1356 Constance St - The Morgan Residence

[More than Music]

OOC: SERIOUSLY CUTE.
BIC:

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

"You know, you look a lot like I did when I was your age..."

"You look like Daddy."

"I don't mean to..."

Clarence watched the two of them a little curiously, not liking the feeling he was getting of the way this conversation was headed. He stared Yukito down, who changed the subject. A little.

"Look, I'm not here to bug you guys, I just..." He shrugged. "I was hoping to talk to you."

"About what?" Clarence asked. It was a question Yukito obviously didn't know how to answer, because he didn't. Timmy spoke first, reaching out to Yukito like he was trying to touch something in Yukito's character that he couldn't quite see.

"Wanna... wanna sit down, Mister Yuk'to? Promise I won't let him bite'cha." Timothy was so honest; his smile earned a similar one from Yukito and a laugh from Clarence.

"Biting is the least of his worries, I think."

"He is kind of creepy, you know..." Yukito told Timmy, who giggled.

"Yeah, but ya'll get used'ta it." Timmy explained. 'If you stick around long enough,' Clarence added in his head, watching Yukito with a less than trusting gaze. Then he saw that his little brother was looking at Yukito a little strange. Not seeing what Timmy saw, Clarence asked: "What is it, Tim?"

"What's on his face, hm?"

Clarence looked from Timmy to Yukito, then shrugged. "Ask him."

"How'd ya get hurted, Mister Yuk'to?"

Smirking, Clarence waited for Yukito to come up with a smart lie, because he knew Timmy wouldn't like the truth.

"Uh... I'm really good at getting people mad at me? I've gotten into a lot of fights lately. Once it was actually my best friend, Aidousan. But that time wasn't so bad. He's kind of a wuss. Knuckles like a marshmallow." Yukito offered a smile go with it. Timmy giggled. "And I got a few hits back, so we were even."

Timmy was still laughing, so Clarence sent him a look of slight amusement. "What?" Timmy shook his head.

"He says 'marshmallow' funny."

Clarence had to laugh at that, because Timothy's laughter was contagious. He turned to Yukito with a shrug. "You do."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"He is kind of creepy, you know..." Yukito told Timmy, who giggled at the comment about his older brother.

"Yeah, but ya'll get used'ta it." He explained, seeming to warm up a little, despite how miserable he looked physically. Then, he started studying Yukito's face curiously, his head tilted to the side as they watched each other. "What is it, Tim?"

"What's on his face, hm?" The question brought about another silent wish from Yukito that he had been born a good liar. Or at least had been able to acquire a mediocre amount of skill in the task. It would have been very useful, he had decided. Clarence offered no help, pushing the answering off on Yukito. "How'd ya get hurted, Mister Yuk'to?"

Yukito considered for a moment from his place on the floor. "Uh... I'm really good at getting people mad at me? I've gotten into a lot of fights lately. Once it was actually my best friend, Aidousan. But that time wasn't so bad. He's kind of a wuss. Knuckles like a marshmallow." Yukito offered a smile go with the statement, again making Timothy giggle. It was kind of a girly sort of laugh, but he supposed that came with the territory of being a munchkin. "And I got a few hits back, so we were even."

Timmy was still laughing, so Clarence sent him a look of slight amusement. "What?" Timmy shook his head.

"He says 'marshmallow' funny." Yukito's eyes widened, not expecting that. Well, at least I know that if my sense of humor fails me, you can always laugh at my accent. Or my face.

Clarence laughed, then turned to Yukito with a shrug. "You do."

Yukito scoffed at that. "Thanks, I think. It's not like I can wipe out my own accent."

[More than Music]

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

"He is kind of creepy, you know..." Yukito pointed out, earning a look from Clarence and a giggle from Timmy. They were getting along too well; Clarence didn't like it.

"Yeah, but ya'll get used'ta it." Timmy pointed out. Then he became interested by Yukito's face, so Clarence pushed a little to get his brother to explain. "What's on his face, hm?" Clarence shrugged, telling Timmy to ask Yukito for himself. "How'd ya get hurted, Mister Yuk'to?"

