Off a cliff and into the forest

"You ride with Judas. You two with me." I mumble as I walk over to the Ford Fusion, Judas catching up. She tosses my bag to me as Kuroo digs in Arthur's pocket, pulling out the Fusion's keys. He tosses them to me as he follows Judas to the Mustang, putting Arthur in the back and strapping him in. "Meet you at the field." Judas says as we both hop into our respective cars, Kozu hopping in the back of the fusion and Suna taking shotgun. We put on our seatbelts and I turn on the car, not even bothered by the fact that I was drunk driving. I couldn't drive when I was tipsy, but I could drive like a pro when I was drunk. I follow Judas out of the parking lot, not saying anything as I drive in silence. We drive for an hour, our surroundings turn from fields and houses to a thick forest. "Where are we going, Pudding?" Kozu finally asks when we've been driving for ten minutes in the forest- the road was dead, the sun starting to set in the distance, the sky a mix of blue and red. "We're going to murder you guys and stuff you in a box." I say, Kozu giving me a look- "Okay, shitty joke… sorry if I scared you. We're going to one of our old hangouts with Ray." I mumble, running a hand through my hair as his eyes soften.

Judas takes a right and I follow her onto the dirt road, both of us slowing down since the path wasn't clearly set. "I'm starting to think you really are trying to murder us." Suna says, though he flashes me a playful grin as he sets his hand on the middle console. "Damn, you caught on. I'll have to kill ya now." I joke, sliding my fingers into his and making him chuckle as he gently squeezes my hand. "Oh, whatever shall I do? Perhaps I should let you fuck me to death?" Suna says, making me giggle as I shake my head. "Is that possible? I'm genuinely curious- and concerned, I feel like I would already be there. You did just put me in a hospital, after all." I joke, making Suna laugh as he shakes his head. "No, I sure hope not, but I am really sorry about that." Suna says, dropping his gaze and grimacing- I gently squeeze his hand, keeping my eyes on the road. "I don't regret it. It's not like you tried, I'm sure it was a mix of me not taking care of myself, stress and pushing myself too hard." I say, Suna humming softly as he strokes the back of my palm with his thumb. "You can totally brag about it; you fucked me so good it sent me to the hospital." I ask, making Suna laugh heartily as he shakes his head.

"I'm not sure I want that title, especially if I go bragging. I'd get my ass beat." Suna says, making me smile as I see the building in the distance. It was an old abandoned multi story car park in the middle of nowhere- I mean literally, there were trees everywhere and it was just so random. We found it when we were driving around on dirt bikes as kids and claimed it as ours. The place was stable, though it looked like it was falling apart- there was a small clearing in front of it where Judas stopped her car, parking. I park behind her, sliding off my seatbelt and turning off the car. "For the record, this is the place where I uh... If you're not comfortable you can stay in the car but we're just grabbing something before we go ahead." I say as I slide out of the car, though they hop out, swallowing thickly. "Is he…" Kozu asks as Kuroo and Judas hopping out of their car. "Is he what?" Kuroo asks, shutting the car door as Judas walks over to me. "Arthur's out." Judas says and I nod as I start heading into the building. "To answer your question, no, he isn't here. I disposed of him elsewhere." I say, Kuroo pausing as his eyes widen. "Oh, oh! Oh." Kuroo mumbles as they follow us, looking around with wonder.

"Well, this is a good place to do it." Kuroo snorts, Judas cackling as we walk into the building. "Yeah, well… we're going upstairs where it happened. You should really stay here, don't touch anything. It's a crime scene, after all." I mumble, walking up the ramp as the boys seem to hesitate at the edge. Judas skips ahead of me, humming happily as I follow after her. I whistle 'twisted nerve' as I hit the level, turning to look at the scene. A wooden chair stood in the middle of the level, covered in dried blood, deep gashes and cut duct tape. There was a pool of dried blood on the ground to- a memory of seeing him there, the blood fresh flashed across my vision, a sick grin spreading over my face. Judas howled loudly, standing in front of the scene with her head raised to the ceiling. "I praise the Lord that my goddess did everything so I wouldn't have to!" Judas cackles, dancing around the scene as I walk over to one of the pillars. "Here you go, my queen." Judas purrs as she skips over to me, offering me a set of rubber gloves. I take them, sliding them on as I walk behind the pillar, seeing a chest. I crouch down in front of it, popping it open and laying the lid back as I look inside.

Candles, flares, flashlights, lighters, disposable bags and a bundled up cloth sack to the side. I take two of the white candles, walking over to the blood circle and setting them down. I slowly make a circle of candles around the scene before I take a lighter, going one by one and lighting them. I then give the last candle to Judas, walking back to the chest and pulling out the cloth bag. I opened it up- inside was all the tools and weapons I had used on him. I set them down between the candles in a circle, all facing the chair. The sky darkens as I set the last weapon down, taking a step back. I kneel before the scene, bowing my head and closing my eyes. "Happy anniversary." I mumble, taking a minute with my head bowed as I think about what he had done to Ray- how he had hurt her, how he had murdered her in cold blood. I then slide up, walking to the chest and putting the sack back. I take one of the bags, putting some of the candles, flares and flashlights inside. "Meet me downstairs when you're done." I mumble and she nods, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her own pair of rubber gloves. I turn away, walking back to the ramp as I hear the snap of her gloves being put on.

The trio look up at me, seeming surprised as I come down alone. I walked past them to the area under where I had set the circle of candles. I reach into the bag, taking the candles and setting them in a circle in the same places. I then set the bag down, taking the lighter from before and lighting them in the same order. "Kitten?" Kuroo asks softly as I toss the lighter onto the bag, walking into the circle. "What are you doing?" Kozu asks as I stand in the middle of the circle, right where the chair was. "Paying for my sin. Keeping my friend sane. You should wait outside, this isn't pretty." I say as I hold my arms out, lifting my head up and taking a deep breath. "Is she reenacting what you did?" Suna asks and I let the dead calm take over, closing my eyes as I take a deep breath. "I pay the price for my fatal sin." I whisper, the dark roaring to life in an instant, taking me so fast it knocks me down- I fall onto a chair, my hands bound tight by tape. My body fills with agony and pain, my mouth dry and my stomach empty- my vision black, my tongue shredded in my mouth. I feel weak, knocking on death's door, my body clammy and sticky with blood. "For Ray." A mix of my voice and Judas's says.

