Archive of Our Own

It was a little past midnight when Ryuuji heard something strike his window.

With a slight frown, he glanced towards it. A moment later, something struck it again. Setting down his pencil, Ryuuji stood up and approached the window. Peering outside, he nearly jumped as another pebble struck the window.

Ryuuji opened the window, and peeked outside.

Ah. He should have figured.

"Oh, finally! I was starting to wonder if you'd fallen asleep with your light on or something!"

Ryuuji just heaved a sigh at the sight of his childhood friend. He was bundled up against the chill of the winter air, wearing a thick jacket and a wool scarf and hat. One of his gloves was pulled off, tucked underneath his armpit- the one he was using to throw pebbles at his window. There was a plastic bag dangling from his other arm, though judging from the aluminum foil wrapping he could barely see peeking through, whatever it was, it was probably homemade.

Okumura Rin just smiled broadly at him- and then promptly sneezed.

"...you didn't think to just text me?" Ryuuji asked.

"Come on, we both know you silence your phone when you're studying!" Rin grinned. "And I can't just climb into your window like I do with Shima. You actually lock it!"

Of course he did. That was the sensible thing to do.

Rin sneezed again, rubbing his hands together. The tips of his exposed hand were already starting to turn red from the cold.

"Wait just a second," Ryuuji said, "-I'll let you in."

Shutting his window, Ryuuji quietly made his way down to the first floor back entrance. There weren't any guest rooms in this section of the inn- just ones for staff, but he still didn't want to wake any of them up. Unlocking the back door, he barely got out of the way in time to avoid Rin barreling into him.

"Thanks!" He said. "It's super cold out there!"

It wasn't that cold, Ryuuji thought- but he held his tongue. Rin had always been weak to the cold- something about struggling to regulate his body heat correctly. It meant he was a certifiable icebox even in the middle of summer. One would think that would make him think twice about wandering around after midnight in the middle of winter, but while his friend wasn't stupid, he was an idiot.

"So?" Ryuuji asked. "What brings you here at this hour?"

"Midnight snack!" Rin held up the bag. "For you and Koneko! I figured you'd both be studying like crazy tonight, since Yukio's doing the same. The True Cross Academy entrance exams are two days from now, right?"

"They're tomorrow, technically," Ryuuji remarked, "-it's already past midnight."

He waited a moment for Rin to unlace his boots, hanging his coat and scarf up on the nearby rack. Underneath all of his thick winter clothing, he was just wearing a pair of sweatpants and- ironically- a True Cross Academy sweatshirt.

Probably his father's, he figured.

"How's the studying going?" Rin asked as he followed him inside.

"Fine," Ryuuji said, "-I'm confident I'll get in, at least."

Rin huffed. "I wish you could share some of that confidence with Yukio. He's fretting about it like crazy. I think I'm going to have to drug him to get him to sleep tomorrow- er, tonight."

Ryuuji huffed in amusement. Yeah. That sounded about right.

He lead Rin up to the second floor, stopping to knock on Konekomaru's door. He blinked at them in mild confusion as he opened the door.

Rin grinned, thrusting the bag in his face. "Late night delivery!"

"Thanks," Konekomaru smiled, "-come in."

Rin didn't hesitate, all but inviting himself underneath the kotatsu. Ryuuji just huffed, popping back into his room for a few moments to collect his study materials. Rin had already made himself completely at home by the time he returned.

"I made onigiri," Rin said, "-with sour plums inside. Help yerself!"

Ryuuji set down his materials, sitting down at the kotatsu with the other two. He glanced at the remaining empty space, where usually another one of their group of five would sit. The winner was usually determined by a game of rock, paper, scissors- the loser would have to sit at Konekomaru's desk instead.

(A lot of the time, it was Shima who lost.)

"Bon says he's sure he's gonna get in," Rin remarked, "-what about you, Koneko?"

Konekomaru hummed. "I'm pretty confident, but..."

"You should be!" Rin grinned. "You're always at the top of the class!"

"Thank you," Konekomaru smiled, "-for the onigiri too. I was just starting to get a little hungry."

