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Sousuke walks in on Shinji shoveling fat spoonfuls of rice pudding into his mouth, globs of white substance gathered at the corner of his lips. The initial thought of disgust is quickly followed by a strange sense of endearment. Really, his captain is strangely cute, and not in a traditional way at all.
Sousuke smiles and hands Shinji a handkerchief. It is accepted, but ignored. "You haven't touched your dinner yet, Sir." He says, sitting down to his own meal opposite the captain, picking up his chopsticks and watching Shinji eat for a moment before tucking in himself.
"I specialize in doing things backwards." Shinji replies blithely, and slurps back another spoon of rice pudding. "Besides, I like this stuff. Why shouldn't I eat it first?" He smiles, and Sousuke notices their conversations are always friendliest over food, sake, or music.
"Haven't you ever heard of saving the best for last, Captain?" He eats his own meal in delicate bites, the pictures of elegance compared to Shinji, who wolfs his meal as though someone will take it from him. He wonders if this is left over behaviour of Shinji's life in rukongai, or if he's really that bad mannered.
"Should really hurry up there, Sousuke." Shinji teases, making satisfied noises as he pats his belly and licks his lips, leaving them moist and pink.
"And why's that?" The vice captain replies, finishing the last bit of his miso soup. The captain taps his nose and winks, leaning back in his seat and toying with Sousuke's handkerchief. Just as he's about to eat his rice pudding, the 14th seat bursts into the cafeteria.
"Captain! Big trouble in the 25th district!"
Sousuke sighs a little bit, and sets away his rice pudding, vowing to eat it later. Shinji laughs at him, throwing on his captain cloak. "A life lesson for ya." He says, and grins wickedly. "Time won't wait for ya. You have to take the good things as they come."
"Of course, captain." Sousuke replies graciously. He follows Shinji from the cafeteria, staring at his back as he drags his hair from beneath the stiff white collar, and wonders where, precisely, Shinji learned this valuable lesson from to begin with, before deciding ultimately that such a capricious way of living suits him well.