Witch Hunter Robin Fan Fiction ❯ When All Is Said And Done ❯ VI ( Chapter 6 )

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VI

Michael

 

The room was slightly dark, the large, paned windows cloaked by deep maroon drapes. He had a sense that it was nighttime, and guessed that the light that peered into the room was from the moon. The floors were hard and cold, and somewhat rough to the touch. He walked along the length of the room, knowing the feel of the floor because he was barefoot. He knew that the room was opulent, and he felt out of place. He had the sense that he wanted to get out, as if there was something there he'd rather not encounter.

From the head of the room, he heard a door creaking open. Light began to flood the room and he turned to see who was there. The door was opening slowly, and through the opening, a small dog squeezed its way in and trotted over to Michael. Michael kneeled and picked it up.

`Hey, boy,' he said. The dog yelped and lapped at his face. Michael chuckled, and looked back at the door, which continued to creak as it opened. The light coming in was illuminating the room enough that he was beginning to recognize his surroundings.

The dog was a fluffy creature and was excited to be with Michael. Of course he would be. He was…his dog. Michael smiled widely at him and held him closer.

`Didn't recognize you, boy,' he apologized. `How's my best bud?' The dog squirmed from his grasp and flopped onto the floor. It turned over on its back and lifted all four legs. Michael grinned and began to rub the pup's stomach the way he remembered the dog liked. The dog panted happily. Michael looked around. There was a long dining room table with twelve chairs around it to the right of him and the dog. To the left were the windows, and a buffet filled with food. His eyes grew at the thought of food. He wondered what everything would taste like. He stood up, and the dog barked at his absence.

`Come on, boy,' he said. `I'll feed you something.' The door at the end of the room opened fully. He'd forgotten about the door until then. At the door were two figures, and behind them, many others. They were all dressed formally and, though initially he couldn't see who any of them were, they all wore disgusted looks on their faces. They were looking at him, and he sensed that he was why they were making those faces. He looked down at himself, and noticed his dog had gone. He looked back up. The figures were closer and clearer now. The two in front were his parents.

They were scowling angrily, his father holding the door open with one hand and the other balled at his side. His mother had her arms folded, her face flushed with anger. Michael felt a horrible pain in his chest and he backed away.

`You rotten queer,' his father boomed. `What the hell do you think you're doing here?' Michael's lips began to quiver and he stepped even further back.

`You're not welcome here,' his mother said. He looked at her with pleading eyes, though he wanted to get out as quickly as he could. Her scowl grew. `You're never welcome to come home. We've disowned you, you disgusting pervert. As far as we're concerned, you're as good as dead.'

`I would never come back…' Michael said, his voice tight and meek. `You know I would never come back here.'

`Get out!' his father boomed. `You no longer bear the Müller name.' Michael felt another stab of pain and turned sharply to leave. He ran into someone who was standing behind him. They latched on to him and held him close. Michael had the sense of comfort and held on to whoever was there.

`It's alright,' the voice assured. Michael's eyes widened, and he lifted his head to verify the identity of who spoke to him.

`You…are…?'

Michael heard a creak and stirred awake. He opened his eyes slowly and looked over the top of his sheets. The glare of the television made it hard for him to see, but he could see that someone was coming into the room. He didn't want to act surprised, so he pulled his sheet away and sat up. Blinking a few times, he could clearly see that it was Amon.

 

Amon

 

“Amon?” Michael asked, surprised.

“I didn't expect you to be asleep,” Amon said. Michael sighed with relief and rubbed his face.

“I was tired,” he said. Amon remained by the door as Michael reached over to the television stand, turned the sound on the television up and retrieved his glasses. He yawned as he slipped them on. “What is it?” he asked.

“Didn't you want to talk to me?” Amon asked. Michael gave him a confused look. Surely he remembered. Amon didn't come all that way for nothing.

“Well, yeah,” he said.

“What's with the look?” Amon asked. Michael didn't look like he knew what Amon was talking about.

“I wasn't expecting you, that's all. I'll tell you one thing, you're one surprising guy.” He yawned again and scratched his neck. “Give me a moment to wake up, will ya? I gotta pee and stuff.”