"I figured!" Rin beamed, unwrapping one. "Be careful, though! I put wasabi in one."

Ryuuji grimaced, staring down at the onigiri in his hand warily.

...until Rin took a bite of his own, and promptly turned bright red. With a snort, Ryuuji bit into his own. Yeah. Figured he'd fall victim to his own prank. That always happened.

"...ugh," Rin crinkled his nose, "-this was a terrible idea."

"I'll say," Ryuuji said, "-how many times is that?"

"Five, I believe." Konekomaru observed.

Rin grumbled to himself. "It's gonna work one of these days!"

"Sure," Ryuuji said, "-just keep telling yourself that."

Rin shot him a glare, grumpily taking another bite of his wasabi onigiri. Ryuuji just snorted, leaving the guy to the hell of his own making.

"Hold on," Konekomaru sat up, "-I'll get you some milk."

Ryuuji snorted, his lips twitching upwards in a faint smile at the way Rin clung to Konekomaru in gratitude upon his return- squeezing in a chance to rub his head while he was at it. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't distracting, but he didn't mind.

Rin was the only one not taking the entrance exam for True Cross Academy, after all. He'd be lying just as much if he tried to claim that he wouldn't miss him, no matter how much of a hurry he was in to get out of here. He'd tried convincing him to join them, but Rin had just laughed off the suggestion.

("Nah," he'd said, "-I don't think I'm cut out to be an exorcist.")

"That's right," Konekomaru said as he untangled himself from Rin's grasp, "-what about your entrance exams, Rin? I've been so busying studying, I totally forgot about them."

Rin blinked in confusion, before a look of realization crossed his face. Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave them both a nervous laugh.

"Oh," he said, "-I see. I forgot to tell you guys. I'm not taking any."

For a moment, all Ryuuji did was stare at him.

"...hah?"

"Yeah," Rin said, "-I decided not to go to high school."

"You're not?" Konekomaru asked. "Are you planning on getting a job instead?"

"Yeah!" Rin grinned. "Actually, I'm surprised you haven't heard yet, Bon."

"Hah?" Ryuuji frowned. "Why would I have heard about it?"

"I mean... I'll be working here," Rin said, "-in the kitchen. Your mom didn't mention anything?"

Ryuuji's brow twitched. No, he hadn't heard the first thing about that. But if he stopped to think about it for a second... yeah. His mom had been in a weirdly good mood lately. Guess that explained it- she'd always doted on Rin, ever since they were kids.

"Nah," he said, "-not a thing."

"Huh," Rin frowned, "-I guess she wanted to surprise you."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Konekomaru asked. "If you needed help studying, I'm sure we could have found the time."

"Nah, it's got nothing to do with that." Rin waved a hand. "You know, school's not really my thing. I barely scrapped by last year, and that was with the three smartest students in our year tutoring me. I think going straight to work is better for me."

"If you say so..." Konekomaru trailed off.

"Have you already talked to your father about it?" Ryuuji asked.

"Yeah!" Rin said. "He said he's fine with whatever I want to do."

Ryuuji sighed. As usual, the twin's adoptive father was super laidback. It was hard to believe he was really the Paladin of the True Cross Order sometimes. Honestly, in so far as their son's futures went, he wished his own would take some notes.

"Well, you are good at cooking," Konekomaru said, "-so I think it's perfect for you."

"Right?" Rin grinned. "And I don't even have to deal with guests!"

Ryuuji huffed. "Yeah. That'd be a disaster."

Rin opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut when his phone buzzed. Taking it out of his pocket, he grimaced.

"Sorry, I have to head back," Rin said, "-the old man realized I was gone. I'll see you at school tomorrow! Don't stay up too late!"

"Yeah, don't worry." Ryuuji said. "Get on home."

Crawling out from under the kotatsu, Rin gave them a little wave before he left. Ryuuji watched him go with a slight frown on his face, before heaving a sigh.

"Worried?" Konekomaru asked.

"Of course," Ryuuji said, "-but that guy doesn't need me to babysit him anymore."

