Chapter 9

Winter had fully set in. Everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow and the whole world was black and white that swallowed up all sound like dead space. It was cold, but beautiful and it all sparkled like a thick layer of powdered sugar had come down from the skies.

Students were filling into the school, all smiling and talking about the upcoming winter break. Many were just looking forward to relaxing, working their family's farms, or spending time with friends and loved ones. Others had family coming in from out of town, but for two, they were just looking forward to spending time with each other.

It was well known throughout the school that Atsushi and Tatsuki were together, so when he stepped off the bus and was immediately greeted by her with a warm hug and a kiss, no one gave a damn. It was old news, a re-run and when he took her hand to start walking towards the building on their way to class, all Atsushi did was tiredly smile before burying his face into his muffler to cover his yawn.

"How come you're so tired, Atsu?" Tatsuki asked, clutching his hand a bit tighter as she leaned into his side as they walked.

Atsushi squeezed his eyes shut to let his yawn run its course before giving his head a quick shake to help him wake up.

"Uncle Hiroshi's been teaching me to drive his grumpy old truck so I can work the farm better." He said, hiding his pink tipped nose in his hand knitted scarf that Tatsuki had made for him.

"He's just doing that now?... I've known how to drive since I was ten." Tatsuki lightly giggled, covering her mouth to help keep it hidden.

Atsushi glared down, "I was in Akita when I was ten... Wait... Was I in Akita by then?... Yeah. I was in Akita by then."

"You moved around?" Tatsuki asked, catching the uncertainty in his tone.

Atsushi nodded, "Yeah... Dad's work, but he landed a management position when I started middle school, so we haven't moved since."

"Ah... You must have seen some cool places then." She said with a sweet smile.

Atsushi shrugged, "Eh... Just city after city. Kyoto, Tokyo, Kantō, before finally ending up in Akita." He said, reaching out with his other hand to open the door for her.

"Wow... I'd love to travel one day. I've lived here ever since I was born." She said quietly, waiting a moment in the entryway for him to step inside and kick off the snow from his shoes.

"To be honest, I'd rather stay in one spot. Moving all the time sucked and it's too much work." He said as he headed for his locker to change his shoes out with her right by his side.

Tatsuki chuckled, "Listen to you grumbling about work, Mr. I've been working on a farm for months."

Atsushi glared, but it was just for show as he changed his shoes, "Because I actually like my ears where they are.

Tatsuki chuckled more as she changed her shoes before the pair headed for their classroom, enjoying the morning just like all the other students. They trudged up the stairs to the second story, never once parting their hands as they climbed and each step they took, their shoulders brushed up against each other. It was a nice morning, quiet and calm, and it was no different when they stepped into their classroom and took their seats.

The teacher began their lessons just like every morning, droning on with the same bland tone as he passed out papers and commanded the students to open their books, but when the PA system crackled on, drawing everyone's attention, the sounds of sneakers on polished hardwood began to filter in before being blasted over by an endgame buzzer.

"Welcome to the recap of today's nationals and boy oh boy what a game. It was a complete shut down at the middle school nationals today in the game between the finalists; Meikō Middle School and the famed and glorious Teikō; Home to the Generation of Miracles. The endgame score was 111-11, which was an astounding lead, lead by none other than Teikō #6; Daiki Aomine."

The familiar recording piped on to Atsushi's horrified expression.

"It was another impressive display done by all and especially Teikō #5; Atsushi Murasakibara, whom stood above the rest and prevented nearly all of Meikō's attempts at scoring points. None could stand before the giant, and it only got worse for Meikō when Teikō's abominable Shooting Guard got his hands on the ball.

"Teikō #7; Shintarō Midorima rocked the house with his impressive, long distance shots and with each swoosh, Meikō's hopes of clutching the nationals from the ruling emperors of Teikō came undone, despite sinking a basket for them right at the endgame buzzer. It was destruction made flesh and it only goes to prove that Teikō's Generation of Miracles, truly are monsters."

