Since it seems Zura doesn't intend to try to grab the box anymore, Gintoki lets his hands go, only to be all the more bewildered when he starts punching his chest with ... far less strength than Gintoki knows he has. ]
How else am I supposed to be about it? What the hell does that mean?!
[ Once she's free, she whips around dramatically so Gintoki just gets to look at her back, sniffing and gently dabbing under her eyes with her sleeve. ]
You could have at least looked happier about it! I've seen how you've reacted to every other sweet in your vicinity for the last twenty years!!
[ If the crying had been less dramatic at first, it might have had a different effect, but it just keeps feeding his annoyance instead. Why are they still talking about this?? ]
You know exactly why I wasn't immediately excited! Most of the time you treat me to things because you want something!
[ Huffs. Unfortunately, she can't really deny that. Outside of holidays or Gintoki's birthday, she hasn't gotten him treats all that often, at least not anything more extravagant than an occasional chocolate candy for good behaviour or a pastry from the bakery on the way home from work in Ellipsa just because it smelled so nice. Nevertheless-- ]
Is that so horrible a possibility? It's not like you listen most of the time anyway!
[ Except for the times when Katsura genuinely needed his help, usually something to do with Elizabeth. But those were not as common as him just trying to bribe Gintoki into the Jouishi, and despite almost daily attempts, he'd just eat the chocolate nmaibou and entirely ignore Katsura's sales pitch. ]
[ He stops himself, because he really shouldn't need to explain himself if you ask him, and he pinches the bridge of his nose with a frustrated sigh. He still doesn't know why Zura decided to do this when they've never done anything like it before, but ...
It doesn't matter.
With a deep breath, he turns back around, opening the box to look down at this absolute monstrosity of a chocolate treat. It's so much chocolate. He could easily eat it all right now and regret everything for the next few hours. Should he? ]
You know I'm glad to have you in my life too.
[ They don't need to say these things, that's what's so nice about having someone who knows him so well. But fine. ]
[ There's always the middle ground where he eats some of it and puts a rest to Zura's complaints, but it seems he chooses a different route-- ]
[ And sure enough, Zurako turns out to him with a wide-eyed stare both because that's not really what she wanted either, and because apparently he took the whole being less Gintoki thing way too seriously because Gintoki does not say things like this, except he just did and what does she even do with that? ]
[ It's true that they don't need to say things like this. She would have been completely happy with him just, like, saying the chocolate looks or smells nice or something. ]
[ But also, she's well aware how much it must have taken from Gintoki to actually say something like this aloud, whether needed or not, and so she's willing to forget the earlier transgressions in favor of just staring at him, her ears glowing pink again. ]
I am aware, yes. [ breathlessly from excitement. ]
[ A moment later, however, she's reaching a hand toward his forehead as if to check his temperature, the apparent giddiness shifting into concern. ]
Wh--? Stop that! I'm fine! Leave me alone so I can have breakfast already!
[ Because he is sensible enough to know he can't only have this chocolate. He will have breakfast, and then dessert. Breakfast with dessert! What a treat. ]
[ She's really getting some mixed signals there... but while being shooed away is a little upsetting, it's also nothing unusual, and he did seem to want the chocolate enough to protect it earlier, so... ]
Very well. [ haughtily. ]
[ She backs away from him slowly, one step at a time, until she disappears through the kitchen's door. ]
[ Except rather than walk away, she's just hovering there mostly obscured by the doorframe but definitely peeking in with one eye. ]
[ Does Zura think he's being stealthy? Gintoki can feel that eye on him in the hairs on the back of his neck, and he really wants to snap at the bastard to go far away. Somehow, though, he doesn't get the words out.
If Zura is hovering because he wants to see Gintoki eat the chocolate, he will get his wish. But he'll have to wait for Gintoki to throw together a simple breakfast of rice and fish and carrot before he cuts up a fourth of that slab of chocolate for dessert. ]
[ Anyway, watching Gintoki whip up food out of seemingly nowhere is always a miracle worth seeing, too, so she doesn't mind too much, and maybe there's a little smile on her usually blank face once he finally gets to the chocolate. ]
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Since it seems Zura doesn't intend to try to grab the box anymore, Gintoki lets his hands go, only to be all the more bewildered when he starts punching his chest with ... far less strength than Gintoki knows he has. ]
How else am I supposed to be about it? What the hell does that mean?!
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You could have at least looked happier about it! I've seen how you've reacted to every other sweet in your vicinity for the last twenty years!!
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You know exactly why I wasn't immediately excited! Most of the time you treat me to things because you want something!
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Is that so horrible a possibility? It's not like you listen most of the time anyway!
[ Except for the times when Katsura genuinely needed his help, usually something to do with Elizabeth. But those were not as common as him just trying to bribe Gintoki into the Jouishi, and despite almost daily attempts, he'd just eat the chocolate nmaibou and entirely ignore Katsura's sales pitch. ]
[ Why would he suddenly care now? ]
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[ He stops himself, because he really shouldn't need to explain himself if you ask him, and he pinches the bridge of his nose with a frustrated sigh. He still doesn't know why Zura decided to do this when they've never done anything like it before, but ...
It doesn't matter.
With a deep breath, he turns back around, opening the box to look down at this absolute monstrosity of a chocolate treat. It's so much chocolate. He could easily eat it all right now and regret everything for the next few hours. Should he? ]
You know I'm glad to have you in my life too.
[ They don't need to say these things, that's what's so nice about having someone who knows him so well. But fine. ]
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[ And sure enough, Zurako turns out to him with a wide-eyed stare both because that's not really what she wanted either, and because apparently he took the whole being less Gintoki thing way too seriously because Gintoki does not say things like this, except he just did and what does she even do with that? ]
[ It's true that they don't need to say things like this. She would have been completely happy with him just, like, saying the chocolate looks or smells nice or something. ]
[ But also, she's well aware how much it must have taken from Gintoki to actually say something like this aloud, whether needed or not, and so she's willing to forget the earlier transgressions in favor of just staring at him, her ears glowing pink again. ]
I am aware, yes. [ breathlessly from excitement. ]
[ A moment later, however, she's reaching a hand toward his forehead as if to check his temperature, the apparent giddiness shifting into concern. ]
Are you feeling alright?
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Wh--? Stop that! I'm fine! Leave me alone so I can have breakfast already!
[ Because he is sensible enough to know he can't only have this chocolate. He will have breakfast, and then dessert. Breakfast with dessert! What a treat. ]
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I was unaware that my presence interferes with you having breakfast, Gintoki. That didn't seem to be the case yesterday.
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You're interfering with it today 'cause you're annoying. Leave me alone.
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Very well. [ haughtily. ]
[ She backs away from him slowly, one step at a time, until she disappears through the kitchen's door. ]
[ Except rather than walk away, she's just hovering there mostly obscured by the doorframe but definitely peeking in with one eye. ]
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If Zura is hovering because he wants to see Gintoki eat the chocolate, he will get his wish. But he'll have to wait for Gintoki to throw together a simple breakfast of rice and fish and carrot before he cuts up a fourth of that slab of chocolate for dessert. ]
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[ Anyway, watching Gintoki whip up food out of seemingly nowhere is always a miracle worth seeing, too, so she doesn't mind too much, and maybe there's a little smile on her usually blank face once he finally gets to the chocolate. ]