Polo and Dreameh's fanfic RP... ;D Jimmy/Kougu [Probably mature]

I can't believe we're doing this. XD

Right! :DTime to turn Kougu gay! Can we do it? Challenge accepted.

3...

2...

1...

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GO!

((He is my creation. It's in him somewhere. XD ))


Kougu stood outside the sweet shop, waiting for Charlie, and just as he heard the clicking wheels of the pram approaching, a touch on his leg caught his attention. Jumping in surprise, he looked down. A newspaper, blowing along the ground, had wrapped itself around his lower leg. Frowning, he bent down to pick it up, eyes scanning the front cover. It had been months since he’d read a paper, of any kind. And what he saw made his stomach drop into his shoes.
The headline read, ‘Councilman  Noah elected president’, captioning a picture of a handsome, bearded man who looked all too familiar, even in disguise.
He may have been a man of many names, and even more faces – but Kougu knew his father, and a step this huge in his ‘master plan’ was impossible to overlook. His hands turned cold, and he felt a lump form in his throat as the newspaper blew out from between shaking fingers, the breeze whisking it away down the street, over the tops of the waving trees, and on into the world beyond to spread its poison.
He heard Charlie’s voice behind him, felt a head on his shoulder, but his mind was far from sweets and candy.
“Charlie…” He looked back at her, his anxious eyes searching hers, “I’m sorry, I-“ He gestured vaguely, but the newspaper was long gone. He couldn’t explain it in his own words. Instead he shook his head, and said urgently, “Something’s come up. We have to get back… Quickly.”
He put his arm around her shoulders, and gave her a hug, clenching his teeth as he felt the familiar tightness of anxiety closing like a clamp around his chest. I wanted to give you a proper birthday, Charlie… I’m sorry.

The pair headed home, and Kougu explained the situation as best he could on the way. His father had just secured his presidency in America, and already the conspiracies were flying. For Kougu, it was easy to tell lies from the truth. 'In the name of God', as Councilman Noah would say, the death penalty was to be reinstated, but in the worst kind of way. Perhaps the world didn't see it yet, but Kougu certainly could. The man's aim wasn't punishment, and it sure as hell wasn't justice. It was nothing short of genocide; a mass murder of the sinners, blasphemers and disbelievers. An unholy crucifixion of the entire world. It seemed that Councilman 'Noah' thought himself just that, but in an imperfect world stained to the quick with evil, there was no room for any mortal man to be playing God. The world's leader was planning to sink the entire human race, and with that responsibility on his shoulders, Kougu could think of only one man he trusted enough to help him. The irony of it all was, that one man was the very same one to whom he had once promised his head. And at a time, Jimmy would have liked nothing better than to fire a cap between his eyes. How things could have changed so much in one short year, Kougu would never understand.
I guess he's just not the man he was before, and I'm not surprised... I'm not, either.

Like a man outrunning a fire, Kougu grabbed a few necessities from his house, shoved them into a shoulder bag, and bid farewell to Charlie with one rushed peck on the cheek. A wave at the door and a brief 'I love you', and he was gone, running down the street to get to the nearest public phone. It was times like these he wondered why on earth he didn't own a cellphone.
When he got there, he slammed a coin into the slot, and hacked in Jimmy's number with shaking fingers. For once in his life, he was grateful for his photographic memory. The phone nearly fell from his sweaty hands, but Kougu held it to his ear, and when he heard a familiar voice crackle into life, he cut right to the chase.
"Jimmy, it's Kougu." He paused, taking a deep, shuddering breath. He had no time to be shy. "I need your help."

“Are you letting me win on purpose, or do you really suck at this?”
Jimmy demanded, sending yet another hard football aimed right at Alfredo's head. Instead of catching it or hitting it away from him, Alfredo ducked away from it with a face that meant he genuinely feared for his life at that point.
“A-amigo...” He knotted his gloved hands together nervously, wide eyes staring unblinkingly at the next ball by Jimmy's feet. “Can't we play a different game?”
“No.” Jimmy told him firmly, aiming the next ball at Alfy's left hand. “Not until you learn how to be a decent goal keeper.”
“But-” Alfy skipped to the side, as if dodging a bullet. “But I was going to see if Amelia-”
“Once you learn to take the ball instead of running from it.” Jimmy said, shooting a devious grin, and kicked the ball right at Alfredo's shin. He swore in Spanish, and in a moment of anger, kicked the ball firmly right at Jimmy's crotch.
Jimmy caught it before it could hit it's target.
“Well,” he grinned. “You're not a bad kicker, I'll tell you that.”
“Yeah, well.” Alfy pulled off his gloves. “If I suck at this so much, you try having footballs thrown at you like grenades.”
“You're on.” Jimmy challenged, picking up the last football and throwing it at Alfy's chest. Thankfully the Spaniard caught it before it winded him.
He had to admit, he was growing to like the sod. Even if he was foreign and Jimmy wasn't a fan of foreigners, Alfy was a good boyfriend to his sister. And Jimmy was always prepared to put him in line if he got too 'forward' with her, so things never got out of hand. Even his mother was starting to like Alfredo, although Jimmy hadn't told her who he was, or more importantly, who his father was. That would have to be left to a later date.
Just as he was about to wader into the small, plastic goal, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Strange... No one ever called him these days. Since the gang hated him for what happened to the Jordan and Mike a few months ago they hadn't really talked to him at all. His house was no longer fit to live in so he'd been living with his mother, and Alfy and Amelia, of course.
The number was unknown, but he could tell it was from a payphone. He frowned, then pressed 'green'.
“Hello?”
It was Kougu. “I need your help.”
Jimmy's expression changed. He could hear the nerves in Kougu's voice, and anytime there was more than a little emotion in his tone Jimmy knew something was up.
“Of course. Anything.” He answered, lowering his voice. Alfredo shot him a puzzled look. “What is it?”

“Of course. Anything.” Jimmy answered straight away, and Kougu breathed a sigh of relief at his willingness. But his relief was short lived, because the next moment, Jimmy asked the question that he had been dreading. “What is it?”
"You're going to think I'm nuts." He groaned, pinching his temples wearily. "Maybe I am nuts..." He scratched his head, struggling to find the words to explain what it was he needed help with. No matter how he put it, it would sound as if he was completely off his rocker, and he couldn't afford to have Jimmy refuse to help... Even though, technically, he had already agreed.
"I, um..." He swallowed, pulling a face. Then, just as he thought he might chicken out, the payphone announced in its cool female voice, "One minute remaining."
"Gah," Kougu muttered, tsking his tongue in impatience. He didn't have time to be indecisive, since he had no more change on him. It was time to go for broke.
"Look," He said quickly, "I need you to help me assassinate the president of the United States." He glanced at his watch. The call would end any second.
"Just... Meet me at the airport in an hour." He paused a moment, "Please."
As the last word left his lips, the line went dead, and Kougu let his arm fall limply to his side, the phone still dangling from his fingers. There was no way Jimmy was going to help him after that, unless it was by locking him up in a padded room, and Kougu wouldn't exactly call that 'helping'.
Frowning worriedly, he carefully replaced the phone, and backed uncertainly away from the booth. The airport wasn't too far away, but it would still be a long walk. He had best get going.
Sighing to himself, Kougu shoved his hands into the pocket of his baggy hoodie, and traipsed along with his shoulders hunched, and his eyes on the cracked tarmac moving by beneath his feet. He felt sick with nerves. Every second he wasted was one more second his father could be using to kill innocent people.

