[ That's good enough for Jake, who appears neither offended nor apologetic. Itachi was just being accurate, after all. He rises up onto his paws, only to dip his front back down again in an exaggerated stretch. ]
I'm doing you a service, brother. It's gotta be weird for you, sleeping alone. [ Now it's the back legs turn, stretching one out behind him, then the other. ] I could take a form you'd like better, but Finn'll kill me faster than the ghost matter will if I keep forgetting.
[ Trotting up to the head of the bed, Jake plops back down beside Itachi's shoulder. He tucks his feet in underneath him, assuming his usual loaf shape. It's extremely adorable, for the record. ]
'Sides, not sure I could do Wei Wuxian justice. That dude is like, eerily hairless.
（ itachi pushes himself up on his hands, giving the dog a stare that's somehow still piercing even in the dark. he is silent for a long stretch of time, and then: ）
He isn't hairless everywhere.
（ jake is trying to fluster him. it isn't going to work, and that's that. ）
But your awareness is lacking. There is no one with which I share my bed.
[ Jake takes a beat, unsure how to react to that. For like, multiple reasons. He nearly decides to let it pass, or maybe infer something coy, before experience winds back a slap and hits him upside the head with one clear, emphatic reminder: Itachi and implication don't mix.
Direct it is, then. ]
Fine, sorry, you two share Wei Wuxian's bed. Semantics. [ There's no real coyness there. Rather, he simply sounds certain. Nothing about the situation he'd observed over the last few months, or the last five minutes (not hairless everywhere, indeed), felt particularly ambiguous.
A fact that reflected more on Jake's self assurance than it did on Itachi and Wei Wuxian's behavior together... though they weren't entirely blameless in the matter. ]
…That is to say, he would if he had any idea what he was about to say was in any way controversial. ]
Uh, that guys are… together? [ Does that even count as an inference? It was obvious. ] You both used the same soap and shampoo the entire time Finn was laid up. Heck, it wasn’t only shower overlap, you guys both have your own unique stink but sometimes I can’t tell which of you is comin’.
（ not even a 'doth protesteth' situation, just a correction. it is not something to which he would trouble himself to take offense — perhaps if jake had intimated a relationship with newt there would be some irritation on the matter, but nothing about wei wuxian is personally objectionable. he shrugs, and then drops back down into his prior supine position. this man lays like a board regardless of body-boobage. ）
It was more convenient to share my quarters during Finn's convalescence. Naturally he was not going to return to his room for his own amenities.
（ recreationally... his thoughts stray to the man's reaction to the bruises yennefer had left on him, and there is a brief press of his lips together. ）
No. We have on occasion pretended marriage or intimacy to further some mission objective, but it is not based in reality.
（ there is no one he holds in higher regard, or who — at least aboard the ximilia — has more of his heart than wei wuxian. the only comparable relationship he has is shisui, and they occupy a similar space, though both are wholly their own selves to him. in many ways, he did not believe himself... capable, of the bond he has now forged with the man any longer — that such bonds had died when shisui stepped off that cliff.
if you're my friend, you won't try to stop me.
what he has is not a second chance. it is simply a cessation of death, and he intends to return to that peaceable place when his work is concluded aboard the ximilia. only, he is no longer quite so eager to conclude it as he once was, and he knows that wei wuxian is a not-insignificant part of that. he occupies a liminal space now, neither wholly dead nor entirely alive, rejected by the provinces of both. ）
He is a good man. I care for him. But you are mistaken.
[ For a long moment, Jake stares unblinking in Itachi’s direction. His large moist eyes carried a blank quality, the kind of empty expression that one might struggle to read. Not because it was complex or mysterious, but because it was the exact opposite.
Was Jake scanning him? Was he thinking? Had he dozed off with his eyes open? Hard to say.
It’s only after the moment threaten to stretch on too long that Jake crosses his paws in front of him, squinting with abrupt skepticism. ]
If Jake were a younger dog and there was a sexy young stallion on the crew, making intense eye contact with him while they shared fears and heartaches and futons, you bet your ass Jake wouldn’t be hesitate nailing that sucker down. Life’s too freaking short. ]
“Presumably”? What is this, a riddle? Do you or don’t you?
I have known him for well over a year at this point. Presumably, if either of us were so inclined, it would have been a point of discussion before now. Neither of us are coy in that manner.
（ but who is the dog-assigned-stallion, em. who is it!! ）
I mean, you're not wrong. [ Not that he sounds particularly apologetic for it. Still, the insistence in his voice stands down. ] And if that's really how you feel, then consider my line of inquiry satisfied. Romance, knockin' boots, all that biz isn't everybody's jam.
[ This would be a perfect time for Jake to stop talking. However. ]
It's just that, man, I've seen how you react when you hear the word love, Itachi. You're only, what, twenty-two? Maybe I'm outta line, but someone that young being that jaded gives me a bad gut-feel.
You have not seen my reaction to the word. What you saw was my reaction to an inappropriate application of it. I care for Finn. It is not love. I am not saying it will not one day become so.
