Five a.m. thankfully passed her by for once. Beethoven was mysteriously absent, most likely with White Blaze, and wasn't around to wake her up. She was pleased with that and slept on in the warmth of her bed. At least until the sun shined in through an open window.
Her eyes squeezed shut with irritated thoughts, wanting to sleep some more. She gave a pitiful whine and turned to the bed, coming against something. Startling as much as one could for being half asleep, her eyes fluttered open, not expecting to see anything and jerking in surprise when she did. Everything came rushing back to her as she dumbly stared at Cye's peaceful face. Her face flamed, but she couldn't look away. Her heart rapidly beat in her chest, helping her to quickly wake up. WHAT WAS CYE DOING IN HER BED?! She didn't remember ever asking him to, nor did she remember anything after hugging Mia. She felt everything come to a head and it was too much, and she readily accepted the comfort of sleep to escape it all and passed out.
Her lungs burned and she exhaled in a rush, not even realizing she was holding her breath. She feared the noise would wake him up and they BOTH be mortified about what was going on. But he had some explaining to do as he HAD to've carried her up here. A sheepish smile appeared as she looked to the bed. Every time Cye carried her like that, she was always unconscious or asleep. She hoped it wasn't going to become a habit.
Ice blue swung to the window behind, squinting at the harsh morning rays. After letting her vision adjust, she stared at the view from the window. The blue of the sky shone back, tinted from the ending sunrise. Suddenly, there was so much she wanted to do today, things she wanted to see! But first...she was going to indulge herself and not feel that guilty about it. Cye's arm stuck out from the covers, and she found he was clothed at least. She felt pinpricks of relief and settled back down a little closer to him. She knew he wouldn't be so perverted to do that to her... She loved him and trusted him not to.
A smile easily appeared, even though her cheeks heated again. Still...it was true. She didn't realize that what she felt for him for so long WAS love until she thought enough about it and classified it. As if to prove her right, her heart fluttered when her hand took his. She let the limp appendage rest over hers, her fingers spreading against his. That lithe hand pressed flat, seeing the difference in size of their hands. She always found her hand to be smaller in his, and the physical representation was correct. Her hand looked about an entire inch smaller. She stared in simple fascination, content to study the shape of his hand. These were the hands of a potter, of a brother, a boyfriend, and a warrior. Her brow furrowed at the thought of HER Cye being a warrior...but wasn't that what Ryo said last night? That the five of them fought in a war with mystical armor?
She entwined their fingers and looked to his face. Her free hand rose and touched his skin, finding it warm against the coolness of hers. Her fingers threaded through his hair slowly as not to wake him. Her sense of touch felt everything about him, even as she watched the small chunks shift and drop back into place on his tousled head. A tender grin appeared.
She quickly froze when a small groan came from him and he shifted forward, his free hand going around her waist. He shifted closer to her and was still again, his face nearly in her shoulder.
A mysterious warmth flowed through her that had little to do with love. The adrenaline hitched the breath in her throat and all she could do was stare at him. Was she this shocked because of the actions...or because she could SEE it? Would she feel this surprised if she were still blind? Her head shook, not wanting to go into THAT debate. She could see and that was the important thing...now all she had to deal with was the ACT of it!
She slowly regained mobility and resumed activities with his hair. After a while, another soft groan came, supplied with a yawn as he finally stirred. She couldn't help but giggle at being able to see him wake up. His nose scrunched up, eyes squeezed shut, until it smoothed and blue peeked open. She watched with interest, him being the first person she ever watched sleep and awaken. That's how it SHOULD be. A tender smile filled her face, eyes soft as he looked up and locked eyes. He looked awake as she sensed and she fought laughter at his small, befuddled look. Apparently he didn't remember how they ended up in her room, or BED, either...
He straightened a little and rolled to his back, staring at the ceiling. For a moment he wondered if everything had been a dream, but staring into those ice blue eyes proved him wrong. They were the physical proof that Kimon was cured. He would personally and eagerly owe Sage for the rest of his life now. A small smile appeared as he snuck a peek at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked rather beautiful sleep-ruffled. He turned again and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her to him. "Ohayo gozaimasu..." He murmured, giving her a quick peck on the lips.
She blinked, too stunned to do much as he moved away. She finally snapped back to place when he grinned...that grin fluttering her stomach. She settled on her elbow a little and watched him, content just to look at him. He was such a handsome person, both inside and out. She would never forget that, nor would she ever stop looking. Her lips tipped.
