finaldestination-3

[finaldestination-3]

Friendly reminder: fuck Israel! 🖕🏼

[finaldestination-3]

A myriad of frustrated noises streams from the bathroom and catches his curiosity. Sai was well aware that his wife had gone in there not more than a half hour ago in order to shower and get ready for the day out she had planned at least a week in advance. There was so much to do that she really didn't want to run late, but by the sound of it that was probably going to become the case. So his admittedly nosy nature got the best of him and he ventured inside to see if there was any way he could assist Masako in her apparent struggles. The sight that greeted him was one of the clearly stressed woman nitpicking over her appearance in the mirror but not saying a single word of clarification. Whether she knew or not that her husband had entered the scene wasn't even clear so Sai kept his mouth shut so as not to ruffle her feathers further.

A lot of her focus was on her hair, oddly enough, but he still didn't know exactly what about it was upsetting her so much. She ran her hands through it several times and made additional unhappy noises but in the end seemed to settle for what she has before finally taking notice of the new occupant. Masako put on her best facade in order not to worry her beloved as she knew it would not be good to have him see her off and wonder if she was going to be okay for the entirety of the day. Sai makes his approach slowly, a very small positive expression on his face so as to convey that he meant all well, and it immediately helped her shoulders go a little slack. Not feeling so wound up and tight just because her love came on the scene would go a long way to make the rest of her day work out in her favor. Sure it wasn't a cure for her troubles but it was a painkiller that would assure she at least left on a good note.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Bunny?" Sai laces genuine concern into his voice and makes sure he cannot be mistaken showing for belittling pity.

"No." Masako sighs heavily. There is a very minutely visible puff of breath that streams out with the motion. "Thank you so much for offering, though." The statement is capped off when she reaches up to chastely kiss his cheek. It's not a lot but it speaks volumes enough for him.

"I hope that you will be able to get through your day all right. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything from me."

"I promise I will, winter wind." She uses her private pet name for him as a way to express deep gratitude for how altruistic her husband is being.

The fading-pink haired woman goes about the rest of her preparations with a spring in her step but Sai can still tell in some way that she's troubled. Perhaps it's the way she looks so stiff when she walks, or maybe it's the fact that she's gone back to using only sounds rather than words to express how she must be feeling. And, when he thinks back, he knew he could recognize the curl of chilled breath that came out with that sigh. A clear sign that she had been leaning on Nousagi and his chakra as a coping mechanism. Thankfully there was no threat from the Two Tails residing willingly sealed in his wife but he still wished there was some way he could take even half the burden off her so she didn't have to cling to the twin tailed hare while also contending with present life demands. Dark eyes tracked her movements flitting about until she was finally ready to flee out the door just like a rabbit on the run. The sight of her retreating from their home left him with worry in his gut even though he was well aware that somehow everything would be okay given enough time.

