mouse
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Post by mouse on Feb 25, 2009 17:27:30 GMT 9
It had never specifically become his job, but he'd taken it nevertheless. On the good days he considered this duty the last, flickering ember of the "good son" he'd always tried to be. On the bad days it was the last remaining link of the chain which forever tied him to his self-imposed prison. Today stood at neither extreme and Rei found himself staring listlessly at a selection of eggs, trying to remember how it was that his mother had always determined which carton to buy.
He shifted the shopping basket further down his arm, the handles caught in the fold of his elbow, and reached for one of the boxes. These eggs were brilliantly white and relatively large. Rei thought that he'd be able to fit two in his hand at once, but three might be a struggle... not that he'd have any reason to try. The faintest of smiles quirked upon his lips, vanishing as quickly as it'd come, and he closed the carton again.
Reaching back towards the display, Rei traded that carton for a similar looking one and this time came up with red-brown, speckled eggs. He frowned. After a moment of uncertain staring at these tiny, dark miniatures of the first batch, he decided to add them to his basket and see where that got him. He doubted that they tasted any differently from one another--chickens were chickens, right?--or that his father would even notice. But did eggs go bad?
The teenager took a step away from the chilled air of the grocer's display and looked awkwardly from side to side. There weren't too many people in the shop and none of the workers seemed to notice his anxiety--or they were used to it by now. Though still suspicious of the eggs, Rei moved on to wander the selection of fresh fish.
The smells were delicious and Rei wished for the umpteenth time that he had a better understanding of the culinary arts. It had never been "his place" to learn to cook, of course. According to his father, cooking was "women's work" and not something that his son should ever bother to learn. Rei could only note with some mixed amusement that the man had only given a derisive snort to Rei teaching himself to do so now. He certainly had little problem eating Rei's culinary disasters--so long as they seemed moderately healthy.
With the musical genius of John William's caressing his ears, Rei selected a small package of fresh cut octopus tentacles and dropped them into the basket with the rest of his choices. What he'd make tonight would last as left overs for two, possibly three days... Rei paused to shift through the scant articles. He didn't notice when he began to hum the overture in time with his MP3 player.
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Ayumu
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Post by Ayumu on Feb 26, 2009 10:48:05 GMT 9
He pouted. He stomped his feet. He waved his arms willynilly over his head in an effort to show how he did not want to do this. However, he was outmaneuvered by the most manipulative, fussy, cold hearted person in town - no the world.
"Come on, niisan, quit it. You're embarrassing me!" came the hissed words from the tyrants mouth. "You're acting like a child."
"I wasn't the one who said I had to come, now did I?" Shou grunted around his cigarette, which wiggled with each word. "I'dve been happy at home, but nooo, you just had to bring me out. I've got four pages due-"
"Yes, yes, in three days, but you've already finished those three pages, and moved onto the next three pages."
Damn. He'd figured out his ruse.
'I must think of a better strategy to win this war', Shou thought to himself, scowling at Hikaru.
Hikaru who looked like a poster boy for all things good and righteous - the image that hid the devious little monster he actually was. Shou felt no little pride at the idea that he was the reason Hikaru was so devious; sometimes it paid to torment your little brother until that vein popped out of his forehead. It was at least entertaining.
"Why did I need to come?" He'd resorted back to whining.
"Because we need more food than I can carry on my own. Because you were supposed to have gone grocery shopping for the essentials while I was at school. Because you ate the last of the poki and complained that I was starving you...again." Hikaru listed off blithely, looking slightly bored with the whole process of practically dragging Shou into the store.
Finally, at the doors, Hikaru reached up, snatched the smoldering cigarette out of Shou's mouth and stomped it out while Shou stood looking affronted. The little bugger was only too lucky that it was about to go out on its own. Then, Hikaru just had to go and do the one thing that made Shou stop being completely irritated with him. Hikaru stared up at him with those light brown eyes, reached up and attempted to fix the wild disarray that was Shou's hair. While Shou was melting over that mothering thing Hikaru did, the younger brother fixed and straightened Shou's shirt and tsked over the stubble that made sandpaper out of Shou's chin.
