Previously
It was a little surprising (and somehow not) to find Keisuke in the corner on the floor when Mamoru came to. Hm.
"Keisuke-kun." Mamoru said, pulling on his clothes as he glanced out of the window. "We'll be leaving soon."
His comrade's answer was immediate, which unnerved the silverette for a moment, "'Kay." To be completely honest, he gave off the feeling that he'd been awake for a little while before then, but Mamoru didn't ask about it, nor did he ask why the brunette was on the floor instead of in his former bed.
After a few minutes, he quietly ventured to Kimiko's room and knocked on her door. "Heichou, are you awake?"
"In a minute~" Came the reply, and Mamoru smiled a bit. Though that hadn't been the exact answer to his question, it was good enough.
Once the three were out and about, Mamoru said, "It shouldn't take less than a couple of hours from here, on foot."
This earned a nod from Keisuke, who stretched. "If we push it, we'll cut that time in half."
"Quit flaunting your training with Gai-sensei." Mamoru grumbled, though his displeasure manifested in a pout that only made him seem less threatening.
"Ugh, this isn't a time sensitive mission, Keisuke." Kimiko agreed.
He shot Kimiko a look of displeasure, though his attention quickly shifted to Mamoru. "Awww, Moru~ Are you jealous?" Keisuke was nearly snuggling the silverette as he said this, but Kimiko stopped them both.
"Quit flirting, boys," she said, suddenly back on track, "I know a fast and easy way in."
After their talk, Mamoru went on, "I may have found somewhere to stay the night. If we can just get Kimiko..."
So he admitted they were friends with benefits. Score for you, Mamoru.
It sounded easier than it would probably be. She was clearly drunk already; as she swayed and talked with those rough looking men, she seemed a little too coy for comfort. "Ah...should we-"
"Nah, leave her be. She'll be fine." Keisuke snorted out of his nose, completely unconcerned.
"Uh-"
Of course, when their squad leader nearly kneeled over, Mamoru was sure that "staying back and leaving her be" was out of the question, and immediately rushed to her aid. "Kimiko-san, I think maybe we should leave."
The men at the table didn't seem particularly happy about this, especially when Kimiko slurred, "Eh? But that party's just started...I was gonna get laid..!"
"Yeah, she was gonna get laid." One of the men shifted a bit, and Mamoru ignored the unnerving grin.
"I'm sorry, but my friend is intoxicated, so you could be charged for rape for sleeping with her." He said this to them under his breath. "So unless you want trouble, I suggest you let me take her. She's a little depressed, just lost her father to cancer and all that. I told her to keep away from alcohol but she never listens."
"Oh." Mamoru was surprised that this ploy worked, and the men at the table shifted again. "We're sorry to hear that."
"But I wanna get laaaaid!"
"You can do that later, Kimiko-san." Mamoru answered, gently tugging her away from the group, though not before mouthing a "thank you" to them.
"Wha? Are you gonna service me, then?"
He disregarded that comment. "Let's get to the inn, alright? You need some sleep...and water, so you don't have a hangover tomorrow. We still have a job to do." He shot Keisuke an accusatory look (mostly because of his previous "She can handle herself" statement) and dragged the squad leader along with him.
Previously
Mamoru firmly decided when Keisuke dragged Kimiko outside that the two had frick-fracked and that was that.
It seemed as though Keisuke was attempting to hide something (possibly the conclusion Mamoru had made), so Mamoru chose to ignore any hints that were dropped about any other "skeletons in the closet" (yes, he had been eavesdropping, just a little) and ordered some dango for the three of them while his teammates had their chat outside.
"Excuse me," he asked the server, "Are there any inns nearby? With room? My friends and I have been travelling for quite a while and it'd be nice if we could find a place to spend the night."
The waitress nodded a bit as she set down the order in front of him. "There's one just down the road. They don't get many visitors this time of year."
"Thank you." He gave her a charming smile after receiving this information, causing the girl to blush before she turned on her heels and headed to the back.
Though it was looked down on to take phones on missions, Mamoru had taken his. At this particular moment, he chose to check his text messages, only to find one from his father.
Mamoru, please don't push yourself. We look forward to your return home.
P.S. I'm sure your mother is very proud of you already.
P.P.S. Shinya says hi and the twins have decided to get tattoos on their backsides. Send help immediately
He found himself chuckling at this text, but he did not reply to it.
Just before the two returned, he slipped the phone back into his bag and began to check his supplies. "Oh, you're back. I ordered us some dango." He smiled at them, actually pleased with himself for doing so.
Though he hadn't been surprised to be put on a team with Keisuke, Mamoru was less than enthused about it. He had certainly missed him, but being on a team with him...well, that meant he'd have to prove himself to Keisuke. He had always been the weak one; after being protected for so long, he'd grown strong enough to protect others, and smart enough to understand when someone was lying to him.
He could tell immediately that Keisuke was hiding something when he saw him standing next to their third teammate, though he didn't let it show on his face.
His morning had not been terrible; after walking his siblings to the bus stop, he''d gone on to meet with Lord Hokage.
"You keep Keisuke grounded, so I want you to go with them."
Mamoru was slightly at odds about being in a three-man cell. Though it was usually customary, he'd become accustomed to taking missions on his own (something that was often unheard of for chunnin with his abilities), and was slightly unnerved by the fact that he would have to be a "team player" again. Usually, he was the one who ended up lacking. As he shifted his backpack full of supplies, he braced himself for an uncomfortable trip.
"Mm." The silverette nodded a bit in greeting before giving his former (and current) teammate a smile. "I suppose this makes it three times. And you are?" The girl standing beside him was one he hadn't been acquainted with, so when she introduced herself, he bowed slightly. "I'm Yukinojo Mamoru."
She exchanged a greeting with him as well, though in a less formal way, which was expected. Though she gave the chunnin a smile, she seemed less than enthused about Keisuke-kun, and it showed on her face. "Now that everyone's here, we can leave."
He felt as though there had been or was something between them (maybe something sexual?). Either way, it made him a bit uncomfortable, and he didn't really keep pace with either of them, instead choosing to fall into step just behind them.
*********
Hope that's okay!