“You're going to think I'm nuts. Maybe I am nuts...”
“You are nuts, Kougu.” Jimmy replied honestly, narrowing his eyes boredly. This sod had always been a little bit 'off the rails', that was obvious. But his admitting to it put Jimmy on edge a little. He braced himself for what was to come.
Kougu took his time, and the rude reminder that he only had a minute remaining rang through both their ears. Jimmy rolled his eyes. Didn't Kougu usually have loads of money on him?
Unfortunately Jimmy couldn't have braced himself for what Kougu was asking of him.
“Look, I need you to help me assassinate the president of the United States.”
Jimmy paused. “You need me to what?”
“Just... Meet me at the airport in an hour. Please.”
“Kougu!” Jimmy demanded, but the line was already dead. He stared at his phone in disbelief, then stuffed it in his pocket, his mind racing. As if Kougu was serious. What business did he have with the US president? It was ages away, and if there was one thing Jimmy knew about Kougu it was that he was a very 'introverted' person, and he didn't know many people.
Who was the US president to him?
Grumbling to himself, Jimmy packed a small rucksack and said his goodbyes to Alfry, Amy and his mother. He told them he was going on holiday for a bit and he'd be in touch.
Then, he set off in his tiny, blue peugeot and headed to the airport.

He met Kougu minutes later, and Jimmy didn't waste time asking him questions.
“Okay, Kougu, I know you're a little crazy but this is beyond that...” He shook his head and lowered his voice quickly. “This is insane. It's suicidal.” He narrowed his eyes, and glanced around at the security guards. They didn't have any guns on them. “Kougu, we could get shot for this.”
Perhaps Kougu didn't care about that, but Jimmy certainly did. He'd been suicicdal before, and reckless, but now he had people to look out for. Amelia. Alfredo.
Charlie...
He couldn't afford throwing his life away without knowing exactly what the reasons were.
“You know after what you did for me, I'd follow you to the edges of the Earth. But not without reason.” He hissed. “And I'm not getting on a single damned plane until you tell me why you're doing this.”

When he arrived at the airport, Kougu went straight to the information stand and bought himself a newspaper, then took a seat as far away from everyone else as possible, and sat there reading the paper as he waited for Jimmy. He hadn't booked a flight just yet. After all, he didn't yet know if he'd be flying solo.
The article in the newspaper was unhelpful; it strung together some obviously fake quotes, spoke about an obviously corrupt election as though it were the most legal thing in the world, and made a few tongue-in-cheek unflattering comments about Americans, which Kougu really couldn't argue with. Still, the paper didn't manage to tell him anything that he didn't already know, except that 'President Noah' was a family man with a wife and two kids. He wondered where his father had found those poor people.
Frowning, he scrunched the paper in his fist, then looked up when he heard familiar footsteps approaching. He knew the way Jimmy walked. It wasn't the same cocky swagger he'd had before, but somehow defiant and apprehensive all at once, as though he wasn't quite sure he was allowed to be there, but he didn't give a damn, anyway. Funny, really, the things he took note of...
He took a deep breath, then stood up, and greeted Jimmy with an awkward smile.
"I'm surprised you showed." He admitted quietly, but Jimmy wasn't interested in listening - he had plenty to say already, and Kougu didn't blame him.
“Okay, Kougu, I know you're a little crazy," Kougu shrugged. There was no point denying it, but he did think there were kinder ways of greeting a man, and unfortunately, Jimmy was far from done. "But this is beyond that...," He continued, dropping his voice, "This is insane. It's suicidal. Kougu, we could get shot for this."
Rubbing the back of his head, Kougu looked sheepishly away, accepting his scolding like a well behaved child. He didn't talk back, but simply stood in silence right until Jimmy had finished talking.
“You know after what you did for me, I'd follow you to the edges of the Earth. But not without reason. And I'm not getting on a single damned plane until you tell me why you're doing this.”
Once he was certain Jimmy had nothing else to say, Kougu straightened the crumpled paper in his hand, and pressed it into Jimmy's.
"Here." He said quietly, casting a glance toward the nearest pair of ears. The security guard attached to them was immersed in a game of cards with his buddy, and by the sounds of their raucous laughter, they were both drunk off their rockers. If he kept his voice down, he was sure he wouldn't be overheard.
"This 'President Noah' was elected yesterday." He tapped the picture on the front page, "It is rather strange, however, that very few Americans actually voted for him. Not living ones, at least. I hacked into the election website and checked their voting records; half of his voters have been deceased for over fifty years. As far as I could see, his only legal votes came from religious nuts and psychopaths who like to see criminals put to death." He pointed to another paragraph, where the reinstated death penalty was mentioned, "If I know this man - and sadly, I do - then this is no petty scaring tactic or a dramatic cry for justice. This is the start of a global genocide, and the moment it begins, people like us will be the first to go."
He took the newspaper back from Jimmy, promptly crumpled it up, and shoved it into his bag.
"I know it's dangerous," He sighed apologetically, "And I know it's insane, but I can't do it myself." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. He remembered all too well the last time he had tried to dispose of his father. That man just had some sort of... 'Power' over him. And try as he might, he couldn't escape it. But if anybody was self-assured and stubborn enough not to let 'President Noah' get inside his head, then Jimmy was that person.
"I realize it's a lot to ask," He murmured quietly, "And I know you've got Amelia to look after, so if you say no, I'll understand..." He paused, biting his lip momentarily, then added with a weak chuckle, "But, please don't. Because to be perfectly honest, if I don't have your help, then we're all going to be rather... How do they put it..." He shrugged, offering an awkward smile, "Screwed?"

