Chapter Text
Katana and Ban Hammer had gone from sparring partners, to slowly but surely actually hanging out outside of training. It was surprising progress, but still no more than acquaintances. Or, at least that's what Katana tells himself. He found it rather odd, mostly due to his perception on the warden. The inphernal that he once found annoying and egotistical, nothing but trouble, didn't seem too bad now. He's even occasionally invited the other out for a drink or two, either alongside Hyperlaser, or just the two of them alone. It was....puzzling so to say, something Katana couldn't quite place place his finger on. But even then, surely this wasn't a big deal, it just meant the two of them were warming up to each other now, right? He wouldn't ever be interested in anything nor anyone that had relations to the deities.
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Katana sat at the bar, the dim lighting and quiet music making up a cozy atmosphere. Today, the place was rather empty, maybe since it was a weekday, most inphernals had work or things in general to do than to stick around at a bar. Katana's own day had been unproductive, at least compared to his usual days. It has been mayhaps a few days now since he has sparred or met up at all with the warden. The other mentioned something about being 'too busy lately'. Katana couldn't blame him, he himself on average was a busy inphernal too. But without anything to do to let out some of his pent up energy over the days, as much as he hates to admit it, he kind of missed the sparring sessions the two of them had.
Katana nursed a glass of sake in his hand. It was an uncommon drink to get at a bar, but it was a familiar choice that Katana just couldn't seem to let go of. The shining clear liquor sloshed around in the equally clear glass, he could even see his own reflection in it. Katana merely stared at the liquid while remaining as silent as a mouse. No one exactly dared to sit next to him due to his big built and intimidating aura, so he was practically alone on this quiet night. It wasn't really a rare sight, but he did prefer some company right about now. By now, he was already tipsy from the mild liquor, having lost track of how many glasses he's already drank so far. That or he wasn't ever counting to begin with.
As if someone had heard his wish, the sound of a door opening could be heard from some where behind where he sat. The sound of music was instantly replaced with the noisy clattering of metal against metal. It didn't really take a genius to realise who just entered the bar at such a time. But even if just the sound of armour was ever too vague, Ban Hammer's voice cut through the air, loud and obnoxiously himself. There really was no doubt about it, no doubt who it was.
"Ugh, what a day. Stupid cult and their stupid members....making me run around like a headless chicken... " Ban Hammer cursed loudly before it dissolved into a quieter tone, grumbling in disdain. The warden desummoned his gigantic hammer, meanwhile cracking and stretching his bones and muscles. The sound of the his bones popping were mostly covered up by the sound of heavy armour rattling though.
Ban Hammer made his way over towards the bar, sliding onto a seat that might've been slightly too small for someone of his stature. But either way, he didn't seem all that bothered by it.
Katana's gaze lingered on the purple inphernal momentarily, staring from the corner of his eye. After a beat or two, the samurai let out a barely audible hum. Perhaps he was aware of just how sharp the other's hearing was, finding no need to raise his volume. In an instant, the warden's head snapped towards the red inphernal's direction. A toothy grin spread on his face, replacing the frustrated frown in a blink of an eye. "Katana, my man! It's been quite a while since we last hung out haven't we? Why didn't you tell me you were here at the bar? Were you drinking all by yourself again? What are you doing down here all quiet and stuff? " The taller inphernal rested his arm on the other's shoulder in a casual manner. The samurai flinched at the touch, but didn't make an effort to move away. "Ban Hammer, " Katana formally greeted. "It had indeed been a while, yes, I'm here by myself. You had been busy as of late, I wished not to interrupt your work with invites. I was merely having a drink, nothing more. " Each of the warden's questions were patiently answered one at a time.
"Pshh, yeah, it's been hectic lately and that's describing it lightly! But still, I wouldn't have minded an invite or two if it was from you! " Ban Hammer untied his blindfold, setting it down on the table without much care. He momentarily turned his attention to the bartender, ordering himself a 'vesper' before redirecting his attention back onto the samurai that sat beside him.
Katana's gaze was on Ban Hammer's multiple eyes once again. The warden had bright noticeable purple eyes, but there looked to be a subtle golden hue to it too, making it shine and stand out even more. Those four eyes seem to enhance the purple inphernal's already expressive features. The samurai's eye drifted back to his own drink. Was it the alcohol that they suddenly felt warmer than usual?
