Chapter 10

A/N: Second to last chapter! I'm posting this now because I got a lot of kick ass reviews really fast and I don't want to hold it off anymore. I really like this chapter, and I would have posted it up sooner, but I've just been so damn busy lately. *bows* Gomen, minna.

Oh yeah, one last note before the chapter: just because I never said this was a romance fic, doesn't mean it doesn't have any romance in it whatsoever. I'm a diehard Haruko x Naota fan. *nods*

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Glancing around, she finally settled down on a level near the first lab level -the whole place seemed abandoned. She carried Naota in her arms. Despite some difficulty, she brought up two fingers to her mouth and blew into a resounding whistle. Slowly, the hum of an Earthling 1960's Vespa could be heard. Before a few more moments passed, the yellow moped stood ready next to them, Rickenbacker bass carefully balanced on it's seat. Grinning at it, she placed Naota down and strapped the bass onto her back. Boarding the Vespa, she road off the side of that level where the railing was broken, and retrieved the dropped Gibsons.

Please evacuate immediately. System generator shutdown in two minutes. Please evacuate immediately....

Shit, they had to leave. A magenta fire raged in an immense aura around Haruko as she called up Atomsk's power. With the flick of her wrist, the portion of wall a few ten or so feet away from them blew back, leaving a gash in the outer most wall of the building -directly into space. They charged through the opening. She hit the gas as hard as she could, and they sped away from the structure, devoid of any life... as it imploded into itself. This created a large shock wave that nearly knocked Haruko off her Vespa. A chill ran down her spine as she checked to see if Naota was still in place -which he was. Haruko sighed, relieved.

Just as they were leaving MM territory, a few laser shots resounded nearby. Shit -stupid idiots were shooting at her. She sharply swerved the Vespa around, to face two angry looking MM officers. Faster then they could react, she lifted the Rickenbacker and twirled it above her head, before swinging it directly into one vehicle, colliding in an explosion into the other on impact.

She sighed, that was stupidly easy. Before she could take a breath however, she heard far off sirens of more officers. Haruko sped off into space before they could reach her.



Just as the Vespa's wheels hit dirt, the figure resting at her lap stirred. Naota convuldged a bit as he coughed up a familiar red substance, blood. With a sharp intake of breath, she jumped off the moped and lifted the young man up and rushed into the guitar and bass repair shop. Yuto! I need some help!



As eyes tried to crack open, they quickly closed. It was too bright. The world was too bright. After a few moments however, curiosity peaked and once again, a pair of bloodshot blue eyes attempted to open. It didn't hurt as much this time... but the universe was just one big blur of light and shadow... though things slowly began to take shape as the texture of what was not the lonely gray of a prisoner's room or the mattress of a second bed of a bunk bed... but a rough off white of an unfamiliar ceiling.

Naota blinked a few times to clear his vision. Where was he? Slowly, he took in his surroundings. He was lying on something comfortable and worn... a couch. A blanket covered him, and with a chill down his spine he realized that the only other thing covering him was a number of bandages with medical gauze and a pair of boxers. With the feeling of his face turning pink, he sat up and lifted a hand to his forehead. It was heavily bandaged, along with his upper right arm and hand. He shut his eyes as he felt a rush of blood leave his head.

With some effort, Naota recalled what had occurred before he passed out. It was like some strange dream, he even half expected to wake up in the room at the station... only he still felt the pain, or at least, the aftermath of it. He had immense power, and had used it... it was amazing, but he remembered that he didn't see the world right, it was like looking through the eyes of someone else. Someone angry, and destructive. Everything seemed that way until he felt her. His heart shook off the destructive force that taken control of it... and for a few moments, he thought he had died -because what he felt couldn't have been real. Haruko... she was with him, she was real and he could feel her there with him.

Everything after that was dark.

Naota opened his eyes to look around the room. It wasn't fairly large, about as large as his room on the station. It was littered with machine parts and sheets of music and beanbags ... faint light streamed in from a window in the corner. Sunlight. Something he hadn't seen in years. He breathed. Maybe this wall all a dream too? He turned to face the other direction and cringed with a sore neck, taking back what he said. A dream wouldn't have been so painful.

A figure had walked into the doorway. Naota heard them first before he saw them. You're up.

Haruko.

She walked into the room into his line of vision and sat down on one of the beanbags, next to him. She wore a loosely buttoned up shirt(he felt blood rush to his cheeks as he tried to not let his eyes slip to her nearly exposed chest) and a pair of faded jeans. His heart fluttered.

More then thousands of questions swamped his brain, and he felt a headache coming on... he didn't know where to start. He parted his lips... what could he say... then he decided that one question would sum up most of his other questions.

Why'd you save me? he realized his voice was horse, and coughed to clear up his throat.

Haruko looked to him, face unreadable. She looked away for a moment, and then back to him -contemplating. Then she smiled.

