ic: MAILBOX | holly heights

[59]

HAYATO GOKUDERA | child @ 1479



subject ☠ text ☠ video ☠ audio ☠ action ☠ delivery ☠

[ ... ]

Gokudera. Leave a message, but don't waste my fucking time.

[ click ]

Comments

this is so not how she expected the conversation to go

[dreah]

Because it's out of the goodness of their
hearts, not because they have some
ulterior motive involving you.
And if you don't care what they think,
why did you ask me if I had something
to do with their checking in? So you
could tell me to back off and not do it again?

1/2

[59]

no
because it was the only way it made sense
i know the kind of reputation you have
people like you
if you told them to do something they probably would

that's not the important part though

it still doesn't make sense that they'd give a shit
because i know that they don't

2/2, a moment or so later

[59]

look forget it
forget i fucking said anything

i'm fine

[dreah]

I do not have that much influence
nor that wide of a social circle.
I would never request people to do that.
Do you want to continue this
conversation or should I let
you be for now?

1/2

[59]

[ "I think you underestimate yourself" is what he wants to reply, but then the next words hit him and he feels like he's been scolded, like a little kid who makes a scene while the parent resorts to rhetorical and semi-passive aggressive questions— or how he imagines that goes; he didn't have that kind of childhood, he doesn't know. Maybe that's part of the problem. Ha. Fuck you, asshole. You can't relate to anyone.

—It's false, though, or at least half-false, and Kaede isn't passive aggressive, but she's one of the only people who's ever not taken his shit in relative silence. The other two being Bianchi, who sends him flying off the handle even when her face doesn't make him want to hurl, and Yamamoto, whom he pushed until he literally hit back.

Kaede's not going to punch him, though.

He sort of wants to punch himself, so he buries his phone under his pillow instead, gets up from his bed for the first time in hours, paces the room while Uri watches, back-forth, back-forth until he pounces.

Ridiculous. ]

[59]

[ —Sits down again, then. Fishes his phone out. Grows a pair, maybe. ]

go ahead

[dreah]

[ Kaede is being slightly passive-aggressive with her question, but it only out of frustration. She put her phone down after her last text message, realizing that she is angrier than she thought over him assuming that everyone who replied to his post was of her doing. Even more so, she is upset that he thinks that no one is being genuinely nice to him, and she isn't sure how she can convince him that yes, those who are seen as troublemakers and not exactly model citizens deserve care, too.

She comes back to her phone after she gets some tea, taking refuge in the office (soon to be Rin's bedroom). ]

How are YOU?
Flu still being a jerk?

[59]

i'm being the jerk probably
...sorry

[ —There. That might actually be the first time he's voluntarily apologized to someone for snapping, but he's sixteen now and he's growing. One day, maybe, he won't start to get suspicious at all when people get too close. It's hard to unlearn what's become instinct. Knowing people like Kaede helps; knowing people like Kaede's father hurts again, even if it might be a false impression. But he's not going to bring that up. Not now. ]

i feel moderately less like shit
can stay awake for longer now at least

how was the bake sale?

[dreah]

[ Kaede is surprised; she did not expect him to apologize since it was a small spat. But hey, she won't exactly turn the apology away; who knows if he'll apologize next time? ]

There is a difference between being a jerk
and being stubborn. You were being stubborn.
And I accept your apology.

That's good to hear! I hope the soup from
Honeybee was good enough to eat without
upsetting your stomach too much.

The bake sale went great! I saved one of
the mini-cakes for you if you like
chocolate cake with strawberries.

[59]

[ Stubborn? Pot, kettle!! Though that next part makes him give Uri a look. Girls don't make sense. Right? The cat just sneezes in response. Traitor. ]

...are you trying to bribe me now
or send some kind of message

[ —Okay, he did just subconsciously tell himself to not jump to conclusions, but an abnormal amount of feeding has been going on... ]

[dreah]

[ Girls make sense all the time! ]

...yes, yes I am bribing you.
If you don't eat this cake, you
can't have Tatsuma back, or
your Vongola ring.

