He placed his head near her rounded tummy and listened. "Hello baby," he said softly. "This is your Uncle Yuuhi. How're you doing in there? I can't wait to see you, so please hurry." He looked up to see her face. She was smiling so dearly, she was so beautiful. "Don't you give your mommy a hard time, okay? You should always be good especially to Mommy and Daddy, ne."
"Yuuhi," Aya giggled. "What are you taking so long down there for? You might squish the baby."
"I'm still talking to my little friend here. Don't disturb us," he answered stubbornly. "I wonder who you would look like. Would you look like your mommy, or your daddy? Or maybe, your Uncle Aki? Whose eyes will you have? Whose nose? Whose hair? Oh, I really want to see you already!"
She couldn't help but smile at him. He was always so kind, so nice to her. He had supported her every step of the way and helped her through every obstacle that she encountered. He never failed to show Aya how much he cared, how much he loved her. Even though he knew pretty well that he never had a chance against that man, against Tooya. He never will.
And yet, this has never stopped him from being that dear sweet Yuuhi who she can lean on whenever she desperately needs someone. He's always going to be there for her, he promised himself, forever.
"When you finally arrive, I'm going to cook you a really nice meal. I'm sure you'll love it!" he continued on, laughing.
"Yuuhi, don't be silly," Aya interrupted. "New-born babies can't eat the food you cook yet you know."
"Wakatta yo!" Yuuhi grunted. "So what. I'm still sure my little friend's going to like it. YOU like it, don't you?"
"Yeah, yeah. Alright already." Yes, indeed, Yuuhi was an excellent cook. Whatever dish he makes, however sad or depressed you are it'll surely make you feel better. Just as Yuuhi was, every meal he serves has always been there to cook up a smile on her face.
"Yup. It won't take long until you and Yuuhi-chan will be playing together, right? We'll play out there on the beach with Mommy and Daddy, eating the food we'll cook together. U-huh, Yuuhi-chan's going to teach you how to cook. We're gonna have lots of fun. And when that time comes…" He whispered in his thought, "I'll be protecting you, my little baby…you and your Mommy."
Kimi Dake o Mamoritai ~Only You Do I Wish to ProtectAn enormous shadow lurked across the fallen debris of Mikage International, where undiscovered bodies of C-genomes still lie. It took the scent of one of them, and then another. It dashed to the corpse, sucking in their smell, then revealed its humongous fangs and started feeding on their remaining flesh, cracking their bones, slurping their blood. It didn't stop until it had found all the celestial descendants' bodies and devoured them all. Then, it gaped at the sky above, crimson water dripping from its mouth, filled with all the atrocity it has made.
"No, this isn't enough. This isn't what I'm looking for. I'm still hungry. I need more…I want more!" it howled angrily at the dark sanguine firmament.
"…Tennyo…"
Chapter One: Iroiro na OmoideAya lay on her bed, cradling her little angel in her arms. Tooya sat beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, the other caressing his precious daughter. She had very beautiful round eyes, though barely discernible at the moment, with a color that reminisces the ocean's blue deep. Her cheeks were plump as a peach, a dash of rosy pink on each side, which was very noticeable across her fair delicate skin. She looked just like her mother, only her hair was Tooya's—a deep set of scarlet.
Aya's mother was also there, admiring her first granddaughter. She couldn't help but let out a small tear from her eye. How she wished her dear husband and son could be right here with them. But they all knew that they're definitely somewhere watching over them, probably even right beside one of them at this moment. 'Otousan, here is your grandchild,' Aya thought. 'And Aki, you're little niece looks so much like you. A-hah. We're twins after all. If she looks like me, she has to look like you too, deshou?' she paused in a smile for a moment. 'If it wasn't for you, she would have never been here to bring smiles on our faces. Arigatou. I love you so much.'
Dr. Kurozuka had no scheduled appointments today so he was able to find time to visit. He has become quite frustrated ever since his friends left their former house in Niigata. He's been having fewer female patients nowadays.
