[hider=A Bastille Valentine’s Morning]
Alright. Valentine’s Day.

I never paid [i]that[/i] much attention growing up. I mean back when we were kids it was putting together a bunch of crappy little V-Day cards you bought in a big pack, and wondered who was handing out the candy hearts this year. Which, I mean, those things were basically just sugar, right? Like, they tasted fine. But they’re basically just colored sugar. With little words on them. Whoever thought those up paid ten bucks for supplies and has been laughing his way to the bank ever since. 

Oh, yeah. Before you ask, no, this isn’t Luke. This is Ben. I know, I know, the tangential monologuing. Really should have told you that first. But no, it’s me. Cap. Your inside man for all things Bastille. Not how you usually get to see me, but today’s a little [i]different.[/i]. Point is, I haven’t thought that much about Valentine’s Day for years. Just kind of a day that comes once a year. Slip into the shop to buy some discounted candy the day after, you’re golden. So in between all the shit that [i]usually[/i] occupies my mind, I hadn’t even thought about it. Until a couple days ago, when Luke and I were hanging out after class. He’s been working on a new weapon idea, so he asked if I had time to give him a hand. Did I? Not really. Between keeping the girls out of trouble, or at least getting to get into trouble [i]with[/i] them, homework, team management, and classes I’ve been [i]swamped[/i]. I’ve had to fight two Riesen class in a week, guys. I couldn’t be a slacker anymore if I wanted to. Anyway, Luke mentioned while we were looking over the notes that Valentine’s Day was coming up. In his case it was because he said chaos was starting to unfold around Piper, but he asked if I had any plans. Obviously I don’t really, nothing set it in stone anyway. 

[url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/334896275868876800/392969004299321346/kizuragi4.png]Wasn’t until he gave me that Shiroyaman side-eye that it clicked. [/url]

I’ve got a team with Amy, Sangue, and [i]Lauren[/i]. If the first and last can find a way to give me a hard time, they will. And that’s a normal day. Valentine’s Day? Ohhh, man. Any crack in my guard. Anything. And they’ll fucking [i]pounce[/i]. But at the same time, they’re my team, y’know? Buncha fucking maniacs, but I love ‘em. So I accepted that I was gonna suffer, and that it was going to start by getting up at four in the morning.

Which is how we got here, with me trying to get out of bed. Not something that should be hard. But that’s [i]without[/i] having to avoid waking someone a couple of inches to your left. Tops. [i]She[/i] gets up early, which is why I have to be up at this ungodly hour. Have to rise pretty early to beat the morning workout routine. Or get priority time in the shower. Do you know how much maneuvering is involved in getting in before the hot water’s gone? A lot. Like, Machiavelli has nothing on the people in this dorm. You think we look like a great team out there on missions, you should see how quick we turn when a hot shower’s on the line. I gave up. I shower at night most of the time. They can hash it out in the morning. Gives me a little extra time to sleep. 

Ha. Extra.

I don’t sleep.

Anyway, I started this process at three forty five. Slooowly inching my way out of the bed. Every time I do, I have to wait to make sure she’s asleep. Painstakingly slow. That’s just the [i]first[/i] part of this operation. The second my feet touch the ground, I need to keep quiet. [i]That[/i] I’ve got some practice with. They sense weakness if they figure out you’re awake at night. Weakness leads, as before, to pouncing. If you need to ask who any of these people are, you haven’t been paying attention. Trying not to think their names too much. [i]That[/i] might wake ‘em, somehow.  I tucked some morning clothes underneath my pillow before I went to bed, so getting dressed was easy as long as I made sure not to step on any of the creaky points on the floor. Door’s the next trick.

No one woke up while I crept towards the door, but I had to take agonizing care in opening it. Past three quarters open it creaks. Normally I like it; gives me a heads-up when someone’s coming back. Now I needed to avoid it at all costs. Anyone waking up now would have more questions than when I got up. Up at four?  I can explain that. Hell, they’ll explain it [i]themselves[/i] to create an opportunity for suffering. Leaving the dorm, through, that’d raise some questions. 

But I made it. Now that I was out, things got easier.

I fumbled with my Scroll a little (I’m not a morning person, sue me), but I got it to ring; he picked up on the third ring. And sounded about as awake as I felt. 

[color=00aeef]”Hey, man. Still got the stuff?”[/color]

The grunt I got seemed like a yes.

It was mostly about waking him up, anyway. I’d put the supplies in his care yesterday. The Jumpercables dorm was a little hectic sometimes, but it shouldn’t be [i]that[/i] bad. They’re just a couple doors down, too, which made things easy. I didn’t knock; at this hour most of ‘em would still be asleep. Luke was up, he’d bring the bag out. Took a couple of minutes. I was almost a little worried he’d gone back to sleep, but it [i]almost[/i] sounded like there was some bickering going on in there so I didn’t call again. But just when I was starting to get kinda concerned, the door unlocked and my bedraggled wingman stumbled out with a grocery bag. He [i]almost[/i] looked a little reproachful. Almost.

But if he forgave Lauren for electrocuting him, he’ll probably forgive me for making him get up in the morning.