The trio is stunned as they watch Kimiko barely hover over the ground, her head hanging. It was as if she was tied to a chair- she lets out a low groan, though it was mixed with something else. Her head is slowly lifted, though it was as if it wasn't of her own will. "I can't… I can't watch…" Kozu mumbles, turning away with a pained look. "She… she's living it. She's suffering what she did to him, paying the price..." Suna mumbles, able to see the shadow of a figure holding her chin up. They hear someone talking upstairs- it sounds like two people were up there. Suna turns, looking at the ramp and swallowing thickly. "Judas… she's doing it. They're literally reenacting it with that- that dark shit. She's paying and Judas's experiencing. She's… she's doing it so that Judas… gets a taste of revenge… so she doesn't go insane." Suna whispers, Kuroo and Kozu looking at Suna- "So… Kimiko is experiencing what she did to that guy… so that Judas doesn't go insane?" Kuroo asks, turning his head back to Kimiko as her head drops back down, falling silent upstairs. "Think about it… it was Judas's sister. If it was your sister… wouldn't you want to?" Suna mumbles, Kuroo swallowing thickly and slowly nodding.

"The shadows doing something." Suna says, watching as the shadow walks to the edge of the circle, bending down and reaching to the ground. "Oh, no-" Suna sucks in a sharp breath, running to the ramp and peeking in as his eyes widen- Judas was wielding a blood stained machete, looking over it with black eyes. "Fuck, she's going to-" Suna says, though Judas swings the machete at the chair- Kimiko screams at the top of her lungs, her voice mixed with that of a guys. She wails and writhes in agony, Suna covering his mouth as a sick grin spreads over Judas's mouth. He walks down the ramp, shaking his head as he presses his lips together. "What… what did she do?" Kozu croaks, his body trembling as Kimiko sobs and thrashes wildly as though she is restrained. Suna swallows thickly, running a hand through his hair and squeezing his eyes shut- he wishes he hadn't seen. "There's… uh… there's weapons. Sharp ones." Suna mumbles, Kozu covering his mouth and shaking his head. "We should leave…" Kozu croaks, feeling sick as he looks at the exit. "Look, I know… but is it really right to just leave her like this?" Kuroo says, the three hesitating and looking between themselves.

I fall to the ground with a soft thud, sucking in the air as my body still aches from the experience. "She's back." Kuroo says, walking over to me and kneeling beside me. I pant for air, squeezing my eyes shut as I tremble. "Hey, Kitten." Kuroo says as I roll onto my back, looking up at the ceiling. "I told you to wait outside…" I croak, running my hand through my hair as I shut my eyes. "Yeah, well… we didn't want to leave you alone." Kuroo says as I feel someone pull me to sit up- I flinch lightly, still sore. "Sorry, Pudding. I thought…" Kozu says as I suck in deep breaths, grimacing and pulling myself to sit up. "Was that… the darkness? A reenactment?" Suna asks as I slowly open my eyes, him crouching before me. "No, more like a possession." I say, the three looking between themselves. "So… that's what Judas would have done?" Kozu asks and I slowly nod, wiping the tears from my eyes. "Don't tell her. She doesn't know about this part… it would destroy her. She… she's… she was always really close with Ray. Their parents were abusive, Ray would always protect her… she literally went insane when Ray was murdered like that." I whisper, hearing the trunk above us thump close.

"Let's just say… I gave him a not so merciful death. She wouldn't have let him go without less; I couldn't watch her do that, I couldn't let her… I wanted it too, of course, but this… this is her release. This keeps her sane, makes her happy when she would otherwise be destroyed." I whisper, the candles around us blowing out one by one. "I love my friend. I would do anything for her… I'd also do anything to keep her from going insane and hurting anyone… even if it meant commiting murder. I don't let anyone hurt my friends and family like that. He deserved so much worse… I don't want to lose another dear friend, someone I love because I know I'll turn into a monster. I only hope that someone would be able to stop me." I whisper as I pull myself to my feet, stumbling lightly. Kozu stands, pulling me to lean on him as he grimaces lightly. "Why don't you just tell her that it's hurting you?" Kozu asks, Kuroo and Suna standing up and coming over to me. "Because if she knew she hurt me in such a way… it would destroy her more than anything. She'd kill herself- and that would destroy me." I whisper, pointing to the bag on the ground. They slowly nod, Suna grabbing the bag and giving it to me.

"He screamed a lot more this time! Did he do the same for you?" Judas chimes as she comes down the ramp, a big grin on her face. "I didn't do it, he must've solely focused on you." I say, Judas seeming pleased but confused as she holds her hand out to me. "You didn't do it this time?" She asks as I strip off my gloves and nod, giving them to her. "Why? You set up for it." She asks and I shrug as she raises an eyebrow, collecting all the candles from the ground. "Is it because the guys are here?" She asks and I run a hand through my hair, taking a deep breath. "No… I'm just in my head with Arthur and everything." I say and she hums, heading outside as we follow behind. "Well, your loss. I vented a whole lot today." She chimes as the boys discreetly help me walk, heading to the edge of the forest. She hums happily, gathering some twigs and sticks as the boys help me over to the car. "Kuroo, drive for me?" I mumble and he nods, sitting me in the passenger seat. "You can go ahead if you want, I'm just gonna light this and then I'll meet you there." Judas says and I nod, pulling my feet into the car as the trio hop in the fusion, putting on their seatbelts before Kuroo starts driving.

"Okay, careful… stop, back up… park. That's good, stay here, I don't want you guys to fall." I say as I pull out the flares and flashlights from the bag, checking to make sure they work. "Fall?" Kuroo asks, furrowing his eyebrows as I reach over and flick on the brights. "Holy hell." Kuroo says as he sees the cliff's edge, his eyes widening. "Yeah, trust me. Actually, step out, but stay by the car." I say as I click the brights off, all of us stepping out by the car. I walk to the trunk, turning on one of the flashlights and pointing it into the forest. I lean against the back of the car as I wait, humming softly as the boys walk over and chill beside me. "What now? Why are we here?" Kuroo asks as he waits beside me, leaning on the trunk. "Well, you see, that cliff leads off into the deep ocean." I say, the boys falling silent as they realize what could be down there. "It's our ritual to jump off together. Arthur takes the cars back to our fire pit and gets it started while we swim to shore together." I say, Kuroo shaking his head and grimacing. "Uh, no, I don't think that's a good idea." Kuroo says and I shrug, noticing the headlights in the distance. "It's not, but I'll still do it." I say, stripping off my cardigan and setting it on the trunk.

