Author's Note: Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is the last stop in my "Water" series. I thank you all for following the story, and I hope you enjoy this last one. I'm a bit sad, but just because this is the last one doesn't mean that I'll stop writing AgitoxYayoi fics (God forbid I should ever have such a thought). This one isn't the best, but I've run out of ideas for this thing. Hope it doesn't suck too much. So, without further delay, ladies and gentlemen:
Live
HE DIDN'T KNOW what to do. His hands wouldn't stop shaking, as though he wasn't in control of his own body. He wasn't even in control of the actual body, damn it! He cursed angrily and punched at his cage. It was those bastards' fault.
The same ones who had ambushed him, who had gotten her all worried, who had started giving her the reoccurring nightmares (which had stopped occurring thanks to a few special words he had said to her at the beach). He charged at his bars and slammed into them.
'Worrying like that isn't going to do a thing,' Akito chided, though he too was anxiously clutching at his cage, as though waiting to get free.
Surprisingly, Agito didn't snap at his lighter half like he usually would. Instead, he slumped down and buried his face in his hands, gritting his teeth. 'What if she won't wake up?' he whispered quietly. 'What if she…' He choked and bit his lip. Damn it all. He wasn't supposed to be so weak like this. He wasn't supposed to break down like this. 'Lind!' he called out. He had reluctantly allowed the boy to take control. 'What's her condition?'
'Come out of your little hole and look if you're so worried,' came the reply.
'No.' He clenched his fists and looked up. 'I don't deserve to see her right now.'
'Man up and deal with your guilt later!' Lind snapped. 'She needs you right now.'
'I think I've caused her enough damage to last her a lifetime.'
"Oi, bastard."
Agito growled, but then realized that he wasn't the one Ikki had spoken to. Lind cracked his neck and sneered. "What?"
"Why hasn't that little jackass come out of his well yet?" the crow asked.
"He's just being a coward," Lind sighed, and it pissed Agito off when the boy added, "as usual."
'Just tell me what her condition is!' Agito snapped. He could feel Lind's immediate refusal and screamed in rage. He slammed against his cage. 'Damn it, when have I ever asked you for a favor? And just this one time…'
"He's throwing a hissy fit 'cause I won't tell him how she is," Lind said, scratching his ear. Agito looked through his eyes and saw Ikki's face.
His heart stopped cold at the sight. It was a mixture of disgust and confusion. But the one emotion that stuck out the most was the one that made him shiver: disappointment. He never thought he'd see the day when Itsuki Minami, the loud-mouth, smart ass crow, would be disappointed in him, the Fang King.
"He's not strong enough to come out here and face her?" he asked. His eyes were icy. "And here I thought he was one of the strongest. This is what the so-called Fang King is reduced to? Pathetic." He practically spat the last word.
That last word did it. Akito stepped back fearfully in their mind as Agito screamed in rage. Lind felt a tug and suddenly found himself back in their mental room. He wasn't in control anymore. Agito was, and he launched himself at the crow with a screech.
Ikki looked like he had been expecting this and fell back into a fighting stance. Agito didn't care. He knew Ikki had goaded him into coming out, but that was the crow's mistake.
"I'll kill you!" the shark roared, swinging his fist. Ikki ducked, only to have his head snap up thanks to the uppercut that had been delivered close after. That one blow sent him reeling and then it all went downhill for him from there.
The shark pounded away at the boy mercilessly, screaming profanities and nonsense that even he didn't understand. He turned a deaf ear to Akito's cries to stop. This bastard deserved it. A few seconds later (which seemed like a glorious eternity to him), he felt thin but strong arms pull him off his prey and hold him back.
He knew it was Kazu, and he didn't blame him. But when he turned, he didn't see a look of anger or hatred on his face. It was sad and pitying. Trembling, Agito opened his mouth to speak. He wanted to tell the Flame-King-in-training to release him, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come from his throat.
Because right now, he didn't want the boy to let go; it felt like the blond was the only thing keeping him from falling. Finally, after a bit of silence, he managed to mutter, "Fuck. I don't need your pity." And he slowly pushed Kazu away and stood straight.
Ikki nodded and wiped his blood on his sleeve. "Feel any better?"
