And this is how it had turned out...sorry to disappoint you guys...haha...
oh, by the way, I am really busy... This one was written a few months back, before I even started this third semester of my studies.
CHP 10: Comfort
Azure was pulled out of Sylvette's house by Hagel. Her friends didn't do anything to stop him. It was he who knocked hard on the door and barged in once the door was opened by Lag. He didn't even glance up at the others. His glare was only for Azure. The girl didn't protest as she was afraid that her uncle may hurt her friends if she did. She told Excallibur to stay with them. She followed Hagel back to their house.
"That was really brave of you to disobey me," Hagel said, shoving her onto the sofa.
"Please...it's New Year! Let me stay with them...just for tonight! Tomorrow, I'll come back and work for you again! I promise!" Azure begged.
Glaring at her, he replied, "You think I'd let you? You have a lot of customers waiting for you tonight! You have to entertain them! That is an order!"
"But!" the girl tried to reason with him.
All he said was, "If you want to keep your other jobs, do as I say!"
Stunned, Azure slowly nodded. She was forced to lie down on the sofa after that. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see what would happen next.
Three days later, Azure was seen walking to the Hive like always. The girls didn't have the heart to ask her what had happened even though they wanted to know very badly. She bumped into Zazie when she was about to open the large door. He looked at her while she looked away. As he was taller than her, he could spot some scars on her neck. He shook them off his view.
"What an awful look you have!" he exclaimed, hoping that she would reply rudely.
"Does it bother you that much?" Azure asked with a sigh.
"No, it doesn't! Not at all! Do what you want! It's your life!" the boy said before taking his leave.
He could guess why she didn't start a tongue fight with him. Azure sighed again. She took out the envelope she was holding in her pocket, making her way to the Director's office.
"Good evening, Zazie!" Lag called out when he saw Zazie entering the Hive.
"Oh, hey, Lag!" Zazie replied calmly.
"I can't seem to enter the Director's office. It's locked," Lag sighed.
"How come?" the raven haired asked, confused.
Both of them eyed the door. Soon, a silver haired girl made an appearance out of the office. She thanked the Director and his assistant before closing the door. She froze upon seeing Lag and Zazie. The two boys noticed her swollen eyes but they refrained from asking. She bowed to them before taking her leave.
"Zazie, I'll be going to report first," Lag announced.
"Okay, you go ahead," the older bee replied.
Azure rushed out of the Hive with Excallibur at her feet. The dingo didn't understand why his master was so down that she refused to do many deliveries that day. He followed her to the graveyard. He knew where his master was going. They reached Diamond Lapis' grave. Azure took a deep breath. Before long, she fell to her knees and burst into tears. The dingo didn't know how to react. It stood there, beside her, with a solemn face. Azure cried to the extent that she nearly lost her voice.
"Just what are you doing here?" a familiar voice said, which shocked her.
Azure stood up. She turned around to see her uncle with his hands on his waist. He looked angry. The girl bit her lower lip as she averted her gaze away from him.
"Let's get going home now… You have to start preparing dinner," Hagel said.
"Yes, Uncle…" she obeyed.
They made their way back to the house. They didn't notice another presence there. Zazie was spying from a tree. He could see Azure's expression. What happened between those two? Can he land a hand to Azure this time? He wanted the old rude and high confident Azure to come back.
Azure busied herself with dinner once they got back to Hagel's house. Her scarf, hat and coat was taken to her room by her dingo. She glanced up at her uncle once in a while. He was busy reading a piece of paper and chuckling as her did. She sighed, afraid that the piece of paper had something to do with her. The nineteenth bell rang, signing that it was dinner time for some people. Azure served the chicken porridge and roasted meatballs that she had cooked. She then scooped some rice into a small bowl and also, into a bowl that was twice the small bowl's size. Hagel sat down at the dining table, watching her closely.
"Hey," he started.
Azure bit her lower lip as she placed the larger bowl in front of Hagel. She glanced up at him.