The PA shut off to the confused look of the other students, all of which were turning around in their seats to look at him as if he had just opened a third eye on his forehead. He was frozen solid as he looked at them, just trying to find his own breath before flicking his gaze to the side to meet Tatsuki's. He had been expecting her to be glaring angrily at him, expecting her to be looking at him in disgust, but instead, her eyes were calm, saddened for him and comforting.

"S-So the rumors are true... You are Atsushi Murasakibara of the Generation of Miracles." Said a student three rows up.

Atsushi gulped, but nodded, "Y-Yeah... I was jersey number 5." He said, his shoulders rolling forward as he looked down at his desk.

"Did you guys really make a basket for them?" Asked another.

"Yeah... I put it in when Aomine told me to." Atsushi said, glancing over at Tatsuki with a silent plea for help.

Many of the students began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Why?"

Atsushi swallowed, "B-Because we were bored. The challenge of the game was gone and no one was capable of standing against us, so we started to make up challenges amongst ourselves." He said quietly, beginning to fidget with his hands and nervously biting his tongue bar as he looked at the other students.

"So you made the basket for them just to what?... Make them match?" A student towards the front asked.

Atsushi nodded, "Yeah... We crushed hope that day."

The whole room was stunned silent as they stared at him, watching as he sunk back into his chair and stared at his desk. He didn't even look up when a gentle hand came down on his shoulder, knowing it to be Tatsuki's, but when another student opened their mouth, it made him shake.

"Boy... The Generation of Miracles really are monsters."

Atsushi winced at the word, but ignoring the nods of agreement, he stood and headed for the door. The teacher said nothing as he walked out, suddenly feeling claustrophobic and needing air in any form. He didn't even have his coat on, but that didn't stop him from charging up the stairs and bursting out onto the roof.

The sudden blast of cold air hit him in the face like he had just been punched, but it felt oddly good to his heated and embarrassed face. He was angry, hurt, ashamed as he remembered not just the game, but hearing the broadcast when it had played back then for what really, wasn't all that long ago. He had never once denied the rumors, but he never acknowledged them either and when a low snicker hit his ears, his breath caught as he looked up to see the last person he wanted to see.

Shirō Kitagawa.

"Now the whole school knows what you really are." He said, crookedly smirking at him as he stuffed his hands into his coat pockets.

Atsushi's brows furrowed hard, "Where did you find that?" He asked lowly, his large fists clenching tightly at his sides.

"Around... Like I told you at the Autumn School Festival; It doesn't take much to look up the Generation of Miracles." Shirō said, huffing his smirk wider like he was daring the giant.

"Why make the whole school know? What do you gain by it?" Atsushi asked, drawing in low, even breaths to keep from losing his mind.

"Everything... Now Himuro knows what you really are. You don't seem like the type to tell her." Shirō said.

This time, Atsushi smirked, "You're wrong... I told her. She knows everything from then."

Shirō's brows furrowed, "And she still sticks with you?... Didn't think her standards were that low."

"Say whatever you want, but that doesn't change the fact that Muro-Chin is mine, and you can't have her, or her family's property." Atsushi said with a hard tone as he gazed at him with fire sparking in his violet iris'.

Shirō growled, "That isn't up to you!... I'm trying to make this town better! If it wasn't for my family, most of this fucking town would have starved!" He was suddenly yelling.

"That's bullshit! You're stealing people's land and getting away with it!" Atsushi suddenly boomed, rocking forward on one foot as he pointed a long finger at the smaller boy.

"You can't prove a fucking thing. All of this is legal, protected by the company that pays our bills and by consequence, your uncle's bills. You take my family down and the whole town goes with it." Shirō hissed with a tensed jaw and eyes that were wide with a sadistic glare.

Atsushi's throat vibrated with a growl, "If you ever come anywhere near my uncle's farm, I will crush you." His breath began to heave in and out of his lungs.

"You can't do shit. You don't belong here, so why don't you go ahead and head right back to the city and keep your fucking nose out of country business." Shirō growled.

"I can't, and I won't." Atsushi sneered down at him as every muscle in his body went tense with rage.

For the barest of moments, Shirō's eyes narrowed.

"We'll see about that. Go ahead and wallow in the whole school knowing what you are, you freak." He hissed.