Once he'd let off some steam, Jimmy was ready to hear Kougu's excuse. He accepted the newspaper article and straightened it out, his eyes skimming it quickly as Kougu began to speak.
The Us President Noah's face beamed angelically at the camera, seemingly after he'd just finished some speech or other. Jimmy looked at him and shivered. There was definitely something very wrong about him. He looked too... Nice.
Kougu's description of this man was very different to that of the newspaper article. He explained that this man hadn't actually been legally voted in, and what his intentions were. The words 'death penalty' were listed under he possibilities of his 'reign'.
Jimmy clenched his jaw. The death penalty was legal in the US, but it all mattered now how the people died, and whether this was going to lead into the law of other countries.
This wasn't good.
“If I know this man - and sadly, I do - then this is no petty scaring tactic or a dramatic cry for justice. This is the start of a global genocide, and the moment it begins, people like us will be the first to go.”
“Genocide?” Jimmy echoed, his brow creasing with worry. It wasn't a word that came up in his head often, and evern then it was only that linked to the Holocaust. Unbeknownst to Jimmy attempted genocide was everywhere in history, but even this tiny bit of knowledge was enough to worry him.
He remembered learning about the Holocaust in school, seeing all those horrific images of dead, skeletal bodies piled up in heaps and left to rot, children being shot into huge pits, they're blood splattered all over the mud. Then, on the other end of the country, the civilians cheering and crying out with glee for their leader, whilst innocent people were dying under their noses.
Jimmy closed his eyes. He didn't want to imagine a world where that was happening in his country, even in America. He didn't want to imagine a world where that was happening at all.
“I know it's dangerous. And I know it's insane, but I can't do it myself.” Kougu told him apologetically, and Jimmy just nodded, glancing back down at the newspaper. It certainly was insane, but if what Kougu said was true, 'insane' was as pleasant as it was going to get.
“I realize it's a lot to ask, and I know you've got Amelia to look after, so if you say no, I'll understand...”
At this, Jimmy completely forgot about whatever the hell he was going to be risking, whether he was going to see his home town again, whether this was going to work, and just glared at Kougu boredly. Kougu was pulling the same face Alfredo pulled when he wanted something, like he was a starved puppy and Jimmy was eating a hamburger in front of his nose.
“But, please don't. Because to be perfectly honest, if I don't have your help, then we're all going to be rather... How do they put it... 'Screwed'?”
Jimmy's eyes narrowed. For an innocent-looking bloke, Kougu really knew how to be devious.
“Urgh.” Jimmy scoffed, scrunching his eyes closed and looking away from Kougu's cute face. “Put that face away and stop crying.” He complained, losing his entire serious demeanour. “I get it, only I can save the world. Fine. I'll take one for the team.”
He realised how quickly he'd given in to such a crazy task, but he trusted Kougu. This guy was cleverer than he let on, and if this 'Noah' was the nutcase Kougu said he was, then this really had to be done.
“Kougu?” He said quietly, pulling his bag more firmly over his shoulder. “Just promise me we're both gunna come back.”

When Kougu had finished, Jimmy groaned, looking away from him, and ordered wearily, “Put that face away and stop crying.”
"What?" Kougu just blinked blankly at him, clearly confused, "But I'm not..." He touched his cheek, and frowned. Nope, he definitely wasn't crying. Why would he?
“I get it, only I can save the world. Fine. I'll take one for the team.” Jimmy agreed at last, and Kougu decided to let go of his confusion in light of this new development. He had learned recently that the things that confused him were many, and that they were very seldom worth all the obsession he poured into them. He still tended to overthink things, though, no matter how hard he tried.
"Well, it's not so much saving the world." He corrected mildly, "Just the human race, really."
As usual, Jimmy ignored his eccentricities.
“Kougu?”
"Hm?" He mimicked Jimmy, picking up his own bag.
“Just promise me we're both gunna come back.”
He considered Jimmy a moment, dark blue eyes searching his face, then slowly shook his head. "Sorry," He murmured, managing an apologetic half-smile, "I'm a lousy liar."
He shrugged, then turned away, walking toward the ticket counter.
"I'll promise you this, though:" He added quietly over his shoulder, "If anything goes wrong, I'll do everything in my power to get you back safely. You can trust me on that."
He turned back to the counter, and asked for two one-way tickets to America. There was no point getting Return, since he had no clue how long they'd be there. Something told him it would be a while.
The woman behind the counter - a black lady with a hairdo so big and fluffy that Kougu wondered if she had a knife hidden in there - returned with the tickets, and handed them to him with a slightly-too-sweet smile.
"Your flight leaves in half an hour." She told him, "You can put your luggage through now."
He nodded, then retreated as quickly as he could, keen to put some distance between the stranger and himself. The thirty minute wait hung over his head like a dark cloud, and suddenly, he began to feel rather awkward. He hadn't anticipated being stuck next to Jimmy for half an hour... It wasn't that he minded Jimmy's company, but just company in general. And even if he'd had something to talk about, he had no intention of making small talk.
Instead he fidgeted anxiously for a moment, then slunk off to put his bag through the security system. He was just as socially awkward as ever.

Jimmy saw the apology before Kougu had even said it, and he knew then what he was in for. This is some serious shit, isn't it?
Would he be able to do it?
Well, he didn't really have a choice. Once they got on the plane, that is. There'd be no going back from there on.
He glanced nervously around the airport, glancing at each security guard with frightened eyes. He was still unnerved due to the last time he'd been in an airport, when all those security guards with guns had appeared from nowhere and arrested him like a criminal in front of everyone. Kougu had fixed it, yes, but the memory still bothered him.
“I'll promise you this, though: if anything goes wrong, I'll do everything in my power to get you back safely. You can trust me on that.”
This should have reassured him, but Jimmy felt far from it. All this was just reminding him how wrong things could go quickly.
I might not ever see Amelia again.
With this thought in mind he wandered hesitantly with Kougu to get their tickets. Doubt niggled inside him like a little fly, then he remembered what Kougu had said about the newspaper article. If it was true, they'd be in huge trouble either way, along with the rest of humanity.
Jesus, Kougu... You damn well owe me for this one.


The thirty minute wait was a long, dreary one for both Jimmy and Kougu, but eventually the plane arrived, and it was time for them to take their bags through security.
Jimmy's bag included naught but two changes of clothes and a load of underwear, so he had nothing to worry about when walking through himself.
Before long they were walking, bags packed, up onto the plane.
They headed to their seats, and Jimmy slumped in one of the cheap, leather seats, flopping his head on the cushion. “You know, with the money you seem to have I'd have thought you owned a private jet.” He mused, picking up a 'Men's Health' magazine and flicking through it with a bored expression.
“I just hope this trip is worth it, mate.”

