Having to take care of someone as alone as Raidou made it awful difficult for a fellow like Narumi to always be the best influence in his young ward's life, considering that he was one of the only influences. Since there had yet to be any mention of family, and Raidou's irregular attendance making school pals impossible to maintain, Narumi had a lot of shoes to fill if he wanted to succeed in his job at making Raidou out to be a well rounded young man. In the beginning Narumi did as best he could to encourage growth in Raidou's social abilities, but the cat had him working from dawn till dusk most of the time and Narumi's tendency to push case files onto the summoner wasn't helping either. Raidou acted unbothered by Narumi's constant presence in his life, despite he and Gouto being some of the only people he saw consistently everyday, but after sometime he appeared to quiver at the edges when his day was over and he sat at the office's table to do homework, anticipating being talked to and nervous about himself talking back.
Where he could Narumi would give Raidou time to speak up and talk about his day but the boy was either uninterested in the offer at that time or wholly unable to participate in the conversations. In Raidou's defense his boss could be quick to change subjects, so if there was something he wanted to say, it often got unsaid because the topic had shifted already. Once Narumi picked up on this he began to watch what he said, making their one-sided conversations about a single event or idea each day, just to encourage the youngster to speak up. Sometimes Raidou would interject at the beginning, just after Narumi set the gramophone to play soothingly in the background, that he wanted Narumi to clarify a statement from the day before, but he hardly said much after that.
Narumi figured, if it bothered the summoner, he would take his homework elsewhere rather than out rightly stating he didn't want to listen that day, but his feelings on the ritual were revealed when Raidou was given the offer by their mutual lady-friend Tae to dinner one afternoon, on the terms that Narumi stay behind since he owed that particular restaurant a bill four miles long. But, politely of course, Raidou declined. He and Narumi had something they needed to talk about, he said. Of course they didn't need to talk about anything, the older man would have been happy to let the youngster go, but then is when he understood that their talks, however one-sided they were, meant something to the kid. Even if it was just some kind of place hold in his day where he knew neither Narumi nor Gouto could push him out the door and away from his homework. Whatever his real feelings were, Narumi was doing something right since he was able to keep Raidou around, even when his feline companion grumbled as the older gentleman stood to set the gramophone, signally another one of his marathon gab fests.
"Once you get sick of Narumi cooing over ladies he saw from the window, you tell me you want to get a better hobby and I'll buy you a fishing rod," the cat said with an irritated flick of his tail "Till then, have fun with chatty-cathy, kid." And like that Gouto was out till the record scratched. Raidou shut the door and turned off the hall light as Narumi sat back down at his desk, lighting a cigarette and leaning into his chair with a satisfied puff of air. Raidou took his own seat at the table, cracking open a text book to check the answers again on homework he already had completed. His boss took notice that it was the same assignment and books from before, laughing after the smoke from his first drag finished leaking from in between his parted lips.
"You always triple check yourself, but I don't think I've ever seen you fix anything," Narumi said, to which Raidou shrugged one shoulder in earnest. Never hurt to check. Keeping both eyes on his ward, Narumi took another long drag from his cigarette and held his breath while thinking of a decent topic for that evening's conversation. He blew smoke across his desk, brow quirking as the idea came to him.
"Ya'know, I can think of a few things I'd like to do over. Namely the day I started smoking," he examined the vice in question between his fingers with a chuckle before looking at Raidou again, "And it's those bad habits that are always harder to undo, huh?" The two of them both knew Raidou wasn't the type to wrap himself up in those sorts of things. "Might not seem like I mind so much, but really, it's a no good habit…"
The summoner's gaze drifted towards his boss when the older male went quiet, when Raidou fell for the bait and made himself out to be invested in the lesson. Narumi gave him a smarmy little smirk, but the devious edge was lost with his mouth mostly obscured by his hand with a cigarette. "Don't believe me?" Raidou did not nod or shake his head, he just looked towards his boss, waiting. At this point Narumi had heard enough.
"Come'er, Raidou, I'll let you try, just to show you." The offer was out there and for a moment Narumi thought Raidou wasn't going to take it, but the summoner gave his textbook a fleeting look, as if to apologize, and rose to make his way over. The record on the gramophone changed to a softer song with fewer horns. Once Raidou was at his side, Narumi looked to him, gave his cigarette another long puff as an example, and handed the same one off to his student. Raidou held it awkwardly at first, the small tube surprisingly odd feeling between his fingers, before bringing it to his lips. Raidou's mouth twitched hesitantly before wrapping around the end Narumi had used and inhaled. Almost instantly his eyes went wide and Raidou ripped his hand away from his mouth. The smoke hardly tickled the back of his throat before it sent the young man into a fit, free hand shielding the air between him and Narumi from his coughing. Though his eyes were squeezed shut during most of it, when Raidou did open them they were watery with thick tears, his cheeks too were flushed from the sudden exertion.
