Morning rose with a calm voice of wind while chimes could be heard in the mists of the crisp morn air. Much more soothing than before. It was the irony of such fair weather that woke Tobe from his nightly slumber. A night spent, by choice, on the floor. Only now he was able to stretch out his limbs. For his "partner" had left him to his lonesome. Tobe sat up, rubbing his face. He didn't expect to sleep so well on such a surface. But a long rest was much needed; regardless of how he got it. To have been so drowsy and woken up by a simple light from the other room seemed impossible. Perhaps it was a voice in his head as some kind of fate. Or perhaps it was as simple as a sudden noise from outside. Either way, it was a blessing. For it put Garu at ease as a result as well. Tobe stretched once more before standing. There was a welcoming scent lingering through the air. Garu must have been awake. As usual, the floorboards creaked gently beneath each step. Tobe curled his toes as he made his way down the hall. He felt groggy in a sense. Hair unclean. bandages in need of replacing. He couldn't bother Garu for anything more at this point though. He had done enough already.

Tobe glanced around the corner. As expected, Garu was up and active. The stove hummed in heat as a pot of tea steamed its surrounding atmosphere. Garu seemed pleasant in his step. As if his enemy had NOT been sleeping in the other room. Tobe caught himself watching for a moment and broke out of daydream.

"Ah... Sleep well? Though regardless of where you were I'm sure you would have had no trouble..."

Garu glanced over his shoulder with a mild grin. He was so much more at ease than before. Perhaps he was a morning person. Without another moment to spare, he walked over to the kitchen table; picking up a basket and stack of clothes. Tobe's clothes to be exact. He handed them over. The basket contained shower supplies along with new bandages and disinfectant. The clothes were freshly washed and even a bit warm from being dried. Tobe held back the pleasant expression that may have seeped through his face. But it would not have lasted long as he felt himself slip into a state of panic at a sudden realization.

"U-Uh... There was, um... Um... A box! I-In my pocket! And it should have been-"

Garu reached over and lifted up one of the folds of clothes, revealing that he had set the box off to the side. It was still unopened and in its perfect condition. Tobe could feel a wave of relief overcome him.

"Oh... Heh... Very good. I will... Go wash up now."

Garu nodded and went back to his morning business. He must have been up pretty early to have been able to do a full set of laundry. And yet he was up so late. What a strange little ninja he was. Tobe made his way to the bathroom, finding himself almost... Excited to be able to take a shower. He felt like a mess. And cleanliness came before evilness. Or something like that. Locking the door behind him, he stripped off his nightly attire and turned on the water. The day seemed to be leading off to a good start.

Removing the bandages proved to be the most tedious. The skin on Tobe's face was still tender to the touch, but it certainly looked better than it did before. He dabbed away at any excess buildup and reapplied new gauze. The wound would likely heal within the coming week. However who knows if would result in any scars. Tobe was quite content with the one he already had to live with. He tightened the towel around his waist and used the other to roughly dry off his hair. It draped to his collarbone, loose and slick. A raven black like his brows. Quite similar to Garu's but with a different texture. For Tobe's seemed a bit more difficult to maintain. He brushed it out, letting the strands run together in a perfect style. He ran his fingers through it a few times, eventually picking up his hair tie and putting it together low in the back. Sometimes a new look was a good change of pace. Tobe finished drying off and dressed himself in his garments; throwing the rest of the laundry in the hamper. Glancing back over at the sink, he reached over to pick up his small box. White like a dove with a neat gold trim. It was sealed to perfection. Tobe gripped it firmly in thought before tucking it back in his front pocket and exiting the bathroom. The light scent of pleasantries was still there to greet him in the halls; though this time it led him to the living room. Garu seated himself at the coffee table, sipping his mug. A teapot rest in the middle, with another matching mug on the other edge. It was covered with a lid. Tobe entered at the sight of Garu's welcoming smile; settling himself down on the floor as well. He carefully removed the lid on his mug, allowing a swirl of steam to be released and rise to his nostrils. It was warm on his cheeks. He sipped carefully. Garu always seemed to do quite well in keeping to himself. It was like he found some form of contentment in a two-sided silence. However this time, he seemed to be curious. Occasionally glancing over, scanning Tobe for movements. It wasn't long before he cleared his throat, grabbing Tobe's attention. He made a gesture with his hands; a bit difficult to make out. It wasn't till he pointed down that Tobe caught the idea.

"Ah..."

Tobe reached in his pocket, pulling out the small box.

"It was, uh... Kind of why I was out in the storm last night. You see there's this shop in the village that gets exclusive shipments once in a while and, uh, I had been waiting for... Quite some time for this one specifically. I wasn't going to let a bit of rain and ice prevent me from making my way out there..."

Tobe fiddled the box in his hands as Garu seemed to be blank on the situation. Tobe glanced a few times in an uncomfortable manner; knowing well that Garu wouldn't be content with such an answer until he knew what the box actually contained. Tobe cleared his throat gently.

