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So maybe becoming a bus driver hadn’t been Narumi’s first career choice. Or second. Or third. Or hundredth.
Whatever. What mattered was that he hadn’t thought that his days would be spent carting people around while they go about their own lives. It was weird to think about, that Narumi used to have one of those. Now his life was the smell of diesel, of wet pavement and wet passengers, of booze and mud. The sound of idle chatter, people talking on their phones or to each other, occasionally the sound of a fight breaking out. Those used to be some of Narumi’s favorite days, when he got to get in between a fight and stop it, and maybe even let himself get punched so he could throw one of his own. It used to make him feel something.
But now it doesn’t make him feel anything. Not now that he can’t help but remember what happened last time he let himself get punched.
The sound of raised voices was like music to Narumi’s ears. Pulling over as soon as it was remotely safe to do so, Narumi let himself out of the driver’s compartment and into the bus proper. He suppressed a manic sort of grin, knowing that he couldn’t overplay his hand so early. If the agitators saw him smiling like some sort of nutcase, they might stop fighting before he got to the fun part.
Sure enough, the majority of the passengers were turned around in their seats to watch the drama unfold at the back of the bus. There was an older man, clearly drunk off his ass, and a man closer to Narumi’s age. He couldn’t really see the younger man yet, as he was mostly obscured by the older man he was arguing with. All he could really parse was dark hair, washed out by the harsh bus lighting, and a shorter but athletic build. He looked like he could throw a decent punch, and the thought almost set Narumi’s grin free.
A woman grabbed his sleeve as he passed, quietly explaining that the drunk man had been bothering a group of teen girls— he looked up and saw the group immediately, still in their school uniforms— and that the younger man had come to their defense. It had clearly escalated beyond that, with the older man clumsily trying to shove the younger, who stood firm.
The situation dimmed his excitement, now just focused on getting the drunkard off his bus and away from those girls. He’d have someone call to have the police come pick the bastard up, though Narumi doubted they’d be able to actually charge the guy with anything.
Finally making his way to the action, Narumi grabbed the older man by the shoulder, yanking him back. He stepped in front of the guy, about to tell the younger man that he’d take it from there, when he realized his mistake. He’d stopped watching the girls’ self-appointed protector. All Narumi had a chance to clock was righteously angry eyes, set into the most gorgeous face he’d ever had the pleasure of seeing, right before the man’s fist connected with his face.
The memory alone was enough to get a smile out of Narumi, even all these years later. Hardly a good first impression, but it did certainly leave an impression. On Narumi’s face. In the shape of the rings Hoshina wore.
Reaching a hand up from the steering wheel to the curve of his smile, Narumi liked to imagine he could still feel the dents, like Hoshina had permanently marked him in some physical, tangible way.
His route passed by uneventfully, people getting on and off, the occasional nod of greeting or parting thanks thrown his way. Their faces blurred together, even the ones he’s pretty sure took this bus every day. Narumi just didn’t have space in his head for them. Half his thoughts went to making sure the bus pulled up to each stop safely and quickly, and the half was reserved for memories.
As he pulled up to another stop, his eye caught on a particular bar and Narumi was lost again.
Narumi was lost. Hopelessly so. Checking his phone again, he stifled a curse. He was late, and he still didn’t have a chance in hell of finding the damn bar.
Hoshina was going to think he’d been stood up, and it was all because of his janky fucking GPS. It kept telling him he was there, but the marker on the app was hovering over a convenience store, one he’d entered and exited and loitered around upwards of twenty times in as many minutes.
He should’ve just told Hoshina that they could meet at a café or something, or better yet they should’ve exchanged numbers instead of just names. Narumi was fumbling easily the most attractive man he’d ever met— somewhat unfortunate haircut notwithstanding— and he’d have to go home feeling like the biggest idiot in the world. Bigger even then when he’d fumbled joining the military and became a bus driver.
“Narumi? Are you gonna come inside or was the plan just to pace out here all night?” Hoshina called out from somewhere behind him, and Narumi whipped around to face the man.
He was leaning out of a tiny door sandwiched between the convenience store and the closed beauty salon next door, amusement coloring his features. When Narumi didn’t respond— still at a loss for words— Hoshina huffed out another laugh.
“Oh come on, I didn’t hit you that hard. Follow me, I still owe you a drink for breaking your nose. And apparently scrambling your brains~”
Narumi found his words again, scoffing. “You didn’t break my nose and you know it, bowl cut.”
