Chapter Seven: Tsubaki

Wednesday

Standing in the shower I was so relieved. Earlier this morning Masaomi had taken me in for a checkup and when the doctor looked everything over he said my cast could come off! It was a miracle! The doctor that handled my case seemed surprised that my leg had healed so fast but the week and a half it'd been on had felt like an eternity. Hot water streamed from the showerhead filling the bathroom with steam fogging the air. It soaked my hair, rolled down my shoulders, along my back and stomach, down my legs to the floor to swirl down the drain. I wasn't in any rush since Ukyo had written an excusal note and Masaomi had cleared me for one more days rest before going back to school. A spark of pain shot up my left leg and I had to shift my weight quickly. Sliding the shower door open I grabbed the green bottle on the counter, slipped it open, and down an oval white pill. Setting the bottle back on the counter and closing the shower door I made a mental note to grind those up into a fine powder later. When Masaomi had asked me if I'd been using the medications I had said no hoping that would enable me to get the cast off quicker than estimated-and it had worked-except I still needed to use them. Kind of shot myself in the foot with that one but if I ground what I had left into powder I could use less and maybe keep it longer.

The water had suddenly run cold telling me it was time to get out. Reaching down I twisted the water off with a squeak and grabbed my towel wrapping it around me. Stepping out I suddenly felt choked by the thick humid mist consuming the bathroom and opened the door to let it out. Stepping from carpet to tile my left leg twinge and sent me down to my knee. At contact pain jolted up my leg burning my knee cap. Damn it. A tiny traitorous thought popped into my brain. What if it's like this for forever? What if the damage has given me a limp? Grabbing onto the counter I picked myself up off the floor and waited patiently for my cramped leg to stretch out. Having a limp wasn't the worse thing in the world and I didn't doubt I could work with it. My worry concerned the brothers. How was I going to hide this from them? If I said anything it would only result in more coddling, over protectiveness and worry when none of those things would fix the actual problem.

Taking it slow I walked out of the bathroom, down the hall, and into my room. As I dried off and wrung my hair out I eyed the four thick envelopes that lay on my desk. Mrs. Miwa had filled with them tons of photos that she'd kept over the years and was kind enough to make copies to send to me to keep. I had an idea for these as I looked to the empty walls of my room. Dropping the towel to the floor I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror hung on the opposite wall. There were scars on my left leg where the screws had gone in and a long thin line where they'd opened me up. Just seeing it gave me the chills in the worst way.

Thankfully the bruises had pretty much faded leaving behind sickly yellow-black pools instead of the dark, busted blood vein purple, leaving me to wonder if they would fade completely. As my eyes drifted up my legs to my stomach I felt my gut twist unforgivably. Slowly turning I eyed my back and the deep scars left by the phone cord lashing. They crisscrossed sloppily over my skin wrapping around my left side to partially imprint on my flat stomach. Sigh. They were ugly reminders of that night but they were also reminders that I'd gotten free before it got bad. When my eyes rested on my face I was happy to see that my eye wasn't swollen anymore and the strange glazed look had gone away revealing sapphire color. Turning to my closet I pulled out a crisp white shirt and yanked it on. The damn thing was almost like a second skin outlining my lean hour-glass shape but I couldn't be mad. Subaru had done some laundry of mine to help out but he'd kind of shrunk some stuff. Snatching up my blue jeans I was happy to find that those hadn't been shrunk and fit just right.

"Cael?"

Grabbing up the towel from the floor I headed towards the door.

"Yea?" I opened it up and peeked out.

Tsubaki was standing there in a checkered over shirt, black under shirt and black pants looking ready to go out on some hot date.

"Hey Tsubaki!"

He peered over my head like he was looking for someone, "Is this a bad time?"

I laughed as I flung the door open and walked away.

"Yea. I was just about to sacrifice my chicken nuggets. Wanna help?"

He followed me as he laughed. Coming to my room I quickly made my bed, kicked my dirty clothes into the closet and shut the doors. I went into the bathroom hanging up my damp towel and hid the little green bottle under the sink. Tsubaki plopped down on my bed and reclined back.

"I bet it feels good to have that cast off."

"Like a whole other world. Believe me." I replied running a brush through my long hair.

Pulling it back I quickly braided it and tied it off.

"How's production going anyways?" I asked coming out of the bathroom.

My leg started to throb painfully so I took a seat on my chair across from him.

He shrugged nodding his head, "Good so far. I've done all I can do so now it's up to everyone else."

"Nice."

"What are you up to today? Other than sacrificing chickens?" he laughed.

I shrugged, "I should probably be studying but….well…..I'm so tired of hitting the books. It's all I've done to not lose my mind."

"Could use some adventure, huh?"

Stretching my arms I nodded and sighed, "Yea."

"Good."

Standing up he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

"Tsubaki?!"

He'd dragged me out of the house, amazingly fast, before I could really protest but as we walked up to a theme park I decided I'd forgive him.

"How about it?" he asked in his teasing voice.

Over the tree tops and the entrance banner I could see roller coaster tracks, a Ferris wheel, the bright canvas tops of carnival booths. I could definitely use this. Screw my leg! Looking over at Tsubaki I returned his mischievous smile.

"I bet I can go on the same rollercoaster more times than you can!" I declared.

"You're on!"

After buying tickets we headed straight to the back of the park where the massive white track rollercoaster, the Brain Whisker, stood and went on ten times-consecutively. By the end Tsubaki had turned so green in the face I was afraid he was going to toss the lunch monkey so we called it quits but not before he admitted defeat. Finding a nearby table we sat down so he could collect his stomach.

