BISHLOV NOTES:
[1] ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU TO ALL OF THE REVIEWERS!!! YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST!!!
[2] Another arigatou to boo and smabbi-chan. You guys know why.
[3] Yes I borrowed the Priestess' name from CCS although not the character itself. Meiling Li is the kawaii yet sometimes annoying cousin of Syaoran Li. Don't get me wrong I like her and I love her ruby eyes. It's just that at the beginning of that anime Meiling has a crush on Syaoran and glomps on him all the time that's why I thought she would be appropriate since my Meiling sticks to Kaoru like a leech. Hmm. Come to think of it maybe I should have used Nakuru Akizuki. Never mind! I also borrowed Ganko's History teacher's name (Mizuki) from CCS.
[4] Tell me what you think…send in a review!!!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own FoR or any of its characters. This plot is a product of my imagination. Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.
BABY YOU'RE MINEBy bishounen lovah
Chapter 5
Everything seemed so familiar…
Ganko lying in bed after being attacked by a demented ghost.
Kaoru sitting beside her bed, waiting for her to wake up.
The only differences were the time and place. This time it was daytime and that they were in the school's sickbay. An hour had already passed since she was attacked. An hour that almost drove Kaoru to insanity.
He had failed to protect her again. Despite of his vows to do so, he was unable to. Again he had come too late. Almost too late. If he had come a minute later, he might not have been able to resuscitate Ganko back to life.
~Flashback~
Kaoru yawned a huge and loud yawn, not caring if his teacher noticed it. It was another boring trigonometry class. He didn't really need to take this class since nothing that the teacher could teach would be anything new to him. He was a whiz in science and math. His sensei could give him a pop quiz on anything, even about things she hadn't discussed yet, and he would still be able to finish it at half the time and ace it at that.
After all, mathematics was nothing compared to handling the Kougan Anki while at the same time thinking of strategies to defeat a fellow madougu wielder.
So he let his mind wander as he always did during trig class. And sure enough his mind wandered towards that thing that was bothering him all morning…
His annoying conversation (or should he say, argument) with that annoying stuffed kitsune.
Am I really in love with Ganko?
Is she really more than a sister to me?
What does that blasted dream mean?
His mind instantly recalled his dream. He could still see it vividly.
He could still remember how lost she had looked standing alone in that vast meadow.
How her eyes shone like blue gems because of her tears.
How right it felt to have her in his arms, soft and yielding.
How her lips quivered in anticipation to his.
Just as he was about to recall their mind-blowing yet nonexistent kiss, he had felt a sudden chill down his spine. It was the same feeling he had when Ganko summoned Kondo…when Tsukiho attacked her in that alley.
Ganko! His heart shouted. She was in danger. He could feel it.
He abruptly stood up causing his chair to tumble backwards. He ran out of the classroom, unaware of the stares his classmates were giving him or the 'I'm so fed up with you, Koganei' tirade of his teacher. He was not aware of anything else except of the feeling of dread spreading all throughout his body and soul.
He reached her room, cursing that it was too far from his own. He peered through the door's small window and tried to find Ganko among the sea of faces in the dark room.
A movement at the back of the room caught his eye. The dim light from the projector gave him enough light to see that it was Ganko. She was clutching her neck as though something was strangling her.
He quickly slid the door open and ran to her side. By the time he reached her she was already falling to the floor, unconscious. He caught her in his arms and shook her shoulders.
"Turn the damn lights on," he shouted in fear and frustration. The teacher snapped out of his shock and hurried to do so.
Kaoru blinked at the sudden brightness of the room. People were starting to move in around them, curious at to what was happening. The blood left his face as he gazed at Ganko's tear stricken, ashen face. Her hands were curled near her neck where bruises were starting to form. They looked like finger marks. Kaoru's anger turned to rage when he realized whose fingers those were.
"Ganko! Ganko!" He shook her shoulder, this time more furiously.
"She's not breathing," Megumi said in alarm. She had managed to elbow her way through the crowd and was now kneeling in front of Kaoru.
Oh, God, no! His heart shouted yet again. His mind was not content to lay dormant though. It ordered his body to lay Ganko down on the floor and perform CPR.
So that was what he did. He placed the blond girl on the floor, tilted her head, pinched her nose and breathed through her parted lips.
He did it once, twice, thrice. After the fourth breath, he got annoyed with Ganko for not cooperating.