So, once Sai was alone, he retreated to his studio in order to be t his owner frustrated feelings of not being able to aid his wife through his usual medium: inky art. But everything that his brush swept onto the paper just took shapes that reminded him too much of either Masako or her favorite motif, rabbits. Pink bunnies and hares and jackrabbits crafted with a certain level of whimsy befitting a performer to like Masako Mai, the love of his life. The way they leapt and tumbled in mid air of the pages had him feeling like he was illustrating something from mythology. But myths always carried lessons and problems with them, didn't they? So then...what were the lessons that came as a package deal this time? His black eyes scanned the parchment for clues as if he had no idea of what could be hidden there despite being the responsible artist from the get go. It was only when he stopped to review a certain frame, one of his wife without her signature dyed hair next to a vibrant pink cottontail that something dawned on him. His brush was set down a little roughly in the next moment and he made a beeline for the front door. Sai Mai had a new mission.

~~~~~~

When Masako entered the home that evening, she found her loving spouse there to greet her almost instantly. Sai was very intuned tonight to the fact that his wife needed him and it was incredibly sweet. Wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, burying her face into his chest and not speaking for several moments, felt like a perfect time of respite after the day she'd had. The two parted once she felt satisfied and he proceeded to let her know that he had dinner ready when she was herself ready and that any obligations she had left for the evening he would take care of in her stead. It became impossible to tell him just how much she appreciated his thoughtfulness when the day had been so full of running around and dealing with difficult people she truly did not want to give the time of day to. At one point, Nousagi had to butt in and express his own concern for his host when she had gone a little too quiet in running all those errands. Reassuring the Bijuu wasn't difficult but it sure was embarrassing.

"I have something else for you, too, after dinner. Hopefully it'll suffice since I know it's not your usual."

Masako cocks her head at him because that sure was an out of left field cryptic comment. "What is it?"

"You will see a little later. I promise. Please trust me, it isn't negative."

"Okay. I will trust you."

Of course she's a little wary of what the hell it could be but knowing him it would probably be something that brightened her spirits in ways only he knew how to. So they sat down for dinner as soon as the rush of the day finally worked its way out of her system and enjoyed a quiet meal together. Through it all her curiosity intensified more and more as she thought on what it could be that Sai had apparently gotten for her that she wasn't privy to. Pink eyes searched dark ones, trying almost to plead with him to finally reveal his well kept secret, and after some time he finally gave in. Sai stood up from the table and beckoned his wife to follow him back to the bathroom he found her stressing in that morning. There on the sink sat something that instantly flooded her brain with the emotional equivalent of a lightbulb moment.

"I know you usually like to have it done professionally, so I'm very sorry if this is mediocre I'm comparison." His apology streams out as if he had committed some great injustice.

"You never have to apologize for something like this, Sai." She's quick to make sure he doesn't feel bad for any longer than he thinks he has to. "I can't thank you enough for getting this for me. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to make an appointment. And it's driving me crazy because I don't feel right when I look in the mirror and see how much it's fading. Thank you. Really. I love you so, so much."

She picks up the high tier brand of pretty pink hair dye and inspects it front to back. Sai really went all out in choosing something that he knew would make her day. No...not her day. Her week, at the bare minimum. This may not have been an expensive day at a salon but it truly did not have to be. Now she could dive back into the pink bliss she enjoyed so heartily and feel more confident in her day to day activities for at least a while until the euphoria of fresh new dye simmered to a quiet joy. This man was the most considerate and caring man in the entire goddamn world and she could not think of a way to thank him enough for her liking. So she set the box back down gently, turned to him and wrapped him in a much more energetic hug than he had gotten that morning. Sai could feel the energy of excitement buzzing in her motions and the sheer electricity in the kiss she placed on his lips just before backing off again. If he had been a dog, his tail would be wagging happily just then.

"Please don't look at me weird when I ask you this." She begins just then, some red tinting her cheeks so a little to signal sudden embarrassment. "But could I ask for your help with this? Please?"

"Of course." He smiles easily. "I would have offered even if you had not asked. With all of it, right? Including the bleaching?"

"Especially that part. I don't like handling that stuff on my own. Too risky."

"Then I will be very careful and make sure none of it causes any harm."

Because it is going to be a process over a few days, mindful of the way her hair type needs to be lightened before applying the dye, Sai makes sure to set a reminder for himself for the next few evenings as soon as he finishes the first night. He and Masako take up the bathroom for a good hour while he delicately mixes and applies a light coating of the bleaching agent to her hair. It's spread with precision and allowed to sit for a good amount of time before he turns on the shower and tells her to hop in. Of course he gets in with her and helps her wash all of the stuff out of her hair to reveal the now lighter color to the showing brown. Masako revels in th attention he applies to both her hair and her while they stand under the warm spray of water, excited that this will be the routine for the next several nights, trying not to think about how sad it will be when it's all finished. But she's getting ahead of herself here and she knows it. Tonight is the first but certainly not last night of many that she and her beloved will work on fixing the one thing that has been eating at her mind for the past week. And when they are clean and dry for the evening, he will take her into his studio to show her the artwork the thought of her inspired in him earlier. Sai enjoys the way his wife's entire being lights up when she interacts with what brings her joy. The look in her eyes is unmatched by any sight in nature and he is thankful that he will get to experience the sight of it for a lifetime.

[finaldestination-3]

"Probably about that time, right?"

"You would know better than I would." He looks from them to the clock on the wall. "But in this case yeah it is."

Kouta retreats into the kitchen to fetch the important items. As he picks up the bill bottle carefully and goes to unscrew the top, the medication rolls around a little inside and makes a very minute noise. There are plenty for a couple weeks but it'll need another refill before the month is up. Thankfully he's not worried about that at all and secures the cap again when he has one of the pills safely closed in one hand. A drink is the next item to grab so he fetches a mug from the drainboard, cleaned earlier in the day, and sets in on the table. Water is the most basic option but he feels like changing it up today and goes to open the fridge to review his other options.

There's a decent selection of cans of soda in the pull out drawer and he carefully considers each for a moment but ultimately decides against all of them. He knows that Shin won't mind whatever he brings them so he doesn't feel guilty about not asking what they'd prefer tonight. His gaze shifts to the inside of the door and spots something that gives him that lightbulb moment as soon as the soda drawer is closed. A recently purchased carton of eggnog from the premium brand. Immediately he knows that this is going to be it tonight and retrieves it from where it sits next to various sauces and condiments, bringing it over to pour in the mug he'd pulled out moments earlier.

"Sorry I'm taking so long." Kouta calls into the other room. Usually he's quicker about this but tonight his mind is a little scattered.

"No worries." Comes the relaxed replies. From their spot on the couch in the living room, Shin is fixated on the nature documentary that had been playing on tv for the last half hour. Truth be told Kouta would like to get back in and see more of it as well.

The carton is placed back into its spot in the fridge door, the fridge itself is closed again, and he takes both the drink and the medication into the other room to give them to his partner. As expected they were watching the same thing that had been on when he left the room but something else caught his eye when he looked at the couch. Another body had been curled up against Shin, watching with them, thankfully quietly. Kouta stopped in his tracks and went to say something harmless but found the words would not come out. An awkward feeling took hold in his hands following his inability to speak and he internally had to curse this terrible timing.

Shin, noticing out of the corner of their vision that their partner had stopped suddenly and wasn't moving again yet, turned to look at him and ask what was wrong. "Something the matter? Anything I can do to help?"

"Yep." Kouta manages to get out. "Please take these from me right now. Having a moment and I don't want to drop them."

"Gotcha. Let me know if there's anything else."

Dark green eyes keep focus on Kouta as they make to get up but the chain of events that unfolds is a little too quick for Shin and before they know it the cup falls out of Kouta's grip and plummets to the floor. Thankfully the other figure that had been loafing on the couch springs into action and makes a dive to catch the falling cup before it can hit the floor and break into so many pieces. The river otter Vega, one of the four summons that belonged to Shin, made it just in time and was now laid out on his back with the mug held high in the palms of his webbed paws. At least the messier object has been rescued. The same could not be said for the pill that also tumbled from Kouta's other hand when the phantom shift had run through him. It fell somewhere in the carpet and he let out a groan when he realized how much of a pain in the ass finding it again would be.

"Son of a bitch." Kouta manages to shake off the last of what had frozen him in place and resorts to cussing. "Sorry about that, hate when that shit happens."

"Can't be helped." Shin shrugs, completely unbothered. "What happened anyway? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Combination of animals on tv and otter on my couch just tripped a fucking Shift. Suddenly my hands felt like ferret hands and those aren't compatible with holding things."

Vega rolls over right side up just then, the mug safely resting on the carpet with minimal spillage when he lets go, and he looks up at Kouta with his unique yellow eyes. "Sounds like you're just bad at it."

The orange eyed man bends down to grab the fallen cup and sets the still mostly full thing down on the coffee table before addressing what the otter had said. "You try overlaying weasely hands on a human body. I know I don't actually have hands that look the way they feel and that's what trips me up."

"Quitter talk. You should try harder." And with that, the little mustelid hops back up on the couch and curls up.

"Probably ignore that." Despite everything, Shin laughs. "And when you find that pill I'll take it even if it's been on the floor for god knows how long."

"Not afraid of carpet essence?"

"Not in the least."

Orange eyes look into midnight green and Kouta allows himself to let go of the frustration. It helps more than he can describe to have a partner who doesn't get up in arms at small problems like this. So he gets down on his knees to look closer for the little red med and it only takes him a brief search before it turns up. Whatever it had touched on the carpet remained a mystery and didn't bother Shin anyway so Kouta handed it over to them promptly. Once it was down the hatch, chased with what was left of the eggnog in the mug, he finally joined them on the couch on the other side of where Vega was posted. The otter turned up his nose at the former Shinobi and simply enjoyed whatever the hell was going on on the screen at present. He had his master to pet him so nothing Kouta could say or do from then on was going to phase him.

[finaldestination-3]

"Need anything while I'm up?" Kouta calls from the kitchen into the main living space. He waits, patiently, just I'm case they needed a moment to respond.

"Nah, I think I'm good. Come join me." Comes the reply. It's prompt and reminds him that he shouldn't have worried in the first place.

"I'll be there in second. Just let me rinse the dishes." He responds, less loud this time, and finds his sense of urgency. The dinnerware is carefully placed in the sink and he turns the water on over them. Later he'll actually clean them but for now he just lets the water remove the excess mess. When he's satisfied with the job he's done, he trots into the living room. Only to be stopped in his tracks when he catches sight of the scene on the couch.

They're laid out, vertically, across the couch with their upper half propped up on a couple of really nice pillows. It honestly looks ideal for relaxing and watching whatever news is on the television. But it's not the sight of his partner, still in the early stages of recovery from their recent surgery, that is what has him frozen in place. Kouta can only stare at what he's seeing and when he doesn't move he manages to get Shin's attention. They shoot him a confused look before daring to ask him what's got him looking like a statue.

"Something wrong with this picture?" Accenting the question with a slight head tilt, they feel like they know what's up but need to ask anyway. Need to let him tell them in their own words what might be going on that isn't registering as normal.

Kouta's feet begin to carry him closer to the couch without actually saying anything. The entire time he knows Shin is watching him and probably feeling impatient since he hasn't responded. When he stops in front of them, blocking the view of the tv screen no less, they want so badly for him to just come out with it. But instead of that they try to trace his line of sight because they're not holding eye contact with him right now so it must mean he's fixated elsewhere. So they try and track where he's looking and end up eyeing the little creature currently using their chest as a bed. Thankfully they have a barrier between the animal and their bare skin so nothing could irritate or infect the incisions.

"Let me guess. You're lost about why this is happening. Thinking that this must mean the world is ending. Sound about right?" They ask up at him, an edge of a laugh caught in in their words. It's kind of downplaying the reality of the sight but it's ultimately harmless so they don't worry much.

"HOW?" is all the can get out at first. Kouta isn't used to a sight like this, much less what it implied. "How long has it been laying on you peacefully?"

He's talking about the half-asleep Raijuu currently using Shin as a nice place to lay. The talking going on between the two adults rouses the little weasel more and it looks up at its host with one critical eye before focusing again on what should be its mortal rival. Rather than rock the boat with more verbal sparring, Shin carefully reaches out and pets the little animal on the head gently. They know deep down it wants nothing more than to bite their fingers and shake its head side to side as those little teeth are buried in sensitive flesh. But they also know Kouta has warned it ahead of their return home to be nice. Now it was the pure shock of his orders being obeyed that had the ex Taki nin questioning his current reality.

"What? You don't trust that there could be a break in the tension for once?" They're bordering on smug with that comment. It's playing with fire to say such things when the fiend in the middle could fairly easily understand what was being said about it. "No faith, I tell ya. Shame on you."

He sighs out his nose and shakes his head. They're pressing their luck with his Raijuu and with him. And they're so very lucky he would never so much as jostle them when they're recovering from major surgery or else they'd be in trouble right then for goading him. Kouta stuffs the issue down and chooses to put on a slightly warmer expression in the next moment. If the two were going to play nice for now, like he had asked, why tempt fate? Shin was home and feeling good so that's what mattered. He missed them. Now it was time to spend the plentiful downtime with them. It was just a bonus that his other constant companion was behaving too.

"Scoot over, nuisance. I don't care if you have excuses. I want a spot on the couch too." Kouta keeps his nose in the air at this. He's entitled to act a little above it all. He won't cause harm, but a little playful bullying would sure get results.

"Fine, fine. You don't have to sit on the floor this time." They groused. "Maybe think about it ahead of time next time so you can claim your spot BEFORE I want to lay down."

"Less chatter, more moving."

This is the clear hard part. And he can see the conflicting feelings written plainly on their face. Shin looks at the weasel finally resting peacefully on their chest and tries to figure out a way to get it to move without upsetting the truce the two were riding at present. They finally settle on setting one open palm next to it as an offering to cling to while they quickly shift their position to allow Kouta go join them. It looks at them, then at the hand, and does not move.

"C'mon, I promise not to ask anything more of you tonight. Master just wants to sit with me. Blame his audacity, I'm just a helpless observer."

"I'm going to sit *on* you next time you make me look bad like that next time." He snarls, growling just a little, but there is no real bite behind his words. Shin knows it too. From the way they grin back at him, he knows they see right through him.

While the two shoot each other very different looks, one of smugness and one of defanged exasperation, the eccentric creature makes its decision. It picks itself up and scurries onto the palm offered as a platform. Shin registers that it has taken their offer to gently move it and carefully holds their hand steady as they sit up. Their passenger still looks a bit torn as to how to feel but before it can change its mind the whole experience is over. Kouta has taken his seat on the end of the couch, moving the pillows that had been there, and his partner has laid back down with their head in his lap. The Raijuu is let back down and opts, surprisingly, to resume its post.

"Not so bad now was it?" Their comment is directed at the small beast. It doesn't even look up at them and they chuckle just a little at the slight. "What about you, are you happy now?"

His brain doesn't register that Shin is talking to him until a few beats after their last word. When he lets it sink in, he brings one hand up to gently card through their hair. It's loose, no surprise given how that's much more comfortable when laying down, and still as soft as ever. "Yeah. I think I'm good now. What about you?" His voice is softer than he realized, a lot different from his scolding tone not that long ago. The process of waiting for them to move then sitting and feeling their weight come to partly rest against him must have wiped all his ornery thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm good too. Thank you for being my pillow. I prefer you to those other ones a lot more." They echo, a little soft too but not as much as he had been, and accent the words with a little smile. It's infectious. Soon he is returning the expression just as they had mirrored his softened tone. "Wanna watch something with me too? I'm bored but not enough to take a nap."

Kouta thinks it through, or at least the part about what he might like to turn on at the moment, before daring to answer. A nap later sounded nice actually. So what should the two of them put on until then? Not something too loud or it would disturb the third party that was for once behaving with both of them. And to tell the truth he wasn't in the mood for anything thought provoking or especially riveting either. Maybe something would catch his eye as he was looking through all the working channels. When he began to look around for the remote, he almost jumped a little when the very object was presented to him.

"Looking for this?" Shin offers, not waiting for him to ask. "Saved you the hassle."

He mindlessly takes the item from them and sets it onto the side table just next to the arm of the couch. Once it's in a spot where he can easily find it again, he leans down over them. They look into those electric orange eyes of him, not at all upset at the closeness, rather seeming to enjoy the invasion of their personal space. It's him that closes the distance then and unites the two of them in a kiss. The kiss doesn't last too long but it doesn't need to. When he pulls up just a bit, head still bent to look down at them, he brings his hand up to brush their hair back starting from the bangs. Shin leans into it and he swears he's never been more infatuated with them.

"Comfortable?" Kouta only gets out the one word but it's all he needs. There are damn near hearts in his eyes. This pest, the accidental love of his life. He's so happy they're back with him and especially now in a much happier position.

"Only if you keep doing that with your fingers. They feels nice." They sigh happily, almost wanting to close their eyes and just revel in the touch. By this point the remote and entire notion of tv falls to the wayside. Neither of them mind.

"You know." Kouta pipes up. He brings his other hand over to join the first one, now full on playing with their hair. "I think you could go with a new style to match the new you."

"What do you have in mind, huh? How can you best perfection that already exists?" It's more of their habit of baiting him, but completely good natured.

"Well, for starters, how about this." He carefully works most of their hair up so it resembles a haphazard mohawk. "You never put it up. Look, I didn't even know you had ears!"

"Oh haha. That sounds like commentary about how I don't listen. You can't get me with that." But they are wearing a smile and don't even try to shake their hair free. "I'll consider it."

The locks he's holding so gingerly fall free of his control and he tries to think of another option. It dawns on him that he never considered one particular route. "Well what about a cut? Even just your bangs. It's gotta be hell when it gets hot anyway."

"Says the one with the mullet. But, maybe. I think the ends need to be cleaned up at least. I spend enough time tearing my hair out lately with this current thing I'm writing, probably need some maintenance."

That is good enough for Kouta and he nods his head just a little bit. Both of them are quiet then, he continues to gently work his fingers through those silver strands, marveling at how soft they are and how much Shin seems to enjoy the gesture. They are in such a good mood and have been since waking up from that procedure. It's like night and day to Kouta even if it would be difficult for a lot of other people to pick up on. No more dysphoria means no more struggling with trying to keep it at bay. That freed up their feelings and time and energy to go elsewhere. Like into cuddling with him on the couch in the afternoon. All the can think of now is how content his beloved is, how the three of them are at more peace than they had ever seen before, and how going forward there will be so many good times. It sparks a sense of deep affection in him.

"I love you, you know." He's the first to break the small silence.

"Oh, I know." There's that playful confidence again. "You have good taste. And I love you too."

There is nothing else in the entire world in that space and that moment. Just the bastard laying in his lap, the little weasel he picked up in Lightning Country that was thankfully still being so good right now, and himself. Even if someone else came home right then he would not register their existence. Tomorrow the two of them might shift back into their usual fun back and forth, but tonight was for a cheesy sort of closeness. Eventually he would finally manage to turn on the tv. But until then, he just reveled in having his best friend and beloved in their best mood all to himself. And he knew with everything he was worth that the sentiment was mutual.

[finaldestination-3]

He goes through the checklist in his head while it's still early and the day is fresh and easy. There are plenty of hours before he has to report for his shift, so that alone is a balm to his nerves. Breakfast is behind him and the dirty dishes that came of it are soaking for a little while in the sink. Though it's not perfect work, he's reorganized his bed well enough so that it at least looks presentable. His basic hygiene for the day ahead has all been seen to. There isn't garbage laying around or trip hazards on the floor. Everything on the inside of his apartment is in order so he lets out a satisfied sigh as soon as all of that is checked off nicely. The last thing to check is on the balcony so he calmly heads in that direction, gently slides the door open, and steps outside. The door clicks closed behind him to prevent unwanted pests from flying into his home while he's out tending his plants.

The weather that immediately greets him is lightly breezy and moderate in temperature for this time of year. Perfect, there will be no need to worry about stifling heat he cannot escape from. And while storms and rain make for nice ambience it's nice to know his trio of plants will not be at risk of being knocked over by high winds or flooded by a downpour while he's at work since the forecast looks clear for the entirety of the day. As soon as he's done surveying the sky and ascertaining the forecast, Kouta retrieves the still half full watering can from its corner and gives attention to each of the plants individually so they won't dry out while he's away. It uses up the rest of what's in the can so he makes a mental note to fill the thing back up when he's home after work or in the morning if he's too tired tonight. It's an evening shift today. That meant a lot of time beforehand to mentally prepare himself as well as tend to all his chores at home. Maybe, just maybe that would be a good thing. He's been needing some sort of mental break as of late and this is certainly helping.

After he sets the can back down in its corner, something at the back of his mind gives him an unsettled feeling. That's all it takes to put him a little on edge, even without good reason, before he can even think to check around to see what might be causing said feeling. His intuition may be overactive on the anxiety side but it's better to be safe than sorry. Even a second floor apartment with its height advantage won't save him from everything. So he carefully steps closer to the balcony ledge and reaches for the railing before daring to look down and out at the village all around him. First he checks the horizon and finds nothing of note. Then he tips his head up and finds not even a singular bird in the sky. Two directions down, one to go. His last remaining option is downwards and the moment he trains his gaze in that very direction is the moment an answer comes to him. Before they can even say a single word he's already groaning deeply and rolling his eyes.

"Why me. Why now." Kouta grumbled under his breath, praying the words would not reach their ears.

They seemed unfazed so either he was quiet enough or they simply didn't care as they went right into their own informal greeting. "Off duty today?"

Kouta's fingers tighten around the wooden railing harder, nails digging in slightly, and he leans into it before responding. "What the hell do you want?"

"Wow, that's a hell of a friendly greeting." The sarcasm present in their tone is light and is soon chased with a laugh. "That doesn't answer my question though, oh self important one. Too good to give me the time of day?"

Kouta snarls down at them, lips curled back to show unimpressive teeth as if it would do anything. "I don't even know you. Give me one good reason why I should tell you anything about my schedule."

"Hmm." They bring one hand up to their chin in thought. "You make a good point. Maybe just for the sake of curiosity? It won't hurt anything to just answer one question. C'mon now."

He sighs through his nose and turns his expression into an exasperated one. Clearly they aren't getting the hint yet so maybe if he gave them a simple answer they'd be satisfied and leave. "I'm not scheduled until this evening." He breathes out deeply to stay calm. "If you must know."

This encounter finds him with the high ground for once and he deeply wishes it was worth anything. They're not fazed even though he could easily get the jump on them and come down hard with two stories of force. Perhaps they know that he can't be assed to attack, or perhaps they're just willing to take the risk regardless. When he was the one staring up at them all he could feel was nervous and uncomfortable even though they weren't threatening him. And when they were on equal footing he could only be annoyed at their behavior. It seemed there would be no winning for him no matter what advantage he was able to obtain. This intrusive individual took things in stride just a little too well. But now that he had come to that conclusion, he could now focus on the next matter at hand. Why the hell were they here? And how did they find his residence? He could not recall tipping them off to his location at all.

However he didn't have time to go about asking any of this as they spoke first. "Cool, cool. That means you probably have nothing better to do right now. Just like all day at work." To accompany their irreverent words, they wore a stupid self assured grin that would have ruffled his feathers had he been born a bird.

"Can you leave? No I don't have anything important to do right now and I like it that way. So I'm gonna go back to bed for a little while and pray you're not there in my nightmares."

"Woah, jumping to conclusions already huh? If you dream about me then that's on you. Maybe I should be asking you about that." There was that laugh again. It felt mocking, but not in a cruel way. Like they weren't taking him seriously. Just the thought of that was driving him further and further up the wall. Maybe an aerial attack wasn't out of the question after all.

He was quite tempted to yell at them for making his nice relaxed pace day into a stressful one before it was even noon. But feeding into the antics would probably not end well for him, he was old enough to know that adding fuel to a fire only got you burned, so the cursing died in his throat before any of it could get out. It all came out as an unhappy sigh as he wondered if they were actually trying to drive him insane. Because if that was the case then it was working. All of their words and actions were making him trip over himself trying to figure out how to respond and he felt like a fool for even getting riled up over it in the first place. What game were they even playing at? Though it was a long shot to success, he figured he would try at least one more tactic to get them to piss off so he could try and get a handle back on his day. If it didn't work then maybe he should just throw in the towel and let himself be dragged like a child trying to walk a dog twice their size.

"Please just run on back to the woods with the rest of your precious deer and give me some peace. I don't know why you, a Nara, have come out of your way to bother me when I'm not even at work but I'm over it already. So please just go home and never return." There were mixed emotions in his voice as he half pleaded with them. It was probably not going to work, but he can't say he didn't try.

As expected, it did not work. They called up to him in a tone of voice that was neither mocking nor cheery. "My name is Shin, by the way. Not just Nara."

That is something he did not know until just now so his ears perked up just a little at it. Not that he cared to know, but know he did and maybe it would come in handy later somehow. At the very least now he could call them out by name when they were getting on his nerves in any future encounters, which he was sure there would be at this point, and they might actually listen. It was also a different form of high ground advantage as it hit him right after that they did not yet know his name. And without a name they could not do any digging around into his life or history in order to mess with him or even hurt him if they ever felt inclined to such malignant actions. He wasn't planning on sniffing around in their personal business either but having a name to use when he was telling them off wasn't really going to hurt anything.

