Kiba

I'd woken up the next morning, still at Charity's apartment and in her bed. But she wasn't next to me. Sleep still weighed my eyes down, and I drifted back off into a light slumber. With a little bit more rest on me, I was awake for good now. And Charity was still absent by my side.

I propped myself up on an elbow and looked around the room. What time was it anyway? I looked around for a clock, and found one on the wall. It was a little past ten in the morning. It felt later than that. The door to the room opened up, and Charity walked in. Her eyes showed me she was surprised. "Well look who's finally awake." I smiled when she walked over next to me and sat down on the side of the bed.

I asked her, "How long have you been up?" I took one of her auburn strands of hair and twirled it around my fingers. I loved the silky smooth feel of it. She told me, "I've been up for maybe two hours." I must have woken up right after she got up.

Charity then asked me, "So, when are you going to go back to Masomi's place?" I looked at her and gave her a wry smile. I said sarcastically, "You trying to get rid of me?" She didn't seem to catch my sarcasm because she quickly said, "No I'm not." I laughed and told her, "Calm down. I'm just joking. I had called Masomi yesterday and told him I'd probably be back sometime today."

I was sitting up now since the weight on my elbow was becoming uncomfortable to me. I asked her, "Do you have to work today?" She shook her head no and told me, "I don't work on Saturdays." I didn't think I'd ever understand human work hours.

It was if they couldn't make up their minds about what day they wanted to work, and for how long. Charity looked at me and asked me, "What do you for work anyway?" I stopped myself mentally. I had to be careful of my answer. "Um, I'm kind of in the information giving department." Charity nodded her head and asked, "What kind of information?"

Why me? I hurried myself to think up another answer for her. "Just all kinds of things. No one thing in particular." I hoped she left it there. I was well aware that being around Charity would mean having to be careful about what I said and did. I stayed around her apartment a few more hours before I finally decided that it was time for me to go.

Charity followed me out to the sidewalk, where we just talked a few more minutes. She was a great listener when somebody depended on her. She asked me, "Call me later?" I cupped her cheek in my hand and lightly kissed her lips.

When I parted with them I said, "Of course. That is if Masomi gives me a chance to." She laughed and I smiled. I remembered how I felt after a few days on Earth. I thought that I was getting homesick, but I realized that I was just lonely. That feeling had come and gone occasionally throughout the years, and now it almost felt nonexistent.

I was sure that that feeling wouldn't be back anytime soon. Not as long as I had Charity next to me for company. We said our good-byes to one another. I was walking down the sidewalk, slowly making my way to the apartment I shared with Masomi.

I wasn't in any kind of rush, so I took my time stopping and looking around. There was always something different and new about this world. I was walking past the park and I wished I hadn't gone by slowly. I saw my father's new love, and her kid. She caught a glimpse of me, then turned around and acted like I wasn't there.

I found out why she was acting so strange around me, or more figured out why. That woman knew that I was Aikido's son, and she was told not to tell anyone that she was heavily involved with him and had a kid with him. For her safety at least. My eyes fell on the little Half-breed kid running around on the playground.

Resentment and jealousy bubbled up inside of me. This kid was now the bane of my very existence. He had been the reason that my father left on the most important day of my life, the reason that my father left my mother, and the very reason that my family was torn apart. I turned away from them and kept walking. As far as I was concerned, those people were invisible to me.

My mother had always told me that people who caused you pain and grief aren't worth your time, but if you keep investing your time in them then you deserve the pain and grief they give to you. I wasn't about to allow them to cause me any of that crap.

Pushing them to the back of my mind and locking them away in a box was the best I could do to move on from them. I wondered why my father wasn't with them though. He loved that woman and kid, right? He loved them enough that he gave up his old life for them and to start anew, right?

Then why wasn't he anywhere to be seen? Was he treating them like he had treated my mother and I from day one? If he was, then even they didn't deserve that. No matter how much I disliked them. Maybe he didn't want to be seen with them.

He might not have told anyone else in the Realm other than my mother that he was leaving them for a human and Half-breed kid. My father might have still wanted to hold onto some of his legacy, which always seemed like the most important thing to him.

Even more important than his real family. Still, he may not want to be seen with them, but he still was more connected to these people than he was my mother and I. I reminded myself not to think about the three of them, and to focus on my own priorities at the moment.

I then remembered that I'd have to explain to Masomi what went down the night I ran out of the apartment and why I was over at Charity's. Sadly, that would mean bringing three certain people up in conversation. Maybe pushing them away wouldn't be all that easy like I thought it would have been.

