milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Someone's in trouble," Cisco says with an 'Oooo' tone, drawing out the 'l' on the end while grinning.

Perched on a stool near the end of the counter, he slurps on the straw stuck into his giant slushie, gleefully smiling at Yamato.

What? It's funny when people are in trouble and it's not him.

Yamato doesn't break stride, jumping on and rebounding off a stool to flip over Cisco and just ... just hide behind him, grasping his shoulders to use him as a human shield if need be.

"I'm not in trouble," he mutters.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Cisco says, grabbing onto the counter to steady himself as Yamato yanks him by the shoulders.

It's all fun and games until Cisco's being used as a human shield.

"Who'd you piss off? Because I promise you, I'll sell you out to them like that." Cisco snaps his fingers in illustration, warily eying the front door for whomever may came through.

"Who do you think?" Yamato hisses. "Jyou. He wants to give me a ... a check-up."

Beat.

"He found out about the, er, stuff that happened in the desert. With the dehydration and hunger. And the infected wound."

"Oh hell no," Cisco says, wriggling to try and get off the stool and out of the path of any rampaging doctors. "I am not standing up to any medics. Whatever needles or tongue depressors you have coming your way, you've earned those. Leave me out of it."

Yamato keeps a hold of his shoulders, trying to keep Cisco between him and the door.

"C'mooon, he's really angry, he's going to stick a needle in my eye or something. I need those eyes, Cisco! I need them to see!"

Unable to break free, Cisco keeps a nervous watch on the door.

"What about me? I need my everything for stuff!"

After a few tense moments of door watching, Cisco finally relaxes, satisfied it's not going to let in Yamato's irate medic.

"I think you're safe, now get off of me," Cisco says, twisting his shoulders to try and shrug Yamato off.

Yamato watches the door as well, hunched down behind Cisco and peering over his shoulder, but he does at least let go of Cisco once it's safe.

"Thank you, human shield," he says. "You did a great job."

"Yeah well, you totally owe me a Wookie life-debt now," Cisco says, straightening out his shirt and then pointing at Yamato.

"So, did you come clean on your own or did one of the Chosen rat you out?" Cisco asks, going back to slurping on his slushie.

"What do you think?" Yamato asks. "Taichi noticed the scar, asked Koushiro about it, ratted me out to Jyou."

"Dick move," Cisco says, shaking his head. "But, it's your fault really. If you had committed to long sleeves and collars they would have never known."

Clearly the fault is Yamato and his wardrobe choices.

"I'm sure Barry has a hundred sweaters and collared shirts you could've borrowed. Or a scarf, you could've totally gone with scarves."

"I'm pretty sure the truth would've come out eventually. Next time I had a match, for a start," Yamato says dryly. "Or the next time I got roped into a swimming tournie."

Kickboxing and swimming, two sports that don't play well with sweater and scarf combos.

"Damn getting half naked for physical activities," Cisco sighs, snapping his fingers and shaking his head wistfully like this is so tragic.

"You could've gotten away with it, if not for the meddling kids and your exhausting hobbies."

"They're not exhausting," Yamato protests.

The kids are meddling, though, he won't deny that. They meddle so much.

"Thank you, though, for gallantly protecting me from Jyou."

"Doing what you do would literally kill most people. And that's just the exercise stuff," Cisco isn't even talking about the battling and world hopping shenanigans.

He nods in acceptance of that thanks and says, "You're welcome. I'm just sorry that you'll be murdered the next time you go back through the door. I'd go with you but, no sense in everyone being assassinated by a rogue medic, right?"

"You should see all the exercise Sora does, she -- she makes me and Taichi wince a little, let's put it like that."

He pats Cisco on the shoulder somberly. "It's okay. You can have my stuff," he says. "You might need to venture deep into Jyou's lair to get it, though."

"Sure she's not a robot?" Cisco asks seriously.

"Cool! I'll just send Barry though. If I tell him it was your dying wish I'm sure he'll do it for me." Win-win all around for Cisco.

"Pretty sure she's not a robot."

He takes a moment to consider this plan, then gives a nod. "That's fair. Barry needs more needles stuck in him anyway."

"Ah so, pretty sure but not positive," Cisco notes thoughtfully. "Iiinteresting."

That's a positive confirmation on the robot thing as far as Cisco is concerned.

Throwing a shrug, Cisco agrees, "Better anyone else than me. Beside, he heals quick."

"And he tricked me into getting an injection from Caitlin back during the whole super-flu thing, so. Karma," Yamato says agreeably.

He nudges a foot against Cisco's ankle lightly. "Anyway, how've you been, kiddo?"

"Total Karma," Cisco agrees readily.

"Me, I'm good," he replies with a smile. "Got my bags packed and just about ready to hit the road. I figure the quiet in Central City isn't going to last long so I'm cashing in some vacation days while I can.

"What about you? Aside from your pending death at the hands of a guy who's future Hippocratic Oath might have saved you, how you doing?"

"Bring me back a souvenir, kiddo," Yamato says, flashing a quick smile.

He hesitates for a second at the question, reaching back to scrape a hand through his hair. "I've been okay. Good. We're out on the open sea now, heading for File Island. Taichi ..." He pauses, grimacing a little. "Taichi told me he plans on leaving the team for three or four years when he graduates. He's going to be studying abroad, and since he won't be around, he -- asked me to take his place."

Yamato's making no effort to hide just how bad an idea he thinks this is.

"You got it!" Cisco promises.

Using his straw to break up ice and swirl his drink, Cisco listens to Yamato.

When Yamato makes his announcement Cisco squints at him, trying to pinpoint why all the hesitation and that face Yamato's making.

"Okaaaay, soooo... you don't want the extra workload or were you planning to bounce and he beat you to it?"

"It's not -- ..." Yamato trails off into a grumble. "It's not that. It's just that I think he screwed up with his choice of replacement. I can do plans okay, and I'm alright at figuring out logistics, but the last time I had to actually lead the whole team without him around, the team split up."

Granted, Yamato was eleven and thought Taichi was dead, but details.

"What, they've never split up under Taichi?" Cisco asks. "Dude, bands split up all the time. The Grateful Dead, The Who, you guys were obviously just the Spice Girls waiting for that reunion tour."

Obviously.