It was true. Rin might still get into the occasional fight, but it had been years since he'd had one of the violent outbursts that had made him so disliked outside of Myoda. He would probably be fine on his own from now on.

...something about that thought sat like a heavy rock in his gut.

He shook it off, focusing back on his studies. They weren't leaving Rin behind. He'd decided on this path on his own. He couldn't force him to do something he didn't want to.

"Okay, is everyone ready?"

They were gathered at the Fujimoto apartment, all five of them crammed underneath their slightly more spacious kotatsu. Four of them held a letter in their hands- each with a different recipient listed, but all addressed from the same place.

True Cross Academy.

"Okay," Yukio said, "-on the count of three, we'll open them."

Konekomaru nodded gravely, as if their very lives depended on it. That was a bit dramatic, but their immediate futures most certainly did. He didn't even think Ryuuji had applied for a fallback school. Yukio counted down to three, and they all opened their envelopes.

"Oh! It says you passed!"

Konekomaru cracked open his eyes- which he didn't remember closing- and was elated to find that Rin was right. Given the look of relief that traveled around the table, it was safe to say that they all had. Shima slumped over the kotatsu, like all the stress had fled his body all at once- only mildly disturbing Kuro in the process.

The cat sidhe yowled indignantly, trotting off to somewhere else in the apartment.

"Huh?" Rin leaned over towards Yukio. "There's something extra in yours."

Yukio frowned, pulling out the additional sheet of paper that had been bundled alongside his acceptance letter. Reading it over, an amazed expression crossed his face.

"What, what?" Rin snatched it from him. "Whoa, amazing! It says you made the highest score on the entrance exam! That's amazing, Yukio!"

"Whoa, really?" Shima snatched it from him next. "You're right! Koneko, take a look at this!"

Konekomaru took the paper from Shima, quickly scanning it over. It really did, listing Yukio as the first year representative. It was an incredible honor, though not one that Konekomaru particularly envied. Yukio would have to make a speech in front of the rest of the first year students- public speaking made him nervous, honestly.

"Let me see that."

The paper was somewhat abruptly snatched from his hands. Ryuuji took it from him, his brow deeply furrowed in thought as he read it over. With a long sigh, he handed it back to Yukio with a faint smile.

"Guess you win this round, Yukio."

Yukio just smiled at him, accepting it back. "No, I'm sure you weren't far behind, Suguro."

"This is great!" Rin beamed. "Oi, old man! Yukio is the first year representative!"

Shiro's face popped out of the kitchen. "Really?"

"Yeah, really!" Rin beamed. "So get that nabe out here already! We need to celebrate!"

"Just a minute!" Shiro called. "Rin, come help me!"

Rin got up, heading into the kitchen. He returned a few moments later, carrying a heavy clay pot, while Shiro carried in the portable stove. Setting the latter down, Rin carefully placed the former on top of it. Even with the lid still closed, the aroma of the ingredients boiling inside was tantalizing.

"Now," Shiro said, "-this is my handiwork and not Rin's, but hopefully its still good! You kids eat up!"

With an excited grin, Rin pulled off the lid. Shiro passed out bowls to each of them, before leaving them in peace. He'd be heading out on a mission in half an hour or so, meaning they'd have the apartment to themselves for the night.

Just perfect for a sleepover.

"Ah, no fair!" Shima exclaimed as Rin snatched a piece of meat from the pot. "That was mine!"

Rin stuck out his tongue. "Too slow!"

Konekomaru chuckled, helping himself to a plump looking mushroom. He wasn't sure how many times they would be able to gather like this in the time they had left, but he hoped it wasn't the last. Between regular class and cram school, he wasn't sure how much time they would have to visit home from here on out...

...or if Ryuuji would even want to, he thought.

(He'd fought with his father about attending cram school. Both he and Rin had overheard it, but Rin had put a finger to his lips, making Konekomaru promise not to tell.)

Putting the thought from his mind, Konekomaru laughed as Ryuuji snatched some meat away from Rin this time. No, he wouldn't think about that. Tonight was for enjoying everyone's company, and celebrating their acceptance. Besides, they still had half a month left. He was sure they could do something together over break.

