Who: Kon and Integral Where: Kon's home When: Christmas What: hanging out Warnings: nudity, sexual conversation, tl;dr
Integral had fallen asleep on the couch, a book open in her lap, head resting on the back of the couch, snoring lightly. It had been a long week, and she was tired.
Kon crept in from delivering presents all over the world. He set three small and one large presents down at her side, and crept silently to the kitchen to start the oven and heat up some cider and food.
Integral stirred a little, and woke up, looking blearily toward the kitchen. "Kon?"
Kon crept in from delivering presents all over the world. He set three small and one large presents down at her side, and crept silently to the kitchen to start the oven and heat up some cider and food.
"In here, Integral. Please, if you are tired, keep resting. I've got cider heating up and the makings of some sandwiches started."
"I'm alright. It was unwise to choose the living room as the place for my cat nap."
She stood and stretched. "A sandwich sounds marvelous."
"Why--? Oh... is your back okay?"
He smiled.
"Good! I am making enough for both. I found freshly cooked ham in Ireland on my last swoop by."
She creaked a little. "I will no doubt survive. Ham smells delicious."
She padded into the kitchen, giving Kon a soft smile.
"Good!"
The ham heated up,. as did the cider, and the bread was soon prepared, sandwiches quickly made.
"Hello my beautiful friend. How are you?"
She blushed, shaking her head. "You are too much sometimes, Kon. I've been enjoying the extra time off. The preliminary plans are in motion, now I must simply wait for replies. Is the world safe from desperate peril?"
"Good! And yes... and some kids will have christmas presents this year, so it all balances out."
He nodded.
He enjoyed playing Santa, even with a real one around.
Integral nodded and moved closer, eying the food. "Is there anything you don't do, Kon?"
He was almost unbelievable.
"I-- hate shopping, sharing, dancing, singing, writing, doing homework, dressing up, toeing the line, and... well, there is a lot more."
He was blushing.
"Aside from dressing up, I would have to admit to sharing your disikes." She chuckled a little. He was so handsome when he blushed. She quickly busied herself with a sandwich. Mmmm, ham
He ate too, hungry.
"Anyway, I finished all my tasks, so I am ready to spend a nice Christmas with a friend."
"So I will see you around New Year's, then?"
She gave him a smile, showing him she was teasing. Teasing Kon was fun. Now she knew why Alucard did it to her.
He made a face at her.
"Silly wench. And groovy one. I'll visit my cousins, but I am most glad to be here with you."
She laughed and settled back on the counter. "Then I suppose I should be grateful that I bought you a gift, then."
He blinked.
"You didn't have to do that."
Then he smiled.
"Mia and Jonathan Kent. They are daughter and son of an alternate universe version of the man who I was cloned off of."
He chuckled.
"I mostly hang with Mia. Jon and I-- we don't talk that much."
"You have been more than generous with your time and your home. It was the least I could do. And I would have done it anyway."
She listened as he spoke, chewing her sandwich thoughtfully. "It must be nice having some manner of family here."
She missed her father terribly sometimes.
He blinked, then blushed.
"This is your home now, too, darn it."
He smiled and nodded.
"Sometimes. I feel like I am interfering mostly. They have their mom here and a life, and I am not from their world."
"I am not contributing as much as you to our welfare, so I am still very much an inequal partner." It was just the way things were. No sense being upset by it.
"Ah. I am sorry. That is difficult to deal with, I am sure." He blinked.
"It doesn't work that way. You are a friend, and you do a lot of good, or will. There is nothing inequal here."
He nodded.
"I am okay. I mostly work, anyway."
"I suppose. But you cannot prevent me from feeling as though I should be doing everything myself. It is too far engrained upon my psyche that I am the one upon whom so much rests. Laying down a burden like that does not guarantee that one's back will snap back into shape."
She thought for a moment, and the decided that he didn't need her to tell him what to do about his work. "If I could do more, I would." Her voice was matter-of-fact.
He cocked his head to the side.
"What do you want to do?"
He pondered.
"Do you know much about investment and business?"
"More than is humanly possible." She shrugged. "Business I know, and investing seems simple enough, though it is also somewhat of a roulette wheel."
He nodded.
"Well, if you do, I could give you seed money, and you could invest it. If you want, I mean. You pay back the seed and whatever you feel is fair, and then keep the rest and keep building up until you are happy with what you have. So you have a chance to pull even with me, so to speak?"
He smiled.
"I don't mind having you as a perpetual guest, but if you want to be an equal partner and it means contributing equally, that is the only way I can think?"
She laughed a little and shook her head. "I'm sorry I brought it up. I don't want anymore money. Eventually I will make more than I am now. I just need to get started."
