Oh here I go again with another story... I don't really know all of the games so bare with me here. This is without the book of shadows and blood drive happening. I just wanted to make a one shot with these two. They're my OTP!
Yoshiki jolted awake in his bed, a cold sweat coating his skin. He let out a sigh and plopped back down on his bed. He hadn't had a restful night of sleep since that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he was always somehow brought back to Heavenly Host. It was a different dream every night. One of them involve Ayumi getting stuck in a pool drain. He shivered as he remembered that dream. Some of them weren't even about him and Ayumi. Some of them were also about the others and what may have happened to them. He got up and looked at his phone. Ayumi texted five minutes ago.
'Are you awake?' She texted.
Yoshiki smiled a little. He was happy that his crush and close friend texted him at a time like this. But it was about two in the morning so there was a likely chance that she was also having nightmares. All of them had these nightmares. Yuka was hit especially hard and often ended up sleeping next to her brother at night. Naomi wasn't doing much better but she and Satoshi started dating about three months after the incident. Having each other took the edge off for them but poor Ayumi took it hard when she heard the news. She had a crush on Satoshi for a long time. However, that news was bittersweet for Yoshiki: on one hand, the competition for Ayumi was gone but on the other, Ayumi was heart broken. But, even if she would never feel the same, he knew that he would always be there for Ayumi. No matter what.
'Yeah. What are you doing up?' He texted back.
'Nightmare... Can I come over?' She asked.
Yoshiki lived alone at his apartment. His parents kicked him out of the house and honestly, that was probably the one time he didn't argue with them. His father was abusive towards him and his mother. The only one he didn't touch was little Miki, Yoshiki's sister but mostly because she was only five. She was also the only thing that his mother would stand up for at all. But to her, he's just a bad seed and had no qualms about his dad arguing and fighting with him. Yoshiki remembered living there was more trouble than it was worth for him. The last time he had a decent conversation with either of them was when he was in junior high, right before he decided he didn't want to live the way they were telling him to. But that was in the past.
Having friends come over was common for Yoshiki: sometimes Satoshi needed a guy for some company, Naomi and Yuka are sometimes with him, too. Ayumi was honestly the only one whom hasn't come inside his house. She's been there but had never spent anytime inside. She had grown a little distant from everyone for awhile. So Yoshiki decided to do one better for his girl.
'I can come get you if you want.' Yoshiki texted.
'Okay. Please hurry.' She said.
Yoshiki got dressed and hurried out the door. He got over to her house within five minutes. He was about to walk up the stairs when he heard the door open and there stood Ayumi. She looked pale and her face seemed troubled. At school, she tries really hard to keep a cheerful facade but he knew her better than that. She walked down the stairs and Yoshiki locked eyes with her for a second before proceeding to walk side by side back to his house. Yoshiki silently wondered why Ayumi didn't just stay home and have her sister or someone help her through this. But, then again, maybe none of them would believe her. He knew that she likely had a horrible case of survivor's guilt after the whole situation.
He looked at her as they walked and as they ventured further from her house, she seemed to fall more and more apart. Yoshiki put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. Tears brimmed her eyes as they locked with his steel grey eyes. She then grabbed his hand and at first, Yoshiki thought she was just going to place it back at his side like she had for other times he's tried making some kind of move. However, though she hesitated for a second, she clung to his arm tightly. Yoshiki paused but kept on walking both concerned for Ayumi as well as happy that he could provide some form of comfort. It was bittersweet having her around: he was happy that she needed him but sad about the reasons behind it. They got to his house, he unlocked the door and opened it. Ayumi reluctantly let go of his arm to take off her shoes.
It was a good thing they had no school tomorrow or else they'd have a hard time. But then, it may not have mattered to either of them. Ayumi sat on the couch and pulled her knees to her chest. Yoshiki went to the kitchen and checked the fridge: there was some juice and a few snacks he could offer.
"Would you like anything? I have some juice in here? I could also make some tea if you want." He offered.
"Tea would be nice." Ayumi said.
So Yoshiki put the kettle on to boil. Ayumi replayed the dream in her head.
The dream was not just about the friends they lost but also about Yoshiki. A voice taunted her in the dream. It taunted her about falling for the trick on the internet about that charm. But it taunted her about something new this time: Yoshiki.
'He has always been there for you from the start and how do you reward him? By comparing him to Mochida. You've been so blind by your stupid crush on Mochida that you ended up hurting Kishinuma. You don't deserve either of them, especially after all of that.' The voice said as it made her relive certain moments.
Ayumi finally broke down. Yoshiki came back into the room to find Ayumi crying. He put the tea down on the coffee table in front of her and he sat down next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder. Ayumi just cried harder. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled her into his arms. She was still curled into a tight ball but she didn't make an effort to push him away. All he was doing was making her feel more guilty. She could almost hear the voice taunting her again like 'look! He still comforts you even after all of that!'
"It's all my fault." She whimpered.
"Shinozaki?" Yoshiki asked.
"I should have never even tried that charm! I should hav-" She began.
"Stop." Yoshiki said firmly.
Yoshiki looked up at him and he used his thumb to wipe away some of her tears.
