Yusuke's promise.
Who: Yusuke and Kurama.
Where: Yusuke's apartment.
When: Wednesday January 31st.
Summary: Kurama goes to Yusuke's house, in the correct moment.
The apartment complex was silent, naturally, most of the residents would be working, and the elderly, sleeping. Find the Mazoku descendant who had chosen to isolate himself and ignore his responsibilities...probably Yusuke wasn't aware of the fights awaiting for him. Kurama had chosen to silently abandon school that day, everything to catch Yusuke in the moment when he could not escape. He paced through the silent corridors of the building and halted before the door. The odor of alcohol reeked from the door. Kurama could easily guess Atsuko-san had been busy the previous night, and Yusuke was probably sleeping. Knocking on the door would be futile, but he attempted nonetheless.
Despite the strong scent of alcohol clinging to the walls and furniture, Yusuke slept peacefully that afternoon with a white sheet draped over his frame and his face more or less buried in the comfort of his pillow. Obsidian locks had been washed the night before, thus free of gel. The knocking went unheard as Atsuko snoozed on the couch in the living room, and the boy's bedroom door was shut and locked so that the sound could not reach him. Especially not in such a deep sleep.
Kurama knew the sound had fallen upon deaf ears, but he lost nothing just by trying. He shook his head smiling to himself, at his own knowledge of the boy. Assuring no one was watching, the redhead picked a leaf from a potted plant decorating the corridor's corner. With his youki, he coaxed the soft leaf to stiffen into a lockpick and silently introduced it into the keyhole. A couple of turns and twists was enough to defeat it. The locks of the human world were nothing compared to the mighty ones protecting vaults, treasures and secrets.
The apartment that would greet the redhead was littered with liquor bottles of an impressive variety. They were strewn about the floor and tables, along with cigarettes lying in ash trays and the occasional garment of clothing lying about. The brunette mother of the half-demon was passed out on the couch, the occasional murmur leaving her lips as she dreamt.
The scenery didn't surprise him, since the scent he had perceived described it quite clearly. Chuckling to himself, the redhead stepped inside, silently closing the door after him. He picked the garment and placed it on a nearby couch, Yusuke's room had to be the locked door at the end of the corridor. So he approached, evading the bottles and the ashes. Once more, he knocked on the door, respecting Yusuke's privacy.
Yusuke grumbled inaudibly as the sound of the knocking invaded the plot of whatever dream played through his mind. Turning, he now faced the wall that his bed sat against and proceeded to ignore reality in favor of continuing sweet slumber.
He stared at the door for sometime, easily guessing Yusuke had chosen to ignore it, therefore, no need to waste more time. Kurama reached for the lockpick once more, and managed to unlock the door, stepping inside, closing the door after doing so. "Good afternoon, Yusuke..." he mused calmly not seeking to startle the other. Yet.
Groaning and coming to lay on his stomach, the boy's large brown eyes cracked open while the bottom half of his face remained buried in his pillow. Groggy chocolate optics regarded Kurama with dull consideration before the life seemed to return to his features, and he rose to sit, blinking. "Kurama...?" came the tired inquiry. "What are you doing here?"
"I promised I would visit you, remember?" He smiled nonchalantly as he approached to the window. "The air is dense ... seems you have not opened the window in... weeks. Even a cavern has more fresh air ..." Kurama reached for the handle of the window.
"Agh!" In anticipation of an open window and, ultimately, the cold wind that would invade his bedroom, Yusuke pulled the bed sheet over his body to shield his naked torso. While he wore a pair of pajama bottoms, his arms, chest and abdomen would be exposed to the chill. And that was always one hell of a rude awakening. "I don't remember," was his muffled reply.
"...I should have imagined," he murmured in defeat glancing back at Yusuke as the boy shifted under the sheets. "It is alright... I will open it once you change clothes, unless you prefer I do it now... of course." The redhead was secretly rushing to other to wake up, or face the chilly air in that state. It was for the best, though.