Hoshina’s laugh followed them up the stairs to the— very well hidden— bar.
Parked in a darkened lot, Narumi cursed government-mandated breaks.
He understood why they existed, but these days driving around getting lost in his thoughts was his only respite. It was the times that he was forced to stop, to wait, that the bad memories overtook the good ones. Memories of rainy days, of screeching tires, of black umbrellas and tears and flowers. That wasn’t what Narumi wanted to think about.
And then a stray cat walked right up to his bus door, meowing loudly at him. Narumi smiled. Impatient little thing. This particular stray must live somewhere around this lot, because it came and begged for food whenever Narumi took his break here. Its black fur absorbed the light emitted from the nearby clubs, giving the cat a purple sheen that tugged harshly at his heartstrings. Maybe that was why Narumi kept bringing food with him when he knew he’d be taking this route.
With a smile, he opened the bus door and let the stray in. Just for a minute.
Narumi wasn’t a cat person.
He didn’t dislike the animals, they were smart and he knew they could be cuddly, but when he’d pictured his future there had never been a cat there.
And he certainly hadn’t envisioned a cat like Ten. Not even in his worst nightmares could he have thought up that creature.
Hoshina had apparently saved the thing from some sort of underground kitty fighting ring, and Narumi wasn’t inclined to doubt him, looking at the scars the thing had. And the eye, or rather, the lack thereof. Patches of hair that would likely never grow back, a crooked tail, and several missing claws. The thing was a mess, but Hoshina looked at the damn thing like it was a prize winning show cat.
Not to mention the attitude. The cat had some serious bloodlust, and it was only after visiting Hoshina nearly every day for two months that Ten stopped dropping down on him for the attack as soon as he entered the door. Though of course, the cat was perfect for Hoshina, affectionate and playful in a way that didn’t end with Hoshina’s hands torn to ribbons.
Not that Narumi could really blame the thing, as Hoshina had had the exact same effect on him. It was almost uncomfortable how similar he was to the damn cat, both of them taken out of survival situations and effortlessly tamed by Hoshina’s deft hand. Stifling a laugh, Narumi mentally remarked that Hoshina just really liked taking in charity cases.
He got his reaction completely under wraps as soon as Hoshina stirred against his chest. After a second of keeping his breathing even, the man settled again. The early morning sunbeams were painting Hoshina in a soft light, and Narumi wanted to enjoy it just a bit more before he had to wake the beast curled up snoozing around their tangled legs. Starting off his days with a bite to his calves from Ten would’ve sounded like hell to anyone else, but it was almost miraculous the things one could get used to. Well… given the right motivation of course, Narumi thought as he brushed a gentle hand through Hoshina’s hair.
The cat was pushing at Narumi’s hand insistently, and he let out a slow sigh. He was at the point where part of him wished Ten’s scratches had left scars. The closest thing was some scattered white dots on his calves in the shape of misaligned pointy teeth. It was weirdly comforting, but not something to cry over in his bed at night. Or ever. Crying wasn’t his thing.
Crying was for people who couldn’t help but broadcast their pain, their weakness, to others.
Letting his head thunk backward, Narumi scolded himself. Those were the kinds of thoughts that got him into trouble. And he didn’t even believe them, not anymore anyway.
The sound of the mug shattering in the sink rings through Narumi’s ears, and he has to resist the urge to scoff.
“Really Hoshina? We’re acting like children now? What’s next, you gonna stomp your feet and call me a doodoo head?” Narumi bit out, a mean laugh coloring his words in an ugly way.
The words stop Hoshina short, bringing him to a deathly still. If Narumi was thinking clearly, he’d see the warning signs from a mile away. But unfortunately, Narumi had never been good at backing down.
Turning around with the sort of detached grace only those who are truly furious can achieve, Hoshina fixed him with a flat look.
“Do you truly not get why I’m upset?” He asked, seeming like he was mere seconds away from throwing a punch. Good. Maybe after that they could move past this. Maybe Hoshina throwing that punch would feel better than the itching thought in the back of his mind saying he was in the wrong here.
Narumi didn’t hold back his scoff this time.
..
It’s here that the memory fractures. Because for the life of him, Narumi cannot remember why they were fighting. The therapist he’d seen only once, at Hoshina’s mother’s request, had had a lot to say about that. But Narumi just blamed a faulty memory, and the steady erasure of everything in time.
