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 MINE
By bishounen lovah
Chapter 6
All right, Ganko. What are you going to do now, she asked herself for the nth time. Five whole minutes had passed by since Fuuko-neechan and the others had left the clinic, leaving her alone with Kaoru. Neither of them had made a single sound since then, making her wring the white blanket in anxiety.
What is he thinking right now? More importantly, what was she thinking kissing him like that? Questions were occupying her thoughts. Lots of them. And not a single answer came. She could not think of any maybe because her mind was too busy replaying the kiss.
To say it was pleasant was an understatement. That kiss had to be the most exquisite thing she had ever experienced. She had enjoyed it immensely. Even just the thought of how his lips fit perfectly against hers could make her blush fire engine red. And he had been gentle…as though he was afraid that he might hurt her.
The years being away from him had made her forget who he really was. He may be cheeky and annoying on the outside but he was more than that. Much, much more. She had forgotten how caring he could be and how sensitive he was of other people's feelings, especially when it came to the Hokage family.
After all, had he not saved her?
Had he not made sure that she was protected at all times?
Had he not consoled her when her tears would not stop?
Had he not kissed her in order to make the painful memory go away?
Yes, she started it. It was she who asked him to make the memory of Tsukiho's kiss go away. He only obliged. And when he did, she did not do anything to stop the kiss. In fact, she wanted it. So bad that even now she was craving for another.
She risked another peek at him only this time her gaze collided with his. Her face flushed yet again but forced herself to not look away. She was not embarrassed at getting caught (well, maybe just a little bit). That was not the reason for her pink tinged cheeks. The real reason was the way Kaoru had been looking at her ever since their kiss.
His face was bland but his eyes were different. They had an intense glint that made Ganko's breath get stuck in her throat.
Why was he looking at her like that?
Did he think that the kiss was a mistake?
Did he think she was being forward?
God, she hoped not! For some reason, she couldn't bear the thought of him thinking badly of her. She was not anything like his groupies. She hoped he realized that. But why she wanted him to realize that, she didn't know. A week ago she didn't give a dang about what Kaoru's opinion of her was.
What was so different now?
She didn't get to answer that question nor any of the others for that matter. Kaoru's sudden movement caught her attention. He shoved his hands in his pants' pockets and took a step closer to the bed.
"Anou, about what happened earlier…"
"You don't have to say anything. It was a mistake, I know." She didn't know where those words came from for she sure as hell did not mean them. She frowned at them as well at his reaction to what she said. It was as if he was disappointed.
Was he? But why would he be?
"If you say so," he just shrugged back.
His nonchalant response made her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. She was disappointed, of that she was sure. Angry tears threatened to spill as she reverted back to stare at her wringing hands. Serve her right for letting her imagination run amok.
His hand reached out to still her movement and squeezed her hands in reassurance. "You'd better get ready. The others will be back any moment."
Her blond head bobbed up and down as she pulled her hand out of his grasp to brush away a tear that escaped her tightly closed lids. No matter how hard she tried to change, she was still the same crybaby Ganko.
After taking a couple of deep breaths, she threw her legs over the edge of the bed stopping just in time to prevent herself from accidentally kicking Kaoru. He was already kneeling on the floor, her shoes in his hands. Wordlessly he took one of her foot and slipped it in her shoe then buckled the strap. He did the same with her other foot.
She wanted to protest but found that she had no energy nor will to do so. She was too tired physically, mentally and emotionally. Besides, she kind of liked the attention that he was giving her. She'd been independent for far too long. Now that she had broken up shamelessly in front of him, she didn't feel like keeping everything to herself. And she did not have to put up the strong front any longer. She was not strong…had forgotten that it was only when she was with her family and friends that she can become strong.
"Can we…"
"Nani?"
"Can we wait for them outside? I don't feel like staying here much longer."
He nodded silently though he reached out to help her stand up. She didn't wait for him though. She may like the attention that he was giving her but that didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed about it. She didn't want to look too eager. Side by side they walked out of the clinic, stopping briefly to tell the nurse that she was leaving.
The moment they got out of the building, Ganko hesitated. Students were now filing out of their classrooms for lunch. Conscious of her bruises, she reached up to hide them from view only to remember that Kaoru's bandana was wrapped loosely around her neck. Again it struck her how thoughtful he had been. She knew he never takes it off in public.
His scar!
She had found out about it years before when they were still staying at the Uruha mansion. She accidentally stumbled upon it when she barged in her room to ask him to play with her. He was angry at first but when her tears threatened to spill he apologized for shouting at her then proceeded to tell her about its history.
He was ashamed of that scar that was why he had it covered at all times. He did not want to remember the physical as well as the emotional pain that accompanied it. Ganko raised her other hand and began to unknot the cloth. She was unsuccessful though because her fingers touched his that prevented her from doing so.
"I'm okay. You need it more than I do right now."
"Demo…"
"Leave it be, Ganko. I'm fine, really."
He then proceeded to intertwine his fingers with hers and squeezed his reassurance. They started walking again, this time she noticed that people were starting to look at them weirdly. She realized that her hand was still linked with his so she started pulling it away.
He wouldn't let her though. As to the reason why, she had no idea but she chose not to make a big deal out of it. This was not the time to make a scene and draw more attention to them. So she tried very hard to ignore the stares and whispers from the growing crowd though it was very difficult to do so. Most of the students, boys and girls alike, have their mouths hanging open in shock and envy.
