Agent Gray, Red with Love

Castello de Carmen

  As he'd been sleeping on the couch, Gray was naturally the first person to arrive for breakfast downstairs. Thus, it was his job to make said breakfast. He stood at the stove, cheerfully flipping pancakes the way his aunt in the US used to. Ivy apparently had a thing for chocolate, and so she got a few chocolate chips in hers. Similarly, Zack really liked blueberries, so he had the fruit scattered into his. Carmen had politely requested banana in hers, leaving just him and Shadowsan left— both of whom were quite happy with no additional toppings. Gray wanted to make sure everyone was 100% satisfied with their food. He was the guest, after all. If he did this right, not even Shadowsan could complain about him.

  Oh Shadowsan, where to begin with that one?

  Where everyone else was entirely on board with Gray's temporary visit, when they called to inform Shadowsan he instantly rattled off every reason it was a terrible idea. This is a security risk. What if the ACME traitor finds their location, and informs V.I.L.E.? We don't have room at the base. He'll get in the way of capers. He tried to kill you once. He's annoying. 

  All valid points, but still, he ultimately got outvoted. Gray liked everyone, and everyone liked Gray. Mostly.

  Although they endlessly teased him, Zack and Ivy were wonderful human beings. Gray found  that he could have some pretty intellectual conversations with Player. The hacker's parents had been grilling him on the history of the British commonwealth recently, something Gray could talk about in plethora having gone over a whole unit of that in Australian middle school (It was an extra credit AP class, long story. His relationship with Carmen was mostly the same, two friends enjoying the other's company. Joking, laughing. Though, there was a slight tension whenever they got too close, as they still hadn't addressed the incident.  

  And then there was Shadowsan. He was no fool, he could tell something was going on between his daughter and the Australian. The former instructor didn't think Gray was a spy, but he did think he was a distraction. He saw the way Carmen and Gray looked at each other when they thought no one was watching, or how they actively avoided each other's gaze although it seemed  they couldn't their eyes off one another. A silly contradiction to be sure, but a noticeable one. The faint pink that dusted their cheeks was always prevalent when they were talking for too long. Shadowsan didn't like it at all.

  So as Gray was happily flipping his pancakes, lowly whistling "Viva Las Vegas" he decided it was time to set some things straight. He quietly crept down the stairs, and soundlessly walked straight up behind Gray.

  "Good morning," Shadowsan said in his rough voice.

  Gray literally jumped as his head whipped around, caught by surprise. Annoyingly, instead of submitting to the power of Shadowsan's presence and apologizing for his unprofessionalism, he merely laughed it off. Crackle was always an annoyingly chirpy one. Goody-two-shoes.

  "G'mornin, Shadowsan! Hungry?" He asked, as he flipped one of the pancakes meant for Carmen, to Shadowsan's eternal dismay. 

  Shadowsan looked at the plates that Graham had set up. Everyone in the house had all ready be assigned there own plate, where a short stack of their preferred pancake was ready for them. Shadowsan included. Still, perhaps he was being picky over nothing but it seemed... excessive. (It really wasn't, Shadowsan was just looking for reading to criticize.)

  "Yeah, I made a little extra batter this time," Graham said, noticing his dissatisfaction.

  "Hmph," the ninja responded, deftly taking his pancakes and sitting at the bar table. He didn't grab a fork, didn't pour a cup of tea like he tended to most mornings... he simply sat and watched the Australian.