[ She is sooo being sarcastic. ]

[59]

yOU

[ LONG PAUSE in which he sends his phone flying and tears his room apart in a frenzy — did she sneak something from him when they stopped by? or was it Makoto? was she the distraction while he slipped by? which one of them would be the least likely suspect?? Makoto, that bastard, hiding behind that good boy facade... — before realizing that his buckle is right on his bedside table where he left it and any important rings are literally still on his fingers. ]

fuck you that's not funny

[dreah]

[ He would be even angrier if he saw her laughing at the mental image of his freak out. Payback is a batch of lies! ]

99.9% of the time, I do not
have a bribe in mind when
I offer you or anyone else
something. Keep that in mind
for the future. :) So, do you
want the cake or not?

tatsuma's a white shepherd apparently, by the way

[59]

making a sick person run around like that is some cruel shit
so now you owe me

by the way how was tatsuma
did he fight with john

why thank you

[dreah]

It's actually great to exercise when you're
recovering from an illness, so consider
that your exercise for the day!
And what exactly would I owe you?

He's fine! John and he get along swimmingly.

[59]

ugh whatever

the cake, stupid!! did you forget already?!

good
i assume he's been okay with everyone else too
the last thing i need is my dog biting your dad's ass
...or something
as a worst case scenario i mean

[dreah]

Oh!
I thought you wanted me to owe you
something else. Do you want the cake
now or later?

Yes, the house is fine with him.
If that happened he would probably
brush it off.

[59]

is your guilt so great that you think you need to give me something else?
you're a suspicious person.

now or later or whatever. i can come get it. now that i got up i'm feeling how bored i've been. i already read the books badr gave me for xmas twice.

ha. less likely than you think.

[dreah]

The cake was originally a favor.
I don't feel guilty at all for making
you run around~

When you're ready for it, feel free
to stop by.

My dad is very easygoing. He would
be angry for a quick second and then
let it be.

actioning this up, please let me know if you'd rather not/if I went too fast :>

[59]

you're the fucking worsr
worst

[ totally getting ready to go as he texts with one hand ]

i' m coming now
or else ill die of boredom

[ hops a bit to tug a shoe on ]

hhold on i'll knock when i'm there

[ —there we go. Walking down the hall, his hands are free for more dignified texting. ]

i think that "easygoing" shit stops at me by the way.

[ Which makes him pause for a second when he steps outside, so he loiters at his doorstep and considers turning back, maybe making Kaede come over here instead. Is Kotetsu going to give him shit for stopping by again? It's possible, but hell— what does he care what one old man thinks, even if he's the kind of old man whom he can't seem to get away from. Gokudera Hayato's never blinked an eye at adults and he's not going to start now!!

—He is going to take a little longer making the short trek over, though; a fact that sort of slows down that brief emotional high. There's nothing badass or tough about being sick. In fact, it sucks.

But he makes it to 1475 eventually, still in one piece to boot. Though he does change his mind against knocking. ]

i'm out front.
don't want to [ . . . ] attract attention.

[ #paranoidmafiakids, or something. If she opens the door, she'll find him remarkably without his signature cigarette, and instead sporting a face mask out of consideration. He's probably not contagious, but it's only been a few days. ]

nope, this is totally perfect :>

[dreah]

According to you and you only~

Oh no, death by boredom! What a
cruel and sad fate for the upcoming
right-hand man of a mafia boss.

I'm almost positive it is the fact
that you put on this air of I-am-
better-than-you-so-deal-with-it that
my dad cannot understand. If you
toned that down, he would be more
welcoming to you.

[ Kaede really has an inkling why Kotetsu is how he is with Gokudera: the interpersonal bond between Kaede and Gokudera is rather dynamic, and if she is constantly giving Gokudera her attention, then she must see something that Kotetsu cannot for the moment. There is also that matter of:

1) Kaede is his teenage daughter.
2) Gokudera is a teenage boy.
3) Therefore, they must want to do ~*~teenager things~*~ and that could be the furthest thing from Kaede's mind right now.