Narumi's shoulders shook with blanketed laughter as he took the cigarette back when it was offered to him, taking a smooth drag before exhaling just as coolly and giving Raidou a shrug. "It's not anything worth getting used to so don't be ashamed, kid."
Raidou nodded, he didn't plan on getting familiar with cigarettes in the near future. As he thumbed away the moisture at his eyes, his boss snuffed out his unfinished cigarette and looked backed to his ruffled student before saying, "If you still trust me after that, I can give you something to take the taste out of your mouth." Sounded suspicious, but Raidou gave a nod of consent and Narumi grinned.
"Pull up a chair then, right here," said the detective, and as Raidou left to grab the seat he'd been using for homework, Narumi scooted back in his own chair to reach for the bottom drawer of his desk. The one with a tiny keyhole in it and the one Raidou had never seen the contents of. When the summoner saw Narumi was opening his personal drawer he couldn't help but sneak a peek as he placed his chair down so that the opened compartment was between him and his boss. It was organized in tiny boxes, the contents of which were unknown, but atop them there were a few photos that made Raidou's ears burn. Dirty ones, but Narumi was grown, they were his, so the young man didn't say anything. The pictures were taken out and set on the desk so that Narumi could reach beneath them, as he did this the duo caught a glance at each other, rousing a quiet chuckle from the older one. Raidou wasn't surprised that a fellow like Narumi had those sorts of things tucked away, the man practically oozed charm and appeal out the ears, but what got to him was how unaffected Narumi seemed having the racy things tossed on the table like it was no big deal. Maybe it wasn't, to him, but Raidou would have died had someone gotten into his own intimate things, the few that he had. Back in the drawer Raidou thought he saw the edge of another picture, something like a portrait set in glass, but the crypt was shut once Narumi found what he wanted. From a smooth brown package that could fit in both hands came a black velvety bag with a bottle inside it. Raidou couldn't read the words on the bottle, it was all in English, but Narumi seemed awful pleased to have it in his hands again.
"This… This is some very nice brandy," Narumi said while he admired the warm liquid sloshing around inside, again ushering Raidou off to grab a glass, just one glass, "No need to dirty two, we're all friends here, right?" As he said this Narumi's eyes were all over the glass curves of the bottle being turned over in his hands, it was included in his definition of friends. Once Raidou had returned he barely set the glass down before Narumi undid the cap and poured. He brought the glass up to his nose and inhaled, smirking, "Thaaaat's the ticket. Just as good as I remembered… Here, give it a whiff Raidou."
The summoner did as he was told, leaning forward to meet the edge of the glass in Narumi's hand. It did smell good, sort of like wine, but either way it was much better than the choking smoke of a cigarette; however it did burn Raidou's nose a little when he leaned too far in.
"This is the good stuff, import," Narumi said, bringing the glass to his lips for a slip, leaving well more than half of what he'd poured still in the glass, "But listen, I'll let you have some to take that cigarette taste out, except no more till you're of age. You'll get spoiled on brandy this good." Raidou nodded with a curt smile for added thanks, and he took the glass, brought it to his lips and imitated what his boss had done. It was hot and made his mouth burn, but it washed out the smoke from before as if it'd never been there. Raidou's face warmed again and as he swallowed his posture straightened, free hand reaching up to touch his burning face. As he exhaled he could taste the sweetness of grapes underneath the distinct burn of alcohol. When he looked back to Narumi the pair laughed to themselves, unconcerned about anything more than a yard away.
"Nice huh?" to the question Raidou nodded, a bit more enthusiastically than usual, "Well, when you get a little older I'll buy you a bottle. Oughta start saving up now, then." But the summoner smiled and shook his head. Raidou didn't think Narumi had to buy anything for him. And it was probably for the better, as the price tag on Narumi's favorite brandy would turn Raidou's hair white.
