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[To Hakuryuu, it was everything he lie awake at night dreaming about. True, God Eden had shifted his entire brain to be wired towards getting stronger, and it was cerrtainly something he worked to be. He was naturally competitive, and a struggle for power made him not only survive, but thrive. But every kid in that situation knew what they were missing--a warm home, loving parents, food made just for them. And not even Hakuryuu could go a night without wondering if there was something out there for him to go back to.
He'd been not entirely right at the time, but not entirely wrong.]
...
What do you like to eat?
[He asks more out of general curiosity. All he's got going for him is udon...]
[There's a pause before he answers, actually thinking on that question while also slurping another mouthful of noodles into his mouth, blue eyes looking at the table between them but also not quite seeing anything.]
... That's a good question. Honestly, I followed a diet the coach of the team I was on gave us while I was there, but I don't actually think about food much.
[Years ago, that would've been a lie. Fuck tomatoes, he would've said. But even he grew to accept their taste.]
I eat pretty much whatever's available, but I don't usually cook for myself and I sure didn't do it while working for the resistance. 'S why we need to go shopping, since I can work with ingredients but I haven't planned a mean in my life.
[He had a feeling Fudou would say that. He seemed like the kind of person who didn't really care what he ate, as long as it was food. Maybe not the best mentality for an athlete, in Hakuryuu's opinion, but it does make the hints of a smile show at the edges of his lips. It's not a conscious move, and if you brought it to his attention it would disappear as quickly as it came, but that smile lingers for a little while longer as he sets his bowl down, completely clean and chopsticks lying across the bowl's opening.
Fudou not having any dislikes makes it easy. He can't mess up if he chooses something.]
I've never cooked, either. So...we'll both be new at that, I guess.
..
[He catches his own warm tone, the low, subtle way his voice suddenly showed affection and attachment to the idea of making a meal with this man. And like a skittish cat, he bounds away from that, offering silently to help clean up the table at the very least.]
I.
I should get to bed. Thank you for the meal, Fudou-san.
[The meal. He was still too scared to thank him for his hospitality. 'Adopted' was too strong a word. It was physical, and that scared him most of all, because putting a word to that suddenly made it tangible. Real.
[Fudou catches that tone, too, and while he doesn't comment on it he lets it be known that it's accepted. He regards him with eyes even warmer than the boy's voice, finishing off his own bowl and gathering up the utensils after a quick, but proper, "Gochisousama." When he gets to his feet, he waits with his body half-turned to Hakuryuu: a gesture to him to follow him to the sink so they can take care of the dishes together.]
There's extra toothbrushes in the cabinet behind the bathroom mirror.
[He catches the body language, bringing his glass and bowl to the sink and tagging along behind Fudou like a lost little duckling. He goes to thank him again, but gets the feeling that repeating any thanks would be redundant, instead opting to nod in acknowledgement and gratitude.
He hopes that message got across, anyway, and that it's not seen as selfishness.]
Fudou-san.
[He puts those dishes in the sink, and immediately looks around for a towel to volunteer his half of the work.]
If there's anything you want me to do around here, I'll do it. Chores, cooking...
[He's not sure if he can get a job yet, but he'd certainly try if it meant he wouldn't be seen as a burden. Even if he already knew exactly what Fudou would say to something like that.
Which might be why he thought it, instead of saying it.]
[Fudou shows him where he could find that towel, tapping his hand against a towel hanger attached to the side of the counter. He's taking the dishes and turning on the faucet to let the water run at the same time, answering to his offer without so much as missing a beat.]
'Course you're gonna, [he says, taking a soapy sponge and quickly cleaning off the inside of their bowls. With udon, the cleaning is easy.] Cleaning, laundry, cooking, taking out the trash, bringing in the mail.
[He hands off the first bowl to Hakuryuu, but he turns his head to look at him, waiting for their eyes to meet again before he grins.]
But that's not to mean you have to do all of it yourself. There's stuff I'll take care of, and stuff I'll ask you to help me out with. Eventually you and I will both get used to things and we'll figure out a system. Sound good?
[To some kids, that list might be long and tedious. And while every kid would probably do it, they don't look at it like the salvation that Hakuryuu does. A boy like him, who'd been so used to getting up at dawn to tear his body apart only to collapse at night from sheer exhaustion...going to chore-less seemed almost like being cooped up in your room for days on end. He'd get stir crazy. So when Fudou lists off all the chores, idly handing him wet dishes to dry off, he has the biggest, most earnest expression.
