Mental Trauma
Chapter 7; In the Cold
Finally! An actual title instead of a stage! Muahahah.
This is more NettoEnzan Related this chapter is. Yup, yup it is! Have fun!
"No, wait! Don't open it!" Enzan panicked as Netto's finger was about to poke a button. He turned dumbfounded at the other boy. "Blues could have sent you a letter bomb!" Netto had a horrified look on his face and began to panic. He was close to the brink of screaming out loud as he shook the PET furiously.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no! It can't end like this! I don't wanna explode!" Netto sobbed, conflicting whether to drop it and leave Rockman to blow sky high or let the two of them go down together. Laika and Enzan sighed heavily, just watching the boy make an idiot out of himself for a moment, until Laika put a hand on Netto's shoulder.
"Relax; it's not that kind of letter bomb." Laika reassured.
"Then what kind of bomb is it?" Netto stammered.
"Let's just say it screws me over…" Rockman said lamely, holding his head from dizziness.
"Then again…" Enzan said numbly. "I wouldn't say that it's like Blues to do that… He likes the direct approach…"
"Okay! Then we'll open it!"
"But—but we never know!" Enzan conflicted. "He's emotionally unstable! Don't forget that!"
"Okay, then we won't open it." Rockman shrugged, though his insides were completely twisting in terror.
"But—"
"OKAY! We're opening it and that's FINAL! Is that… okay with you Rockman?" Netto looked down toward his Navi, and saw his good friend nod extremely nervous. "Are you really, really sure?"
"YES let's do it before I change my mind! Just let me save so later if it's a virus Papa can use his recovery program…" Netto nodded, nervous and intent. It wasn't long before Rockman's hand was on the letter. He took a deep breath "Here we go…" and it unfolded as most e-mails did, sending Rockman to fly into a corner and hide. Netto flinched at the blue Navi's quick action, but looked at the letter for a moment. He blinked, drawing Laika and Enzan closer.
"What's it say?" Laika said quickly; hand still yet to get off Netto's shoulder.
"Well…" Netto started, a silence soon following. "… It… It says…"
"It's empty…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Following the silence came the insert of much cursing and whining.
The time had passed as they conflicted over the letter-less letter. They could've gone on for hours, but there was something in the way of that for Enzan…
Working hours were ebil.
"I'm sorry Netto…" Enzan had said, "But I have to work…" The boy scratched at his scalp and looked away from the chocolate brown eyes that had at look of disappointment on them. "Blues is usually there when during meetings…" he mused, not loud enough for Netto to hear. "Laika went to try and trace where the mail came from, and he'll tell us what he came up with tomorrow. Can you wait for me? I'll be finished in three hours, I asked for a shorter time today…" There was a silence as neither boy looked at each other, until Netto put a reassuring hand on Enzan's shoulder.
"I'll be okay, have fun at work!" Netto grinned with plotting face. Enzan raised an eyebrow. "We'll get back on the search right after!"
"You're not coming in unless I'm late… promise?"
"Wah? Why not? No fair!" Without a response, Enzan turned his back and headed straight into the huge-ass building of IPC. There was a slight silence as Netto stood there a little flabbergasted. Five minutes later His eyes trailed up the outer shell of this scary 'huge-ass building of IPC'. His eyes were led to the windowed Elevator shaft, as Enzan magically climbed up toward whatever office it was. Netto started laughing and waved at the oblivious teenager. After a couple more seconds of waving, he finally noticed, and waved back slightly, a smile on his face.
Netto could wait… He could wait forever…
Little did he know after a few more moments they'd see each other again… a little more clumsiness in it.
0 Moving forward 0
The night blew a chill; causing a vague tingling to glide down his spine. He'd been sitting there for hours, and the feeling in the air made him think he'd be there longer than he'd like. He then idly fished through his book bag with his numb fingers, knowing only that he'd found it when he felt a searing pain run through the insides of his digits. Finally finding the texture of what he desired, Netto pulled out his PET. The glowing green light was comforting, as he knew he wouldn't be alone. His lips weakly curved into a smile, as he saw his best friend lingering through his files with his gloved fingers gingerly skimming the data.
"H-having f-fun, Rock?" Said Rockman froze for a split second, and turned around to face the pale boy that smiled with all his might; his face lit up and waved. Netto's free hand vibrated back at him like an earthquake. He stopped waving in mid-air and his smile turned into a frown. "W-what's up?" Netto began to chatter out his words.
"It's not so great over here either," Rockman rubbed his shoulder idly. "I'm feeling a bit of a draft too, must be freezing the circuits or something. Are you okay? You really should go inside." He closed the folders and shoved them to the side.
