It was just after nine when Davina awoke the next morning, still a resident of her couch—the multitude of pillows she had surrounded herself with the evening before were strewn all about, with several having fallen onto the floor. Her favorite blanket had been kicked astray as she slept, and was twisted into an odd lump by her bare feet. Her phone sat abandoned atop the coffee table, alongside a collection of tattered snack wrappers and a duo of empty glass soda bottles. The television had remained on, due to her descent into slumber—the device hovered on the title menu of the second part of the Godfather trilogy. A young Al Pacino gazed vacantly forth from the options screen, appearing vaguely confused. It was a look that mirrored Davina's own perplexity—she couldn't recall when exactly during the film she had fallen asleep, but knew for certain that it had been well into the early hours of the morning before she had finally succumbed to her fatigue.
Her plot to distract herself from unavoidable frustration with a series of violent, dramatic movies had proven to be fairly successful—however, despite this clever diversion, Davina still found herself checking her phone sporadically throughout the night, silently hoping for another message from Shuichi. Every time she dared to look, the disappointment hit a little harder upon the realization that there was nothing awaiting her eager gaze. She'd made it through the full three hours of Casino before attempting such a glance, and then gave it until the conclusion of Goodfellas until she was curious enough to check again. Once more, she was met with naught, and she delved into Scarface with a heavy sigh, tossing her phone back onto the surface of the table before her with a mildly resounding thud.
There was no reason to suspect that Shuichi would text her—his last correspondence set forth no expectations for further communication, and yet, Davina couldn't help but entertain some brief sense of optimism that he would reach out once more. Sour thoughts continued to poison her, prompting her mind to consider all sort of ill mannered atrocities. His sudden abandonment of their plans just seemed too convenient in the grand scheme of things, and yet, she knew that Shuichi had no reason to be dishonest with her. And even if it was a fabricated excuse, Davina knew that she lacked the audacity to call him out on such a thing—for one, she had no concrete evidence to support her suspicions. Two, if his justification for cancelling turned out to be a viable one, it would reflect poorly on her, and odds were it would encourage Shuichi to keep his distance and lose the desire to pursue anything further with her. That was something she truly wished to avoid, given how much she genuinely enjoyed his presence.
Davina knew herself well enough to realize that her currently wary mental state was a direct result of previous trauma involving a prior lover, and that, to some extent, she was being rather unfair—there also remained the fact that she and Shuichi were only friends, not romantically linked to one another…at least, not yet. To place the wrong-doings of another on the shoulders of someone who had only treated her kindly was sordid and unjust, and quite frankly, it made her feel like an absolute asshole. By the completion of Scarface, Davina had ultimately decided to push aside her pessimistic inclinations, knowing that nothing good would come of them if she allowed them to remain. At least until he had given her reason to consider that he harbored ill intentions, she would permit Shuichi the benefit of the doubt, swallow her wounded pride, and make an honest effort not to let events from her past poison her.
Coming to this conclusion did manage to somewhat calm Davina's troubled mind, and she finally managed to relax in the midst of the first installment of The Godfather. By the end of part one, she was actually sleepy, the bulk of the irritation that had been keeping her awake having dissipated alongside the tension she had been carrying around on her neck and shoulders. She began part two, reclaiming her position among her pillows upon the couch and snuggling back into the inviting warmth of her blanket. Soon, Davina begin to nod off, lulled to sleep by the soft music as it echoed alongside the film.
Exhaustion proved to be a blessing in disguise, and it was a deep, dreamless sleep that held Davina in its grasp for a number of hours, until she roused of her own accord. A loud groan escaped her as her eyes narrowed into a pained wince—she blinked them several times to clear way the residual traces of sleep, yawning loudly as she pushed herself to sit up. Despite a tumultuous evening, she felt surprisingly well rested. Following a brief minute of silent consideration, she decided to get up rather than mill about, opting to officially start her day with a long shower—if nothing else, it would wash away any remaining traces born of the previous night's dissatisfaction and provide her with a fresh start to her day.