Kouta pulled himself out of that train of thought and made to reply to them again. "Well, Shin, if you would be so kind as to beat it, that would be fantastic. I don't have the patience for any of this right now and can really use more rest so I don't go to work a neurotic wreck. Please." The last polite word may have made him sound pathetic but he didn't have the energy to care. Whatever got them out of his hair quicker.

"You really want me gone that badly, huh?"

"I don't think I can adequately cope with you AND having to psych myself up for my job later. One nightmare at a time."

Shin did not miss the way that he had referred to his job as a nightmare and so filed it away to bring up later. Right now, another issue came first. "I'm not here to get under your skin, promise." They held their hands up in a gesture of placating non-aggression. "But I AM surprised you haven't asked how I got here in the first place."

Kouta shoots them an emotionally tired look with half lidded eyes. "I'm not dumb enough to ask questions I know damn well I won't like the answers to." Damn them for bringing attention to that. He was hoping it wouldn't come up again. Yes of course he wanted to know but also the idea of finding out scared him a little. For now it could stay a mystery, for his own fragile heart's sake.

Logically it wasn't smart to put off things that were by all accounts important information to have. But right now he was at his limit with what he could continue to take in as far as new information went. It hit him then that, in light of this, it had been so long since he had gotten to know anyone new and thus it felt extra tedious to learn more than the very bare basic facts about someone. Shin was the first fresh person in his life that seemed like they would stick around closely enough that it would require some level of familiarity. Even his coworkers were people he kept at arm's length due to lack of desire to be real friends with them. Kouta knew he could not shake off this pest like he could with his coworkers. And maybe, in time, he could find a way to tolerate them if they were so intent on sticking around. For now though it only felt like a pain in his ass to have to keep verbally sparring with them. That was probably a nasty side effect of how long it has been since he had gotten to actually know anyone. Treating the introduction phase like a battle should not be the norm and deep down he knew that. Still...did this one have to be such a casual bastard?

"What's on your mind? Did I say something wrong?" Shin yells up at them but Kouta barely hears them at first. When he finally registers what they're saying, he shakes his head and sighs. He's gonna regret this for damn sure.

"I can't believe I'm saying this." He sighs and they give him their full curious attention. "But are you gonna come up here and make my life more of a living hell than it already is or what? I'm not trying to lose my voice because I'm yelling down at you constantly."

They look like they're processing his words for a moment before responding, as if they hadn't heard him correctly. "Are you sure about this?"

Kouta rolls his eyes again. "I would not have asked if I wasn't sure, you nuisance. Get your ass up here or get lost."

It hardly takes half a minute for them to scale the side of the building, agile like a cat using chakra in the soles of their feet to get a grip on the walls, before landing on top of the railing and towering over him briefly. They jump down before long and he can barely believe he had just invited them freely into his space. This was his home, his property (kind of), not a public space where anyone could freely come or go. Shin was still almost a stranger to him and he'd just given them the okay to step foot into his private space. And they barely needed any time to consider taking him up on the offer. As he looked them up and down they made themself comfortable by leaning against the railing and observing the village from a his usual point of view, lowly whistling while taking it all in. He turned his head back out in the same direction they were looking so as to avoid staring and thus seeming rude. A silence stretched in the space between them for a couple of minutes before he tried to say anything more to them.

"We're staying out here though, got it?" Kouta steeled his voice the best he could when he broke that silence. "I don't need deer tracks all over my floor."

"Sounds fine to me." They shrugged, casually and unbothered. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

The placidity drives his curiosity even further even though he knows he should mind his own business. They should be less willing to put up with such rude comments, right? Or was he just so out of touch that he was imagining spaces where rudeness should be? Was Shin just that easy going or was he long overdue for some socialization? Kouta wracked his brain over and over for answers but only wound up feeling less sure of anything. He didn't even notice when their dark eyes were turned towards him again with a look of concern.

"What's eating you? You look like you're fighting off demons or something." Their power of perception was a little too on the nose for his liking but he still could not afford to tell them that, or even risk them finding out that they were just too close to being right.

"Don't...worry about it." He tries to gather himself quickly so he doesn't look like he's seeking pity. Anything to keep the emotional distance between the two of them strong.

"Okay...I suppose." One of their eyebrows is raised in suspicion but they let it go. He's probably the most unwilling obstacle they've ever come this close to, seeming troubled but unwilling to own up to it when asked about it.

When he feels cooled off enough, and hopeful that they've dropped that subject entirely, Kouta changes the subject to help bury that embarrassing display extra deep. "You said you're a Nara, right? Like the clan with a whole herd of deer and a property with its own miniature forest?"

Shin gives him a very confused look in response before saying a word. One that conveyed just how perplexing his question came off as. Everyone knew the Nara clan and their hallmarks. Asking for details was something you only did if you were from some far off land that has not historically had significant contact with Konoha. Takigakure, where he was from, did not fall under that category so what was with the brainless sounding question? They wanted so badly to believe there was nothing wrong and it was a genuine question from someone out of touch with the modern world. But they weren't that stupid. So, as a happy medium, they decided to give him a cautious reply.

"Unless there's some other Nara clan I've never heard of, yeah, that's the one. Why do you ask?"

"Well I guess I just wouldn't expect a Nara to look like you do. You got the ponytail but that's like the only overlap." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed out his nose to try and salvage his statement, knowing full well how rude this sounded. "Sorry that that was so forward."

They waved it off and answered him without any sort of anger present in their tone. He wanted so badly to believe they really weren't upset with him. "Yeah well you can thank my mom for the last name. We wouldn't be Naras if it wasn't for her. Took the both of us in when Root was torn apart and we had nowhere else to go. So yeah, you're right, I don't exactly look the part."

The way they so casually and easily mentioned Root by name had Kouta floored. He didn't adequately know how to ask them to back their explanation up so that they could better explain what the hell connection they had to the most sinister offshoot of Anbu ever noted to have existed. All parts of his brain were screaming at him to just up and ask them what the fuck that was all about, and it took a tremendous amount of willpower to school his actual statement into something not over the top invasive. "We? Root?? What the hell, Shin? What do you mean by all of that!"

Instead of responding to him with as much energy as he came at them with, Shin simply raised one eyebrow questioningly at him and tried to come up with an answer that would be satisfactory. "Yeah that's a long story that I don't really wanna get into right now. Another time, maybe."

Kouta didn't know what was worse right now: the fact that they chose not to elaborate on something that monumental, or that they were even involved with that whole mess in the first place. Obviously he has no right to know their intimate personal history because that was their business not his but something this big wasn't a thing he could just drop and ignore so easily. Oh he wanted to keep digging his grave deeper and deeper and try prodding them again about it but the little voice of reason in his head pleaded with him to reconsider being too nosy. It was like a war in his head as he dwelled on the whole Root thing that when the other half of his question responded in his head once more he visibly peeked up. Sure Shin didn't wanna talk about the Root thing, but what about the plural thing? Maybe that was tame enough to address right now if only it was worded a little more considerately. But Shin bear him to the punch, oddly enough, when he took a breath to speak and they jumped on first.

"I'd tell you now but you probably don't have the patience for it. Sorry about that." There was an appeasing smile on their face as they spoke. "But I can give you a piece of it now, if you want."

The ex Taki nin could not get his answer out quick enough and he nearly raised his voice too loud. "Yes, yes please I'd like to know whatever you're about to say."

"When I said 'we' I was referring to my brother and I. Mom took the two of us in a decade ago after that whole ordeal." Their tone of voice dropped to something far less upbeat but it couldn't quite be called depressive either. "He's younger than me, name's Sai. We live on the Nara grounds with mom and...Shisui." There is subtle fake gag added to that last name for some reason and Kouta is dying to know what the hell that was all about.

"An Uchiha?" His own tone is one of disbelief. "Now I know you're fucking with me. And what was with that hammy gagging noise?"

"Nope, that's the honest truth. Whether you believe me or not is a you problem."

He wanted to groan at how they didn't even attempt to answer his second question, but their first answer was still enough to set him mind working a mile or minute so he supposed he could forgive them this once. Shisui Uchiha, one of the most accomplished members ever of his historic clan. But the fact that they had referred to him by name instead of calling him dad, or anything in that vein, despite clearly living with him was an oddity that stuck out to Kouta. From what little he actually knew of the man it was clear he hadn't been old enough yet to have a son of this age so it ruled him out as their birth father. And probably also as their adoptive father too, given the added sound of disdain tacked on to their mention of just his name. None of this made much sense to him and he was sure he was gonna get a headache from it if he kept dwelling. But silently dwelling also kept the two from having to have another obnoxious back and forth. Kouta looked over to Shin without saying a word and noted that they were more relaxed now that the conversation was over, their posture much less stiff and the sound of a hum coming from deep in their chest. How the hell did they take everything in stride so easily, especially after a difficult subject had been brought up? He didn't understand them and maybe it's best he never truly tried. He had a feeling that if he made that real effort it would lead him to places that he was unprepared for.

Once more he had gotten himself way off into his own track of thinking and damn near shut them out after the last time he looked in their direction. After several quiet moments only filled with the sounding of humming, Shin seemed to get bored of the nothingness and glanced over in his direction only to find him looking way more distressed than he had any right to be. They let out a light sigh through their nose and tried to get his attention with small meaningless noises. When that didn't work well enough they added a hand wave to see if it would snap him back to the present. Only when they also added in a slightly louder 'hey' in addition to the waving did he look over at them and then immediately slap his forehead with one palm, dragging the hand down his face in exasperation, before either of them picked up the conversation with actual words.

"I don't know what to say to any of this, Shin. I don't even know how I feel."

"You look like you feel overwhelmed. Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not." He grumbled half heartedly and let his arm dangle by his side again. "But I shouldn't be. This shouldn't be happening."

"And why not? Does me being here really bother you than much or is it something else you're not saying?" Damn them for reading him. Those black eyes of their search his orange ones after they're done speaking and he feels like he's too exposed suddenly.

"Just nevermind, I don't know what I'm feeling right now. Don't concern yourself with whatever crawled up my ass."

"If you say so." They shrug, fully nonchalant about it, and swerve right into making another comment that is sure to get under his skin. "You don't have to keep doing what you're doing, you know."

"What are you on about now?" He goes on the defensive from the get go. "Don't have to keep doing what?"

"Whatever is making you feel so cornered and cagey and frankly miserable. I'm sure you know exactly what I mean."

"...you mean my job? The thing that makes sure I can afford a place to stay and basic necessities? Sure it's a cute fantasy to believe that can just be dropped at any time but unlike you I'm trying to stay grounded in reality."

"I said nothing about it being your job that's bothering you. You did." They give him a hard look accented with a small smirk. "But if the shoe fits, wear it. Seems to me like that's causing you more misery than you're ready to own up to. And again I'll repeat myself. You don't have to keep doing anything that's making your life uncomfortable. Even if it means making a big change that you're scared to make in order to get out of that unhappy place."

That word they used, cagey, that sure was how he was feeling right now while being accosted with these sentiments. Everything in him made a mad dash to get and deny what they were saying but he had a sinking feeling that later when the full force of the words hit him during solitude he'd feel genuinely stuck. It was easy to rail against their words now because he was in the moment and they were here to hear out all of his grievances with their proposal. It was *always* easier for him to cope when a problem was within earshot and his line of sight. The more he thought on it, the more dread built up deep in his chest. Thank the gods at the very least Shin would not be here later on when he had too much free time on his hands after work to fixate. For now though, he was damn sure going to let them have it.

"You say it like that but it could always be worse. I watch the gates instead of taking missions so I can't be smacked around and hospitalized if something goes wrong. I do what's easiest for me and have been living that way for long enough now. I'm fine." He was breathing a little hard with every sentence he got out, putting a little too much effort into making his points. Shin could see he was on the defensive. That told them all they needed to know.

Pivoting on one heel, Shin opted to lean their back against the balcony railing now instead. Kouta stepped away from it fully so he could make good use of his entire self in order to gesture with his words. Unfortunately, his use of anxious body language coupled with snippy words was only damning him further. They rested both elbows out on the railing, spread like a wingspan, forearms dangling off the sides. Every facet of their posture radiated smugness as far as Kouta was concerned. But his assessment wasn't quite correct, Shin wasn't trying to be rude or smug or anything of that nature. They were genuinely trying to have a discussion with him. He just didn't want to give them any credit.

"Tell me something, neurotic prey animal." Kouta wanted to cut them off so badly but they gave him no room to do so. "If you've resigned yourself to gate guard duty because you think regular grunt work is a dangerous hassle, what makes you think your current duty isn't going to be just as risky or tedious eventually? What happens when you're sick of that too and want to move onto something else that brings you no more joy than anything in the past has? Your jumping from task to task but staying in the same general cycle is not going to work forever. Hell it's not even working now."

"You think you can just give me the business like this? You're on my property, you know." He growls. It doesn't shake them.

"You'd have kicked me out long ago if you really didn't want me here. Also don't change the subject."

He wants to bite back, he really does. All of his being wants to come up with some vicious gotcha retort that'll humble Shin real quick. But his mind blanks. His ire burns but his mental capacity cannot keep up. It's pointless anger, ultimately, and he feels that anger eventually melt into burning shame instead. It would be so easy to kick them off his balcony and off his property and then simply never speak to them again if the two ever ran into each other. But, as it stood now, it wasn't what he wanted. What he wanted was to bolt like one of the Nara deer when it was spooked. Bolt somewhere far away to hide from things he was ill prepared to face right now. Running was a cowardly move but he would rather be a coward than confront his mountain of problems. Those dark eyes of theirs were idly watching him from where Shin leaned against the railing and he was at a loss for words. Everything in him seemed to droop a little on defeat. He must have looked quite pathetic.

In a small effort to reply, even if it's obvious his heart isn't in it, Kouta speaks lowly to them. "I'm just at a low point right now, it won't be like this forever." His words are hollow and it's obvious even if Shin had been much more oblivious by nature. "This subject is too heavy for me right now. I have to worry about work tonight."

"Okay, I'll drop it. But don't backpedal later when you're by yourself."

He still can't much bring himself to get back to his comfortable norm but he keeps up the conversation regardless so he doesn't continue to spiral. "Easy for you to say, I'm sure you've had all this figured out since way back."

"That depends on what you mean by figured out. If it's about what I'm doing with my life as in a career, yeah I've got that covered." They pause for a second before turning the subject a little. "Mom let us go to the Academy to pick up necessary skills, but we opted not to become Shinobi. It was smart of her to let us do that without demanding we follow in her footsteps. Now I'm not stuck in a rut like you are."

Saying nothing immediately following their statement, Kouta stepped up next to them and leaned back on the railing and focused his gaze on the floor. He could feel them watching him as he did so but made no move to look back at them or even deter them from it. Obviously he didn't know what to expect from them when he had proposed that they had it all figured out for a while, but somehow their reply managed to surprise him still. The knowledge that is was even an option not to be a Shinobi when you were born into the lifestyle felt like it just wasn't properly clicking. Sure he cursed the lifestyle many times over the years, but he just assumed he'd continue living it until he retired one day far from now. But this weird apparently ex Root idiot didn't even desire to be a Shinobi at all even though they were clearly cut out for it. And they were allowed to make that choice without being pressured otherwise. No matter how many times he ran it through his head it just didn't feel like it was clicking.

"Are you okay? Seem a little spaced out there. Not sure if it's something I said." They keep their voice fairly low so as not to seem rude as they try to get his attention. He picks his head up and looks over at them, examining then head to toe briefly, as if trying to figure out how to respond.

"So if you're not a ninja, what do you do instead?" It sounded like a safe enough question. Maybe a little forward, but not rude on principle.

This brought a small grin back to their face and they seemed all too happy to respond. "I work with my brother. If you're curious, I can show you sometime what we do. It's definitely better to show rather than tell, trust me."

The implications of their words meant that they had full intentions of keeping up contact with him going forward. It wasn't really a surprise to him at this point, he'd fully accepted that this was going to become a new norm, but the ease with which they made that statement still managed to surprise him. Now the fact of the matter was that he was going to learn more about them eventually than he'd ever thought he would about anyone in this village. Before they intruded on his shift that day he was comfortable enough keeping to himself aside from sharing shifts with coworkers. But now there was a small chance that, because of them, his world was opening up a little. Half of him wanted to immediately turn away from the idea because he'd never been overly social. But the other half, damnable that it was, wanted to see where all this would take him. A little serendipity couldn't hurt. Even if the catalyst was an obnoxious pest.

Pushing his conflicting desires down, he continued a little with his forward questioning, figuring one more personal question couldn't hurt at this point. "And how old are you anyway? You seem a little too grown to still be living with mommy and daddy."

"Well if you wanna know so badly, I'm 19 and it's my choice to still live at home. Everything has worked out great for me so far no matter what you wanna tell yourself just because I'm not totally independent." They cross their arms over their chest and turn the questioning on him. "What about you? You don't look much older than I am yet you're living by yourself up here. Doesn't seem all that exciting or fulfilling."

"I manage." Kouta shrugs, trying not to give them any fuel to prod at him further with. "Just like I have for all the time I've lived here."

"I guess managing is fine but I couldn't do it. It's way too quiet and frankly lonely out here. Don't how you don't go stir crazy."

"You say it's too quiet out here but it sure as hell doesn't look quiet right now. Not with you making all this noise. You're lucky my neighbors aren't nosy."

Instead of giving him this victory, they change their grin to a smirk and reply quickly. "You were the one who invited me up here so it's your fault it's noisy right now. I think you wanted the company even if you wanna try and deny it." Damn them. Maybe, to some degree, there was truth in that statement.

However, even if they might have been right, he still made to cover his ass regardless. "I'm not going to confirm or deny that." As he spoke he pointed one finger at them in an almost accusatory manner. "But we can't spend all day out here when I still have things to do before work later. As long as you promise not to touch my things or cause problems, I guess you can come in if you want. Don't make me regret offering this to you."

This seemed to spark a sense of intrigue in them as they actually stepped away from the railing. "I thought you said you didn't want deer tracks on your nice rug."

Kouta was quick to step ahead of them before replying. "Like I said, don't make me regret it. I won't hesitate to throw you off this second story myself if you cause even one problem. There's chores I gotta do and I'm still debating if I wanna get a little more sleep before my shift so I'm going to TRY and trust you to behave."

"I promise not to mess with your things, I was raised better than that." There is sincerity in their words. "But you don't have to do this if it's because you feel like you owe me hospitality. I can just go if you'd prefer."

He groaned a little in mock frustration before justifying himself. "I would not have asked you to come in only out of some sort of obligation. I'm not obliged to do a damn thing for some random pain in my ass. You can join me if you want, but if you'd rather go home and be your family's problem that's fine too. I don't care either way."

"Well, you offered, so I think I'll take you up on it. They see enough of me so I mind as well hang around you s little longer. I'll be back when I'm back."

"Cool, then we understand each other." He slides open the door and looks at them for a moment. "After you."

They nod at him a little as they pass him and step into the house. Kouta closes the door quietly behind the two of them and immediately heads to the kitchen to finish the dishes he'd left in the sink. Perhaps leaving them to their own devices in his home for the first time was slightly unwise, but he wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt instead of being completely distrustful. They were a pain in the ass sure but they probably weren't a threat to the order with which he kept his life. And after several minutes of cleaning up his mess there has been no concerning noises coming from the main room so it was safe to assume they weren't causing any trouble. It took a load off his mind and he let his shoulders relax just a little when he poked his head back into the room to find them camped out on his couch.

"You look comfortable." One of his brows was quirked at he spoke. "Not gonna go sniffing around in here and get the lay of the land?"

"Nah." They waved him off. "I'm comfortable right here. You just go do what you were gonna do. I'll be out of here by the time you gotta leave."

If he wasn't mistaken, he could detect an edge of tiredness on their voice. Where had that come from? Maybe it was just because that couch was comfortable and he'd fallen asleep on it several times himself in the past. If they wanted to sleep their visit time away then they was their choice and it would definitely keep them out of trouble. Still, he was a little perplexed by their disinterest in checking out his place since it was their first time in here. It probably wasn't a big deal. Whatever was happening was fine and he still has a few things to do so it was time to get back to that. If he got any sleep of his own before work later, he couldn't quite tell. No matter. At least later that night he'd have his nice comfortable bed to crawl into and the peace and quiet that got him by every day. His troubles were a problem to deal with later. And whenever he saw them next would hopefully be on better terms.

So he went about his business and ticked off all the minor chores on his list one by one. Thankfully, by the end he did indeed have time to take a nap for a couple of hours. Upon waking up he had made sure to get himself presentable once more so whoever he has guard duty tonight wouldn't have a reason to question him before going to check on his guest. Said guest was still asleep curled up on the couch, though their shirt was off and on the floor next to them. Kouta stepped closer since he knew it was time to rouse them so they could be on their way and he could get ready to leave as well. But as he stood over them and studied their peacefully sleeping form he noticed something that immediately set off an alarm bell in his head.

"Hey. You need to wake up." Trying to be gentle enough, he nudged them. "I can't believe you."

Slowly both of their eyes opened and they brought up both hands to rub at them. Their voice was a little awkward, but their awareness was coming back slowly. "What's wrong? What'd I do?"

"Shin, you idiot. You're not supposed to sleep in a binder. Especially on a couch. I know you know how bad that is."

They quickly look down and then back up at him again. "Whoops. You're right about that." Without giving him a chance to get another quick word in, they get up and stretch and roll their shoulders before fully standing up. He looks them over and notes how silly they look with uncombed hair. "Hand me my shirt please."

Kouta complies without a fuss. He bends down to grab it and hands it over. Shin easily slips it back on and smooths out their hair so he doesn't have a chance to poke fun at them for it. "I can't believe you."

"It was an accident." They shrug. "It's fine. No real harm done."

"You say that now but eventually it might be a problem."

"That's an issue for later. And I'm not gonna let that later happen. Anyway, don't you gotta leave?"

"Yeah. And so do you. So let's hop to it."

He cannot believe the familiarity in his tone as he's speaking to them. It's as if this is their routine and the two have been friends for years rather than weeks. He had let them in and they had napped on his couch. That was all. And yet maybe it WAS a glimpse into what a normal between them could look like eventually. Kouta let out a sigh and shook his head to set his mind on important now things instead of what if future things. He ferried Shin to the door and made sure that the light went off as the two left. They trailed down the stairs behind him and the two of them stood for a moment across from each other before parting ways.

"Till next time, huh?" They spoke first.

"Whenever that might be." He let out a small sigh. "I guess I'll see you eventually."

"Think about it. And take care of yourself." They gave a casual wave before turning on one heel and heading in the direction of home. He watched their back retreat and felt frustration bubble up in his gut.

Right now he should only be worried about work but that last farewell from them sat in his brain like a brick. Tonight was probably gonna be hell when it came to getting decent sleep since his mind was r gonna relax. The next time he saw them he'd have to chew them out for causing him such confliction. As he made his way to his normal station for his shift, he imagined all the places he could run into them and how exactly he would go about pointing fingers and reprimanding them. This kind of upheaval was the last thing he would have expected at this point in his life. And it was all their fault.

[finaldestination-3]

"Hey, do you happen to have plans all day?" Kouta poses the question after the two of them have left the building. It was a good lunch break even if it was over too quickly.

As the question is unprompted it catches Shin off guard, but they recover quickly and make to reply. "Mom says we have to have a clan meeting in two hours. Who knows how long that'll go. But afterwards, I don't have anything else to do. Why, do you miss me that much?"

He takes a deep breath and steels his entire being so he doesn't end up cuffing them upside th head for their brazen words. "How can I miss you when I spend so much time with you at my heels like a lost dog?"

Sure Kouta is avoiding giving them the real reasons for his inquiry but he knows he'll get there soon enough. Pausing to put Shin in their place only took a second though he was aware its effectiveness was probably next to nothing. When he looked up to gauge their expression he found a cheeky grin on their face and a brightness on their eyes. Ahh, so they were absolutely up to no good. Feeding into it would only get him nowhere so he took a few deep breaths before managing to say anything else. But as he went to speak, they piped up first.

"I'm not hearing a no, by the way."

"I need your help getting something out of my 2nd story and then something else up there to replace it. You in or out? I can probably manage on my own but I'd rather have your help if you wanna come grace my home with your invasive presence."

"I can do that." They nodded sagely. "Like I said, I don't know exactly when that'll be but I'll come by the minute the elders let me leave."

Damnable clan responsibilities. It was probably just more of the usual, but still annoying regardless. Shin would definitely not flake on their word to come and help him with his task asap. Kouta knew he could count on the hopeless idiot even if sudden freak bad weather or anything along those lines popped up to deter them. He was grateful to know that their word was always good and though he was sure they'd make his life a little difficult during the move it was nothing he couldn't handle. So the plan was set and now his next step would be to go home and spend the downtime reading while he waited for them to show up at the sliding glass door at their earliest convenience. Simple, easy, doable.

"Thank you. I'll see you later, okay? Please try to behave." Kouta kept his tone light so as to convey his gratitude even though it was woven into a faux reprimand.

"I can try. But if the elders give me any reason to cause problems, I'm not gonna hesitate." Their sly chuckle told him all he needed to know about the sincerity behind that statement. That was fine, at least it was on the heads of the old Nara men and not him. Maybe it would keep said deer fossils on their toes.

"Good, but if there's an incident I didn't see it or hear it. You're not dragging me down with you." Despite everything, Kouta found himself chuckling too as he stood up on his toes and gave them a quick kiss. "Farewell for now, pest."

"I'll make sure you're the first accomplice I name." Those were the first words out of their mouth as soon as the kiss was through. And as they watched him take off, they sent one last statement of parting. "Be by later to drive you insane."

