When all else fails
Written for the word prompt "coffee" over at the KHR Fic Meme – if you don't know who Spanner is, then this is probably full of spoilers for you. XD The title is taken from the 31 Days theme for December 4, 2007. Special thanks to Nikki for doing the REAL archiving for all of us~
Shouichi was aware of his earphones being tugged off first, then a blanket being tucked about his shoulders. A pause, then a quiet sigh from somewhere behind him, just as he decided that maybe it would be a good idea to wake up.
"Anyone ever tell you that you suck taking care of yourself?"
Spanner was standing beside his seat with a hand on his hip and the other lifting a mug to his lips; there was another mug set right in front of Shouichi, a new addition to the mess on his desk. The bespectacled young man blinked up at his visitor blearily for one full minute, then groggily reached out for the mug. The smell of coffee – rich and dark and gloriously black – hit his nostrils, jogging his brain cells back into commission. He took his first sip with visible pleasure.
"The documents needed finishing now. Sleep can wait."
"Hum. The boss sure is a demanding one, isn't he?"
Shouichi refrained from answering. Spanner stared down at the younger man as he leaned back in his seat, yawned, stretched, ruffled his hair out, yawned again. All he could think of was how small those shoulders were, and how thin Shouichi's wrists had become. He appeared to have lost a considerable amount of weight since last month.
"Thanks for the coffee. I'm going to need this for the rest of the night."
"I dunno. Personally, I think you need to go to sleep."
Shouichi only smiled, huddled himself a little deeper in the blanket, then turned to his computer screen. He was typing a few minutes later, and Spanner knew that at that moment, he had turned invisible. Only two things could make Shouichi forget everything around him: his research, and Byakuran. Spanner left, but not without ruffling Shouichi's hair.
Months later, as the Millefiore base went under siege and Spanner found himself staring down at the drenched form of Sawada Tsunayoshi huddled at his feet, the mechanic remembered those shoulders and wrists, that distant stare. The man slipped his gun back into his holster, and geared himself up for the first of many betrayals.