"It's not a good idea for her to jump alone. She tends to swim down and not stop, if you know what I mean. I'm taking these so we don't get too far and you can keep an eye on us while I guide her back to shore." I say, wiggling the flares at them as they slowly nod. "You're… a really good friend, Pudding." Kozu says as I see the Mustang getting closer, moving slow. "I try to be." I admit, Judas stopped before us and put the car in park. She then stepped out, stretching her arms over her head. "Ah, it's such a beautiful night for a dip." She sighs as I hand the flashlight to Kozu, taking off my boots. "It's gonna be chilly, I hope you brought the stuff." I say as Judas takes off her heels. "Yupp, it's in my trunk. I'll wake Arthur." Judas says as I turn to Kuroo, offering him a small smile. "If you aren't comfortable getting back down, you all can ride with Arthur down to the fire pit. We can get the car when we get back. I don't want you doing it unless you're sure you can back it out, the cliff is steep." I say and he nods, seeming to think it over as I strip off my dress and put them on the back of the fusion. The hennessy from before had settled, giving me a subtle warmth but not bugging me.

"We're here already? Usually I meet up with you guys after the fact, but… kinda sucks that I missed out on the fun." Arthur mumbles and rubs his eye, blinking lazily as Judas strips off her clothes. "You wouldn't enjoy our girl stuff Arthur, besides, it's private. Even the guys didn't get to see what we did." Judas says, taking our clothes and tossing them into the mustangs trunk. "Mm. I'm not asking, I know girl stuff can get crazy. I'm not that interested, just curious." Arthur says, stuffing his hands in his pockets and yawning. "Yeah, yeah. Just get back and get the fire started, we need the Queen to warm up as soon as possible." Judas says as I take the underwater flares, though I take off my ring and offer it to Arthur. "No, take it with you. If you get lost out there, at least hold hands so we can find both of you." Arthur says and I nod, sliding the ring snugly back onto my finger. "Go on then, get your cheap thrill." Arthur says as he waves us off, Judas taking one of the flares. I slide my hand into hers, both of us walking to the edge of the cliff. "Let's go, my Queen." Judas says, taking steps back before we run forward and dive off. We slice through the waves, keeping our perfect form as we submerge.

The water was cold, giving me a layer of goosebumps as it prickled and chilled me. I immediately ignited my flare, Judas doing the same- she had started swimming down. I follow after her, sliding my fingers into hers and holding my breath as I pull her with me to the surface. I take a deep breath once I break the surface, my teeth chattering as she breaks the surface, taking a deep breath. "Come on, my pet. It's really cold." I chatter as I start swimming to the shore, though she tugs me to a stop. "Actually… can I do something, my Queen?" Judas whispers and I turn to her, raising an eyebrow. "I've wanted to do this forever now…" Judas whispers softly as she leans in, reaching over and caressing my cheek. Her lips brushed over mine, soft and sweet- it surprised me at first, but her lips were steady and warm. I let my eyes fall closed, leaning into the kiss as she pours her emotions in- happiness, sadness, loneliness, loyalty, love, fear, pain… It reminded me of Kyo's kiss, full of emotions; but this was Judas. Judas, my friend since I was a babe, Ray's younger sister and my guardian, my pet. We slowly pull away and the cold seeps in, my teeth chattering as she starts guiding me to the shore.

My teeth chatter as we make our way to the fire pit, chilled to my bone and trembling. My lungs burn in my chest as I take heaving breaths, Judas stroking my back. "Warm up, I'll get your inhaler." Judas mumbles as she splits off and I nod, shuffling over to the fire. The trio was facing away as I approached, though Arthur noticed me since he sat across from them and faced us. He stands and grabs a towel from beside him, opening it up. He walks over to me, wrapping me in the towel and dragging me to the fire. "Dumbass, if you can't handle it then you shouldn't have done it." Arthur grumbles as I hold my numb fingers out to the fire, taking his spot and crossing his arms. "I-I'm f-fine." I chatter with my hoarse voice, still shivering and heaving even with the fire in front of me, warming me up. "Come here, Kitten." Kuroo says, tugging the towel and me with it into his lap. He pulls me flush into his hot chest, taking the towel and drying my hair with it as I press into him. Suna takes my fingers, pulling them up to his neck and cupping them there. "Damn, your fingers are practically ice." Suna says as I press myself into Kuroo's hot body- he felt like he was on fire, though it was nice, not burning.

"To the rescue, dun dun da! Fresh steroids for my Queen." Judas says as she comes back, shaking my inhaler as she walks over. She was wrapped in a towel, standing in front of me as I moved to pull my fingers from Suna's neck. He doesn't let me pull them away, Judas moving the cap off and cupping my chin. "Deep breath~" She whispers as she pulls me to look up at her, putting the inhaler to my lips. She presses on the dispenser and I suck in a deep breath, feeling the fresh air. "You better now?" She asks and I pull back, taking a few testing breaths before I nod. "You have asthma?" Kozu asks, seeming genuinely confused as I shrug my shoulders. "Mm. I had it as a kid… I sort of grew out of it. I just have some flare ups in certain situations; I'm vulnerable now because of my cold. My body was thrown through the loop and it's in recovery." I say, Judas setting my inhaler on the bench behind me, as far away from the fire as she could. "Don't knock it off or lose it, and definitely don't let her forget it lest she have an asthma attack." Judas says, the boys nodding as she goes to take a seat by Arthur. He had the bottle of hennessy from earlier, offering it over to Judas who gladly takes a sip.

"The man's back, he came to Japan." Arthur says, Judas spitting her sip of hennessy into the fire and causing it to flare. "The fuck?! You didn't tell me?!" Judas chokes, wiping her jaw of the liquor as she looks at me with wide eyes. "Well, I didn't want to tell you today, seeing as… you know..." I mumble, Judas setting the bottle down and leaning forward. "You send me a letter once a week, my Queen. How long has he been back? How long have you not been telling me? Have you been hiding it?!" Judas asks, Arthur snagging the bottle and taking a sip from it. "He came back in July, tried kidnapping her off the street. She didn't tell anyone but those two and her friends and classmates. They saved her." Arthur says, Judas leaning back and running a hand through her hair. "I told you as soon as he disappeared, you never said anything about it. The whole time he was there, trying to kidnap you and you didn't bother to tell me?!" Judas hisses and I press my lips together, avoiding looking at her. "Judas… your old man… he had just…" I mumble though she shakes her head, blowing out a breath. "What if he got you? What then?" Judas asks, making me fall silent as she covers her face.

