Title: Jagged Pieces / CHAPTER 2 – CRASHING DOWN IN WAVES
Rating: M for coarse language, violence, and mature subject matter. Rating is subject to change.
Summary: It's been a blissful whirlwind of love the past six months for Kira and Rei, but perfection doesn't last forever. From the smooth, asphalt-paved path, one can see the twisted and broken path that it is about to become. Connections are formed, ties are severed, declarations are made, backs are stabbed, and it becomes a struggle for everyone to pick up the jagged pieces.
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Fuyumi Souryo and various publishers including but not limited to Tokyopop. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: Thank you to puppetmonkey5562 for reviewing the first chapter and most of all for beta-ing this chapter! Also thank you to craftyscraps, hp-luver2016, Alycia, vietgurl, and Plastic Perfect for reviewing the first chapter – I probably wouldn't have continued with Jagged Pieces if it weren't for you guys.
"Ding, ding, ding! SCORE! In your face Tatsuya!" Harumi proclaimed in glee as she attempted to dance a victory dance around Tatsuya. Tatsuya casually leapt out of her circling dance and leaned against the Pac-Man machine. He cocked an eyebrow and didn't bother to suppress a smirk aimed in Harumi's direction.
"What's this? A victory dance?" he laughed, "That isn't a victory dance, and you don't deserve or have any right to do a victory dance because I won! I won, I won, I WON!"
Tatsuya grinned and started to do a jig. He proceeded to whoop loudly and victoriously when Harumi halted in the middle of her own victory dance and shot him a vicious glare.
"Tatsuya, you're the biggest asshole of a boyfriend that I know." She huffed out, clearly upset at Tatsuya.
Tatsuya stopped in place and blinked at her in ignorance.
"I-I- what? Surely you don't mean that." he stuttered as he reached out to touch her arm in a feeble attempt to soothe her. Harumi jerked her arm away and stepped back from him.
"You're so dense Tatsuya!" she spat, throwing him a menacing glare before stalking towards the exit of the brightly lit, and noisy arcade room.
"Harumi, what-? I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!" Tatsuya shouted at her retreating back. He was wearing an expression of utter confusion as he followed her.
Harumi heaved a heavy sigh and kept walking. She didn't slow down for Tatsuya, nor did she speed up to lose him through the crowd.
"You don't even know what you're sorry for," she muttered under her breath as she pushed the doors of the arcade room open and stepped outside. The thick summer air immediately enveloped her, soothing her raging emotions and calming her senses. The air smelled of cotton candy, barbeque, fresh sea water and all the good smells associated with a summer boardwalk fair. She slowed down and solemnly walked down the boardwalk.
It had started out as a fun night, full of promise and laughter.
"Aw common 'rumi," Tatsuya cooed softly into Harumi's ear as he pulled her closer towards him.
She laughed and smiled adoringly at him before snuggling into him, against his warm and sticky body. The soft summer air threaded itself through Harumi's short hair and wisped across her flushed cheeks. She looked up at Tatsuya and smiled again. He was sweet, bringing her to the summer boardwalk fair.
The wheel started to turn in a slow revolution and they found themselves at the very top of the gigantic Ferris Wheel. Tatsuya inwardly smiled to himself as he felt Harumi catch her breath and take in the view.
"It's beautiful," she said quietly, "I've never been to the fair before."
"I know," Tatsuya replied in a soft voice, "I'm glad I'm the first one to bring you."
As a child, Harumi's parents had neglected her and she had never had the opportunity to indulge in the joys of childhood. Harumi's father often stumbled home late, drunk, and angry – angry at having to support Harumi and her mother. He would take out his anger and annoyance in thrashing punches and violent throws aimed at Harumi's mother. Any inch of skin his fists could make contact with would result in tinting the skin a burly bruise red or a stinging ghastly green. He would routinely beat Harumi's mother when she was younger. As Harumi grew older, her mother stayed out increasingly late every night, bar hopping and picking up college boys. She was a big girl then, her mother told her so. Her mother told her not to be afraid, to always stand up to the mean boys, to learn how to take care of herself. Her mother told her that being older came with privileges, but her mother didn't tell her that being older also came with consequences.
The very first night Harumi's mother didn't come home at all was the worst. Harumi would always remember the first hit. Her father came home late that night, stumbling into the dark house and knocking over the hallway table causing Harumi to jolt awake from the brash noise. She stayed huddled under the thin blanket, listening to the harsh rumbles of his voice through the thin walls of the tiny home. He swore loudly at life. He yelled at her mother, though her mother wasn't there. She heard him smashing delicate things – things that made tinkling and cracking noises when thrown against walls.
Harumi stayed awake until her heavy eyelids protested in agony and fell shut in exhaustion. It was hours later when he woke her, kicking at her door with dull, angry thuds against her frail, fragile door. Tentative rays of sunlight were streaming into her room through the tiny window telling the tale of the morning sky.
It's fuzzy, the memory, but she remembers. She remembers the clear, concise noises of the door thudding, curses and angry shouts coming from her father on the other side. Sounds of the doorknob rattling, twisting and turning. Her father pushing open the door, eyes blazing in fury and anger. He rounded on Harumi, thrusting out his hand and grabbing fistfuls of her thin shirt, dragging her out of the warmth of the bed.
"Where the fuck is your mother? Why the fuck isn't she here? Do you know what time it is? IT'S FUCKING MORNING. I swear I'll fucking kill both of you!" he snarled at her. He narrowed his eyes at her and manically grinned. Harumi was scared, she could smell the stale alcohol on his breath, feel his strength and anger as he gripped her shirt. "Aren't you precious to her? Her little girl? You know what Harumi? You're worthless. You're not her blessed angel, you're not perfect. You'll never amount to anything and you'll never be good enough. You're just a fucking shit head like your mother."
