acknowledges | ic contact

We were fighting. [To the tune of: obviously.]

And uh... the up and down one. But it's not a big deal, I got better.

[ Unbeknownst to Naruto, Bolin is frowning aggressively as he pushes himself up. ]

Where are you right now?

I'm about to take a bath- why?

[Bolin... are you okay?]

Gimme one sec.

[ Before the audio call ends, and hopefully Naruto doesn't get bored and end up in the shower in the time that it takes Bolin to run over to Naruto's room and burst in— ]

Hey!

[Crickets.

Sorry Bolin, Naruto has gone to the showers.]

Naruto...

[ It's not difficult for Bolin to figure out that Naruto did not in fact have it in him to wait while Bolin ran down the stairs to his room.

Frowning, he sets Yun down, letting her eye Taco Salad angrily and no doubt pick a fight with the fox sooner or later. It's not his problem anyway, and he just marches over to the bathroom, the mist from the shower hitting him as soon as he wanders in.

He sulks beside the shower curtains. ]

I told you to wait a second! Naruto!

[He's only a little bit surprised that Bolin has decided to chase him down after all, but the truth of the matter is that they've been in one another's space for so long now that this is just kind of an extension of that. Naruto's voice is a grumble of protest from the other side.]

Taco peed all over me again I wasn't gonna just stand around'attebayo.

He peed on you again? You really need to train him. [ Says Bolin, who, after seven months, still can't keep Yun from trying to kill everything she encounters.

He frowns at the shower curtain, wondering if it's worth it to stick around because ]

You kind of ruined the moment.

Edited 2016-09-07 08:05 (UTC)

[Naruto may have a near indomitable will, but so does his carrier, and he recognizes a losing battle when he sees one. If he stays out Taco's way then there's less... mess to deal with.

His elbow pushes against the curtain when he moves, a rustle of confusion.]

What moment? We had a moment?

[ His frown deepens, and he stares intently at the faint outline he can see of Naruto before sighing, the theatrics dropping him from his stance like a tangible weight. ]

No, I just mean. It is a big deal. Being cut in half. That's not exactly a flesh wound. I've never even lost a limb so being cut in half is.

[ He has to wonder if he's being unnecessarily needling about the subject when Naruto is so laissez-faire. But it boggles his mind. It's so important. ]

I mean. Maybe it's not a big deal to... [ How exactly is he supposed to describe Naruto, and all the others here that are so accustomed to massacre and sacrifice? ] someone with your experiences, but for people like me, and a lot of other people, it's kind of horrifying. I get that you have this thing about doing what needs to be done no matter the cost but, even if you act like that, don't say it isn't a big deal.

[ He can't believe he's saying this to Naruto's naked silhouette, and the bizarre situation is enough to get him to pull a face again. What a time to be alive. ]

[The water slows to a trickle, and stops. There's a moment of relative silence on the other side of the curtain while Naruto listens, reaches for a towel, and reminds himself of everything Bolin must have seen so far. It isn't a stretch. Naruto has seen friends in terrible states too- has seen his friends throw themselves in harms way, be irreparably hurt. It'd been difficult to endure for him, but it must mean something else for someone that didn't grow up to be a shinobi- who didn't have it taught to them so early that those kinds of things were inevitable.

The curtain opens. Naruto's gaze is on Bolin's face like he's known where it was the whole time.]

I'm sorry I scared you.

[His skin is damp and his shoulders are still beaded with water, lending to the impression that he'd made the most minimal of efforts to dry off. He has. It stopped being a priority he isn't sure when. Instead, the way they have so many times before, Naruto's arms wrap around his friend's shoulders and pull him into a hug that's physically grounding- maybe for them both. When he leans back, one hand lingers on his shoulder.]

I have a hard time being careful. I always rush into things without thinking them through, and I'm so busy trying to keep people safe that I put their feelings in danger in the process.

I know it can't always be helped'attebayo. But I don't want to make someone feel that way by accident. My bonds are really precious to me. I shouldn't forget that it's that way for you too.

[ His expression goes from curious to surprised when the curtain is pulled away, falling into the hug, arms still crossed as they had been before Naruto had ended the shower. Naruto is warm underneath the cooling water, and damp, skin sticking to Bolin's, who's wearing his training clothes, and there's a pull on that skin when Naruto draws back.

Bolin remains still, for the most, shifting back onto his heels to keep his balance, curious look returning with a small smile. ]

It's okay. [ He hadn't really expected an apology. ] I didn't say any of that because I was worried or mad that you made me worry—I mean. I was. Worried.

