A/N: A lot of things happened and the two weeks that passed caught me in a storm! I had the most memorable clinical rotation in the hospital yet and had been juggling musical rehearsals at night. I hope your days were as enjoyable as it was for me! I'm surprised to see this fanfic almost reaching 100 reviews and couldn't be any happier! Thank you so so so much for taking the time to leave a bit of your thoughts for this little fic. I had a lot of things planned for this story and I hope for your patience huhu
Changed the kanji writing of tadaima into hiragana for universality upon suggestion. I looked it up and found that the previous one just means the same but I think using this one's better for clarity. I'm not properly educated regarding Japanese literature so thank you for the anonymous reviewer for suggesting it! I'm very open to suggestions and comments. :)
To Minniemiss123: Can I talk to you through e-mail? My ig account is useless, sadly huhu. I have my e-mail account in my profile! :)
Special mention to these lovelies: KitsunePl, Takumisa17, Lmizutani, Padfoot Starfyre, adriana ayuzawa, Samara16, djhogan, Minniemiss123, seirra 1567, Guest, mikanlove
Added thanks for the favorites and follows!
Brace yourselves.
TADAIMA
ただいま
(I'm home)
"Her brain has slipped into a state of comatose. It's common for patients who suffered from severe head trauma...a form of activity in which the brain undergoes repair from the damages it suffered."
The elder woman, whose eyes revealed only of their grim reality, steadied her gaze at the young man in front of her, who had been reduced into an unmoving entity. Too many times already had he shut his eyes tightly, as if willing himself to awaken.
Unfortunately, this was reality. And he couldn't wake up from it.
"It's been three days since you've brought her here...three days since she's been asleep. Yes, her body is in recuperation from the damages of her head trauma but regarding the duration of the period of recuperation, I do not have an answer to. She may wake up tomorrow, or in the succeeding days after that…" Dr. Hajime placed a tight grip on his forearm. "Or she may not wake up at all."
The words echoed in his mind repeatedly, and he had found it hard to think of anything else aside from that. It was destroying him slowly, a darkness threatening of death in every surface it touched. He was almost going crazy from thinking about it, he felt like shouting to the deepest depths of the earth just to let out his pent-up frustration from everything.
Why did this have to happen?
All he had to do was deal with the pain of being separated from her. It was what he had been readying himself for, during the last three days he spent with her. He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready about the possibility of losing her forever and watching her fade away piece by piece before him.
He heaved out a deep breath as he ran his fingers through his hair.
Everyone had already left, deciding to rest for the night with the wistful thinking that they would get to see her already awake by the time they come back. Everyone had left...but he stayed.
Takumi rested his head on the white sheets of the bed as he looked at her face intently, his hand tightly clasping her cold one, willing her to wake up. The room was quiet lest the beeping sound that came from the monitor beside him, and the tumultuous storm of thoughts that was currently raging inside his head. He was afraid...so afraid at her mostly lifeless form in front of him; he wanted to run away from it because he was almost sure that this wasn't her, his mind denied that this was her. This lifeless girl in front of him wasn't his love, who was able to bring his soul to life with just a touch of her hand...give him a slice of heaven with just a smile from her.
But even then, he fought hard with these thoughts because he needed to stay with her, he needed to hold on for her. She needed him now more than anything. He wasn't ready to lose her.
Not now. Not ever.
Life would be pointless if the only thing you lived for let go.
"Don't leave me, Misaki." He heard his own voice broke and he had to swallow past the agony that was threatening to make its way up his throat. He held her hand tighter and brought it to his lips, placing a tender kiss on the pale surface of her skin.
He drifted off to sleep on the chair at her bedside, head nuzzled to her hand. Though he was by her side again, the feeling of being home wasn't there...because he wasn't able to share it with her. If this was what it would take to be able to see her again, he'd much rather not to; just the sight of her in this state was enough to kill him a thousand times.
He would gladly trade anything just for her to wake up again.
"Usui-kun."