"Man, I can't wait to get back home and take all this armour off. My body is KILLING me! " The taller of the two complained. He had just spent weeks running around all over the place, all in hopes of capturing those scummy cult dwellers. In the end, it was still a fruitless endeavour. The only ones that were captured were some low rank low lives that didn't particularly matter that much. He caught the little fishes but in turn all the big fishes had escaped his grasp. To say the warden was upset would be a huge understatement of the century. Now, after all that hard work, the only thing the purple inphernal got in return was an aching body that was sore all over with minor injuries plastered almost everywhere.
Ban downed his cocktail all in one go the second it was served to him, followed by a loud sigh. The alcohol did nothing to soothe his frustration that was slowly but surely bubbling to the surface once more.
....Okay, scratch that. His frustration that's bubbling was absolutely not slow, it was more like a rising tide if anything. He never did mention he was the best at managing his anger.
Ban Hammer muttered something unintelligible under his breath, all the while running his giant clawed hand through his messy locs. Katana's eye followed the other's hand, trailing after the path it passes through. But then he paused just right above the warden's cheek. The red inphernal tipped his mask up a smidge, lifting the glass of sake to his lips to take a slow sip. "Theres a cut on your cheek, " stated Katana simply, without bothering to look up.
"Huh? Oh, this is nothing. I've been getting a lot of scrapes like these lately, but it's all small stuff, nothing to worry about! It'd take way more than a couple of minor injuries to take me out! " This made the samurai raise a brow under his owl like mask, the action invisible to anyone else due to coverage. As if Ban could sense Katana's questioning look, he got to explaining. "I've been trying to catch those infuriating Lost Temple....Eye True...True Eye-"
"-Agh! Cultists! " The unexpected mention of the Church of the Eye caught the red inphernal by surprise. His shoulder tensed ever so slightly, but continued to listen silently as the other complained aloud. "It's been no luck so far. That sneaky bastard—Broker just keeps slipping away! Not to mention that lucky snake—Scythe, somehow keeps dodging me! " The bar table shook from Ban Hammer bringing his fist down on the surface. Katana's hand tightened around his glass subtlely at the even more unwanted mention of the two names he desperately didn't want to hear.
Was it fear? Anger? Or both that was resurfacing inside of him, threatening to boil over? Nonetheless, Katana did his best to push those unnecessary feelings down. Instead, he chose to shift his focus back onto the still complaining warden who was huffing and puffing in his seat.
"I've been busting my ass trying to catch these criminals, yet they're like a bunch of mosquitoes, just refusing to surrender! " The purple inphernal grumbled quietly, preferably something that mentioned the words 'stronger' plus 'drink'. Surely, right after that, Ban ordered himself some vodka. Hard liquor to melt away the stress from this week, stuff along those lines. When it arrived, he didn't even bother waiting before downing the whole glass in one gulp.
Yikes, that bad huh?
The vodka didn't take long to kick in, after maybe around 2 or 3 shots, the warden had gotten tipsy too. The fourth shot tapped against the bar table, making a soft thudding sound everytime the glass hit the smooth wooden surface. It almost sounded like there was a rhythm to it. Ban Hammer was copying Katana, swishing the clear liquid inside its glass while he stared mindlessly at it. The both of them sat in silence for a good while, music being the only provided background noise aside from the chatter of the other patrons that remained at such a time of day.
A minute passes, and then another, then another....
Katana was the first one to break the silence this time. "Would you like to stay over at my place? " The offer caught the warden off guard. He was...getting invited over to the samurai's house? "Why'd you ask?.. " Did he hear it right? Or was it the alcohol that's making him hearing things? "Banland is quite far compared to all of Crossroads. Not to mention you're injured and intoxicated. " Okay, oh my SFOTH, he didn't hallucinate after all.
Stay composed, don't overreact. This was really happening, does this mean the other was opening up to him? All that 'getting to know one another' really did pay off in the end! Now, he was blessed with the rare chance of visiting the red inphernal's place!