Tears leaked from her eyes and Harumi let out a wailing sob.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
The first hit came fast, fist coiled in fury, snapping forward and striking Harumi's frail cheek on the side. Her sobs froze against her stilled, shocked lips. Her eyes widened in fear. She tried to scramble away from him, but he was strong, too strong.
She cried.
It was only the beginning.
She was only seven.
"I don't understand you sometimes, Tatsuya," Harumi began in a quiet voice. "Sometimes you treat me more like a friend than a girlfriend – and it's great, don't get me wrong – but I'm your girlfriend. You forget that I am a lot, don't you?"
The sound of waves crashing and seagulls calling were faint and melded with the sounds of laughter and amicable chatter from the fair attendees.
"That's all I ever am, one of the guys – never pretty enough to be someone's girlfriend, never important enough to be someone significant." Harumi said softly and dejectedly as she continued walking.
"And the way you look at her – it's the way no one will ever look at me, because," she hesitated, "because I'm just not good enough. I'm not her and I will never be her . . . but that's not good enough for you. Is it?" Harumi choked out in a whisper. Tears stung her eyes and threatened to pool over.
Harumi stopped and slowly turned around. A rustle of cool summer wind swept her short hair up and she moved her hand to catch it and sweep it back in place.
Tatsuya wasn't there.
She was alone, just like when she was alone as a child.
Harumi sank to her knees, dipped her head, shut her eyes, and tightened her hands into fists.
Her warm, salty tears hit the cold, hard ground in a barely-audible splatter amidst the joyful sounds of laughter and chatter that seemed miles away.
EARLIER THAT SAME DAY
Kira was standing outside of Oka Hospital, fiddling with the bracelet Rei gave her. She loved to smooth her fingers over the cool metal, fingering the intricate weaving of the design. Her stomach fluttered with growing worry, apprehension, and hope as she peered off into the distance, craning her neck and listening intently for the purr of a motorcycle. She glanced at her watch; her appointment was due to start in a minute.
Time passed by in slow, heated, melting minutes as she continued to wait in the sweltering heat. Another quick glance at the silver wrist-watch strapped loosely around her wrist told her she was already five minutes late for her appointment with Dr. Shita.
Five minutes later, she slowly turned to walk inside. The bracelet glittered in the sunlight as she raised her hand to brush away a lone tear on her cheek. The butterflies in her stomach persisted in fluttering. A cool breeze of air from the overhead fans hit her face and grazed over her damp cheek as she stepped through the doors of the hospital. She steeled herself and slowly, cautiously, stepped up towards the receptionist desk.
"Kira Kashino?" The voice of the female sitting behind the desk was cool and clipped.
Kira nodded.
"And Mr. Kashino, your husband, is . . . ?" the receptionist hesitantly asked.
"He's not here. He couldn't make it." Kira replied quickly, her voice even and unwavering.
The receptionist nodded curtly.
"Through the yellow double doors then, Doctor Shita's office is the fourth door on the right."
Kira nodded before turning and heading for the doors. She half-turned and glanced back at the entrance doors of the hospital, half-expecting Rei to come barreling through them with half-formed apologies forming at his lips, before shaking her head and pushing through the yellow double doors and heading off to the fourth door on the right, alone.
THAT EVENING
"Kira, Kira, common!" Rei huffed out in exhaustion as he continued to chase her down the brightly lit street.
Kira ignored him again and determinedly kept up her pace, threading in and out of and weaving through the busy night-life crowd. She absentmindedly folded her arms over her chest and clutched at the sleeves of her t-shirt, trying to warm herself up despite the warmth of the thick summer air.
"Kira, I'm really, seriously, sorry. Just stop for a moment, won't you? Kira!" Rei continued gasping out, as he was beginning to become winded. He had caught up to Kira several times but each time consequently resulted in an astonished Rei reeling back from Kira's nasty piercing glares; causing him to freeze in moments of confusion before remembering to once again follow Kira's retreating back. Kira was fueled on rage and anger and Rei had a distinct feeling he would long be burned out from exhaustion before Kira ran out of fuel.
Rei was starting to feel wisps of irritation edging into his system once again. He easily caught up to Kira once again and firmly took hold of her slim arm, twisting her body around to face him. He couldn't get used to it, the snarling look of fury on Kira's face that was directed towards him. He reeled back again and winced, still shocked at seeing the expression of fury on her face. Her eyes were bright and flaming, and the strong emotion of anger was still present behind them. Kira wrenched her arm away from him and pulled back, stepping away from him and clutching her arms tighter around herself, as if defending herself from him.
"Rei, just stop it already! Stop following me! You weren't there, and that's that. There's no need for explanation because it's plainly clear as crystal that you weren't there when I needed you! I don't want your explanations; I don't want to hear it! I just want to be alone to clear my thoughts, okay?" Kira's voice wavered, "Please." she pleaded.
"Kira, please! Just let me know what happened." Rei said, voice barely audible as a group of giggling girls passed them, "I'm sorry, you know I am, just let me expl-"
"No! I said I don't want to hear it! Just leave me alone – God!" Kira yelled as she stomped off again in rage and frustration. Rei gaped at her for a second before starting to advance after her again. "Don't, don't even. Don't follow me Kashino. Just go home!" Kira shouted over her shoulder, tossing him a last angry glare before quickly threading herself through the crowd of the night-life once again.
Rei stopped in his tracks and sighed, watching as Kira disappeared into the throng of the crowd. He sighed again, even louder, and absently fingered the pink hair tie strapped around his wrist before turning to walk home.