Chapter 5.7
Akihiko walked through the dim lit hall. He was sure enough that he can't convince Misaki to be his roommate after a very unlikely chance of eavesdropping. He looked out the window. The rain seems to get even stronger followed by sets of lightning making the hall appear more haunted.
Suddenly, a light bump hit his chest; "S-Sorry…" a voice softly spoke.
The silver haired novelist looked down and saw a very surprised Misaki, "U-Usagi-san…" he gasped. The teen quickly hastened to leave but the other got hold of his wrist.
"Misaki, wait…"
"W-What?" the teen weakly asked.
"Are you angry?"
"Why would I be? There's nothing to be angry of…" the teen slightly chuckled but his voice was trembling along with his hands. Misaki was restraining himself from reacting to every little thing that the novelist did. But how come he felt so frustrated right now?
Akihiko let go of the other's wrist and sighed, "I'm sorry… You shouldn't have heard that. But Misaki…"
"Please Usagi-san, I'm tired. I still need to make breakfast tomorrow… I-If you're lost, I'll guide you back to my room so you can rest. I'll just finish the preparations for the morning." Misaki explained. Flashes of lightning outside slightly illuminated the teen's face. The novelist can clearly see that the other really wants to avoid him.
Akihiko patted the other's head, "Just rest, I can go back myself… Good night Misaki…" he left the teen in the corridor and went to the room. The silver haired Adonis sat on the bed, debating himself whether he would go to sleep or wait for Misaki although he has the feeling that the teen would never enter the room.
Suddenly, a loud crashing roar of thunder erupted in the dark sky and quickly killed the electricity of the orphanage. It was a good thing that the children were already asleep or else, they would cry and run around in panic.
"Great…" Akihiko groaned and suddenly recalled something.
'Misaki is quite traumatized to loud sounds especially to thunder. The doctor who took him here said that it was raining during the day Misaki got into an accident…' he remembered Minako's words. The novelist quickly got up and went out of the room.
KKRASHH! Thunder roared once again as lightning flashed. The kitchen of the orphanage was slightly illuminated by lightning. It flashed and faded briefly showing a trembling figure beside the kitchen counter.
'Are we going to the amusement park now?'
'Huh? Who's there?'
'It's already raining sweetie, let's just go home for now okay?'
'But papa… brother?'
'Misaki, listen to your father, but we'll buy some dessert on the way home…' a woman's voice spoke.
'Yay!" a child squealed.
'Who are they?'
Rain was pouring hard and the road was slippery. The car was already swerving wildly on the road 'Masahiro! Stop!' a woman screamed in fear.
'Hanako! Hold Misaki!' the man exclaimed steering the car with all his might.
'Father!' a young man exclaimed, followed by a loud crash.
'N-No!'
"M-Misaki! Are you okay? Misaki!" a low and worried voice called out to the teen.
Misaki slowly opened his eyes and saw a very worried Akihiko. "U-Usagi-san?
The novelist quickly held him, "Misaki…" he sighed in relief upon seeing the teen managed to say something.
"Why are you here? Come on… You need to rest…" Akihiko held the other up to his feet.
"I-I'm fine…"
"How can you say that if your legs are still shaking…?" The silver haired Adonis carried the other in his arms, "You need to calm down. I'll take you to your room…" he gave the other a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. The teen remained silently and allowed the other to carry him because he didn't have the strength to fight him off.
Akihiko put the other on the edge of the bed, letting Misaki to sit down. He knelt before the teen in order for them to see each other on the same eye level, "Are you alright now?" he asked.
"I-I'm sorry if I bothered you… You didn't have to worry for me. You should've just rested…" The teen softly whispered.
"Of course I'll get worried, Minako-san said that you don't like storms especially thunderstorms"
Misaki bit his lip, "Don't involve yourself with me anymore!" he cried out as thunder exploded in the sky, making the teen tremble in fear. Akihiko was about to hold him, to comfort him, when Misaki pushed the other away, "Please, stop this…" he whimpered. 'Stop acting so kind, like this… You're just making me more confused.'
'I don't know why…'
"Why do you want to come back here everyday?"
'Why I'm feeling this…'
"You're rich…"
'So frustrated…'
"You're arrogant…"
'So angry…'
"I bet many people would want to be with you… but why?" Misaki's voice hitched. Thunder roared again and again as the teen spoke making him shiver and tremble. Fear was eating him as well as the 'unknown' feeling that was eating him the entire night.
'…yet lonely all at the same time?'