Kiba

I tried the doorknob to the apartment, and found it was unlocked again. For me most likely. I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. Everything seemed to be the same from when I left it the other night. Well, the mess from Masomi's randomly thrown together party was also gone too.

That was a blessing on its own. I could smell the faint scent of Lysol in the air, and I smiled. Masomi had meant it when he said that he'd disinfect the couch that he and that girl were on. I found Masomi sprawled out on that very couch, asleep with the TV going. I rolled my eyes and walked over to him and shook his shoulder slightly.

"Masomi. Masomi, get your ass up." He moved a little and rolled over on his side and mumbled, "Five more minutes, Bertha." I raised an eyebrow. Bertha? I was in no shape or form a Bertha. I shook him again and spoke a little louder. He still didn't stir. Safe to say at this point that he was out cold.

I looked around and my eyes fell on a pillow that was tossed carelessly on a chair. I picked it up, and then walked back over to Masomi. Holding the pillow over him, I let it go and allowed it to fall right on his face. His body flinched, and then shot up.

He looked around frantically, his hair tussled and messed up from sleep. Masomi then saw me and slowly put two and two together with his groggy mind. He then snapped, "You almost gave me a damn heart attack!" I laughed and told him, "The way you run around all the time it's amazing that you haven't already had one."

Masomi shook his head and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Through a yawn he asked me, "When did you get here?" I tossed the pillow back on the chair and told him, "A few minutes ago." Masomi stretched his body and let out another yawn. I couldn't help but yawn myself, but I was nowhere near tired.

Yawns could be contagious after all. And just like a light bulb popped on above Masomi, he turned to me and asked, "Ok, why the heck did you run out of here like the place was on fire? Was it cause I had that chick in here? Oh, and I still don't know where she ran off to." I stared at him and asked him, "Were you really that obnoxious to her?"

Masomi laughed sarcastically. "Oh ha-ha. Just get on to the story please, and thank you." I let my light humor escape me as I started to unbox the memory of the three people who I'd sadly have to name again. I sat in the chair with the pillow, but moved it to the floor so I wouldn't have to sit on it.

There was barely any room in the small chair anyway. I started from the very beginning. Well, before I ran off to see if the man I saw was indeed my father. Since I was unable to tell Masomi what happened with me and Charity the night of the party, I decided to let him in on it.

Or else I'd never hear the end of his endless questions about it. He'd end up bugging the hell out of me until I told him. Masomi was leaning forward when he said, "Whoa, you kissed her?" I held up a hand and said, "Can I please finish?" Masomi stuck his tongue out and said, "Fine….Killjoy."

I ignored him and started to tell him about the man I saw out of my window, and how I thought he resembled my father. Masomi nodded and said, "So, that's why you darted out of here like a bat out of hell." I nodded my head. During the story, I had to explain about how I had a not-so good relationship with my father.

Just so Masomi would understand my predicament a little better. I then started to dig into the part about how I followed my father to an apartment, and how everything went downhill from that. I hated re-living that moment for yet another time. I didn't go fully into detail about all of the words that were exchanged between my father and I.

I felt as if those should stay just between the two of us. Masomi didn't really have to entitled right to know about something like that which was personal. Even if I did live under the same roof as him. Personal boundaries still existed of course.

I then told him the part about how I went to Charity's apartment, and even explained to him why. Which he understood after I told him the story about her being adopted and kind of knowing what I was experiencing. I left out a lot of details about what happened after I showed up at her doorstep, but I was sure he figured most of it out.

He pretty much know what happened yesterday since I had called him and let him know where I was at while Charity was at work. Masomi sat there for a moment and said flatly, "Wow. If I were you I would have kicked my dad's ass for doing something like that to me and my mom."

I started at the floor and said, "I tried, but he's much stronger than me. It would have been pointless to try." Masomi shrugged his shoulders and told me, "I guess it was a smart move to go to Charity instead of me while your brain was all scrambled up, because I sure as heck wouldn't have known what to do or say. Plus, I'm sure that chick would have still been here. She would have been a distraction."

I rolled my eyes and asked him, "Do you even remember, or know her name?" Masomi thought for a moment and said, "Uh, it was a name. I know that much." I shook my head. He told me, "Hey, don't get pissy with me. I had perhaps one too many drinks that night, so cut me some slack."

I laughed and told him, "All you are is slack, Masomi." He waved a hand nonchalantly. It felt good to have my world back to a slight state of normalcy, and it even may have been better than before.

well, don't really have much to say soooooo you know what to do. read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~