| [Oct. 19th, 2013|04:21 am] |
Well, if they were going to play this game after all… Ryouma folded his arms. "You forgot to take out the trash."
Kakashi's jaw shifted sideways under the mask in the faintest yawn. "I'm having this sudden flashback to childhood," he said. "Are you about to say you're not mad, you're just disappointed?"
Ryouma bit the inside of his cheek. "Impressed, actually," he said after a moment. "I was pretty sure the dishes'd be growing new life forms when I got back."
"Oh." Kakashi rubbed an awkward hand over the back of his neck. "You're welcome?"
Any minute now they were going to be hugging it out. Ryouma unfolded his arms, scooped the empty curry bowl off the windowsill, and headed for the tiny kitchen nook. "Coffee? Might as well make use of those mugs you cleaned." And they could probably both use the caffeine, if they were planning to keep this no-sleeping standoff up for long.
Should he be surprised to realize that he hoped they would? Kakashi'd been easy—even fun—to talk to during the Trials, but they'd barely spoken except in verbal spars since then. This Kakashi seemed to have laid his armor down, or at least loosened the buckles. Disarmament didn't mean much when you could kill with your hands, but—
Hell, it was something, after all.
Kakashi's nose wrinkled beneath his mask. "Coffee tastes like death. You have tea?"
Something, Ryouma noted wryly, didn't have to be polite.
"Maybe." He dug through the cupboard, past canisters of expensive beans he'd been saving for so long they were probably worthless by now, through stray packets of chai blends and cocoa powder and herbal tisanes he'd picked up at one time or another. "Got a basic oolong, if you don't mind it in a bag."
The mattress squeaked as Kakashi swung off, but Naruto didn't stir. Kakashi padded soundlessly across the room to join Ryouma at the counter. "That's fine," he said. He slouched hip-shot against the counter, hands sliding into his pockets. "Though I can also just clear out if you want. You've probably had your fill of tiny tots time."
Ryouma hitched one shoulder up. "I don't mind." So long as no one was asking him to explain personal piercing choices to a three-year-old. "He's a cute kid," he added. "Smart. Stubborn. Some of that Eat this soup or I'll pour it in your ear is starting to make more sense, now."
The thin line of Kakashi's mouth quirked. "Actually, Naruto eats his soup."
"I eat my soup when I'm properly awake for it. You just kept timing it wrong." Ryouma passed Kakashi's mug over and leaned against the counter, waiting for his own coffee. "I'll buy you dinner sometime, show you how it's done."
Add in some daffodils, and he'd have half his debt paid already. And a hell of a laugh, watching Kakashi try to make sense of it all. |
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