...right?

"Yo, Oku-"

"Sorry, Shima!" Rin cut him off. "I have to go shopping!"

Before Shima could even say anything, Rin disappeared down the hall. He just stood there, a befuddled expression on his face, his hand still raised in a casual wave.

"...huh?"

Awkwardly lowering his hand, Shima blinked. What was that about?

"You too, huh?" Ryuuji asked. "That guy's avoiding been avoiding me all day."

"I don't know if he's really avoiding you," Konekomaru said, "-he is working."

"No," Ryuuji said, "-he's definitely avoiding me. Yukio too. He just texted me."

"Eh, Yuki too?" Shima frowned. "That's unusual."

Those two weren't exactly joined at the hip or anything, but it was rare to see Rin go out of his way to avoid his brother. If anything, he thought he'd want to hang out with him more now that they were all going away to school for the foreseeable future.

"Yeah," Ryuuji said, "-honestly, it's starting to tick me off."

"Maybe he's mad?" Shima asked. "I mean, we're basically leaving him behind."

"No, that can't be it." Konekomaru said. "I think he was more excited than we were."

"Besides, he's the one who chose this," Ryuuji pointed out, "-so what good would it do to get mad now?"

Shima hummed. That was a good point, he guessed. That wasn't really how Rin operated. He was way too earnest for that.

"We should just give him his space for now," Konekomaru said, "-I'm sure he'll come around."

Ryuuji sighed. "I guess you're right."

Shima glanced between the two of them, heaving a sigh of his own. It would be nice if it turned out to be that simple, but something told him this was going to turn into a huge pain in the ass instead.

"Rin, do you want to-"

"Sorry, Koneko, I have to make dinner!"

"Nii-san, can we-"

"Sorry! I have to go to work!"

"Okumura, let's go-"

"Can't! I have to be at a place!"

"Oi, Rin-"

"Sorry, Bon! I have a... thing! Yeah!"

With a frustrated groan, Ryuuji shut the door behind him. Yukio gave his friend a sympathetic look as he sat down next to him. Konekomaru's kotatsu had already been put away for the season, leaving a ring of pillows in its place.

"...he's totally avoiding us."

"Again?" Konekomaru asked. "That's the fourth time today."

"Yeah," Ryuuji sighed, "-I don't get it. Did we do something to piss him off? We leave for school in a week!"

"His excuses are getting lazier and lazier too," Shima remarked, "-a thing? Seriously?"

"It's no surprise," Yukio said, "-nii-san is terrible at lying."

"So?" Ryuuji folded his arms in front of him. "What should we do about it?"

"At this point, there's only one thing we can do." Yukio said. "Corner him."

"Eh?" Shima said. "That sounds like so much work!"

"No, it's fine." Yukio pushed his glasses up. "With the right strategy, even nii-san won't stand a chance. We should consider this a training exercise."

"No, no," Shima waved a hand, "-he's not a demon."

"No, they're right." Konekomaru said. "At this rate, we'll end up leaving for school without resolving this. If we want to avoid that, cornering him is our only choice."

"Eh? You too, Koneko?" Shima asked.

"Then we're in agreement," Yukio said, "-let's begin the Anti-Rin strategy meeting."

"What is this, sports day!?" Shima said. "Bon, say something!"

"Sorry, I'm with them." Ryuuji said. "I don't like the idea of leaving this unresolved."

Shima grumbled- before heaving a defeated sigh. "Alright. I get it. Count me in."

...he got the feeling he was going to regret this, though.

"Mamushi! Have you seen Rin?"

From his hiding spot, Rin flinched- only to slowly exhale once Mamushi shook her head.

"Sorry, Ryuuji-sama," Mamushi said, "-I haven't seen him today."

"Tch," Ryuuji clicked his tongue, "-he got away."

Rin held his breath, only slowly releasing it once Ryuuji left- and then tensed right back up as Mamushi turned on her heel, and looked straight up at where he was hiding.

"Rin," she said, "-what are you doing?"

