thoughtformed | Closed Log

Entry tags:

Closed Log

Who: Sheska and Koizumi
What: plans, dinner, panic, dating
Where: the police station and Sheska's apartment
When: Tuesday, July 9th
Warnings: cuteness may ensue

Now that school was out, Koizumi finds himself working at the police station nearly every waking moment that he isn't busy with Kyon or Haruhi. It's hard work, and most of his fellow officers are definitively not people he would have normally chosen to spend time with, which doesn't make the job any easier.

Nevertheless, he manages to come in to work every day, not just with a smile on his face, but a genuine smile. And the reason for that is because the first person he sees when he walks in the door - as well as the last person he sees before he leaves for the day - is almost always Sheska, greeting him brightly and optimistically, with a smile to rival one of his on her face. It's not really something he's considered, but it makes his day considerable brighter, to have that smile to look forward to, both coming into work and in the middle of his shift. Even the days she's not working, he's encouraged by the thought of the smile she would be wearing when he walks in.

So it is that Koizumi enters the police station at 6 in the morning, a wide smile on his face as he greets the receptionist.

"Good morning, Sheska-kun. How are you today?"

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By the time Sheska came back out, Rook was stretched out belly-up across Koizumi's lap, tongue hanging out and an expression somewhere between dreamy enjoyment and silliness on his face. Koizumi was rubbing his stomach, and was still wearing a slightly amused and entertained look. He stretches back on the couch when Sheska comes in, smiling up at her.

"Well, it was long, as I think you know. But there was nothing more difficult or dangerous than usual, so I think, as a police officer, that today would generally be considered a good day."

Edited 2013-07-08 03:10 (UTC)

She comes over to lean on the back of the couch next to his shoulder, smiling down at her ridiculous dog and reaching out to gently tug his ear just the way he liked it. That was... a complicated explanation. But she knew what he meant. "Given how frequently you seem to come in with a fresh scrape or bruise, I'd say that a day without a new one is definitely a good day! You and the chief both seem to work yourselves into the ground every week," she says, completely oblivious to the mild hypocrisy, given her own work schedule. "It makes me worry about you. But I know that you're doing good things - given what happened while we were different ages, I don't think that's likely to change anytime soon, either."

Nerving herself up, she touches his shoulder lightly to make sure she had his attention and gave him a warm, sincere smile. "Thank you. It made a big difference to know that there was a teacher that I could trust. Someone who would believe what I had to say, no matter how many opposing voices there were."

He gives her a more gentle smile. "Well, we're not the only ones working overtime." He doesn't elaborate, but there's a softly chiding tone to his voice that she may or may not notice.

There's a sharp intake of breath and his heart seems to speed up when she touches him - why did he respond like that - though he manages to keep himself from visibly startling or reacting.

And what she was saying... she made it sound like he had done something brave or noble. It had been obvious what had been going on, and he had reacted accordingly. He simply did what anyone should have done in his place. However, he says none of that. "Of course, Sheska-kun.

If it means anything to you, you were one of the best and favorite students - and seeing as I was counselor to the entire high school, that's not bad."

Edited 2013-07-08 03:58 (UTC)

The possible scolding goes right over her head, but the praise brings back that blush and she drops her gaze. "I believe the term used was 'brown-noser', but... I-I didn't offer answers t-to suck up to you. I genuinely enjoyed your classes. I-it wasn't to try and get a place beyond my means. Really!"

She's babbling again. Justifying. But she wants him to know anyway. She bites her lip and looks up just enough to briefly catch his eye. "You make a really excellent teacher. If that's something your interested in, anyway. I'd imagine you kind of got both sides of the coin, being a guidance counselor."

"I know that, Sheska-kun. You're simply not that kind of person. It's precisely because you genuinely tried and enjoyed learning in my class that you were my favorite student." That and the fact that she was complete adorable. Though that was something of an odd thought, now they were the same age.

...These events did tend to confuse relationships.

"And they may have called you a brown-noser, Sheska-kun, but I don't believe that for a moment. You were an absolutely joy to have in class." He returned her earlier gesture, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder. "I hadn't seriously considered being a teacher before, but having you in class might just make me consider it as a possibility."