The more ice blue kept meeting his, the more he wondered what was going on in her head. She was looking very much like last night; an innocent child with a quest to look at everything. He found that look rather adorable and a hand inched up to her face to trail his fingers over a cheek. Her eyes fluttered as her head tilted to him and his heart warmed. This was how he always envisioned them...not in bed together, but just like this. Showing little things to each other and being affected as such. He always knew there was something special about her...
"What are you thinking?" He breathed.
She blinked and the spell was broken. Feeling bold, most likely from being able to see, she leaned forward and touched their lips. "Surprisingly nothing... I was just looking at you to look."
His face tinged a little with a sheepish smile. He would have to get used to that he knew... A hand rose and rested behind the back of her head to keep her from moving away, knowing she wouldn't. As their kiss lengthened, his fingers slowly kneaded the back of her head, knowing her senses wouldn't have dulled yet.
There was a delicious tingling in her brain from his contact. Closing her eyes from that kiss only helped to sharpen the minute dulling they were undergoing. Now it was like she had never regained her sight. She was able to kiss him with all the feelings of a blind girl, and of a physically healthy girl as well.
The odd fluttering in her stomach intensified like a fire, spreading through her veins. Her hands slowly rose of their own will and latched onto his shoulders, gripping his shirt as if for strength. She moved forward, wanting more and pressed against him.
He was quickly getting lost in the feel of her lips and it was sending off warnings in his head. Hadn't he told Kento last night he had more morals and honor than that?? But, this felt so nice and so right...and didn't he have a right to kiss his own girlfriend?? Still...when her body pressed against him and pushed him backwards, it set off a chain reaction that startled him and his head jerked away in surprise.
The second contact was broken was when she snapped back to her senses. It was suddenly hard to catch her breath all of a sudden... "Nani..." She breathed, blinking to clear her sight. It almost blurred on a second...or was that just from her own need? It was hard to think straight and she couldn't process much by staring into his eyes.
The breath hitched in his throat at what he saw in her eyes. That...was that desire he saw? His throat was suddenly dry when he tried to swallow. "Ah...ano... I think we should...get up......now." He stuttered, suddenly recognizing their positions.
Raven furrowed in minute confusion until she registered their state. She was basically laying on him, but he had little ministrations on the matter. Her eyes widened with a deep blush and she scrambled to a sitting position, her mind thinking of a thousand apologies. But she initiated it...so why feel so sorry? Except for heavy breathing, Cye didn't seem any worse the wear, nor even MINUTELY offended.
When she refused to look at him, his chin reached to pull her gaze to his, mostly on instinct. He locked with blue and mentally shook himself. He would have to get used to this as much as SHE would... A tender smile appeared as he took in the blush on her face. "Don't feel so bad about it. I...rather...enjoyed it." His face heated on that truth, but he couldn't lie. He DID...probably a little too much! "But I think we should wait on that stuff until you get used to seeing." His grin widened as he leaned a little closer. "I will take another good morning kiss though..."
A small grin appeared as she met him halfway and gave a tender, slow kiss. His wish was her command...GLADLY! After finally pulling away, she looked to him again with a silly grin feeling really good. How could restoring her sight change her THIS much? Perhaps it was the love she felt for him...or the fact that he was her first kiss. Also the first, and ONLY, boyfriend she ever had! "I'm getting hungry." She murmured, sliding off the bed. Getting to her feet so suddenly was a problem and she wobbled, tilting off-balance.
He bolted up with a small shot of fear, catching her forearms before she crumpled. Blue searched ice blue for reassurance that she wasn't hurt and only saw surprise and shock. "Daijoubu??" He worriedly breathed, slowly shifting to standing position.
She blinked and looked down, wondering if her feet were taken from her as well. Nope, still there...then what was going ON?? She sighed with sudden frustration, knowing this was going to be rather annoying until she got used to seeing where she was going instead of FEELING. She looked up with a tiny pout, seeing his face slightly amused. "This is going to be rather irritating for a while..." She huffed, her pout increasing. "Looks like you're going to have to help me downstairs Cye-kun."
He grinned at her suffix to his name. How long had he wondered if she would ever change his name from Cye-san to Cye-CHAN... And now she was calling him Cye-KUN in one night?? She was surely original. He nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist, clasping an arm. "Hai. Let's go then. You can practice down the hall and we'll tackle the stairs later."