~~~~~~

Later came quicker than he expected and before long, roughly four and a half hours to be exact, he found himself positioning the thing he was holding just right and planning its trajectory. Getting the old mattress out was far less of a burden than bringing the new one in. The only trouble came in assuring, when they let the thing fly down the stairs and out the door, that it wouldn't hit anyone else's property or door on the way out. Shin stood to his side, having backed off when the mattress reached the stairs and Kouta reassured that he had it from there, and opted to watch the madness unfold. If he got the thing out in one go without causing more damage then perfect. If he wrought havoc in the hallway and got in trouble, at least they'd have something to be amused by.

"I gotta get this just right." He kept uttering, hesitating to actually let go, as he once again lined up the ideal path for the old bed to take.

"You should let me do it or we'll be here until we're as fossilized as the elders mom just went three rounds of arguing with. Come on, I promise to aim." Their argument seemed flimsy to him but part of him was curious to see what became of an attempt made by them.

Before he could reply, they stepped up to his side closely and gently scooted them out of the way with a hip bump. Kouta found himself easily letting go of the mattress when they made their move. He should know better, but at this point he couldn't be bothered enough and chose to put his faith in Shin. They'd be responsible enough to pay any damages made if it came to that. Hopefully it wouldn't though. Hopefully the two would just get to see this perfectly executed disposal of an old mattress now too small for the lifestyle Kouta was leading.

"Watch this." Was all Shin could say before releasing the bed in their hands after only a moment of lining it up with the door.

As they expected, it easily glided down all the stairs but lost enough momentum to make it stop only halfway out the building's exit. No matter. They trailer down after it, with him at their heels, and together the two pushed the thing outside and ferried it towards the large trash dumpsters. And once it was slid far enough, the two worked to lean it just so up against the bin on the right and then stepped back to admire the work. Kouta nodded his head lightly while Shin crossed their arms over their chest and whistled. He wanted to sigh a little in exasperation, but just this once he knew they deserved to bask in this bold accomplishment.

"Ready for phase two?" He broke the celebration by turning to look up at them and speak. Dark eyes came to meet orange ones without missing a beat.

Shin wore a cocky smile as they responded. "Absolutely, should be no sweat."

"Don't say that now cuz this one is a haul up two flights instead of letting something slide down hands free."

"I said what I said. Trust me, we got this."

"Somehow I kinda doubt that. But impress me. I am willing to admit to being wrong."

"Can't wait to hear that admission."

He let them take a few steps before falling in line behind them and placing both palms against their mid back and lightly pushing them forward. They immediately let most of their weight lean back on him but he refused to let them get the best of him. Kouta kept pushing them forward and eventually they gave in trying to make it a challenge and went willingly. When the pair managed to get a hold on the box containing the new mattress, both had to make sure their grip was firm before even thinking about going up any stairs.

"I know you were trying to prep me for this part by simulating the pain in the ass task of pushing something stubborn forward, and I passed of course, but please remember to not go too fast. I need to be able to keep up with you."

"Try to keep up with your short legs and maybe I'll compromise."

"I'm going to bite you in the ass the second this is in the door."

"Save the fun for later, it'll be a good way to wind down."

"Jackass. Just go." Kouta sighed, zero malice in his voice, and filed that idea away for later indeed.

It took a little more hard work than the downslide did, as expected, but eventually the heavy thing made it up the stairs and into the bedroom. Kouta and Shin were both breathing a little heavy by the end of it but both were glad to be finished with the task. Their shared look of accomplishment, despite the light throbbing in his legs from the effort and the deep couple of coughs that rippled up through their throat as they took that much needed rest. Kouta kept his eyes on them through the coughing too, ignoring his light workout pain, but was relieved when all of it passed without causing further trouble.

"Happy now? That didn't take long at all. I'd say we made pretty good time actually."

As Shin spoke, Kouta got to work opening the box and unpacking the mattress so as to place it exactly where he wanted it in the room. It was double the size of his last one and the thought of that was a small joy in his heart. He looked down upon the thing, elevated just enough to fall on comfortably after a long day, and was hopeful that his first night's sleep on it would be a good one. The early shift at work tomorrow meant that he'd be needing decent sleep anyway. The train of thought took him with it and he seemed to barely notice at first when Shin was speaking to him.

".......why did you even get rid of that old one? It looked only a couple years old."

Kouta, shaking his head to readjust his focus, finally spoke back to them. "Two years yeah. But I got my reasons."

As he made the vague statement, he looked off to the next room and caught a small view from the sliding glass door of the outside. The sun was just beginning to make its descent into the sky and thus night would soon be upon the village. Time flew before he was aware of it but he wasn't bothered in the least. Shin shot him another curious look, following his eyes at first to the outside view, but quickly bringing them back to their current location inside the bedroom when Kouta also looked away.

"You want to know why I got a new bed?" He began, trying to make the mystery seem appealing in some way.

They were good at playing along so they humored him genuinely. "I'm sure I'll find out eventually. Like you said, I *do* spend a lot of time at yours heels. But if you wanna tell me now I won't say no."

"Very funny." He rolled his eyes, still no malign intent behind the action, and picked up with an odd question. "Would you wanna spend the night tonight?"

His jumping of topics was a little odd to them but they simply shrugged it off. "Sure, the couch is comfy. I need some time away from home anyway."

"You won't be sleeping on the couch."

"Yes I will, cuz I'm calling it now."

"What do you think I got the new bed for? You're over here enough so it's time you get a little more comfort at night. Also I'd like to hold you sometimes cuz I can't do that when you're on the couch."

Those mental gears of theirs were turning rapidly but they played it off cooly so as to keep up their image. "You think you can pull off being the big spoon?"

Kouta promptly took a seat on the bed but kept his eyes trained up on Shin, a rare slightly daring smile on his face. "What, you doubt me? I can handle it. But if you're afraid to be the little spoon I understand. It's a big job."

Shin followed suit without waiting for an invitation to join him, quickly going from a seated position to flopping on their back on the bed with both arms spread out to their sides. "I'm not afraid. You can't project your fears onto me, that won't work."

He gave them just enough time to settle comfortably on their back before bringing both arms around to pin them there, hands pressed into the new mattress next to their sides, as his form hovered over theirs. They looked up at him with the slyest smirk in their roster and he curled his lip up in a snarl that was more playful than it was hostile. They lifted their head then, just enough, and stole a kiss from him before laying back down fully and enjoying the way his cheeks tinted light red. His snarl was washed away like the tides.

"Some big spoon you are. Cute though, very cute."

"Shut up you impossible bastard." And it was then his turn to dip his head down and catch their lips in a kiss, one with more fire this time than before, and as he did he could feel their arms snake around his neck. Thank gods his neighbors minded their business because tonight would be damn good evidence to use against him.

[finaldestination-3]

The pair of them come into view as his unfocused eyes are gazing off into the distance beyond the wide open gate, prompting him to snap back to attention and stare in wonder. It's two Anbu, though he can't make out their masks from this distance, and they're a little bloody but seem to be fine overall. One is explaining something to the other but Kouta cannot make out the words any better than he can ascertain their mask details. So all he can do is wait until they approach close enough for him to get a good look. It will probably just be a quick flash, he knows Anbu agents don't linger, but it'll have to be enough.

Luck is on his side, it seems, when he suddenly finds the operatives stopping to stare at him from behind those masks. Or, rather, one seems intent on staring while the other spares him just a quick glance and seems to want to continue on his way if not for his partner seeming distracted. Thankfully the more invasive agent still gives him enough distance so he doesn't feel crowded. Up close like this he can finally make out their mask motifs at the very least. The one who was behaving more like a typical Anbu was sporting a Lion mask and his more nosy partner had on a Badger mask. That answered his question, but now he found that he wished Badger would just follow his partner and the two of them would go away.

"Can I help you?" Trying to seem polite but still giving away a slightly nervous tone, Kouta spoke up in hopes it would get the two out of his hair quickly.

"We must be going. Come along, Badger." Lion spoke up, voice hollow and clipped, somehow even less courteous than most normal Anbu.

"Hold up a second." Badger responded. "He was watching us"

"I was not, I was just doing my job. You were coming back and I have to look you over to make sure you're not suspicious." Getting a little defensive, Kouta realized his dignity had gone out the door already.

"Sure you were." Badger shrugged. "I know how this works. You're not a very good liar, though."

His hackles raising, Kouta had to restrain himself from starting an argument with someone he knew could kill him without even thinking right then and there. Who did this bastard think they were? Just because they were the Hokage's personal attack dogs didn't mean they could talk to him like that. At least Lion wasn't trying to make it worse and in fact seemed uncomfortable that his partner wasn't falling in line. How unprofessional it must have looked for an Anbu agent to get caught up bothering one of the gate guards, oh it wasn't an ideal sight.

"Leave him alone and let's go. We have to go report to Lord Danzo right now or you know what'll happen." Lion urged again, his tone taking on a less than pleased edge.

"I said give me a second." Badger rounded on him for a brief second, sounding a little snappy, before giving their attention back to the Chuunin at the gate. "What's so interesting to you?"

Orange eyes locked with light eyes that peered through the slits in the mask and he found that he had no idea how to respond. Rather than say anything back, Kouta took a couple steps back and put up his hands on front of him to convey his disinterest in a further commotion. Badger let out quite a sigh to that and kept their feet planted where they were, perhaps noticing how flighty their target had gotten and opting to finally back off. At this Kouta let out a small relieved sigh and lowered his hands back down to his sides.

"Fine, I guess it's a lost cause." Badger huffed ever so slightly. "Let's go then."

