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technomancingKon/Shouichi(bonus/Claudia): Coffee
Sometimes Shouichi wakes up in the middle of the night to find that Claudia is still nested against him and sleeping soundly, but the spot against his back where Kon should be pressed is long-cold. Part of him would wonder with vague jealousy how he managed to disentangle himself so stealthily, but mostly he wondered what sort of dreams caused him to rise in the middle of the night rather than stay cuddled up in bed. Shouichi didn't really understand it, but physical contact was obviously important to Kon. It was a language; it was how he communicated affection, it was how he told the people he cared about that everything was okay. In light of that, it would have made more sense for him to stay in bed, right? Spooned and close and breathing the same air as the people who loved him. But he didn't, and usually Shouichi let him be, assuming that he wanted to be left alone.
Sometimes, though, he'd crawl out after him, disheveled from the pillows and blinking owlishly. He'd asked Claudia about it once before, and she said that she rarely woke up, but once or twice she'd gone out looking for him and found him that way Shouichi always did, smoking and staring off into space. Whatever it was that occupied his thoughts, he kept it to himself, and Shouichi certainly never tried to pry. … He was still curious, though.
Claudia murmured in her sleep, drawing Shouichi out of his thoughts, and he realized he was smiling fondly (and probably pretty dopily) at her. He could just make out the basic shapes of her face in the gloom, and it caused his heart swelled with alarmingly warm feelings. It regularly boggled him that his life had taken this course, but he was imminently grateful. He didn't believe in any god, but he sent thankful thoughts out into the ether anyway, figuring that even if the universe didn't care, some good thoughts couldn't hurt. None of it made any sense -- Kon and Claudia and the patters of their lives around his, but if he was perfectly honest, inexplicable was more or less par for the course with him. He reached out and touched a delicate finger to Claudia's wrist, the most contact he was willing to risk with her sleeping. Her skin was warm under his, and the heat of it filled him with peace. She settled back into a steady sleep, though, and he slid away carefully, bare feet cold against the floor. He was awake now, and there was nothing for it. If he stayed in bed he'd just fidget uncomfortably. And he suddenly realized he had to pee pretty badly, so.
With meticulous care lest he knock something, Shouichi plucked his glasses off the night table and yawned into his elbow. He'd peek in on Kon and then check the progress of the program he'd left running. May as well be productive, right?
After relieving himself, he followed the soft glow of lamplight into the living room, finding Kon (predictably) settled on the window seat, staring up into the murky city sky, lost in thought and wreathed in smoke. It was odd to see him without his sling, crippled arm folded into his lap, but he never wore it to sleep and clearly hadn't bothered to strap it back on. He must not have been planning on doing anything, Shouichi mused before breaking the silence.
"Hey." It felt intrusive, but the warmth in Kon's eyes as he slid his gaze toward him allayed his fears (mostly).
"Hey." Kon shifted, making room on the padded bench. "Can't sleep?" Shouichi shook his head, padding over to settle next to him. "You shouldn't intake so many stimulants."
It was a testament to how comfortable Shouichi had come to feel that he snorted. "That would be a lot more convincing if you didn't smoke like a chimney."
Kon laughed softly and shrugged, blowing a smoke ring up toward the ceiling. "Do as I say, not as I do."
"I'd rather not do either," Shouichi rejoined, relieved that Kon seemed to be feeling fine.
"Yeah, yeah." A comfortable silence descended. Shouichi looked out the window, tracing the paths of streets through the darkness, only murmuring a token complaint when Kon turned around and dropped his head heavily into his lap. It was ridiculously awkward, Kon's legs were much too long, but he folded them up somehow and let his eyes fall closed, blowing smoke rings without looking.
Shouichi had meant to just check in on him and then go to work, but Kon had a way of drawing him in, getting him caught up without thinking about it, and when Claudia pattered out in the morning, she found them curled up together on the floor in front of the bench. Kon'd dropped the pipe and singed the rug, but the house hadn't burned down so nobody would care. She put a pot of coffee on and sat on a stool, watching her two idiots wake up slowly to the smell of it.