In truth Davina still wasn't sure what to expect for the day ahead—as far as she knew, the plan to meet up with Kazuma, his girlfriend, and his group of friends for the afternoon was still in place. Vaguely, she wondered if Shuichi would be joining them as previously discussed, given his unexpected situation—given the less-than-satisfying results of the prior evening, Davina thought it best not to get her hopes up. She had already been disappointed enough for one weekend, and wasn't eager to add more fuel to that particular fire. Even if Shuichi was absent, Davina owed it to herself to make the effort to have a good time—this was her opportunity to forge some new friendships, and she wanted to make the best of things.
Heading into the washroom, Davina started the shower, allowing the water several minutes to heat up to a delightfully hot temperature that was just short of scalding. While she waited, she cued up some music on her phone, syncing up to the waterproof Bluetooth speaker that sat on one of the wall shelves. She pressed the play button and began to shrug off her soiled clothing just as the distinctive piano rift of Alone by Heart flooded the enclosed, tile lined space. Davina couldn't help but chuckle at the random selection—the playlist she had chosen was a true mishmash of everything, and for it to kick off with that particular song was an amusing but almost eerie coincidence. Regardless of the unwitting symbolism it held for real life, it was one of her favorite songs, and Davina stepped into the hearty stream of heated water, happily singing along with the words.
"I hear the tickin' of the clock, I'm lyin' here, the room's pitch dark…
I wonder where you are tonight, no answer on the telephone…
And the night goes by so very slow…
Oh, I hope that it won't end, though…
Alone…"
While Davina wasn't much of a singer, she had a fairly decent set of vocals—even still, her voice cracked when trying to hit the hit notes that followed the chorus of the song. It didn't discourage her—everyone knew that the shower served as a collective of useful things: a place to get clean, a sanctuary to do some deep, meaningful thinking, and a private karaoke soundstage where one could perform without shame. She took full advantage of this fact and belted out the words as she began to shampoo her lengthy copper hair.
"'Till now, I always got by on my own…
I never really cared until I met you…
And now it chills me to the bone…
How do I get you alone?
How do I get you alone?"
For the better part of an hour, Davina remained an occupant of the washroom, taking her time washing her hair, her body, and shaving the places that required such attention. She continued to sing along with the music, making it through Aerosmith's Rag Doll and Maneater by Hall and Oates before her playlist suddenly skipped from eighties jams to Broadway musicals, peppering in Kristin Chenoweth's version of Popular from Wicked (of which she sang every single word without so much as an inkling of indignity, even though she related far more to the socially inept character of Elphaba rather than Glinda in all her vapid glory, and most of the higher notes were painfully off key) as well as the movie-version of La Vie Boheme from Rent (where she preferred to sing as many parts as she possibly could, although the excerpts performed by the character, Mark Cohen, as portrayed by Anthony Rapp were her favorites—given his high baritone vocal range, she could sing said parts pretty well).
The water was just beginning to grow cool when Davina finally rinsed off the last of her body wash. Just as she turned the faucet off, Trouble by Pink began to pour into the room, causing her to laugh out loud as a memory with her best friend immediately surfaced within her mind—Selina was absolutely obsessed with the pop artist, and had been since they were kids. Trouble was one of her favorite songs from among the artist's compendium, not just for the song itself, but for the music video that accompanied it. Complete with campy old wild-west fashion, several bar fights, and a ridiculously hot sheriff, Davina could certainly understand why Selina appreciated it as much as she did. It had been played during many a sleepover, and her dear friend, who loved to dance but regrettably was not blessed in the art of such movement, would always try to do this awkward little wiggle to the beat that she though looked inviting—to Davina, it looked like she was in the midst of receiving a mild electrical shock.
As they grew, Selina had ultimately given up on trying to perfect said dance move, eventually ceasing her attempts at dancing to the song entirely, but it was the kind of thing that stuck with a person, even over the years. Each and every time Davina heard that particular song, the memory immediately resurfaced, and she couldn't help but laugh. But now, it was a bittersweet moment—again, she found herself missing her best friend immensely. No one could ever replace Selina, but Davina longed for similar companionship.
