14. Inevitable
Summary: Enma doesn't like thinking about it but its true; it can't be avoided…
There were times, not often but sometimes, when Enma would be faced with something that scared him more than any bully, than his memories of losing his parents, than anything else in his life: the thought of being alone. Namely, he dreaded it when, left to his own devices without his friends nearby, without his "family" around, without Naruki to stand beside him, he would find his mind trailing over to what he knew to be very much unavoidable. And unchangeable. After all, everyone left, everyone died; this was simply a fact of life, something that no one could fight, no matter how much they cried and begged and fought against him. Death was natural, it was expected.
Betrayal too, in many situations for many people, was something that was also to be expected. Not everyone on the earth was kind, and even the kind ones weren't perfect; people betray one another, people hurt one another, they fight to survive oftentimes by stepping over and on each others. And when they managed to reach what they think is the top, they get trampled down by someone bigger, stronger, or just plain meaner than them. It wasn't worth it to feel pain over each and ever time it happened then; the right thing to do, Enma decided long ago, was to not let them betray though. Never trust, never get close, never let others in; that was the best way to attempt to avoid it. But it didn't work; in trying to hate Tsuna the Vongola Decimo, instead he found himself getting closer and becoming friends with him and his family. His own family, if only in the case of Adelheid, cared about him too and no matter how he acted, she still tried to help and protect him as their leader.
And then there was Naruki. He tried to find fault in her kindness but found none; he tried to ignore her but she had kept showing up to help. She offered a hand when he was down and never asked for anything in return but for him to be "his cute Enma self". He was sure there was a motive behind her actions, that like everyone there had to be a chance she too would betray him, and yet that made him all the more pained inside when he thought about it. He'd curl up in the corner of the staircase, clenching his chest, as if the mere thought the kuniochi would ever turn away from him caused him physical pain; this was why he didn't let anyone in though, he didn't let them get close. Because betrayal was painful; he tried to reason it wasn't worth it to agonize over it but it hurt and he didn't like how much it did. Thinking that Naruki would abandon him, that Tsuna and his friends would betray him, that his family would throw him aside all made Enma's heart hurt and ache.
Yet every time he felt this pain, it was after she could feel it too and it always lead her to him; within minutes, seconds, she always appeared and sat beside him, gently putting her arms around him, holding her to him. It was as if Naruki knew automatically whenever Enma was sad, whenever he was in pain; she did tend to show up almost magically whenever bullies corner him after all, she had from the very beginning. The ninja girl would hold him close and stroke his hair softly and lovingly, almost knowing exactly what was wrong, that he needed someone to be with him.
"Naruki?" He'd ask, his voice low, soft and sad.
"Enma," She'd answered, leaning her head against his with a small smile.
"You won't betray me, right?"
"Never."
"You'll never abandon me, right?"
"Not in a thousand years."
"You'll always love me…"
"Until the day the world ends," She'd say and chuckle and kiss his cheek and for a few precious moments in time he'd believe her. He'd believe she'd never betray him, that she'd never leave him, that she'd always care, and he'd believe that Tsuna would always be his friend and the Simon family would always be there for him. Enma would believe and forget every doubt he had
If only because he believed having her beside him would let him bet the inevitable.
Veneziano: Got to thinking about Enma and his cuteness again and this came into existence. No worries though, I'm working on the next chapter of both The Mist and His Apprentice and The Crescent Moon's Child (probably gonna post two chapters for the latter one to make up for my LONG hiatus with it). ^w^
Enma*getting cuddles and love from Naruki*
Naruki: *oozes hearts like those two yeti from Twilight Princess* Enma-kun~