~*~The boys receive their first assignment~*~
The next morning Bon woke early, which was to be expected considering his typical daybreak routines. Every day it was the same. 5:30 am the alarm went off, 5:45 he was out the door for an hour jog, 6:45 he was in the shower, 7:00 was set aside for hair styling, and finally at 7:15 he'd had breakfast and really start the day. Of course, he'd leave time for morning meditation, too. Without that moment of peace and calm he'd be grumpy the rest of the day... till noon meditation, anyway.
It was this consistent schedule that had him stretching, now laying on the couch. After his dream he couldn't bring himself to get in bed next to Rin, half out of fear for having another dream, and half for denial of his new interest in his friend.
He couldn't believe he was falling for Rin, it was an outrageous idea. Just a few months ago things were fine, they were predictable and comfortable. Rin was annoying, Bon was frustrated. Rin was illogical, Bon was over logical. Rin didn't care, Bon cared too much. Both had tempers to match. It was an odd relationship, but it worked in its own way.
Despite the punches that had been thrown, the words that had been shouted and the insults that had been exchanged they knew it was all forgiven. No matter what situation they were in they had each other's back, through thick and thin.
Rin defended him when he was fighting the Impure King, helped him find and move the lantern for their training camp, and helped him with the demon they'd recently encountered. So many things, and more. It wasn't to be mistaken, though, Bon had helped Rin plenty.
He'd fixed Kurikara, stood up to Amaimon, helped Rin pass tests and study his sword work, not to mention the time he'd helped Usamaro during the New Year's festival. Let's not forget standing up to Satan himself, all while assisting in the evacuation of Blue Cross Academy. They both had paid their dues, and there was no going back. No matter what happened he was sure they would be friends forever.
Bon slung his arm over his eyes, thinking of all the things they had been through together. Hell, even when he'd been absolutely malicious to Rin in their first year Rin still wanted to be friends. It didn't make any sense to Bon, but he was grateful that they had worked things out.
Letting out a heavy sigh he moved his arm and sat up, looking over at Rin who was twisted up in his blankets and sheets, hair a mess and drool running down the corner of his lip.
Bon smirked, amused. About the only thing Rin seemed really, really good at doing was sleeping…and kicking major demon ass (he would never tell Rin that, though).
Running his hands through his hair, pushing his mohawk out of his face, he stood up and stretched. If he wasn't going to jog he figured he may as well make it down to the cafeteria for some coffee, or tea if they had it. At least that would give him something to do while Rin woke up, if he ever did.
He slid on his shoes and made for the door, reaching for the handle then stopping abruptly. Behind him he heard Rin rouse, turning in the bed then yawning.
"Where you goin'?"he mumbled to Bon, his eyes full of sleep and half open.
Bon stopped, hand on the door knob and turned to look at Rin. "Just to get come coffee." He explained. "Want any?"
Rin shook his head no and pulled his blankets back up to his chin. If Bon had been less observant he would have missed Rin's fingers wiggle to grab the blanket, then clutch and pull them up. Luckily that wasn't the situation, and he did notice the action.
"Hey, your hands…" he mused quietly, letting go of the door knob and walking over toward Rin.
Still half asleep Rin grumbled something inaudible and tried to roll over, but failed when Bon gently took ahold of his bandaged left hand.
"Wake up, baka." he shook Rin's shoulder softly with his free hand, Rin opening his eyes sluggishly in response.
"What?" he mumbled, trying to take his hand back but failing when Bon grasped it harder.
"Look." Bon held Rin's hand up, the orange lights from the street giving just enough light so Rin could see what Bon had noticed.
The scabbed skin had healed, and all that was left on his fingertips was soft, fresh skin. It looked like Rin had just recovered from a mild case of sunburn, not the severe second degree burns he'd had just the night before.
"I thought Yukio said they would heal slower…" Rin said, thinking out loud as he wiggled his fingers.
"I dunno." Bon began to unwrap Rin's hand, not bothering with a nurse. If his suspicions were correct then there wouldn't be a need for them anyway, at least not immediately.