Katana stared at Ban Hammer, waiting for a response. He tilted his head to the side slightly in a questioning manner when said answer took longer than expected. "....Is everything alrig-"
"FINE! It's...uhm, fine. I'm not THAT injured, these are all just scratches, nothing to worry about! " Why did he turn down the invite? Great, now he probably lost his chance to get closer to the other. "I insist, Ban Hammer. " Oh..there it was again. The sound of his own name of the other's tongue always manages to make his chest tighten unexpectedly. But no matter what, he could never understand why that is. Why was it only when Katana do it, he'd feel this way? What makes the inphernal beside him so special compared to everyone else? The warden couldn't wrap his head around the thought it no matter what.
"I could perhaps help take a look at your wounds. You looked after mine once before, after all. " Oh, was this Katana's way of saying that he wanted to return a favour? Right, just a favour. Nothing else to it, that makes sense. Yep, absolutely....
The samurai himself thought nothing of it, or so he's told himself. Ban Hammer's initial decline of his offer had invoked an unfamiliar feeling in that instance. He paid it no mind though, instead, trying to reason with the purple inphernal. He didn't get why he was so insistent about this, about the warden accepting his invite. Surely it couldn't mean that much, it was just for the safety of the other, that's all. The two of them were getting to know one another better, it'd be a shame if something serious happened to the other inphernal.
"...Well, if you really insist. I..guess I can drop by, just for tonight. But I can treat my own scratches just fine, so don't you worry about that! Capeesh? " Ban Hammer grumbled, sounding almost reluctant to be agreeing. Almost. Katana blinked, for some unknown reason, a part of them felt....glad? If that was even the right word for it. He couldn't think of a better word to describe how he currently felt hearing Ban's acceptance of his invite. His head was now fully turned to face Ban Hammer, nodding in response without saying anything more. That was all the answer the warden needed. A mutual understanding from such a simple gesture. One of them failing to notice the slightest purple hue that tinted the other's cheeks.
"Shall we get going then? It is getting quite late out right now. " Looking out of the window that the bar provides, the sun was completely gone, having set a long time ago. The night sky was as black as an endless void, the only source of light being the moon. Its glow was reflected down onto the buildings and roads of Crossroads, bathing it in a mesmerizing pale blue. It made the outside seem almost otherworldly. The stars decorated the dark sky in little white dots, it was what the twinkling twilights were reduced to, being viewed from such a faraway distance. It didn't really do much to illuminate the vast space, but it was still a pretty sight to admire for anyone who decided to look outside in general.
"...That'll probably be for the best. "
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The two inphernals made their way to Katana's place by foot. Maybe because it was literally superbly late at night, there was barely any noise at all. Even while they both walked, the only sound seemed to be the gravel and leaves crunching under their shoes with each step they took on the path to Thieves Den.
To be completely honest, Ban had never truly visited any other factions within the inpherno at all. He liked Banland, it was his home and where his main work was at. He never found any real decent reasoning to go around visiting factions of other inphernals aside from trying to catch criminals. All that being said, it meant that this would not only be his first time visiting Katana's house, it would be his first time properly visiting Thieves Den as a whole too.
The shorter of the two was busy enjoying the cool night air. The chilled breeze blew his way, making him shiver when it hit his skin. But the way the wind blew through his hair, making them flow behind him..
It made Ban pause for a short moment mentally.
....It's probably nothing, he was just tipsy. Higher beings like him didn't need mortals to entertain them, he was perfectly fine off needing only himself. Mortals were just toys who break and get replaced. There was nothing special about any of them. He was just growing too soft for his own good lately. Momma didn't raise a weakling.
Meanwhile, the samurai had begun to hum his own tune. The sound pulled Ban back from his own raging mind. While humming, Katana's voice was devoid of its usual gruffness. In place of it was a hypnotizing smooth softness that tugged at the warden's attention. It was as if it was begging him to listen to its tune as it continued on. It was near impossible to ignore the melody that came from the inphernal walking beside him. Even without knowing what song was being hummed, the warden unconsciously tried his best to mimic the humming. It sounded a tad off but Katana didn't seem to look like he minded it all.
And so, the midnight walk had luckily just gotten a smidge less awkward for everyone involved.
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"So....this is your place? It's...much smaller than I expected, simple too. " The both of them stood in front of a door to an apartment building. From the outside, it wasn't that impressive. The outer walls was painted a pretty plain colour, the door? An unsurprising white. There weren't really any decorations outside either. The only thing that stood out even in the slightest was the red rug in front of the door. It had no words, just a regular rectangular shaped red rug.
