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Takaya walks back to his bike and swings his leg over it. He puts his helmet on and starts his bike. He leans over and revs his engine. His attention turns to his side view mirror as he watches Naoe climb into his car and drive off. Takaya glares into his mirror but is abruptly pulled from his thoughts by a pair of loud footsteps. Suddenly there is a heavy weight on his back and arms wrapping around his shoulders.
"Takaya!" Takaya turns around to see Haruie beaming at him. He turns off his motorcycle and pulls his helmet off, his hair falling around his eyes.
"Sis, what are you doing here?" Takaya asks looking pleasantly surprised to see Haruie.
"We were hoping to catch you. We wanted you to come celebrate with us," Haruie says in her big sister voice. She holds onto Takaya's arm as if he is going to drive off and leave her in the dust.
"We?" Takaya gives Haruie a confused look. She just smiles and nods her head toward the street behind Takaya. Takaya looks behind him to see Nagahide walking toward them. A smile slides across Takaya's face. Haruie shifts to one side of Takaya, still holding his arm.
"Hey there Takaya," Nagahide says, pulling one hand out of this jacket pocket and waving at Takaya as he walks up on the other side of his friend.
"Hey Chiaki. What are you doing here?"
"He came to surprise you with me; now I propose a drink," Haruie says smiling.
"A drink, what for?" Takaya asks looking between Nagahide and Haruie.
"To celebrate of course," Nagahide's voice is calm and convincing as always.
"To celebrate what?" As far as Takaya is concerned they have won the battle against the Ikko Sect, not the war.
"Oh come on Takaya! You can at least keep us company," Haruie says playfully tugging on Takaya's arm.
"Yeah, come on Takaya," Nagahide adds, holding his hand up and pointing his thumb behind him. Takaya leans back on his bike a bit and sees a car parked on the street. Takaya thinks for a moment; it is snowing after all. Takaya then puts his helmet down and swings his leg over his bike. Haruie and Nagahide both smiled as he puts the kickstand down on his motorcycle.
"Great! I know the perfect place!" Haruie says, throwing her fist in the air and pulling Takaya, throwing him off balance.
Takaya stands between Nagahide and Haruie, looking up at the entrance to a small bar. Haruie and Nagahide link their arms with Takaya's and pull him inside.
"Bring us four beers!" Haruie shouts at the bartender as she helps Nagahide drag Takaya to an empty table in the back. The bartender nods as he watches them find their seats.
"Geeze, four beers already?"
"Why not?" Nagahide asks smirking at Takaya. Takaya just turns away for a moment before turning his attention to the bartender. He sticks his hand in air and asks for a Coke. The bartender smiles as he pulls out a small glass.
When the bartender comes with their drinks, Haruie cheers in delight and grabs a glass in each hand. She passes one to Nagahide and sets the glass of Coke in front of Takaya, along with a straw. Haruie holds up her glass for a toast.
"Here's to kicking some Ikko Sect butt!" Nagahide holds up his glass and Takaya quickly puts the straw in his glass and holds it up.
"To butt kicking," they all say in unison and take a drink. Haruie and Nagahide both gulp their beer down. They slam their glasses on the table at the same time and pick up the other glasses. Takaya just sips his Coke, shaking his head at the two of them.
"Speaking of kicking butt," Nagahide starts. "I bet Haurie was awesome!" Nagahide spoke a bit louder than usual.
"Oh please, Lord Kagetora did more butt kicking than anyone," Haruie says holding her hand to her cheek and blushing a bit.
"I was just doing what I needed to do and you were kicking butt out there. Heck this whole time you were kicking butt," Takaya adds, making Haruie blush more. He knows, however, that her blush is from drinking.
"Yeah I guess you're right. I did kick butt out there!" Haruie stands up and motions to the bartender. "Another round over here!"
"Are you crazy? How much are you going to drink?"
"As much as we want!" Nagahide says, finishing off his second glass and setting it on the table.
An hour and several beers later, Haruie and Nagahide are laughing, loudly. They have been making fun of several member of the Uesugi.
"No, no, no. You should have seen when we first got to Kyoto. The ninja he had used to gather information," Haruie can't finish her sentence; she's laughing too hard. Nagahide is laughing too. He wants Haruie to continue but can't speak either, so he keeps waving his hand in the 'out with it' motion. This only makes Haruie laugh more, which in turn makes Nagahide laugh more. Takaya wonders what she has to say about his choice in ninjas, so he nudges Haruie.
