Rhys only blushed even harder, his hand coming up to grasp Hideo's wrist in a light hold. What for, he didn't know, it was just instinct. "Oh shut up," he mumbled, looking away as if that'd do any good. "It's your fault, letting me do whatever last night," he weakly accused. Sure, he was bolder when he was tired, but the real issue was Hideo's allowance of everything, and his reactions. He never pushed Rhys away or told him no.
Hideo laughed at how in-denial the other person was. He thought Rhys's flustered expressions were adorable. "You know, I guess it's just because of how tired I was. The more tired I am, the lazier I am to shutting down occurrences. I also get more truthful, the later the hours go." He informed the other. More and more pancake escaped the plate, joining the eaten pieces. "Plus, you got the cute factor."
Rhys grumbled under his breath and let go of Hideo's wrist to duck his head and go back to eating his pancakes. There was no point in trying to hid his blush now. Hideo had seen it, pointed it out, and made it even darker by now. Rhys was a slave to his flustered mind, unable to carry on a conversation and pretend he was fine. His thoughts dwelled on the 'truthful' part of Hideo's statement, wondering what exactly that meant for the reassurances and declarations he had made last night after Rhys' nightmare.
Hideo cancelled his thoughts, as if it were just a button he needed to press to make them go away. He kept on going at his pancake until all that remained was a syrup-decorated dish. He wanted to tell the other that he had been blushing, too, but ended up completely remaining silent. "Mmm, that was delicious…" He mumbled.
Rhys finished his pancakes off not long after Hideo. Unlike the other, Rhys couldn't just shut off his thoughts. They swirled and banged around even more if he tried to ignore them, like unruly children seeking attention. When he was done with his pancakes, Rhys set the plate aside, reached out and grabbed Hideo's presumably empty plate, put it over his, then moved forward until he was kneeling over Hideo with his arms around him in a firm hug. He just had to show how much Hideo's sudden appearance in his life meant.
Hideo's eyes widened substantially more than they usually would have. Okay, so Rhys was really confident when he wasn't half asleep- too. It was a good mental note to have about the other. He loosely wrapped his arms around Rhys, before tightening them, draping them halfway down the other's back. He leaned his head on Rhys's shoulder, like he did in the night, and made a soft, happy little sound. "R-Rhys," He said the other person's name, stuttering slightly from the shock.
"I know I say this a lot," Rhys said, plowing ahead despite the pounding in his chest and the burning in his cheeks, "but thank you. Right about now, I'd be alone at home, getting ready for another mundane day. I would've had way more nightmares than just one, and I would've had to deal with them alone. If you hasn't shown up, I doubt I would've ever considered that maybe people aren't all like my parents and the group that took it upon themselves to hold my hand through everything. I wouldn't have considered that maybe some help is useful and okay, or that I can make genuine friends that I'd like to keep around for as long as possible."
Hideo laughed at how truthful the other guy seemed to be. "Well, you see, I have no real friends. I also have unsupportive family members. You just happened to be where I needed you in my time of need. I've always wanted to be a super hero, and you're helping me accomplish the most of the dream that can actually be solved." He told Rhys, all the while grasping him tighter. He didn't want to let go, for once, he just wanted to stay where he was at.
Rhys smiled faintly, then buried his face into Hideo's hair and refused to let go. He would've sat down to be a little more comfortable, but then he would've been sitting in Hideo's lap, and that was weird, right? Even if the thought was fleeting, it brought another ember to his ever-flaming cheeks. This would have to do, but it's not like it was all that bad. Hideo had held him tighter, closer, and also refused to let go of him. That had to be a good sign, whatever kind of sign it was meant to be for.
Hideo ran his fingers through Rhys's hair again, indulging in the softness that it held. "So sweet," He mumbled, hesitantly. He knew the other would be alright with the words, but it still felt a little awkward to say them. He had a really different kind of thought cross his mind. He wondered what would happen if he tried to… no. Not happening yet. Hideo gently let go of the other person. "We've got to get ready," He groaned.
Rhys closed his eyes and groaned as well, plopping down without thinking about where he'd end up sitting. As soon as he did, he opened his eyes and scrambled away, muttering a soft apology. "I guess I should be heading back home, now," Rhys reluctantly said, the sadness in his voice clear as he turned his face away from Hideo. "I wasn't exactly planning for a sleepover, so all my stuff is at the apartment." He still didn't want to go back, but he couldn't ask Hideo to house him indefinitely with how his parents were about guests.
"I um, yeah, you're right." Hideo sighed into his words. "I loved hanging out with you, I hope that we can do this more." He told Rhys, as honestly as he could. Truth was, he might have felt some brand new feelings about it, and a further truth was that he might have been catching feelings for the guy. He pulled his hair and buried his face him his shirt. "I wish you didn't have to go." He mumbled.
