And so it begins, mwahahahahaaa...
Title: Aftermath
Rating: PG
Pairing: Nataraja + Pasupata friendship
[spoilers for MahaMo, of course -- I STRONGLY recommend reviewing these characters and their relationship here first :P]
"...Aren't you going to eat?" Pasupata paused, spoon in the air, and gave a short nod to the swiftly-cooling plate of curry sitting before his companion, before stuffing the spoon in his mouth and swallowing hard. After taking a swig of water and choking down the spicy aftertaste, he continued, "Just 'cause it's not the fancy stuff you're used to in the palace--" Nataraja flinched, and Pasupata cut his lecture, lips pursed in a frown. "Oi." Nataraja didn't respond vocally to the call, but did pick up his spoon, ladling some of the steaming roux over the bright fluffy pile of rice in the center of his plate. "I'm paying for dinner, the least you could do is look like you're enjoying it."
Nataraja glanced up, face blank, and locked eyes with Pasupata--for the first time, with mutual understanding that they were indeed looking at each other, that Pasupata saw him--had always seen him--and spoke not to thin air, not to the idea of Nataraja somewhere in his dark field of vision, but to a living, breathing man before him he could give a name, a face, a voice to. "I'm really not that hungry." He settled the spoon against the plate, crossing his arms and leaning back against the bench behind him. "Sorry to make you waste your money."
Pasupata sighed loudly, letting his spoon drop with a clatter. "You know--you lied to me. Shouldn't I get to be the one acting pissed now?"
Nataraja's brows furrowed in offense, and he snapped back. "Well--you made me think you were blind for 15 years!" He shuddered. "I got naked in front of you."
Pasupata wrinkled his nose. "I got naked in front of you, too. We're guys--it's not like I was looking, even if I could." This didn't seem to make the situation any better, and he could almost see Nataraja closing back in on himself after the outburst. Seizing the opportunity, he continued quickly, "I just--" He glanced around at the few other patrons scattered around the shabby, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and leaned forward. "-You're my best friend, you saved me--"
"Would you stop saying that?" Nataraja snapped, earning their table annoyed glances from the owner, and he rubbed at his forehead, pulling off the decorative elephant headpiece and tossing it onto the table in annoyance. He placed his head in his hands and sighed loudly. "Stop...just, stop. With the stupid savior spiel. We're not 10 anymore."
Pasupata frowned, picking up his spoon again and moving the rice around his plate. "Whether you did it with good intentions or not, you still saved me." Nataraja looked away. "You're still my friend."
"Maybe I don't want to be your friend then--" he started. "Maybe--maybe I'm thinking about just...leaving. Maybe I'll join up with that masked acting troupe and just...leave." Pasupata just watched him evenly, waiting for him to burn himself out, and eventually Nataraja deflated, bereft of pomp and threats. "I would've left you."
"...No you wouldn't."
"If I'd known you'd seen me--if I--"
"You wouldn't have," he pressed, forcing Nataraja to meet his gaze. "I was stupid and scared and...and I never should've doubted you--"
Nataraja laughed roughly. "Yeah, you definitely should've blindly trusted the total stranger who broke into your room. What were you thinking being suspicious that I might've left your ass and jumped out the window on my own?"
Pasupata pursed his lips. "...You could've done that anyways. You could've...just taken whatever you'd grabbed and left anyways. No one would've known." Nataraja shifted uncomfortably. "But instead, you saved me."
"...Well just, stop calling me your savior and all. It's embarrassing." He picked up his spoon, spreading more roux around the rice and scooping up a portion. "Friends don't call each other their saviors."
Pasupata fought a smile, picking up his own spoon. "Fine. And--just so you know, now that I can tell you this--" Nataraja glanced up, spoon halfway to his mouth. "--that elephant hat is hideous."
Rating: PG
Pairing: Nataraja + Pasupata friendship
[spoilers for MahaMo, of course -- I STRONGLY recommend reviewing these characters and their relationship here first :P]
"...Aren't you going to eat?" Pasupata paused, spoon in the air, and gave a short nod to the swiftly-cooling plate of curry sitting before his companion, before stuffing the spoon in his mouth and swallowing hard. After taking a swig of water and choking down the spicy aftertaste, he continued, "Just 'cause it's not the fancy stuff you're used to in the palace--" Nataraja flinched, and Pasupata cut his lecture, lips pursed in a frown. "Oi." Nataraja didn't respond vocally to the call, but did pick up his spoon, ladling some of the steaming roux over the bright fluffy pile of rice in the center of his plate. "I'm paying for dinner, the least you could do is look like you're enjoying it."
Nataraja glanced up, face blank, and locked eyes with Pasupata--for the first time, with mutual understanding that they were indeed looking at each other, that Pasupata saw him--had always seen him--and spoke not to thin air, not to the idea of Nataraja somewhere in his dark field of vision, but to a living, breathing man before him he could give a name, a face, a voice to. "I'm really not that hungry." He settled the spoon against the plate, crossing his arms and leaning back against the bench behind him. "Sorry to make you waste your money."
Pasupata sighed loudly, letting his spoon drop with a clatter. "You know--you lied to me. Shouldn't I get to be the one acting pissed now?"
Nataraja's brows furrowed in offense, and he snapped back. "Well--you made me think you were blind for 15 years!" He shuddered. "I got naked in front of you."
Pasupata wrinkled his nose. "I got naked in front of you, too. We're guys--it's not like I was looking, even if I could." This didn't seem to make the situation any better, and he could almost see Nataraja closing back in on himself after the outburst. Seizing the opportunity, he continued quickly, "I just--" He glanced around at the few other patrons scattered around the shabby, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and leaned forward. "-You're my best friend, you saved me--"
"Would you stop saying that?" Nataraja snapped, earning their table annoyed glances from the owner, and he rubbed at his forehead, pulling off the decorative elephant headpiece and tossing it onto the table in annoyance. He placed his head in his hands and sighed loudly. "Stop...just, stop. With the stupid savior spiel. We're not 10 anymore."
Pasupata frowned, picking up his spoon again and moving the rice around his plate. "Whether you did it with good intentions or not, you still saved me." Nataraja looked away. "You're still my friend."
"Maybe I don't want to be your friend then--" he started. "Maybe--maybe I'm thinking about just...leaving. Maybe I'll join up with that masked acting troupe and just...leave." Pasupata just watched him evenly, waiting for him to burn himself out, and eventually Nataraja deflated, bereft of pomp and threats. "I would've left you."
"...No you wouldn't."
"If I'd known you'd seen me--if I--"
"You wouldn't have," he pressed, forcing Nataraja to meet his gaze. "I was stupid and scared and...and I never should've doubted you--"
Nataraja laughed roughly. "Yeah, you definitely should've blindly trusted the total stranger who broke into your room. What were you thinking being suspicious that I might've left your ass and jumped out the window on my own?"
Pasupata pursed his lips. "...You could've done that anyways. You could've...just taken whatever you'd grabbed and left anyways. No one would've known." Nataraja shifted uncomfortably. "But instead, you saved me."
"...Well just, stop calling me your savior and all. It's embarrassing." He picked up his spoon, spreading more roux around the rice and scooping up a portion. "Friends don't call each other their saviors."
Pasupata fought a smile, picking up his own spoon. "Fine. And--just so you know, now that I can tell you this--" Nataraja glanced up, spoon halfway to his mouth. "--that elephant hat is hideous."