A heavy sigh fled her lips as Davina dried her hair and carefully wrapped it in a towel, leaving it to rest atop her head as she took a second towel and wiped away at her damp skin. After applying some apple scented lotion, Davina slipped into a short black cotton robe and left the washroom once she had reclaimed her phone—with a push of a button, she silenced the music that poured through the speaker just before the next song on the playlist could commence. As her ears adjusted to the new found quiet of her surroundings, she headed into the kitchen, intent on making some coffee. Her mood was already considerably better than it had been prior to her shower, and a healthy dose of caffeine would only further said improvement.
Once armed with a fresh cup of hot brew, Davina perched at the small dining table that sat alongside the kitchen. She had just taken her first sip when her phone, which she had left over on the countertop alongside the coffee maker, suddenly vibrated, signaling the arrival of a text. Upon a quick inspection, she discovered it hailed from Kazuma, and promptly opened the message to read. It was a group correspondence, sent to multiple recipients including both herself as well as Shuichi, but also to several other numbers she did not recognize.
That realization sent a sudden wave of apprehension washing over her—Kazuma hadn't specified just how many of his friends would be tagging along for the outing, and, judging by the collective of unfamiliar digits present in the message, it was to be a considerable handful. It didn't matter how mentally prepared Davina was, meeting new people, especially in large group settings, always tended to make her feel somewhat nervous. But she couldn't allow herself to give into her timidity and cancel—she was determined to see things through, regardless of how uncomfortable it could be to get the ball rolling.
The text simply read 'Akaitsuru 12?' Davina recognized the name of the location almost immediately—it was a pizza restaurant within the downtown area of Kaiden, not far from the Koeda Café. She had walked past it a number of times, but had yet to give it a try. A swift glance at the time informed her that it was only about a quarter after ten, which gave her plenty of time to finish readying herself and head the way of their intended destination. She responded favorably, then put her phone back down, deciding to leave it be until she was ready to venture out. Only one she had consumed her coffee did she feel prepared enough to tackle the task of getting ready—with a slight spring in her step, Davina headed into her bedroom, intent on finding something appropriate to wear for the outing that awaited her.
. . .
Despite feeling rather tired upon his return home from the neighboring realm, Shuichi had a difficult time falling asleep. Even after a relaxing shower and a cup of calming chamomile tea, he still found himself restless, tossing and turning fruitlessly within the warmth of his bed. He wasn't sure when sleep finally came to claim him, but when his morning alarm echoed across the modest expanse of his bedroom in what seemed like only moments after his eyes had finally closed, he was far from pleased. His exhaustion lingered even as he readied himself for work, dreading his arrival at the café—Saturday mornings were notoriously busy, for the majority of customers who patronized his step father's establishment did not have academic or work obligations and desired a sit-down dining experience as opposed to their usual grab-and-go practices. This sudden influx of dine-in patrons made things much more hectic, and it would remain as such for the entire four hour duration of his shift.
It was with a heavy sigh of sheer defeat that Shuichi left his room and headed for the door, walking carefully as to remain quiet—his mother and Kokoda were still asleep, and he openly envied them for it. Kazuya had already left the house, far before Shuichi's alarm had disrupted his broken sleep—as per his routine, his step-father arrived at the café at dawn on Saturdays, using the time to bake fresh pastries and prepare as best he could for the impending rush. Such methods certainly proved useful, as they ensured an overall smooth service for the busy morning, minus a mild inconvenience or two along the way.
During the short walk that separated home from work, Shuichi took the opportunity to shoot a quick text over to Yusuke, asking him to meet up with him at the café around noon, when his shift was scheduled to end. He cited that they needed to speak, and emphasized heavily that Yusuke should come alone. Shuichi sent the message along, knowing it would be some time before he received a response, if he received one at all.
For one thing, Yusuke was not at all a morning person—he was a heavy sleeper who slumbered with the depth of a hibernating bear, and would only awaken early when absolutely necessary (which translated to when he was forced to—Shuichi recalled with mild humor the days they had spent training at Genkai's compound prior to the Dark Tournament; the old psychic had made devising creative methods in which to rouse her successor a game of sorts, one she thoroughly enjoyed and her protégé thoroughly loathed. Among the most memorable of tools the utilized included a boulder the size of a small car, a cast iron skillet, and a megaphone capable of reaching painfully high decibel levels). As such, it would be a while before his friend was coherent enough to check his messages.