Suzuna slightly nudged the man before her, who looked so distraught as he held her sister's hand tightly during his slumber. The sight in front of her seemed to hit her with a sharp pang. She never really got to see how intimate her sister was with him, but she could see just how much they love each other whenever he would visit their house and join them for dinner. He would always tease her sister, and they would end up bickering...but it could clearly be seen from both of their eyes. Even her mother knew, when she exchanged knowing glances with her.
Her sister, who had locked hatred and distrust towards men in her heart was showing her utterly genuine side to Usui Takumi and Suzuna could see how love just managed to change her sister gradually. She was happy for the both of them.
But a lot of things could surely change in the span of a year.
And their relationship was a testament to that.
"Clean up. You wouldn't want my sister to see you in that state when she wakes up, right?" She tried to give him a smile, but both knew that the misery was too much to even give some genuinity in lightening up. He gave a fleeting look at Misaki, berating himself before resigning with a heavy sigh as he ran his fingers through his locks.
Suzuna watched as he stood up slowly and kissed her sister's forehead, whispering something she wasn't able to hear before he turned to her to give her a nod.
"I'll be back." He made his way out the door.
Lots of things have changed...but she knew that what they both wanted right now was all the same.
He was dreading his way throughout the entire train ride...but it was not the emptiness of his apartment that welcomed him back. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him, rather at the lone figure sitting on his couch.
"Why are you here?" His fists instinctively clenched inside his pockets; seeing him again only means trouble, Gerard must have had an inkling of what he has been up to lately to send his most trusted man to him to keep an eye on things. It was too good to be true to believe that his brother would leave him alone after the ruckus he had caused, with that outrageous announcement he made in front of practically the entire world.
Cedric rose up from the black couch, straightening up before taking a bow in front of Takumi. Not a strand of hair fell out of place from the motion, his stance so rigid which only made Takumi a bit more anxious. Last time he was here, he saw it as his sole mission to make sure the two stay separated. That was more than a year ago, yet the young man remembered every little detail about his brother's personal butler, probably from all those days he never ceased to leave his side.
"Good day, Takumi-sama."
Takumi could feel the caution laced with the older man's words. Emerald eyes met with blue eyes in an intense gaze, and for a moment no one spoke, waiting for the other to speak up.
The older man proved to be the one with more courage, taking it to himself to break the silence first. "I came here with a warning and to confirm Gerard-sama's suspicions. He was indeed correct after all. I think you know just how much more danger you've put her through by coming upon this decision of yours."
Takumi was taken aback at the man's words. He was almost sure that there was no way they would find out...throughout his last days with Misaki he made sure to be careful in his movements to avoid the eyes of his family. Just how did Cedric find out about him and Misaki?
"I've already let her go. Isn't that enough for you all?" His irritation was evident in his voice. The Walkers already has him in their grasps tightly and he had caused a lot of pain to the only girl he ever loved just so he could get her away from them.
"Is that so? I believe that things between you and that girl aren't finished yet. Things would have gone smoothly if you had let her be." Though his face was contorted into control, Cedric's eyes weren't; and the edge in his tone were to add to that.
"Trust me when I say you don't know what the Walkers are truly capable of."
The older man straightened himself up again, though it was not a necessity seeing that his entirety was still as neat as before. "I would just like to remind you that you are to return to England after you graduate from Miyabigaoka High. You have a month until then."
For a moment, Cedric flashed him a look...one that held something behind it. It was not merely a reminder of his planned return, but a warning he knew all too well.
He took a bow again in front of the young man.
"My work here is done. I'll be going back to England to stay by Gerard-sama's side...monitoring his recuperation is of my utmost priority."
He left Takumi abruptly, closing the door behind him. The boy would have followed Cedric and instigated further to get more answers from the butler; but he knew better. The only expression of the mess of his thoughts was the frown that crossed his face for a mere second.
He took a seat on his couch for a moment, to calm himself down. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, something he did far too many times now, when he caught sight of the box which contained Misaki's belongings she used in the procedure. He was sure he left a mess on his coffee table; he remembered having photos of her scattered on the glass surface. Now, it seemed as if it was unscathed, the box neatly placed at the side with no scattered photos in sight.