She does indeed expect a knock as she moves from the office to the living room, and the new text message makes her frown a bit. "Attract attention" — oh, Gokudera. Kaede opens the door as she slips her phone into the pocket of her hoodie, the frown still on her face. If his eyes drift behind her, he will see John and Tatsuma have claimed this living room furniture (blue instead of brown) and are sleeping on it. ]

You attract attention with that hair and your hand full of rings. Relax and come inside. Have you eaten?

juhu! also that huge beanbag looks so comfy, what the heck

[59]

[ If Gokudera knew that Kotetsu was entertaining the idea of he and Kaede getting up to teenager business, let alone the fact that Kaede was entertaining the idea that Kotetsu was entertaining the idea, he'd probably literally die from mortification, a fate 1000% worse than death by boredom, characterized by an especial amount of dignity loss points. Fortunately his negative emotional intelligence can come in handy every once in a while. Even if it were (and that's a pretty definitive subjunctive!) the case that he felt something other than friendship (bewildering enough in itself; he might not even admit that out loud— they were former teammates, colleagues, cohorts maybe, she's smart and he learns from her insight and she's surprising, continually surprising; maybe that's why he opens up to her so easily, even if it's strange to realize it afterward), he probably wouldn't know it, let alone act on it in a way that Kotetsu might deem dangerous. And if it were the other way around? Hell, he wouldn't know flirtation if it knocked him in the nose, let alone if it brushed by more subtly. Besides, he doesn't really consider Kaede to be a girl, not really. Maybe just when she gets on his nerves.

He's still frowning a bit at her last text when she opens the door, not that she can see beneath the mask, but he'll bite his tongue this time. ]

Tch. I can't help my hair color. [ Ducks into the entranceway, then, and he spots Tatsuma at the same time that the dog seems to spot him, at least by scent; he perks his big white ears but stays settled down.

Hmm, though, has he eaten...? ]

I don't think so. [ Shuffles. ] Don't bother, though. I don't have to stay long. [ Coming from the guy who just invited himself in. ]

right, nap trap

[dreah]

[ Flirtation? What's that?? Certainly a concept Kaede is aware of but does not know how to execute it if she wanted to, or if she even does it without knowing. Right now, Gokudera to her is simply a teenage guy she enjoys challenging when it comes to the conversations between them. But, Makoto has made passing comments about her coming to him for Boy Issues, so maybe Makoto sees something that Kaede does not...? (That would be mortifying, to hear that yes, it seems to others that there is something in the air between Gokudera and she and she's not even aware of it.



But, would it really be mortifying in the grand scheme of things?)

She closes the door and scratches Tatsuma behind the ears lightly as she passes by. ]

Point. And no, you don't have to stay long, but you are welcome to if you want to. You make it sound like it's a requirement and I make it sound like a choice. So... [ She throws a glance over her shoulder as she goes into the kitchen. ] Would you like to eat dinner?

[59]

[ Even Makoto's got weird ideas about him?? About them?? That's it, he's out, time to change his name and skip town for real this time. There are probably more mortifying things, sure, but right now that seems pretty damn bad. —Not that it's necessarily because it's Kaede. It's the principle of the matter. That's all...

Whatever. It's all hypothetical, and a route that his mind will decidedly not be taking, thank you very much. ]

... Okay. [ He trails behind her after a moment, peers around the house a bit distractedly. It looks a little different now that it's not hosting a party. Like it should seem bigger, logically speaking, but instead it just seems smaller. Then again, Kaede lives in a fuller home than he does— maybe it's just that. ]

Did you seriously think that I dyed my hair or something?

[ Stuck on that. Come on... ]

[dreah]

[ She laughs lightly as she takes a plate and begins to set food onto it. She is mindful of the fact that his appetite may not be back to normal, so she portions out an amount she hopes is reasonable and not too daunting for Gokudera's stomach. When she gives the plate to him, he will realize that it is steak stir fry (except with soba noodles instead of linguine). ]

Careful, the food is still pretty hot. And no, I did not think it was dyed. It doesn't mean that it is exactly a normal color by society's standards. What would you like to drink, and chopsticks, or a fork?