They made it through security with no major problems - for such a 'good' guy, Kougu was surprisingly efficient at smuggling weapons - and boarded the plane minutes later, with their luggage safe in the storage space. Kougu took a window seat - thinking grimly that if he lost his mind, he could just jump out - and strapped himself in with the seatbelt, prepared for a long and highly unpleasant flight to follow. Beside him, Jimmy picked up a magazine, and began flipping through the glossy pages, displaying a number of toned, shirtless men with dripping sweat and bulging muscles.
“You know," His companion said pointlessly, "With the money you seem to have I'd have thought you owned a private jet.”
"My father does." Kougu offered bleakly, "But I've only ever flown on a simulator, so I figured it was best not to risk taking one."
Not to mention that if he figured out what we're planning, we'd fail right from the start.
At a loss as to how the social protocol worked, Kougu decided to copy Jimmy, and picked up a magazine. It had the word 'Seventeen' on the cover, and inside, it was rather pink and flowery. Shrugging, Kougu began paging through it, reading with vague interest about teenage girls who couldn't get rid of their pimples, and others who couldn't decide who they wanted as a boyfriend. He was just busy reading through a quiz entitled 'How well do you flirt', when Jimmy added solemnly beside him, “I just hope this trip is worth it, mate.”
"Well," Kougu answered absentmindedly as he traced the flow chart, "If we succeed, and I hope that we do, then at least we will have managed to save a few lives. Starting with our own. I think that's worth it."
He followed the final arrow of the quiz, to a big red box that informed him that he was 'hopeless', and had no idea how to flirt. He didn't argue with the magazine's decision. To be completely honest, he didn't even know what flirting was. In theory, perhaps, but in practice... Well, he supposed he had always left that sort of thing up to Charlie.
"These aren't very interesting, are they?" He mused, flicking to the next page, "Horoscopes don't even make any sense. The stars have nothing to do with a person's personality, let alone whether they're going to..." He frowned at the magazine, "'Get any' in the next month. What does that even mean?" He sighed, and without waiting for an answer, shoved the magazine back into its holder. Mouth set in a grim line, he turned to look out of the window. An air hostess announced that the place was about to take off, and as it rose up into the sky, Kougu peered down at the distant steepled roof that was his house. Somewhere down there was Charlie, his Charlie, waiting and worrying for his safety. He hung his head miserably. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't manage to make her happy. He only hoped that while he was away, she would remain safe.

Jimmy glanced curiously over at what Kougu was reading. But when he noticed the pink flowery layout and Comic Sans font he quickly lost interest. Poor guy probably didn't even know what he was reading.
So Jimmy turned back to his own magazine and read with some interest on how he could get a '6 pack in 6 days' with some weird drink that looked much like cat vomit.
“If we succeed, and I hope that we do, then at least we will have managed to save a few lives. Starting with our own. I think that's worth it.”
Jimmy nodded in agreement. That, at least gave him a goal to reach. Not killing this 'Noah' guy, although that's what Kougu wanted help with. Jimmy wanted to save lives. He owed society that much, at least.
He flicked through a few more pages, learning all sorts about how a healthy diet is key to losing body fat, and five different exercises to give a man bigger arms. Jimmy was uninterested with the thought of getting biceps as big as footballs, but it was worth looking at.
Then, “These aren't very interesting, are they?”
He actually laughed out loud. That's because you're reading a girl's magazine, mate. But t was true. These magazines wouldn't get them through the seven-hour flight to America.
After a mini rant about how horoscopes were inaccurate, and admitting he didn't know what to 'get any' meant, Jimmy just grinned and closed his eyes. This was going to be a damned long flight.
“I don't know, Kougu.” He replied, feigning stupidity. “It is a mystery.”
He frowned at the cream back of the seat in front of him for a while, then concluded that either he thought something up or they were going to sit like robots on 'standby' for seven hours.
“How 'bout a game of 'I spy'?” He raised an eyebrow. This was how desperate he had become.

After over half an hour of explaining and re-explaining the rules of the game, then several monotonous hours of playing it, and a nap or two later they finally arrived in the States, picked up their bags, and were out of the Airport by midday, American time.
“I think we'd better find a decent place to stay if we're going to be here a while.” Jimmy told his friend, staring with tired eyes at the shopping mall they'd walked into. The jet lag would take a few days to wear off, so he wasn't much up for thinking about why they were there, yet.

The moment Kougu and Jimmy stepped off the plane, they found themselves in a shopping mall. For Kougu, it was like falling from one level of hell to the next - and skipping roughly ten thousand in between, because that was how many people seemed to be milling around the small space surrounding them. He froze beside Jimmy, eyes scouting the crowd anxiously, and willed himself to keep it together, as hard as it was. Even so, he knew that he needed to get away. Now that they were in America and he knew his father was close, he could hear the voices in his head again, and the pain had returned tenfold. Biting hard on his lip, he cowered beside Jimmy, then timidly began edging his way toward the exit, careful to stay out of everybody's way. To say that he was 'crowd shy' would be the understatement of the century.
“I think we'd better find a decent place to stay if we're going to be here a while.” Jimmy suggested, his voice dragging Kougu's attention away from the crowd for a moment. Grateful for a challenge to tackle, he nodded in agreement and said, "I've done some research. I wanted somewhere private and secluded, so a hotel wasn't an option. I managed to rent a house on the ouskirts of town. It isn't exactly five star, but it's fully furnished, and from what I could find out online, it should suit us fairly well." He sighed, breathing out a lungful of stress, and cast another glance around the mall. A group of teenage girls were shrieking near the fountain in the center, but when he looked over, they went dead silent. It was unnerving. Shuddering, he glanced at Jimmy and, trying not to sound too pathetic, murmured, "We should get going. I arranged a rental car; it should be waiting outs-"
"Hey, handsome." Kougu broke off, nearly jumping in fright when he noticed a girl standing beside him; one of the ones from the fountain. She was blonde, with hair longer than her skirt, and sunglasses that Kougu felt made her look rather terrifying and alien-like, if there was even the slightest possibility that aliens existed. Her heels looked at least six inches tall, but even as Kougu tried to figure out how the laws of physics allowed her to stand in them, she walked up to him - head barely above his shoulder - and asked in a voice as sweet as the strawberry gum she was chewing, "So where do you boys come from?" She raised an eyebrow, looking at Kougu for an answer, and he pulled uncertainly away. People never engaged him, and he certainly didn't like it. It was making him so nervous, he was scared he'd choke on the lump in his throat.
"What's wrong with you?" She wrinkled her nose, "Can't you talk?"
Torn between fear of the girl and fear of being thought rude, Kougu swallowed thickly, and murmured, "Um... We're in a hurry... We have to, uh..." He  gestured vaguely in the direction of the door, but the blonde was having none of it.
"Oh. My. GOD!" She exclaimed, her mouth dropping open into a wide 'O' shape, "Oh my god, you totally have a British accent!" Her hands flung around when she spoke, and Kougu had to duck nervously to avoid being hit by a flying pink handbag. She spun back to her girlfriends, and mouthes in a stage whisper, 'They're British!', to which an excitable chorus of 'Oh my God' ensued from the fountain.
"No, shut UP!" She turned back to Kougu, her 99 cent lip gloss forming a bright pink smile on her face.
Kougu blinked in confusion, unsure when he'd said a word, but remained obediently silent.
"You have, like, the cutest accent! Come on, say something for me." He stared at her, utterly bewildered. Was he supposed to talk, or shut up?
Feeling further from his comfort zone than he ever had in his life, he turned to Jimmy with the wide eyes of a startled deer, and begged silently from the headlights for his life.
"Hey," The girl touched his arm, and Kougu jumped like a wild animal, feeling a flash of panic lance through him. Oblivious, the American pressed, "Come on, I don't bite..." She looked over at Jimmy, "You boys look tired, why don't you come hang out with me and my girls?"
At this suggestion, Kougu looked about ready to be sick.
"Actually," He attempted weakly, "We have to-"
"Aw..." She stepped closer, pouting as she pressed a perfectly manicured finger into his chest, "Just stay a little while, the girls and I can show you Englishmen our..." She winked, "Big Apple."
Kougu jumped away from the touch, and sidled quickly over to Jimmy, hiding behind him.
How the hell are you supposed to make these people go away?!

