Love Worth Fighting For
By Indigo Siren
Disclaimer: Tekken is © to Namco. I am making no money from this fan fiction; it is just for fun. I however own all the characters that are not apart of the Tekken franchise. All rights reserved.
Chapter 11
It was the smell of plastic and bleach that met her when consciousness finally set in. Miharu's eyes were overwhelmed with streams of light as she opened them slowly to the genial room she was in. After flinching against the brightness, she finally found she could look around without straining, and at first, all she could see was the white of the ceiling. She lay there, confused and numb, trying to get the feeling back into her dead weight body, and now again, feeling parts of her were useless lumps. She shifted slightly, and the plastic-like gown she was wearing rustled over her form as she tried to sit up and only managing to half do it. She hissed slightly at the tug of an IV in her hand, truly knowing where she was now. She finally tried to access herself from her position. Her right arm was resting in a sling, with a bandage over her shoulder beneath; also, her wrist was wrapped in a special pad, restraining most of her movements with the hand. Under the covers, she could feel a bandage wound tight around her torso and her left ankle. Of all the numbness she felt, her head was like the biggest dead weight on the planet.
She sighed weakly and looked around the hospital room, which was just your average, plain recovery suite, with white tiled walls to every corner. The window above her head let in a glow, which seemed to reflect brighter on the white, cotton curtains. The room was almost scant for furniture. There was a black wheelchair in the corner just behind a large curtain, a leather covered chair by the bed and a small white cupboard beside her, which was decorated with get well cards, a large vase of purple blooming flowers and a small teddy with balloons. She smiled at them.
'At least I'm loved,' she thought.
The oak door opened to her right and she peered up. A Doctor entered, his face brightening to see her curious eyes blinking his way.
"Ah, I'm glad to see you awake, Miss Hirano. I'm Doctor Kou, and I've been put in charge of helping you on a speedy recovery," he said, picking up the clipboard at the end of her bed.
"What day is it?" Miharu inclined to ask, feeling she'd been out more then a few hours.
"It's Thursday, and the time also is…" He checked his watch. "Twenty to one."
Her eyes widened, well, her left one anyone. "Thursday! That means I've nearly been out a whole day!"
"Yes, you have," he said and stepped around the bed, now holding the clipboard. "I'm sure you'd be interested to know the extent of your injuries."
"It's not too bad, is it?" She paled at the thought of being messed up.
"Not as bad as we first thought, but you've got yourself a nice few bruises to deal with." He took a seat in that leather chair beside her, setting the clipboard on his lap and resting interlocked hands on the bed beside her. "Well, to start off with, when we brought you in, you had a hyper extended shoulder, which we popped back into place first off. Your right wrist and left ankle were sprained and will be swollen for a day or so to come. Your ribs have been bruised, though luckily none were cracked. You may feel a bit light-headed with the painkillers we've given you, and the fact you received a concussion. That's what has pretty much kept you out for so long, but we think that with plenty of rest, you'll be fine in no time. You've got a few scratches and bruises on your legs and arms, which I say will take a day to come and go, though, you have a nice bit of bruising on your face and over your right eye, which may take longer to disappear. However, with a bit of make up, it won't even be noticed. You had a slight cut on your lip, but it tricked us a bit with how much it bleed, but in only took a few hours for it really to settle down from the swelling it had done."
"It's like your describing a punching bag," Miharu groaned.
The Doctor chuckled slightly. "All in all, only the concussion really had us worried, but I'm sure a tough girl like you will recover quickly from it. We have had you on an IV for precaution, but I think you'll do fine without it."
Miharu nodded slightly, though it felt like her rock like head was bobbing like a ball on the surface of a lake.
He did a routine check up over her, checking her pulse and blood pressure, which all seemed to be normal.
"You've had people in and out seeing you over the course of yesterday afternoon and this morning. An interesting bunch of people. And I was quite surprised to see Mr Mishima, the CEO of G-Corps come and visit you."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Kazuya Mishima?"
"That's right. He was your opponent, yes?" She nodded. "He brought you the flowers."
"Oh," she said, looking up at the beautiful buds.
"You still have someone here visiting you, but she's gone to the coffee machine. She came to tell me you were stirring," he told her, packing up his equipment. Miharu just nodded in answer. "Also, your father will be in again later, he told me to tell you for when you woke up."
"Okay, thank you." Miharu shifted again to get more comfortable.
"You rest up now. You don't want to be lumbered here for long," Doctor Kou said, and opened the door. "I will check in on you in a few hours."