Her eyes widened as they headed for the door. "Stairs?? A...ano..."
He resisted the urge to laugh at her put out look and swung the door open. "Daijoubu. Just keep your feet in time with me and we'll do fine." He slipped into the hallway and let her take in the area while he closed the door. "Okay, ready? Left foot first...then right...left, right...left, right..."
She did as instructed, eyes on the floor the entire time. Soon she was able to match his pace easily and he stopped counting for her. She smiled. She was adapting quite successfully to this. Hopefully the REST of it would be easier.
When they hit the stairs, she gulped at the distance, knowing her perceptions would be off for a while on that too. She almost pitched forward as her sight failed her, but his arm held fast and kept her from serious injury. She gratefully smiled at him and gripped the banister, listening as he vocally directed her again. With only those two incidents, they made it down the stairs pretty swiftly and headed for the kitchen.
She was surprised to find everyone already at the table. She stopped and stared at the kitchen, amazed at the size of the place. She knew it was big by distance feel, but now she could see the physical representation of it. Her head shook with a sigh. "This is going to be a lot to get used to..." She mumbled, eyes on her feet as she walked in step with Cye.
Everyone turned when they entered, giving some odd looks to their position. After a bit, they let it go and knew Kimon would have much to get adapt to. "Ohayo Kimon-san." Ryo greeted, smiling.
She smiled back, just seeing someone smile set off a reaction that made her want to as well. "Ohayo gozaimasu minna-san. What time is it?"
Mia set two plates in front of them before they were even fully seated and took her place again. "You two are right on time. Everyone just got up a little bit ago and we decided to let you sleep in."
"Yea, plus no one wanted to go in there as a 'just in case'." Kento kidded, evilly grinning.
"Kento!" Cye shouted, glaring.
A fierce blush lit her face and her eyes jerked over at Cye's tone. She found his face nearly matching his hair and blinked. He was embarrassed about this too? Normally whenever he yelled at Kento in that tone, she always heard the anger in it. She never knew he yelled out of mortification.
"Kento stop encouraging him." Mia scolded, sending that look to shut up Hardrock. He grinned, but went back to shoveling back food. "So Kimon-chan, what do you want to do with the first day of sight?"
She looked to her food, smelling and connecting sight and senses again. It would take a whole day just to do this, but she didn't want to sit inside. She wanted to see what the world had to offer. "I...I want to go outside." Ice blue snuck a peek, finding Cye watch her as he ate. A timid smile appeared and her hand snaked over to touch his. "Show me your world Cye-kun...through the eyes of the gift you received."
Everyone stared at Kimon and her cheeks heated up. Perhaps they were wrong in thinking she didn't want to know that much. But she wasn't asking anything totally outrageous. Cye relented, knowing he'd do anything she asked ANYWAY. A small, reassuring squeeze gained her attention. "What do you have in mind koishii?" He queried.
Her lips twitched as she toyed with her food. "These...armors you have. I just want to spend time through your eyes Cye-kun. Show me what it's like to be a god."
He never thought about it like that. His eyes subtly went to the others, finding a few smiles. He knew they didn't really mind, and therefore, it was perfectly acceptable. With a nod, he released her hand and went back to his plate. "Finish breakfast koishii and I'll take you outside."
~*~*~
"Is this your armor?" She breathed, staring at a light blue ball. It was the same as Sage's, except for the color.
He nodded and removed the orb from its box, holding it in an open palm. It easily rolled around in his hand. "Hai. My armor is Torrent and I wield the power of water. My kanji is shinrai."
She grinned and broke out in a fit of sudden giggles. Everything started making sense. "I get it now..." She muttered, trying to rope it in. "Shinrai..." Her head shook in helpless amusement.
He smiled and clenched the orb. "I can summon it at will and there's a bright flash. I'll count to three...okay? San, ni, ichi-"
He was right about the flash and she quickly shielded her eyes to prevent getting blind all over again. It left as quickly as it appeared and she stared in massive shock and awe at the suit of white and light blue armor covering his body. It took a few seconds of open gaping, his gaze on hers, before she could move. "S...SUGOI!" She breathed, going to him. WOW! A finger poked his chest, feeling metal. Her brow furrowed. "Metal? Demo...isn't this uncomfortable?"