Lion shot him a quick look that had just the barest hint of an "it's about time, what's wrong with you" edge to it. But Badger wasn't having it and just shrugged him off like it was nothing. In a flash the two of them were gone and Kouta let out a deep breath as he tries to figure out what had just happened. Anbu usually weren't that...intrusive. and what was that about Lion bringing up the councilman Danzo? Didn't the Anbu report back directly to the Hokage? Weird, very weird. Maybe it was best left dropped though. He still has his shift to finish and there were too many hours left to get this distracted this early. When he got off later and went home, THEN he would have time to wonder.

~~~~~~

Freedom, sweet freedom after way too many hours. His feet hurt and all he could think of right now was going home and rooting through his fridge for something to eat. Once he'd eaten then maybe he could expend some brain power on other matters of the day he'd had. His replacement had finally come to take up his old post and, with a quick wave of farewell to them, Kouta turned to make his way home. But he didn't get far before a figure loomed in his personal space and stopped him in his tracks. The yelp he let out when he nearly ran into them was laughable.

"Going somewhere?"

"Please step out of the way, I just want to go home."

"Hold up, I just want to talk to you a second. Surely you're not in that much of a rush."

That voice sounded all too familiar but from where? Kouta wracked his brain to try and figure it out but was coming up blank. He let out a frustrated growl but realized in the next moment that this stranger could hear him. A stranger who was, as well, keeping him from going home and getting dinner. There was no good reason why he should get all wrapped up in this so once again he directed his attention to them with the intent of finally bidding them goodbye.

"I said please step aside. I have somewhere to be and I need you to not hold me up." This time he snarled to accent his lack of patience.

"What's with the unfriendly hostility? I'm not trying to hurt you or anything. Try showing some respect." As if making to match his snippy tone, they opted to talk down to him.

"Who do you think you are!" Kouta flashed his teeth fully now as a threat display and looked hard at the visage of this stranger. Weirdly almost silver hair, strange light eyes that seemed almost unnatural, soft facial features, probably standing 5'9, a little underweight. They couldn't have been much older than he was, he realized then, and it made him less alarmed to process that. This kid had no business talking to him like this.

"I know I'm not supposed to just outright say it, but, it's probably the only way you'll get it through your head." The stranger sighed through their nose and rolled their eyes. "Earlier, you were a little too fixated on us for no reason. Ring a fucking bell yet?"

Alarm bells were indeed going off in his head just then. No fucking way. Was this that weird Anbu who got a little too close for comfort? Dammit, it had to be, because there's no way it was the one in the Lion mask and no one else has caught his attention that day they say those two had. This was just great. What was this Badger bastard doing here right now? All he wanted was to go home and eat and relax before his overthinking habits took the wheel. He didn't have time for this Anbu mystery bullshit at this hour. Couldn't this nosy bitch wait?

"Why are you blocking my path right now? Don't you have some secret mission to do or something? And with a mouth like yours, I'm surprised you haven't squealed all our village secrets to the enemy yet."

"Haha, very fucking funny, but I'm off duty for now and for your information I've never been caught. So shove it up your ass and just tell me what was so interesting earlier."

"That's none of your business! Now leave me alone!"

"I think it is my business because you were staring at US. And I'm half of that us. Now tell me."

"Piss off, you animal, I'm done here."

"Who the fuck are you calling an animal? With how rude you are I'd think you were raised in the woods."

That was it, he had it. Against his better judgement Kouta reached out and shoved at their chest with one hand but they didn't back up. So he flashed them a snarl again and squared his shoulders. "Badger" only seemed to widen their stance to show they refused to back down and locked their light eyes with his orange ones. The two of them could do this all day. They weren't due for another mission for several hours and he was off for the rest of the day. Sure they were making a scene in public, but neither seemed to give a damn about that.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Another voice finally sounded not too far away. The speaker approaches not long after raising the question.

Badger finally broke the staring contest in order to turn to the newcomer. "This ballsy little guard won't answer a simple question. He has to make it complicated."

This new stranger, who Kouta figured MIGHT be the other Anbu from earlier, just gave them a disinterested look before responding. "Drop it, this isn't the time for petty arguments. If you need something to do we should pick up another mission."

"No, I intend to enjoy my downtime actually." They shook their head. "This isn't over though. Mark my words. It isn't over."

"Let's go, it is over. You have no business with him."

"Better listen to your bro, you dick." Kouta mocked lightly. "Run along now."

Badger, in a less than mature gesture, flipped him the bird but it did not seem to shake Kouta at all. "You can go to hell."

"Let's go, brother."

"Yeah yeah. I'm going."

And he watched the two head off in the opposite direction he was headed thankfully, finally letting out another sigh as soon as the two were out of sight. That was the most unnecessary and stressful encounter he'd been wrapped up in in a while. Hopefully it was the last he'd see of that damn Badger masked asshole. Their pretty face and bewitching eyes sure belied how rude and uppity they were. Kouta let out one more growl for good measure, glad to be rid of the obnoxious fuck, and set off for home.

[finaldestination-3]

It's as if this was their second home the way they so readily and fluidly hopped up on the exam table and got comfortable. He keeps his eyes on them the whole time, monitoring their movements and body language for any worrying signs that might follow up recent concerns, but finds nothing. Still, it doesn't soothe his worries enough to allow him to fully relax the way he'd like to. His shoulders stay stiff and he opts not to take a seat on one of the observational chairs lined up against the wall. Both of them are now waiting on the arrival of Kabuto so the last minute urgent appointment can get underway, and if you asked Kouta, the man of the hour couldn't get his ass in here fast enough. Though, in the case Kabuto did hurry up for once, that also meant getting the possible new diagnosis quicker. A diagnosis that surely would not be very favorable. There was no winning in the end and it only stressed him out further.

For once, they're nearly as observant as he is and decide to try and redirect his attention even if only temporarily. "What's got you so on edge? You look like you've just seen your own death coming a mile away."

Their words filter slowly into his ears and buzz around in his brain a moment before he's able to form a suitable response, spacey though it is. "Don't...worry about it. I'm just thinking."

But it's too late, no matter how he tries to brush them off, Shin isn't having it. "Come here. Something's troubling you and you're not writing it off this time."

"I'm not writing it off." He responds in tandem with the breath he lets out. Regardless of his nerves, he indulges them by stepping closer. "What do you want with me?"

They shake their head a couple times and keep on him. "Closer. Please. And please don't act like I'm being hostile, that's not it at all."

Kouta quirks a brow at them quickly, unsure what their angle is and a little shocked at the accusation, but in the end he sighs and complies. Now he stands as close as he can get, positioned between their legs as both dangle off the end of the exam table, their bodies all but touching at several points. He brings his face close, but not too close, to theirs and looks up into their pretty eyes with his own unsure ones. They balance most of their weight behind them as they keep their body propped up using both arms braced on the table's surface, palms flat and fingers spread. Shin knows better than to make him extra nervous by purposefully touching him in several places even though they're standing so close. His hips, though, manage to graze their relaxed legs just a little and that's enough to send a minute shiver through him, giving a great picture of just how anxious he is, and they make a solid effort to give him just enough extra space from then on to prevent it from happening twice.

Now that there is a semi settled air between the pair, though it's not perfect, they resume their questioning of him. "Seriously, Kouta, what's bothering you?"

A red flag goes up when those words cause him to avert his eyes away from theirs without warning. "Please just drop it. I'll be fine after I figure some things out."

This is definitely not what they wanted to hear. He's uncomfortable all over again, possibly more so than before. In an effort to show that they're willing to give him the space he needs to work through whatever it is, they carefully scoot back just a little on the table, literally putting more space between the two of them. Kouta startles for a second before realizing what Shin is doing and in turn backs off as well. They might be mirroring him, though, as they're still a bit lost as to what's really going on. They've not felt this distant from him in ages and his nervous way of thinking is starting to seep into their own train of thought. Did they say or do something that truly hurt him without realizing? But asking that directly also feels like it'll only make it worse. This stalemate they realize they've reached begins to give them a stress headache and there is no quickly reasonable solution in sight. Silence stretches in the space between them and they keep hoping he'll say something, anything, and snap everything back to comfort and ease and familiarity.

When he doesn't bust the silence himself after some time, they try to rearrange their thoughts to figure out a way through this mess. Maybe it's too much to ask to solve this situation with positivity, maybe it's one of those times where it has to get worse before it gets better. They internally cringe at the idea of that because it's not the time or the place for a huge fight since getting worse almost always meant a fight happening. The last thing they want, truth be told, is to ever have an explosive argument with anyone, let alone him. So the next "best" approach is frankness in the hopes it'll coax real answers out of the ex Waterfall nin. Oh, they remark to themselves, this is going to be a rough ride.

"You've been avoiding me off and on for a few days now. I've noticed." There is not an ounce of playfulness in the way they speak to him, but they are also careful not to lace anger into the words either. "I don't know what's causing it, but I hope it's not me."

Kouta, who had stepped away several feel at that point, perks his head up and looks over to where Shin is still seated. They realize his eyes are on them just then and scoot forward in their seat to settle where they'd been while he was up close and personal with them. Thankfully it does not unnerve him, that's a good sign. Shin decides not to continue their train of thought immediately, giving him a little time to mull over the words in his head and come up with a fitting response to them, hoping that the lack of rush will contribute to the two of them solving their problems properly. It's a lot to hope for but at this point they can't afford to be picky.

"And if it is me, please tell me what I did so I can fix it. If it's not me then please still tell me, okay? When you're ready to talk about it, please tell me. I don't want to be left in the dark while you're having a hard time." In their head, they so badly want to follow up their last sentence with another plea to keep them in the loop because they already feel so out of it and it hurts. It hurts to be made to believe that one is growing apart from their romantic partner. But they hold their tongue on that for now so as not to come off desperate or forceful.

The former Taki nin takes a deep breath to steady himself and finally makes to respond to them, voice quiet but not so low they cannot hear him. "I don't think you want those details. Trust me."

Now all they want to do is get off the table and emote with their entire body in the hopes that it'll convey how wrong he is, how badly they DO want those details in hopes that it will reassure them that he still wants their presence in his life. However, they also know this might very well make their anxiety spike way too high and then he'd never want to talk about it. Not talking about it meant never finding out if he was done with them or not. Shin meant no violence with such an action but with their way their partner was acting there was a good chance he'd be so unnerved that all chances of working through this would die the second they made a move that could be read as perturbed. Whatever was eating at Kouta was clearly giving him a lot of grief and it drove his partner nuts at not being able to solve it with a hand wave or a few gentle words that one could call like magic. The hole the two were digging for themselves in this moment only got deeper and deeper.

"I do, Kouta. I do want those details. We can't work through this if you refuse to tell me anything."

"Big talk coming from you. You hide important things from people sometimes, too, you know. Important life or death things. And I worry about you so much when you do that." Kouta scoffs, just slightly. It's a last line of defense but for what?

Their voice raises a little when they make to reply to his accusation, egged on closer to a panic but not quite there yet. They are able to reign it in just enough so that it doesn't come out as a yell though. "Old habits die hard, you know that. I can't help the bad habit but I'm trying to stop it eventually. It's not fair to turn this on me right now."

"Not fair? I don't think a lot of things that are happening are very fair." He takes a deep breath before continuing, letting loose more than he probably intended to. "How fair is it that no matter what you do to keep this thing manageable, new problems shoot up and complicate it even further? How fucking fair to you is it that there seems to be a new wall to slam into every couple years despite being pretty thorough in staying on top of all your symptoms? I worry about you, I'm losing sleep over this! But this isn't about me because I have no IDEA what you're going through with this and I'll never know! I only know that you shouldn't have to, even when you stay upbeat through it, because it feels like a losing battle. I don't wanna see something horrible happen to you that you did everything to prevent. I love you too much to see all your efforts be in vain. To see you taken out after all you've done to make sure you'll be able to do everything you want to in life."

Kouta had worn himself out with that last spiel and was half huffing by the end of it. His stance is wide and his eyes are wider, looking like a spooked animal in the middle of the road, before he realizes the image he puts off and tries to collect himself. Perhaps it is all a little paranoid, but he meant every word. Shin never takes their eyes off him as he composes his posture and reigns in his breathing. That's all they needed to hear for it to become clear what had been dogging him up until now. This was the main reason why he's acting so nervous and so distant and so hesitant to share details. They cringe again, internally, and find they have little idea on how to alleviate his troubles. Simply, there is no panacea available to take that would cure all that was wrong with them so he'd never have to worry after them again. The next best thing to do is probably to reassure him that even with all that's wrong it's not going to be the death of them so easily. But how well would that work, anyway?

While Kouta buries himself deeper in anxiety over the well being of his partner, said partner lines up their observations of him from recent events in their head. Shin decides they don't much like the way those observations are stacking up. But it doesn't evoke anger as much as it evokes an almost lonely feeling. They were always so used to him being glued to their side when the two were home together, how he would attend to their state of mind and state of health before all else and not once complain about it being a burden. When the two thought they had a decent understanding of their lifelong condition and most of what it entailed. It was an anxiety that could be managed carefully so that a rift like the one growing now would never have the chance to form. Until things had taken a recent possible turn for the more unpredictable and possibly worse, tacking on heart palpitations out of nowhere to the list of known symptoms they cycled through now and then. Now, with Kouta fixating on these new worries, he had peeled himself away from Shin's side more than usual and they were absolutely feeling the difference that made.

"Weasel." They begin, relying on that old pet name, before realizing now wasn't the time for that. "Kouta. I need to ask you something else. Please just play along."

In reality the question they intended to pose now was probably going to sting quite a bit but not for no reason. Still, they know it's going to bring with it a sense of emotional turmoil, and for a moment they consider not asking at all so as to spare both of them the heartache. But they push that hesitation out of their mind the best they can as they know they have a right to ask for anything they need just the same as he has that right to ask for his own needs. And they need this, for their peace of mind, and with it they hope he will catch on to all the turbulent emotions that are underlying in their words. Hope against hope. Kouta wasn't dense, but sometimes nuance went over the heads of even the most observant individuals.

He manages to stand still long enough to lock gazes with them while he asks, uncertainty quite present in the way that he talks. "What is it?"

They're no less uncertain when they present him with the actual question. "Do you ever think about a world in which you never came to Konoha at all? Where you stayed in Taki and never had to put up with me that first day, or ever?"

Every single hair on his hackles rises the moment the words reach his ears and he immediately feels like he's gone insane. What kind of question...? Especially out of the blue like that! All of his soul wants to scream his answer to them, to yell his lungs out that no of course not! How could I even begin to think about a world where I don't know you! I love you even when you're a pain in the ass, you make life interesting and you make it feel fuller! A million other words fill the space in his head, bouncing off the walls in his skull, before he can vocalize any of them. He wants to yell so bad. Not in anger, but in deep heartache. Yelling in that connotation, though, is still yelling either way and he knows it's a bad idea no matter how raw the emotions are. So he takes several deep breaths as his hands tremble before even daring to speak.

"Why would you ever ask me that? You know I would never even want to think about such a thing..." And while he's talking, the trembles move to his legs as well as remaining in his hands. His legs shake and feel like they could give out but he wills them to stay firmly standing even though it starts to hurt from the effort of concentration.

Shin looks at him dead in the eye and addresses his reply with a statement that shocks him. "Because if you never came here and never met me you'd not be so anxious and worried about someone you never knew and would not then drift apart from them and leave them to worry if all the love has gone away."

Kouta freezes, the trembling in his limbs coming to a halt, as those words gnaw at the very corners of his soul. In fairly plain language he'd just been told that his partner fears that he has started loving them less, or worse, stopped loving them altogether. Because he's spending so much time with his worries inside his head instead of with them in the physical here and now. Slowly he brings his arms down to his sides and clenches his hands into fists so rough the nails biting into skin may just draw blood. In tandem, he bites down on his lower lip roughly to stifle the howling wave of feeling that's clawing at his throat for escape. Burning tears begin to prick the corners of his eyes as he realizes exactly what he's doing to his partner with his recent behavior. But he knows crying won't help, crying won't solve these problems. Crying will only make him look like he's the one more hurt by all of this. A guilt trip is not in the cards and never should be.

"Kouta...? Come here. Please." He knows Shin is speaking to him but he cannot seem to move his feet right then. His own name reverberates in his head in the same tone of voice with which they had spoken it. He's fixated on it so much he doesn't realize they are speaking again until the statement is half over. "Please, I'd like you to come here where I am."

He manages to get his head moving first, shaking it side to side thrice so as to clear his senses, before his feet wake up as well. The tears dry up finally and he swipes the remaining wetness away with one forearm as he treks their way using nothing but the muscle memory needed for walking. Kouta stops a foot and a half from them and looks up, unsure of how to proceed now, and finds that the expression on their face is a mixture of hurt and concern. No words come out from either of them for several minutes as both can feel the tension in the air. Truthfully, Kouta is almost afraid to speak, worried once more that it will only cause more troubles and hurt for Shin. But Shin is almost begging him to say something, anything, to help disprove their own worries that he may be done sticking by them. The impasse is only broken when they gather the last bit of boldness still present in their being.

"...Kouta?" Their voice is so quiet, uncharacteristic for them, highlighting just how worried they must have become over all of this mess.

Kouta's own voice comes out small, even for him, so small that Shin almost has to ask him to repeat himself. "If you're calling me that instead of weasel, it must really be bad..."

The moment following his words is physically painful for them as a burning sensation pulses in their chest then and they grab at the spot they feel it most strongly with one hand, praying and willing it to stop, now is not the time. He can hear the cough that comes next as it rattles from deep in their chest and watches as they cover their mouth with their other hand to suppress the volume of the sound. The fit lasts a good 20 seconds and by the end they're panting far more than a normal person should be. Everything in him urges him to close the gap between the two of them swiftly, to take their face gently between both hands as soon as they regain their breath and ask if they're okay, to hold them close so he can anchor them to this world and never again run the risk of losing them to whatever wretched curse has settled in their respiratory system. But he hesitates again. Shin comes to at their own speed, and when they are back to a steady enough norm, black eyes meet orange again. There's a duller light in those black eyes now as he knows they're still trying to settle. And again he feels pulled to them.

"Shin..." He finds his voice, still small, but a little louder this time. "I love you too much to ever want to think about a timeline where I wasn't pestered to hell and back at the gates that day. No matter what's going on at any point, I wouldn't wish for that. I'm so sorry that I have pulled back so much because I'm worried. It's wrong of me to do that. I'm so lost in my own head over this that I have been forgetting to tend to the here and now. What ifs are sowing too much doubt and I'm so sorry."

They do not opt to verbally reply to him, wondering if he's truly finished speaking or not. For once they simply watch what he does so he has ample time and space to get out all of his thoughts. At least there seems to be no more near-yelling so their own nerves calm from their half frayed state. Their shoulders go a little more slack and they do their best to breathe deeply from the bottom of their aching lungs to remain grounded and prepared for anything that came next. Kouta, now, began to move his feet again. He strode back up to them like he had been before the rift opened before their eyes. They now had their legs spread apart enough so that he had room to stand between them, both of their faces within inches of each other, but this time they kept their arms in front of them rather than as bodily supports behind them. They could feel his warm breath on their neck and finally managed to find their voice once that warmth registered in their head.

"I know you didn't ask, but would you like to know how I would feel if you had never come here so I could find and bother you that day?"

Kouta nods ever so slightly and gives a soft response. "Yes, I would like to know."

"Then come here and I will tell you."

He knows what they mean with that final come here request. As he cannot step closer to them physically, instead he leans into them and wraps both arms around their midsection like an unbreakable tether. And as they close the remaining gap between them, their lips meet his and for a moment his weary eyes gently close. Everything is made clear to him in that moment and he almost wishes it never had to end. When it did end, though, and he pulled back just enough, they gingerly rested their forehead against his. Orange eyes opened slowly and took in the now much softer expression they were wearing. In the moment of contact, they had brought one hand up to curl into the fabric of his hoodie over his chest, having had just enough range of movement as he had his arms still around them.

"I'd be miserable without you around to pester. Ever since you've been kind of avoiding me this past week, it feels lonelier around the house."

Even though their words had just made it clear that they wanted to keep him close, he finally got free enough to step back, backing up slowly enough so that they had enough time to unwind the grip they had on the front of his hoodie. The embrace was broken but he had no intention of going anywhere. "I do not want to see anything happen to you suddenly that we can't fix, I need you here with me. Please. I know you can't promise such things but I really don't want to see you go too soon."

Before saying anything back to him, they took a quick peek over to their side as if to assess the width of the exam table upon which they sat. Finding it satisfactory, they made to scoot over enough so that they still had room and stability before turning back to him with an inviting look in their eyes. Kouta seemed to get the hint quick enough and hopped up beside them as gently as possible so as to get comfortably sidled up to them without accidentally pushing them off. He settled into a lean against their side, pressed flush up against them, and felt their arm come around his waist to keep him close. He buried his face in their shoulder in the next moment and was thankful for the silence that followed the motions.

"I love you, Shin. I'm sorry that I made you question that." His voice was muffled against them as he spoke up after several moments of quiet.

"Don't worry too much about it, okay? Old habits. Bad habits. Whatever they are. They don't go away so easily." The echo of those words sounded in their head but they pushed them back for addressing later. Right now their only concern was basking in Kouta's attention and, if Kabuto would hurry the hell up, getting this appointment over and done with. "Just don't go away with them too, okay weasel?"

Before Kouta could come up with a reply, the room door opened and shut quicky and inside stepped the man of the hour dressed in his doctor's coat. Shin thought it looked a little too formal on someone like him. Kabuto disregarded that thought as it was probably meant to be an insult. He cleared his throat then and made to address the two of them, startling Kouta enough to jump a bit. "If I'm not interrupting anything, I believe you had called an emergency appointment for today at precisely this time. Now, if you would, tell me exactly what is going on."

[finaldestination-3]

it's not a very dignified look for him as he stands, hunched over severely, arms folded over the balcony railing and chin rested atop those folded arms. even worse for his image is the sigh, deep and dramatic, that comes all the way up from his chest then. Kouta can feel the stiffness setting into his back but he ignores it in favor of letting the dramatics keep a tight hold over him. right now all he wants is to wipe his mind of the myriad of thoughts racing through it like a herd of wild horses. but there is no such relief from the affliction, not when the source of it is leaning on the railing next to him, back facing the beautiful view, eyes fixed on the sliding door that let the two of them out here in the first place. they have their own arms crossed behind their head casually as the wooden railing makes contact with their lower back, managing to keep them from falling backwards over the edge.

"what's eating you, huh? sounds like there's a lot going on you're not using your actual words for." their question spends a few moments hanging in the air before it registers in his brain. when he finally snaps out of it and shakes his head, he catches one concerned dark eye peeking over at him that quickly shifts away as soon as eye contact is made between them.

"what's it to you?" he huffs, but they're not buying it. Shin knows better than to fall for his pathetic defense mechanism. if he wants to hide shit so bad he's gonna have to try harder.

"don't give me that." they very lightly chide, clearly not trying to dissuade him from elaborating but still making an effort to let him know they won't be had so easily. "you're in a funk."

again he sighs, half through his nose this time, and slowly gets up to his full height. the process hurts a little and he rubs at his side lower back for a moment before making to speak up and continue the conversation. "can I ask you something? I won't ask you not to laugh because I don't think I can win that war."

now he has their attention a little more properly so they pivot on one foot to face him better. Kouta is suddenly aware that their focus is trained on him, though not fully so he's not a deer in the headlights, and his nerves fray just a little. his building boldness takes a shot in the knee for a brief second before he shoved down the anxiety the best he can. now isn't the time to pussy out on honesty. they wouldn't leave him alone of he tries to anyway, now when he'd already teased them this much. so it was time to bite the bullet and just come out and say it. at least kinda.

"you ever get feelings that are confusing in the way that you feel them? and agonize over em so much that you drive yourself crazy trying to sort through em all efficiently? cuz I think I'm giving myself an ulcer with this. or an aneurysm. whichever comes first." his head is already starting to hurt from how pretentious he's sure his wording sounded just now.

"woah woah woah, hold up for two seconds." now it's Shin who's the one sighing, hand brought up uncharacteristically to pinch the bridge of their nose before the resume decoding his word salad. "what kind of feelings are we talking here? use plain language, I'm not following you well."

Kouta blows air out his nose in something that's a little put off this time, slightly annoyed at being called out, but cools his fire so he can continue unfettered. "listen, you asked, so I'm telling you. you know I'm bad at this. just, gimme some leeway here."