（ his tone stays level, not a trace of emotion lurking in the soft, honey-warm depths of a borrowed voice no matter how it echoes his own. the genetic instability of the uchiha is never far from his mind. he has wondered, more than once, if possessing the resolve to massacre a clan of innocents — many of which were noncombatants even among a shinobi clan — was the manifestation of his own. still, now, he would burn worlds for sasuke.
is that not insanity?
he is silent a moment. then: ）
The word carries a weight among my people that does not lend itself to light use.
That's fair. [ If insane. What the hell wasn't there to immediately love about Finn, the world's most perfect kid? Not that Jake was an unbiased opinion. Dog culture and Uchiha culture had different values. ] Then lemme ask another question, while I'm here pushing my luck.
[ There was something about a dark room that broke down certain boundaries. Jake's expression didn't expect much more than Itachi immediately turning into a log and/or bursting into flame. Still, he'd hung in there so far.
Maybe the darkness provided cover for them both. ]
（ he thinks of his father and mother, kneeling before him. in truth, he can think of no greater act of love than that — the weight of it had constricted around his heart like a vice. but in the intervening years —
it was wei wuxian, holding him as his shoulders shook.
mccoy, telling him he considered changing his regret and accepting the sacrifice of whatever it cost to correct the path of itachi's own life.
shang-chi, who had noted he preferred to sleep on the floor and dragged a futon to his quarters with a sort of awkward, almost apologetic air about him as if itachi had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar for doing so.
it has been natasha, spilling out the red ribbon of her past between them just to give them common, blooded ground to stand on.
and gwen, who — ）
I am not a stranger to the concept, Jake. Your concern is noted, but misguided.
Didn't say you were a stranger to it. [ Jake says, feint attempt at a contrary response barely standing up against his obvious relief. Being a dog left little to the imagination, his feelings coming through in the faint thud of his tail against the bedspread. ] Just wanted to make sure you weren't alone here.
[ Maybe Itachi's wondered why Jake bothers to split his nights between the foot of his bed and Finn's. Maybe he's wondered why Jake brought up the subject of Itachi sleeping alone, blanketing his concern in winking innuendos. Or, maybe he hasn't. Jake wasn't fussed either way.
The trajectory of this evening was just one more page in a long, convoluted book with an ending that had yet to be written. ]
Home isn't a place, lemme give you a clue. Home is wherever people care about you... [ Jake croons out a few howling bars under his breath, the sound both quiet and loud in the dark room. He used to sing it to Finn, whenever his little brother found himself adrift in an uncaring world. The tune's sentiment allowed the pair to carry their home with them wherever they went, even all the way here to the Ximilia.
The memories were bittersweet, but Jake had grinned then and he grinned now. ]
I'm done bugging you if you wanna go back to laying down with your eyes closed.
[ Jake hops off the bed without protest, tail still wagging faintly as he approaches the door. There were plenty of things you could say for the way the dog conducted himself, but one fact remains true: Jake simply would not have survived this long without knowing when to take a hint. ]
Sleep tight, Itachi. [ He stage whispers through the rapidly closing crack in the door, letting it shut completely with a soft click and a return to darkness. ]
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I'm doing you a service, brother. It's gotta be weird for you, sleeping alone. [ Now it's the back legs turn, stretching one out behind him, then the other. ] I could take a form you'd like better, but Finn'll kill me faster than the ghost matter will if I keep forgetting.
[ Trotting up to the head of the bed, Jake plops back down beside Itachi's shoulder. He tucks his feet in underneath him, assuming his usual loaf shape. It's extremely adorable, for the record. ]
'Sides, not sure I could do Wei Wuxian justice. That dude is like, eerily hairless.
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He isn't hairless everywhere.
（ jake is trying to fluster him. it isn't going to work, and that's that. ）
But your awareness is lacking. There is no one with which I share my bed.
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Direct it is, then. ]
Fine, sorry, you two share Wei Wuxian's bed. Semantics. [ There's no real coyness there. Rather, he simply sounds certain. Nothing about the situation he'd observed over the last few months, or the last five minutes (not hairless everywhere, indeed), felt particularly ambiguous.
A fact that reflected more on Jake's self assurance than it did on Itachi and Wei Wuxian's behavior together... though they weren't entirely blameless in the matter. ]
Or was that just while Finn was in the infirmary?
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What is your inference?
（ you only get one shot, jake. choose wisely or he will literally just get up in the middle of the night and ollie. ✌️ ）
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…That is to say, he would if he had any idea what he was about to say was in any way controversial. ]
Uh, that guys are… together? [ Does that even count as an inference? It was obvious. ] You both used the same soap and shampoo the entire time Finn was laid up. Heck, it wasn’t only shower overlap, you guys both have your own unique stink but sometimes I can’t tell which of you is comin’.
[ Jake holds a beat. ]
You smell like him right now.
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（ not even a 'doth protesteth' situation, just a correction. it is not something to which he would trouble himself to take offense — perhaps if jake had intimated a relationship with newt there would be some irritation on the matter, but nothing about wei wuxian is personally objectionable. he shrugs, and then drops back down into his prior supine position. this man lays like a board regardless of body-boobage. ）
It was more convenient to share my quarters during Finn's convalescence. Naturally he was not going to return to his room for his own amenities.
