aterat | 006 Home is where the Heart is

Entry tags:

006 Home is where the Heart is

Who; Jacob Miller, Yuki Sohma & You
What; Finding a Puppy & Homes
Where; Gary's Carpentry & Gullwings office
When; April 12th
Warnings; Hurt puppy that gets rescued.

Garry's Carpentry [Open]

It was a day like any other. He woke up, walked to work and began working. Truly tedious, which was how Jacob liked it.

What made this day different was the soft high pitched squeaks that he heard after arriving at the work shop. At first, Jacob ignored it having assumed that he'd gone crazy but then he stopped his work and listened harder. The sound was soft but clear and becoming more frantic. It reminded him of the wolves but higher pitch than the pained sounds he'd heard from his adopted family.

After some searching, Jacob found the source of the noise; a small dirty puppy had limped his way into the shop and had hidden among the piles of wood.

He technically had to work or risk being behind in the recent influx of orders but it was impossible for him to abandon the puppy. Gary was informed and Jacob sacrificed his lunch to the hungry pup. Once the puppy was full, Jacob carefully lifted it into his arms. It was covered in dirt and grime with a gashes in it's back legs as if it'd been chased into the shop.

Jacob left the shop and frantically searched for a store that sold bandages and disinfectant. Anyone who came across Jacob would be able to tell that he was frantic and carefully carrying a bundle in his arms.

Gullwings Office [Closed to Yuki]

When Jacob arrived at the Gullwings office to pick up Yuki, he had a small light brown puppy curled up in the crook of his left arm. He'd had the puppy for a few days and hadn't been willing to part from him after cleaning the dirt from his fur and bandaging the cut on its back legs. The little thing continued to have trouble walking and Jacob didn't have it in him to leave the puppy alone.

Once inside he placed the puppy on the couch and walked to where Yuki was usually working. He made a habit of walking Yuki to work but he didn't always pick up his cute companion. It depended on their schedules and if either of them needed to run errands after work. It wasn't the first time that it struck him how domestic it all was. He hadn't ever considered himself to be the domestic type but here he was, grateful for it.

Jacob crept up behind Yuki and placed his palms over his eyes. "Guess who." In reply the small puppy yipped and attempted to limp across the couch to return to Jacob's arms.

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"I.." Yuki began in protest. Boxes really would help him out, it was just a lot to ask Jacob to do, considering everything else that was going on. He shook his grey head and wished he could do more than the little stuff around the house which was cleaning. True he didn't have it up to Miss Honda's standards, but he did sweep and could definitely do a lot of cleaning.

He'd learned all about that at Shigure's house and their New Year cleaning.

And then his mind raced as Jacob's attention turned towards the puppy. It definitely seemed bonded to the man which was good. And then he thought.

Jacob was going to be worn out, and Yuki knew that he loved Ignis' cooking. So maybe chocobo rides to the Lodge to pick up some of those steaks would work. He had plenty saved up since the only real expense he'd had was food while living in an apartment. Bills weren't a thing that happened and he was only grateful to be able to keep squirreling money away 'for a rainy day.'

Well now it was here, so he could get stuff for the house and maybe talk to Nida sensei's husband about delivering furniture and food.

Looking over at Jacob now he smiled and nodded along with the rooms mentioned. But at hearing the part about a library, he felt like crying. So instead he just moved to wrap his arms around the man at his thoughtfulness. "These plans sound wonderful."

It was all he could get out with a steady voice.

Jake's steps slowed to a stop as Yuki's arms wrapped around his center. He wasn't sure what he had said but the expression on Yuki's face blossomed a bud of warmth within his chest. He didn't think he was doing something special. He just wanted to find a home that suited them both but he was even more determined now.

He was going to help build them the best home possible.

"Good." Jake leaned down and kissed Yuki's forehead. "It's a plan. A garden and library." He was also thinking of adding some Japanese accents to the house in order to make Yuki feel more at home. It wouldn't be that difficult and Jacob was ready to do anything for Yuki.

"We'll find a good spot today and I'll get to work when I can." He grinned down at Yuki. "Until its done we can stay at your apartment." It made the most sense, after all, Jake had a habit of walking Yuki to work in the mornings and this would mean he didn't have to leave so early in the morning.

