they are full of regret

[sunshrouded]

Who: two dads (Tenka sunshrouded & Sousei deontology)
When: backdated to after the event!
Where: the Kumou Estate
What: first goal: get sousei to spit out his tea. second goal: get him drunk off his ass.
Rating/Warning: embarrassing adults

---

[Tenka comes home the morning after all the madness only after Shirasu called him out. And he's tired. He's tired and he's exhausted and honestly not much of a morning person, despite all the comparisons people make between him and the sun.

Either way, he's trudging his way into their home now and going to sit in front of their low coffee table, joining his partner.

Then because maybe, just maybe these past three days have been hard on him-]

So I woke up alone this morning.

That was nice.

[Are you ashamed yet, partner.]

Comments

round 2?!

[sunshrouded]

[They hadn't done this since Sousei's birthday, but this morning Tenka woke up and Soramaru wasn't there.

So he's doing exactly what Soramaru would hit him over the head for: drinking in excess and laughing his troubles away.

The sake bottle is placed on the table and two cups are filled before Sousei can even say anything, one of them being pushed at him before Tenka raises his own cup in toast.]

To family!

[alright u shithead calm down]

[deontology]

[Sousei knows that Soramaru is gone, and it really does hurt. That's a second time his protege has been swiped from right under his nose, and he's not happy about it. Still... there's another Kumou that requires looking after, and here he is, drinking.

Slowly, Sousei takes the cup, though he narrows his eyes at Tenka then.]

Is this really necessary right now?

['Is this really how you intend to cope?']

[sunshrouded]

Yes, it is!

[And without hesitation, he clanks their cups against each other slightly now that it's in Sousei's hand.

There's no denying that Tenka's eyes aren't as bright as they normally are, but the fire in them isn't quite out just yet. So even as he feels an ache in his chest, an emptiness in his heart that came with the emptiness of that room, he maintains a smile that he really wants to be genuine.]

Because, Abe no Sousei-kun, family transcends time and space and weird science and aliens.

But sometimes you need a little help forgetting the distance for a night.

[It's temporary. Only temporary.]

[deontology]

[... temporarily need help forgetting the distance for a night, huh...

He slowly reaches over and picks up the cup. He won't drink for fun, and he won't drink at the urging of Tenka and Shinpachi and Sano, but for this...

For this, he'll drink.

To forget how far Soramaru and the Yamainu are, he'll drink.]

...Fine. For a single night.

[sunshrouded]

I'm a bartender. Wouldn't it be bad form if I got too used to drinking my sorrows away?

[Whatever sorrows he might have, anyway. Regardless, he's knocking back his own cup easily and refilling it. Whenever Sousei's is emptied, he refills that too.

Eh, practice enough with refilling Sano and Shinpachi's cups.]

Loosen up a little, Sousei.

[deontology]

[He knows what you're doing--or at least, he's trying to keep track and not drink too much. But...the bitter taste of alcohol is at least a distraction from the bitter taste of losing Soramaru again.

So maybe he's not being entirely successful.]

It would be bad form, but that does not mean I'll put it past you.

I do not need to loosen up at all.

[sunshrouded]

[Regardless, Tenka's quite comfortable when it comes to refilling their cups whenever needed - if only partially out of instinct since he does it so often when a familiar face visits the bar.

Still though, he's snorting faintly.]

I'm offended!! I take my job seriously, despite what you may think.

[Though Sousei still needs to loosen up....

Here, have some more to drink, partner....]

[deontology]

[Stop, Tenka....stop.

But none of this is stopping, and at the very least, he's loosening up, bit by bit.]

I know you do. You just do not act as though you take anything seriously.

[sheesh.]

The way you act is so troublesome sometimes.

[sunshrouded]

[The way he acts? Tenka just drinks thoughtfully at that before offering a smile.]

Act? Like what?

[And maybe he's being purposefully difficult now.

But also he's curious. After all, it's not like anyone can pick up on the act besides Sousei.]

[deontology]

[You asked for this. You're the one who's getting Sousei drunk. You're the one asking these questions. Just remember this.]

You act as though everything is fine even when it isn't.

[He frowns, legitimately considering this.]