“I've done some research.” Kougu informed him. “I wanted somewhere private and secluded, so a hotel wasn't an option. I managed to rent a house on the ouskirts of town. It isn't exactly five star, but it's fully furnished, and from what I could find out online, it should suit us fairly well.”
“Sounds covenient.” Jimmy agreed pleasantly, although all he really wanted was a comfy bed and darkness. Back where they'd come from it was coming up to bed time. He wanted to sleep.
A series of annoying, girly squeaks came from across the mall, but Jimmy ignored them.
We're definitely in the States. He thought, rolling his eyes at them. Kougu seemed a little nervous at the noise that was portruding from their mouths, but Jimmy wasn't bothered at all. This was enough t calm Kougu even a tiny bit.
Until, that is, one approached whilst Kougu was mid-sentence.
Jimmy was about to give her what for, simply because he was tired and was in no mood to be harassed by someone who looked like she'd been puked out of a porn magazine and had been trodden on a few times. He glared at her enthusiasm.
However, when he realised Kougu was more than just a little nervous at her presence, Jimmy started to enjoy the sight of someone trying to flirt with him. The poor guy didn't even know what she was trying.
A thought occurred to him. Kougu had dragged him all the way out here without promising him he'd get back home again. He was going to have a little fun whilst he had the chance.
Smiling deviously at this thought, he turned back to the tart who was flirting with him and pretended to take interest in what she was saying, glancing back at her friends every now and then. He had no intention of spending a lot of time with this girl, but hey, it was worth it to make Kougu cower like a rabbit in the headlights. The poor guy looked terrified.
Well, it was his own fault.
She kept advancing on him, and the way Kougu reacted she must have looked like a starved lion creeping to it's prey by the way he hid behind Jimmy like he was going to do anything.
This reaction was priceless. Jimmy couldn't let it go, yet.
“Just stay a little while, the girls and I can show you Englishmen our... Big Apple.” She added with a slight darkness in her eyes.
Kougu obviously wasn't going to say anything, so Jimmy piped up helpfully, “That doesn't sound like a bad idea.”
He shot Kougu a devious grin.
“But first,” he picked up the strongest, poshest British accent he could muster, trying to keep a straight face. “I'm parched. I don't suppose you and your girls,” He glanced at the other members of the group, “know of a good place to offer decent beverages, do you?”
Beverages... He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.
He allowed the girl to lead her to her 'pack', an just before they sat down Jimmy turned his head over his shoulder to murmur to Kougu, “Keep a good hold on your money, mate.”
He sat down, milking the company and attention like a mate-deprived stallion, leaning coolly against the bench.
“I have to say,” He turned to one of the other girls, a blonde with some freckles around her nose, faded with lots of makeup. “That is a gorgeous necklace you are wearing.” He reached over, tracing a finger over the silver chain around her neck. The small emblem on the end hung dangerously close to her cleavage.
He shot Kougu a look, raising an eyebrow. Yes, he felt like being a dick today.
“So girls,” he addressed the group. “We can't stop long. But I have to say, I am rather enjoying this country already. I wasn't aware how beautiful it was until I came here.” He winked at the first one who had approached them.

When he realized that Jimmy was going to answer, Kougu breathed a sigh of relief. Until, that is, he heard the man's answer. “That doesn't sound like a bad idea.”
He froze, utterly stunned, staring at Jimmy in disbelief. The other man just grinned at him, clearly amused by the joke, but Kougu, for his part, had never felt more betrayed. Didn't Jimmy understand how dangerous it was for him to be around people, especially overly-friendly strangers like this?
"Jimmy-" He tried to object, but the next thing he knew, Jimmy was talking again - sounding more British and proper than Kougu had ever heard him.
“I'm parched. I don't suppose you and your girls know of a good place to offer decent beverages, do you?”
This question earned a 99 cent smile from the girl, but Kougu was far from impressed. He didn't want a beverage; he wanted to get out of there and start planning to overthrow the evil dictator who was plotting to put an end to the human race. Clearly, Jimmy needed to get his priorities straight, but after convincing him to leave his family and friends and risk his life on the mission, Kougu knew that he was in no position to ask the man anything.
So, feeling like he was walking to the gallows, he followed Jimmy to the fountain. His heart was in his throat, leaping around uncomfortably, and his mouth had turned dry from nerves. His head throbbed as if he'd been struck by a bus, and honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so sick. He was sure he would snap at any moment, and with the fate of the world resting on his shoulders, the thought terrified him. More than ever in his life, he wished Charlie was there. She understood him more than anyone ever could.

When they reached the fountain, Jimmy turned to him and said, “Keep a good hold on your money, mate.
He didn't completely understand, but as instructed, he reached into his pocket and closed his hand around his wallet, holding it tightly.
But before he could question Jimmy's wisdom, the man had sat down in the middle of the group, and in a heartbeat he had girls all over him like ants on candy.
Kougu hung back, growing more confused and frustrated by the minute, which the blonde took to mean that he was playing 'hard to get'. She sidled over to him, and Kougu felt his jaw clench. Why wouldn't she just leave him alone? Didn't she understand that she was putting her own life in danger?
His head gave a particularly painful throb, and he winced, clutching at his temples.
He heard Jimmy flirting in the background, and heard his blonde shadow probably doing the same at his side, but by this point, all the voices had faded to a dull din of noise. The world swam around him, and Kougu felt as though his head was about to split in two. It took everything he was to hide the pain, and even more not to give in to the impulse to turn around and run as far as his legs could carry him. He was beginning to seriously regret bringing Jimmy with him on this mission. It was quickly shaping up to be the worst decision of his life.

Falling back on old habits in his moment of terror, Kougu hung his head, staring blankly at a shadow on the floor. His imagination shaped it, and he quickly lost himself in a world far from reality, trying hard to forget everything that was going on around him. He just had to last until Jimmy decided to leave. That was all. He just had to power through the pain a little longer, and try as hard as he could not to lose his mind in the process.

