A/N: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or any of its characters. This one-shot was inspired by the song 'Girl With One Eye' by Florence + The Machine and I do not own that either. Also, please note that this story is rated mature. There is mild gore, sexual references, and implied character death.
Her hand curled tighter around the pole as the bus hit a bump and she was jostled a bit. Her other hand was shoved deep into the pocket of her trench coat, a pocket deep enough and large enough to conceal the weapon she was carrying. Her fingers ran up and down, sometime tracing delicately over the smooth, rounded surface of the knife's hilt. The blade itself, a very deadly eight inches, sharpened to perfection, was sheathed inside its leather casing and she brushed a finger down to glide along the pebbly surface of that, reassuring herself of the knife's very solidity.
The woman doesn't look dangerous in the least, not at all the type to be carrying a concealed weapon. She's just another average girl riding the bus to wherever. There might be a tinge of unsettlement in a stranger who meets her eye, who is unlucky enough to see the hint of cruel contempt and the sinister bloodlust hiding just behind that perpetually stoic expression, but it will be just that, a tinge that quickly fades away, leaving the person to believe that they had just imagined that look in her eyes, that wave of fear and something stronger, an innate flight response.
The bus was crowded, the frost-covered windows showing a darkening gray sky, the streets lined with clumps of snow that had yet to melt, sticking to the sidewalks in sickening, nearly blackened clumps. The last few survivors, fighting valiantly to hold on, working their chilly fingers in the concrete despite the looming death they'd face as winter subsided into spring. The bus itself was overly warm and the girl shrugged a little in the big trench-coat she was wearing. Bodies were packed against bodies and the prevailing scent of body odor hung noxiously in the air.
A fat man beside her elbowed her in the hip as he moved in his seat, flipping another page of his newspaper. This wasn't the first time he'd done that throughout the trip and as with all the other times, he didn't spare her an apologetic glance or word. She thought momentarily about how easy it would be to slide her knife out of the sheath, to unleash it with one yank and with a swing of her arm plunge it right into the fat man's many chins, unleashing a splattering torrent of his blood. It would be warm and beautifully red, she thought dreamily, probably smelling of sugar from the diabetes he no doubt has or will get. She yanked herself out of that day-dream quickly though. Too much temptation and she'd never been particularly skilled at self-restraint. No, she couldn't do that, this blade was meant for another's blood tonight and she didn't want any other blood but her dear Nagi's running between her fingers tonight. No, tonight this blade was for vengeance and nothing else.
Hmm…Nagi. Yes, her dear, sweet Nagi. She let her thoughts drift to her lover instead of the fat man beside her, a much better train of thought if she did say so herself. Even just the girl's name was enough to conjure up all sorts of wonderful memories. She searched through them, trying to find that first image, that first memory. She pulled up the images in her mind, playing the scene of when the two had first met, that fateful moment that had shaped this whole tragic, condemned love story.
It had been a warm summer's day when the two had first met, she distinctly remembered that. It had been late June or early July, the summer following her last year of middle school and preceding Nagi's first year of middle school. It had been an unnaturally hot week and that day was no different. She remembered that all she had set out that day to do was to go get ice-cream. It was funny how sometimes fate delivered something else in people's plans.
She'd been walking down the street towards the supermarket, already imagining just how good that ice-cream would feel on her tongue, how sweet it would be. She hadn't been watching where she was going, walking with her head in the clouds so to speak. She'd almost ran right over poor Nagi. She'd been playing hop-scotch or some other silly little-girls game. She wasn't quite sure about the game, that part had grown hazy in her memory. Ah well, it was a rather unimportant detail anyways, wasn't it?
She remembered though that Nagi had been bent down to pick up something; it could have been a stone she'd been using in the game, but again, she wasn't quite sure. Having not been paying attention, she'd almost bumped into the crouched-down girl, would have actually had it not been for the squeak Nagi had given in fear of (or maybe in preparation for…yes, she rather believed Nagi had just been preparing herself mentally and psychically for the impact that would have come) being hit. That squeal, low as it was, had caught her ears and she'd looked down at the girl, pausing before she'd bumped into her.
She remembered clearly, had always remembered this fact, that the very first thing she'd noticed about the other girl, the thing that had perhaps drawn her so overwhelmingly to Nagi had been the girl's beauty. God, was Nagi ever beautiful, all wide, purple eyes, all innocence and vulnerability. She wasn't a classic beauty and most people would have hesitated to even call her cute, this near emaciated creature with the big, staring eyes but there was something about her. Maybe it was in the way she moved, something shadowed in the eyes or in the way she held herself, the silence she kept. Whatever that something was, it screamed out her vulnerability, sent out her weakness as a signal to those stronger and more inclined to pray upon her.
"You shouldn't step on the cracks," Nagi had muttered out, her voice low and hesitant. It was if that part of her too was weak and susceptible. Her big, staring eyes had floated down to look at the pavement then and she remembered that she'd followed Nagi's gaze as well. She'd trodden over Nagi's game and was standing on a crack in the sidewalk where two squares overlapped each other.
"For fuck's sake, why not?" she had replied, her tone a bit incredulous.