"I like it more minimalistic. There's no such need for over complication. " Katana didn't try to take his sweet sweet time telling the warden all about why he do things the way he does. The red inphernal reached for his keys located in one of his two pockets, the jingling noise too loud compared to the quiet night. With a soft click, the door creaked open without much effort.
"If you would, please take off your shoes and set them beside the door. " Ban did as he was instructed to without asking too many questions. He'd set his armoured boots next to Katana's sandals before heading inside. Katana held the door open for the other to enter, shutting the door behind him once the both of them were indoors. The inside of the apartment was actually less cramped than Ban Hammer had expected. The outside of the building made it seem like it was smaller than it actually was. Maybe this was a lesson on not judging something by its cover. Or some stuff like that.
The inside of the house was more decorated than the outside of it for sure. The walls were a dark muted red, the kitchen being right across from the living room, beside or in front was a hallway with doors leading to where everything else in the house was. There was nothing on the wall except for a clock and an odd painting that felt out of place, not even looking like something Ban Hammer would expect Katana to own. There was also a few books stacked and scattered on top of a coffee table. Overall, not a very vibrant or lively place, but cozy and minimalistic just like the other had claimed to like, more than his own house's interior.
"Would you like some tea? " Katana set down the sheathed blade next to the door, against the wall. With soundless steps, he made his way to the small kitchen, opening a cupboard and pulling out a variety of tea bags containing many different types of tea leaves and some lesser tea bags.
Ban Hammer barely knew shit about tea. To be real, he didn't even really drink tea to begin with. He was more of a coffee person from the start. But now met with the choices, should he just turn it down?
"I'd recommend having ginger tea if your body aches as you have said. It also does not contain any caffeine, so it would be safe for consumption after having alcohol. " The samurai turned his back towards the living room to face the smooth kitchen counter. He brought the kettle to the sink, opening the lid and the tap to fill said kettle up with water. The lid was flicked close once Katana determined it had enough water, leaving around a few centimeters worth of space inside. He turned the tap off, not wanting to waste water and raise the bills. Using a dry cloth that was placed next to him, he'd wipe down the entire torso of the kettle, making sure there wasn't any excess droplets of water for cleanliness reasons. The cloth was set near the sink while the kettle was brought over to the stove top. Katana turned the stove on using the knob before shifting his attention to grabbing himself a cup from the cupboard.
"Sure, I'll take....whatever that tea was you just said...That one. " Nailed it. (He did not.)
The kettle whistled loudly, piercing through the silence between them, indicating that the water was done boiling. Katana turned the stove off by using the knob with a soft 'click', grabbing the kettle by the handle as to not burn himself, then setting it aside.
He got to work by making himself some tea too. From his refrigerator, he took out a small jar that contained some water and what seemed to be mint leaves. The red inphernal took off the loosely tied plastic bag that covered the top of the mint jar. He took a couple of fresh mints out from the jar, but poured out the water inside of said jar before refilling it with about an inch of some new water before covering it again and placing it back into the fridge. He shifted his focus back to the boiling water, mints and teapot that sat in front of him on the counter. Gently, he rolled the mint leaves between his fingers to bruise them, then roughly teared at the leaves with his hands and placing them in a small strainer placed over a teapot. Next, he poured the newly boiled hot water over the mint leaves, making sure to cover and soak every part of all the leaves itself. After that, Katana would gently bruise the mint leaves with the back of a wooden spoon that he got himself from another cupboard, just to release the oils from it. Lastly, he'd cover the teapot and let the leaves steep. The only thing for him left to do, was to wait for around 5 minutes before checking back up on it again.
"What's that you're making over there? " Ban Hammer was now leaning over Katana's kitchen counter, trying to get a peek at what the other was doing out of mild curiosity. "It's peppermint tea. It also does not contain any caffeine, and it helps with headaches. " The shorter of the two inphernals didn't even bother to face the warden while speaking. Instead, focusing all on making the teas perfectly.
