The end is nearing and I apologize for what is going to happen in this chapter.
"He should be home soon," Yuu mused as he laid back down in the bed after taking a glance at the clock. He groaned as he thought about Mika's expression after he kissed him.
He had no regrets for what he had done. Maybe a little bit after seeing how Mika reacted...
He hated their current situation. If he had met Mika on normal terms, where he was still human, then this would be better. Maybe.
Letting out a long sigh, he resigned to awaiting his fate to come once Mika comes home. But what if doesn't come home immediately? What if he decided to avoid Yuu and come home later? He'll have to wallow in his loathing for a longer time.
He perked up when he picked up Mika and his mother's voice downstairs. Hearing the stairs creak, he sat up hoping that it was Mika coming up the stairs.
Yuu suddenly felt nervous. But he threw that thought out the window when the door opened and there stood Mika. Yuu gave him a crooked smile when he saw the expression on Mika's face. He was mad, very mad. He messed up big time.
"Hey Mika. I uh, I can explain."
"Yes, please do explain. I would love to hear just exactly what you have to say." Mika was not the type of person to get mad. And Yuu knew he was in deep trouble upon hearing his passive aggressive tone.
"You see, I was... uh..." Yuu planned out exactly what he can't recall it. He sighed and decided to just tell the truth. "Look, I like you, maybe even love you. But I know the kiss was a little uncalled for but my feelings for you are genuine."
"Oh, that's what you think the problem is? Now I understand what Asuramaru meant."
"Wait what? You saw him?"
"Why do you look surprised? Is there something you're hiding that you don't want anyone to know?"
"What did he tell you, Mika? You can't trust Asuramaru." Now Yuu was in full panic mode.
"Okay, then you tell me what you've been doing for the past four years?" Yuu had to look away as the other's gaze was too much for him to handle. The guilt came back, the guilt of fabricated lies. "Nothing to say? Then perhaps I should enlighten you. You've been sitting back and watched everything. You watched as my dad mindlessly drink away his worries and my mother enduring her depression alone. Is it some game for you to watch me suffer all these years and come in like my knight in shining armour and sweep me off my feet?"
"It's not you think Mika. I-"
"Then you're not denying it. You 'saved' me when I thought I could not go on anymore but what about my mother? What about when she tried to kill herself?"
"I… I'm sorry."
"I hate you." Yuu looked up to finally meet Mika's teary face.
"Mika, I-"
"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Mika squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears to block out any attempts Yuu tried to persuade him. "I never want to see you anymore and I wish I never met you!"
Mika didn't care if the whole neighbourhood could hear his shouts. He was tired. He was tired of all the things he's been through.
Mika didn't know how long he was standing there, but when he finally opened his eyes, he was alone in his room with the window opened. He stiffly walked over to the window to close it before dropping into his bed. He roughly pulled the covers over himself and turned his head to bury his face into the pillow. The tears he had been holding back fell freely as he sobbed softly into the pillow.
Yuu had created an illusion that his life was great but reality finally came crashing down on him. Mika didn't know what to think anymore.
~ A Deal with a Demon ~
Mika felt a familiar, yet different sensation of someone's hand brushing through his hair. He couldn't explain the feeling but he brushed it off as he opened his eyes. He hazily recognized his mother's brilliant blue eyes and her blonde hair loose from her usual ponytail.
"Wake up sleepy head," her gentle voice called, something so foreign yet comforting. Mika was a little too used to waking up to Yuu's voice that he almost forgot about his own mother's voice.
"What time is it?" Mika mumbled as he sat up in bed.
"Dinner time, that's what," she said proudly with her hands on her waist. Mika smiled at her.
"I'll come down in a few minutes." She nodded and walked out of the room. Mika rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and took a deep breath. He took a moment to recompose himself and put on a smile, pretending the whole encounter with Yuu did not affect him.
Dinner was quiet without Yuu's motor mouth running and Mika was happy that neither of his parents brought him up as a topic.
When they asked about school and his friends, he expertly avoided talking about Yuu or the demons he encountered. During his talk with Asuramaru, he learned that Kiseki was also a demon, one that contracted with Shiho. For whatever reason, the demon didn't know but Mika could guess.
But there were still some gaps in the whole situation. Like why he was acting so weirdly or avoid them in general.
Despite the obvious glances his parents have been giving each other throughout dinner, Mika excused himself after dessert to shower and finish off the homework for the day. Mika found it really easy to concentre on his work when Yuu's not around. He managed to finish what would have taken him 3 hours to finish in just 2.
He did a quick stretch before packing up his bag for tomorrow. He turned off the lights and laid in bed.
He tried closing his eyes and sleeping but he could not sleep. He was tired, he yawned for the fourth time he returned to his room after his shower, yet sleep didn't come easy to him.
After tossing and turning in his bed for an hour or so, he finally succumbed to a restful slumber.
~ A Deal with A Demon ~
The morning was different. Waking up alone in bed, it almost felt foreign without having to deal with Yuu's stupid antics. Or the fact that his mother only packed one bento for him.
It was quiet. And it had been for a long time before Yuu showed up and ruined his life.
Mika almost got lost three times on his way to school. The first when he took the wrong turn after leaving his house, the second when he took the wrong train, and the third when he almost did not get off at his stop. And the reason for all these incidents was because he was thinking about Yuu.
He hated the demon. He hated him for not helping his mother. He hated him for sitting back and watching. He hated him for saving him that night. He hated him to helping him find friends. He hated him for making his life mean something. But most of all, Mika hated himself for missing Yuu.
Everyone's weird behaviour became clear to him when the teacher missed Yuu's name during roll call and there was another student in Yuu's seat. The used-to-be-human demon disappeared and took the memories and record of existence with him, but left Mika with his.
That's why his parents did not mention about Yuu, or why his mother only packed one bento. Shinoa, infamous for harassing Yuu, didn't even comment about the missing boy.
Mika was sitting in class but nothing registered in his brain as he kept thinking back to Yuu. Yuu in his room in his demon form. Yuu being introduced to his class as a new transfer student. Yuu scarfing down his mother's desserts. Yuu introducing him to his new friends. Yuu picking fights with Shiho at lunch and P.E. Yuu smiling-
"Mika?" The blond looked at the owner of the voice to see Yoichi look at him with worry. "Are you okay? You didn't seem focused in class."
"I'm fine Yoichi. Just didn't sleep well last night." That was half a lie. He dreamt of Yuu last night and it ruined his good mood in the morning.
"Let's go to eat lunch then!" Shinoa called from the back of the classroom. Mika sighed and Yoichi told the blond to take his time. He smiled to see that somethings don't change. As he walked down the hall with Yoichi and Shinoa to the roof, his smile faltered when he realized he had these friends because of Yuu.
"What's with Mika?" Mitsuba asked as she took a seat beside Shinoa.
"Bad night's sleep," Shinoa commented as Mika had his mouth fill with food.
"Is he still going to join us after school then?" the blonde asked.
"What are you doing after school?" Mika asked and noticed the three of them exchange glances.
"Did you not hear about it Mika?" Yoichi finally asked. His eyes started to water and his smile a little crooked. Mika shook his head. "Shiho's in the hospital."