"Kiki.." The boy said in between sobs. Kiki…. Who the hell was Kiki? He didn't remember the altar names, Mago never had a good memory like that. He needed to stop him from crying. "Why are you crying?" Mago asked, hurrying down the rest of the steps. His keys clicked as he ran towards his car, the nighttime breeze sending shivers down his spine.
"D- dark…" Kiki mumbled. Dark? Why would Kiki be scared of the- oh my god. Mago unlocked his car door. "Kiki, how old are you?" "F-four.." That explains it. He was talking to a damn four-year-old. Why him, why would Kiki call him? Mago hummed, opening the door and sliding into his car. That's when Mago realized something. "Ok Kiki, where are you?" Mago asked quietly, his voice softening. He didn't need to scare the child even more.
"Y-yok-a-" Yokosa. He was trying to say Yokosa. That's when Mago realized something. THe boy spoke in fluent Japanese. Hisoki didn't speak that much Japanese unless he was at home, which he rarely was. "You're at school aren't you?" Kiki hummed. Why would Hisoki be at school so late? It was almost nine. Mago sucked in a breath before sighing.
"Sweetheart, you need to stop crying, ok?" Mago was not good with children. At least, that's what he thought. His friends and family thought differently, however, always wanting him to babysit. "Mago, you are just so motherly." It annoyed him at first, but now it doesn't even bother him. Wafi's more motherly than Mago. Yoshi is too. He scoffed. Even Baker- holy shit. Baker's stuffed animal.
"I- I'm trying.." He murmured, still whispering. Mago didn't live far from the school, yet it felt like it was taking years to get there. "Kiki, I love to look at the desks. In the far corner do you see a bunny?" Mago asked. God, why didn't he think of that sooner? Kiki was silent for a moment, only the sounds of his sniffles going through the phone. But soon he heard the soft pattering of Kiki's socks. Did he take off his normal shoes?
"I got it.." He mumbled softly. His voice wavered slightly as Mago quickly drove into a parking lot. "Ok sweetie, it's going to protect you. Hold it close to your chest." Mago instructed, quickly grabbing his phone and keys before running out of the car. He slammed it shut, running into the dark building. Unlike a normal school, Yokosa had outside halls, and luckily, the language wing was one of the outside ones.
Mago ran, faster than he ever had before. The numbers became a blur as he counted in his head. 201, 202, 2023,204, 205, 206, 207….. "O-ok." Kiki mumbled through the floor. Mago didn't answer because he was busy running. 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 22- shit. Mago turned around, running back to the right room. With a single breath, he opened the door, looking around for the small boy.
Kiki's cheeks and nose were red. He curled himself into a ball, the phone placed beside him. However, just as Mago instructed, the stuffed animal was hugged tightly to his chest. His brown hair covered most of his face, his cheeks puffy. He looked like Hisoki, but a young, innocent version. The bunny's ear peeked out, Hisoki's turtleneck seemingly big.
Mago ran up to the boy, falling to his knees to give him a hug. Kiki started lightly crying again, as Mago rubbed his back. "It's ok, I'm here now. Everything's ok." He murmured softly, shutting his eyes. Somehow, tears slowly flooded Mago's eyes. He didn't like seeing Kiki cry. Even if he had just met the boy.
He was supposed to protect him.
Kiki rubbed his eyes and Mago pulled away from the hug, yet he kept his hands on the younger shoulder. "I'm gonna get you home." Mago voiced. He slowly stood, his knees hurting from the fall earlier. But that didn't matter. He lifted Kiki up, placing the boy on his hips. He was taller than the other, and Kiki was light. However, the boy turned his head to look at Hisoki's desk. "No…. our book.." He mumbled. Mago turned to look at his desk. What a book.
Kiki silently pointed to a leather book on the desk. Hisoki's entire desk seemed messy and unorganized, as if he was looking for something frantically. Mago reached over to grab the book, sliding it into his pocket. "Ok, let's go home." He mumbled.
______
Hisoki and Mago had given each other their keys a long time ago. When it started to become hard to live without them. They would always go over each other's houses, usually uninvited. So, a key started to be useful.
However Mago was using it for a different reason.
Kiki had stopped crying, which was a relief. However, he could still hear the occasional sniffle and whimper here and there. It broke his heart. Mago wanted to hug the boy until he couldn't any longer. He opened the door to HIsoki's apartment, guiding Kiki to the couch. The boy laid down, snuggling with the bunny stuffie. Kiki hadn't looked at Mago the entire way here.
Mago crouched down, so he was at eye level with the young boy. He sat the book on the table. "Sweetheart, can you answer this question?" Mago asked gently, rubbing Kiki's cheek. The four year old slightly nodded. "Why did you call me?" Mago had been wanting to know this. Wanting to ask all night, but he wouldn't. At least, not until he knew the other was safe.
"I like you." Kiki answered quietly. He did? Mago hadn't even met Kiki before, barely ever even heard of him. How could Kiki like him? "What do you mean?" Mago asked, pulling his hand away. Kiki glanced at the notebook, before towards Mago. "Hisoki talks about you. He likes you, so I like you." Kiki mumbled. Hisoki…. Talk about him?
Hisoki's phone buzzed from Kiki's pocket, the boy going to grab it. Mago didn't know if he was supposed to take it. "Can I have the phone?" Mago asked politely. Kiki looked hesitant, but quietly gave the phone up to Mago. The tanned boy smiled at him, before answering. "Hello?"
"Mago? Why do you have Hisoki's phone? Did I just see you? What did you guys do, fuck or something?" It was Wafi. Mago sighed, standing up. He knew Kiki couldn't hear Wafi, but better be safe than sorry. "No, we didn't. Why are you calling?" Mago asked tensely. Wafi was silent for a moment, before his voice went quiet. "Is something wrong?" Wafi asked. That was a very loaded question.
"I- yes. Hisoki switched to a little boy named Kiki somehow. And he was crying when he called me because it was dark. And now we are at Hisoki's apartment and I need your help." Mago blurted all at once. Wafi was silent for the second time, however unlike the last, it took a little while before Wafi answered.
"We're on our way."