[ swimming. he can swim. does he like to swim? sometimes, when he's in the mood for his hair to get wet. sometimes not, when he thinks about all the times he was held underwater during torture simulations. on the bright side, he can hold his breath for an exceptionally long time.
swimming with rex... won't be anything like that. and if it's something rex enjoys, well. he'd like to see if he's capable of looking joyful. besides, lin has several beach looks in his closet that he hasn't had nearly enough opportunity to try out. his hand grazes the tattoo on his arm, right below his shoulder, a small black barcode. perhaps he can explain that away as a bad fashion choice, but it seems silly when rex already knows he's owned by the chinese mafia. ]
yeah, i swim. a fire is good for roasting marshmallows, too.
[ he has priorities, okay. rex must know them. ]
i have a job lined up tomorrow night, but the rest of the week is daytime stuff. you better not flake out on me. i'll kill you.
[ They both have their foolish insecurities, but being willing to expose them to each other is perhaps the best indication they're learning to trust. He's not as surprised that having to wait even just one day more feels... something. Not bad, nor good. The anticipation makes him want it more.
But an extra day does give him time to plan and prepare. Which also makes him relax- he always prefers to have all the options worked out long beforehand, even if he's entering into entirely alien territory here. ]
[ he messages him his address afterwards, right before he falls asleep, and spends the next day steadfastly trying not to think about what he's agreed to. a date. a date. lin doesn't go on dates, because they're stupid and he doesn't have time. they're a distraction. he's not interested in people. there are so many reasons he can list as to why this shouldn't be happening, but he doesn't pick up his phone and call it off. he simply stews in his own stupidity, so absurdly angry that he catches a close call on a job and ends up sporting a giant bruise on his shoulder where he'd been slammed into a wall. just what he needed for his outfit.
on the day of the date, he comes home early and tries on clothes, ultimately deciding on a cream and blue two-piece bikini. he opts for something more casual on top, denim shorts and a sheer white blouse. his hair gets pulled into a bun, his bangs and a few locks framing his face. only a little makeup. sandals with a short heel on his feet. he throws some extra things into a large tote, lotion and towels and lip gloss. his knife, a few extra bullets for the pistol. a container of dumplings and two pairs of chopsticks, because if he's going to die on this beach, it won't be of starvation.
then he waits, alternatively scowling at his phone and at the window while he looks for that ugly van to show up. ]
[ Rex spends his waiting time doing what he does best- preparing. He scouts out the beach, finds a suitable spot, arranges firewood ahead of time, so on and so on.
The van never appears, however. As comfortable as he is in it, he usually has an alternative method of transport around. In this case, he arrives on a powerful motorcycle, which he drives with the same care he does his beloved van. A surprise he hopes is a pleasant one- he knows Lin finds his van ugly, hopefully, this is more stylish. If there's anything to learn from the way Rex dismounts and pulls his helmet off and shakes his hair out, it's that he looks outstanding in black leathers. The salt and pepper stubble is a matter of taste though- it makes him look twice his age. Very George Clooney. Beneath he doesn't wear anything special, though it's several layers less than usual- just a black shirt and jeans.
He makes his way to Lin's apartment, still in his leathers, with a small bag- shaving kit. In case he doesn't like the stubble. Plus some roomy leathers meant for Lin that won't muss up whatever outfit he'll surely be looking amazing in. ]
Hey.
[ Same simple, softly spoken tone as ever as a greeting. ]
[ he's watching through the window when rex arrives, not in the ugly van, but on a motorcycle, and his mouth hangs open stupidly when he dismounts like he's in a goddamn commercial for... something. lin doesn't know. he just knows that rex looks nice. very nice. he's fuming over this with such steadfast concentration that he almost forgets to open the door, the disgruntled frown marring his features softening slightly at the compliment. cute. ]
Thanks. [ that caused him physical pain, thank you. ] You. You clean up pretty nice.
[ he does. the stubble adds a certain charm, and lin finds himself wanting to touch it. he's never grown much in the ways of facial hair over the years, and then ended up lasering it away after leaving the prison, along with dyeing his hair blonde and changing his name. he's unrecognizable from the person he'd been before, and he prefers it that way. ]
Do you want anything to drink?