A hand appeared from beneath the cover and groped at thin air before finding a pile of folded clothing that sat on a chair at his bedside. Grabbing a plan white T-shirt that was lying on the top, he pulled the garment back under the sheet with him and pulled it on. Once assured that he would be warm enough, Yusuke reappeared to sit on the edge of his bed. One fist rubbed against his eye as if to rid the boy's vision of whatever sleep remained. "You can open it now."
Kurama smiled pleased with the result and opened the window. A gust of wintry air filled the room cleansing with fresh, renewed oxygen. "It feels better..." The redhead turned back to Yusuke giving him a faint smile. The noon sunlight was fragile in winter as the petals of a dandelion. "...Now that you are awake... I would like to talk to you." His demeanor had changed smoothly, into a serious ones.
"Yeah?" He was alert now that those words had reached his ears, along with the other's expression and evident need for sincerity. Yusuke placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, hands hanging lazily in the air.
The air continued to enter the room toying with his hair, he folded his arms over his chest and locked his gaze in the other firmly. "Yuusuke... I wonder why have you been avoiding us. I was convinced you would enjoy this mission since it granted you the opportunity to fight your old foes with new skills."
"Well...yeah," he said, averting his eyes while rubbing the back of his neck. In truth, fighting old foes with new skills offered little motivation to the boy. It only meant he was stronger, while he could only assume those he had defeated before were around the same level after returning from Hell. And what challenge could that truly offer? This was only one of several reasons he'd been away, however. "I haven't really meant to be away so much," he lied.
Kurama allowed a sigh to escape through his lips. "...I wonder if you do not trust me as you used to. Before you used to be more sincere," his eyes closed as he turned back to close the door. It was unnecessary to leave it open for so long.
The boy couldn't help but frown, perhaps feeling a twinge of guilt at the subtle accusation. Yusuke didn't necessarily lie out of lack of trust, even though the two were not as close as before. Though he could admit that this was, truthfully, his own fault. More, he evaded the truth because even he was unsure of it. "You know I trust you, Kurama..."
"Yusuke... then tell me why have isolated yourself from everyone else? It worries me, because Yomi and his allies ....already know this. And without you, they see our group is fragile. Therefore... we are not even an opponent to them." His voice was calm, paused yet filled with sincerity, Yusuke could tell Kurama was worried. "Each day I as myself if they will attack us during class time... I doubt if we will return alive or not."
Yusuke watched the floor for a moment. This was as good a reason as any to return to school. He'd been thoughtless... If his teammates were in danger, then he was obligated to return. "I don't even know who all is there," he confessed in regards to the 'teachers'.
"I can give you a detailed summary of what I have obtained so far aside of a broken arm," he gave Yusuke the ghost of a smug smile. But the redhead was pleased to see his friend had decided to help him. Now he just needed to be sure Yusuke kept his word. Not he doubted but he couldn't gamble.
He gave a nod, wanting to know what he could in order to establish a better understanding of the situation. Not that he meant to formulate a plan. He rarely did. "Fill me in on what you can and I'll be back at school tomorrow."
Kurama offered him a soft smile, seeming renewed in enthusiasm. "As you know, several of our old foes have managed to escape from their respective Hells. Koenma is not certain how many ...or who exactly, have managed to escape. But I have obtained some information with the help of some of our old...friends." He hesitated his statement for a moment, but they were allies... the word friend was far from what Shishiwakamaru had become. "Yomi... Karasu... Youda and UraUrashima have been identified. ...Yomi alone is dangerous enough... just imagine ...how intricate the situation is, if you add a number of unknown enemies."
Yusuke nodded again as the names were listed off, each adding to the metaphorical weight that began to lower onto his shoulders, their shoulders, everyone's shoulders. This was a bigger mission than he'd initially thought. If nothing else, it made the thought of going to school more exciting. "Right."
