EIGHT
Shadows moved across the pane of the windows. Larva, who had been lying in bed as still as a corpse in his coffin, bolted upright. He darted to the room across from his, glancing back at the clock in the hallway. It was 2:00 AM, and he could hear the sound of footsteps within Miyu's bedroom. He slammed the door open and marched right in. He swore he had seen a shadow looming over her, before it retreated back outside through the balcony doors.
He sniffed the air, like a predator, hunting for his prey.
"Larva!" Miyu sat up in bed, and yank at the cord that lit up her lamp. "What is the matter with you?" She gathered up the covers to her chest, cheeks reddening in fury. "Following me around is one thing, but this is too much!"
Larva had caught a glimpse of her in her white night dress, material so thin, it cased her lithe body beautifully. However, she had pulled her covers fast and he had no time to admire her.
"Someone was in here," he said quietly, and Miyu's heart jumped because of the way he was looking at her. His ruby eyes glimmering as they reflected only her.
"There was?" She believed him, so it was just a reflex to ask. Pulling back her loose hair, she allowed the sheets to ever so slightly slip from her shoulders. The move revealed to him, pale shoulders, glowing against the orange light. Indeed, the girl was flawless in her beauty. "Pass me my robe, Larva."
The man stood aside, staring at her for a whole minute. He never took his eyes off her, not even to look at the robe hanging on her bathroom door.
Her temper flared up again. "Hand me my robe, Larva!"
"I am calling up your father. He must be told about this incident."
"Larva, stop!"
Her shouting woke nearby maids.
"We have to go after the guy."
"Miyu, this is a matter regarding your safety. If anybody can get through the barriers outside to get to you, security is not high enough. Your father must be warned."
"Larva!"
The maids heard Larva loud and clear.
One of them even asked in a tight whisper, "There was an intruder?"
"Wake everyone up. We are meeting in the foyer," Larva ordered, tugging at his cloak to tighten it around himself.
oOoOo
A couple of maids, Miyu, her father, her step-mother, her brother, and Agent X, who was called up immediately by Larva, stood around in a circle.
"There's no way anything can pass through security unnoticed. I had all systems inspected by yours truly! Is he sure?" The minister cried in outrage, annoyed by the fact that Miyu's new bodyguard woke them all up. He had a six o'clock meeting to be at in the morning.
"I wouldn't put it pass him, Yamano-sama. He is the best. To question his ability is to question mine, in which I do find quite offensive," Agent X spoke gruffly.
A voice not inside the group spoke next. "Yamano-sama, you are suggesting that the culprit is in this house."
Miyu whirled around the quickest and was about to smart her subordinate with belittling words, but Agent X out-spoke her. "That would make much more sense seeing as only someone inside the house can avoid running through traps set outside."
Yamano-sama laughed. "So you're saying someone inside this house is trying to kill my Miyu."
"I wouldn't jump to conclusions," Agent X said.
"There's no need." Larva stepped into the circle beside Miyu. She was glaring at him, loathing what he had done still. The intruder could have been another lead. Larva had betrayed her by letting him get away.
"It's not what you think, Miyu."
"Okay, Larva. What am I thinking?"
He bent down to her irate ears and whispered a few words that only she could hear. "I did not betray you."
"Larva… What did you just say to Miyu—" Agent X was cut off, as he watched in shock, the body guard, bound forward to the person standing across from him and Miyu in the circle.
Tomeo was whipped off his feet and into the wall. Larva pressed the boy harder, his grip around his pajama collar tightening by the minute. Junko screamed and screamed. Her husband hollered at Larva at the top of his lungs. Meanwhile, Miyu and Agent X rushed forward, to pry Larva off of Tomeo.
Agent X shoved Larva aside. For some reason, Larva felt incredibly weak in the knees, fighting at something ripping at his heart. When Miyu caught him to steady him, he felt alright again. The two of them slipped to the floor and held each other's gazes. Miyu was trying to read him and he was trying to convey something to her.
After making sure Tomeo was still breathing, Agent X got up on his feet and growled at the body guard. "What is wrong with you?!" He froze as he watched Miyu and Larva, crumpled on the floor. He had never seen Larva in such a state.
Larva reached out to brace Miyu's hand. She took it carefully.
Larva mumbled something along the lines of "Miyu, when I hurt someone you care about, it's like a stab to my heart."
"Get up, Larva." She helped him to the couch.
Then, she turned to Tomeo. Her golden eyes glittering and all seeing settled on her brother. No vehemence, just wonderment written in her eyes. "Why were you in my room?"
