DanganChat & One-shots

I'm Here~Part 6

Makoto was greeted by the sound of subtle bells and a golden beam peeking through the curtains. Pushing himself up, he caught the reflection of 7:30 on Byakuya's alarm clock. His boyfriend reached over, pressing the dismiss button, and sat up with the ease of a morning person. Surprisingly, for someone who isn't a morning person. Makoto learned quickly to not start talking until the heir has had at least one cup of coffee. But 7:30...on a Sunday? Makoto shook his head and settled back under the covers.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya asked, pouring his black brew.

"It's Sunday. Going back to sleep," he muttered.

"You have no intention of seeing my mother off?" Byakuya sipped his coffee slowly and watched Makoto sit up once more. He poured a second cup and dressed the black liquid in a light cream color before handing it to Makoto. "We need to be downstairs in fifteen minutes".

His boyfriend's green eyes narrowed, "Are you kidding me? How can anybody be ready in fifteen minutes after waking up?" He took a large gulp of coffee, setting it aside and began digging fresh clothes out of his bag.

"You're not going to shower?" Byakuya set fresh clothes on his desk.

"Only one of us can shower with fifteen minutes". Makoto toyed with his bedhead, starting to panic slightly. He stopped and stared at Byakuya, realizing he hadn't moved an inch, "Why aren't you...?"

"I thought Fukawa was exaggerating about how dense you could be," the blond shook his head, taking hold of Makoto's hand. "No need to waste the time or water," he said. Makoto watched Byakuya begin to undress, "Why are you just standing there?"

The realization felt like a figurative slap across the head. "Oh!" Makoto pulled his shirt over his head, listening to the shower jet roar in the background. Somehow, this felt more embarrassing than the night in his room; the memory singed his cheeks a hot pink. However, seeing Byakuya's frame through foggy glass reminded him that this wasn't a time to hesitate. 

At 8 o' clock on the dot, Byakuya and Makoto descended the stairs to find his mother waiting patiently for her chauffeur. "You're just full of surprises," she smiled.

"It would be rude not to see you off," Byakuya said, eyeing the unusually large bag Adeline had brought. "Might I ask how long you've been in Japan?" His mother's eyes widened, flashed with a sense of urgency as she turned her head towards the dining room. Thankfully, her ride pulled through the rounded driveway. "Let's talk outside, shall we?" he said in a hushed tone, urging Makoto with a hand on his boyfriend's back.

Once her bags were safely tucked away in the trunk and there was no sign of Touma's security, Adeline pulled an envelope out of her purse. Byakuya could see the name and address of the receiver in elegant cursive. He sighed, slipping the letter addressed to his father out of Adeline's hand, "Why do you have this?" He directed the envelope towards sunlight, noticing a lack of paper, but rather pictures on the inside. Dread washed over him, urging his hands to break the seal of protected privacy and carefully lift the pasted backing. The pictures weren't of the greatest quality, but Byakuya and Makoto could easily make out the focus in each shot. "What do you know about this?" he asked, glancing up at his mother.

"I'd keep an eye on your sister," Adeline placed a hand over the photographic evidence, "and don't let anyone get in your way". Her manicured nail tapped the stack beneath her hand. The malicious grin that spread across her face struck a cold chord in Makoto; that was the same grin Byakuya gave when he knew he had an advantage. As if what had transpired in the last 24 hours never phased her, Adeline slipped a business card in Makoto's hand, "I'll call when I return to France. I will see you both soon, yes?"

"Promptly so," Byakuya opened the door and waited for his mother to settle herself.

Before the black car drove away, her window rolled down. She waved Byakuya to lean close to the window and, when he was close enough, Adeline quickly pecked her son on the cheek. "You've done well, Kuya," she glanced back at Makoto, "Remember to keep in touch," her hand briefly touched his cheek and faded back onto her lap. Her eyes flickered back to the house, noticing Touma glaring at her through the window. "I suppose I should leave before your father yells at me for showing affection," she laughed.

Once the car was out of view, Makoto watched Byakuya remove his glasses and press a hand against his face. The envelope was partly creased in his tensing grip. He had no idea what had motivated Shinobu to turn her back on him, but Byakuya wouldn't let another day of ignorance pass him by. "I need to speak with Kyoko," he muttered, pulling out his phone.

"I'm assuming you didn't call me here just to have breakfast," Kyoko sat across from the boys, adding her cup of espresso to her coffee. Byakuya passed the envelope to Kyoko and watched her eyes scan each frame. "What do you know so far?"

"I need you to figure out what my sister has to do with these," he slipped the now empty envelope to Kirigiri. "77th class A, Shinobu Togami. Start by talking with the Headmaster".

Kyoko stared absently at Togami, "Why? What does my father have to do with this?"

"My father and your father talk. Frequently," Byakuya emphasized on 'frequently' in minor discomfort. Kyoko continued to stare, "They refer to each other by first name, Kyoko". Both of them shook their heads and took long sips of coffee.

Makoto couldn't help but laugh, "Kyoko, do you call him 'father' or 'dad'?" He heard Byakuya mutter 'oh my god' under his breath, which made Makoto laugh harder.

Kyoko debated whether to answer or ask why she had to answer. "Father. I wouldn't call someone like Jin Kirigiri... 'dad'," she said, feeling a twinge of pain in her chest. "Anyway, where did you find these?" she tapped on the stack of pictures.

"My mother managed to get ahold of the letter before my father could. She waited until her departure to show me".

"You're not dragging me into a family feud, are you? I'm not that kind of detective," Kyoko sighed. Byakuya didn't know how to answer that; it wasn't a family problem, but...technically, it was. "I'll make this one exception. Only because of our fathers' connection," she pointed firmly at Byakuya, "and because I want to surpass Makoto trying to convince me later on".

"You're going soft, Kirigiri," Byakuya held out his hand.

"Likewise," she smirked, both shaking on the agreement. "So, are you going to tell me how everything went or do I have to wait until we get back to the dorms?"