Rin stayed silent for a long moment, half hoping that she would go away. But Mamushi stayed right where she was, staring up at him with folded arms.

"...they were chasing me," he said finally, "-so I hid."

"And why were they chasing you?" Mamushi asked.

"...because I'm avoiding them," Rin admitted.

Mamushi heaved a long sigh, even as Rin dropped down out of the tree he'd been hiding in. It wasn't like he didn't understand what he was doing was stupid! Of course he knew that! It was just- every time he saw one of them, all he could think about was how they'd be leaving soon, and then his body would move before the rest of him could even think.

Half a month had passed before he even knew it.

They were leaving tomorrow. Why the hell was he still doing this?

"You're being an idiot." Mamushi said. "Just talk to them."

Rin groaned, crouching in front of the tree and burying his face in his hands. He knew that!

"Yeah," Rin said, "-I'm being an idiot."

"At least you can admit it," Mamushi said, "-unlike like a certain someone."

Rin laughed, glancing up at Mamushi. She was probably the closest thing he had to a big sister- and the only one who really understood what it was like to be loathed by those outside of the sect. He loved Yukio and all, but he'd always been popular.

He didn't get what it was like to be an outcast.

...but at least he had friends, he thought. He wouldn't trade the three of them for the world, and he knew they felt the same way, but... they were moving on without him. And sure, he knew he'd been the one to decide to not become an exorcist, but still.

Some stupid, petty part of him had been hoping they might change their minds.

It was stupid. He knew that. Bon? Change his mind? No way. He'd had his heart set on being an exorcist ever since they were kids- all in pursuit of that grand goal of his. Other people might laugh at the idea of defeating Satan, but Rin couldn't bring himself to do the same. His family wasn't old blood like everyone else was, but he'd still been raised among them. He knew, at least secondhand, the damage the Blue Night had caused.

Ryuuji's grandfather. Shima's oldest brother. Konekomaru's parents. Mamushi's grandmother.

The list went on and on.

(He and Yukio had apparently lost their parents during the Blue Night too, but it didn't really count. He didn't know the first thing about them, so it didn't really feel like a loss.)

Honestly, if anyone could defeat Satan, it was probably Bon.

He was smart and athletic, made good grades and was a natural born leader. He was good at memorization, in a way that made him kind of frustrating as a tutor, but was still insanely impressive. Whenever Rin felt like he was at risk of losing himself, he always managed to drag him back somehow. He hadn't needed to do it for years, but...

...he also said he wasn't coming back until he was an exorcist.

"Hey," Rin said, "-how long does it take to become an exorcist?"

"Hm?" Mamushi glanced down at him. "It depends. Two or three years, usually."

Rin grimaced. Three years?

"...I really fucked things up," Rin mumbled, "-I'm such a fucking idiot."

"You haven't," Mamushi said, "-there's still time."

"They're leaving tomorrow!" Rin snapped.

"And?" Mamushi stared at him, unfazed. "Tomorrow isn't today."

"I guess that's true," Rin admitted, "...but I'm not good at apologizing."

"I don't think you've done anything you need to apologize for," Mamushi said, "-like I said. Just talk to them."

Scratching the back of his head, Rin's lips twisted into a frown. She made it sound so easy, but he'd never been good at this sort of thing. Yukio was one thing, but he was sure if he hadn't grown up with the other three, they probably would have struggled to become friends in the first place.

Honestly, he considered himself lucky.

They were only here because his old man was doing penance or something. Raising him and Yukio was part of that- to make up for killing a child or something, he guessed, even if it was the literal spawn of Satan.

He didn't really get it, but he'd apparently stolen Kurikara to do it.

(He'd had only seen the Myoda's sacred object of worship once. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about the sword that gave him the creeps.)

Mamushi stared at him for a long moment, before heaving a sigh. Taking a step forward, she cupped a hand around her mouth.

"Ryu-!"

"Oi, wait!" Rin jolted to his feet, covering her mouth. "Don't call him over! I'll talk to them on my own, I promise!"

Mamushi arched a brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, really!" Rin nodded, removing his hands.