Tomeo turned purple at the question. Everyone seemed to settle their confused eyes on Tomeo, then.
"What are you talking about?" He gasped.
"Stop lying to me."
Tomeo glowered at her. "What now?! Sharing a telepathic bond between that guy makes him closer when you've known me for your entire life?! You doubt me?"
"Nii-san…"
Her brother turned on her. "No, forget it! Stop talking! You make me sick!" He stormed up to his room and locked himself in. His mother trailed after him, tears of worry streaming down her blood shot eyes. Miyu's father shuddered and deflated from the night's event. Agent X collapsed beside Larva on the couch. The maids dispersed at their employer's order. Miyu wrapped her arms around herself protectively.
"Maybe hiring Larva was a bad idea," her father started.
They were on Tomeo's side, Miyu thought. She had to pretend to be as well. She felt so sorry for blaming her brother. He was always so protective and she betrayed him.
"No, Larva is the best."
"I can always get you another…"
"I don't want anyone else! Papa, listen to me! You can get rid of Larva if you want, but don't expect me to just let you run my life like some kind of game of dominoes. It's not fair to me! You can't replace things, okay? Okaa-san or Tomeo can's replace Mama."
Her father stepped forward, raising his hand to slap his daughter, but Larva had gotten up on his feet and gripped the older man's wrist.
"You hired me to protect her," said Larva. "I can't let you hurt her."
He was breathing heavily, panting when he shouted first at Larva, "She is my daughter and I shall discipline her!"
He turned to his daughter. With hands tucked behind his back he started forcing out his displeasure with words. "So this is what you've been thinking all this time? How dare you?! You will love Junko and Tomeo differently! You will love them the way you loved your mother, not as replacements! I never thought of them as that and I never want to hear you say that you think of them that way. Understand?"
"Get her into bed!" He barked the order at Larva. "And try not to wake up the rest of the house on your way up!"
Larva bowed deeply. "Yes, Yamano-sama."
After they left, Agent X looked up and asked, "Do you wish for him to stay?"
"I didn't mean to be so short…" Yamano-sama said. Tears were sticking to his lower lashes. "I have never raised my hand to hit her, but what she said really hurts…"
"Teenage girls. They're all like that, Sir."
"Yeah, well, let him stick around. I think he can knock some sense into her."
"Larva is only inclined to protect."
"Where have I heard that one before?" Yamano-sama tried to laugh, but it came out a sob instead. Agent X just sat very still, chin in his hands as he took interest in the designs of the carpet. He could still hear everything.
OoOoO
"How'd you know, Larva?"
"I just did."
"No. Come on, now, really."
"I'm so tired, Miyu."
"You're never tired."
"Okay."
"Please, tell."
"I'll tell you."
"Now."
"Maybe tomorrow. Sleep."
"You're going to sit here for the rest of the night, you might as well entertain me with what you saw tonight. My father used to sit with me before I fell asleep. That was before my mother past away and left the both of us alone and before the nightmares came after they murdered her. But you know what? I grew out of those nightmares on the behalf of my mother. I really need to find her murderers, so that she and Papa can rest easy again."
He smiled in the dark. She couldn't see it, but she probably sensed it. Larva knew she probably sensed it because she seemed to know him the way he knows her.
"His cologne."
"Yeah, that explains the sniffing like a dog."
"So, you noticed. I guess this is a good lesson in detective work."
"What else?"
"He had a fresh scar right under his eye. Probably got caught in some branches in his quick escape."
"I didn't notice that. What else?"
"You need to talk to him."
"I'm apologizing in the morning."
"Apologies are meaningful granted that they are due."
"But, I do feel sorry for hurting him. It's up to him whether or not he wants to apologize for breaking into my room and startling me. On top of that, apologize for lying to me. Yet, I am still obligated to apologize to him because I doubted my trust in him. We are siblings and I owe him that much for the years of protection."
"I never once saw him protect you from Junko-san."
"I mean protect me at school. I don't blame him for taking his mother's side. Okaa-san can be very intimidating."
He grunted, which Miyu took as a laugh.
"So, what else?" She pressed.
"What else what?"
"You're not that professional after all."
"Guess not if I'm missing something."
"He was wearing boots in his pajamas. Everyone saw that."
"Good detective work, Miyu."
She reached out and patted him lightly on the knee. "You've been in this business too long. You're missing the more obvious things." She retreated into her covers and flipped over, so that her back was facing him.
Happy Holidays, friends! Have fun and be safe.