Jimmy would keep stealing a glance in Kougu's direction, shooting him a devious smile every now and then. He was aware Kougu didn't like this, but if this guy had survived seven hours on a plane he'd be able to survive a few extra minutes around a few stupid, slaggy girls.
He managed to keep up his posh accent for the entire visit, and the girls swooned at him, asking him to repeat certain words and some almost fainted, instantly attracted. Not a single girl stopped smiling at him, except maybe the blonde next to Kougu.
Instead of finding a café or anywhere that sold drinks, one of the girls offered him her bottle of coke, which he accepted without hesitation. Kougu didn't seem to want any, but that didn't matter.
For a while Jimmy continued to charm the girls, keeping them interested, telling them about the 'land of Britain' and how different it is to America.
His charms soon faded as he found himself growing bored.
These girls were as deep as puddles, and it was obvious they were younger than they first looked. But he waited until he'd drank the entire bottle of coke and left it with the girls by the fountain.
“Well,” he began, rubbing his hands together eagerly. “My friend and I had best be off. Nice to meet you girls.” He winked, but it was obviously not going to be that easy.
Three of them asked for his number, and wanted to know which hotel he was staying in. Sluts.
Hiding his irritation, Jimmy got a napkin and wrote any old number down, making sure he wrote the same number down three times, and handed it to them.
He'd had his drink now, he hadn't even needed to pay for it. Now, he wanted to leave.
He stood up and raised a hand in a brief wave, but the boldest one stood up with him, offering to meet him somewhere later. Running out of patience, he put on his sweetest smile and turned to her.
“I'm sorry, but Jake and I,” he nodded to Kougu, who very evidently didn't look like a 'Jake', “Need to go find his father at the melon farm to tell him we're getting married in January whether he likes it or not.”
His face turned serious, but he didn't bother trying to hide the lie.
The girl's dolled up face took a while to process this.
“He'll hit the roof.” he winked at her.
Her eyes widened, but she didn't say anything. Poor thing was stunned into silence.
“Come on, darling!” He jeered in Kougu's direction, waving him over. “The day is young, but we must prepare ourselves.”
And with that Jimmy started walking away towards the nearest exit with a proud swagger, knowing fair well that Kougu would be rushing to his side.

When Jimmy finally decided it was time to go, Kougu was beyond relieved, and he instantly took the excuse to squirm out of the blonde's grip (at this point she was hanging on his arm, yacking her mouth off). Unfortunately, leaving didn't prove as easy as he, or Jimmy, had first thought. The girls still clamoured around Jimmy, and again, Kougu felt his frustration growing. His head was pounding like a drum. Couldn't they just leave?
At last Jimmy stood, heading to his side, but one of the girls still followed suit. And that was when Jimmy brought out the heavy artillery.
“I'm sorry," He said, not sounding sorry at all, "But Jake and I need to go find his father at the melon farm to tell him we're getting married in January whether he likes it or not." Kougu blinked blankly at Jimmy, trying to figure out what on earth had just happened. Who was Jake?
“He'll hit the roof.” Jimmy added, winking briefly at the girl before turning back to Kougu, “Come on, darling! The day is young, but we must prepare ourselves.”
He remained frozen to the spot, staring after Jimmy, and wondering if he had gone completely nuts. Perhaps he wasn't the only one that the girls had nearly driven into madness? For a while he just watched Jimmy leave, but then one of the girls started approaching him, and he bolted after his companion, falling into step beside him and shooting a nervous glance over his shoulder.
"You do realize that in America, it's still Winter in January." He pointed out, frowning at Jimmy, "There isn't any point having a wedding in Winter." He paused a moment, shaking his head quickly to clear his thoughts, "Also, my name's not Jake, and my father doesn't have a melon farm." Then, at last, he seemed to take note of the most important part of Jimmy's lie, and added indignantly, "And I am certainly not marrying you after that stunt. Seriously," He shot his companion a glare, "Next time you decide you hate me, let's just go back to our old thing of you trying to shoot me in the face. That would be kinder."
Rubbing his aching head miserably, he headed out of the mall, and walked straight over to a sleek black BMW waiting in the parking lot. A man from the rental company was standing beside it, holding up a card with the false name he had given, 'George Smith'. It wasn't very creative, but then again, neither was he. ((Um... Actually Kougu, I think you're pretty creative... XD ))
"I'm George," He said as he approached the man, holding out his hand for the keys.
"Right you are, sir." The man replied politely, dropping the keys into his hand, "Have a good trip."
With that, he turned to leave, and Kougu let himself into the driver's seat of the BMW, closing the door behind him. He sighed heavily, and slumped back in the seat, closing his eyes. At last, he was alone again, if only for a moment. He still felt sick from all the stress, and his migraine had escalated to the point that the pain nearly blinded him. Sighing again, he let his head flop forward, pinching his aching temples. Come to think of it, if Jimmy had shot him in the face, it would probably have hurt less, too.

As Kougu reached his side and decided to rant about how inaccurate Jimmy's lies had been, Jimmy just rolled his eyes. Trust this guy to ruin all the fun. Anyone else would be grateful, although he had to admit he'd enjoyed putting Kougu through a few minutes of Hell for bringing him here. If he didn't want to be around cheesy American girls, he should have chosen to go to Canada. Screw the States. Let them save the world on their own.
Oh well, they were here now.
But instead of arguing or trying to get his point across, Jimmy just glared at Kougu and said, “Shut up, Kougu.”
Seriously, it was like having an annoying little brother at times. Sometimes Jimmy forgot how clever Kougu really was. Probably more than him, just not in the act of 'socialising'.
“Next time you decide you hate me, let's just go back to our old thing of you trying to shoot me in the face. That would be kinder.”
Jimmy grinned at the memory. Back then violence was all that went on in his head. Thankfully he now knew what life was made of, and guns wasn't it.
They exited the shops and reached the parking lot, where some geezer was stood, leaning against a shining BMW, and was smiling pleasantly a them both. Jimmy wondered who the Hell he was, then when Kougu addressed him, he almost swore out loud.
This car was theirs?
Kougu and the man exchanged pleasantries, but Jimmy just gaped stupidly at the ride as if it were coated in gold. It was beautiful, far nicer than his bumpy ride. He'd only ever seen anything this beautiful on GranTurismo. Goodness knows how fast it could go.
Within seconds, he liked Kougu so much more.
He wandered round to the passenger seat – on the other side, he noticed – and got in, caressing the sleek bonnet as he did so. It was beautiful. He wanted to drive it.
“Jesus, Kougu...” He gasped, eyes wide with amazement. “I'm hanging out with you more often. I don't even care what you say.”