one of their eyebrows cocks up as they look at him skeptically and they let their arm gently fall by their side again. "okay, continue, but please don't fluff up your words so much. it will only drive you crazier. trust me. because it's driving ME crazy already." and though the words are a tad harsh, their tone is gentler than he expected.

"I think I might feel some kind of, like... attraction to someone. but it's not super straightforward and I don't know how to make heads of tails of it. plus I dunno how to admit it to this person without causing a shitstorm. and I have no one to work through it with that I feel comfortable with telling it all to. so it's causing a tempest in my head."

"you don't feel comfortable telling your problems with this to me then, huh?"

looking away for a moment, Kouta feels a little bad. but the reason he knows he can't share with them so openly is one they probably won't wanna hear. though if he withholds it he knows they'll find some way to pry it out of him. so beating around that bush will only cause a bigger headache and he has to come clean in a roundabout way. so while his head is still turned away from them, and he knows they're looking straight at him now, he mutters a response. "I can't tell you because you're kinda sorta involved. please don't ask me to elaborate. I can't right now."

seconds tick by without a response from Shin, he knows they're running the words through their head over and over probably, and the longer this keeps up the more foolish he feels. thankfully they spare him after they've done their best to internally pick apart what his statement could have meant. "I see...hmm." saving face is easy for them and now, as they're mulling over the predicament aloud, they bring up the same hand before and place it thoughtfully under their chin. "that does seem like a pain in the ass. you have my sympathy. okay, I'll leave it for now. but you gotta promise me you'll tell me all about it later, okay? I wanna know how it ends."

"this isn't some little fictional story with a cute resolution, you know. it's kinda a serious matter."

"oh, I know." a smile makes its way onto their face as he turns back finally to look up at them. "it's not a fantasy story. but all the same, I don't think a cute resolution would be a bad thing."

"that's extremely corny, ya know that?" Kouta huffs, dramatically as ever, but some of the stress melts away as he can't help but admit the optimism of it is endearing. corny as it was, he could cope with an ending like that if such a thing we're in the cards.

and as Shin leans on the railing, looking out across the village this time, they have one more thing to add. Kouta settles into a similar lean, one much easier on his back, as he listens to what they might have to tell him. "whatever you come up with, I'm sure it'll be less embarrassing than having to watch Sai act like a cluelessly infatuated idiot just because that Yamanaka girl admitted to being interested in pursuing something with him after having awkwardly flirted back and forth several times."

"you think too highly of me." he laughs, easier than he expected, and lets a sense of frankness be his policy. "wouldn't count on that. your brother might be a fool but I think he's got something good coming."

"maybe you do too, if you're lucky."

"if only the gods made life so easy."

[finaldestination-3]

With lunch behind him now, he's got the entire rest of the day to look forward to. Days off were sparse in this line of work and thus had to be made the most of when they came up. Naturally, the first thing he'd done after getting up and tending to his three deck plants was seek out food somewhere a little nicer than a hastily made kitchen meal he concocted at home. Now, with that behind him, his schedule was open and he was eager to fill it with something that did not remind him too closely of his day job. But what? Nothing seemed to be particularly calling his name and that left him in a frustrated spot. Kouta without something to keep him busy was not a very happy or well adjusted man.

"Why is it when I'm busy I find a lot of shit that needs my attention but when my schedule is clear and I want to get things done nothing comes up. Can't I get some damn moderation?" He grumbled pathetically, the sound vibrating in the back of his throat, to no one in particular. There was nowhere physically to go but forward, so he let his feet idly carry him in that direction, praying some sort of engagement would strike his attention in real time.

This is where not having made enough, or any really, close friends over the years came back to bite him in the ass. There was no one he found himself drawn to visiting so his only companion was his own train of thought. And right now, that wasn't even cooperating. So he started checking off some possible plans off in his head as he went along. Going back to the book store was also off the table because he'd already been by twice this week and surely Etoku would want a little peace away from him. Sure he could maybe go home and read some of the material he picked up but that sounded like a plan better suited for the evening hours. As he ran through places and ideas internally, something called out to him and drew him out of his thoughts.

"Well, isn't this a surprise." The new voice called from afar. For a moment, his confusion spiked, unsure as to whether the words were directed at him or not even if his first instinct was to look over at the speaker anyway. He got his answer when said speaker made to approach with zero hesitation. Their next words carried an edge of familiarity that was entirely unfounded. "How long's it been?"

The snarl he pulled his lips into was so wide and unbecoming that it looked at if it would cause his face to split. Every tooth in the front of his mouth was exposed now and it was all for this headache of a human being standing before him. Lowering his stance but not dropping eye contact as he saw them approach, his hackles raised to match the brewing threat display. None of this seemed to deter them in the slightest. And that ruffled his feathers even further. "It's been three weeks, you good for nothing pain in the ass."

"What's with the hostility? You said yourself it's been nearly a month so I fail to see why you're acting like this." Oh that tone they were using was driving him crazy. How could they not connect the dots here?

Orange eyes locked with dark ones as he considered what approach to take. Attempting one last verbal negotiation was his best bet. If it failed, he'd have to get creative. "I'm off duty today so you do not have free reign to be in my space causing more problems for me. Hit the road. Shoo."

"You do know that the streets don't belong to you, right? That I have every right to stay here just as you do? You were the one who happened to wander close to where I was, so I didn't even instigate this. Might wanna check that attitude of yours."

Dammit. They had a good point but he didn't want to admit to it outright. Any little victory conceded to them might only make matters worse. Still, they were indeed there first, and bullying them out of whatever they were previously doing seemed like a lot of effort he wasn't keen on making. As long as the two of them kept their contact time to a minimum and went their own ways in the end, maybe he could tolerate the shared space for a small fraction of time. They were testing his patience by daring to come up to him but he was stronger than to just lose his cool at that alone. Breathe. Stay centered. Don't raise your voice. He repeated these words in his head.

All of these attempts at steadying himself are dashed the next moment they open their mouth to speak, making matters worse than they already were. "Just because you're not playing guard dog at the gate doesn't mean I can't still have a little harmless fun with you. Lighten up a little and stop taking everything so seriously."

"The world doesn't exist to entertain you and neither do I!" He snaps, full throttle now, lips curled back to show his teeth in a nasty snarl worse than his previous one. There is a growl flowing from his chest and out of his throat that conveys exactly how livid he was. And even with these signs, his "companion" didn't seem phased in the least

In fact, they take a few steps closer to him, and he has to will himself into staying out so a physical confrontation doesn't break out in the middle of the street. "I'm not asking you to entertain me, get off that high horse. I'm well aware that the world doesn't exist to serve me. Why would I treat you like a dancing monkey anyway when I could get a better show at home? You're in the area and you just said you're on an off day. So I was thinking maybe you'll be less hostile than our last encounter, maybe you're more fun off duty. But it looks like you're even more pent up and aggressive. That's sad, if you ask me."

Now that there are mere inches between the two of them, he tries to pick himself up to his full standing height. Last time they were standing way above him. They had the higher ground. This time would be different, he hoped beyond hope, this time they'd be much closer to equal footing. But that hope died where it stood as he came to realize this obnoxious silver haired pest had several inches of height on him. The revelation alone shook him, making him lose his nerve with so little effort, extending a string of silence between the two of them. They were looking down at him with zero fear or anger in their expression, one brow quirked a little in amusement even, and it just dug at his resolve even harder. There was no salvaging this.

"You look like you've lost your nerve to fire back at me."

He cannot afford, no matter what, to make it seem like there's even a chance that they've gotten one up on him. So he makes to speak but his voice shakes just a little in the beginning. "That's not true." Kouta swallows hard and steadies his speech. "I'm just adjusting is all. The last time I saw you, you were way up over my head. That was too far away to properly assess you as a threat."

"Threat? I think you're living in fear way too much. Why the hell would you ever think I'm trying to threaten you? Unless you mean with a good time. Because that I can do, just ask anyone in my family."

"Why don't you run along home to mommy and daddy if you enjoy being home so much." He scoffs, thankful he's finally starting to cover his upset. It's not fully gone from his body language but dammit he's trying. "Who even are you anyway? How come I've never seen you around before?"

"I'm just a Nara, nothing special." They finally look away from him, casual tone of voice amplified, proving to him that nothing he could say would be a bother to them. "And yeah, I will be going home later. Gotta harass my brother to see where he's at with that illustration."

"A Nara?" Now he barks in laughter just a little. "No wonder I've never seen you skulking around. Must be too busy sleeping your life away."

"If I did that then my mother would ring me out and hang me out to dry. And why sleep my day away when there's way more interesting people to see and things to do? You wouldn't be having such an engaging conversation right now if I was asleep back in my bed, now would you?" They don't give him a second to respond before firing off another question. "Besides, I could ask you the same thing. If you're such an important gate guardian, such an established Shinobi, how come I've never seen YOU before?"

Kouta did not expect to have the topic turned on him like this. Did he even owe this loser an explanation of his life at all? No, not really, but now he was too swept up in defending his dignity to even think about playing coy. If they wanted a battle then that was what he was going to give them. So he puffed out his chest just a little, making sure his headband tied around his neck jutted out just so, and gave it a moment before following up verbally.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Their tone was flat, unamused, as if they had just been shown the dullest thing on Earth.

"Can't you read a simple symbol? That's the Konoha leaf, dipstick. I only asked YOU about why I've never seen you around because you don't even wear a headband." With an added hmph for emphasis, he pulled back just a little and crossed his arms over his chest, obscuring the headband just so.

"Because I'm not an obedient dog on a leash. I don't need to be wearing a collar that says if lost return to the bootlicker who runs this place."

"You're the rudest person I think I've ever met. What is wrong with you?"

"Oh please." Now they sounded flippant. "We live in the Hidden Leaf. Go hang around any of the useless adult men who work in this village and you'll find they outclass me by a nautical mile."

His anger in the moment at dealing with someone so difficult kept him from agreeing with them even if they had a damn good point. A lot of the village officials weren't actually all that friendly or helpful unless you were a big important person, like someone of noble clan heritage or an employee working directly under the Hokage in the office. More than once he'd been ignored or talked down to when trying to make reasonable and simple requests about his schedule and duties. Kouta bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything aloud that could be taken as agreement, even if he had plenty of evidence, for fear of shattering what was left of his pride. So what if he was an overworked and underappreciated dog at the command of higher ranks who didn't really give a fuck about him. That's just how it worked. It was the same back home, too, and he was foolish to hope it could be different anywhere else when he left home all those years ago.

"It's not worth rolling over for them day in and day out just for a paycheck. Trust me, there's not a day in my life that I miss that line of work. And because I'm not being yanked around on demand I have way more time to meet interesting people and drive them up a wall." The serious words give way to a sarcastic tone and they accent the last statement with a cocky little smirk. But Kouta cannot bring himself to fire back at them just yet, still hung up on the fact that they had made a good point even if he refused to admit it to their face. His silence got their attention just then and he looked to them to find their eyes locked curiously on him, perhaps perplexed at his silence.

And after a little longer of being silent, he spoke up in a low voice. "I'm not from here. Originally." He took in a breath and let it out through his nose. "I came here from Takigakure. About six years ago, roughly. That's why you don't know me."

"Taki? What the hell are you doing way over here in Fire Country? And six years is a long time, you do realize that right? You've been in this village over half a decade and I can't remember seeing you around. It sounds like unless you're working you never actually get out and enjoy life."

Letting his shoulders sag as he breathes out another sigh, his next reply is just as tired sounding as the previous statement. "It's a long story. One in not gonna share with you right now, or probably ever if I'm lucky. So please just drop it. I'm here and now we've met. Please don't come around making my life any more stressful when I'm working then it already is."

Now it is their turn to sigh, smirk vanishing, as they take in his words. Clearly this Taki stray has had better days and it's useless now to use humor or antagonism to uplift the situation. There is simply no fun in beating someone who is truly down. Though they still don't truly know him, and he knows them even less, they feel some semblance of sympathy for his plight and opt to close the encounter on a less sour note than it had started with. Maybe there would be a more favorable run-in in the future that they could look forward to. But for now, all they could do was put their hands up chest level in surrender to show that there truly was no more desire to squabble left.

"I'm not going to act like I know your life story so fine, consider it dropped. But just know one thing." All playful notes left their voice as they made their next statement. "You can always walk away."

"What is that supposed to mean?" He's confused, he's tired, and he's lost. Their vague words do not register fully with him.

Their hands fall to their sides again and they swivel their body half away from him then. "Maybe we can talk about it next time. Cuz I don't think this will be the last time I see you. Till then though, watch out for yourself. And try to get out more."

Kouta wants to retort, he truly does, but his mouth cannot keep up with his brain and as he makes to speak they have already taken off. He's left to the side of the street they found him on, looking a little more lost than he'd like, an unfinished statement on his lips that he would never convey to them now. But they said this probably wouldn't be their last encounter together. What the hell was up with that? Did they plan on seeking him out again, or was this just some sort of omen? He ran a hand through his hair then, nails dragging across his scalp, as he stressed a little over it all. The stress level rising meant he was getting back to himself. And that was a bittersweet thing.

"What the hell just happened?" He spoke the words aloud, to no one in particular, only a few passersby sparing him a quick glance as they caught pieces of his statement. But they cannot give him any answers. The only one with answers had already taken off, leaving him behind to look a little foolish, gone back home to do who knows what. And if they did see each other again, who knew when it would happen. Kouta was tired. So, so tired. "Dammit. Why does this have to happen now."

Knowing this was a fight he simply would not, could not win...he pivoted a little unsteadily on one heel and made to head back home. Maybe one of his recent reading purchases would distract him enough from whatever the hell had just gone down in town. And the dread of running into the pest with the silver hair again one of these days.

[finaldestination-3]

orange eyes hold the gaze of medium gray, searching the depths as he has them gently pinned on their back. he's got one arm on either side of their body positioned by their shoulders, palms flat against the hardwood floor beneath the pair, no words being exchanged. a lazy little grin snakes its way across their lips and he can't help but mirror the expression. Kouta closes his eyes half way, continuing to keep Shin in his sights, exuding an air that could only be called mounting desire. they're no fool. they catch on fast and bring one hand up to grasp at the front of his hoodie, tugging him closer inch by inch. and he's powerless to resist. he could not resist even if he wanted to. thank gods he didn't want to. Kouta allows Shin to bring him in for a kiss, both savoring the feel of the contact, only breaking apart at the half minute mark to catch a quick breath. and as soon as he's got his breathing reigned in, he dips his head again, lower this time, lips now making first contact with their throat and neck. notably large lower canine's graze against the sensitive flesh there and elicit a very low throaty moan coupled with a slight shiver from his spouse. it's working, just as planned.

the two of them are lost in each other, Kouta keeping his spouse pinned as he administers teasing kisses to remind Shin who they belong to, so it's all but forgotten what they had been doing before the mood shifted. a large scroll lays unfurled by their feet with beautiful strokes of colorful calligraphy style art adorning every inch. it's like a mural that has not found a wall to hang upon yet. Sai had handed over the almost fully complete work of art over to his brother just the day before so they could look it over before it's ultimately given to its intended recipient. the scroll itself is much too large to properly open and appreciate on any surface but the floor. so Shin had made sure to clean an area in the main room, picking up stray objects and running a broom over the wood, before setting the scroll down and slowly unrolling it. Kouta had come home from work an hour ago and caught them appraising their brother's efforts and style, opting to plop down at their side and peer over their shoulder, eventually offering his opinion as well when he felt brave enough to. the ultimate destination for this piece of art is the walls of their mother's home. it's a gift to her and Shisui, a reversal of years earlier when she had had the entire clan out something together when they got married to Kouta as a way to truly congratulate the two. Sai and Ino had gotten the same treatment. both boys had been so grateful for their mother's efforts but until now they had seen no perfect opportunity to repay the favor. now, though, for an important anniversary it was time. this piece was a companion to the Hare Prince novel that Akari's sons had collaborated on in the past, like a retelling with far more illustrations, written by Shin and the partnering art done by Sai. it would look beautiful in the home of Akari and Shisui, all the love that went into it obvious across every inch of the scroll's paper, connecting parents to children even so long after the boys had moved out.

but the musteline man and his eccentric spouse had, for the moment, opted to abandon their appraisal of the gift work in favor of showering each other with affections. fingers curled in the front of Kouta's hoodie, keeping his bent down over his beloved, head lowered to continue to nip and kiss at their throat. their low moans had increased in volume as his ministrations increased in boldness. as he got more into it, Kouta broke the pose just long enough to swing one leg over to their other side, fully pinning them flush against the floor, caged by his limbs and fully at his mercy. the tug on his hoodie and the sounds coming from Shin spurred him on. suddenly the mounting heat was urging him to pull off that same hoodie. Shin would have to let it go first but it was a small price to pay. and to be honest, now Kouta was fantasizing about them digging their nails into his shoulders as they guided him, showing him just the way they wanted to be attended. it took more effort than he would have liked but eventually Kouta managed to shed the hoodie and additionally his mesh shirt as well so he'd not have to go back for that later. chest bared to the man beneath him, he was more than prepared to truly remind his husband of just what they meant to him. their parents had gone to such lengths to make the pair feel confident in starting their life together on their own, so he knew he had to honor that effort by treating Shin right.

"are you comfortable enough? is this too much?" before he resumed peppering them with kisses and marking their neck so no one would forget who they belonged to, he took the time to make sure they were doing okay as this was probably not the most ideal location for such an activity. he knew he'd be feeling it tomorrow for sure. but if they were comfortable, he truly didn't care how stiff he would be feeling in the morning. all he wanted right now was Shin.

after taking a couple deep breaths and centering their mind, they made to reply up at him with an accompanying nod. "yeah. I'm good. I can continue, I want to continue. what about you?" those eyes, oh those eyes that reminded him of storm warning clouds now, lightened strangely over time, he was already losing himself to them as he looked down into them while the pair conversed.

Kouta snapped himself out of the trance just in time to offer a nod in return. "thank you for asking, heartstorm, I am okay. and I want you so fucking bad."

"then what are you waiting for?" their tone was playful, almost goading, reflecting their height of desire as matching his. perhaps, even, it outweighed his own desire. but the realization came over them then that maybe one thing Kouta was waiting for was something they had to initiate dealing with. casting their gaze down just then to their shirt before looking back up at him, he seemed to get the hint instantly.

however, he seemed to be in less of a rush than he let on. the hands that had been beside their shoulders, still on the ground, were brought up now. one gripped the collar of their shirt and the other pushed the unbuttoned side further away from its counterpart so that their chest was more exposed to the open air. in his next motion, Kouta cranes his neck down again, this time contact being made via hungry lips to that scarred chest. the kiss lingered for a moment before he picked up his head again and made to speak. "lose the shirt. now. no more of these games."

one of their brows quirked in an amused fashion. "these games are for two players, ya know. you're kinda the one who initiated the. but yes sir, you got it. bout time you asked." instead of waiting for them to do all the work, Kouta reached his hands down now to the hem of that meddlesome shirt on either side and began to carefully lift it. when it got up high enough Shin had take over and managed to slip it over their head. haphazardly, it was flung over a couch near the far corner.

"that's so much better. it was almost as much of an annoyance as you are on a good day." deep in his throat he growls, the rumbling causing his chest to vibrate, as he curls his bottom lip down to show off his impressive lower canines.

"just admit you're impatient." they're chuckling now, calling his bluff, unafraid of his posturing. "now where were we? I believe you said you wanted me. now prove it, nuisance animal."

"that's my line, invasive species." and with that, he digs his own claws lightly in between their shoulders and their collarbone, and brings his head down to catch their lips in another electrified kiss. they hold on for dear life.

[finaldestination-3]

his eyes quickly flick to the end of the bed, noting that it had finally stopped springing up and down with excitable movement, and that the perpetrators had proceeded to pass out hard into deep sleep. took the pair long enough to wear their energy down to nothing but no reserves were bottomless. and though it had gotten in the middle of the conversation at hand at the time, Kouta found he could not be in the least bit mad. when he and his spouse were actually ready to sleep themselves they'd pick up Umeko and Kousei and take them to Kousei's room down the hall. for now, the two slept like rocks at the door of the extra large king bed, undisturbed by any force.

"if you're so homesick, we should just take a trip there. what could it possibly hurt?"

he reached over with one hand and grasped their chin, pulling it closer to his own face so he could chastise them at point blank range. "you think I have any business going back there? what, do you want me to get into a slap fight with that pathetic bastard Shibuki for old times sake?"

without hesitation, Shin simply shrugged both shoulders and made to reply despite Kouta having a good grip on their face. "why not? if it'll make you feel better, toss him around a little. can't call it an international incident if he has it coming."

heaving the biggest sigh of his life, Kouta loosens his grip on them and releases their face so they can back up. when they don't pull back, he rolls his eyes and states his mind. "is this your idea of a joke or something? or are you actually serious?"

"why would I make a point to egg you into going somewhere you have a complicated relationship with as a joke? if you have scores to settle, let's go and settle them. you and me. I'll be your backup."

"what about these two hellions?"

"up to you, weasel. I don't mind them tagging along. travel is good for you sometimes. but if you wanna just go, the two of us, I'm cool with that too."

this is a tough one for him. Shin has put him in a spot that is difficult to squirm out of with excuses. maybe it wouldn't be so bad to go and resolve what had been dogging at him lately. then again, just putting it all behind him and never going there again had been a much easier sounding path. or was it? putting it off till it could not be shoved into any more closets was only viable as an option for so long. they gave him plenty of room to procrastinate but at some point even they would ask him plainly to look at the facts. so yeah, maybe he owed it to his present and future self to make this a real solution instead of more postponing.

reaching one hand out languidly, he set it on one of their knees as their legs were folded informally on front of them so as not to disturb the children at the end of the bed. but it did not stay there long as Shin had picked up the hand with their own and idly began to play with each of the individual fingers. Kouta opted to let it happen, knowing that pulling his hand back suddenly would be rude and uncalled for, noting how his spouse was making sure to be gentle about the ministrations. he was slowly getting lost in the touch sensations as he mulled over the decision in his head and before long simply let his head fall gingerly onto the shoulder of his husband as said spouse was still manually flexing each of his fingers and comparing palm sizes between the two of them.

"doesn't Doushu have a mission there coming up soon? b-rank, extended stay, if I'm not mistaken...we could meet him there and show him around formally..." they seem to trail off but he can tell it's not for no reason. his sly spouse is trying to lead him to a point in their own playful way.

cheek smooshed against their shoulder, he makes to respond the best he can. "yeah. I think you're right. and Rai will be busy with Yamanaka clan affairs for a few days. so that means Minoru probably will too. so he can't watch these two. Kabuto is out as well since he'll have a full schedule I bet."

finally letting the hand in their space go and instead placing their larger one gently on top of it to lace their fingers together, they picked up where he left off. "I can rally Calius and Parduoc into this I bet. they are probably itching for something to do since it's been a while."

Kouta raises their coupled hands to his lips and presses them specifically to the back of their partner's hand, reveling in the warmth of the contact, grateful to have Shin as a motivator when he's at his most uncertain. "we can do this. I think I'm ready to go home. as long as I have you there to nip at my ass when I try to chicken out."

"or for fun. I'll be glad to do that too."

shifting his face so it's pressed into the bare skin of their shoulder now, Kouta murmurs against them. "have I ever told you how much I love you, you fucking persistent pest?"

a small smile he doesn't catch slides onto their face as they savor the moment and the feel of his lips on the back of their hand and his face against their shoulder and his undying affection. "only extremely frequently, weasel."

[finaldestination-3]

"I think you need a haircut." it's a sudden declaration that he makes from his standing position as he looks into the mirror. they remain seated on the side edge of the bed but pivot their gaze to look at him curiously, one eyebrow cocked high enough to be lost in the bangs he just declared in need of a trim.

"actually I think I agree with you." at that moment they bring one hand to run fingers through hair that had not been short in decades. spontaneous or not, Kouta had some kind of a valid point, and the more they mulled it over mentally the more they saw it his way. there was no need to explain it. "are you volunteering?"

it's his turn to pivot now, on one heel, as he comes to face them and appraise them head to toe with a quick once over with their eyes. "maybe I am. sound good to you?" the air around the two of them is so light now that he feels zero hesitation on letting a sly grin cross his features. and it's infectious. the pair face each other now, matching expressions and level of daring.

"consider it a date, weasel." a nod passes between the two of them and the motion passes. it will not be right now but it will happen no matter what. he has never seen them up close with hair any shorter than just past the back of their neck. it'll be a new experience for him, and a flashback to the distant past for them. they briefly wonder what their mother might think as they go back to an old boyhood look.

