Storm
The rain beat against the roof steadily and poured onto the windows like a fall. Darkness consumed most of the evening sky but revealed a slight remnant of the moon. All was quiet with the exception of the steady downpour. The house was eerily silent, as if empty as she tiptoed softly down the hallway. After walking for a few moments she abruptly halted her pace and stood in front of the large bedroom door. Without much hesitation, she opened the door as gently as possible and stepped inside, closing it behind her. Taking a few steps into the center, she exhaled deeply and clutched her hands tightly at her sides. She took a few moments to breathe in the stale air and then sat down on the floor with her legs neatly crossed underneath her. The rhythmic pattering against the side of the house didn't bother her as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her. The bedroom was completely bare, isolating her into a cage of loneliness as she breathed steadily. Although she made a promise to herself months ago, there was something in the room she couldn't turn away from. She exhaled slowly through her mouth and stared out of the window for a few moments. Regret began to quickly set in as the walls of her emotional prison began to close in around her. Suddenly she held her chest with her hand and her breathing rapidly increased. She was suffocating in despair, deteriorating in indignation, drowning in resentment. The overwhelming burden of wrath was beginning to consume her, and she had no defense. Anger slowly ate away at her conscience and she gasped desperately for air. There was no way to save her now. She didn't listen to her inner voice, and now she was going to be swallowed into the dark abyss of...
"Tamao?" Her voice startled her and she gasped, jumping quickly to her knees and turning around.
"Pirika, you're awake," She replied nervously.
"What are you doing in here?" She asked as she stepped inside and closed the door.
Tamao stared at the floor hesitantly, unable to give her an answer.
Her frown disappeared quickly and she sat on the floor in front of her on her knees, "You were thinking about her?" She asked solemnly.
Although she couldn't see Pirika in the darkness, she could sense the sadness in her demeanor. She bit her bottom lip and sighed heavily, "I couldn't sleep," she said.
"Neither could I," she said softly.
They sat without speaking for a few moments listening to the downpour. Tamao rubbed her hands together slowly before deciding to speak.
"It's strange," she said warmly, "not having her here."
"I...can't believe it," Pirika replied sadly, "I can't believe she left."
"Yeah," Tamao sighed.
"I thought...I just thought it was some kind of phase, like she would snap out of it and everything would be fine."
"I don't know," Tamao sighed and stared at the floor.
"Well, at least he doesn't cry anymore," Pirika said, closing her eyes briefly, "That was horrible."
"He's getting better," she said calmly, "It takes time."
"Tamao?" She asked timidly.
"Yes?"
She bit her bottom lip before continuing, "Do you think she'll ever come back?"
"I don't know, Pirika," she sighed.
She seemed disappointed with her answer but didn't protest, "It's late. We should go back to bed."
"Yeah," Tamao replied breathlessly.
They walked quietly into the hallway in an attempt to keep the rest of the house undisturbed until they reached Pirika's bedroom door. She smiled at Tamao, although the darkness prevented her from seeing the expression and held her hand.
"You can sleep with me tonight if you want," she said softly, "We can talk until you fall asleep."
"Okay," Tamao followed her into the room and released a sigh of relief. The truth was that her bedroom had become a dreary place since Anna left, and she had no desire to sleep alone, "Thanks, Pirika."
"I guess they're still awake," he said calmly as he listened to the muffled voices down the hall. He sat on the floor in front of the bed and watched the water as it ran heavily down the glass of the window.
"I suppose," he replied blankly. He stood in front of the window and darted his eyes briefly to the base of the pane. There was a faint reflection from the vivid light of the moon that revealed an outline of the wild brown hair and fatigued facial features of the visitor he had not invited into his bedroom, "How long do you intend to stay awake?" He asked him suddenly.
"I'm not sleepy," he replied calmly as he shifted his body weight on the floor, "I don't know. I just figured since you're always awake..." he hesitated.
"Yoh," he sighed but paused. There was no way of knowing why he was annoyed by him sitting on his floor. He hadn't said or done anything offensive. Yoh was calm. He even seemed normal. However, the one thing that became an irritation was that he developed a terrible case of insomnia that was causing him to violate personal space.