What he didn’t tell the therapist is that he really only remembered the next bit. But it played in his mind with startling clarity.
..
There were tears streaming down Hoshina’s face now, and Narumi felt that ugly part of him, the part that he tried so hard to beat back, surge up.
“You’re crying? Fucking hell Hoshina, what’s wrong with you? Aren’t you an adult? Fuck, no wonder your father never thought you’d make anything of yourself, if all you can think to do about a little fight is cry. We’re not even yelling, do you want us to be yelling? Because trust me, I can yell.” He laughed at Hoshina, not a trace of actual humor in his voice as the words spilled out.
Narumi watched with rapt attention as Hoshina’s fists clenched.
“You gonna hit me, Hoshina? Come on, it’ll make you feel better. You gonna prove to me that you’re a real man?”
At those words, instead of lunging at him like Narumi hoped, Hoshina forcibly relaxed his hands. “No, Gen. I won’t let you use me to hurt yourself. And I think it’s best you leave now.” He said, staring like he could see right through Narumi, who grew more indignant with each word.
He opened his mouth to protest, to defend himself, maybe to insult Hoshina some more, but the man just pointed to the door.
“Leave.”
Narumi wasn’t going to, but when he looked away from Hoshina, for some reason, he found his eyes drawn to Ten.
He would’ve expected the cat to be on the defensive, ready to attack Narumi for daring to upset Hoshina. But instead, he was… cowering. Under the table, the place he always hid when the thunder got a bit too loud. His one remaining eye was fixed on Narumi, and the normally proud cat was shaking. Scared. Of him.
The thought lodged itself in his head, and it became all he could focus on.
Without another word, Narumi fled, leaving a terrified cat and a crying Hoshina in his wake.
The stray had made its way into his lap, and Narumi was idly scratching under its chin.
“Not my proudest moment buddy. I’m damn lucky he decided to take pity and give me a second chance. I don’t think I deserved it, but I’m glad he did it anyway.” He said, to no answer from his feline companion. Not that he was expecting one.
A piercing tone fills the air around them, startling man and cat alike. Narumi knew it meant it was time for him to get back to work, start his route again, but for the first time he felt… reluctant. He didn’t want to leave the stray.
It was a novel concept, feeling anything again. And over a cat no less. God, Hoshina would be having a field day over this.
“There’s only one way today could possibly have been any better.” Hoshina said, a sly smirk betraying that this was about to ruin the peaceful calm they’d found for themselves.
Narumi didn’t mind though. Getting to see Hoshina walk down the aisle toward him, in a shade of purple so light it was almost white, was a high he wouldn’t be coming off of any time soon. They were both still in their wedding attire, hidden away in some forgotten corner of the reception venue.
Before Hoshina had spoken up, they’d just been curled up next to each other, Hoshina using Narumi’s shoulder as a pillow as he fiddled with their matching rings. With a smile, he hummed at Hoshina to continue.
“If Ten was here.” He didn’t even try to hide the mischief in his voice.
Narumi barked out a laugh. It was always like that with Hoshina, who was so quick to laugh and was so good at tearing them out of Narumi. He hadn’t laughed much before he met Hoshina.
“If Ten was here, we’d have to give out rabies shots and therapy sessions as party favors.” Narumi quipped back, enjoying the indignant squawk Hoshina let out, and allowing the man to slap his chest admonishingly a few times. When it was clear that the man was only going to keep play-hitting, Narumi caught his hand and brought it up to his lips for a lingering kiss.
Hoshina melted back into him. They would have to get back to the party soon, lest their insufferable friends— Hoshina’s insufferable friends really— come looking for them. Narumi didn’t need to give them even more ammunition in their teasing.
But at that moment they could just bask in each other's company.
“Our cat does not have rabies, Gen.”
At that moment, Narumi was truly, blindingly, happy.
Setting the stray outside had hurt Narumi more than he thought it would. The cat had looked up at him with eyes devoid of betrayal or scorn, but that had only made him feel more guilty.
Going through the motions of his route was no longer mindlessly soothing. It was excruciating, knowing that he’d left the cat behind just like he’d left behind Ten. Just like Hoshina had left them all behind.
It was a mean thought. And it wasn’t fair. Hoshina certainly hadn’t meant to leave them behind.