[ His posture shifts, gaze moving up toward the ceiling as he scratches his chin, trying to articulate exactly what he'd meant. ]

What I'm trying to say is: what got me wasn't the fact that you got cut in half, but the way you think about it. It doesn't seem right.

[There's another towel just in arm's reach and Naruto swipes it off the hook to pull it over his head like a shroud. They've both been quick to move on, and it's a pace that Naruto's comfortable with- a rhythm natural to his own. Through the extra layer he scrubs at his hair, a lazy attempt to dry it while he mulls the words over.]

Ano... You probably don't wanna hear it, but I guess it really doesn't seem so big to me. I've had lots of things happen to me back home where I should'a hurt real bad, [One hand lowers unconsciously, palm flat over his stomach.] but because I had the kyuubi in me, I was always able to recover fast. Actually, the only reason I died back home is cause he got pulled outta me.

[ With Naruto's attention wandering toward the second towel, Bolin fixes him with a critical stare, trying to puzzle out the severity of any scars he might have.

He doesn't really know what to say to Naruto's casual declaration about his death. Just like he hadn't known what to say to Sasuke back in the hot springs. It's so unusual to him, to say something like that as if it some grave admittance or strange outlying occurrence. It's not as though his life had never been in danger; Unalaq at least had wanted to destroy the entire world, and the Red Lotus was certainly ready to kill them but.

It had never happened. It's hard for him to grasp the reality of the threat, even having experienced it. ]

Okay... [ His eyebrows draw together. ] Well, it is a big deal though. Even if it's inevitable.

I understand what you're saying, and if it was one of my friends, I think it'd eat me up. That they'd think they don't matter, to me or anybody else.

[It's part and parcel of having a powerful, mythical, nine-tailed fox sealed inside him- as much physical damage as Naruto's endured and everything it's meant to live life as a shinobi, he has absolutely no scars to show for it.

He catches Bolin looking, gaze flicking up to his face, but he knows he's missing something- some thought, some piece of conversation, that he hasn't figured out yet. Something tightens in his shoulders, and Naruto turns his face away.]

But it isn't like that. I know that I matter.

But I can't slow down, Bolin. There are too many things I have to do.
There's too many people depending on me.

[ He’s not that surprised by Naruto’s words. Even if he doesn’t know the extent of the situation back in Naruto’s home, he’s been able to feel the weight and significance of it whenever the other boy mentions it. Bolin’s not exactly sure why Naruto himself feels so centrally responsible—maybe because of the fox spirit?—but it’s obviously there.

It’s not a bad thing, and Bolin’s always been pretty easily dazzled by heroics and big ambitions like that.

So he just grins, a little crooked to one side, and reaches out to grab one of Naruto’s shoulders, shaking him just slightly, connecting and trying to say that he thinks he understands. ]

Yeah, I know. You’re a good guy, and you’ve got a lot to do. [ Then his hand drops, flipping up into the air carelessly instead. ] But how about next time you try something like, “hey Bolin, I got cut in half, and it really sucked, so let’s go get some ice cream”?

[The punch is affectionate, the press of his knuckles against Bolin's shoulder enough to push him backwards- meant to force his weight to shift. When Naruto looks away this time there's something almost shy in his expression.]

'Cause that's treating it like it's a big deal?

[He's not trying to be difficult, it's the concept that's hard for him to make peace with. All their lives it's been taught to Konoha's children that a shinobi is one who endures. Naruto has learned, consciously or otherwise, that they aren't supposed to bring those things out into the open- they aren't supposed to talk about their hurts or vulnerabilities because it meant victory to an opponent and fear to a friend. It's one thing to get hurt. It's another to admit aloud that that's what it is- hurt.]

[ Bolin's still smiling, reaching out and winding an arm around Naruto's shoulders like a loose headlock as he drags him out into the bedroom, the chill of the moisture in the air starting to get to him. ]

It's treating it like it's something at least, instead of nothing.

[ That's all. There's no way that he expects Naruto to stop putting himself in dangerous situations, or thinking of pain and sacrifice as necessary to achieve his goals. Maybe there is someway or some person that could get him to abandon those habits, but it's not going to be Bolin. It's like trying to pick a fight with the sun.

But even if there's no stopping the inevitable, maybe there's at least some way to frame it differently. Acknowledge pain for what it really is. ]

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