His hands made haste movement to reach for the box and he found the photos neatly placed inside, together with the digital camera and the tape.
Behind the door, Cedric stood still with his hand still placed on the doorknob. The man who seemed to master the art of putting up a face to mask his emotions was deeply shaken. He was in deep thought trying to recapture in his mind the box that was carelessly thrown on the coffee table.
Despite the years that have passed, he still remembered just what it was intended for...clearly.
His conscience wouldn't let him forget about it.
Takumi was feeling a bit better, with having taken a shower and changing out of his uniform - which would at most times be suffocating. It reminded him too often just about everything he had to give up in life.
The train ride was bustling; it was a busy Saturday afternoon, people had taken it to themselves to spend some time in the city. He was dreading just having to go back to Tokyo, because he would get to see her weakly form once again...it killed him, having to take in the sight of her almost white lips and the bones protruding from her wrists and shoulders, much more than before.
He finally arrived, standing in front of the glass doors. His fingers gripped the metal handles for a moment, preparing himself, before pushing inside. There was a client in the waiting area...surely the clinic must continue its operation even though the love of his life was on the brink of death. It got him frustrated - the world was acting as if everything's fine when all he wanted was to scream out in desperation to bring his love back.
Akira had caught him standing still by the hallways, and she looked over briefly towards the patient waiting by the chairs situated around the room. She gulped down nervously before she gingerly motioned for him to come. Takumi raised his brows for a moment in confusion before he carefully made his way to the waiting area.
"Wait here for a moment...I have something I think I need to show you," she told him in a low voice before turning to the side, "Kimura-san? I'll show you to Dr. Hajime's office."
The woman slowly stood up from her seat as her name was called, eyes looking so solemn as she cradled a small box in her hands. Akira led the way to the familiar path to Dr. Hajime's office.
Takumi waited by the table, tapping his fingers nervously across the wooden surface. His heart was beating slightly faster than normal…he wasn't feeling very good about this. Cedric's appearance still left an unnerving feeling within him. There was an intense silence in the room before he heard the footsteps. Akira appeared by the doorway looking so pale as if anytime now she might faint. She motioned her head towards him.
They made their way towards the basement, descending the narrow steps before the rows of shelves appeared before him. Akira made her way to the metal drawers at the side, stopping at the furthest one with Takumi in tow.
W-Z
The tremble in her fingers hadn't gone unnoticed by Takumi's sharp eyes as she opened the top drawer. Her hand slid through the tapes for a moment before stopping at one side. Takumi gulped down the choking sensation in his throat from nervous anticipation.
"I saw the news days ago," Akira muttered almost inaudibly, "I don't know really know why...I've broken quite a few rules already just by showing you what's in this basement but I can't keep away the nagging feeling inside me."
She pulled the tape from the series placed in the drawer, grasping it in her hands with the label concealed from Takumi. "My instincts tell me you should know about this, just in case."
Akira slowly reached out her hands to him, offering the tape for his keeping. His fists clenched inside his pockets in reflex, before he put out a hand to get the tape. He flipped the tape to get a view on its top surface.
Gerard Walker
His breath hitched in his throat, and he could have gone breathless for an entire minute if his system hadn't kicked in and his survival instincts resurfaced. His fingers clasped tightly around the plastic object, almost crushing it in his hand. His eyes wide open, tried to reconfirm what he first saw...the name on the label didn't change.
"This was from years ago."
A suffocating silence engulfed the entirety of the dimly-lit basement before the thundering sounds of footsteps echoed from afar.
"She's woken up! Akira-san!"
He felt his breath got caught up in his throat, his eyes widened in shock as his grasp on the tape tightened before pocketing it. With one fleeting look at Akira, he turned his attention to direction of Suzuna's voice.
Adrenaline pumping through his veins, he pushed his legs up the flight of stairs and through the white halls. Everything around him started blurring, his emerald eyes set to seeing only those amber eyes that he missed so much.