The drive back to Netto's house was a silent one as they were in separate cars. They pulled up to Netto's house just as the last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon and out of sight. They got out and Netto opened the front door with the key in his mail box.
"Why do you put the key there even when I tell you not to," Enzan sighed.
"Enzan, who in the hell is going to break into my house. They couldn't steal anything because of the encodes I have on everything and the security system would go wild if it didn't recognize that I was in the house."
"Because you have hundreds of enemies?" Enzan asked him sarcastically.
Netto sighed, "You worry too much," he muttered as he walked into the house.
"I do not," Enzan retorted as he followed Netto inside.
Netto grinned, "Yeah you do, so what's for dinner?" he asked before Enzan could reply.
"I was thinking maybe spaghetti," Enzan said.
Netto shrugged, "Fine, the pasta's in the top shelf, knock yourself out."
Enzan nodded and walked into the kitchen and Netto went into the living room where he flopped on the couch and turned on the TV. "Netto-san…" Blues said softly.
"Yeah?" Netto asked.
"Are you sure you don't want to help Enzan-sama cook dinner?" Blues asked.
"Are you nuts?" Netto asked him. "I can't cook."
"Netto-kun openly admits he can't cook after he set the chicken on fire in the oven," Rockman said.
"That was an accident…" Netto growled.
"And it was hilarious," Rockman added.
Blues couldn't resist smiling at that, "All right," he said.
After about ten minutes Netto sniffed the air, "Something smells weird," he muttered.
"Netto-kun, what is it?" Rockman asked.
"I don't know… it kinda smells like something is burning," he said in an offhand voice.
At that moment the fire alarm in the kitchen went off making Netto's cat and dog run for their lives by hiding in Netto's room.
"Ummm, Netto, how do I turn this off?" Enzan asked.
"Press the red button," Netto replied. "Are you doing okay in there?"
"Fine!" Enzan said while pressing the button and making the shrill beeping noise blissfully stop.
"What is he doing?" Netto muttered to himself.
"He's burning pasta," Blues said to Rockman in a low voice.
"How?" Rockman asked.
"I have no idea," Blues answered.
After another ten minutes the alarm went off again but it was stopped quicker that time. "Enzan, do you need help?" Netto asked.
"No, I'm fine," Enzan replied. "Really."
Netto returned to the program he had on TV while eyeing the kitchen apprehensively.
Finally after another fifteen minutes Enzan came out carrying two plates of yellow and blackened spaghetti with pasta sauce poured haphazardly on it. Netto eyed it then looked up at Enzan who looked somewhat disappointed. "Looks great," he lied.
Enzan sighed and took his own plate. Netto took up a forkful and put it in his mouth resting the urge to spit it back out. It was somehow raw and burnt at the same time and the sauce did nothing to cover it up. "It's… good," Netto said slowly after forcing himself to swallow it.
Enzan hadn't even had the guts to eat his own plateful yet, "Really?" he asked.
Netto nodded stiffly, "Yeah…" he said slowly, "Sure."
Enzan took a bite of his and swallowed it with difficulty. "You really think this is good?" he asked.
"Better then my cooking," Netto said cheerfully while taking another bite.
Together the two men sat there watching old sitcoms and choking down half cooked, burnt spaghetti in an effort to please one another.
After dinner was over Netto took the dishes into the kitchen and set them into the dishwasher. He noted the gooey black mess in the bottom of one pan but didn't day anything about it. Instead he went back over to the couch and sat down on it. "Heh, that was an interesting dinner, Enzan," Netto said. "Never had anything quite like it before."
Enzan gave him a half grin, "It was horrible," he said softly.
Netto sighed, "Ummm… yeah, it was."
Both men burst out laughing and didn't stop for a long while. "Oh god Enzan, how did you manage that," Netto asked after awhile.
"Manage what?" Enzan asked.
"To make it raw and burned at the same time?" Netto asked.
Enzan shook his head, "I… don't know."
"Amazing," Netto said.
Enzan sighed and leaned into the couch, "We have work tomorrow," he reminded Netto.
Netto shrugged, "It's only nine," he said. "We still have a little while."
Enzan smiled softly and changed the channel to a documentary. Netto didn't protest and ten minutes later he was fast asleep on the couch.
"Wow… that didn't take long," Blues mused.
"Documentaries are like sedatives to Netto-kun," Rockman said with a grin. "I found that out in 7th grade."
Blues laughed and he and Rockman went into the bedroom portion of Rockman's house to look up a book file they had talked about earlier.
Netto slid over on the couch until his head rested on Enzan's shoulder. Enzan turned slowly to look at the sleeping brunette and really couldn't think of anything to say. "Netto?" he asked.
Netto groaned and moved a little in his sleep forcing Enzan to catch his upper body so he didn't fall off the couch. Finally Enzan just put Netto's head in his lap and continued to watch the show.
The smaller man curled up around a pillow he was holding and looked a little flustered as if whatever he was dreaming about was bothering him. Enzan looked around but there was no Rockman to be seen.
"Netto?" Enzan asked while shaking his friend, "Are you okay?"
"Hm…?" Netto asked sleepily. "I'm… fine…" he yawned and fell back asleep.
Enzan sighed and looked at his watch, it was only 9:20 at that time. Enzan really didn't want to leave and he was more comfortable then he cared to admit with Netto's head in his lap.
Abandoning the TV he looked down at Netto trying to see if he was still squirming or upset about whatever he was thinking of earlier. He was in fact completely peaceful in his sleep and didn't seem to have any imaginary demons chasing after him.
Enzan noted that when Netto turned his head a bit a small piece of hair fell in front of his face. Enzan pulled that strand out of his eyes and placed it back where it was before. Netto sighed happily and merely snuggled in closer to Enzan in his sleep.
Blues and Rockman both watched with amusement from a small monitor at the back of the living room.
"Netto?" Enzan asked.
"Yeah?" Netto replied.
"You're awake!" Enzan exclaimed.
"Kinda…" Netto said letting his eyes drift halfway open.
"I should probably get going…" Enzan said finally.
Netto sighed; he really was very comfortable with where he was sitting. "So soon?" he asked.
"We have work," Enzan said.
Netto nodded, "All right," he said and sat up. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asked.
Enzan nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow."
Netto waved good bye as Enzan left the room and Blues said good bye to Rockman before linking into his PET.
"Nice night," Rockman said.
Netto stood up and stretched his hands over his head, "Yeah!" he agreed.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Sir, it's a call for you," a boy of about 13 came over and held a phone out to Laika.
Laika picked up the phone, "Yes?" he asked.
"Colonel Laika, may I request your presence in Akihara in a day?" a voice asked him.
"Mejin-san?" Laika asked curiously. "What, it's already started?"
"Not quite, but we would like some back up," Mejin said. "Besides, I think some friends of yours might want to say hello before you three get neck deep into trouble like I know you will."
Laika almost gave a grin at these words, "Fine, you'll see me in your office by tomorrow evening, Mejin-san."
"No need for the san," Mejin said and hung up.
"Laika-san?" Searchman asked from his PET.
"Time to go," Laika said simply and Searchman nodded his consent.
