KIRO’S STORY / CHAPTER 35 OF 36
Upstairs
by hasira · about 18 min read
The Ranger passed Kiro's street.
Kiro noticed immediately.
He watched his house move past the passenger window.
Then the fence.
Then the next house.
He waited another few seconds.
“...You missed it.”
Susie kept driving.
“No, I didn't.”
Kiro turned toward her.
“My house was back there.”
“I know.”
Silence.
Kiro stared.
Susie's eyes stayed on the road.
Her expression looked normal.
Almost.
There was something at the corner of her mouth.
Small.
Suspicious.
Kiro narrowed his eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Driving.”
“Susie.”
“What?”
“You have the face.”
“What face?”
“The one where you're planning something.”
She glanced at him.
That made it worse.
Kiro slowly looked ahead again.
“Where are we going?”
“My house.”
“We just bought groceries for your house.”
“Exactly.”
“I thought you were dropping me off.”
“I wasn't.”
Kiro looked back through the window.
His street was already gone.
“...Oh.”
Susie's smile became slightly more obvious.
“It's not the end for today.”
Kiro turned toward her again.
Actually surprised this time.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
He did.
That was the problem.
Something warm moved through his stomach.
He looked away before she could read his face properly.
“That's incredibly suspicious.”
“Good.”
Kiro's ears lowered.
“Great.”
Martin was in the kitchen when they arrived.
Susie carried two bags inside.
Kiro carried the rest.
Apparently grocery shopping also included unpaid delivery service.
Martin looked up.
“Successful?”
“Mostly.”
Kiro put another bag on the counter.
“She prevented me from buying cereal.”
Martin looked at Susie.
“Good.”
Kiro stared.
“Traitor.”
“What cereal?”
“Dinosaur.”
Martin nodded slowly.
“Definitely good.”
“It had vitamins.”
“It had a cartoon dinosaur.”
“He looked medically qualified.”
Martin laughed.
Kiro started helping unpack.
Milk into the fridge.
Eggs carefully.
Bread onto the counter.
He held up the detergent.
“Where?”
Martin pointed toward a cupboard.
Kiro put it away.
Easy.
Normal.
Maybe this was the rest of the afternoon.
He was fine with that.
Then Susie appeared beside him.
“Come on.”
Kiro looked at her.
“Where?”
“My room.”
He stopped.
There was that face again.
That fucking face.
Kiro glanced toward Martin.
Martin was putting vegetables away.
Completely uninterested.
Kiro looked back at Susie.
“...Why?”
She was already walking toward the stairs.
“You asked too many questions.”
“That's not an answer.”
“Kiro.”
She looked back.
“Coming?”
He stood there another second.
Then followed.
“Apparently.”
Susie closed her bedroom door.
Not locked.
Just closed.
Her room looked mostly the same.
Photographs everywhere.
Clothes on the chair.
Camera bag near the desk.
The album Kiro had given her sat on one shelf now.
Three plants by the window.
Two alive.
One still completely fucking dead.
Kiro pointed.
“Seriously?”
She looked over.
“What?”
“It's still there.”
“It's recovering.”
“It's becoming dirt.”
“Be supportive.”
Kiro smiled.
“Rest in peace.”
Susie pushed his shoulder.
He laughed.
Everything felt normal again.
For approximately three seconds.
Then Susie stayed close.
Very close.
Kiro noticed.
His smile slowly disappeared.
Not because something was wrong.
Quite the opposite.
Susie's paw rested lightly against the front of his sweater.
Kiro looked down.
Then at her.
“...Hi.”
“Hi.”
“You brought me upstairs to stare at me?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Her fingers curled slightly into the fabric.
She pulled him closer.
Kiro let her.
Susie kissed him.
No warning this time.
Kiro froze for barely a second.
Then kissed her back.
Susie stepped closer.
Kiro's back touched the wall.
He hadn't even noticed them moving.
She pulled away slightly.
“Okay?”
Kiro looked at her.
His breathing was faster.
His face warm.
Heart beating hard.
But not panic.
He knew the difference now.
“Yeah.”
Susie waited.
Kiro frowned.
“What?”
“Making sure.”
“I'm okay.”
“You froze.”
“For like half a second.”
“Still.”
Kiro stared at her.
Then grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her back.
That answered enough.
Adult content ahead
This optional section contains explicit sexual content and is intended for readers aged 18 and over. You can skip it and continue the chapter.
Afterward, they lay tangled in the sheets.
Kiro stared at the ceiling.
His breathing had slowed, but his heart still hammered against his ribs.
Susie's head rested on his shoulder.
One paw traced idle patterns across his chest.
Neither spoke.
The afternoon light had shifted.
It came through the window differently now.
Or maybe Kiro just noticed it differently.
His ears were still warm.
The air.
Her breath against his neck.
The weight of her legs across his.
Kiro turned his head slightly.
Looked at her.
Susie's eyes were half-closed.
Content.
Quiet.
She looked younger like this.
Or maybe just less guarded.
Kiro's paw moved without thinking.
Brushed hair away from her face.
Susie opened her eyes.
