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[Gratitude isn't something Accelerator likes dealing with. He doesn't like it when people thank him, and he's rarely been in a situation where he feels the need to give it himself.

This, sadly, it one of those times. There are no two ways around it, so it's better to get it out now and move on. He means it, and he wants John to know that.]

.....

[He bites the inside of his cheek, pushing down his fight or flight reflex at the offer. Part of him wants to get out of here, get someplace where he can be alone. But... he had been on his own when he ran into Sleipnir. If he leaves the library, what are the odds of that happening again?

He can feel his free hand start to shake, and he clenches it into a fist as he looks away.]

I don't think it's safe to go out in the fog, but when it lets out I'll get outta here.

[ The tension in Accelerator is obvious and John doesn't think there's any right words to say. Nothing can ease over death, as he knows from personal experience. But he's glad they're moving past gratitude, it's something he'd rather not confront if necessary. ]

You don't have to leave after the fog. We have good security here.

[ And John will feel much more comfortable with Accelerator somewhere he can keep an eye on him. Harold might have bargained a truce, but John maintains his suspicion of the opposition. ]

[Extra security is tempting... but he doesn't know how strong Sleipnir actually is. He never bothered to find out in San Francisco, and while he can get the jump on him with his ability... that's about all he knows. How secure is this security against an unknown enemy? More importantly, would staying here only draw Sleipnir's attention to the library? That's the last thing he wants.

He shifts his weight uncomfortably, leaning more heavily on his crutch.]

I'd be imposing, and I already have one of the apartments claimed.

[It's safer this way.]

[ John has no qualms about giving his room up for Accelerator and sleeping on the sofa. He'd much rather Accelerator stay where he can keep and eye on him, brokered truce or not. Dying isn't an easy thing and leaving Accelerator alone with that burden sits heavily in his chest. ]

You wouldn't be imposing. You can stay as long as you want.

[Having already gotten way too much kindness from both Harold and John, Accelerator irrationally wonders if he should take his chances out in the fog. It's silly, obviously, and he seriously isn't going out there right now, but he doesn't want to deal with even more of John being nice to him.

His tone is firm when he replies.]

My apartment is enough. Drop it.

[ And he does drop it. He's not going to push Accelerator in this situation; the offer stands and they both know it. They both know where John stands in their relationship, though maybe not how far he's willing to go in the name of "friendship." ]

Coffee?

[ It's something Accelerator likes, and maybe having that will help him find one normal thing after waking up from death. ]

[John dropping the subject is a huge relief. Processing coming back from the dead a second time is more than enough for him to deal with right now, he doesn't want to further unbalance himself and potentially end up with RSPK Syndrome on top of everything else.

He sucks in a deep breath and nods.]

Yeah. I could use some.

[Coffee sounds fucking amazing right now.]

[ Doing something is good. It gets him away from the video feeds he's been glued to, and he's always been more action than discussion. He's had to do it more often over the past five years but it's still something he still lacks.

John moves into the kitchen area and begins preparing the coffee. Going through the motions is easy and mindless, but that leaves him struggling for something to say. There's no good way to discuss what happened, there's no words that can soothe the pain of death. So in the end he says nothing, just makes coffee. ]

[Before following after John, Accelerator gives the feeds a long, nervous look. There's nothing on them that is unusual, but knowing this is in case Sleipnir decides to show up sends a spike of fear through him. He has to pull himself away from them, hoping the coffee will help.

Instead of following John into the kitchen he goes to sit at the table, equally silent. He isn't sure what to say, talking about his death is morbid and John has already done a lot. He doesn't want to put more on him. He sighs a little, absently rubbing his neck despite there being no scar.]

[ The silence stretches on, too long. John has to find something to say, he shouldn't just leave Accelerator to stew. ]

If he bothers you again, tell me.

[ "And not Harold" is what he doesn't say. Harold would disapprove of what John would do with that information, but he doesn't care. Some things need to be solved with a gun. ]

[Right now, the thought of John going after Sleipnir is a conflicting one. There is nothing he'd like to see more than Sleipnir get some comeuppance, no matter how irrational it is, but it means John putting himself in a certain level of danger. Maybe if they were both two regular people it would be less of a problem, since he knows that John is about as capable as an unpowered human can be.

But Sleipnir isn't a normal human. There's something more to him, and Accelerator isn't sure what that is. That's why he hesitates.]

I can handle him. The only reason he killed me was because I couldn't use my ability.

You don't have to. Let me deal with it.

[ It wasn't that long ago that Accelerator vehemently denied their friendship, but that didn't change how John feels. "Friendship" is an easy way of putting it, a light term to cover the truth. The truth is that he'd do anything to protect Accelerator. The truth is that he wants to see him healthy and happy, and he'd go to great lengths to see that happen. Making coffee is just the tip of the iceberg. Accelerator is old enough that he doesn't need John to mother him, and John knows to keep these feelings to himself. It would be catastrophic for Accelerator to find out the truth. ]

... I don't know if you can.

[He has to be open about that. If John decides to take things into his own hands beyond monitoring the library it could be incredibly dangerous for him. Accelerator doesn't want to be responsible for anyone else getting hurt, especially someone like John. Who the hell knows what Sleipnir is capable of beyond coming back before Aurora's 48 hour limit?

He sighs a little.]

Besides, Finch told me not to do anything, and I won't.

[ Of course Harold would say that. It's severe what Harold can do when he makes up his mind, but mostly he holds himself back. John follows him, but some things can't be solved by doing it Harold's usual way. Still, if Accelerator has agreed to do nothing, that's probably for the best; even John can admit that.

Thankfully the coffee is ready so it's an easy change of subject. John brings two mugs of hot coffee to the table and sits opposite of Accelerator after placing one in front of him. ]

Hopefully it compares to your canned stuff.

[ It's meant as a tease, trying to distract Accelerator from the burden he now carries. ]

[Accelerator is very quick to grab the mug, taking a long sip. It isn't the same as canned coffee, since the canned stuff is generally pretty damn low quality, which means it isn't hitting the same spot that satisfies his addiction. It's still good enough though, so it'll do for now.

He snorts before taking another sip.]

Have you ever had canned coffee before?

[Of course coffee that hasn't been made using a bunch of automated machines at a high volume is going to taste better.]

I never went to Japan. They're at the 7-11?

[ He's traveled far and wide through work but never ended up in Japan. Kara probably would have tried the canned coffee just to make fun of it. Now he feels as if he should try it because of Accelerator, so they can talk about it. ]

Yeah. [He takes another sip of coffee. It feels so strange talking about something so normal to him.] You can find canned coffee pretty much everywhere back home. Convenience stores, grocery stores, vending machines, it's normal.

[Maybe that's why he asked for the convenience store to be added to Etraya. The Qwik Trip is American, so having the 7-Eleven around is like a little bit of home.]

[ It is strange, but John isn't a conversationalist and isn't sure how to say the right thing to Accelerator. Is there anything more to say? He's already offered both protection and retribution. Maybe all that's left is trying to make Accelerator feel more comfortable. ]

Which brand should I try?

[ Both because he's a little curious and because he wants to have something to talk about with Accelerator once the fog lifts. ]

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