Thank you, DramaDragon and VampireHarry : D
JustWill, it's taken me a good bit of mulling to figure out where I wanted to go with the plot. I'm working my way through it, so my goal is to have more plot relevance in the next few chapters.
I hope you guys are all keeping well : )
Shura pays the boys a visit.
"It's only for a couple of weeks, what did you pack?!" Bon asked, pulling the large duffle bag through the doorway.
Rin, who was rummaging through a draw at his desk gave Bon a flippant wave of a hand. "Some sweaters, some jeans, my favorite manga, an extra pair of shoes. You know, just the basics."
"Ugh," Bon heaved the bag on his shoulder, his own held easily by its straps in his other hand. "Get a move on, will ya? I don't want to be late helping with clean up again, that was embarrassing."
"I know, I know!" Rin tossed a couple of things onto his desk, becoming more frantic. "I just don't understand. I had a bottle of sword oil in my drawer."
Bon readjusted the heavy bag over his shoulder with a grunt of effort. "I'm sure they have some at the monastery. Besides, you don't have your sword right now anyway."
"Yeah, "Rin scratched the back of his head, giving the room one last look over. "Yeah, you're right."
With a flick of the lights he stepped into he hallway, relieving Bon of his bag as the two began the walk off of the campus. They idly chatted about small things, Kuro's mishap with some squid the other night, the sudden lack of homework and abundance of free time, Mephisto and his oddities.
"So, he really suggested that I be suspended?" Rin asked as he crunched into an apple they had gotten from a food cart.
"Yeah," the admission felt like car exhaust leaving him mouth, arid and foul tasting. "I didn't want to, but I didn't see any other way. Plus, I figured sticking around with me wouldn't be all too terrible." He fought to hide his blush that was threatening to warm his face as he gently shoulder bumped Rin.
Rin grinned and nudged him back, wiping a bit of apple juice that had dripped down the side of his mouth. "Could be worse. Could be Yukio, or Shura. Come to think of it, I'm actually surprised Shura hasn't shown up yet."
"I was supposed to call her," Bon reached over and took the apple from Rin. Watching as Bon took a bite of the apple with utter disbelief he snatched the apple back, at a loss for words from having his food stolen like that. "Figured I'd give us a bit to settle in, though. In my defense, I did sent her a text."
Rin held his apple in his right hand, farthest from Bon, eyes squinted for a brief moment as if he may say something about the petty theft. Thinking better of it he took another bite of his apple, chewing over the idea of Bon talking with Shura about him. Fighting back the urge to insist he didn't need a babysitter he swallowed his bite of apple and took a more passive approach. "What for?"
"Well," Bon reached out for Rin's apple again, dismayed when Rin held it up and out of reach. "It's supposed to be for progress checks, but I really want to try and get your sword back. And would it kill you to share?!"
Rin quickly snapped another bite of the apple before handing it over to Bon who thanked him. "You're going to try and get my sword back?"
"Duh," Bon took a few bites of the apple, almost finishing it off, before offering it back to Rin. "The point wasn't to have it taken. I told you, bakka, it was just a move to make the Order feel better."
Rin took a final bite from their snack and tossed the core into the trash, ignoring Bon who accused him of being wasteful. "I still don't understand that. I've only ever tried to help. Why does the Grigori have it out for me? So what, I'm the son of Satan, big deal."
A snorting laughter escaped from Bon, one he tried to hide and utterly failed. "I know that, hell, all your friends know that. You gotta look at it from their point of view though. Along comes the son if Satan, two sons of Satan for that matter, and suddenly you destroy a forest, fight the demon King of Earth, destroy the Impure King, infiltrate the secret Illuminati society, kick a Cherfue's ass and pass your exams. You need to cut them a break man."
Unable to help himself Rin cracked a grin, one mixed with a sense of pride and ego. "Yeah, I guess. But I want to be on their side, you know? A Paladin! I want to help."