“Jesus, Kougu...” Jimmy gasped, staring around the car's fancy dark interior, “I'm hanging out with you more often. I don't even care what you say.”
"Sure." Kougu replied unenthusiastically, starting up the BMW with a turn of the key. His head was aching, and he really didn't feel like driving, but he didn't exactly trust Jimmy to drive, either. Besides, he was the one who knew where they were going. With that in mind, he fired up the car's GPS, and briefly adjusted the seat, steering wheel and mirrors to suit his tall frame.
Sighing, he rubbed his aching head again, then reached into his pocket, scratching around for his usual pain pills. He knew he probably shouldn't drive after taking one, but he damn sure couldn't do it before. Shaking out a couple of the deadly-looking black capsules, he popped them into his mouth and swallowed them dry, then coughed uncomfortably, pulling a face.
Then, at last, he took the wheel, and pulled out onto the road. He yawned, and fed into the traffic, moving along with the flow as he headed toward their little house on the outskirts of the city. It took about a half hour of driving to get there, but when they arrived, Kougu was pleasantly surprised to find that the house was even bigger up close than it had looked online. It was surrounded with high-security fencing, and Kougu had to punch in a combination code to make the tall metal gate slide open. The driveway snaked through an overgrown garden, grass and weeds poking up through the aging brick patterns. He drove to the end, and opened the garage door with the remote that had been left for him. The door slid up, and he drove in, parking the BMW and killing the engine.
"Well," He muttered, rubbing his head, "Here we are."
At this rate, I don't know what I'll lose first, my life or my mind... Whichever it is, I have a feeling it will be gone long before I even set eyes on my father.

Jimmy took note that Kougu was taking some sort of depressing-looking pills, but he decided not to bring it up. The poor guy probably had all sorts of problems. He didn't want to be rude.
So he set his head back and closed his eyes. The plane ride there had been a dreary one, and those girls had drained whatever energy he had left. Although messing them around had been some fun in itself, as well as making Kougu sweat a bit. Poor guy. But for as long as Jimmy was feeling vengeful things like that would be happening a lot.
Trusting Kougu's driving skills not to crash them into a wall he allowed himself a good half hour of light snoozing, until he finally felt the car roll to a halt and Kougu unclicking his seatbelt.
“Well,” He said, “[/i]Here we are.[/i]”
Having not seen the size or layout of their new home yet, Jimmy grabbed his bag and tiredly climbed out of the BMW, half dragging it along the floor – which was littered with dead leaves, although there weren't many trees around, so he wondered how they'd got there.
Rubbing his eyes tiredly he wandered out of the dark garage, yanking his bag onto his shoulder, then he turned round in search for the front door.
The property's presence was like a whale leaping out of the water, slapping his face with sea water as he raised his head. It was not the pretty little bungalow he was expecting, but more like a mansion, with steel gates that were electrically locked, and the house was surrounded with an overgrown lawn that pulled out onto the driveway. Whoever was the last to rent the house out hadn't had any visiters for at least three years.
“You're really loaded, aren't you?” Jimmy muttered, squinting his tired eyes at the huge mansion towering above him. He was grinning widely. “I've never been even near anything like this before. It's amazing.”
It's not the prettiest, but hell, it's HUGE!

Walking out of the garage, Kougu stepped out into the front garden with Jimmy at his side, swinging the keys on his finger as he headed for the front door, keen to get inside before he was forced to face any more unpleasant surprises. He had just reached the door when Jimmy turned to him, and asked, “You're really loaded, aren't you?” Kougu didn't answer. He wasn't sure how to. Money had never really meant anything to him; his mother had once told him that it was rude to talk about it,  so he tended to live his quiet, humble life without bothering his father's overflowing bank account too much. Although he had to admit, it was useful to have such a vast resource at his disposal when he needed it. Shrugging, he pushed the key into the lock. It slid in stiffly, and after a moment's wiggling, Kougu managed to push the door open with his shoulder - earning himself a bruise in the process. It didn't hurt much, but he knew his whole shoulder would be purple by the morning. He bruised like an old banana.
“I've never been even near anything like this before." Jimmy enthused beside him as he approached the entrance, "It's amazing.”
"It's bigger than I thought." Kougu responded absentmindedly, frowning in concentration as he punched a code into the security system control pad. "But the security here is good, and it's somewhat off the grid, so I thought it could be suitable."
With a polite little beep, the alarm was disarmed, and Kougu took a moment to look around the house at last. It was large and spacious, modestly furnished, and lacked decoration, apart from the odd rug or lamp. The furniture was old, but in good condition, and the house was clean.
"I suppose we'll be staying here a while..." He mused quietly, rubbing his sore head absentmindedly, "You can go ahead and pick a room; make yourself comfortable. I'll..." He cast a glance toward an open door, which seemed to lead to some sort of study. There was a computer on the desk inside. "I'll do some more research, I guess..." He muttered, running his fingers through his thick, dark hair. He looked stressed, but that was nothing new. The lines in his forehead were too deep for his age, and as always, there were bags under his eyes deep enough to carry groceries. But Kougu didn't spare a thought for rest and relaxation. He was thinking about one thing, and one thing only: His own father, the president of the most powerful country in the world. The weight of responsibility rested so heavily on his shoulders, he feared he'd buckle under the pressure.
Another painful throb issued from his head at this point, and Kougu swallowed another pill without thinking, then made a bee-line for the computer. He needed to come up with a plan... To overthrow his father before his power became too great.
If only I'd killed him when I had the chance.

Kougu didn't seem too bothered when he replied, “It's bigger than I thought.” Of course, Jimmy had seen a bit of his house. This one probably wasn't much bigger than the one Kougu lived in. “But the security here is good, and it's somewhat off the grid, so I thought it could be suitable.”
Jimmy raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he said nothing. Kougu was a clever sod, even if sometimes he didn't seem it. He sure had quick thinking on his side.
They both entered the house once he'd punched the PIN into the lock of the door, and Jimmy wandered round to survey the property without needing Kougu's permission first. It was massive. Certainly too big for two people – and one that didn't really go anywhere – but certainly an impressive interior that must have cost at least a quarter of a million even in the state it was in.
The design was fairly old fashioned but it was clean, and everything looked as if it had been untouched for at least a hundred years. The sofa was comfy, the table was made up and the water in the kitchen worked reasonably well, which was always good. Hell, the electricity worked in every room, and there was even a TV in the lounge, although it wasn't a very modern one.
Jimmy wandered up the creaky stairs to check out the bedrooms, and immediately chose the room with the king-sized bed. He'd always wanted one of those.
The beds were all made and looked very jumpable – Jimmy resisted the urge to jump on the mattresses and break them – and he gladly kicked off his cheap trainers and sat on it. The matrress was thicker than it loocked, and he was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to go to sleep there and then.
Then hiss stomach growled with hunger.
Grumbling to himself he left his bag upstairs and sauntered to the kitchen. There was no food besides some tinned beans and cornflakes that had probably been there at least six months. There was also a bottle of beer and half a bottle of milk in the fridge. The milk, surprisingly, was still in date.
Cornflakes it is, then,
He made himself a bowl, then paused, and poured a second one. Kougu was a skinny guy and he hadn't eaten anything for the entire plane journey. If they were going to do something so big as their plan they'd need to be healthy beforehand.
He stuffed a spoonful hungrily into his own mouth before taking both bowls to the study, where Kougu had disappeared to. Then, without any warning he placed the bowl on the desk he sat at, then turned back to his own bowl to stuff his face with more cornflakes.
“Charlie may be alright with you being skinny.” Jimmy told him with a mouth full of food. “But if we're going to do this we need to be fit for it. Don't expect me to wait on you hand and foot, either. This is a one-off.” He swallowed, then nodded towards the bowl. “Eat up.”

