OK so this is the next chapter.

Thank you for all the reviews/follows/favorites

Also shout out to Link's Lady Luck for reminding me to update!

Onto the chapter!

Yukio smiled at his brother's peaceful face as he slept on. He remembered Rin's excited face when he came running back into the room, eyes bright and wide with awe and joy. The boy had rapidly began to tell Yukio about everything he had seen and that Yukio had to come see the kitchen. The exorcist had smiled and stood up, following after his younger brother.

They had gone through several hallways until they reached the room the kitchen was in. Rin had rushed inside and was standing on one of the counters to get a closer look at the kitchen.

"It's so much bigger than the one at home!" Rin gasped as he opened one of the cabinets.

"Well, that would be expected, seeing as this is a dorm's lunch room." Yukio chuckled.

"You mean, like, for more than two people?"

"Yes, but it will just be us living here. No one else." Yukio replied.

"Wait, so the entire building is ours?! Really?!" Rin exclaimed.

"Yes."

"Awesome!"

After that, Rin had almost scouted out every place in the building, even finding a stairway to the roof. However, it didn't take long for exhaustion to replace his excitement as everything began to quiet down for the night. He had dragged his tired body to the room he was staying and, no matter how hard he tried to stay up, Rin fell asleep and Yukio tucked him in afterwards.

He had forgotten how adorable his brother could be and didn't realize how much he missed him after going off to school until he had him back. That thought made Yukio's smile drop. Why he was here. He turned around to look at the other bed in the room, the one Yukio would be sleeping in. He had hidden the Kurikara blade beneath his bed before placing a ward around it, hopefully hiding it from prying eyes.

He remembered when he hid it. Yukio had opened the case to look at the sheathed sword within. Upon it the seal had clearly shown signs of weakening, the edges of the paper singed by the fire that fought to escape and reach the younger Okumura. Yukio had not liked the sight of the weakened seal, but from what he had seen, it hadn't weakened any further. He could only be thankful for that.

He knew that the seal would eventually be useless at keeping Satan's flames locked within the sword but he didn't know how to strengthen it anymore then it was. There was Mephisto, but he didn't trust that demon's word on anything, let alone trust him with something this important.

Yukio could only hope, Rin would be safe within the borders of True Cross for the time being.

Rin blinked his eyes open at the sound of rustling cloths. He looked around the room, at first confused at where he was before he found his brother standing near the closet with a large coat on.

"Yukio?" Rin asked, rubbing his blurry eyes as he sat up. Yukio's head snapped up to face Rin and gave him a small smile.

"I didn't think you'd be up yet." Yukio relied.

"Yukio? What are you doing?"

"I just have to go out for a while Rin. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Rin furrowed his eyebrows. "But, it's the weekend. Why do you have to go anywhere?"

Yukio's eyes softened as he gazed at his brother. He could hear the unspoken words of pleading for Yukio to stay with him. "I'm sorry Rin but this is important. I have to go."

"But why? What's so special?" Rin asked.

Yukio quickly thought up a lie. "It's just something I have to do for school, ok Rin. I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Can I at least make breakfast?" Rin pouted.

Yukio paused. He was about to deny his brother the offer but with another look at the boy, he stopped and nodded. "Alright."

The bright smile on Rin's face when he decided this just made Yukio feel better about his decision. Rin rushed down to the kitchen and began gathering all the ingredients that he'd need from the stocked up cabinets, most likely from Mephisto.

It wasn't long before a delicious smell was filling the building and Yukio couldn't help but admire his brother's gift. It seems he'd only improved since Yukio left, even if it hadn't been for long. Yukio sat down at the table and just waited for Rin to finish with his breakfast. When he did, Yukio was even gladder he had chosen to stay before he left for the mission.