But the idea that Fudou would be helping him...he has to protest.] You're already housing me and giving me a room. And letting me use your bath and clothes you bought me. Letting me eat your food.
[To him, that seemed like a fair trade off for all the chores. The reason he states it all out loud? Just to make sure Fudou didn't think he'd somehow tricked him into living this life with so much freedom. Confirming that this wasn't just Fudou being too reckless]
You're really okay with that?
I mean...It sounds good to me. But what about you?
[A couple of bowls, two sets of utensils, one pot the food was cooked in -- dishwashing for this meal is quick and easy, wrapped up long before they get very far in the conversation. But instead of simply ending it there, Fudou dries off his hands -- on his pants, without thinking -- and pats one lightly against Hakuryuu's shoulder.]
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you have to do it in exchange for being here. You being here's unconditional; there's nothing you have to do for this.
But when you live somewhere, you put in some effort to take care of the place and make sure it's running. That goes for both of us.
[It was very quick. Then again, when the meal is only for two instead of over 20, cleanup seems like a breeze. That hand claps to his shoulder, and the slit-like pupils of his eyes focus on Fudou attentively, hanging onto every word like an impatient child at Christmas. He can't find anything in Fudou's voice that shows this is a facade, anything that tips him off as being nothing more than just saying what Hakuryuu wants to hear.
'You being here is unconditional.'
It was so hard to believe when God Eden had been nothing but conditional. His very existence depended on being good enough. Meeting conditions.
There's nothing but a nod in response, it finally sinking in that Fudou had meant everything up until this point. The room, the bath, the food, all of that was part of his unconditioned stay. He just had to help Fudou keep the place running like a well-oiled machine. Hakuryuu swallows hard, trying to take this all in and force a smile on his lips, but his lip quivers too much to show even a hint of it.]
Okay.
Thank you, Fudou-san. [His head bows lightly in thanks, before politely pulling away.]
I.
I should get to bed.
[Mostly as one last ditch effort to prove to himself this is not a dream. That if he wakes up, he won't be back at Sun Garden. It's a brisk powerwalk down the hall to his room--HIS ROOM--before peeking his head back out quickly.]
[Fudou was okay with this night ending peacefully. Coolly! He said what he needed to say, and he saw the acceptance light up Hakuryuu's eyes. The next day will come, and this situation will continue. Hakuryuu will know this isn't a dream.
That's fine.
Except, instead of responding with a proper good night to Hakuryuu, he finds himself having to raise his voice for the first time on this journey of "raising a teenager" to say,]
He barely gets the entire sentence out before the scrambling of feet out of his bedroom patters through the carpet of the apartment, opening the door of the bathroom and shutting it.
[The patter of feet across carpet, the shutting of a door. And laughter. Fudou's face had indeed been stern when he called to the boy, but as soon as he hears the reaction, it bubbles up like the content of a shaken up soda bottle and echoes through the small apartment.
He was uncertain about this for a split second tonight. He's still not sure how this will turn out. But for the time being, Fudou can say with confidence that he liked this kid.]
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no subject
He'd been not entirely right at the time, but not entirely wrong.]
...
What do you like to eat?
[He asks more out of general curiosity. All he's got going for him is udon...]
no subject
[There's a pause before he answers, actually thinking on that question while also slurping another mouthful of noodles into his mouth, blue eyes looking at the table between them but also not quite seeing anything.]
... That's a good question. Honestly, I followed a diet the coach of the team I was on gave us while I was there, but I don't actually think about food much.
no subject
[Maybe that's the easier of the two questions to ask, holding the bowl closer to get the broth.]
no subject
[Years ago, that would've been a lie. Fuck tomatoes, he would've said. But even he grew to accept their taste.]
I eat pretty much whatever's available, but I don't usually cook for myself and I sure didn't do it while working for the resistance. 'S why we need to go shopping, since I can work with ingredients but I haven't planned a mean in my life.
no subject
Fudou not having any dislikes makes it easy. He can't mess up if he chooses something.]
I've never cooked, either. So...we'll both be new at that, I guess.
..
[He catches his own warm tone, the low, subtle way his voice suddenly showed affection and attachment to the idea of making a meal with this man. And like a skittish cat, he bounds away from that, offering silently to help clean up the table at the very least.]
I.
I should get to bed. Thank you for the meal, Fudou-san.