Yuki on the other hand was beyond flattered that someone thought enough of him to build him a home or fix one up. He hadn't known what to say to it, so giving Jacob a hug was the best way that he could think to properly express his feelings.

He didn't try and register too much until he heard Jacob say something about the garden and the library and all he did was smile, keeping himself firmly in place as to where he was.

Realizing he should look up, he did and saw that grin on the other's face. So he smiled in return. "That sounds like a wonderful plan." He really did enjoy Jacob walking him to work and the other two in the office just went about their business and never commented although he'd seen their smiles.

With a sigh, Yuki just held on a moment more before letting go of the other's center. "Where did you want to start with it?"

Jake waited until Yuki was ready before walking off again. Shi was getting distracted by everything but began to pad along with them after a soft tug of the leash. His training was a work in progress.

"Let's check out the Noble District. I only went there once during that ball but I remember some of the houses were abandoned." He also remembered some being in disrepair but that didn't really bother him. Jacob was happier to put in the work to make the house their own. It would feel more like a home if it was the two of them that built upon it. It'd also be free.

"You can tell me which is your favorite." Unless there were severe structural issues, Jacob was confident that he could fix up any home.

He blinked at Jacob's reply but it was as good a place to start as any. This was exciting even though he was a little nervous about it to be honest. Yuki did notice the dog needed a gentle tug but he then started heading in that direction.

Once or twice he'd met up with people from that district, but they always came to the office. So he kept his eyes out for a place. He stopped one or two times along the way, not having realized before now what it took to look at a house. And it made him wonder how Shigure had chosen his home. Where it was situated was top notch at least where it was. And he decided he would try and use that as a guide as they arrived at the Noble District.

But as they walked on, he shook his head. "There seem to be so many to choose from."

A low warm laugh rumbled through Jacob's chest. "Well, choose one that's broken down enough for me to fix it up and impress you." He had already begun thinking of possible renovation ideas and while he'd have to wait until work the next day to get them onto paper, he was excited to start on a few projects that could be gifted to Yuki in their new home. He wasn't only going to make sure the house was up to his own standards but the furniture in the home as well.

It will take a bit of time but Jacob was good at his job and would be able to work faster than most. Hopefully, Yuki wouldn't mind him working late a few days a week for the next month or so.

"If it's too much I can choose for us."

"You already do impress me." Yuki replied with a shy sort of smile and a shake of the head. He felt his face turning red and surprised himself with how much he'd been holding that back. It was a lesson he was trying to teach himself, to give compliments.

But he tried to focus on another one that looked as if he touched it, it would fall down into shambles. At Jacob's offer he smiled but shook his head. "It's just a really big decision."

And then his eye caught on a place, and without a word he grabbed Jacob's hand, bringing him to the one that he'd seen.

Jacob had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't think he was impressive but it was a comfort to know that Yuki thought so highly of him. He didn't want to let his boy friend down.

"Hu?" He grunted, surprised as Yuki guided him towards one of the houses situated along the center of the row. It was clearly empty but it didn't look hopeless from the outside. "Do you want to take a look inside?" He walked forward and placed his foot on the first step to make sure it was sturdy.

"It doesn't look to be bad construction. Even if falling apart." If Yuki liked it then this would be their future home.

"Yes." Yuki nodded definitively. This was going to be the place, he just had a feeling. His gray eyes continued to look around as he then noticed Jacob putting his foot on the step to make sure it was sturdy enough to step on.

Feelings he never knew before swirled in his heart and in his mind at the very thoughtful gesture. So since he didn't know how to verbalize it, he kissed his boyfriend very gently before moving onto the step that had been tested and went up the steps to take a look around.

He waited for Jacob to get in and then he held onto the other's hand as he continued his visual inspection. But he turned back to look at Jacob and smiled. "What did you have in mind for a design?"

Jake stepped forward but was careful to slowly put pressure on each panel of flooring before moving forward. "Ah. Stay there." He held out his palm and with a little pressure part of the floor broke down. "Not too bad." Jake lowered himself to his stomach and took a look beneath the house using his cell phone as a light. "Looks like the foundation is good."

He got up and brushed off his shirt. "Walk through this way." Jake continued to mark the path for Yuki through the house until he had seen most of the first floor. "Well, we'll open up this area for a kitchen. Maybe some toys here for Shi. This room over here can be where we eat and then the front room for a library and guests."