"Bye," she said, and he disappeared out the door into the bustle of the corridor. She looked up at the flowers again, still in shock that the man that had beat her up, actually had given her flowers. What a strange world they lived in.
The door opened again, and she was shocked to see Xiaoyu step in, a coffee in her hands.
"I'm glad you're awake," she said, though it was rather bland.
"Thanks," Miharu said, following it with a weak smile.
Xiaoyu took the seat the Doctor had been in and set the coffee on the cupboard.
"You know who the cards and bear are from?" Miharu asked.
Xiaoyu bent forward to look at them closer. "I remember Julia bringing the bear in this morning, and two of your cards are from her and Lei. I brought one and so did Steve, who could only drop by for a few minutes."
"Oh," Miharu answered, and they room went silent from idle chit-chat, with Xiaoyu picking up the coffee to sip away. Miharu just stared to the foot of the bed, thinking of what to say to her friend. Well, she couldn't stay quiet forever. "So… why are you here?"
"I came to make sure you were okay. No crime in it," Xiaoyu answered sharply, but refrained from it, looking up at the window. "I came close to the end of your match. I saw how brutal it was and when Kazuya carried you to the back, I just had to see you, but they were loading you into an ambulance when I finally got down there."
"Kazuya carried me out!" Miharu was almost struck speechless.
Xiaoyu nodded, sipping away at that drink. "I guess he felt inclined to, though I don't see why, it was only moments before that he tried to kill you."
Miharu went quiet, letting her good hand play with the hospital sheets. She couldn't stand how quiet it was getting, though she didn't look up to Xiaoyu as she spoke. "I thought you hated me? Why did you bother coming if you do?"
"You don't know how angry I am at you, Miharu," she said, her voice rather low, like the calm before the storm effect. "But when I saw that, I just wanted to see you okay. I would never wish death."
"It's a petty situation, Xiaoyu," Miharu said, watching the girl's eyes narrow slightly. "Don't look at me like that! You know I'm right. So? Maybe I did go out with him, and you know the reason I didn't tell you was because I knew you'd act just like this. All jealous and spiteful."
"Can you blame me?" Xiaoyu said, her voice raising.
"Yes, I can. I hoped I could trust you to be more of a friend then a rival, then it would have been alright." Miharu sighed. "I'm not just any other girl at our school, Xiao, I'm suppose to be your best friend. Should I have to fear telling you these things? How can it be that Yumi, Mika and Rubi understand, and you can't… I just don't get it…"
Xiaoyu looked down. "Y-You knew I liked him."
"I know, and for a fact, I wouldn't steal him on purpose!" Miharu told her. "You wanted me to be friends with him, and to understand him, and I did, and then I started liking him just like you and the girls. And he liked me back." Miharu clenched her lip, trying to stop the tears. "Is it that wrong for me to love him and have the love returned? Is falling out with me over him so worth it? He's not here anymore, and that's the punishment all over. So you can stop your hate of me, because I've already got what I deserved with heartache. I just wanted you to be happy for me… but I was so afraid to tell you because I wanted us to stay friends. I value it so much."
Xiaoyu watched Miharu turn her head to the other side; gently whimpering and letting tears run down her cheeks. It got the Chinese girl going with the waterworks.
"I'm sorry… I'm just sorry…" Miharu said. "I can give you more than that."
Xiaoyu took a breath, calming her shaking voice. "I know…" She put her hand on Miharu's leg so not to touch her bad shoulder. "I'm sorry Miharu. It's just, after everything you said about him, it just seems so hypercritical. You understand that, right?"
Miharu nodded slightly. "Yes, and it makes me feel worse. If I could change things I would… but I can't change the fact I love him, and feel like I'm broken without him…"
Xiaoyu nodded, wiping away her own tears. "I'm sorry, really I am. I guess I'd have never got him anyway, and I'm glad one of us did."
Miharu turned back to look at her, now with reddened eyes. "Xiao, he was the best thing that ever happened to me. And through all the problems and pain, he just made me feel like I could climb any mountain to do what I wanted. I… I miss him so much…"
She cried, all her heart break slipping out, just as bad as it was two tears ago. Xiaoyu could only sit there, feeling guilty and ultimately sorry for her. Xiaoyu put her hand carefully over Miharu's and petted it soothingly, feeling her relax slightly to that touch.
"I will be a little bitter about it for a while… but you know, I am happy for you," Xiaoyu said softly. "I feel bad that you were scared to trust me. I want you to be able to and you'll be able to tell me anything."
