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.. what?

[ Under their current circumstances, it's not the kind of dramatic surprise that one might otherwise get from Inigo. It's more subdued while they're lying here like this, quiet, with only the darkness and the rain to accompany them.

A surprise that lingers in the air for a moment. Because it's just.. new. Sure, Inigo has been on the train for long enough with friends that he's at least grown used to the idea that people actually like him here and care for him, but this feels a little beyond that. It's Tidus inviting him into his space, after all. A shared space, but one that has been Tidus's for a while now.

Not that it's a bad thing. Quite the opposite. Inigo already finds himself liking the idea, sleeping with someone so dear to him nearby.. Hence why it's just a good kind of surprise. Surprise at Tidus giving him this gift.

His arms, still around Tidus, momentarily squeeze the other just slightly before getting a bit more relaxed again. ]

You're.. You're sure? You wouldn't mind?

[ What's that squeeze for? To see if he's not really dreaming, to check that it's Tidus there? It makes Tidus curious, looking nowhere into the darkness. A small smile playing on his lips. ]

Should I? [ What was there to bother him? He wonders, thinking- ] I can let you borrow my ticket if you need to get in or out...

Mmm... ... nope! Don't see a problem. It's up to you, [ he decides. But what else was there to think about? He wasn't the one who'd disappear in the morning. ]

I can ask S'reee if she minds. But I doubt it. Just as long as she can get in and out, and she didn't have problems with the last guy we had.

[ ...oh. ]

You're not going to mind a girl whale in the room, are you? [ he asks cheekily... ]

[ UGH.

Mood ruined. Very temporarily, but ruined all the same. Inigo even just groans in flustered annoyance. Tidus, please!! ]

There literally are two girls in my room already! [ .. Orisa counts as a girl, right? He.. thinks..? Either way, point is-- ] I'm pretty sure I'll survive sleeping in the same room as a girl whale.

[ G-GEEZ. Don't make fun of him being terrified of girls, bro! ]

I was touched that you didn't mind having me around there, but now I see it's just so you can have even more opportunities to tease me.

[ And yet, for all his current embarrassment, he's not letting go of Tidus. Still just holding on to him. Not very tight, still, but present all the same. ]

[ That does get a light laugh out of Tidus. ]

Isn't that going to be the best part about it? I can tell you if you snore! And find out if you have any weird sleeping habits...

[ No he won't, not if Inigo's going to take the top bunk, but why not make it sound like a threat for a guy like Inigo? Make him whine and call him a bully, but still be holding onto him, no matter what else he teases him with. ]

I wonder if you sleep with socks on?

[ Like so. ]

I'm going back to my own tent.

[ Says the guy who is not making even a single motion to do so. (He's enjoying the cuddling, okay, even if Tidus is trying to ruin it by being.. by being dumb!!) ]

I can't believe I'm completely willing to be vulnerable and asleep in front of you, my dear friend Tidus, and you're betraying that trust before I've even fully extended it to you! [ HUFF. ] Now we know who's the better friend here.

[ Is this getting more chuckles out of Tidus? From the threat of Inigo leaving to as he goes on. It keeps in his voice, tickled. You can hear the smile on his face as he speaks. ]

I never said Taiki wasn't the better friend. [ ayyyye, cheeky cheeky. ] But if I'm remember things right, weren't you the one who came to me to tent with first? Sooo... it sounds like to me...

You like me more?

[ Sacrilege talk, coyly asked. But he said it!! ]

[ Too cheeky.

And also really, really awkward, considering Inigo realised his crush on the other literally the other night. So in a way, it's true. He does like Tidus more than Taiki-- or rather, he likes him in a different way than Taiki. (That, too, is now starting to make sense in his head in the most frustrating of ways.)

But it's not like he can just say that. As if Tidus would ever like him. And even if he would, Inigo can't - not with Yuna. Not with how much Tidus must still love her, miss her.

So Inigo grows quiet for a moment. Still lying there with Tidus, still holding him, but not saying a word for maybe half a minute before he finally poutily mumbles: ]

I bet Taiki would let me sleep in his tent..