"It's bad luck…" Nagi had whispered out, seeming to curl in on herself. Not that she could blame the smaller girl. Nagi had been much smaller than her and she had had a reputation around town for being a bit of a bitch. A violent bitch as well. Nobody had known just how true that was then, of course. But there had been nasty rumors even then, rumors about her mother's death, about her mental health. She was surprised that Nagi had even spoken to her.
She remembered she'd laughed at that statement. It had been so cute to her to hear that old superstitious nonsense coming from this meek little girl.
"Come now, you don't believe in that stuff?" she'd asked Nagi, who had just nodded. She'd smiled at that and she remembered how surprised Nagi had been by her next statement.
"Well, don't worry. Bad luck only works if you believe in it. I don't so I'm not really that worried, okay? You shouldn't be either. Just relax, whatever comes will come and ain't no luck in the world going to change that."
Nagi had just stood there, staring up at her. She remembered how they'd introduced themselves to each other and how she'd acted completely out-of-character, taking the girl to get ice-cream with her. She remembered how Nagi had agreed, tentatively but almost instantly. Their first date or so she liked to think of it.
She'd wormed her way into Nagi's every-day life throughout the next two months. She'd been very delicate about it, she'd wheedled and faked a personality she didn't have, she manipulated and lied but she'd done it. She didn't know why though. Nagi was beautiful in the way a stray antelope was beautiful to a hungry lion, but if beauty was all there was to Nagi, she was sure she would have walked away a lot sooner. But there was something else there, something she'd never been able to describe, something she still couldn't put words to, a feeling or just Nagi's own essence. Whatever it was about Nagi, whatever word others would use to describe that something she could not, it had just about made her damn well crazy. She couldn't have let the girl go even if she'd wanted to.
But somehow over those two months she had indeed made herself an essential part of Nagi's life. It turned out the sweet girl had very few friends to speak of and a less than caring family to say the least. The poor thing had been nearly starved for company in fact. Maybe that was why it was so easy to work her way into Nagi's life. Or maybe she just really was that persuasive.
She remembered now, standing on that smelly bus and letting a slow, dreamy smile take over her face, the first time she'd kissed Nagi. It had been about three months after the two had first met and the other girl hadn't pulled away or seemed the least disturbed. No, she'd responded tentatively and a little awkwardly but she had responded. She'd liked it. Since that moment, Nagi had been her girlfriend.
It had been a good relationship right from the beginning. Nagi's first relationship in fact. She'd dated others before Nagi but Nagi was also her first serious relationship. She would admit that maybe she had been a little jealous and possessive in places but was that such a bad thing? Was it wrong to want to be with someone you loved all the time, to want her all to yourself? Well, if it was then she'd been wrong. She'd been a jealous, possessive, wrong bastard but Nagi hadn't minded in the bit. When she'd started demanding more and more of Nagi's time, Nagi had given it willingly, without any comment. Nagi had shown up anywhere, done anything, and gone anywhere that she'd asked her to. When she'd told Nagi that she didn't like one of her friends and that she didn't want Nagi around her anymore, Nagi had stopped talking to her. She was an obedient, wonderful girlfriend to have. Mostly.
Her smile grew wider on her face as she got caught up deeper and deeper in her memories. A deep, sensual kind of noise escaped her as she came to what was her favorite memory now. The fat man with the busy elbows glanced nervously up at her before he scooted farther away from her, jostling others sitting beside him. Despite her harmless appearance, there was something about her that cried out to his sub-conscious to give her a very wide berth.
This memory consumed her, playing in high definition inside her head. She could practically smell the air of that day, was almost able to feel every little sensation and hear every little sound as though she was really there again. She basked in the quality of the memory. Yes, yes this was good.
She remembered clearly that it was shortly before the winter break at school. Nagi had been such a good girl lately. She'd been obedient and just a wonderful girlfriend in general. There was no sex, not yet, Nagi hadn't been willing to give up that much yet but she had dealt with that. She was sure Nagi would give it up to her soon, her blessed virginity. She was in no hurry to rush the other girl. Good things came to those who wait after all.
But lordy, lordy, would you look at that? Nagi, her Nagi, was talking to a friend that she'd expressly forbidden her to talk to. Now that wasn't going to do know, would it friends? This particular friend was one she really didn't like. This particular friend seemed just a bit too friendly with her Nagi, oh yes she did. Always complimenting her on her looks and finding excuses to touch her. She didn't like that one bit and she'd made it very clear that Nagi was to stop associating with this girl. Nagi had agreed meekly and subserviently, not saying anything but yes and allowing her lips to be kissed immediately afterwards.
She'd hung outside the school gates for a few extra seconds, watching silently as Nagi's friend reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind Nagi's ear, their faces much too close together. Rage was bubbling up inside her and she welcomed it, embraced it. She'd come today to pick up Nagi for a date and this was the shit she had to stomach? No, no. This just wouldn't do.
