whenyouneedme | INBOX

[Luckily it wasn't that big of a tree. Between the two of them, they wouldn't have that much trouble maneuvering it over to the side car. Definitely a lot easier than a dormant robot!]

Uh... we're... hiding it, right?

[That's what this was???]

Maybe the botanical gardens could hang on to it? Though I guess they'd want to study it... Or one of our old houses?

[ The botanical gardens! Surely a good environment, and surely they'd have room for one lil tree. But hm!! ]

They probably would wanna study it... [ There's a little grunt as they hoist it into the car. ] What if they don't wanna give it back by the sixth? And doesn't Shinji still go to the botanical gardens sometimes? Nobody's moved into our old houses, have they?

[There we go. Let's get that tree all nice and secure. Kai gave it a long, considering look as he did so. All of those very adamant messages about Shinji had not been forgotten, but that date really confirmed his suspicions. Gosh, Kyoko. Just going all out for the birthday boy, huh.]

Ah, yeah, I think he does... [Though natives eager for new research were probably the bigger obstacle here if they wanted to be sure to be timely.]

We can go take a peek at the houses and see. I think the odds are pretty in our favor.

[ Kyoko fusses over the tree for another moment or two, triple checking that it's secure, that none of the slender branches are bent or caught on anything. ]

Leaving it alone for that long is still kind of a worry... But it's not like they'd be able to remove it too quickly either, right? If I check on it three times a day, maybe it'll be fine.

[He nodded.]

Don't see why it wouldn't be. We can put a little sign on it too, that we're just borrowing the space for a few days.

Would that really work? I guess it's better to apologize than not, anyway...

[ Her brow was still creased with worry as she stood up straight, but it turned more urgent when she looked at Kaito. ]

Um--I forgot to say, but this is meant to be Shinji's birthday present, so... [ Here was her pinky. ] Please swear to secrecy.

I can leave my number and they can ask me to come get it if its a problem.

[Her urgent look was met with a small grin, his pinky easily finding its way hooked around hers.]

Kinda figured that part out. Your secret of going all out will be safe with me.

[ Oh... that sounded like a pretty solid solution, actually. Some of the anxiety easing out of her at last, Kyoko nodded. ]

Um, I'll pay you for all this work, of course, since it's like using your delivery service.

[ One little bounce, and his pinky was freed. Time to get on that bike and make their grand escape probably?? ]

Really, really, really--thank you. You came to rescue me at a moment's notice, too.

[Hell yeah let's get on this bike. Here is your helmet, drive safe.]

Course I did, I've got your back.

That's not something I'm accepting payment for, either. Don't even try it.

[ Fastening on her helmet before she swung onto the bike behind Kaito, Kyoko frowned. ]

It's your job! You're supposed to get paid for your job! This isn't like the other thing!

Helping make Shinji's day real nice isn't something I wanna get paid for, geez.

[That was his boyfriend job, not his paying job! Very different! He kicked the bike to life, giving her a moment to be ready before carefully pulling out back onto the road.]

You're gonna help anyway! [ She was just gonna shout gently over the air whooshing in their ears as they got moving. ] With other things, like the meal and your own present!

[His own very boring present!]

Exactly! [He gently shouted back.] I'm gonna help anyway! So of course I'm helping now!

[ His present will not be boring! Any present that can be paired with a smooch is not boring! Kaito wins automatically by virtue of being boyfriend! ]

But this is my gift!! I'm supposed to be responsible for it, so I should pay properly!

[Technically hers could also be paired with a smooch. Just saying. It could happen. Kai was very aware that would go over Actually Good.]

Asking for help is being responsible, you know!

[Hold on, he's making a careful turn. They were going the long way, just so they could avoid going by Rawna's where there were high chances of Shinjis.]

You're not paying me!

[ Unfortunately for everyone, Kyoko was probably not ready for this forbidden knowledge just yet. Maybe next year. ]

Paying for services is responsible! If you won't take money, at least let me barter with something else!

[Kai huffed as he drove. Why'd she always have to be such a stickler for this.]

If you're gonna be pushy about it you can take me on a date or something.

Fine! Deal!

[ If she could treat him, that was like paying, even if it didn't really make up for time he could have used doing his actual job.

They could figure all that out later, though, once this tree hiding business was taken care of. ]

Deal.

[Sealed and ready to go. No take backs, etc. Someday he'd get these two to understand that time spent with them was far more important than a job he didn't actually need here. There'd be plenty of time to focus on trying to juggle a job for real in their ideal hypothetical futures.

For now, with unnecessary payments taken care of, Kai just focused on the drive. There wasn't any reason for Shinji to head inside either of their old houses, so it didn't really matter which one they checked first. He pulled up to her old place first.]

Guess we should check inside first, make sure we're not actually breaking and entering.

Ah... right. [ Hopping off the bike, Kyoko took off her helmet and then edged over to the door. From the outside, at least, it did not look particularly lived-in? And it unlocked usual when she tried the door--that shouldn't happen if someone else lived here, right? Probably? A quick peek inside, and then she looked back at Kaito. ] I think it really is empty... I guess Havenwell's kinda cleared out a little since I lived here.

[He was right behind her, one hand at her back as he peeked around her inside. Yeah, that looked like the bare bones set up he remembered first hanging around in.]

Mmm, yeah. I mean there's no shortage of houses either, people might have just not picked this one again yet.

[He glanced back at the tree waiting for them.]

... Do you think a window or a door would be easier to wiggle through?

[ Kyoko also looked back at the tree. And then she looked at the house. ]

... Why... would a window be easier?

In case its a wide window, y'know?

[He stretched his hands out a bit. Y'know. Wide window.]

For the branches.

[ Oh. That did make sense. Kyoko turned to stare at the tree again for a long moment.

And then she fell to her knees. ]

Both options... are kinda bad, aren't they... Why did I get us into this situation...

[What. No. Kyoko, please.

Kai dropped down a bit, clapping his hands on her shoulders.]

Hey, we'll figure it out. C'mon. Maybe we can just do the sign thing and leave it around back or something.

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