"N-n-no! I p-p-promised not to go in-in-in-in-inside to l-look for h-h-him if he wasn't l-late! He's not-not late-te!" Netto started to tug on his jacket and made a sound that supposedly a scoff. "Th-Th-thinks I'll make some kind of h-h-huge scene! E-embarrassing am I? Yeah?" Realizing he was pacing; Netto stopped in his tracks and heavily plopped onto a nearby bench, arms crossed with his left hand tightly grasping the PET. "Well whether I agree to it or not I'm still out here…"
"He'll be out in a few minutes then. I hope—ah-choo!" Netto jumped from the rarity. He stared eyes wide. Rockman stared eyes wider than wide. "Oh wow. Have I ever sneezed before?" Rockman said in amazement and in a bit of a muffle, his hands clasping over his pinked nose. 'Must be some sort of new upgrade…' he mused
"Maybe. My m-memory is not so great in the c-c-coooaaaaich!" Netto… said? His twin older brother burst out laughing.
"W-was that a s-sneeze? Sounded more like an old lady on a bad day!" He giggled out, wiping an imaginary tear out of his eye.
"Rockman…"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up." He said haphazardly. And the conversation broke from there, nothing but Netto talking to himself, with his Navi listening in. "He'll come soon. I hope he will." He'd be saying over and over again for the next half-hour.
"What made you decide to stand out here for 3 hours just to wait for him anyway? What's so different about today? He got something of yours on the side?" Rockman sneezed again, sending himself flying backwards. He recovered quickly though.
"No." Netto said in a bitter tone.
"I was just asking." Rockman said.
The two were silent for a while. Netto stared up, almost in a trance. "Nothing you could touch anyway…" He mused. Barely paying any attention to his own thought process.
"It's an intangible? What is it? What is it?" Came Rockman. Netto shrilled and jumped out of his skin at the intrusion of thought. He was feeling overly thankful that no one had been around to see it.
"ROCKMAN!" Netto shrieked. "Don't scare me like that! I thought I almost died!" He clutched his hand to his chest in an attempt to bring his heart to a normal pumping rate.
"Ah, gomen nasaii Netto-kun." Rockman smiled as innocently as possible. "At least you're not shivering anymore."
"No, I'm DYING!" Netto retorted.
"What's wrong? Why are you so paranoid anyway? Does it come with chill?"
"I don't know… Maybe? I'm no scientist." Netto's eyes were close to shut, and he fingers had generally frozen around the PET. "I'm getting t-tired."
"Netto-kun," Rockman said in a warning tone. "You better not fall asleep!"
"I won't Rockman, relax." With his back hunched over and his coat as tight as can be, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Netto-kun?" Rockman yelled from the PET.
"I'm awake…" The brunette muttered. He shivered a stretch and stood up. He vaguely wobbled here and there in front of the building he refused to enter. Managing to actually lift his arm, he muttered "…He's twenty minutes late." Netto's legs caved and his knees hit the ground with a thud. Rockman's knees knocked a little.
"Ow." Said Rockman, without the slightest sound of honesty. "Are you really going to wait out here? Even I'm getting cold."
"… You know what? I'm being unfair to you. If it's for your sake, I'll get inside." Netto picked himself up, propping himself with a beam support for the building.
"No! You don't have to!" Rockman urged, "I'll wait with…" too late, he was inside. "You." Netto's feet went to work and he began his venture into the business world. He received stares from people of the office as he lingered around mindlessly. "Oh boy…" A face like his wouldn't exactly be known or welcome in such location nowadays.
While strolling through unknown territory where no non-businessman has gone before, Netto felt a vibration in his midsection. He groaned and held his stomach. Assuming he had been hungry for a while, just not realizing it. "Darn…" he said lamely. He leaned against the wall, as the empty corridor seemed to be leading him nowhere. His vision deteriorating, he nearly fell. His knees racking to support him. He could swear they were screaming. "Stand still!" They'd say. "Wake up!" They'd say. Netto's eyes finally closed. He was walking blind and he fell…
Ran out of wall, relax folks.
His face was ploughed to the carpet of the hallway, and felt a little lazy to pull himself up. Had anyone see him they'd call security.
"Netto-kun, please you could just go back and wait in the front office or something!" His older brother pleaded.
"He's always late! Does he expect me to sit and rot?" He mumbled from between the carpet spaces.
"I think he expects you to sit and wait… but rotting would be a bonus."
"Ha…ha…"
"You better get moving before you get in any trouble."