Jake looked up at the ceiling and began to mentally map the upstairs. He wasn't going to walk up there without some safety precautions in place. "Judging by the layout there are probably two bedrooms upstairs. This whole wall has to go but I can rebuild it and we can put in those sliding doors." He turned back to Yuki and moved his hands like a sliding door. "You know. The Japanese ones. They use paper, right? Could you find some here? Or something that would work. It'd be cheaper than glass. Luckily the front windows look to be intact."

Yuki wasn't sure what Jacob was doing by having him stay in place, but he did as he was told. His grey eyes took in the other laying down on his stomach and wondered at the flashlight feature, but then smiled as the pronouncement of a good foundation was made and he nodded. All that carpentry knowledge the other had really helped in this situation.

He watched in fascination as the other made his way through and was mentally designing the house. But then he heard the library and he quickly wiped away the tears that very unexpectedly sprung to his eyes. That something like that was even being mentioned moved Yuki and it was so very comforting to know that Jacob recalled his likes.

So he listened as his boyfriend went on about the two bedrooms. And then he was stunned as Jacob mentioned the Shoji Doors. He turned away and pretended to look at something else as those earlier tears came back but stronger this time.

Yuki didn't want to appear weak and so he nodded, while holding a hand to his chest and remained turned away. "Right...I'm sure I could find something like that..here."

Where or if he actually could was another matter. Right now his chest felt like it was going to burst at how thoughtful and considerate Jacob was being.

Edited 2022-06-26 09:35 (UTC)

"You okay?" It took Jacob some time to make his way back across the room. The floor was likely sturdy enough to take his weight but he wanted to be sure after making the initial hole in the subflooring. The last thing either of them needed was a twisted ankle or broken foot. Their house should be filled with good memories.

Once behind Yuki he wrapped his arms around his love and looked down at him with a curious stare. He knew that Yuki was an emotional person but he wasn't sure if this was too much for him. It was a big step and Jacob's rambling was primarily used to cover up how nervous he was. He hadn't shared a home like this before and he didn't want to mess it up.

He could be horribly insensitive at times though thankfully he's yet to do that around Yuki.

"Hey." His voice lowered to a whisper. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Yuki replied automatically. But of course Jacob would know that not all was well with him. And it wasn't that he was unhappy because he certainly wasn't. Yuki never got this far back in his world and as much as it was a huge step, he knew Jacob saw this place as temporary.

And as temporary as it might be, he'd heard sensei state that his husband Mister Scientia was going to defy fate and take Nida with him to his world. This wasn't something he'd discussed with Jacob, for fear he might not like the answer. And it was in that moment that he realized he wanted to take this boyfriend of his home too.

All it did was hurt because he didn't know how Jacob was feeling, even as he heard the other making his way over to him. He had to keep it in because he didn't want to disrupt this beautiful moment. It was like having two pictures of Jacob. One was the here and now talking about fixing up the house. The other was where he'd been casual about their relationship and mentioned something in passing like 'well while we're here I'd like to be together.'

And the whole time he was focused on those pictures, trying to decide which was the correct one. Silently Yuki struggled and it didn't abate when Jacob wrapped his arms around him.

"I said I'm fine." he replied. He really wanted to get off the subject because he was running in circles in his mind with no clarity. How did he voice this? How did he tell Jacob he wanted what amounted to more or less a fairy tale?

That would sound so stupid, not to mention it would completely ruin the mood. The fear in him was turning into an overwhelming little monster and he didn't know what to do. He wished he could just go outside and breathe or something because he didn't want to ruin this moment, but the fear was just eating at him.

So try as he might, he couldn't keep his voice from slightly breaking. "Can we talk about something else?"

Edited 2022-06-27 04:26 (UTC)

There was so much that Jacob didn't understand. His life and his point of view had been shaped by his experiences but those experiences were something from a horror movie. He'd been ripped away from his family before he'd had a chance to get into high school and had been kept captive by a cruel vampire who sought to control him. Blood, violence and pain were normal and it had left him hallow inside.

He had recovered some but many of his actions felt like a flimsy mask covering the tattered remains of his soul. That was until Yuki had come along. He had finally let someone in and while they didn't always talk about their pasts, they both knew the weight that loomed like a shadow behind them.

