Chocolate Flowers | Shinji [Finished]

"Thank you," Shinji replied to the compliment absent-mindedly. He hadn't actually realized that he was so intensely playing with the water until Jae had said something. He really had to curse his nervous habits at times. "I have multiple ice sculptures in my home, and in areas of the night club I own," he said trying to make a conversation. He molded the ice into a bird that looked like it was soaring out of the glass. His hand then moved to another on the table that held red whine, bringing the liquid up into a rose bouquet.

"..you do...?" he asked quietly, watching in awe. "...beautiful..." Jae mumbled the word, looking at the frozen handiwork. It really was, too. He couldn't help but be amazed by it. He never had really seen something so easily made, especially with this particular element. He loved it.

"Yes," Shinji couldn't help but sigh in his answer. "It's just something useless I do when I can't sleep. He had developed a lot of his manipulation and defensive magic that way, making it stronger and easy to control.

JaeJoong frowned. "...you don't sleep very much, do you...?" he asked softly, not wanting to pry, but curious about what the answer to his question might be. He wanted to know not simply just to know, but to try and find a solution to the possible problem. Shinji look exhausted to him, and he didn't like it.

Shinji shook his head lightly. No, he didn't sleep hardly at all. If he remembered correctly he was currently one day either three for four without sleep now. Sadly, he was rather used to it now. He would just busy himself with work or other small things to distract himself.

He frowned more. No, Jae definitely did not like that. But what to do. "...what have you tried to help yourself sleep when you can't...?" he asked gently, looking at the older man with concern. He wanted nothing more than to help him, that was all.

The demon was a little startled by Jae's concern. No one had given him that sort of look in years. He was considering just lying to him but..."I don't," it slipped. He never really tried to sleep anymore, because it was just a waste of time. "It's easier not to sleep," he said sitting back in his chair a little. It was the truth. Either lay awake for hours doing nothing but thinking, or be plagued by nightmares. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good dream.

He didn't? Jae bit his lip, thinking a little. He knew that when he was only a couple years old and had begun having troubles staying asleep or even falling asleep, his mother or one of the elder mares had sung to him until he had dozed back off. He could try that. But, then again, what if he shouldn't? "...I want to help..." he whispered, looking at Shinji.

Shinji furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?" The idea of help was nice, but not very realistic. At least not to the demon. He hadn't had a decent nights sleep since his 'family incident'. What could JaeJoong possibly do that would change that? "How do you expect to change my sleeping habits?"

"I don't really know...and I'm not sure how, yet, but it's worth a try. Besides...you kind of look like a dried-out old vampire that hasn't gotten any rest in a month...no offense, just pointing out the obvious..." he said quietly, not looking at the demon. Jae detested that he always said what he thought, even when he didn't want to or mean to.

Shinji opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. He wasn't really sure how to take that one. He'd never been compared to a vampire, at least not in that way. "I really look that bad?" he asked, a little concerned about his appearance now. If it was as bad as Jae had said, then he would definitely need to figure something out, even aside from sleep.

"...you look exhausted. I'm surprised you haven't just passed out yet..." he answered softly, looking at him. The demon did look worn out, that was for sure. Jae wondered just why he cared so much, but then again, it didn't matter. He frowned as a waiter finally came over to take their orders, interrupting his thoughts.

The demon could only sigh. He must really look awful for JaeJoong to be so concerned. He nearly growled when the waiter interupted them, but gave him his order for Sashimi. After the waiter left with their orders, Shinji looked back at Jae. "What do you have in mind?"

"...well...before I was disowned, while I was...I think two years old...somewhere around there, I used to have a lot of trouble falling asleep and staying that way, especially since my brothers tortured me with frightening stories about the forest to give me nightmares. My Mother or an Elder would sing to me until I fell back to sleep...it always worked, too, so...I figured...maybe that might help you...but I'm not sure..." he said, looking at Shinji. He would probably be denied, it was a rather dumb idea after all.