"Someone wants to buy you for a fair price, along with Diamond's spirit amber," Hagel said.
"B-Buy?" she muttered, disbelieved.
"Yeah…he's from Akatsuki. I reckon you'd accept the offer?" he replied.
"P-Please…I don't want to move… I beg of you, anything but that…" she begged.
Hagel scowled, a scowled that scared her to death. She proposed to stay until the Letter Bee Annual Dinner, held next week. Hagel compromised.
"No dinner for you tonight," he replied, as punishment.
"Y-Yes…Uncle…" the girl replied, making her way upstairs to her room.
She cried her eyes out that night. She thought of all of her dear friends and wondered how they would feel once she leaves. Excallibur sad beside her bed, listening to her sobs and hiccups.
"I don't want to go, Excallibur…but I want that spirit amber back…" Azure said.
Excallibur nodded. He put his right paw in her left hand. She smiled to him as tears kept on falling down her cheeks.
"What do I do?" she sobbed.
"Zazie…we need to speak to you about something. Do you have time?" Aria said after Zazie's second delivery of the day.
"I guess I do…what's up?" the cat lover asked.
The Director turned to his assistant with a nod. Aria nodded back before turning to Zazie. She said, "It's regarding Azure…she's quitting. Did you know that?"
Shocked, he replied, "No. Why is she quitting?"
"Because of her uncle…and her sister's spirit amber…" the Director interrupted.
"Do I have to care?" Zazie asked, chewing his lower lip.
Both Aria and the Boss turned to look at each other. They were stunned by his reply. Aria ended the conversation with telling that Azure's last day is the Annual Dinner. That was the only time to say a proper goodbye. Zazie excused himself after that. He bumped into Azure when he was going down the stairs. She ignored him but the boy took the opportunity to drag her with him. He took her to the fountain at the plaza. She sat there, obediently waiting for him as he told her to. Excallibur was happily cuddled with Wasiolka, sleeping at her feet. She smiled at the two. Zazie came back with two pretzels and two ice blended drinks. He handed one each to her. Azure took the pretzel and started to munch on it.
"So…I heard you're quitting…" he started, taking of his letter bee hat.
Azure stopped eating. "Yeah…I have to…" she replied with a weak smile.
"Why?" Zazie asked.
"It's really none of your business…" she replied calmly.
"I want to know. Ever since that time your uncle came and drag you home, you've been really distant towards all of your friends…and me…" he mumbled the last words.
Chuckling, Azure explained, "My sister's spirit amber still exists…and I want to retrieve it. To do so, I must follow my uncle's order…"
There was an awkward silence. Only the sound of the breeze and some kids playing at a nearby playground was heard. Azure finished her pretzel and drink. Once she was done, she stood up and turned to Zazie. The boy looked up at her face.
She smiled and said, "Thank you for listening…I really appreciate it… Well, I have to report to Aria-san…"
She turned away to leave. That was when Zazie pulled her in for a hug. Her face was pressed onto his chest. She faintly blushed, but Zazie didn't mind.
He whispered, "You don't have to force yourself…I know you don't want any of this…"
Azure brought her arms to his back, pulling at his coat. She hid her face, sobbing and hiccupping in an instant. She kept on saying that she was sorry and both didn't know the reason. It just had to be the word, 'sorry' of any words that had existed.
"I'm sorry…" she sobbed.
Excallibur and Wasiolka watched their two masters. Zazie was patting her head and nodding to what she was saying.
"Oh, Zazie! Azure!" a voice called out.
They broke away from each other, Azure wiping her tears and Zazie fixing his coat. It was Sylvette, doing some shopping before spotting them at the fountain.
"What are you two up to?" she teased.
"Well, I have deliveries to attend to. See yah! Come on, Wasiolka!" Zazie said, escaping the question.
Sylvetted said goodbye to him. She turned to Azure who was busy looking at the ground.
She asked, "Azure…are having a problem that you can't solve alone?"