And yet here Narumi was. Abandoned.
That was another mean, unfair thought. Hoshina’s friends and family had been nothing but kind to him, they’d all tried to help him while grieving in their own rights. He’d been the one to reject them, to rent a shitty apartment rather than stay in their already paid off home. He didn’t sell the house, he never would, but it was empty. Ten had been taken in by one of Hoshina’s friends, and Hoshina’s brother had cleared out anything the family wanted to keep, like some pictures or something. Narumi didn’t know what exactly they’d taken, he’d told them he didn’t care as long as he never had to step foot in the house again.
Hoshina’s brother had given him a look so full of pity Narumi was shocked he didn’t choke on it. That was the last time Narumi had seen the man.
As if Narumi wasn’t feeling shitty enough, as he finished up his shift and prepared to hand over the bus to the next driver, it began to rain.
He ended up getting home— or rather, to that shitty apartment— before the sky really opened up, but that didn’t make him feel much better. Not only was he wracked with guilt for leaving that cat out in the rain, but he had to deal with his masochistic brain replaying that day on loop in his brain. There wasn’t anywhere in the apartment that he could hide from the flash of lightning and the booming of distant thunder.
That was another thing he and Ten had in common now. An unhealthy fear of rainstorms.
Gen flicked the bus’s wipers on with a sigh. The rain was really picking up, and with winter approaching it was quite dark already, which made for abysmal driving conditions.
Nothing he couldn’t handle, really more of an annoyance than anything else. Rain made other drivers either far too reckless, or painfully cautious.
Thankfully, he was getting close to the end of his shift and— with a quick glance at his clock— Soushirou would’ve just finished his own work day, so he would be home by the time Gen got there. A smile spread across his face unbidden at the thought of his husband. They’d just celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary the week before, and they still had some of the good wine Soushirou’s mother gave them. He couldn’t wait to pop it open together, watch some trashy TV while Ten amused himself trying to rip only the seams of Gen’s pants.
That cat was far too fucking smart for his own good.
He’s drawn from his thoughts by the sound of distant sirens. Letting out another sigh, Gen began scanning his mirrors, looking for the source of the noise. Behind him was clear, but by then he could see the glow on the road ahead. It became clear there’d been an accident of some sort, and a pretty bad one if the number of emergency vehicles was any indication.
Thankfully there was still a lane open, allowing other cars to pass by the mess of ambulances and scrap metal. Gen let out a hiss of sympathy. He couldn’t see the full extent of the damage yet, but it looked bad. Luckily though, it only appeared to be one car. He was glad, accidents like those weren’t the kind people just walked away from.
The bus inched closer and closer to the wreck, and Gen had to fight the natural instinct to stare at the accident. It didn’t do any good, and actively made him more likely to cause another accident.
But he was only human. Curiosity got the better of him for a second, just as they were passing the accident, and Narumi snuck a quick glance over.
And his world stopped. A sinkhole could’ve opened up right in front of him and he wouldn’t notice. A meteor could’ve struck. A damn dinosaur could’ve waltzed right up to the bus and crushed it to bits and Gen wouldn’t have noticed because he knew that car.
..
An ear-shattering peal of thunder seemed to shake the house, and forcibly ejected Narumi from his memories.
He couldn’t stay like this. He couldn’t sit and cower from the rain.
He couldn’t leave that cat out in this.
..
Pulling the bus over is a blur. There are people asking questions he won’t answer— can’t answer.
All but falling out of the bus, Gen is soaked to the bone within a few seconds. His shoes can’t get enough traction so he’s half running half sliding toward the wreck.
..
Narumi grabs his bike, feet pounding down the rain-slick stairs.
He doesn’t slip.
..
There are people yelling at him, trying to hold him back from the patch of pavement that’s shiny with more than just water.
Gen shakes them off, falling to his knees beside a medical board that already had a white sheet over it.
The rain made the material nearly see-through. Gen doesn’t know why they had even put it there, he could tell who it was underneath already.
That didn’t stop him from peeling the fabric back.
..
Every few seconds Narumi had to reach up and swipe rainwater or hair out of his eyes. The rain was making it hard to see, but he knew this route like the back of his hand.
The darkened lot was nearly vacant, save for a few empty cars.