"Yeah, he's somewhere here, and the cold's starting to subside—hey!" He felt two hands pull him violently to his feet and drag him. His eyes opened to realize the person was standing behind him. Too lazy to turn his head, Netto couldn't struggle either. He just watched himself hover to some sort of lounge. "Ow! You're grabbing too hard, mister! Ow! Hey! Ow!" He was thrown into a red leather couch with a thud, finally losing hold of the PET his arm swung. He could hear Rockman shouting as he flew across the room. "Rockman." Netto said weakly. Before he could take a look at the culprit a red blur glided past him and toward his Navi. "Don't touch him or I'll… slowly… kick… your…" Before he could finish, said twin was put on his lap. He looked from the PET, to the hand, to the black sleeved arm, to the thin red vest, to the Enzan.
Processing….
"E-Enzan!" Netto blinked.
"I thought I told you to stay outside." Enzan glared at the younger boy, blue eyes piercing through chocolate brown orbs. It didn't take him long to figure out Netto wasn't in the best state to be scolded, especially after his response.
"Yeah…? W-well… were…you… late… cause… I got cold…" Netto muttered out mindlessly. He fell forward from the couch, Enzan supporting him. His eyes slid shut.
"God, how long were you out there?"
"He was out there three hours waiting for you. He never left after you went in for some reason." Rockman said drowsily.
"No way."
"Yes way."
"Impossible!"
"Is not."
"Is too."
"You're acting a little bit more immature than you were last time." Rockman retorted.
"Well excuse me for panicking. Everybody does it once in a while…" Enzan said bitterly, letting Netto rest on his shoulder as he kneeled before him. He closed his eyes as he listened to the slow, steady breath of the younger boy. A cold shot of ice tumbled down his spine as Netto's neck made contact with his. Enzan snapped back to reality. He gently let the brunette down gently onto the leather couch. Shortly after, the white-haired net battler made a quick decision to take him home. He quickly flung Netto over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Rockman asked, as he was picked up from the floor after being knocked over by Netto's limp arms.
"Taking him home." Enzan walked into the crowd of businessmen, receiving stares of curiosity and disturbance from his colleagues. One person was about to ask him if he knew he had a boy over his shoulders. He simply said, "Shut up." Before he could speak his mind.
All these workers knew the four evil words that haunted Enzan's mind right now.
"I could fire you…."
"I'm sorry, this must be so embarrassing." Rockman said. "I've no idea why he stayed and got himself all sick. He was all smiling at nothing at first." He scratched his head or helmet rather, pondering as to why. He looked up and saw Enzan's usual frown turn into a small smile with a hint of concern. "You know something about it?"
Enzan thought of what he could say as he managed to slip on a dark tan trench coat on. "Yes, he was smiling at me from the window and I spilled my coffee after I saw him because I was walking and I wasn't paying attention and I tripped. Just because his smile was so cute and I was blushing so horribly." (That was the more clumsy part) That was not an option! "… Maybe there was a cloud in shape of a curry bowl." Enzan said dryly. Rockman gave a strange faked laugh. "And no this isn't embarrassing." He said as he reached the transparent doors. "Well maybe a little." His face was heated only slightly, however he knew no one could say anything because of his vice presidential wrath. Finally reaching the parking lot, he somehow managed to use his foot to open the limo door. "Besides…" He slid Netto into the car. He gazed into the brunette's flushed face. His chest rose and fell too fast for comfort. Enzan placed a hand gingerly against Netto's forehead; it was hot. "It's… what… friends do for each other…" He ran his fingers through Netto's soft hair, illuminated by the shimmering moon. "Netto…"
"Ano… Enzan … I'm sure you'll want to get him back home?" Came the voice in the PET. Enzan startled, pulled his hand away and closed the door, running to the other side. He set Netto's Navi on his lap and pulled the nearly neglected empty PET from his clip. He stared at it with contempt for a while, muttering his destination to the driver. He clutched the sides tightly and gritted his teeth; mind swirled with Netto and Blues in thought.
"Good…" Enzan blanked out as the engine started, and he began his short journey home. On the way he was constantly thinking "How am I going to carry Netto up a staircase…."
AND SO WE MOVE ON TO THE MAGICAL MOMENT AND NOW WE'RE IN ENZAN'S ROOM
HIS ROOM AGAIN!
Netto groaned slightly, his head pounding. He blinked the sand of sleep out of his eyes and felt something tug gently out of his hair. He met the light blue orbs of a dear friend. "Enzan…" He breathed. He saw the other boy's face turning pink.