"It's just... It's exotic... Chocolates... The... Truffle kind. I, uh... Really... Like chocolate..."

How foolish he must have sounded. What a way to reveal the cause of this whole catastrophe. Who knows how Garu must feel about this! Tobe, risking his life in a blizzard. And for what? Chocolate?! He could feel his face get warm in shame. How lowly he was. A small giggle broke him out of his trance. Garu laughed lightly, putting his hand over his mouth in an attempt to stop himself. It was more so a shock to Tobe to see Garu quite the opposite of upset, but to actually find humor in the situation as well made it all the more surprising. After what Tobe had put him through that is. Even so, Tobe felt himself flush more.

"H-Hey it's not like I do it ALL the time! This was an exclusive shipment! Himalayan! It- oh- nevermind!"

He crossed his arms and shook his head. Garu sipped his tea once more, still keeping his quirky grin. Tobe bit his lips together to prevent a smile from coming across him as well. There was one word to describe the two of them. One that fit too well for comfort... Dorks. They were dorks.

The morning began to grow late. The afternoon was peeking and the weather was fine. After finishing the tea, Tobe had helped with some mild housework. Afterall it was only fair for him to help out a bit after taking over so much space. His mobility was no longer an issue and the day seemed to be in no hurry for rough conditions. It was the perfect time to make his journey back home. Tobe slipped from the kitchen eventually and returned to the living room. His coat and winter garments had been hung up near the door and based on feeling, they were dry. Garu must have put them in the drier as well. Tobe shuffled through to make sure all was in tact. It wasn't long before Garu came passing by the door carrying some supplies. He glanced in and froze; eventually setting down what he was carrying. Tobe glanced over his shoulder at the sound.

"Oh, um... I suppose it may be appropriate for me to depart soon. If the weather is fair now it's better not to risk waiting."

Garu seemed to hint a sullen behavior. But it wasn't certain to determine. He looked up out the window, nodding firmly. Tobe gave a light nod before taking down his jacket and gearing up. He pulled up his mask, adjusting it comfortably. Garu seemed to keep his attention to the floor. Anywhere but the situation at hand. This time it was noticeable. Tobe hadn't often experienced a feeling quite like this. Guilt, when he had done wrong, was one thing. But to feel dark in the same way when he hadn't anything to do with it was frightening. Garu's aura had changed so quickly, and Tobe couldn't help but feel responsible for his wellbeing in this case. He felt... Compelled to make up for it. Compelled to make Garu feel better. What a strange feeling it was.

"Hey, ya'know... You helped me out quite a bit. And it may be ironic but... Uh... Here."

Tobe shuffled his hand in his pocket, taking out the box of truffles. He handed it over with a keen look of expectation in his eyes. Not an ounce of regret. Garu stared, looking between Tobe and the box. Tobe gestured it again.

"No, really... I'm saying 'Thank you.'"

Garu hesitantly reached out and took it. A warm smile seemed to run on his cheeks. He perked up in thought before turning to the coffee table and bending down. He pulled out one of its drawers and shuffled through, eventually pulling out a scarf. It was felt with a ninja-star design on both ends and looked to be hand crafted. Garu went over and wrapped it around Tobe, tucking the edges in a comfortable knot. There was a pause of eye contact before both had to look away in discomfort.

"So I guess I'll... See you later then. Yeah..."

Garu nodded slowly. Tobe paused for a moment before nodding as well and turning to the door. It was as if it was posed. Like a scene witnessed a million times. Garu reached out to take Tobe's hand as Tobe froze in his steps and turned to look. Without hesitation, Garu slipped his arms around Tobe's waist in an embrace. Tobe stood in shock for a moment before slowly becoming lax and returning the gesture. The lock seemed to be forever. Forever in a hold of security. There was no other feeling like it. They both released slowly, slipping out of each others grasp. Garu now smiled confidently like his usual self and Tobe returned the favor.

"See you on the battlefield."

Tobe gave a quick salute as he exited the comforts of shelter and returned to the brisk earthly outdoors. The breeze was chilling, but nice. But only till he got home.

Tobe kept his hands in his pockets as the snow crunched beneath his feet. The sweet sun had shown him mercy in allowing the path ahead to be made known. What a night. What an experience. Who knows how he'd look back on the situation a few years from now. Perhaps it wouldn't be spoken of again. Perhaps things would go back to normal. No... Things couldn't be normal. The usual war between them would wage on. But there would always be that newfound respect within them. A brotherhood. Or perhaps something else... Either way, change was bound to occur. And it was safe to assume it would be for the better. One could only hope after such circumstances. Tobe lifted his face to the skies above. Ice had dripped from stalks as he proceeded farther. And each drip that trickled across his face left a warm sensation of life. The ice... It was warm.

END~