Always There

Chapter 2: Green Eyed

"Maiyu! Nana!" Yuka called from the front yard. Nana of course, didn't seem like she heard it as she continued to tremor helplessly huddled on the floor. Maiyu shifted her gaze from her friend for only an instant to meet her adoptive mother on the steps.

"Y-yes?"

"I need you and Nana to go and feed Wanta for awhile…I'm sure he'd love it if you played with him as well." Yuka tried to keep her voice steady, but the panic and anxiety laced within her words was all too evident. Maiyu, being quite sensitive when it came to other people's feelings, picked up on it and immediately enquired.

"W-why? What's going on?" She asked nervously.

"I-it's nothing for you to be worried about…lover boy and I just have a little problem that's all. Go on." Maiyu stood there unmoving for a moment, noticing the quite obvious hint of spite in what she had just said. She knew better then to argue with Yuka…even though she cared for the women, she never took her words too idly. The young university student had a ferocious temper when provoked, as she had seen many times in her fights with Kouta…this was clearly another one of those times.

Running back to friends side, Maiyu quickly helped the timid Diclonius to her feet and eased her through the back door as Yuka stood near the table tapping her foot impatiently, keeping an eye on whatever it was that was going on outside. Curious, Maiyu stopped momentarily and attempted to catch a glimpse of what was happening over her shoulder, only to be pressed by Yuka once more.

"Come on you two, I'm sure Wanta's hungry." This time, she sounded even more annoyed. Cringing, Maiyu forced her gaze to back in front of her as she hesitantly stepped outside while supporting Nana on her shoulder. As she set pick haired girl down on the grass and turned back toward the house, Yuka handed her the dog food and a couple of his toys.

"Here you go, now have fun you two and I'll call you in a little while okay?"

But before Maiyu could respond, she had closed the door.

Frowning, she returned her attention to Nana and decided for the time being to just forget about what was happening and to try and cheer her best friend up. She had calmed down a little…the young Diclonius' tremors had decreased and although her breath was still a little fast paced, she wasn't taking ragged gasps of air like she was only a few moments ago.

"Hey Nana…do you want to feed Wanta? It's kinda your job after all," she said reassuringly as she placed a caring hand on her shoulder. "Then afterwards you can play fetch with him!" Nana turned towards her friend and gave a small smile.

"Okay…"

'Why is she back…?'

"Okay Kouta, you can come in now!" Yuka called from the steps. Carefully cradling the precious cargo in his arms, Kouta gradually rose to his feet, keeping his eyes locked on Lucy's limp, fragile body as he edged his was slowly towards the house, being cautious so as to not make any sudden moves that might cause her pain.

Yuka watched with dread from the stairs as Kouta sauntered his way up the path, never for an instant removing his vision from mess piled in his arms.

'Look at her…she's a mess and he still can't take his eyes off her. Just once I wish he'd look at me like that…'

'What is it that she has that I don't? She can't even speak properly for god's sake! I've known Kouta nearly my whole life and she just shows up out of nowhere-'

"Yuka?"

"Huh?" She looked up to find her cousin standing in front of her, staring, with a worried look plastered on his face…she suddenly felt her cheeks begin to burn and her spirits lift. Was he…concerned about her for once?

"I'm okay Kou-"

"Excuse me."

'What?'

"I've got to get Nyuu down to the bathroom so I can start cleaning her up." With that, he continued down the hall, never once even giving Yuka a second glance…leaving her alone, stunned and broken hearted.

Not bothering to take off her clothes, Kouta gently set Lucy down in the basin, peeling her off his now blood stained shirt as he turned on the faucets carefully, making sure the water was warm. Gradually the tub began to fill up, the water dying a deep shade of scarlet as it accumulated around her body. It was then that Lucy began to stir, wincing with the effort, the water obviously stinging the numerous gashes and injuries plaguing her pastel skin. She managed to force her eyes open, only to be welcomed by an incredibly blurred world in which she could make nothing out.