Smiling, the girl replied, "I'll tell you when I feel like it. Thank you, Sylvette."
Azure bid farewell after that. She rushed to the Hive after that. Once she had reported, she took another assignment and her next destination was the Haiiro Hagan town. She sighed as it was yet another far delivery and it would take her a couple of days.
"At this rate my days here will end faster…" she muttered.
Aria came up to her before she could leave. "Azure," she called.
Azure turned to her. "Aria-san. Is something the matter?"
"Would you like to take a partner with you? It is a long way and I was hoping you could deliver more than just the letter you have just gotten from the Director…" Aria asked.
"Oh, that way I could finish more than usual! I'd like that," the silver haired replied.
Smiling, Aria nodded. "Then…" she turned to look around.
Azure looked at her, confused. Spotting Zazie from a distant, the girl looked away, playing with her bangs. Aria was relieved to find him though.
"Zazie Winters," she called.
The boy turned to her with his hands in his coat. Azure tried to hide her panic. She bowed to him when he was near her. Zazie glanced up at Azure before turning to look at Aria.
"What's up this time?" he asked without hesitation.
The Sub-director explained, "Will you accompany Azure to Haiiro Hagan town? She has a few deliveries there and it is quite far, so I thought she might need company."
"Ask Lag or Connor to do it… I'm busy," Zazie replied rather coldly.
Azure interrupted, "Umm…I don't mind going alone… I don't want to burden the others…"
Zazie sighed and muttered, "You never stop burdening others though. Fine, I'll with her. Besides, I'm used to babysitting her."
"Thank you very much. Well, off you two go then!" Aria replied with a smile.
"What was that all about…?" Azure mumbled to herself.
She glanced up at Zazie who was busy looking forward. Their dingoes were happily walking side by side behind them. They were soon at the exit of town. Zazie turned to her, holding out his right hand. Azure blinked confusedly at him.
Sighing, the boy said, "The letters. Let me carry them all…it must be heavy for you to deal with them."
Azure stuttered a reply, "B-But, I'm fine…"
"It's okay. Just hand them over," Zazie insisted.
Chewing on her lower lip, she took out the letters tied together in a bundle. She hesitantly handed them over to him. He took it and placed it in his bag.
"Let's get going before it gets dark. Since I'm accompanying you, we might as well take the longer way through Shura Gorge," the boy said without looking at her.
"Hmm…" Azure nodded.
"Let's go," he said, walking ahead.
Azure rushed to walk beside him. They didn't say anything as they walk. Azure looked down at the ground all the way and Zazie looked away from her all the time. Both of them was trying to forget what had happened at the fountain. They had another halfway to go. Soon it was dark and they decided to camp out. They searched for a hidden place to sleep so that gaichuus would not be able to track them easily. They made themselves comfortable. It was getting colder for both of them, but especially for Azure. Wasiolka sat on her right and Excallibur sat on her left, snuggling to her to give her some of their warmth.
"Aren't you cold too?" she asked Zazie.
"I'm fine…" the boy replied, taking out his shindanjuu.
He calmly wiped his shindanjuu with a cloth he had brought with him. Azure observed him for a few minutes.
She spoke up, "You sure take good care of your shindanjuu…"
"Not really…but Pops will kill me if I don't…" he replied, sighing, "You should probably get some sleep-"
Zazie's eyes widened when Azure was suddenly right beside him. Azure stared at his shindanjuu, nodding at what he had just said. She mumbled something before falling asleep beside him. Zazie gave out his usual smile. He put away his shindanjuu, wrapping his arms around her. Their dingoes were already fast asleep.
"I wish you'd stay, Azure… Ever since you were recruited, I was able to hold back from being obsessed with killing gaichuus…" he muttered, patting her head.
So I just thought...though it does revolve around them...I just thought that the best person to care for her is the one who always tease her, right?
That's why I made them go on a delivery together again...hehe
The next chapter is already done too...but I have to reread it and let my friend proof read it before I can upload it...well, see you soon!