| [Feb. 22nd, 2012|04:58 am] |
Katsuko gave him a weak smile. “Do we have to talk about this before food? My delicate constitution can’t handle airing dirty laundry before I have my protein.”
Ryouma snorted. "Says the woman who kicked my ass six ways to Tea Country. Sure. I mean--you don't have to tell me anything. Or listen to me at all. But I think it'd help."
She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “Later,” she said. She glanced around the restaurant, taking in the dented walls and the dirty windows that hadn’t been cleaned since her genin days. “This place has too many memories in it.”
"Sure,” Ryouma said, quietly. “Whatever you want."
She reached across the table and patted him on the cheek. “Hey, it’s a big brother’s job to look out for his sister, right? And it’s a little sister’s job to hit her brother over the head with her kodachi for fun. I mean, for training.”
Ryouma narrowed his eyes at her. "How come your verson of fun is so close to my version of pain?"
Katsuko spread her hands, giving him a smug smile. “Such is the way of siblings, grasshopper,” she said. “Get used to it. I’m sticking around.”
He sighed and lounged back in his chair again, stretching his long legs out underneath her chair. "Guess I'll have to stock up on painkillers."
“So many painkillers,” Katsuko said, and kicked him in the shins.
Wakahisa arrived with their food while they were still in the middle of an under-the-table ankle-kicking war. He eyed Katsuko’s innocent expression, setting her bowl down in front of her with a stern, “Behave, brat.”
“Don’t I always?” Katsuko started to say, but interrupted herself with a muffled “Ow!” when Ryouma kicked her left shin.
"I'm trainin' her up," Ryouma said, the very picture of earnest good intentions.
“Good luck with that,” Wakahisa said, dryly, and patted Katsuko on the head before leaving them to it. Katsuko glared at Ryouma’s smirk and picked up her chopsticks, applying herself to scarfing down rice noodles instead of kicking shins.
The broth was just as good as she remembered, and Katsuko had to refrain herself from just drinking from the soup bowl as her stomach growled like an angry wolf. She was so absorbed in her food that she almost didn’t notice the door to the restaurant opening. Even then she wouldn’t have paid any attention--except that two familiar chakra signatures brushed against her senses, and then a man said, “Wakahisa! Good to see you again.”
“Nori,” Wakahisa said, tone absolutely neutral. “Beni. I thought you two were out for another week.”
“My mission ended early. Beni’s, too.” And oh gods, that was Nori, all high-class accent and a hint of a laugh in his voice. “What’s this? Usually you’re happier when we drop in instead of going straight home.”
Katsuko laid her chopsticks down and turned around in her seat, heart pounding. Nori had cut his hair short since the last time she’d seen him, blond locks trimmed close to his scalp. He was looking at Wakahisa, wide mouth curled in a smile.
Beni was standing next to him, chuunin jacket stained and mud-spattered. His red hair was still in that hideous short ponytail, but at least he’d let his bangs grow out more to soften the effect. His gaze landed on Katsuko and she met his eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.
“It’s you,” Beni said, and Nori blinked and looked over at her in shock.
“Yeah,” Katsuko said. “Me.”
They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Finally, Nori sighed. “What are you doing here, Katsuko?”
“Eating,” Katsuko said. “Last I saw, you didn’t own this restaurant.”
His gaze narrowed. “Did you come here because you heard we’d be out of the village?”
Katsuko shrugged. “Figured it’d be best if we didn’t run into each other. Look how well that worked out.” |
|