I've always been the tower...

[ieatwhenimsad]

Characters: eatwhenimsad & nerdable
Location: Shouichi & Spanner's apartment
Rating: PG
Time: September 7, evening
Description: Byakuran makes a "get well" visit!

Comments

[nerdable]

Shouichi was laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling because he was bored out of his mind. Having injuries and not being able to do much was boring, and he wished he could find something to do. He had gone around and met that Enma kid, and also helped Raidou...but what else could he do. Hearing the door knock, he figured it was Yoko coming to make sure he was still in the apartment again.

After a rather long process of wincing and groaning, he was up and going to the door, holding his side. It was still so painful, but he didn't want to sit down.

Opening the door, Shouichi noticed who it was and promptly shut the door in his face.

[nerdable]

"Killing, maybe, for the pain? No." Shouichi said, walking over to the thermos and putting the top back on it, going into the other room to change his pants. Stupid Byakuran. He was just here to toy with him, nothing more. He needed to calm down a bit before he did anything...

[ieatwhenimsad]

"You don't think I'd do anything helpful?" Byakuran put on a fake pout, but it only lasted for a few moments before he laughed again, watching Shouichi leave the room. He relaxed, reaching out to adjust the flowers again at one point. This was a lot of fun.

[nerdable]

"When it comes to me? No." Shouichi said, returning in a cleaner pair of pants. "Everything you've ever done is short of torture." He sat back down and rubbed his side lightly, feeling the pain flair up again. Shouichi knew he wasn't supposed to be moving around a lot, but he couldn't help it. It was hard to sit still.

[ieatwhenimsad]

"If that's true, I wonder why you had so much fun, back in school. You seemed to enjoy my presence then."

He paused, leaning back in the chair and looking thoughtful. Really, he'd enjoyed it too. Shouichi had provided entertainment. He'd been Byakuran's favorite. It was a shame that those same qualities meant they were destined to be enemies.

"But, of course, good things don't last, do they?"

[nerdable]

"Fun!? Byakuran-san, you took me on your crazy adventures and almost got us arrested at least three times!!" Shouichi said incredulously, frowning at the other and looking particularly annoyed with him. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy it though, he just always fussed about it. Shouichi really did enjoy being Byakuran's friend then, before he remembered all that.It wasn't even that Shouichi didn't care now. He wanted it to be like it was, but because of what Byakuran had become? It never would.

"No...No they don't." He said, calming down a bit.

[ieatwhenimsad]

"You enjoyed it!" Byakuran laughed, crossing his legs and looking very self-satisfied. "You just like putting on a grumpy face. But, you know, I enjoyed it too. It would have been nice if you'd been loyal, too."

[nerdable]

"It would have been nice if you hadn't tried to take over the world." Shouichi said sarcastically, "You didn't see what you were doing to yourself and someone had to try and stop you."

[ieatwhenimsad]

"To myself?" He looked mildly curious at that. Really, he hadn't heard of anyone being concerned for his well-being over that situation. It had always been everyone else's problem.

"How odd of you to worry about that. Though I suppose you're right. I don't see any negative effects on myself."

[nerdable]

"Byakuran-san, think about how you were in college, as opposed to now. You were no where near as on the edge. You're outbursts of insanity effected your otherwise sound judgement. You never had a problem with anything until you obtained power. Granted that was my doing..." Shouichi said lightly, rubbing his neck. After a long pause, he spoke again, avoiding looking at Byakuran.

"...If I hadn't messed around with the bullets, I wouldn't have done this to you. You would have had a normal life."

[ieatwhenimsad]

"I was never normal, Shou-chan. Really, you should have noticed. Normal life was boring. Power was just a way to change things up. I never did like society... it's so uniform. No fun at all."

It was true... but he had to grudgingly admit that he hadn't thought of doing anything as drastic as taking over the world until he had the opportunity presented to him. Perhaps he'd have done something like that eventually anyway, but at the time, it had seemed like he could get by on the fun he and Shouichi were having...

He he didn't like being accused of being crazy. Even if it might seem that way to everyone else, Byakuran was sure of his own mental stability.

"It's cute of you to blame yourself, but I'm glad things turned out the way they did."

[nerdable]

"I understand that, Byakuran-san. Many alternatives could have had the same result." Shouichi said in a matter-of-fact tone, "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm the cause of a lot of things in regards to your abilities in our world."

Shouichi paused for another moment, wondering why the content of this conversation was so calmly spoken. After all, they really never sat down and talked about it. They didn't have the chance...

"I can't deny that what happened was unfortunate." Shouichi started again, "But at the same time, I don't want you to be unrestrained whenever a situation like that happens again. You could hurt yourself, and obviously, others."

Why did he even care? Byakuran had hurt him numerous times, and he was still hoping to stop him. Why did he care so much for someone who pretty much messed up his world?

[ieatwhenimsad]

"Well, you should be able to relax, then. Unless BREW completely fails, it won't happen here, will it? And back home... well, you got your way already. But that's all right. I had fun until the end."

He shrugged, lacing his fingers over his knee and smiling like always. Really, he wished he'd won, but in the end it had felt... fulfilling. Finally, something had given him a challenge, even if that boy never understood or agreed with him. It had still been a satisfactory outcome.

[nerdable]

Sighing, Shouichi shook his head. "You'll never change, Byakuran-san." He said, but he had a hint of a smile on his lips now. Shouichi knew Yoko would fuss if she knew Byakuran had come by, so he wondered if he should tell her or Spanner at all.

[ieatwhenimsad]

"Ah, I never thought I'd make you smile again, Shou-chan."

He smiled back, teasingly, then unfolded from the chair. He didn't feel warm or fuzzy seeing it -- he still didn't see how someone else could make your heart move. But there was something satisfying about that bit of the past that was Shouichi's smile, and in a purely business fashion, this was a good note to end on if he was going to lower the wariness of his enemies.

"I guess I ought to go before you get angry at me again."

[nerdable]

Shouichi nodded, getting up and wincing, having gotten sore. The mood wasn't tense for once and he liked that. Going to the door, Shouichi nodded.

"Thanks for the flowers and soup..." He said awkwardly, looking off to the side.