Dropping her hand, Mamushi gave him a soft smile. "Make sure you do, then."

Rin sighed, his shoulders slumping. He'd promised Mamushi, so he couldn't exactly back out of it now. But it felt beyond awkward to talk to them after he'd spent so long avoiding them! How was he supposed to do it? Just let them catch him?

No way. That would be like admitting defeat.

...could he make them something?

Oh! There was an idea! That's right, they were taking the train, right? He could make them all bentos for their trip! It was perfect! He could meet them at the station and everything! If he asked the old man, he would definitely tell him what time Yukio's train was leaving.

Nodding to himself, he waved at Mamushi as he hurried off, recipe ideas rattling around in his head already. He needed to go shopping for ingredients right away!

...oh, wait. He was still working.

He'd only come over to the branch office to deliver some bentos from Toraya's kitchen in the first place. Glancing down at his cellphone, he winced when he noticed the time. Crap, if he didn't get back fast, Suguro's mom was totally going to get mad at him.

...maybe shopping for ingredients could wait until after work, so Suguro's mom wouldn't kill him. Yeah. That sounded like an even better idea.

Someone was in the kitchen.

Shiro yawned, not feeling any sense of urgency as he quietly made his way down the hall. Someone was in the kitchen in the middle of the night? That wasn't an intruder.

That was just Rin.

Sure enough, he was in the middle of sauteing something when Shiro crept in. He was wearing the frilly pink apron he was pretty sure Renzou had given him as a gag gift, with his bangs pinned back by a silver hairclip- a more serious gift from Tatsuma's son.

Leaning against the wall, Shiro quietly huffed- content to simply watch him. It wasn't hard to guess what was on his mind, not when he'd heard Yukio griping to his friends about Rin avoiding them these past two weeks- ever since they'd gotten their admittance letters to True Cross Academy.

His gaze briefly flicked towards the bedroom the twins shared.

Yukio was going to be an exorcist. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but he was privately grateful that Rin didn't share his brother's ambition. If he had his way, Rin wouldn't know about demons at all, but it was a bit hard to cover up their existence in a place like this. Instead he'd simply diverted his attention to other things.

...he didn't regret asking Tatsuma for help, in the end.

At the time he'd had to swallow his pride, given how boldly he'd declared to the monk that he wouldn't need any help raising the twins. But the man had simply smiled at him, thanking him for choosing to rely upon him without so much of a hint of smugness. Raising them here wasn't without its dangers, but...

...they had friends. Good ones. That was all Shiro could ask for, really.

In the kitchen, Kuro jumped on the counter and yowled.

"Ssh, Kuro!" Rin furiously hushed the cat sidhe. "I'll give you some chicken later!"

Shiro chuckled quietly to himself as Kuro snatched some raw chicken from the cutting board anyways. Rin scrambled to catch him, but couldn't manage it before he'd swallowed it.

"Kuro," Rin whined, "-you can't eat raw chicken! You're domesticated!"

Shiro just shook his head, quietly heading back to his room. He didn't need his old man's help for this. He'd be just fine.

"For how much longer?"

Shiro pointedly ignored the peeping bastard. Satan just chuckled, before even his laughter slowly faded out. Quietly shutting his bedroom door behind him, Shiro exhaled.

How much longer could they keep this up? The answer to that question was always the same.

As long as they could.

"Do you have everything?"

Looking up at his father, Yukio gave the man a slight frown. "You asked me the same thing last night, father."

Shiro just chuckled, giving his hair an affectionate ruffle. "Did I? Guess I must be getting old."

Yukio sighed, but he did nothing to shove his father's hand away. It wasn't like he wouldn't see him again soon- he apparently was the one who would be in charge of teaching them Anti-Demon Pharmaceuticals this year. He honestly wasn't sure how he even found the time, considering the fact that he was also the Paladin.

"Yes," Yukio said, "-I have everything."

"Good," Shiro nodded, "-you keep Shima's boy on a tight leash now. He feels like the type most likely to miss the transfer!"

Yukio huffed in amusement. He couldn't really argue with that.

"Don't worry," Yukio said, "-I will."

