Mikuo jumped up from the couch, unsettling Kaito as he heard the car pull into the driveway, and the sound of doors opening and slamming closed. The teal-haired male darted to the door, wrenching it open with an expectant look on his face. His anxious eyes grew dark as he failed to see a cute blonde head anywhere.

"Where is she?" Mikuo demanded as Gakupo silently walked up to him and stopped.

"Kaito's Master got her," Gakupo said, his facial expression tightly controlled in his classic poker face. Mikuo closed his eyes briefly. He lifted his hand and punched Gakupo's face with all the force he could muster.

The violette staggered, holding his face with both hands. Blood dripped down the front of his face from Gakupo's nose.

"The only reason it's not a punch to the gut too, is that you made it back okay," Mikuo's angry voice said quietly. Gakupo looked at his friend's eyes, his mask crumbling a little. Mikuo looked away, his expression complicated and upset.

"I'm not gonna give up," Mikuo continued after a short moment. "You didn't see her... body, right? So she might still be... okay, somewhere."

Gakupo didn't want to refute those words. He nodded, "Maybe. But her Master didn't give me any clues about where to even start looking for her. Also, there's another problem. He purchased a new Vocaloid. I couldn't... convince him to come with me, though."

Mikuo sighed, tangling his fingers through his own hair as he stared up at the sky. Taito walked towards the pair, holding Gakupo's shopping bags from the drugstore.

"Since when am I your damn servant?" Taito complained in a light voice, and shoved the bags at Gakupo's arms, walking past the pair and going into the house. Taito's purple eyes glanced towards Mikuo's face as he walked by them, not turning his head.

"What's that?" Mikuo asked in a sullen voice. "This isn't the time for shopping trips, man."

"Bandages, and some other things, to take care of Kaito's wounds," Gakupo explained. "I can't be calling you over every other moment to watch him while I go replenish our supplies at the store. It's going to take a lot of dressing changes, and a lot of antiseptic, for his injuries to heal properly."

Mikuo looked away. The bluenette had been quiet, but he had been some welcome, easy company during the waiting for Gakupo and Taito to return. Never mind that Mikuo wouldn't have been stuck there if it wasn't for Kaito... he kind of liked the dude despite himself. There was just something about the guy.

It wasn't right that somebody should do something horrific to him. Especially a somebody who was the bluenette's Master. Mikuo couldn't even imagine the sort of betrayal Kaito must be feeling. His eyes darkened.

"Are you coming back inside?" Gakupo asked, balancing the bags while trying to hold his nose closed, blood was still falling down his face.

"Yeah, but only for a second, to say bye to Kaito. After that, Taito and I are gonna cruise. Maybe somebody will have seen her, somewhere in her Master's neighborhood." Mikuo's plan was flimsy, but Gakupo nodded in an approval that was accompanied by a feeling of intense gratitude.

...

Kaito sat on the couch, not feeling any energy, his eyes following Mikuo as he ran to the door and outside. He wanted to get up, wanted to look himself, but the dropping feeling in the pit of his stomach, and the heavy numbness that was stealing through his body had robbed him of the energy he needed to do so. If Rin wasn't there when the door opened... Kaito could feel his heart crushing within his chest.

The door opened after a few long minutes. Taito walked in, took note of Kaito, and sat comfortably down on the couch next to the bluenette. He relaxed, crossing his legs and leaning back lazily, regarding Kaito out of the corner of one of his purple eyes.

"You look like shit," Taito observed. Kaito's eyes moved back to the door as they sensed more movement. His mind felt completely exhausted, like it was shutting down. But he had to see.

Gakupo and Mikuo followed Taito through the door. Kaito's eyes widened comically as they took in the sight of Gakupo's face. He shrieked, startling Taito, holding his arm stubs up near his face in horror, as the sight of the red, red blood on Gakupo's face took up the entirety of his vision.

"NO, NO NO NO!" The desperate, terrified sound of Kaito's voice was like fingernails on a blackboard. Gakupo froze, Mikuo's mouth opened and he glanced from Gakupo's bloody nose to Kaito's horrified expression, but only Taito was able to move quickly and act. He grabbed Kaito's head and pulled the bluenette against his chest bodily, with a forcefulness that refused Kaito's struggles against him.

"Clean up, idiot samurai," Taito said in a low voice, holding Kaito's head tightly against his chest so he couldn't see, couldn't see the blood. Gakupo's face was an almost comical expression, stunned at Kaito's response, but he nodded, quickly moving off to the bathroom. Taito heard the soft sound of the faucet being turned on.

Kaito went suddenly limp against Taito's arms. He started sobbing, loudly, but his body had no strength, no energy. Taito frowned a little, keeping his grip on the bluenette as Kaito cried, taking gasping breaths, against Taito's shirt. He tightened his arms around the bluenette a little.

"Don't be such a baby. It's not that bad," Taito said in his light voice, not looking up to meet Mikuo's continuing gaping expression. Kaito took a shuddering breath, but couldn't stop his tears, and just pressed his face closer against Taito's warmth, whimpering softly.

"What are you, a twelve-year old?" Taito scolded Kaito again quietly, but he didn't let go. Mikuo trepidly walked towards them, and knelt down on the floor near the couch, watching with concern.

"I'm sorry," Mikuo's voice said quietly. Taito turned his eyes at Mikuo, and raised his eyebrow, then gave his signature, quirky little half smile, but it didn't reach his purple eyes.

"Yeah, well, everybody fucks up," Taito allowed ungraciously. "Why don't you make yourself useful for once and grab me a beer or something from the fridge."

Mikuo looked mildly pissed off, "What am I? Your maid? ...Whatever. Jackass."

"I love you, too," Taito said with a slight smile as Mikuo got up off his knees to head into the kitchen. At Taito's words, he stopped for a second, then kept walking, refusing to turn his head, pretending that there wasn't a shocked blush staining his cheeks.

...

Huh, none of this chapter was in my mindplot before I sat down to start writing it. But I kind of like it though. Apparently I have some sort of Taito feels that I didn't realize I even had. Weird. I wonder if this pairing would work out for them? It might be kind of shippable.

Kaito: Master, you and your yaoi.

What about me and my yaoi?

Kaito: You like it.

Well, pffffffft, uh...YEAH... *grins* You just figured this out? Kaito- You and your ice cream, me and my yaoi.

Kaito: My ice cream is different. My ice cream is delicious.

So is my yaoi *winks and grins*

Kaito: *blushes and hides face in his hands* Master...