KIRO’S STORY / CHAPTER 30 OF 36
Leftovers
by hasira · about 9 min read
Kiro woke before sunrise.
Way before sunrise.
For a few seconds, he didn't know where he was.
Wooden ceiling.
Small window.
Wind somewhere outside.
Something warm pressed against his side.
Then the tower came back.
The lake.
The stairs.
Susie.
Kiro slowly turned his head.
She wasn't laying on top of him anymore.
Somehow, during the night, they'd managed to fit beside each other.
Barely.
Her back was almost against the wall.
Kiro was almost falling off the other side.
Their legs were tangled beneath the blanket.
Susie's face was close enough that he could feel her breath against his chest.
She was snoring.
Very quietly.
Kiro stared.
A tiny sound.
Then another.
His mouth twitched.
Oh, I'm remembering this.
Susie's ear moved slightly.
Kiro immediately stopped smiling.
She didn't wake.
He carefully moved one leg.
Then the other.
Slow.
Very slow.
The mattress creaked.
Kiro froze.
Susie made a tired noise and rolled slightly toward the wall.
Still asleep.
“Good.”
Barely a whisper.
Kiro slipped out of the bed.
The floor was cold beneath his paws.
He pulled the blanket back over Susie.
She immediately stole the entire thing.
Kiro stared.
“Of course.”
The main cabin was dark except for the weak blue light coming through the windows.
Morning hadn't properly started yet.
Kiro rubbed his face.
His stomach hurt.
Hungry.
Again.
He opened one cabinet.
Mugs.
Another.
Nothing useful.
A drawer.
Batteries.
Matches.
Some packets of sugar old enough to become historical artifacts.
Kiro sighed.
Then his eyes moved toward the fridge.
He stopped.
“No.”
The fridge remained silent.
Kiro stared at it.
Susie's voice from yesterday returned immediately.
“You're not eating the lasagna.”
Older.
His mother's.
“Don't waste food.”
Kiro's ears moved.
He looked toward the sleeping area.
Nothing.
Then back at the fridge.
“Technically...”
He opened it.
The container was still there.
Half a lasagna.
Waiting.
Kiro crouched slightly and looked at it.
“No one's coming for you, are they?”
The lasagna refused to answer.
He took it out.
“That's what I thought.”
Kiro put the container into the microwave.
Then stared at the buttons.
He had another problem.
“How long?”
He looked at the lasagna.
Then the microwave.
Then the lasagna again.
“Three minutes?”
Too much?
Too little?
Kiro pressed a few buttons.
Stopped.
Canceled.
Tried again.
“Fuck it.”
He picked a time that felt believable and started it.
The microwave hummed.
Kiro leaned against the counter.
Outside, the sky slowly became lighter.
Trees appeared from the darkness.
Then the lake.
Gray.
Still.
Kiro watched through the window.
For a moment, he forgot he was waiting for stolen forest lasagna.
Then the microwave beeped.
Loud.
Way too loud.
Kiro jumped.
From the sleeping area came a long, miserable yawn.
Kiro closed his eyes.
“...Shit.”
A few seconds later:
Something moved.
Blanket.
Bed creaking.
Then silence again.
Kiro opened the microwave.
Steam.
Good sign.
Probably.
He found a fork.
Then a small piece.
Blew on it.
Tried it.
Kiro stopped.
“...Huh.”
Actually good.
Not incredible.
Not worth getting murdered by a forest ranger for.
But good.
He took another bite.
Behind him, slow footsteps approached.
Kiro didn't turn.
Then two arms wrapped around his stomach.
He froze for half a second.
Susie pressed herself against his back.
Her head dropped onto his shoulder.
Hair messy.
Eyes barely open.
She looked completely destroyed.
Kiro smiled.
“Morning.”
Susie made a sound.
Not a word.
Possibly not even language.
Kiro looked sideways at her.
“How'd you sleep?”
Another tired noise.
“That's good?”
Susie tightened her arms around him.
Kiro's smile grew.
“You snore.”
One eye opened.
“No.”
“You do.”
“No.”
“Little bit.”