Rhys chewed on his lip ring, then turned towards Hideo and reached out. Hid fingers followed the curve of his shoulders, up his neck, then along his jaw to gently comb them through Hideo's hair. "I wish I didn't have to, either," he whispered sadly, "I wish I could just stay with you, but…" he trailed off into silence, going back to chewing on the metal hoop. He didn't know what he was feeling right now as he kept his fingers in Hideo's hair. He knew that he liked the other, but to what extent? This was different from any of the friends he's ever made in the past, the few real ones that he'd grown apart from. It was confusing him, but he pushed it aside for now. He'd figure it out later.
( !!!ALERT!!! I will not be able to roleplay from March 16 at 1:00 PM Central Time to April 6th at 7:30 Central Time because of school closings because of the Coronavirus. I'm truly sorry, let's have a good final hour together until then. -Sorrel )
Hideo smiled. "You know, I have quite a few absence days left. You and I could… hmm… skip a few classes to hang out, if you'd like. I have some form of influence within the ranks of the teachers." He whispered, with a new, even sweeter tone. He brought himself slightly closer to Rhys, and leaned his head on the other's shoulder.
((Understandable, but I'll miss ya))
Rhys paused in his slight petting of Hideo's hair, thinking about that suggestion, then felt his heart completely stop when the other moved closer and rested his head on Rhys' shoulder. He licked his lips and willed himself to resume combing his fingers through Hideo's hair, then eventually found his voice. "W-well, I'll have to stop at my place to change and do my morning routine… But that's not a bad idea. I like it."
( I'll miss you so much too though. And all of your oc children that I'm meeting ;-; )
"Well take me to your home then, leader. I'll follow along and wait outdoors for you. It'll be magical." Hideo purred. He let go of the other, slowly letting go of everything he wanted to stay so close to. He thought about what he had just said, too, and laughed when he noticed he called the other a leader. Rhys would probably like that, right?
((We'll all be waiting for your return, don't worry))
Rhys rolled his eyes, though the slight twinge of pink on his cheeks was unmistakable. "No, you're not waiting outside. You've got me to finally accept your help, so there's no way you're going to leave me alone just yet." He lightly poked Hideo's chest with a crooked smile. He didn't wait for a response before he busied himself with picking up their plates, and steadying himself on the bean bag so he could stand up.
( Aww <3 )
Hideo snorted softly, and felt awe at the fact that Rhys was so strong. From what Hideo could tell, Rhys's friends thought he couldn't do much, and helped him too much. He pitied the other, just a little bit. He stood up as Rhys did, trying to be careful with himself. "I really should wash those," He mumbled, waiting to see what Rhys would have in mind.
Rhys hesitated only a split second before holding the plates out of Hideo's reach with a knowing smile. "I'm carrying these," he said, then added, "but I'm not familiar with your kitchen." The hint was there. Hideo could take care of washing them, but Rhys wanted to do this at least, no matter how insignificant it was. "In return, I'll let you pick out what I'm wearing today." Now that wasn't something he gave up lightly, but he trusted Hideo to not make him look like an idiot or criticize him on his wardrobe, which was usually filled with pastels.
( omg baby <3<3 )
"Sure then." Hideo decided it was alright, Rhys was a great bargainer. He made his soft sounds, quite softer for some reason, as he made his way into the kitchen, which was just a turn after you exited his room. He began to imagine what he would give Rhys to wear, and thought of many options. He knew at least one of his ideas had to be in his closet.
((He's adorable, but it's mostly because of Hideo, lol))
Rhys followed after Hideo with both plates balanced perfectly on one hand. It was a habit he had picked up from living with his parents and fighting through the kitchen staff to get a plate of snacks. When they stopped, he adjusted his hold on the plates and held them in front of him, ready to give to Hideo. "Y'know," he started with his head tilted, "I've never skipped class before, let alone a day of school."
( lol right! this is my last reply here! Ilysm Circe, be safe while I'm gone! )
"Me either." Hideo said, as he gently took the plates from Rhys. He literally had no clue why he suggested it, but Rhys was worth a little bit of misconduct. He skillfully washed the things up, despite the fact he stayed looking towards the other. "I'm glad I'm doing it with someone so cute though." He praised the other, before reaching for a towel to dry his hands off with.
((Awwww, see ya! I'll try, lol))
Rhys blinked, frozen to the spot. Cute, Hideo had called him cute. Friends don't call each other cute, right? But then again, a friend wouldn't be so affected by the little word like how Rhys was. He nibbled on his lip, then brought his hand up and nibbled on his sleeve to try and prevent splitting the skin. His cheeks were undoubtedly red and burning hot now, and there was no hiding it. "Um…" He trailed off, not sure how to respond to that without ending up a stuttering mess.