Blurred Lines | shouto.

[44]: Slip

"So, how do you have it?"

You pulled out two miss-matched mugs and placed them onto the bench.

"Normally, I would order a double-shot iced coffee with chai dustings, and two shots of the barista's desired syrup." he sat down against the island on a swivelling stool. "Hazelnut is my favourite."

You slowly turned away, sweat-dropping at the intricacies you knew that drink would require.

He quickly recognised your expression, and closed his eyes with a smile.

"But today, I think i'd enjoy a regular hot coffee." he said softly. "How ever you'd like to make it."

You couldn't help but giggle at that.

You liked his sense of humour.

So, on you went.

You did recall having a bottle of caramel sauce in the fridge that Mae had bought for her ice-cream. So, you assumed it wouldn't be too different from regular caramel syrup.

Right?

You flicked the kettle on, and hoisted yourself to sit on the bench. You crossed your ankles, and looked over at Shouto.

His posture was impressively straight.

He seemed to be staring off into the halls of your home, absentmindedly. It looked like his brain was ticking.

"Where has your guardian gone?"

His voice was soft and wondering.

"Mae?" you asked, looking around. "She'll be resting in her room. She leaves later tonight."

He sat with a very charming look on his face. "Mm. Where is she going?"

"She works in Osaka." you mumbled, trying not to make a big deal out of it.

"Oh? Is she not supposed to be watching over you?" he asked attentively. "How can she work so far?"

"It isn't a big deal, but it is meant to be kept under-wraps." your tone intensified slightly. "She's not supposed to work. She gets paid by a prevention-facility for looking after me, but she works for the extra money for herself. She's required to remain available and at home obviously, as part of my monitoring. But, she and I both know that i'm okay on my own. Plus, she needs the money."

Shouto was blinking slowly, listening carefully. He didn't know any of this.

"She's normally gone for three to four weeks, and then comes home for a weekend."

"So, you stay here on your own most of the time?"

You nod. "Yup. Basically live on my own."

Shouto wasn't sure how he felt about that.

A part of him welled with concern as he pictured you walking home alone at night, going back to an unguarded apartment. He thought about you being alone in the case of a break in, or even an accident. It made him uncomfortable.

It was definitely concerning.

But, it was also fascinating.

As he got to know you more and more, Shouto was slowly starting to understand why you took your training so seriously.

You were completely alone in your world.

All you had was yourself.

You couldn't fall back on anyone. You had never been able to.

That was a very foreign concept to him. And, although it made him blue to think about, he was starting to put the puzzle-pieces of you together in his head, and understand better why you are the way you are.

"It's cool." you shrugged. "No one annoys me."

Shouto looked up and met your eyes, a shimmer of doubt flashing past his.

"I do like when Mae comes home," you said somewhat cheerfully. "She's nice to hang around."

Just then, the kettle clicked off, signalling that the water had finished boiling.

You vaulted off the bench and walked over to the kettle, picking it up and then pouring it into the water bay in your pod-coffee machine.

Truthfully, you didn't have to boil the water beforehand, but it was just a time-saving old habit you hadn't broken yet.

Your hands dug through the plastic bag of all the different types of coffee. Instant coffee, pod-coffees, even grounded coffee beans.

You pulled out the coffee beans and opened the bag, only to smell it.

The aroma of coffee beans was an unexplainable comfort to you.

You breathed in with a big smile. "Yum." you mumbled before moving it to the side.

Then, in the bag, you saw a purple rectangular box at the bottom of the bag, reaching to grab it. You read the label, and sure enough, it said 'hazelnut'.

Perfect.

You opened it up, and started slowly gathering all the ingredients for the two coffees.

He waited silently and patiently, with his hands resting on the kitchen bench in front of him.

Only a short minute later, Shouto noticed that the milk bottle that you pulled from the fridge, had tipped over. A small puddle leaked off the edge of the bench and onto the floor.

Shouto was only a breath away from warning you about the puddle before you stepped right in it and immediately slipped over.

Your hands frenzied to try and catch yourself on the lip of the bench, but you ended up grabbing the water tray instead. Along with some other randoms on the countertop, and pulling it all down with you.

"Y/N-!"

Shouto stood up and ran to you.

Though, much too late.

You landed on your back on the floor with a thud, and didn't even get to open your eyes before the tub landed on you and spilled hot water all over your torso.

That was the least of your worries.

Because next, the opened bag of coffee beans fell down, and landed on top of you too.

Naturally, it spilled powered coffee beans all over you, dousing you completely in dirty brown coffee grinds.

Shouto finally made it to your side.

"Y/N, are you okay? Did you hit your head?" Shouto kneeled down beside you and grabbed your arm with both hands, holding it softly. "Can you wiggle your toes?"

"Argh, i'm fine," you seethed, forcing yourself to sit up. "I didn't hit my head."

You rubbed the back of your head in pain.

"Here, stand up slowly." Shouto propped his hands firmly, one against your back and the other supporting your arm. "Is that okay?"

You wiped the splashed grinds away from your eyes and gained your balance while Shouto kept holding onto your arm to ensure you wouldn't slip again.

"Why don't you go and have a shower to rinse that off." Shouto offered. "I can finish off the coffees."

You looked at him nervously.

"I can manage a kettle. I'll be okay."

You both smiled playfully.

You nod your head and walked off towards the bathroom.