āDonāt mind Inukashi,ā Nezumi shook his head and moved to the counter where Inukashi left the bottle of whiskey. He had snatched the untouched cup of coffee that Oslyeus wasnāt drinking, and while Os was getting ready, he sipped, then filled the available space with alcohol.
āTheyāre grumpy like that, but they donāt mean it,ā Nezumi reassured, knowing that even if Inukashi was annoyed at Os, they would get over it quick enough. By the time they would return from the walk, Inukashi would be getting the lunch ready for them. āButāand Iām saying this forĀ yourĀ peace of mindāif you want to do something for them. If you insist and wonāt get sound sleep unless you make it up to them ā¦ then you can cook dinner,ā he suggested.
Inukashi was alone in the house, alone to do everything. They had their dogs, but an animal couldnāt ever fully replace human connection. An animal would cuddle and support, but it couldnāt make coffee just the way Inukashi liked it, and it couldnāt cook Inukashiās favourite food. It couldnāt sweep the kitchen when Inukashi was feeling too tired to do chores. A dog, or multiple, was a companion, but not a partner and Nezumi wouldnāt have been able to understand the importance of those if not for Oslyeus.
Being cared for, even in the smallest of ways, having another human to rely on was crucial to oneās survival, which was why he thoughtāno, he was absolutely certaināthat having someone else cook for them would take a significant weight off of Inukashiās shoulders. Especially since the last time, someone had done that for them was ā¦ Nezumi, years ago. And only for a short while.
Nezumi was drinking his second coffee, feeling the alcohol in it kick in. He closed his eyes and inhaled the spicy scent, then finished it. The coffee was still warm, and combined with the whiskey it slid down his throat with a pleasant scratch. It had been far too long since he was able to relax and let his guard down enough to have a drink, and he was finding it alleviating to just stand there without feeling like he had a gun pressed to his nape at all times.
Oslyeus correctly guessed that Nezumi wasnāt going to talk right there in the room, but he also completely missed Nezumiās intentions. Under normal circumstances, Nezumi would give up and go with whatever Os wanted, no matter how awkward it made the whole situation. But here, at Inukashiās place, he wanted Os to feel safe. Even if it would last a day, he wanted to give Oslyeus a measly twenty-four hours of comfort and security.
Nezumi filled the empty cup with water and gulped it down, then left it in the sink and approached Oslyeus. He stopped right in front of him, with little to no space left between their bodies.
āYou really are hopeless sometimes,ā Nezumi smiled, his breath smelling like coffee and whiskey. He gently took the strap of the backpack and pulled it down. āLeave these behind. Weāll be back later today. Iām taking you on aĀ date,Ā Oslyeus.ā
Slowly, Nezumi unloaded all of Oslyeusā luggage. (Ā Their luggage, really. And Os looked amusing while trying to carry it all by himself, even though he had the strength to do it, no doubts.Ā )
āHow am I supposed to hold your hand and romance you when youāre loaded like a mule, huh?ā Nezumi chastised, a humoured smirk on his lips and anticipation in his eyes. āIāll let you take one thing,ā he allowed and lifted a finger to emphasise the meaning ofĀ one. āAnd thatās your camera.ā
Just like that other time on the beach, Nezumiās gaze seemed to say, prying softly into Oslyeusā in an attempt to make him remember.
Oslyeusā brow remained worried as Nezumi told him not to fret. How could he not? Ā They were already imposing by staying here. They slept on Inukashiās couch, had their food, took their hot water today; and with what? They hadnāt offered Inukashi anything in return. They didnāt even give Inukashi a fair warning of their arrival. To make matters worse Nezumi hadnāt been in touch with Inukashi for yearsā¦ the thought of how they showed up at Inukashiās doorstep made his stomach churn with guilt. As if that wasnāt enough, Oslyeus had ALWAYS been cautious about visiting people he cared for in the past. Only Nezumi had been differentāonly Nezumi was ready to embrace all of him, even the baggage that he carried. But who was to say that Inukashi was willing to step into the line of danger? Oslyeus had let everything he learned for several years disintegrate in a matter of weeks as they chased dying starlight every night on the highways.
Why was he constantly letting Nezumi decide where they went? Why was he trusting that he really had everything under control? He knew whyāhe just hated himself for it. His eyes squeezed shut briefly as he bit back his own silent chastising. āā¦ ThatāThat sounds nice,ā he managed to say after a moment. āWhat does Inukashi like?ā He loved cooking food, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it didnāt matter to him. Although certain cuisines he was better at than others. He was sure he would find something that Inukashi would be pleased with just judging from the meal they already had. He cast another look toward Nezumi, seeing him down the last of his coffee.
There was a hint of warmth that began to flicker in his mismatched hues. Seeing Nezumi relax and unwind was not a sight he usually got to enjoy when he was awake. Often, it was only when Nezumi closed his eyes to sleep that he saw him so relaxed. Perhaps, he too, could let his guard down hereā¦ perhaps, he too, could stop thinking of the worst. He wanted to revel in this while it lasted. Revel in seeing Nezumi in an element that he hadnāt before. Just as he finished readying with bags at hand, he saw Nezumi make his way across the floors and intercept his path to the door. Brows subtly upturned and head canted in question for his actions.
Before he could part his lips to say anything Nezumi was already smiling back at him, calling him hopeless. Had it been anyone but Nezumi, or if he had said it any other way, Oslyeus was sure he would have felt a dagger drive into his gut. But instead, he found the playfulness in Nezumiās voice. āIāwhat do you mean?ā He retorted, ready to argue his position if necessary even if it was without its usually edge. A blink came to pass as he was told to leave the bags and he glanced at what he was carrying as if Nezumi had asked him the most absurd thing to leave their way of survival behind. Natheless, before he could look back at Nezumi, the word date hung in the air between them. He could have sworn his heart fluttered as quick as a hummingbirdās and momentarily, he forgot how to breathe.
āāDā¦ a date?ā He finally found the words as Nezumi carefully slipped the bags off his shoulders. The gradual rise of chagrin decorated his nape as he stood idle before Nezumi. A hand lifted to rub the back of his neck, a failed attempt to cover the roseate crawling up to his ears. āIā¦ Iām notāI didnāt dress for a dateā¦ā He glanced down at the clothes he wore but then there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. Since when did he EVER have anything to dress in before? He still didnāt have anything to dress inā¦ this was it. āI guess I donāt have anything to really dress inā¦ but my hairāI could have done something more than nothingā¦ā He was beginning to ramble, mostly to himself.
What did this mean then? A million thoughts started to fill his mind. Almost tripping over himself, he sunk to the bag and fumbled to find the camera. Fiddling with the controls, he checked to see if it was functioning while his thoughts kept running. With a hesitant breath, he looked back to Nezumi from his crouched position. āā¦ Doesā¦ does that mean weāre datingā¦? Youāā He cautiously rose to his original height, though he wished he hadnāt. From a crouched position, Nezumi might not see how red he was turning. āāwaitā¦ noā¦ā And suddenly he was scared to hear what Nezumi might say. So instead, he lifted a hand to cover his mouth. āDonāt answer that. Donāt answer anything yetā¦ā Why? There was something pulling at Oslyeus... he didnāt want the answer this way. He wanted it to be without him questioning it at all. In fact, he had the desire to say it first. He wanted to say it first...