One more drink between them and Narumi put the bottle back in its bag, back in its box, and opened the drawer again, removing the same pictures from before to put the alcohol back. This time he placed them on the desk nonchalantly to rearrange the drawer, leaving them easily in Raidou's view. Black and white, men and women, their edges smooth from Narumi's fingers rubbing across them over the years. When the young man looked back his boss was long done putting the bottle back and was staring right at him. Picking up the pictures, Narumi sorted through them, hiding them from Raidou's view but not pressing them against his chest, a funny smirk on his face. As for Raidou, he was fixated on that smirk as Narumi flipped through the photos. Sometimes his brow would quirk or he'd glance above their edges to see Raidou's hands gripped together on the lap of his uniform.
"What about you Raidou?" Narumi laughed lightheartedly, contradicting the heavy atmosphere he'd set, browsing his photos "Are you a picture guy or do you have a good imagination…Maybe a bit of both?"
The summoner blinked, but Narumi laughed again, louder this time. "I'm kidding… It's your own business, I didn't expect them to be right there, haven't had to open that drawer in a while." It was hard to miss the corner of Narumi's brow cocking up. The gramophone played softly in the background as Narumi put the pictures away. "Ha, well, I'm glad we talked today, it's alright if you mess around with those things so long as you're safe. The Yatagarasu might not like the 14th to be smoking and boozing, but I'm sure they're thankful for the supervision, right?" Raidou nodded, keeping still in his seat. Narumi's smirk leveled out and he leaned back in his chair till he got comfortable. "You need a hobby, Raidou, instead of hanging around here, letting me corrupt your decent sensibilities."
"I don't mind, sir." When Raidou spoke his boss sat up in his chair, surprised, but delighted the kid finally had something to say, "Glad you permit me try new things out." He meant to add without telling Gouto, but Raidou figured the only reason Narumi was letting him try out cigarettes and booze anyway was because the cat left.
"Then maybe we should find ourselves a hobby together," the detective gave Raidou an innocent shrug "you know, an office a floor beneath us has a needle-point class that is enrolling."
"You and Gouto both think that," Raidou mumbled as he shook his head, "Not ready for a hobby. Too much for me to do already…" He emphasized this with a quick glance to his abandoned school books at the table.
"Well, it never hurts to try new things. You liked the brandy right?" Narumi's question was answered with a nod, so he reclined again into his chair and continued, "if that's the case then maybe I'll let you try different ones every once in a while, show you the difference between the high and low end. Develop your taste for it. That's how I learned the difference when I was your age." Raidou bopped his head to the side a fraction before answering with a shrug. "Ha, alright, doesn't have to be that shady. What else can you think of that you like?"
Another struggle. "I don't know."
"Ahh, well, I know you're eager to try new things, right?" It sounded innocent in tone, but that wasn't the intention. Raidou still gave his boss a nod. "Hmm… I suppose the issue with picking up something new is spending the money on it." Imported booze wasn't exactly the cheapest thing one could collect; of course it was nothing compared to Narumi's near fetish with suits and shoes, so the budget was tight.
Narumi gave a long hum and thought for a bit before 'oh'ing softly and looking back to Raidou. "You could always go out with some dames. When they start pushing for gifts and dinners, move on," Raidou looked half surprised, half offended, but most of it was lost behind his stoic mask, "Ahhaha, I'm kidding, though you could pull it off. You're a handsome enough kid to have a girl for everyday of the week I bet!" But Raidou shook his head modestly and gave the floor a watery smile.
"What? No? You don't have to meet girls with the intention to play it smooth, only to drop them when money enters the picture. There are plenty of folks out there who look for other people to spend time with, no strings attached." Narumi let his shoulder slump, "Companionship, if you do it right, is a good time waster that doesn't cost a dime. Surely that plays to your penny pinching, eh Raidou?" But the summoner didn't reply, actually he hadn't even looked back up from the floor. He didn't know the first thing about courtship, demon negotiations were a breeze, but asking someone out to lunch or on a walk? Narumi picked up on this, unless it was his intention all along to bring it up, and gave his employee a sympathetic smile.
"Not in your repertoire as a summoner?" he leaned forward and crossed one hand over the other in his lap, "Well, it is your job to protect the capital, not lay the populous." If Raidou's ears didn't catch fire then, it was a miracle. "Such a shame though, chasing skirt get's your blood pumping, maybe as much as dealing with your demons, hmm?" Raidou looked up. Maybe.