"How can you do that?" he whined.

I giggled and shrugged, "I've always had a strong stomach."

The air was filled with the smells of deep fried goodness, popcorn and caramel mingling with the soft upbeat music playing out of the hidden speakers. There were a few families here and there enjoying the park but it seemed like mostly old couples and kids playing hooky. A young family of three sauntered by, mom and dad holding their sons hands, swinging him back and forth as he giggled in that little kid way. They looked happy.

"Cael?"

I looked back to Tsubaki who was staring at me with deep focus. Instantly I straightened up and smiled. Stop being so relaxed idiot!

"Yea?"

"What's the matter?"

I shook my head, "Nothing. Is your stomach steady Sissy Boy?" I teased.

He grimaced, "I am not a Sissy."

I looked aside staring across the pavilion, "Yea, yea, come talk to me when you can go ten rounds."

He snorted. I spied a house of mirrors with a decorated face of neon colors and shapes. It was really an 80's gaudy design and I wondered why they hadn't updated it like everything else seemed to be.

"You want to try?" Tsubaki asked.

The operator guy standing at the entrance seemed board. Leaning on his hand his eyes slowly closed then his head fell and smacked into the podium. Turning away I put my hand over my mouth and giggled. It really wasn't funny, I couldn't begin to count the number of times I'd done that in math on my desk, but the poor guy…Looking over at Tsubaki I found him smiling at me pleasantly. Reaching across the table he purposely took my hand in his, entangling our fingers, and pulled me up from the table. My stomach flip-flopped with giddiness.

"You know they say its haunted." He whispered as we approached.

I rolled my eyes, "Uh-huh. Sure."

Not saying anything to the operator who'd passed out standing up at his podium, and smelled like booze, we headed in. Instantly we were cast into darkness as we slipped through the split curtain and that's when Tsubaki let go of my hand. I froze.

"They say a woman was murdered in here."

Soft lightening erupted from the floor as some sensor was tripped and I jumped finding myself face to face with a towering me.

"Oh really?" I asked as I stretched my hands out feeling the mirrors around me.

Slowly I made progress deeper into the maze not willing to be scared by Tsubaki.

"Yea. Worst of all is she was killed by her lover."

The soft purplish light coming up from the floor cast strange shadows but didn't illuminate higher than the mirrors leaving the ceiling above drenched in inky darkness. I took a step and smacked into a mirror.

"How romantic. A crime of passion." I replied rubbing my nose and stomping my foot.

Tsubaki chuckled, "I guess. If you like that kind of stuff. Do you see me yet?"

I turned left and didn't hit a mirror. Looking down at the floor I couldn't find any wear patterns in the paint but I could see fine lines of dirt where the mirrors touched down into the floor. Bingo.

"I can see you."

I lifted my head and saw Tsubaki standing all round me. Somewhere short and fat, others tall and skinny, some elephantine and alien-ish. It made me laugh and the sound bounced around me loudly.

I frowned, "Well, I see many you's, but none you'd like me to see I'm sure."

He laughed.

"Come on your getting close. You might be the coaster queen but I am king of hide and seek."

I looked up to the ceiling and looked around, "Challenge accepted."

He chortled. Again I moved left and hit a mirror, to the right I hit another, and reaching out I felt a solid barrier. I'd gotten myself into a corner. Turning around I back tracked until I smacked into another mirror.

"Craptastic." I growled.

I don't think my nose can take much more of this.

"You know I think I can kind of understand."

I moved left and back finding an exit out of the dead end to only end up in another corridor.

"Understand what?" I asked feeling my way along the mirrors.

My heart was pounding as my fight or flight mode kicked in. Relax. You're not trapped. The walls quickly leaned away and grew shorter in my eyes. Last thing I wanted to do was sucker punch Tsubaki when he jumped out at me which I was sure he was going to do when I got close.

"Crimes of passion. Not in the sense of the poor girl that died here but to love someone so much you just lose it."

"I think you're getting too into your work."

He chuckled. Ahead I saw his back turned to me and charged.

"Got ya!" I cheered.

SMACK!

The mirror twanged with my impact but it didn't shatter, thank goodness, as I reeled back from the momentum. My left leg twinged and I nearly went down but caught myself on another mirror before I could sink down like that Titanic.

"Ooooo. That sounded painful."

"Ha ha." I snarled.

From the left I was suddenly pulled by the arm into an open area surrounded by mirrors and into the arms of Tsubaki who loomed over me. His arm wrapped around my lower back he pulled me flat against his hard body and my breathe hitched in my throat.

"Tsubaki?" I breathed a little confused.

He gazed down into my eyes, "When I saw you all beaten up I thought I might do something crazy like that." he held the hand he'd pulled me in with high like we were going to dance, "I felt that way because I've loved you for so long. It killed me to see you like that."

"Huh?"

Bending down he captured my lips in a commanding kiss that made my skin flash with heat. His hold on my hand was suddenly gone fleeing to cup the side of my neck. My heart was pounding in my ears and I could feel his through his chest beating just as fast as mine. Gently he nipped my bottom lip making me jump away enough to catch a breath. Turning my face upwards I gasped in air and his lips fell to my neck lacing it with soft butterfly kisses over the remaining bruises.

"Tsubaki?" I panted trying to reel my brain back in.

What just happened?

He lifted his head, leveling his gaze with mine, "I love you Cael and I will never let anyone hurt you ever again."