"I… I saved letters, put them back… if I did… you would've got them. I… look, I know, okay? I know what it meant not to tell you but… I didn't want to worry you. I knew you were hurting, I knew it wasn't right to worry you even more when you wouldn't be able to come. It was fine for a while, we were keeping track of him on our own and opened a case on him in Japan. We had an eye on him, I felt safe enough not to tell-" I say as Judas slides her hand down my face, looking at me. "Had? Past tense?" She asks, dropping her hand as I press my lips together and drop my gaze. "He went off grid at some point… we prioritized guarding Nen since he seemed to target him as soon as he found out. I stayed away, kept my distance and stayed vigilant." I say, Arthur swirling the liquid around in the hennessy bottle. "Till he showed up at a training camp of hers, I got her to safety of course. I'd be damned if he got her on my watch. I led him on a wild goose chase." Arthur says, taking a sip off of the bottle and rolling it around on his tongue. "Then I got a call. He kidnapped two little girls, including his little sister… and little miss dumbass played the hero." Arthur says, setting the bottle down and gesturing to me.

"Course, you know, she did it. Saved the day, got the girls to the police- she even got away too. She broke into a car, cut herself up pretty bad and ended up in the hospital. She knocked on death's door- literally. They had to bring her back. You wanna tell her?" Arthur asks, Judas looking at me with pain in her eyes. "Why? Why would you hide all that from me?" She whispers, looking hurt as she deflated. "I didn't hide it from you, I didn't intend to at least… At first I thought it was fine, that I had it handled. Then your old man… and I didn't want to put that stress on you knowing that it would put you in a difficult spot. Then that happened and well… I wanted to tell you to your face. I got busy, like, really busy with all kinds of things… it just all caught up with me and I found less and less time to tell you. I wanted to tell you, I really did, but time just wasn't on my side. It was easier to just… put it off, I guess. When… when it happened… I…" I say, Judas silent and Kuroo gently strokes my hip as Suna strokes the back of my hands. "When I died… at first… I went to hell, I think. I don't really remember, but I remember it was horrible." I say, meeting her gaze as she drops her gaze, swallowing thickly.

"When they brought me back, I went somewhere different. I saw my dad, we talked and… I saw your sister there. I saw Ray." I say, Judas's eyes widening as her gaze shoots up to mine. "It was a field, the sky a clear blue and it was… it was all so beautiful. She was happy, she was healthy… she wasn't mad, she understood. We talked and she had a message for us… I wanted to tell you to your face." I say, tears gathering in Judas's eyes as she covers her mouth. "'Tell the others I love them, that I'm proud of them and they're incredibly strong, capable and smart. Everything will be just fine, stick together and you will get through this. I love you and I'm so proud of you, I know that as long as you are together, you are strong, smart and powerful enough to get through anything.'" I say, Judas closing her eyes as her head drops. "Son of a bitch, mother fucker, god damn it." Judas sobs and I slide up, walking over to her. I sit beside her, draping my arm around her shoulder and pulling her into me. "God fucking damn it. Thank fuck she's in a better place but… why..." She chokes, burying herself into me and holding me tight as she sobs. I softly stroke her, rocking her gently as she cries.

"The man's still MIA, by the way. Went completely off grid after that last time. That's when I got her that ring- it's a tracker, of course. If she's got it on I can find her." Arthur says once she stops crying, still holding tightly to me. "Nen is safe, there's been no sign of the man anywhere near him, but he's constantly being watched by trusted people." I say, Judas nodding and squeezing me lightly. "I still gotta meet the little guy, seeing that I was the only other person who wanted him. How come Arthur got to see him before I did? Lucky bastard, I thought you hated him? How come you saw him first?" Judas grumbles, making me crack a smile at her bitterness. "To be fair… I was absolutely taken by him, love at first sight with the little guy. He's the most wonderful thing I've ever seen in my life, he's literally the cutest thing in the world- he's got the chubbiest fucking cheeks!" Arthur says as he makes pinching motions, making me snort. "Yeah, I can't pinch him because Arthur traumatized him as a baby by constantly pinching his cheeks. He won't even let Arthur near him now, he chases him around and makes him cry by trying to pinch him." I say, Judas bolting up and socking Arthur in his shoulder.

"Motherfucker, you ruined my chances at pinching those chubby cheeks! I'll kick your fucking ass, you cock sucker!" Judas grumbles as Arthur laughs, defending himself from Judas's playful punches. "Hey, I suffer enough when he runs away from me and won't let me pinch his little chubby cheeks! They're too cute and he keeps them all to himself, his little hoard!" Arthur chimes, the trio smiling at the sight as Judas shakes him around. "Yeah, and I'll never know because if he hated me for pinching him, I'd never be able to live with myself! Urgh!!!" Judas says, making me laugh as I grin up at her. "Get this! Nen calls Arthur the pinch monster, Arthur loves it! He's such a softy for him, I swear! He spoils him so much, too." I say, Judas groaning as she halfly collapses on my lap and pouts up at me. "But I'm his godmother! That's all supposed to be me~ I'm the one that was there for you when you were pregnant, I protected you and chased everyone away. I read him bedtime stories, I got you all your pregnancy cravings and helped you when you needed me. You were so clingy too~ it was so cute, you wouldn't let me go!" Judas chimes, making me giggle as I stroke her hair and smile down at her.

"There, there. The second I find out I'm pregnant again, you'll be the first to know~ you'll be there to hold my hand and tell me 'push, push'." I say, making her let out a bubbly laugh as she smiles up at me. "I look forward to it!" She chimes, making me smile as Arthur rolls his eyes. "Not any time soon, hopefully. Goodness knows you should wait till you're like, late twenties early thirties." Arthur snorts, making me pout as I look down. "But I want another one already~ they're just so cute! Urgh, the little toes~ they're so cute! I want a hundred, no! I want a thousand! I want a big happy family~" I chime, throwing my hands in the air as I let out a giddy laugh. Arthur and I fall silent, dropping our gazes as Judas looks up at me. "What? Why the sour mood?" Judas asks, though I can't bring myself to tell her that Nen did some damage on his way out. "My family wants us to marry." Arthur says, crossing his arms as Judas falls quiet, slowly blinking. "And… you knew this, my Queen?" Judas asks and I nod, shrugging my shoulders. "I was there when they first pitched it, but yeah, Arthur's set to marry in a year, like it or not." I say, Judas dropping her gaze and sucking in a deep breath.