He grinned and shook his head. He was relieved at her reaction, hoping she wouldn't flip out upon seeing it. It was nice to be wrong once in a while... "Nope. It's magic remember? The armor helps regulate body temperature and helps keep me from getting easily injured. I can take more than any normal person."
Teeth bit her lip in excitement. With a grin of a child who saw the most fantastic rollercoaster, hands clenched together. "Can you show me?" She whispered, staring into his eyes with mild pleading.
He couldn't say no to that face even if he tried. He nodded and before she could protest, swept her up in his arms as if picking up a piece of paper. He grunted and bounced her a few times, getting squeals of amaze from her. "You need to put more weight on missy." He muttered, evilly grinning as she mildly glared at him.
"This is MAGIC armor right? You picked me up easier than you usually have. That's cheating." She promptly announced, poking a finger to his forehead. She suddenly blinked, stunned by her outward behavior and sheepishly pulled her finger off his shocked face. "Ahhhh, gomen." She muttered, twisting her index fingers.
He smiled and moved her face closer to his. "I could get used to this new side of you..." He muttered, giving her a quick kiss. Before she could respond farther, he walked to the door and threw it open. A quick peek outside found a few people loitering the area and his eyes rolled. "Any reason you're all out here?"
Kento grinned that sibling grin to his best friend. "Just thought we'd come to see the show."
Kimon stared at their faces and suddenly wished she was blind again. Her face heated up and she knew everyone could see it. This would take the most to get over yet! Her face looked away to keep from watching them, focusing instead on the light blue of Cye's armor plate.
Heaving a sigh, outwardly ignoring the others, he looked to the discomfited girl in his arms. "Hold on tight Kimon-kun." He answered.
"WhaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" She clutched anything her hands could get a grip on as he jumped high in the air and bounded past everyone. His passage took them to the steps and in the path of the balcony-like opening right next to them. Her eyes widened even further as she looked down, feeling her stomach bottom out. Her grip tightened even further and whitened her knuckles more as they fell to the other floor. But instead of falling to their doom, Cye landed on his feet as if he just jumped two foot in the air.
"There...first hurdle cleared." He answered, heading for the front door. "As soon as we get outside, think you could handle a little speed?"
She listened as the door mildly squeaked open, trying to figure out what he was saying. When ice blue looked up, mouth open to ask what he meant, he hopped off the porch, barely even bending when they landed. She startled again from that, expecting another superman bound, but relaxed with a huge exhale. When her eyes peeked open, she found he was waiting for her to give her okay. She looked into the forest and back at him, than gave a timid smile and nod.
That was all he needed. Clutching her a little tighter against his aubarmor, he took off in a dead run into the forest, easily dodging everything in their way. Her surprised cry nearly busted his eardrums, and if he wasn't wearing his subarmor, he knew her nails would've pierced his skin already. A smile from the thrill of all-out running appeared as he got lost in it. Too long it seemed since he was able to do this for the sheer pleasure of running with Torrent. The others understood and did so every so often. Nostalgia was often a thing of the present, as much as it was of the past.
He brought them to Sage's spot, knowing she'd like to see it. She commented on it when they were here last time and he would like to spend some time in a place alone with the woman he loved. Easily jumping onto the boulder, much easier than last time he tried to clear it, he set Kimon down and helped steady her.
A hand went to her chest as she tried to get her heart rate and breathing back under control. She knew her hair was a mess from the wind whipping it straight back, but she didn't worry about that as much as what she experienced. At one point in time, her eyes squeezed shut from the wind and she was able to concentrate on the feeling of wind and autumn cold on her skin. The rush she received was magnificent!
"Well?" He finally asked, standing back to sit on the rock. He looked up and waited for her to sit. A lopsided smile appeared. "What'd you think?"
She nearly fell to her knees in front of him upon trying to sit and stared with wide eyes. "S...Sugoi!..." She breathed, meeting his eyes. "That was...so awesome! I'm...speechless. But impressed."
His grin widened. "That was the point." He gave a quick wink and pulled her to him. She quickly settled in his lap and armored arms slid around her waist, settling there.
She easily leaned against him, feeling content again. It helped to offset the awed feeling of the gorgeous nature view brought on by this spot. Magnificent! There...there weren't actual words to put into it! "This place...is so beautiful!" She whispered, unable to find her voice. "No wonder Sage-san likes this place..."
