Enclosed Spaces

"Mhm... I'm sure." Masaru attempted another smile as they walked; he couldn't decide on a specific dessert...so anything Mia made if she wanted to make something would be fine; he had no doubts it'd be delicious no matter what.

The curry rice though, obviously that's what he was most looking forward to.

They were doing fine with the walking for now, even if it was slow; he had...said he could do it, he was going to make it back home... He really didn't want to have to stay at an inn...even if he was in a rather weakened state right now...

He wanted his own home, his own baths, his own bed, his own gardens...

"Weeeh. That leaves me to figure it out." Mia teased softly, taking her father's trademarked whining sound and using it for her own. I-It was good to be silly sometimes... Good to be happy and carefree even if earlier had been hell... She'd...cut through solid rock to get to him...

As long as Masaru got his curry rice he was fine, was the air she was feeling from him and as they made their way slowly Mia forgot they were even in the Rukon due to how much they were avoiding others. She was open and speaking just like she would in the safety of their home... "You and your curry rice obsession. Its so cute."

Silly, he was silly... That curry rice love would be the end of things. She bet she could make it for a month or a year straight and he'd still adore it!

"After a bit more walking we can attempt shunpo..." This slow walking had to be helping some... If he could just get in those bursts of shunpo they could be back... He could collapse on his own bed for rest...first a bath though... a bath would be good...

He would need to check for the injuries Mia hadn't been able to reach as well, at most they were just a bunch of scrapes and scratches, thankfully.

Mia's comment on the curry rice had him turn his head for a moment, this talk of food keeping his mind distracted as well from the recent events, there was almost a pouting air about him in his words, but it was very subtle.

"I...can't help it if I like it..." It was his favorite, it tasted good, and had amazing flavor to him...

"..." Mia wasn't too sure about that. Masaru was still leaning on her and it was becoming obvious he might not have recovered enough for that. He had a ways to go before he would collapse, which was much worse if he did so since she could only move him so much.

If he hurt himself more she'd be really upset and angry, since she had to finish her earlier healing job. Right now it was most important to get somewhere comfortable and secure though maybe she should have asked one of his division to carry him back... But they had been busy gathering information and she could do so! Why...why take them off of work? Masaru would have been grumpy later.

"Mm... No you can't... But I bet if I made it every day for a full year you'd never get tired. Curry for lunch, breakfast and dinner would be your dream menu." Mia teased a bit more as Masaru had a tiny little pouting air about him. It...was cute. That very subtle changing and head turning! Aaah he was so adorable sometimes... "Maybe change it up some days? Curry buns instead~ Or brown rice instead of white."

Masaru's eyes returned to Mia as she spoke of such a menu, all of that curry rice... Curry rice, curry buns, brown rice instead of white... It was certainly a variety...

Though...

"Nozomi would hate that." He stated, giving a smile; Nozomi liked curry rice just fine, but she'd be the one to get sick of it, and he wanted both Nozomi and Mia to have their favorites too. He liked all types of food, so even if they didn't have his absolute favorite he'd be happy still...

Tonight though he wanted curry rice...

Mia could sense the curry love and acceptance of her idea... Yes, her teasing had been spot on... As she looked up, the woman burst into bright peals of laughter over Masaru's only objection to that plan. Amused indignation sounded in her voice as she shook her head. "Curry freak! You are a curry freak! That's the only objection you can come up with?!"

That Nozomi would hate it... Yes she would, even Mia would get tired of it rather quickly!

Just...that response, that statement and that smile! Her teasing had been taken seriously... And it left her laughing and smiled at the silliest Captain...

A rather surprised, dumbfounded noise escaped Masaru as Mia began laughing as she got her words out in between. C-Curry freak!? S-So he loved curry, w...what was wrong with that!? It was good, he liked it...

"A-A...I-I just know...it would be something Nozomi...a-and you would tire of..." There, two objections...even if it was more like an attachment to the first objection.

C-Curry freak...

"But you never would tire? Ever never? If Zomi and I take a vacation together... I shudder to think about your meal plans while we are gone..." Mia teased more, Masaru's hesitant response making her giggle more as a hand came up. Stifle the giggles! He was way too weak to be wasting energy on this teasing fun!

"Chicken curry... shrimp curry... red curry, green curry... All those types in bun format for lunches so you can work through them... Dinner might be changed up with rice choices for you..." Her giggles could not be contained. "Lets see... could do sweet outer curry bun mix or more salty... Such variety of Masa's choices~"

He was cute he was cute he was cute he was cute! His objection was a failure...