I am tired of the smile you give when you are most upset.

[It's always the expression he sees that hurts the most.]

[sunshrouded]

[Sousei is such a depressing drunk, holy shit.

Either way, it catches Tenka off-guard and that's something that's clear to see.]

... Hey now, I don't.... do it that often, right? I mostly smile when I'm happy!

[Though even the fact that he's humoring this line of conversation right now is because a) he's tipsy and b) it's Sousei.

So yeah, something can be said of Tenka's tendency to deflect conversation.]

[deontology]

[YOU BROUGHT ABOUT THIS LINE OF QUESTIONING... but yes, it's not as though he's happy right now.

He sighs, expression flat as he empties his cup again.]

No... you don't do it often. But the times when you do are times when you should be smiling least of all.

[When you left the Yamainu. When you were about to die. Now, that Soramaru is gone.]

[sunshrouded]

[Sousei, why this....

But Tenka just automatically moves to refill his cup anyway. Even as he shrugs and offers up another smile. Does he even notice?]

Would you rather I cry? Sit quietly? Be sad?

Didn't you buy those games before just to make sure I didn't do any of those things?

[He's not dumb. Easily distracted, yes, but not dumb.]

[deontology]

[...He doesn't know what he'd rather, honestly. All he has is half-formed ideas. All he knows for sure is that he hates to see Tenka smiling like that as well.]

...Yes, I brought those things so you would not brood on what you couldn't change.

[There's a faint huff at that, a soft breath out.]

But I do not like to see fake smiles either. I know you are hurting. You do not have to hide it from me.

[sunshrouded]

I'm not hiding it from you.

[That much is something that he says remarkably quickly. If anything, Sousei's the only person he doesn't get that treatment anymore.]

But I need to keep going.

If I'm not smiling, I'm brooding. If I'm not brooding, I'm smiling.

Why not pick the one that's not as hard for people to see?

[deontology]

[i'm sorry they were having feelings and this is definitely a serious thread but he's tipsy and there's that stupid smile again so he just

leans forward

and pinches Tenka's cheek between his thumb and forefinger.

stop]

It isn't even a proper smile.

[sunshrouded]

[why do you suck as a person, sousei

except now Tenka's just whining-]

Ow, ow, ow!! You're not my mom!

[YOU SUCK, SOUSEI]

[deontology]

[excuse you he's not the one who sucks.]

Of course I'm not.

[And he releases Tenka, settling back and giving him a flat look.]

Enough. If you look as though you're in pain but are smiling anyway, perhaps you shouldn't be.

[Maybe they should see that he's hurting. MAYBE.]

[sunshrouded]

[And now he's just going to rub at his cheek and squint at Sousei-]

No one can tell besides you anyway! Jeeze, why would I get people all fussed over something that's passing?

[Even when he smiles when his heart is breaking, it's not like anyone's ever pointed it out. Shirasu, maybe, but he gave up on it after a while. In the end, Tenka always finds something to laugh about.

So he just drinks some more because this isn't the kind of night of drinking he wanted-]

It's temporary.

[deontology]

[And Sousei just crosses his arms and leaves it at that. Yeah. Well. It was just a thought, and quite frankly, Sousei doesn't feel like pursuing the topic either.]

You asked.

[YOU BROUGHT IT UP.]

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . . . dammit, he did.

Either way Tenka just sighs and moves to refill Sousei's cup again, shrugging.]

Does it bug you that much?

[Not that he can even promise to change it.]

[deontology]

[....and now Tenka's asking, damn. He's quiet for a moment, and then sighs, a soft sound.]

Yes. I do not associate good times with it.

[Probably understandable considering there were not good times when Tenka was smiling like that, but still...!!!

... it's not really enough for him to be able to tell Tenka to knock off one of his habits, though.]

...If it is truly easier for you, then it is what it is.

[sunshrouded]

[and we interrupt another serious moment for-]

Do you associate good times with anything? You're always so crabby.

[deontology]

[excuse you]

I am not. Not everyone is as pointlessly exuberant as you.

[sunshrouded]

There's a point to it!

[god

and you're going to get more poured in your cup, sousei, because you're too sassy]