"Thank you," Miharu whispered, the tears beginning to slow, her voice coming through the deteriorating sobs. "Friends?"
Xiaoyu smiled. "Friends."
They reconciled in a short silence of smiles and a careful hug, which had Xiaoyu swapping to the other side of the bed to do. This was before Xiaoyu checked her watch and cursed.
"I'm sorry, Miharu, I have to get going to train for my match. It's later this afternoon. I just wanted the opportunity to come check on you again."
"Who're you up against?"
Xiaoyu blushed, though she sighed sadly. "Steve."
Miharu made an 'oh' sound and smiled at her. "Got a thing for him."
Xiaoyu laughed, covering her face. "Well, he is hot after all!"
Miharu winked with her good eye. "You better go get him before he gets snagged."
"Hopefully we won't beat each other up too hard, and it might work out," Xiaoyu said, grinning. "Now as for you. You'd better rest up and no more tears, not over him. You have to get better, not make yourself worse. And gets some beauty sleep, because seriously-" Xiaoyu motioned her head to the bruised side of Miharu's face. "You need it."
The Japanese girl stuck her tongue out. "Get out with you! Cheeky!"
Xiaoyu returned the gesture. "I'll see you tomorrow if I'm okay."
"Alright then, bye!" And Miharu watched another person leave her alone in that bright, white room.
About half an hour later, a nurse came in with a selection of food for to choose from. Miharu was famished but decided to eat lightly as she didn't feel that great to stomach much food. Also, the nurse brought her a radio to listen to, since she had no form of entertainment in the room with her. During and after eating, she was listening to the latest pop songs, though some didn't even deserve to be called music. She eventually grew bored of it and turned it off, welcoming the silence. It was then the door opened, and she thought it would be the Doctor coming early, but she got a pleasant surprise.
Yamaki stood in the doorway, a small smile of his face, relieved to see her okay. Miharu blinked and returned the smile.
"Hello, Yamaki," she said as he came in, shutting the door to, putting a card and a box of chocolates on the cupboard.
"I brought them for you," he said and took a seat.
"Thank you," she said, settling back comfortably. Miharu suddenly felt she couldn't get comfortable, seeing a certain sadness in the boys eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I… I was thinking about when you told me you were taken…" He said. "… But I've seen you with any boy. I'm… just curious to know who it is."
Miharu stared at him, seeing the desperateness in knowing, wanting to know why he wouldn't have been good enough for her over some other boy. Little did he realise who it was.
She took a deep breath. "Jin Kazama."
He stared at her, jaw slackened. "The… third Iron Fist champ!" He looked down at the bed covers and then back up at her. "He went to the school with you before, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah he did."
His face was that of sheer disbelief. He gave her questioning eyes. "But how can you be taken, he's been missing for two years."
"We were dating," she said, looking up to the lighting fixture on the ceiling for distraction. "And I've never wanted to give him up. I don't want to date someone else… just in case he decides to come back to me."
"Do you think he will?" Yamaki asked.
Miharu's eyes went to the sheets as she fiddled with them. "I don't know."
Yamaki sighed; one that sounded like it had been pent up. He had risen and had started pacing back and forth at the end of the bed, wondering what to say or to even do. Miharu watched him, lost for words.
"You know, though it sounds cruel of me, but I think you're living on a false hope and you should just forget about him. You're only stranding your heart…" Yamaki said, finally stopping, resting his hand on the bar of her bed. "I just wish I could mean something to you. You're just the most amazing, talented beauty in our school."
If Miharu's face hadn't been so bruised up, she'd have been full on crimson, though her good cheek did display a fair amount of blush.
"I'm pretty much a sight for sore eyes at the minutes," Miharu said, chuckling.
Yamaki shook his head. "You're beautiful no matter what." He came further towards her, which seemed a bit intimidating to the poor girl in the bed. "I was so captivated by you, I just wanted you to find something in me that you would like."
"You're a nice boy, Yamaki," Miharu said honestly. "Handsome and perfect, but…"
"I know, you're still pining for Jin Kazama." Yamaki turned away, hand clenched into a fist on the bed. "I don't think I could ever compete with the hold he has over your heart."
"I'm sorry," she said, though it felt pathetic coming from her lips.
He shook his head, looking back with a slight smile. "It doesn't matter. You don't need to be sorry for anything. You're a very thoughtful girl to be honest and not lead me on or anything. I respect that… I just…" He took her hand. "I wish that we could have met sooner… maybe then I could have stood a chance."