Carefully he pulled the last of the bandage away, cautious in case he was wrong. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Rin more discomfort by pulling skin off that was trying to heal. Much to his delight, however, Rin hands looked miraculously better. The deep burns had healed, covered now with light scabs, new skin had grown back and there was no sign of muscle or nerve damage.
"Wow." Bon whispered, running his fingers tips over Rin's palm, smiling when Rin twitched at the sensation.
"That tickles." He said, pulling his hands back and wiggling his fingers. Surely enough all the feeling had returned in his hand. "Do the other one." He said, holding out his right hand.
Unlike the night before he was able to move his fingers, and feeling had returned to his hand. Once Bon unwrapped it they found the result the same, new skin, light scabbing and full function.
" 'Suppose that demon blood of yours is worth somethin' after all." Bon grinned, crossing his arms and giving a slight shake of his head.
"Hey!" Rin's eyes narrowed defensively and his jaw clenched. "I'm worth more than my blood."
"Maybe, maybe not. Either way I'm goin' to get some coffee."Bon said, hitting the nurse call button before he turned again to leave.
"Ugh." Rin groaned as the nurse's button lit up, signaling someone was on their way. "Thanks a lot." He grumbled. Up until that moment he was going to try and sleep some more, but that would be unlikely after he'd been fussed over.
"You're welcome, sunshine." Bon grinned, leaving Rin in the room. He strode down the hall and jabbed the down button to the elevator, waiting patiently for it to arrive.
With his hands stuffed in his sweat pant's pocket he glanced around the white hallway, muttering a small "Good morning" to the nurses who passed. One young lady gave him a peppy reply, and Bon recognized her as one of the nurses who had tended to Rin the night before.
"Is your friend up and about?" she asked, stopping momentarily to chat. It was obvious she was busy, an air of hustle swam around her, and her clip board was tucked under her arm complimented by the pen stuck in her hair.
Bon nodded and smiled as he spoke. "He is, I just called a nurse in to see him. His hands look a lot better."
"That's good. So, word is you guys passed your meister exams?" she asked, crossing her arms just below her chest, subtly causing her breasts to push out. Her eyes became doey, and she glanced down at Bon, making her way up his body then stopped, pointedly looking him in the eyes.
Oh god, she was trying to flirt with him. Bon's face flared red and he stammered to think of what to say. "Yeah….sure…." was all he managed. It was a lame and idiotic response, but he didn't really care, he just wanted her to go away. Shameless flirting was never his strong point, unless it was toward someone he was really interested in.
Attempting to end the conversation he shifted his body away from her, turning toward the elevator door, wondering what the hell was taking so long. Did it always take a life time for the damn thing to come?
"What meister did you get?" the nurse asked, oblivious to Bon's body language. Instead she leaned her shoulder on the wall, uncrossing her arms to place a hand on her hip.
"Aria." He informed her, now avoiding all eye contact. The elevator lights pinged, the number nine lighting up. Only four floors away. He wondered if he'd make it out alive. Shima had provided him with very useful lessons on the wrath of a scorned woman, and he wanted nothing to do with it.
"Oh, how interesting." Bon glanced over at her, the hair rising on his skin when he saw she had plucked the pen from her hair, and was now suggestively chewing on the end. His eyes shot back to the elevator door. "Say, what about we get a cup of coffee together?"
"Uh nope. Nope, can't do that." Bon stammered, watching the elevator lights, his fists clenched as it came to a stop at the floor above him. Fuck.
"Well, then where were you going so early?" she asked suspiciously.
Bon jabbed the down button again, as if to urge the elevator faster. "Smoke, I need a smoke." He lied, although it was only half true. He was known to occasionally smoke in the mornings if he didn't get to run. What could he say? You lose one stress relief you try another.
The nurse's eyebrow popped up, looking at Bon like he was completely full of shit. "Mind if I ride the elevator with you then? I was getting ready to head down to the cafeteria."
Bon clenched his jaw, knowing she was lying. "Do you take your clipboard to breakfast a lot?" he snapped, his temper getting the better of him. It never was a good situation when he started to feel trapped. Whenever he felt like his attempt to be polite, or cunning to end a situation failed he would move to his last option; get angry.
