krakenmo

Tobirama eyes his youkai with some concern, “That was quick.”

“You don’t invite me over often and I didn’t want to be where I was. Call it a confluence of desires,” his guest closes the door to the washroom and falls onto one of the leopard’s lounging mats with a groan.

 “Did you even have time to stop for fish?” 

“I know the price of admission to your presence, Bira. You forget that I don’t have to run the distance between the river and here.”

“I’m sure that was subtle, a giant hawk flying over the woods toward the Senju compound.”

“I have many means,” Sasuke reaches into his shoulder bag and produces a second cushion, which he clutches to his chest, “Not just flying.”

Tobirama has to admit this is true- infuriating at times, but true. “What are you doing to that cushion?”

Sasuke sighs, “It’s been a bad day. Everyone is so angry, and I’m not. Sometimes its nice to have the weight, you know? A little like being buried under my sensei’s pack, from before I got lost.”

It is not exactly how he prefers to unwind after a stressful day, but Tobirama understands that he is being shown a coping mechanism because of a shared background. So he teases, but not as sharply as he might. “I’m not surprised that many summons have tried sitting on you to calm you down. In fact I should think yours would do little else.”

“Ha Ha,” Sasuke turns his head enough to shoot him a grumpy look, “Vinata-baa does a pretty good protective scold but the rest are nothing but enablers of whatever messed up thing comes to mind.” He yawns and hugs the cushion, closing his eyes. “I usually nap somewhere public and accumulate a layer of sleepy kids.”

“But not today?”

“Not today,” it’s not a dismissal, not No but Ask me later.

Tobirama feels the urge to do something. He’s seen Sasuke painfully earnest before, but always concerning some larger issue, the honesty itself wielded like a weapon. Not this subdued admission of stress. He considers the research he’s doing and picks up the most relevant scroll, then slips out of the chair. Sasuke must hear him moving, because he shifts his feet to clear the path to the other floor cushion. But he doesn’t expect Tobirama to sprawl sideways across his chest.

The Oof of escaping air is extremely satisfying, as is the half-gasped, “What?”

Tobirama doesn’t answer, but shifts, trying to find a more comfortable position. It takes some negotiation. The cushion becomes a prop for Tobirama’s elbow and Sasuke ends up holding the end of the scroll he’s reading before they’re both satisfied.

The unease in Sasuke’s chakra and expression fades into something softer, very like contentment, as Tobirama rests his weight against him and reads. It should be awkward, this close contact, but it’s not. Sasuke’s chakra is as contained as any sensor, the gentle scent of camphor and ozone helping Tobirama focus rather than distracting, not pushing or invading his space. Which would make his chakra better mannered than the rest of him.

They stay like that for nearly an hour, not speaking, before his guest murmurs from the other side of the scroll, “So, I see you have a new geology treatise. Are we finally installing that hot spring for your grandmother?”

“Maybe,” Tobirama doesn’t look up, but he can feel the pause in Sasuke’s breathing before he snorts. “Has yours boiled anyone yet?”

“Not yet, but Hikaku has a betting pool for first idiot to activate the anti-drowning seals.”

Tobirama laughs. If he installs a hot spring he's starting the same betting pool and putting his money on Hashi.