"Yeah…" Miharu just said, looking into his eyes and almost losing herself again to tears; ones of guilt.
He released her hand and stepped back. "Well, I'd best be going. You better take care now and I hope to see you back at school soon."
She nodded. "Yeah, I will. Thank you for coming."
"No problem," he said, giving her the thumbs up. "See you later."
"Yeah, later," she said, watching him depart and sighed. "Is it my daily job to piss people off at some point?"
***
The Doctor had checked up on Miharu again, and she had felt a little less light-headed then before. He had taken her off the IV, now sure she didn't need it. He told her she'd be spending at least four more days in hospital unless he decided otherwise. She agreed, though she wanted to go home desperately.
When her father arrived, he had brought Hanii along, who was tearful when she got in the room. She had been just as worried as her father had. After nearly been coddled and drown in lectures of why she shouldn't compete in dangerous competitions, she was finally cut away from them when visiting hours ended. Saying goodbye to her father, she had a nurse help her to the disabled showering while she was too weak to stand up by herself, and was helped to wash up, ignoring how embarrassed she felt. She kept insisting she would be okay, and now again, the nurse would mill in and out to give her some privacy, but kept close because of how unsteady Miharu was on her feet. After the escapades with the bathroom, she was given another dose of painkillers, and the effect of them finally sent her off into a deep sleep, just as the night rested over the hospital.
The night shift duty were pretty much dealing with any cases that were being rushed in and anything else that was important. Miharu was fine and asleep and left alone… though, she wasn't alone for long.
The closed curtains fluttered and slowly settled back into place after a figure slipped through the open window, carefully hopping down over the bed onto the chair, sitting there, watching the sleeping girl.
Jin's heart raced in his chest. The injuries that he could see, lit gently by the glow emanating from the moon shining behind the white curtains, had his blood boiling. How could his father have been so cruel against such a smaller, less experienced opponent? He knew he'd never truly understand why.
He rose to lean on the side of the bed, watching her chest rise and fall in a calm rhythm.
Here she was, after so much hiding away from her, this is where his lover lay - injured in a hospital bed. And he couldn't do anything to stop it. He had remembered the match as a nightmare that flowed through his mind in constant reminder. He'd always looked out for her in her matches, though he safely kept his distance incase she became a target in trying to get to him, though he feared that scenario had happened anyway. His heart had screamed at him as he had watched his father brutalise her. His devil… yes, that dark, dirty devil gene had sprung to life, ready to tear from his body, in a powerful rage… though all he could do was stand helpless, fighting the urges inside him. He had been surprised that his father had pitied her after attempting to kill her and had carried her from the arena. Something had stopped him, and it was when he had suddenly smelled a faint hint of cherry blossoms on the wind. The scent of his mother.
His fingers touched the unscathed cheek of Miharu, feeling the warm skin, something he hadn't done in a long time. Miharu gently stirred, but was trapped within her deep sleep, oblivious to his presence. He watched her, his heart aching for her love to protect him. But it was better for her to be asleep and not see him… safer then anything. He had to avoid being seen, and opted not visit her in normal daylight hours. He knew he was only tormenting himself and the sweet sleeping angel before him, but it was the only way to keep them both safe.
He felt like he'd break down, just looking at her, denying himself the chance to truly love with everything that had happened. All the betrayal and the retched curse of his family were keeping him from living a normal life. But then, he didn't think life was worth living as what he was. A demon.
He carefully put his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. "I love you, Miharu. I always will…" Carefully, he brought his lips to hers, lightly kissing them. A tingle ran through his body as he did, finally doing something he had wanted to for two long years. Now he felt whole.
He leaned back, bringing a hand to his wrist to untie the strings of a band he had brought while hiding in Brisbane. It was made of soft leather, patterned with symbols of joined lightning, just like the tattoo on his arm. He'd had it especially made. He took it and tied it to her left wrist, holding his hand over it, never wanting to leg go of her.
"There is so much I want to tell you," he whispered, stroking her arm. "But I'm afraid to let you know, in case you got hurt."
He could suddenly hear someone giving a soft whistle as they were walking down the corridor. It was his time to leave. He quickly bent him and kissed her on the forehead, clambering towards the chair.
"Goodbye…" He whispered, disappearing the way he came, with the curtains flapping back as a sign of his departure.
*********************************************************************************
A/N: Well, that was at least close to a scene you'd all been waiting for!