He hmmm'd and rested his chin on her head. "It is nice." He muttered. After a while, figuring he'd better get it out of the way so they could have fun later, an armored hand went for hers. "Kimon-kun...I'd like to talk to you about something."
Her body turned to let her head crane up to see him. She blinked innocent, inquiring eyes. "Nani?"
Unable to help himself, a metal-covered hand rose and traced her jaw as his lips gently kissed her. Now that he was able to, he was going to steal the chance anyway he could. Forcing himself to let go, he straightened, but didn't let go of her jaw line. "Now that you've seen the armors and know of the story, I need to ask something of you."
Her eyes fluttered open and she tried to regain control over her stomach. It fluttered like crazy again and she was trying to put it back together. "Nani wa?" She asked, a brow mildly furrowing in wonder.
A hand cradled the back of her head and the weight increased as she used it to help from straining her neck. He bit down the smile to get this over with. Hopefully it wasn't asking too much... "You know this matter is very important to everyone. You know the details and I need to know that you'll keep this secret from the outside world. Only those on this land know anything actually happened. Mia was a big help in the war, and that's why she still knows anything. I'm asking that you swear to keep this as silent as we have for the rest of your life."
That didn't sound so bad. Of course this was a big deal and if anyone saw what she saw, pandemonium could ensue. Still, she would gladly trade blindness for keeping something so dire a secret. A smile appeared as her hand rose and touched his face. "Koi shinpai suranai. I won't let you down. I swear on my life and my newfound sight I'll keep it a secret from everyone else. Not even my otou-san shall know." Raven slightly furrowed with a thought. "But...what about YOUR families? Do you keep a secret from them too?"
"Gratefully enough, all five of our families know about it, some before WE did. I think some of Kento's siblings are too young to understand, but my family does know." A wry grin suddenly sprouted. "Which is why they're going to flip out when they find what happened."
Her eyes widened. "You didn't tell them??" She nearly shouted, mouth gaping open.
"It's been a fast-paced couple of weeks Kimon-kun. I'm sure they'll be ecstatic when they do know, but I can tell them when I get home." That said, knowing he could trust her with their secret, he shifted her to the previous position to watch the afternoon come.
~*~*~
There was a quick scan to make sure everything was packed and ready to go by the front door before she headed into the living room. "Well, I've got everything." She muttered, sitting on the back end of the couch. She yelped in surprise when Cye reached around with a grin and pulled her over to sit in his lap.
Mia smiled at how cute they were, hoping they never changed. "What do you intend on doing after you get home Kimon-chan?"
She stared at Mia, mostly for the ability to, and thought. Her face slowly lost all traces of happiness as thoughts of the future came to her. Her heart picked up pace as mild panicked emotions flooded her veins. The future wasn't what she thought it would be anymore and now she was unsure of what to do. Finishing college was a must, but outside was what needed to get sorted out. "I kind of forgot...about my father." She quietly muttered, looking to the hands in her lap. She mildly grimaced at how easy it was to do that to her own father. But she never loved the man and she even admitted there was no love in that place. Was that such a crime then?? "I want to graduate. I've only half a year left. Then I want to try and get a job as a writer...or maybe take up on my piano major... I have so many possibilities now... I know I'll have to get adjusted to playing again. And I don't know what I'm going to do with my job but..." Teeth bit down on her thumb as her eyes flashed with worry. She hadn't thought of the outside world when this occurred. Only herself and her life with Cye were really pondered.
Silence filled the room for a while. She could feel Cye's arms tighten a little more to try and reassure her, and sense that he was concerned for her as well. Apparently, he hadn't thought of that either?
"I do know though...that I don't want to stay at home any longer." She whispered, lowering her head even more. Shame and guilt snagged her again, but she couldn't fight it. "I don't have any good relationship with my father. I never have. He always did blame me, at least a little bit, over okaa-san's death. I could always sense it. We never had any kind of relationship." She timidly looked around the room, finding all eyes on her. There was an odd gaze in Rowen's eyes that she couldn't help but stare at. The longer she stared, the more she knew that the emotions she saw were what she felt. Apparently he came from a broken home too.
"Then what do you want to do koishii?" He quietly asked. "You know that Mia and I will try our hardest to help you out. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind lending a hand either if that was the case." His eyes caught the others nod, even though they did so much already. The emotion of friendship grew at the thought of them helping someone they barely spent time with. Everyone in this room was such good people.
