burns like a fire, electricity

[bunnyhopped]

who: hana song & gladio amicitia
what: roommates go out for halloween
when: oct 31
where: out on the town
warnings: none for the moment; will update as necessary!

[ Hana's had a rough couple of weeks.

Between all the ghosts roaming around, the stress of all the memory sharing happening, Hana refusing to sleep for the latter half of those two weeks, and her pushing and throwing herself into her work with the Perimeter Guard during and since then... Emotions have been running high. She has been going out pretty regularly during the real Halloween festivities and this evening, on the 31st, Hana's dragged Gladio along with the intention of hitting a few bars before ending up at Otabek's Halloween bash at the club. She's gone through a few easy costumes the past couple of night, not really going with anything that goes with the spooky theme of the holiday, but for the night itself she opts for a classic witch getup with a black outfit and a witch hat. Her makeup is darker than the usual pinks and rosy tones she uses, too, although her purple eyeshadow does have a bit of gold glitter in it.

The first couple of bars, Hana hits the bar hard. She goes for whatever the deal for the hour is, although that does net her some substantially watered-down drinks that taste like 90 percent chaser, 5 percent water, and 5 percent actual liquor. That doesn't mean, though, that by the time they make it to the main event of the night she's not at least a little bit warm and buzzed. Which is why she goes straight to the dance floor when they get there, pulling Gladio along with her and dancing close to him as she lets the music take over her movements. ]

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[leatherdaddy]

[ Gladio's gone with an old stand-by - patchwork zombie. Too sexy to be Frankenstein, but with just enough prosthetic and make-up to make him appear as if he was criss-crossed with loose stitches made of thick leather with different shades of his own skin tone. Some patches make his tattoo look old, bleeding through dead-looking, grey skin that's anything but. It was fun putting the costume together, and it also allowed him to be able to enjoy the club at the tail end of their bar-hopping tour.

Gladio had indulged sparingly, not needing much to get himself good and tipsy. His primary concern tonight is ensuring that his roommate and friend has a good time tonight, something he feels she deserves. Especially since he's had to bear witness to to too many sleepless nights and frightful dreams and apparitions. Hana deserved a break, and he was going to be here for her, let her put her hair down and cut loose.

Tonight, he was her shield and companion, and he's thrilled with the opportunity. And it doesn't stop trotting behind her just a step behind, staggering in the first few steps of chasing after her into the festive and frantic crowd, alive from the music and that party atmosphere that honestly? They both seem to be craving at this moment. Something living and breathing, pulsing with vitality.

Gladio pulls her arms away from her, spreading them before he pulls her closer as he throws himself into the beat. He might be playing the part of zombie, but he's a very scantily clothed zombie with apparently no problem with crowding up against her and throwing himself into the wild and festive spirit of the holiday. He's no stranger to club dancing, but his has a certain latin flavor to it. For those who are familiar, that is. It's a mix - otherworldly but familiar enough with anything found in modern-day earth to hint at it. And it isn't the kind of dance that is shy about where he guides her with his own hands. ]

[bunnyhopped]

[ Hana gives a little gasp of surprise when he pulls her closer but there's only a brief moment of pause before she settles into it, hips swaying with the music once again and she can't say that she doesn't enjoy how close he is as they now dance together. The other times Hana's gone out recently, she'd been pretty adamant about brushing people off, preferring to dance on her own without caring about anyone else. But Gladio— she tries very hard not to focus on the way Gladio's hands feel on her. It's been a while since anyone has really touched her in any sort of intimate way and it's really not helping that Gladio has just been walking around without a shirt on all night. She feels warm and she's not sure that it's entirely due to the fact that they're in a club and in a crowd... and she finds that she doesn't care. Or that she doesn't want to care. She's so tired of being so worried about everything the last few weeks.

She raises her arms and they wrap around him atop his shoulders, closing what little distance they could be between them. A feat made easier tonight thanks to her added height from her tall black boots - it also makes looking up at him easier; and when she looks at him there's something behind her gaze, heat wanting to burst into a flame and a bit of that lingering worry. ]

Are you having fun? You know... you're a pretty good dancer for a guy who's so big and bulky.

