Reason to Stay

~*~*~*~*~

Tanji settled Akiko down upon her bed, darting into the kitchen to check the answering machine. Kino slipped her jacket off and blinked at the message, weaving her way around the stroller and some things they’d bought at the mall. It was Kesu’s voice on the machine. Tanji picked up the phone and dialed the number he’d left, transferring it to his other hand as he wriggled out of his jean jacket.

“Hey Kes… oh, okay. No I don’t mind at all, she’s napping. Heh, we went to the mall for lunch, nice day out and about. I only got her a couple things… c’mon… you know me. Okay, sure… gotcha tails. See ya inna bit.”

“Kesu’s coming here?” Kino asked softly as Tanji slipped into her arms.

“Yeah, Saya’s parents are in town and they wanna take the punk, don’t trust me or somethin, I dunno. Kes is comin to get her.”

“Oh,” Kino couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “So we have no reason… to stay here…” Tanji silenced her with a kiss.

“I can think of a reason,” he grinned playfully when he pulled away.

“Kesu… would…” Kino breathlessly let the question trail off, blushing equal to her hair.

Tanji winked cutely, “Trust me, angel. I gotta pack some things for punk,” he knelt to gather up some of their purchases, toys and clothes for Akiko, snagging the stroller and tossing it into the closet before ducking into the girls’ room, absolutely silent.

Kino sighed, trying to get her cheeks to quit feeling so hot, dragging the rest of what they’d bought out of the entrance area and toward the couch. She dug around a little bit, triumphantly coming up with a new book, well, one of them. Tanji had insisted… he was going to spoil her, she just knew it. She settled back into the cushions and lost herself in the book, trying to listen for Tanji, but the boy was perfect in his silence.

The sound of the door opening drug her from the text in front of her, greeted by a winking green eye and a shimmer of silver hair when she looked up. She smiled in return. Kesu slipped his hands into his pockets and shut the door behind him with his foot, striding into the hallway to meet Tanji halfway. Kino could just barely see the two of them if she tilted her head.

“You kids enjoying yourselves?” Kesu grinned down at Tanji.

Tanji smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, nodding towards the bedroom. “Punk’s still sleepin, still in her coat too. Packed her for a week like ya asked. How’s kaasan?”

Kino pressed her lips into a thoughtful line. Tanji called Yotaka by respectful titles, always, well as much as she’d heard. And yet he called Saya mother as easily as anything. Granted he had spent a great many nights away from the temple, Kino assumed spending the night here. She was a little curious about it all, couldn’t quit spying, orange eyes peering over her book and trying to look consumed by it.

“Well… it’s just tiring, Tan, you know how she worries,” Kesu shifted his weight onto one leg, slipping a hand from his pocket to nudge at Tanji’s bangs.

“Heh, bet she worries more ‘bout you,” Tanji reached up and caught the hand, looking exasperated.

“Constant nagging,” Kesu sighed and stepped a little closer Kesu was almost blocking Tanji completely from Kino’s view. Why was she spying on them? Okay, not spying, just… innocently observing. Yeah, observing like a hawk. Her book dropped a little bit when Tanji tugged gently on the captured hand, letting Kesu hug him. His ruby eyes fell right on her, and he blushed. Tanji had never let Kesu do anything more than barely touch him with other people looking, and even that was with irritation. Kino lifted her book and smiled softly to herself.

“Well, kaasan’s waiting, wanted to see punk a bit,” Kesu pushed himself away from Tanji, tucking silver strands behind his ear and sliding to one side to glide into the bedroom.

Tanji pressed himself against the wall, looking every bit the badass he pretended, tense and scowling, watching until Kesu emerged with Akiko’s bag slung over one shoulder and the toddler weighing heavily against the other. Tanji moved to open the door for his friend. Kesu paused and smiled at him, nodding as something passed between the two of them.

“See ya phoenix,” Kesu whispered.

“Later tails,” Tanji reached up and brushed the backs of two fingers against the kitsune’s cheek, shutting the door as the silver slipped away and down the stairs.

Kino tried to get back to her book, but found herself still watching Tanji as he found his schoolbag and came to plop on the couch beside her. “You two don’t talk much… out loud,” she hinted not-so-subtly.

Tanji smiled, shaking his head. “We are now officially apartment-sitting.”

~*~*~*~*~

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