Edited 2013-07-08 18:51 (UTC)

She just keeps getting pinker the more that he says things like that. "Y-you really shouldn't do it because of me... I mean, you should do it because you want to - because it appeals on its own merits. Definitely not because I th-think you should." Embarrassed and a little flustered, she straightens, tucking her hair back futilely.

"So I know it's been a long day, and I'm not sure if you're hungry, but I have some things ready when you'd like to eat. I have a bad habit of nibbling on things while I'm cooking, so I'm not very hungry just at the moment - though I could certainly eat, if you're hungry!" She never could figure out what to do with her hands, and now is no exception.

He smiles gently. "I won't do it just because you think I should, Sheska-kun. I just mean that I hadn't had experience with it before, and having you in class showed me the good side of being a teacher. Why it might be worth it."

He takes in a deep breath, exhaling cheerfully. "I'm not too hungry, at the moment. Shall we watch a movie and then have dinner?"

"Ah! Certainly!" She returns his smile with a certain amount of relief, and glances down at the happy dog spread across her friend's knees. "...Stay there a moment - I'll get them." In a few minutes she's knelt beside the coffee table and spread ten different boxes across it. Romantic comedies, adventure epics, a nature documentary, two children's animated features and something that might be a horror movie but looked like historical fiction - she organizes them into categories without even thinking about it, much more sure of herself now that she isn't tripping over her own tongue. "There! See anything you're particularly interested in?"

He visibly ponder them for a while, before pulling out the nature documentary and one of the animated children's features. "One of these two, I think.

Would you do the honors, Sheska-kun?"

He... actually was interested in the documentary? She'd mostly picked it up for her own watching over the course of the week, but he actually wanted to maybe see it? R-really? Was that a thing other people did? Other people than her, obviously, but she didn't really count herself among the masses. Less because she was special and more because she wasn't worthy of being a member. But there it was.

She blinks at him, a shy, wondering smile pulling at her lips, and slowly stacks the other movies to set aside. She's curious about the colorful little ponies, but... Perhaps they ought to go with something more intellectual.

"Well, I hadn't really expected anyone else to be interested in this, to be honest... ah... Would you really like to watch it?"

There had to have been enough people interested in it to make the movie in the first place, Sheska - you can't be the only one interested. Koizumi's stomach twists in a weird - though not entirely unpleasant - way at Sheska's shy smile, though nothings shows through to his mirroring smile.

"Certainly. Nature is a fascinating mistress, and... well, I find I get enough of action and adventure - of fiction, I suppose - in my life here on the island.

Admiring the intricacies and beauties of creation, on the other hand, is something I could stand to do more of."

She nods, snagging the disc and scooting over to slide it into the DVD player. "I should really take the time out to go walking in the woods or something. It looks beautiful out there. I've only been once."

No subtitles, in English, one episode, not the three per disc...

"Would you care for something to drink while we watch?"

"It is very beautiful. Perhaps we could walk out there together sometime. Besides which, it's been a while since I've visited Aisling."

He debates saying anything, but if they were going to have a real discussion about the topic, which they would both enjoy...

"Actually, would you mind if we put the Japanese subtitles on, if they have them? My English is fairly good, but I'm afraid to say that this is likely to be a little too scholarly and specific for my vocabulary.

Ah, I would, thank you. Do you have coffee?"

Edited 2013-07-13 07:19 (UTC)

"Oh!" She immediately backtracked and turned on the subtitles. "I didn't realize! Your English is so good, I didn't even think about it. How careless of me. I'm sorry! Yes, of course that's all right. Here, um, why don't you start and I'll go get us something to drink. Is dark roast all right?"

Mortified, she stood and handed him the remote, ready to flee into the kitchen as soon as she had his answer.

He lets out something of a breathless laugh at Sheska's immediate chagrin, smiling up at her genially. "Please don't worry about it, Sheska-kun. Really, sometimes I almost forget myself.

Dark roast sounds splendid."