Next up was Ban Hammer's ginger tea. From the refrigerator again, Katana grabbed ginger and rinsed it over the tap at the sink to scrub off any dirt. Since he was only making a serving for only a singular person, he made sure to only cut a piece ginger that was only about one inch over on the chopping board. Grabbing a saucepan, he filled it with a cup of fresh water, adding the piece of ginger right afterwards. After 5 minutes of letting it simmer over the heat of the stove, he poured the freshly made ginger tea over a sieve and into a cup. Of course, Katana also made sure to go back on his own pot of peppermint tea to remove that seive too.
Once everything was prepared and done, he'd place all of the now dirty dishes into the sink. Sparing it a glance, he decided that he would do them tomorrow when he was less tired and tipsy with alcohol. For now, he had a guest in his house to attend to.
Katana placed the teas on a wooden tray, setting them down on top of the coffee table that separated Ban Hammer and himself from one another. The soft 'thunk' made the warden look up from where he sat on the couch. Katana placed the ginger tea in front of Ban Hammer, which the other took without an extra word. Meanwhile, he poured his peppermint tea into his own cup using the teapot.
Katana brought the drink up to his mouth underneath his mask with both hands, holding onto the small cup carefully. He blew on the steam, ensuring he wouldn't burn himself in the process of drinking tea of all things. He started off taking a small test sip, to taste and check if the tea was up to the quality of his standards. Once he was sure, he took a bigger sip. The red inphernal softly exhaled in content, the tea warming him from the inside out.
Ban Hammer didn't know why he was staring. With his blindfold still off, it would've been real easy to tell he was. Thankfully, however, the other seemed to be focused on enjoying the freshly brewed tea. But still, it didn't explain to his action. Was he perhaps hoping he'd catch a glimpse of the samurai's face? He never took himself as the nosy type of person. But seeing him so relaxed....
...
"Is your tea that good? " The purple inphernal lifted the lid of the teapot, taking a small whiff of the tea's aroma. The strong scent of mint immediately assaulted his senses, making him reel back from the unexpected spicy feeling inside of his nose. Definitely wasn't a good idea to do that. Katana gave him a side eye, but it in all honesty didn't hold any of his usual disdain. "You haven't even touched your own tea and yet you're ogling mine? " He finished the last sip of his peppermint tea, refilling it later on. It seemed like only then did Ban Hammer remember that there was still a steaming hot cup of tea, sitting right before his eyes.
Katana shook his head quietly, his hair falling over his shoulder as he did so. "If you would like, you can try some of my tea. I don't mind. " Ban treated those words as permission. He reached his arm out, grabbing Katana's newly refilled cup of tea and downing the whole thing in one go. When he was done, he was met with the blank stare of the owl mask. Katana sat there, hand wrapped firmly around the handle of the teapot, but his hand paused in mid air, not speaking a word.
"Uh, was I not supposed to do that? " The samurai let out an exasperated exhale. "....I was offering to pour you a cup of your own tea. Not for you to drink from my cup. " He spoke while refilling his cup once again. "Whoops. But hey, it wasn't my fault, you didn't clarify! " The excuse was a weak attempt at rebuttal, but Ban Hammer is anything except someone who admits they're wrong, because he wasn't! "I didn't have to, it was common sense. " That was probably the most indirect way to call somebody a dumbass ever. Ban Hammer definitely took all offense to that, not that Katana cared enough to give a damn.
"Tch, the tea was way too much. I don't get you're able to handle drinking something like that. " The red inphernal promptly chose to ignore the other's comment, paying it no mind. He continued drinking his home brewed tea from the same cup with no further issues, enjoying the taste and feeling that lingered in his mouth, all the way down his throat.
Ban huffed, not appreciating the silent treatment. He glanced down at the surprisingly still warm beverage. Since the drink had cooled significantly, it was easier to wrap his giant hand around the ceramic surface of it. Not that the heat did much to him in the first place, considering he worked and lived daily at somewhere that contained literal lava. That aside, he took a test sip of the ginger tea. The spice of ginger was considerably different compared to the usual types of spices. The taste took him by surprise, catching him off guard. It wasn't like he's never had ginger before, he's cooked plenty of foods for himself in the past that contained said ingredient. But to drink what's essentially ginger water so straight up? It was safe to say he wasn't much of a fan.