"You don't get your catch every time, but that's the thrilling part," Narumi smiled again, wider, wilder, "But even a loss is no big thing. Just stand right back up and-"
"No that's alright," Raidou interrupted, the two of them looking surprised at the young man's outburst. The teenager looked back down for a moment to collect his thoughts, Narumi giving him the time he needed, before facing his boss and continuing, a bit more quietly than before. "What I mean is… I'm not terribly interested in that either."
"Dating? Dames?"
Raidou's lips flattened into a line, "Not-Neither-I… It's something I don't have the time for," but Narumi wouldn't have it.
"Of course you do! After school, when we normally talk, take the time for yourself, my feelings aren't going to be hurt."
Raidou smiled sincerely, small but genuine. "No… I'd rather not. This is fine."
Narumi smiled back, but it was a questioning one, "Really? All this is copacetic? Secretly letting the capital's protector break a couple of rules while his teacher is out on the prowl is your ideal afternoon?" The all teeth smile melted into one of Narumi's signature smirks, "Now that I think about it, rule breaking is awful good fun to." Raidou wasn't sure how to take that and he tried his best to maintain his expression, but it was getting increasingly difficult to interpret Narumi's actions in anyway but devious. "You're a good kid, Raidou. You do your best to keep things at peace and, well, your best is remarkable. Call me a naysayer, but even if you're technically on the job all the time, you, more than most, deserve a break. A hobby," to make his last point, Narumi leaned over his knees on his elbows, "Maybe a habit? This counts though, doesn't it, the daily conversations between the two of us. There are other things we could be doing, but habitually we always end up here. Each day." Raidou nodded slowly this time, agreeing.
That was the answer Narumi was looking for and it showed in the soft squint of his eyes like a content cat, "We don't always have to talk, you know. Like today, we can do other things. Unwind with a drink, maybe listen to a few records…" As he spoke, Narumi's hands traveled slowly from his lap and across the gap to rest on Raidou's knees, causing the young man to jolt in his seat. "You don't have to waste your energy looking for things to do when I can just bring them here for you. Tell me what you want and while you're on your beat through the Dark Realm, I can make a few calls and… Maybe get that needle-point teacher up here for a day. What say you?"
Raidou's lips twitched at the corners, searching for the right shape to make before giving up and nodding. "That would be ok," he murmured.
"I will do whatever you want, make sure it doesn't take longer than Gouto's stroll, though, if it's something you don't want to get in trouble about. He's awful punctual for a cat without a watch." Narumi kept his hands where they were, weighed down with the confidence that Raidou wouldn't slap them away. And he didn't. Actually, he didn't make much of a move at all. The talk about skirt chasing from before put the right idea in Raidou's head, the one his boss wanted there to justify when his hands went a little further up his legs, past his knees as he scooted forward. Their knees were nearly touching when Narumi continued.
"I guess that means going out, looking for a fun might be difficult," the detective said softly into the shrinking space between them, "unless you want to run into your feline friend." Raidou nodded, even more slowly than the last time, but there was no apprehension in it, nothing that said he was going to bolt. Narumi's hands over took the summoner's own in his lap, they were much warmer than Raidou's. "But you don't have to leave for that either, I can bring it to you, right?" The young man couldn't even nod this time, but Narumi smiled just the same and leaned a little closer. "Raidou, correct me if I'm wrong, but would I be right in guessing you wouldn't even need me to leave if you wanted me to find you a good time?" And then Narumi stopped moving, didn't come any closer than he was and gave no hint that he had more to say. Raidou waited, eyes searching for a sign that Narumi was going to continue for him, but eventually he spoke up.
"You would be right," and Raidou swallowed nervously, mouth doing that anxious twitch where he couldn't decide what to do with it. It was good, then, that Narumi was there to give the summoner something to do, and as he bridged the gap one last time to meet the young man's lips with his own, the twitching stopped entirely. Instead they parted with surprise, letting Narumi take a plunge into his still brandy-tasting mouth, holding fast onto the summoner's wrists to keep him from jumping away. Even though he was being held carefully in place Raidou never made a move to jump and was, to Narumi's surprise, rather responsive to the kiss. Before anyone got too flustered the detective pulled away, letting go of Raidou's wrists and sitting back up with a rather satisfied look on his face.
Raidou's mouth hung open and it took a little tap on his chin from Narumi's hand to shut it. As if on cue, the moment Narumi sat back in his chair there was a scratch on the door and a meow from Gouto. Raidou's gaze snapped from his boss to the door and back with surprise but all Narumi had to offer was a wry grin as the record scratched.
"Same time tomorrow?"