Agito looked at him in shock. Feel better? Then he got it. They were a team. He wasn't the only one hurting about Yayoi. Since they were all a team, the others hurt too. They felt his pain just as much, because the girl was just as dear.
He blew out a shaky breath and gave the crow a small, but twisted grin. "Fuck, yeah." And the tension in the air dissipated. Ikki snorted then, and Agito chuckled. Kazu tried to keep a straight face, but his slight form soon trembled and he too began to laugh. Soon, the empty hospital hallway was filled with laughter. Agito laughed with the rest of his team, not sure of where this relief and happiness came from, but not caring either. It felt good.
The hilarity soon died down to breathless giggles from the girls and smothered sniggers from the boys. Agito cracked his neck, and then extended a hand to Itsuki, who still sat on the floor. The messy-haired crow gladly accepted it and Agito pulled him up.
"Bet you're glad you stayed with this team after the Behemoth battle, eh?" Ikki teased.
"Don't push your luck, crow," the shark spat, but his words were far from malicious.
'Do you want to go see her?' Akito asked cautiously.
Agito thought quietly for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah." To the crow, he said, "I'll see her now." There was something that had to be done.
SHE FELT A presence in the room, but her mind was too hazy to open her eyes. Instead, she listened, using her training as a tuner do discover the identity. She could hear the mechanics of the body as it leaned over her. Male. There was an offbeat with his leg. And a strong steady thump to his heart. Agito.
She wanted to move. But she felt paralyzed. Briefly, she felt the boy's lips brush against her forehead. Oh, she wanted to respond, but the sedatives were too strong.
"Listen, Ya…Nakayama."
If she could stiffen, she would. Not only because he used her last name, but also because the tone in his voice did not bode well. Something serious was up. A decision was about to be made.
"I'm sorry about what happened. But I…I know you'd want me to save my apologies, right? If you were awake, you'd probably say that."
I am awake! Yayoi wanted to scream.
"I know that this is all my fault, but I won't waste my breath. Remember that day at the beach, when you told Lind that you weren't scared of me? That I would never hurt you?" There was an empty chuckle that broke the girl's heart. "You were right, thank God. I would never hurt you. Not…not intentionally. But in the end, you got hurt. Just by being with me."
Yayoi's sharp mind figured it out in a flash. She knew what he was going to do. Oh, please don't, Agito. I need you…
"So, when you wake up, I'm probably gonna ignore you. Or not…talk about what's happened between us. You won't know what's going on, 'cause you're not awake to hear me saying this. But I'm doing this for your…our own good. I need you to be safe. For me. I'm doing this because I love you. Fuck, if you end up hating me, I get it. But I'll still…" He didn't even sound convinced.
Yayoi felt him slip his hand into hers, and she tried with all her might to squeeze it, but her fingers didn't even twitch. Stupid shark. Don't do this. It's not going to solve anything. Please.
"So." Agito cleared his throat. "This is the last time that we'll…well, I'll see you as a girlfriend. Next time we meet…we'll just be teammates."
Yayoi didn't have the strength to cry out as he stood, the warmth of his hand leaving hers. One last kiss was pressed to her scratched forehead. One last caress to her cheek.
And he left.
TWO WEEKS PASSED. Agito resumed his training, but something was wrong. Something that annoyed the hell out of him: Yayoi was ignoring him.
When he'd decided to ignore her, he hadn't meant to do it completely. He'd still acknowledge her presence, he'd still talk to her, just not about what had happened between them. He'd meant to forget that they'd ever been together. But now?
Now she wouldn't even look at him. If she was talking with one of their teammates and he approached them, she'd finish up with a quick smile and bow out. If he was training and came to get a water bottle, she'd stand and walk away to go chat with Adachi. If they were all going somewhere in Ton-chan's car, she wouldn't sit next to him. She'd take the front seat and chat with the sensei. She hadn't spoken to him at all.
Oh, she talked with Akito constantly. She would always smile at the boy and they'd launch off into a conversation about God-knows-what. But when Agito came out? Nothing. She was gone.
He was fed up with it.
'What the hell did I do wrong?' Agito asked his brothers as he unleashed an angry Fang on a tree. 'I didn't intend for this to happen. I mean, as soon as she's released, she starts ignoring me.'
