Odd Jobs

Chapter 33 - Reunited

A small gasp left Mika's mouth as he felt a finger poke on his side. As a result, the spilling of frosting ended up not being an option anymore.

"Shinoaaa.", Mika groaned, reaching over to grab a paper towel, cleaning up the mess.

"Sorryyy, you just look like such a housewife. Look at you, with your little apron! You look adorable!" She giggled. "Oh, you got some flour on your glasses." The small girl reached up, snatching the glasses off of Mika's face.

"Coke party.", he giggled. After Shinoa got done cleaning off the glasses, she placed them back on Mika's nose. Crooked, that is.

"Like Mitsu whenever she uses her setting powder." Shinoa sighed, leaning against the counter. Her eyes were fixated on the light pink frosting being piped onto the cake Mika had baked. "Speaking of coke parties; when are you heading back to work?"

Mika chuckled. "What kind of correlation is that?" He paused, thinking. "I'm starting Monday again, I think. Why, you want me out the house?"

"Well, no! I was just wondering. Because if you're gone in the evenings, who's gonna cook Mitsu and I dinner?" The girl frowned, tracing a tear track along her face with her finger.

"Order takeout, I don't care. And now the real reason?"

Shinoa smiled, taking a seat on the kitchen countertop. "You'll be moving back into your apartment, right...?"

Mika set down the piping bag, shooting a glance up at the girl. "Depends. Seeing as I won't have to give up 99% of my paycheck on school, I'll be able to move into something a little better soon. Why?"

"No reason!", she replied, tracing her index finger over the frosting of the cake.

"Don't- Ugh, you fucking heathen." Mika grabbed hold of the piping bag, spewing some frosting onto Shinoa's nose. "Tell me, whore."

"I don't want you to go, slut. Neither of us." She wiped off the frosting with her sleeve.

"I get that. I don't really wanna go, either, but... I can't keep living with you girls forever. I gotta think about living on my own, starting a..." Mika's smile twitched. The small tremble did not go unnoticed by Shinoa, though. She rested her hand on Mika's wrist.

"... A family?" The girl knew how hard the subject must have been for Mika. The only family he had known had kicked him out when he was but a teenager, all for something he didn't have an ounce of control over. So, it was nice to hear him voice the idea of starting a family on his own. Even if the family itself was still quite far away. After all, he was only 21, and he and Yuu didn't even live together yet.

The doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be Shinya! I'll go get it.", Shinoa said. She hopped down from the counter, and made her way over to the front door.

Mika returned his attention towards the cake. He glared at the indent of frosting where Shinoa's finger had been. Letting out a small sigh, he smoothed it back out with the spatula. He was proud of his little creation. Having been stuck at home for a while, he had figured to spend his time cooking, more specifically baking. After all, Mitsuba and Shinoa both were quite the hazard in the kitchen. But with work coming back in the picture in a few days, the time to bake would become quite scarce. A voice behind him snapped him back into reality.

"Yo, Mika.", the voice called.

"Lacus?", Mika replied. He turned around to face him.

He dropped the spatula. The noise of metal clanking against the hardwood floor was deafening in the otherwise silent house. Was Mikaela breathing? He honestly couldn't tell. He wouldn't be surprised, was he not. His heart was beating, that's for sure. It was pretty much the only fucking thing he could hear, other than his hyperawareness of the blood coursing through his veins.

"Found these two at the stripclub, asking for you. I suppose not quite the place you'd want to meet them. So here we are."

Mika still couldn't force any words out of his mouth.

"Mika...?", the girl spoke, taking a step forward.

The blonde still couldn't speak. All he could do was sob, as he pulled his two younger siblings into his arms. It felt like coming home. Home. A feeling he hadn't felt in god knows how long.

And so... Home wasn't a house. It wasn't a place to return to after a long day of work. It was wherever Krul and Ashera were. Wherever Mika could be reunited with the remainder of whatever family he had. Wherever he could find the two that would never abandon him, no matter what he'd do or had done.

Home was with him again. It was as Ashera once said. And ofcourse, Mika couldn't help but cry. He was sobbing. He wasn't alone, either. The now teenagers in his arms were bawling too.

"You motherfuckers.", were the first words that managed to escape his mouth. His voice sounded sore and dry from all the sobbing he'd done. A bittersweet sight.

"Well hey to you too, ass.", Ashera sniffled. Mikaela let go of them, and the three of them attempted to get back on their feet. They prevailed.

Mika sighed. "... Cake?"

~~

"You're not gonna be able to convince me father let you go. How did you get here and what are you doing here?", Mika asked, picking with his fork at the pink frosting on the cake.

Krul shrugged. "We ran away."

The eldest's eyes widened. "You WHAT?! That's signing your damn death warrant!"

"Mom covered for us.", Ashera replied.

Mika paused for a moment. His mother... The subject wasn't the easiest. Already dreading the question he was about to ask, he opened his mouth to speak anyways. "How... How is she?"

"She's... How do I put it..."

"She's alive and okay.", Krul intervened. "She hasn't been the same since you left, though... Well, you know you'd always been her favourite."

Mika frowned. "Last time I checked you don't kick your favourite out of the fucking house." He threw his fork onto the plate, leaning back in his chair.

And it was as if a wave of realisation struck him.

"She's alone right now?! With him?!" The smaller siblings nodded slowly. "Fuck... That's no-"

"No, you are gonna stay right there and not move a muscle!"

Mitsuba's voice came from the kitchen, where she was residing with Shinoa. It was distant, but definitely audible. The lavender haired had uttered something back, but it fell out of hearing reach.

"Do you wanna make this situation worse, Shino?! He'll have a fucking heart attack!"

"... That's my cue to check it out, I think.", Mika muttered. As he was about to push his chair back, the girls' presence graced the dining room. One was clearly not okay with the course of action of the other.

"Shinoa Hiiragi-!"

"Mika."

The tone of her voice. The speed of her pronunciation. It sent shivers down Mika's spine, and that was anything but a good sign. He pushed his chair back, standing up.

"Yuu. Hospital. We need to drive, NOW."

And so, that fucking floor shattered beneath Mikaela Shindou's feet once more.