The small part of my mind that�s still sober keeps wondering if maybe living walking distance from the bar is a bad thing after all. I decide to ignore it and drown it out (literally) with another glass of�whatever I�m drinking. I forgot what I ordered sometime around the fifth. Riza gives me a look as she refills the glass for the ninth--or was it eleventh?--time.
�Look, kiddo, I�m glad you drank enough to forget whatever you were so depressed about when you came in here, but don�t you think you�ve had enough? What would Blade say, seeing you like this?� The twenty-six year old blonde knows us well, as we visit after work at least once a week, but she obviously doesn�t know us as well as I thought if she seriously has to ask me that.
�I know exactly what he�d say,� I tell her, downing the glass before I finish my sentence, �he�d tell me to drink a couple extra for him.� With this I set the glass down pointedly, ice making a light ringing sound as it clinks against the side of its transparent container. Riza sighs and glances around the bar, chatter dying down as she raises her voice.
�Hey, you bunch of drunks,� she calls with a slightly amused grin, �if I leave for five minutes can you promise not to drink the place dry?�
�If we do,� a guy calls from the back, �we�ll make sure to put it on our tabs.� The men at that back table erupt into laughter, the alcohol making it even more hilarious to them.
�But where are you running off to, Caine?� One of the guys seated by the door asks this and his partner glances over at him with a snort and adds, �Yeah, what could be better than hanging out in a bar with a bunch of drunk guys when you�re the only woman?�
�Hey, Caine could take us all,� the first guy replies in a matter-of-fact tone, �drunk or not she�d kick all of our asses. You ever wonder why there�s no bouncer?�
�It�s quite true,� Riza cuts in with a laugh, �but tone down the defense. Anyway, I�m taking the kid home.� I glare at that statement, but once Riza makes up her mind about something like this, I won�t get any say in it.
�Make sure that�s all you do,� someone calls, �he�s too young for you!�
Riza doesn�t say anything, just grabs me by the arm and heads for the door, but judging by the way they�re laughing, they caught that faint blush. It was never a secret that she has a crush of sorts on me.
I soon find myself at my front door and wonder how I can barely remember how I got here when it just happened. Maybe it has something to do with the way the world is spinning. Riza places her hands on my shoulders to steady me as I wobble, gently pulling me upright.
�I�m not going to annoy you on why you�re like this, because it must be really bad, but don�t go so overboard again, okay?�
�Yes, mother,� I say with a heavy sigh, �look, I know you�re worried about me, but you should be worrying about Bladen�� Ugh, I just remembered why I was off getting drunk in the first place. A confused look crosses her face, but she suddenly realizes she needs to get back to her job.
�You�re telling me what happened later,� she says, poking me in the chest, �but right now, go get some sleep.� Riza heads back down the stairs with a wave and I sigh again, fishing around in my pocket for the key.
�What? You�re not watching over him?�
�Tai kicked me out just like he did yesterday,� I tell Hiro as I open the door, planning on slamming the door in his face, ��the fuck do you care for anyway?�
�I don�t,� he insists with a shrug, grabbing my arm to stop me as I start to push the door open, �I never pictured you as much of a drinker.�
�Then what the hell did you ask for, if you don�t care? And what the fuck was up with that random �I never pictured you as much of drinker� shit?�
�Because he�s a damn idiot, that�s why.�
��He�s not going away, either.'
Hiro rambles on about�I don�t know what. I can�t hear him over the voices in my head as my conscience clashes with the part of me that wishes to hurt him severely.
�So do something.�
�Let�s just kill him and be done with it.�
�Are you insane?�
��Maybe. I am talking to myself.�
�You can�t kill him.�
�Fine.�
I shake my head slightly as I come to a decision. Causing Hiro harm would only make him guilt trip me more (kind of like he�s trying to now only I�m not paying attention, y�know?) and ignoring him will probably have the same effect. He�s very persistent, the bastard. Therefore, there�s only one thing that�ll shut him up.
Hiro almost loses his balance and knocks both of us over when I suddenly grab him by the collar and pull him toward me. There�s a small, quiet gasp as I lean in to press my lips to his, but he doesn�t resist.
He just stares at me when I release him; stares in disbelief with his mouth hanging slightly open. He is a hawk, so this makes me think of a baby bird, and, in turn, picture Delsus trying to feed him. It�s stupid, but right now it�s also the funniest thing in the history of funny things.
Hiro is still staring at me as I sink to my knees in laughter holding my stomach, but now I think it�s less of being in shock and more of him thinking I�m insane.
�Kiyo,� he finally says as my laughter dies down, �what the fuck was--�
�Give me a hand,� I interrupt him, still giggling and reaching up, �I don�t think I can get up on my own.� Unlike I expected, he doesn�t hesitate, just grabs my hand and pulls me up, one arm slipping around my waist to make pulling me up easier.
�Why thank you, dearest,� I say, leaning in again and wondering why he hasn�t let go of me yet, �and did you know you�re much cuter when you�re not rambling about Leviathan-knows-what?� I can feel his smirk as (after somehow coming to the conclusion it was a good idea; my mind shouldn�t decide things without me) I kiss him again, and his grip slowly tightens as he backs through the doorway, pulling me with him.
