This was a bit hard to do, but it came faster than I thought. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardfight Vanguard.

Kai Baby-sits

Chapter 8: Separated

Mana's face lit up as she hugged her brother. "Onii-chan!"

"How'd you do while I was gone?" Miwa laughed, hugging the excited girl.

"When did you come back?" Kai asked, keeping his voice steady. So, this was the last day...

"Oh, about two hours ago," Miwa said, letting Mana down, though she still held his hand. "My parents guessed that you guys were out, so they decided to wait 'till you came back. I thought I could surprise you guys!"

"It was a surprise alright," Kai murmured lightly under his breath.

"Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you two holding hands?" Miwa asked slyly with a smirk.

Kai looked away. He knew this would happen. There was no way he could be around Mana if Miwa was here.

Miwa glanced between the two with a perplexed look. What happened while he was gone? He thought they would be at each other's necks. Or at least Kai would make an attempt to murder him.

"Onii-chan! Can you play with me?" Mana asked with a happy smile, barely hearing his question.

"Sure thing," Miwa grinned. "Kai, you should come with us."

Kai nodded stiffly, knowing he would need to take his stuff back now that he was leaving. He glanced at Mana, who was speaking animatedly with her brother, a huge smile on her face. Kai didn't want to be the one to make her unhappy. Maybe he could just leave without seeing her.

Looking at Mana right now, that idea actually seemed good.

Kai managed to slip away from the room as everyone was distracted with Mana speaking a mile a minute. He quickly gathered his belongings and swiftly left the room. Going back downstairs, he was lucky that the family moved away from the door. He hesitated as his hand landed on the knob.

He wasn't okay with this. Not at all. Maybe he should-

"Kai! You here?"

The brunet immediately tensed and lost all his resolve. He swiftly opened the door and just as quickly, shut it.

Miwa stepped into the room with a frown. Did Kai just leave? That was unusual for him. Then again, Kai wasn't too keen being around his parents. They didn't see eye-to-eye. Miwa's parents had been very angry that he left Mana with Kai. But Miwa didn't mind. In all honesty, Miwa had chosen Kai to watch over his sister because he was the only person the blond would trust for something like this.

"Onii-chaaan!"

Miwa brushed off his concern when Mana called him.

"Alright! What do you want to play?" Miwa asked, bending down to the girl's height.

"Hide and seek!" Mana excitedly jumped around. "No peaking!"

Miwa laughed. "Okay, I'm starting now!"

Mana quickly ran up the stairs as Miwa started to count. Just as she was about to reach her room, a sudden nostalgic feeling hit her.

"Where's Toshi-nii?" she murmured to herself. She reached down the steps when Miwa came up looking for her.

"Hey, why didn't you hide?" Miwa asked with a confused frown.

"Onii-chan, where's Toshi-nii?" Mana frowned sadly.

"T-T-T... WHAT?!" Miwa's eyes popped out.

"Where is Toshi-nii?!" Mana shouted, wanting the brunet.

"Mana, you're being too loud," their mother said, followed closely by their father. "What's the matter?"

Mana pouted sadly. "I want Toshi-nii."

"I... I think she means K-Kai," Miwa said slowly, not able to comprehend it all.

"Sweetie, he left. Why would you want him?" the woman asked gently, but Miwa could see the distaste in her eyes. She and her husband didn't like Kai at all. Miwa didn't like where this was going. Mana looked hurt broken when she heard this.

"T-Toshi-nii left?" Mana swallowed the lump in her throat. "But, he's coming back. Right?"

"I know you may have taken some liking to him," their father spoke, "but that was only a one time thing." He gave a pointed look to his son.

"What?"

"He will not be watching you anymore," their mother confirmed. "I don't like the way he is."

"But why?!" Mana demanded. Miwa was not about to stop her. He loved his parents, but they were insulting Kai too much. The brunet was not that bad at all. He just came across indifferent.

"Because he is not good," she said. "A child that lives without his parents is not someone we want around you. He won't make it far in his life without his family."

"Oka-san..." Miwa frowned. She was saying too much.

"Why doesn't he live with his parents?" Mana asked, a feeling of dread forming.

"They died."

Mana blinked. Once. Then again. She thought she heard wrong. She hoped she heard wrong. But her parents' faces told her otherwise.