"Damn it, Ganko! Breathe!"
And as if she heard his command, he heard a ragged sound come from her throat followed by a shallow intake of air.
There was a collective sigh from the crowd. Kaoru, however, did not release his own sigh of relief until he saw Ganko breathe more deeply and easily. Her blue orbs opened and stared at his face then let out a breathless 'arigatou' before falling back to unconsciousness.
He picked her up and carried her in his arms. The crowd's whispers hushed when they noticed the fury in his eyes and the grim tightness of his lips. They automatically parted to let him pass. From there to the other building where the clinic was located, he kept her close to his body, not caring about the rumors that were already starting to spread.
~End of Flashback~
He had moved to sit on her bed and gently took a hand in his. His other hand went to her neck where the ugly bruises were visible. They looked menacing against her creamy neck. He lightly traced them with a finger, willing them to disappear. When they did not, he took the ever-present red bandanna that was tied around his right wrist and loosely wound it around her neck like a scarf.
It was lucky that the school nurse was a gullible person. She did not question when he said that Ganko had a mild asthma attack and that he already gave her some medicine. The nurse checked Ganko's breathing using her stethoscope and said afterwards that the medicine seemed to be working since she was breathing fine.
That was all Kaoru wanted to hear…that Ganko was okay.
It wasn't as if he could tell the nurse what really happened to Ganko. What would he say? Oh, she was strangled by a ghost who wants her psychic device that's capable of giving life to dolls in order to resurrect himself.
Not likely. She may be gullible but she was not stupid. He would probably be sent to the guidance counselor where he would undoubtedly be checked if he was under the influence of illegal substances. Kaoru was also thankful that she didn't notice how he arranged Ganko's hair so it would cover her bruises.
Now her golden tresses were spread on the white pillow cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders. Frowning at the deathly pallor on her face, he could still feel his stomach churn with the fear of almost losing her again. Could still feel it clutching his heart in a tightening grip.
The thought of losing her, of not seeing her bright smile, was enough to almost drive him insane with distress.
I do love her.
The realization came swiftly to him when he had settled her on one of the clinic's beds and had calmed down considerably enough to allow himself to contemplate about his earlier actions. He knew that his actions were slightly crazed. And now he knew the reason why that was so.
Much as he hated to admit it, the bothersome stuffed fox was right. He was in love with Ganko. He had mistaken his desire to protect her for brotherly affection whereas the truth was that desire was the same as Recca's desire to protect Yanagi. To protect his hime, his one true love, from any harm.
And for the second time around Kaoru had failed to shield his princess. Yes he had succeeded in preventing her death in both attacks but he should have barred Tsukiho from laying even a single finger on her. How exactly he was supposed to do that was beyond him. But all be damned if he let any more harm come to Ganko again.
He would readily give his own life if it would ensure the safety of his love.
He knew that even if he had the courage to tell her how he felt once she awakens, he wouldn't. Not because he was scared how it would affect their present relationship although it was partly for that reason. With all of her problems right now he didn't want his confession of love to add to those that were already bothering her mind.
No. He would have to wait for a more appropriate time. Besides, everything felt so new to him. He would have to get used to the notion of being in love. All he could do now was support her, guard her, and love her from afar (figuratively speaking).
Her head moved slightly on the pillow and her face scrunched up in pain. Kaoru waited patiently for her to fully waken. He tried to calm his raging insides because of her obvious discomfort. How he wanted to get his hands on Tsukiho right now and squeeze the life out of him or whatever it was that was sustaining his unwanted existence.
Her fluttering lids and soft sigh told him that she was steadily gaining consciousness. Her eyes opened and he watched the blue orbs lose its dullness and began to luster as they started to focus. It took a minute more for her to realize what had happened. She suddenly sat up and brought a hand to her neck.
"It's okay. You're safe now." Kaoru placed his hands on her shoulder and gently pushed her to lie back down. He stopped when she let out a ragged sob and her eyes shone with unshed tears. "Daijoubu?"
To say that he was shocked at her response was an understatement. He felt his entire body stiffen with surprise and longing when Ganko threw her arms around his neck, buried her face to his chest and cried uncontrollably.
After he got over the initial shock (which was about five seconds tops), he relaxed and enveloped her shaking body with his arms. The sounds of her sobs caused his heart to wrench with love and sorrow. It broke his heart that the one who unknowingly gave him love and happiness was suffering.