The two began to decent down the large stair case that officially severed the campus property from True Cross proper. They weaved around a smaller crowd of students who were clearly cramming for finals. Cups of coffee in hand, too many books to carry and a look that borderlines breakdown and desperation. They exchanged a knowing glance as they got farther from the students.
"Don't miss that feeling." Rin muttered, thinking back to their recent meister exam. "Anyway, I've gotten really good at controlling my flames and I work on my sword techniques. What more am I supposed to do?"
Bon glanced over at him, taking in his slightly down trodden slump. He swore if his tail had been out it would be dragging along the sidewalk along with this hopes. "You listen," Bon took a closed fist and gently boinked it on top of Rin's head. "I'm telling you, I know it's hard but you just have to play the game. The Order doesn't want rouges. Hell, just look at Shura! She's badass but she still has to play by their rules."
"Hmph," Rin crossed his arms, his duffle bag strap falling into the crook of his elbow. "Shura plays by her own rules. If they knew half the crap she pulled..."
"Exactly!" Bon took his hand back and stuffed it in his pocket, swerving to avoid a couples of kids that went running by. "But they don't have to know that. Shura does her reports and gets the job done. At the end of the day if everything looks okay on paper no one cares."
"Yeah, I guess." Rin conceded, quietly mulling over this thoughts as they continued the rest of their walk back to the monastery.
Bon did have a point. Shura was strong, reliable and respected in the Order. Being a demon child, her eccentric methods, her hot headed tendencies, all of that was frequently overlooked. She also had a way of talking herself out of difficult situations, just like the snakes that possessed her sword she could slither out of anything. She was like a shadow cast by a cherry blossom tree that was too beautiful to remove. In it's shade lay the Grigori, soaking up the benefits of her growth for their own gain. Maybe it was time Rin started learning more from her than just sword work.
Lost in his thoughts Rin strode through the front door of the monastery, only stopping to remove his shoes. Had he been paying attention he would have noticed the extra set sitting there and hurried himself into the common area. As it was he made for his room, chewing his lip as he plopped his bag down onto his bed.
"Do you think Shura could teach me how to be better at talking to the Grigori and stuff?" he asked, turning to face Bon.
Although Bon wasn't there. "Wha-" Rin poked his head down the hall, wondering at what point Bon had stopped tailing him.
Laughter rang from downstairs and he wasted no time in retracing his steps to follow the conversation coming from the living room. Sitting on the couch with a beer in hand, surrounded by the rest of the priests, was a rather bright faced Shura.
"And then, ya know what I did?" The gentlemen hung on her words, waiting for her to finish. "I told him that he could shove it right up his ass!"
They all burst out laughing, Kyodo slapping his knee as he wheezed with laughter. Rin could even see a tear slide down his cheek. "No way! You said that to the director?!"
Shura took a couple of healthy chugs from her drink, wiping away the foam from her beer that clung to her lips. "I sure did! No way in hell I was going to take a job like that!"
The only person who wasn't laughing was Bon, who sat across from everyone in a lone chair, hand desperately stuck to his forehead with eyes plastered to the floor. Not knowing what else to do Rin went and sat on the arm cushion of the couch nearest to Bon.
"Hey kiddo!" Shura pipped as she held her beer up in greeting. "How's it shakin'?!"
"Good!" He gave her an over enthusiastic thumbs up, not sure what else to do.
"Good, I came to have a chat with you." Shura stood up, a small wobble detectable in her stance like she just might lean back too far. Kyodo reached out the steady her but found his precautions were unmerited.
"With me?" Rin pointed to himself, as if she'd be talking about anyone else.
"Yeah," she stepped over the legs of Izumi and placed her beer down on the table. "Excuse me, boys! Come on Rin, lets go get some fresh air."
With a pleading look towards Bon he allowed himself to be steered out the room, Shura's arm wrapped tightly around his neck as she so often enjoyed doing. "So, I heard you guys have been busy!"
