Thereâs a comment, a teasing one, bubbling at the back of his throat when the tail is mentioned, a joke about penetration with it, but it is quickly forgotten as his attention is drawn to claws. Fucking claws. Thereâs no amount of regret in him, even as he thinks about the damage that can be done, instead itâs a curious rush of excitement, something that has him reaching for a hand with one of his own, intent on examining them more than he already has - than his drunk self has already indulged himself with.
But that hand diverts at the teasing, and whip quick he slaps a hand playfully down against a muscled thigh, whole hand squeezing, fingertips digging in in a movement that could be - would be a threat from anyone else. As it is, itâs accompanied by a laugh, sharp and loud, and the sudden movement of his body.
Dabi has often compared him to a clawless cat in jest, all awkward limbs and movements too fast and eager to be aware of his own body weight - but when Reg slips from his spot into Shuichiâs lap, itâs with purposeful, measured movements, weight dropping carefully down on his lower thighs, giving them both enough room and distance to watch each other. (Truthfully, heâs still more than a little wary of a freak out - thereâs plenty of reasons for Shuichi to back out and have a panic attack while he does so, and he doesnât want to suffer a concussion because of it.)
âFuck you.â He says without meaning it, as evidenced by the small laugh he lets out after. âItâs common practice when Iâm about to take off my mask.â Because without it, thatâs who he is. Just Reggie. With one hand still squeezing the poor villainâs thigh, Reggie reaches up to touch said mask, fingers finding the clasp with practiced ease. âDonât be an asshole, or Iâll just leave you high and dry.â
The threat can be about any number of things - his name, the reveal of it, the reveal of his face - but he doesnât elaborate. Instead he undoes the clasp and pulls the mask from his face, revealing Reginald in all his glory. Light purple circles of exhaustion surrounding his eyes, the red birthmark that takes up space around his temple and part of his face, the soft indents from where his mask had laid previously.
Sharp eyes flick about, alternating between watching Shuichiâs gaze and some point just to the left of him, eye contact still being a bit rough when it came to first time exposures. âAnd, for the record, I donât mind bites or scratches.â The mask is gently placed off to the side, his now free hand reaching up to too gently touch at the scales on his neck, gaze dropping to watch the path of his own fingers. âI donât really register pain like - other people? Thatâs really the only warning you get. Iâm not going to tell you to stop even if you do hurt me. And Iâll probably wear marks with pride.â Meaning heâs going to flaunt them, like he does the burns or bruises already pressed into his skin. âSo you probably should consider that before you bite, Shuichi.â
      itâs already all so much â did wrench ( sorry, reg ) HAVE to sit in his lap, too? shuichi groans a little as the weight sinks onto him, and his face immediately burns red, deepening when his hand closes around his thighs. but his own embarrassment doesnât last long, attention diverted by him pulling the mask off.
he doesnât... look like he expected, though shuichi isnât quite sure what he expected, honestly. heâs... almost plain, birthmark aside â especially next to himself, or dabi, or shigaraki. shuichi huffs a breath, warm as it hangs between them. theyâre close. intimately so.
shuichi stares at him for a moment longer, then swallows, and looks down.
âfair enough,â he mumbles, breath catching as reggieâs fingers brush along his neck. he shivers involuntarily. his scales have always been overly sensitive, something heâs bound to quickly discover. âi, um....â his face is still hot, but he forces himself to look up and meet his eyes. itâs a rare thing, after all. and then he clears his throat. âyou say that like itâs gonna deter me.â
his own hands move, then, like heâs just remembered they exist, and settle on reggieâs arms, somewhere between elbows and shoulders. if theyâre going to do this, truly, they need to start somewhere. âitâs gonna be.... weird for you, probably, like, unfamiliar, but can i â can i kiss you?â