She groaned inwardly. They would surely be the main topic for today's grapevine, as well as the days after. It would make her life more miserable than it is. Kaoru's love struck fans would make sure of that.
Who cares, a voice inside her head chided. It's not as if you can't handle the lot of them with both hands tied behind your back. Besides, you like holding his hand, don't you?
I do not, she retorted back even though she was starting to blush from the roots of her hair to the tip of her toes.
Yeah right! If you don't then I dare you to pull your hand from his grasp this instant!
Ganko shoved the annoying voice that sounded suspiciously like Kondo back to wherever it came from. Since when had she ever worried about what her peers would think about her? Kaoru was like her big brother so there was nothing wrong if they held hands, right? And if he was not bothered by the attention that they were getting then why should she be?
Tokiya, Fuuko, Recca and Yanagi caught up with them halfway through the school grounds. Ganko's face heated up a hundred degrees higher. There was no way they could have missed their linked hands although they made no moves to acknowledge it. Heck, even crude Recca was ignoring it. Even as Kaoru helped her in entering the van none teased them although she was fairly sure Domon and Kondo were grinning mischievously.
What's up with them?
That was the last thought that entered her mind before she promptly fell asleep on her seat, vaguely aware of Kaoru's arm circling her shoulders to hold her head still on his shoulder. When she woke up he was already carrying her up the stairs to her room.
"I can walk, you know. You should have just woken me up."
He didn't say a word, just deposited her on the bed and left the room to let Fuuko help her change into pajamas. The moment the older girl left the room to prepare her lunch Kaoru went back in to see if everything was in order.
"I'm fine, really I am. I just wish everyone would stop babying me." Her reply to his inquiry was a bit rough. She instantly regretted it as soon as the words came out.
"We're just worried about you, Ganko. I know you could take care of yourself but you don't have to do everything alone. We're family and family helps each other out." He made a move to the door only to be stopped.
"Kaoru," she paused, unsure of what to say, "I'm sorry…and thank you." He nodded briefly, his brown eyes showing his reluctance to leave.
"Kaoru," she called out again, "could you…could you stay here until I fall asleep?"
"All right." He dragged the beanbag closer to her bed and unceremoniously dropped on it. She turned on her side, facing him, reaching into a pleasant slumber almost immediately.
(B/N: Okay, who's suffering from diabetes right now? Hehehe. My computer's full of bugs already. An army of ants got attracted to all of the fluff.)
~Scene Change~
Fuuko balanced a tray of food effortlessly as she walked up the stairs. It contained lots of food Yanagi had managed to whip up at short notice. The two teens upstairs had been through a lot lately and deserved some kind of special treatment. And rest…when was the last time either of them had a decent sleep?
She rounded the corner and was greeted by Tokiya. He went earlier to check up on the two. He shook his head at her which meant that Kaoru and Ganko had probably dozed off.
He took the tray from her and placed it atop the hallway table. Fuuko couldn't help but sigh in relief not because she no longer bore the weight of the tray but because they had one less problem to deal with. Ganko was finally sleeping.
"Everything's starting to get better," Tokiya followed her to the end of the hallway, stopping to look out of the window too. "It seems the two are getting along quite well."
"I'm glad. It breaks my heart every time I see her suffering like that. It's not right to keep everything inside. The pain would only eat her up alive."
"I know."
"Of course you'll know. Sometimes I think she got that 'leave me alone, I can handle everything' attitude from you."
"She probably did. That's why I thought it best for you to move back here. If there's anyone who could bring her out of her shell, it would have to be someone from Hokage."
"Are you talking from experience?" she smiled slyly at him.
His response was a raised eyebrow although one corner of his mouth twitched upwards in a lame attempt to smile. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back against his chest then placed his chin atop her head. They stared outside for a while in silence, savoring the peace of mind that rarely came to them since Ganko started having those nightmares.
"Our only problem now is how to get rid of that ghost," Fuuko said after a while.
"We'll find a way. Kagerou-san will be able to find a madougu that could help. And with Kurei's assistance they would surely come up with a solution."
"But what if there's no madougu that could kill it? What would we do then?"
"Don't borrow trouble, love," he kissed the top of her head then proceeded to escort her back down. "We've been through a lot to let a dead man get the better of us. We'll get through this, you'll see."
They stopped briefly to peek at the two. Kaoru was curled on the beanbag, one arm thrown over the bed, his hand securely tucked underneath Ganko's. Quietly they retreated and started to walk away with the tray.
"You're quiet," Tokiya observed. "What's going on in that devious mind of yours?"
"Nothing so devious. I just hope they don't make it a habit sleeping together in one room."
"Why not?"
It was her turn to raise an eyebrow at him.
To be continued…
BISHLOV: And there you have it folks…a tiny pinch of ToFuu mush (though it wasn't as mushy as Kaoru and Ganko's). If you wanna read some serious ToFuu then I suggest you read my "No Angel" fic. I'm pretty proud of it maybe that's why I'm shamelessly plugging it. And now that I had gotten all the sap out of my system (hopefully!) the real action might begin in the next chapter (hopefully again!). Keep your fingers crossed so that I may come up with a decent action packed chapter. Gah! This is such a tough fic to write!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS!!!