"Uh... I'm really good at getting people mad at me? I've gotten into a lot of fights lately. Once it was actually my best friend, Aidousan. But that time wasn't so bad. He's kind of a wuss. Knuckles like a marshmallow." The explanation earned another giggled from Timmy. "And I got a few hits back, so we were even."

But the continuous giggling was a little strange, so Clarence asked him what was up. Timmy just shook his head at first. "He says 'marshmallow' funny."

Alright, he could admit that was a cute way to look at it. He shrugged when he felt Yukito's eyes on him. "You do."

"Thanks, I think." Yukito replied with a scoff. "It's not like I can wipe out my own accent."

"That would ruin all the fun of it, though," Clarence said quietly, turning to Timmy. "Hey kid, you hungry or anything?" Timmy was starting to look tired, and he nodded. "Hungry, or anything? Which one?"

Tim smiled. "Hungry."

"Well, what do you want anyway?"

Brown eyes sparkled up at Clarence. "Cheetos?" Clarence sent him a look, and Timmy cowered back a little. "Please?" Okay, that was cute.

"Fine," he groaned, getting up. "But if anyone asks, I fed you healthy food and chicken broth the whole time, got it?" Timmy nodded sincerely, and Clarence left the room. Coming quietly back up the stairs, he heard Timmy talking to Yukito.

"You like my Doumo? His name is Chan-Chan. 'Cause you call people younger than you 'chan'."

Clarence could see Timmy proudly holding up his weird brown Doumo creature with a small smile, a look of sickness coming back onto his face slowly. "Here." He threw the bag unceremoniously at his little brother, who tore it open with an exclamation of joy.

Timothy looked at Yukito as he popped several into his mouth. "Want some?"

Ignoring the other person in the room, Clarence tapped Timmy on the head. Without saying a word, Timothy held out the bag to his brother. "Thanks." The two brothers both had a Cheeto halfway in their mouth, unknowingly, when they looked to Yukito.

"You're weird," Timmy muttered, then looked at his brother and giggled. "Cheeto," he said, one still hanging out of his own. Clarence pulled it into his mouth quickly with a twist of his tongue, making Timothy giggle again. The little boy turned to Yukito and gestured to his brother. "He's the Cheeto monkey."

"Cheeto monster," Clarence muttered in correction. "Not monkey. You are the Cheeto monkey, kiddo." He ruffled Timmy's hair.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Timmy laughed. "Whatever."

"Whatever yourself." Clarence looked at Yukito. 'He's right. You are weird. You're so withdrawn. I hope Timmy never ends up like you. I'll do everything I can to make sure he doesn't end up like you. Or like me.'

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"That would ruin all the fun of it, though," Clarence said quietly, turning to Timmy. "Hey kid, you hungry or anything?" Clarence received a nod from the boy. "Hungry, or anything? Which one?"

Timothy smiled. "Hungry."

"Well, what do you want anyway?"

"Cheetos?" There was a weird exchange in expression between the brothers, then. To cement his snack, Timothy gave a worthy, "Please?"

"Fine," Clarence groaned, getting up. Yukito looked between the two of them with a solemn look. He didn't know why, but he was taking every word and gesture in. "But if anyone asks, I fed you healthy food and chicken broth the whole time, got it?"

Timothy nodded sincerely, and Clarence left the room. Yukito turned to Timothy. You're my little brother. Just like you're Clarence's little brother. How weird is that? The boy seemed to warm up after the promise of Cheetos, holding up a stuffed creature by his side.

"You like my Doumo? His name is Chan-Chan. 'Cause you call people younger than you 'chan'." The small smile on Timothy's face was utterly sincere and delicate, the waves of sickness Yukito knew well trying to pull at the edges of that smile. Yukito nodded, slowly.

"That's right. Like I could call you 'Timmychan'. Or 'Timmykun'." He smirked, "You don't give him apples, though, do you? Domo doesn't like apples. No ringos for Chan-chan..."

"Here." Clarence was already back, and he tossed the Cheetos at his brother, who dug into it eagerly as if his brother had given him a million dollars. He was so much happier than Yukito expected. Not that he was disappointed, seeing the boy pop the orange snacks into his mouth cheerfully. "Want some?" Yukito shook his head. "No thanks..." Clarence tapped Timmy on the head, silently demanding some Cheetos of his own. They both left a Cheeto sticking out of their mouths as they looked over at him, and he started to chuckle, then the chuckle developed into a laugh.