[The meal. He was still too scared to thank him for his hospitality. 'Adopted' was too strong a word. It was physical, and that scared him most of all, because putting a word to that suddenly made it tangible. Real.
Breakable.]
no subject
[Fudou catches that tone, too, and while he doesn't comment on it he lets it be known that it's accepted. He regards him with eyes even warmer than the boy's voice, finishing off his own bowl and gathering up the utensils after a quick, but proper, "Gochisousama." When he gets to his feet, he waits with his body half-turned to Hakuryuu: a gesture to him to follow him to the sink so they can take care of the dishes together.]
There's extra toothbrushes in the cabinet behind the bathroom mirror.
no subject
He hopes that message got across, anyway, and that it's not seen as selfishness.]
Fudou-san.
[He puts those dishes in the sink, and immediately looks around for a towel to volunteer his half of the work.]
If there's anything you want me to do around here, I'll do it. Chores, cooking...
[He's not sure if he can get a job yet, but he'd certainly try if it meant he wouldn't be seen as a burden. Even if he already knew exactly what Fudou would say to something like that.
Which might be why he thought it, instead of saying it.]
no subject
'Course you're gonna, [he says, taking a soapy sponge and quickly cleaning off the inside of their bowls. With udon, the cleaning is easy.] Cleaning, laundry, cooking, taking out the trash, bringing in the mail.
[He hands off the first bowl to Hakuryuu, but he turns his head to look at him, waiting for their eyes to meet again before he grins.]
But that's not to mean you have to do all of it yourself. There's stuff I'll take care of, and stuff I'll ask you to help me out with. Eventually you and I will both get used to things and we'll figure out a system. Sound good?
no subject
But the idea that Fudou would be helping him...he has to protest.] You're already housing me and giving me a room. And letting me use your bath and clothes you bought me. Letting me eat your food.
[To him, that seemed like a fair trade off for all the chores. The reason he states it all out loud? Just to make sure Fudou didn't think he'd somehow tricked him into living this life with so much freedom. Confirming that this wasn't just Fudou being too reckless]
You're really okay with that?
I mean...It sounds good to me. But what about you?
no subject
[A couple of bowls, two sets of utensils, one pot the food was cooked in -- dishwashing for this meal is quick and easy, wrapped up long before they get very far in the conversation. But instead of simply ending it there, Fudou dries off his hands -- on his pants, without thinking -- and pats one lightly against Hakuryuu's shoulder.]
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you have to do it in exchange for being here. You being here's unconditional; there's nothing you have to do for this.
But when you live somewhere, you put in some effort to take care of the place and make sure it's running. That goes for both of us.
no subject
'You being here is unconditional.'
It was so hard to believe when God Eden had been nothing but conditional. His very existence depended on being good enough. Meeting conditions.
There's nothing but a nod in response, it finally sinking in that Fudou had meant everything up until this point. The room, the bath, the food, all of that was part of his unconditioned stay. He just had to help Fudou keep the place running like a well-oiled machine. Hakuryuu swallows hard, trying to take this all in and force a smile on his lips, but his lip quivers too much to show even a hint of it.]
Okay.
Thank you, Fudou-san. [His head bows lightly in thanks, before politely pulling away.]
I.
I should get to bed.
[Mostly as one last ditch effort to prove to himself this is not a dream. That if he wakes up, he won't be back at Sun Garden. It's a brisk powerwalk down the hall to his room--HIS ROOM--before peeking his head back out quickly.]
GOOD NIGHT, FUDOU-SAN.
[There, he did it.]
no subject
[Fudou was okay with this night ending peacefully. Coolly! He said what he needed to say, and he saw the acceptance light up Hakuryuu's eyes. The next day will come, and this situation will continue. Hakuryuu will know this isn't a dream.
That's fine.
Except, instead of responding with a proper good night to Hakuryuu, he finds himself having to raise his voice for the first time on this journey of "raising a teenager" to say,]
BRUSH YOUR TEETH BEFORE BED, HAKURYUU.
no subject
He barely gets the entire sentence out before the scrambling of feet out of his bedroom patters through the carpet of the apartment, opening the door of the bathroom and shutting it.
HE WAS GOING TO DO IT ALL ALONG, REALLY!!!]
no subject
He was uncertain about this for a split second tonight. He's still not sure how this will turn out. But for the time being, Fudou can say with confidence that he liked this kid.]
Good night, Hakuryuu.