Frowning at his sudden attitude the nurse shifted away from the wall, crossing her arms and jutting her leg out slightly. Oh, if looks could kill.
"Wait, and you and that kid, you know…together?" she asked, wondering if, perhaps, that was cause for Bon's defensive behavior.
"What?" the blunt manner of her question caused him to look at her, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. "No!" he answered, quickly regaining his senses. "No, he is just a friend." He looked back to the elevator, thanking every god that existed when the buttom went out and the door chimed.
"Huh….Well, if you change your mind I'll be at the nursing station." She said as Bon stepped into the elevator, immediately hitting button that would close the doors.
Without a word of good-bye he sighed a sigh of relief once the door was shut, waiting to hit the "C" button that would take him to the cafeteria. He needed a moment to regain his wits. Maybe a smoke wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the situation he tapped the "C", pushing aside his nicotine addiction. To make matters worse he now had other thoughts occupying his brain, as if it wasn't busy enough.
Him, and Rin, dating? What an odd thought. "Would it really be that different?" he wondered, silently thinking to himself.
"I mean, we hang out now, sure; but if we were dating what would we do? Go to the movies?" he scoffed at himself, thinking of how stupid he would sound.
"Hey Rin, want to go to the movies? No, no Shima or Koneko, just us." He rolled his eyes at himself, stepping out of the elevator when it opened. Yeah, that didn't sound stupid at all. Still, he wasn't able to answer his question. What would it be like?
The cafeteria was busy, the doctors, nurses, and assistants all trying to get something to eat, or wake up with a drink before the day really kicked into gear. He ignored most of them, too lost in his own thoughts. It was only when he was getting coffee he bothered to say "Excuse me" to a doctor he lightly bumped into, not that he seemed to care.
Inevitably his thoughts drifted back to his dream. Of Rin on top of him, kissing him, touching him. The memories put him in a daze, deaf to his surroundings as he went back to the elevator. As he was waiting he glanced at the doors that lead outside and took a sip of his coffee.
By the time the elevator had come he'd abandoned his place in front of the doors, instead venturing outside with an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Maybe that would be the difference? Maybe if they dated all that would change was their sexual activity. Wasn't that was dating was; another way of giving someone permission to do what they wanted to you?
He walked over to a designated smoking area, nodded in acknowledgement to another fellow smoker, and lit his cigarette, exhaling the smoke then sipping his coffee.
Hell, would Rin even want to date him? "God, imagine that embarrassment." He thought to himself, scenarios of Rin's reaction playing in his head.
He could see it now. He'd ask Rin out, seemingly to do something harmless, then Rin would catch on a freak out. Their relationship would become strained and awkward. It was enough to make Bon realize that doing such a thing was completely out of the question. His mild attraction wasn't worth losing a friend.
As he took another drag from his cigarette the flicker of a purple cape caught his eye, and he glanced over to see Mephisto strolling into the hospital's front entrance. While he had been in the shower when Yukio informed Rin of their boss's plan to stop by he knew Mephisto was probably there for one reason.
Not wanting to miss anything he shoved his half smoked cancer stick into an ash tray and dashed off for the cafeteria entrance, not bothering with the elevator. Instead he took the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Despite his good health and frequent exercise he was still huffing when he made it to the fifth floor. Maybe he would have to try to stair elliptical at the gym. Shoving the emergency door open he jogged down the hallway to Rin's room, taking only a moment to catch his breath before entering.
Somehow, but not surprisingly, Mephisto had already made it into Rin's room. They were talking but Bon had no idea about what. He'd walked in on the middle of their discussion, but he knew enough to understand Rin was pissed about something. His face was set in a hard expression, and his fists were clenched in his lap as he sat up in his bed.
"I don't care, you should at least let him take it again." Rin snapped, interrupting Mephisto as he was about to speak.
"That is between myself and Mr. Suguro, I believe." Mephisto said, turning to acknowledge Bon who had cautiously walked into the room.