"Lets go...before you begin to scare little old ladies..."
"I resent that. I only scare assistants...I make little old ladies nervous." Shou smirked before stuffing his hands in his pockets and sauntering into the grocery store.
His jeans had holes in them, his converse sneakers were still untied, and for Hikaru's sake he'd thrown on a button down shirt onto his 'vintage tee' - which he had no idea why they called it vintage. But whatever. The tips of his fingers were still stained with ink. Where he was scruffy and decidedly scruffy looking, Hikaru was still in his school uniform, having come home, done chores and finally dragged Shou away from his pages. His hair was brushed, and he looked like a typical school boy - with the exception of the slight scowl on his face whenever he glanced in Shou's way.
Shou grabbed a basket, and then handed it off to Hikaru who snorted in amusement. While he was tossing it on his arm, Shou immediately sauntered off towards where he assumed the poki was.
"Do they have black tea here?" Shou tossed over his shoulder where he knew Hikaru was chasing after him in an effort to slow the older brother down.
"Yes, and it's this way, Shou-san..." Hikaru said, grasping Shou's elbow and dragging him in the other direction.
Which when Shou tried to plant his feet and be difficult created a squeaking noise all down the aisle of the store. When Hikaru glowered up at Shou, he smirked unrepentantly.
"You're the one who dragged me here." Shou reminded him. Before he could say anything else, he glanced around and caught sight of a young boy about his brother's age with headphones in his ears. He could hear the soft crooning from where they were standing. He also recognized the uniform. "Oi, Tora, you know him?"
When no answer came, Shou glanced down at Hikaru and noted the flush on his cheeks, and on the tips of his ears. Oho, so that's the way the wind blew, he thought with a smirk. With a snarky smile of doom, Shou began to step away from Hikaru, who grappled to keep hold of his arm. As Shou slickly pulled away and started in the other boy's direction, he heard the sound of Hikaru's panicked breath before hearing the pitter patter of cowardly feet running away.
"Mission accomplished..." Shou said with a pat on his back. Turning his eyes towards the other kid though, he smirked. "Or at least...partly accomplished."
By the time he was done, Hikaru would never, ever drag him outside again. Ever. And he may just have a new friend to boot. Sidling up to the other boy, he glanced into the basket. Not much in there yet - wait, octopus legs?!
"You're not really gunna eat those, are you?" He asked in loud surprise, not even realize that he'd managed to get his words in before the next song on the kid's MP3 player had started.
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mouse
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Post by mouse on Feb 26, 2009 11:19:12 GMT 9
Caught between the theme to Jurassic park and a gorgeous selection from Dances With Wolves, Rei blinked at the loud voice which boomed somewhere over his head. It wasn't really surprising that it came from overhead, of course, they usually did in his experience. The hand that was in his basket went still and he slowly turned his head to look up, and up and up... at a particularly scruffy "gentle"man gazing incredulously at Rei's entree of choice.
The opening strings of John Barry's Dunbar Theme continued unappreciated in his ears as he briefly considered his options. He could retort, or he could walk away. "No, of course not." The words slid as easily from his mouth as melted butter and he shouldered his way past the stranger and towards the aisle of rice, "They fell into my basket by mistake and I lack the intelligence to remove them."
He stopped halfway down the aisle to appraise a few bags of various types of rice, wondering which would go best with the octopus. It was a pity he couldn't make heads or tails of the cookbooks his mother had left behind.
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Ayumu
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Post by Ayumu on Feb 26, 2009 11:35:49 GMT 9
For a moment (only a moment mind you), Shou was surprised. This streaky haired kid thought he could outsnark him?
I think not, Shou thought to himself before sauntering right after him.
"Well, gee, why didn't you say so?" Shou said with a smirk before reaching into the basket and examining the squiggly looking legs. "I'll just go put them back for you. Cuz that's the kind of man I am, always looking out for those lacking in intelligence. No need to thank me- here, this'll do you good! Growing boy like you, and all needs all the nutrients you can get, might help in the lacking in intelligence portion of your world." This was said as Shou began to fill the basket with random bags of rice and even a few noodles.
