Disclaimer, I do not own Kamen Rider it is owned by Bandai and Toei.
Thank the stars for Tim Horton's wifi. Without it I'd miss my favorite Japanese television shows while my home internet is down (though I feel a bit awkward taking tiny sips in moderation to make my drinks and food last so that it's not too obvious I'm mooching off of their internet). Captain's log: They suspect nothing yet but I'll keep you up to date on my progress.
When Gentaro Kisaragi opened the door to his grandfather's shop the last thing he expected was to see Kengo in the doorway. Drenched to the bone in his bright blue uniform now a touch darker from being wet. "Kengo?" He raised an eyebrow. Gentaro loved having friends over as much as the next person but this late in the evening? His brown eyes glanced at the clock, it was almost eleven thirty what could be so urgent that Kengo needed his help? "Can I c-come in?" Kengo's voice was strange and he kept his head down, away from the other man. "Sure of course!" He stepped aside, letting him in and closing the door behind him with a soft click. One quick look over him and Gentaro felt terribly under-dressed in his grey sweatpants and faded baggy shirt while even the man whom was soaked still looked more well put together than he was. "My grandpa's asleep so let's be quiet, okay?" Kengo nodded but kept his back to Gentaro. "So what did you need? 'cuz I'm guessing it's not like a social call or whatever because you hate that." He put a lot of stress on 'hate' but it was with a smile so his intentions were simply explanatory and in no way sinister. "Gentaro I-" The man lifted his head and the Rider let out a gasp despite himself. The Fourze operator looked as though he'd been beaten raw, his lower lip trembling with cuts and blood stinging his scraped cheek. "What happened? Who did this?" He was caught between furious and wanting to cry. Kengo was a good guy what kind of person would do something like this? A Zodiart, of course it had to be. "I thought I could take it on myself but..." He trailed off, unable to find his words with a throat as dry as the sands of Egypt. " 'come on." The transfer student lead him to the kitchen and offered to take the heavy coat off his hands which Kengo (though hesitant) complied. "You don't have to talk yet. Take 'yer time." He set the kettle on for three minutes to boil some hot water for the tea and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to go and look for something dry for you okay?" Kengo didn't make any gesture to move but he nodded. Within three minutes he returned with a pair of pants and a shirt he hoped would fit Kengo's much smaller frame. "Here you go," The brunette nodded his head with a quiet 'thank you' and blinked back tears, trying to stay as strong as the impression he hoped he gave off. "You can change in the bathroom if you'd like. It's just back here." He stood up and directed him to the back area of the house. It was small yet very comfortable Kengo couldn't help but notice how much like a home it really was which is a strange thing to say but it looked like people lived there. It looked like the place where a family talked and interacted on a daily basis so unlike his own home and it felt warm. "You can wash up, uh change." Gentaro's voice pulled him from his thoughts and brought him back with a look that spoke his emotions. He could see how much Gentaro was trying to care for him without making him seem completely helpless. "Just holler if you need anything." The Rider left him to himself for the time being. Kengo locked the door behind him, undoing his tie and tearing the dress shirt from his skin, glad to be rid of the clingy material. Staring at himself in the mirror he realized just how beat up he really was. His eyes were glassy and puffy with defeat and a torn lip that wouldn't be healing any time soon. Pitiful. Yes he looked pitiful, meek and sad. He grabbed a hand towel from its rung, running it under the cold water and began to dab at his spammy skin; hissing at the stinging flesh that was not as happy as he was to receive treatment. Once he sighed at his reflection and decided this was as good as it was going to get.
When the man emerged from the bathroom he felt somewhat better, his mind more clear but a tad embarrassed about how pathetic he'd seemed around Gentaro. Kengo stared at his bare feet, engulfed by the large sized pants that were just a bit too large for his hips but he'd managed to keep them on by pulling the drawstring to its limit with the tightest knot he's ever tied. And he was thankful for the shirt which fit just fine. He took this time to realize just how much taller Gentaro was from himself. Speaking of Gentaro, when he made his way back to the kitchen with his arms awkwardly full of wet clothes he noticed that the raven haired man's hair was down instead of his usual pompadour, long bangs tucked back and out of his face. "Kengo! Are you feeling better?" He asked, his hands occupied with the kettle and pouring water into a cup.
"Yes." Kengo managed in his best voice. "That's good." They both stood in silence, one more so with limited knowledge of the household. "You can just throw those clothes in the basket there. I'll be putting them in the washer after anyway." Kengo looked to his right to see there was in fact a basket full of clothes so he dumped them in as instructed. Unsure of what to do next he made the choice to sit down in the chair he'd sat in before, feeling a sort of comfort in it's existence. "Alright so a I'm not much of a tea drinker but I like this one." He sided the boy a mug with a chipped edge and a smile. "It kind of tastes like green tea but not really. I mean, I threw out the box so I couldn't tell you what it actually is." He went on, clearly trying to make the best of small talk. Gentaro was considerate in not intrusive at times but it wasn't all bad. He knew when to approach someone about a situation that could make them uncomfortable and this was one of those times. Kengo raised the cup to his lips and took a sip, realizing for the first time that he was thirsty and hadn't had much to drink today. "It's good," He said quickly. "Listen, I'm sorry I dumped myself on you like this. What I did taking on the Zodiart like that was stupid and impulsive." Gentaro's brow furrowed. "What? No what you did was totally brave! You did it to save people and that's awesome." Kengo stared at him in disbelief. Gentaro had the strangest train of thought in existence. He was admitting he messed up and Gentaro was complementing him. "See when I met you I made the choice to be your friend and prove that I could change you but it wasn't that hard to truly embrace the act y'know?" He beamed at his little speech and Kengo couldn't help but let a small smile touch his own. Gentaro was infectious, really.