"B-but..." Mana felt tears in her eyes. "Why can't I be with him?"

Miwa tensed. He knew that look in his parents' eyes. They spoiled Mana rotten, but when it came down to things like this, nothing could convince them. They would never let their children be around someone they deemed bad.

"Mana, you're to never see him again, and that's finale."

Kai placed all his clothes back in the once empty drawer. After he finished unpacking, Kai fell on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. Maybe he should just take a nap. Funny. He had wished for some nap time before, but he didn't want it now that he had it. He didn't know what he wanted.

The brunet sighed. He was over thinking things. Mana was happy now that Miwa was here. He no longer has to watch over her. It's as simple as that.

But Kai's heart didn't agree. He closed his eyes, hoping to sleep it away. It seemed like forever, but he finally fell into his unpleasant dreams.

The morning seemed to come too quickly. Kai felt like he hadn't slept at all. He slipped off his bed and trudged to the bathroom. He then went downstairs, dressed in his school uniform. Kai was never in a mood to eat, and this was no exception. He threw on his coat and headed to school without breakfast.

Kai then realized he hadn't skipped meals in a long time.

Kai sighed as he made it to his classroom and dropped himself in the first empty chair he came across.

"Aren't you cheery?" Satoshi greeted him with his usual smirk. "Hey, where's the little girl?"

"Just shut up," Kai muttered, laying his head down.

Satoshi's smirk was gone. "Did something happened?"

No answer was given.

"Toshiki, are you okay?" Satoshi asked worriedly.

"Don't call me that," Kai muttered darkly under his breath.

Satoshi was about to retort to that, when everyone turned to the person at the door. Miwa.

Kai immediately dropped his head down. "Why did I look?"

Everyone expected the blond to make some witty remark, or make some sort of dumb joke. The blond walked silently into the room and sat in the front.

"How was your trip?" someone dared to break the tense silence.

"Fine," he murmured silently, not bothering to glance at the person.

Now Kai was looking. There were too many things wrong. Miwa and quiet never work. Miwa NEVER sits in the front. And he absolutely does not step into the room without letting the whole of Japan know it.

"Oh, he's back," Satoshi murmured, surprised. Everything then clicked. He turned to Kai. "Wait. So you're not a baby-sitter anymore?"

Kai stayed silent, too transfixed by the blond's strange attitude. It became worse when Satoshi forced Kai to stop avoiding the blond and speak to him. Miwa actually pretended he wasn't there and left the room. Kai didn't bother speaking to him after that.

"Hey." Satoshi casually stepped in front of the blond's way, not letting him go further.

Miwa blinked surprised at this. "Yes?"

"Are you going to speak to him or not? Toshiki did bond with your sister," Satoshi said with a frown.

Miwa looked away. "It's complicated."

"School's over," the black-haired boy shrugged. "You realize I'm not leaving 'till you talk to him, right?"

Miwa sighed. "Alright, I'll do it."

Satoshi smiled, moving out of the way. "Good. He's just leaving the school."

Miwa nodded and ran past him. He reached the outside and spotted the brunet amongst the other students. He caught Kai's attention by grasping his shoulder.

Kai tensed at the contact, too caught up in his thoughts to hear him coming. "Miwa?"

"Hey," the blond gave a sheepish smile. "Can we talk?"

"Uh, sure," Kai gave his friend a confused look but followed him down the sidewalk.

Miwa took a deep breath before he started.

"So, have you had fun watching my sister?" he tried to lighten the mood. He could tell it would take every ounce of persuasion just to get Kai to answer. The brunet was not in the best mood.

As he expected, Kai made no sign of showing he heard. Miwa actually considered that perhaps he didn't hear, but moved on to the next question.

"She seems to like you. Why's that?" This was an honest question. Miwa died to know how they could have got along. He wasn't blind to his sister's attitude.

Kai just shook his head. Miwa felt more confident. This was faster than he thought.

"Kai, come on. She's really down that you left."

"And how would telling you change anything?" Kai muttered, finally speaking.

Miwa wiped an imaginary bead of sweat off his forehead. That wasn't too bad, he thought.

"Miwa, if that's all you have to say..." Kai was about to leave, but Miwa grabbed his arm.

"Answer me, Kai," Miwa said seriously.