"You should let my brother cook for you, you unintelligent soul you, he's quite the culinary expert in our house. Why, you'd fall in love with his cookin' even if he makes vegetables. Maybe you've seen him around school, real attractive kid, always has people trying to steal his bento's."
"SHOU-SAN!"
The dulcet hiss of his younger brother came, making him both smirk and jump in surprise at the same time, almost dropping the package. As he struggled to catch it, successfully juggling it from hand to hand at least twice, he rolled his eyes.
"Tora-chan, I was just sayin'-"
"I know what you were saying!" He hissed again, almost quiet enough that Shou struggled to hear him.
A slender hand - not stained with ink mind you - snatched the package away from Shou and handed it back to the streaky haired kid. Shou turned and glowered at his brother who was stuck in a bow.
"I'm sorry, Morioka-Sempai, for my brother's manners and any offense he might have caused." Hikaru said softly, the tips of his ears so red that Shou could only imagine what his face looked like.
At least the stutter hadn't started yet - but then Hikaru wasn't looking at the other boy yet. This would be entertaining to say the least.
"Aoki Hikaru, my otouto," Shou said, informally introducing them.
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mouse
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Post by mouse on Feb 26, 2009 11:43:04 GMT 9
Rei stood firm as his basket was molested by the weird, stubbly stranger. One might have thought it odd that he didn't bother to so much as protest, even as his basket was weighed down with rice and other grain-based products which really weren't all that healthy at all. He didn't even bend under the weight of it. Instead, Rei gave the faintest of impatient signs and simply regarded the man with an expression that quite actively read "I didn't realize I'd be dealing with a child, today."
Once the interruption started, Rei began to put the rice back and only stopped when his octopus was thrust back towards him. The boy stopped and turned to take it, eyes focusing on the quiet little boy who was currently apologizing for his--brother? Hn.
Rei accepted the Octopus and returned it to the basket with a shrug. "It's alright. I have cousins about his age. The younger they are, the harder it is to bring them out in public. You might want to consider a baby sitter until he reaches five or so."
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Ayumu
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Post by Ayumu on Feb 26, 2009 12:04:10 GMT 9
Shou mock glowered at the streaky kid before smirking.
"So, Morioka-chan," Shou said wincing when Hikaru's sharp elbow connected with his side. "I am Aoki Shou, and why haven't we traded verbal punches before?"
"Because you never go outside, you- mmph!" Hikaru's mumbled insult was muffled by Shou tossing a bag of rice in his direction.
"You're rather unsociable. We must be related. You must have been switched at birth with Tora-chan here," Shou nudged his brother, who staggered a little having been caught off guard.
The put-upon sigh of doom that followed only made Shou's lips twitch in deviant amusement. That deviant glint in his eye changed to slightly maniacal at the thought of how much he could banter with this Morioka-chan at home and[/b] torment Hikaru at the same time. His hand had barely reached out to shed the kid of his basket before it was slapped soundly by Hikaru - who had preempted the attack on Morioka-chan's person. With a look of injured morals to his little brother, he turned back to the fun.
"Then again, your hair might be cause for alarm...If you wanted to be a zebra, you've accomplished your mission. Have an affinity for animals?"
"I am so, so, so terribly sorry, Morioka-Sempai." Came Hikaru's voice, slightly shaking. Shou wasn't sure if it was from anger, amusement or embarrassment. "My niisama is ...socially inept-"
"Hey-"
"And has no manners. It is why he is usually confined to our home-"
"I'm confined to the house by choice, you little-"
"And it is rare that I take him out in public, it seems that this whole fiasco is my fault. My deepest apologies." Hikaru just spoke over his brother's splutters and ruffled feathers.
"Apology accepted, but don't you think you ought to apologize to Morioka-chan?" Shou said, struggling not to smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at his younger brother, who still hadn't looked into the face of Morioka-chan. And he was bowing again! This kid...he had no snark in him...just deviousness.
Where had he gone wrong??