"..." I...If the two ever chose to take a vacation together, without him, and leave him at the mansion alone, then...well he could not say he would not make curry rice. W-Why would he keep himself from his favorites if there was just himself to feed...?

He could cook so he could make...anything he wanted...

Masaru had to turn his head again as Mia started listing off various curry types; she was teasing him, she was teasing him and he could obviously tell!

"I'm not wrong am I..." Mia was teasing but... but it seemed it was all true! Her eyes widened as she giggled more, having to pause their walking as she bent over a bit and held her stomach. Aaaah! Tears streamed down her cheeks, she'd never been so amused in her life! Crying, she was crying from happy laughter.

"Masa...you are the cutest!" She proclaimed, with some difficulty due to her inability to breathe much right now. He...had been leaning on her... she...had to straighten...but...but...curry king... he was the curry king...

Mia was...was... She found it this amusing!? W-What!? It was...simply a discussion on favorite foods, and he...had a favorite food, and that favorite food was curry rice!

"I-I think the...fact you would...go off on a vacation with just Nozomi is what...what's more alarming here..." Leaving him alone, alone in that large, large mansion... T-That was much more alarming than...than the fact he'd never tire of curry rice...

He'd leaned down some when Mia had had to lean over to laugh, remaining up for awhile beforehand; he still needed her support it seemed, yet he was still confident he'd be able to use shunpo to get home...

"I dunno~ I don't think we'd get to vacation long enough for it to be a problem. We'd get a call that there's no more curry left in all the seireitei and we are needed to stop a curry loving monster from devouring it all." Okay Mia couldn't resist one last teasing in response to cute Masa, her voice raising up a bit as she pretended to ponder the pros and cons of a Nozomi and her only vacation.

As she straightened up though, having felt Masaru lean on her again, her smile was bright and more than a bit loving. "Any vacations we take will always include you. I'm not going to leave you alone... Ever. You'll never be alone with me by your side... Hehe, other than small things like overnight shifts or during work hours!"

Even then that would just be a few shunpo or hours from seeing each other...

H-He doubted the Seireitei would run out of curry supplies in the time it took for a complete vacation... E-Even then he could get ingredients from the Human World if needed...though of course that would never be needed...

T-That point was null though as Mia continued speaking; no vacations without him...

"R-Right... Vacations with...all of us." The only thing they'd have that would keep them apart were overnight workings... Those were rare at least, and even then it was just the night...

Mia was luckily unaware of Masaru's most silliest of thoughts, otherwise she'd be on the ground laughing too hard to continue on. In fact she might have died from asphyxiation really if she knew. However cute his words were though, Mia felt a bit worried as he had barely recovered at all. Walking hadn't help... She hadn't thought it would and despite his tone she frowned softly.

"Masa...We should take a break. You aren't well enough to keep going like this. Are you sure we can't j-just...stop...and s-stay somewhere?" He wanted and felt the need of his home, but him collapsing was becoming a distinct possibility now... That wouldn't be good at all...

"We can stop for a break...but I'm sure we can make it back, we'll...stop and take a rest; I can... I'm sure I'll be able to muster enough strength to make it back home...w-with some to spare of course, then...then I'll rest."

He didn't want to stay at an inn, and he knew Mia wouldn't enjoy it either... The both of them would be much happier at home...

"...I'll call Papa." Mia sighed softly as she lead Masaru off to the side, the path they were taking alongside a small river. There was grass and a few trees coming up, looking dry and like a nice place to at least stop for a bit. "If you don't have the strength now, its not gonna come back by moving around and with no food in you. I have some lunch we can eat and then figure out from there..."

She might be able to carry him on her back, but would Masaru suffer than indignity? And it'd tire her out something fierce, she'd only be able to get them most of the way and the possibility that she'd run out of energy was high after that. He'd be unable to be cared for by her...

Masaru opened his mouth, almost ready to voice an objection, but shut it. There...was little chance they'd make it back soon in his state...he was determined to go home, and not stay at an inn, as well... If he wanted to go home...

He continued to walk with Mia as they approached an area where there was grass, and trees...it was likely a good place to stop if they were going to. He could rest back against one of the trees for a bit...

Mia just looked up, blinked and smiled in her deceptive sweetness as Masaru opened his mouth. He closed it, luckily for him. Very lucky. Despite how bossy she was though he never seemed to dislike it. She'd been quiet and shy... but this was what lurked inside.

Her true nature really...