By the time Jimmy entered the room, Kougu was so immersed in his research that he didn't even notice. For all of his intelligence,  modern communication technology had never been a strong point of his, and he was struggling considerably to make the Internet divulge the answers he sought. He had just settled down to read another pointless conspiracy blog about 'President Noah', when a startlingly loud clink on the desk beside him made him jump in fright. His eyes darted to the bowl of cornflakes, then followed the arm attached to it to find Jimmy standing there, stuffing his face with cereal.
“Charlie may be alright with you being skinny.” The man mumbled, his voice muffled by his mouthful, “But if we're going to do this we need to be fit for it. Don't expect me to wait on you hand and foot, either. This is a one-off.” Jimmy nodded toward the desk, and Kougu glanced obediently at the crackling bowl of cornflakes waiting there.
“Eat up.”
He hesitated a moment, frowning worriedly at the computer screen, then he shook his head, and picked up the bowl. Jimmy was right, the research could wait. It wasn't like he was getting anywhere, anyway.
Kougu prodded at the cornflakes with his spoon, and at last the tension in his expression softened slightly. He was touched by the gesture. Aside from Charlie and, years ago, his mother, nobody had ever treated him like that. Stirring the cornflakes absentmindedly, he finally looked up at Jimmy, and said simply, "Thanks." It wasn't much, but he meant it.

Then, pushing the stress to the back of his mind for the time being, Kougu ignored his lack of appetite, and managed to force down a spoonful of cornflakes. That was all it took for him to realize just how hungry he was, and the rest went down with considerably less reluctance. Once he had finished, he stood up, and held out a hand to take Jimmy's bowl from him. Truthfully, he felt bad that Jimmy had felt inclined to care for him, and he figured the least he could fo would be to handle the washing up in return.

Once Jimmy saw Kougu try the first spoonful of cornflakes he lost interest, and stuffed his face where he stood, right until there was nothing but a small puddle of milk in the bottom. He rubbed his stomach with a slight pout, and was about to go get a refill, but by this point Kougu had stood up and outstretched a hand, offering to take his bowl. Too stunned to care about his hunger, Jimmy handed the bowl over with a slight smile, mumbling a polite 'thanks' at the gesture.
Still, he followed Kougu to the kitchen to raid the cupboards for more food. There was a half-empty coffee jar with coffee in. That was promising. He also found a bag of popcorn behind the box of cornflakes. How could he not have noticed?
Shrugging, he didn't even bother to check it's 'use by' date and happily tucked in, enjoying the sweet goodness. He'd have to go shopping at some point, but this would do for now.
“So Kougu,” he chewed  at his popcorn, leaning coolly against the work top. “You some sort of ninja, or something?”
He brought it up so light-heartedly he could have equally said 'do you like cheese?' in the exact same tone.
“'Cause I've been thinking about it. Didn't want to ask before in fear of sounding like a complete idiot. But ages ago you knocked me out, without actually having to hit me or anything. You told me it was – what was it - 'keeechooo'. You're also very fast for a guy who looks like he's anorexic.”
For a moment Jimmy thought for about this, munching away at his popcorn, then something occurred to him. His eyes lit up with excitement.
“Tell me you have a Samurai sword.” He grinned at the man like an excitable child. “Go on, tell me.”

Kougu headed back to the kitchen, dropped the two bowls into the sink, and turned on the water, paying little mind to Jimmy rummaging in the cupboards behind him. He had just started washing the bowls when Jimmy walked up, leaning against the work top beside him, and said casually, “So Kougu,You some sort of ninja, or something?”
"What?" He was so surprised that the bowl slipped out of his fingers, and he winced when he heard it hit the sink with a noisy clatter. Flushing guiltily as though he expected a beating, he hurriedly picked it up again, and started scrubbing nervously at it, forgetting about Jimmy's question entirely for a moment.
“'Cause I've been thinking about it." Jimmy continued, as though nothing had happened, "Didn't want to ask before in fear of sounding like a complete idiot. But ages ago you knocked me out, without actually having to hit me or anything. You told me it was – what was it - 'keeechooo'. You're also very fast for a guy who looks like he's anorexic."
"You mean Keichu?" He murmured, glancing at Jimmy as he started drying off the now-clean dishes. "That's-"
“Tell me you have a Samurai sword.” Jimmy interrupted, grinning with such enthusiasm, Kougu couldn't help but smile in response, “Go on, tell me."
"I do." He admitted, "But I didn't bring it with me. I figured it would be a little too big." He dropped the bowls into the drying rack, then turned to Jimmy.
"I'm trained in most fighting styles," He explained, shrugging as if this was the most normal thing in the world. To him, perhaps it was. "What I used on you last time is pressure point fighting. It's a form of martial art that uses the pressure points in the body to achieve certain results, so it relies more on accuracy than on physical strength." Tossing the dishcloth over his shoulder, he walked over to Jimmy, and placed a finger lightly on a point midway down the back of his neck. "This point is 'Keichu'." He explained, "It translates loosely to 'concentration' in English, because this point is directly associated with the part of the brain that controls a person's fine motor skills." He dropped his hand back to his side. "Depending on how hard you strike, you can knock someone out - like I did to you - or, if you strike hard enough to fracture the vertebrae, you can cause paralysis, or even death. It's a fairly useful technique." He shrugged, then turned back to the sink, and began packing away the clean dishes.
"It isn't easy to master, but it's a skill that has served me well at times..." He trailed off, frowning slightly as he dropped the two spoons into a drawer, and slid it slowly shut. Truthfully, he wasn't proud of his training, and even less so of his skills. They were useful to have, sure, but to look upon another human being and know exactly what spot to strike to make their heart stop beating, to him, seemed unnatural at best. Then again, what did he expect? He was a weapon, after all. A tool. He always had been.