Chapter #7- Bailed
I was in jail. I, Yuki Cross, known for my reputation of being a goody-tissue, was a criminal. I felt an electric jolt just thinking about it. Sure I felt guilty and ashamed, but at the same time I felt like I had done something so unexpected and hardcore. It felt good. Different, strangely. It felt weird but kind of in a good way. Though I do realize that it would have been better if I hadn't lost my temper. The pain was hitting me now, on the places Agari had hit me. I could see him in the cell next to me with only the bars separating us. He kept throwing profanities at me but I was too exhausted to listen. The blood had dried on my face bruises were forming there as well as on the rest of my body. I lay down on the concrete bench against the wall. I hadn't gotten any after the incident with Zero last night. Again, the goosbumps form just thinking about it, not only that but the kiss as well. I shut my eyes. Almost feeling his lips on mine before I fall asleep.
Muffled voices woke me up. For a second I didn't remember where I was but then it all came back to me and as I sat up I hissed at the jolt of pain I felt in my ribs. I didn't even want to think about what happened to my face. I looked over at Agari's cell to see him sitting in the corner, his knees against his chest, his face pale and eyes wide as he looks at the three people that approach my cell.
"Yuki Cross, your bails been posted," says the officer as he unlocks the cell and slides the bars aside. Yagari sensei stands beside him and gives me a once over before giving me his usual scrawl and letting out a breath.
"Oh boy, he's not gonna be happy about this," he says, raiseing his hands to scratch the back of his neck.
I only then see Zero standing there behind him, looking down. I stand up and he finally looks at me. His eyes widen as he takes in my appearance. Disheveled, bloody, and dirty. I walk out of the cell and look at Zero, I notice his hands shaking and his jaw is clenched, his eyes are halfway covered by his hair but I can see flecks of red in them, they re burning. I almost take a step back from him. He loos demonic. He looks away, his hair now covering his eyes entirely.
"I'm gonna head out now, I'm busy," says Yagari sensei, I had almost forgotten he was here. He gave me a pointed look. "You better not tell the old hippie about you being in here, he'll have a heart attack."
I nod, surprised that he actually cared.
"I don't wanna have to fill out a report of it."
I guess not.
Yagari sensei turned and left, his heavy footsteps echoing in the silent cell rooms.
"Agari Kateyama, your bails been posted."
I turn to his cell and the anger that had been surpressed suddenly flares up as I turn to Zero.
"Why did you post his bail?" I ask, my voice leaking with anger.
Agari comes out and Zero still doesn't look at me. He doesn't answer my question. Well it would seem rude to have sent the chairman's friends son to jail and not even post his bail... but still I didn't like it. But I didn't say anymore since Zero had taken the initiative to get me out. I cross my arms and look down.
"Thank you."
He's silent. The guard comes to us. "You guys can leave now."
All three of us get out with Agari a few feet behind us.
"Did Hime tell you what happened?" He hasn't spoken, almost a mute. "I'm sorry you had to come down. She probably told you what happened."
"She did."
Ah, he speaks.
"She told me what Agari called me. What was it? A half-breed, lovesick puppy with its tail between its legs," he says the last part aloud so Agari was able to hear. I saw the man visibly flinch. He may talk big, but he was really a weakling. "And she told me you punch him, started beating him up like a maniac."
At this, I think I saw his lips twitch. I pout at him but didn't know another way to explain my behaviour.
"I'm sorry again. I didn't mean to cause trouble. Let's just go home."
"We're not going home yet."
I shivered and goosebumps rose from my skin at the hostility and anger in his voice. I look up to see him staring at me, his eyes like molten lava from thir usual crystel amethyst. He reaches up a hand places his fingers gently under the side of my jaw and with his thumb draws down the trail of dry blood from my lips to my chin. I shiver at the contact. His eyes soften slightly and his fingers trail over my cheek. I hiss as he touches a tender spot that had become a bruise. His eyes harden again and I can't seem to look away from him. He was a predator, in the hunt for his prey. He pulls away and reaches into his pocket. I stare at him as he takes out a black walet and hands it to me.
"There's Yagari sensei's number in there and enough money to post my bail."
"What ar-" But he's already walking away towards Agari.
"Zero?" I call, slightly confused before understanding dawned on me. He wouldn't. Before I can even refute the thought Agari is on the floor.