Nodding uncertainly, she vanishes off into the kitchen to clatter about with the little one-pot coffee machine and tea kettle. While things brew, she prepares a snack tray, too, to keep her hands busy - homemade cookies of two or three types, some hard candies, sugar, sweetener, milk... is she forgetting anything? Ah! There's the kettle! A mug of tea for her, and a large mug of fresh coffee for her guest. Onto the tray they go, and she's back out in the living room, settling on the bit of the couch not occupied by a large, blissfully happy dog.

"There..."

By the time Sheska returns, Koizumi has his arms spread out on the back of the couch and is watching with undisguised interest at the documentary. He glances at her when she comes back in, and gives her a grateful smile at the smell of freshly brewed coffee, accepting the cup with his far hand. "Ah, thank you very much, Sheska-kun."

Sheska finds she can smile more sincerely again, less worried, seeing him so relaxed and engaged. Crossing her ankles, she doctors her tea and tunes in to the program. It isn't long until she's entranced, watching and absorbing... Later she'd have to re-watch this and write out a transcript. Maybe even get someone to teach her how to take still pictures of some of the scenes. She could include them as illustrations! She had two books she was working on at the moment, but another wouldn't be too large a strain.

Slowly, over the course of the film, the tension and nerves that always wrapped her eased off. Her shields came down. Her smiles and excitement became more and more genuine. Somehow she so rarely found a reason to worry when Koizumi was around. His very presence was soothing. She unconsciously wound up shifting when Rook finally took himself off the couch, sitting so that she could swing her legs up sideways onto the couch. It put her perhaps rather closer to her guest than was strictly appropriate, but Sheska was a very tactile person and she'd been mostly bereft of close physical contact for so long...

The night with Rudy had simply underscored that lack in her life. She'd tried to withdraw again to a more reasonable distance after she'd woken up to find him gone. But it hadn't been easy. With someone so gentle and calm and, well, obliging as Koizumi, it didn't seem such a transgression. And he didn't seem to mind.

As Sheska returns and the move progresses, Koizumi discovers - much to his surprise and enjoyment - that he is actually able to relax his barriers, the facade and persona that he wears constantly. It was a safety measure, for Haruhi and thus the entire world - but Haruhi isn't there. It's just Sheska, and he can't imagine any way that Sheska would endanger things by knowing that he was a little more real, had more personality than he would appear to have on the surface. Watching this film with Sheska is genuinely enjoyable, and it shows.

He makes occasional comments during the film, sharing insights as to the topic, or - even more occasionally - jokes regarding it. The content and conversation is stimulating - how long has it been since he's had a genuine intellectual conversation with someone, spurred by nothing but mutual interest, with no dangers or barriers involved? - but the real treat is when he can make Sheska laugh. He doesn't know what it is about it, but hearing that laugh makes him infinitely happier and more at ease - while at the same time he feels a fluttering sensation in his stomach. He dismisses it, his attention focused on the film.

He looks down at her at one point to make a comment, and is surprised to realize that she is right next to him, actually leaning against him. For some reason he cannot seem to fathom, he momentarily freezes at her proximity, while his stomach starts twisting into even more unlikely shapes. Luckily, she is absorbed with the documentary, and doesn't notice his lapse. He stares at her for a several moments longer, just noticing the brightness and intensity of her expression, and the feeling of her pressing up against him.

He turns back to the film, his original comment forgotten, but the hint of a true and happy smile curling around his lips. His lets his arm falls a little, wrapping around her shoulder. He isn't really sure what this is, between the two of them, but surprisingly, he feels no impulse to immediately figure it out. Whatever it is, it feels... comfortable.

Having an attentive companion to watch the documentary with made it so much better - and she would have enjoyed it on her own anyway! He's just as smart as she suspected, pulling out snippets of information and making intuitive leaps that she wouldn't have made on her own. Sheska needs to do more research, but she makes a private bet that he's right in most, if not all, of the particulars. And he's funny! She can't remember having been able to laugh so freely since the last time she spent the day baking with the Once-ler.