~~~~~~

"how does that feel?" Kouta draws the scissors back after his last clip and Shin blinks their eyes open. it takes a moment for them to focus again but the world comes back fully lit and all they can make to do is shake their head side to side a little. there is a distinct lightness to the gesture that they could recall only being there what feels like a lifetime ago now. he delights, just a little, in the surprised emotion that comes over their face then.

"weird." they still seem to be searching their depths for an answer to give to him. this one single adjective is not nearly enough. "different. lighter. I'm gonna have to get used to that, now that I think about it."

"you will. shouldn't be that big of a deal." his tone is a little far off as he's becoming more and more lost in their new silhouette as he truly takes on the sight of them. for the first time without having to brush their strands away manually, he can see their ears on full display, nicked and bitten and scarred up from a constant power struggle with a rent free house guest. the helix piercings that were put in place to discourage more of that nasty biting, the metal dulled in shine but no less attractive for what it adds to their appearance.

and now he steps back away from where his spouse is seated on the chair to give them some space, kicking at the clipped strands that litter the floor now. he'll have to be diligent about sweeping up all of that later so no one ends up sliding and falling on their ass. the beautiful tone of silver laying across is nice wooden floor, freed for the first time in so long, it's a surreal feeling for just today to see if parted from his significant other. but his eyes go back up to take in the new visage Shin is sporting and that same beautiful face captives his regardless of what has just been lost. eyes lightened strangely with time keep him in their sights too, watching him process everything in real time, their owner wondering just what's on his mind.

"what do YOU think, though? indulge me." they take a chance on asking him with a playful edge to their voice, daring him perhaps to get creative with his assessment. he's not fool enough to fall for it. but he will indulge them anyway because he has thoughts he wants them to hear.

"wasn't aware you had ears under there. absolutely shocking." he can't help but chuckle at his own mocking assessment. "I think I'm gonna have to kick myself in the ass every day for a week to remind myself that this isn't just one long dream sequence. so when I wake up in the morning and lament about my husband going missing, about them leaving this imposter in their place, feel free to get all the laughs in you feel you need to."

that gets a wicked smirk to light up their face. "dually noted. don't say I told you so when I have to do just that every single day. remember, you asked for it specifically. I'm sure they won't mind me filling in for them for a little while anyway."

"pest. even with a new look, the same old rotten heart informs all your banter." and as he sighs through his nose, large hints of affection laced in that exasperated motion of breath, he closes the distance between them and catches their lips in a kiss. arms snake around his midsection and hold him close as he leans into them. one of his hands comes up to card through the drastically shortened hair they're sporting now as if he's already in disbelief that it is, in fact, the same old Shin. "I think it's time for a shower, huh?" as he pulls his hand back, he has to flick stray clipped strands away.