When Yukio finally had to leave, he turned around to wave goodbye to Rin, who returned it. However, Yukio noticed a coal tar floating by and, instead of not noticing it, Yukio watched in horror as Rin waved it away like a fly. Even though it seemed to disappear from Rin's sight after one or two swats, it still left a pit of worry bubbling within Yukio. Yukio forced it down and, with one last smile at his brother, left.

Rin, however, had seen the quick flash of horror on his brother's face and it left him confused. What had scared his brother? Was it something he did? Rin didn't know. With a frown he turned back to the building and realized something.

What was he going to do until Yukio came back?

It seemed like hours had gone by and Yukio was still not back. Rin had undergone sever boredom and had been unable to get rid of it. He didn't know what to do! He had been hoping to spend the day with his brother, but that obviously wasn't happening. As much as he wanted to go exploring, he didn't know the place or the people. That, and he didn't want Yukio to yell at him for leaving without permission.

He was stuck.

Just then, he heard a soft noise from one of the windows. Getting up, he went over to the window and peaked outside. There, he saw something he didn't expect. There, sitting on the windowsill, was a black cat. It's yellow-green eyes gazed at him and there was a smile on the cat's face. There were yellow dots on the cat's head and two-two?!-tails waved behind it. Rin blinked before opening the window and letting the animal inside. The cat hopped inside and let out a happy meow at Rin.

"You're welcome?" Rin replied, unsure if it had been a "thank you". He noticed a collar upon the cat's neck and reached to grab it. It didn't have a name, but there was a red and blue gem on it.

"Where'd you come from?" Rin asked, scratching behind the cat's ears. The cat purred happily and gave another meow.

"I wonder what you're name is." Rin hummed. "Do you think I can guess?!" To his excitement and surprise, the cat nodded.

"Ok, um, kitty?"

A shake of the head.

"Bella?"

Another shake.

"Blacky?"

A shake but there was also something else in the cat's eyes that suggested it would be ok to be called that. After many names, Rin growled and thought hard about a name that suited the cat. It was then he heard a very, very soft and high voice speak a name. It was almost as if it had been whispered to him, or came from his mind but he shook it off.

"Is your name…Kuro?" The cat-Kuro-smiled brightly and hopped up and down. Rin smiled in return. "Well, Kuro, do you want to play? I"ve been bored all day!" Kuro nodded in return.

"Great!"

Yukio sighed as he got home in the late night. He had not expected for the mission to be as long as it had, but it appeared that it hadn't been just something with the garden. The demon had actually tried to possess the girl and it had been difficult to kill the demon without hurting the girl, but he did it.

He entered the doom room and was shocked by what he saw. Rin was asleep on his bed, but that wasn't what shocked him. No, it was the cat curled up on Rin's stomach. He knew that cat, it would be hard for him to not recognize it. It was Kuro, the cat sythe who was also Shiro's familiar. He wondered why the cat was here when suddenly, Rin shifted, waking both him and Kuro up.

Rin groaned as he and Kuro both stretched before opening his eyes to look at his brother.

"Yukio! Where were you!? You took forever!" Rin whined from the bed.

"I know, and I apologize but it seemed to be moe difficult than what I thought." He just got a pout. "I see you've made a friend." He gestured to Kuro. At this, Rin's expression brightened.

"Yeah! I was so bored when you left but then I met Kuro! He stayed with me since!"

"You know his name?"

"Mmhm." RIn hummed with a nod. "Why, do you know him?"

"Er…yeah, Kuro is dad's…cat. He let me take him here with me." Yukio replied, once again happy with the lie he was able to come up with.

"Why did dad never tell me about him?" Rin huffed.

"I don't know, maybe you can ask him when you see him again." Yukio answered.

"Alright, well, your food is in the fridge downstairs." Rin said with a yawn. "I'm going back to sleep." With that, he curled back up in bed with Kuro.

Yukio shook his head at his brother, but he still couldn't help the worry that was still in his stomach from earlier grow.

So that was that. Do any of you know what mission Yukio was on?

Feel free to comment, ask questions, etc.

Until next time! :D