Teeth briefly nibbled her lip. What DID she want to do right now? One thing was sure was she did NOT want to go back! She didn't want to go to a place she never called home. It was always 'the apartment' to her. If she had to move out, then maybe she could do so now. It was high time anyway...she was an adult and needed to be on her own to grow. She could finish college on her own, as she always had, and maybe accept help from Cye this time. She preferred it over her father's at any rate.
"I...I want to......leave." She firmly whispered. A tiny bubble of excitement surfaced, and fantastical visions of the future popped up in her head. "I don't want to live with my otou-san anymore. It's time to be on my own more than I always had been." She felt a squeeze and looked to Cye. "But not alone." She added, smiling.
A quick, thoughtful silence at the girl's proposal surfaced in Mia's head before a smile bloomed. Taking everyone by surprise, she set the teacup down and stood, kneeling in front of the couple seconds later. "Kimon-chan..." A hand clasped with Kimon's. "I would like it if you moved in with me if you feel the need to leave. I know about that place and I understand. We've been friends for years now and I trust you as you trust me. I think it would work out." Her eyes shimmered as dark blue met ice blue. "You'd be a welcome companion to fill up this big, empty place. ...What do you say?"
Her heart lurched and her vision blurred again. She would have to get used to the fact that she was crying and not losing her sight whenever tears came. It would take time to put those two together. The answer was instant. Her hand squeezed Mia's as a brilliant smile appeared. "Hai!" She cried, enveloping the elder in a hug. "Oh...arigatou gozaimasu Mia-chan! You don't know what this means to me!"
Mia returned the awkwardly-placed hug. Suddenly, she felt more like an older sister than a friend. Even though she was only older than Kimon by two years. "All we need to do is plan out what to do and you'll be set. I can clear out a room to put your things in and you can be set up in no time." Her eyes scanned the room with a mischievous look. "I'm sure we could get some help from a few people to help. You don't own that much after all... It could be a one-day deal if we worked together."
Cye quickly nodded. "I can pull my family to help if need be." Blue looked to his friends, finding acceptance of this situation in their eyes. "We'll all do what we can to help you." He answered, squeezing her shoulder.
~*~*~
"Gods...I never thought this day would come..." She muttered, staring at an empty room, hearing her voice bounce off the walls. Her room...well WAS... She turned and grasped Mia's hand for support, getting a squeeze back.
"Do you have everything Kimon-chan? You don't need anything from the bathroom or kitchen before we leave?"
Raven shook. "Iie. I scoured everything in only a few days time. It's amazing how quickly you can get packed when you have your koibito and his friends to help." She smiled in memory. Even if the meaning behind leaving was a mild lie, as it was getting the time to pack, this was really happening. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty, even if it was ONLY a little... It'd only been a week since the whole thing transpired and she was amazed at the quick timeline. Telling her father that it was a two day holiday from college and staying home while he went to work. She skipped two days, intending on telling everyone she was sick and get the makeup work later, and piled her things together to get packed.
The five were really good movers. Rowen and Kento managed to get a hold of a truck for them to use and they were able to get everything in one trip. Sage, Ryo, Cye, and Mia all drove over and everything was stuffed in and tied to the car to be taken. She was leaving without verbally telling him. She couldn't tell him she was moving, as that would arise too many questions and she wouldn't explain. She would have to divulge the secret she swore to protect and knew her father wouldn't keep it as honestly as SHE would. So it was this. Surprisingly, she didn't feel as bad about leaving the only place she grew up in. It all boiled down to the fact of how little love resided in these walls.
A small bit of her wondered if she'd ever come back this way in the future. Would she see her father in the years to come? Or would she let him live his life out in peace, knowing that the one who caused the accident didn't depend on him anymore? Would he move out now that there was no reason for an extra bedroom? The only reason he was able to afford this was due to her being blind and the cut on rent. They applied for affordable housing after the accident and were granted it, along with the dog in a non-pet location.
She rapidly blinked and turned from her room, slowly closing the door. It did no good to think about this, but she couldn't help it. Her conscious was hitting her hard. At least she wrote a letter to him about her leaving and that she would be safe and not to worry about her. Well...more like typed it on her laptop and printed it out. She still needed to learn how to write and figure out which hand she was first before she could easily say that.