Rin wedged himself out from under Shura's arm, forgoing putting on shoes as they stepped out of the kitchen side door and into the the backyard. It was a simple place with no where near the elegance of the supply shop garden. A few bushes dotted the yard, a couple of old trees rooted in their place. A small circular table sat empty and dirty, waiting to be used once the warm weather chased the bitter snap of winter away.
"You could say that," Rin murmured, rubbing his neck to get a kink out.
"Well," Shura twirled on her toes to face him, " Tell me about it. What have you been up to. Ya know, improving your character and all."
Anger heated Rin's face, a verbal assault threatening to fly from the tip of his tongue. "You have to play the game..." Bon's words echoed in his ears.
Swallowing back his ideal words Rin tried to collect himself. "We've been practicing sword work and I've been helping Bon remember some more difficult fatal versus."
Shura watched him with a knowing look, almost as if she knew a secret she was waiting for him to tell. "Heard you guys have been making some good progress as a team too."
He couldn't help it, the blush invaded his face without permission as his mind stammered. "What? I mean, yeah, of course. We work together, why would we? It's not like it's anything, you know-like..."
Laughter erupted from Shura, shaking her body as her stomach rolled will humor. "I swear, you'll never be a good liar."
"Whatever!" The anger he'd been holding back reared, his arms crossed as he looked pointedly away. "Why have you been asking everyone about what I've been up to anyway!? That's creepy and lame!"
"Whatever yourself," Shura leaned forward and put Rin in another headlock, this one softer, without the edges of playful anger. She planted her knuckles on his head and rubbed softly, just enough to annoy him. "That's my job, ya knuckle head. Forever cleaning up after you."
"Shura!" Rin grabbed her arm and wedged himself free again, stumbling back into the closed door with a 'flump'. He threw his arm out and pointed an accusing finger, "Just what the hell do you want?!"
Shura laughed again, this one more from amusement, her hands placed on her hips. "I told you, I'm just checking in." She pulled a chair out from the table and took a seat, extending her hand towards the chair across from her. "Take a load off."
Fists clenched at his side Rin pulled a chair out, tucked his tail to the side and flopped himself down into the chair, sinking low into the seat.
"So," Shura leaned back in her chair, her tone changing ever so slightly. The slur was gone and her flirtatious young charm whispered away. "Tell me Rin, how are things really?"
With pressed lips Rin readjusted in his chair, partially relieved that Shura wasn't just pulling his chain anymore and partially hesitant at her shift in attitude. It was always unnerving the way she could do that. Actually... "How do you do that?" Rin asked, ceasing the opportunity to ask what he'd been wondering just a short time ago.
"Do what?" Shura batted her eyelashes innocently, arms coming together to push her cleavage together in a most distinctive manner.
Wise to her tricks Rin gave her a dead panned expression, well past his inexperience that would have left him wide eyed and drooling. "That, I mean. Like how you talk yourself out of things. I just always get into trouble. Everyone else around me always has to bail me out. I don't want to do that anymore."
Shura watched him explain, an eyebrow slowly working its way up her forehead until it was firmly planted there. Just as she was getting ready to explain they were interrupted by the door opening, Bon's figure slipping through and quietly closing the door behind him with a snap. "Mind if I join?"
With a questioning glance to Rin who merely shrugged Shura gestured to the chair next to her. "Make yourself at home. We were just discussing the subtle art of bullshitting."
Bon withdrew a pack of cigarettes, a rare appearance in the past couple of weeks, and after asking Shura if she minded he indulged. A breeze caught the grey wafting smoke and carried away from the table as Shura turned her attention back to Rin. "Rin, you're just too honest."
Both Rin and Bon scoffed at that, Bon breaking into a cough, choking on the very thing he was deliberately smoking.
Shura rolled her eyes a Bon, all but ignoring his watering eyes and coughs. "Oh, get a grip. I don't mean your petty little lies, I mean the big ones. The ones that save your own ass. If there is one thing you need more work on, it's that. You're too honest, Rin. You can't just blurt out the truth because it's the right thing to do, you have to think first."
