Disclaimer: I don't own Yakumo or his dual personalities Sanjiyan. I also don't own the song. I have more debt than I have income, suing me would be pointless.
I'm With You
by: Lady Yakumo
*flashback*
"Where are we again?" Pahbo asked the boy who was leading her by the arm.
He grinned at her, his teeth were white and straight. "We've a couple more days of travel before we get to the temple where Master Tinzin is. I just know it's going to rain tonight, so we're going someplace where I can get a roof over your head."
Pahbo sighed angrily. "I don't know why you worry so much about me! I'm eighteen years old, I'm not exactly a little girl, Mr. Yakumo!"
"It's MY responsibility." He replied shortly. "Even if you don't remember much, trust me on this. It's what I'm supposed to do."
"That's right, you're my undying bodyguard and servant." Pahbo replied sarcastically.
"At your service. Now smile! These people are really nice." He grinned at her confidently and then knocked on the door
*end of flashback*
The little house was pleasant, the food was good and the bed was warm just.. she couldn't sleep. She tried, she really did, but there was something about sleeping somewhere that was different than what one was used to never really brought anyone rest. She sat up, frowning as the smallness of the room, the building, just everything seemed to close in on her.
She wanted air, she felt like it was hard to breathe. As silently as she could, she tried to sneak off the mat that was her bed for the night and out of her temporary room. Down the hall, tip toeing and slowly so slowly opening the back door and sneaking out when she cracked it just enough to slid out of.
She walked in the rain, it was cold and she felt herself again feel confused. Besides screwed up dreams and what she knew of in the past four years, there was absolutely nothing she knew of her life or herself. She came across a wooden bridge she noticed on their way to the house and stood. Leaning against the railing, she hugged herself tightly, the cotton of her pajamas were doing a terrible job on stopping the rain and cold from hitting her body. Yet, the only thing that really bothered her was a thought that kept going through her mind.
/Hey, Mr. Yakumo! Here I am, in the rain! Where are you?/
::I'm Standing on a bridge
I'm waitin in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
Theres nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but theres no sound::
She felt tears burn her eyes. "Who am I?" She asked herself, wondering if there would ever be a time that she could smile and say confidently she was Pai Ayanokoji. That's who she was, right? Pai who did the dumb things, who her friends called Pahbo, who lived with her doll making grandparents.
Of course that was the reason why she was here, on this journey with a man she never met before on the promise she would regain her lost memories. A strange guy who apparently couldn't die but could certainly bleed all over the place. The very one who she saw dressed as a homeless person on the street, staring at her picture in a dirty magazine before running after her and hugging her like he had every right in the world to do so. Who was probably snoring away and not giving a damn that she was out here in the pouring rain!
/Why? Why do I even care what he thinks?/ She asked herself, and to her dissatisfaction, could not give a reason.
::Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't someone please take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I'm, I'm with you::
And then there was a soft footfall on the wooden planks. She turned around and through her film of tears could see it was the one who brought the most confusion and chaos to her life, Yakumo Fujii. He hesitated before slowly he started walking towards her. He looked like he was soaking wet, his bangs were parted, he wasn't wearing anything to cover his forehead so a red word was revealed. He stopped about a few paces away from her, and shoved his hands into his pockets.
Everything about this seemed familiar, everything about him seemed so familiar. Yet her memories drew up blanks. She had no idea who he was, what he wanted from her or anything else. And then, she blew. She was so angry with him she just didn't care anymore.
"WHERE... WERE... YOU?" She angrily asked, her tears over flowing as she walked to where he stood and pointed at her chest. She couldn't stay that way for long, soon she threw herself at him, burying her face into his chest. /How could he feel so comfortable? What does he have to do with me?/ The dam for her tears broke, she was sobbing.
"Where?" She asked. "Where were you!"
::im looking for a place
searching for a face
is there anybody here i know
cause nothings going right
and everythigns a mess
and no one likes to be alone::
"I screwed up." His voice cracked, there was so much emotion as his arms were around her, she was pressed against him and for once, it wasn't awkward. She allowed herself to get lost in the warm glowing feeling that seemed to just be there whenever they were in contact with one another.
