A.N.: Aw, gosh was this painful to write. I don't really know if I did the scene justice. I have this perfect idea in my mind, you know? But sometimes I just can't get it down in words. Tell me what you think...

Thanks to everyone reading!

Chapter 10: Love

The couch groans as he slid on top of her, taking up her entire vision and slamming his lips against hers. She gasps and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue inside her, deepening the kiss. She can feel her face flaring up crimson and he chuckles at the sight. She was quick to blush, and he had always said it was adorable.

Uncertainly, she raises her hands to tangle them in his hair, releasing a sensual growl in the back of his throat. She's relieved by his pleasure; she's never quite sure how to act in this sort of situation. Luckily, she almost never has to take the lead. He always starts it, he always drives it. She just goes along with what he says.

The boy's kisses slowly trail from her mouth to across her cheek and down her throat, leaving ticklish caresses in his wake. Finally he reaches the base of her neck. She gives a small cry of discomfort as he bites down, but it's quickly over, and his forehead is against hers, their breaths mingling.

"I love you" he murmurs, gazing at her with dark eyes, and rubbing his hands up and down her sides in smooth circles. She shivers under his light touch as it slowly loops lower and lower. There's a strange tingling, in his hands, in her stomach, everywhere. Not wanting to say a thing, the wrong thing, she leans forward and again captures his mouth in hers. One hand loops around the waistband of her jeans as the other pulls her face closer to his, caging her in a whirl of heat and desire.

Darkness again. There's no windows, not even in the door. He'd be mad if she opened it to let the sunbeams in. When was the last time the lights were on? Where even is the light switch? The girl lies in the corner, rumpled cyan locks falling in disarray across the floor. From her spot on the ground, she can see practically nothing; just the occasional flickering of a lighter in the other room. The smell of fire wafts around her, she can hear the click of a spark and his exhale of breath. She's forgetting to breathe. Breathe.

The fuzziness in her brain lightens a little, but there's still nothing, no reason to get up. He put her on the ground. There must be a reason. She's down there because she should be.

No one deserves that.

Her eyes snap shut, not that it makes much of a difference on her awareness. Although one sense has been blocked out, the words still float through her mind. She pushes them away. He's too kind. She isn't worthy of such compassion. Put that away. Away.

Her surroundings suddenly go quiet. Is she asleep? No, not exactly. She's nowhere. Floating. Many things flicker through her sight, yet she doesn't see them. It's quiet. Stay there. Stay.

There's a slam and her eyes fly open, mind shocked out of the strange and soundless world. There's dull light streaming in through the open front door, three figures stand silhouetted against the outside glare. Voices chatter and crack, she can't understand them. Her sentience seems to be wavering as if it's the refection in a pond. A figure moves over to her, reaching down and pulling her upright. A finger goes to her throat, another to her eyes which are opened, a bright light shining into them. The person is saying something. The girl focuses, it's important. This is important.

"A-…yo- alright?" The officer asks. She blinks at him a couple times and then nods weakly. Offering a hand, the policeman hauls her up, steadying her shaking stance, as a sound comes from the other room and three people fall through the doorway.

Hands pinned behind his back, the two other officers hold the man to the ground. His face is smashed sideways into the tile, his eyes the same wide astonishment as the girl that watches him. The people are saying something, he's yelling something back, but she can't hear it. Hands cuffed, the police pull him back up and walk him out the door into the light. Not even realizing it, she follows with slow hesitant footsteps that pad out onto the dead lawn and watches as they shove him into one of the three cars outside. She stares at him, waiting, waiting for him to turn around and look at her, like she's so desperately looking at him, but he never does.

"You need help?" The man asks her. "A hospital…" she shakes her head. He questions again, worriedly, but she denies with even more force. With an order to just say so if she needs anything, he pulls out a cell phone and begins reporting his arrest as the other one car drives away.

The other man walks up to her. Questions come out, the ones she doesn't want to answer. She gets stuck, not being able to say anything. He probes her more, thinly-veiled annoyance in his voice, jotting down a few notes before walking off into the house without another word.

More cruisers arrive. Lights and sirens. More and more officers go inside, examine the building, examine her. She's passed from person to person until she reaches the fence. There's a man standing there, his azure hair moving slightly in the chilled wind. There's a tightening in her chest at the sight of him, her throat feels as if it's filled with sand.

"…why?" She finally forces out, a strained cracking voice. His indigo eyes are filled with sorrow. "Why did you do that?" She cries again, louder, but just as weakly. He begins to say something but she shakes her head, the horror of it all suddenly crashing down on her.

"He was all I had!" She whisper-yells "Everything! He did everything for me!"

"He did nothing for you, Miku." Kaito spoke quietly. "Nothing at all."

She could feel the tears boiling up inside of her once more, and she willed them to stay down; she can't cry again. Her throat goes hoarse and dry as she clenches her hands into fists. "Maybe he didn't! But that's perfect, right?" breath comes faster and faster and she's practically panting as she continues "It's perfect! Because I don't deserve anything!" despite her determination, the hot tears pour down her cheeks, chocking her words and scrambling her sight. Suddenly, all her vigor fades, and she's left crying and shaking, utterly shattered.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she utters quietly, glancing back at the house, thinking of the bills, thinking of the college tuition, all of which she couldn't pay for. All of which he had paid for. She'd lost it all again. Lost her entire life again.

There's a stillness, broken only by the sounds of officers discussing behind them and of Kaito's sharp intake of breath. Suddenly he raises a hand, puts it out to her. She stares at it in disbelief.

"I'll take care of you." He says in a gentle tone.

A wave rushes over her, leaving a ringing in her ears. It was so caring of a statement, but hadn't she had heard this before?

'Just stay with me, huh?'

Wasn't it the same thing? Wasn't that exactly what he had said all those years ago? She looks at the man in front of her. Soft and tousled hair, eyes as blue and deep as the sea and pleadingly true. A hand extended to her, the same hand that had reached out to her, guided her, carried her, when she was in trouble. This man was…

"Why would you?" Her words are soft, confused, sad in reflection of the difficult ideas in her head. He straightens, his mouth slightly open, a confusion in his eyes similar to her own.

"Because…I care about you." He breathes, taking a step forward. She doesn't retreat. "I don't want anything to hurt you anymore." His expression is curiously nervous and he steps closer still. "I'll…protect you." The last words are barely more than a whisper. "Promise." His hand is still extended towards her, now no more than a foot away. He's waiting, asking, for permission. The girl understands.

It was not the same thing. These men are nothing alike.

Very gradually, she reaches out and touches the hand, her eyes lowered just slightly the whole time. His fingers gently wrap around her own. With a soft breath she steps forward, just close enough, and uncertainly, little by little, lowers her head onto his chest. She feels his arms wrap around her, not a cage, but a blanket; a warm tender layer of protection.

His head leans down and rests on her shoulder, and with a start she realizes that he is crying. The sobs are silent, no movement through his being, but tears still stain paths down his face. Soon the water runs out of her eyes too, and they stand there in the cold winter air, clutching each other and crying tears of sadness, confusion, and relief.

This man is…