While he wasn't beyond eves dropping he didn't want to seem rude. This changed quite drastically when he realized they were talking about him, however. "Take what again?" he asked, looking from Rin to Mephisto. "My test?"
Mephisto opened his mouth to speak, his index finger held in the air, apparently ready to assist Mephisto who was going to make a highly declarative statement.
Before he got to opportunity Rin cut in…again. "Yes, it is bullshit, what happened, and we all know it."
Bon gave Rin a sympathetic look, knowing he was just trying to help. It didn't change the fact that Bon wouldn't be caught dead asking for an exception, or any sort of assistance. "Rin, it's fine. I can try again next year."
As Rin was getting ready to rebut Mephisto loudly cleared his throat, done with being interrupted. "If I may." He said, shooting Rin a threatening look, as if daring him to say something.
It was a cold day in hell, because Rin kept his mouth shut, waiting to hear what Mephisto had to say. So he continued, "I spoke with the Grigori during exam reviews, along with a few of our head professors, and we came to the decision to amend your previous assessment." He explained, reaching a hand into his folded pink umbrella and withdrawing a green folder. "For showing peaceful mindfulness, and strong resolve, the Grigori feel you will be a wonderful addition to our Dragoon department."
He held the folder out to Bon, who took it and flicked it open, presenting him with a certificate of graduation from the program, specializing in Dragoon studies.
Rin leaned from his bed, neck stuck out as he tried to steal a look at the document. Bon held the folder to the side, showing it to Rin who instantly blushed in embarrassment over his rash behavior.
"If you would have let me talk, little brother, I would have explained that to you sooner." He grinned, speaking to him like a parent scolding their child.
"Whatever." Rin grumbled, looking away from Mephisto grudgingly.
"As much as I wish this were all about delivering good news, I have been informed of your speedy recovery, and am here on business as well." His attention turned from Bon to Rin, who looked back inquisitively.
"Oh, yeah?" Bon tucked his folder under his arm, waiting for his explanation.
"The Order has been informed of an incident at Mt. Aso, which erupted recently." He explained, apparently content with giving that small bit of information. Bon, however, had different feelings.
"And? What is weird about that? It's an active volcano." Bon explained, failing to see the urgency or point.
"We have active volcanoes?" Rin interjected, receiving a deadpan look from Bon.
"Yes, little brother-"
"Stop calling me that!" Rin barked.
"-We do have active volcanoes in Japan." Mephisto ignored him, continuing as if hadn't been interrupted. "What is odd, Mr. Suguro, is the flow of lava that is streaming uphill. It has already been responsible for the destruction of two smaller, neighboring towns."
Bon's brow furrowed together, his lips frowning. "Uphill?"
Mephisto nodded, once again ignoring Rin who was looking as lost as a puppy without its mother. "Indeed. So, consider this your first assignment. Both I and the Grigori feel it would be in everyone's best interest to pair you both together, seeing as you've had experience working together on numerous occasions."
He reached into his umbrella again and pulled out two sheets of paper. "These are your uniform applications, submit them no later than tonight. Tomorrow morning you will have your equipment and uniforms delivered to your dorms, along with a briefing of the mission." He explained, handing a sheet of paper to each of them.
With that he turned and strode out of the room, leaving a shell shocked Rin and Bon. As he was making his departure he stopped, foot hung in midstride, wearing a thoughtful expression. "Oh, and one more thing. You are required to vacate your dorms no later than the 26th of this month. Have a good day, gentlemen." And with that he left.
"Wait…." Rin looked from the uniform application to Bon. "Were we just given a job and kicked out of our houses in the same conversation?"
Bon took another sip of his coffee, which by now began turning tepid. "I guess so." He said, setting his coffee down and looking around the room. "You have a pen?" he asked.
Rin gave him a looked that asked if he were stupid. "I'm in a hospital gown in a bed. Why the hell would I have a pen?"
"Cool it, would ya'? I was only askin'." Bon said, going and rummaging around the couch where Yukio had been sitting the day before. Sure enough he'd left a pen behind, which Bon clicked into action. He sat down and folded his leg, using his calf to write on.