Rin's smile faded from his face, the creased lines of a smile slowly disappearing. He fiddled with a loose string on his shirt, considering her words. "I know. It's just, things can be so stupid. How will any of it ever change if you don't do something. What am I supposed to do, just watch?"
"No, but you need to learn to be resourceful. There is more than one way to slay a dragon." Shura twirled her hair around a finger, sparing Bon a small glance. It had been quite a while since she'd had a serious conversation with him like this. Idly she wondered if his new found company had anything to do with it.
"She's right. You rush in and try to get the job done, and sometimes we need that. Remember what Neko said? You're our trump card. But you have to be smart when you do things." Bon flicked the ash from his cigarette away, crossing one leg over his knee.
A small growl rumbled from Rin, "Yeah, but I'm not smart! I can't make those kind of choices. I'm not you, or Koneko. I just, I just fight things." He could feel the desperation welting up in his chest. What if he could never be more than just his flames?
"Bah," Bon turned his disgusted look away from Rim to direct it towards the ground. "You do plenty of smart things, just not at the smartest moment. That doesn't matter though. If you think you have smart friends around you then why don't you trust them?"
Shura sat back in her chair, watching the conversation between the two, wondering when, or if, her input would be needed. It was a nice change of pace, she had to admit.
The desperation bubble building in Rin finally burst. "I do trust you guys! But what-"
"You don't act like it." Bon cut him off with a curt tone, "You're still running off all over the place and doing your own thing. If you think we shouldn't do something then you need to tell us, all of us, not just Yukio."
Shura's attention was stolen to the window that overlooked the garden from the kitchen. Crammed in the pane was the face of the four priests, each trying to get a view of what was happening. Squinting she could swear she saw the window cracked open ever so slightly. Glaring daggers in their direction she tried to keep her expression as subtle as possible, not wanting to disrupt their conversation.
Rin fell silent, thinking about the handful of previous months and the reality that Bon was presenting. He had made a lot of effort to work better as a team, but Bon was right. His impulsiveness was still causing him trouble.
"You gotta rely on your team, kid. We've got your back, you need to get used to it." Shura stood up and stretched, her stomach tightening and breasts rising in a way that made Bon deliberately divert his gaze. "More than you already have." she tacked on quickly as an after though, seeing Rin's mouth open to argue.
Bon put his dying cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe, sensing that the conversation was coming to a close. He spared Rin a glance as he ground the butt of his cigarette againstagaisnt his shoe. "Besides, your team needs you, ya know. It's not just you needing us. I – We can't have anything happening to you, we need you around."
Shura didn't miss the slip of the tongue. She put the tips of her fingers into her back pockets, turning her back to them with a telling look on her face, jaw slightly slacked and eyebrows raised. Taking a moment to control her expression she turned back at them, hand on the door as she got ready to push it open and go inside. "Well, I'm comfortable sending you guys on a mission. It's nothing big, but I'm confident you can handle it without your sword, Rin. I think you two are more than equipped."
Rin and Bon turned a puzzled look from Shura onto each other, Rin's face glowing with excitement. It took him no time to hop from his chair, toppling it over to whoop in exhilaration, fist thrown into the air. "Hell yeah!"
"Don't blow a gear. It's nothing too exciting. Come back inside and we can talk about." She said as she opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. She didn't fail to miss the flicker of a cassock or the thumping of feet as the priests made a mad dash from the kitchen. Unable to help herself she grinned, going over to the fridge to claim another beer. She cracked it open, silently admitting to herself that she missed the old church more than she'd realized.
Rin came rushing into the kitchen first, Bon close on his heels. As soon as the door closed Shura could see the rapid fire questions that Rin was getting ready to unleash."Come on," she gestured for them to follow her back into the living room. "I'll brief you and you can tell me what you think."