"I'm sure no trailer park blondie is gonna do it because you don't have the rich smarts like we do." Arthur says, Judas sliding up to the bench next to me and frowning. "I wouldn't wanna marry your sorry ass anyway, I'd be driving myself crazy up and down the walls just livin' in the same house as you. And yeah, I might have grown up in a trailer park but… I learned my manners from you guys. I can hold my own in a social setting, not nothing crazy like being the star of the show like you guys." Judas mumbles, though I reach over and pat her shoulder. "Trust me when I say you don't wanna be in the spotlight- it's tiring as fucking shit man, I swear, I couldn't even look at a wine glass or sparkling water for a fucking week after the ball I went to. I also spoke with such a southern twang it'd put your mother to shame; I couldn't stand being so pent up with everyone breathing down my neck." I say, making Judas crack up as she laughs heartily. "Come on guys, whoever catches the most lightning bugs wins!" I chime, dashing into the forest as I see the lightning bugs flashing through. I pull my towel tight, catching a lightning bug in my hands and I can't help but giggle as I feel it tickling my hands.

The moon shines down as the others join me, carefully tiptoeing around the foliage as I cup the lightning bug in my hands. I catch a few more, humming happily as I follow another. "Here, Kitten. You can wear this." Kuroo says, making me hum as I turn and look at him. He holds out his jacket, making me smile as I move to take it- "Ah… I can't let them go…" I say, shuffling sheepishly as I pout at my clasped hands. "Here, I haven't caught any yet." He says and I nod my head as he places his jacket on his arm, holding out his hands. I carefully open my hands in his, letting the bugs go free as he manages to capture them all in his big, hot hands. He offers me his arm and I take his jacket, sliding it on. "Thank you~" I chime as I hold my hands out, though he grins down at me. "No, thank you. It was nice doing business with you." He chimes, my eyes widening as he pulls his hands away. "Wha- Kuroo! How could you! Give them back!" I whine, moving to pry his hands open though he grins, lifting them over his head. "Nu-uh, we traded fair and square. Your lightning bugs for my jacket." Kuroo says as I try jumping up to grab his arms though he just holds them higher, stepping back.

"Kuroo! You big cheater! Meanie! Gimme them, they're mine!" I whine as I hop up, wiggling my fingers desperately as he steadily steps back, a teasing grin on his face. I growl, though I spot a tree close behind him as the clouds cover the moon's light- bingo. I guide him back to the tree by jumping up and trying to grab his hands, him none the wiser. "Gotcha!" I laugh, though he seems a bit surprised when I pin him to the tree, slapping my hands on either side of him. "Now… gimme those fireflies!" I say as I jump up- he opens his hands, letting all the lightning bugs free. "No!" I whine, the fireflies lighting up around us as one lands on my nose. "Ah, that tickles little guy." I giggle, my vision crossing as I smile at the lightning bug on my nose. "Hang on." Kuroo chuckles, leaning down and wrapping his arms around my waist. He gently blows on my nose, the lightning bug taking flight as I stare in amazement. "So beautiful…" I whisper as it lights up, casting a soft glow onto us. "I know." Kuroo whispers, though he wasn't looking at the lightning bug, he was looking at me. His gaze was soft, warm, sweet and gentle- full of his tender love and affection as he smiled down at me.

I feel my cheeks burn as my eyes widen, realizing that he was talking about me. Thousands of butterflies take flight in my blood, my heart pounding in my chest as I swallow thickly and stare into his loving eyes. Kuroo lifts his hand to my cheek, softly caressing it before he cups my chin, pulling me into a gentle kiss. I let my eyes flutter closed, standing on my tiptoes and tilting my head to deepen the kiss. Kuroo's hand slides to my neck, his fingers finding my pounding pulse and caressing it. His tongue slides into my mouth, massaging mine as he pulls me tightly into his hot embrace. I wrap my arms around his neck, leaning into his gentle heat and letting it spread through me. Our tongues tangle together, Kuroo's hands sliding down from my waist to the back of my thighs. He gently pulls them and I hop up, wrapping my legs around his hips. He groans, turning us around and pinning me against the tree. He strokes my bare thighs, his lips dropping down to my neck and kissing it gently. I moan softly, tilting my head and giving him more access to my neck. "Fuck, I love you so much… I wish I could show you by making love to you…" Kuroo breaths, nuzzling his head into my neck and taking a deep breath.

"The doctor said no extreme sex… not no sex in general." I admit quietly, Kuroo squeezing me and chuckling softly. "You should've said that in the first place, Chibi-chan~ I would have made sweet, sweet love to you hours ago." Kuroo purrs, pulling his head back and capturing my lips in another sweet kiss. I tangle my fingers in his hair, my face burning as his lips move fluidly over mine, everywhere I wanted when I wanted them. "Why are your kisses always so friggin' good?" I whisper, Kuroo's chest vibrating as he lets out a low chuckle. "Nothing less for you, Shortcake." Kuroo whispers, kissing me again and nipping my bottom lip, making me gasp. His hand slowly slides down between us, stroking my wet heat and groaning softly. I shudder, a soft moan escaping me as he presses his chest into mine. "You're so wet already…" Kuroo whispers, peppering my face with kisses and making me flustered. "You're so cute, so fucking beautiful…" Kuroo chuckles softly, capturing my lips in another kiss as his finger lazily rolls over my aching bud. I moan sweetly into his mouth, my body trembling and burning with arousal. Kuroo greedily swallowed all of my moans, returning his own soft groans as he kissed me.

He drops his lips down to my neck, beginning to kiss it- I feel someone glare at me, making me pause as I look to my right. Arthur was farther away, glaring daggers at me- he had a hurt, frustrated look on his face, a weird look in his eyes. "Kuroo… stop." I say, Kuroo pausing and pulling away as I drop my gaze. "Put me down, please." I whisper, Kuroo hesitating as he drops my legs, setting me down. I turned away- my chest hurt, I wasn't in the mood anymore. "What's wrong, Kitten?" Kuroo says, taking my hand and gently squeezing it. I glanced back at him, looking back at Arthur; he looked dejected, his gaze downcast- he looked even more hurt than before. "It's nothing." I croak, pulling my hand away and keeping my watering eyes cast down to the forest floor as I walk away. A lightning bug flashed and I paused as it began to fly away. I follow it, wondering where it was going- I need a distraction anyways. I follow it deeper into the forest, the trees and moss getting thicker as I carefully maneuver through the foliage. The firefly disappears behind a tree and I follow it, my hand lightly outstretched. It lands on my finger and I crack a small smile, carefully sitting down against the tree.