A while later, Yuuhi and Suzumi had joined their little celebration, along with Q-san who was holding a bundle of balloons each with either 'Happy Birthday' or 'It's a Girl' or 'Welcome to the World, Little Angel' printed on them ("Aw, don't mind those. Odagiri just had to bring her fellow airheads over," Yuuhi snorted.) They had brought flowers for Aya, and a present for the little angel. Suzumi-san chatted with Mrs. Mikage over a cup of coffee. They looked as if they were old friends already, the way they talked so casually with each other. They didn't seem as if they had a pretty huge age gap between them. Dr. Kurozuka would by and by try to cut in their conversation and talk to Suzumi. He was obviously trying to impress the younger woman. We all know, though, that he certainly is no match against Kazuma-san. Yuuhi was definitely looking forward to this moment. He couldn't stop gawking over the baby ever since the moment he laid his eyes on her. He stared idiotically at the child with his lips smooched together at its firmest. The little girl would have been melted like ice if Aya hadn't snapped him out of it. "A—so…what'd you name her?" he said, finally stretching his mouth into yet another abnormal arrangement; He smiled so big that his teeth were beaming at Aya and his jaws looked as if they were forced up to his cheekbones.
"Chiaki." Yes, Chiaki…an angel with Chidori's youth and cheerfulness, and Aki's love and kindness.
Yuuhi's smile fell back to its normal stance. "Is that so?" he replied. "Chiaki naa…that's a very nice name." It didn't sound like Yuuhi. She has never heard Yuuhi in that tone of voice, it occurred to Aya. He seems so polite, and considerate; Yuuhi usually tends to argue with everything she opts to, or at least say something that would seem like he's doubting it. But something suddenly seemed to change about him. He sounded so strange. Was it because that name had brought him the painful memory of Chidori's death? Or has it given him back those cherished memories that they shared together? "Oh, Yuuhi…" she remained in thought. 'You miss Chidori, don't you? You must have loved her, nee, Yuuhi? If only she was still here, you would've both been very happy. Just like we are. That would've been very nice; we'll be visiting each other very often, and going on small vacation trips. Our children of course, would be the best of friends. They'll be playing every time we meet, running around almost everywhere, playing hide and seek, tag and all those other childish games. You like those, right, Chidori-chan? They'll be friends until they grow up. When they reach high school, they're going to enjoy singing and partying at the karaoke, just like we did. Oh Chidori, how I wish you were here. And Aki too. And Shuro and Kei, Hirobe, Urakawa-san, Sahara-san, everyone. I want us to be happy altogether. I wish we could've been together for a longer time.' She felt a sudden heartache, as if someone had just pierced a needle through her heart. It tightened her chest, both grief and happiness had squeezed into her, and a small tear just had to hurry out of her. She tried to stop it from escaping her eye, but all those sad memories that had been, and the memories that could never be had dug up a tunnel which set it free. And a droplet of rain finally sprang out from the side of her eye, falling into Chiaki's cheek causing her to wince a little.
"Aya," Tooya inquired to her. "Doshita no? Daijobu ka?" Everyone else was looking at her with worried expressions.
"A—un. I'm alright," she assured him, wiping her face with her hand. "Don't worry." Then she wiped off the water on her daughter's delicate skin with a soft napkin.
"Hontou?" Yuuhi reassured. It was more of a sarcastic statement rather than a question.
"It's nothing," she sniffed. "Really."
Yuuhi was surely off to argue again, but he had thought better of it and decided not to say anything anymore. "May I hold her?" But before Aya could even hand Chiaki over to him, the child started crying. It appears as if she took just one look at Q-san and suddenly began to weep. And even though babies can't see too well in their first days yet, this little girl seems to have defined what kind of creature Odagiri Kyuu is. "Bakero!" Yuuhi punched her on the head. "You scared her!" He lifted the odd-looking woman up and set her aside just like he would with a sack of rice.
Aya cradled Chiaki softly in her arms and hushed her gently until she stopped crying. "Shhh…It's okay baby. That was just your Oba-Q. She won't hurt you."
"Yeah. She may look like a 'Oba-ke', but she's completely harmless," Yuuhi chortled. "May I hold her now?"
"Un. Sure," Aya smiled. "Here. Be careful, okay."
"Daijobu."
"Oh—visiting hours are almost over," Dr. Kurozuka prompted.
"Well," Suzumi picked up her handbag and signaled Q-san to help her with the lunch baskets. "I guess we'll be going now. See you then. Bye-bye, little Chiaki," she smoothed her fingers on Aya's little angel. It somehow reminded her of Kazuma and the little angel they were also supposed to have.