Even once he had seen the text, it was debatable if Yusuke would bother to reply. By requesting a conversation and asking him to make the venture alone, it might prompt a red flag that the subject matter Shuichi wished to discuss was problematic, which would undoubtedly cause Yusuke to avoid even acknowledging the correspondence. Of course, the Mazoku had no way of knowing that Shuichi had been made aware of his impending transgression, and that worked in his favor. Regardless, the conversation would be had, whether it was sooner or later—Shuichi hoped for the former, as he wished to avoid as much negative fallout as possible. It was to be an unpleasant endeavor either way, but if he could avoid Mukuro harboring a vendetta against Yusuke, that would be ideal.
Upon his arrival to the Koeda Café, a line of eager customers had already formed just outside the doors—there still remained a near twenty minutes before the café was set to open. Shuichi stealthily made his way around towards the rear entrance and slipped inside, careful not to draw attention to himself. He got to work immediately on the remaining opening procedures, and by the time the doors were unlocked and the first wave rushed in, Shuichi was as ready as he possibly could be, given his lack of decent rest and desire to be far away from his current location. The single upside to being insanely busy was that time passed by swiftly—it was nearly half past eleven when Shuichi was finally gifted a brief interlude, which he used to grab a glass of water and check his phone for notifications. There were several awaiting his attention, so he clicked on the one that had been the first to arrive, well over an hour prior.
The text, which hailed from Kazuma and hosted a group of other recipients, many of whose names were already saved within the memory of his phone, offered a brief inquiry for future plans: 'Akaitsuru 12?'
Shuichi was fond of that particular restaurant, which was known for its Neapolitan-style pizza. He was quick to notice that Davina had already replied with her intention to be there, which prompted him to crack a minute smile. In truth, Shuichi had been somewhat concerned that she would suddenly cancel her plans to attend, which would mean yet another night he would miss out on the opportunity to see her. But the affirmation that she would indeed be there quelled that worry, at least, for the most part. Vaguely, he wondered if she would be short with him when they encountered each other later—it was glaringly apparent that she had been perturbed with him over his sudden cancellation the night before, despite her well wishes. In spite of whatever her reaction towards him was, Shuichi had every intention of making his unanticipated absence up to her, although he had yet to devise how he would accomplish such a thing.
After confirming his intention of participating, Shuichi scrolled onward to the next text, his eyes eagerly racing over the content. To his mild surprise, Yusuke had not only read his message, but had responded agreeably, nearly an hour prior. Keiko was already in the company of Botan, Yukina, and Shizuru for the morning—apparently, the girls had wanted to go shopping prior to everyone convening for lunch, so Yusuke would be flying solo until then. He agreed to meet Shuichi over at the café by the conclusion of his shift without any complaint or protest, which came as a relief. Of course, getting him there was only half the battle—Shuichi wasn't eager for the unpleasant conversation that was to follow, but he was committed to the attempt for the sake of keeping relative peace.
The third and last of the messages that awaited his consideration hailed directly from Davina, which only fed into his astonishment. Shuichi certainly hadn't anticipated such a thing, but he was relieved to see it—perhaps she wasn't as infuriated with him as he had feared….or maybe she was just playing nice. Either way, it played to his benefit, and he wasn't one to ask unnecessary questions in the face of good fortune.
'Hope your mom is doing better today—maybe I'll see you later?' the message read—Shuichi could almost hear the tentative hope behind her gentle inquiry and couldn't help but smile. The text had come in only about twenty minutes prior—even though he had already replied within the group message, Shuichi took a moment to type up a personal response for her, knowing that she would appreciate the effort.
'She's doing much better, thank you. You will definitely be seeing me. Hopefully, you're looking forward to it—I know I am.'
He had no sooner clicked the button to send the message along that his step-father called out his name, requesting his assistance at the counter. Knowing that only a mere thirty minutes remained between him and much desired freedom only encouraged him to persevere. The last of his shift passed quickly, and Shuichi was in the midst of removing his apron when Yusuke strolled into the café. They pair locked eyes and simultaneously waved a silent greeting to one another—Yusuke paused his stride, opting to linger by the exit while Shuichi completed his task and clocked out, offering a quick goodbye to his step-father before making his way over to where his friend awaited him.
