Runaways [MikaYuu]

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

When Yuu first rose from whatever unplanned slumber he fell into, he didn't remember much. His bed wasn't as plush as usual, and he tossed over, trying to get more comfortable. The blanket wrapped over him kept him warm, yet not as warm as he would've liked on this winter morning.

It was when he heard the light snoring of another individual when he realized he was not in the bed he should be, and rather, not in the castle. His eyes flew open and he sat upright, viewing his surroundings. Considering the sun was only just rising, he had to strain his eyes to see where he was. He was in a small room, one that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years; the windows were grubby and the lack of furniture - a bed, a small armoire, an armchair with fuzz coming out of it, and a nightstand with a lamp - in the room seriously called for a good dusting.

In the armchair, Yuu located who the snores belonged to: Mika. He was sprawled out on the chair, head dipped back and his eyes closed. His mouth was slightly parted, breathing softly. With one look, Yuu could tell that was not comfortable lying there.

Suddenly, the events of last night flooded into his mind. From the tour of the town, to the clearing, to the night sky full of stars, to the waterfall, to his falling in and catching what felt like mild hypothermia, it sent a wave of emotions through his head and almost knocked him back down on the too-thin pillow.

Is this really where Mika lives? Yuu thought with pity. Sleeping on this scratchy, thin mattress with a quilt that barely counted as a blanket and a pillow with practically no stuffing in it... it all seemed inhumane. In comparison to his lush, infinitely luxurious lifestyle, this felt unreal, almost like some sick joke. Do other people live this way too?

Before, Yuu was only thinking about Mika's personality and how he looked. Now, when he was placed into a scenario in which he lived day-to-day, it made the situation a lot more realer. Perhaps Mika's life was not as amazing and exciting as he first thought. Suddenly, he had a lot more questions for the sleeping blonde: Why can't he live in a better place? Just where was his family? Does he have a job? Does he go to school?

"Shit," Yuu hissed, cursing himself. School.

Having no clear concept of what time it really was, he ripped the blanket off himself and stood up, recoiling in surprise when he felt the cool wood of the floor hit his bare feet. Searching the room with wild eyes, he located his shoes and yanked them on. He paused at the door that he assumed to lead him out, hand hesitant over the loose doorknob. He looked over at Mika, who hadn't stirred from his mild commotion. His gaze lingered for a moment longer, studying him.

Yuu debated waking Mika up to say goodbye, but the reminder of what the castle workers would do if they found him missing in the morning told him otherwise.

"I'll be back soon, Mika," He whispered, knowing he couldn't hear.

Using all of his will not to turn around, Yuu turned the doorknob and slipped out of the room, ending up in what looked like a common room. It was just as miserable-looking as Mika's bedroom, with a small living space consisting of a couch, chair, and coffee table. A small fireplace was in the corner of the room. There were no appliances in what looked like the kitchen area, only a giant rusty kettle with a pit underneath it, a small, empty table, two chairs, and some cabinets collecting cobwebs. Yuu didn't notice any sort of water fixture anywhere.

The runs back and forth to the castle and the city were becoming surprisingly less painful now, or maybe it was just that Yuu was so distracted in his own thoughts while running he hardly noticed the burning feeling in his legs and feet. The sun was almost in the sky at this point, breaking daylight. The castle was in view, all Yuu had to do was loop around and climb into his window through the back.