[ he stalks over to the small kitchen, properly playing host, though there isn't much in the fridge. some water and juice and a case of beer someone had given him that he can't throw away but also doesn't want to drink. everything is neat and clean and carefully arranged, the only thing out of place being a magazine thrown casually onto the couch. the place is tiny but with a spectacular view of the city through wide windows alongside the living area. ]
Here's the tour. Living room. [ he gestures to the space before them. ] Kitchen. And that - [ he points to a door left slightly ajar. ] Is the bedroom. The bathroom's through there, too. This place wasn't really meant for entertaining, but the Kakyu Group owns it, so my boss put me here. The only thing I asked for was a view. Our house in China didn't have one, and prisons don't have nice windows.
[ With his morbid tone of voice, many would have assumed Rex's compliment was sarcasm or that his 'huhn' of a quiet laugh was more of a sneer than a sign of being pleased. Lin at least knows him well enough on the former. The latter... Rex doesn't know. ]
Strictly speaking, I'm scruffier than usual.
[ What with normally shaving each day. It grows fast and thick. He could probably have a full beard in a month if he wanted to- it'd be a useful trait if he wasn't so distinctive in other ways. He could grow it, do something he didn't want to be associated with him and get rid of it. Unfortunately, there aren't enough 7'4 men with permanent dark rings around their near black eyes that the beard ploy does him any good.
His eyes follow Lin's fingers for the tour, but when it's done he walks up to the window and looks out with a slow sweeping gaze- still some sunlight to burnt, but not for much longer. That's fine. That was always the plan. ]
...Do you have any milk?
[ He sounds less hopeful than even he usually does. He knows more than 90% of Chinese people are lactose intolerant and Japanese people don't fare much better. His normal comfort indulgence of dairy isn't so easily sated here. ]
If not, just a glass of water would be pleasant, thank you.
[ He says it without looking away from the view- it is very nice. ]
Well, the scruff suits you. It - it looks good on you.
[ his face isn't getting warm or anything. milk, what a stupid request, but one he aims to fill. he scowls into the fridge, grabbing a small carton and draining it into a glass. he isn't much a fan of milk in and of itself, but he does like to cook sometimes, and tries to keep some basic things on hand. he's building up a nice catalog of recipes to make sure his mother is well fed every day, when he finally sees her again. as an afterthought, he grabs one of the cans of beer. ]
Here.
[ he pads over, feeling ridiculously small next to rex's entirely too tall stature, and offers him the glass. this sort of height should be against the law. following rex's gaze to the window, he absently taps a neatly manicured nail against the glass. it's certainly a beautiful view, the sun setting over the city while buildings twinkle to life. lin hates and loves this place all at once, a prisoner to the city, but allowed to experience the comforts of life for the first time. as a starving child in the slums, he never would have guessed he'd end up here, still monstrously poor and in an exorbitant amount of debt, but still living in what amounts to absolute luxury for him. ]
I didn't know you had a motorcycle. I was expecting the van.
[ he pops open the beer despite not wanting to drink it, but it can't go to waste, so he drinks. it's as disgusting as he remembers, but he's determined to finish it. he half turns toward rex, leaning his shoulder into the window like a casual seventeen-story drop won't hurt him. he looks like he wants to say something, gripping his beer tighter, before he stalks away, disappearing into the bedroom, and when he comes back, he's holding a bottle of lotion. ]
Here. You need to put this on.
[ he grabs rex's hand before he can make a decision of his own, squirting out a generous amount, then pauses before he goes ahead and starts rubbing it in. rex's hands are big, starkly in contrast with lin's small but strong ones. the skin is as rough and calloused as he expected, and while the lotion doesn't work any immediate miracles, his hands do feel a little softer by the time lin is done working them over. ]
There. That feels better, right?
[ he snags his beer again and takes a long swig, looking at rex as if he dares him to disagree. his own hands feel nice and soft now, too. ]
[ The soft hum and quiet 'thanks' Rex gives at the compliment may as well be jumping for joy. Lin's love for good looking things is taking into account, and he considers 'it looks good on you' to be high praise indeed. The soft smile doesn't last long, as few do on Rex's lips and is missed as Lin fixes his drink. Rex has his hands crossed at the small of his back as he looks out. Even this small taste of normalcy is pure luxury to him, and he indulges as fully as he can. His eyes drift to Lin's fingers when they touch the glass- those hands are pretty luxurious themselves. ]
The van isn't suitable for all scenarios. Besides... You don't like it.