By Indigo Siren
Disclaimer: Tekken is © to Namco. I am making no money from this fan fiction; it is just for fun. I however own all the characters that are not apart of the Tekken franchise. All rights reserved.
Chapter 11
It was the smell of plastic and bleach that met her when consciousness finally set in. Miharu's eyes were overwhelmed with streams of light as she opened them slowly to the genial room she was in. After flinching against the brightness, she finally found she could look around without straining, and at first, all she could see was the white of the ceiling. She lay there, confused and numb, trying to get the feeling back into her dead weight body, and now again, feeling parts of her were useless lumps. She shifted slightly, and the plastic-like gown she was wearing rustled over her form as she tried to sit up and only managing to half do it. She hissed slightly at the tug of an IV in her hand, truly knowing where she was now. She finally tried to access herself from her position. Her right arm was resting in a sling, with a bandage over her shoulder beneath; also, her wrist was wrapped in a special pad, restraining most of her movements with the hand. Under the covers, she could feel a bandage wound tight around her torso and her left ankle. Of all the numbness she felt, her head was like the biggest dead weight on the planet.
She sighed weakly and looked around the hospital room, which was just your average, plain recovery suite, with white tiled walls to every corner. The window above her head let in a glow, which seemed to reflect brighter on the white, cotton curtains. The room was almost scant for furniture. There was a black wheelchair in the corner just behind a large curtain, a leather covered chair by the bed and a small white cupboard beside her, which was decorated with get well cards, a large vase of purple blooming flowers and a small teddy with balloons. She smiled at them.
'At least I'm loved,' she thought.
The oak door opened to her right and she peered up. A Doctor entered, his face brightening to see her curious eyes blinking his way.
"Ah, I'm glad to see you awake, Miss Hirano. I'm Doctor Kou, and I've been put in charge of helping you on a speedy recovery," he said, picking up the clipboard at the end of her bed.
"What day is it?" Miharu inclined to ask, feeling she'd been out more then a few hours.
"It's Thursday, and the time also is…" He checked his watch. "Twenty to one."
Her eyes widened, well, her left one anyone. "Thursday! That means I've nearly been out a whole day!"
"Yes, you have," he said and stepped around the bed, now holding the clipboard. "I'm sure you'd be interested to know the extent of your injuries."
"It's not too bad, is it?" She paled at the thought of being messed up.
"Not as bad as we first thought, but you've got yourself a nice few bruises to deal with." He took a seat in that leather chair beside her, setting the clipboard on his lap and resting interlocked hands on the bed beside her. "Well, to start off with, when we brought you in, you had a hyper extended shoulder, which we popped back into place first off. Your right wrist and left ankle were sprained and will be swollen for a day or so to come. Your ribs have been bruised, though luckily none were cracked. You may feel a bit light-headed with the painkillers we've given you, and the fact you received a concussion. That's what has pretty much kept you out for so long, but we think that with plenty of rest, you'll be fine in no time. You've got a few scratches and bruises on your legs and arms, which I say will take a day to come and go, though, you have a nice bit of bruising on your face and over your right eye, which may take longer to disappear. However, with a bit of make up, it won't even be noticed. You had a slight cut on your lip, but it tricked us a bit with how much it bleed, but in only took a few hours for it really to settle down from the swelling it had done."
"It's like your describing a punching bag," Miharu groaned.
The Doctor chuckled slightly. "All in all, only the concussion really had us worried, but I'm sure a tough girl like you will recover quickly from it. We have had you on an IV for precaution, but I think you'll do fine without it."
Miharu nodded slightly, though it felt like her rock like head was bobbing like a ball on the surface of a lake.
He did a routine check up over her, checking her pulse and blood pressure, which all seemed to be normal.
"You've had people in and out seeing you over the course of yesterday afternoon and this morning. An interesting bunch of people. And I was quite surprised to see Mr Mishima, the CEO of G-Corps come and visit you."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Kazuya Mishima?"
"That's right. He was your opponent, yes?" She nodded. "He brought you the flowers."
"Oh," she said, looking up at the beautiful buds.
"You still have someone here visiting you, but she's gone to the coffee machine. She came to tell me you were stirring," he told her, packing up his equipment. Miharu just nodded in answer. "Also, your father will be in again later, he told me to tell you for when you woke up."
"Okay, thank you." Miharu shifted again to get more comfortable.
"You rest up now. You don't want to be lumbered here for long," Doctor Kou said, and opened the door. "I will check in on you in a few hours."
