hatesthefood

Ken felt a shiver run through him when she touched him and it took everything he had to keep from jerking his arm away. Glancing away, he cleared his throat softly, wondering why he was so jumpy.

"I'm not hungry."

Just hearing that word made his fingers twitch.

...why. She'd started to sense something was awfully wrong here, and the most frustrating part was... it almost felt as if she didn't want to know what it was. But something about the situation felt familiar.

Umi felt very awkward where she sat, and shifted there for a moment. She hadn't come here to make Ken feel uncomfortable. She only wanted to keep him company.

"...This is bad. I wish there was something I could do for you. But I have no idea where should I get started."

His eyes locked on a picture of Umi at her party, all smiles and he knew right then that he had to do whatever it took to make sure she kept smiling like that.

"... hey, I'm still getting over it, remember? I'm getting better. You just wait and see."

But how long would that take? Umi was willing to hope not too long, for Ken's sake and her own peace of mind. But something inside her insisted somehow matters weren't as simple.

She shook her head as if to get rid of that nasty hunch and tried to smile.

"...But you have to work to get there, you know? And that means resting, getting stronger... eating, when you feel you'll be able to keep stuff down." Great, now she was playing doctor here. She sighed in silence. Not for the first time she wished Fuu's magic could cure illness and not just wounds. "I'll be helping you with whatever I can. But you know that, don't you."

He nodded a little, swallowing hard when she mentioned eating. There was just something about the word that made him nervous...

"I know you will. You're not gonna let me mope about all this, but that's good for me."

No one was doing any moping there if she could help it, Umi decided. So she had to stop fretting like a dork and disregard the stupid hunches. It was just this mess of a place getting to her. She couldn't let it.

"You bet I won't. Even if I have to come every day to make sure of that."

Ken mock-groaned and let his head drop back to rest against the couch.

"But that means I have to clean!"

"You're going to make me offer to actually help with the house chores, you know?" She had to laugh a little at her friend's reaction. "Watch out. You're in real danger of having me ruin your laundry."

"Sad thing is that you'd be better at it than I would."

He closed his eyes, still smiling a tiny bit.

She really wished he could always smile, and that The City could just lay off of him. It seemed like it always took a special toll on Ken. That wasn't fair. And Umi sincerely felt he'd just been included to her list of the people she wanted to see smile no matter what.

"What? Your clothes end up in pieces when you handle them yourself?"

"It's so not my fault. I think the washer has it out for me."

The smile inched up a little more, glad for some simple silliness.

"Huh. Grudgy thing. Maybe you don't treat it right." Umi herself felt grateful to leave the morosity aside to laugh a little. She relaxed where she sat, feeling slightly more cheerful. But she had a point she intended to make, here.

"Um. Seriously, now. I mean it: you're still recovering. So I got no trouble helping out with the house chores until you're back in shape! Just..." She played with her bangs a little, smiling sheepishly. "I'm not the best housekeeper EVER, mind you."

"I can handle it, Umi. It'll keep me busy until I'm back to work."

He smiled over at her, hoping she wouldn't see just how tired he still was.

Umi had to hold back a sigh. She loved Ken, but this I can handle it attitude sometimes exasperated her with concern: it was so like Hikaru when her sister took it all upon her shoulders. "Are you sure? You won't get over whatever's ailing you right now if you overexert yourself. It wouldn't be a bother!"

Edited 2010-03-06 01:31 (UTC)

He let the smile fade a little, wishing that was was ailing him would pass on by.

"...I'd be happy for the help, Umi."

"Good. That's more like it." No, the fact he was considerably older than her wouldn't stop Umi from getting all big sisterly on Ken. It was what she did with everyone she cared about.

"And keep in mind we're right next door, alright? You don't even have to bother cooking if you're not in the mood. Just come over and we'll take care of that."

"You got it."

He reached over to touch her arm but it was a quick, fleeting thing, since he really didn't want her to feel how cold he still was.

...Again, Umi wondered at the briefness of the gesture. But it brought her a measure of comfort and she held on to that instead. Ken would be alright because she wouldn't let it be otherwise. Simple as that.

"So!" She smiled companionably and then got up, reaching for the little plate she'd placed on the table. "Let's put your cake in the fridge before it gets all melty, shall we? So you can eat it whenever you like."

About that time, the door opened and Mamoru bumped his way in, expertly holding the grocery bags above Bandit's head when she came over to "greet" him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Umi there, then glanced at Ken before brushing past them both to get the food into the kitchen. He knew Ken's recent aversion to it, and they didn't need that coming out in front of Umi. As it was, she'd probably have a fit when she caught sight of the large bruise that was still swelling on Mamoru's jaw.

Ken didn't miss the glance and flushed when he noticed just how dark the bruise was he'd given his friend. Sighing, he glanced away, calling Bandit over to him so Mamoru might have an easier time in the kitchen. He honestly had no idea the state the kitchen was in since he seemed to be avoiding it lately.

"Yeah. Sounds like a good idea."

Umi had turned from storing the cake away at Mamoru's arrival. Predictably enough, her eyes went wide with astonishment and her face was filled with concern at catching sight of the bruise, all traces of the smile she'd had on at Mamoru's arrival promptly vanishing. "What the heck happened to you?!"

He sighed, beginning to move food into the cabinets. And by food, mostly box meals. Come on, Ken might have learned some coking, but they were still them. A few frozen pizzas into the freezer, and --

"It looks worse than it is and I'm not telling you."

Ken padded to the door of the kitchen and leaned against the frame, watching Mamoru and Umi even though he didn't move any closer.

"It was an accident."

---aw, as if she was about to let that sit well with her. Did Mamoru not know how her temper worked by now?? "Hey, listen here: if someone punches a friend of mine on the face I just demand to know who!"

Hands on her hips, Umi stormed beside Mamoru and then snatched some of the contents from the bags her friend had just brought along. She then started -- quite angrily -- helping him store them away. "That way I can make sure they hurt even more!"

Unless... She froze for a second, sending Ken a fleeting glance as he spoke next. No, but that'd put her in too much of a weird place. She couldn't really punch Ken.

Mamoru rolled his eyes at Umi's impassioned outburst. Oh, he knew how she worked. ANGRY UNPACKING.

"No one punched me in the face. It was an accident." Mr. Hidaka can't keep his mouth shuuuut.

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