[color=00aeef]”Morning, man.”[/color]

[b]”Hey, Ben. Here.”[/b] He held out the bag and yawned, glancing briefly over his shoulder back at the door. His ahoge, previously limp and tired, jerked upright when a louder voice emanated from within. [b]”... You need any help? The stove can be kind of weird.”[/b]

[color=00aeef]”Huh? Nah, I’m okay. You can go back to bed.”[/color]

[b]”You’re [i]sure[/i]?”[/b]

…

[color=00aeef]”Are they-”[/color]

[b]”Yes.”[/b]

[color=00aeef]”Say no more. Come on, man, I haven’t cooked in months. Someone’s gotta make sure I don’t fuck it up.”[/color]

He nodded, but he looked relieved. I don’t know what his teammates were on about this early, but he needed an exfil. And I needed someone to talk to, anyway. So we both made our way down the hall in the pre-dawn quiet, looking for the right door. I’d only been there a couple of times, but there dorms actually had a kitchen; most people ate in the cafeteria, sure, but some people love to cook. There’s one guy in our year who’s in there all the time making pancakes. Not sure for how many people, because it’s a [i]lot[/i] of pancakes, but he’s there. But I made sure I checked around this morning; no one was planning to be using the kitchen at four in the morning, and God I know why. Being awake at this hour just isn’t right. 

Luke didn’t waste any time, though, in proving why Redwood and Shiroyama get along great. Shared values. He set about getting the coffee maker going right off the bat. God bless him. I started laying out the implements of my master plan on the counter while it brewed, jogging my memory of how I did this. I hadn’t been lying; I haven’t cooked much in months. I could do it, but especially at this hour it’d be good to have Luke to make sure I didn’t go and put my fucking pants on my head or something equally stupid. No more words were spoken until coffee was ready.

[color=00aeef]”I have to ask,”[/color] I started between sips. [color=00aeef]”How are they already at it?”[/color]

[b]”It’s Valentine’s Day. Sanity’s out the window.”[/b]

I nodded externally, but shook my head internally. God. My team’s kind of a pain sometimes, but thank God we all get along great. I couldn’t imagine dealing with that sort of grouchy. Or that sort of crazy. 

[color=00aeef]”I’m running a little late. Mind giving me a hand?”[/color]

The Shiroyaman shook his head and pushed up his hoodie sleeves so he could wash his hands. We settled into a rhythm pretty quick; Luke did pancakes, I manned the bacon and eggs. Little rural, maybe, but no son of Redwood got through life without knowing how to do bacon. It was a life skill. Almost an art. Good cut of bacon, not too fatty, not too thin, fried so that you had some crunch without burning it. And if you made it too greasy, or God forbid fucking [i]undercooked it[/i], it was grounds to run you out of town. Eggs were to be made in the same pan when you were done. Little bacon grease flavored ‘em right up. Important life lessons. 

Process went pretty quickly. We chatted about his weapon a little, talked about our mutual [s]tormentor[/s] friend, he filled me in on some of the insanity surrounding his Atlesian teammate. Atlas is a whole other kind of crazy, I’m telling you. Anyway.

[b]”You heading home for spring break?[/b]

[color=00aeef]”Huh? Oh. Don’t really know.”[/color] That was caught me kinda off guard. He probably meant it pretty innocently, but… I don’t really know. [color=00aeef]”Maybe. I haven’t really talked about it. To see gramps, maybe. Don’t know if… Well. Dad might be busy.”[/color]

Luke mulled that over a minute, dishing the next pancake to be finished onto a plate. He hadn’t drunken much of his coffee, I never really saw him with it. I figure he probably just wanted a little caffeine, no matter what it was in. But he took a sip for a second, keeping his eyes on the stovetop.

[b]”Well, if you want…”[/b] He started, then stopped. A bit like someone was reminding him of something, the sort of something that made you stop and internally reconsider every life choice you’ve ever made. It went away quick, but it was there for a second. [b]”Well, I was just thinking we could travel back together. Train goes as far as Redwood. It’s the bang bus after that, you could visit Shiroyama. I got to see Redwood over winter break, could be fun to show you around.”[/b]

[color=00aeef]”That’d be cool, actually. Gotta figure it out soon, right? Right around the corner.”[/color] I gestured with my spatula towards the pancakes. [color=00aeef]”Just about done?”[/color]

[b]“Yep.”[/b]

[color=00aeef]”Good. Serve yourself a couple, take some bacon and a few eggs. Helpers fee. Talk to me about your weapon later, alright? If you need some help. Almost wakeup time, I gotta get going.”[/color]

I slapped Luke on the back with a grin and a nod, and balanced the four plates we’d prepared precariously on my arms. Compared to everything else at this school, though, carrying a few plates was gonna be a cakewalk. I stopped a second on my way out to glance back at him, though, and smirk a little.

[color=00aeef]”And if you need to get away from the bird and the devil, you’re welcome at my dorm. You’ll have to deal with Lauren, but you’re welcome. Devil you know instead of the Atlesian one, right?”[/color]

[url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/334896275868876800/392969004299321346/kizuragi4.png]I got the side-eye again, but that was kinda what I was going for.[/url]

People were starting to wake up now, but just the early birds; a little before five thirty was just right to catch everyone. Getting the door open took a little effort, but [i]much[/i] easier now that the sun was coming up. Thank God for light. A couple of ‘em stirred a little when the door creaked, but they [i]definitely[/i] did when the smell got in. 

[color=00aeef]”Rise and shine, girls, breakfast time.[/color] I called out, admittedly having just a [i]little[/i] bit too much fun getting to wake everyone up for once instead of the other way ‘round. Most of them started yawning within a second or two, but I kicked the foot of my bed lightly with a little wink. [color=00aeef]”Especially you, babe. Up and at ‘em.”[/color]

Wait, were those… On the floor….

Goddammit.

These girls are going to make me need more jeans. That’s three pairs.

Probably gonna be that sort of day, but it’ll be fun. I’m going to need a few cups more coffee to deal with them. [i]Especially[/i] today. But with how much all the other teams seem to get mixed up and swapped around, I wouldn’t trade ‘em. 

They’re my team. 
[/hider]