"Bye," she said, and he disappeared out the door into the bustle of the corridor. She looked up at the flowers again, still in shock that the man that had beat her up, actually had given her flowers. What a strange world they lived in.
The door opened again, and she was shocked to see Xiaoyu step in, a coffee in her hands.
"I'm glad you're awake," she said, though it was rather bland.
"Thanks," Miharu said, following it with a weak smile.
Xiaoyu took the seat the Doctor had been in and set the coffee on the cupboard.
"You know who the cards and bear are from?" Miharu asked.
Xiaoyu bent forward to look at them closer. "I remember Julia bringing the bear in this morning, and two of your cards are from her and Lei. I brought one and so did Steve, who could only drop by for a few minutes."
"Oh," Miharu answered, and they room went silent from idle chit-chat, with Xiaoyu picking up the coffee to sip away. Miharu just stared to the foot of the bed, thinking of what to say to her friend. Well, she couldn't stay quiet forever. "So… why are you here?"
"I came to make sure you were okay. No crime in it," Xiaoyu answered sharply, but refrained from it, looking up at the window. "I came close to the end of your match. I saw how brutal it was and when Kazuya carried you to the back, I just had to see you, but they were loading you into an ambulance when I finally got down there."
"Kazuya carried me out!" Miharu was almost struck speechless.
Xiaoyu nodded, sipping away at that drink. "I guess he felt inclined to, though I don't see why, it was only moments before that he tried to kill you."
Miharu went quiet, letting her good hand play with the hospital sheets. She couldn't stand how quiet it was getting, though she didn't look up to Xiaoyu as she spoke. "I thought you hated me? Why did you bother coming if you do?"
"You don't know how angry I am at you, Miharu," she said, her voice rather low, like the calm before the storm effect. "But when I saw that, I just wanted to see you okay. I would never wish death."
"It's a petty situation, Xiaoyu," Miharu said, watching the girl's eyes narrow slightly. "Don't look at me like that! You know I'm right. So? Maybe I did go out with him, and you know the reason I didn't tell you was because I knew you'd act just like this. All jealous and spiteful."
"Can you blame me?" Xiaoyu said, her voice raising.
"Yes, I can. I hoped I could trust you to be more of a friend then a rival, then it would have been alright." Miharu sighed. "I'm not just any other girl at our school, Xiao, I'm suppose to be your best friend. Should I have to fear telling you these things? How can it be that Yumi, Mika and Rubi understand, and you can't… I just don't get it…"
Xiaoyu looked down. "Y-You knew I liked him."
"I know, and for a fact, I wouldn't steal him on purpose!" Miharu told her. "You wanted me to be friends with him, and to understand him, and I did, and then I started liking him just like you and the girls. And he liked me back." Miharu clenched her lip, trying to stop the tears. "Is it that wrong for me to love him and have the love returned? Is falling out with me over him so worth it? He's not here anymore, and that's the punishment all over. So you can stop your hate of me, because I've already got what I deserved with heartache. I just wanted you to be happy for me… but I was so afraid to tell you because I wanted us to stay friends. I value it so much."
Xiaoyu watched Miharu turn her head to the other side; gently whimpering and letting tears run down her cheeks. It got the Chinese girl going with the waterworks.
"I'm sorry… I'm just sorry…" Miharu said. "I can give you more than that."
Xiaoyu took a breath, calming her shaking voice. "I know…" She put her hand on Miharu's leg so not to touch her bad shoulder. "I'm sorry Miharu. It's just, after everything you said about him, it just seems so hypercritical. You understand that, right?"
Miharu nodded slightly. "Yes, and it makes me feel worse. If I could change things I would… but I can't change the fact I love him, and feel like I'm broken without him…"
Xiaoyu nodded, wiping away her own tears. "I'm sorry, really I am. I guess I'd have never got him anyway, and I'm glad one of us did."
Miharu turned back to look at her, now with reddened eyes. "Xiao, he was the best thing that ever happened to me. And through all the problems and pain, he just made me feel like I could climb any mountain to do what I wanted. I… I miss him so much…"
She cried, all her heart break slipping out, just as bad as it was two tears ago. Xiaoyu could only sit there, feeling guilty and ultimately sorry for her. Xiaoyu put her hand carefully over Miharu's and petted it soothingly, feeling her relax slightly to that touch.
"I will be a little bitter about it for a while… but you know, I am happy for you," Xiaoyu said softly. "I feel bad that you were scared to trust me. I want you to be able to and you'll be able to tell me anything."