"You're weird," Timothy muttered. The little kid looked up at Clarence, getting him to do a quick trick with the treat to make him laugh. "He's the Cheeto monkey," he explained, beaming.

"Cheeto monster," Clarence muttered in correction. "Not monkey. You are the Cheeto monkey, kiddo." He ruffled Timothy's hair, and it stood up on end in a funny way.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Timmy laughed. "Whatever."

"Whatever yourself." Clarence looked at Yukito. As if he expected something from him. Like what? Yukito stood up from the floor, cautiously coming to stand next to Timothy's bed. He tilted his head to side, smiling down at the boy softly.

"I guess I'll take a Cheeto or two. My girlfriend thinks I'm too scrawny anyways." Slowly, he held out a hand to Timothy.

[More than Music]

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

"You like my Doumo? His name is Chan-Chan. 'Cause you call people younger than you 'chan'."

"That's right. Like I could call you 'Timmychan'. Or 'Timmykun'. You don't give him apples, though, do you? Domo doesn't like apples. No ringos for Chan-chan..."

"Chan-chan, likes to play," Timmy sang a little tiredly, making his Doumo dance in his lap. "He likes to make my brother's day..."

"Here." Clarence threw the Cheetos at Timmy, who caught them easily and tore the bag open.

"Want some?" Timmy offered.

"No thanks..."

"To each their own," Clarence said in a low voice, tapping his brother's shoulder pointedly. Timmy held the bag out and Clarence took some. He sat down next to Timmy, and they both unknowingly had a Cheeto hanging out their mouths when they looked at Yukito. That made him laugh, and Clarence guessed that was a good thing.

"You're weird," Timmy said. Clarence nodded, and when Timmy looked at him, he pulled the Cheeto into his mouth very quickly. That made Timmy laugh, which was obviously better than Yukito's laugh. Obviously. "He's the Cheeto monkey." Timothy seemed proud of that fact, but it was incorrect.

"Cheeto monster," he corrected. "Not monkey. You are the Cheeto monkey, kiddo." He playfully ruffled Timothy's hair.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Timmy laughed. "Whatever."

"Whatever yourself." Then he looked at Yukito, who was still on the floor. 'You're so timid. Get a grip and get over here. He's your brother. The sooner you realize that you have a responsibility complex, the better. Because then I can beat it out of you, and we'll all be better for it.'

"I guess I'll take a Cheeto or two. My girlfriend thinks I'm too scrawny anyways." Yukito held his hand out as he came over, a hand which Timmy gladly filled with cheesy snacks.

"Scrawny is a BAD thing," Timmy announced, nodding as he reached back into the bag. "Clarence says, if you're TOO scrawny, you'll blow away. He says he'll NEVER have THAT problem."

Clarence wrapped an arm around Timothy's head and gave him a hearty noogie. "You little..." he laughed, never finishing his sentence. It was better that way. "Some sorta secret-keeper YOU are."

"But you DID say that!" Timothy protested with a giggle. "You did! You did!"

"I know I did..." He looked over at Yukito. "You know, you're such a stiff. Like someone's got a gun to your head or something."

"Insecure," Timmy muttered. Clarence smiled again, ruffling Timothy's hair. Then the little boy made a face and tapped his brother's shoulder.

"Oh gawd," Clarence groaned, picking him up. "We'll be right back. Timmy's gotta pray to the porcelain god." He rolled his eyes and took his little brother to the bathroom. Again. Leaning in the doorway, he watched the poor kid shaking as he knelt in front of the toilet. "This just sucks, doesn't it?"

"Mm-hm," was all Timmy got out before he puked.

"Yeah, kinda more than sucks, huh?" Clarence thought aloud. "Just don't get me sick. I'm a little more of a grump than you, sport."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"I guess I'll take a Cheeto or two. My girlfriend thinks I'm too scrawny anyways." Yukito held his hand out as he came over, and Timothy obliged him by giving him as big a handful of the orange snacks as he could manage in his tiny palms.

"Scrawny is a BAD thing," Timmy announced, nodding as he reached back into the bag. "Clarence says, if you're TOO scrawny, you'll blow away. He says he'll NEVER have THAT problem."