'Maybe she blames you for her injuries,' Lind suggested, staring at the never-ending ceiling of their mind. 'Maybe now she's scared.'
Agito felt his heart drop. That was what he had feared the most. And that was what he hadn't expected her to do. He knew she had a heart of gold, and had hoped that she wouldn't be angry, but…
'No!' Akito said forcefully, surprising both personalities. 'She's better than that. Something's up with her that she's not talking about with anyone.'
'Well, then, you ask her,' Agito murmured mentally, releasing another Fang. Ikki squawked as the sharp air current cut close to his ear. The crow rounded on the shark and started rambling, but Agito ignored him and skated away. He felt Akito yawn. Lind had quickly drifted off; he had been coming out more often to "play" at night, and since he wasn't used to being so active, he tired out quickly.
'Ne, Agito. Water? Please? Your throat is really dry,' Akito said, closing his eyes.
Agito nodded, but instead decided to head for the vending machine. Boss coffee was what he wanted, not water. He put more pressure on his ATs and rounded the corner speedily…only to smack into the back of a body.
He swore as they hit the ground, and then snapped, "What the hell are you doing?"
He felt the body beneath him trembling and he looked down. Dull brown eyes glanced up at him before widening in realization. Agito could only sit silently as Yayoi scrambled up and away from him.
"Sorry," the girl murmured. She walked quickly to the vending machine and reached into her pocket. Agito felt a lump under his ribs and sat up. Her coin purse. Yayoi apparently saw it and came back to him. Without thinking, Agito snatched up the small wallet and held it out of her reach. The girl glared fiercely at him. "Give it back."
"No," the shark sniffed. "Not until you start talking."
She looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"
Agito sighed. "Why are you avoiding me?" More confusion entered the girl's eyes and he snapped, "Don't tell me you've been doing it unconsciously!"
"Oh, no, no," Yayoi said quickly. "I've been doing it on purpose."
Agito faltered and his arm drooped a bit. Yayoi took this time to snatch her purse back and walk to the vending machine. Agito followed, now perplexed. "Why?" When she didn't answer, he snarled and grabbed her arm, swinging her around to face him. "Why?"
She looked shyly at the ground. "Isn't that what you wanted?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Agito snapped.
Now Yayoi looked angry. She snapped her eyes up and looked at him. "You broke up with me, didn't you? You said you were going to ignore me, so I just thought it would be easier on you if I ignored you too. Of course, it's been so hard. Do you know how annoying it is to not talk to you? You said that you were doing it for my own good, but apparently you forgot to take into consideration that I had a say in it too. But by the time I was released, I thought it was too late and that I wouldn't be able to convince you. So…so…" The girl bit her lip as a tear slid down her face.
Agito could hear Lind laughing loudly, and he knew why: right now, he felt like he was going to faint. Fuck. She was awake…?
YAYOI WIPED AT her eyes futilely in an attempt to stop the tears. She knew how much Agito couldn't stand tears. But right now, the shark was looking pretty pale. "Agito?"
The golden eye slowly blinked once, and then twice, before focusing on her face. "Huh?"
His voice sounded dazed and he looked like he was about to topple over. Yayoi sniffled a bit before turning to the vending machine. A few coins were deposited, a button was pressed, and then the machine rumbled; the drink landed in the bin with a thock! Yayoi picked it up and took Agito's hand. That seemed to snap him out of it. He looked down and saw a can of Boss coffee in his palm. "Huh?"
Yayoi finally laughed and rolled her eyes. "S'okay. You haven't had anything to drink, right? I know you."
Agito seemed to have regained his composure. Now he eyed her carefully, as though she were a mysterious puzzle. Yayoi cocked her head and wiped away any remaining traces of tears from her eyes.
Finally, the shark sighed. "Dammit, I don't understand. Why do you make me so weak?"
Yayoi felt more anger bubble up in her chest. "Excuse me?" Oh, now I get it. "Is that why you broke up with me? Because you were getting soft? Well, I'm sorry that I made the Fang King grow a heart. You could have been straightforward instead of telling me all of those lies while I was in the hospital. I can't-!"