"Get up." A shiver runs down my spine at the venom and anger laced into every word in Zero's voice. It made my blood run cold and I felt sorry for the guy at the receiving end, no matter how much I hated him. Agari tries to stand up, a fresh flow of blood leaking from his nose. Zero leans down and pulls up on the collor of Agari s shirt. He pushes him against the wall and starts punching him again. I see the uniformed officers coming our way, but Zero doesn't stop hitting. I can't tell from what angle he's hitting from anymore, he seems on a rampage and I can't will my shaking legs to move.
"Zero stop, please." There must have been something in my voice because almost immediately Zero freezes, his raised fist hanging in the air. A few seconds pass as the sound of Agari's breathing fill my ears, I dare to look at him. His face is bloody and bruised, he moans in pain and Zero brings both his hands to his collar and pushes Agari back hard against the wall again. He brings his face closer to him.
"Don t. ever. Touch. Her. Again." My heart skips a beat at his words and at the same time, my hands clench tightly at the wallet in my hands to stop them from shaking and I bite my tongue to stop the whimper of fear from escaping. I've never seen Zero like this. Beyond reason, just a dark and threatening sheen existing in his eyes. An officer comes and pulls Zero away from Agari, leading him to the same station I was in a few minutes ago. I try to calm the beating of my heart. Agari keeps moaning and I hesitantly walk towards him. I see him flinch and start to feel sorry for him.
"I'll call a taxi for you." With that I leave him and walk to the nearest call booth, calling Yagari sensei first then calling for two taxis. One for the man beaten up at the alleyway, and one for the police station.
After getting an earful from Yagari sensei and posting Zero's bail, we head back to the academy. Zero and I sit in silence as the taxi takes us past the expanse of buildings. I snuck glances in Zero's direction to try and decipher his current mood. But his face was turned away from me, his chin resting on his hands, looking out the window. I wanted to tell him that what he did was stupid but that would have been hypocritical on my part. A shiver ran down my spine at the sheer anger that Zero had exerted during the fight. How far would he have gone if the police hadn't come, if I hadn't been there.
"How are you feeling?" I jumped, surprised at the loudness of the voice in the silent car. Unconsciously, I touched my lip, there was a little cut from when he had punched me. I would be lying if I said the bruises on my body didn't hurt, but that's exactly what I was going to do. Lie.
"I'm fine. Zero, you should be more worried about yourself. Did you get hurt anywhere?" He shook his head, still looking out the window. We lapsed into silence again.
"You didn't have to do that you know," I said, my voice, like a whisper. Now he turned to look at me, but I didn't have the nerve to look at him, instead, I stared down at my thumbs and started fiddling with them. "You didn t have to hurt him for my sake."
He didn't say anything for so long I thought he hadn't heard me, when I gathered enough to look at him the first thing I noticed were his eyes, they were angry, but hurt was also swimming in their depth. His eyebrows were knitted together and the corner of his mouth turned down.
"Why would you ever think that?"
I was surprised by his question. I thought the answer would be obvious.
"Because I don't want you hurt," my voice was hoarse and it cracked. His features relaxed, his figers twitched, his mouth opened as if to say something, then he seemed as if to restraint himself. He was talking with his eyes and I seemed to have gone dumb to his speech.
"What?" again, a whisper.
His hands moved so fast I didn't even notice until he pulled my arm and crushed my body to his. I blinked in surprise.
"Yuki."
His voice is so low, but I hear the restraint there and I try to pull away to see his face but he has a vice like grip around me and tightens it even further. His hand runs through my hair and I feel such a powerful sense of belonging at that moment that tears come to my eyes.
"Don't ever do anything so reckless again."
A lump had formed in my throat so all I could do was nod against his chest. He held me for a few more seconds then let me go, opening the door of the taxi and getting out. For a second I thought he was jumping out of a moving vehicle but then realized we had arrived home. I got out of the taxi just as Zero was paying the taxi driver his fare. He thanked us and left. I started jogging to catch up with Zero.
"No matter what you said to me, I will never regret punching his face."
He turns to me slightly, his eyebrows raised and I couldn't help the sly smile that forms on my lips. His lips break into the same thing and we both chuckle as he opens the door. My heart thumped loudly at the rare sound of Zero's laugh.