"You were supposed to BE THERE! Through it all. My companion... the one who is to listen to all my stories... and I was ALONE!" She had no idea where this anger came from, the frustration or anything else.
"I'm sorry, Pai... I'm so sorry." He sounded helpless. Another thing that seemed wrong, he seemed so powerful the way he walked and moved, and here he stood so vulnerable. Awkwardly, he took the cloak that he never seemed to be away from for too long and placed it around her shoulders.
::Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't someone please take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I'm, I'm with you::
He sighed. "It's probably not wise that you are in this rain, come on, you should really be in bed."
"Wait! I... I don't want to go in yet. I'm trying to figure things out. You, life in general, things! What's wrong with me? Why can't I remember?"
Yakumo gently tilted her head up. "There's nothing wrong with you. None of this is your fault. You'll get your memory back, and soon. I promise you, Pai." His hands went to the sides of her face, his thumbs gently brushing away the rain and tears. "Until then, just believe in me. You're okay."
::oh why is everything so confusing
maybe I'm just out of my mind
yea yea yea::
"B-believe in you?" Pahbo asked. "Why does my faith in you something you need so badly?"
He kept silent. "Perhaps, I'm just a fool." He replied after a long moment. "Now, it's getting too damn cold and too wet for you to be out here. Either we do this where you walk back into that house or I will carry you like a sack of rice." Funny thing was, she believed him.
"I... you." She hesitated. "You seem like a man of your word. I haven't known you for long, granted but you seem... honorable. Keep your promises, do your best on what you think the right thing is, and I'm sure there's more."
"Damn straight." He grabbed her by her shoulders and faced her into the direction of the house. "It was really stupid of you to be out in this rain. Now, march!"
"I thought I could walk..."
"I don't care, just move!"
::It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I'm, I'm with you::
"Wait here." Yakumo's voice was now barely a whisper. He left her side and went somewhere into the house, to the bathroom and returned with some big towels.
"Stupid." He muttered. "You are probably gonna get sick if we don't do something." He handed her a towel. "Probably should dry some of this mop up." He said it gruffly, but by the way he was handling the purple strands gave Pahbo the idea he liked her hair.
"I got an idea to get you warm."
"What would that be?" She warily asked as she ran the towel rather quickly over the cloak.
Yakumo smirked. "Don't worry, you said it yourself, I'm a man of honor." He lead her to back to the room she was supposed to sleep in. "You are going to lay down, and so will I. Except you'll be under most of the blankets."
::Take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I'm, I'm with you
I'm with you::
He gently tucked her in and hesitated before giving her a chaste kiss on the forehead. "It was stupid of you to go out in the rain like that."
"You already said that."
"Well, I'm saying it again!" He hissed. Already he was trying to get comfortable on the mat beside her. He threw an arm around her. "I hope you don't get sick."
"So what are you doing again?"
"Trying to keep you warm. If you call me a pervert, I am soo going to pinch you."
"I'm not." Although the idea was way too tempting. She shivered despite him being there, despite the blankets.
::Take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I'm, I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm with you...::
"Cold?" He asked.
"No. Just... scared." She whispered. "I've been scared ever since I could remember."
His arm tightened around her. "Don't be, you're safe... I'm with you." The way he said it made her feel like those last three words made the world right in an odd way.
She felt herself dozing off, it felt almost good. The damp didn't, but that was her own fault. The feeling of the warmth and strength of Yakumo, she felt like if even if it was just for one night, she could be live with that. She pulled herself out of her thoughts long enough to realize Yakumo was already lightly snoring.
"And I'm with you..." She whispered, barely audible before falling asleep.
[AN: I don't feel like I'm betraying the Pai/Yakumo coupling. In the movie, Yakumo thought it the poor girl he was hanging around was Pai who simply had amnesia and was clueless about Houasyou's until up to the end when Sanjiyan told him differently.
Although this is but a one-shot, please review. I like to hear what people think of my work.]