Katana perked up at Ban Hammer audibly making a 'blergh' type noise. He cocked his head to the side, the mask helping to not give away any hints of what face he was making right then and there. "Is the ginger tea also not to your liking? "
Ban huffed, "It's alright, I've had worse. " Great going, that surely sounded very reassuring. The other rolled his eye, the action obviously going unnoticed. The samurai pushed himself up to his feet, trying not to wobble, to keep steady as alcohol did still ran in his system. His footsteps made no sound against the wooden floorboards, a skill he's picked up from years of intense past training. When Katana came back to the coffee table where Ban Hammer was sat near, there in his grasp, was a small wooden jar which sort of looked homemade.
"What's that? " Ban asked nosily. Katana placed the small wooden jar on the smooth table surface. He pushed it gently towards the purple inphernal, not wanting to accidentally shove it too hard and directly onto the floor. Trying to clean up a sticky spillage did not sound like fun, so he wasn't taking any chances. "It's honey. You can add it to your tea, perhaps then you would like it slightly more? It will help balance the flavours. "
Ban blinked, skeptical. But hey, he's already given both teas a try, where's the hurt in trying more? He dipped the honey dipper into the jar, gathering up some of the gleaming orangey amber liquid on it. He watched the honey drop into his tea in a fat glob before thinning out into an almost string-like drizzle. Thankfully, with the tea still having some temperature to it, it was easier to be mixed into the drink using a tea spoon.
Now that he was giving it a proper look over, the cup that Katana owned was real pretty. Ban must commend the other for his eye for design. The base colour of the object was a nice clean simple white. It was decorated with strokes of black to act as branches to go along with the soft pink that represented flower petals. It was obviously high quality, and he wasn't going to lie, it was definitely something he'd stop to admire if he ever saw it being sold in stores.
As if sensing the purple inphernal's question, Katana answered before the warden even opened his mouth to ask. "I did not buy this tea set. It was a gift from my....neighbours, those three younglings from next door. I think their names were...Slingshot, Vine Staff and Shuriken? " Or as Ban Hammer liked to called them: 'Mosquito one, two and three. ESPECIALLY, that pink one who always keeps the enemy teams alive.
Katana saw Ban's face contorting slightly into an annoyed expression, but didn't comment on it.
The warden picked up his drink again, this time however, pleasantly met with a much less intense taste. The honey did, in fact, do its job at neutralising the spice of the ginger a bit with its sweetness. The tea was downed completely in a few gulps soon after. Satisfied, the samurai decided to finish up his own pot of tea, savouring the last few sips right before collecting the now dirty dishes and placing them in the sink with the rest of the dishes that needed to be cleaned later on.
When the red inphernal looked over his shoulder, back at the warden, he'd find him stretching yet again. The ginger tea had helped to soothe merely some of the aches, but not all of it. Maybe he should start tending to the other's wounds now, they've already dragged the time on long enough.
"You should go take a shower, the washroom is just up the hall, second door to left. I'll get you a towel and spare clothes so you need not worry. " And with that, the samurai disappeared into another room within the apartment. Guess it looks like Ban already has everything he had to do planned out for him already. Well then, he should probably take off his heavy armour and get the water running.
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Katana looks through his wardrobe for any spare towel and clothes. The towel was the easy part, but the true problem lied within trying to find spare clothes that actually fit the warden. Ban Hammer was taller with an even more muscular build compared to himself. And that is not to be taken lightly considering Katana himself was already six foot and 8 inches tall.
Katana gave Ban Hammer his towel first, allowing the other to actually take a proper shower without having to wait. He'd flip through multiple clothes inside their closet, but there seem to be an obvious struggle in finding something for the other to wear. After what felt like ages of searching, Katana would finally settle on something he'd assume would be big enough to fit the warden. Gathering up all the necessary items, he'd place it all neatly inside of the washroom on top of the counter itself for Ban Hammer to wear later.
Meanwhile with the warden, piece by piece, followed by loud clanking sounds, Ban had shed all of his armour. Steam enveloped the shower, fogging up glass. The water cascaded down his entire body, from head to toe. The open wounds stung with the combination of water and soap against them. But it was fine, he had worse injuries than these before, this was nothing, just slightly annoying. Scrubbing, washing, rinsing. All the blood, dirt and sweat from today were washed away, flushed down the drain. Once he was sure he was clean, he'd step out of the shower to grab the provided towel to dry himself off. Thankfully Katana owned a hairdryer, air drying his hair like such would've taken ages. Lastly, Ban Hammer grabbed the clothes on the counter. It was a jinbei, but the warden doesn't know that. The fabric was a muted red colour, the style itself was also definitely something he's never worn nor seen. Whatever, it was the only thing he can wear right now, his old clothes were bloodied and torn, it's either he take it or leave it, and he was not about to go commando in someone else's house anytime soon. The shirt and pants surprisingly fit him for the most part, it was a tad tight here and there, but it was better than nothing. Although, he wasn't sure if red was his colour. Eh, who cares. Just as long as he wasn't forced to be butt-ass naked.