He jumped off his bike, nearly throwing it in his haste. His shoes made an obnoxious slapping noise as they hit the pavement, but Narumi didn’t even think about slowing his pace.
Narumi had the thought that he hadn’t run like this since that night, but he didn’t read too deeply into that. Sprinting toward where he usually parked the bus, he kept an ear out for sounds of feline distress, but Narumi was worried with all the racket he wouldn’t be able to hear them anyway.
The spot he usually parked was empty, no cat in sight, but Narumi wasn’t deterred. He started looking under the few other cars in the lot, growing more and more frantic with each failure.
But eventually, under the second to last car, Narumi had success. The cat, barely more than a kitten really, was shivering where it was curled in a little ball by one of the tires.
..
With a trembling moan of pure horror, Gen reached a shaky hand out to touch Soushirou’s face.
..
With a sigh of relief, Narumi reached his hand out.
The kitten lurched toward him, pressing itself to the warmth of his palm.
..
Soushirou was pale, and horrifyingly still. Gen’s mind raced to catch up, but he kept getting stuck on his husband’s cold skin.
..
Though the poor thing was trembling, it was still warm and alive in Narumi’s hands. It was letting out heartbreaking little meows, but he could only smile, because it was okay. He had made it in time.
..
Gen was pretty sure people shouldn’t be this still. But the realization was slowly creeping in around the edges of his vision.
..
The kitten and Narumi breathed in unison as he made his way back toward the bike.
..
Soushirou had already taken his last breath.
..
Narumi’s shitty apartment was too far to bike to with the kitten shoved into his jacket. He briefly considered going to his and Hoshina’s old house, but dismissed it just as quickly. That house wouldn’t have any sort of food or supplies, and was just as far as his shitty apartment.
There was really only one close option, and it happened to be someone Narumi knew would have supplies.
That didn’t make him any happier about it.
But beggars couldn’t be choosers, and Narumi wasn’t going to let his pride get in the way of helping the kitten.
And so here he was, pounding on an overly bright yellow door in the middle of the night, simultaneously guilty that he would be waking the entire house, and annoyed that they weren’t waking up faster.
He could hear movement inside, and it was clear that his annoyance was matched— if not exceeded— by one of the inhabitants, who was all but yelling that whoever was getting the door ought to ‘kick the bastard that was waking them all up’.
But when the door swung open to Kafka’s tired but concerned face, Narumi knew he’d be safe from any kicking.
Narumi knew he must make a sight, soaked to the bone with a small cat cradled in his arms, probably crying, in the middle of the night. But Kafka didn’t let his shock linger, ushering him inside and rushing to get him out of his wet clothes.
By the time Narumi was in the bathroom with a fresh set in his arms, having been told to rinse off and change, he realized that the kitten had been taken from him at some point. It hurt his heart a bit, but it was good that the cat would be taken care of while he warmed up.
The shower felt heavenly.
The clothes fit almost perfectly, they were just a little bit too snug, leading Narumi to believe they belonged to Kafka’s roommate, the one with the white hair.
Exiting the bathroom, Narumi could see Ashiro’s back, and he could tell she was towel drying the kitten. Based on the pleasant steam coming from the kitchen sink, it had just been given a bath. Their blonde roommate— Shinomiya, his mind supplied— was sitting on the counter, talking with Ashiro quietly. He could only assume that Shinomiya had been the one calling for him to be kicked.
He could hardly blame her, it was the middle of the night and she looked like she’d been rudely awakened. Unlike Ashiro, who looked as perfect and steady as she always did. The only time he’d seen her fazed was the funeral, but he could hardly begrudge her that. There wasn’t a single person at the funeral that hadn’t been ugly crying. Including Narumi.
Especially Narumi.
Anyway, he must have made some sort of noise, because he was suddenly being appraised by two sets of shrewd eyes. Three, if he counted the kitten.
Ashiro offered said kitten to him, swaddled in the towel, and Narumi didn’t hesitate to cross into the kitchen, grabbing the bundle gently.
She had been a woman of few words the entire time he’d known her, and Narumi was never more appreciative than in that moment. Ashiro asked no questions, just clapped a hand to his shoulder with a few low words.
“It’s good to see you again.” Was all she said before presumably retreating back to her and Kafka’s room.
Unfortunately, her quick exit did end up leaving him alone with Shinomiya, who just kept staring at him. He spared a moment to hope Kafka came back from wherever he’d gotten off to quickly.