"Here, let me help you with that," the doctor took one of the baskets, still trying to make a move on Suzumi. He marched off first to the door, opening it for her. "You guys take good care, okay? Congratulations on your first baby (Q-san: 'Shimatta! I forgot to print that on the balloons, too'). Jaa ne!"
"Hai. Goodbye now, Chiaki-chan," Q-san bade at the child, and this time she giggled at her Aunt Q, who was surely pleased.
"Uh, I think I'd be going too," Aya's mom rushed after them.
"Sure ma'am," Suzumi responded. "You could ride with us. We could drop you off at the nearby bus stop if you want."
"Yes, thank you," she agreed. "Bye sweetie," she turned to her daughter and kissed her on the forehead, and then she planted one on her granddaughter's tiny hand.
"Bye mom. Take care," she said thoughtfully, then catching a glimpse of Yuuhi who was still galling over Chiaki. He looked so overjoyed just being with her, and he didn't seem to notice that the others were already leaving, until his Nee-san had tugged on his ear and dragged him out of the room. "I said, 'we're LEAVING'!"
Though at his best effort to maintain his balance, he still managed to say goodbye. "Jaa. Matta ne!" he yelled out as Suzumi shut the door.
"Maa, I didn't know you were fond of children," Suzumi raised to her brother as they waited for Q-san who went to fetch the car.
"Huh? Um, well…" Yuuhi trailed off, looking away. "I'm not. I mean, I don't know." He didn't really…like kids, since nobody has actually treated him like one before. Being fond of kids just wasn't his thing; nobody has ever been fond of him, or has even appreciated him while he was still a child. How could he possibly know how to treat children when no one has even bothered to show him? The only kid he has ever really liked was Chidori. Well, she wasn't exactly a kid, and it was not actually her annoying childishness that made Yuuhi feel something special towards her, so it's a bit out of the question. But Chiaki…could it have been because she was Aya's child. No, that wasn't exactly it. He would've felt uncomfortable towards her because she was HIS child also. Or maybe, just maybe, he feels as if Chiaki, a child that belongs to the woman he loves, was his own. It's absolutely impossible though. Nothing has ever happened between them, nothing, ever. Yes, close encounters have occurred, but they had always been interrupted. Well, it was just a thought, a feeling. And that wasn't what he meant [Yuuhi: 'Of course not. Whoever gave you that idea?—Remmirath!!!' Remmi ::dodges swooping chopsticks:: On to the story! Hayaku!']. It doesn't necessarily have to be true for him to be like a second father to such an irresistible little angel. It was confusing, but was nothing anyone needed to worry about. Whoever she is, whomever she belongs to, it doesn't matter. Yuuhi swears that he will always be there for his little Chiaki.
"Hai, hop in everyone! Careful, careful." Not long, Q-san had arrived and they all boarded the Q-Express. Hang on tight, everyone. You're in for the wildest ride of your life. Suzumi and Yuuhi were quite used to this now. After all, it's been more than a year since Q-san first took them in for this not-so-once-in-a-lifetime ride. Mrs. Mikage and Dr. Kurozuka, though, would be facing yet another one of their greatest fears (death?).
Eventually, they managed to make Q-san slow down and drive more carefully. They had to do this quick, and Yuuhi helped too, since Dr. Kurozuka was using it in his plot to get closer to Suzumi (Doctor…That nurse-girlfriend of yours would be really angry if she found out about this). Now they sat in the car, peacefully, once again chatting with each other, talking about how lucky Aya and Tooya are in having such a pretty little angel to watch over them, and how happy a family they'll surely be. Yuuhi, of course, had not been joining in this conversation. What's the point of talking about something you don't want to just so that you can do something? And besides, the others were way to old for him to even bother with. He focused his self in staring outside the window, trying hard not to think of anything. He kept everything away from his mind. He felt more comfortable this way. And besides, he desperately needed some sleep. He was up all night because of too much excitement for the coming of the new baby. He definitely needed a nap, just a short one would do. And not thinking much of anything would make it easier for him to make up for his loss. The last thing that was posted in his head was a picture of Aya and little Chiaki standing across a plain white background. Then, as he coiled up his mind to shut his thoughts, they vanished.