Yukito's lips curled back in amusement just as Clarence reached over to rub Timothy's head with his fist playfully. "You little...Some sorta secret-keeper YOU are."

"But you DID say that!" Timothy protested with a giggle. "You did! You did!"

"I know I did..." Again, he looked over at Yukito. "You know, you're such a stiff. Like someone's got a gun to your head or something." Yukito just sent him a short glare, narrowing his eyes.

"Insecure," Timmy muttered.

"It's hard to relax with you," he pointed at Clarence, "Staring at me like I'm a germ." Irony played a high card, making Timothy's face contort as he tapping on his brother. Oh no. Clarence raced his brother to the bathroom in time for the small and violent eruption. Yukito stood awkwardly at the end of the bed. He was pretty sure they wouldn't welcome him in the bathroom, and there was definitely nothing he could do to comfort Timothy - he barely knew him. So Yukito sat on the end of the bed, the weight on the mattress dipping down slightly and sending the abandoned Domo rolling until it bumped against his hand. He glanced down at it, then searched the room more openly with his eyes, searching all the nick nacks and forgotten toys that were left around the room. There was a shirt at Yukito's feet and a couple of crayons. Without thinking much of it, he kicked the stuff underneath the bed, smiling a little. At the sounds of Timothy chucking up the Cheetos from moments ago, though, his smile dissipated. Against his initial reaction, Yukito followed the sound - okay, that sounded weird - down to the bathroom, and he paused in the hallway when he spotted Clarence, not saying a word.

[More than Music]

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

After a quick and playful brother fight, Clarence looked over at Yukito. "You know, you're such a stiff. Like someone's got a gun to your head or something." Yukito looked less than pleased, and that was fine with Clarence. 'Go ahead, prove my point. I'd like that.'

"Insecure," Timmy commented in a low voice.

"It's hard to relax with you," Yukito paused in his response to point at Clarence accusingly, which made him smirk. 'Victory.' "Staring at me like I'm a germ."

"Maybe you are," Clarence retorted. Just then, Timmy lurched, and Clarence had to rush out. He wasn't worried about hospitality right now; his brother needed him a lot more than this weird kid who was probably nothing but trouble - either he had serious issues or was just mousy by nature, which wasn't likely. Leaning in the doorway, Clarence sighed, muttering a few off-handed comments to Timmy that didn't help much. Yukito came downstairs after a while, looking like he felt very out of place.

Because he was out of place. He didn't belong around here. And they definitely weren't friends or anything.

Clarence shrugged at Yukito, not offering any conversation. He went back through the motions; handing Timmy a towel and a cup of water, then picking him up like the featherweight he was.

"Clarence..." Timmy choked, looking incredibly tired all of a sudden. "I wanna play a game." His voice was very weak, so Clarence agreed it was a good idea they didn't rely on conversation to occupy their time. Nodding, he turned to Yukito and gestured with his head towards the living room. 'I wanna keep an eye on you.' Clarence set Timmy down on the couch and moved towards the TV. He turned to his little brother with a questioning look, putting a finger on Super Mario Kart. Timmy nodded and Clarence put it in. He grabbed two controllers then paused, glancing over at Yukito. They did have a spare controller... What could it hurt to beat Yukito at something? Nothing, that's what.

He held up the spare controller pointedly. "You wanna play or what?"

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

Clarence was no warm, welcoming host. Nor was he a talented conversationialist. Somehow that was comforting to Yukito, as he stood awkwardly in the hallway while the older brother offered the little one his gruff assistance. Clarence then picked Timothy up as if he didn't weigh a thing, at last coming out of the bathroom.

"Clarence..." Timmy choked, looking incredibly tired all of a sudden. "I wanna play a game." Clarence nodded, turning to Yukito and tilting his head toward the living room, a silent instruction. Yukito hovered behind them and found himself on the end of the couch, Timmy on the other end, while Clarence wordlessly assembled the game system, turning on Super Mario Kart. Yukito didn't say anything, but smiled a little bit. The band members had been addicted game players, and they hadn't missed Mario Kart in their gaming hours. Yukito preferred if they picked something a little less mainstream, but on that the guys had always been different than Yukito...

