[[A/n~ we're back! Did you miss us? I bet you they didn't.~]]

((A/n* look at us we're doubters, and losers. I'm just really pessimistic.*))

Rooting Down

"Where is all the kitchen wear?" Miho called to Mio from the empty kitchen. She was right now wrestling the towering boxes. They were trying to straighten out their new loft. So far it was mostly empty except for the fridge, couch and beds.

Mio walked in to the kitchen holding a box in her arms. "It was with me. It somehow got mixed in with my bedroom boxes." She lifted it up a bit higher. "Where do you want it?"

"Just put it on the island. I'll get to it when I find the pots and pans." Miho said over her shoulder. "Dammit, we have too much stuff." She mumbled under her breath.

Mio just laughed and made her way to her room. She was almost done; she just had to put away her clothes. Her room was like Valentine's Day. All the colors were black, white, or crimson red. Her bed was a large California King sized canopy bed, crimson curtains surrounding the whole thing, in the middle with the head against the wall. Her blankets were all silk and velvet, black and white lace designs, a lot of pillows.

Two mahogany little dressers sat on each side; the left with a black lace and beaded design lamp. The other dresser has a picture of her and her lovable husky, Onyx. The floors are a dark mahogany polished wood a really thick black fur rug in the middle under her bed.

Before they moved in the furniture, Mio and Miho had already painted the walls as crimson red and white stripes going down the wall. White lace curtains with a black underlining to block out the sun on those cloudless days.

Mio set down her one black and pink rose dress. "Onyx, come here boy!" She called out in to the hallway. A silver and white Siberian husky ran in at full speed. He jumped on the bed and wagged his tail happily.

Mio smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his wet nose. "Hey, baby boy! Did you miss me, did you?" If the happy yip from the dog was any indication, and then Mio would have to guess that he was in a pretty good mood. "Oh, sweetie, if I could I would take you for a walk, but Miho and I need to finish unpacking."

.:: * ::.

Miho finally unpacked the kitchen wear. Everything was in the proper drawers and cabinets. The floor was a beautiful tile. The walls were mahogany, and nicely polished. The island held a random bowl of fruits. Yet the kitchen was far from full. It only had the few foods the Mio had picked up from the grocer the day they arrived here, and they were in desperate need of doing some real shopping.

But for now, Miho was content. After grabbing an apple from the bowl, Miho made her way to her room, which was conveniently all the way on the opposite side of the unnecessarily large loft away from Mio's. Opening the doors to her room, she admired her room design.

Her room was double leveled; the first level had a small couch with two large lime green bean bag chairs. A fuzzy orange carpet under a medium sized coffee table, a large 62-inch plasma screen television, no glare included. Game systems of every made model and newest games littered the floor.

The three steps leads you to the second level where her bed and dresser were located. Her bed was also a California King sized bed, her canopy didn't surround the whole thing and only the sides and was a nice orange, her comforter was yellow and green and her sheets were red.

Her walls were a light brown and her top level was actually carpeted as a nice, soft, furry dark green. Her curtains were yellow and orange. Basically here room was a stylish citrus punch. She chuckled softly at the funny she made and then yawned. Before she knew it her feet led her up the little steps and she flopped on her bed. "Just a little nap, okay?" She muttered to herself, yet her eyes were already close.

.:: * ::.

Mio picked up her pink and black smart phone, a call to her aunt was in order. She went to her friends list, seeing as she didn't have that many, and called Fairy Godmother. Agatha was Mio's aunt from her father's side. Agatha was the only relative from her father's side that she knew well since she traveled a lot and often visited. Most of everyone else lived in America. On the other hand, there weren't many people on her Japanese mother's side either, just her Grandma and her sickly Grandfather.

A couple of rings in to a one-hit wonder by Miho's and Mio's underground band, Red Rioters, just playing in the ear piece, her aunt finally picked up. "Hello, sweetie. Did you and Miho finally get settled in?"

"Yes, Fairy-Godmother, we have successfully moved in to our dream loft, knowing Miho, she fell asleep." Mio said, then she turned to a topic that's been bothering her for a bit, but don't you think we kind of stretched our money limit? Underground-Bands aren't this loaded." Mio laughed lightly. "Well, I only called to give you an update, Aunty-A."

"Alright, I'll drop by tomorrow with Mihoho!" The older woman said over the phone, "and don't worry over the money. Take care, sweetie." Aunt Agatha hung up after Mio's customary 'love you'.

Mio laughed and made it to her room for a well deserved rest. She laughed at what she imagined Miho's surprise at seeing her childhood torturer.

.:: * ::.

Miho groaned as she stretched in her big and somewhat lonely bed. She looked out her windows only to realize that she had slept way later than she had expected. It was dark out. She began wondering why no one had woken her up; she was so used to being the always moving middle child that it took her a moment to realize that she was no longer just a child anymore. She and her best friend really did move out, and to another country at that. Parental consent, of course, but she knew it'd probably take her a while to grow use to the mature stillness of living on your own.

Miho urged herself out of bed and gave a feline like stretch, sighing in appreciation as her tense muscles loosened up, "oohh, yeeah." She rubbed the sleepy out of her eyes as she started dragging her feet out of her bedroom door. They had mostly unpacked everything, only a few boxes lingered around now compared to the package from just a few days ago. The only lights that were on were the kitchen lights that she had a habit of keeping on. She made her way over to Mio's room, wondering if her friend had too slept the day away.

"Mio, babe, are you in there?" she said as she approached the ajar door to the. Having not receiving a desired reply, or any reply at all, she walked right in, "Mio?" She looked around. The bed sheets were lightly tossed around, but Mio weren't in them. A question mark formed on her face as she stepped in further; looking from where she stood, still no obvious trace of Mio still being here. "Strange…"

Then she realized that Onyx wasn't anywhere to be seen either. "She must be out walking the dog. . ." She said with a sigh. It's just her and the house now.

Miho stood there with nothing to do, wondering why it seemed like she had nothing to do. She did grow up in a big family, and Mio was always over, but did that really mean she was nothing by herself?

The girl snorted, I will never be nothing! Just you wait thoughts, she retaliated to her mental dialogue, and I'm not alone, I have Mio . . .

Who . . . is not here.

"What is she - My keeper?" Miho was already fed up with herself. She just wasn't the best company when she was feeling lonely.

The teen made her way back to her room. Once inside she pulled a box out from her closet. She looked around, knowing she was along, but still taking the extra precautions. Miho puled out a fluffy over stuffed kitty plushy. He was black with a white star on his back, and his name was NekoNekoKuro-kun. Miho smiled and hugged the toy. Yes, it was a stupid name, and yes she still had a stuffed animal friend. But that's why he's a secret.

Mio thought she got rid of him years ago, but she couldn't bring herself to tell her the truth, or get rid of Kuro-kun.

She climbed in the bed with the plushy kitty and snuggled. Miho felt a little better about everything now, but she was still – uneasy. With a sigh she decided time will smooth things out as it often does. After all, they just settled down.