Suuuuure, [ he says, in that tone that could go anywhere. A cheeky reply? Why not, he's filling with them now. Oblivious to any particular silence with the rain softer now, but nicer to listen to. A little. ]

Do those two share a tent? Saku and Taiki. [ Actually, that's where Tidus's head goes. ] You would think Taiki would stay outside, right? Or...would he? What do you think?

[ Inigo knows!! Right? ]

They'd probably share, right? Wouldn't Taiki want to be near lord Gyousou? [ Granted, maybe it's Inigo projecting a little bit, with how clingy he himself is.. But he can't imagine it any other way. That's just too sad. ] And even though he may put himself off to the side at times, I'm sure lord Gyousou would see through that and make sure Taiki could stay with him if he wanted to.

[ He's felt those feelings firsthand through experiencing the king's memories, after all. ]

They're really lucky to be here together.

[ Because he doesn't even want to imagine them seperately. ]

Yeah, [ he agrees, a note soft. ] Saku, he'd probably be alright just him, but the other way round... even just Saku - they're a good pair.

[ There's a thought on his mind, a remark that isn't true - not his. It's good to have someone else around you know. Is it? He can't say... even if he doesn't regret the time with Yuna. But what was it like for other people? Was it better for Inigo, to have Gerome here and then see him go?

So he's quiet, longer than he means. Thoughts undecided, until he says, even as half-figured out as everything in his head before it: ]

I hope people get to leave one day with answers. I mean- more than going back just the way you left, you know? Some way to help whatever's going on back where they came from. A lot of people had stuff they were dealing with already before they got here.

They deserve being saved too. Like we're doing for everyone else.

[ Inigo hums quietly in agreement. He, too, is quiet for a moment, trying to carefully pick his words. After all, this talk of going home is getting dangerously close to what they discussed before, and Inigo wants to thread lightly when it comes to that. Tidus's feelings.. they must already have felt so tender earlier. Inigo doesn't want to make it all flow back up again. ]

It'd be nice if those two could find ways to be more prepared for everything back home. [ So maybe this is better. Easier. Rather than thinking about Tidus's fate back home and him struggling to accept any other, rather than starting about Roland which is also way too close to their previous discussion, rather than even thinking about himself.. Maybe it's easier to think of the people important to them outside of that. ]

It would mean all of this has been worth it. Even to us personally, aside from all the places we've been helping out.

I just wish... we had some kind of promise. An answer. Any answer, you know?

[ Is it good to get back into frustrations? Speaking of hopes; they can lead to the whys for their hopes. Why they're hopes and not certainties. World-saving cargo going from one world to the next.

Ugh. He hates it. He hates thinking about it, all this uncertainty that's been swarming around them all day. So Tidus sighs, huffs, the sound not drowned out by the rain now. ]

I wish everything wasn't so...complicated. [ Ugh! ] It just makes me annoyed!

[ He's no good at this kind of thinking-! ]

[ It's a frustration Inigo understands very well. Even though things often turn more towards sadness than anger for him, he's been thinking the same things. If only they had some more answers. As to where the people who leave go. How long this trip is going to take. Why the train does so many of the things it does.

But he knows it seems like they're not going to get any answers. And that means Tidus is just going to get more and more frustrated. And while it's good to have some of that frustration if it drives him forward, at the same time..

.. maybe right now isn't the ideal time for it. Especially when Inigo's heart is still a little sore from everything that happened today, the constant extreme rollercoaster of emotions.

So he mumbles audibly: ] Let's not think about it right now.

[ He shifts just a tad, just enough to be even closer to Tidus, fully pressing tightly to his back now, the hold of his arms growing a bit stronger along with it. This spooning is intensifying. ]

Let's think about the good things. We made it through today without getting attacked by some world miners. [ That's what Roland called them, right? ] We found Roland together and brought him back. We did well today. You can pat yourself on the back for it.