"Are you getting a jacket?" he asked Rin, who was scanning over his own paper.
"Yeah." Rin answered, trying to find the right box he could check off.
There were a lot of options, some which he didn't understand. He didn't know what a boubou was, or an ushanka, or African Beads, or a bindi, or much of anything that was on the paper. As he scanned down the list further he saw that his uniform could be as unique as he wanted. There were varieties of rings, necklaces, belts, coats, pants, shorts or anything else one could think of.
Luckily the sections were broken down by continents, then countries. It was easy for Rin to find his fashion, now all he needed as a pen.
Leaning from the bed he peered over at Bon, who was focused on his own paper. He leaned back, trying to wait until Bon was done.
His tail thumped against the bed and he looked down at the pendant that was hanging on his neck. For a moment he wondered if he'd imagined taking it off, then decided he didn't care.
His eyes scanned the room, bored. His tail thumped again and he glanced back over to Bon, who was writing something down on his paper.
He bit his lip, trying again to be patient. Another few seconds passed and he blurted out. "Can I use your pen?"
"No," Bon didn't even bother to look up, "Go get your own."
"From where?" Rin looked around the room, sure there wasn't another one. It had been lucky enough that Bon had found Yukio's in the first place.
"The nurse's station. There is a girl there, ask her. Tell her I need it, she'll probably give you five." He grumbled as he continued writing.
"Why would she give you five?" Rin asked, but after a moment of silence he understood he was being ignored.
He sat in bed for another moment, his tail wrapping around his wrist as he thought of something. "I don't want to go out without clothes." He explained. It was bad enough being half dressed around Bon, but he didn't want to go out into the hall like that.
Bon sighed and stood up, setting his paper and pen down. He grabbed the bottom of his hoodie and slung his arms over his head, stripping himself of it. Unfortunately his sweater became caught in his shirt, and Bon pulled off both articles of clothing accidentally. As he went to separate his hoodie and shirt Rin couldn't help but silently gawk.
No joke, Bon was gorgeous. Unlike Rin he wasn't thin, which wasn't to be mistaken with saying he was overweight. His body was solid, his abs slightly sculpted from his days at the gym, his arms had a cut at their biceps accenting his muscles, his forearms had a delicious bulge that separated his extensor and flexor muscles, and his shoulders were so lean it made Rin swallow with difficulty.
And, of course, a piercing which Rin never knew he had. Pierced horizontally was a barbell that went through Bon's left nipple. Thank god Bon was preoccupied with getting his shirt back on, otherwise Rin was sure his large eyes and dreamy look would have frightened him away, never to be seen again.
By the time Bon had his shirt covering his body Rin was wondering if he could somehow trick him into taking it back off, but was stopping from his plotting.
"Here," Bon thrust the hoodie to Rin, who took it with mild disappointment. "There are sweatpants in the bathroom. I brought an extra pair in case I had to stay longer."
"Thanks." Rin muttered, trying to fake his appreciation as his mind was in another world.
When the hell had Bon gotten so hot, and why the hell hadn't he noticed sooner? Then again, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Bon naked. It had to be at the New Year's festival, when they all had to band together to bathe Usamaro, which was a good four years ago. He hadn't been paying attention either, as the little demon he was watching had been wreaking havoc in the shower.
He put the hoodie on and stood up, grateful the IV had been removed from his arm earlier that morning. It had made trips to the bathroom a nightmare. Following Bon's instructions he found a plain grey pair of sweatpants and slid them on, removing the hospital gown and leaving it on the floor.
When he came back into the room Bon was still focused on his paper, so he went into the hallway to find the nurse's station, which was just at the end of the hall. It was probably best if he took his mind off Bon anyway. Yukio always said obsessive thinking wasn't healthy.
"Excuse me?" he interrupted two nurses who were chatting, giving a polite smile as to not seem rude. "Could I borrow a pin?"
"Sure thing, sweetie." One of the nurses grabbed a pen and handed it over to Rin, who said thanks and began to return to his room.
On the way his mind drifted back to Bon, and he began to think about how nice it had been to have him around. Despite his odd antics that morning it had made a huge difference to not be stuck with Yukio, or worse by himself. Surely there had to be a way he could thank him.
