byahoooo | (no subject)

[ Every now and then, Kakashi wonders if he'll ever get tired of this pattern he seems to have fallen into.

Part of him is pretty sure he's already tired of it, and that's not really a surprise, considering it's always the same shit, different day, different face, different name. The places and the people change, but the events that occur and unfold are essentially the same, and how he's surprised by anything anymore is really beyond him.

But it's not in his nature to be a pessimistic person, just as it isn't in his nature to be excessively optimistic. He's realistic and level-headed (with a fuckton of issues buried underneath the surface, clawing at his insides like toxic waste, but he's not going to get into that), and he knows how to handle himself in most situations, knows how to deal with shit when nothing goes as planned, when awful things start happening and all the control he had slips from between his fingers.

Right. He's got it. Check.

Kakashi breathes, shaking his hands out as he enters the village through the giant, imposing gate, sliding a kunai back into the belt at his waist. It's dusk, and most of the citizens of Konoha have already turned in for the night. There's a few stragglers, a woman outside her home shaking a rug out, a man leading a child away by the wrist. Kakashi himself is on his way back home after spending the majority of the day outside the bounds of the village, not really doing anything in particular, just -- thinking.

He needs time to think, sometimes. ]

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No.

[ He reaches out, then, plucking at the threads. His nails are dirtied, and it's obvious that he's used to things that are better than this.

Byakuran listens, briefly, watching the movement on his fingers, before he finally offers - ]

There was a lot of screaming. And fire.

You should change and rest. There's a spare bedroom at the end of the hallway.

[ He looks over at him blankly, then at the hallway. Every inch the street urchin, he's cautious, before he gets to his feet, taking the stack of clothes with him.

Kakashi's warmth is familiar, and if he focuses, he thinks that he can remember the time when he climbed onto his back and was afforded a piggyback ride around the courtyard. ]

...Is it safe, here?

It is. You don't need to worry, Byakuran.

I'll be back in a bit.

All right.

[ He nods, briefly, before he starts off down the hallway. A pause, then he turns, just a little, looking at Kakashi over his shoulder with a smile that is, for all intents and purposes, strained. ]

...Thank you.

You're welcome.

[ Morning finds Byakuran on the couch, curled up without a blanket and deep in sleep. Huddled against the upholstery, it seems like he's waited for the other, and had finally succumbed to rest.

The morning is cool, pleasant, and he's relaxed in rest. ]

[ Sleepy lavender eyes open at the movement, regarding him blankly, as if he's not quite out of a dream yet. It's bleary, not as sharp as when he's fully awake, and a tinge of recognition flickers in his gaze.

It's been a long while, he supposes, since he hasn't quite counted on falling asleep that quickly, and he reaches out, index and middle finger brushing over the mask, where his lips would be, and a little above. It's something he probably won't remember saying, later. ]

They dared me to steal this from you, before. The kids.

You never did.

Edited 2010-04-19 07:28 (UTC)

[ He settles, noting that tension - has no one touched him properly before? He supposes not, for one to react that way. He decides to file it away where he can pursue that line of thought in a bit. He's coming to full wakefulness now, slowly but surely, the awareness of where he is coming back to him fully.

Byakuran squints at him, then - wondering if that smile is his imagination. His fingers curl around Kakashi's, not wanting to let go. (Testing, getting a feel for how this prized ninja can possibly be manipulated, be wrapped around his little finger.) ]

...It's too quiet here.

It's early. It gets noisier later on in the day.

[ A low, inaudible sigh, and he silently wonders at what Kakashi is thinking about. He senses the hesitation, more than able to read it for what it is, and he intends to exploit it, one sweet moment at a time.

His hand closes around it, then, before he lets go, rubbing his eyes. He looks almost embarrassed at that moment of weakness, and he shakes his head a little. ]

...I suppose. [ A beat. ] Sorry.

Don't apologize.

Did you sleep well?

Edited 2010-04-19 07:51 (UTC)

[ He sits up, still nestled in the blankets as he considers that question briefly. Byakuran observes Kakashi quietly, watching his movements. ]

...Not really.

Of course.

[ He takes it with a quiet nod, but doesn't drink. Rather, he holds the glass in his hands, cupped around it as if it's a sort of lifesaver. It's an awkward silence, one that Byakuran's not in any hurry to break, and he looks up at him.

He finally does, however awkwardly. It sounds ridiculous, really, given the context. ]

...How have you been, Uncle?

Busy.

[Byakuran senses it instinctively, knows that Kakashi's exhausted, and supposes that his questions could wait. He'd be amused if he could, and he simply offers his glass to him.

He can be thoughtful when he wants to be, after all - manipulating people has always required a keen insight into their thoughts, and a sharper than usual perception of human reaction. ]

You need this more than I do.

[ ...And, of course, in a moment of poetic justice, his stomach growls. ]

Hungry?

[ Byakuran looks mildly startled at the contact, before he lets Kakashi have the glass. Of course, he has the sense to look somewhat abashed as he sheds the blankets and straightens up, lankier still when those clothes practically hang off him. ]

A little. I haven't eaten for awhile, now.

I'll get you something.

[ He straightens, steps a little closer, as if to follow him. He doesn't miss that movement, and he says - ]

I'll come with you.