"You couldn't have known that charm would have made us end up where we went. No one could have. It was a trap, remember? It's nobody's fault, Shinozaki. None of us blame you for what happened." Yoshiki said.
Ayumi sniffed and then cried into his shoulder. He held her for another hour until she finally relaxed. He offered her the tea and she took it. She stared into the glass for awhile before finally sipping it. Honestly, they all had survivor's guilt to some degree. Yoshiki decided to bring up another topic but Ayumi decided to bring up something.
"So... Naomi and Mochida are dating now." She said.
"I know that. It was a group text, remember?" He asked.
They told everyone in a group text. Ayumi sniffled.
"Hey, I knew it was inevitable. I saw it coming a mile away. Satoshi had the biggest crush on her since last year." Yoshiki said.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ayumi asked, glaring at Yoshiki.
"Hey! Don't get angry at me! For one thing, it was obvious to me! Also, he's my best friend. We do talk about these things a lot and between friends, that's private. I had no right telling anyone until he finally said something himself." Yoshiki said glaring, angry that Ayumi would assume he should have told her.
She winced and then put her tea down.
"You're right. I'm sorry..." She said sadly.
They sat in silence. Ayumi was contemplating something while Yoshiki was a little troubled because 1. his girl is sad and 2. another guy is on her mind.
"It's the boobs, ain't it?" She asked.
"No! What makes you think that?" Yoshiki asked.
"He's always grabbing hers!" Ayumi said.
"That's not the huge reason why he's attracted to her, right?" Yoshiki asked.
"Well then what is?" Ayumi asked.
"Naomi has the guts to stand up to him. She will challenge his decisions all the time." Yoshiki said.
"He likes her because she disagrees with him?" Ayumi asked in disbelief.
"Essentially. Listen, Satoshi is well liked around the school so not many actually do challenge him the same way because he's usually the natural leader. Naomi makes him think. She challenges him. That's one of the things he likes most about her." Yoshiki said.
Ayumi sat there in silence.
"I still think the fact that she has big boobs helps." She said.
"Now you're just being silly." Yoshiki chuckled.
"Oh? And what do you think of her boobs?" Ayumi asked, thinking she had gotten her friend cornered with something.
"Honestly, I think more than a mouthful is too much." Yoshiki said, blowing off her attempt at getting some kind of confession.
"What? You don't like big boobs?" She asked in surprise.
"I'm a man, I love all boobs but I don't particularly prefer a huge rack." He said.
"Oh..." Ayumi said.
She still looked sad but more because of Satoshi.
'What the hell am I doing?! Talking about this with him?! But then... I don't actually know if he has a crush on me. It was the dream, right?' She thought to herself.
"Hey." Yoshiki said, snapping her out of it.
"Don't go thinking bad about your looks or anything like that. It's not what you lack, it's who you are but that doesn't mean you are not loved. Satoshi loves you as a friend, Shinozaki. You're still important to him and to all of us. We're family, aren't we?" He asked.
She sat there silently and let out a sigh. She smiled a little. Yoshiki really was always there for her, wasn't he? He patted her head, giving her a soft smile. Her heart skipped a beat when he did this. She blushed but then her mind faltered. She broke the tender moment by reaching for her tea again. Her heart raced as she looked at the green liquid.
'What? Just then... when he patted my head... maybe it's not Yoshiki who has a crush. Maybe I'm the one with the crush? Again? Just after finding out Mochida was dating Naomi? Of all times, now I start feeling for him? No. He and I can't work. I mean, he's a delinquent, a bad boy and I'm the good girl, the class rep, with high grades. Having something with him... wouldn't we just be bound to fail? Wouldn't it be a waste of time? My heart would probably get broken... I can't risk that.' She thought, trying to shake off the feelings.
However, she was done for as far as her new found crush went: she was hooked. She felt like she just got off of a roller coaster but... a fun and exhilarating roller coaster. Yoshiki sat there, lost in thought but then he remembered something: now was his chance to thank her.
"Shinozaki. I wanted to thank you." He said.
"For what?" Ayumi asked.
"For that day. When the coach was ripping into me." He said.
"Hey, he was an asshole. Honestly, he deserves to be fired." She said.
"Not just that. I mean for... crying... on my behalf." He said.
"Oh... I wasn't... *sigh* okay, I was. I just couldn't stand to see that. A teacher's job is to help their students grow, not put them down. Even if you're a delinquent, I knew you had a story. A story I probably will never truly understand and to see a teacher tear someone down for something like that rather than help is... sickening. I love our school and to see a teacher like that... to see that happen to anyone... How could I not step in?" She asked.
Ayumi felt a tear fall on her hand. She didn't even realize she was crying. Flustered, she quickly wiped away the tears. Honestly, she never did look down on Yoshiki. She felt so sorry for him and she just couldn't bare to see someone like him waste away and give up his life. Because he really is a good person even if he's a big hot head. Yeah, she was his friend because she felt sorry for him at first. But her empathy had given her what was probably her best friend ever. A hand over hers broke her out of her thoughts only to send them in a whirl of other thoughts and emotions when realizing that his hand was over hers.