*
Tooya lay in the couch, facing outside the window. He took a quick glance at Aya, who was sleeping so peacefully and looking very happy. He closed his eyes deeply. At least she's alright now. She doesn't have anything to worry about anymore. She's completely at peace now. I just wish I could be much at peace as she is, Tooya thought. Something was bothering him. Something he just couldn't seem to understand. He doesn't even know what it is. All that he could picture in his mind was Aya; Aya smiling, Aya laughing. It's been such along since they got married and started living together, planning for their own new family. All those times that they've spent together, all those cherished memories. It showed how happy Aya was with him. He was sure of it. He was sure Aya was happy with him, and would gladly want to be with him forever. But, he just couldn't remember the last time he has ever made her laugh. Has he ever made her laugh? Well, yes, there were times, when she laughed, she laughed so loud and freely. He had to admit; those were the times when she seemed the happiest. But he has never made up any of those times. He has never made Aya laugh. He looked further into the night lying outside that piece of glass that separated him from the world. He could still remember those times. He remembers them so clearly.
"A- un. Yeah, I'm okay. We're doing fine, really." She sat on the porch, rocking herself slowly in her chair, caressing the baby lying in her womb. She was talking to someone over the phone. She has been chatting with him for almost an hour now. It somehow makes Tooya think what sort of nonsense they were babbling about. "How about you? How're you guys doing over there?"
"Yeah, okay, I guess."
Tooya would often hear what they're talking about, because of how noisy and enthusiastic they are when they talked. Also, because he has always stayed beside Aya, just because she wanted him to. In one way or another, this made him feel better.
" 'I guess'?"
"C'mon. Like you don't know what I mean."
He heard them, but he found it hard to understand what they were talking about. Tooya wasn't used to such an informal conversation. Maybe that's why Aya never laughed when she talked to him. He was always so serious, so mature.
"You'll come visit us soon, right? Nee-san and Odagiri are missing you, you know."
"Hn, Suzumi-san and Q-san only?"
"Hmph. Who else would miss you? Chidori? She's already dead, remember?"
"Ba-ka!"
Yes, he was with her. But he usually felt as if he wasn't there at all. Yuuhi never asked about him, and Aya wouldn't even bother to mention him. Probably it was because Yuuhi doesn't like to talk about him. Actually, Yuuhi doesn't like Tooya himself. So what? As if he cares. He doesn't like him either. But what if it was because Aya has been too cooped up with Yuuhi, that it never occurred to her that Tooya was also there. So many different thoughts came into his mind. He didn't want to think about them, but, he wonders why, he couldn't seem to get them out of his mind.
"So? Would you be visiting us?"
"Sure. Why not? We miss you too."
" 'We'?"
"Yes. 'We.' As in, Aya and Tooya." Finally, she remembered him. Yokatta.
"Man, Aya. You're HUGE!"
"Shut up, you asshole."
"Hey, you shouldn't be saying bad words. You're setting a bad example," he pointed to her belly.
Well, there they were again. Aya would always bring Tooya everywhere with her, their arms locked together, but, still, she pays more attention to the other guy, and just drags Tooya along as if he was only a rag doll or, if lucky, some stupid stuffed animal perhaps. He used to quite understand though. Yuuhi and Aya have always been the best of friends, in Yuuhi's case, maybe even more than that. But now he thinks, What if, for Aya, it was more than that too.
And just a while ago, just now, he finally felt IT at its most. He could see them, that bastard and his wife, enjoying each other's company, playing with his daughter, Chiaki. Darn it, that stinking bastard even had the guts to make a move on his kid. Bastard? Did he just call Yuuhi a bastard? There was definitely something wrong with him. Why was he thinking of these things? How could he think of such things? What was going on with him?
He could still see that dark sky, that same dark sky. He wanted to get out. He wanted to go out there. Perhaps, if he does, he would be able to find it easier to understand what was it that was bothering him. A walk might make things better. He stood up and reached for the door.