When he came back into the room he found Bon shoving a few things into his gym bag, getting ready to leave when Rin was discharged.
"They said I'd probably be out by tonight." He told Bon, sitting back down on the bed and pulling his empty food tray over so he could write.
"Good, we can stop and get some real food." Bon laughed, shoving his notebook into his bag then zipping it up. The things he would do for a cheeseburger were ridiculous, never mind a good sushi roll.
Rin twirled the pen in his hands, idly starring down at his blank form. "I appreciate you hanging out with me. It was really cool of you."
Bon stood up from his bag and looked over at Rin with a blank expression. "Yeah man, you know I don't mind. Someone had to make sure you don't lose your shit and burn the place down, right?" he teased, not wanting things to seem awkward. He really did suck with close conversations and tender moments.
Rin grabbed a pillow from behind his back and tossed it harmlessly at Bon. "Whatever, skunk." He smirked, looking back to his form. "What'd you fill out, anyway? I think I'm just going to get a trench."
Bon caught the pillow and tossed it down on the couch."I got a set of robes." He explained, trying not to bother with the complexity of the colors he chose and why.
"Oh, you mean like your Dad's?" Rin asked, checking off the box for a trench coat, one that had two sets of buttons, totaling six in all. It was just like his father's, judging from the old pictures Rin had seen of him. At least he didn't have to feel that embarrassed about trying to be a great exorcist like his own dad, if Bon had the same ambition.
"No," Bon replied quickly. "Not like my Dad's."
"Never mind about the lack of embarrassment." Rin thought quietly to himself, checking off another box for a pair of black jeans and a pair of sneakers. He glanced over at his sword and thought for a moment, then scanned his paper.
Under the American category was the option for a pair of fingerless gloves, which he checked as well. The callouses forming on his palms were beginning to get annoying, so a nice pair of gloves would be appreciated.
"You think I should get my gloves in leather?" he asked, not sure which material to choose.
"No way." Bon snorted, picking up the remote and turning on the TV. "You'll sweat and they will feel like crap. Get wool or somethin', it's absorbent and warm."
Rin nodded in agreement, checking off a box. He scanned the list and deemed himself done, setting the paper and pen down on the tray. "How do you think they'll get it to us so fast?" he asked, glancing at Bon's own paper that had his hand writing all over it.
His question was met with silence, and when he looked up he saw Bon standing, mouth slightly ajar, eyes fixated on the TV screen.
"Bon?" Rin asked, trying to get his attention.
"We are going to have one hell of a mission." Bon muttered, turning up the TV.
" 'I'm standing in, what was, the center of harvest city Aso.'" A reporter spoke into the camera, his suit and jacket dusted with ash, sweat dripping from his brow. Behind him were large rice fields, ablaze with fire.
" 'Although most of the city was evacuated there has been massive economic devastation. As you can see behind me, the dry fields have been burning for the better of 15 hours, hospitals and houses have been abandoned, lost to the molten and fire. At least 18 people have gone missing, and countless more are unaccounted for at this time.'" The reporter continued, the camera turning to show the town's buildings crumbling under the heat.
Fire crept up pillars, weakening house's infrastructure causing them to collapse into the lava that was steadily flowing. The lens zoomed in further, showing an abandoned hospital that appeared to be melting away, leaning sickly to one side.
" 'It has also been reported that the stream of lava is on course for Kashiwabaru. We have reporters stationed, live, awaiting any response from police officials. Currently scientists and geologists are scrambling, trying to figure out what has caused this phenomenon or reverse flow. We go now to Skahashi, local and expert geologist for opinion.'" The camera zoomed over, back to the reporter who was standing next to an older man in glasses with ash colored hair.
Bon turned the TV back down and looked over to Rin. "Seems pretty serious, huh?"
Rin, who had watched the whole thing silently, burst into a frenzy. "Serious? Bon we have to go! People are dying!" he yelled, reaching over his bed and grabbing his folder that contained his certifications and credentials.
