***(Y/N) POV***

"You've had your eyes glued to your phone since we got home. You waiting on something?"

My eyes flickered down to Yaku's, and I let the device fall into my lap, legs kicking against the cabinet of the bathroom sink I was perched upon.
"Nah. Just waiting to see if the Lady Momolade video has gone viral yet." I joked quietly, kind of snickering when my nephew nearly choked on his toothbrush. "I'm kidding."

It's like nine already...Mom should have called by now...

"-the jacket. You like it?" I zoned back in to the tail end of Yaku's slightly garbled sentence, performing mental gymnastics to try and keep up.
"The..? Oh, yeah, it fits perfectly. It'll look great while I drive around in my new Lamborghini." I snorted when the boy flicked water from his damp toothbrush at me, shying away, but it was pretty empty.

"You should probably wash that out." He pointed to the foil wrapped around a front section of my hair, that I had almost forgotten about. "What colour did you choose this time?" Jumping down from the ledge of the sink, I pulled the foil off, revealing a vibrant fire truck red.
"Y'know, it's funny. The shade was called Momo's Face When Lev's Hot Big Sister Picked Him Up From The Party."

We shared another laugh as I stuck my head into the sink, and Yaku sighed wistfully.
"Isn't she perfect? Like, an actual goddess?" He cooed, all but fanning himself like a smitten duchess.
"I mean, she looks exactly like Lev but with tits. I'll have to let him know you think he's a perfect godde-fffsshhh!"

I deserved the minor water-boarding as he pushed my face directly under the running tap, and we wrestled for a little while before he eventually began to help me rinse the rest of the dye out. He'd always been, well, motherly wasn't the right terminology. Caring? Doting?

"So, you had fun today?" He questioned me as he towel dried my hair, me leaning on my arms upon the counter so he could get a good reach without stretching.
"Yeah, I did. Thanks, for like, going to all that trouble..." I smiled at him in the mirror, and he reciprocated.
"It wasn't trouble. We all really wanted to celebrate with you. I didn't like the idea of you being on your own all day, especially since you decided you didn't want to go to the wedding, and all."

Wait...What?

"D..Didn't want to...go to the wedding?" I had to repeat his words slowly, trying so very hard to not let my expression drop. Humming, Yaku began to fluff up my hair a bit, having thrown the towel over his shoulder.
"Yeah, Gran said you didn't seem interested, which was a bit of a surprise, considering you're always up for a party."

Not interested? No way. I literally begged. Wait-

"Hey, uh, I haven't seen anyone s..since we got home...Are they, um..?" It was just a coincidence, right? They'd all gone out to see a movie or something. A late dinner. Anything else.
"Mom was working during the ceremony, but they probably left for the reception not long before we got back. I'd say they'll be back around lunchtime tomorrow, if the traffic's light."

I'm going to throw up.

I didn't want to let anything show. I couldn't, because I knew for a fact it would be anything but pretty.
"Can you imagine..? Saburo and Hidemi running wild on a ritzy boat..?" I simulated a laugh, almost wincing when the one Yaku responded with was genuine.
"God, yeah, I bet we'll be hearing stories tomorrow!"

So Mom had lied to me. There was no issue with kids being invited to the wedding, just me. She just hadn't wanted me there. At all, it seemed. The second Yaku was finished with my hair I stood up straight, hoping that gravity would have any possible show of tears dripping back down to wherever they'd formed from.

"So...why didnt you go..?" I asked him, genuinely worried about what his answer would be. Part of me already knew exactly why, but I hoped, no, I prayed that I was wrong.
"To keep an eye on you, duh!" He jabbed me playfully in the ribs, and I definitely, one hundred percent, was going to cry.

"H..Heh, yeah, duh! Anyway, now that I'm all red like your goofy lil face in the presence of flawless Russianese genetics, I'm going to go and melt into the springs of my mattress." I grabbed the towel and flipped it over his face, giving it a good rub just to hide the look on my face before I started towards the door.