It was amazing how the amusement in Yusuke's demeanor grew as soon as he mused the names of those demons. While they represented a huge responsibility to him, for Yusuke, they were promising opponents. "..Heh," the kitsune smiled again, casting his gaze to the floor. "But we cannot attack them until we manage to individualize more of our enemies, that is why we have been observing. Just hope that does not dissuade you"
"Nah, I'll still come," he assured with a dismissive wave of his hand. True, patience was a trait he was not profoundly endowed in, but that was why he had smarter people on his team to help in the subjects that kept him less enthused. Like--obviously--observing for extended periods of time. Analyzing.
Kurama gave him a slight nod , satisfied with Yusuke's words. "So I have your word, right?" The kitsune prodded once more, just to be certain the other would remember. Yusuke wasn't someone who would break a promise, even if he did not want to ask any further, the whole situation was too complicated for him to be gone.
This time he chuckled. Kurama seemed to doubt him, or at least that was what Yusuke gathered, but he still felt a slight twinge of amusement at the other's prodding. "Yes, Kurama. I promise I'll go back."
"I apologize..." He mused as he turned back to glance through the window, emerald eyes unfocused down in the street, or perhaps in city extending ahead. "But I cannot prevent myself from being dubious." The other could tell Kurama was being incredibly cautious, he did not know the true strength of his enemy, therefore he was worried.
"It's fine." His last school encounter, if memory served, was with the assistant Tetsuya. After that he'd begun to fade more and more, unintentionally at first, though it had meshed into more of a...conscious effort to keep away. "Just let me know what our next class is and I'll be there."
"Eight in the morning, just like in all schools." Kurama turned back to face the other, his expression had changed mildly, with Yusuke's promise he felt more relaxed. "One more...thing.
...Do you know what day is today?"
"..." He stared at Kurama while thinking of the answer. Yusuke could recall Atsuko telling him she had a party to go to on a Sunday night, which had been two or three nights ago. So it had to be... "Wednesday."
The redhead sighed, he should have known. "At least... can you recall the date?" He asked again, offering Yusuke the ghost of a sly smile.
Well, he'd heard people mention that it was close to February. Now the boy's only dilemma was whether January had thirty-one or thirty days. "The thirty..." And then it quite abruptly hit him, like a smack to the face. "...Pleeeease tell me there's not a certain birthday for a certain someone."
Kurama grinned at Yusuke's last words, evidently telling him it was. "Probably you can imagine now,.. conflicts within couples are, most of the times, led by infidelity ...and irresponsibility..." he trailed off with the same expression lingering in his face.
Groaning, Yusuke covered his face with his hands and fell back onto his bed. "Shoot me," he muttered. Keiko thought him enough of a screw up without him forgetting her birthday. Well...perhaps a break up was inevitable. This would most likely be the last straw for her.
He stared at Yusuke as the other fell back to his bed. "Perhaps it is not too late, but only you know the true status of your relationship. I may know some details... but it is not enough to give proper advise"
Still lying, he turned his head a fraction to be able to see Kurama and sighed softly. "You think I should give up...? I care about her and everything, but there always seems to be more problems than anything."
"You have known each other for years... I have befriended both of you... so many things have happened since that day. I also understand your life changed when your Mazoku lineage was revealed... to be sincere I would not like you did, that is why I reminded you of her birthday." His arms folded over his chest as he leaned back against the wall, staring at him.
Yusuke nodded in understanding. He'd wanted the opinion of another, someone who thought logically and could offer their opinion of what might be best. Still, it was Keiko's decision that mattered in the end. And he couldn't know what she meant to do with him. "I'll try. If she'll talk to me."
"Perhaps you could let her know you actually remembered, and leave the conversation for a later opportunity, basically because now she is too sensible and might over-react." The mind and the body were not that different after all. The perception after a great pain would be distorted. The same happened with anger, grief and a broken heart. Only time would heal that 'injury'.