Kai sighed and mumbled quietly. "We may have bonded a little."

Miwa did a little victory dance in his head. He knew he had been getting better at this.

"So why did you leave?"

Kai gave Miwa a look. "You know your parents don't like my company, right?"

"That's not it. Mana wants to know why you left."

Kai blinked at that. He expected something else. Maybe something like his parents disliking his choice of a baby-sitter.

"Why did you tell her then?" Kai asked quietly.

They stopped in front of the park and sat at Kai's regular bench. Miwa turned to Kai.

"Kai, I didn't. She realized herself and kept calling you," Miwa frowned. "Oh, yeah. Toshi-nii?" he couldn't help but tease with a grin.

Kai made an indignant sound and looked away. He fought back his groan and sighed instead. He focused on the more important part. So Mana was upset? Kai didn't think she would have realized he was gone so quickly. But Kai didn't believe Miwa's attitude would change drastically because of that. His eyes narrowed as he knew the problem.

"Your parents." Kai knew they didn't like him. That was why he dreaded Miwa's return. He had wondered all the while he watched over Mana why the blond's parents let him do it.

"Yyyyeah," Miwa dragged on awkwardly, now in the tight position. "They may have said too many things to Mana."

"Like what?" Kai's eyes narrowed.

Miwa chuckled nervously. "Oh you know... That you live alone, away from your family, annnnd that your parents are –ahem– dead."

Kai clenched his fists, muttering something under his breath. He had wanted to keep that a secret from the girl.

"...So what should I do?"

Some anger disappeared as Kai looked at the blond, who once again surprised him. "What?"

Miwa fiddled with his fingers in thought. "Mana's hurt. She's really sad that she can't see you."

Kai listened closely to his friend.

"She locked herself in her room since last night and hasn't come out," Miwa continued, his eyes darkening.

"Isn't she scared of being alone?" Kai asked, concerned for the girl.

Miwa nodded with a frown. "That's why I'm so worried. I tried to convince her to let me in, but she wouldn't listen. My parents can't do anything because she screams at them."

Kai tried to digest what he heard. He had never expected this to happen. True, he was aware Miwa's parents would have some complaints, but this was completely different.

Miwa watched his best friend think of a solution. He had hope, but his parents could tare that down. They were loving and kind, but Kai was someone they didn't like. Miwa sighed. They had met Kai at the worse time. The day after his parents died. The brunet was almost completely silent. The rare words he did speak were cold and empty, so much unlike him. Miwa could never convince his parents that was not how his friend was. He turned to said friend when a sigh was heard.

"This is going to be troublesome," Kai murmured, more to himself than to Miwa as he rubbed his head.

"Kai?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Kai warned. "It would probably backfire terribly."

"So what is it?" Miwa persisted.

"I may have to come to your house," Kai said dryly. "It's the only way she'd leave her room."

"Yeah, but my parents will not agree," Miwa sighed.

"We have two choices," Kai said, sitting straighter. "You either try to convince them."

"Or..." Miwa could see where this was going and he did not like it. The first option was already horrible.

"Or I come whether they like it or not," Kai responded definitely.

Again Kai found it hard to sleep that night. He stared at his ceiling in thought. Miwa agreed to try and convince his parents, but both boys knew that was close to impossible. Kai didn't like the second option either; there was just no other way.

Kai shook his head and pulled the covers over him. He would need all the sleep he could get if he wanted to have enough patience for tomorrow. That thought alone made him stop thinking and focus on his rest.

His sleep didn't last long as a beeping noise echoed on the walls of his room. Tired emerald eyes cracked open with a frown. Kai snatched his phone from the desk near his bed and looked at it. A text from Miwa. Kai's eyes widened as he read it over.

He jumped off the bed, throwing on a coat, and running outside. He didn't care if all he was wearing was a T-shirt under.

Running down the street, Kai found it hard to believe that Miwa would text him this rather than call. He found it even weirder that this was all he had to say. The blond was more talkative than this. Even in his texts. Kai wondered if he should ask for him to be more specific as he ran down the street. Then again, the text alone was enough for him to run out to his friend's house at midnight.

Mana's gone

Well, yet another cliffhanger. They're so much more fun when you're doing it. XD

Anyways, Review if you want!