"Tooya…"
He stopped and turned to tell her to go back to sleep, but Aya wasn't awake. Good, she's still sleeping. He just had to get away from this. He looked back at Aya from the corner of his eye, and then went on. He could never talk to Aya about this. No, not her. Anyone but Aya. He would rather not find out about it than to ask her. But he just had to know. He had to ask someone about it. He needed someone to tell him what it was. Just not Aya. Someone else. The same question remains in his mind. He really was so confused. What was this strange new feeling? He just had to find out…
"You're JEALOUS!? Of me?" Yuuhi scowled, astonishment and disbelief printed all over his face. "Now THAT'S the biggest bullshit you could ever come up with, Tooya. What the hell is wrong with you, you moron? What ever made you think that?"
Tooya paid no attention to whatever Yuuhi was nagging about. He just faced himself, stunned and almost petrified. Jealousy; So that's what it is. Yuuhi knew exactly what it was. No wonder, that's probably what he's been feeling towards Tooya all this time. And now, as they had both found out, that's what Tooya's been feeling towards him, too. He was afraid that Yuuhi might take Aya away from him. Not just Aya, but Chiaki too. He didn't want this to happen. Jealousy; So that's what it's called.
"Nani sore? How could you possibly think that? You're an idiot, Tooya. You already have her. You're the one she loves. What made you think that I could ever take her away from you? That's never going to happen. I just know it. She's never going to betray you. Impossible. She loves you too much…" his words started to trail off. "You're not supposed to worry about such a thing. You don't need to."
"Aogiri…" Tooya realized he made a wrong desicion. He shouldn't have gone for a walk and try to think it over. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have bumped into Yuuhi, and no conversation would've started between them. He wouldn't have had to tell Yuuhi what he was feeling. He really shouldn't have talked to him about it. He might have found out what he wanted to, but it only made things worse, more confusing. He knew pretty well how much Aya loved him and that she would never leave him, and he had just been reminded of that. It was all clear to him once again. But it still can't help him get rid of that feeling.
"I told you already, didn't I?" Yuuhi continued. "I'm not interested in making her love me anymore. Heck, I never was! I won't take her away from you. I know perfectly well how happy you both are together. I'm not going to be your replacement Tooya. I don't want to be just your useless substitute. There's absolutely no point in taking someone's place when you know that he still owns it and will be his forever. I can't do anything to take your place in Aya's heart. I don't want YOUR place in her heart." His voice was cold and flat. "I don't need it."
The sky was still the same. It has been hours now, but it was still the same. It stayed up there, the whole city wrapped up in its darkness, an unreasonable number of stars lying beneath it. Tooya left the hospital staring up at it, and up to now it was still there—that same dark, almost starless, annoying sky. He felt in touch with it, as if it was one with him. That's just what made it all too infuriating. Tooya kept his head down and sighed. Even he hasn't changed. He has been the same ever since he first saw that darkness. The darkness was beautiful. He admired and hated it all at the same time. He went on walking down the same path. People started looking at him, him with his pathetic appearance, but it doesn't bother him at all. What continued to bother him was this feeling, this feeling that refused to leave him alone, this feeling that kept on trying to conquer him. Why does he have to feel this way? He wanted it to go away, but it still refuses to do so.
"Stop worrying about such a useless thing. You don't have to."
Aogiri.
That's right. What he said was right. What Yuuhi said was absolutely right. Aya loves him. And he loves Aya. She trusts in him, and he should trust her too. That's what love is all about, isn't it? Trusting each other. Believing that you will both remain faithful to each other forever. That for all the years you'll be spending together, no matter what the circumstances, nobody would ever replace the other in each of their hearts. But if Aya should ever find somebody else, he would perfectly understand and would fully accept it. All it takes is for her to be happy and safe, and everything else would be all right.
"Tooya? Where have you been? It's half past twelve. I was wondering where you went. You didn't even tell me that you were leaving. Where were you?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry," he made certain to her. "I just went for a walk."
"For three hours? Tooya?"
"I…I was thinking of…nothing. Never mind. It's nothing," he replied, not knowing what to tell her. He didn't want to tell her. He doesn't know how he could possibly explain it to her. And besides, it was not something she should know. "It's really nothing. Go back to sleep. You need to rest."
Aya slowly closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply to relax herself. "Tooya, please come closer to me. I want to hold you," she called, facing him with eyes still closed. Tooya did as she said and sat on the side of the bed. "Please hold me," she requested him. He placed an arm around her and held her tightly to him. "You're so warm Tooya. I wish we could stay like this forever. I love you."