"So I should say 'happy birthday' and let it hang to be finished another time?" He sounded incredulous. Not that he wanted to deal with a conflict, but he sincerely doubted she'd want to talk another time if he found her at all.
"Not really, but you could leave her a letter or a ..gift." Kurama hesitated when thinking in the second option, because he could be so clearly inviting Yusuke to steal something. As long as Keiko remained blissfully unaware nothing could go wrong.
A gift... He lit up at that, thinking exactly what Kurama feared. Why not nag something for her? "Thank, Kurama," the boy said. "I think I'll try to get a hold of her. Get her something."
Kurama chuckled softly as if he could sense the mischief in Yusuke's voice. "Whatever you do, try to succeed without getting caught," he teased. Keiko would be furious...
"Don't worry, I won't," he said. Yes, Keiko would be furious if she discovered that he'd stolen something. But, as they said, it's the thought that counts.
He gave Yusuke his trademark smile as he paced to the opposite side of the room. "School will end in ten minutes and I need to return home in time." It was not necessary to mention he had avoided school that day. However, he planned to pretend he had attended.
"Okay." Rising from the mattress, he stretched, arching his back until several cracks resounded before straightening and flashing a grin of his own. "See ya tomorrow at school?"
"Certainly," he replied through a soft nod. he made his way out of the apartment, avoiding the scattered bottles, and ashtrays. Clearly, Yusuke was not going to be the one to clean it. Atsuko was another story, but she was not in the state to do it. Whenever she awakened, who knew. "Your mother would be astonished yet pleased if you cleaned the floor," he advised discretely.
"Yeah, but she hates surprises," he retorted. Him, clean? Hah! Kurama shared a very different relationship with Shiori than Yusuke did with Atsuko.
"She will be more surprised when rats run freely," he trailed off smiling as he picked the doorknob. "Though... I am just trying to help you."
"I'll think about it," Yusuke said, tone light and hinted with laughter. After waving his hand in a lazy goodbye, he nodded his head 'goodbye' and shut the door. Cleaning....well, the least he could do was pick up the bottles and cigarettes.
Where: Yusuke's apartment.
When: Wednesday January 31st.
Summary: Kurama goes to Yusuke's house, in the correct moment.
The apartment complex was silent, naturally, most of the residents would be working, and the elderly, sleeping. Find the Mazoku descendant who had chosen to isolate himself and ignore his responsibilities...probably Yusuke wasn't aware of the fights awaiting for him. Kurama had chosen to silently abandon school that day, everything to catch Yusuke in the moment when he could not escape. He paced through the silent corridors of the building and halted before the door. The odor of alcohol reeked from the door. Kurama could easily guess Atsuko-san had been busy the previous night, and Yusuke was probably sleeping. Knocking on the door would be futile, but he attempted nonetheless.
Despite the strong scent of alcohol clinging to the walls and furniture, Yusuke slept peacefully that afternoon with a white sheet draped over his frame and his face more or less buried in the comfort of his pillow. Obsidian locks had been washed the night before, thus free of gel. The knocking went unheard as Atsuko snoozed on the couch in the living room, and the boy's bedroom door was shut and locked so that the sound could not reach him. Especially not in such a deep sleep.
Kurama knew the sound had fallen upon deaf ears, but he lost nothing just by trying. He shook his head smiling to himself, at his own knowledge of the boy. Assuring no one was watching, the redhead picked a leaf from a potted plant decorating the corridor's corner. With his youki, he coaxed the soft leaf to stiffen into a lockpick and silently introduced it into the keyhole. A couple of turns and twists was enough to defeat it. The locks of the human world were nothing compared to the mighty ones protecting vaults, treasures and secrets.
The apartment that would greet the redhead was littered with liquor bottles of an impressive variety. They were strewn about the floor and tables, along with cigarettes lying in ash trays and the occasional garment of clothing lying about. The brunette mother of the half-demon was passed out on the couch, the occasional murmur leaving her lips as she dreamt.