She already owed him so much, the thought of being more in his debt was almost terrifying.
He blinked, and sighed.
"Okay. Sorry?"
"Thank you. Really. And I do understand what you are trying to do. But I wouldn't feel right taking more from you than I already have. You gave me more than enough to start my business, and that will have to do for my ego for the moment."
Her tone was soft. She was persuasive, even in situations like these. "Beside, someone has to live here."
He opened his mouth, then closed it and nodded.
"Sorry?"
He nodded.
"Well, I am glad it is you. Not many people I can relax around."
"Evidently not." Her tone was back to its normal crispness. "Though I can't blame you. It is difficult to relax around most people. And we are both workaholics. I doubt we shall see each other at all once I have the business running."
Which would be good for her. Much less temptation. It was getting more difficult as time passed to think of Kon as nothing more than a friendly presence.
He blinked.
"Oh, uhm, well, I will probably see you around, you know."
He rubbed his face, and nodded.
Integral shrugged. "It is the way of the world. We are both too stubborn to change, and neither of us are happy unless we're working. Or so it seems, at least."
There was nothing wrong with it, in her view. Work was healthy and good for the soul. "Would you like to exchange gifts, now?"
He smiled.
"Sure... that would be cool?"
He was confused. Had he done something wrong?
She nodded and went to her room, wishing she were above her baser instincts. But she couldn't yell at Kon. He was just too nice a person.
She dug through her closet and produced the package she'd bought for him. It was funny book and a set of warm slippers, so he wouldn't have to wander around with cold feet. Even if he couldn't get cold. She'd stuck some gormet hot chocolate mix in the slippers, and tossed it all in a bag.
It wasn't much, but it was what she could do.
He smiled softly, and his smile grew until he hugged her.
"Thank you! This is really cool!"
He handed her his package, absorbed by the funny book.
Her present was two-fold; a hand made rock of purest steel with the following carved in it - 'To a friend in need, in deed, and in word. No one has ever been more Super.' The second present was a card with a large gift card to the local coffee shop and restaurant that they had discovered that had broadband wifi with a note - 'I figure you will be spending a lot of time doing business, and needing plenty of caffiene. Hope this helps.'
Integral blushed a little, but hid it behind her hair as she studied the bit of metal, laughing a little. "Thank you. I will no doubt spend the next month or so awake thanks to your efforts."
She was trying to let the tension out. It was not his fault that he was attractive and unattainable for too many reasons to count.
He bounced and grinned.
"You would anyway. Workaholic, remember?"
She was cute when she smiled. He still felt sadness thinking about Jane, but he knew she was alive out there somewhere and he hoped she would have her own life, somehow.
"Thank you. This book rocks!"
"I thought you could use a laugh, and a whoopie cushion was far too low brow." Her lips quirked into a smirk. "I'm glad you like it. Perhaps you will sit still long enough to read it?" This time, there was gentle teasing in her voice.
He laughed.
"Some of my old friends would disagree."
Then he nodded.
"Thanks. And yes. I am not going anywhere for the next three days. At least."
He grinned.
"Good." She nodded, and then smiled at him. "I am going to take my new treasures and sleep in a proper bed. I will see you in the morning, then?"
He nodded.
"Go, have fun. I am making cookies, then crashing out. See you then."
"Enjoy your cookie making." She smiled at him and took one last tidbit of ham before retreating to her room. What a strange night.
"Sleep well!"
He grinned as he worked on the cookies.
"What a groovy night."
Then he settled to read the funny book.
"Heh..."
Integral woke at her usual time the next morning, pulling her robe and slippers on, yawning. She put her glasses on and went to the bathroom, opening the door without knocking or thinking.
Kon whipped his head around as he stood there, scrubbing off with a towel, and froze.
"Ah-- morning?"
His towel moved very fast after that, but it was too little, too late.
Integral blushed violently and fled to her room, a small noise escaping her throat. Now she remembered that he was actually home for the next few days.
She was going to die of embarrassment.
Kon fled to his room, dressed, and sighed, then went to make breakfast... a lot of food, yes... oh yes.
It was about half an hour before the need to use the bathroom drew Integral out of her bedroom again. Luckily, the door was still open, so she went in, hoping that Kon wouldn't be too angry at her.
She stayed in there for a long time, taking a bath, brushing her teeth, and then just sitting on the edge of the tub, hiding until seh regained her composure.
He was beautiful, but that was not polite to think about.
Eventually she stepped out, ready to apologize. The sound of cooking was obvious, so she headed in that direction.
Kon had made sausage, eggs, ham, pancakes, peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and orange juice.
When she came in, he blushed and smiled.
