A and K Chapter 28 Thoughts in Abundance

Yui sits at the table with the jacket still zipped up on her body. Her mind still mentally shaken after the day's events. Kei quietly brings two small cups and a pot to the table with him.
Yui: Tea?
Kei: Yeah, like you asked for before you left.
Yui remained quiet. Shigure and Alexandria peeked from the hallway while Aria swung around a kendo stick in the backyard.
Yui: Your house certainly is...livelier...these days.
Kei: Yeah.
Yui: Listen, Kei, about what I said earlier.
Kei: Don't worry about it.
Yui: Huh? But you don't even know what I was going to say...
Kei: You were going to apologize for imposing on me to train you.
Yui: ...Okay maybe you do.
Kei: Seeing as Aria and Alexandria are training too, I wouldn't mind helping you as well.
Yui: You've always spoiled me Kei.
Kei: Well, you were the one sister that at least tried to keep in contact. Who knows where the heck the other two are.
Yui nods.
Yui: Yeah, our family...
Kei pours them each a cup of Yui's favorite tea. Yui politely takes the cup, but she can only stare into her reflection. Her expression slowly became downcast.
Yui: I certainly didn't get the courage in our family.
Kei: Like hell.
Yui: Huh?
Kei: I know men that would've been balling their eyes out over having a bomb placed in their lap.
Yui: Oh right, you were in that war...
Kei: Yui, just because you're not used to that sort of thing doesn't mean you're weak. You embraced a different lifestyle. You became the business dog mom wanted.
Yui: Yeah, I know. The two of you had her stressed.
Kei: We were two rambunctious pups. Always fighting and crap. You were the one who had plans for the future.
Yui: Don't know how much good that'll do me now.
Kei: How's that?
Yui: Our business is slowly going under.
Kei: I'm sorry to hear that.
Yui: We just don't have enough people to count on.
Kei: Yui, you rarely talk about your business in your letters. What does your business do anyway?
Yui: We're 'for hire'.
Kei: How do you figure?
Yui: No, I mean that's what we're called, "For Hire". We take on any job no matter what.
Kei: And, that kind of business isn't booming?
Yui: The NOL in the past and the MOR now kind of restricts what we can do.
Kei: Ah, gotcha.
Yui: Without any income, our business is going to fail. The meeting was to discuss ways we could improve our respective organizations under the branch.
Kei: So you manage your own business, but its under a parent company?
Yui: Yeah, we're the test one. If we do well, we might see more.
Kei: Well then, hire us.
Yui: Huh?
Kei: We've got plenty of people here that need to stop being lazy. I can think of at least one cat in particular, and you know I'm always willing to help you out.
Alexandria: You mean you don't care about money?
Kei and Yui looked over to Alexandria.
Yui: Where did you get it in that little head of yours that Kei actually cares about money?
Alexandria: Well, uh...
Yui: Never mind. Even when we were kids, Kei never really cared about money. He understood he had to do jobs in order to keep himself financially stable. However, Kei only makes enough money so he can have certain things. For example, that television. Kei likes to keep up with the news and such. Kei only makes enough money for what he needs. He's not really frivolous. He's not Rie anyway.
Kei: Isn't 'frivolous' Rie's middle name?
Yui: How she hasn't gotten bankrupt is a miracle.
The two share a laugh. Alexandria sits down at the table.
Alexandria: So you're Kei's sister too?
Yui: I suppose we didn't get to talk much when I was last here. My name is Yui, its a pleasure to meet you.
Alexandria: I'm Alex!
Yui: So this is the little girl you took in huh?
Kei: Yeah, this is her.
Yui: And aren't you going to join us too, Shigure?
Shigure seemed surprised.
Shigure: Well, I, uh, wouldn't want to impose...
Yui: No please, join us.
Shigure: If you insist.
Shigure sits down at the table with the others.
Yui: So Shigure, have you gone out on a date with Kei yet?
Kei gets wide-eyed, Shigure blushes.
Alexandria: I want them to! But they're so busy!
Shigure: Um, no not yet.
Kei: Yui, of all the topics, did it have to be that one?
Yui seems to ignore Kei.
Yui: Shigure, to really wow him, you should dress like a maid.