Stay like this forever…He knew he couldn't keep it that way, and so did Aya. But there was something Aya did not know. Something he doesn't know how to say to her. Something he doesn't know how she would react to. Should he tell her? He didn't want to, but she had to know. "Aya…"
"Hmm?" She settled her head on his chest more comfortably.
"I don't think I can…" he paused to draw in some breath, and think of what to say and how to say it. "We can't stay together anymore."
"E?" Aya gasped, her eyes immediately unfastened. "Tooya, what do you mean?"
"I have to leave now. My duty has been accomplished. I'm no longer needed here," he said flatly.
"What are you talking about?" Her eyes were quivering, and it sparkled as tears started to build up. "What do you mean you're no longer needed? Tooya, we still need you…Chiaki and I need you!"
"You're both in good hands now. You don't need me anymore. Aogiri's going to take care of you and Chiaki."
"What? Yuuhi? What does he have to do with this?" she exclaimed. "You said you're leaving? Why is that?"
"You know."
"Yes, I do. But why does it have to be this soon? You said in a year or two, or even more! Why now?" she cried out to him, her whole body shaking.
"Just as I said, my job here is done. I've restored mana, brought it back to you, protected you, ensured a life for our child, and made you both happy. That's all I need to know to be satisfied with my life. I'm entrusting you to Yuuhi now. He doesn't know about this either, but I'm sure he would fully take the responsibility."
He said earlier that he felt jealous towards Yuuhi, but it doesn't bother him now. He has just realized how important he is, not only for Aya and Chiaki, but for him as well. He needed to trust him, trust that he would make Aya happy, even happier than she was with Tooya. That's how Yuuhi can prove his importance to him.
"Tooya, no. Please, Tooya, don't leave us," Aya was crying. It was more calm now, but sadder. "It's not going to be the same without you. You can't leave us yet."
"I have to. Mana is calling me. The hagoromo wants me back."
"Why does it want you back? You've taken it off already, haven't you? You're human now, and you have your own life. What does it want from you? Why does it have to be this way? I haven't been with you enough, yet. I still want to be with you longer. What will happen to Chiaki? Are you going to allow her to grow up without you to support her?"
"I will always be here for you…for Aya and Chiaki. I'll be watching over you by your side. Please tell our daughter that I love her so much." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Please give this to Chiaki for me." Then he kissed her lips. He stood and walked away from her, as his body slowly began to fade away.
"Tooya?"
"Goodbye Aya."
"Tooya…"
"I love you."
"Tooya!!!"
Yuuhi was in the kitchen, cooking, of course. He was chopping a few vegetables, thinking of what to do with them. It was three o'clock in the early morning, much to early to serve breakfast; he was cooking for no special reason at all. He only does this whenever something was troubling him. Sleep and music couldn't do anything to help, but cooking sure can. It's not like he was going to eat what he was going to make though. It just took his mind off things. Seems like such a big terrible waste, but it was the only thing that could make him feel better.
Or maybe not.
Darn that Tooya. What is wrong with him? Me? Take Aya away? From him? Nani sore? What an idiot. Doesn't he know how much she cares about him, how much she loves him? What makes him think Aya could ever replace him, with me? No way that's going to happen. She loves him too much…too much. I guess—
CHOP! "I-i-ITTTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!!!!!!!!!!" He was too absorbed by his complicated thoughts that he forgot to pay attention in what he was doing, the carrot—or rather, the finger he was slicing. "Wha—what the heck was that? Something strange…" he sucked on his bloody finger. He wasn't taken away from his focus because of his thoughts. Everything suddenly became blank, that it somehow stopped his brain from functioning, and caused his little misfortune. "What's going on?"
"Yuuhi!" Suzumi entered the room, with an unusual expression on her face. Yuuhi's voice must've echoed all over the house, which woke everybody up. But it didn't seem that way. His Nee-san's face was full of shock and worry. She was panting, a few droplets of sweat running down from her face. "Hurry, we have to go. We have to see Aya."
"Nee-san, Aya wa?"
"She's sleeping," his sister answered. "The doctor says she's suffering from some form of stress. There isn't anything much they can do about it. It's good we came here. She needs someone to stand by her especially during this time."