Bon watched Rin dash around the room wildly, his tail mindlessly knocked into things. He grabbed the rest of Bon's stuff (because god forbid he not have hair gel), both of their toothbrushes, and some other odd things. He snatched both his and Bon's papers and grabbed Bon's bag, stuffing everything in, not bothering to zip it up.
"Rin, calm down!" Bon urged as Rin shoved the bag into his hands.
Rin, who was getting ready to dash off into the hallway, was abruptly stopped when his tail caught on something. Looking back he realized Bon had a gentle hold on his tail, with no intentions of letting go. "What?!" he barked, frustrated at being slowed down.
Bon scowled at Rin, keeping a hold of his tail. "Settle down! The fire isn't going anywhere, and you still aren't 100% yet." Bon said, looking at Rin's hands that were a light hue of pink, the fresh skin still trying to heal. "We don't have a change of clothes, you need a shower, we need our keys to the Order, and not to mention I don't have any weapons. I don't even have my beads on me."
It took a moment but finally Rin came back to his senses. Realizing the truth Rin's shoulders slumped in defeat, his tail relaxing in Bon's grasp. "Yeah, but we can't just sit here."
Bon shook his head, showing Rin wasn't understanding him. "We won't, and we aren't. I'm sure there are already exorcists on the ground containing the situation. You know they don't just send one team out. We can leave here, go back to your dorm and put together a plan."
Rin bit his lip in frustration, damning Bon and his voice of reason. "Fine." He spat, pulling his tail out of Bon's hand.
"Good, now let's get the hell out of here." Bon said, zipping up his gym bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "You go check out, I'll grab us a taxi. Oh," he glanced down at Rin's bare feet. "and don't forget your shoes."
Blushing lightly Rin grabbed the shoes that Yukio had left for him and slid them on. Bon left to go downstairs and Rin went over to the nurse's station. This time he didn't bother is polite hellos, instead getting right to the point.
"I need to check myself out." He explained, getting a surprised look from the nurse.
"You'll have to see the doctor before you can leave, Mr. Okumura." She explained, holding her pen with her left and right fingers as she leaned on the desk with her elbows.
"Well, I don't have time. Talk to Mephisto if you need to, but I have to go." Rin said, slightly agitated that she was holding him up. Bon had taken the stairwell and was long gone, not bothering with the elevator.
The nurse shook her head and set her pen down, picking up the phone that was setting on the desk. Giving Rin a serious look she pressed a button, and Rin could hear the phone dial then ring.
"Mr. Okumura you need to be okayed to leave, I can't just let you go after the serious injuries you had." She said, causing Rin's tail to twitch in frustration.
"Look," Rin slammed his hands down on the desk, startling the nurse. On the other end of the phone Rin could hear a person talking, but the nurse didn't respond. "I-have-to-leave. Send the Order a bill, have the doctor call me. Good-bye." He snapped, turning on his heel and leaving.
The nurse shouted for him to wait, but her plea fell of deft ears as Rin swung the emergency exit door open and strode quickly into the hallway, taking the stairs trying to catch up with Bon.
By the time he made it to the first floor Bon was already outside talking with a taxi driver, negotiating the price of their ride. Bon stood, leaving the passenger window he'd been leaning into, and turned, looking for Rin.
He waved when he caught sight of Rin, and Rin hastily strode over, Bon opening the car door for him. Rin's breathing was slightly labored, enough for Bon to notice, and when they got into the car Bon took a moment to look at Rin. He'd gone slightly pale and was still trying to catch his breath.
"You alright?" Bon asked speculatively.
Rin nodded, swallowing in attempt to catch his breath. "I'm good." He said, looking out the window to avoid Bon's concerned stare.
When Rin didn't submit Bon gave up and sighed. "Fine, but when we get back to the dorm you need to go lay down. You're still not better, ya know."
"Yeah, I know." Run muttered, watching as the buildings began to pass by.
"You boys are from the Academy, huh?" the drive asked, sensing the tension that was slowly building in the car. He peeked back at them through his rear-view mirror. His nose wrinkled at the odd looks of them. One with pointed ears, the other with two-tone hair and piercings. God only knows what would have happened if he'd caught a glance of Rin's tail.