"You were going to say something, Ren?" He stood suddenly and joined him in front of the window.
"No," he replied quickly. After glancing at the refection in the window, he realized he was scowling. His eyes appeared to glow against the glass heatedly and he took a few steps back.
"You want to be alone," At first it sounded like a question, but he knew Yoh was simply stating fact.
Instead of answering him, he clasped his hands together and sighed.
"You should have said something, Ren," he said smiling weakly, "I can leave."
"You don't have to leave," he said suddenly, almost interrupting him. It was true that he wanted to be alone, but given the fact that Yoh was his friend it seemed rather inhumane to force him out when he obviously needed to be there.
His smile quickly grew into a childish grin as he sat on the floor underneath the window. It was obvious he didn't want to leave, and Ren was aware of this now. Sighing heavily, he sat beside him and crossed his legs underneath his body. The silence filled the room quickly, as if they were strangers until Ren decided it was too uncomfortable to continue.
"I was actually intending to get some sleep tonight," he said jokingly. Yoh didn't respond so he continued, "But now it seems rude to leave you here wide awake."
The silence was irritating. Ren frowned as he stared into his lap. He wasn't a very strong conversation starter and was bothered that Yoh wasn't rambling about something insignificant. As he opened his mouth to say something deeply offensive, he paused and held his breath.
He didn't want to turn his head. He didn't want to look at him. But he was sure the man sitting next to him was crying. It started as small sniffs, as if he was trying to keep Ren from hearing him. Eventually the watery eyes developed into thin tears, rolling quickly down his face. Yoh held his breath and closed his eyes, as if doing so would stop the nearing breakdown, but he exhaled quickly and slumped forward. Ren could see him out of the corner of his eye, but for some reason, he didn't have the will to move. He waited for a few moments and gasped quietly when it began.
Yoh wasn't crying exactly. The wails could be described as pained moans, diluted slightly by the sound of increasing rain. He clutched his knees with his hands, and his body began to tremble violently as if a small seizure was overtaking him. When his limbs thawed completely, Ren was able to shift his body weight to look at him. He remained silent, unable to do or say anything he felt comforting. He stared at him quietly, watching in shock as Yoh held his breath for a few seconds with his mouth open as if suffocating.
"Yoh?" Ren had no idea what he wanted to say, but he called his name anyway.
What happened in the seconds that followed he could not have expected. Yoh collapsed into his chest suddenly and clutched his shirt like a small child escaping from a frightful dream. Ren held his breath in terror as he curled into a tight ball and buried his face into his chest and neck, sobbing desperately and pulling weakly at the cloth of his t shirt. The palms of Ren's hands were planted solidly on the floor, and he stared at the opposite wall wide eyed as if doing so would somehow erase the current events. Once the t shirt failed to sustain his attention, he climbed higher until he was almost in his lap, wrapping his arms around Ren's shoulders and resting his chin on his neck. The cries continued uninterrupted, and Yoh released his entire body weight upon him.
"Please stop," he whispered suddenly. He didn't want to be insensitive, but Yoh had clearly invaded his personal space, and he was truthfully traumatized.
Yoh didn't seem to hear him, but his cries decreased in volume slightly as he held him tighter while attempting to catch his breath. Ren's elbows gave under the sudden stress and his back hit the wall with Yoh collapsing further onto him. He rested his head on Ren's shoulder momentarily, and his shallow breathing felt awkwardly warm against his neck.
"I don't know what you want from me," Ren said weakly.
The words distracted him suddenly and he lifted his head feebly to look at him. Ren held his breath again when he felt the thick strands of his hair brush the skin of his face. Yoh stared at him blankly for a few moments to allow time for processing the statement in this brain. He watched him intently and noticed for the first time the fear in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered weakly as he moved away and sat on his knees in front of him.
Ren didn't respond and stared at him without blinking.
"I didn't mean to..." Yoh hesitated as he looked down into his lap, "I'm sorry."
The renewed silence that filled the room was more unsettling than before. Ren gagged suddenly, realizing he was holding his breath, and began coughing.
"Are you okay?" Yoh asked worriedly. He began to move closer, but quickly withdrew and stared at the floor.
"Yeah," he whispered without looking at him.