Lips covered hers and her rant was stopped. Her heart almost melted and her eyelids fluttered shut, but then she remembered that she was supposed to be angry. She pushed him away. "Hold on, now…"
"Shut up, Yayoi," Agito growled, but the shark didn't sound angry. In fact, he sounded like he was trying to hold back laughter.
Yayoi couldn't take any more of this nonsense. "What is wrong with you?"
Agito sighed and ran a hand through his blue hair. "Okay, I suppose I owe you a full explanation now."
"Damn right, you do," Yayoi said, straightening.
Agito cast her a sidelong glance before stating bluntly, "I thought that if I broke up with you, it would keep you from getting hurt."
Yayoi eyes widened. "You think that I…can't protect myself?"
"Yes." Yayoi huffed but let the boy continue. "I have too many enemies. You know that too; lots of guys want my title, and my Regalia. I used to be invincible, and now I have a weak spot."
"Me," the girl sighed.
"Yes. But I didn't mind having a weak spot." The shark stepped closer to her and she felt her knees turn to jelly. "I actually really liked my weak spot." His breath ghosted over her cheek as he whispered this in her ear. "Problem was, I couldn't protect you. So in order to protect you, I had to let you go."
Yayoi looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please tell me that you're regretting your decision."
"Every minute of it." He kissed her and she clung to him, glad to finally have her shark back.
"By the way," she said breathlessly as he pulled back, "there's a flaw." Agito nuzzled her neck to show that he was listening. "I know that you couldn't forget your feelings for someone, no matter how long you've been separated. Take a look at Akira. You hadn't seen him for years, but you still tried to save him."
"Your point?" Agito growled, trying to kiss her again.
"My point is that you would still love me even if you did try to separate from me." Agito nipped her neck in a small protest and she giggled. "And here's what's worse. Since I'm a tuner, I'd have to find a new person to tune. And you never know who it might be. But I guess you were prepared for that weren't you…?"
Agito's head snapped up, golden eye wide. Yayoi was shocked to see the realization in his intense stare. He had never considered it before? Apparently not, for his grip on her waist tightened and he pulled her into a tight embrace, murmuring angry things in her hair that she couldn't help but laugh at. "I'm surprised."
"I'll kill anyone who touches you," Agito snarled. Her hands on another Storm Rider's body? He would never allow it!
"Ah, wait, you broke up with me," Yayoi sang, deciding to draw out her teasing in revenge for making her so sad the past week. She slipped out of his grip and danced away. "I'll have to find another body to tune."
That did it. He lunged for her, but she somehow managed to avoid his hands and broke into a run. Even though Emily was faster than her, Yayoi was still on the track team. She raced back to where Kogarasumaru rested in the shade of the school's trees, Agito hot on her tail. She knew he was humoring her; he could catch her without even trying, especially since he was wearing his ATs.
She dashed to Ikki's side, who looked up confusedly. The boy was sucking greedily on a juice box. "I don't know, Agito!" Yayoi called as the boy came to a stop several yards away. "For all you know, I could be Ikki's Tuner!"
Two things happened at once: Ikki spit out his juice, and Agito unleashed a Fang the crow's way. Yayoi was already out of the attack's way, but Ikki just barely managed to dodge it. The crow leapt up and threw his juice box at the shark who easily batted it away. "What the hell, bastard?"
Agito sneered and Yayoi shook his head. Some things would never change. Agito walked over to her and ignored Ikki when he warily fell into a fighting stance. Leaning down, he kissed her softly and said, "I want you back. You have to understand that I only did it for your sake."
Kogarasumaru started to whistle. Agito whirled gracefully and silenced them with another Fang. Turning back to Yayoi, he said, "I just need you to know that I would die for you."
Yayoi could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. This was the Road she chose to walk: she was the Fang King's Tuner, and she'd stay by his side. She'd walk his Road with him. But she frowned. She didn't like the sound of him dying.
"I have a condition," she said, reaching up and bending the boy's head to touch her forehead. He nodded and she said, "Don't die for me, okay? I want you to live for me."
The toothy grin she received was more than enough agreement and she kissed him sweetly, knowing that it was only one of the many to come.