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mouse
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Post by mouse on Feb 26, 2009 12:12:47 GMT 9
"I would probably attribute it to the fact that I try not to argue with children. You never get anywhere." Rei didn't smile, or even crack a smirk. In fact, there was no expression at all written upon his face, not even boredom, and he arched a brow at the hand which reached for him. Hikaru seemed to be quite the little white knight--Rei didn't even have to move an inch before said hand was slapped away and Hikaru was puffing smoke at his elder brother.
The dynamic between them was an interesting one, to say the least, and not for the first time Rei found himself idly wondering what it might have been like to have a brother. Watching this, he really wasn't sure if he should be sad or grateful. He settled on neither.
"Manners don't matter," he shrugged again, as if to emphasize the futility of it all. Turning his eyes back to the rice, he selected a bag which looked nice enough--it was white and had pink designs on it that he found appealing--and placed that into his basket. "But I really do suggest a leash, at the least. Maybe a muzzle. They probably make those in his size somewhere. Assuming you can't get anyone to watch him on a regular basis."
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Ayumu
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Post by Ayumu on Feb 26, 2009 12:39:04 GMT 9
"I'll have you know-"
"Oh, Morioka-Sempai, you don't want those..." Hikaru said softly, his hand reaching out as if to take the bag away from Morioka.
Shou stared at his normally timid little brother with wide, surprised eyes. And to reach out to someone that, at least it was obvious to Shou, he had an affection for was shocking.
Hikaru froze in the motion. Up until then, he'd been more comfortable 'picking up the pieces' behind Shou during the conversation. He'd been caught up in how rebellious Morioka-Sempai looked (and how much he'd been admiring him while he was in their presence), and trying not to let Shou embarrass him beyond repair.
"Tora-chan?" Shou said with a teasing lilt in his voice.
"I-it's always st-st-stale..." Hikaru stammered, a blush staining his cheeks despite his tanned skin. He pulled his hand away, and tipped his head slightly, to hide behind his hair. "Those are th-the bet-better brand..." he trailed off quietly after pointing out the other brand of rice.
Shou glanced between the two boys before smirking at Morioka-chan.
"Oi, Morioka-chan...why not let Hikaru-chan fix you dinner tonight? I'm sure if you want..." Shou picked up the package of octopus legs again with a wince. "This stuff, he can make something entertaining with it."
Not only did he get to poke more at Morioka-chan now, he got the delight of seeing his little brother go pale before that flush entered his cheeks again. With a smug smile he turned to the streaky haired kid again.
"We live just around the corner, if you're interested in a free meal. Nobody cooks like Hikaru-chan."
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mouse
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Post by mouse on Feb 26, 2009 13:25:06 GMT 9
"I don't?" Rei rose a brow as the boy seemed to freeze. Aoki Hikaru, huh? He thought he'd heard the name a few times around school. Perhaps, as Shou had suggested, in relation to bento boxes. In fact, he believed a few of his "friends" had mentioned managing to bully a bun or two off the boy once or twice...
It was easy to see how.
When Hikaru finally stumbled out the "why" of his statement, Rei nodded. He waited for Hikaru to release the rice and then dropped it back onto the shelf and reached for the suggested brand instead. "Thanks," he replied and shrugged, "I'm not really... used to this whole shopping thing."
A sudden thought broke it's way over the tinkling of piano keys against his eardrum and Rei turned back to the (shockingly) shorter boy, one finger outstretched, "Say. Do you know... do eggs turn brown if they go bad? Cause there's all these different colours on the other aisle..."
The elder of the trio made his offer then and Rei glanced up; he couldn't help that Shou was getting a little on his nerves, but at the same time... he admired the fact that the man didn't really seem to care who he offended. It was nice to see someone so... real for a change. "The dinner isn't just for me," he shrugged. It was the truth, after all, even though a part of him wished it weren't. Rei snatched the octopus back and threw it in the basket. "Though I--"
As if fate had conspired against poor, blushing Hikaru, Rei's cellphone went off. He rolled his eyes, ripped one earbud from his ear and grabbed the phone out of his back pocket. A second's fumbling opened the overly extravegant (and altogether needless, so far as Rei was concerned) device and he pressed it to his exposed ear. "What?"
