Wow, since it's been 10 days since my last update, I figure it's time I posted. :D Sorry for the short chapter. I wanted to end it where I did.
Songs: "Brothers" by Vic Mignogna
"Save Yourself" by My Darkest Days
Hikaru stared at Yukio with shock, almost dropping the wine glass from her hand. "What?"
Yukio nodded. "I wanted to tell you before we went to the meeting coming up, Hika. No one would blame you if you-"
"No," she interrupted when the shock wore off. "I'll be going anyway. I need revenge for what that bastard did."
Yukio could have backed away from her with that tone of voice. He hadn't heard it in so long. Almost before she found out she was pregnant.
"Hikaru, what happened to Rin was an accident."
Hikaru shook her head. "Yukio," her voice was close to breaking, promising tears she promised herself not to shed when it came to Rin, "you weren't there when he..."
Yukio nodded. "I understand."
The last time Yukio had seen tears in her eyes was when she and him delivered the twins. She was so close to being broken then that it was unreal. Hikaru was the strongest girl Yukio had ever known. She carried so much on her shoulders and never faltered to help anyone when it came time to help someone in need. The night the twins were born was the night Yukio saw that strong girl break.
"When is the meeting?"
"Two days," Yukio said.
Hikaru nodded, thinking of where she wanted to leave the boys. "What time?"
"While the boys are in school," Yukio said. When Hikaru flashed him a questioning look, he added, "I checked."
"Yukio, you know the boys are all I have. If I get a call, I am going to them."
Yukio nodded. "Agreed. You should know that I will go with you." That comment was met with a pondering look from Hikaru. "The boys know I exist, and you heard Erin. Besides, I want to be in their lives. They are the only family, the only connection to Rin, I have."
Hikaru inwardly winced when he mentioned family. She'd just learned her mother died of child birth when she was born and hardly considered the man who raised her, her father. She felt just as alone as Yukio did.
"Raising them isn't going to be easy, Yukio," Hikaru said after thinking about it for a moment or two. "Erin's a fighter, and I am not all that worried about Shiro. That is until he's bullied."
Yukio inwardly flinched. He was bullied and his older brother would always be his hero. Rin was always protecting him, and the last time Yukio was able to protect Rin, he couldn't.
"Yukio," Hikaru said smoothly, "those boys aren't the two of you. Shiro and Erin are two different people."
Yukio nodded. "When he's older, like seven or eight, can I teach him to be an exorcist?"
"If he wants," Hikaru said, knowing exactly who Yukio was talking about. She took a long drink of wine. "He's been tempted. Has been since the day he was born, but Shiro won't want to try much without Erin because he hates it when he leaves him out."
Yukio chuckled. "So he would much rather wait until you enroll Erin?"
"Yeah, Shiro can see demons and he knows it. He keeps it a secret from Erin because Erin can't...yet."
"You're going to tempt him?"
"No," Hikaru said, "I'll let him come to the realization naturally. If Rin is the one in his dreams, he might already be and his father told him."
"From the sounds of it, Erin wants no part in listening to whoever's in his dream and what they have to say."
Hikaru chuckled. He had her there. She looked toward the twenty-one year old Yukio. He was more defined, his glasses were the same shape-more than likely the same prescription, he looked a little taller, and his eyes seemed like they had just brightened up recently. For the first time in a long time, she thought Yukio Okumura as more than her boyfriend's brother.
"Hika, when was the last time you took a night mission?"
Hikaru thought about it. It had been a long time, nothing recently. She was a mom now with boys who slept at night. "It's been years, leave it at that."
"There is a mission I have to go on. A simple quick one. I can watch the boys if you want it," Yukio said, remembering when he had to be there.
"What's the catch?"
"It's in the same cemetary as..."
"I'll take it," Hikaru said with a sigh, interrupting him before he could say his name. "It doesn't mean I will see him afterwards. I haven't seen him since I was pregnant."
Yukio could have flinched or gave her a lecture, but he didn't. Instead, he stared at her. "Why?"
"Been busy raising twin boys," Hikaru said with a shrug.
Five years old and they have no idea he's buried close to them, Yukio thought. Maybe it is a good thing. Hikaru was so depressed after she saw him when she was pregnant, he added as an after-thought after he looked her over again. She was clearly thinking about him, much like she always had done when he was off on a mission or just gone.
"Get your exorcist coat on. You're going on the mission for me," Yukio said. He knew what was going to happen. As much as he didn't like keeping a small fact from her, she needed to see them.
Hikaru set down her empty wine glass and walked to the closet, getting out her deep navy exorcist coat with the black lining. Mephisto had it specially made for her since she was different from everyone else; that and she was his adopted daughter.
Yukio felt his phone vibrate. "Hello? Yeah, she's coming instead of me. No, you can't." With that he hung up.
Hikaru walked back into the kitchen. Her coat was done up and her messy bun was replaced by her chopsticks. Yukio stared in awe at the sight before him. She looked the same as she did before she had the twins. Her hair still looked shaggy in chopsticks, her eyes practically glowed against the dark navy material of her jacket, and it hugged her curves just enough to give Shima a nosebleed. She looked the same, just more beautiful.
"Thanks for watching the boys, Yukio," Hikaru said as she walked into the kitchen to him.
Yukio smiled, trying to keep the festering blush down. "No problem."
Hikaru smiled to him, grabbing her phone and putting it in her pocket before turning to him. "I'll be back before too long. If there is any problems with the boys-"
"I'll be sure to figure it out or call you," Yukio said with a light-hearted chuckle. "Don't worry, Hikaru. We'll be fine. Now go and kill some demons with that demonic smile on your face like the crew and I know you have."
Yukio practically pushed her out the door as she agreed.
"See you later, Yukio," Hikaru said as she walked down her path and toward her mission.
She tried not to think too much of the place. It's just another mission site, she told herself as she psyched herself into it. It's just nothing more than a mission site.