In search for the guest room, it didn't take quite long since it was a small apartment, meaning the hallway was short too. Man, that alcohol is really starting to kick in, even if it was rather slow. Ban's head was somewhat throbbing, but it wasn't that bad just yet, he was still sober for the most part. He wondered if Katana was also starting to get a headache.
At the same time, inside the guest room, the samurai was busy with tidying up, preparing the spare room for the warden's temporary stay. He made sure to smooth out the bed, placing the pillows and bolsters back in its place. Since the room hasn't exactly been in use at all except a few times in the past, it had collected dust which he had to get rid of. He wasn't about to send anyone, including himself, into a sneezing fit. Dust are particles, so it could most definitely still get under the gaps of his mask. Last but not least, Katana also made sure he had grabbed the first-aid kit, setting it down on the bed carefully so it wouldn't fall off and make a mess. Currently, he was not in the mood to clean anything at all, so he absolutely wasn't about to make give himself some extra work by accidentally making a whole mess for himself to clean up later. But anyways, the kit itself was for later when the purple inphernal gets out of the shower. Katana hasn't forgotten that he had promised, or actually more so offered, to care for the other's injuries.
Strange, did he really have that much to drink when he was over at the bar today? The peppermint tea seemed to have done minimal to dampen the headache that was slowly forming from the excessive drinking he had participated in earlier this night. Maybe he wasn't as fully sober as he thought he was.
The door to the room creaked open loudly, signaling someone having entered the room. There was only one other person that was also in the apartment right now, so it was obvious who came in. Katana raised his head, turning it towards Ban Hammer's way. His eye scanned the other up and down, inspecting. He felt thankful that the clothes he had picked out actually fit, maybe not to a tee, but better than not fitting in general.
The red inphernal motioned the purple inphernal over to his position near the bed next to the first aid kit. "I understand that you have just put on your shirt, but if you would, please. " Ban obliged with a shrug, taking his top off, no questions asked. Honestly, why was he so compliant to whatever the samurai was saying? What's gotten into him lately?
The mattress dipped at the combination of both of their weights sitting on the bed on the same side. The shirt was laid haphazardly to the side without care, revealing Ban Hammer's now exposed, muscular torso that was absolutely littered in old and new scars alike, varying in size and shape. Truly the warden of Banland, son of Windforce, the fiercest deity with that physique.
The samurai scanned the taller inphernal's body over with his eye, mentally noting where each injury resided to at least have a good idea on what he required. Cotton pads, antiseptic, tweezers and bandage patches. The items were laid out on top of the sheets neatly, making it easier to access when needed.
Firstly, it was the cotton pads and antiseptic. Katana took off the cap of the antiseptic, pouring a decent amount on a cotton pad that was held with tweezers. It was more sanitary this way, a good precaution to have to avoid future infections. A few cuts on the back, the arms and chest, nothing real serious. Ban Hammer didn't really react to the antiseptic at all, it stung sure, but it didn't hurt. He only sat there, waiting for the other to be finished with the process of it.
The last cut to be disinfected was the singular cut on the purple inphernal's face, or more correctly, cheek.
"I still have one cut to disinfect, do you mind turning your head my way? " As soon as Ban turned his hand, he felt a rough yet gentle hand on the side of his face. He barely registered the touch at first, as if his brain had blanked out in that exact moment. He didn't even feel the cotton dabbling his injured cheek with antiseptic either. When his vision and mind alike came back to focus on the current situation, the warden was met with the samurai's masked face right in front of his.
All four of Ban's eyes widened in surprise, he hoped it wasn't as obvious as it felt. Was it the alcohol, or was it getting hotter up in here? Unbeknownst to him, his cheeks had a tinge of purple, exposing his flustered state despite how much he wished otherwise.
