FLUFF MEME

[raptorbox]

Look, sometimes it's fun to just play out something completely sappy and self-indulgent. So let's do that here! This meme is for fluff and hurt/comfort stuff, shippy or not; AU, game setting, whatever.

Prose or brackets welcome; prompts below are just for kickstarting ideas if necessary, so don't worry about those if you've got something else in mind or just want to work things out separately. Let me know if you want to start something here, since I have it set up not to email me.


① Cuddling → For whatever reason, characters feel like being close and cuddling.
② Pillow talk → After the main event, characters are up for some pillow talk.
③ Celebration → Anniversary or some other big event is taking place and characters want to celebrate!
④ Love confession → Someone has finally decided to confess their love and today is the day!
⑤ Appreciation → You feel the need to show appreciation for that person closest to you, even if it's just a pat on the back.
⑥ Apologies → You made a mistake and now it's time to make it up in some way you know the other can't refuse!
⑦ Get back together → Why did you break up again exactly? Whatever the reason, it was a huge mistake and you both know you can work through it.
⑧ Date night → You've planned for a wonderful night together and you can't wait to get it started.
⑨ Family → You've either found out you're pregnant or you've already got that addition to your family.
⑩ Marriage → You're just about to get hitched or maybe you're enjoying your honeymoon. Maybe you've been together for years now! Whatever the case, it's time for that next big step.
⑪ Meeting again → It's time for that happy reunion finally!
⑫ Love at first sight → For whatever reason, you are now insanely in love with the first person you set eyes on.
⑬ Flirtation → You can't resist to do a little bit of harmless flirtation all of a sudden.
⑭ In the snow → Look outside! It's a winter wonderland, so why not go out and play in it?
⑮ Engagement → You've planned it all out and now it's time to finally pop the question.
⑯ Friendly games → You've set up the game station or board games for a friendly competition!
⑰ Gift → Time to give that special someone a gift just because.
⑱ Recovery → You're taking care of someone who's just recovered from some illness or injury.
⑲ Healing → Time to help mend that someone who's been through hell and back.
⑳ Better than ever → You've finally got everything you've ever wanted here. What is your ideal life and who does it include?

Comments

[onegreeneye]

Ginko blinks, his brow creasing as that registers. Then he looks down at her again, frowning slightly and pretending not to be aware of his face warming.

"I meant... longer-term, I guess. Not at this exact moment, more in general." He sighs, rubbing at the back of his head. "I guess I'm asking-- how would you define what we've been doing? Besides the obvious, I'm not asking for the most literal possible answer here. I guess more in terms of our..."

He doesn't quite manage to get the word 'relationship' out.

"...socially speaking."

[skyentologist]

"You mean our friends with benefits thing?"

Ema decides to be generous and sits upright, narrowly missing headbutting Ginko in the chin.

"What did you want it to be?"

[onegreeneye]

...Well, that's it. That's the confirmation he had been expecting, (and maybe fearing a little, whether he'll admit to that or not) only it's followed by a question that he's not sure he can answer. Time to start shrinking in on himself like he's trying to disappear entirely while he looks for an escape route.

"I... well, I didn't really say I had wanted it to be anything in particular, I was just... I don't know."

[skyentologist]

This is so uncomfortable. Why is it uncomfortable. Ginko's not a small man, but he definitely looks like he's trying to be.

"I don't really know what you're trying to say."

[onegreeneye]

"I-- you know what, I don't know, either." He rubs his palm over his face, pressing the heel of his hand over his eyes, because suddenly he feels like just avoiding eye contact is not nearly enough of a defense right now. "Sorry, I shouldn't have..."

...

"I have to go." And with that he stands up, very abruptly, and heads for the door. He's kind of glad he's still got his pants on; the few seconds it would take to get dressed are just a few seconds longer than he wants to have to pause right now.

[skyentologist]

"H-hey! This is your apartment!"

Ema gets up and follows him, making motions as if to try and stop him.

[onegreeneye]

"Just-- you can stay for a while if you want. Or leave. Whatever you want to do." He replies rapidly over his shoulder, still not quite looking at her as he pushes the door open and hurries out, trying to get further ahead of her. Sorry, Ema, he's got to go live under a bridge or something now.

Perhaps fortunately, he only makes it to the back lot of the apartment building before going from actually trying to go anywhere to just pacing, shoving his fingers through his hair and staring at the ground. He cannot even believe this. He messed up so much.

[skyentologist]

She stays in the apartment for awhile, going back over their conversation. Ema then decides to be very angry.