"After saying that you don't even feel a damn thin─" his voice was muffled with a pair of soft lips against his. His eyes widened with whelming tears. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he felt his body shiver in a different way, a way that he never felt before. Akihiko was kissing him.
'Stop acting as if …'
Misaki tried to push the other but to no avail, his body was denying his wishes. It was as if the novelist casted some kind of spell on him so that he couldn't find the strength and heart to fight back. A tear trailed down his cheek as Akihiko parted away from him.
Lightning flashed and illuminated the room for a moment, letting the two see each other for merely a second, enough to see each other clearly as well as the atmosphere of the small room. Misaki saw those lavender colored orbs look at him mildly and tenderly not like the ones that he usually see during the day. That simple stare scared him in a different way, a kind of fear that he never felt before. Will that kind of emotion normally scare a person? 'Why do I feel like this? Is it because of the darkness, the room or is it because of the fact that we are alone here that makes my heart beat like this?'
"Misaki…" Akihiko called softly making the other look up when he heard his name.
The novelist cupped the other's cheek and wiped away the trace of the last single tear that Misaki shed. "Forgive me…" he breathed as he held the other hand.
The teen's eyes widened, "You…"
"I'm sorry if you heard what I said when I was talking to Minako-san… But Misaki, you don't understand…"
"You don't need to apologize for something that you really feel… I-I know that I'm not good at anything but giving others trouble… So it's not new to me to hear those words… I…"
"You didn't hear me finish myself. Listen first okay?" Akihiko rubbed his thumb on the other's soft hand.
"My answer was that it is true that I do not come back for the children, it's because of you… And the truth is I was reluctant to admit what I felt about you…" He paused and looked up to the teen's face which was slightly apparent despite the abysmal darkness.
'What you felt about me…?'
"Misaki, I had made a promise in the past to forever love the person who has left this world so suddenly. For ten years, I held on to that promise, a promise to never love anyone again. But upon meeting you Misaki, something that I never thought would happen came true…" Akihiko whispered.
The teen felt his face heat up and his heart thump wildly in his chest. 'Does that mean… Usagi-san is…'
'You're in love with me…'
"Misaki…"
"Will you hate me if I tell you that I love you?" the novelist asked as he kissed the other's hand while looking up on the teen.
"N-No…" Misaki whispered loud enough for Akihiko to hear. The novelist smiled gently and held the teen. They laid there in that single sized bed with Akihiko holding Misaki in his arms, protecting him from everything that may harm the teen.
"If no one was there to protect you during the times when fear ate you, from now on, I will be the one who will be here for you…" Akihiko whispered through the teen's brown locks.
Misaki felt another batch of tears for on his eyes. He tried to fight them back but he just let them flow. He felt that maybe fighting back wasn't always the right thing to do. Sometimes, it was better to let it go. 'Long ago, I have hidden myself under the blankets of my fear… trying to be brave enough to face them alone but it didn't change anything. I was still afraid of the loud claps of thunder… Hearing them almost made me cross the border of madness…'
'Thunder ruled the sky the entire night but now, why can't I hear anything but the strong heartbeat from his heart? Like a melody in complete harmony with my own, lulling me to sleep…'
Minako just woke up from her peaceful sleep and looked out her window. The sun finally peeked out from the dark clouds. Central Tokyo was soaked all night due to the storm that bombarded the place.
"Thank god it's over… Good thing the children were already asleep when the storm broke out full force." She smiled softly. Then she remembered something, "Misaki! I didn't check on him last night! Oh my!" she panicked and quickly grabbed on her robe and rushed out to check on her delicate son.
"Please be alright…" she pleaded the heavens. She seriously didn't want to find out that her son was up all night due to his fear.
"Misaki!" she called out as she opened the door of the teen's room. Her eyes widened as she saw her lovely son in the arms of the silver haired gentleman. The two were fast asleep. Minako felt her cheeks heat up upon seeing the two so close together again. Then she noticed the peaceful smile on their faces, Minako smiled, "It seems that I no longer need to worry too much for you… nah, Misaki?" she spoke and simply stepped out of the room as she closed the door gently behind her, anxious that she might disturb the two.
"You've finally found the strength to fight your fear…"
Well, that ended quite different when I first thought of this chapter... XD
Anyway, thanks for reading and the support that you guys give me! Your reviews are awesome enough to get me going!
I'm still a Uni Student so I hardly find time to write... But I assure you that when I post my story here, I will give three or four chapters away...
Please review!
ShizukaUsami89