Holding his angered gaze, Shirō started for the door, intent to leave it at that while he smirked with is assumed victory, but when a large hand planted on his chest, stopping him right next to the very boy he just called a freak, the crooked smirk began to die.

"That recording was right about one thing; The Generation of Miracles really are monsters." Atsushi said lowly, looking down at the top of Shirō's head as his hand began to move.

His hand still pressed firm into Shirō's chest, Atsushi's hand moved up, drifting over his collarbone until his long fingers began to walk over the boy's neck. It would be so easy, just like gripping a basketball, and he could hear the boy's breath catching in his throat with the anticipation, but when the door to the rooftop squealed open, his hand dropped away.

"Atsu?" Came a nervous voice.

There was no mistaking it. It was hers, and he turned around to see Tatsuki standing in the doorway. Her eyes were large, sad and they shimmered with worry as she looked at them, but when they set firm on the boy next to him, her lips pressed together as she rushed forward and swiped her open hand across Shirō cheek.

"How dare you." She hissed hard and low, holding her stinging hand to her chest.

Shirō rubbed his cheek as he turned his head back forward, "So touchy." He near whispered as he glared at her.

"Don't you ever... ever come near us again and if I catch you setting a single toe on my family's property, you'll find out first hand just how far my Dad can reach." Tatsuki growled low and threatening as she sidestepped in close to Atsushi's side.

Atsushi exhaled slowly as he turned to face Shirō and wrapped an arm around Tatsuki's waist to not only piss off the shorter boy, but to satisfy his want of having her close.

"You can't prove anything." Shirō said in just above a whisper.

"I don't need to... All I need is to suspect, and that will lead to proof." Tatsuki said without a flinch.

The atmosphere was heavy, more than tense as Shirō stared at them with a hard line serving as his mouth. He was outnumbered and he knew it, with just a huff and a sneer, he headed for the door.

As the door shut with a metal clank, both relaxed and let the tension bleed off of them. They sighed as Tatsuki turned to face him and curling into his chest where his long arms wrapped around her and held her tight. It was warm in his embrace, safe and despite the cold outside, she would stay there all day if she could, but there was still a heavy weight hanging over their heads that neither could ignore.

"Atsushi?" She said, leaning away from his embrace just enough to look up at him.

"Hmm?" He hummed as he ran his hands up and down her sweater covered back.

"Are you okay?" She asked, reaching up to rest her hand against his chilled cheek.

Atsushi's eyes turned down, but he nodded, "Yeah... I will be. What's all being said?"

"Just the usual murmurs. I guess everyone already had a pretty good idea, but the recording just confirmed it." She said, sweetly smiling up at him as her thumb trailed under his eye.

He nodded, "I had a feeling they did," he sighed, "I don't wanna be a monster, Muro-Chin... I just wanna be me." He said, tucking a raven lock of her hair being her ear to get a better look at her right eye.

"I know, Atsu, and you can do that here. I don't see a monster... I just see somebody that I love." Tatsuki said as her tensed lips twitched up into a smile.

Atsushi returned the smile, "I love Muro-Chin too. I know I've told you about it, but... I still worry you might think that I'm a nightmare." His smile softened.

"I don't... I promise."

His smile broadened for a moment before hunching over, wrapping his arms around her tightly to bury his face into the crook of her neck. Her gentle scent helped to calm his mind, the sweet nectar of vanilla and the subtle aroma of flowers. It was refreshing and calm and over the course of time that they had known each other, been together, it had become a scent he had come to associate with her. Even his mind would make him catch the slightest of hints of it and whenever he thought he smelt it, he would become aware of her. It was his calm, apart of his safe harbor, and it would always be that scent that would guide him to her.

After a few moments, Atsushi unwound his arms and stood up, running his hands down her arms as he ducked his head to place a warm kiss to her forehead. He felt her lightly shiver with the set in cold and she had tucked her arms into her chest to try and keep them warm. She was trying not to shiver, but not wanting her to catch a cold, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and headed for the door to go inside.