"Busy morning?" Yusuke asked casually as he fell into step behind Shuichi and followed him through the exit.
"Saturday mornings always are rather chaotic," Shuichi offered with a short smile. "I appreciate you meeting me."
"Yeah, well, usually when someone tells me we need to talk, it's Kuwabara and it's about some touchy feely crap, so..."
"That's not why I asked you here," Shuichi replied, his voice suddenly stern as he paused in his stride, only a few feet away from the café's entrance, and turned around to make direct eye contact with his companion. "I'll be frank with you, Yusuke. I was summoned by Hiei last night, and went to pay him a visit."
Yusuke quirked a curious brow at this admission, but remained silent—he held Shuichi's stare without flinching, even as his shoulders involuntarily squared up.
"And how is the King of Demonworld doing these days?" the Mazoku asked nonchalantly, although there was now a strange deviation in his scent that Shuichi picked up almost immediately—it was an unappetizing smell, like sour sweat clinging to grimy skin, a pungent odor that he easily recognized as a byproduct born of guilt. Such a reaction came across as being a touch premature, but further solidified the information Hiei had previously shared with Shuichi—Yusuke was definitely involved in something he shouldn't have been. Given the context of their talk so far, he had easily put two and two together, understanding then that Hiei was aware of his not so innocent activities and had informed Shuichi of his actions.
"He's doing well—staying busy, of course. He informed me that you've also been rather busy, although in a different sense." Shuichi simply got right to the point—there was little use in attempting to be vague or sugarcoat the situation.
A short sigh escaped Shuichi's companion at this admission, and he immediately withdrew his gaze, opting instead to stare off into the distance as a mild scowl formed across his lips.
"Guess I shouldn't be surprised that he's been keeping tabs…look, it's not like that. She's just a friend. We haven't done anything bad," Yusuke offered loosely, but the defensive tone of his voice was plain as day. The smell of shame swiftly grew more potent, even as he attempted to shrug off the accusation. "I don't get why Hiei had to stick his nose into this crap and get you involved…"
"Apparently, your actions have caught Mukuro's attention," Shuichi announced bluntly, which prompted Yusuke's eyes to widen in surprise. "Safe to say, she disapproves."
"So what?"
"She's made threats to punish you should you act out of turn—given her association with Hiei, being in poor standing with her could cause a multitude of issues for you, Yusuke. It's simply not wise to encourage such a grudge."
"You act like I can't kick her ass if I needed to," Yusuke replied sourly, irritation clear cut across his visage. Shuichi fought the urge to groan at his pigheadedness despite having anticipated such a thing.
"You must consider the bigger picture, Yusuke," Shuichi counseled, keeping his tone firm but encouraging. "This goes beyond a simple physical altercation, and you know that. If you're unhappy, just end things with Keiko and move on—the only thing that is prompting Mukuro's ire against you is the dishonesty of your actions. It's remedied easily enough."
"Except it's not," Yusuke retorted, his rigid stance deflating considerably as he reclaimed Shuichi's unwavering gaze. "Keiko is involved in every part of my life—if I end things with her, shit's going to get real ugly, real fast."
Shuichi knew his statement held merit, but found himself unwilling to encourage further poor behavior.
"Yusuke, if you aren't satisfied with your relationship, you're doing not only a disservice to yourself by staying in it, but one to Keiko as well," he said, his tone softening some. "Of course, certain things will change, but if you're already unhappy, then perhaps change will do you well."
"Yeah…it's not like I haven't thought about it," his companion admitted quietly, slipping his hands into the deep pockets of his worn blue jeans. "It just…sucks."
Knowing Yusuke as well as he did, Shuichi understood that he had taken things as far as possible without overstepping certain silent boundaries. Despite having matured a fair amount over the past several years, Yusuke was still considerably challenged by anything emotionally charged, and this particular topic was just that. He knew that if he pushed any harder, Yusuke would quickly become frustrated, if not angry, and entirely shut down—it was something he desired to avoid, not wishing to inspire future issues. If nothing else, he had satisfied the task Hiei had bestowed upon him—what Yusuke decided to do with the warning was his personal prerogative. For the sake of his friend, he hoped that he chose well.