"Come on sis, out with it." Haruie manages to stop long enough to say that the ninja was chubby.
"Chubby?" Nagahide asks, looking at Haruie but glancing over at Takaya. Haruie nods and the two of them burst into a boisterous laughter.
"He wasn't chubby," Takaya says, pouting a little.
"You always have the oddest people around you," Nagahide adds.
"Funny you should mention that." Takaya's words are heavy with sarcasm as he glares at Nagahide.
"We are odd," Haruie says, laughing.
"That's an understatement," Takaya says, taking a drink of his Coke.
"At least we aren't stuck up like Naoe," Haruie adds as she starts to laugh again.
"Yeah, he's always wearing suits." Nagahide and Haruie try to make serious faces and act stuck up. Takaya lets out a little laugh. Nagahide and Haruie look at Takaya for a moment then start laughing. The next thing they know they are all making fun of Naoe. Takaya has to admit; it feels nice.
"…and his hair!" Haruie says between laughs and drinking her beer. "It looks like a toupee!" Nagahide is in the middle of drinking when she says that and spits out some of his beer, making Haruie laugh more.
"It does!" Takaya just shakes his head, smiling at the two of them having fun. He wants to say something about how Naoe's hair DOES NOT look like a toupee, but he doesn't want to spoil their fun. The bartender comes by with another round for them and another Coke for Takaya. "I'm surprised it doesn't come off when you and Naoe are in the throes of passion!" Nagahide says looking at Takaya and picking up another glass.
"What?!" Takaya looks confused. "We haven't done anything," he adds flatly.
"Sure you do. Your lover's quarrels might as well count."
"Yeah," Haruie says, giggling and leaning on Takaya. Takaya turns his attention out the widow. The snow has started to stick to the ground outside and it looks colder.
"At least you know your lover is alive and he is here. You can see him and touch him," Haruie suddenly sounds sad. Takaya looks down at Haruie, who is looking out of the window.
"You know you two should just get it over with. Then maybe you two won't be so tense around each other," Nagahide says frankly as he drinks his beer. Haruie sits up, picks up her glass, and drinks her beer. Everyone sits in silence but Takaya doesn't like it. He doesn't like when Haruie is sad.
"Come on sis, cheer up. Have another beer. You're here with us. We kicked Ikko Sect but!" The bartender has brought another round and Takaya picks up a glass of beer and holds it up. He looks back and forth between Nagahide and Haruie. Nagahide smirks and picks up his glass. The two look at Haruie, waiting. She picks up her glass and holds it up.
"But you can't drink Takaya." Takaya and Nagahide laugh and clank their glasses together and take a drink. Takaya keeps drinking his glass of beer until it is empty. Nagahide and Haruie just stare at him as he downs the glass. When Takaya puts the glass down they cheer. Takaya just looks at the two of them and smiles. He suddenly starts swaying, and then he falls sideways, leaning on Haruie. Haruie smiles and pets Takaya's hair.
"Seems Lord Kagetora is more of a light weight than we thought," Nagahide says. "I think we've had plenty to drink tonight ourselves."
"I agree." Haruie cannot stop looking at Takaya.
"Sis," Takaya says in a mumbled voice.
"I'll go pay," Nagahide says, standing up. "We'll take him to my hotel room." Haruie nods and moves so she can pick up Takaya.
The three enter Nagahide's hotel room and Haruie places Takaya on one of the beds. She then proceeds to take off his shoes and jacket. She pulls the blanket up around him and sits on the end of the bed.
"So, you are going home?" Nagahide asks after he closes the door.
"I think I'm going to stay. I have had way too much to drink." Haruie sounds very happy about that fact.
"You take the other bed and I'll take the chair." Nagahide pulls his jacket off, followed by his shoes and shirt. He grabs a blanket from the closet and walks to the chair. Haruie smiles and walks the few short steps from the bed Takaya is laying on to the other bed. She removes her jacket and shoes and lies down.
"Now that I'm lying down I feel very tired," Haruie says, chuckling.
"I bet. You have had a long day." He turns off the light and says good night. The room falls silent in a matter of moments but is soon filled with the calm sleeping of three very tired and very drunk possessors.