[leatherdaddy]

[ Gladio was taking a big gamble bringing her in close like this, but it pays off big. Really big. He feels pride blooming in his chest in the wake of one small victory, as the aloof Hana, strong and independent gamer who don't need no man, decides to bless him with her attention. Lucky him.

For a man who is accustomed to going around baring his skin, his smile broadens when she slings her arms around his shoulders and moves with him. Who wouldn't when this close to her? ]

You don't look like me and not know how to move.

[ He winks. Stop peacocking, Gladio. He winds his arms around her slowly, hugging her briefly as they dance as a needless but flirtatious reminder of just how big he is before he resumes holding her properly. He's good at reading people, he has to be in order to play his role as bodyguard and actual human shield for his king, and he can see that hesitation and hunger in her eyes. But he's not sure if he should make his move, so he dances around it - literally - wondering if it's wise for him to express more pointedly how Hana makes him feel.

She's beautiful, sure. She has just the kind of strong personality that Gladio really loves. But she's also a friend, a friend of Genji's and that's where things get... complicated. For him it's easy, he goes with the flow and where the mood takes him. He's so used to not relying on there being a tomorrow that he lives for today, and not everyone operates like that. He suspects that's where the hesitation in her eyes is coming from. ]

Of course, you know that better than anyone, right? Hana-banana.

[bunnyhopped]

[ That is, indeed, where that hesitation comes from. Because not only is Genji their mutual friend but - they also have to live together. If Hana screws things up and they then have to see each other pretty much every day - she would hate herself. (More than she currently does.)

It's a worry, though, that's slowly being silenced both by the music blaring around them - and by Gladio himself. Her breath hitches in her throat when he leans down and embraces her and she's made all too aware of how big he is, how his body can envelop hers so completely. Sure, they've snuggled up with each other now and then on the couch while watching movies and things like that but this is different, feels different. When he pulls away and looks down at her, she meets his gaze and she's searching for an answer in his.

Is it okay for her to lose control just for a moment?

And that's when the music drops. The tempo and rhythm slow and while the crowd around them goes wild over it - Hana practically stills. What follows is slow yet somehow electrifying and it does nothing to distract her from the way their bodies are pressed together, the way that he looks at her, and all of it sparks that heat inside of her.

Is it okay...?

She's worried about - them. But she's also so tired of worrying.

After a moment that seems to go on forever, she only gives a hum in response to his question before she shifts up to her tip-toes and tries to pull him down to press her lips against his. ]

[leatherdaddy]

[ It certainly complicates matters. And as much fun as he has under their roof, being a part of their daily lives, being able to share with them a form of intimacy that only living under the same roof can give... he wouldn't trade that experience for the world, to be honest, but eventually he knows he'll have to leave one day. Find his own place. Sometimes he thinks he's long overstayed his welcome, but then there is always some excuse, some set back, and no one is in much of a hurry.

If he hurts her or hurts him, Gladio wouldn't be able to forgive himself. They're both of them precious to him in different and distinct ways. He harbors feelings of a romantic sort, each a different wavelength. Genji's is all smooth and steady curves, rounded hills and slow and sloping drops that keep him grounded. Hana's a sharper roller-coaster thrill he can't get enough of, anticipation grips him nearly every time he sees her and with both of them he's wise enough to keep things simple. Friendly.

And then there's moments like these, where they're swept into the pulse and undulation of the crowd, lost in it, part of it. There's a strange sort of privacy here, and Gladio allows himself to feel that electricity between them flicker to life again. It comes when the music bottoms out and leaves them to fill in the vast, empty space between it.

Not with words, apparently, not when she's stopping them up with her plush lips on his, but she can't be left with all the blame, not when he's already been sinking down to meet her mouth with his halfway through, thinking yes this is exactly what he's wanted for longer than he's willing to admit. It's been a while, it feels, since he allowed himself to indulge in the moment, when chemistry and mood and settings all align themselves for something so magical as this.

The first press of lips would have been chaste except he soon bites into the next one, surging against her mouth hungrily as the music picks up again, eager to taste his way into her. ]

[bunnyhopped]

[ In a way—

She's glad, sometimes, for how this place has granted her more privacy by taking her status at home away. Here, she's not a celebrity. People aren't watching her every move and waiting for a chance to strike her down. She never would have gotten away with this at home - in the first place, she wouldn't have had time to go out and enjoy herself like most other people her age do - but there's the fact that at home she has to be this symbol that gives people hope and that people look up to, and where does losing inhibition and making out with a friend at the club fit into that? Nowhere.