Clarence hesitated, holding up a spare controller while meeting Yukito's eye. "You wanna play or what?"

Lifting one shoulder nonchalantly, Yukito said, "Sure. Why not?" He took the controller and joined in with the other two, unable to suppress the feeling that he had just been given a short of write of passage.

[More than Music]

OOC: We needed to wrap this up... :/ So I rushed it a little. Let me know if it's not okay with you, because the Edit button is right there. :3
BIC:

Clarence "Ren" Morgan

"Clarence... I wanna play a game. " Clarence nodded and they went into the living room, Yukito trailing behind like a ghost. Or an unwanted guest who refused to go away, which fit better. Clarence and Timmy methodically set up the game without speaking a word, in a sort of harmony neither they nor anyone else really understood. When he hooked up the controllers, Clarence couldn't help but hesitate, the spare controller glaring at him like he was committing a crime. Sighing, he held up the controller and looked at Yukito.

"You wanna play or what?"

Yukito didn't look ecstatic, that was for sure. He just shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" he said, taking the controller as Clarence plugged in the other end. 'This might be interesting.' Clarence moved over to the couch next to Timmy, leaning back like he was watching a movie. Timmy already had his controller, and the brothers were set. Yukito looked ready too. Clarence couldn't help a small smirk. They were certainly a strange group and, as usual Clarence looked to be the odd one out - but he wasn't. Yukito was the odd one out.

Because he was probably only here to see if he could make Timmy like him or something. Selfish. Not like Clarence had any business chastising someone for being selfish... he knew that trade well, from experience. But it just seemed like a whole different deal around Timmy.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~

They played for a while, none of them keeping track of time. Races were won, carts were spun, off-handed - and really bad - mushroom jokes were made, a couple laughs slipped out unnoticed, and Clarence was on his usual winning streak. Why? He had no idea. He just had a talent with it. The cool part was, though, not that he was winning, but that Yukito was losing. Not by much, sure, but he was losing. Timmy and him were about head to head, except Timmy had a divine ninja talent when it came to this game. He actually took Clarence by surprise sometimes, in a 'WOAH where'd that boost come from?' sort of way that always earned a little malicious-as-a-five-year-old-can-manage laugh.

Then, Clarence froze. To the normal ear, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway wouldn't have been noticed.

But some kids have a built in radar.

Timmy jumped at the same second, and they both looked at each other. "Mom!" he yelped, chucking his controller aside and leaping over at Clarence. "Go, fast-fast-fast!" Clarence laughed, swooping in.

"Be right back, Skippy," Clarence said as he ran from the room. He didn't stop until he set Timmy down on the bed. "There--"

"Yikes!" Timmy cried, holding up the cheetos. Clarence looked around, then grabbed them and skidded down the hallway, setting them on his desk.

"Cover up!" he called, sliding back into Timmy's room. His little brother was way ahead of him, already pretending to be asleep. Clarence felt a smile come onto his face. "You're awesome, kiddo." Timmy looked up for a moment, sending his big brother a wink and a thumbs up before laying back down. It was a very convincing act, too. Could have fooled him if he hadn't been there three second before. Coming back down the stairs, Clarence opened his mouth to explain just as someone came in the door. "Hey mom," he said, off-handedly, as he saw her come in.

"Um, Renny..." she said, sounding a little concerned.

"Don't call me that," he snapped, walking into the living room and turning off the GameCube in the middle of a level. "What?" He looked at Yukito for a second, then at the door. He bit his lip for a moment, then left the room, shutting the door behind him. He nearly collided with his mother.

"Is Timmy in there?"

"No," he told her grumpily, moving away. He gestured towards the upstairs. "He's in bed. He's sick, remember?"

"Then why'd you shut the door?" She reached for the handle and Clarence grabbed her hand, his eyes narrowed.

"No. He's in bed. Why?" This was suspicious. And he couldn't have her going in there, not with Yukito here. That could only bring trouble, for Timmy and for Yukito. This house saw enough trouble.

"Oh, his father's going to be stopping by soon, and--"

"Oh, God, no," Clarence groaned. "Not him. Not today, while the kid's sick!"

"He's just going to come in and pick me up..."

"I don't want him here!"