He did not utter a single word. Partly because he did not know what to say. But mostly because he was afraid that his voice would startle her tears. She was finally opening up and letting him see her frustrations and pain. He did not want to scare her back into her shell.
So instead, he gently lifted her up and placed her bodily on his lap. His arms around her tightened, his right hand alternately brushing her hair from her face and rubbing warmth to her back while his left hand kept its firm hold on her waist. He rocked her back and forth as though trying to put a baby to sleep. After a while her tears subsided although her sobs were still racking her body.
"Gomen nasai," she kept on repeating the words in between sobs and hiccups.
"What are you apologizing for?"
(B/N: '…' would signify hiccups, k? I'm too lazy to type it down repeatedly.)
"I couldn't…move…training…worthless…I'm such a…weakling. And…and then…he…kissed me."
"HE WHAT?!"
Kaoru slightly pulled away from her and tipped her face towards his. His angry yell brought a new batch of tears to her eyes. She had thought that he was angry with her for being so weak but the truth was he was furious at Tsukiho for spoiling his love's innocence and causing misery at that.
"It was so…awful…disgusting…no matter how hard…I try…can't keep…the memory away…make it stop, Kaoru…make him…stop."
Ganko was starting to become hysterical. She clutched the front of his top and hid her face on the crook of his neck, fearful that Kaoru was now ashamed of her. He had calmed down enough to realize how low she must have felt right now. He wasn't ashamed of her. There was nothing she could do that would make him feel that way towards her.
When neither of his soothing voice nor actions calmed her hysterics, he decided that there was only one thing left to do. She had wanted him to make the memory of Tsukiho's kiss go away so that was what he was going to do.
The only way to make a bad experience disappear was to replace it with a good one.
For the second time around he pulled away from her and tipped her chin up. He gazed deeply at her confused eyes and watched them slowly close when his lips descended over them. He kissed her closed lids one after the other before lightly moving over her wet cheeks to wipe away her tears.
It was as if time itself had stopped and nothing else could be heard except for the hard thuds of their hearts. Everything seemed so magical that not even Ganko's occasional hiccups could break the spell that weaved around the young pair.
A long, drawn-out sigh escaped her lips as his lips continued to brush chastely over her face. Judging from her serene look, he knew that she had calmed down considerably. He was about to stop but was instantly drawn to her slightly parted pink lips. He was tempted to kiss her there, tempted to find out if her lips were really as sweet as they were in his dream.
Throwing away all caution, he decided to give in to the temptation. He was always a man of action who rarely thought of consequences. He would worry about the effect of this kiss later.
And with no further ado, he let his lips brush against hers ever so lightly. He saw her lips quiver in reaction so he brushed over them again. He pressed his lips on hers more firmly afterwards, mesmerized as he was with their softness. And yes the kiss was unbearably sweet though it was not because of her strawberry lip-gloss. It was because of the delicious shivers that were running up and down his spine.
It was a simple, chaste kiss but he knew that it was special. But was it as special to her as it was for him? Kaoru supposed it was for her cheeks developed a lovely tinge of pink and her now open eyes were sparkling brighter than a sun kissed ocean.
"Feeling better?" he asked as he fought down a blush of his own. Ganko responded by burying her head on the crook of his neck but this time because of embarrassment and not shame. She nodded her head twice, tickling him with her bangs in the process. They stayed in each other's arms for a long time, neither wanting to break the magical moment.
Neither of them noticed that the door separating the room from the nurse's office opened and closed. It wasn't until they heard loud noises that their eyes shot open. Slowly, they leaned over to the edge of the bed and peered at the source of the sound.
"KONDO!!!" They shouted in unison at the grinning kitsune.
"So does this mean Koganei's gonna take over my side of the bed?"
The stuffed fox's grin grew wider as he waited for them to realize that his mistress was still sitting on top of the gaki's lap. Ganko quickly got off him and moved to the head of the bed while Kaoru edged towards the other end. Both have faces as red as apples.
Kondo struggled to get on the bed with his stomach over the edge and his stubby legs kicking around to get momentum. Ganko immediately picked him up and hugged him to her chest. She was glad to see him as well as embarrassed that he stumbled on them in such a position.