Kuroo stared after the girl as she disappeared, feeling hurt and confused- why did she want to stop? They were really into it when she suddenly went stiff; of course that ruined his mood for it as well. He could see in her eyes that she was hurt, but he had no idea why. He glanced around, noticing Arthur shuffling away in the distance- it clicked in his head that she had caught Arthur glaring at her again. Whatever was happening between them was strange, only at certain times Arthur would glare at her. Was it a specific thing about her that was bothering Arthur? He had stated that he enjoyed watching her do it, so why was it bothering him now? Kuroo's feet moved before he could even think about it; it's obvious that Kimiko was as clueless as he was, though she was on the receiving end of Arthur's cold glares. Whatever it was, only Arthur knew- and he wasn't talking. Perhaps Kuroo could help; he hated seeing Kimiko hurt, plus Arthur was actually a decent guy. He was also Kimiko's precious friend; Kuroo hoped that he could help him resolve whatever was happening between them, maybe even talk Arthur through it. "Hey, Arthur." Kuroo calls, the other stopping in his tracks and tensing.

"Yes, Kuroo? Do you need something?" Arthur asks, his voice monotone as he faced away from the bigger. "Can we talk for a sec?" Kuroo asks and Arthur slowly, anxiously turns to Kuroo, swallowing thickly. "Let's talk at the fire pit." Arthur croaks, Kuroo nodding as he starts heading back to the fire pit. He could tell that the other was stiff, more than before; it was as if he were uncomfortable or caught off guard. They each take a seat across from one another at the round bench of the fire pit, Kuroo leaning forward and twining his fingers together. They sat in silence, Kuroo noticing that Arthur was avoiding looking at him, choosing instead looking at the fire blazing before them. "I'd say it's pretty obvious." Kuroo says, Arthur tensing and swallowing thickly as his eyes widen. "What I want to talk about, that is." Kuroo says, Arthur pressing his lips together as he seemed conflicted. "You're gonna have to clarify for me, because I'm a bit lost." Arthur says, itching the back of his neck as he anxiously dropped his gaze. "You. Kimiko. Why you've been glaring at her." Kuroo says, Arthur fidgeting in his seat. "It's that obvious?" Arthur croaks, wiping the sweat build up from his hands onto his pants.

"How is it not obvious? You're glaring at her, she knows it, I know it: everyone does. We've all noticed it's hurting her, too. She doesn't know why; no one knows but you." Kuroo says, Arthur scrubbing his hand over his face. "I can't help it okay? I just- I know it's shitty. I know I'm a bad friend for it, but I can't help my thoughts and feelings." Arthur sighs, running his hand through his hair and pressing his lips together. "It's even worse because if I tell her, I know she'll accommodate me. I know she'll put me first, even if it hurts her or those around her. It could hurt her a whole lot more if I told her why… I honestly don't know what to do." Arthur mumbles, dropping his hands into his lap and twiddling his fingers. "But I want to tell her because I want to be selfish. I want her to accommodate me because… it could make me happy and it could be fine. There's no guarantee of that, that's why I'm just so… I know I'm being shitty, okay?" Arthur says, though Kuroo realizes this was putting a lot of weight on Arthur's shoulders as well, that it was bothering him just as much as it was hurting Kimiko, if not more. "I'm a bad friend… I don't want to hurt her." Arthur mumbles, dropping his head into his arms as Kuroo thinks it over.

"But… this is you and Kimiko. You've been best friends since you were babies, you've been by each other's side for as long as you've been alive, right? I understand now that this is hurting both of you…" Kuroo says, leaning back and looking up at the sky. "I've been friends with Pudding Head for a long time, since we were kids. I'd consider him my best friend since he's done a lot for me and we've had good times together. He's even comforted me in the tough times, even if it made him uncomfortable… I honestly can't say I'd be here today if it wasn't for him. I can't imagine our friendship even compared to your and Kimiko's, knowing that you two have been friends since literal birth. I don't even have a friend like that, you've been through a lot with each other." Kuroo says, sliding his fingers together and humming softly. "I can't imagine anything coming between Kozu and I. We've always been able to talk about things openly and I never push him beyond his comfort zone- we always come to a mutual agreement. You and Kimiko have been through a lot more- I mean, a lot more. I can't even imagine anything could come between you two." Kuroo says, Arthur slowly looking up at Kuroo as he rounds over.

"I also know you each have gone through a lot, that you're fighting your own fronts and that sometimes it can weigh a lot on your minds. I know we're young but… it's weird how mature you two can be at times and how you can take that stuff head on. However, Kimiko is right; you're stronger together. I think that no matter what it is, you'll have better chances talking it out with her, even if it hurts. You can find the answer together, something that works for both of you." Kuroo says, pulling Arthur into his side as his eyes widen. "Besides… isn't it okay to be selfish sometimes? I know I can be, more often than not. You're a good guy, Arthur; you're really tough and yeah, you can be shitty sometimes, but you make up for it. I know you and Kimiko have a sort of set pace that works for you, that you've built up over the years based on trust and faith. If it's the two of you… you can get through it, even if it hurts. It's better than hurting like you are now, because it hurts her more than you think." Kuroo says, Arthur's face blossoming in a dark blush. "Yeah... You're right. Thank you Kuroo, I'll talk to her later. Really… thank you." Arthur says, turning to Kuroo and hugging him tight, Kuroo patting his back.

I stare at the firefly, my legs stretched out as I idly watch it crawl over my hand. I twist my hand lightly so it doesn't fall off, enjoying the small tickle of it wandering on my hand. I feel something fuzzy on my leg and I peek down, dread filling me- I shriek at the top of my lungs, the firefly flying off as I press against the tree. A big tarantula sat on my thigh, lightly crawling across- I whined, covering my mouth and squeezing my eyes shut. I didn't dare move, my body trembling as I hoped it didn't bite me and just crawled off. I hated spiders with a fiery burning passion- they absolutely terrified me straight to my core. Well, I didn't -hate- them, I just hated them crawling on me. If I ever saw a spider, I'd be itchy for the rest of the day. God forbid one was ever on me, I'd freak out and jump out of my skin- but a friggin' big, hairy tarantula on my thigh? Fuck. That. I sob hysterically as it slowly crawled up my thigh- "Fuuuck that! Please don't go in my clothes, I would literally die. No no no no no! Get off! Off! No! Fuck off! Literally, fuck off! I swear to fucking God! Please!" I whine, beginning to hyperventilate- I see something in the corner of my vision, feeling faint when I see another fuzzy thing on my shoulder.

