Chapter 8:

Every day, Akai repeated the same old routine. He woke up, greeted his wife, then joined her for breakfast and off to work. In the evening, he helped his Akemi with chores, ate dinner and with the final touch, also the most entertaining part of the day … listened to his neighbors quarrel. Not like, he had a choice anyway.

"Care to tell me what the hell Chianty and Korn are doing here?" That was said after the door was slammed dramatically. "I thought you take care of them."

Gin was just leisurely grocery shopping when his old comrades appeared out of nowhere, patted him on the back no less. The nerve.

"And I did. They look well, don't they?" Vermouth knew better to try and denied the inevitable. But what intrigues remained intrigues. Basically, the opportunity presented a mockery gold mine.

"You know what I meant." Gin rolled his eye at the answer, which didn't actually answer anything. "You hate them."

"Whatever gave you the idea?" She lifted her face dare him to reply.

"For once, they tried to kill you." He sneered sarcastically at the remark.

"You tried to kill me too. Help jock your memories. Doesn't seem to bother you?" Here came the usual smirk and its usual effect. Best you drive your opponent insane or in this case blood red with anger. The fact that she casually sipped her tea wasn't helping.

"It's different." He breathed out.

"And how is that different exactly?" There is no better thrill than poking the lion in the eyes and get away with it. Her face shone with an almost childlike excitement minus the dare devil part.

Before Gin could blow the roof with whatever boiling within him, Akai made his grand appearance. He could care less about what they did, but filling out police report was not his idea of a relax evening. "Not mean to interrupt but you aware that people (as in specific him) could hear you from across the street, right? Admitting federal offense." An argument would raise some eyebrow, weary stare or worse, panic 999.

"Have it ever occur to your brilliant mind that the houses within hearing distance are more or less vacant?" Gin steered the conversation toward the other person, not missing another chance to pour out his resentment. "And somehow you forgot to mention the bloody Akai Shuichi move in next door?"

"Don't you know when to let go?"

On purpose. What did you do? Akai gritted his teeth, once a boy scout always a boy scout.

"Safety measure. Or so mom said." Kate raised her eyes to meet his. "Pop corn."

"Where did you get those?" His face relaxed at the offer, feeling funny rather than angry.

Instead of answering, she pushed the bowl toward him and had some herself.

"You deal with them."

"They're your friends."

"Your enemies."

"I'm missing the point here." Even Akai looked confused at the term.

"Yeah, me too."

"Ah, you're still here. You want to not be here." Gin didn't bother to cover up his ridicule.

Vermouth could feel a headache forming in the back of her head, but careful not to show any signs, if Gin even got a faintest idea, there would be no stopping him from making good on his threat the other day. She quickly averted the attempt to massage her temples to pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Friends, you have to care what they think, how they feel,…" She paused before resuming her explanation with a smug smile. "With enemy, you only need to care about how to make their disappearance as profitable as possible."

Akai stood up, rub the child's head, then made his excuse. "Seem like I have overstayed my welcome. Good night, Kate."

Welcome? None from me.Gin grumbled quietly.

"Talk about bedtime. You owned me 2 chapters."

"You read bedtime stories?" Akai exclaimed interrupting Gin's train of thought about whatever excuses he was thinking.

"When the story happens to name the bone collector, yes I do." He sort of neglected how inappropriate the title was a mere child.

"And you let him do that." Akai turned to question Vermouth in disbelief.

Will the couch stop haunting her? The sheer pain was quite unbearable now, but she managed to reply. "I wasn't thinking clearly at the time."

"Have it occurred to you to ask the man in question?" Gin didn't take ignoring very well.

"Easy." Kate in turn left her seat and walked to her mother. "Because mom's in charge around here. Good night."

"Thank you, sweetheart. At least, you're sensible." She smiled just to annoy Gin.

Was this some kind of revenge about ganging up on her? Gin growled. However, this time he would get the last laugh.

As if his cue, Akai also went back to his house. Gin fetched some aspirin out of the cupboard, then handed to her with a look clearly said I know.

"Let me guess. I'm not going anywhere, aren't I?"

"Over my dead body." Gin smirked.

"You just want to see me suffer, don't you?"

"Ah, I care about your safety." He said in a singsong tone feign his worry. "Okay, fine. Was it too much to ask for?"

"What am I supposed to do indoor all day?"

"Surely, I can keep you occupied." All the while, the smug expression never left his face.

Vermouth could scream, but no, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Dad! I'm still waiting." Kate yelled across the room.

His head slumped defeatedly. "What did I get myself into?"

"I thought you enjoyed the book." Vermouth mused.

"Yeah, much more if I don't have to explain penis to her." Gin grumbled sarcastically as quiet as humanly possible.

"Still waiting here!"

Under normal circumstances, Vermouth wouldn't let her kid make such a racket. Gin forced her hand, though.

"Isn't it what got you into troubles? My advice, skip it." The smirk changed place or rather returned to where it should be.

Gin glared at the woman who was taking her time leisurely drink the medicine. He wasn't sure about making good on his threat until now.

"I'm coming."

Author's note: My break is over so the next update will take time. Please, spare a moment of your time to vote for the poll in my profile. I want to write stories for both gender. Hope this didn't offend or interfere with your privacy.