"I'm sorry," he repeated weakly.
Ren wanted to say something to him, but for some reason he was unable to force any words out of his mouth. The two continued to sit on the floor silently and allowed the rain to dominate the conversation.
"I'm fine," Yoh said suddenly, "Really, I'm fine."
"I know," Ren said blankly.
"Do you think I'm weak, Ren?" He frowned suddenly and stared at Ren's chest.
Ren hesitated for a few moments, figuring the answer should include more than a yes or no. The longer he paused, the more anxiety appeared in Yoh's demeanor. Eventually the silence became unbearable, and Yoh released a nervous sigh.
"I think you're angry," he responded finally.
Yoh frowned at him to consider his statement then stared into his lap, "I don't feel angry," he said weakly.
"You still feel regret and sadness," Ren elaborated, "But this is anger."
Yoh seemed pleased with the assessment and smiled at him. Ren's expression appeared calm, as if he was no longer in shock from his outburst and he folded his arms across his chest.
"I can't be angry with her," Yoh said sadly, "She had to be honest about her feelings, right?"
"You're angry because she left. You feel betrayed," for some reason Ren found himself unable to elaborate on his thoughts and had to give short statements in an attempt to express them.
"I don't want to feel...angry," Yoh sighed, "I don't want to feel anything."
"It takes time to numb your emotions," Ren said quickly, "If you stay angry this will happen eventually."
Yoh wasn't sure the advice was a healthy approach, but he didn't question him. Silence pierced the conversation suddenly and they stared at each other calmly.
"You'll have to face her at the meeting in a few days," Ren resumed, "Are you ready for that?"
"Yeah," Yoh replied.
Ren frowned slightly, but didn't challenge his answer. After a few more moments of hesitation, he decided to speak again.
"Yoh," He started.
"Yeah?"
"Never do that again," the words were cold, although Ren's expression was very calm.
The demand caught him off guard and he giggled, "I won't. I promise."
Despite the abundant downpour, she was sleeping soundly through the night. The rhythmic sound of the rushing water was soothing to her ears and aided her in restful slumber. When she stirred slightly and shifted her body weight, she was awakened by the cold mattress that attacked her skin. She blinked a few times, noticing she was alone in the bed, and sat upright with a slight frown.
The house was completely dark with the exception of the pale moonlight and occasional lightning. She walked slowly down the hallway as the cold floor chilled her entire body. The hem of her black nightgown flowed delicately at her feet, giving the appearance of graceful levitation. Soft, blond strands of her hair danced carelessly in and out of her face as she increased her pace. Her arrival on the balcony was subdued by the sound of crashing thunder, and she exhaled softly when she realized he was there.
She stood behind him for several minutes silently, observing his peaceful placement on top of the short wall of stone pillars. He was wearing a long, brown robe that loosely draped his body, and his dark hair whipped about helplessly in the wind. The turmoil of the storm didn't sway his calm demeanor, and he stared blankly into the darkness of the night. He could feel the warmth of her presence near but didn't move. She stepped closer until she was directly beside him and paused. Heavy rain and wind overwhelmed the silence of their conversation for several moments, and they watched as the water rolled quickly away from the roof of the house.
Satisfied in her discovery she began walking away from him slowly, and he restrained her gently by holding her hand. The gesture did not agitate her and she stood beside him, watching as he moved away from his position to stand in front of her. Her blank expression remained unchanged as he wrapped his arms around her waist and allowed her to rest her head on his chest. She clasped her hands together and trembled as the cold wind blew against her back and he held her tighter.
"Such a beautiful night, isn't it?" He asked softly.
"I'm cold," she said blankly.
"You should go back to bed," he replied calmly, "It's late."
"I'm not going alone," she said as her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
He frowned when he could feel her body tremble in his arms and rubbed her back, releasing a subtle energy that warmed her entire body. She closed her eyes and smiled with relief as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"Come with me," she said softly, "I said I'm not going alone."
Pausing to kiss her gently on the forehead, he watched the rain for a few moments in silence. She released him and lifted her eyes to view his gaze and noticed he wasn't smiling.
"Hao?" She whispered.
"Sure," he said gently, "Let's go."