"It's certainly an unpleasant situation to find yourself in, but I have every confidence that you will manage just fine," he offered, fixing his friend with a small supportive smile. Yusuke nodded his head in quiet agreement, but the glum look that had fallen over his façade remained. In light of this, Shuichi thought it best to change the subject matter to something far less serious.
"Well, I do need to head home to change," Shuichi announced, gesturing towards the end of the block with a hand. "I should be over at Akaitsuru within twenty minutes, or so."
"I'll see ya over there," Yusuke replied, suddenly abandoning his gloomy visage and exchanging it for a mild smirk, withdrawing one of his hands from its confinement within his pockets to shoot Shuichi a thumbs up. It was almost alarming the ease in which the Mazoku could flawlessly transition his façade between such dire extremes, but then again, he had been doing it for years, no doubt inspired at least partly by having a severely dependent alcoholic for a mother. These days, Atsuko was doing better, from the little Yusuke had shared on the subject, but she still refused to entirely abandon her vice—odds are that she never would. Much like her son, she was extremely stubborn and often impulsive. Having encountered her a handful of times over the years, Shuichi easily understood certain facets of Yusuke's complicated personality, able to recognize what characteristics had been born of the need to survive such a tumultuous childhood.
The boys parted ways, and within minutes, Shuichi found himself at home—the house was unusually quiet, and upon further inspection, he discovered that neither his mother's nor Kokoda's auras were present within the immediate vicinity. He slipped into the kitchen with the sole intention of checking for any correspondence that might have been left, and was rewarded with a brief note scribbled in Shiori's familiar hand. The scrap of paper was tacked onto the surface of the fridge via a small magnetic picture frame—the photo it housed was one taken at Christmastime nearly two years prior, while attending a small party thrown by his mother's company. In it stood him and Shiori, both finely dressed in festive colors and wearing bright, identical smiles as they posed together in front of a snowy holiday backdrop that had been provided for such use. Shuichi couldn't help the small smile that came to play across his lips at the sight as he reached over to liberate the note and quickly skimmed over it.
Through the message, he discovered that his mother was out having lunch with a coworker—it also informed him that Kokoda was over at a friend's house and wouldn't be returning home until later that afternoon. Although the absence of his family members was unanticipated, Shuichi found himself grateful for the tranquility of a silent space. He swiftly showered and groomed himself before changing into fresh clothes, selecting a pair of charcoal gray jeans, a wine colored button down shirt with quarter sleeves, and a well worn in pair of black loafers.
After a short evaluation of his appearance, Shuichi headed for the door, eager to make his way over to the destination that awaited him. He was admittedly in a fair mood—the difficult conversation he had prompted with Yusuke hadn't gone awry, and he viewed that as a considerable victory. He was quite eager to spend time with his friends, several of which whom he hadn't gotten an opportunity to see in quite some time, and, of course, there was Davina—the anticipation of seeing her was beyond potent. It was all he could do to keep his pace steady as he walked the short few blocks that separated him from his goal.
*Author's Note: First off, allow me to apologize for the ridiculously long amount of time it took me to complete and post this chapter. Between working two jobs and several other factors, I've had little time to write over the past month and a half, but I'm happy to report that should no longer be the case. I just started a new job with better hours and pay, and have been able to leave the previous two, so even with the overtime offered at the new one, I will still have more time to write. I want to thank you all for your patience with me, and further assure you that I have no intention of abandoning this story. My goal is to post a new chapter every two weeks, time permitting. On that note, I'd like to thank Lilymarine33, GlitchInUrSystem, KiranKiranKom, Serinity750, , gabmeh1, Inukurama24, Katsip12, midnightabyss23, Librarian90, Sasa1990, PurpleLemonadex3, , B.T.U Bijou, , and noncreativeusername for their add to favorites/following. A further token of my appreciation goes out to Katsip12 for leaving me a kind review, and a thank you to the lovely anonymous reader who was also nice enough to post a review for me. You guys are great, and I appreciate your patience with both me and the story. I have begun the next chapter, and I will have it posted the moment it is done. I hope everyone had a fun Halloween, and a wonderful Thanksgiving! I will have another chapter posted by Christmas, if possible. Again, all feedback is appreciated! Thank you, everyone!