“Do what you have to,” Amon said. Michael got up and went over to the door. He paused as he reached for the knob.

“Didn't I lock this thing?” he asked. Amon shrugged.

“I picked it,” he said. Michael looked closely at it.

“At least you didn't break it,” he said. He left the room and closed the door behind him. Amon looked at the television. It was some cartoon he didn't recognize. Not that he would recognize many cartoons. Amon looked around. Michael's room was neat. It was compact, with a bed in one corner, the TV stand in the facing corner and a desk in another. In the final corner was a dresser. The only thing mussed in the room was Michael's bed, and Amon bet that if Michael hadn't gone to sleep, it would have been made.

Michael returned about seven minutes later looking awake and alert. He flipped on the lamp on his desk, the only source of light in the room. He pulled out his desk chair and motioned for Amon to sit down. He sat on his bed and reached underneath, pulling out a plastic bag. He looked inside and took out a bag of cookies. Amon gave him a look as he sat in the desk chair. It was comfortable, more comfortable than the chairs in the main area.

Michael got up and went over to his desk. He opened what Amon presumed to be a drawer, but what turned out to be a small refrigerator. He took out two colas, handed one to Amon and sat down with the other. He popped it opened loudly, along with the bag of cookies, then turned the volume down on the television and looked at Amon. He popped a cookie in his mouth, then flicked the crumbs away. His eyes remained on Amon as he took a gulp of his pop. Amon watched him.

“So what's going on?” Michael asked when Amon didn't speak.

“What do you want to know?”

“A bunch of things.” Michael ate another cookie, then held the bag out to Amon. Amon shook his head. Michael kept the bag pointed at him.

“No, thank you.” Michael pulled away slowly.

“Fine,” he said. He sounded a little bitter. Amon found it amusing.

“Are you insulted that I don't want one of your cookies?” he asked. Michael shrugged slightly.

“You know you want one,” he said. “You're the type that says no even though you really want one, just to be weird. You're stubborn, so if you're asked again, you don't want to look indecisive, so you stick with no.” Michael handed the bag to Amon. “Just take a cookie. Two if you're through playing around.” Somehow, Amon felt challenged. He lowered his brows and took three cookies from the big. Michael smiled genuinely and drank more of his cola. “So what happened on Tuesday?” he asked.

“Tuesday?” Amon asked. Michael's eyes widened.

“Yeah. Like the day before Wednesday.”

“What makes you think something worth mentioning happened on Tuesday?”

“The call,” Michael said. Amon took a small bite out of one of the cookies.

“I broke up with Touko.” Michael's mouth popped into an `o' shape.

“Wow. Must have been tough. So what did Robin have to do with it?”

“Touko preferred to not be alone that night. She and Robin had a talk. Then Robin and I had a talk. Then I left.”

“Why'd Zaizen give you the lip? He's mad that you dumped Touko?” Amon looked at the television. “What a pig dog. He's got this suite place in the building, you know? It's pretty swank.”

“I didn't know that.”

“Not many people do,” Michael said. “I wouldn't know if I could leave this place. But…gotta get used to your home, you know? So…how did Touko take it?”

“She was angry,” Amon said. “But I think she's gotten over it already.” Michael shook his head.

“She hasn't. They never do. They always dwell on it, sometimes for months. How about you? How are you holding up?”

“I got over it once Zaizen threw the last punch.”

“He hit you often?”

“Often enough. Never when anyone's around, like he did yesterday.”

“What an ass,” Michael said. “He likes to scare people…”

“He's nothing special,” Amon said. He looked at Michael.

“Some of the things he does makes me want to hit him,” Michael said. “But I wouldn't jeopardize what I have here.”

“You don't have much.” Michael gave Amon a blank look. “What?”

“Thanks, that's very nice of you to say.” Amon finished his first cookie and leaned back in the chair again.

“What do you have, Michael?”

“Certain liberties. Call them…silent victories.”

“Tell me what they are.” Michael paused.

“Amon…tell me something.”

“What?”

“Tell me that what I tell you will be held with confidentiality.” He…doesn't trust me? Amon asked himself. He turned the chair slightly towards Michael, peering at him through slanted lids.