"Thank you," Miharu whispered, the tears beginning to slow, her voice coming through the deteriorating sobs. "Friends?"
Xiaoyu smiled. "Friends."
They reconciled in a short silence of smiles and a careful hug, which had Xiaoyu swapping to the other side of the bed to do. This was before Xiaoyu checked her watch and cursed.
"I'm sorry, Miharu, I have to get going to train for my match. It's later this afternoon. I just wanted the opportunity to come check on you again."
"Who're you up against?"
Xiaoyu blushed, though she sighed sadly. "Steve."
Miharu made an 'oh' sound and smiled at her. "Got a thing for him."
Xiaoyu laughed, covering her face. "Well, he is hot after all!"
Miharu winked with her good eye. "You better go get him before he gets snagged."
"Hopefully we won't beat each other up too hard, and it might work out," Xiaoyu said, grinning. "Now as for you. You'd better rest up and no more tears, not over him. You have to get better, not make yourself worse. And gets some beauty sleep, because seriously-" Xiaoyu motioned her head to the bruised side of Miharu's face. "You need it."
The Japanese girl stuck her tongue out. "Get out with you! Cheeky!"
Xiaoyu returned the gesture. "I'll see you tomorrow if I'm okay."
"Alright then, bye!" And Miharu watched another person leave her alone in that bright, white room.
About half an hour later, a nurse came in with a selection of food for to choose from. Miharu was famished but decided to eat lightly as she didn't feel that great to stomach much food. Also, the nurse brought her a radio to listen to, since she had no form of entertainment in the room with her. During and after eating, she was listening to the latest pop songs, though some didn't even deserve to be called music. She eventually grew bored of it and turned it off, welcoming the silence. It was then the door opened, and she thought it would be the Doctor coming early, but she got a pleasant surprise.
Yamaki stood in the doorway, a small smile of his face, relieved to see her okay. Miharu blinked and returned the smile.
"Hello, Yamaki," she said as he came in, shutting the door to, putting a card and a box of chocolates on the cupboard.
"I brought them for you," he said and took a seat.
"Thank you," she said, settling back comfortably. Miharu suddenly felt she couldn't get comfortable, seeing a certain sadness in the boys eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I… I was thinking about when you told me you were taken…" He said. "… But I've seen you with any boy. I'm… just curious to know who it is."
Miharu stared at him, seeing the desperateness in knowing, wanting to know why he wouldn't have been good enough for her over some other boy. Little did he realise who it was.
She took a deep breath. "Jin Kazama."
He stared at her, jaw slackened. "The… third Iron Fist champ!" He looked down at the bed covers and then back up at her. "He went to the school with you before, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah he did."
His face was that of sheer disbelief. He gave her questioning eyes. "But how can you be taken, he's been missing for two years."
"We were dating," she said, looking up to the lighting fixture on the ceiling for distraction. "And I've never wanted to give him up. I don't want to date someone else… just in case he decides to come back to me."
"Do you think he will?" Yamaki asked.
Miharu's eyes went to the sheets as she fiddled with them. "I don't know."
Yamaki sighed; one that sounded like it had been pent up. He had risen and had started pacing back and forth at the end of the bed, wondering what to say or to even do. Miharu watched him, lost for words.
"You know, though it sounds cruel of me, but I think you're living on a false hope and you should just forget about him. You're only stranding your heart…" Yamaki said, finally stopping, resting his hand on the bar of her bed. "I just wish I could mean something to you. You're just the most amazing, talented beauty in our school."
If Miharu's face hadn't been so bruised up, she'd have been full on crimson, though her good cheek did display a fair amount of blush.
"I'm pretty much a sight for sore eyes at the minutes," Miharu said, chuckling.
Yamaki shook his head. "You're beautiful no matter what." He came further towards her, which seemed a bit intimidating to the poor girl in the bed. "I was so captivated by you, I just wanted you to find something in me that you would like."
"You're a nice boy, Yamaki," Miharu said honestly. "Handsome and perfect, but…"
"I know, you're still pining for Jin Kazama." Yamaki turned away, hand clenched into a fist on the bed. "I don't think I could ever compete with the hold he has over your heart."
"I'm sorry," she said, though it felt pathetic coming from her lips.
He shook his head, looking back with a slight smile. "It doesn't matter. You don't need to be sorry for anything. You're a very thoughtful girl to be honest and not lead me on or anything. I respect that… I just…" He took her hand. "I wish that we could have met sooner… maybe then I could have stood a chance."