The scenery didn't surprise him, since the scent he had perceived described it quite clearly. Chuckling to himself, the redhead stepped inside, silently closing the door after him. He picked the garment and placed it on a nearby couch, Yusuke's room had to be the locked door at the end of the corridor. So he approached, evading the bottles and the ashes. Once more, he knocked on the door, respecting Yusuke's privacy.
Yusuke grumbled inaudibly as the sound of the knocking invaded the plot of whatever dream played through his mind. Turning, he now faced the wall that his bed sat against and proceeded to ignore reality in favor of continuing sweet slumber.
He stared at the door for sometime, easily guessing Yusuke had chosen to ignore it, therefore, no need to waste more time. Kurama reached for the lockpick once more, and managed to unlock the door, stepping inside, closing the door after doing so. "Good afternoon, Yusuke..." he mused calmly not seeking to startle the other. Yet.
Groaning and coming to lay on his stomach, the boy's large brown eyes cracked open while the bottom half of his face remained buried in his pillow. Groggy chocolate optics regarded Kurama with dull consideration before the life seemed to return to his features, and he rose to sit, blinking. "Kurama...?" came the tired inquiry. "What are you doing here?"
"I promised I would visit you, remember?" He smiled nonchalantly as he approached to the window. "The air is dense ... seems you have not opened the window in... weeks. Even a cavern has more fresh air ..." Kurama reached for the handle of the window.
"Agh!" In anticipation of an open window and, ultimately, the cold wind that would invade his bedroom, Yusuke pulled the bed sheet over his body to shield his naked torso. While he wore a pair of pajama bottoms, his arms, chest and abdomen would be exposed to the chill. And that was always one hell of a rude awakening. "I don't remember," was his muffled reply.
"...I should have imagined," he murmured in defeat glancing back at Yusuke as the boy shifted under the sheets. "It is alright... I will open it once you change clothes, unless you prefer I do it now... of course." The redhead was secretly rushing to other to wake up, or face the chilly air in that state. It was for the best, though.
A hand appeared from beneath the cover and groped at thin air before finding a pile of folded clothing that sat on a chair at his bedside. Grabbing a plan white T-shirt that was lying on the top, he pulled the garment back under the sheet with him and pulled it on. Once assured that he would be warm enough, Yusuke reappeared to sit on the edge of his bed. One fist rubbed against his eye as if to rid the boy's vision of whatever sleep remained. "You can open it now."
Kurama smiled pleased with the result and opened the window. A gust of wintry air filled the room cleansing with fresh, renewed oxygen. "It feels better..." The redhead turned back to Yusuke giving him a faint smile. The noon sunlight was fragile in winter as the petals of a dandelion. "...Now that you are awake... I would like to talk to you." His demeanor had changed smoothly, into a serious ones.
"Yeah?" He was alert now that those words had reached his ears, along with the other's expression and evident need for sincerity. Yusuke placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, hands hanging lazily in the air.
The air continued to enter the room toying with his hair, he folded his arms over his chest and locked his gaze in the other firmly. "Yuusuke... I wonder why have you been avoiding us. I was convinced you would enjoy this mission since it granted you the opportunity to fight your old foes with new skills."
"Well...yeah," he said, averting his eyes while rubbing the back of his neck. In truth, fighting old foes with new skills offered little motivation to the boy. It only meant he was stronger, while he could only assume those he had defeated before were around the same level after returning from Hell. And what challenge could that truly offer? This was only one of several reasons he'd been away, however. "I haven't really meant to be away so much," he lied.
Kurama allowed a sigh to escape through his lips. "...I wonder if you do not trust me as you used to. Before you used to be more sincere," his eyes closed as he turned back to close the door. It was unnecessary to leave it open for so long.
The boy couldn't help but frown, perhaps feeling a twinge of guilt at the subtle accusation. Yusuke didn't necessarily lie out of lack of trust, even though the two were not as close as before. Though he could admit that this was, truthfully, his own fault. More, he evaded the truth because even he was unsure of it. "You know I trust you, Kurama..."
