Rain to Sea

4. Finally we meet

Everything went too fast for Gun to process and now he is staying with his sister's crush and his friends. All thanks to his spontaneous and impulsive decision making skills. He has no idea how he can cope with this situation he has currently put himself in. 

To his disappointment,  there's nothing much to do around than sit on the edge of an ugly looking bed and mope thinking about his messed up life. So he does that until his stomach grumbles in protest as he had forgotten all about his sustenance amidst this chaos. 

 The clock reminds him that it's nearing midnight. It would be safe to sneak in to the kitchen downstairs and have something without disturbing the other three residents of the household. 

He manages to tiptoe all the way to the kitchen and starts rummaging through the racks. He finds a packet of instant noodles stowed in the uppermost rack that looks edible. He considers whether he should eat it raw as cooking requires some effort and the clinking of utensils might alert others. He wasn't prepared for this emergency but now that he is in this helpless situation he might as well get used to eating raw noodles.  

A coarse hand grabs the packet from Gun's hand that he lets out a very undignified yelp. Off looks unimpressed when Gun turns around to face him, athough Gun finds the look Off sports now to be quite impressive. 

"I wasn't going to steal. I'll pay.'' Gun swears. He has no wish to be blacklisted as a thief on his first day itself.  

Off still looks unimpressed as he drags himself towards the cupboard next to the door and starts sorting out things inside. The silence is too awkward for Gun. He quickly goes through his hundred sensible things to say in an awkward situation manual and finds nothing useful. 

"Tay got it god knows when. It might have expired a long time ago.'' Off beats Gun when he finally decides to speak with his back still turned to Gun. 

"Oh..'' 

Another awkward creepy silence pervades the kitchen. 

"I'll make… something quick.. for you.. to eat.'' Off says scrambling words like it's the most difficult task he has done during the day.  Not to forget that he had a quite trying day today.

"Oh..'' Gun equally struggles as if he has run out of words. 

"Do you want me to?'' 

"YES'' Gun's overenthusiastic response is what makes Off turn around to face him. 

Gun stares at Off's face all the while Off busies himself in the kitchen with an impassive expression.

"By the way, I'm Gun. I finally got to meet you Off.'' Gun gets only a nod as a response so he continues, 
"Are you ok with me staying here? Arm and Tay decided it without asking you.'' 

"They have equal rights in decision making which concerns this place.''
That didn't answer his question but Gun is willing to accept it for the time being. 

Instead he gobbles the noodles like a hungry beast that's summoned at midnight and mumbles "It's delicious.''

"It's just instant noodles from another packet which is not past it's expiry date.'' Off dismisses Gun's compliment with a wave of his hand just like that. 

"Still it's delicious. Because I would have eaten raw noodles and that too, expired ones. You just saved my life.'' Gun usually doesn't go joking around or even trying to be cheerful because he fails at pretences. However hard he tries, he simply fails. Even horribly at that. Now this current situation seems different. Shifting close to the kitchen counter, arresting Off's whole attention on him, Gun managed to say something ridiculous with his most cheerful voice. Because he feels it's safe to joke around with Off. It feels so natural. 

"You are exaggerating.'' Off's lopsided smile would have gone unnoticed if Gun hadn't paid close attention. He considers this whole ordeal worth it as he could light up Off's sad eyes at least a little. 

"You can stay as long as you like. I can prepare some real food, not just instant ones if you would like.'' Off almost murmurs as if he hadn't wished to say those words out loud at all. 

Gun knows very well that he shouldn't push Off too much so he simply says, "Thank you.'' 

"And please don't think of eating raw food.'' Off says and hastily he's out of Gun's view. 

 Chipping some words off of this ridiculously reserved man should count as a huge success, even if that is the result of an equally ridiculous thing Gun had done. Gun contemplates before throwing himself into the bed and getting some sleep which has been pending for days now.