[ Inigo leans his head forward, resting his forehead against the top back of Tidus's shoulder. ]

And I have to thank you especially. For coming right towards me when I was having a rough moment. I really appreciate it.

[ He's glad that Inigo can't see his face. The way that heat suddenly prick at his skin when he comes closer to him, firmer and felt; a stronger embrace that he knows, but only from the other way. Not like this. It's...different too. No, he's been hugged like this by Yuna before, but-

It's nice, isn't a truth he's going to admit out loud in the dark. No wonder why you like it. Once that initial embarrassment cools off, with a light whining he gives, just to distract himself. ]

Hey, you know I would. [ He thinks, and a few seconds of that alone, as he sees where his thoughts go- ] Ugh, you're right - let's not think about it. The way Roland was acting... it's been a rough day already. We're supposed to be sleeping - not overthinking.

[ Instead- and still delaying them from the whole sleeping thing he just brought up: ]

You wanna do something fun when we get back?

[ Because he wants to end it on a good note too. Some sort of positive, and it's the first thing that springs to mind. ]

[ Inigo's lips twitch, and he almost releases the words - I'm glad you thought it was awful to see him that way too. He doesn't say it in the end, not wanting to linger on yet another painful topic, but it's yet another thing he's grateful for. To not be alone in his worry about the guy, to not be the only one who feels weird to see Roland act so unlike himself, so caught up in his own worries and despair.

It's tough. He doesn't know what he can do for Roland to make it any easier, after all, but..

Right. No time for overthinking.

But even though he vows to stop the overthinking, he keeps his hold on Tidus just the way it was a moment ago - tight, close, warm. That's something he doesn't want to give up in this moment. ]

Well.. I know it's going to sound strange, coming from me, but I kind of wish I could practice swimming again. [ Last time was kind of embarrassing, but not.. bad? It was nice to have the support of his two closest friends right there with him, anyway. ] Do you think the train is going to give us that pool carriage anytime soon?

[ d-did someone say swimming??

It's a word - an activity - that Tidus doesn't expect to hear. Strange, and- it brings a feeling over him to think about, swimming. A person so used to spending his days in water, going months without it. A certain kind of longing that reaches his bones. ]

I hope so. [ There's something almost pleading, small about that hope. ] Was there anything else interesting on the voting last time? Everyone really wanted that spa, I guess... but a pool would be great fun, you can do a lot with a pool! Exercising, playing, relaxing...

[ Perhaps not even on purpose, Inigo found a button in Tidus. One that makes his shoulders ease, sigh as he admits- ] I really miss swimming whenever...

You'll be able to do so again.

[ Maybe it's a bit of a reckless promise. After all, maybe the train will just randomly decide to never poll them again, with how whimsical it can be. Or maybe not many people will be interested in the idea of a pool.

But how can Inigo say anything else? When there's that obvious desire in Tidus's voice - that longing that Inigo can't help but want to fulfill.

Tidus deserves it, anyway. Hasn't he worked hard enough? (Hasn't he suffered enough, forced to carry the weight of the decision he made?)

He leans a bit more into those now more relaxed shoulders, resting his chin on top of one fondly, his cheek against Tidus's neck. ]

I'll make it happen for you. You trust me, right?

[ The touch of skin on skin tickles Tidus at first, though it's small. Quiet in the flush of it, ... the comfort of it. Plus, what Inigo is promising. Who knows what'll come up? Just like the spa. What people will end up wanting, what'll be more useful. It's a promise not entirely in Inigo's hands, but- ]

I'll keep you to it. [ He answers playfully, but still a promise. Bringing an arm to rest on the wrapped over him, touching his hand to the forearm. Not sure what to do with it there, but not fussing. Not thinking. ] I'll start teaching you how to hold your breath then. You gotta learn if you're gonna play blitzball one day.

[ It's a fun thought, isn't it? Nice before that time before sleep. ]

A few minutes everyday. Then a few minutes more the better you get!

[ Honestly, Inigo isn't all that confident that he'll really be able to learn how to hold his breath just by practicing.. but it's not like he's going to give up on the idea before even trying. Especially since.. ]

I really want to play blitzball with you.