Looked at him.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
She smiled.
Small.
Private.
Kiro's chest tightened.
Not panic.
Something else.
He looked back at the ceiling.
“Your dad's still downstairs.”
“I know.”
“He's going to know.”
“Probably.”
Kiro's ears flattened.
“Fuck.”
Susie lifted her head.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
Kiro looked.
She was serious now.
Not teasing.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
Kiro swallowed.
Nodded.
“Just...”
He stopped.
Didn't know how to finish.
Susie waited.
Kiro tried again.
“Just processing.”
“Good processing or bad processing?”
Kiro thought about it.
“Good.”
Then quieter:
“Terrifying.”
Susie's expression softened.
She kissed his shoulder.
“That's allowed.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Kiro didn't answer.
He pulled her closer instead.
She came easily.
Settled against him.
Kiro buried his face in her hair.
Smelled her.
Shampoo.
Something else.
Skin.
The smell of them together.
It made his stomach flip.
In a good way.
Mostly.
They lay there until the light shifted again.
Kiro's paw moved along her back.
Slow.
Learning the shape of her.
The spine.
The shoulder blades.
The soft fur at the base of her neck.
Susie made a small sound.
Almost a hum.
Content.
Kiro smiled against her hair.
Then a floorboard cracked outside.
Both went rigid.
Footsteps.
Kiro's eyes flew to the door.
Susie sat up slightly.
Listened.
The footsteps passed.
Kept going.
Downstairs.
Kiro exhaled.
“Shit.”
Susie looked at him.
Her hair was messed up.
Her shirt was somewhere on the floor.
Kiro's was crooked.
“We should get dressed.”
“Yeah.”
Neither moved.
Kiro reached out.
Touched her face.
Thumb brushed her cheekbone.
Susie leaned into it.
Closed her eyes.
For a second, she looked almost fragile.
Then it passed.
She opened her eyes.
Smiled.
The mask back in place.
Or maybe the mask had been off.
Kiro couldn't tell.
“Come on.”
“Before he comes up.”
Kiro nodded.
Sat up.
The room spun slightly.
He waited for it to stop.
Susie was already moving.
Finding clothes.
Tossing his jeans toward him.
Kiro caught them.
Dropped them.
Picked them up.
His paw shook slightly.
Not much.
Enough to notice.
Susie pulled her shirt on.
No bra.
Kiro stared.
“What?”
“You're not wearing...”
“I will before we go downstairs.”
“Oh.”
Kiro pulled his sweater on.
Backwards.
Fixed it.
Susie laughed.
Quiet.
“Shut up.”
But he was smiling.
She came over.
Fixed the fur near one ear.
Kiro stayed still.
“Better?”
She looked at him.
Hair destroyed.
Face flushed.
Ears still flat with leftover adrenaline.
“No.”
Kiro closed his eyes.
“Great.”
They walked down the stairs.
Martin was in the kitchen.
Fully dressed.
Hair dry.
He looked up.
“Sue?”
“Yeah?”
“Coffee?”
Kiro froze.
Susie looked at him.
Then at her father.
“Sure.”
“Okay.”
Martin looked at Kiro.
Kiro stared back.
His face was burning.
His ears were flat.
Martin's eyes moved down.
To Kiro's shirt.
Crooked.
To his hair.
To the way he was standing.
Martin looked back at the coffee maker.
Said nothing.
Kiro wanted to die.
Susie walked into the kitchen.
Normal.
Like nothing happened.
Kiro followed.
Stiff.
Awkward.
Martin handed Susie her mug.
Looked at Kiro.
“You want one?”
Kiro opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
“Sure.”
Martin poured another cup.
Handed it to Kiro.
Kiro took it.
His paw shook.
Coffee spilled slightly.
“Sorry.”
Martin looked at the spill.
Then at Kiro.
Then at Susie.
Susie was smiling into her mug.
Martin shook his head.
Almost smiled.
Almost.
“Groceries are put away.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
They stood there.
Three of them.
Drinking coffee.
Kiro's underwear was in his pocket.
He could feel it.
Susie's bra was probably under her bed.
He knew it was there.
Martin probably knew something was there.
Kiro drank his coffee.
Too hot.
Burned his tongue.
Didn't care.
Susie bumped his shoulder.
He looked at her.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Okay?”
Kiro nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Sure?”
“Don't ask me that.”
Martin looked between them.
Didn't ask.
Kiro was grateful.
They finished their coffee.
Kiro put the mug down.
“I should go.”
“Probably.”
Kiro's ears burned again.
Susie walked him to the door.
“Text me.”
“Yeah.”
“When you get home.”
“I know.”
“Alive.”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
Kiro smiled back.
Small.
Secret.
He stepped outside.
Cold air hit his face.
He could still smell her on his skin.
He walked home.
Fast.
His phone buzzed.
A message.
From Susie.
you forgot your dignity
Kiro stared at the screen.
Laughed once.
Quiet.
Typed back:
you stole it
Three dots.
Then:
keep it
Kiro put the phone away.
Walked faster.
Despite everything.
Because of everything.