"Youkata…" Rockman sighed. "I'm so glad you're okay"
"So what's the prognosis doc?" Rockman said, more concerned than he lead them to believe what with the informal speech. Enzan sighed heavily.
"104.3" Enzan muttered as he waved around a thermometer.
"Oh grand…" Netto sighed.
"What were you doing out there for so long? You shouldn't have stayed! ESPECIALLY IN COLD LIKE THIS!" Enzan scolded. Setting himself beside Netto on his oh-so-comfortable bed.
"I dressed warmly! If you weren't late I'd be just fine!"
"Fine my ass! Twenty minutes doesn't make any diff…" He paused. Processing momentarily what Netto just said. Okay… Maybe he was right. However, full of pride and unable to admit defeat he simply gave an idle "Humph…" And threw quilts over Netto's face. Muffled cries came from beneath them, and struggling, lots of struggling. "Well, you seem more than well, Netto…" Enzan felt a sting in his side as Netto's leg came in contact hard on his left… side… (I was about to say Butt Cheek). "You're welcome…" He muttered.
"Thanks but I'm FINE." Netto emerged from the bindings and sat up. Shoving Enzan off of his own bed, he stood and headed for the door.
"Hey! Just where do you think you're going?" Enzan snapped, and latched his nails into the younger boy's arm. Netto flinched and turned around. "Well?"
"I'm going home! I try to be nice and wait and this is the thanks I get!" Netto shrilled. His face cringed at the sudden scolding and blinked for a moment. There was another exasperating silence until the two let out equally heavy sighs, and flopped down on the floor with a gentle thud. This entered on an extremely long silence, with the two left with their thoughts to keep them warm…
The night was dark and chilled along with the signs of winter at the outside world. Had it not been for the bad omen on Netto, neither would've figured it was already winter.
Netto stared blankly at the dark desk-lamp on Enzan's desk (where else would it be?). Though Enzan's whole mansion seemed completely sophisticated and obnoxious, looking at his surroundings, the room was more cozy and modest than one would assume. Time and time again the brunette coughed, with Enzan idly patting him on the back, and Rockman saying 'Robitussin' each time (okay, okay bad joke, my bad). Today hadn't been so bad…
"Netto-kun," Rockman called out, "mite, mite!" Enzan and Netto turned around and looked out the window. "It's snowing!"
And snowing it was, ever so gently pedals of softly frozen ice danced down in performance. Netto laughed in excitement; the first snowfall of the season, and this time he wasn't alone when he saw it. Enzan was smiling at the outside world, almost void of his worry, however an ever so slight sad feeling emitted from his smile. Netto gazed worriedly at Enzan, who he thought had fallen into his grim and dismal thoughts. Netto just happened to be a horrible guesser.
"Oh, the weather outside is frightful…" The brunette blinked in surprise as Enzan sang under his breath. "But the fire is so delightful…" he paused as he looked toward Netto, who was surprised… seeing as he was singing in English (tsk, tsk. Don't forget your places people! (Clap, clap) Did you expect me to make them speak pure Japanese if I were going to do this? I only know only ten or twenty phrases OO). Enzan gave Netto a warm smile. Not that the boy couldn't understand, it just took him a while to process. At last after he did, he returned the smile, and looked back out. "And since we've no place to go…"
"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow… ACHOO!" Netto added in. There was a silence for a long while, until Enzan burst out laughing. He grabbed the messy sheet from his bed, and wrapped it over Netto's shoulders. "Wehhhh… Arigatou…" came a sniffle, glancing at Enzan. In spite of all things he was taking it quite nicely, leading Netto to his drowsy doubts. His eyes slid closed, and his heard swirled into silence. He felt warm contact against his forehead, and that was it.
Enzan weakly pulled covers over himself and the now sleeping boy, almost sure Netto was sleeping soundly; his fingers palpated the boy's cold, flushed cheeks and smiled. He nearly jumped when Netto's head fell against his shoulder, not hard, but it startled him. Right now, all he knew that no matter what happened after this, he still wouldn't be alone. His arms wrapped gingerly around the other, and his hands clutched the Red PET. He wouldn't let go of either tonight.
"Searchman…" Laika said dumbfounded. "That's impossible. Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure, without a doubt." Searchman said quickly.
"This letter…"
"Came directly from Enzan's PET."
Hahahahah! I'm so mean! I left you people at yet another cliffhanger!
Actually, I left myself at a cliffhanger, I'm stuck AGAIN! Another plot twister! OO
R AND R OR I'LL GET STUCK IN THIS DITCH!
OH!
Mite - Means look in Japanese... just letting you folks know. Otherwise you would be thinking i'm twisted with insects or something... yeah