Nightshift 40 - M1-M10 Hallway

[kindalikedit]

[Geass is now under effect]

It wasn't the intercom that jolted Dean awake. Or, at least, he didn't think it was, 'cause it wasn't that same start you got when you were surprised by some egomaniac suddenly running his mouth off on the intercom who loved the sound of his voice and made sure you did too. Or, that was usually how it went, except Martin Landel - or whoever it was, the raspy croak made it hard to tell this time - for once kept it short. No, it was something else. Not just getting startled awake. Dean couldn't describe it, only that it was like a switch had flipped and suddenly...suddenly he just knew he had work to do. How else to explain it? It was like a hunch, but way, way stronger. Rolling out of bed, he found there was no room for any lingering memories of his nightmares or the constant cold sweats or waking up and just needing to know where Sammy was as he groped about like a blind man in those first few terrified seconds, as if he was a kid again. Not when everything was Okay with a capital O. There was a job to do and Dean Winchester knew he was the man to do it.

Hell, he was the best man, the most qualified. The only man.

Not that Dean could say where he got this sudden boost of confidence. Any other time, he would've thought it weird but now? The hunter instead just headed straight for the closet after turning on his flashlight so he could see, pulling on his clothes. M31. Had to report to M31. That thought kept circling in his head and though Dean dressed as fast as humanly possibly, practically throwing on his necklace and his favorite old leather jacket, it didn't seem fast enough. Dean had just enough time to snag his bowie knife before that compulsion to move and move faster kicked him in the ass and got him into gear. Dean didn't even spare Angel another look, didn't care he'd seen where he'd stashed his own weapon - sure it wasn't as big as Angel's ax, but still - and instead just left the room with a single-minded intent. A man on a mission.

Dean liked feeling like this. He liked it a lot.

Thinking about how he was going to get the M31 and do whatever he was supposed to do there made him feel good, like he had a purpose and it wasn't gonna blow up in his face like everything else did these days. Dean had a new spring in his step as he navigated the dark halls; spring or not, though, he also kept focused, listening for any signs of anything out to kill him in the darkness even as he moved quickly. Couldn't do his job if he got tagged, after all. Despite having this mission, it wasn't like he'd lost his sense of self-preservation - sure, that was kind of a moot point for him these days, but he didn't really want to die if he could help it. He'd make that year last, dammit. Get his money's (or soul's) worth.

As for Sammy...Dean just felt somehow he'd be okay. For all they knew, whatever he was gonna do at M31 would help his little brother with their ghost problem.

Even if it didn't, there was no changing the fact he absolutely had to get to M31, no questions asked.

[To here]

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[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya tried not to appear too worried about Naruto. The kid was going to be fine. Naruto just needed time to adapt. The wounds would scar over, eventually.

But the Sannin wasn't sure exactly how to help that process, so after a long moment of internal debate, he said, "Anything I can do to help?"

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"Help?" Naruto asked, a little weakly. His voice sounded and felt so far off. It was really weird, and he got lost in his own thoughts about it for a while before shaking his head and looking down at his feet on the ground.

"S'fine." It would be, anyways. Besides, what could Jiraiya change? Nothing, really.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

"Idiot," Jiraiya stated quietly, shaking his head. "I trained you for nearly three years exclusively. I know you."

He didn't want to embarrass the kid, which complicated helping Naruto out. Jiraiya just wanted Naruto to find a little bit of comfort in this insane place. Naruto was owed at least that much.

"I'll stay with you the entire night, if you need me to," Jiraiya finally spoke, a serious, 'no arguments' expression on his face. "I don't plan on wasting what time I have left with you."

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"...Thanks." Naruto did appreciate it -- being alone wouldn't be a very good idea, especially not as the drugs wore off. He'd rather spend the night with someone, and was glad Jiraiya was staying.

But he wanted to see Sasuke, also. Sasuke had lost all of his family at once, so he knew what it was like, right? Not that Jiraiya had never felt that sort of pain (Naruto vaguely noticed he didn't know much about the man's youth, and that he should ask), but it was Sasuke.

"Are we going out?" He asked.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

"Probably," Jiraiya stated with a bit of a grin. "You're the type of person who doesn't do well with doing nothing."

Which was the truth, really. Naruto would get bored eventually, and then they'd be in trouble. So, it was best to nip that possibility in the bud before it happened.

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"Can we look for Sasuke?" Naruto asked next, glad to know Jiraiya'd be taking him somewhere. He probably wouldn't go on his own, so it was nice to have the little push he knew Jiraiya would give him.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya sighed a little. He should've known, really. Sasuke had lost a lot of important people to him, too, in a very short time. The only difference was that Naruto hadn't lost them yet, but was going to.

