Konan without origami would be like a forest without green.
The door was ajar. Brushing his pale fingertips against it, Nagato slowly opened it to it's fullest - revealing a sanctuary of colorless papers.
"K-..Konan?" He mumbled, scanning the room for a trace of her blue tinted hair.
Only silence responded. He took a small, cautious step past the door and glanced over the room.
The walls were dull - just the usual pastel of all the walls in the inn. A single bed was pushed into the corner, with a thin quilt resting in disarray on it. Crushed, hopeless pieces of kami were tossed in random directions, with the survivors just laying neatly all over the floor. This, Nagato thought, was quite unlike his close friend. Unorganized. Abnormal.
But had anything been normal since Yahiko..?
Nagato cursed the depressing words out of his mind and leaned onto the door frame.
"Nagato...?" A soft, familiar voice rang from behind him - following a crush of grocery bags in her thin arms.
He turned quickly. "Ah - you had left..?" He muttered, staring curiously at the filled plastic bags falling out of her hands.
"Food.." She stated, poking down at the bags with her chin for emphasis. "We need some once in a while to stay alive, Nagato." She laughed, walking past him and into the forest of paper.
He rolled his eyes as she kicked through the mess into the kitchen and collapsed the bags onto the counter.
"I got taiyaki... I know it's the only thing you eat." She smiled to herself, waving the fish-shaped snack in the air as she dug through the bags.
He strolled over to her and took the cake. As he fiddled with the packaging, she finished unwrapping the last grocery and neatly folded all the bags into one perfect square.
"So why were you poking around in here anyway, you hen?" Konan huffed, flinging the bag-square into the trash can.
"Must you call me a hen?" He sighed, tearing the cake in half.
She stuck her lip out stubbornly.
Nagato closed his eyes irritatedly and handed her the head part of the pastry. "If you must know, I was just looking to see if you were here. You left the door open, you know." He snorted, lifting the taiyaki to take a large bite.
Konan nibbled on the crust. "Is that not safe?" She smiled. "I doubt anyone would try to steal something from us."
He opened his eyes. "Yes, but... No one's going to know our skill by first glance, Konan. You looked like a poor, helpless civilian bringing food home for dinner just now..." He smirked, taking another bite of his food.
Konan chewed angrily. "Mmnn..nnwell!"
Nagato laughed lowly. "On another note.. What's with the mess?" He pondered aloud, glancing around the room. "Rejecting the room service?"
"Lemme tell ya." She grumbled and observed the trashed flat, slips of paper and scrolls tossed in every which direction. "Actually... I just had a rough night last night. No inspiration.." She babbled, twisting a violet-colored lock in between her fingers.
Nagato sighed and reached to touch her hand, sliding the last piece of the taiyaki into his mouth.
"I'm not over it either, Konan." He muffled, caressing the fluid-like skin that laced her limb.
She slid her palm into his slender hand, interjoining her fingers with his. "What he did was heroic. He saved me, Nagato. I know he'd.." She paused and lowered her gaze to the kami-covered floor. "..I know he'd hate to see me upset like this."
Nagato furrowed his brow and inhaled - an act of preparation for the emotional display.
"Honestly, Yahiko hated it when you didn't...cry.." He murmured. "You're unemotional facades only made him worry." Exhaling slowly, he continued. "I.. feel the same way, you know."
She looked up at him reticently. "That could be." She grinned and a slight tear slid down the side of her face.
His lips composed into a delicate smile. "Shouldn't we clean this up?" He glanced around the room gently.
"..Yeah." Konan grinned, wiping her eyes and stuffing the last piece of her taiyaki inbetween Nagato's pale lips.
Why is it that I have to be there for her? This unwavering... devotion.