"Wait, hold up! You wanna kick back and watch (Fave movie) for a while? Or I could kick your ass at (Fave MP Game)?" He sounded hopeful, and I really, truly wanted to do either of those things with him, like old times, but I just couldn't. I was slipping fast and I wasn't about to let him witness that.
"Tomorrow, yeah? I think I twisted something that shouldn't be twisted attempting left hand blue earlier. Anyway, I'd be kicking your ass, my dude. Night...and thanks..."

I didn't let him get another word in before I was off down the hall, into my room. The absolute second the door was locked I crouched down, face in hands, feeling the warm, wet tears seep through my fingers and onto the carpet.

Why wasn't I good enough for her? I could be a handful, sure, I knew that as well as anybody else, but I was her daughter. Her flesh and blood. Why had she been so hell bent on keeping me out of her wedding? She hadn't even sent a measly text to wish me happy birthday. That would have been enough. It would have meant the world to me. Just two, pathetic little words.

Then there was my nephew. Of course he'd only stayed behind to keep his eye on me. Heaven forbid I'm left alone for more than five minutes. What did they think I'd do this time? Start a meth lab? Burn down a church? Join a cult that sacrifices newborn orphans to a hellish party deity?

After feeling okay - good, even - during the fun in the gym, I had messaged my friends to let them know that I'd changed my mind, and I wasn't going to go to their party. Yaku had been treating me like I was an actual person, equal to him, not some prisoner he was in charge of. I hadn't wanted to betray him by doing exactly what he always feared I would do.

Well, now I didn't give a fuck.

Using my forearm to wipe away my snot and tears, I pulled my phone from where I had wedged it into my pyjama pants pocket, lip quivering as I tapped my way into my recent messages.

Me:
- I changed my mind.
- please tell me I'm not too late

If I was, then that was fine. I'd make my own way there, somehow, or anywhere, really. It was a Saturday night, so there would be some kind of party to go to somewhere. Crawling to my bed, I reached under and dragged out the to-go bag I had prepared the evening before, with a change of clothes.

Bzzzp Bzzzp

I very nearly dislocated my entire arm reaching for my phone again, blinking away my stupid tears to try and read whatever response I had gotten.

Issei Me, Mario:
- We gotchu

You Need A Hiro:
- If you look to your left, or your right, or whichever direction your window is currently, you shall see that we do, in fact, gotchu

Springing to my feet, and absolutely annihilating my pinky toe on the wooden leg of my bed, because of course I did, I hobbled like lightning over to my window, squishing myself against it and squinting out into the darkness below.

There they were, in all their glory. My saviours, crouching by the trunk of the tree in the backyard, waving to me with their beautifully dorky grins. I quickly waved back and pointed to my phone before typing out a message.

Me:
- I love you
- Both of you
- So fucking much
- Can you wait 10?

You Need A Hiro:
- Say that to my face
- Yeah we can wait, no problem

Issei Me, Mario:
- The lil guy is in the kitchen going ham on some milk

That was good. Milk meant ten, maybe fifteen minutes before Yaku would be toilet bound for some horrendous amount of time, which meant I'd have my chance to make a break for it.

Me:
- That means he'll shit it all out in T minus not long
- They trimmed my escape branch, so you know what that means, right, my darlings?

Issei Me, Mario:
- I have skowleeohsis

Me:
- Please see a medical professional about your brain

You Need A Hiro:
- Wouldn't the front door be easier if Momo is bloblo ing his asshole out?

Me:
- Do not underestimate him
- He'd be up and after me if he heard the door, like a putrid turbo snail

Issei Me, Mario:
- I like that movie

Me:
- Besides, I trust you to catch me :)

You Need A Hiro:
- :')
- Fuck

So, I waited, dragging my bag to the window and moving to press my ear to the door. This was wrong, but I knew that. I'd wanted to do the right thing, I really had, but I needed to forget about today. Even being in this house for one minute more was going to send me into a spiral, and the absolute last thing I wanted was for anybody to realise that.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, which was (Y/N) for thirteen minutes, I heard the tell-tale, fast paced steps to the bathroom, and the click of the lock. It was go time. Hurrying to the window, I used one hand to flip the latch and push it open, using my other to type.

Me:
- I'm coming down, brochachos.
- You better not fucking drop me.