[ His instinctive need to eat and drink everything as swiftly as possible strikes again- when the glass reaches his lips, it doesn't leave them until every drop is gone, leaning back a little towards the end to make the angle as steep as possible. A few quick flicks of his thumb wipes the milk moustache away before he puts the glass down.
Just in time for his huge hands to be treated to some pampering. Every part of his hands are rough, his knuckles swollen from years of punching, the heels of his palms thickened, fingers thick with his body's attempt to pad them. Lin's, in contrast, are so small and lovely, though certainly not delicate- he can feel the strength in them as they work over his stony hands. He sees that the drawn on ring has all but vanished from Lin's skin and has a pang of... something. Something he doesn't have a word for. It's probably not accurate to say that Rex falls in love with Lin right then, but there's no denying the sudden and simple realisation he does love him, in his strange broken way. Rex just wants to be near him, make him happy. Is that so wrong? He can't imagine so. ]
Mmm. [ None of his unforeseen internal revelation shows on Rex's face as he stares at his hands, moving fingers over themselves. ] They don't feel quite so sore as usual.
[ he had deemed it good enough to kill some asshole inside, and that counts for something. but they won't speak about that, because he's pretty sure his casual recklessness and complete disregard for his belongings had traumatized rex for life. he should behave better, probably.
doing such a small favor for rex fills him with a certain pleasure, sating some repressed need for a human touch that doesn't involve violence. those touches are few and far between, usually coming in the form of entirely meaningless sex that scratches an itch but does little else. there's no affection or caring or, heaven forbid, love involved. lin knows scarcely anything about love anyway, unless it's the sort of familial bond that he's given up his life and happiness for.
it feels different with rex. he doesn't owe him anything, and rex isn't asking anything of him, either. he just doesn't want his hands to hurt. ]
Just because you use your hands for this kind of work doesn't mean you don't need to take care of them. They're the only hands you're gonna get. Don't you want to use them to touch people?
[ him, specifically. he's finishing his drink quicker now, swallowing down every awful bit just because it gives him a way to hide the stupid flush rising in his cheeks. if he works his way through the other cans, he can blame it on the alcohol. ]
We should get going soon. You've seen my place, it's nothing special.
[ he's fiddling with his bag now, throwing in more arbitrary items just to be doing something that isn't looking at rex. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ swimming. he can swim. does he like to swim? sometimes, when he's in the mood for his hair to get wet. sometimes not, when he thinks about all the times he was held underwater during torture simulations. on the bright side, he can hold his breath for an exceptionally long time.
swimming with rex... won't be anything like that. and if it's something rex enjoys, well. he'd like to see if he's capable of looking joyful. besides, lin has several beach looks in his closet that he hasn't had nearly enough opportunity to try out. his hand grazes the tattoo on his arm, right below his shoulder, a small black barcode. perhaps he can explain that away as a bad fashion choice, but it seems silly when rex already knows he's owned by the chinese mafia. ]
yeah, i swim. a fire is good for roasting marshmallows, too.
[ he has priorities, okay. rex must know them. ]
i have a job lined up tomorrow night, but the rest of the week is daytime stuff. you better not flake out on me. i'll kill you.
no subject
But an extra day does give him time to plan and prepare. Which also makes him relax- he always prefers to have all the options worked out long beforehand, even if he's entering into entirely alien territory here. ]
Acknowledged. Pick you up at 20:00?
no subject
[ he messages him his address afterwards, right before he falls asleep, and spends the next day steadfastly trying not to think about what he's agreed to. a date. a date. lin doesn't go on dates, because they're stupid and he doesn't have time. they're a distraction. he's not interested in people. there are so many reasons he can list as to why this shouldn't be happening, but he doesn't pick up his phone and call it off. he simply stews in his own stupidity, so absurdly angry that he catches a close call on a job and ends up sporting a giant bruise on his shoulder where he'd been slammed into a wall. just what he needed for his outfit.