“Michael,” he said. “If you do not trust me, do not tell me a thing.” Michael scooted back and leaned against the wall.

“I trust you, Amon,” Michael said.

“Then why the reassurance?”

“I've never told anyone about this stuff,” Michael said. “A lot of what I just told you, I've told Haruto before. But…”

“Now that I know that you don't want what you tell me to be told, I won't say a word about it to anyone but you, or in front of anyone but you.” Michael gave Amon a look that made him feel appreciated.

“Thanks.”

 

Sakaki

 

Getting into Robins' apartment building was easy. Sakaki had no idea why he'd gotten up in the middle of the night to go see her. He was certain it was because of Michael's urgings. Alright, so it wasn't completely because of Michael. He had to admit he was interested in what was going on with Robin and Amon, if anything at all was going on. The last thing he wanted was to be left out of the happenings within his group.

He rode up to her floor and stepped off the elevator. He found it odd that the door was open a little. Oooo… Maybe he'd get to see some action. He reached behind him and patted the butt of his gun for reassurance as he came closer to the door. He knocked lightly, then moved to the side of the door quickly. No answer or sound came from the apartment.

He moved closer and pushed the door open, not stepping out in front of it just in case someone was in there with a weapon. When nothing happened, he pushed the door open and slid inside. The place was dark and quiet. They were probably sleeping. He didn't want to intrude. He sighed and moved over to the kitchen.

There was a note pad on the counter. He looked around. Near a purse on the other side of the kitchen was an uncapped pen. He picked it up and scribbled a note saying that he'd stopped by and that they should check their front door from now on. He put the pen back and went towards the door.

Before he could reach it, he heard a phone ring. Someone picked up on the first ring. Sakaki's nosy side kicked in and he tiptoed towards the hall. He tried to be as quiet as he could be, and listened in on the conversation.

“….I'm aware of that…” It was Touko and she didn't sound pleased. “What would you have liked me to do? I kept her busy, didn't I?.....Well, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. I figured taking her was good enough, I do it often, so why not take her along with me, you know? Female bonding…. Well, what would you have liked me to do?” Touko was getting louder. “What…? What on earth—why would I have done that? That definitely would have raised some eyebrows….. Nobody even knows what's going on, what are you getting so uptight about? …. Look, it's late…. Don't yell at me, you know as well as I do that it's late and the only thing we need to be doing right now is sleeping. We should sleep on it, and we'll talk about when we're both fully awake, alright? Alright….. Sounds great….. Okay. Fine. Goodnight.”

Touko hung up the phone. Sakaki looked down then towards the front door. He heard her bed creak and decided he should make a run for it. He left the apartment quickly, and closed the door as lightly as he could.

Well, that was unexpected. Sakaki wondered who she was talking to. And who she was talking about. The night hadn't been a total bust, for all it was worth. Sakaki stuck his hands in his pockets and headed for the elevators. He was startled to hear the apartment door open. His eyes widened and he tried to hide himself. He pressed the down button rapidly and quickly slid into the car when the doors opened. He pressed for the doors to close and they did. He sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. The elevator didn't move. He shook his head, pressed for the first floor, then leaned against the wall again. 007, he was not.

 

Michael

 

“So what are these silent victories?” Amon asked. Michael looked down at his cookies. He only had two left. Amon really seemed interested in talking. Maybe he didn't really come to answer questions, but instead, to ask his own.

“The little things,” Michael said. “I don't have a life outside of here, you know? So I don't really get paid. I don't have any accounts and they took my savings. I…because of this I can order things, and Zaizen's people have to pay for it. So I order what I want. Hence all the cool stuff you see here.”

“They didn't supply you with this?” Amon asked.

“Nope. I got everything off `line. The bed set, the TV, the stand, the desk with the fridge in it, my personal fave. The dresser, and all my junk, too. My clothes, too, and my deodorant and all. Man, if it wasn't for me, we wouldn't even get coffee.”

“I thought Hattori took care of that.”

“He used to, before the chief started going nuts on us,” Michael said. “Actually, I shouldn't take too much credit for the coffee. Karasuma buys it sometimes. She doesn't like the type I buy. I usually order all the stuff for the office when I order my stuff.”