Sometimes Shouichi wakes up in the middle of the night to find that Claudia is still nested against him and sleeping soundly, but the spot against his back where Kon should be pressed is long-cold. Part of him would wonder with vague jealousy how he managed to disentangle himself so stealthily, but mostly he wondered what sort of dreams caused him to rise in the middle of the night rather than stay cuddled up in bed. Shouichi didn't really understand it, but physical contact was obviously important to Kon. It was a language; it was how he communicated affection, it was how he told the people he cared about that everything was okay. In light of that, it would have made more sense for him to stay in bed, right? Spooned and close and breathing the same air as the people who loved him. But he didn't, and usually Shouichi let him be, assuming that he wanted to be left alone.
Sometimes, though, he'd crawl out after him, disheveled from the pillows and blinking owlishly. He'd asked Claudia about it once before, and she said that she rarely woke up, but once or twice she'd gone out looking for him and found him that way Shouichi always did, smoking and staring off into space. Whatever it was that occupied his thoughts, he kept it to himself, and Shouichi certainly never tried to pry. … He was still curious, though.
Claudia murmured in her sleep, drawing Shouichi out of his thoughts, and he realized he was smiling fondly (and probably pretty dopily) at her. He could just make out the basic shapes of her face in the gloom, and it caused his heart swelled with alarmingly warm feelings. It regularly boggled him that his life had taken this course, but he was imminently grateful. He didn't believe in any god, but he sent thankful thoughts out into the ether anyway, figuring that even if the universe didn't care, some good thoughts couldn't hurt. None of it made any sense -- Kon and Claudia and the patters of their lives around his, but if he was perfectly honest, inexplicable was more or less par for the course with him. He reached out and touched a delicate finger to Claudia's wrist, the most contact he was willing to risk with her sleeping. Her skin was warm under his, and the heat of it filled him with peace. She settled back into a steady sleep, though, and he slid away carefully, bare feet cold against the floor. He was awake now, and there was nothing for it. If he stayed in bed he'd just fidget uncomfortably. And he suddenly realized he had to pee pretty badly, so.
With meticulous care lest he knock something, Shouichi plucked his glasses off the night table and yawned into his elbow. He'd peek in on Kon and then check the progress of the program he'd left running. May as well be productive, right?
After relieving himself, he followed the soft glow of lamplight into the living room, finding Kon (predictably) settled on the window seat, staring up into the murky city sky, lost in thought and wreathed in smoke. It was odd to see him without his sling, crippled arm folded into his lap, but he never wore it to sleep and clearly hadn't bothered to strap it back on. He must not have been planning on doing anything, Shouichi mused before breaking the silence.
"Hey." It felt intrusive, but the warmth in Kon's eyes as he slid his gaze toward him allayed his fears (mostly).
"Hey." Kon shifted, making room on the padded bench. "Can't sleep?" Shouichi shook his head, padding over to settle next to him. "You shouldn't intake so many stimulants."
It was a testament to how comfortable Shouichi had come to feel that he snorted. "That would be a lot more convincing if you didn't smoke like a chimney."
Kon laughed softly and shrugged, blowing a smoke ring up toward the ceiling. "Do as I say, not as I do."
"I'd rather not do either," Shouichi rejoined, relieved that Kon seemed to be feeling fine.
"Yeah, yeah." A comfortable silence descended. Shouichi looked out the window, tracing the paths of streets through the darkness, only murmuring a token complaint when Kon turned around and dropped his head heavily into his lap. It was ridiculously awkward, Kon's legs were much too long, but he folded them up somehow and let his eyes fall closed, blowing smoke rings without looking.
Shouichi had meant to just check in on him and then go to work, but Kon had a way of drawing him in, getting him caught up without thinking about it, and when Claudia pattered out in the morning, she found them curled up together on the floor in front of the bench. Kon'd dropped the pipe and singed the rug, but the house hadn't burned down so nobody would care. She put a pot of coffee on and sat on a stool, watching her two idiots wake up slowly to the smell of it.