It seemed like a dream. Maybe if she pinched herself, she'd wake up to the real world and find out she was dreaming in color again. A hand pressed into an eye, wetting her skin. It was quite a lot to handle, but she'd been thrown into many other stressful situations in the past. This ranked right up there, but as long as she could find the strength, she could deal.
Ice blue looked up and found her strength standing in the center of the living room, Kento and Ryo lounged in chairs, while Sage and Rowen looking around outside. She stopped and looked at their eyes, still feeling them with senses that had yet to dull...wondering if they ever would.
"Ready to go?" He asked, giving her a small smile. He knew this was hard on her, but she didn't say anything to anyone. She'd never left home like this before; that was acceptable. He was still surprised when her head lowered and she strode out to the balcony and leaned against it in silence. A small sniffle tore at his heart and he walked out, bypassing the others that headed in to give Kimon her privacy. While they respected that, he knew she shouldn't be alone at a time like this. The time for dealing with things alone was over.
Comforting hands wrapped around her forearms as she felt that warmth behind her in the approaching winter. She looked up a little and let teary eyes stare at the view, knowing she'd see this for the last time. She wouldn't come back here; a part of her knew that. Even if her father remained in the apartment after she left, she couldn't bring herself to return. This place held more bad memories than good. She held the few good ones with her mother close, but that was it. There was none of her father.
"Oi...daijoubu desu ka?" He whispered, gently pulling her to a hug. She latched onto him like a lifeline and he let her. She needed help now and then and he didn't want her trying to tackle something like this on her own.
After a while, she nodded and sniffled, trying to halt her tears. It took a few minutes, but she finally managed to compose herself. She looked to his beautiful eyes, staring to stare at him again, before gently touching his lips with hers. He would never fully know what he meant to her...and saying 'ai shiteru' just wasn't enough sometimes. He was her savior, her koibito, her rock, and her best friend. He was there for her when times were hard and bad, he understood her without words, and he never gave up on her. He trusted her as she fully trusted him. She could handle anything as long as they were together.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Cye-kun." She whispered, sending a shaky smile. A hand touched his cheek with the need to touch him, as if to help him absorb him that. "You don't know how much I'm grateful to have you here beside me."
His smile told her he had a pretty good indication, as well as the tender kiss he returned. He gave her a brief, tight hug and stepped back, loosely clasping their hands. Meeting her gaze, he gave them a gentle squeeze before looking inside to their awaiting friends. "Let's get you moved to your new home Kimon-kun." He whispered.
Her smile widened as she sniffled one final time and was readily pulled inside. She turned and closed the balcony door with a sigh, feeling tension in her shoulders. When this was done and over with, she was going into her new connecting bathroom and take a long, hot soak! Making everyone else wait a little longer, she strode to the dining room table and pulled out the letter and house key. She gave the letter a small kiss and made sure he could find it without misplacing it for normal mail before turning to everyone. With a mild fake smile, she nodded and started for the door. "Yosh! Iku minna."
~*~*~
"So...how do you feel?"
"Strange...I didn't think this would ever, EVER happen to me in a million years... It's nice...even though I'll have to get used to it."
"So do you know what you're going to do about college tomorrow?"
"I'll explain to the teachers that I was out sick again. And I'll try to do my hardest to pretend I'm blind. It won't be hard. My senses haven't really dimmed and placating the masses will only make them go back to the way they were. I already know every inch of where I usually go already. I've been to that college for three and a half years. I have only a few more credits to go and depending on how I juggle them, I can graduate early next year."
"If you're lucky."
She nodded. "If I'm lucky. But I think I'll be able to do it. With all that's happened to me in the past few months, this should be easy."
"Well then, good luck and work hard. I hope to see you graduate early. I'll plan the biggest celebration party you've ever seen."
"Considering it'll be my ONLY party AND the first I've seen, you won't have to try hard."
"Don't get smart with me koishii."
She giggled and leaned against Cye, smiling as he pushed off on the porch swing in front of a sunset. They'd been out there for a while; waiting for the sun to set and it was now halfway down. The first sunset she ever witnessed in eighteen years. The second they shared in the same position.
Feeling Kimon lean back a little more, he gently pushed off again, mindful of the half-full mug in Kimon's hands. Mia offered him one as well, but he just said he could share with her while they were outside. Kimon humorously pouted about having to share her favorite tea with him, but he knew she didn't really. He could smell the jasmine from his place behind her and had to fight a grin.