“What did you have, when you first came in here?”

“A cot,” Michael said. “And a bar of soap.”

“Michael…” Michael looked at Amon. He looked like he was trying to look sympathetic, but something was keeping the expression from fully forming. “I had no idea.”

“That's pretty much how he wants it,” Michael said. He ate both of the cookies at the same time. “Where do you think I get my latest CD's and things from? From him?” Michael shook his head. “I found little ways to get back at him.”

“He just lets you do it?”

“Sometimes I lie and say that Haruto gets them for me, and he backs me up. Sometimes I just tell him. `Thanks for the cable.'” Michael chuckled. “I can't stand him.”

“So that's how you get back at him? Just spend his money?”

“Pretty much. I don't waste any of it. I just spend it like I'm getting paid, and I need things to live, you know? You guys need toilet paper, don't you?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Yeah.” Michael looked at the TV.

“Why are you watching this?” Amon asked.

“This?” Michael asked. It was some cartoon. Michael shrugged. “Why not?”

“They're cartoons.”

“Yep.”

“How old are you again?”

“Oh, don't pull that crap on me,” Michael said. “What would you rather I do, watch the news? Look, I get enough of reality at work. When I'm in here and I'm alone, I'll watch what I want, because I can. This is my time, Amon. When I don't have to worry about him being on my case about everything under the sun and…and…and …I don't know.” Michael lowered his head and balled the cookie bag up slowly. Amon finished his last cookie and stared at Michael. “Sorry for getting loud…” Michael said.

“Don't be,” Amon said. He got up and moved over to the bed. He sat on the edge of it. “I never knew it was like this,” he said. “I thought they at least took care of you. I thought they were obligated to.” Michael shook his head.

“They'd let me rot if I wasn't so valuable,” he said. “That's what they say. That I'm a valuable member of the team. An indispensable asset. I figure that just as long as they're talking like that, I'm all good. Once they start acting like they don't need me anymore…that's when I'll start worrying.”

“You…want to get out?” Amon asked. It sounded like he was offering. Michael scoffed.

“I'd kill to get out,” he said. “But I know what leaving means, and I'm not willing to risk that. At least not yet.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“For…when…things change,” Michael said. “For if…things get unbearable. If you guys left and I was alone. If Robin stopped bringing me donuts. If Haruto stopped snooping around with me. If you…” Michael sighed and didn't continue.

“If I what?” Amon asked.

“If you…turned your back on us.” Amon turned to Michael very slowly and looked at him carefully.

“Michael…” Michael looked up at him.

“That's my greatest fear, Amon,” he said. “I trust all of you, and my greatest fear is for any of you…but especially you….to betray that.”

“Why…me?”

“Because…” Michael said. He sighed. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want Amon to know why he was afraid.

“Michael…I understand if you don't want to tell me…” Michael lowered his head, shaking it slightly. Amon was always like that. Don't do anything you don't want to do. Michael looked at him.

“Why…were you with Touko, then, Amon?” Amon looked confused.

“Touko?” he asked. “What does she…?” Michael looked in his bag and pulled out a candy bar. “Why did you ask that?”

“I'm just curious,” Michael said.

“Pressure,” Amon said.

“You're a hypocrite.” Amon was silent for a short while. Michael ate half his candy in one bite.

“What's the matter?” Amon asked. Michael closed his eyes.

“I'm tired,” he said, feeling tears stinging the back of his eyes. “I'm lonely. And…I need a vacation from him.”

“Zaizen?”

“Yes.” Michael looked at the television. “I'd be so much happier if he didn't exist. Truthfully, I don't mind living here. I don't mind having to buy things myself. I like it here. I like being around you guys and being able to use the computers when I want. It's just him. I'm tired of him. And I'm…I'm lonely, Amon.” Amon nodded slowly.

“It's not easy, Michael. I know it's not. It's not enough that you're stuck here, but there's something else making it harder for you as well.” Michael nodded slowly.

“Same thing that makes it hard for you and Haruto.”

“Yes,” Amon agreed. Michael looked at Amon and sighed.

“At least…now I know I'm not as alone as I thought.”

……………

kaj