Realising that she doesn't really know where Ginko might have headed, she quickly runs downstairs and out the door, only to spot Ginko pacing in the backlot. She feels entirely justified in giving him a firm shove.

"You!"

[onegreeneye]

Ginko stumbles a couple steps at the sudden shove, giving a startled clicking sound. He wheels around to face Ema, his ears flicked back and his tail swishing anxiously along the ground. "--what?!"

Okay so he sort of knows what. It's definitely about the last couple minutes. He's just trying to gauge whether he should be looking for another escape route right now.

[skyentologist]

Now her hands kind of hurt. Still worth it.

"You're terrible at this!"

[onegreeneye]

"I know, I know. Sorry."

Then, automatic response out of the way, he pauses.

"...What do you mean?"

[skyentologist]

Deep breaths, Ema. Deep breaths.

"You! Want to date. Or something."

She meant to say that differently. Abruptly, she blushes a vivid green.

[onegreeneye]

Ginko winces and starts shrinking in on himself again, his face starting to turn pink. He grasps his arm and stares at the ground.

"I... maybe." He winces again. He really didn't want to say that, but it's not like there's a lot he would be okay with saying. "I'm not... I'm not exactly sure what I want, I just..."

He gives a frustrated rumble and shoves his hands through his hair, walking over to sit against the side of the building. Why does this have to be so hard?

[skyentologist]

Ema stares at him for a long moment, fangs catching at her lip. Finally, she sighs.

"Can we at least go back inside? We look like crazy people shouting in a parking lot."

And she doesn't want to get arrested.

[onegreeneye]

He stays there for another moment, his face buried in his hands as if he's trying to just will the last few minutes out of existence. Then he gives a nod, pushing himself back to his feet. "Alright."

He doesn't say a word on the way back up to the apartment, waiting until they're both inside and closing the door.

[skyentologist]

She walks in and heads for the couch, sitting and looking at Ginko expectantly.

"You're not going to run away again, right?"

[onegreeneye]

He stands by the door, staring at the ground, and shakes his head.

"No."

Which means this conversation is actually going to have to happen.

[skyentologist]

Now that they're finally on what seems like the right page, Ema's feeling strangely shy. She looks down at her hands twisting in her lap, not meeting Ginko's eye.

"Are you... not happy with what we're doing?"

[onegreeneye]

"That's..." He sighs, rubbing at one shoulder. "Sort of it, I guess? It's not that I don't like it, it's more that... uh. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but..."

He lets go of his shoulder for the sake of more expansive gesturing, starting to pace back and forth again. "I just don't know if I'm doing this right, or... if I'm thinking about it right, would be more accurate, I suppose. Or feeling about it right. If I'm doing this more because it's fun and nothing else changes, which I guess is supposed to be the idea, or because-- it means being closer... to... you."

Someone please just kill him now.

[skyentologist]

Ema has to choke back a hysterical giggle. She supposes she should feel flattered but this makes things... complicated.

"So, do you want this thing to become... more?"

She winces as she says the words, knowing how it must sound.

[onegreeneye]

"I... I guess so. Maybe you were right earlier, after all."

He rubs anxiously at the fur on the back of his neck, still not quite looking her in the eye. "...I understand completely if you don't want to. The last thing I want is to make you feel obligated to do anything. ...Though, in that case, we should probably stop... doing this. I'm pretty sure it'll only get worse otherwise. Sorry."

And he's right back to babbling nervously. He's pretty sure he should never have said anything. Hell, he shouldn't have kissed her that first time to begin with, what was he thinking? Now he's made everything weird and it can't be undone.

[skyentologist]

Ema holds up a hand.

"Give me a sec."

She absently chews on a thumbnail while gears almost visibly turn in her head. This is more than what she'd expected, but at the same time...

Ema looks up at Ginko with a grin more confident than she feels.

"Okay. Let's do it."

[onegreeneye]

Ginko stops talking when she holds up her hand, jamming his hands back in his pockets and going back to staring at the ground. It's not hard to guess how this is going to end. There's really only one outcome he can reasonably expect, and as much as he hates to think of it that's probably better than running the risk of getting his hopes up for--

"...what?"

He has got to be misunderstanding. Or mis-hearing. Mis-something.

[skyentologist]

She does let out a laugh at this point, more a happy sound than anything.

"I said, Let's do it. Let's try... dating. Or whatever you want."

[onegreeneye]

He can't have misheard twice in a row, that badly, can he. There's really no way, which means that that is actually what she said.

He blinks, his mouth slightly open as surprise overwhelms his ability to actually form words for a moment. "Really?"

The tip of his tail starts swishing back and forth on the ground, apparently having none of its owner's emotionally constipated bullshit.