Scene #2159: An Offer You Can't

Owner	Pose
Mamoru Chiba	It was Mamoru who texted earlier, asking to come over, and it's Mamoru at the door now, carrying the takeaway from Korma Chameleon that Kazuo's mother had insisted on being the one to actually order. He's been studiously filling up three sides of a greeting card with fine, even writing, and sending it to her once a month since last December. She has twelve whole months of reports on Kazuo and Usagi and the sillier goings-on at the school, and every once in a while something vulnerable. Today it's a misery out, so he's wearing a hoodie underneath his leather jacket, and his glasses are fogging up. "Hellooo, Saitou-san," he says with a laugh, taking them off.
Kazuo Saitou	And once a month, Mamoru has received a letter in return, asking questions about his studies, complimenting his successes and his girlfriend's, occasionally inquiring whether he's heard anything of Usagi's parents and little brother recently, and sharing stories about Kazuo. ... there were baby pictures. ... there were ''irritated'' baby pictures. "It's good to see you in person, Mamoru-kun," Kazuo's mother says warmly; there are slippers in his size set out, and there are place settings waiting happily to be filled. "Please, be welcome. I'm very glad to see you're not half-drowned or half-frozen."
Mamoru Chiba	"Thank you very much!" Mamoru says to the first, and then... It's a surprised smile, slow-blooming into a laugh again, that shows up after Kazuo's mother says the last. "Or burnt, or stabbed, or any number of other physical calamities~" Mamoru agrees, stepping in and switching over from his stupid expensive slip-ons to the comfy slippers. "It's very good to see you again too! I know it's not very far, but... school is definitely work. There's so much to do all the time..." Nevermind how complicated his dating life is. Once he comes in and puts the takeaway on the table and starts unloading the bag, he's practically bouncing on his feet with ''something'' he's ''obviously'' excited about, and he keeps trying to school his face and hitting varying levels of success.
Kazuo Saitou	"And I am happy that your life is pleasantly busy," Kazuo's mother assures Mamoru, "because as long as yours is, then my son is ''probably'' also staying out of trouble. Mostly. It's still very new and strange to go months at a time without a call from his school about something or other." Her eyes sparkle. "I'm not entirely sure I'm not just having a very long and complicated dream. What would you like to drink? Tea? Water? Both? Neither, just lassi?" She is, herself, very plainly having trouble keeping from asking 'who said yes and how many of them?', but is managing to stay in Mother mode and out of Shipper for the moment.
Mamoru Chiba	"He is! He's ''so'' busy, ''and'' he has to put up with cleaning up the messes I make when I get overwhelmed, like the thing I told you about last month, with the paperwork and the building and saying I couldn't do it until I was 25? I can't believe he still associates with me," Mamoru flusters for a second, starting to spoon stuff onto his plate. He glances up. "Oh -- whatever you're having, please!" He doesn't take his seat yet, not until she does, but he doesn't make it look like he's waiting. Watching the ''particular'' lip-biting she's doing, Mamoru smirks. "Well... it's not what I came over to tell you, because I ''forgot'', and Usako would kill me for that, but the wedding for ''us'' is going to be in five years. Or maybe two, depending on decisions. June 30th, unless we change it to June 23rd." But that's not what he came over to tell her. And it's something he didn't want to put in a letter. He's drawing this out. He's half-relishing it and half-- oh he'd better let it out now so she doesn't get annoyed with him for forgetting, too. "But what I came over to talk to you about was -- do you want to move apartments? Into my building?"
Kazuo Saitou	Tea (there is water already hot) ''and'' water (there is water already ... not icy, but pleasantly cool, given the temperature outside) it is, then. And then settling into place, and taking politely-sized servings of ... everything, honestly, because the entire purpose of ordering from the Korma is ''yum.'' Five years? Or maybe two? "Oh, splendid! Congratulations!" Saitou senior looks absolutely delighted, and the chopsticks go back down so that she can clap her hands together. "I feel vaguely obligated to tell you that there are potential problems that result from marrying that young, but honestly, most of them have to do with schooling and money, and I can't help but think you have the resources and the planning to work around those at ''least'' as well as we did. So! Congratulations." She beams at him. Fortunately, without lasers. Fortunately, she has not picked the chopsticks back up when he says the next thing, and therefore she does not get curry in her lap. "... what?"
Mamoru Chiba	Mamoru's taken a seat and given his thanks for the tea and water. Then he looks at Saitou-san's expression and he grins, all of a sudden, and says with his hands on the table, "Itadakimasu." And then he's also happy he hasn't started eating yet because he cracks up. "Your face!!!" he laughs and laughs, covering his face with a hand, and also turning red. And then it's less laughing and more red, and he pokes gently at his food with his chopsticks now, and he looks nervous and awkward. "I mean, sorry. If that's an inappropriate offer. I just thought-- you might like more space. And I'd just ask that you pay your apartment's share of utilities, taxes, and maintenance...."
Kazuo Saitou	Kazuo's mother gathers up her composure and ... drops it again, because Mamoru pointed out her expression, and now ''she's'' stifling giggles. "Oh, no. I'm glad you didn't have your camera out! Kazuo would have declared it revenge and sent a copy to my mother." But nervousness and awkwardness prompts her to make another try, this one a little more successful. She breathes, and considers, and takes a moment to savor some brilliantly sauced rice, and then to take a considered sip of tea. Grounding things. "... and it would make you more comfortable if Kazuo's household and your household were closer to overlapping?" she asks, a little tentative in turn.
Mamoru Chiba	"It would," Mamoru says, exhaling, shoulders losing the tension they gained when he thought he might have messed up. "I mean-- I'd-- I'm filling the building up with my people. My household, yeah, I guess. It's-- I'm making a ''big'' household. And yes. Yeah. I would feel like you were safer, and like we were safer with you closer. But I like the way you put it." He finally mixes some of the saffron rice he got into the korma sauce, himself, and he gives Kazuo's mother a lopsided little smile. "But if you want to have a look at the apartments before you even consider any decisions, I wouldn't blame you at all."
Kazuo Saitou	"I think," Kazuo's mother says, "that that's the best idea." Her eyes are laughing silently again, a little like her son's. "After all. You wouldn't have suggested it if you weren't confident enough in the other residents' housekeeping to be sure I wouldn't run away at the first sniff."