She's especially glad for it too because there's nothing chaste or innocent about how she responds, an approving hum from her that passes between them, is muffled by their lips pressed together. At least, until she feels his teeth graze against her and then the bite of them, which earns a gasp. If it's been a while for Gladio, it's been even longer for Hana, who hasn't allowed any of her flirtation to go anywhere beyond teasing, playful words until this moment. Her lips part readily at his bidding and her fingers find their way to the back of his head, into his hair. ]

[leatherdaddy]

[ Likewise, he's glad. Glad he has the luxury of being basically on permanent leave. That he has the opportunity to put his mission on hold, even though it unsettles him how easily he put it off... even though he really doesn't know how to define himself without Noct around to safeguard. What makes it easier is being around people who accept him even when he's tight-lipped about his past.

Also contributing to his growing list of reasons to stay in this quarantine is Hana Song and the surprising twist this night took. Since he first met the woman, he felt an instant attraction - few, he imagined, wouldn't given her charm. But she was also strong and fierce in personality, a sassy friend whose company he craved. A spitfire of course, but she's a live wire in his arms now with a kiss so hot he thinks he might blister.

An amused sound bubbles up from his chest as he laughs into another kiss when her fingers rake into his hair, and he returns the favor by holding her against his body in an embrace - a brief press, it could have been a hug except for the way he kisses her and feels along the path of bare skin between her top and her skirt. His tongue glides over hers and he hums in response, tasting the drink she had earlier and her and thinking that he could just get drunk off that alone. Cupping her face with one hand, he swirls his tongue over hers before he pulls back from the wet kiss to steal a breath. ]

[bunnyhopped]

[ Truth to tell, in spite of appearances and the air of confidence that Hana consistently exudes (with the exclusion of the past few weeks) - Hana has had very limited experience in this arena. Sure, she's flirted, dated, been around a tiny bit. But she's also never really experienced genuine connections with anyone that she'd come to be involved with in any romantic capacity. She's used to superficiality - people wanting to get with her because she's D.Va and they want all the publicity and status that dating her comes with - not Hana Song. But she's also used to keeping people at an arm's length romantically because, in a way, she doesn't want them to learn about Hana Song. They're around for D.Va and don't need the nineteen-year-old Hana Song who's still figuring herself out and who sometimes has terrible mood swings or nightmares, who's prone to making mistakes just like any other young adult would.

Yet, somehow, she doesn't feel that trepidation with Gladio. Since she'd met him they'd gotten along quite well, which of course made their living arrangements easier. Of course she's attracted to him - she would argue that anyone with eyes would be. But even more than that she has really enjoyed his company, commentary when watching tv shows and conversations had over dinners and breakfasts and runs taken together. And even when they flirted, Hana never felt that strange pressure or obligation that she's used to feeling with other people when they're interested in her. He's always felt genuine. Maybe because - Gladio doesn't really know D.va. He's always known Hana Song. And whether she realizes that or not - she still appreciates him, feels safe around him, even at this moment when they're doing something quite dangerous.

Because his touch on her skin, just along that gap leaves heat in its wake and she tries her best to answer him soundly in their kiss, tongue to tongue and lips to lips. The arch of her back as his fingers glide along smooth skin there is nothing but a natural reaction to him, and while she almost feels like she's drowning in this - in them - she doesn't feel worried or scared.

They really shouldn't be doing this. Roommates or not, above all that is their mutual friendship and admiration for Genji but—

When he pulls back to breathe, she gasps as though she really had been drowning, her own breath hot against his skin and their faces are still so close to each other. Her fingers loosen in his hair and trail down to the back of his neck and her eyes go half-lidded as she looks down at the lips she'd just been kissing.

They really shouldn't be doing this. But Hana doesn't feel sorry at all and she's coming to realize that she doesn't care - at least not at this moment.

So the moment that passes between them is silent only briefly before she mutters his name in a hushed tone that's both a plea and a demand and adds, as the music swells and ebbs around them, ]

Don't stop.