"Call me if you need anything!" Shiro waved. "I'll come racing over!"

Yes, he imagined he would. The distance between Kyoto and True Cross Academy was nothing if you had a cram school key like his father did. He wouldn't be receiving one of his own until actually arriving at the Academy- necessitating the train trip.

He didn't particularly mind, though. He'd have good company.

"I will!" Yukio promised- before glancing behind Shiro. "Is nii-san not...?"

"Nah, he left early this morning." Shiro shrugged. "Sorry, Yukio."

Yukio just heaved a long sigh, before shaking his head. "No. It's not your fault."

In the end, their efforts to corner Rin had been in vain. He'd remained elusive for the rest of the week- and now it seemed like they really would be leaving without actually talking to him again. The sour feeling sat in his gut like a rock- a keen reminder that they would be leaving him behind.

Rin had chosen this, he reminded himself.

His brother wasn't like him. He didn't have a mashou. He could live a perfectly normal life if he wanted to. So could he, for that matter- his father had never discouraged him from pursuing this path, not like Ryuuji's had, but he'd be perfectly happy if he chose to do something else with his life, instead of becoming an exorcist.

But he'd had his heart set on it for awhile now.

He might not have Ryuuji's grand motivation, but he had motivation enough. He wanted to be like father- like the man who had raised him and his brother, even though he bore no relation to them. Someone dependable and kind-

-but also strong.

That was what he wanted, really. To be strong- like father.

Like Rin.

"Then I'm heading off!" Yukio said.

"Yeah!" Shiro grinned. "Good luck, Yukio!"

With a faint smile, Yukio made his way towards Toraya. Everyone was already waiting in front of the inn- everyone except for Rin, that was. Part of him had been hoping that he might see him here, but he guessed he really was avoiding them up until the last minute. He wasn't even reading his texts.

"Huh? Is Okumura not with you?"

"No," Yukio shook his head, "-father said he left some time this morning."

His friends exchanged a glance between them, before Ryuuji clicked his tongue in frustration. "That jerk. I'm going to chew him out the next time I see him."

"Should we wait a little longer?" Konekomaru asked.

"No," Yukio said, "-it's fine."

"Well, if Yuki says so," Shima shrugged, "-it's fine. It's not like we'll never see him again."

He supposed that was true. They weren't leaving forever.

The walk to the train station was an awkward one- Rin's absence had created an unpleasant mood that they just couldn't seem to shake. Yukio sighed, wondering if the whole trip would be like this.

Just when he had resigned himself to the possibility...

"Oi! Everyone!"

Yukio blinked, looking up. Rin was waiting in front of the train station, waving animatedly at them. From the look of his flushed cheeks, he'd obviously been there for awhile.

"Nii-san?" Yukio blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Rin blinked. "Isn't it obvious? I've been waiting for you. You guys took forever!"

Ryuuji's eye twitched. "Obvious? You've been avoiding us for two weeks!"

Rin flinched. "Well, that's..."

Awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, Rin's gaze darted downwards. After a moment, he heaved a long sigh, lifting his head to face them.

"...sorry," he said, "-I was being stupid."

For a long moment, there was silence-

-before Ryuuji broke it with a sigh of his own.

"I'll say," Ryuuji said, "-seriously, what were even thinking?"

"Not much, really!" Rin laughed sheepishly. "I've just... never been apart from you guys for long, you know? When I started thinking about how I might not see you again for awhile, I just kind of... I mean, Bon said he's not coming back till he's an exorcist!"

Ryuuji winced. "Oh. You heard that?"

"In other words," Shima glanced at him, "-this is all Bon's fault."

"No, it's not!" Rin quickly denied. "It's my fault!"

"No," Ryuuji shook his head, "-it's mine. Sorry. I wasn't thinking when I said that. I was just angry at my old man."

Yukio glanced between the two of them, before laughing. They both turned to him, a mutual look of confusion on their faces, but despite his best efforts, it took Yukio a moment to contain his laughter.

"No," he said, "-I'm sorry. It's just... you could always visit us, nii-san."