[ Inigo even knows that he wouldn't feel bad about being inadequate at it - because it's just Tidus's thing. Of course the other is a natural at him, way beyond what Inigo himself could ever reach if he'd try to learn it. But he'd like to at the very least become decent enough at it that he can play with Tidus. That Tidus can play it again somehow, someday - even if it's just a fun thought and nothing more for now. ]

You must look so cool doing it.

How about I show you? [ There's a pride to him, a confidence - of course he isn't going to deny he looks cool. He hopes he looks cool, and he wants to, plans to now. Even if Inigo were to say no for some reason, it's really no good that he's not showing his best friends more of who he really is. The guy he was, the guy he'd choose to be again in a heartbeat. ]

But you have to show me something too.

[ Because it's never that easy. ]

Sure.

[ That's not an answer he really has to think about. Of course he'll watch Tidus play blitzball. Tidus already saw him dance in turn, after all, though Inigo seems to feel a whole lot more selfconscious and nervous about people watching him perform his passion than Tidus does.

.. then again, his friend was a big star, right? It's not like you can be that without liking the feeling of people watching you. Seeing you go at it. People liking you. ]

I'll watch whenever you want. [ There are a lot of things he'd do for the other, after all. Crush or no crush. Tidus is still an incredibly important friend to him regardless. ]

What do you want to see? I can't do much that'd be really interesting to watch, I think.

[ Is he avoiding mentioning dance on purpose or does he just genuinely think that? Who knows. He doesn't sound like he's trying to lie really hard on purpose right now, at least. Inigo still just sounds comfortable, content with their current spooning position and conversation. ]

You kidding? I wanna see you dance again. Your passion for mine! [ aha! ] Then it's a deal.

[ Does he know that rushing to call it a deal likely won't stop Inigo from picking up a fuss? He probably feels it in that embrace, in the muscles of Inigo's arms as he declares his wanted trade: a blitzball demonstration for more of Inigo's dancing.

But it doesn't matter to Tidus. He's prepared for it, willing to fight a battle of whines and protests. Why not fight to get Inigo to give himself the chance to do what he enjoys, is just stopped by his own insecurities?

Even if he has to meet Inigo's fuss, he's ready. Happy to, even. Come at him, bro. ]

[ Tidus can predict Inigo so well.

Because of course he's going to kick up a fuss. There's no way he isn't going to at the mention of the d-word. The tension is immediately there in Inigo's arms, in the way he lets out a whiny sound from his position curled up against Tidus's back. He is COMING AT HIM indeed. ]

Please tell me you're just joking.

[ Even though he has a feeling that Tidus isn't joking right now - no matter how often he may joke at other times. ]

You know it's much easier for you to do anything blitzball-related than for me to dance!

For now! [ He teases, but just as much as he sounds sure. ] I have practice, I've been in the game for years! You, [ Tidus points out, ] haven't had the freedom and time to really find your groove!

And, I like your dancing. [ There's nothing simpler to it. Tidus can see all the faces that Inigo is likely to be making behind his back - but it might be easier for him to hear like this too, without them facing each other. ] You're like a totally different guy, you're enjoying yourself - I want to see you like that again.

[ Happy, carefree. Taking by his passions, a melody leading his body. ]

I wanna see it a lot more.

Ugh..

[ It's not even an annoyed 'ugh'. It's very much an embarrassment 'ugh', and faces are being made behind Tidus's back. Inigo even shifts a little so his head is no longer resting against the other guy's shoulder, just so he can be sure that Tidus isn't seeing a bit of the way his face starts to colour red here in the darkness.

But how is he supposed to deal with this kind of talk? It's really hard, for a myriad of reasons. Almost as hard as that talk about Tidus and his world and his future from a while ago, although it doesn't quite get all the way there. ]

It's because that's what I wanted to do. [ He mumbles. ] When I was a little kid, when I thought about the future. But things didn't turn out that way.

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