"I-itai! You're squeezing me too hard!" The kitsune waved his arms and legs in objection.
"Gomen ne," she apologized as she sneaked a peek at Kaoru over the sputtering Kondo. Coincidentally, it was at that moment that Kaoru chose to peek at Ganko as well. Their eyes met causing them to blush anew although they did not look away, unable they were to do so.
Kondo, of course, noticed this since he was in the line of fire. He trudged to Kaoru and waved his forepaw on his face in his attempt to break the eye contact. "Oi, oi! That's enough mushy stuff for one day. Jeez! What are you trying to do…give me diabetes?"
"Baka," Kaoru growled, irritated now for bothering his special moment with Ganko. "What the heck are you doing here?"
"Checking up on Ganko, of course. Kami knows what you might have done to her."
"Nani! I wouldn't do anything to her."
"Then why are you blushing?" Kondo countered with a snicker. "Hehehe. Looks like I missed the action. Taking advantage of the maiden in distress, I see."
"NANI!!! WHY YOU…!"
"Maa, maa." Ganko intercepted the quarrel. Kaoru did not want to upset her so he ceased his would-be attack on the stuffed fox (who was now on top of Ganko's head) and just sent him a death glare. Once the atmosphere was more or less calm, Ganko proceeded to question Kondo. "Ne, how did you get here?"
"I snuck in Mikagami-san's van."
"You mean Tokiya-niichan is here too?"
"Aa. The gaki called earlier to tell us what happened. The rest of the gang is here too." At that moment the door slid open again and loud shouts permeated the room.
"Chotto matte! You can't go in there. There's too many of you." The nurse's shouts were heard over the noise of arguments.
Kaoru, being the one nearest the door, saw Fuuko, Tokiya, Recca and Yanagi stride towards them. Domon was left by the door to pacify (or torture) the irate nurse. After a second of the mohawked man's insulting pick-up lines, the nurse punched him on the face and slammed the door behind her, leaving Domon twitching on the floor.
"Ganko, are you all right?" Fuuko cried out the moment she reached the bed.
"H-hai!" Ganko sent a sidelong glance to Kaoru who moved away from the bed in order to give access to the other people. For some reason he felt shy towards her. Maybe it was because of the kiss. Or maybe it was because of what Kondo had said about him taking advantage of her. Whatever it was he couldn't make himself look at her.
Fuuko and Yanagi fussed over Ganko especially after they saw Ganko's bruises. Yanagi had offered to heal her but she refused adamantly with her hand clutching the edge of the red bandanna. Kaoru couldn't help but wonder as to why she didn't want Yanagi to heal her. Was it because she didn't want to remove his bandanna? Did she find comfort with it?
Don't be ridiculous, Koganei, he snorted inwardly. There's no way she would want such a fashion relic. She just doesn't wants to feel weak. Bruises are nothing to fuss about.
"I think we should take Ganko home,' Tokiya said after a while.
"Iya! I still have a test after lunch."
"I'm with Mikagami, Ganko," Recca piped in. "You should rest. Then later we could talk about what really happened and maybe we could come up with a solution to your problem."
"Demo…"
"No buts, young lady. And I suppose Kaoru would want to cut class too." Fuuko said.
"Although probably not for the 'usual' reason." Kondo smirked. "He just couldn't keep his hands away from Ga—"
"SHUT UP, KITSUNE, OR ELSE I'LL SHAVE YOU BALD!!!" A red-faced Kaoru yelled only to be stopped by his 'brother'.
"All right then. Kaoru, watch over Ganko until we fetch you. Fuuko and I will ask permission for you two to leave campus then get Ganko's things. Recca and Yanagi, you get Kaoru's stuff. Domon, get the van and wait for us up front." Tokiya threw his keys to the bruised man. After looking at Kaoru then at Ganko, he decided to toss Kondo at Domon too, ignoring the fox's curses. "Take him with you too."
"NANI!!! I can't be seen with a stuffed bear. What will the women think?"
"For the millionth time, you big gorilla, I am not a stuffed bear!!! When will it ever register in your brain that I'm a fox! Not a bear…a fox!!! What am I saying?! Of course you won't get it…you don't have no brain!!!"
The next minute was chaotic with Kondo and Domon arguing. After all of the others left, the two teens stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence. Their kiss had definitely changed their relationship although neither knew if it was for the better or worse.
To be continued…