"Yeah." Bon answered shortly.
"You see the news? Bad stuff in Aso." The drive said conversationally. He turned his left signal on and drove down a street, the academy coming into view.
"Yeah, we saw it." Another short answer. Bon was looking back at Rin who seemed to be dozing in and out of sleep. His face had paled more and his tail was lifelessly resting on the seat. The driver took another turn, Bon recognizing the street they were on. Luckily it wouldn't take long to get to the dorms.
"Some folks are saying a devil is behind it, that Satan himself is setting fire to the crops. Punishment for our sinful deeds."
Bon looked from Rin back to the driver, amazed at how close that was to the truth. "I doubt if Satan wanted revenge all he would do is burn some rice." He muttered, just loud enough for the drive to hear.
"You shouldn't say things like that, boy. Worse will come if you tempt the gods." The man warned, but Bon rolled his eyes.
He'd seen the devil and faced his demons. The most dangerous thing he'd ever come across only came from people. Gods held no power in this world, regardless of how they often felt. Friends betraying each other, parents and loved ones dying senselessly, rapist, pedophiles that was real evil. An acid spitting demon was just frightening.
A short while later the car pulled to a quiet stop in front of Yukio and Rin's dorm. Rin had long sense fallen asleep, leaving Bon with the burden of getting him into the building.
With his bag slung over his shoulder Bon reached into the car and pulled Rin out, scooping him up bridal style in his arms. When he got to the door, however, he was at a loss on how to grab the door handle. He attempted to use his shoe and failed, then after another few frustrating moments kicked the door in.
Luckily enough he didn't break it from its hinges, but the lock and latch were thoroughly destroyed. As Bon walked into the foyer Yukio had made his way down the steps, gun in hand.
He frowned seeing Rin's sleeping body, and Bon who was easily supporting his weight, but having a hard time not whacking Rin's head accidentally on a door frame. "Why isn't he at the hospital?" Yukio asked, switching the safety on his gun and putting it in his waist band.
"Your brother decided he needed to leave due to our assignment. I tried to get him to stay, but he didn't care." Bon explained, a helpless expression on his face. "He is really stubborn, you know."
Yukio snorted a small laugh. No one knew that better than he, with the exception of their dad of course. "Bring him up stairs, I'll have Ukoback get your something to eat after that." He said, turning on the steps to lead the way to their room.
The mention of the kitchen demon's cooking sent Bon stomach grumbling, so he hastily followed Yukio up the stairs, careful not to stumble and drop Rin. Although the thought of Rin comically toppling down the stairs was amusing Bon still did his best to avoid it.
Yukio swung their door open, tossing Rin's blankets aside and Bon set him down on the mattress, still dead to the world. "Man, he could sleep through an apocalypse." Bon mused, causing Yukio to laugh lightly.
"You should try waking him up for school." He said, throwing the blankets over Rin so he wouldn't get cold. "How about breakfast?"
Bon glanced down at Rin, his head and a foot poking out from under the covers. It seemed wrong to leave him so suddenly, especially after he'd been there for almost a week. But still.
His stomach gave another growl and Yukio smirked. "Come on, Suguro. He'll be fine. Watch, he will smell bacon and come running down."
Bon smiled faintly, knowing what Yukio said to be true. "Sure. I'll explain to you what Mephisto told us." He said, following Yukio out of the room and down the hall.
"Sounds good. I'll explain what I know about the Aso situation too, since the two are probably related." Yukio said as they stepped down the stairs.
"Thanks, teach." Bon grinned, unable to lose the nickname he'd given Yukio.
"Suguro, I'm not your teacher anymore." Yukio said with a sigh. Sometimes being an instructor really had its disadvantages. The nicknames were just one of them.
"Sure thing, teach." Bon smirked, his sassy behavior making him feel giddy. He always enjoyed getting a rise out of Yukio.
The two were quiet the rest of the way to the kitchen, and while breakfast was made and coffee was drank they discussed the mission Bon and Rin were to face, all while Rin caught some extra shut eye.
