.

.

"Yukine," Kazuma said. He was standing at the top of the stairs to the attic. "Can we talk?"

Yukine bristled. He had a stack of homework he needed to review before Hiyori came over, but grudgingly he pushed back his papers. Quietly, Kazuma crossed over to sit next across from him, his hands on his knees and trying to find his words.

"Yato talked to me." Kazuma's eyes flicked upwards. "It seems he isn't very happy with how I treated you."

Yukine glared at his papers. There was math, which he was good at (and so was Yato, who helped him with the more difficult problem sets given to him by Hiyori) and a stack of English homework that he was busy neglecting.

"I'm not happy with the way I treated you either, Yukine. If that is worth anything."

"It's not worth shit," Yukine said. Kazuma winced, then stared at his hands.

"I know this won't mean much, coming from me," Kazuma said. "But I made a lot of terrible mistakes and I'm worried you're going down the same path."

Yukine stood up. The window in the attic was smudged and Yukine decided looking at the hand prints on the glass was infinitely better than looking at Kazuma-san.

"You know, Nana thinks you're shit since you regret protecting your master." Yukine looked out the window.

"Well. She is the Renegade Hafuri," Kazuma said. Yukine turned.

"I think you're shit too, because you fucking tried to kill me and then you threatened Yato."

"I know," Kazuma said. Yukine's eyes narrowed.

"I get it," Yukine said. "You're Yato's shinki now. He's your master, you're beholden to him. But if you so much as blight him, or sting him, or make his neck start to prickle. I swear to god, Kazuma-san. I will fucking end you."

Kazuma lowered his eyes, then glanced at the English homework lying on the table.

"You know, I could help you with this," Kazuma said. He picked up the stack of homework and flipped through the pages, carefully. "One of the effects of living a long life is picking up a lot of different languages."

"Fuck off, Kazuma-san."

"Did you know, Yukine, that 'fakku' is pronounced 'fuck' in English?"

Yukine stared at him. "I don't give a shit, you're not my mentor."

"You could also tell me to 'shove it up my ass.'" He said the phrase in English, flipping through the pages carefully. "Believe it or not, Yukine, I know more English curse words than Yato."

Yukine yanked the workbook out of Kazuma's hands and threw it back on the table.

"I trusted you!" Yukine said, angrily. "But I was a fucking moron, I thought you were my friend!"

"I know," Kazuma said, softly. Yukine swiped back at his eyes and crossed his arms, glaring. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"How about you fucking die?" Yukine said.

"Well. We both know that would be impossible, since we're both already dead."

"I hate you!" Yukine said. He violently swiped his arm over his homework, the books and the papers clattering on the floor. "You fucking asshole! Get out!"

Kazuma raised his hands. "Yukine-"

"Kazuma-san, you asshole, I said, get out!"

"Okay," Kazuma said. He nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

The door shut quietly while Yukine breathed hard, staring at the mess of papers he made on the floor.