"before it gets too itchy, yeah, probably a good idea." Kouta takes several steps back once they get the words out and watches as they stretch both arms over their head. good to move around after staying still so long. thankfully, they had opted to go shirtless for the trimming session so more stray hairs would not lock into the inside of any top they had on. that was where the real itchiness began. nothing like the scratchy feel of cut hairs embedded into the collar of your shirt to make your day a pain in the ass.

~~~~~~

"you should join me. it'll save you time because I know you were planning to jump in once I got done." with zero tact, they make the proposal to him even though he's standing outside the bathroom door. Kouta hesitates a moment, wanting so badly to make an excuse.

"bad idea. I know you know why." it's a half assed excuse that makes its way out of his mouth. Shin isn't having it, however, because he couldn't even be bothered to sound convincing.

"just tell the freeloader to take a hike. whatever repair bill we gotta pay in exchange will be a problem for future us. it's not like this will be some all day affair." tired of speaking through the door, they have it opened and loom over him with the few inches of height they have on him. he can't meet their eyes, however, and chooses to look anywhere but up. it's not shame. but he's still not proud of himself.

"probably a really stupid idea." and he isn't wrong when he says this. but since when have either of them cared how intelligent they look when it's just them?

"yeah yeah, I know it is. but consider this. don't give a shit. come enjoy some hot water with me for a change." they refuse to back down to his poor excuse for excuses. besides, what kind of sin is it to want a little us time with their husband after making such a big change? if he really doesn't want to do this they'll back off, but they have a funny feeling that isn't the case.

"are you willing to incur the wrath for this?" finally daring to look them in the eye, his expression is caught between hopeful and challenging. "think carefully before you say yes or no because I don't want it all to fall on my head when you're cursing past you for letting this happen."

"yes I'm willing. yes I am absolutely sure this is the offer I want to make. you, come take a nice long shower with me and we'll pick up the pieces later. that clear enough?"

Shin is a very stubborn human being, almost too much so in moments like this, and Kouta knows when to bow out. if this is what they've set their mind to then why bother making any more half assed excuses? he breathes out another sigh and pushes past his partner into the bathroom. they chuckle a little, lowly, and make to close the door behind their husband. perhaps this bed they've made for themself, that they will absolutely have to lie in later, will turn out to be a nightmare when the two of them are clean from the aftermath of the trim. but it wouldn't be anything they haven't had to cope with before. their first priority anyway was making sure Kouta would never have to worry about cases of identity disbelief going forward. nip that on the bud now and it would sort itself out nicely in the following days. foolproof plan. and as their pants hit the floor, the audible crackle of electricity sounded from within the enclosed space of the bathroom.

[finaldestination-3]

the folder up paper, crafted into a sleek little plane, comes to a surprisingly soft landing on the wooden desk surface next to the arm she has laid out on the same surface. it catches her attention immediately out of suddenness and she makes to grab and unfold it. behind her dark goggles, her eyes scan the note that had been disguised as a plane to see exactly what the writing on it read. when every word had been examined, she pivoted on her seat to look at the kid sitting two rows above her. that had to be who wrote it. she vaguely remembered his handwriting from when he had to answer something on the board at the front of class.

'wanna be friends?' the words had said, written nearly in a bronze colored font. where did he even get a own with that color ink? odd yet impressive.

she sighed through her nose as she looked up at him, he'd waved shyly at her as soon as he noted she was looking. this was certainly an unusual situation. if he wanted to get her attention so bad, shouldn't he have just called out to her? it's not like he sat across the room so he wouldn't have even had to be loud. a paper airplane, really? it wasn't a huge deal but it did leave her perplexed and curious as to his reasoning so she went forth with asking him some things.

"what's with the plane? you know I can hear you from this close, right?"

Rai, holding his dignity, made to quickly sign in response to her. it's not her fault that she forgot that no, actually, he could not just call out to her even from that distance. they'd only been in class three weeks so everyone was still learning what made each other tick. 'I apologize for the plane. it was my only way of getting your attention unless you turned around to face me.'

realization dawned on her then and he could almost see the lightbulb go on as everything came together in her head. oh that's right, this was the Yamanaka boy who was mute, Rai. she felt like an ass in the next moment for forgetting this simple fact and made to apologize. "I'm so sorry for forgetting about that."

the two of them were so focused on each other that when the sensei called out to Mikia to snap them both back to attention, each wore a matching light pink blush of embracement. Rai quickly grabbed another sheet of paper and his fancy pen and scrawled a note to send her way the next chance he got. explaining that he was sorry for the suddenness and awkwardness and if he acted funny because he was so unused to people responding to him with words. she probably didn't know signs well so he couldn't fault her for it. it would probably be fine later on and they could forget this was ever an issue. after class he'd fold the paper into another plane and send it floating her way. that was more fun than just handing it to her on his way out. hopefully she'd be okay with such an action.

the moment that class ended and their classmates started filtering out of the room, he made quick work of folding up the plane before sending it on its way. she had turned around again to face him just as he launched it so she got to witness its little journey across two rows of seating. as it came to a stop on her desk, she carefully picked it up and unfolded it gingerly, reading all the words written within. her best response, she considered then, would best be conveyed just as his reaching out was. written down for him to take in at his own speed. unfortunately making a plane out of it wasn't going to work as new folds on a paper that had already been folded offset its trajectory so this time she would only be able to hand the paper back to him personally once she finished her reply and walked up to him with it.

and now, in the following moments, he was sat as his desk looking up at her standing beside him. the paper was gently placed in front of him and he took the time to take in what was written on it. 'friends :) sorry I do not know signing yet. would you be able to teach me some?'

the previously folded and well received letter that had gone between them was set down and he looked up at her again, a smile lighting up his features before he nodded and offered a hand. she met his with her own, their fingers locking in the unison sign despite this not being the resolution to a fight, as it felt right between them then. he rose from his seat at last and followed her down towards the exit from the classroom. both of them stopped there before going out into the hall and then later leaving the building to head home.

"do you wanna talk more tomorrow?" because of his limited options, on response to her inquiry he nodded happily. she still felt bad there was a bit of a wall between them in communication but she'd figure it out somehow. "I will see you, then. bye Rai."

both shared a mutually pleasant look before she took her leave first. he lingered a moment in the class doorway before making for the building exit himself. thankfully that had gone a lot easier than expected and now the prospect of having a friend in class seemed very real. at least it would be a good way to pass boredom time and then later they could hang out once all their daily classes were over. he was sure his family wouldn't mind if she came over, either side of it actually, so that was a lot of good to took forward to. it made his trek home easy and his outlook for the coming days bright.

[finaldestination-3]

High above his head, the sound of footsteps on wood graces his ears. That didn't sit right with him as he'd neither seen nor heard anyone approach before so how could someone have gotten up that high in the first place? Logically it was probably nothing as there was no hail of weaponry which would have pointed towards whatever was happening being a hostile intrusion. Now he was torn about whether or not to pay any mind to it. He got paid to watch this entrance/exit so technically he should get to the bottom of it. Personal disinterest had to be out aside if he wanted to make sure his job was done right. So, with a sigh, he let his eyes wander up the height of the gates to pinpoint whatever was going on. That turned out to be a mistake.

"Excuse me." As his eyes locked on the source of the noise, the interloper disturbing his peace, he gave them a half assed snarl to accent his words. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You look like you're bored. Can't say I pity you." The owner of the voice spoke back in a bored tone. Their posture was casual and relaxed, carefree dark eyes peering down to meet his bright ones.

The way they spoke was so disrespectful and held no regard for his position. This rattled him, sparking up ire in his chest, pulling all of his attention towards the encounter. They were so lucky they had the high ground right then or he would most certainly be giving them a piece of his mind physically. It might make him look immature or hotheaded but he had little care towards his appearance or what others might think of him. Yes he was on shift alone right now, so there technically wasn't anyone in the immediate vicinity to catch him acting out. But at any moment someone could be passing through the gates at just the wrong time and see something. Word got out fast in Konoha. So they should count their lucky stars for the generous amount of space between him and them.

"I hope you know you're making my job harder. The last thing I need is some bold nuisance playing around this place."

"Actually." They scoffed. "You're making the job of would-be intruders easier by paying attention to me and not on them. You didn't even notice me approaching. How do you expect to hear anyone actually hostile if I caught you off guard just like that? And what would you have done if I'd been a real threat?"

All of his patience and self control are exercised now because all he wants is to scale the gates so he could show that cocky bastard what for. Their audacity to even call his work into question was enough to drive him up the proverbial wall. But to use that kind of casual tone while doing it? That was crossing the line. His job could have been on the line if anyone caught this exchange right now. The last thing he needed was to be reprimanded, or worse fired, because one annoying man decided to divert all his attention away from monitoring the safety of the village. They needed to get lost and quick before things spiraled.

"Not gonna answer my question? Guess that just proves my point."

"Unlike you, for your information, I'm going to be the bigger person and not engage you right now. You still need to get down though. So get to it."

"I will when I'm ready. It's just too bad you're not as entertaining as I'd hoped. Real shame."

"Where do you get off mouthing off at me like that?" He growled, teeth flashed in a threat display.

Everything they were doing and saying was stoking the fire burning in his chest. He wasn't free entertainment for bored losers dammit! If they wanted someone to shoot the shit with them he'd be willing to bet they had family or friends elsewhere they could go pester. Why him? Why pick on someone just trying to do their job? It didn't make much sense and the thought of that soured his mood even further. All he wanted was to be left alone to finish his shift so he could go home and leave village security to the next shift.

Their next comment cut off his internal seething. "If you ask me, I don't think you wanna be here anymore than I do. Might just be me though."

"You're right. It is just you. And I'm not feeding into your little game. Leave."

"Make me." An antagonizing little smirk lit up their expression.

His sense of self control was being tested harder than ever before. Whatever game they were playing at, he wanted nothing to do with it. Engaging further would only make a bigger mess and that meant more cleanup in order to get back on track. The logical step now was to try and ignore them in hopes that it would make the entire problem go away. Feeding into their games would only spur them on further and give them more reasons to stay and antagonize them. Eventually they'd get bored and leave...he hoped. But what if that didn't happen? What if they stuck around long enough for the next shift to come in and see this? Whoever it was would see how poorly he was handling it and get him into even deeper trouble.

"You're a pest and you need to stop. I refuse to get in trouble because of you."

"What are they gonna do, yell at you? That doesn't sound as scary as you probably think it does. And if they do, what's the worst that can happen? You getting fired? That just seems like a free ticket out of here so you can find something you actually wanna do instead. It would be getting set free. Win-win scenario."

Any sort of admission that they had a valid point was the wrong move to make right now. He knew they really did have a point. Most of the time it was so dull standing around all day and it gave him an awful case of cabin fever. All he wanted to do was leave and find something more engaging for his brain. When it wasn't dull, when there was action, it stressed him out. The orange eyed man hated the times when he had to deal with someone causing trouble for him. Whether it was a potential intruder or a medical emergency where he had to send an alert to the medics, he wanted no part in it. Too little to do and he got antsy. Too much to do and he got anxious. There was no winning when he thought about it. Damn this guy and their prodding.

"I can think of something I'd rather be doing right now." Another growl curled in his throat as he addressed them again. "Hunting you down and making you sorry for wasting my time with these stupid comments. I think that would make me feel better."

"What you call wasting your time I call giving you the most interesting thing you'll probably have to do all week. And you can quote me on that."

All of this back and forth did nothing to make him look more credible. He was having a pointless argument with someone who wasn't even supposed to be here right now. It was made even worse by the amount of distance between the two of them. This brazen man had the higher ground, literally, which meant he had to shout and strain his neck in order to get his points across. All of the control of the situation belonged to them and it was fraying his nerves immensely. Scaling the gate to get at them was foolish and childish but remaining on the ground just for them to keep talking down at him felt humiliating. Worse yet they were completely aware they were the one leading this entire exchange and it was him who was at their mercy. They had all the power in this.

He sighed the deepest sigh of his life as he changed his approach on one last ditch effort. "You'll get sick of this eventually and get the hint to leave. When you do, it'll be too soon. But if I ever see you again I'm going to make you regret ever starting this."

"Ya know what? I'll hold you to that. Don't let me down." The look in their eyes then was like the icing on the shit cake. It was accented with a know it all smile and a stupid little wave. In the next moment, they were gone, whooshing away like a stray leaf on the breeze. He wanted to scream.

"I can't believe this!" He actually did scream. "What the fuck!"

Where they went, he had no clue. Or did he even know where they'd come from. Everything of their presence was an infuriating mystery he could not unravel for the life of him. Dwelling on it would only make his frustration and anger fester to the point where he couldn't think about anything else. And he'd be damned if he lost sleep over the antics of one stray bastard with nothing better to do than prod at him. If he ever saw them again he'd let them have it without hesitation. Though, if he never saw them again, he would thank the gods for returning his peace and quiet.

[finaldestination-3]

his perch is not a comfortable one, but that's the last thing on his mind right now. besides, if you asked him, he's had much worse. Kouta has curled himself up willingly in too many bad little places to count. like those awkward and uncomfortable hospital beds for recovering patients that really don't fit two people well but don't actively discourage bedmates either if one is so inclined. yes, his partner is technically the tenacious one between them, but with them down and out, he's picked up the mantle out of spite. this is for them and in their honor he will absolutely be a stubborn mule who faces his problems with teeth and violence. all for the sake of them. them and only them. his heart beats what feels like a mile a minute as he hovers attentively and he looks like a vulture circling death. and he doesn't give two shits about that fact. his newfound tenacity builds upon his pure dedication to create one stubborn beast with one flaring purpose. everyone who catches a glimpse is simply awed before they move along and grant him the privacy he desperately needs. Kouta huffs through his nose as he watches them bail out of the corner of his eye. thank fuck, they usually get the hint.

all of that bluster, however, is like a shell that protects his frantically melting down core. he's a hot mess going nuclear and barely able to hide that fact on the surface. they lay there, on the thankfully comfy couch, usually delirious and in significant pain, and all he can do is feel his soul claw at its walls and scream at him to do something. do anything. act before it's too late. I know, I know, he'd growl under his breath at the wild eyed inner animal that makes up his spirit. placating the inner animal is easier said than done. when this is what's at stake, no part of him wants to listen to reason. not when his whole heart is barely clinging to consciousness let alone life. Kouta is beside himself with animal fear and very, very human sadness. every day it feels like the grave he's digging himself gets a little deeper and he's not keen to keep fighting the will to give up and just lie in that very grave. bury him with them when they finally slip through his fingers. at least then he will know rest just as they know freedom from sickness at long last. the thought of that, that sickness, being all they've known as a baseline for their entire life makes his core want to meltdown in a nuclear level event. it's not fair. it's cruelty. they've made peace with it and most of him has too, but he still thinks it's not fair that it was always going to claim them early when no one was ready to say goodbye. when they probably weren't even ready to say goodbye. they have an expiration date that has always been set sooner than everyone else around them. and he wants to howl in agony at the thought of such a great loss. he can't imagine what their other loved ones must be feeling right now if he's this torn up. knowing would probably only drive the stake in deeper.

lucidity is hard to come by today, he notes in between fits of mental anguish, but it seems to be settled in for right this moment. he runs one hand over their hair, smoothing it, thankfully it's not tied up at present. they cast him a look that lets him know it feels great but he doesn't have to go to these lengths. watch out for yourself, care for yourself today for once, I will still be here when you get back. but what if you aren't, what if today is the day it all changes! what if I blink and you're gone! his soul cries out. clinging is all he wants to do right now. wrap his arms around them, hold on tight, be held close and reassured physically that they are going to remain with him. he scoffs at this in a tone he hates using. they're the one down and out. so why is he the one needing comfort? why console him when it's Shin who seems to be treading a fine line between stable and emergency? it sours his stomach to feel so fucking selfish. he's gotta have more faith in them somehow, and more faith in himself to cope with this, if he ever wants to see the light at the end of this tunnel. so he bites the inside of his cheek to keep his thoughts running forward and away from detours as he keeps one hand on them, savoring the feel of soft and long hair of a stunning silver color that he's got running between his fingers now. Shin is such a good sport about all this. they let him be as hands on as he needs to, they take it all in stride, and they keep his spirits up as best as they can be. Kouta is so thankful for these things. he is so in love with them, still now after forty years, so grateful to have them at his side no matter their state. all he wants is to keep them close for many more. deep down, however, be knows the clock is ticking down to nothing and soon they will be out of his reach forever. his spirit weeps preemptively each time it remembers this fact.

"I probably need a haircut, huh?" their voice shakes him from his dead end thoughts and he snaps to attention. yes, they're right, they probably do need one. their hygiene routine being so thrown off by these current events mean less daily, thorough hair care and thus a cut would make it easier to manage. he'd miss the cascade of silver, but it's a small price to pay to ease their ordeal even slightly. cut back to the length they maintained as a teenager, close to how it was when they first met each other. that was a lifetime ago. Kouta suddenly longs for anything that will allow him to relive that time. maybe this sort of move has more upsides than downsides after all.

"you need a shower, a haircut, and a softer bed." his laugh lacks real humor but it eeks out anyway. he wants to laugh easily, wants to show them that he's not all doom and gloom, but it's so hard. Shin understands. they would never give him shit genuinely for how he's reacting and coping and managing his life now that he's glued to their side so very often. his life is on hold and he's not sorry in the least. they have to stand in awe of it, in a way, because he dropped everything without hesitation for this. and will not pick anything back up until something gives, until the dam either breaks or is patched up with a miracle. Kouta is an unflappable beast only for Shin. it runs through both minds at once and the understanding is a balm to the nerves, even if only a mild one.

his busy hand is retracted and instead placed on their chest in his next motion, resting there so delicately, until one of their own hands comes up to hold it. fingers lace together and he basks in the warm coming from their palm. good, that's so good, they are still warm, they are still alive and with him. Kouta thinks he might melt from that thought alone. but the weight of their hand in his brings him back down to earth and gives his mind real focus. all he wants is to keep them warm like that, alive like that, with him like that, but in a way that is more like a real life. back to their carefree snark and banter. making plans to go here or there, visiting Minoru and Kabuto at the clinic, awaiting a visit from Kousei and Umeko, asking Rai to being the grandkids over, stopping by to see Doushu teaching his class. spending a moment every day at the gate, offering thanks to the circumstances that brought them together, never once forgetting their origins. he wants to do it all with them and then do it all all over again. and they would do it with him no matter how many times it took for him to be content. this relationship is a many way street and they always pull their weight. even while laying here, lucid only half the time, chest on fire and head fuzzy from brain fog. just being still with him is what he counts as weight pulled. it's all he's ever asked of them. to Kouta, what qualifies is enough is just Shin. no add ons, just them as they are. everything he could ever need comes with them and their actions and words and mannerisms. it's a marvel to him still, four decades later, how much love he has for all that they are.

"I think you, weasel, need rest. but maybe that's always been true." their words strike him exactly where he is most exposed. his nerves always fray to hell and back so a good rest does him wonders. and yes, he would love to sleep right now. curl up with them and nap in the low light then wake up and kiss them. it's a beautiful pipe dream, almost good enough to lull him into submission. until they speak again. "lay with me, if you want. I won't make you. you'll wake up sore if you do."

Kouta does not need to be told twice. he scoots his seat away and lowers himself to the floor, still trying to keep his fingers locked with theirs, and presses his form against the couch. it's low enough that he can lower his head against their shoulder, nuzzling close, without having to reach up too much. yes he will indeed wake up with a stiff neck and stiff back and sore ass. worth it, so worth it, he knows only that. fingers still laced, head on their shoulder, position awkward but close, he slips his eyes closed and savors the time he still has with them. when the two are up later he will probably bring them into the bathroom for a nice shower, enjoying the feel of the water against him as he tends to his beloved, though he'll most likely let their hair stay long. that beautiful silver is treasured by him. going back into when they first met sounds nice, but truly he prefers the here and now when he's known them for so long and loves them through every age line and wrinkle and slowed step. why go in reverse when perfection is right here right now. damn it all, he curses, knowing he's already killing himself into false hope. maybe though...just maybe...they will pull up and out of this haze. he prays, oh he prays, that it will be so. sure his eyes are closed but he can feel that light eyed gaze upon him, making sure he's comfortable and that he knows they're with him. Shin is thorough with that sort of communication. Kouta is grateful they put so much detail work into it. when he wakes up, yes, he will kiss them and make sure they know his gratitude is boundless. they'll grin at him, tease him, and kiss back. the concept of this fantasy eases his mind more, letting sleep inch closer, trying to claim him.

"rest easy. I love you." it's the last thing he hears before he gives in. though, Shin is sure they hear him wish the same back. it's in a mumble but they're confident to have heard it. he'll take their word for it when they tell him all about it upon waking. he loves them. they love him. and right now, cuddled up close, nothing else matters.

[finaldestination-3]

Still trying to rein in his trembling, he stands before the cliff face where he'd received his order from Danzo not half a day earlier. An agent had been posted in the area in the case either of the boys left there tried to escape. Now the agent, masked with the visage if a vulture, all too appropriate really, had taken up the perch in an effort to scout the surroundings. Watchful eyes looked down at Sai now, taking in his roughed up form, awaiting word as to whether he'd been victorious or was just here to cause trouble. Neither figure said anything as the mutual stare dragged on. What was there to say, really?

Finally, Vulture raised his voice. "What do you have to report?"

Sai, dreading this exchange, made to respond despite everything in him trying to prevent it. "I am the only one left."

Vulture narrows his eyes from behind the slits in his mask. "And you're sure?"

With a nod, Sai responds. "Affirmative."

There is really nothing else he could say to the man who outranks him standing there now. How could he even think to explain what had happened? He'd have to fabricate a lot of it anyway. No word of the real events could ever get out for the consequences would most likely be grim. This wasn't a real victory. It was a sham. A sham that had no other ending than death and heartache. Everything about it made Sai feel sick and alone but he could not convey this to anyone. The truth getting out could never happen.

"You will remain here." Vulture sneers down at the newly minted full Root agent. "I will bring back Lord Danzo. If you attempt to leave, you will be killed."

"Yes sir, I understand." Sai gulps. His brain betrays him briefly and considers the idea of dying to not be so bad. Even if it meant his brother had just died in vain.

But before he can war with himself internally in front of his superior and potentially give himself away, the older man vanishes. It shouldn't be too long until their leader comes back to fact check the report. He'd be face to face with Danzo again shortly. The thought struck like a spear of ice right through his core. That man had just ordered him to turn on his own sibling. Made it so that, no matter what they did, only one would make it out alive. He had not prepared for this when he'd woken up that morning. It still didn't feel real to be all alone now. Perhaps it never would.

Time felt like it dragged on and on as he waited for the arrival of the shadow of death. It had gotten so blurry that he barely reacted when three older Root agents appeared in a whirl to precede the presence of Danzo himself. Vulture had returned but now he was flanked by a man in an Eel mask and a woman in a Bear mask. Bear was a rarity in the organization, and she was one of the most lethal. Her reputation was well known and to see her hear now was mortifying. Danzo had come prepared. He had all his bases covered but for the life of him Sai did not know why. Was punishment coming?

"You claim you have completed your assignment already." Danzo fixed him with a one-eyed stare that felt just as icy as he'd imagined. "Show the proof of your claim."

"Yes, Lord Danzo. I will take you to where it happened." Sai's voice shook ever so slightly as he spoke. When was this supposed to get easier? Shin would never approve of this. They'd told him flat out to kill his emotions, but it was easier said than done.

He'd taken the lead position when leading the team towards the sight of the clash. Bear flanked him a little too close for comfort but he could not let on that he wanted her to step back. Eel took up the rear and Vulture paced just behind Danzo, keeping his eyes glued to Sai the same way his namesake would to a dying animal. All the eyes on him, despite the fact that he could not see him, felt incredibly fixated on him and it began to create a suffocating feeling. They expected solid proof out of him. There was no need to worry, the body was definitely still there, but somehow that almost felt worse. Having to face what he'd done, in the presence of his superiors, was a monumental task. His sins would be on full display.

When the scene came into view Sai felt his legs grow heavy. His entire being wanted to go no further even if he had no choice. When Shin had bid him to leave, all he wanted was to get away as fast as he could. Now he had to return to where it all happened and use it as proof that he wasn't lying. Proof of his entry into being a fully minted Foot agent. Status gained through fratricide felt more sinister than anything in his most intrusive dreams. Sai had killed plenty of people before. Every one of those people meant little to him and the violence did not weigh on him quite like this did. Even if he didn't actually strike he blow that felled his brother...it still felt like he was the culprit.

"Would you look at that, seems he was being completely honest." Eel commented from the rear. If he had any less of a handle on his emotions, Sai was sure the man would have whistled out of being so impressed.

"Mind your place." Vulture snarled lowly to him. It shut the avian masked man up immediately. Stupid young blood.

Bear stood over the very still body of the worst kill Sai had ever had to make. Her steely eyes from behind the mask took in the sight of the dead teenager with no sort of feeling at all. She said nothing as Danzo slowly came up to stand at her side. Nothing could shake that woman, Sai knew. She must have seen hundreds of corpses over the course of her entire career in Root. A lot of them had fallen by her hand. One more dead kid was nothing compared to her miles long body count. And her ability to be so stoic in the face of fresh death might be one reason Danzo had brought her along today. It set a "good example" for Sai and his future among their official ranks.

"As of today, you are officially among the ranks of the Foundation." Danzo began, in a flat tone. "If you should even make an attempt to break away then you will be killed immediately."

"Yes sir, Lord Danzo..." Sai looked to his feet as he spoke. He flinched as he realized this was probably a horrible look for him.

"You will look up when you are spoken to." Vulture hisses. There it was.

"What do we do with him now, Lord Danzo?" Eel inquired. He was not referring to Sai but Sai flinched again anyway. Everything about this made him sick.

"You will dispose of the body outside of the village. Do not make a big scene when you do so." The cold leader replied. This really was like an every day routine task to him.

Eel came up close to where Bear stood and kneeled down next to the body of the kid who'd been alive just hours earlier. He reached a hand out and grasped at the back of the Foundation issued dark jacket Shin still had on, gripping the fabric tight, and lifting their limp body a little off the ground. There was probably a sinister look on the face of the 20-something man just then. He was known to be malicious as a baseline personality and seeing him here now, like this, only hammered that home. It was no easy task to support the dead weight in his hand now but he didn't seem to be bothered.

"Too bad." Eel commented flippantly. "This one could have been useful."

Without any sort of care, he jostled the limp form of Sai's beloved brother as he kept his hold on their uniform. Seeing him shake Shin like that caused a horrific wave of nausea to roil through Sai's gut and he had to swallow thickly in an effort to settle his stomach. Such disrespect for the dead should not get to him as much as it was right now. Like the others assembled here, Sai was no stranger to death and bodies. He'd made his fair share of corpses out of once lively Shinobi on orders from their leader and not even felt a flutter of sickness come over him. But now...now was a world apart from all those times.

"Enough games." Bear spoke, voice with zero emotional leaning either way in it, directed at Eel. "We have our orders. You will grab his feet and help me get rid of him."

This got a grumble out of Eel but he complied regardless, letting go of the shirt scruff in his hand to take hold of the back half of the now long gone teenager. Bear moved to pick their front half up and now their entire form was finally off the forest floor. Vulture stuck close to Danzo, hovering like an omen, observing the scene before him. Everything in Sai wanted to bolt away and never turn back. Never did he envision himself looking upon such a sight. Even worse...there was a world, somewhere out there, where that was his body being manhandled while Shin stood and watched. How would they have felt? He had to shake his head to banish the sheer thought if it so it didn't drag him under.

"Anything we need to get rid of before we dispose of him, or is okay to just toss him in a hole like this?" The way Eel spoke grated violently on every nerve Sai still had intact.

"There is nothing on him that can be used against us. Bring him back to the cabin grounds and assure that you bury an animal corpse over his." The way Danzo worded this held no trace of remorse. It never could. He had given them the standard orders like he had every time a final test had taken place. So many dead kids, and this was just another statistic for the list. And it wouldn't be the last addition.

"Got it, understood."

Bear took the lead with Eel nearly stumbling as he tried to match her pace. She knew the way and the best way to get there undetected. Because she was so unbothered by this process, her steps were longer and quicker which made it difficult for the younger man assisting her to keep up. Sai knew he was probably grumbling under his breath but because he was trained better than to act out all he would do is complain in a volume he thought no one would hear. Unluckily for him, Bear definitely heard him, though she chose not to say anything as it was beneath her entirely. The cocky younger agent would fall in line eventually.

Observing all of this left Sai a little numb to everything else around him until the heavy presence of Danzo approached. Vulture stayed several steps behind but still near enough for the teenager to pick up on the rancid aura the man gave off. He felt like a carcass on the side of the road. Helpless to the shims of the predators and scavengers that would eventually erase his whole existence from the world. One wrong move and Vulture would snuff him out without another thought, on Danzo's command. Time to sober up so that did not happen.

"You will report to me first thing tomorrow for your orders. See to it that you do not be late."

"I understand, Lord Danzo." Sai spoke in a submissive tone. "Where am I to be staying tonight?"

"I will not restrict your movement for this situation. However, if you do not report promptly in the morning, there will be absolute punishment. Until then you must decide for yourself where to go."

His eyes strayed then from his commander to the Root agent with the bird mask. Vulture leered at him, an intimidation tactic that was definitely working, and so he averted his gaze quickly. Silence stretched between the three of them now for what felt like ages. It all began to blur and press on Sai like a great weight until his superiors too their leave in a whirl of smoke. Solitude blanketed the entire area now that he was well and truly alone. Shin had told him clearly to kill his emotions so all of this wouldn't destroy him. But in that lonely space just then, his doubts about his ability to do so had never been higher.

"Brother...what do I do now?"