' where's the applause !? '

" have you heard of the three wonders of the underworld ? geomarrow, heartless supervisors, & luka's fist of steel! "

still, it's a rare peak from the other side. being the shield of belobog makes him prone to injuries, he's more often bruised than he isn't, and he's seen quite a few times the look of sadness in his sister's eyes when she would tend to his scrapes, his cuts, his broken bones. now, he wonders if his own eyes look similar as he ices over his own hand, bringing it to luka's bare side to cover an already purpling bruise. he'll never tell the man to stop doing what he loves, but he wishes it didn't come at the cost of his body, "...will you see miss natasha after you get your winnings?" he asks, even though luka claimed it was nothing. perhaps it isn't, but that kick to his side didn't sound like nothing, "just to appease me."

he's tired and sweaty, still panting to catch his breath as he rubs at his hairline with the towel draped over his shoulders, but luka still smiles in spite of how worn out he feels--blood and cuts and bruises are a negligible side effect of doing what he loves, pushing his body to its limit and putting on a show for a crowd that has always needed a light in the underground's persistent darkness. the pain hasn't really set in yet, his body still buzzing with adrenaline, but he knows he took a couple of really hard hits tonight, and gepard was there in the crowd to see them all. even if it's all for sport, he's still getting hurt, and he knows his boyfriend to be a bit of a worrywart. captain's concern for him is never overbearing, though--it's cute, if anything, that he wants to take care of him or encourage him to take care of himself in moments like this. luka himself definitely wasn't thinking about it in all his excitement, so the reminder is ultimately appreciated every time.

an icy palm touches his side and luka shivers, jolting a little bit at the intensity of the ice's temperature on his hot skin, but ultimately leans in to settle against gepard's chest with arms draped over his shoulders. " that's so cold, " brawler laughs, impressed with gepard's command over his chosen element and the very practical application of it, " but it feels great. thanks, babe. " a quick kiss pressed to silvermane's cheek, wildfire standing up on his toes to reach.

he appears to mull over the request for a second, humming a thoughtful sound as if he isn't already amenable to it, " alriiight, you don't gotta give me that puppy dog face, " luka's hands come forward to press against gepard's cheeks, playfully shaking his head a little bit, " i'll drop off some of that cash with her while we're there. aaand maybe when we get back to my place... you can play nurse for me for a little bit ~ ? my injuries will need taking care of. "

fire

sunrises, woven blankets, campfires, tigers, whiskey, monarchs, roadtrips. your essence is fire: you are the bold spirit of adventure. you seek out others who can broaden your horizons; a life best lived is one that's vivacious, but also makes a difference. you are steadfastly committed to your values and do not waver from your opinions. you are the inspirer. you are the opportunist. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of coral, bronze, red, and orange, who share your strong opinions. you are also drawn to the contemplative souls jade and chartreuse, who will help you grow and see the fullness of your vision. however, you may struggle to get along with the opinionated personalities of wine and mauve who act above reproach.

the now or never kiss.

the last kiss? no, it's not the last, but the characters don't know that. death appears imminent — the temperature is rising, the room is filling up with water, the plane is about to hit the ground, the rope they're dangling from is about to break and drop them off the cliff, the room is on fire and the door's locked, the world is coming to an end... the point is, this is no place for unresolved sexual tension. the not-a-couple don't want to go out without revealing how they really feel. it's now or never. they kiss. this can also be 'now or maybe never' kiss; one or both are heading into danger, or likely-potential death.

dialogue prompts !

his early morning workout has always been an important part of luka's daily ritual, an energizing start to the day that ensures he maintains his championship physique and shakes off that morning drowsiness that clings to him after crawling out of the warmth of the sheets and into the chilly belobog air. until recently, he's stayed diligent enough to skip it only on rare occasions--injury, sickness, occasional over-tiredness and the like--and even then, he's never really wanted to.

but even luka strongarm has his weaknesses, the most notable of which is currently nestled under his covers and sleepily beckoning him back to bed. he pauses halfway through pulling on his tank, casting a glance over his shoulder and across the room to his partner. he's so cute when he's drowsy, bright blue eyes obscured by half-closed eyelids heavy with sleep, soft blonde locks messy and sticking up at awkward angles all over his head, little red marks in the shape of his own teeth littered over his neck and shoulders from the night before. what is he supposed to do, say no ? he'd have to be completely insane.

" okay, okay. you don't have to twist my arm about it, " the brawler replies with a breathy laugh and a lighthearted roll of his eyes, feeling his face run a little warm. promptly abandoning his shirt, he moves back across the room to crawl back into bed with gepard, pulling the covers back just long enough to urge the blonde to lay on his back with a hand on his shoulder and settle comfortably right on top of him, looping arms around his neck.

" mm, you're so warm ~ " he mumbles, voice muffled as he buries his face in the crook of captain's neck, littering his skin with affectionate kisses and gentle nips.

of course he believes gepard when he tells him he has nothing to worry about, but that doesn't make him any less reluctant to throw a full-force punch at his boyfriend--especially not when he knows that the captain has been acting as something of a punching bag for most of his life. he's been through enough without enduring luka's fist of steel for kicks, and he's tempted to tone it back to at least the level of strength that he fights in the ring with, not the best form that he saves for fragmentum monsters...

the flourish of his shield is kind of pretty, and he wonders for a brief moment if the blonde has any influence over what it looks like. luka doesn't harness an element like a lot of his peers, so he doesn't know how things like that work. it's a question he'll save for another time, though, as the barrier manages to further ease his hesitation just a bit--should he actually go a little bit too overboard, at least gepard's shield will absorb most of the damage.

" if you're sure, " almost as if he's double-checking, he takes his time in rolling his shoulders and falling into his stance to give his partner another chance to backtrack. he doesn't, of course, and luka eventually begins to bounce, light on his feet as he shakes out his hands and raises them into fists before him. " can't say i've ever punched a date before but here goes nothin'. " there's another beat of hesitation before he lunges forward, reeling back to throw a powerful punch directly into the center of his shield.