Shiro & Doug, backdated to really early Monday morning

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

Shiro is there to meet Doug after his brief escape from the mansion following his break-up with Marie-Ange. It's like they're friends or something.


Shiro was not brooding. In fact, he'd been not brooding since Mariko's murder. Tonight, he was not brooding on the flyer's platform, just looking out over the grounds and not really thinking about very much, except that it was late and he really ought to go to bed so he could actually be awake for training tomorrow. After Scott's open criticism on the team message board, Shiro was determined to show him up and prove that he'd been wrong in his assessment.

And because it was so late, he was surprised to see the gates open and one of the nicer cars pull in to the compound. Curious, he leapt off the roof and flew down to the garage. Ah, Doug. While Shiro had been not brooding in the common room with Leyu, he'd of course heard the heated exchange between Doug and Marie-Ange, and the little follow-up with Marie.

"Feel better now?" he asked as Doug stepped out of the car. "I have always wondered if driving fast and shiny things really helps one reclaim lost masculinity . . ."

Doug tossed keys from one hand to another nervously. Dammit. He'd purposely stayed out very late in the hopes that he could avoid everyone. Obviously he hadn't stayed out late enough.

He bit back a snarled "fuck you very much too" that was his first instinctive response to Shiro's remark about lost masculinity, and settled for a terse "What do -you- want?"

Shiro shrugged, unphased. "~I don't think she had the right to say half the things she did, you know~," he said in Japanese. "~Forge was a little shit and you reacted expectedly. What more could she want?~"

"~More than I gave, apparently,~" Doug replied shortly in Japanese. "~And you think I had a right to say the things that I did any more than she did?~" He'd been busily flagellating himself all night before he returned. The problem was, they were probably both a little bit right and a little bit wrong, when you looked at things from a remove. Not that it changed anything that had happened.

Shiro shrugged again. He was not a good judge of relationships and advisor of interpersonal communication. Very much not. "~I think that if you were honest and not just saying things to be spiteful, then yes, you did have the right.~"

"~It was a little of both, honestly,~" Doug admitted. "~All the things we said to each other are true to some degree, but we said them more and more to hurt each other,~" he said. Sighing, he hung the keys on the board. "~What are you doing up this late?~"

"~I don't sleep.~" Shiro followed Doug back into the mansion, not really having anything to do at this hour. "~So is this it? Big public fight, yelling at an innocent bystander and poof no more?~"

"~Don't sleep, or can't sleep?~" Doug asked knowingly, being in just such a state himself. Sleep would come with difficulty, if it came at all this evening. "~Apparently so,~" he continued bitterly. "~If you're going to beat me about the head and shoulders for my behavior, you'll have to wait in line,~" he noted wryly.

Shiro snorted. "~Who am I to berate you for your behavior with your girl? I haven't spoken with my girlfriend in nearly three weeks.~" Which he'd get around to. Eventually. When he had the mental fortitude. "~So you are one up on me.~"

"~I think I'd still prefer your situation to mine,~" Doug snorted back. "~I imagine not speaking is better than having a screaming match in front of everyone that results in the end of your relationship.~" He ran a hand over his face, feeling exhausted. "~I apologize, Shiro. I am not very good company.~" They walked through the entryway, and began up the stairs. "~I think that I would like to be alone, if that is all right with you.~" Not that he'd sleep, but he really wasn't feeling very social.

"~Of course, I understand.~" Shiro hesitated, and then briefly reached over to pat Doug's shoulder comfortingly. "~You know, if you want to run the Nintendanger Room some day, send me an e-mail. I would enjoy it with someone who is as familiar with Super Mario Brothers as I am, ne?~"

"~Perhaps,~" was all that Doug was willing to commit to as they finally reached his suite. The comforting pat startled him, and his eyes skittered to the floor. "~Thank you, Shiro,~" he said quietly before slipping into his room.