But I'll ride home laughing [RL]

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[It's a Friday night. Closer to Saturday morning. Kirei tends to wake up early, when he sleeps at all. Fridays are no exception. He hopped out of the bar earlier. Gilgamesh, of course, still had work to do. Well. A certain definition of work. It tended to involve climbing rooftops with various bottles in hand.

But it's the type of late that's starting to seem early, so Kirei tries to catch some sleep by the tail. It's illusive today. Just when he thinks he's got his finger on it, it slips away. Uneasy. That's the word for the feeling. A roll in the gut that won't stop churning. He shuffles his blankets and pillows in the hopes of pinning sleep down. He avoids the still slightly pained shoulder. There are some problems advil can't solve.

This is one of many.]

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[Ice water flows in his veins instead of blood. The tea mingles with it and spreads warmth. An almost scald. An almost burn to the back of his throat. The citric of lemon. The bittersweetness. He holds the mug carefully aloft. Hand curled around it. The impression of a squeeze. He sets it down on the countertop now and then. Watches the curls of heat escape from it.

Gilgamesh scares him, sometimes. Obvious, he knows. He scares everyone. Ought to. But there is such a lure in his brilliance. A sort of shine. A pull, now and then. No one holds out long against it. It's like fighting against the tides. The curl of sea foam along the shore. Dragging his feet out from under him to shipwreck.

His smiles are like warning bells. The deadliest of chimes. So why does he stay here within range, as his hands going about the business of breakfast as always. His eyes may widen. The realization that, too late, he may have been swept out to sea. Gotten lost in the undertow.

He catches a glimpse of his reflection in the kettle. Warped and stretched. He doesn't find any answers in it.

He shifts his gaze back to Gilgamesh.]

It seems you like the souvenirs.

[And the bruises he left behind.]