"Nee-san, what happened? Where's Tooya?"
"I'm not really sure. Aya was saying something about the hagoromo. She said it took Tooya away. I don't really understand what she meant, or how it could've happened, but I have a strong feeling Tooya…well, he might be…" she looked towards Aya's door.
"But, that can't be!" he yelled surprisingly, but, at his sister's warning, he toned down his voice and continued. "And even if that is true, why all of a sudden? Why so soon?"
"You know something about this?"
"He, Tooya told me before that he wouldn't be able to live long. That he was going to die eventually, and that he..." he decided not to go that far into the past conversation. His Nee-san didn't have to know about it anyway.
"So it must've been quite a shock for Aya. Didn't he tell her about it?"
"She knows pretty well that this was going to happen, just not this soon. He said to me, in one or two years. Hell, it hasn't even been a month, that idiot! How could he just leave her like that? And with their child too! Tooya, that asshole."
"Shh. Anyway, she really needs us right now. I guess it's up to us to help her feel better, ne?"
"You go there then. You know what it feels like, and have gotten over it, so you should be the one to talk to her. Give her an advice or something." It sounded rude of him to talk to his Nee-san about that, yes, but he was telling the truth. Suzumi has more experience with this sort of thing, and she would know what to do and how to deal with Aya's problem.
"Oh, you know very well it's not me she needs," she said in a slightly sly tone of voice.
"E?"
"Who was the one who was there for me when I needed someone? Who was there to comfort me when I was crying? Who stopped me from killing myself when I had given up on everything? It was you, wasn't it? Come on, you should be the one to get in there," she pushed her brother closer to the room. "After all, you're the expert, and you know her better."
Yuuhi placed his hand on the knob and slowly turned it. 'Course I do. Heck, I know her even more than that moron does. I know better than to make her sad and cry like this. If you were only going to hurt her, you shouldn't have just made her happy in the first place.'
"Aya?" he entered the room, after shoving his sister away. She was awake. He approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She just looked at him with no reply. Strangely enough, her eyes were dry and there was no sign of tears about to fall. In fact, it seemed like she never cried at all. But, clearly, it was written on her face, all the loneliness and grief she has felt. The pain of losing the person she loved was evident in those eyes.
"Aya…" he held her firmly, looking into those eyes. "Aya, I don't know what happened but…" he thought deeply of what to say, however, nothing came into his mind. He loosened his grip and placed his hand away from her shoulder, and stepped backward. "I'm sorry if I bothered you. I hope you'll be feeling better." And he turned to his back and walked towards the door.
"Yuuhi…"
He stopped, and then turned his head, slightly facing her, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Yuuhi, I'm sorry, I…I wasn't listening, I wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't mean to ignore you. I just…"
"You don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything to offend me, or anything wrong at all." He went closer to her and sat by her side. He held her face and smoothed her cheeks, which jolted tears into Aya's eyes. "Shh… It's okay. It's okay, Aya…" he wiped the side of her eyes. Then, after looking intently into her eyes once again, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. "You don't have to worry. I'm still here for you. I'll always be here for you…" that's a promise. And don't think I'm doing this for you, Tooya, 'cause I'm not. I'm doing this only for her sake and the child you abandoned.
Aya grasped onto his chest, and let out all her tears to him. Yuuhi held her even tighter, caressing her softly and carefully. Everything's going to be just fine. I'll take care of you, you and Chiaki, from now on. I love you, and I will protect you.
…
A/N (I decided to place this all here so that I won't ruin the presentation): I know there are already so many versions of this kind of story. Another one won't hurt, would it? We all have different ideas and sets of imaginations, and it's quite impossible for even just two of us to have the exact same ones ne? This is my own way of expressing my thoughts and my self, and I hope you appreciate it.
If you noticed the part "she drags him along like a rag doll or, if lucky…" what I meant by 'if lucky' there was in terms of value or importance- a stuffed toy is more expensive and valuable than a hand-made rag doll. Aw, what am I babbling about?!
Disclaimer: Ayashi no Ceres and all its wonderful characters are created by and belong to Yuu Watase-sama. The title isn't original either. I think it came from a song. One of my best friends' "boyfriend" used to say that line to her. This fanfic and little Chiaki are mine though, so please respect my right to be their only possessor.
Please review!