Title: Fire and Ice
Author: kira
Rating: teen
Characters: Renkotsu, Jakotsu
Genre, AU/Canon, etc.: general, precanon timeline
Words: 500
Summary: Jakotsu gives Renkotsu a wake-up call of sorts.
Warnings: none
Author's note: A special "Thank you!" to Sensei for encouraging me to try something different, by focusing more on one character's POV than both. Not sure if I got it though… ^^;
888
"Hey, Ren! You in there?" Jakotsu's voice cut through the silence in Renkotsu's workshop along with a blast of cold air.
What the hell do you want?! Renkotsu groaned softly, keeping his irritation at bay, while hammering the chunk of steel flat. "Yes, I'm in here," he called out tersely through gritted teeth. Hammer blows echoing the cross-dresser's footsteps, Renkotsu did his best to ignore the unwelcome intrusion.
"Whatchya doing?" Jakotsu asked as he warmed himself by the forge.
Hammering some sense into your head! What does it look like I'm doing? "Nothing…" the fire-breather said coldly, not looking up.
"It doesn't look like nothing… Is that a new weapon for Aniki-chan?"
"No." Renkotsu heaved a long suffering sigh as he knew no matter cold and indifferent he was to the flighty cross-dresser, Jakotsu would flirtatiously pepper him with questions. He felt as though Jakotsu saw it as his sworn duty to annoy the fire-breather with his nonsense.
"Then who's it for?"
"Sui… I'm fixing Sui's claws."
"Oh… can I watch?"
No, but you will anyways, unless Oo-Aniki comes looking for you for something disgusting and perverse. "If you must."
"Thanks!" Jakotsu sat as close the forge's warmth as he could while still keeping a watchful eye on the fire-breather. "Brrr… it's cold outside, but it's nice and warm in here," he airily remarked, while stating the obvious.
Here it comes…
"I wish Aniki-chan wasn't too busy to keep me warm."
Well maybe if you weren't such a royal pain in the ass, he wouldn't be too busy… "Tsk, tsk, Ban…"
"Yeah… so are you going to keep me warm, instead?" Jakotsu flirtatiously asked.
Renkotsu looked up from his work, instantly regretting it, when he saw the hopeful look on the cross-dresser's face. Damn it! Don't encourage him! "Uh, no, I'm not going to keep you warm." Keep you at arms' length; yes… give into your childish whims, never! Now go away and leave me alone! Leveling his frostiest look at the cross-dresser, he briefly held the other's gaze, before going back to pounding away on the claw-bearer's replacement claw. A blessed silence settled between them for several long, beautiful minutes and Renkotsu was able to forget he was not alone.
Jakotsu shattered the moment with a soft sigh. "Do you ever get lonely, Ren?"
"No," he replied, letting his annoyance bleed into his frosty tone. YES!! I'm terribly lonely, but I don't need you or anyone else!
The cross-dresser sighed again.
"Stop doing that!"
Jakotsu blinked. "Doing what?"
"Sighing and flirting and pestering me! I'm busy, damn it!"
"Okay…" Jakotsu looked away and back.
"What?!"
"I was just thinking…"
Oh hell! That can be a dangerous thing… "What were you thinking?" Renkotsu softened his tone.
The cross-dresser smiled impishly as he got up to go. "As warm as it is in here, it's a lot warmer in someone's heart, Ren." Sliding the shoji back, Jakotsu stepped out in the cold wintery air and shivered.
Could he be right…? Nah…