She actually feels comfortable enough to share some of her own insights and surprise. Koizumi knows how insecure she is and how strongly criticism affects her. He wouldn't make fun of her. Not even the sort of gentle fun that Sirius teased her with sometimes. He might even find what she had to say interesting!

By the time the credits began rolling, she is regretting not having a second one to put in, but it's getting late, and they haven't eaten yet. She stirs with a soft sigh and levers herself up off the couch to go collect the disc and put it away.

"Would you like to eat? I'm a little hungry," she confesses, smiling sheepishly.

While the film is fascinating, the repartee with Sheska - with both of them adding their own ideas and insights - is moreso. They occasionally go off on tangents, and build off of ideas that aren't, strictly speaking, directly related to the topic of the film - but they always make it back eventually, and even the tangents are enjoyable and compelling. For the span of a couple hours there, he completely forgets his troubles and the dangers of Haruhi, the police force, and the island. He is simply having a really good time with a friend. The past and the future can wait.

He stretches, languid and graceful - almost catlike - when the movie finishes and she gets up. "That would be lovely, Sheska-kun. I've become quite hungry myself." He's absolutely starving - he hadn't eaten a lot, and it had been a long day - though he hadn't realized how hungry he was until the movie was over.

Edited 2013-07-14 06:36 (UTC)

Oh... She wishes she could move like that. It's a little embarrassingly eye-catching. Sheska is so routinely clumsy... Ah well. Not much she can do about it right now, and her guest is hungry! That is something she can solve! Her smile brightens and she perks up, getting to her feet.

"Come on, then!" She leads the way into the kitchen and starts setting serving dishes on the little table. "There are plates in the second cabinet on the right, and silverware in the drawer, if you wouldn't mind..." Cold food, all of it. Maybe she should quickly find another recipe and do something warm as well. She just hopes he'll like this. Maybe it'll make him homesick. Maybe he never cared for food from home. Maybe--

He follows her into the kitchen, immediately moving to help. "Of course, Sheska-kun." He goes about setting the table and getting things ready. A smile curves around the edges of his lips when he notices both that she seemed to have done her best to make several Japanese dishes, and simply how much she prepared.

It's not as if he's surprised - it is Sheska, after all, he had predicted that she would go above and beyond - but that doesn't stop it from being incredibly nice and thoughtful of her.

As if reading the direction of her thoughts, Koizumi immediately comments to forestall her insecurities as she starts bringing out the food, smiling brilliantly at her. "Sheska-kun, I must say, you really have outdone yourself. Rice balls, agebitashi, and hiyashi chuka! You certainly know how to make me feel right at home."

Oh. Oh! He... He liked it? She had started to curl in on herself, but his praise had her opening up again, bright and happy, just like when she gave the correct answer in his class. "I have a few sets of chopsticks in the drawer as well, if you'd prefer," she offers. "I can't use them very well myself, but that's no reason you shouldn't if you'd like!" Leaving the sandwiches and vegetable tray in the fridge, then... The fruit might still be nice, though. There! She rattles off the different types of drinks, provides what he'd like, gets herself a drink and... Everything was ready.

It was a friendly affair, starting out with questions about Japan and his home there and some of the food-related research she'd done. She was particularly fascinated by the language and how one pronounced things, and wrote them down. At one point she sighs and remarks that she would love to learn how to write and read Japanese - it looks similar to one of the languages at home, but she never had time to study it herself. Only the translations.

He graciously accepts her offer of chopsticks - Americanized, but better than nothing. He's glad to see that his appreciation has shown through enough to get her to open up and smile again. It was a delicate thing, that smile, easy to suppress or shatter - but that simply made it more precious.

He answers her questions cheerfully, openly, and in depth, giving examples and telling stories. He's hit with a pang of sorrow and guilt as his past and memories hit him full force, his walls partially down - he doesn't know if that world even exists anymore, and if it doesn't it might be his fault. He hides it easily, enough, though - despite that, he's having a good time. And whether or not it was there anymore, they were good memories.

"I could teach you some Japanese if you like, Sheska-kun. I already have plans to practice it with one of the newer arrivals to the island, and teaching you would certainly challenge me to extend my knowledge of English."

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