on the day of the date, he comes home early and tries on clothes, ultimately deciding on a cream and blue two-piece bikini. he opts for something more casual on top, denim shorts and a sheer white blouse. his hair gets pulled into a bun, his bangs and a few locks framing his face. only a little makeup. sandals with a short heel on his feet. he throws some extra things into a large tote, lotion and towels and lip gloss. his knife, a few extra bullets for the pistol. a container of dumplings and two pairs of chopsticks, because if he's going to die on this beach, it won't be of starvation.
then he waits, alternatively scowling at his phone and at the window while he looks for that ugly van to show up. ]
no subject
The van never appears, however. As comfortable as he is in it, he usually has an alternative method of transport around. In this case, he arrives on a powerful motorcycle, which he drives with the same care he does his beloved van. A surprise he hopes is a pleasant one- he knows Lin finds his van ugly, hopefully, this is more stylish. If there's anything to learn from the way Rex dismounts and pulls his helmet off and shakes his hair out, it's that he looks outstanding in black leathers. The salt and pepper stubble is a matter of taste though- it makes him look twice his age. Very George Clooney. Beneath he doesn't wear anything special, though it's several layers less than usual- just a black shirt and jeans.
He makes his way to Lin's apartment, still in his leathers, with a small bag- shaving kit. In case he doesn't like the stubble. Plus some roomy leathers meant for Lin that won't muss up whatever outfit he'll surely be looking amazing in. ]
Hey.
[ Same simple, softly spoken tone as ever as a greeting. ]
You look cute.
no subject
Thanks. [ that caused him physical pain, thank you. ] You. You clean up pretty nice.
[ he does. the stubble adds a certain charm, and lin finds himself wanting to touch it. he's never grown much in the ways of facial hair over the years, and then ended up lasering it away after leaving the prison, along with dyeing his hair blonde and changing his name. he's unrecognizable from the person he'd been before, and he prefers it that way. ]
Do you want anything to drink?
[ he stalks over to the small kitchen, properly playing host, though there isn't much in the fridge. some water and juice and a case of beer someone had given him that he can't throw away but also doesn't want to drink. everything is neat and clean and carefully arranged, the only thing out of place being a magazine thrown casually onto the couch. the place is tiny but with a spectacular view of the city through wide windows alongside the living area. ]
Here's the tour. Living room. [ he gestures to the space before them. ] Kitchen. And that - [ he points to a door left slightly ajar. ] Is the bedroom. The bathroom's through there, too. This place wasn't really meant for entertaining, but the Kakyu Group owns it, so my boss put me here. The only thing I asked for was a view. Our house in China didn't have one, and prisons don't have nice windows.
no subject
Strictly speaking, I'm scruffier than usual.
[ What with normally shaving each day. It grows fast and thick. He could probably have a full beard in a month if he wanted to- it'd be a useful trait if he wasn't so distinctive in other ways. He could grow it, do something he didn't want to be associated with him and get rid of it. Unfortunately, there aren't enough 7'4 men with permanent dark rings around their near black eyes that the beard ploy does him any good.
His eyes follow Lin's fingers for the tour, but when it's done he walks up to the window and looks out with a slow sweeping gaze- still some sunlight to burnt, but not for much longer. That's fine. That was always the plan. ]
...Do you have any milk?
[ He sounds less hopeful than even he usually does. He knows more than 90% of Chinese people are lactose intolerant and Japanese people don't fare much better. His normal comfort indulgence of dairy isn't so easily sated here. ]
If not, just a glass of water would be pleasant, thank you.
[ He says it without looking away from the view- it is very nice. ]
no subject
[ his face isn't getting warm or anything. milk, what a stupid request, but one he aims to fill. he scowls into the fridge, grabbing a small carton and draining it into a glass. he isn't much a fan of milk in and of itself, but he does like to cook sometimes, and tries to keep some basic things on hand. he's building up a nice catalog of recipes to make sure his mother is well fed every day, when he finally sees her again. as an afterthought, he grabs one of the cans of beer. ]
Here.