A muffled voice trickled from the receiver and Rei rolled his eyes, attention suddenly elsewhere. He frowned and his jaw twitched, eyes going to his shoes as he scuffed the left one against the tile. "Yeah. Whatever." The boy clicked the phone shut on whatever his caller was saying and stuffed it back into his pocket.
He glanced back at the poor, tormented Octopus and snorted. "So... you cook, huh?" He looked to Hikari.
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Ayumu
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Post by Ayumu on Feb 26, 2009 14:05:05 GMT 9
Hikaru blinked at the sudden change in atmosphere around Morioka-Sempai. The other boy looked...unsettled, was the only word that came to mind as he'd watched the unconscious gesture of one foot being scuffed on the tile.
Blinking again at the question directed his way, he tilted his head to the side as he stared at the ingredients in the basket.
"Uhm...yes?" He guessed, having been startled to answer by his brother who nudged him again - which caused him to lose his balance a little from the bag of rice he still held in his arms. With a disgruntled look at the oldest of them, Hikaru shoved the back at him, causing Shou to stagger back under the weight and turned to Morioka. "I can make grilled octopus with what you have here...with white rice and a salad?"
Shou groaned at the mention of anything green and sighed dramatically.
"I guess there's no use for it now..." Shou groused, putting the rice back on the shelf as they waited for the third member of their party to put his two cents in.
"I'd j-just need to go and get a few other things to stock up on, if you'd like, Morioka-s-sempai..." His voice wasn't stuttering as much, Shou thought with a quick grin, since now he was focused on the mission.
'How to get Shou to eat anything green and leafy' with a side quest of 'What can I make Morioka-sempai that would impress him and not make me look like a fool'. Either quest was bound to be humorous.
"Yeah, Morioka-chan, you can keep me company while he goes shoppin'." He bared his teeth at Hikaru when the younger boy looked up at him as if he'd like nothing better than to drag him down to his short level. "Or I can do the shopping."
"If you do the shopping, we'll be living off of poki for years to come..." Hikaru muttered with a faint blush on his cheeks.
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mouse
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Post by mouse on Feb 26, 2009 14:19:49 GMT 9
"Actually I wouldn't mind shopping with you, Aoki-kohai. Like I said, I'm not really used to this..." Rei shrugged, plowing through the admittance with little obvious difficulty, "I've been sort of... winging it."
It had been months since Rei had had a real "conversation" with someone who he didn't feel was just out to prod holes into him, or force him into things he didn't want to do. At least, Hikaru that was--the jury was still out on Shou. After that phone "conversation," neither was he really in the mood to return to the empty house, cook for himself and stare at his bedroom ceiling.
The idea of staying behind with Shou wasn't a really pleasant one, either. He cast another, wary glare at the elder man, then returned his attention to Hikaru. It was hard to know how to read that one, or how to take his comments. "You'll grow fat if you don't eat something else. Besides, only girls like poki."
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Ayumu
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Post by Ayumu on Feb 26, 2009 15:11:57 GMT 9
"Oi, men like poki too. It's the snack of all snacks!" Shou said, rather loudly, delighting evilly in the blush that stained his little brothers face, and cackling when Hikaru tried to pretend that he wasn't with Shou...ever.
"I would be happy to show you the best brands, Morioka-sempai!" Hikaru said, a little breathlessly with excitement at the idea of helping his sempai shop. "We - I," he corrected himself with a dark glare (which was more akin to a tiny kitten glowering up at someone holding their catnip just out of reach) at Shou who looked as innocent as he possibly could manage, "Shop here, because their produce and foodstuffs is the freshest."
"And the manager thinks you're cute and you get a discount whenever you blush in his general direction."
See? I knew innocent couldn't last on him... Hikaru glowered at his brother who whistled innocently and put his hands back in his pockets.
"I t-try to get him to eat healthy, sempai, but he's out of control. If I don't make his meals, he would l-live on black tea and poki until his body would eat him in retaliation for the trouble..."
"You just say that because I didn't like your vegetable popover from hell."
Showing a remarkable show of grace, Hikaru ignored his brother, giving the impression that it was something that he did on a continual basis as he reached over and took down a bag of plain rice.
"I would tell you t-to ignore him, Morioka-sempai, but he refuses t-to be ignored once you acknowledge his existence..."