She looked away, like she'd just been slapped. "I know," she whispered, sounding like she was about to cry. Clarence rolled his eyes and sighed with frustration.

"Look, don't go and cry. Just don't let him come in, okay?"

"Why?" she asked, turning the handle when Clarence wasn't looking.

"Mom, don't!"

"This isn't your house, Clarence, it's mine, so--" She froze when she saw Yukito. "Oh... Oh my god..."

Clarence swept in, grabbing Yukito's arm. "Yeah, I think you should go now... Later!" He pushed Yukito out the door. "Come back some other time, okay?" he added in a hoarse whisper. "He's coming." Then he shut the door. His mother looked stricken.

"Who... who was that?"

"Some guy from school," Clarence said, shrugging like it was nothing. "Why?"

"He... He looked like--"

"Maybe he's got one of those faces. Whatever. I'm gonna go... check on Timmy." He went up the stairs, then he finally breathed. 'I hate this... I hate hiding. I wish you'd just disappear, Mom. I wish you'd just disappear.'

Clarence is done here... I think :/

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

Given one word to describe the afternoon, Yukito would have said 'weird'. It was weird to randomly drop by your half-brother's house. It was weird how closely Timothy looked like himself. It was weird to stand around while the little kid upchucked his inner parts up as if he had any to spare. It was weird to sit in the living room at the Morgans' and play video games. Even if it was a game he knew well. He was still out of practice, so he lagged a little behind the others in the final rounds. As they played, each boy had a serious look of competition written in the muscles of their faces. Occasionally, the game turned a little less solemn, letting Timothy and Clarence shoot back comments and jokes with no real purpose or even humor to them. Yukito managed to keep up with them, and win one or two. But for the most part he was third place.

One of the most amusing parts about the game was Timothy. Quiet and shy, and obviously still sick, he would surprise Yukito by a sudden shout or exclamation, not held back by fear or timidity. With Clarence, he had a sort of bond in the game that allowed him to poke fun at Clarence being 'fat' and get no serious punishment for it. Several times, when Clarence got to full of himself in the lead, Timothy threw out sudden weapons in the game to send him back into last place. Clarence would swear and Timothy would cackle, then Yukito could laugh and forget that he still didn't belong yet.

Then suddenly, everything shifted. It started when both kids jumped in surprise and looked at each other.

"Mom!" Timothy yelped, chucking his controller aside and leaping over at Clarence. "Go, fast-fast-fast!" As Clarence laughed, Yukito gave a start, sending Timothy a shocked look, the childish demand sparking one of his stronger memories.

"Go fast-fast-fast!"

"Yukito, be careful!"

"Be right back, Skippy," Clarence said as he ran from the room.

"What's with the--" he was cut off by the sound of Clarence's heavy feet thudding up the stairs. Yukito stood, dumbfounded in the living room. The game was still going, the controller dangling limply from his hand. The whole thing had the feel of a often-repeated operation between the brothers - they had just forgotten the Yukito factor in, this time. What was he supposed to be doing? Making a break for it? Thinking over the way they had quickly rushed from the room, one strange thought stood out above all the others.

"Skippy?"

Yukito bent down and starting to roll up the controllers how he'd seen them before. He pulled his shoes out from next to the couch, where he had abandoned them, and put them on. He checked his cell phone, but no messages from Erin. The front door opened, and he heard Clarence speaking to his mother.

"Hey mom," Clarence was trying hard to act casual.

"Um, Renny..." Yukito's lips tried not to turn upwards at the nickname. At least he could get him back for 'Skippy'.

"Don't call me that," he snapped, walking into the living room, moving past Yukito as if he wasn't there and turning off the GameCube in the middle of a level. "What?" He looked at Yukito for a second, then at the door. The expression on his face said that he had hoped Yukito would just disappear without a trace. You forgot about Skippy, Hotshot. He didn't say anything, just giving a shrug. What Clarence's mom thought didn't matter to him. He was getting used to parents seeing him as one big trouble button. Clarence bit his lip, then left, pointedly shutting the door behind him. It wasn't until he heard the rest of the conversation in the entry that Yukito realized that Clarence seriously didn't want his mother to find out about him being there. What the heck?

"Is Timmy in there?"

"No," he told her sourly, "He's in bed. He's sick, remember?"