Susie pressed her face against his shoulder.
“Shut up.”
Kiro laughed quietly.
Her eyes closed again.
He waited.
Then:
“I made breakfast.”
Susie barely reacted.
“Don't want breakfast.”
Her voice was rough with sleep.
Kiro raised an eyebrow.
“What do you want?”
Susie hugged him tighter.
“You.”
Kiro stopped.
His ears hated immediately.
“...Oh.”
Susie seemed far too sleepy to understand what she'd just said.
Kiro looked down at her arms around him.
Then at the microwave.
Then back toward her.
His smile became slightly evil.
“Well, the lasagna is already warm.”
Susie's eyes opened.
Both of them.
She slowly lifted her head from his shoulder.
“What?”
Kiro tried not to laugh.
“The lasagna.”
Susie stared.
Kiro pointed toward the counter.
“I heated it.”
Her entire face woke up.
“You did what?”
Kiro finally turned around in her arms.
“We've lived on small breakfasts, terrible gas-station hot dogs and chips for like two days.”
“You ate the forest lasagna.”
“I tested it.”
“Kiro.”
“It's good.”
Susie stared at him in disbelief.
“You specifically promised you weren't going to eat it.”
“I changed my mind.”
“While I was asleep.”
“Exactly.”
“So I couldn't stop you.”
Kiro smiled.
“You're understanding quickly for someone who looked dead thirty seconds ago.”
Susie glared.
Kiro held up the fork.
“Want some?”
“No.”
Her stomach growled.
Loud.
Both of them looked down.
Silence.
Kiro slowly raised an eyebrow.
Susie closed her eyes.
“Fuck you.”
“That's not a no.”
She looked at him again.
“I'm too tired to argue with you.”
“Excellent.”
“You are an idiot.”
Susie grabbed the front of his red plaid shirt and pulled him down slightly.
Kiro blinked.
She kissed him.
Short.
Warm.
Still half asleep.
Then let go.
Kiro stared.
Susie rested her forehead briefly against his chest.
“An idiot.”
Kiro smiled.
“You like that idiot.”
Susie sighed.
Unfortunately:
“Yeah.”
Kiro's smile disappeared for a second.
Not because it hurt.
Because it didn't.
“Yeah?”
Susie looked up.
“Don't make me repeat it before sunrise.”
Kiro smiled again.
“Fine.”
She pulled the fork out of his paw.
“Give me the fucking lasagna.”
They sat beside one of the windows.
The container between them.
One for each.
Susie took a bite.
Chewed.
Kiro watched her carefully.
“Well?”
She kept chewing.
“Susie.”
She swallowed.
Kiro waited.
Susie looked annoyed.
“It's good.”
His ears lifted.
“I knew it.”
“You didn't know shit.”
“I trusted my instincts.”
“You guessed a microwave time.”
“Same thing.”
Susie took another bite.
“If we get food poisoning, I'm blaming you.”
“Fair.”
“If we die, I'm haunting you.”
“You can't haunt me if I'm also dead.”
Susie stopped.
Kiro smiled.
“Checkmate.”
She kicked his leg.
The sun slowly came up while they ate.
Not dramatic.
Just pale light spreading over the lake.
Mist sat low over the water.
The forest changed from black to gray, then slowly back into color.
Susie stopped eating.
Her eyes moved toward the window.
Kiro noticed.
“Camera.”
Susie looked at him.
He pointed toward the sleeping area.
“Go.”
She was already moving.
Kiro laughed.
A few seconds later she returned with the camera.
Click.
Lake.
Click.
Mist.
Click.
The first light touching the trees.
Kiro sat against the wall, finishing the last few bites.
Susie turned toward him.
Click.
He frowned.
“Really?”
“Morning light.”
“I look like shit.”
“You always say that.”
“I slept four hours in a watchtower.”
“So did I.”
“You look worse.”
Susie slowly lowered the camera.
Kiro smiled.
“Fair.”
Click.
“Hey.”
When the lasagna was gone, Kiro stared at the empty container.
Susie noticed.
“You look guilty.”
“A little.”
“You should.”
Kiro looked around the cabin.
