Regrets they shine like candles

[hackeralastair]

WHO: Alastair and Saitou
WHERE: Bachelor Towers
WHEN: a day after Saitou's return from death
WARNINGS: probably not
SUMMARY: debriefing! Hopefully not ass-kicking but probably yelling
FORMAT: quickpara idk whatever

Having taken a couple of days off to deal with Saitou's death, Alastair worked a little longer to start making up hours, but he still came home around dinner-time. It was getting harder to avoid Kiryu, unless they were both at work, but he really needed to talk to Saitou - if for no other reason than to explain what had happened, to clear the air. And maybe, just maybe, find some way of making his life suck a little less. He was really starting to like the stoic swordsman as a friend, and wanted to help, but he couldn't help but feel a little responsible for everything.

He changed and then poked his head out of his room, looking furtively around. Was Saitou home from the precinct yet?

Comments

[wolfofmibu]

That scowl was returned, which elevated to a scoff at Alastair's course of action. No one was going anywhere or leaving or any of this nonsense, and Saitou closed the space between them to whack him over the head.

"Ahou. No one involved in this mess will be making logical decisions for some time," and he was including himself here, "And considering the effect Kiryu must have experienced afterwards, he likely wasn't whatsoever." He gets another whack for emphasis, his tone firm and with finality. "No one is going anywhere, this experience has been tiresome enough."

[hackeralastair]

"Stop it!" Even though the smacks could be taken as somewhat affectionate, Alastair hated being rebuffed as though he were some child. He shoved back after the second hit and faced Saitou with more bravery than he'd shown in the past week to anyone. "I don't need you patronizing me! It doesn't matter how much or how little he was thinking, Kyosuke's thrown me aside and doesn't want to have anything to with me anymore and you have no idea how much that hurts!"

It all just slipped out, really. Alastair had no idea whether Saitou had ever guessed what the two of them were up to behind his back. It didn't matter. Alastair was angry and depressed and Saitou would probably just punch him if he said the wrong thing.

[wolfofmibu]

What was it with everyone being so emotional these days. For the most part Saitou just stood there blankly, though his irritation was definitely showing. And honestly if Alastair and Kiryu thought they could hide that for how long that had been going on, maybe he'd put too much faith in them for intelligence.

"If you want to indulge yourself in sulking and self-pity, then go ahead and do it somewhere else. Or perhaps maybe an idea will get through that thick skull of yours to actually talk with him about this." Honestly. 'Patronizing' Alastair could call him until the end of time, but it didn't make Alastair's tantrum any less childish.

[hackeralastair]

Saitou was actually the best person to talk to, about this. He wouldn't put up with any bullshit or pat Alastair on the head and tell him it was all right. Of course, Alastair would never admit this to himself.

For now, he simply seethed. "You can't talk to somebody who's avoiding you and glaring at you every time you happen to catch sight of each other," he muttered. "This isn't totally my fault. He has to want to talk, too."

[wolfofmibu]

... Was everyone on this floor such an idiot all the time? "Then if you're not brave enough to get him to sit down, I'll make him." And he knew Kiryu would comply, or, well, Saitou would probably tie him down and/or beat the shit out of him until he relented. "Do you always give up on matters so easily?"

OHOHO. Nice one!

[hackeralastair]

Alastair recoiled as if he'd been slapped in the face. It was one thing to get that from Kaiba, but Saitou? "I'm not," he protested feebly. "It's just...well, what do you know?" He backed up a step or two, calming down. "If you can get him to be rational for two seconds, then..."

He hadn't even though of what he wanted to say, in the past couple of days. Of course he had already given up, old habits die hard. "I already apologized," he offered. "I don't know what else he wants."

BITCH DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT I WON'T HAVE IT

[wolfofmibu]

Saitou merely scoffed. Alastair definitely wasn't persuading him to believe otherwise. "Rationality I can manage. As long as you think you can manage to get this settled, hm?"

/bratty teenager oh wait he's turning 20 soon

[hackeralastair]

Alastair was silent for a moment, and then lowered his head slightly. "I want to settle it," he murmured. "I want to fix things...honest. I don't want to spend the rest of my time in this goddamn city avoiding him and thinking 'there goes my former best friend. Wonder what he's up to.'"

He almost thanked Saitou for his efforts right there...but he didn't. Not yet.

ffffff that means nothing

[wolfofmibu]

Well at least he was gaining enough of a nerve to say what he wanted again. "Good. And don't hold this off. Fix this before the end of the week; preferably today."

XD

[hackeralastair]

"Hmf." Alastair avoided Saitou's gaze again. He didn't think that likely, but at least he was willing to give it a shot. If Saitou thought it was possible...

Dammit. Saitou was becoming like Raphael to him, wasn't he? Great. Alastair couldn't escape it no matter how far from home he was.

"We'll see what happens," he said noncommittally. "I want to check up on Bakura sometime tonight. Someone got ported in on him, he's probably freaking out." It also made a good excuse not to have to address his issues right away tonight.

[wolfofmibu]

Saitou's gaze remained skeptical for a few minutes, but it went away as he shrugged his shoulders lightly. If Alastair didn't confront Kiryu on his own, he'd just force him into a room together and lock the door until they came to terms. "Don't try and make an excuse for every time you have the opportunity." Though he was going to leave the conversation at that, he'd had enough today. And Aome was probably making a fuss wondering where he was at this hour, passing by Alastair without another word.

[hackeralastair]

Alastair heaved a long, tired sigh. "Thanks," he whispered, so quietly that anyone but Saitou might not have even caught it. But the need to look in on Bakura was real, even if it meant he couldn't track down Kiryu that night.