[ he pads over, feeling ridiculously small next to rex's entirely too tall stature, and offers him the glass. this sort of height should be against the law. following rex's gaze to the window, he absently taps a neatly manicured nail against the glass. it's certainly a beautiful view, the sun setting over the city while buildings twinkle to life. lin hates and loves this place all at once, a prisoner to the city, but allowed to experience the comforts of life for the first time. as a starving child in the slums, he never would have guessed he'd end up here, still monstrously poor and in an exorbitant amount of debt, but still living in what amounts to absolute luxury for him. ]
I didn't know you had a motorcycle. I was expecting the van.
[ he pops open the beer despite not wanting to drink it, but it can't go to waste, so he drinks. it's as disgusting as he remembers, but he's determined to finish it. he half turns toward rex, leaning his shoulder into the window like a casual seventeen-story drop won't hurt him. he looks like he wants to say something, gripping his beer tighter, before he stalks away, disappearing into the bedroom, and when he comes back, he's holding a bottle of lotion. ]
Here. You need to put this on.
[ he grabs rex's hand before he can make a decision of his own, squirting out a generous amount, then pauses before he goes ahead and starts rubbing it in. rex's hands are big, starkly in contrast with lin's small but strong ones. the skin is as rough and calloused as he expected, and while the lotion doesn't work any immediate miracles, his hands do feel a little softer by the time lin is done working them over. ]
There. That feels better, right?
[ he snags his beer again and takes a long swig, looking at rex as if he dares him to disagree. his own hands feel nice and soft now, too. ]
no subject
[ The soft hum and quiet 'thanks' Rex gives at the compliment may as well be jumping for joy. Lin's love for good looking things is taking into account, and he considers 'it looks good on you' to be high praise indeed. The soft smile doesn't last long, as few do on Rex's lips and is missed as Lin fixes his drink. Rex has his hands crossed at the small of his back as he looks out. Even this small taste of normalcy is pure luxury to him, and he indulges as fully as he can. His eyes drift to Lin's fingers when they touch the glass- those hands are pretty luxurious themselves. ]
The van isn't suitable for all scenarios. Besides... You don't like it.
[ His instinctive need to eat and drink everything as swiftly as possible strikes again- when the glass reaches his lips, it doesn't leave them until every drop is gone, leaning back a little towards the end to make the angle as steep as possible. A few quick flicks of his thumb wipes the milk moustache away before he puts the glass down.
Just in time for his huge hands to be treated to some pampering. Every part of his hands are rough, his knuckles swollen from years of punching, the heels of his palms thickened, fingers thick with his body's attempt to pad them. Lin's, in contrast, are so small and lovely, though certainly not delicate- he can feel the strength in them as they work over his stony hands. He sees that the drawn on ring has all but vanished from Lin's skin and has a pang of... something. Something he doesn't have a word for. It's probably not accurate to say that Rex falls in love with Lin right then, but there's no denying the sudden and simple realisation he does love him, in his strange broken way. Rex just wants to be near him, make him happy. Is that so wrong? He can't imagine so. ]
Mmm. [ None of his unforeseen internal revelation shows on Rex's face as he stares at his hands, moving fingers over themselves. ] They don't feel quite so sore as usual.
no subject
[ he had deemed it good enough to kill some asshole inside, and that counts for something. but they won't speak about that, because he's pretty sure his casual recklessness and complete disregard for his belongings had traumatized rex for life. he should behave better, probably.
doing such a small favor for rex fills him with a certain pleasure, sating some repressed need for a human touch that doesn't involve violence. those touches are few and far between, usually coming in the form of entirely meaningless sex that scratches an itch but does little else. there's no affection or caring or, heaven forbid, love involved. lin knows scarcely anything about love anyway, unless it's the sort of familial bond that he's given up his life and happiness for.
it feels different with rex. he doesn't owe him anything, and rex isn't asking anything of him, either. he just doesn't want his hands to hurt. ]
Just because you use your hands for this kind of work doesn't mean you don't need to take care of them. They're the only hands you're gonna get. Don't you want to use them to touch people?
[ him, specifically. he's finishing his drink quicker now, swallowing down every awful bit just because it gives him a way to hide the stupid flush rising in his cheeks. if he works his way through the other cans, he can blame it on the alcohol. ]
We should get going soon. You've seen my place, it's nothing special.
[ he's fiddling with his bag now, throwing in more arbitrary items just to be doing something that isn't looking at rex. ]