"Um! Morning! Breakfast?"
Yes! Avoiding the subject!
"Yes." She nodded and took a seat at the table, looking at anything but Kon. That wasn't awkward at all. Nope.
"I'm sorry, Kon. I should have knocked. But you're gone so often, and. . . I didn't think." Her voice was soft. Apologizing didn't come naturally, but this wasn't his fault.
"It's okay! It will be an adjustment for both of us, I know. I am not used to having someone around, either. I remember when I had roommates I always locked the bathroom door, just in case mornings or nights came around and brains were not working. I just... forgot."
He blushed and layered a lot of food on her plate, and on his.
"Sorry."
"It's not your fault, and you did me no harm." She sighed and looked down at her food. "I'm not used to sharing a bathroom."
He blushed and nodded.
"Um, will it be okay? I can go back to traveling if you would rather."
He did not want to disturb her.
"I am not used to having a beautiful woman around, or anyone else around at all, anymore."
"I'm not going to kick you out of the place you live just because I don't want to share the bathroom." Her tone took on its usual haughty stubbornness. "Besides, it was probably, on some level, good for me. I, uh, hadn't seen anything like that before. I would rather be. . ." she winced, "er, exposed to it now, rather than at some other, even worse moment in time."
He blushed and laughed.
"I used to just stay naked, most of the time. If you'd come around then, you really would have been exposed, er... or vice versa."
He breathed.
"So, we're okay?"
She giggled a little at that. "I believe so. If you're not angry with me, I will not be angry with you. Surprised, though. I had not thought- never mind."
She blushed furiously, and began eating. "I suppose you're lucky that I don't believe in sex before marriage. Were I any other woman, this would become terribly tedious for you." Integral didn't think she would ever have sex at all, but putting it the way she had typically got her written off by potential suitors, so she had decided that was her course of action.
He raised an eyebrow but let it go.
He blinked at that.
"Huhn?"
"A normal woman would probably be chasing you rather vehemently. Especially after seeing that." She blushed brighter, but her face was placcid. "You are, after all, quite handsome."
He stared.
"Uhm, well. I would be telling her the truth. I am not ready. My wife's been gone less than six months and I-- I have a lot to try to deal with in my head."
He looked down.
"I am not interested in sex with anyone right now."
She nodded. "I don't know what that's like, but I do understand. Perhaps, in time, you will find someone else you can be close to." She hoped he would. Everybody seemed happier when they were with someone else. And Kon deserved to be happy.
"Thanks. Maybe."
Then he bounced.
"But for now, having a beautiful room mate is no bad thing."
"I still don't know why you insist on calling me beautiful." Her tone was a little sharp. She didn't like being treated as a woman. "I have many other more obvious and useful redeeming qualities."
And the rough spots in her personality needed quite a bit of redemption.
"Because you are beautiful and sexy."
He smiled, then blinked.
"Well, yeah, I am sorry."
He blushed.
"I just am used to calling woman by compliments and I-- apologize."
he looked down.
She sighed. He looked like a puppy that had just been scolded. "No, I'm sorry. Too many years spent being the leader of an organization, playing the big boy's game has made me edgy. I shouldn't get upset at you for trying to compliment me."
Grrrr. Dealing with equals is hard!
"I should be better. Thank you, Integral."
He smiled at her, then.
"You are pretty cool."
"If you were any better, Kon, God would send angels to take you straight to heaven, so you could advise him. I have never met anyone so dedicated to doing what was right for everyone except, sometimes, yourself."
He stared, then fell over giggling.
"I just work hard. I am not that good."
"You took it upon yourself to deliver presents to less fortunate children. You save the world, and barely give yourself any downtime. You talk about all of this as duty, and don't think you're that good? I'm a smoking, drinking, bitch on wheels, who's only redeeming point is my dedication to my men, and I'm pretty okay. You are astonishingly good, whether you like it or not."
He blushed.
"Thank you."
He ate quietly.
"I just try."
"As I have said before, that is what makes you better than anyone else."
She continued to eat. "Also, you may make pancakes as often as you wish. They are quite delicious."
He laughed.
"My mentor taught me. His mom taught him. She could cook anything. And I like cooking."
"As previously stated, you may cook to your hearts content. What we don't consume will no doubt go to starving orphans." She liked teasing him. He was good natured about it.
He nodded and laughed.
"Thanks. Want to go for a walk later? I heard there is a farmer's market and we could pick up some fruit and veggies for cooking."
"That could be amusing. I've never had to do my own shopping before. It will be interesting seeing how it is supposed to be done."
Sometimes, Integral wondered how she would live on her own. The small amount of time she'd spent alone had been difficult on many levels.