pslplz | Futureverse

“Sure,” he says with appreciation. Akaya realizes that while Omi said getting along with Hak was a ‘challenge,’ he never really did say what it was about him in particular that made him this way. Maybe he was just being diplomatic.

He doesn’t seem so bad, but he knows that brothers can be complicated. Especially ones that share your space everyday.

Hak tosses the bottle to where Akaya stands a few feet away and reaches back in the fridge to get another one for himself. He pops the cap with his thumbnail and flicks it off, taking a few swallows as the cap flips through the air right into the garbage bin.

Omi looks at Hak. "Are you hungry?"

"Am I ever not?" Hak grins, appreciating the invitation. It smelled pretty good. He steps over to the pot and peers inside. "This is for Goku, too?"

"It's for everyone, including Goku."

Hak's grin broadens. "You definitely didn't make enough." He's heaping some noodles into a bowl anyway.

"I can't do anything about the size of your stomachs. They don't make pots big enough to satisfy both of you."

"Oh? Do we need to get you more pots?"

"Maybe you just need to learn to eat normal portion sizes!"

"Sorry, but I can't do anything about the size of my stomach either," Hak says breezily and ladles the curry sauce over the noodles. He grabs a pair of chopsticks and his beer to carry over to the couch.

"Thanks, shorty. Needs more cayenne though."

"You haven't even tasted it yet!"

Hak plops down on the couch and turns to look directly at Omi while he takes a big, slow slurp of sauce-covered noodle.

"Tasty." He deadpans. "And needs more cayenne."

Based on the puffing of Omi's cheeks, that's probably enough teasing for now. He signs off with a salute to the kitchen and turns on the holoscreen to find something to watch.

Akaya pops the beer open and sips on it while watching the brotherly exchange with amusement. Clearly Hak enjoys teasing Omi, and Omi makes himself an easy target. Is this what he means about challenging?

He does agree that getting more pots would be an easier thing than adjusting the size of Goku’s stomach (or Hak’s, if it’s anything like Goku’s).

And he might also agree that a little more cayenne would improve an already good dish. But he just smiles innocently without a word.

Omi knows that it's just good-natured teasing. He knows it's just what Hak is like. He just doesn't know how to deal with it. Yuushi and Taiyou weren't like this. Goku isn't like this. And he can't really help it if having an act of kindness picked apart like that gets to him. Make more food. Juggle more pots. Add more cayenne. Why can't he just say thank you for the meal and leave it at that?

He sighs through his nose and picks at his bowl of noodles.

Doesn’t look like a dynamic that can change unless one of them makes a conscious effort. But families are tricky that way. You get used to how you are around each other.

Akaya gets up and takes his empty bowl to the sink, rinses it, and puts it in the dish washer.

He ambles back to his beer that he left on the counter and takes a sip from it as he gently bumps Omi with his shoulder.

After his minute to huff, Omi's okay again. Hak is just a very effective troll, and it's a little humiliating to be made the butt of the joke in front of Akaya. Omi does understand, though, that the same sentiment that drives Hak to mercilessly pick at him like that would also have him first in line to punch the lights out of anyone who meant him actual harm (don't think he missed the way Hak scanned Akaya over first thing in the door!).

He appreciates the bump, though, and answers it with a smile. "Looks like the screen's claimed for a while. Want to go out anywhere?"

“Yeah, all right.”

He finishes up the last of the beer and tucks the bottle into the recycling chute.

“You cooked us lunch, so you get to pick where we go.”

It's a sweet offer that deepens the smile already on his face.

"No way-- this is your week off! I'll share some ideas if you're not sure, but all I want is to spend time with you."

Inside or outside, active or restful, noisy or quiet, those are just details. It's not what really matters. Omi is confident he can be happy doing anything as long as they're together.

Akaya laughs.

“Fine. Why don’t we just walk around? We’ll keep going until we see something we wanna do.”

"Sounds good to me."

Omi finishes off his bowl, rinses it out and sticks it in the dishwasher behind Akaya's. He also sticks the curry and noodles he set aside for Akaya in the fridge. They can swing back by and get it later.

"Hak, we're going out. Make sure whatever you're saving for Goku goes in the fridge if he's not back within an hour or two. Dishes washed, please!"

"Sure, sure," he says without taking his eyes off the hoverbike race playing out across the screen.

Omi watches for a moment, then shrugs and moves to the genkan to put on his shoes.

He watches Omi set aside the leftovers for him to take home later, smiling. Akaya follows him to the foyer and toes on his shoes. But before they step out the door, he slides his arm around Omi’s waist from behind and nuzzles his ear.

“Thanks for lunch.”

Futureverse

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