Why was he feeling this way? This was definitely the alcohol, how else would he explain this? He's getting way too ahead of himself, love is something only mortals need and he clearly isn't one.
Dear SFOTH above, Katana was so close to him though. Their faces, well, face and mask, were only a few inches apart. So close in fact, he could hear the other's subtle quiet breathing. He swore he could see the samurai's eye under that owl like mask too, a glimmer of what he assumed to be red. Maybe the liquor was screwing with his brain now, making him unable to think properly and focus.
On the other hand, Katana was putting all his attention into tending to the warden's wound. His hand moving in familiarity, as if he's done this plenty times before. He had no clue what was happening with the purple inphernal that he was treating, unaware of his racing heart and flustered state. Yet, unconsciously, his own hand seemed to linger just a beat longer than he had intended on the other's face. The warmth slipped away as he kept the supplies back into the first-aid kit.
Ban wouldn't ever admit it to himself, let alone out loud. But when the samurai had retreated, he couldn't help feel a bit disappointed. His hand had twitched, itching to reach out, to make sure the other stayed with him. That was delusional and preposterous, he should keep his hands to himself. What was he thinking? He should not be having these type of wants. Katana didn't seem that into him anyways. But then again, wasn't that the thing that kept him running back to seek out the samurai? The thrill of the push and pull between the two of them?
Katana had grabbed some bandage patches and a couple of bandaids while Ban was in deep conflict with himself in his own head. The bandage patches were plastered onto the bigger wounds on the warden's torso and arms. The bandaids were for the smaller cuts here and there everywhere. Once again, the last cut to patch up was the cut on the purple inphernal's cheek.
However, when the red inphernal leaned in to place the bandaid, Ban had acted on instincts. The warden's hand shot up, grabbing Katana by the 'face'. His palm cradled the samurai's mask covered cheek, thumb placed atop of where ideally the mouth or lips would be.
There was a long pause, an awkward silence hanging in the air. At least, more so for Ban Hammer. He could feel his face heating up, he didn't even want to imagine how dumb he must've looked currently.
Katana stared in confusion. He initially flinched at the sudden action, but when the touch actually registered in his mind, he didn't bother trying to pull away. The both of them remained in their original spots, unmoving. Neither of them had any idea how much time had passed before Ban Hammer came back to his sense and hurriedly pulled his hand back. The purple inphernal tried to cover up his embarrassment, clearing his throat and avoiding eye contact best he could. "There was uh-....something on your mask. You're welcome. " It was a horrible attempt at an excuse, but he hoped that it would work anyways.
"...I see, thank you. " Katana didn't press any further, nor did he ask why the warden's face was so purple. He decided that he would just leave things be for the time being. He swiftly plastered the last bandaid on Ban's cheek, finishing things up. The first-aid kit was shut closed with a soft 'click' of the box. "If there is nothing else you need of me, then I shall retire to my room now. I wish you goodnight, Ban Hammer. "
Katana pushed himself off of the bed, the bed creaking in response at the action. Before the purple inphernal could process those words, the samurai had left out the door, first-aid kit in hand.
The demigod didn't get to return the word, he never gets the last say when it came to the samurai. He flopped down onto the mattress completely, groaning in frustration. Why did he do that? What came over him? It was so out of nowhere. Would this put a wedge between both of their relationship with one another?
Psh, why would he care if it does? It's not like he cared that much about what the red inphernal thought about him. He'll just go to bed and forget everything that just happened. By the next morning, when he awakes, he'll be out that door anyways. He shouldn't dwell on such nonsense. He doesn't feel anything for Katana, let alone love. Love is for the weak who doesn't have power and control.
...Yet some part of him couldn't help but wonder. If everything was really as he says, then why does he have to keep repeating and reminding himself of it?
..His headache from the alcohol was worsening, he should sleep it off now.
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In Katana's own room, he shut the door gently. He forgot to put the first-aid kit back into the bathroom. He'll return it back to its place the next day, it's fine, no big deal.
He reached a hand up, touching over where Ban's hand had lingered. His cheek felt slightly warm, was he sick? Maybe the alcohol was getting to him, the tea wasn't as effective as he thought it'd be. Maybe he just needed a good night's rest. Surely, when morning comes, he'd forget all of this by then.