Daisuke’s shirt to pull him down for an earth-shattering kiss was becoming more than he could bear. Daisuke wanted a romantic-ish second first kiss to offset the sleaze of their first one and there was no way he’d initiate something that important; it was just too hard to tell whether his boyfriend actually wanted intimacy, or if he was just humoring him. So, no, when the time came, Chi wasn’t going to be the one to do it – the image of Daisuke crying and vomiting all over himself kept him from seriously considering it, no, that had been almost entirely his own fault.

Out of nowhere a deafening boom echoed through the silence, a gorgeous flash of purple following it. Looking at fireworks from the ground was one thing – they were pretty for sure, maybe even a spectacle – but seeing them from the sky was entirely different. The sparks were essentially at eye level, exploding and expanding all at once; Chi’s mouth dropped open a little at the sight, but then Dai shifted unconsciously beneath him and he felt his heart flutter again; but no, he’s not ready, and these fireworks are so pretty! He watched the sky for what felt like an eternity, no words said between them, even though with every breath Daisuke made his heart race a little harder, a little faster.

"Chi," Daisuke whispered, barely audible at all. Chiaki could feel his eyes on him, and when he turned his head just enough so that he could see his boyfriend out of the corner of his eye, his face was suddenly cupped between the huge, soft hands that could only belong to one person. The look in his eyes was foreign – resolve or affection or lust, he couldn’t tell which. Oh my god, he’s gonna do it.

Chiaki shivered a little as Daisuke’s face moved closer to his own, slow enough so that he had time to react, close his eyes. A firework exploded at the exact moment their lips met – a gentle kiss, chaste, but somehow still absolutely intoxicating – but at the moment the only sound Chi cared about was his own heart beating in his ears, the slow breaths taken by each of them. Chiaki pressed his lips back against his, lightly enough so that it would not be taken as aggressive, but forceful enough to imply that he wanted more. “Again...” he whispered, sitting up a little straighter so that Daisuke wouldn’t have to crane his neck so much. Gently, he slid both of his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulder; he shivered a little, not at the cold but how much he wanted another kiss, and another. He very much doubted that he’d ever be satisfied again.

[karina]

Daisuke wished that this was his first kiss. Fireworks, ferris wheel, cute boy sitting in his lap, what spelled a more perfect kiss? He could give you an answer to that, nothing. This kiss was wildly different than the one they shared at the park. It wasn't sticky and lustful, hazed over by the alcohol. It was sweet and gentle -- matching perfectly with their relationship -- and perfect.

If the fireworks were still booming, Dai couldn't hear them. His heart was hammering so hard in his chest that he could hear nothing of the world around him. As far as he knew, there was no world around him. They were in a completely different dimension where only the two of them existed. He would live in that dimension forever if he could, spending his days with the person that made him happy. Chiaki Yuzuru.

The tall boy pressed into his lips into Chiaki's softly, parting his lips quickly before Chi pulled away to whisper, "Again..."

A sea of goosebumps erupted over his skin, as the boy adjusted on his lap. Again The words ran in his head, sending tiny shivers throughout his body. He smiled pushing his lips against the boy's again. His long arms slid around the younger boy, grabbing him closer. Their bodies pressing together sent waves of heat through his body, his heart rising in his throat. I think I love you. The passing thought caused him to smile. A suppressed truth, finally come to light. Daisuke wasn't the type to lie to himself, he loved Chiaki, and that was okay... because he was Chiaki and if he had to fall in love with someone, he was glad it was with him.

[true]

The fireworks were still booming, but the only ones that mattered were right between them, exploding in gorgeous hues of scarlet across their cheeks as Dai kissed him for the second time. Chiaki leaned into it even more, poured even more of himself into the physical contact, head swirling around as he felt their container move - it had begun its descent.

Their lips parted for a moment, and for a second he felt as though he was going to have another panic attack - freak out, cling to Daisuke, ruin everything. He trembled a little as they kissed a third time, but when they touched everything else was forgotten, just like it had been only a few seconds before.

And as they came back down to the ground, Chi was in the sky - but he didn't need to shake anymore, didn't need to cling to the nearest person anymore. Not while Daisuke was there: anchoring his feet and stealing his heart all at the same time.

Chiaki held Daisuke's hand and smiled. I don't think I'm afraid, anymore.

/owari~