Back inside the warmth of the school, the pair headed back for their classroom and the moment they stepped through the door, the whole class went quiet. He felt subconscious just standing there, like they had just found out he had a set of wings, but with Tatsuki's warm hand grasping his, it was a thought that was quickly pushed aside as she lead him back towards their seats.

However, as he sat down, intent to return to class, he noticed no one was looking at him. Not even the teacher was looking at him as they continued on with their lesson and seeing that he wasn't on display, wasn't a freak show as it were, he breathed a sigh of relief that perhaps, things wouldn't go any further than this.

With that in mind, he and Tatsuki settled in for the rest of their studies, listening to the teacher drone on, doing the book work before going to lunch and enjoying a meal together. Only a few more murmurs were said about him, but for the most part, the school didn't care, was content just to go about its business and when they returned to class, that's exactly what it was; Business as usual.

By the time the school day wound down, they had a bit of homework and a project to get done before the holiday break. It wasn't much, but Atsushi very much didn't have the motivation to do it. It required work and with his stomach grumbling loud enough for Tatsuki to hear as they headed for their club room, he was more focused on getting something to eat instead.

Her light chuckling at the sound of his stomach made him laugh with her and when they stepped into the club room that was better known as the cafeteria kitchen, both their noses were hit by the sweet, warm and wafting aroma of baking strawberry turnovers.

"Oh my heavens... That smells delicious." Tatsuki sighed with delight as she clutched onto Atsushi's arm a bit tighter.

"I want it." Atsushi said, swallowing his immediate overabundance of drool before it could seep out of his mouth.

"You've had a dozen of them before, Atsu." Tatsuki said with a soft smile as she lead them towards their usual workstation in the back corner of the kitchen.

"I know, but they're still good." Atsushi said a bit quietly as he sucked in a huge lungful of the warm and sweet scent.

"Insatiable." Tatsuki chuckled.

"In more than one field." Atsushi said under his breath as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her neck.

Tatsuki squeaked, "Atsu!... Stop it!" She laughed, cupping a hand over her mouth to keep her voice down.

"No." Atsushi said with a grin, nibbling up and down her neck and shielded by her hair.

"Atsu... You big goof, we've gotta start on our special holiday treats." Tatsuki continued to chuckle as she crinkled her nose.

"Do we even know what we're making yet?" Atsushi asked, ceasing his nibbling of her neck to rest his chin on her shoulder.

Tatsuki pulled out their recipe book that was filled to the brim with their own, homegrown recipes and flipped it open, shuffling aside the gathering of recipe cutouts, magazine clippings and hand written pieces of paper from their own concoctions. There were dogeared pages, bookmarks and slips of colorful post-its that all served to hone their progress in the kitchen.

"I don't think we have. We've done just about everything in here." Tatsuki said as she just settled back into Atsushi's large body behind her.

"We should try something new. We've done cakes, cupcakes, chocolates, pastries and even jellies. What does that leave us with?" He asked, releasing a long sigh as he reached around her shoulders to turn the page.

Tatsuki shrugged, "I'm not sure... We need something handy and that doesn't make too much of a mess so we can use them as decorations for the holiday gathering." She said as she flipped the page to another recipe.

"No mess... Handy... Able to be used as decorations-" he listed off quietly, "Oh!... Hard candies! What about that?" He smiled and turned his head to look into her visible eye.

"I suppose we can try." She said with an apprehensive tone.

"What's wrong, Muro-Chin?" He asked, reaching up to turn her face towards his by her chin.

"Hard candies are more difficult to make. If we screw up, we could get burned... Literally." She said softly as her eyes scanned his face.

"We'll be careful. I think we can do it though. And I have the best thing in mind." Atsushi said as he smiled at her.

"Be my guest." She said, offering him the pen.

Atsushi took the pen from her and flipped to a clean page where he began to draw to draw. He started with a smooth arc, curving it around and down to form a cane before doodling in the twisted stripes all the way down, but instead of stopping there, he began to draw the delightful accent that set it apart from any other candy.

Delicately wrapped around the neck of the cane, was a sprig of real peppermint leaves tied with small ribbon.