It's simple really. she almost giggled as she sat up on the couch facing him. Naota had a quizzical look on his face. She leaned on her hands that she placed on either side of his head. You're mine. The heat on his cheeks became more intense upon hearing her words. His eyes fell on a bandage which covered the left side of her ribs. Then he realized where he was staring(down her shirt) and knew that he must have looked like a tomato. Y-You're hurt... he stammered out, but then out of pure concern, reached out under her shirt and lightly fingered the bandage. A blush appeared on her cheeks as he did so.

She looked down and watched his hand and replied. It's nothing... Then she looked up at him. You're hurt more. She stated, as she shifted her weight onto one hand and lifted the other up to run a hand across the bandage on his head. Then, as if some kind of signal was given, they leaned in towards each other, brushing their lips against each other's softly. Slowly, as to not bother each other's injuries, Naota slid his arms around the skin of her waist, under the large shirt, as Haruko lifted the rest of her body onto the couch -so that she lay comfortably on top of him.

Haruko caressed the skin of his temple right underneath the bandage lightly as she suddenly captured his lips firmly as their kiss began to deepen. Naota's heart fluttered in his chest and his heat beat faster. Haruko shivered as he gentlely moved his hand over the smooth skin of her waist up the dip in her spine to her upper back and shoulder blades -and someone walked into the room.

Am I interrupting something? Yuto asked, eyes rather wide. 'Cause I'll leave you two alone. Next time, Haru-chan, put up a rubber band or something- he started as he turned on his crutch to walk out of the room. After regretfully pulling away -with head down, Haruko put out a hand. Stop! It's okay. Naota shrunk beneath Haruko, mortified that someone had caught them ... doing anything. He pulled the blanket over his exposed chest and hope that he wasn't noticed. She continued to speak.

Yuto -this is Naota. The kid I was telling you about. Naota -this is Yuto, an old friend of mine. He's the one who helped take care of you while you were outta commission- she paused and ended the sentence in a whisper. -those are his old boxers you're wearing.

He could have passed out with embarrassment.

Don't worry, it's not like I wore them recently. Yuto said with a chuckle, having heard her whisper. He walked into the room and sat down on the abandoned beanbag. The older man continued speaking. So, your the one she gave the Rickenbacker to?

A pair of faces blushed at this. Faintly, Naota began speaking, looking up at her. You mean... it's mine? he questioned Haruko, slightly disbelievingly. She lifted herself off him to sit on the other end of the couch, and Naota slightly regretted questioning her and missed the contact. Duh, what did you think? she returned almost harshly. Slightly defeated, he replied, lost. I dunno... I... Luckily, Yuto saw the young man's uneasiness and spoke up. So... you were out for a while, you know that? Five days. He addressed Naota, who by then also sat up, despite his state of undress. The young man said nothing at that and gazed down at his bandaged right hand.

It was then he felt the dull throbbing pain undoubtedly coming from some gash under the bandage on his hand... if felt like his palm. From there he followed his arm up to his next bandage, around his elbow. There was a pad of gauze on the spot where MM had taken his blood on a daily basis.

, he had tried to scratch his forehead but stopped as a sharp pain shot threw his skull. That must have been where the needle had been. After a moment of uneasy silence, the two others in the room waiting to see if Naota needed any assistance, Yuto once again broke the ice.

Hey, uh -you hungry? You kinda haven't eaten in a while.

As if it had been waiting for this moment, Naota's stomach let out a loud groan. He sweatdropped. Yuto picked up his crutch and stood, stifling a chuckle. ... I'll go make you something. Be right back. And he left the two alone in the room behind him.

Silence reigned absolute at that moment, Naota staring at the now empty beanbag, not daring to turn his gaze on Haruko, afraid of what he might find. Thoughts ran free in his mind, one question returning to him though.

So... the bass is mine? his voice escaped his mouth before he realized it, and embarrassingly regretted breaking the silence. He was half expecting her not to answer when she replied.

You don't want it? He continued not to look at her, so the expression on her face was unknown to him.

I do... I just didn't think you meant for me to keep it. He admitted to years worth of wondering.

If you don't take care of it -I'll kill you. she stated flatly, and left Naota to wonder if she was being serious or not. Then it occurred to him... she could kill him now if she wanted to. So much more easily now then ever before. She had the power of the Pirate King. Something in his chest fell to the pit of his stomach. He was of no use to her anymore. What would she do now? What would he do?

Where would he go? Could he go back home? Go back and pretend nothing happened? What if he couldn't go back home -and since Haruko didn't need him anymore -what could he do? Unshed tears began to burn the back of his eyes as he opened his mouth to ask a question. It was then the form of Yuto appeared at the corner of his vision, and the conversation ended.


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And no, I can't explain why in FLCL people can apparently fly through space without any sort of protection or suit on. In reality, they're freeze to death or something... but FLCL transcends the laws of science.... (no one could get run over by a Vespa and then hit directly in the head with a bass and live long to tell about it). Haruko was flying away on the Vespa in the ending credits of the last episode. But... I digress.

The end is near.