"Yeah…" Miharu just said, looking into his eyes and almost losing herself again to tears; ones of guilt.
He released her hand and stepped back. "Well, I'd best be going. You better take care now and I hope to see you back at school soon."
She nodded. "Yeah, I will. Thank you for coming."
"No problem," he said, giving her the thumbs up. "See you later."
"Yeah, later," she said, watching him depart and sighed. "Is it my daily job to piss people off at some point?"
***
The Doctor had checked up on Miharu again, and she had felt a little less light-headed then before. He had taken her off the IV, now sure she didn't need it. He told her she'd be spending at least four more days in hospital unless he decided otherwise. She agreed, though she wanted to go home desperately.
When her father arrived, he had brought Hanii along, who was tearful when she got in the room. She had been just as worried as her father had. After nearly been coddled and drown in lectures of why she shouldn't compete in dangerous competitions, she was finally cut away from them when visiting hours ended. Saying goodbye to her father, she had a nurse help her to the disabled showering while she was too weak to stand up by herself, and was helped to wash up, ignoring how embarrassed she felt. She kept insisting she would be okay, and now again, the nurse would mill in and out to give her some privacy, but kept close because of how unsteady Miharu was on her feet. After the escapades with the bathroom, she was given another dose of painkillers, and the effect of them finally sent her off into a deep sleep, just as the night rested over the hospital.
The night shift duty were pretty much dealing with any cases that were being rushed in and anything else that was important. Miharu was fine and asleep and left alone… though, she wasn't alone for long.
The closed curtains fluttered and slowly settled back into place after a figure slipped through the open window, carefully hopping down over the bed onto the chair, sitting there, watching the sleeping girl.
Jin's heart raced in his chest. The injuries that he could see, lit gently by the glow emanating from the moon shining behind the white curtains, had his blood boiling. How could his father have been so cruel against such a smaller, less experienced opponent? He knew he'd never truly understand why.
He rose to lean on the side of the bed, watching her chest rise and fall in a calm rhythm.
Here she was, after so much hiding away from her, this is where his lover lay - injured in a hospital bed. And he couldn't do anything to stop it. He had remembered the match as a nightmare that flowed through his mind in constant reminder. He'd always looked out for her in her matches, though he safely kept his distance incase she became a target in trying to get to him, though he feared that scenario had happened anyway. His heart had screamed at him as he had watched his father brutalise her. His devil… yes, that dark, dirty devil gene had sprung to life, ready to tear from his body, in a powerful rage… though all he could do was stand helpless, fighting the urges inside him. He had been surprised that his father had pitied her after attempting to kill her and had carried her from the arena. Something had stopped him, and it was when he had suddenly smelled a faint hint of cherry blossoms on the wind. The scent of his mother.
His fingers touched the unscathed cheek of Miharu, feeling the warm skin, something he hadn't done in a long time. Miharu gently stirred, but was trapped within her deep sleep, oblivious to his presence. He watched her, his heart aching for her love to protect him. But it was better for her to be asleep and not see him… safer then anything. He had to avoid being seen, and opted not visit her in normal daylight hours. He knew he was only tormenting himself and the sweet sleeping angel before him, but it was the only way to keep them both safe.
He felt like he'd break down, just looking at her, denying himself the chance to truly love with everything that had happened. All the betrayal and the retched curse of his family were keeping him from living a normal life. But then, he didn't think life was worth living as what he was. A demon.
He carefully put his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. "I love you, Miharu. I always will…" Carefully, he brought his lips to hers, lightly kissing them. A tingle ran through his body as he did, finally doing something he had wanted to for two long years. Now he felt whole.
He leaned back, bringing a hand to his wrist to untie the strings of a band he had brought while hiding in Brisbane. It was made of soft leather, patterned with symbols of joined lightning, just like the tattoo on his arm. He'd had it especially made. He took it and tied it to her left wrist, holding his hand over it, never wanting to leg go of her.
"There is so much I want to tell you," he whispered, stroking her arm. "But I'm afraid to let you know, in case you got hurt."
He could suddenly hear someone giving a soft whistle as they were walking down the corridor. It was his time to leave. He quickly bent him and kissed her on the forehead, clambering towards the chair.
"Goodbye…" He whispered, disappearing the way he came, with the curtains flapping back as a sign of his departure.
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A/N: Well, that was at least close to a scene you'd all been waiting for!