"Sure," Jiraiya grinned a bit. "But he'll probably be cranky."

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"S'okay," Naruto said, smiling at Jiraiya. He felt he could deal with Sasuke, cranky or not. Maybe with this they could at least be on talking terms again, and more than in that distant allies way they'd been using. Or, well, that Sasuke had been using.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya snickered a little and reached over to ruffle Naruto's hair. "Yeah, you're probably used to it by now."

He paused for a moment as if in deep thought, hand still in Naruto's hair. "Hmm... You've never been noogied before, have you?"

The Sannin remembered something about Minato mentioning that once. About how he'd noogie his kid in front of a his crush if he wasn't old enough to go out yet. Cruel, but amusing.

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"What? Noogied?" It seemed to take Naruto a few seconds before he realised what Jiraiya was talking about, and he shook his head. He'd never been, only seen it being done, but he wasn't sure what the link between what he'd been saying was.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

"Well, then," Jiraiya spoke as if he had decided something.

Without another word, Jiraiya decided to do just that, wrapping an arm around Naruto's neck so he couldn't get away.

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"W-Wah! Stop!" Naruto said, trying to get away from Jiraiya, his cheeks flushing. This was stupid and embarrassing but...he'd never had it done to him before, and he knew it to be a sign of affection.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya snickered and let Naruto go after a few moments of "torture". It had felt a bit weird, doing that. Naruto was still very much his student before he was his godson, but Jiraiya was slowly trying to change that, if only a little.

Kid needed to be teased, after all. And who else better to do it than his godfather?

"Minato wanted to do that to you when you were older," Jiraiya stated with amusement. "So I thought I'd try it out for once."

He crossed his arms as if thinking, smirking widely at the boy. "It was kinda fun. But I might have to get a 'second opinion' just to be sure..."

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"O-Oh," Naruto said, going to accept that as a reason to let Jiraiya get away with it. But when he implied doing it again, Naruto pouted and shifted away, running his hands through his hair.

"No!"

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya snickered again, "As if it isn't always messed up."

He reached over to attempt to mess it up a bit more.

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"S-Stop!" Naruto said, trying to keep Jiraiya's hands from his hair. "Aren't we supposed to be going somewhere?"

He was feeling a little better now, his thoughts and actions less muddled than before.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya pretended to give this, too, a long moment of thought.

Then, he grinned widely. "I'm not sure if I've picked on you enough today."

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

Naruto half-heartedly glared at him before getting up from the bed, dusting himself off.

"I think you have."

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya chuckled a bit, then got up himself. "If you say so."

The Sannin was in a better mood now that Naruto was more himself again, and it showed, "Before we leave, though... You owe me a journal and a look at your Kanji."

He couldn't help but hide his grin. "If it's bad enough, I'm going to make you stay here all night to practice!"

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya expecting to see his journal made Naruto feel like lead had settled in his stomach. Was he supposed to have worked after the day he'd had? He'd barely done anything, and wasn't happy that Jiraiya had expected him to.

"Oh. I didn't -- " He started, before fetching the book and handing it to him sheepishly. He'd stay inside, then. "Guess I'll stay here."

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya rolled his eyes as he stuffed his new journal in his clothes for safekeeping. He'd been hoping for a spaz, as those were always hilarious, but he really shouldn't have expected it after how Naruto's day had gone. Poor kid still wasn't even close to being back to himself yet.

"Only if you're not ready in the next five minutes," Jiraiya replied, voice definitely teasing for a moment before it became serious. "I'll give you a day's extension, but I expect you to work hard on it tomorrow!"

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"O-Okay!" Naruto said, relieved. Not that he felt like working on anything at all right now -- at least he wouldn't be confined to his room for the night. He got up and grabbed his usual things, ready in two minutes.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Jiraiya tried not to show his worry for the kid--Naruto was definitely still off. Naruto probably already knew it. Regardless, the man didn't want to upset Naruto by letting him know just how worried he was.

"Hmm, I'll have to cut down the time limit in the future," Jiraiya stated with a grin. "Ready to go?"

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, ready!" Naruto said, heading for the door. Taking a walk would probably clear off the rest of the drug, even if he was more himself now. He was still feeling off, but that was normal, considering the circumstances. Depending on where they'd go maybe he'd be too busy to think about it much or at all.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

"The others are having a meeting tonight," Jiraiya stated, not immediately mentioning that it was in Kakashi's room. "We should go, if you're up to it."

Jiraiya knew that getting Naruto back into a rhythm would be the best thing for him. The sooner, the better, as far as the Sannin was concerned.