PSL (closed)

[1stknight]

[Honestly, being summoned was quite the surprise to Bedivere. Being a saber, he knew he was at a disadvantage. After all, there were so many more sabers even just from the Round Table who were much more famous, so surely they would have been summoned over him. In fact, he was sure it had happened countless times before. That one master he had met, the one from Chaldea, they had spoken of singularities and grail wars to span several worlds and timelines. And with so many fine Sabers to choose from, he was sure that he hadn't ever been summoned before. The short time between the 'creation of his legend' and 'now' notwithstanding.

It made him feel a touch inadequate, if he was being truthful. After all, he was a simple knight. The master who had summoned him, he deserved better than someone like him. But if he was the one who was summoned, then he would fulfill his duty to this new master. Nothing would be done in half-steps, never again.

So as his form solidified in the summoning circle, Bedivere offered his new master a warm smile. Once again, his life was sworn to someone else's. Whatever his master wished for, Bedivere would help him achieve it.]

Saber, Bedivere. I am honored to be summoned by you. From now on, I shall be your Servant.

['I am honored to be summoned at all' was the truth, but he didn't speak that.

Then he paused, and he took a survey of the situation. The summoning circle was expertly made, but this man in front of him...well. He didn't look like a mage. He looked like a normal person. Perhaps it was a disguise? Or maybe there was more to this situation than he could see immediately. He would have to wait for his new master to respond in order to find out more.]

Comments

[neverwashere]

[They might be lying down, but Dazai swore he felt the world flip over and turn in on itself.

Cautiously, he looked over his shoulder. Of course, no amount of neck craning he'd do would let him glimpse at Bedivere's expression from that angle, but. He needed to know.]

Isn't that the kind of thing someone like you would, oh, reserve for a person you like, without the contractual obligation?

[Excuse him; for a smart guy, he could be pretty dense at times.]

[1stknight]

[Bedivere chuckled a low, warm chuckle. It was one that reverberated through his body, so Dazai might be able to feel it against his back.]

I think we passed the point of 'contractual obligation' already, Dazai.

[Apparently actually sleeping together was what loosened up Bedivere's reservations and made him more willing to consider that there might be more here than a master and a servant. Even if it was just for a little while, this was alright, wasn't it?]

[neverwashere]

[Because today was apparently one for acting like a high schooler with a crush, he wasn't able to stop his face from turning red, heart skipping a beat. That simple, huh.

It dawned on him that maybe Bedivere was the oblivious heartbreaker type. For Dazai, at least, because the only way Dazai could handle his attachment issues was by being ambivalent, and Bedivere, who clearly didn't have the same hangups, just steamrolled through that in less than a week.]

Well, then.

[But oh, Dazai could also be a fool. Which was why his response to his own warring feelings was to turn over and sling an arm around Bedivere's waist.]

Quite the shift in stance there.

[1stknight]

Ah? Is it too much?

[For a moment, Bedivere wondered if he was moving too quickly. Dazai had expressed an interest, and Bedivere was finally considering taking him up on that interest. But having gotten that reaction in return, Bedivere wondered if he had misjudged the situation.

If he could see Dazai's face, he would have known Dazai was lovestruck. But alas.]

I, ah, I do not wish to impose on you. I merely thought that we had an understanding.

[Bedivere also had a bat habit of not clearly stating what he meant, leaving room for misunderstandings.]

[neverwashere]

It's not so much an imposition as it is you going beyond the requirements of duty while skipping an entire lengthy courtship.

[Then he abruptly paused, replayed his own words in his head, and laughed, curling up on Bedivere's back - when all was said and done, this was a surprise, wasn't it?]

Serves me right, really, in letting my prediction get ahead of itself.

[1stknight]

Did you want to do a lengthy courtship?

[Lengthy was not possible, given that the grail war would last a couple weeks at most. But they could still do something.]

We, ah, we could take today as a 'rest day' and find something else to do. This city is large enough to have a plethora of activities we could participate in, yes?

[neverwashere]

Not really, but we could..?

[If he sounded confused, that's because he was. He never thought to imagine himself as the one being courted, but if there was anyone who was the perfect suitor, it was Bedivere.]

There are a lot of dating spots around, yeah, but you don't have to do this just because I mentioned it.

[1stknight]

It doesn't have to be a date, it can just be something fun to do.

[He said that, because it sounded like Dazai was objecting to the idea of a 'date'.]

A garden, a menagerie, something like that. Are any of those here in Yokohama?

[neverwashere]

[He wasn't objecting to it being a date, actually, and he glibly poked the first part of Bedivere he could reach - did he hit the chin or the cheek?]

If that's your way of taking out all the stuffy tedium that old school courtships are reputed to have, sure.

There are a lot of gardens and natural parks in the area - here.

[He blindly reached behind him for his phone, pulled up his browser, and typed in parks in Yokohama. Slipping his arm back around Bedivere's waist seemed like the most natural thing to do once he passed the phone.]

Take your pick?

[1stknight]

[That was his cheek! And the poke made Bedivere chuckle.]

Modern times require modern courtships, no?

[He took the phone from Dazai and, after struggling for a moment to figure out how to use it one-handed, started scrolling through the park names. Most of them sounded interesting, and he did like the pictures of them all. But one name in particular caught his attention.]

Yokohama Municipal Zoo?

omg

[neverwashere]

[He couldn't help but snicker at that reply, muffling the sound on the back of his other hand.]

Of course. With all the sights and sounds that might entail.

