There was a full second of dead air between her playful tug and his brain finally catching up.
Hooking up.
Maruki's face ignited like someone had struck a match directly against his cheeks. The blood rushed so fast to his head that he swayed again, and this time he did have to sit down, flopping beside her with all the grace of a damp towel.
"I—!" he squeaked. Yes, squeaked. "I—I mean, no—I mean, oh my god—wait—not like that! That’s not—!"
He buried his face in his hands for a beat, fingers dragging down to rest at his jaw as he blinked wide-eyed at the ceiling like it might open up and kindly swallow him whole.
"That sounded—oh no, that sounded so wrong, didn’t it?” he groaned. “I—I promise I wasn’t propositioning you! I just meant you would probably get uncomfortable on the sofa, and I figured—like, logically, beds are more comfortable for actual sleeping, and I just—oh my god.”
He laughed, but it was the kind of laugh that sounded like someone dying a little inside, shoulders hunched, hands helplessly spread in front of him like he was physically offering the apology to her.
"I wasn’t trying to come on to you, Ichinose-san, really!" he added, eyes darting to her with genuine panic before he turned beet red again.
When he saw his clavicle being all too exposed even through the undershirt, he tugged his yukata more tightly around himself like that would somehow restore his dignity.
no subject
Hooking up.
Maruki's face ignited like someone had struck a match directly against his cheeks. The blood rushed so fast to his head that he swayed again, and this time he did have to sit down, flopping beside her with all the grace of a damp towel.
"I—!" he squeaked. Yes, squeaked. "I—I mean, no—I mean, oh my god—wait—not like that! That’s not—!"
He buried his face in his hands for a beat, fingers dragging down to rest at his jaw as he blinked wide-eyed at the ceiling like it might open up and kindly swallow him whole.
"That sounded—oh no, that sounded so wrong, didn’t it?” he groaned. “I—I promise I wasn’t propositioning you! I just meant you would probably get uncomfortable on the sofa, and I figured—like, logically, beds are more comfortable for actual sleeping, and I just—oh my god.”
He laughed, but it was the kind of laugh that sounded like someone dying a little inside, shoulders hunched, hands helplessly spread in front of him like he was physically offering the apology to her.
"I wasn’t trying to come on to you, Ichinose-san, really!" he added, eyes darting to her with genuine panic before he turned beet red again.
When he saw his clavicle being all too exposed even through the undershirt, he tugged his yukata more tightly around himself like that would somehow restore his dignity.