And it was just...amazing to her that Masaru accepted it and loved her that much.

But he also needed to listen to her and rest his silly butt! Leading him up to a tree, Mia tried to gently help him sit down before standing there with her hands on her hips and a slight glare. "We have options! None of them you will like. At all. I'll get food out and explain..."

Blinking and waiting to be sure he understood, Mia then reached into her cloak and began pulling out the lunch she had made...

Masaru moved to sit down with Mia's help, letting out another breath as Mia backed up and stood; his eyes went up to her, listening as she spoke. Options... None he would like...? He...He wasn't fond of the sound of that but...

He wanted to go home...

He gave a small nod, watching as Mia pulled out food from her cloak she had stored away.

The lunch was just simple sandwiches, easy to eat and work while holding along with cut up fruit. Both looked slightly messily put together, a sure sign of Nozomi's help, but they were obviously filled with her love. Mia sat the entire tupperware containers in front of Masaru, having known a traditional bento might be too distracting during his lunch period if he was especially busy. She sometimes used that technique to get him to relax...

However now that she had gotten his food out for him, she began to pace softly as she related the options. "Option One: I carry you on my back for a few quick hops towards the seireitei. I'll definitely be able to do a few of them, since back carrying is easier than arms for me. Option Two: I call Papa and ask him to come get you and carry you back. Option three: We stay out here at the nicest, prettiest Inn I can find."

No options were him walking and shunpoing. It seemed it wasn't even allowed at this point. Mia continued. "Option one's downsides are... Well I'd been exhausted and worn out and I am not sure how far I could take you. I mean... I could for sure get you to the Seireitei, but I might collapse...

Option two's are abject and utter embarrassment, and also having to be really close to my father. There's probably more like he'll never let you live it down and tons of teasing by Lakshmi and him... Probably forever. And he'd definitely pick the most embarrassing way to carry you too.

Option three... W-Well... if its nice enough...and has a garden...and not lots of people... I'd be okay with... But otherwise, um just... it wouldn't be our home. And that's..."

Mia listed all the problems with each option and then paused in her pacing, looking unsure as her eyes finally went back to her love. What was best for Masaru might just be Option three... but...

Looking at the sandwiches, Masaru took one to eat; from the looks of it, Nozomi and Mia had both made these. That was a nice gesture, the preparation of the food held their feelings, making him happy as he began eating.

The happiness was short lived though as Mia explained their options.

None of them were ideal...

Option one was an automatic no, and he was shaking his head. He didn't want Mia exhausting herself, that wouldn't be good by any means...

Option two... Eugh...

Option three... It was the most logical, but...as he'd said, he preferred his own home...and he knew the both of them would be much more comfortable at home than anywhere else. It was obvious he didn't like any of them, and Mia had been right in her assumption that he wouldn't.

Mia sighed softly and shook her head before moving back to Masaru and kneeling next to him. Her hands went to his cheeks as she leaned over, frowning a bit as she shook her head again. "Those... are what we have. Which do you prefer? I... you aren't allowed to try Shunpoing. You vetoed me collapsing, I am vetoing the same for you!"

It...he obviously wasn't good enough to even attempt it. If he tried she'd be forced to take drastic measures to keep him from succeeding or attempting to again.

Options two and three it was... Though which would he decide...

Neither were allowed to exhaust themselves... He wasn't permitted to use shunpo, and she wasn't to carry him and exhaust herself with shunpo either... That left...options two and three... Either humiliation, or an inn...

Humiliation...or an inn...

Humiliation or an inn...

The sound that escaped him sounded like a mixture between a whine and a groan; he didn't like either... He wanted to go home, but...but the relentless teasing... Couldn't he get a free pass with this instance...? Uuu...

Mia just reached out and picked up a piece of peach, lifting it to Masaru's whining mouth and sticking it in as he made the sound. They had to have something... And she couldn't be the one to decide. He was the one who was...was hurt. Maybe....maybe not being in the home that he'd been hurt so badly in though would help him?

Maybe...not... If he just wanted familiarity though... But...what they could do...

She didn't know herself, all she could do was be determined not to let him fall or hurt himself more doing something stupid!

His whining was promptly cut off as the piece of peach was stuck into his mouth, and after a second or two he ate it, pulling it into his mouth before he leaned back more comfortably against the tree.

With an inn they'd have to deal with futons... That was another downside to option three... He could but he was much too accustomed to his own bed... He would prefer his home above all, but... the possibility of all that teasing...

No matter what, neither option was good.

Neither...