"Then why'd you shut the door?" A moment of silence. Yukito had become the skeleton in the closet. Or the half-brother in the living room.

"No. He's in bed. Why?"

"Oh, his father's going to be stopping by soon, and--" Yukito felt his skin crawl, as natural a reaction to him as the sharp inhale used to stifle his panic.

"Oh, God, no," Clarence groaned. "Not him. Not today, while the kid's sick!"

"He's just going to come in and pick me up..."

"I don't want him here!" Clarence's mom said something, but Yukito couldn't hear it. He took a step toward the door, trying to hear and at the same time calculating how far away their voices were. If her back was turned he could just slip out, and no one was worse for the wear, right?

Why am I hiding from a lady I don't even know?

Because she knows my father, that's why. She had a freaking kid with him. A kid I probably wasn't going to find out about. But I did. Because inside, I'm freaking scared that my dad is gonna pull up the driveway any minute now. The gentle overtones of comfortable distance between Timothy, Clarence, and himself had dissipated with the conversation outside the door.

Clarence's voice came again, not apologetic but with a strip of guilt nonetheless. "Look, don't go and cry. Just don't let him come in, okay?"

"Why?"

"Mom, don't!"

"This isn't your house, Clarence, it's mine, so--" The handle turned, and Yukito stopped short, stepping back to just out of arm's reach of the doorway as his mother came into view. He could immediately see a vague resemblance between Timothy and his mother, mostly in the non-Japanese eyes, still a little almond-shaped, but capable of widening to a surprising size when surprised. Like she looked when her eyes caught sight of Yukito, standing awkwardly, bruised face and feeling like a stray dog who had been caught indoors. There was a brief millisecond where he had hoped she wouldn't notice the same face. Maybe she just looked shocked because his face was kind of smashed up from his parental visit earlier that day. The swelling should have gone down by now, but that didn't remove all the traces. Maybe she wouldn't see... But her face said she did.

"Oh... Oh my god..." His fingers curled until his hands were in weakly-formed fists at his sides, and he felt her eyes as heavily as an anvil in his gut. Don't look at me like that. Stop it.

Clarence swept in, grabbing Yukito's arm. Instantly a shiver ran up his spine, and he shrugged off the hold. "Yeah, I think you should go now... Later!" Clarence started to push Yukito out the door, abandoning all hopes of hiding his intentions. He needn't have worried. Yukito was rushing out the door as fast as Clarence could let him out. But wait. I didn't say goodbye to Timmy.

"Come back some other time, okay?" he added in a hoarse whisper. "He's coming." Then he shut the door.

Yukito stood stock-still in front of the house for a long moment. He felt like someone had just punched him all over again. There was so much going on today that his head was spinning... Timothy, his father... and that woman... His dad had been with her. Several years before. Back when he should have still been with his own mother. His fists clenched again in fury, but there was no surprise here. It just added fuel to an already blazing bonfire of his father's games. What else could there be? He dreaded to think of how many other half-brothers he could possibly have. Yukito shoved his hands in his pockets, taking a few steps away from the front door so he could look up at the top-story windows, half-hoping to see Timothy through them. But he must have been in his bed again. Letting out a sigh, he started off down the street, his head down and walking fast. He definitely didn't want to cause any more questions than he already had today, and letting Timothy and Clarence's mom see him standing outside in their front yard wouldn't help matters.

I probably shouldn't have come. If he's coming tonight, she's gonna say something, and he'll know I've been here. He could only hope that Clarence and Timothy didn't get anything from it. His best hope, when she mentioned it to his father, was that he would just come find Yukito himself and say whatever he wanted. With a frown, he realized that even if he had known their mother would come home, he would have still decided to go see Timothy. Even if the kid didn't care for him all that much, and even if it caused trouble for Yukito later, and even if Timothy didn't know it yet - they were brothers. Wasn't that supposed to be worth it all?

And despite the fact that Yukito was sure that Clarence's mom wasn't going to just drop the subject - he wasn't stupid - he felt more confident about coming from Clarence's words, as strange as that was. Because even though Clarence seemed to hover over Timothy like a protective pet bulldog, it had been him who had told Yukito to 'come back later'. That meant something, right?

Things never stay simple for long, do they?

Yukito is done here