"Yusuke... then tell me why have isolated yourself from everyone else? It worries me, because Yomi and his allies ....already know this. And without you, they see our group is fragile. Therefore... we are not even an opponent to them." His voice was calm, paused yet filled with sincerity, Yusuke could tell Kurama was worried. "Each day I as myself if they will attack us during class time... I doubt if we will return alive or not."
Yusuke watched the floor for a moment. This was as good a reason as any to return to school. He'd been thoughtless... If his teammates were in danger, then he was obligated to return. "I don't even know who all is there," he confessed in regards to the 'teachers'.
"I can give you a detailed summary of what I have obtained so far aside of a broken arm," he gave Yusuke the ghost of a smug smile. But the redhead was pleased to see his friend had decided to help him. Now he just needed to be sure Yusuke kept his word. Not he doubted but he couldn't gamble.
He gave a nod, wanting to know what he could in order to establish a better understanding of the situation. Not that he meant to formulate a plan. He rarely did. "Fill me in on what you can and I'll be back at school tomorrow."
Kurama offered him a soft smile, seeming renewed in enthusiasm. "As you know, several of our old foes have managed to escape from their respective Hells. Koenma is not certain how many ...or who exactly, have managed to escape. But I have obtained some information with the help of some of our old...friends." He hesitated his statement for a moment, but they were allies... the word friend was far from what Shishiwakamaru had become. "Yomi... Karasu... Youda and UraUrashima have been identified. ...Yomi alone is dangerous enough... just imagine ...how intricate the situation is, if you add a number of unknown enemies."
Yusuke nodded again as the names were listed off, each adding to the metaphorical weight that began to lower onto his shoulders, their shoulders, everyone's shoulders. This was a bigger mission than he'd initially thought. If nothing else, it made the thought of going to school more exciting. "Right."
It was amazing how the amusement in Yusuke's demeanor grew as soon as he mused the names of those demons. While they represented a huge responsibility to him, for Yusuke, they were promising opponents. "..Heh," the kitsune smiled again, casting his gaze to the floor. "But we cannot attack them until we manage to individualize more of our enemies, that is why we have been observing. Just hope that does not dissuade you"
"Nah, I'll still come," he assured with a dismissive wave of his hand. True, patience was a trait he was not profoundly endowed in, but that was why he had smarter people on his team to help in the subjects that kept him less enthused. Like--obviously--observing for extended periods of time. Analyzing.
Kurama gave him a slight nod , satisfied with Yusuke's words. "So I have your word, right?" The kitsune prodded once more, just to be certain the other would remember. Yusuke wasn't someone who would break a promise, even if he did not want to ask any further, the whole situation was too complicated for him to be gone.
This time he chuckled. Kurama seemed to doubt him, or at least that was what Yusuke gathered, but he still felt a slight twinge of amusement at the other's prodding. "Yes, Kurama. I promise I'll go back."
"I apologize..." He mused as he turned back to glance through the window, emerald eyes unfocused down in the street, or perhaps in city extending ahead. "But I cannot prevent myself from being dubious." The other could tell Kurama was being incredibly cautious, he did not know the true strength of his enemy, therefore he was worried.
"It's fine." His last school encounter, if memory served, was with the assistant Tetsuya. After that he'd begun to fade more and more, unintentionally at first, though it had meshed into more of a...conscious effort to keep away. "Just let me know what our next class is and I'll be there."
"Eight in the morning, just like in all schools." Kurama turned back to face the other, his expression had changed mildly, with Yusuke's promise he felt more relaxed. "One more...thing.
...Do you know what day is today?"
"..." He stared at Kurama while thinking of the answer. Yusuke could recall Atsuko telling him she had a party to go to on a Sunday night, which had been two or three nights ago. So it had to be... "Wednesday."
The redhead sighed, he should have known. "At least... can you recall the date?" He asked again, offering Yusuke the ghost of a sly smile.