Then reached into his pocket.
Wallet.
A few bills.
Susie watched.
“What are you doing?”
“Paying for breakfast.”
“To who?”
“No idea.”
Kiro put some cash beneath the container.
Then found a scrap of paper near the old desk.
He wrote:
Sorry about the lasagna.
Paused.
Added:
It was good.
Susie looked over his shoulder.
“Seriously?”
Kiro signed a small K underneath.
Susie took the pen.
Below it she wrote:
I told him not to.
Kiro stared.
“You betrayed me.”
“I documented the crime accurately.”
“Traitor.”
She put the note beside the empty container.
Kiro looked at it.
Then at the money.
“Think that's enough?”
Susie shrugged.
“For half a lasagna?”
“Probably.”
“Good.”
They cleaned before leaving.
Folded the blankets.
Put the bed back roughly how they'd found it.
Threw away their trash.
Susie checked twice that she had every camera.
Kiro checked the fridge once more.
Empty now.
Susie caught him.
“It's gone.”
“I know.”
“You ate it.”
“We ate it.”
Susie stared.
Kiro pointed at her.
“Accomplice.”
She rolled her eyes.
Then both of them looked toward the door.
And beyond it.
The staircase.
Kiro's smile faded.
“Right.”
Susie adjusted her bag.
“Ready?”
“No.”
She walked closer.
Kiro looked at her.
Susie held out her paw.
He looked down at it.
Then smiled.
“We can't climb down holding paws.”
“I know.”
She squeezed his fingers once anyway.
Then let go.
Kiro breathed out.
“Okay.”
He opened the door.
Cold morning air immediately moved through his fur.
The balcony waited.
The stairs below it.
The lake far beneath.
Kiro looked down.
Immediately regretted it.
“Oh, fuck.”
Susie stepped beside him.
“You did it twice yesterday.”
“Yesterday-me was stupid.”
“Today-you ate somebody's lasagna.”
Kiro looked at her.
“Excellent point.”
She smiled.
He put one paw on the railing.
Solid.
Still there.
Kiro breathed in.
Then started down.
It took longer than going up.
But he didn't freeze as much.
Still hated every gap.
Still hated every movement of the structure.
Still refused to look down when Susie told him not to.
Mostly.
Halfway down, he stopped on one landing.
Susie looked up from below.
“You okay?”
Kiro looked outward.
Not down.
Across.
The lake.
Morning light.
Trees.
The cabin high above them.
He smiled slightly.
“Yeah.”
And this time he actually meant it.
Susie smiled back.
“Good.”
Kiro looked at the next flight.
Then at her.
“Still hate the stairs.”
“I know.”
He continued.
When they finally reached the ground, Kiro didn't kiss the dirt.
He considered it.
Susie could tell.
“Don't.”
Kiro looked at her.
“I didn't do anything.”
“Your face did.”
He smiled.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“My line.”
Susie started walking toward the Ranger.
Kiro followed.
The forest smelled different in the morning.
Wet leaves.
Cold air.
Water.
He looked back once.
The tower stood above the trees.
Much less threatening from down here.
Susie stopped beside the truck.
Kiro almost walked into her.
She looked at him.
“So.”
“So?”
“Who drives back?”
Kiro immediately held out his paw.
Susie looked at it.
Then at him.
“You've had one illegal driving lesson.”
“Successful illegal driving lesson.”
“You almost drove into a hole.”
“I avoided it.”
“At the last second.”
“Still counts.”
Susie stared.
Kiro smiled.
“Trust me?”
She sighed.
Then dropped the keys into his paw.
“Slow.”
“Painfully.”
“And no trees.”
“I'll try.”
“Kiro.”
“No trees.”
Susie opened the passenger door.
Kiro looked at the keys.
Then at the forest road ahead.
Then toward her.
A small smile appeared.
“Breakfast and driving lesson.”
Susie climbed inside.
“Breakfast was stolen.”
“Details.”
Kiro got behind the wheel.
The tower remained behind them.
Warm lights off now.
Empty again.
Except for an apology note.
Some cash.
And one less lasagna.