[Mushverse, mostly for Liveman family] Throwing Kamen Rider Gaia into the mix

[hotshotlightning]

The parents are finally in bed and I sigh in relief as I hear the light get switched off. It's about time, I thought they were never coming up. I just need to wait a bit now, give them time to go to sleep before I do this. Eventually though, I get out of bed and make my way downstairs, careful to avoid the creaky stairs.

I should probably tell them I'm working with Gaia and EYES now, but they'd just try to talk me out of it and I need to do this, for any number of reasons; getting paid is only one of them. I rummage inside my bag and pull out the envelope before heading into the kitchen. That's where Megumi keeps her purse and she does the groceries so she gets more. There's a lot of us to feed, after all, and I know she worries about it, even if she won't admit it in front of us. I split the rest of the wages between Jou and Yuusuke before ripping up the envelope and dropping it in the bin.

There. All sorted for the week. I dust my hands off in satisfaction and head back to bed.

Comments

Re: He really does. :D

[yellowlion]

I frown. "What is it? A girl? A boy? This is late, but it's not so late that I'd set a rocket off under you, you know that. If you're sneaking out to meet someone we can talk about it."

Re: He really does. :D

[hotshotlightning]

Oh no. He's got that look on his face, the one he gets when he's trying to explain how sex works.

"Like the time you tried talking about puberty?" I counter. "And how to deal with sex in public?" I frown. Or was that in private? I don't remember, it was kind of garbled.

Re: He really does. :D

[yellowlion]

I roll my eyes at him. I try, I really do, and no one appreciates it sometimes. "Stop trying to divert me. You're making me more and more worried about what you're doing, so stop it, and tell me, or I'll investigate further."

I grin. It's not the nicest grin. "You wouldn't like it if I investigated further."

[hotshotlightning]

"I'm not doing anything wrong," I snap defensively. "Leave it alone, Jou."

That's not going to make him less suspicious but it's not like anything else has either.

[yellowlion]

I raise my eyebrows, and stay silent. I can wait all night if I have to.

Well, now I've peed, I can.

[hotshotlightning]

I fold my arms and glower right back. He's not waiting me out this time.

[yellowlion]

I start whistling one of my 'old fogey' songs, with a really irritating, repetitive chorus.

[hotshotlightning]

I grit my teeth and sit down on one of the stairs. I can always go back down if I have to. I can sleep on the couch or something.

[yellowlion]

"I can talk to your friends tomorrow at school," I say sweetly. Not that they'd particularly tell me if he's got some big secret, but they might tell me about a boyfriend or girlfriend.

I'm getting particularly worried now because he just hasn't told me. I don't expect him to tell me every detail of his personal life. He's his own person, plus he's an adolescent, and I'm not completely stupid. But I'd expect him to tell me 'I visited a friend' or 'I've got a part-time job' or 'a friend was driving me home and the car broke down' even if he won't go as far as telling me, say, what the friend's NAME is.

But there's been none of that.

[hotshotlightning]

I stare at the bannister running down the stairs, wondering how long I'll need to keep this up for when he mentions talking to my friends. I bite my lip, then shrug. They might mention Yuuki if he does ask, but they don't know anything about the rest of it so they can't tell him.

This would have been so much easier if he'd just stayed in bed where he was supposed to be.

[yellowlion]

I sigh. "You're worrying me. I don't like it when you worry me."

I move theatrically out of his way. "Go to bed."

[hotshotlightning]

I bite my lip again but I take the out he's giving me anyway. I don't want to worry him, him or the others, but this is too complicated.

I drop my bag onto the floor by my bed and climb in. Tomorrow's going to be awkward.

[yellowlion]

Dammit.

I trust him. I do. I know it's nothing terrible. He's honest to a fault, though not incapable of lying. I'm worried that he's gotten himself into trouble somehow, or he's doing something that he doesn't want us to worry about, that we could FIX for him.

So I'm not disappointed like some parents might be with some kids, but hell yes, I'm disappointed.

I head back to bed with Megumi and Yuusuke, wondering what to tell them.

[hotshotlightning]

I wrap the sheets around me and stare at the far wall of my room. I should have waited longer, been sure they were all asleep. I wonder what he's going to tell Megumi and Yuusuke, if I'm going to be facing all three of them in the morning instead of just Jou.

[yellowlion]

I climb into bed. If neither one's awake, I'll mention it in the morning. Katsumi knows I'm on the alert and I'm worried. It can wait that long.

[hotshotlightning]

I should be able to get to school tomorrow without bumping into him, providing he's the only one I have to worry about. One is easy enough to avoid, three not so much.

[redfalcon]

He's been gone a while. I heard him get up to go to the loo, but the clock tells me that was a good twenty minutes ago. I wish he wouldn't do this. He knows I can't get back to sleep when people are wandering around the house.

I lean over the sleeping form of Megumi to poke him, "what're you doing?"

[yellowlion]

Dammit, I should've known he'd still be awake. It's the papa bear mentality. Everyone has to be settled or he can't cope.

I'm glad, though.

"Something's weird with Katsumi," I murmur, propping myself up on an elbow to see him over Megumi's slight shape in between us.

[redfalcon]

"He OK? What's happened?" I glance towards the doorway but I don't see any more lights on out there.

[yellowlion]

"He was sneaking back up to his room with his bag. No idea what he'd just been doing, but he wouldn't tell me." I sigh, then hastily start stroking Megumi's shoulder lightly. I don't want her to have to wake up if she's finally asleep. She works so hard, and I know she has trouble sleeping sometimes. I can fill her in tomorrow.

[redfalcon]

Of course, we mustn't wake Megumi. I lower my voice to a whisper, "You don't think he's joined a gang?" It doesn't seem like something Katsumi would do, but you never know with kids. He's never really had a rebellious stage so maybe he's having it now.

[yellowlion]

My eyes go wide. I know I'm idealistic sometimes. I hadn't -- I really hadn't thought of that.

"I don't think so?" I say doubtfully. "He's a good kid, Yuusuke. I just don't know."

[redfalcon]

"If we ask him for any more details, he'll stop talking. We just have to keep an eye on him." We can't really follow him ourselves, nor can we ask his brothers to do it. I'll think of something.

[yellowlion]

"Yeah," I sigh miserably. "He doesn't respond well to pushing."

I roll closer to Megumi's warmth, with an arm across her so I can touch Yuusuke, too. "I just don't know, Yuusuke."

[redfalcon]

"Have we been neglecting him?" I know, I know, I sound like Megumi. But it's worrying me, "what with Joe and now Gai ... maybe he feels left out. We should keep an eye on Kazari, too."