milliways_bar | (no subject)

Yamato's approaching with Gabumon when he stops, hesitates, shuffles a little in place. He does, admittedly, kind of sort of hate that he's hesitating, that there's still a bubbling up of uncertainty that seems to turn into anger the moment it emerges.

It's a feeling he fully intends on just bulldozing through again and again until it dies of its injuries somewhere in the far corners of his mind, but he might still need to take a second to shove it back down first.

"You go on ahead," he mutters to Gabumon. "I'm going to get some tea or something."

So Yamato heads back towards the bar, and Gabumon slides into the seat opposite Barry, watching him carefully for a second before holding up a claw.

"Before you ask, yes, I've been polishing my claws, and they are very shiny. It's okay to be jealous."

Barry looks up from his notepad, a bit surprised to find Gabumon sitting across from him, but glad to see him.

"Hey, man," Barry says, offering a smile. Looking down, Barry gives an impressed nod.

"They look nice. Not every dude is secure enough to do the manicure thing, so good for you."

"Riiight? Yamato cleaned and oiled my fur, too," Gabumon adds, holding up one corner of his pelt, the metal hairs nearly gleaming.

His eyes drift over the table for a second, taking in the letter and the numbers, furrowing his brow a little.

"That's a cool looking flower," he says eventually, pointing at the sunflower.

"Nice. You're looking sharp, Gabumon. There an occasion, or just looking good?" Barry asks.

Glancing down at his drawing, Barry turns a shade awkward and nods.

"Oh, thanks. Just doodling. It's a sunflower, my mom used to grow them in her garden."

"-- Ah, just that Yamato's been on my case about teaching me how to look after my claws and fur and stuff. I guess it's all stuff the last me knew, and he wants to make sure I do too."

He flicks his gaze up to Barry's face at the explanation, expression softening a little. "It's really pretty," he says mildly. "Is everything okay?"

He drops most of the cheerful front as he asks that question, watching Barry closely, his voice dropping into a pretty perfect double of Yamato's usual quiet rumble.

"Probably good stuff to know though, right?" Barry replies, giving Gabumon a smile. "Just be glad you don't have to shave. That's a lesson that can get pretty-- hairy."

He doesn't mean to drop a pun, but by the time he realizes it's coming it's too late.

Sliding past the bad word play, Barry nods a little too quick to Gabumon's question.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just... " he looks down at the papers and shrugs a shoulder, "trying to take care of some business."

With the subject lightly broached Barry looks back over at Gabumon and says, "I know you know about it, but I want to say I'm sorry for what happened with me and Yamato."

The look Gabumon gives him at that pun is incredibly dry.

At the apology, he gives a thoughtful grumble, scraping a claw through the fur at the back of his neck.

"If it helps, I think all you did was stir up issues that were already just beneath the surface anyway. Or maybe only half beneath the surface," he says. "He's doing better now. Not as better as he thinks he should be doing, he still seems -- unsteady, but better."

Beat.

"Oh, and I guess all the physical harm you did also kind of sucked," he adds. "But I don't think Yamato is actually capable of caring about how much physical damage he takes."