1/2
2/2
Hold up. You two aren’t together? Like, not even recreationally?
[ That still kinda blew Jake’s mind, but at least it would clear a few things up for him. ]
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No. We have on occasion pretended marriage or intimacy to further some mission objective, but it is not based in reality.
（ there is no one he holds in higher regard, or who — at least aboard the ximilia — has more of his heart than wei wuxian. the only comparable relationship he has is shisui, and they occupy a similar space, though both are wholly their own selves to him. in many ways, he did not believe himself... capable, of the bond he has now forged with the man any longer — that such bonds had died when shisui stepped off that cliff.
if you're my friend, you won't try to stop me.
what he has is not a second chance. it is simply a cessation of death, and he intends to return to that peaceable place when his work is concluded aboard the ximilia. only, he is no longer quite so eager to conclude it as he once was, and he knows that wei wuxian is a not-insignificant part of that. he occupies a liminal space now, neither wholly dead nor entirely alive, rejected by the provinces of both. ）
He is a good man. I care for him. But you are mistaken.
no subject
[ For a long moment, Jake stares unblinking in Itachi’s direction. His large moist eyes carried a blank quality, the kind of empty expression that one might struggle to read. Not because it was complex or mysterious, but because it was the exact opposite.
Was Jake scanning him? Was he thinking? Had he dozed off with his eyes open? Hard to say.
It’s only after the moment threaten to stretch on too long that Jake crosses his paws in front of him, squinting with abrupt skepticism. ]
Why the heck not?
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（ do you understand the concept of platonic friendship, my guy. ）
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If Jake were a younger dog and there was a sexy young stallion on the crew, making intense eye contact with him while they shared fears and heartaches and futons, you bet your ass Jake wouldn’t be hesitate nailing that sucker down. Life’s too freaking short. ]
“Presumably”? What is this, a riddle? Do you or don’t you?
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（ but who is the dog-assigned-stallion, em. who is it!! ）
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Okay, then say it.
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What is it you wish me to say, exactly?
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Say that you aren’t interested in him like that.
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（ when puberty is informed by ptsd, man. choice. 🤌 ）
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[ This would be a perfect time for Jake to stop talking. However. ]
It's just that, man, I've seen how you react when you hear the word love, Itachi. You're only, what, twenty-two? Maybe I'm outta line, but someone that young being that jaded gives me a bad gut-feel.
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（ his tone stays level, not a trace of emotion lurking in the soft, honey-warm depths of a borrowed voice no matter how it echoes his own. the genetic instability of the uchiha is never far from his mind. he has wondered, more than once, if possessing the resolve to massacre a clan of innocents — many of which were noncombatants even among a shinobi clan — was the manifestation of his own. still, now, he would burn worlds for sasuke.
is that not insanity?
he is silent a moment. then: ）
The word carries a weight among my people that does not lend itself to light use.
no subject
[ There was something about a dark room that broke down certain boundaries. Jake's expression didn't expect much more than Itachi immediately turning into a log and/or bursting into flame. Still, he'd hung in there so far.
Maybe the darkness provided cover for them both. ]
When's the last time you felt loved?
no subject
it was wei wuxian, holding him as his shoulders shook.
mccoy, telling him he considered changing his regret and accepting the sacrifice of whatever it cost to correct the path of itachi's own life.
shang-chi, who had noted he preferred to sleep on the floor and dragged a futon to his quarters with a sort of awkward, almost apologetic air about him as if itachi had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar for doing so.
it has been natasha, spilling out the red ribbon of her past between them just to give them common, blooded ground to stand on.
and gwen, who — ）
I am not a stranger to the concept, Jake. Your concern is noted, but misguided.
no subject
[ Maybe Itachi's wondered why Jake bothers to split his nights between the foot of his bed and Finn's. Maybe he's wondered why Jake brought up the subject of Itachi sleeping alone, blanketing his concern in winking innuendos. Or, maybe he hasn't. Jake wasn't fussed either way.
The trajectory of this evening was just one more page in a long, convoluted book with an ending that had yet to be written. ]
Home isn't a place, lemme give you a clue. Home is wherever people care about you... [ Jake croons out a few howling bars under his breath, the sound both quiet and loud in the dark room. He used to sing it to Finn, whenever his little brother found himself adrift in an uncaring world. The tune's sentiment allowed the pair to carry their home with them wherever they went, even all the way here to the Ximilia.
The memories were bittersweet, but Jake had grinned then and he grinned now. ]
I'm done bugging you if you wanna go back to laying down with your eyes closed.
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You are a rather obnoxious little dog.
（ but it is not said without affection, tired and exasperated as it is. then: ）
You should spend the night with Finn.
（ this is. not a suggestion. ）
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[ Jake hops off the bed without protest, tail still wagging faintly as he approaches the door. There were plenty of things you could say for the way the dog conducted himself, but one fact remains true: Jake simply would not have survived this long without knowing when to take a hint. ]
Sleep tight, Itachi. [ He stage whispers through the rapidly closing crack in the door, letting it shut completely with a soft click and a return to darkness. ]