But this?

Jake was at a loss. He didn't know what he did or why Yuki turned away from him now. It hurt but the pain wasn't the same sharpness he was familiar with. It was dull, aching and deep.

He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Yuki's slender shoulders. He didn't try to turn Yuki around or to meet his gaze. Instead his eyes closed and he inhaled while listening to the steady drum of his heart. "Just trust me..." His voice broke and he sounded like a child praying in the face of something he didn't understand. What tremendous weight was left unsaid?

"We don't have to talk about it."

Yuki lowered his head when Jacob said the words he had. It was meant to be supportive, encouraging and to rely on him as a safety net. All of these things were well and good and he appreciated what he heard.

His mind turned over questions and feelings and he still felt as if he was gaining no ground as to how to build a bridge between what he was thinking and how to get the topic up on the table. Sometimes strong emotions were hard for him and the last time he let them get a good hold of him back home, he ended up beating on Kyo and yelling at him to go see Miss Honda in the hospital.

Or he cried such as when Jacob showed back up here. And that's what ended up happening because he couldn't verbalize things right away. He knew Jacob was only trying to help. And he shook his head, trying to grasp the right words without sounding accusatory.

Tears came down and they felt really hot, and he hated feeling like a crybaby in front of the man whose admiration he wanted the most in this place. And slowly he held onto the arms trying to comfort him even as his head went a little further down.

"I want..you to go home with me."

Jacob didn't press Yuki. It was those intense emotions that he found difficult to understand. He wasn't heartless but that part of him had broken a long time ago. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. Yuki was lucky, to be able to express his emotions was nothing to be ashamed of. It was a truly admirable quality.

Jacob was ashamed of being unable to show such feelings.

His heart skipped wildly in his chest and he felt his mouth dry. They were exclusively dating and that made their relationship serious but he had thought of the future. It was a habit that had been ingrained into him when the future only promised death. Now that Yuki purposed it... maybe there was more than death waiting for him.

Jacob didn't turn Yuki to face him but his arms tightened to hold Yuki safely against his chest. "If you're willing to take responsibility for me." His voice was low and husky, whispered against Yuki's neck as if any louder might shatter this promised future into pieces. "I would love to go home with you."

He wouldn't know anyone in Yuki's world but he didn't care. As long as Yuki was there, he'd be happy.

A few more tears slid down as he felt Jacob tightening his embrace. And as real as it was somehow he hadn't quite expected that. But he heard what was said and he had to laugh slightly. There was just no helping it even if this really wasn't anything to laugh at.

"Of course I'll take responsibility for you." And then more tears slid down.

Yuki couldn't be sure if they were happy tears or not, but it didn't matter. With a hitched breath, he realized this was something along the feeling of what he heard in sensei's voice. It was the fierceness of wanting to keep someone at your side, and now he understood it more fully.

So he breathed a little easier, and slowly worked himself out of the embrace until he could turn around and hold onto Jacob more securely.

Jacob was patient but the crying continued to confuse him. He'd likely ask Yuki about it later, after he'd calmed down some. He hoped that he was crying because he was happy and not because he was hurt.

His arms released Yuki once Jake realized that the shorter man was trying to free himself but returned when Yuki faced him. His thumb gently brushed away the tears while his other hand intertwined in Yuki's hair. "Let's head back. We can relax and get something to eat along the way." That way they wouldn't have to worry about cooking or cleaning when they got back to their apartment.

Jacob was always so sweet, brushing his tears away and he loved the hand in his hair. So he sought comfort from if for a few more moments. But then Yuki gently pulled back and looked up into those beautiful eyes.

"No. You can go back if you want to, if you're hungry. I want to stay and look around more." Besides he had thought that he'd ruined the moment and atmosphere like he'd feared. And that he wanted time to take to deal with.

Edited 2022-07-18 03:57 (UTC)

"Okay. Just be safe." He pressed another kiss against Yuki's temple before letting him go. Jacob wanted to argue with Yuki but he figured that this was one of those moments where he had to be alone.

After leaving the house he heads back to the workshop instead of going home. He starts to draw up plans for their new home and after an hour of work winds his way back to their shared apartment, forgetting to eat in the process.

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006 Home is where the Heart is

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