Chapter 44

With Jo safely placed into her anxious mother's hands and Arados safely restored to his room, Lus found himself at a loose end. He didn't want to return home just yet, because he liked the idea of making his parents worry about him. Not because he liked the thought of them suffering, but to teach them a lesson about wanting a new baby. Kisara also appeared to be in a drifting state of mind; not really concentrating on anything Lus had to say and beside her Taylor was also dragging his feet, as the three of them made a kind of sketchy tour through Domino City.

Lus was half aware of the fact it was probably a pretty stupid idea not to have returned Taylor to the heavens by now. After all, Mokuba and Serenity could probably sense the fact he was back on Earth, but somehow being half aware of the facts didn't make him care about them.

'I have to go to False,' Kisara eventually sighed, 'there was something about the way he left, I…'

'You what,' Lus couldn't help but feel mildly jealous.

'I just have a bad feeling about it, is all. I mean, it's not like False not to tell me exactly what's going on and he's been holding back today.'

'I thought he told you everything when we met him…'

'He may have told me everything then, but I'd seen him a few hours before,' she averted her gaze, 'he didn't mention anything to me then, even though I could sense something was bothering him. I mean, until Ni told him he was his father, False hadn't said so much as two words about his concerns over Nichee.'

'Maybe he couldn't find the words,' Lus shrugged, trying to lull her into staying with him a little longer. 'I mean, he doesn't strike me as the highly articulate type.'

'He's not,' she pressed her lips together, 'but that doesn't mean he doesn't tell me everything.'

'And do you tell him everything?'

For a moment Kisara hesitated, then she shrugged and averted her gaze.

'He's my best friend.'

Instantly all the jealous feelings building inside of Lus began to prickle. He didn't know why, but he didn't like the thought of anyone being closer to Kisara than him. The second he thought that, he tried to push it away. He barely knew Kisara, how could he not expect there to be people out there closer than he was. He had no right to feel jealous about it. And yet he did. He knew he did and it was driving him crazy.

'I should go,' her voice was as mute as her statement.

'Don't,' Lus's voice was low, 'I want you to stay with me for a little longer.'

'Because you're too afraid to face your parents,' Kisara was clearly too naive to know how much he already liked her. 'You know you've got to go home sometime. And them having this baby might not be such a bad thing, you know.'

The second she said that last line, Taylor ground to a halt, forcing both of them to do the same. Gawking slightly, he stared intensely at Lus.

'Yes, my Mum is pregnant again,' Lus rolled his eyes. 'With everything else that was going on, I guess I forgot to mention that to you and Ara,' he gave a heavy sigh. 'You know something Tay, for the first time in my life I'm envying the fact you have two dads. At least they'll never surprise you with a late life child.'

Taylor frowned at him for a few moments, before tilting his head strangely.

'Alright,' Lus held up his hands, 'so it's hardly a late life child for them, I know. But that doesn't make it any easier, you know. I mean, I am going to be seventeen years older than the brat by the time its born; that's not going to be easy.'

Shrugging Taylor tilted his head the other way, before making several gestures with his hands.

'What do you mean?'

Taylor shrugged again and shot him an imploring look.

'I think he's envious of you,' Kisara interpreted, 'I think he'd love for his parents to be able to have another child, because he thinks that's what his parents want.'

'And that's why they got so much pleasure from the chance to raise CiCi and Damon,' Lus suddenly felt sorry for his friend. 'You want siblings, don't you?'

Taylor hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. He then made a few more gestures, before hopelessly shrugging.

'I'm sorry,' Lus lowered his gaze, 'I should have known.'

'Known what?' Kisara clearly hadn't followed what had just exchanged between the two old friends, even though she'd managed to interpret him okay a few seconds before.

'Taylor doesn't want siblings because he already has them. His cousins, CiCi and Damon.'

'Oh, I see. Well I guess I'll do everything I can in helping you get them back then.'

Taylor placed a hand on Lus's shoulder for a moment, forcing Lus's gaze up towards him. He then pointed upwards and made the suggestion he was about to leave.

'Okay,' Lus nodded, 'I guess I should be heading back home now too.'

'And I should be going to look for False,' Kisara added.

'No,' he shook his head, 'you should be resting. You heard what Kaiba said about needing you to help them get CiCi and Damon back. If you truly want to help with that then you have to go back with Tay and rest.'

'But…'

'I'm sure your friend will be fine,' he squirmed, hoping he didn't come across sounding as jealous as he felt, 'but right now you have your own duties to worry about.'

'Fine,' she sighed, 'I'll go get some rest. But if I find out that anything bad has…'

'Yeah, feel free to blame me about it,' he shrugged. 'Now get going you two, whilst we're still this side of midnight.'

Without the need for any further instruction, the pair of them disappeared, leaving Lus feeling somewhat abandoned. Taking a deep breath, he then turned and started making his own way home. He knew if he Jumped he would be there in the blink of an eye, but he didn't feel like getting back there so quick. Instead he made his way at a more relaxed pace, aiming to add an extra half hour or so onto his absence. By the time he made it home, the flat he lived him was pretty much in darkness. That surprised him a little as he had expected his parents to stay up waiting for him. Or at least for one of them too.

'Lus,' his father's voice sounded out of the darkness of the flat, half making him jump out of his skin.

'Oh, you're still up,' he swallowed hard, trying to play it casual.

'I was worried about you. So is your mother.'

'Then why isn't she still up,' he made his way to the room his father was in. 'And what are you doing sat in the darkness like this?'

'Because I wasn't sure if I was going to say anything when you came in.'

'Then why did you?'

'Because you wanted me to say something,' his father's voice was calm and level, 'that's why.'