Kei: Hey! Yui! Don't put ideas in her head!
Shigure blinks at the random idea.
Shigure: A...maid...?
Yui: Lexi did it all the time. She had this cute little maid outfit, and Kei couldn't say no to her.
Shigure looks at Kei with a judging look in her eyes.
Shigure: You're into that, huh?
Kei: Oh shut up! That was Lexi's idea, not mine!
Yui: Lexi was confident in who she was, and she didn't mind dressing to her strengths.
Yui thinks for a second. She then removes her hand from the cup of tea, and reaches in her pocket. She hands two tickets to Shigure.
Shigure: Huh, what's this?
Yui: While I was here I wanted to go see a movie with Kei, but maybe you two could use the tickets instead?
Shigure reads the title.
Shigure: Oh this is that new movie that just came out right?
Yui nods.
Yui: Yeah.
Shigure: Sounds like a good time then. It'll give us a chance to get out.
Kei: It would be nice to escape for a night.
Shigure: Are you sure you don't want these?
Yui: No, its fine, please take them.
Shigure: Well, thank you, Yui. Its appreciated.
Yui: You're welcome.
Shigure: Come on Alexandria. Time for lessons.
Alexandria: But I don't want to do science homework!
Shigure and Alexandria respectfully excuse themselves. The two retreat to another wing of the house to give them some peace and quiet.
Yui: You know, Kei. Shigure is really into you.
Kei: Yeah, I know.
Yui: I can tell from her eyes that she was giving honest input to the maid idea.
Kei: Now don't you go putting ideas into her head!
Yui snickers.
Yui: Oh come on, you act like that was the worst thing she ever dressed up in.
Kei: Oh. Right. You were here for 'that', weren't you.
Yui: Yep.
Kei recalled the event quickly to his mind. While Yui was visiting, Kei had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. He couldn't see for a few days because of the reaction.
Kei: Lexi, god knows why, decided that you and her should run around my house in your birthday suits.
Yui: She didn't really give me a choice.
Kei: I'm thankful I wasn't awake for all of that.
Yui: Yeah, me too. You really don't need to know what happened that day.
Kei: All Lexi would tell me is that, 'it was a girl's bonding moment'.
Yui: I guess you could say that.
Kei: She actually did help you though, didn't she?
Yui: Yeah, part of the reason mom sent me to your guy's place was because of my vanity issues. Lexi cured that up right quick with her little 'exercise' in humility.
Kei: You only get one body as they say.
Yui: Yeah. Lexi really helped me learn that no matter how I look, I'm still me. No bullying could ever change that.
Kei: To be fair, I did offer to help.
Yui: Oh yes, big strong Kei is going to go beat up a couple of teenagers.
Kei: Hey, that's what I'm good at.
The two share a laugh. The hours passed. Night eventually came. Shigure made sure Alexandria was tucked away and asleep. When she came into the room Kei and Yui were, the two were fast asleep. The television going on and on about a random product. Shigure happily sighed and brought a blanket and wrapped it around them. As she finished, she noticed Kei's face. It was so serene, so calm. You wouldn't have even noticed, with the way it was contorting the whole day before, that he had been an angry dog bent on rescuing Yui. With Athena and Saori still at Athena's place, and Aria and Alexandria now asleep, Shigure decided to be impulsive. She leaned in and kissed Kei on the lips. When she removed her lips, a smile graced his face.
Shigure: I hope you're dreaming of me.
Shigure decided to stick around. She pulled another blanket from the closet and wrapped it around herself to keep her warm. She also grabbed a pillow and placed it on the ground. She let her body finally lay down so she could rest. She faced Yui and Kei from the other side of the table, in front of the television. She moved her left arm out from under the blanket and moved it back and pressed a button on the television. The once bright colorful television, quickly turned black. She moved her arm back underneath the blanket and looked at Kei and Yui. Shigure silently whispered aloud to herself.
Shigure: I don't want to take Lexi's place, but I don't want to just be a friend. I want to be more than that Kei. But I want to do it when you're ready.
Shigure let her eyes close, and she soon became the last member in the house to drift off to sleep.
Category:Novel Chapter
Category:A and K