It's a Secret

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By: Ryoko

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Track 00:04:00

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"Like what? Did they hurt you?" Hatsuharu seemed to be growing very concerned all of a sudden. He hadn't even thought of what the child, herself, wanted. Could it be he was making a big mistake?

She didn't move after the last question, only staring up at the white- haired teenager with fear and hurt in her tears.

"Daddy doesn't love me." She whispered, looking back down at the carpet.

"Was he the one that hurt you?"

"Mhm." She nodded.

"What did he do?" Yuki was afraid they'd get that answer. He was even more hesitant though, to ask what he did to such a small child- no more than six years old.

Without a word, she reached over her head and pointed to the zipper of her shirt.

"Under here." She instructed. Unsure of whether or not to act, Hatsuharu looked over at Yuki for approval. The nezumi nodded, watching as the younger juunishi unzipped the girl's shirt. When the cloth fell to the sides, both boys gasped in shock, seeing layers and patterns of burn marks and scars that only someone of the army could possibly carry.

Not a six-year-old girl.

"Did he do all this . . . to you . . . ?" Haru's eyes were darting over her reddened skin, examining the scars and burns that she didn't deserve.

She nodded.

Zipping the cloth back up, Hatsuharu pulled her into his arms, ready to burst into tears.

"That's wrong. You don't do that kind of thing . . . especially not to children as young as her." Yuki growled, resting an elbow on the table and hiding his eyes with the same hand. "Don't send her back."

"Ashura . . . are you a runaway? Did you run away from home?"

"Mhm."

"Was it because of those scars?"

"Mhm."

"And . . . what about your mother . . . ?" The oushi was afraid to ask, seeing as how bad her father treated her.

Without a sound, she pointed to the sensitive area under her jaw, revealing to both the teenagers several scars down there as well.

"Did SHE do that?"

"Mhm."

"Oh god . . . Ashura . . . YOU'RE NOT GOING BACK THERE." Hatsuharu and Yuki both stated in unison, both of them feeling the same mix of emotions toward the child and her parents.

Anger- no- HATRED, sorrow, sympathy, and relief that she was now safe. All of those feelings, together, made was somewhat of an overload on the white- haired juunishi, and was edging him closer to putting a hole in Shigure's wall.

He bent forward, resting the girl's head on his shoulder, cradling her small body in his arms.

"I'll never send you back there, little one. NEVER." He whispered. "Promise with all'a my heart."

"Parents . . . they just aren't supposed to hurt their children . . . how could they . . . ?" Yuki whimpered, staring sadly at the two.

"You'll never be hurt again . . . I swear it . . . "

***

"She won't be going back." Yuki announced, walking into the kitchen where Shigure and Tohru were waiting. "If she's going to be staying with us, then Hatsuharu is too. I won't DARE separate the two of them. And if she doesn't have to go back to the main house for anything else . . . she's going to be staying with us permanently." He explained.

"What made you decide this?" Shigure interrupted, putting down his tea.

"She has so many scars on her . . . they're all from her parents too."

This alarmed the two, since they both turned their attention to the nezumi.

"Where are they, I'm curious? Where her parents abusive?" Shigure pulled his hand from the table, starting to tremble with worry.

"Apparently, they seem to be cutters. She's got scars and burns all over her back and throat. At least . . . that's all she showed us."

"Ashura . . . that poor thing . . . " Tohru murmured.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Tohru . . . she'll be staying with us for now. So she'll be in a safer place." The oldest juunishi explained, standing and moving toward the doorway.

"Shigure." Yuki's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Wherever she goes, Hatsuharu goes as well. She won't separate from him at all. Those two are best not to be separated. Like a mother and her duckling, they stay that close to each other . . . or so I've noticed . . . "

"Right." The novelist sighed, continuing out of the room.

***

He stopped before the door to the living room, peeking in at Hatsuharu and Ashura. The boy held the child tightly in his arms, seemingly crying into her hair.

"Nobody will ever hurt you again as long as I live . . . " he whispered.

The promise made Shigure smile slightly, filling him with a calming peace, that only words, such as those, could give.

"She'll be alright." He smiled, walking the rest of the way down the hallway and disappearing into his 'office'.

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