She'd appeared calm on the outside though, pleasant even, as she started walking, coming up behind Nagi and slipping an arm around her waist. She'd remembered the look in the other girl's face as she'd excused Nagi and herself, claiming that they had a date that you didn't want to be late for, a look of jealousy and something else, a tinge of fear. She'd chuckled inwardly at that look as she'd led Nagi away, steering her out of the school gates and towards the bus stop. Though the date had originally been to go shopping, you'd lightly asked if it was okay if the two of you just headed back to your apartment where she'd make the two of them supper. It was an awful cold day out after all and she wasn't much up to shopping. Nagi had been agreeable, as she always was. It hadn't seemed to register in her mind at all that she'd made a mistake, the happy way she'd been acting.
The pleasant act had continued when the two of them had arrived at her apartment. After getting comfortable, Nagi had accompanied her to the kitchen as she started getting supper ready. Nagi had been smiling and agreeable and hadn't even realized what she was talking about when she brought up the fact that Nagi had been talking to someone she wasn't supposed to. She remembered how her fingers had tightened on the knife she'd been cutting up vegetables with as Nagi finally realized what was wrong. She'd started apologizing immediately, which was good. But really, she'd asked Nagi, how could they make sure Nagi never forgot again?
That was when she'd whirled on the other girl; knife rising before she'd stabbed it down into Nagi's eye. The other girl's hands had come up a second to late and the knife landed exactly where it was supposed to, driving into the girls eye socket with a sickening, low splooshing. She'd driven it in deeper as blood spurted out, splashing on her hands and running in tracks down Nagi's face as the girl screamed, a high-pitched rabbity sound. She remembered how tears had mixed and mingled with the blood as Nagi had started weeping.
Now, Nagi dear, you listen to me and you listen to me good. When I say I don't want you doing something, you don't do it. I don't like you around her, she flirts with you and she wants you. But you are mine, do you got that? You. Are. Mine.
Nagi had only squealed but that was okay, at least she wasn't screaming and running.
Now, you disobeyed me and I had to teach you a lesson. You understand, don't you? I had to make sure you wouldn't do it again. You couldn't understand the first time and I had to discipline you. It was for your own good and I only did it because I love you. You know that, don't you? If I didn't love you, I would have just left.
She'd taken the knife out of Nagi's eye then, walking over to the sink to rinse off the bloody bits of eyeball that stuck, clingy and wet, to the knife's blade. Nagi had slumped down to the floor, crying silently, her eyes going up to her heavily bleeding eye, watching her distrustfully. But she hadn't run, she had started screaming for help. Putting the wet but now clean knife on the cup-board, she'd turned back to Nagi.
You need a hospital now, Nagi love. So I tell you what we're going to do. I'm going to take you to the hospital. No one is to see you leaving here in this shape so you are going to wear a big jacket and keep your hood up when we leave. When we get to the hospital, you will tell the doctor that we got ganged up on by a group of hoodlums who tried to mug us. We'll even file the police report. They'll never find the guys who apparently stabbed your eye out. But that's okay; we're really just going to get you patched up. After that, we're going to come back here and we're going to make love. And then tomorrow you'll go home and pack some belongings. We both know your parent's aren't the world's most attentive people and I don't like them. You'll be staying here for the weekends, living with me. You'll be here on some week-nights as well but you'll mostly be living home then. Do you understand me?
She remembered Nagi hadn't run, hadn't screamed. When she spoke it wasn't 'you're crazy' or 'get away from me'. No, it was a simple, barely muttered 'yes'. They'd done just that though, filed a fake police report that was probably still being looked into. Nagi had been treated and the doctor had reassured both of them that she'd be just fine. He'd patched her up and she'd walked out of the hospital with an eye-patch over one eye. Nagi's fingers had curled into hers as they waited for the bus.
Their relationship had been good after that. It wasn't perfect. Nagi had made a couple more mistakes, had had to be taught more lesson but she'd never forgotten that first and most important lesson. Nagi was hers and oh god, you better believe Nagi had never forgotten that. Not until recently.
The bus jerked to a stop at the station and she gritted her teeth as she was jostled into the pole. As she joined the little grouping of people getting out at the station, her thoughts turned from memories to more recent happenings. Their relationship had been good. She'd reassured herself of that so many times now. So why? The old familiar rage bubbled inside of her.
Nagi had run away. Nagi had left her.
"Just like my mother, you milksop little bitch," she muttered into the chilly, gray evening as her feet ate up the sidewalk. She knew exactly where she was going, she knew exactly where Nagi had gone. Her fingers circled more rapidly around the hilt of her knife. Just like her mother…her mother had walked out on her, yes. Stupid cunt, leaving her daughter. But what had happened to dear old mommy? She remembered how she'd caught up with her mother a few years ago. If she drew out the hunting knife right now, she'd see a sharpened, deadly weapon, yet the blade would also be imperfect, stained red in places. Stained in a mother's blood.
She chuckled at this as she approached Nagi's parent's house. She already knew, from stalking out the place for the last six or seven days that her parents always went out at night about this time. There would be nobody but Nagi home. That was good. This last showdown was between Nagi and her and neither would ever be leaving that house again. She chuckled again, a sing-song tune going through her head.
Hey, hey, girl with one eye. I'm coming for you.
Hey, girl with one eye! I'll cut your little heart out because you made me cry.