Rin blinked, like the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "Huh?"

"Oh," Konekomaru said, "-that's right. You already have a job."

"And you're not even going to school!" Shima grinned. "Sounds to me like you could come hang out whenever you want."

"Oh... oh!" Rin exclaimed, his expression brightening. "That's true! I hadn't thought of that!"

"I figured," Yukio smiled, "-ah, but please don't spend all your money on train tickets, nii-san. Be sure to save properly!"

"I know that!" Rin bristled. "Geez, what are you, my mom?"

"And he can't just come hang out whenever he wants," Ryuuji shot Shima a stern look, "-we'll be studying, remember?"

"What about summer vacation, then?" Konekomaru asked.

"Oh, that's a good idea!" Rin grinned. "You could show me around Tokyo! They've got a tower there too, right? We totally have to go see it!"

"...seriously, what is with you and towers?" Ryuuji asked.

"Huh?" Rin blinked. "What's wrong with towers?"

"It's embarrassing!" Ryuuji said. "I don't know anyone else from Kyoto who actually owns Kyoto Tower merchandise! I don't think you've even been to one of the temples!"

"Now, now," Konekomaru cut in, "-Bon's right, but we do have a train to catch."

"Oh, that's right!" Rin said. "I made you bentos!"

With a grin, he crouched down next to the bag Yukio had somehow missed earlier. Unzipping it, he pulled out four bentos, passing one out to each of them. Yukio accepted his with a smile- honestly, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't going to miss Rin's food.

"Thanks, Okumura!" Shima grinned. "Honestly, I'm going to miss your cooking."

Yukio chuckled to himself as Konekomaru and Ryuuji nodded in agreement. It looked like they were all thinking the same thing.

"Aw shucks," Rin laughed, "-yer making me blush!"

Unzipping his bag, Yukio tucked the bento safely away in it. The others did the same. Once the last of their bags was zipped up, Rin stepped forward with a broad grin-

-and that was all the warning they got, before he dragged all four of them into a tight hug. For a brief moment, he managed to lift them all off their feet, before setting them back down and releasing them.

"Phew," he said, "-Bon's gotten too wide for that."

Shima wheezed, turning his head away in a desperate attempt to hide his laughter.

"Isn't there another way you can put that!?" Ryuuji protested.

"I mean, I could," Rin said, "-but it wouldn't be as funny."

Ryuuji's brow twitched, before he let out a fond sigh and gave Rin a firm pat on the shoulder. "I'll miss you, man."

"Me too," Konekomaru said, "-look after everyone, okay?"

"High school won't be the same without you." Shima said. "Seriously, I wish you were coming!"

"Look after father for me, okay?" Yukio asked. "Don't let him eat too much salt."

"Yeah," Rin said, "-I'll look after things here, don't worry!"

The mood as they headed into the station was much lighter than it was before- the unpleasant feeling was gone as if it had never even been there. Glancing over his shoulder, Yukio caught sight of his brother waving at them- and returned the gesture with one of his own.

"Be sure to become cool exorcists!" Rin yelled. "Kick Satan's butt and stuff!"

"Yeah!" Ryuuji called back. "I'll make him regret ever messing with our temple!"

Yukio huffed in amusement. He didn't know about kicking Satan's butt, but he was fairly certain he could manage the cool exorcist part, at least.

With one last look at his brother, Yukio took his first steps towards that goal.

Rin waved until he couldn't see his friends anymore, then slowly lowered his hand. He lingered at the station until he heard the train leave, and only once it was out of sight did he sling the strap of his bag over his shoulder with a sigh.

There they went.

...yeah. He was kind of lonely already.

Shaking his head, Rin slapped his cheeks. No, he couldn't let himself get down. He could still talk to them whenever he wanted- and he would definitely go see them over summer vacation! He wondered how much a cheap hotel room in Tokyo cost. One in True Cross Town itself would probably cost an arm and leg, but...

Blinking, Rin glanced up.

Huh? That was weird. For just a moment, he thought he saw something small and black float by him, but there was nothing there.

Yawning, he shrugged. Huh. Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to him.