I scream at the top of my lungs, another big fluffy tarantula on my shoulder- "Help! Help me please- oh- oh my- oh my fucking god-" I screech, the fluffy tarantula on my shoulder beginning to tap around. "It's gonna kill me! It's gonna eat me- help! I'm gonna- I'm gonna pass out-" I whine, though I hear the crunching of people running over to me. I pant for air, my head spinning- okay, I was totally having a panic attack, which was reasonable. There were two big ass, furry tarantulas on me after all- I wouldn't be surprised if I had a heart attack. "Kimiko! Are you okay?" Kozu says as he peers around the tree, panting and looking down at me. "I'm literally about to fucking die! Please, please help me- get them the fuck off of me!" I beg, not even daring to look up at him, lest the tapper on my shoulder go for my neck. "Kimiko! What is it?!" Suna says as he appears on the other side of me, panting for air. "Get it off! Off! It's gonna fucking kill me! It's gonna kill me dead! Help me, please!" I sob hysterically, feeling icky all over. "My Queen! Are you okay?!" Judas says as she comes around the tree, looking down at me- she shrieks at the top of her lungs, jumping back though Suna starts laughing, Kozu cracking up also.

"I'm sorry- I'm so fucking sorry, but I can't fucking help you. I fucking hate spiders as much as you, my Queen, I can't do it- you're on your own. I could take on a bear for you, but I don't fuck with spiders." Judas croaks, her voice trembling as I sob. "Someone, please, for the love of god, help me- I can't, I fucking can't- I'm totally freaking out, I'm gonna have a heart attack. I'm gonna fucking pass out and they're gonna kill me." I sob, Kozu and Suna crouching beside me as Suna gently strokes my hair. "It's okay, Sunshine. They're not gonna kill you, they're just trying to mate." Suna says and I freeze, my eyes widening. "You're telling me- these guys are gonna get jiggy on my corpse?" I ask, my voice barely a trembling whisper- the words make him laugh even harder. "Okay, okay. Come on, let's get them off." Kozu chuckles as he places his hand on my thigh, in front of the tarantula that had been heading for the hoody. "This is my deathbed- just leave me be, escape while you still can." I say, Suna grinning as he places his hand on my shoulder, in front of the other tarantula. "It's okay, Pudding. They're not gonna kill you." Kozu says, gently cupping behind the spider as it lifts its legs up.

"I'm gonna die." I whisper, closing my eyes as tears gather in my eyes. "Shit, what should my last words be?" I ask, shuddering as I feel the tarantula on my thigh slowly crawl forward. "I dunno, but 'shit, what should my last words be' sounds pretty nice. It's kinda like 'fill in the blank', but cool." Suna says softly and I let my head fall back against the tree, taking a deep shaky breath. "You okay?" Kozu asks but I don't say anything, slowly blowing the breath out. I press my lips tightly together, squeezing my eyes shut and whimpering softly. "One more to go, Sunshine." Suna says softly, his hand pulling away from my shoulder. I hesitantly opened my eyes, seeing that he held the big furry tarantula that had been on my shoulder. "They're actually not that aggressive, believe it or not. They're more scared of you than you are of them. They won't attack you as long as you don't threaten them or their territory. You're lucky these two are wanderers." Suna chuckles, carefully setting his hand on the ground and gently brushing the tarantula off of his hand. "I seriously doubt they're more scared of me than I am of them." I croak, Suna grinning at me as he reaches over and pats my shoulder gently.

"There, there Sunshine. You're very brave for staying still the whole time." Suna says and I swallow thickly, looking down at the tarantula on my thigh. "I'm actually frozen stiff, I'm that scared." I admit, Kozu huffing when the tarantula on my thigh rears up again. "She's stubborn, pretty sure this is actually her territory. Can you help?" Kozu says, Suna humming and looking at the tarantula. "Let's do it another way then. You block her path, I'll flick her off." Suna says, Kozu nodding as Suna rounds over to his side, carefully sliding his hand over. The tarantula jumps at him and I flinch- Suna flips his hand up, knocking the tarantula off my thigh. I quickly grab onto Kozu, pulling myself close to him as the tarantula struggles to flip back over. "My heroes! Please, carry me. I can't feel my legs." I say as he scoops me into his lap, adjusting me before standing up and holding me princess style. "Hold on, I'm going to flip her back over…" Suna mumbles as he grabs a twig from the floor, using it to flip her up properly. She automatically rears up again, batting at the stick angrily. "There, now let's leave these two love birds to get their business on." Suna says, tossing the stick away as I cling desperately to Kozu.

"Seriously doubt the guys getting any action after what just happened, she's pissed." Kozu says as he starts walking back the way we came from, cradling me in his arms. "You never know, maybe he's lucky. He seemed pretty chill, she might give him a chance." Suna says, following after us- Judas dashes to catch up, her eyes on the ground. "Or he might be her lunch." Kozu says, making Suna snort as I see a firefly flash in front of us- I quickly catch it, holding it to my chest. "Gotcha- jeez, I feel so friggin' itchy because of those tarantulas now. Gyugh~" I say, Kozu laughing as he smiles widely down at me. "What the heck was that?" He says and I smile up at him, enjoying the sound of his laughter. "That's my disgust for spiders or anything of the sort- honestly, fuck anything that has more than 4 legs." I say as we arrive at the camp, seeing Arthur hugging Kuroo who had his arm draped over the latter's shoulders. "Oh, this is what you guys were doing when I was screaming bloody murder? I was dying, I'll have you know- and here you are cuddling." I say as I pout, Kuroo's eyes darting up to me as I purse my lips and scrunch my nose. "Wait…" he asks, furrowing his eyebrows and pulling away from Arthur.

