hearts and junk

[borntobewildcat]

WHO: Tom and Ggio
WHERE: Their apartment
WHEN: Night of/after Valentine's Day
WARNINGS: Nothing... Talk of soul... cannibalism?
SUMMARY: Post VD shenanigans. The truth comes out! Dun Dun Dun
FORMAT: Quick


[Ggio had left the bar before Tom that night, since he had to make sure certain people were okay before sending them home and then clean up the bar to close. He was exhausted, and didn't really have anything else planned for the holiday other than sitting out on the balcony to smoke and then crawling into bed.

That's why he was a bit surprised when he opened the door and the entire apartment was covered in pink and red tissue paper, foil, and candy wrappers.]

Ggio? Are you here?

Comments

[ridethetiger]

[Another pause. Ggio looks at Tom this time, but still avoids his eyes. His mouth parts and no words come for a few, tense moments.]

No. [Another pause, and then, more quietly:] I don't know.

[It was all right to admit at least that, wasn't it?]

[borntobewildcat]

[And that just made Tom's chest ache even more.]

You were checking for souls at the porter building... Do you still want to, Ggio?

[His tone wasn't accusing at all. He just needed to understand.]

[ridethetiger]

[His gaze drops to their feet, and he nods. This hurts. This sucks. He thought he had accepted it when he came back to the City, but no. He doesn't want to acknowledge that his arrancar self was essentially dying, and he doesn't know what, if anything, would be left after it was gone.]

[borntobewildcat]

[At that moment, it didn't matter what they were talking about. Tom pulls Ggio into his arms, hugging him tight. Part of him wished that he hadn't asked (which... usually always happened), because now he was conflicted. He was a pacifist, he hated killing... How could he give that up, even if such a thing would keep Ggio around?]

What are your options?

[ridethetiger]

Options?

[He doesn't understand the word, but Tom's tone was easy enough to read: What can we do? It was just like him to not leave Ggio alone, even when he was horrified or disgusted. It's a wonder Ggio was even remotely worried.]

Just a little. It's not enough because souls are so weak, but I can feed a bit without taking them.

[borntobewildcat]

[That... was at least a little reassuring. If Ggio was some kind of soul vampire, that could take them without killing or taking the souls, that was okay, right?

Though, Tom couldn't let Ggio just take from anybody.]

What about mine?

[ridethetiger]

[Laughs bitterly. Been there, done that.]

It will make you sick, tired. Your's isn't strong enough.

[Though it had gotten a little stronger in the time they've been together. Which makes it absurd that Tom would grant him permission; Ggio wasn't going to stop, anyway.]

[borntobewildcat]

[Tom didn't know that Ggio already had been. Sure, there were times that he felt exhausted for no reason, but he didn't think it was anything strange. He wasn't exactly the healthiest guy around.]

But can you use just mine?

[ridethetiger]

... Yeah.

[He doesn't want, and probably would continue to graze off the bar's customers, and crowds whenever he pleased. It wasn't enough, but he's been denying himself for this long already.]

[borntobewildcat]

Ggio...

[It was probably better that Tom didn't know that he's feeding off of the bar patrons or whoever he felt like. Even if it wouldn't kill them, Tom wouldn't like it... The best way for him to be okay with this is:]

You can have my soul.

[ridethetiger]

[Shakes his head, lightly shoving at Tom. Stupid, stupid. This goes entirely against the idea of self-preservation.]

Don't say that. You don't want this.

[borntobewildcat]

You're right, I really don't.

[He's hugging Ggio a little tighter now, almost enough to cause some discomfort.]

But you're my responsibility.

[ridethetiger]

[This time he does shove him away, glaring and baring his teeth.]

I'm not your fucking pet!

[borntobewildcat]

I never said that you were!

[He's trying not to get angry, but he's already feeling pretty emotional from everything else they've discussed.]

But if you're going to be taking of someone else's soul... [He looks away from Ggio, irritated.] It should be mine.

[ridethetiger]

[After that, Ggio seems to somewhat deflate. He's misunderstood; Tom wasn't telling him to take his soul for sustenance and end up leaving Ggio alone. Physically, anyway. He has lashed out at the idea of being left behind again.

He realizes what Tom is saying now. What it means. His hand goes to his neck and Ggio recalls a certain group and leader in Hueco Mundo.

He takes a deep breath.]

Fine.

[borntobewildcat]

[Tom wasn't going to offer his soul completely, obviously... Not yet, at least. He didn't have a death wish.]

Just a little at a time, you know? Before bed or something. [He isn't happy about it, but he'll do anything for Ggio.]

If it's something you need, then you can take whatever's safe to take.

[ridethetiger]

And if I take someone else's?

[He finally really looks at Tom, sternly. He could have stayed silent, just ended this stupid conversation to keep Tom off his back, but he has to know if this life they've built together was going to come crashing down with all this.]

[borntobewildcat]

I can't stop you... And I probably would never know if you don't tell me.

[He leans against the railing, looking out over the City. He wants another cigarette, right now. Though, right now he didn't think even that would calm his nerves.]

I will never ask you to do something that hurts you, but... If you do, take what you can from mine first.

[ridethetiger]

[It's good Tom understands that, at least. He's practically begging Ggio, and Ggio is just tired.]

All right.

[He doesn't know what else to say, and really doesn't want to say anything else. He starts to turn, hesitates there at Tom's side, and continues on inside. So much for thinking that he had gotten better at keeping his emotions under control and not showing Tom that he was anything but okay.

Now he just wants to rest and not think, and maybe try explaining the situation to him properly with his communicator later.]