With a sigh, his arms tightened around her waist, feeling her settle a little more. "I love you koishii..." He breathed, kissing her temple. He breathed in her shampoo and stared at the beauty of nature.
Her heart swelled. She'd never get tired of hearing that from him. Especially his newest pet name for her. He called her koishii and she called him koi. The guys often complained about how sappy it was, but she saw in their eyes that they were envious of their relationship. She smiled. Sage had someone at least, but Epiphany was continents away. From what she knew by word of mouth, she was going to try and visit Christmas or summer vacation. Also, the girl was thinking about getting an internship here in Tokyo so that she could get experience for her major and college credits. It would be nice to see the girl and try to reconcile whatever friendship Epiphany tried in the beginning if she came back.
Her head slowly moved against his. The view was a beautiful thing, but nothing better than being able to see the man she loved. That first day he woke up beside her was when she decided that she'd never leave him and that she would do everything in her power to keep the love she felt going as strongly as day one. "I love you koi..." She whispered back, gently rubbing her head against his.
As dusk settled in deep and the frost started forming on the lawn, the porch light finally turned on. Shortly afterwards, Mia's head stuck out. "Hey you two...frozen yet?" She mused, leaning against the siding.
She looked to her friend, her best friend, and smiled. "I've got a very good blanket." She kidded, getting a poke in the side. With a yelp, she tried to glare at Cye, only to smile at his innocent kid look. She gave him a quick kiss before cradling the tea glass and standing with no more help. There'd been the perfect opportunities to walk at college in the café, with Cye there the entire time, and now she was used to it. Especially at night, when she felt she was going more by sense than sight.
Mia held the door open and let the girl pass, following Cye in when he finally got up. "Well I just thought I'd come to collect you. It's getting late and the others have to get home. They have your furniture in your room and the boxes are crowding my hallway. I just thought you'd like to come say goodbye to them for now so they can leave." She gave a quick wink and directed her newest roommate to the others.
Goodbyes were brief, but meaningful. The others told her they'd be back next month for the weekend and to expect more chaos. Mia told her she'd warn her later about what they'd do to the place and mentioned stories she could tell her. There were a few tears of thanks and sadness on her part to leave these people quickly becoming her friends, but she knew the journey wasn't over. She'd see them again someday and it wasn't the end of the world. She had Mia in the meantime to keep company and visa versa. Till then, she'd do as always and attend college, trying to keep a normal life. Even if here felt anyplace BUT normal. It was like some magical kingdom nestled in the middle of nowhere.
As parking lights dimmed in the distance from the vehicles, she leaned against Mia and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Mia-chan..." She quietly answered.
An arm returned the gesture and the two women watched their friends leave for a while. Mia knew Cye would come around more often to see his girlfriend, and perhaps the others would stop by more often too... This would be better all the way around. The seven of them could grow closer than before, though it was mildly hard for that to happen with Cye and Kimon. In the year and few months they'd known each other, fate shoved them as close together as they were going to get without a wedding ring.
"Hai Kimon-chan?" Mia answered, dark hair affectionately touching dark hair.
She harshly swallowed, feeling a small need and connection in that simple gesture. This felt more right than anything outside of Cye. She didn't want to lose the emotion, ever. "Now that I live here...do you think...I could call you......one-chan?"
With a startled blink, Mia looked away and met ice blue in the low lighting. A smile slowly bloomed on her face as she shifted to give the girl a hug. "Only if I get to call you imoto-chan." She whispered, clasping hands.
The grin on her face was brilliant if she could see it. "You'll always be my family...one-chan." She whispered, blinking back the mist to her eyes. "I will never be able to repay you for that."
Mia smiled and quickly swiped her eyes. "Enough of that mush...imoto-chan. It's only getting later and your bed isn't even put together yet." A hand clasped on a thin shoulder with sudden exuberance. "What say we go get your room started so you can get some sleep tonight?"
"I highly doubt I'll get any ANYWAYS." She mumbled, wrapping an arm around her new sister's waist. At last, she had a sibling.
"Amen to that. But we have a big day tomorrow. We need to at least do what we can." Mia answered, feeling the roll as big sister already kick in.
As they headed up to the main bedroom hallway, she looked around again, as if seeing the place for the first time. 'Home sweet home.' She wistfully thought. White Blaze and Beethoven popped out of her room and she laughed. 'My extended family. I have it all.'