Open/Closed Prompts

[perfectdistance]

Who ⬤ Nero and you
What ⬤ Open and closed starters
When ⬤ September
Where ⬤ Various
Content Warnings ⬤ Sex in at least one thread


I. Substory #3 Drifter Grifter

[He looks tiredly at the list of crimes of this grifter and for a moment he wonders if Bradley's out there stealing again? He's probably stealing, but is this specifically Bradley or just some idiot he doesn't have to care about?]

Okay, so what did this guy look like? Did he even have any information or was he just dining and dashing?

[Are there, for some reason, giant windows in your bathrooms? How is this guy getting out so easily?]

II. City of Rain, before hours
[Now more than Ever Nero's grateful to have his shop. An oasis of calm in the middle of the din of Jigokuchou. Of course, the quiet rule doesn't come into effect until the shop actually opens. Sometimes it is nice to be able to talk to his employees without having to write everything down on paper.

He has been cooking a little earlier than usual, but that might be because of the new hire. Bradley? Just somebody from home. At least it's very normal for Nero not to say much about himself.

He does send out a text to everyone who works there.]

Breakfast on Friday at 10 if you want to come early.

Tell me what you want.

III. Wildcard
[Give me another prompt or contact me via discord or PM.]

Comments

[perfectdistance]

Kate's a teenager. Sabo looks like an adult. Maybe early 20s.

[potensum]

[ so two babies. he squints. he knows nero has a protective streak, too. ]

...Bet you hired them without knowing if they'd be any good at it. You're a nice guy.

[perfectdistance]

[ IS he a nice person? There's something that always makes him feel uncomfortable when people declare that kind of thing about him. They don't know who he really is.

He can't use that with Bradley, but he wonders. ]

Kate was a waiter at a different joint before.

[ Sabo's new so he can't say the same for him. But with City of Rain's set up, there's not too much difficulty. Take the paper, give it to Nero, take the food, give it to the customer. ]

[potensum]

I see.

[ he shoves his empty plate across the table gently with his hand, thinking of the weird array of people he's encountered so far. ]

There's lots of kids here, though, aren't there?

[perfectdistance]

[ The plate is taken away so he can get the dishes washed before anybody actually walks in here for a meal. ]

Yeah. A weird amount, considering where we are.

[ Kids can certainly be terrible, but is getting sent to hell normal? ]

[potensum]

The ones I've encountered so far have good potential.

[ potential for what? it's a mystery. ]

I'm thinking of helping them adjust.

[ says, the newbie. ]

[perfectdistance]

Potential for what?

[ Bradley how many little gang members are you trying to gather right now!! ]

Have you adjusted? You're also new around here.

[potensum]

[ he's going to rebuild the bandit gang just you wait! ]

They're good kids. They'll be pretty cool one day.

[ he... ignores that second question and hopes nero drops it, too. ]

[perfectdistance]

[ No! ]

They are.

[ And then he waits for Brad to answer his second question. ]

[potensum]

Don't look at me like that.

[ he knows he's trying to get him to answer with his eyes! ]

[perfectdistance]

I wouldn't look at you like this if you answered my question.

[potensum]

I'm alive and well, aren't I?

Like I said, this is nothin' compared to the North. Got any dessert?

[ he doesn't take dessert during breakfast but he wants to make an exception to change the subject. ]

[perfectdistance]

Make an effort to stay that way.

[ What is he going to do if Bradley dies on him? Nothing reasonable or rational. ]

You really want something sweet this early?

[potensum]

You ain't gotta worry about me, like I said. Besides, you're not responsible for me, yeah?

[ said a little bitterly. obviously he doesn't want something sweet so, no point keeping up the ruse. ]

[perfectdistance]

[ Oh... he's being pushed away. It's what he wanted, or what he thought he wanted, but it hurts more than he was expecting. Nero's so used to being the only one who pushed away, to have it done back makes something in his gut twist unpleasantly. ]

...

[ His voice is soft when he says it. ]

You're right. [ He's not really responsible for Bradley, not when he's in a different clan entirely. Everything about his contract has to do with Bradley's safety, but he doesn't know what. It's not something Nero wants to bring up either.

If he just keeps telling himself the distance is better for both of them, maybe one day he'll believe it. ]

[potensum]

[ ugh, no. he recognizes that expression. he doesn't like making nero feel bad, even when he sort of asked for it. ]

...I was tryin' to make you feel better. Less responsible.

[perfectdistance]

[ It feels like everything is a mistep on his own part. He should know how this works between them, but the change to a completely different world made everything just that little bit off.

How can he ever stop feeling responsible for him with the history they have between them? For centuries everything he did was for Bradley.

Was it a mistake to let him work here? No. It's better to be able to keep tabs on him. He needs to know Bradley is alive, even if he isn't safe. ]

Do your best to stay safe. You're still my employee.

[ A very different sort of "mine", but a version of it nonetheless. ]

[potensum]

[ ah. nero might not have worded it exactly as he meant it, but bradley got it all the same. he leans back on his seat and then jumps down, stretching for a second before turning to look at nero with a cheeky grin. ]

I'm more than that. You just won't admit it.

[perfectdistance]

[ He turns away, under the guise of washing up. Unable to deny it, knowing that his face is flushed and not being able to handle Brad seeing that this early in the morning. ]

Think whatever you want.

[potensum]

[ he circles the counter until he's behind him, still a step or two behind, watching his hands move over the sink. ]

What are you so afraid of?

[perfectdistance]

[ What a question. What isn't he afraid of? One day he'll wake up and Brad will be gone from this world. One day he'll be so reckless and overconfident he dies. Bradley will keep not listening to him when it matters and end up dead because Nero wasn't there to save him. One day Bradley will be the one left in hell while Nero disappears.

If he lets Bradley in again and he dies, isn't that worse?

He can't make Bradley promise him anything, but he wishes he would at least stay alive. If he could hold out until Nero's contract took effect, he'd be able to breathe so much easier.

He doesn't answer, thoughts racing around too fast in his mind. ]

[potensum]

[ ...it's not fair. part of him wants to do the same thing nero did to him and just wait for him to answer, but that's cruel coming from bradley. it's not fair that it's not a two-way street, but bradley's learned to cope with it in time.

he takes another step behind him, reaching to touch the back of nero's neck, brushing his hair slightly with his fingers. ]

If you want me to be brave for both of us, just say the word.

[perfectdistance]

[ The back of his neck heats up at the touch.

Of course he wants that. Bradley is brash and confident the way Nero just isn't.

What he really wants is Bradley to listen to him. That's something he can't force him into, no matter how hard he tries. What he wants is to live with Bradley instead of for him, and for him to realize that.

It might've been centuries ago, but he still remembers all the times Bradley recklessly rushed in because Nero was there for him.

Nothing is ever simple. Not between the two of them. ]

Stop it. [ Not here, not before hours. ]

[potensum]

[ he sees the faint redness on his nape when he moves enough hair out of the way and smiles to himself. he's seen this before. he knew it would happen; he just wanted a reminder that somewhere inside this was still the same nero that was his partner for so long. ]

Why?

[ he pulls his hand back in time, taking a step back. ]

I wouldn't do anything too bad where we could get caught by kids.

[perfectdistance]

[ He's still the same Nero as he's always been. For better or for worse.

"Go ahead an be brave after hours" no he can't say that, it's too forward. He shouldn't be asking for that anyway. ]

Not at work, Brad.

[ Another time, another place. ]