The demon blinked in reply. Was Jae being serious? He knew people would sing lullabies to children when they couldn't sleep, but he was never the sort. He personally didn't sing, and no one had ever sung to him, even as a child. Shinji was expecting that the other would suggest some sort of spell, or food. "...I'm not sure that would really work," Shinji was hesitant. He had horrbile sleep patterns, so he didn't really think that someone singing would help. "Besides, where would I find someone to do that for me?"

"...it might...and...w-well...I would...if you wanted..." he said hesitantly, biting his lips and fidgeting a bit, looking at his lap. Jae was suddenly unsure if he should have said such a thing. He did enjoy singing, but he hadn't ever sung for someone that wasn't his old CD player at home.

"Sing for me," Shinji instructed without actually thinking about it. He was starting to seriously consider trying anything to help him sleep at this point, so why not try it out. But he wanted to hear Jae sing first. No sense in having someone serinade you to sleep if you don't even like their voice. He could tell JaeJoong was getting more and more nervous with his suggestion, but he didn't want the other to feel that way. It was a fair suggestion after all, as random as it was.

Shinji wanted Jae to sing for him? He blinked, suddenly glad for the private seating. He rarely sang A Capella, but he'd gladly try for the ice demon if that's what he wanted. Jae began to sing softly, using one of the songs he had written when he first moved into the City, completely unaware that they held truth of some sort. "...those freezing hands aren’t your fault, they carry scars from long before...afraid to love someone, you turn your back on the other side of the words…like ice, the embraced heart slowly starts to thaw," he sang, pausing for a moment before continuing. "For anyone to be loved by someone, makes life in this world shine...if it was me, I’d make your heart warm once more, with eternal tenderness..."

Shinji's face fell as he heard the song escaping the other's lips. His voice was beautiful, well fitting of him. As he listened to the lyrics, he turned his face down, his fringe covering his eyes slightly. He knew there was no way Jae knew about his past or anything of the like, but the song and cut through to him. The demon clenched his jaw slightly at the nervousness, but he did find JaeJoong's voice calming. He didn't feel like it made any sense. Shinji did want to hear more though. "...You sound very good."

He trailed off when Shinji spoke, offering a gentle smile in response to what the demon had said. Jae noticed the almost-hidden sadness in the other male's eyes, but refrained from asking anything that would possibly hurt him emotionally. Sure, he was, for lack of better wording, tough, but even JaeJoong knew that a person could only take so much. "...thank you..."

Shinji took a deep breath and composed himself quickly before looking back up at Jae. "I think I would like to give this a try," he spoke flatly, leaning back onto the table. "The singing I mean. Your voice is very nice, it's worth trying I suppose. If you don't mind doing it," he trailed on, trying not to talk to fast. He didn't invite people to his home ever, because it was always too cold for anyone, and he wasn't usually fond of company. It was a strange idea to have someone there with him again.

It surprised him that Shinji wanted to go through with the idea. Jae smiled more, happy about it. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mind...if you want me to, then I will," he said quietly. He was surprised by his own willingness to do what the older asked of him. But he truly wanted to do anything he could to help the demon, no matter what it was.

"Maybe tonight then, if it isn't any trouble," he wasn't sure if he was being pushy, but maybe Jae wouldn't mind. It was his suggestion after all. "My home is extremely cold though, so you may not want to go there..." he was nearly cut off when the waiter finally came with their food. As the man sat their food down, his hand went to his glass again, molding the ice slightly out of habit and thanking the waiter before he left again.

Jae waited to answer until the waiter had gone out of earshot. "Tonight would be fine...I would just need to pick up a couple things from home...if...that's alright...? The cold won't bother me too much if I have a blanket or two..." he said, picking at his food a bit as he spoke.

"I'll take you there, it's not a problem. I have several blankets, but I'll still thaw the rooms for you," Shinji picked at his food, eating a small bite of the sashimi. His home was covered in a layer of ice, aside from the floor. This made the entire atmosphere of the rooms like it was in the tops of the mountains. It wasn't something a few blankets could fix for long. But he had no problem making the ice thaw for Jae, and he had no idea why.