"It's adorable, Atsu. The real peppermint leaves aren't gonna be cheap though. We'll have to get those from the herb store in town I think." Tatsuki said, smiling at the picture he had drawn.

"Think the club will cover the cost?" Atsushi asked, setting the pen down next to their growing cookbook.

"I don't know. It's a pretty specialty item, but I guess we'll see what we can do. I'm just nervous about the boiling sugar part." She said, sinking back against him a bit more.

"We'll be fine. We'll just take it slow and we'll make sure to read the recipe all the way through." He said, placing a soft kiss to her ear.

"I don't know-... It's just-" Her voice fell off as she bit her bottom lip.

Atsushi's brows lightly furrowed, "What is it? You've never turned away from making sweets."

"I know, b-but... I've never made hard candies like that before. I'm scared they won't turn out right." She admitted, shying into her shoulder as she avoided his violet gaze.

"Then we just eat them. We always eat our mistakes, but between you and me, I don't think we're gonna have a whole lot of them." He said softly, placing another kiss to her ear.

Tatsuki softly bit her lip, "What makes you so confident?"

"Because you taught me. I like making sweets with you and it's more fun because if we mess up, we get to snack. Whenever I messed up in basketball, I just got to do push ups, or run around until I fell over, but this is better. Making sweets, baking like this... I like it." Atsushi said, smiling at her as he stood up straight and released her from her warm prison.

"I'm glad you're having fun with it, Atsu. It's really fun creating something from just a few ingredients." Tatsuki said as her cheeks started to turn pink.

"I really am. Before this... I thought my hands were only capable of handling a ball. I didn't think that they could actually create anything." He said, looking down at his left hand with its relaxed fingers.

"Hands can do a lot and it's been really neat seeing yours learn. You took to country life pretty fast." She said, looking up at him with a brief glance and a soft smile.

Atsushi exhaled a crooked smirk, "We work for the same man right? If I didn't do what he said, I'd either have no ears, or there'd be my face print permanently pushed into the dash of Zombie Truck."

Tatsuki lightly chuckled, "I remember you telling me about that. Still funny."

Atsushi's throat grumbled, "Wasn't funny at the time. It hurt." He frowned, rubbing his forehead as he leaned down and rested his forearms on the counter.

"I bet," she smiled and caressed the nape of his neck, "So, where should we start?" She asked as she took her hand back and returned to looking at their recipe book.

Atsushi shrugged as he planted his chin into his palm, "I guess find the recipe we're gonna use."

"Internet it is."

Atsushi just smiled at her as both pulled out their phones and began to search, cruising webpage after webpage in their search for the perfect recipe. With trying something new, they didn't have much information and before they new it, while Atsushi searched for a recipe, Tatsuki watched videos on how best to make candy canes.

That was all they did for their time at baking club; Researching and studying while the others baked up scores of delectable treats that were making Atsushi's stomach grumble even more with want. After having pinpointed a few suitable recipes, he had started wandering and ever since joining, he had quickly acquired the reputation for 'taste testing' everybody's creations whether they wanted him to, or not. Most would just allow it since they had no chance of standing up against the giant food vacuum, as it was better to just sate the beast, but most would receive contented smiles that were ringed with either frosting, or fruit jelly. It gave Tatsuki some time to narrow down their options, and by the time it was time to head home, she had not only decided on which recipe was the best, but also had a pretty good idea of how to pull the candy into canes.

Gathering up their things, Atsushi and Tatsuki walked hand in hand to the bus that was to take Tatsuki home, and giving her a soft kiss goodbye, he hugged her and watched her go. As much as he wanted to go with her, to ride the bus until her stop where he would ride it home to his, this afternoon was already booked with heading into town with his uncle. He was left to wait, wrapped warmly in his coat as he stood next to a light pole with his hands in his pockets. The air was cold, making each exhale plume from his lips like smoke and each one he took in chilled his throat and made him lightly cough. He hunkered down into his muffler to help keep him warm, but when the distant rumble of what he had come to call Zombie Truck grew louder and louder, he looked up to see his uncle trundle down the drive of the school and stop.

"Hey, Killer. Have a good day?" Hiroshi asked as Atsushi opened the old truck's door and squeezed inside the cab.