Well, he'd heard people mention that it was close to February. Now the boy's only dilemma was whether January had thirty-one or thirty days. "The thirty..." And then it quite abruptly hit him, like a smack to the face. "...Pleeeease tell me there's not a certain birthday for a certain someone."
Kurama grinned at Yusuke's last words, evidently telling him it was. "Probably you can imagine now,.. conflicts within couples are, most of the times, led by infidelity ...and irresponsibility..." he trailed off with the same expression lingering in his face.
Groaning, Yusuke covered his face with his hands and fell back onto his bed. "Shoot me," he muttered. Keiko thought him enough of a screw up without him forgetting her birthday. Well...perhaps a break up was inevitable. This would most likely be the last straw for her.
He stared at Yusuke as the other fell back to his bed. "Perhaps it is not too late, but only you know the true status of your relationship. I may know some details... but it is not enough to give proper advise"
Still lying, he turned his head a fraction to be able to see Kurama and sighed softly. "You think I should give up...? I care about her and everything, but there always seems to be more problems than anything."
"You have known each other for years... I have befriended both of you... so many things have happened since that day. I also understand your life changed when your Mazoku lineage was revealed... to be sincere I would not like you did, that is why I reminded you of her birthday." His arms folded over his chest as he leaned back against the wall, staring at him.
Yusuke nodded in understanding. He'd wanted the opinion of another, someone who thought logically and could offer their opinion of what might be best. Still, it was Keiko's decision that mattered in the end. And he couldn't know what she meant to do with him. "I'll try. If she'll talk to me."
"Perhaps you could let her know you actually remembered, and leave the conversation for a later opportunity, basically because now she is too sensible and might over-react." The mind and the body were not that different after all. The perception after a great pain would be distorted. The same happened with anger, grief and a broken heart. Only time would heal that 'injury'.
"So I should say 'happy birthday' and let it hang to be finished another time?" He sounded incredulous. Not that he wanted to deal with a conflict, but he sincerely doubted she'd want to talk another time if he found her at all.
"Not really, but you could leave her a letter or a ..gift." Kurama hesitated when thinking in the second option, because he could be so clearly inviting Yusuke to steal something. As long as Keiko remained blissfully unaware nothing could go wrong.
A gift... He lit up at that, thinking exactly what Kurama feared. Why not nag something for her? "Thank, Kurama," the boy said. "I think I'll try to get a hold of her. Get her something."
Kurama chuckled softly as if he could sense the mischief in Yusuke's voice. "Whatever you do, try to succeed without getting caught," he teased. Keiko would be furious...
"Don't worry, I won't," he said. Yes, Keiko would be furious if she discovered that he'd stolen something. But, as they said, it's the thought that counts.
He gave Yusuke his trademark smile as he paced to the opposite side of the room. "School will end in ten minutes and I need to return home in time." It was not necessary to mention he had avoided school that day. However, he planned to pretend he had attended.
"Okay." Rising from the mattress, he stretched, arching his back until several cracks resounded before straightening and flashing a grin of his own. "See ya tomorrow at school?"
"Certainly," he replied through a soft nod. he made his way out of the apartment, avoiding the scattered bottles, and ashtrays. Clearly, Yusuke was not going to be the one to clean it. Atsuko was another story, but she was not in the state to do it. Whenever she awakened, who knew. "Your mother would be astonished yet pleased if you cleaned the floor," he advised discretely.
"Yeah, but she hates surprises," he retorted. Him, clean? Hah! Kurama shared a very different relationship with Shiori than Yusuke did with Atsuko.
"She will be more surprised when rats run freely," he trailed off smiling as he picked the doorknob. "Though... I am just trying to help you."
"I'll think about it," Yusuke said, tone light and hinted with laughter. After waving his hand in a lazy goodbye, he nodded his head 'goodbye' and shut the door. Cleaning....well, the least he could do was pick up the bottles and cigarettes.