1 The Third Impact, and by far the hardest of them all
Kiyota ground to a halt in front of her.
"Jesus Christ," he gasped, "what's gotten into you?"
He stared at her, all huddled up in a puddle on a street nowhere, somewhere, weak and shivering under the stars. He thought she might not be shivering, but shuddering, and he pushed the thought firmly out of his head. He looked at the puddle on which she had fallen, and wondered if there might not be tears mixed with the water. He was sure that there had been some, and it needn't not matter if it were hers or not. For tears were universal; they meant sorrow; and if one of the world's own felt sorrow there was no reason as to why the rest of humanity should not feel sorrow as well. Nobunaga Kiyota did not see any tears, all he saw was his own reflection, and the small, tendrils of blood that swirled around in it.
In his stupor, he wondered stupidly for a moment just what in the world blood was doing there, in a puddle of rainwater of all things, when he realized that Akai was bleeding.
"Hey," he said gently not wanting to upset her further. He helped her up, ignoring the little voice in his head that said out loud what he felt Akai felt like as he helped-no, dragged her up-a dead weight, or a sack of potatoes. Whatever she had been crying about, it was apparent that it was eating her up inside-she didn't seem to want to look at him. "Hey now, what's wrong, Aki-chan?"
At the sound of the old nickname he closed his eyes and braced himself for the sudden expected impact of her fist on his fist, most likely his jaw, and he set his teeth firmly so as for them to have a lesser chance of being knocked out, or maybe a lunge in the direction of his neck, or an earful of insults, at the very least. But none of these things ever came, and Kiyota found himself opening his eyes and feeling very stupid. He couldn't remember a time when the result had been otherwise. He looked at her for a moment, baffled and worried and confused. He was sure now; she was avoiding his gaze, actively trying to hide from it, from him.
From him…
In a moment of tenderness that surprised even him, he pulled her gently into his arms and held her. She gave a small, frightened gasp, but gradually, she relaxed against his chest.
They stood like that for some time.
More than one he thought he saw a tear slip down her face. But then, he thought, the shadows must be fooling him.
Finally, slowly, hesitatingly, she spoke.
"Kiyota…"
"What?"
"Thank you…" she whispered, closing her eyes.
Another pause.
"Are you alright now?"
"Mm-mm…"
"Now, I don't think that was a very clear answer."
"What does it matter?"
"Nothing…"
"Then we don't have to worry about it, do we?"
"No," he said, smiling down at her. "I guess we don't have to worry about it at all."
~Owari~
A/N: Did you like it?? ……I liked it VERY much… ^_^ *sigh* Nobu-sama…
Kiyota ground to a halt in front of her.
"Jesus Christ," he gasped, "what's gotten into you?"
He stared at her, all huddled up in a puddle on a street nowhere, somewhere, weak and shivering under the stars. He thought she might not be shivering, but shuddering, and he pushed the thought firmly out of his head. He looked at the puddle on which she had fallen, and wondered if there might not be tears mixed with the water. He was sure that there had been some, and it needn't not matter if it were hers or not. For tears were universal; they meant sorrow; and if one of the world's own felt sorrow there was no reason as to why the rest of humanity should not feel sorrow as well. Nobunaga Kiyota did not see any tears, all he saw was his own reflection, and the small, tendrils of blood that swirled around in it.
In his stupor, he wondered stupidly for a moment just what in the world blood was doing there, in a puddle of rainwater of all things, when he realized that Akai was bleeding.
"Hey," he said gently not wanting to upset her further. He helped her up, ignoring the little voice in his head that said out loud what he felt Akai felt like as he helped-no, dragged her up-a dead weight, or a sack of potatoes. Whatever she had been crying about, it was apparent that it was eating her up inside-she didn't seem to want to look at him. "Hey now, what's wrong, Aki-chan?"
At the sound of the old nickname he closed his eyes and braced himself for the sudden expected impact of her fist on his fist, most likely his jaw, and he set his teeth firmly so as for them to have a lesser chance of being knocked out, or maybe a lunge in the direction of his neck, or an earful of insults, at the very least. But none of these things ever came, and Kiyota found himself opening his eyes and feeling very stupid. He couldn't remember a time when the result had been otherwise. He looked at her for a moment, baffled and worried and confused. He was sure now; she was avoiding his gaze, actively trying to hide from it, from him.
From him…
In a moment of tenderness that surprised even him, he pulled her gently into his arms and held her. She gave a small, frightened gasp, but gradually, she relaxed against his chest.
They stood like that for some time.
More than one he thought he saw a tear slip down her face. But then, he thought, the shadows must be fooling him.
Finally, slowly, hesitatingly, she spoke.
"Kiyota…"
"What?"
"Thank you…" she whispered, closing her eyes.
Another pause.
"Are you alright now?"
"Mm-mm…"
"Now, I don't think that was a very clear answer."
"What does it matter?"
"Nothing…"
"Then we don't have to worry about it, do we?"
"No," he said, smiling down at her. "I guess we don't have to worry about it at all."
~Owari~
A/N: Did you like it?? ……I liked it VERY much… ^_^ *sigh* Nobu-sama…