"Depends on your definition." Atsushi said, plopping his bag down between them as he shut the door with a hard, metal slam.

Hiroshi's brows lightly furrowed as he started off, "What's that look for? Something happen?"

Atsushi sighed, "The whole school knows who I am now thanks to that punk, Shirō." He growled low in his throat.

"That shithead again? What did he do?" Hiroshi asked harshly, his brows furrowed harder as he briefly glanced at his nephew before looking back out at the road.

"Broadcasted the national game from last year over the PA system." Atsushi said dully as he planted an elbow down on the door and rested his chin in his palm.

Hiroshi scoffed and slowly shook his head, "What a little punk bitch. Can't even man up enough to face you on equal terms."

"What equal terms are you talking about? He looks at my sternum." Atsushi glared over at his uncle.

Hiroshi lowly laughed, "True, but how is that any different than Tatty?" He asked, turning out onto the main road and heading towards town.

"Muro-Chin is taller." Atsushi deadpanned as he looked back out the window to watch the sky darken.

"Ah... So what? She looks at your nipples?" Hiroshi chuckled.

"Really?... No... Collarbone." Atsushi grumbled lowly.

Hiroshi just drove the truck down the road, smirking crookedly as both listened to the groan of the truck. As aged as it was, it was rhythmic, but soon, his uncle broke that rhythm by changing the subject.

"Spoke to your mom earlier." Hiroshi said, the amusement gone from his voice.

"That's nice." Atsushi said without even bothering to look away from the window.

"Figured you'd say that. She wanted me to tell you she loves you." Hiroshi said, resting his wrist on the top of the steering wheel.

Atsushi scoffed, "If that was true, she'd call me and tell me herself."

"I'll give you that, but I know she means it." Hiroshi said.

"I guess." Atsushi shrugged.

Hiroshi sighed, "Did you get her email?"

Atsushi nodded, "Yup." He popped his lips.

"And?"

"What else is there to say? She tried convincing me to just give up and go home. I didn't even answer it." Atsushi said, sighing himself as he dropped his arm into his lap.

"You're still angry, aren't you." Hiroshi said quietly.

"Yes!... I'm angry she didn't back me up! I'm angry she doesn't stand up for herself! I'm angry that she just lets him rule the roost and doesn't do anything about it! Fuck yes I'm angry!" Atsushi suddenly snapped, his brows furrowed hard over his violet eyes.

"I understand, but she's still your mom." Hiroshi said.

Again, Atsushi sighed, "I know... and in the end, I still love her. To be honest, I did answer her email and I told her I was already home."

Hiroshi spared a few extra moments to stare at his nephew with his lips slightly parted. He didn't expect to hear that answer, to hear that from the lips of a city kid. Over the passed several months, Atsushi had expanded himself, had molded into a farmhand with the help of Tatsuki Himuro and had even packed on some more muscle from the hard labor. He had worked really hard and over those several months, he had even started waking up early all on his own to help.

"Country life grew on you, hmm?" Hiroshi asked quietly, returning his gaze to the road.

Atsushi sighed and nodded, "I like it out here. Even if the school knows who I am, they don't care. They don't look at me like I'm a monster, or some freak show. They just... look at me and see another kid. Muro-Chin doesn't care who I am, or what I've done, or that I'm over a head taller than her; She just sees me and it's really nice."

"I'm sure the food helps." Hiroshi started to laugh.

Atsushi couldn't stop from smiling, "Yeah... The food's pretty damn good too."

"You've really taken to cooking by the way. Have you ever considered it?" Hiroshi asked, his laughter ebbing off into a gentle smile.

"Considered it for what?" Atsushi asked.

"A career?"

Atsushi sat up straighter which only served to press the top of his head into the worn out headliner, "I haven't really thought about it."

"You should. You really picked up a few things from Tatty." Hiroshi said.

"Yeah... I like baking with her." Atsushi said as he just watched his hands pick at his fingernails.

"It shows. I don't think I've seen you not smiling whenever you guys are in the kitchen." Hiroshi said with a huff.