"You were screaming? Dying?" Kuroo asks, sliding off the bench and coming over, sounding worried. "Yeah, I was." I grumble, Kuroo reaching his arms out to me though Kozu dips out of his way, sitting down on the bench and holding me in his lap. "She's over exaggerating the dying part, but yes, she screamed her lungs out and scared the hell out of us." Suna says, taking the spot next to us and pulling my legs into his lap. "Excuse you, sir, I was dying of a heart attack, okay? I was in full blown panic mode." I grumble, though he smiles at me and gently strokes my thigh. "You big baby." He teases and I scowl at him as Kuroo kneels before me. "What happened? Are you okay?" He asks, searching my eyes with genuine concern and confusion. "She sat down, two tarantulas crawled on her and gave her quite a fright." Suna says, lightly caressing my thigh in a way that reminded me of a tarantula. I shudder, shoving his hand away as he grins at me. "I almost died, okay?" I grumble and his face falls, pointing at my shoulder. "Oh, hold still, there's another one on your shoulder." Suna says as I see something on my shoulder- I shriek, jumping into Kuroo's arms and knocking us to the ground with a grunt.

"I was kidding!" Suna laughs, him and Kozu high fiving as Kozu laughs. "Fuck you!" I whine, sticking my tongue out at them. "If it was me in her position, I would've died on the spot. Fuck that, honestly. Fuck. That." Judas says, sitting next to Kozu as I bury my head in Kuroo's chest. "Kuroo, they're bullying me!" I whine, looking up at him with watery eyes- they genuinely scared me. "Aw, Kitten. Don't cry, it's okay. I'll protect you, do you want me to check you for any tarantulas?" Kuroo asks softly, brushing the tears from my eyes and gently kissing my nose. I whimper softly, clinging to him and burying myself into his chest. "She didn't freeze up like last time, she was scared stiff; she must think of you as her safe zone. Congrats, you're right up there with Arthur." Judas snorts, Kuroo wrapping his arms around my waist and cradling me. "Well, I do have a habit of saving those two." Kuroo chuckles softly, gently kissing the top of my head and stroking my back, helping me calm down. "It's okay, Kitten." Kuroo whispers in my ear and I press myself tighter into his comforting embrace. "Stupid spooky scary crawlies… making me itchy and scratchy all over…" I grumble as he chuckles softly, scooping me up.

"It's getting really late; if that's all of your activities tonight, we should get you to bed." Kuroo says, Judas perking up and smiling up at me. "Just like old times?" She asks and I can't help but smile at her as I nod. "Yeah, but I don't have any clothes for you." I say and she shrugs, smiling even wider. "I'll drop in and sneak some out for both of us." She says and I nod, Kuroo starting to carry me along the path. "Arthur! Carry me." Judas chimes as the others get up, following behind us. "And why would I want to carry a girl only wearing a towel?" Arthur says, Judas pursing her lips as she trudges behind us. "You'd do it for Kimiko, you big hypocrite!" She protests, making Arthur snort as he shoves his hands in his pockets. "That's Kimiko, we both know our devotion to her is bigger than our devotion to each other." Arthur says and I can't help but giggle as I shake my head. "Kuroo, can you carry Judas? She doesn't have shoes on." I say, Kuroo humming as he pauses, Suna coming over. "I mean, if she's okay with it, sure. I'll carry you, Judas." Kuroo says, Suna scooping me out of Kuroo's arms. "I have legs you know, they function properly." I grumble, Suna's lip twitching as he pulls me to sit on his arm.

"No excessive movement, remember?" Suna says and I pout, laying my head on his shoulder as he carries me on his arm. "Uh, I'm just gonna do an underarm carry if that's alright. Unless you wanna be carried another way, I just figure it'd be better than any other way." Kuroo says as I peak up, wrapping my arms around Suna's neck. "How the heck do you-" Judas says, though Kuroo wraps his arm around her waist. He pulls her off her feet, curling his arm into his side and carrying her in the crevice of his under arm. "Oh- wow." Judas says as she dangles, keeping her feet off the ground. "This alright? I can carry you other ways if you'd like." Kuroo says, though Judas smiles up at him. "No, actually, this is fine." Judas says, sounding relieved as Kuroo nods and starts carrying her. "No fair, I want to be carried too." Arthur grumbles, Kozu scrunching up his nose and shaking his head. "Sorry, but I can't carry you." Kozu says, making Arthur laugh as he nods. "Yeah, no offense but you're pretty puny. Sorry, it'd be funny if you could carry me." Arthur chuckles, Kozu seeming conflicted as he slowly nods. "Kuroo looks like he could carry two." Arthur chimes, Kuroo raising an eyebrow at him.

"It'd impress Kiki, too." Arthur chimes and Kuroo suddenly swoops down, hooking his free arm under Arthur's knees and scooping them over his shoulder. Arthur cries out in surprise as Kuroo stands up, Arthur dangling upside down with his knees on his shoulder. "Ha! Arthur's getting man handled!" Judas laughs, making me laugh at the scene of Arthur bouncing with every step that Kuroo takes. "Oh my gosh, oh, oh that's so funny!" I laugh, seeing Kuroo grin as he easily manages to carry the two bigger people. "Now all I need is my spider monkey and I'll have myself a full set of teeth." Kuroo teases, making all of us laugh as we arrive at the cars. "Trio, go with Arthur in the Fusion. Judas and I will meet you back at the house, we need to pick up some clothes." I say, Suna setting me in the passenger seat of the mustang and buckling me in. "Aw, I can't come with you?" He asks though I shake my head, settling into the chair. "No, if anyone was going to come it'd be Arthur, but he has to take you guys back to the house. We'll meet you back there." I say, Suna hesitating before he nods, closing the door. Kuroo carefully sets Judas down, Suna helping him take Arthur off of his shoulder without hurting him.

"It's late, I'm just sneaking in and out. You know the drill." Judas mumbles, leaving the car idling as she parks down the street from her house. "Okay. Be safe." I say and she nods, sliding out of the car- she was dressed back in her clothes from earlier, though I was just wearing Kuroo's jacket and the boots from earlier. She was wearing my cardigan, shoving her hands in her pockets as she speed walked down the sidewalk. I keep an eye out for anyone suspicious, though the streets were dead since it was late at night. It was always better safe than sorry though, you never know when trouble could be on the prowl. Judas is gone for a few minutes before she jogs back with a bag in hand, sliding back into the car and tossing the bag in the back. "Lucky me, they're both passed out." Judas says as she starts driving again, making me smile. "I'm glad." I say and she smiles too, nodding her head as she starts driving back to my grandparents. "You been alright?" I ask now that we were alone, the car now silent as she stares at the road ahead of us. "It's been a long 5 and a half years without you. The boys seem nice, though." Judas says and I nod, knowing she probably didn't wanna talk about it.