It only took a few more minutes of silence to set Narumi’s frayed nerves off.
“What, no witty little quip? No verbal beat down for interrupting your beauty rest?” He spat out, regretting the words as soon as they passed his lips.
It was too much like before, back when he used to get in the middle of fights in the hopes he’d get hit. It wasn’t a time he remembered fondly, and he had fought to not be that kind of man anymore.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Narumi apologized. Shinomiya just hummed, taking both his outburst and his apology in stride. He couldn’t help but notice that she’d mellowed out a bit. Or maybe just matured a bit, since he hadn’t seen her in two years. But either way, she was a far cry from the hothead he’d known. Hoshina had told him— more than once— that Shinomiya wasn’t actually all that temperamental most of the time, but that Narumi and Kafka really just brought that out in her. Narumi would always reply that he’d believe that when he saw it.
Well he believed now.
But then he heard the quiet, lopsided patter of familiar paws on the tile, and Narumi forgot all about Shinomiya— no offense meant to the woman, who very graciously took the kitten from him so he could turn and drop to his knees.
Ten didn’t come right up to him. He sniffed the air a few times first, creeping forward, but still clearly bothered by the rain. Narumi just held his hand out, trying to ignore the way it shook. This felt much bigger than just reuniting with his dead husband’s cat, and based on the way Shinomiya remained silent she knew it too.
By the time Ten’s nose was mere inches from his hand, Narumi’s whole body was alight with nerves. He genuinely did not know what he would do if this went badly. If Ten rejected him, or ran from him. He couldn’t bear to even consider it.
He barely breathed when he first felt the wet press of Ten’s nose against his palm, but the air rushed back into his lungs almost painfully when he heard the cat’s growling purr start up. It was loud, and weird, and familiar and Narumi couldn’t fit how much he loved this damn cat into words. His eyes slid shut against his will, only opening again when he felt heavy paws come up to press into his chest.
Narumi goes a bit cross-eyed trying to look at Ten, who steals all the thoughts from his head again when he lands a gentle bite on the tip of his nose, chasing the tiny sting away with a lick.
Moving entirely too fast, Narumi scoops Ten into his arms. He fully expects the tetchy old cat to squirm, but he sits quiet and still, but warm and breathing in his arms. The cat just lets Narumi press his face into his patchy fur, and so Narumi lets himself cry for the first time since the funeral.
..
By the time he runs out of tears, Shinomiya is gone and Kafka is back, rubbing circles into Narumi’s back. Once the man notices that Narumi is online again, he presses a tissue into his hand, surreptitiously wiping his own eyes with the back of his hand.
“Come on, you can stay in Reno’s old room for the night, I just fixed it up for you.” Kafka said softly, still rubbing at Narumi’s back. Any other time, he may have recoiled from the touch, but tonight he felt like he’d been flayed open and scrubbed raw, so he maybe deserved some comfort. Reno, that was the white-haired roommate. The one whose clothes he was wearing. The past tense tripped him up for a second, until he remembered that the last time he’d seen the man he’d been talking about moving in with his boyfriend— the one with the pink hair. So that’s probably what had happened. Good for them.
Narumi just went where Kafka guided him, all but stumbling but entirely unwilling to let go of Ten.
When they got to the room, Narumi collapsed into the bed, asleep before he could so much as begin to get under the duvet.
..
And if waking up the next morning to a bite on his calf brought tears to Narumi’s eyes, well there wasn’t anyone but Ten to see it.
..
Cleaning up his and Hoshina’s home was just as heart-wrenchingly difficult as Narumi would’ve guessed it would be. There were times he wanted to throw things, times he wanted to just give up and board up the house forever.
But this time he had help. Kafka, Ashiro, Shinomiya, even Reno and his pink-haired boyfriend. They dusted, threw away garbage, and changed sheets. Sometimes they laughed, sometimes they cried. There was even one time that Hoshina’s brother showed up, and they all got spectacularly drunk.
And when the time came that the house was tidy enough to live in again, Kafka brought over two cat carriers.
Narumi let Ten and One out to scout the new environment. Or well, new for One, that is. When Ten realized where they were, he turned his too smart eye back on Narumi, who just smiled at him. It was clear Ten was anxious about being back, but then so was Narumi.
After a second though, Ten let out a little chirp and went off to accompany his new little sister.