"...Thank you." Yoshiki said genuinely.
Ayumi smiled softly if a bit flustered and grabbed his hand. Yoshiki expected she would have put it back towards him or gently slide it away but instead gave it a gentle squeeze before holding it. Yoshiki was honestly overjoyed but then reminded himself that he needed to keep calm, less she picks up that he's more than happy for this action. Ayumi had a faint blush and never had she felt so many butterflies in her stomach before. Not even Satoshi elicited anything like this. She looked at the floor.
'What the hell was I thinking? Yoshiki wouldn't hurt me ever... if he feels the same anyway. Even if he didn't though, I know he'd still be my best friend. But it's all just so sudden. Should I even be bothering with thinking of saying anything to him tonight? I mean, I went from being sad over Satoshi to suddenly head over heels for him.' She wondered.
Yoshiki looked at Ayumi. His heart ached for her. He had to at least tell her how important she was to him. He decided to do it carefully and without it entirely sounding like a love confession. He decided to let her make what she wanted out of it.
"But you have no idea. Before that day, I had no one. Honestly, you were the first real friend I had made in a long time. Then I decided to get to know Satoshi and the others. For once, I had friends. For once, I actually liked going to school. I'm sad over the others we lost but... if anything ever happened to you. I don't know what I would do with myself. If you didn't make it out of there with me, if you weren't here... I think I'd be dead. I'd be nothing without you." He said.
Ayumi had finished her tea. She looked at him, searching his gaze as she placed her cup on the coffee table. Yoshiki braced for a form of rejection or getting friendzoned majorly but Ayumi then held his hand with both hands and began fiddling with his hand, fingers gently tracing the prominent vein over the top of his hand.
"*sigh* Honestly, if I were stuck with anyone else, I don't know if I or any of us would have made it out of there alive. You were with me... every step of the way. When I didn't think I could go on anymore, you kept moving me forward. Whenever I was in trouble, you somehow managed to save me. Without you... I know I'd be dead." Ayumi said, resting her forehead against his shoulder.
Yoshiki sat there, happy but also confused.
'Am I still in the friendzone or what? If she actually feels the same, I swear I'll quit smoking or something. That would be so unbelievable! And she didn't even reject me at all. She's even still holding my hand. But the way her finger is gently tracing that vein... I never thought I could ever love such a small action in my life... This is getting unbearable. I want her closer... She won't mind, right?' He thought.
So he decided to take a risk. He had her let go of his hand and before she could look dejected, he put his arm around her. Her head slid from his should and more towards his collar bone because she was still leaning on him. Her head came to rest on his left shoulder, her ear just below his collar bone. He kissed her forehead gently and ran his hand through her hair. This was clearly him making a move, even Ayumi knew that. Maybe an hour ago, she would have chewed him out but now, her heart was beating a mile a minute, her face felt hot and was likely bright red, and now she felt like she was on a roller coaster. She now no longer had a shadow of a doubt in her mind. She knew that he had a crush on her since the day they met but she always reasoned it away, thinking he had other motives or something.
But now, she felt happy. She had never felt so much joy since that incident. She smiled and climbed into his lap, resting her head over his heart. The sound of his heart soothed her and it became her favorite sound. Yoshiki was shocked and he sat there in disbelief. He wanted so much to question her but he also didn't want to risk rejection at all. So he put his arms around her hesitantly. She let out a sigh and snuggled against him more. More sure of himself, he placed his arms around her possessively yet gently. He rested his chin on top of her head. He could spend forever doing this. So he knew he wanted to get an answer from her of what she felt for sure because if she was going to make a habit of this but keep him in the friendzone, he know it would just start to hurt. But, he decided it would be for the best if he said something first.
"I love you... Shinozaki." He said.
He braced for something. Ayumi somehow knew one way or another, one of them was going to say it.
"Ayumi..." She said.
"What?" Yoshiki asked in confusion.
"Well... It would be a little awkward for the man I love to be continually calling me by my last name, wouldn't it, Yoshiki?" She asked, a smile plastered on her face.
Yoshiki suddenly felt tears brim his eyes. They were tears of sheer joy and he smiled and hugged Ayumi joyfully. She giggled and hugged back as Yoshiki laid back on the couch, holding her tightly. He had her on top of him. She scooted up on him and rested her forehead against his. He was absolutely beaming. Ayumi had never seen him this happy and she could only hope he'd always be this happy with her. He caressed her cheek gently. He moved in just to kiss her cheek but Ayumi decided to be bold and instead turned her head and caught his lips with hers. Yoshiki was pleasantly surprised and he deepened the kiss, his right arm around her possessively and left hand against her cheek. Neither of them knew how long they stayed like that but eventually, they pulled away.
"I love you, Ayumi." Yoshiki said, running his hand through her hair.
"I love you, too, Yoshiki." She said, her forehead still against his, their eyes still interlocked.
Ayumi laid next to Yoshiki and he had her sammiched between himself and the couch. She rested her head on his chest, his arms around her. They fell asleep on the couch that night in each other's arms. For once, they had a peaceful sleep.
That's it for this cute little one shot.