spirits_and_such_offices

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Minegishi was in the greenhouse. They spent a lot of time there, even when they weren't practicing at using their powers. They felt more comfortable, somehow, being around plants rather than people. Not that they were particularly fond of the people they had surround themselves with.

Minegishi flipped a page int their book, only to glance up as they heard someone approaching. They were hardly surprised when they saw who their visitor was.

"What is it?" they asked. They should probably set their book aside, but they didn't particularly care to. And even if they did, their visitor wouldn't be able to see it anyway. With his eyes, anyway.

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"Who's pretending?" Shou retorted challengingly.

It wasn't often Shimazaki elected to use pure telekinesis--he really did prefer to use his hands whenever possible, whether it was fighting or otherwise. But he didn't feel like moving at that moment to make his point. One of Shou's drawers snapped open and a tall bottle of Grand Yozakura scotch flew back into his hand.

"This makes number 3."

Shou grit his teeth. "What, you're going to rat me out?"

“Seriously? You stole this from me, remember?” ‘Just because Hatori is too distracted and Shibata is too stupid to notice their beer going missing you get cocky? Stupid brat.’

Shimazaki swirled the bottle and sighed. It was definitely a little lighter than the last time he remembered holding it.

“Are you trying to show off to your friends at school or something?”

"Who do I have to show off to?"

Shimazaki frowned.

“…Hold on.” He held up three fingers as he set the scotch on Shou’s dresser. He blinked away, and the seconds passed—one, two, three—and he was back with two tulip glasses in hand.

“If we’re doing this, we’re doing it right.”

Shou raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you're going to drink with me?"

“If you’re going to steal the good stuff, you might as well learn how to appreciate it properly.”

Shimazaki extended a glass.

“One shot, and only one. No water. No ice. You’re not a child anymore, right?”

"Yeah," Shou said, slowly and suspiciously. He took the glass and eyed it suspiciously. This was a trick, wasn't it?

Well, he wasn't about to get shown up!

Shou lifted the glass and downed it one go, his Adam's apple bobbing with every gulp.

"There," he croaked out. His throat was burning. He inhaled in a desperate attempt to soothe his aching throat and stifle the scream he wanted to let out at the same time.

Shimazaki choked on the first drop that slid down his tongue. “D-did you just…?”

He couldn't hold it anymore.

Shou let out a few sputtering breaths that immediately escalated into a cacophony of coughing. Shou's back jerked as the burn of the liquid fire ripped through his esophagus with no sign of stopping.

Sighing, Shimazaki set his drink to the side--blinking out and in quickly, a glass of OJ in hand.

"You're fine, you're fine." He patted the boy's back. "Exhale all the way--yeah, just like that. Chase it with this. Not all at once, just sip until the burn's gone."

For once, Shou was grateful for Shimazaki's ability to manifest anywhere. He slowly sipped on the glass of OJ, and gradually, he could taste something other than burning.

"Thanks," he said, trying to reign in his embarrassment. He hoped his cheeks weren't as red as his hair was.

Shimazaki took a seat beside him on the bed, his own glass in hand. "You know, this brand of scotch was the first gift your dad got me. We only shared it on special occasions...just finished it a few months ago. Now you're helping me break the new bottle in."

While he would have been quick to condescendingly suggest Shou should be honored, he didn't. He just stated the facts. He didn't even know how he felt about it, other than amusement at imagining how literally any of the other Upper Echelon would have reacted to the knowledge he let the 13-year-old at the bottle. Serizawa would probably try and beat him with his umbrella.

"How about this...let's just save the rest for when you're older."

Shou wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand. He offered no protest at the beverage being saved for later -- though he might have had words if he hadn't nearly scalded his throat with the drink.

"You really drink that stuff like that?" Shou was incredulous.

"There's a trick to not getting burned. It's all in the breath control and the small sips." Shimazaki emphasized his point by doing exactly that--exhaling nearly all the way, taking a controlled sip, and holding it in his mouth before swallowing.

"But look, there's no point in drinking it unless you're having a good time. It's pointless for me to tell you to stop, but at least think about that before you go swiping more."

"What? Are you about to give me drinking lessons or something?"

Shou kind of hoped so.

"Nice try. That's the most you're getting out of me for now." Even he had standards...feeble as they were. Mostly born out of self-preservation, but still. Some. "If we got summoned by your father and you were too drunk to function, it'd be my ass on the line."

"Like he'd even care," Shou complained, folding his arms behind his head. "He probably wouldn't even notice."

Most adults would have tried to be reassuring on principle, but Shimazaki wasn't about to play apologia for a man like the Boss, especially not to Shou.

Especially not when the man in question was far worse than even his son was giving him credit for.

Still, even if Shimazaki wasn't nice enough to reassure him, he also wasn't cruel enough to point it out.

"Fine." Shimazaki levitated the bottle back into his hand and poured a few drops back into his glass. "Don't chug it this time. Slowly. Exhale just a bit before taking the drink. Once you've swallowed, exhale the rest of the way. Don't inhale for another few seconds."

"Right!" Shou grinned, then exhaled slightly, took a sip, then exhaled all the way -- exactly as Shimazaki instructed.

"Whoa," he said after a moment later. "That's way better than the first time."

"You sound surprised. You know I wouldn't lead you astray, right?" He did take Shou's instruction seriously enough, whether it was fighting or drinking.

Shou raised one brow and furrowed the other. "You really think I'd believe that?"

"Just a feeling." Shimazaki ruffled Shou's gelled hair. "Now, will you stop barging in on my private time with the others?"

"Are you gonna stop talking about me?"