I haven't been to the zoo myself, so it'll be a first for the both of us.

[That was to say, he was neutral about zoos until Mori ruined it by planning an outing with both Q and Elise. Dazai had pawned off babysitting duty to Chuuya, who sensibly suggested another location. Because Q was the type of kid who'd get into all the pens.

Needless to say, Q never did get the chance to go to the zoo once he was sealed away.]

[1stknight]

Let's go there, then.

[He had to pause, though, because he realized something important. And he had to give a sheepish smile.]

Ah...but maybe after the sun is up.

[Though he doubted they would be able to sleep for another hour or two, only to wake up again. Maybe he should make breakfast? There was a lot they could do in the pre-dawn hours.]

[neverwashere]

[If Bedivere had been thinking about going to the zoo right away, as his words implied, well. That was rather adorable.

Dazai closed his eyes.]

Rest up, then. Gonna take the whole day for us to go around the zoo.

[His grip on the front of Bedivere's yukata held a simpler answer: he didn't want to let go just yet, as insurance that this wasn't just some post-sex wishful dream.

When dawn came, he had dozed off to a light sleep.]

[1stknight]

[He might have been, up until he remembered things like 'sunrise' and 'operating hours.'

Bedivere didn't fall asleep, not even to the 'light half-sleep' that Servants did. He just laid there for a while, listening to the sounds of Dazai's breaths and unpacking the memories he had seen.

Having Dazai's arm around his waist certainly made it easier to stay in bed, too.

When they awoke, Bedivere had an idea to do his hair up in such a way that it could be tucked up into a hat. His long hair was becoming distinctive, and disguising it while dressed as a civilian was probably the best idea.

Also, he looked cute in the straw hat he had gotten somehow.]

I think I should be ready to go now.

[neverwashere]

[The way Dazai's mug missed his mouth and headed for his cheek, resulting in a yelp and a change of shirt, more or less summarized what he thought when he saw Bedivere in the straw hat.]

You'd make a killing if you ended up with a modeling gig.

[Because yeah while that took care of the long hair, that didn't change how attractive Bedivere was - talk about eye catching!

Not that Dazai would dissuade him, and he'd also taken the effort to wear something different today: a loose linen shirt over dark slacks that would've shown off his clavicle were it not for the bandages.]

Shall we?

[1stknight]

Ehh? But isn't modeling for women? I may have had to wear a dress before, but I don't think I look particularly good in one.

[Bedivere, casually admitting to having cross-dressed in the past. Though he didn't count it as cross-dressing, for Reasons. Reasons he would explain if Dazai asked about it.

Bedivere still had on a button-up shirt and pants, but he had traded them out for something lighter in color, to match the straw hat. Now he looked like someone ready to hit the beach but not go swimming.

At that last question, he nodded to Dazai. Time to go!]

[neverwashere]

I beg to differ. Besides, modelling is for both men and women - look no further than the large signs they like putting over buildings these days.

[Dazai had eyes and a healthy appreciation for beauty. The fact that he could easily imagine Bedivere in a dress spoke for itself, and once he deposited his now empty coffee mug in the kitchen sink, he poked his head out of the door to check if the coast was clear. If it was, time to head out!

Also, you bet he was going to ask.]

So why were you in a dress, again?

[1stknight]

[The coast was mostly clear. Atsushi was lingering around, as it wasn't a work day and he didn't have plans. But when he saw Dazai and Bedivere, he blushed furiously and stammered out some apology about having to leave before ducking into his apartment.

The scene left Bedivere a bit befuddled.]

He is a nervous one, isn't he?

[Bedivere did not realize how thin the walls were and how Atsushi had heard a good portion of last night. Also, Atsushi still remembered what that night was like, even if it was years ago from his perspective. He might have been missing the intimacy, just a little bit.]

[neverwashere]

[Dazai had a very good guess as to why Atsushi reacted that way, and he coughed uncomfortably as he tugged Bedivere's elbow. Time to make a hasty exit!]

His ability... ah. [He kept his gaze on the path ahead.] He has sharp hearing because of it.

[So moving on!] What animals are you looking forward to seeing?

[1stknight]

...oh.

[Oh no, what a terrible thing to find out. Bedivere would have problems facing Atsushi in the future. He didn't do well with embarrassment.

But he tried to push those thoughts out of his head, and he turned his attention to the zoo. It would be a short ride by train, but nothing they haven't done before. And with new disguises, it would hide the location of their base.]

I haven't seen many exotic animals before, but I did like all the birds at the last place I saw.

[neverwashere]

[Welp. And Dazai would default to his usual by playing the shameless bastard. Maybe once all was said and done though, all this would be different in hindsight.]

Were they swallows?

[1stknight]

No, they were quite tall, even taller than a human. They couldn't fly, but they could run fast.

[Ostriches. He meant ostriches.]

There were monkeys there too, but they didn't seem very nice. The birds, at least, didn't try to cause trouble.

[neverwashere]

[Ah. The 'running' gave it away. Where on earth Bedivere encountered one, he had to wonder.]

Oh, I don't know. I think your tall birds could match a monkey's meanness if sufficiently provoke. They have quite the kick, supposedly.

Speaking of birds - have you encountered penguins before?

[1stknight]

Penguins?

[No, he hadn't. The antarctic was one place he never went in his journeys.]

What are those?

[neverwashere]

[He brightened - this one would be fun to explain.]

Flightless birds that don't look like birds and more like, oh, beaked tuxedo-patterned creatures with long flappy arms.

They swim, too! In very cold waters way down south.