"We're gonna try making candy canes for the holiday gathering at school." Atsushi said, looking through the windshield as town became visible in the distance.

"That's ambitious." Hiroshi said, slowing the trucks speed with the speed limit change.

"I think we can do it. We just need a place we can hog for awhile without anyone bothering us." Atsushi said, drawing in a deep breath to sigh.

"Well, that works out then." Hiroshi said.

Atsushi's brows lightly furrowed as he looked over, "What do you mean?"

"I've gotta head into the city with Tatty's dad and we'll be gone all night, so the house is yours." Hiroshi said, bringing the truck to a grumbling halt at a stop light.

"Really? Why?" Atsushi asked.

"Look in the bag."

Atsushi's brows crinkled again as he looked down at the truck's floor, seeing a crumpled up paper bag sitting on the transmission hump and behind the tall gear shift. It was no bigger than a grocery bag, but when he picked it up, the weight from whatever was inside told him it was more than just groceries.

"Found that in the back 40 near the treeline." Hiroshi said, sending periodic glances at his nephew as he opened the bag and peered inside.

What lay at the bottom, was a deep green box with several nylon straps laying every which way, painted with random splotches of differing shades of green and tan. It was camouflaged to blend into the brush of the trees and sticking out of the top of it was a small antenna the thickness of his thumb.

"What is it?" Atsushi asked, reaching inside the bag and pulling the box out.

"Well, that's part of why we're heading to the city. We're thinking it's one of two things; Either a motion activated camera, or it's a GPS surveyor." Hiroshi said, starting off once more with the turning of the light.

"A GPS surveyor?" Atsushi arced a brow in curiosity as he turned the box over in his hands.

"Uses satellites to retrieve property information and such. It's a pretty slick gizmo, but I didn't put it there." Hiroshi said.

"Maybe Shirō did. Muro-Chin and I caught him and one of his friends on the backside of their property." Atsushi said as he put the device back into the bag and closed it up.

"That's why we're getting it checked out. If it turns out that little punk bitch is trespassing and looking for real estate loop holes, Tatty's dad thinks we'll have a good chance at getting an injunction." Hiroshi said, pulling into the turn lane to wait for a chance to pull into the parking lot of the farm feed store.

"The sooner he's out of my hair, the better. He's irritating as hell and if I could, I'd crush him flat." Atsushi said with a frown and a grumble in his throat.

Hiroshi smirked as he turned the truck, "I don't think I'd stop you, but don't go getting into trouble with him, or you'll have me to deal with." He glared for a moment.

Atsushi's spine shivered, "I won't start anything, but I can't promise I won't finish it if he does."

"That's fine. If he starts it, put his ass down. He could use a good slapping from those huge ass hands of yours." Hiroshi said, parking the truck in front of the large, roll up loading door.

"Hey... That's mean." Atsushi whined as he climbed out of the truck.

Atsushi stepped around the truck to the large pallet of grain feed that was being brought out by a beeping forklift and started to hulk the heavy bags up into the truck's bed.

"It's the truth. You're handling those bags like a dead body." Hiroshi smirked, lifting a bag up onto his shoulder with a hard puff to his cheeks.

"Maybe I'm just practicing."

The two laughed as they worked to load up the truck, one bag after another into the truck bed until the whole pallet had been loaded. The truck's suspension squatted from the weight and when Hiroshi and Atsushi both got back in, the truck groaned and coughed as the engine cranked to life. It squeaked as it started off with a full bed, but oddly enough, the added weight made it behave better on the road.

The drive home was spent in silence, but both he and his uncle were at ease with it. The evening was approaching quickly and the sky had darkened into an inky gray with the threat of approaching snow. The ground was heavy with it already and if he hadn't been so used to the white fluffy flakes from his time in Akita, he'd be worried, but the whiteness made the landscape beautiful. Where the Autumn had been golden, Winter was white and serene. It was calming, almost dreamlike with the thick blanket of white and throughout his time with his uncle, learning and working, he was finding that he really didn't want to give it up.

Even with having to deal with Shirō Kitagawa, everything else, from his uncle, to his farm, to Tatsuki Himuro, made it all worth it.