Izumo’s POV:
I sat on my bed, my legs curled up towards my chest as Shima observed me, looking at the pile of clothes that were barely assorted on the floor, much less in an actual suitcase. I frowned into my arms, letting out a soft sigh and furrowing my brow, thinking of what I could do. If Mike or Uke- I stopped at that thought, then let out a small, meek whimper that I didn't bother to hide.
With an eyebrow raised, Shima turned towards me, before his eyes softened as he saw my contorting face of grief and vulnerability. I nestled my forehead in my knees, I closed my eyes. "Shima... Why?" I manage to mumble into my legs.
"Eh?" He pondered, looking to me with confused eyes, though instead of the regular blankness that they used to hold, they were filled with emotions that made my chest ache and my stomach twist. "Why what?" He asks softer, plopping down next to me and pecking my temple softly.
"Why... Why did you betray us? Why-why did you-why did you kill them?!" I yell with frustrated and angered tears running down my face, my eyes wide and my figure trembling. "They were-only trying to protect me...and..."
"I know."
"Eh?" I look to the pinkette, who looked at his hands as one leg curled up to his chest, his arm wrapping around it. "What do you know? If you had known that those two were the only living creatures that I had trusted and loved for so long, then would you still have-"
"I know, Izumo." He said with a louder tone, his eyes darkening with regret and self-loath. "I know. I knew that they were people that you loved and cared about... I... I'm so sorry." He mumbles. "I don't know what I can do. If I could-could just go back... Or try to bring them back... I would. But, you see, I'm not as powerful as Nat, or Bon, or Rin or Okumura-sensei. I don't know what I can do, anymore, either." He said quietly, then looks down to his lap.
My eyes soften, and so I let out a weary sigh, but scoot closer and gently rest my chin on his shoulder from behind, wrapping my arms around him, though they only reached his hands.
"Oh?" I could hear Shima's voice lighten from the throaty, saddened one, and so my cheeks flush as I curse under my breath.
"I'm only comforting you, you butt." I mumbled, and turned to the side embarrassed. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" I ask timidly, waiting for an answer.
"How about we talk more over dinner?"
"No."
"How cold."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Shiemi's POV:
"So you're telling me that-that you're trying to break into your old home that you don't have a key for?" I ask with disbelief in my voice, my eyes slightly narrowed as Rin nodded, his hands open and his shoulders shrugging, a sheepish smile on his face. "How does Na-chan even deal with you?" I smile a little amused, but try to keep a serious face on as I start to scold him.
"B-but Shiemi-”
"No buts. Now let go of the door or so help me Rin." I put my hands on my hips, smiling a little more.
"But Shi-chan~" The bluenette whines, and so I huff, Kuro jumping up onto my shoulder to play with Nee. "I'm just tryin' ta get something for Kuro!" He protests, and motions to the cat whose tails were swishing and whipping around, brushing my nose and making me giggle.
"I still blame you." I added hastily as he smiles brightly, and so the look falls back into a saddened, disappointed look. “If you just want the recipe for the catnip wine, I have it in my cookbook. Shiro-san gave it to my mother, and so she gave it to me since I was a Tamer.” I smiled a little more, but then looked at the boy and cat with shock as I saw the look they were giving me.
“N-no!” I stifle a laugh, before looking to the side just as quickly, only to be hugged by the boy from behind, my cheeks immediately burning. Even though it had been a few months now since we had shown our feelings to each other, I still wasn’t used to the feeling of him being mine, as I was his and that he was mine, or him kissing me or giving affection. However, that didn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it.
“Please?” Rin drawled, cuddling him self into my body, and nestling his nose in my neck, inhaling slowly and painfully long. “For your kitty?” He negotiated, even though he knew that my knees were weak and my eyes squeezed shut to not let him interfere with my thoughts.
“No.” I say firmly, and huff lightly, my cheeks puffed up in a valid argument, knowing that he couldn’t continue his own if he saw this. Even so, my eyes softened as I saw Kuro sniffle, and so I picked him up, cuddling him. “Gomene, Kuro. I’ll do it.”
“Hah?! You do it for the cat?!”
“This is for him, isn’t it?” I find myself smiling anyways, Kuro on my shoulder as I started back towards True Cross, Rin, my Rin, behind me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nat's POV:
I lay next to Bon on the roof, and sigh lightly as my hand was in his, my cheeks a soft flushed. Hoshimi fell asleep the last time that I checked on her, and Akiko-San told me that she would check on the blonde. "Oh!" I cried, and pointed to the sky. "Look, look at it." I smile and point to the constellation, then look to Bon, smiling a little more since he had a confused look on his face.
"Which constellation thing is that?" He asks warily, his finger moving in a circle to motion all of it.
"Oh, well... Since it has the three stars right..." I trail off, then take our intertwined hands and point to the three stars that formed a crooked line, then smiled a bit more. "-there." I then feel warmth envelope my heart as I look down at the boy, but shake it off. I can't, he's not immortal. Neither were my family or familiars, and that's why Satan had so easily-
"Since it's almost June now, are you excited for Summer vacation?" Bon asks, and then smiles sheepishly, seeing my startled gaze. "Oh, um, sorry. I didn't know you were-"
"-thinking..." I mumble, then blush deeply as I realize that I finished his sentence for him. "A-sorry for interrupting!" I yelp, and blush deeper, stuttering for words as steam emanated from the top of my head with rising blood.
"It's okay, don't worry about it." He tries to assure me, so I nod and rub the back of my head with a flustered and embarrassed smile. "So are you going anywhere for Summer vacation?" He asks, but has a crestfallen expression as I nod. When I notice this, he immediately regathered himself and looks to the side with a huff. "It's not like I had plans..." He mumbled, running a hand through his bleached hair.
"I-um well... I was planning on just staying here and taking care of Rin and Yukio, and Hoshimi said she already had plans when I asked. What're you doing?" I murmur, my voice lowering with shyness and so I look to my toes that dangled off the edge of the roof, as we were near the ground so we could jump down easily if we needed to.
"Oh, well... I wanted to try and go home to see if I could maybe talk with my parents, and..." He let the sentence die in his throat, but he let out a soft sound of surprise as I wrapped my arms around him, my head buried in his neck. "N-Nat-"
"I'm really proud of you, Ryūji." I whisper to him, and smile more as he just shifts, pulling me closer and crushing me against his chest, resting his chin on my head.
"I'm proud of you too, Nat."