"Oi, Tora-chan, you're cruel for a little brother." Shou pouted, but smirked at Morioka when Hikaru had his head turned away. "You're such a little oka-san," Shou teased and tugged on a wayward lock of Hikaru's dark, inky hair.
"You will notice that Shou-san did not argue about getting fat on poki..." Hikaru said softly, just so that Morioka could hear him, and not Shou, who was currently bemoaning the cruelties of having a younger brother.
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mouse
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Post by mouse on Feb 26, 2009 15:29:22 GMT 9
"Gay men," Rei returned, "who are just as good as girls, anyway." For the first time, the glimmer of a smile appeared upon his lips and he nodded to Hikaru to lead the way. "The manager here has a thing for cute boys, anyway. Everybody knows that."
And they did, really, it was just something that few people admitted... aloud. Rei cast a curious glance at Shou, still a little put off guard by a Japanese guy being so open. It was refreshing, by his way of thinking--but he was also a social outcast for the same reason. Rei had to laugh at Hikaru's underhanded comment and the smile tugged at his lips once again. Easing up a little, he slipped one hand into his pocket and hung on to his basket with the other as they continued down the aisles, "Vegetable popovers, huh? That sounds pretty good, actually. You shouldn't complain if your brother wants to do something nice for you, y'know, Shou. He's trying to protect you."
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Ayumu
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Post by Ayumu on Feb 26, 2009 15:42:37 GMT 9
"He's tryin' to poison me, is what he's doing!" Shou pouted childishly, folding his arms over his chest even as laughter danced in his eyes.
"I am not," Hikaru sighed deeply, as if it were an old, old argument.
Both Hikaru and Shou said nothing to the comment about gay men being just as good as girls. It was the Japanese way of thinking, even if both men knew differently. It had taken Shou years to admit to being gay, but his struggle had made it easy for Hikaru to accept his own sexuality. There was nothing deviant or perverted about it, just as there was no way that someone would actually, truly believe that Shou was effeminate.
Hikaru, not so much with his delicate features and slight build. But he would take it as it came.
"I can give you the recipe, Morioka-sempai, if you'd like. It is actually very easy to ma-mph!"
Hands had clasped over Hikaru's mouth in an effort to stop him from making any sound resembling speech. Those hands belonged to Shou, who looked unrepentant. Laughing, brown eyes turned to Morioka-chan and Shou smirked deviously.
"If he keeps talking about cooking, we'll never get out of here, and he'll never shut up."
Hikaru's lighter brown eyes rolled in their sockets in annoyed resignation. They continued walking down the aisle, with Shou's hands still over Hikaru's mouth. Morioka-sempai's laugh had brought a delighted blush to Hikaru's cheeks, making butterflies dance in his belly at the realization that he hadn't heard the other boy's laugh in a long time. His smile was lovely, even if it was a small one.
"Mph, mphmoki." Hikaru said, pointing in a vague, general direction.
"Poki?" Shou interpreted, his head lifting like a wolf scenting prey before taking off so fast that the wind of his passing caused a ripple of movement in Hikaru's clothes and hair.
"He'll be at it for a while...since I have t-the basket..." Hikaru said with a sweet smile at Morioka-sempai, lifting the basket a little. "Was t-there something in particular you would want for dessert, Morioka-sempai?" He asked with a tilt of his head, his light brown eyes steady on the other boy's face.
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mouse
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Post by mouse on Feb 26, 2009 15:48:56 GMT 9
"I'd like the recipe," Rei shot Shou a look for having done that to Hikaru... but Hikaru was Shou's brother, not his, and so Rei said nothing of it. Their family issues weren't his business, after all, even if it was really rude to grab someone like that...
And then Shou was gone. Had Rei not seen the tail end of the man rushing around the corner of an aisle, he'd not have known what happened. The boy shook his head and snorted in surprise. "With that kind of speed, I guess he doesn't have to worry about pudge..." Hikaru's question drew him back to reality and Rei shrugged again. "Whatever you'd want... I'm more of a meat and vegetable person." Except octopus ice cream, but he wasn't going to admit that to a relative stranger.
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