"Kou…K…Kouta…" she whimpered, she had realized that she wasn't in his arms anymore and despite the warm liquid around her, she still felt quite chilled.

"Nyuu! It's okay, don't worry I'm right here. I promise you I'm not going anywhere." He whispered comfortingly from his side next to the bathtub. "I'm going to get you fixed up right away just wait and see."

He stood up swiftly searching through the numerous cupboards and shelves looking for what he needed, "aha!" he exclaimed in triumph as his hand came to rest on a bottle of disinfectant. Cautiously he removed the lid and poured a rather large amount into a small bowl.

"It looks like your horns are the only things still bleeding, so we had better stop that before it gets any worse." He then held up a light, mauve colored piece of silk to her face before placing it in the bowl, soaking it in the disinfectant.

"Remember this?" he quizzed her warmheartedly, Lucy once again tried to focus on her surroundings, but just like before it was a fruitless attempt. So instead, allowing her eyes to flutter closed; she waited patiently for Kouta to continue. "I knew that this was your favorite ribbon…so I kept it safe just in case…in case you ever came back for it." Lucy began to feel her cheeks burn once again…but they always did around Kouta. He was so caring…even after all the pain she had caused him…

"Okay now this may hurt a little but I promise it'll make it better." Kouta removed the ribbon from the disinfectant and turned his attention toward the cherry haired girl slumped upright in the basin. Slowly reaching over, he began applying the damp material around the lumps of bone that were once her 'awesome' horns, or so he had thought when he was younger, stopping the crimson liquid from escaping from the open slits in her head. That's when he had remembered what Nyuu had said about her horns when they were just kids, what had seemed like eons ago…

'I'm sure that you think my horns are disgusting don't you?'

'You have no idea how much trouble these horns have cost me!'

"Hey, at least your horns won't give you any trouble now, right?" He assured her fondly. Once again all Lucy could do was smile slightly, feeling a blush form on her cheeks as she continued to enjoy the fact that he was in such close proximity. "There we go all done!" He stated as he moved back slightly to admire his work.

"You look just as cute as before!" He beamed, a genuine smile adorning his features. "Now let's get the rest of you fixed up shall we?" And with that one last comment, he went to work on the rest of her body, examining and treating her smaller wounds, removing all of the dirt, debris and dried blood until finally he was…

"Done! Now you just wait here for a moment while I go and find Yuka so she can get you changed into some nice clean clothes okay? She's really worried about you too."

'Stupid girl…' Lucy mentally scolded. 'You're just lucky that Kouta's here to protect you…'

Kouta started off down the hall in search of his cousin. He didn't like the idea of leaving Nyuu alone in a tub full of water for to long, especially when considering the condition she was in.

"Yuka!" Quickly but efficiently he began scanning every room in the house for her presence, his apprehension increasing with everyone he deemed empty. Eventually though, he let out a sigh of relief when he came upon the young women sitting at the dinning table.

"There you are! Didn't you here me calling for you?" Kouta waited a few seconds for a response, but when he received none he continued anyway. "Oh well…hey listen, could you help Nyuu get changed into-"

"Nyuu, Nyuu, Nyuu! That's all ever you talk about!" She snapped, abruptly jumping to her feet and meeting his dumfounded gaze with her heated expression, fresh tears streaming down her face. "It's always Nyuu this and Nyuu that…what about me? Do you even know that I exist? Or am I just some useful outlet for your physical needs?"

Kouta had definitely not seen that coming…

"W-what an earth are you talking about Yuka?" He asked her, genuinely perplexed as to why she was so upset.

Yuka turned her gaze away from his, her voice but a mere whisper as she spoke.

"That afternoon at the shrine…when we were taking cover from the rain and…and…we kissed. Did…did that mean anything to you? Or was I just being foolish in actually believing that you loved me?"

'So that's it…'

"Yuka I-"

"Well do you?" She interrupted harshly.

"Do I what?" He countered, annoyed. 'Nyuu's got to get out of that bath soon before…'

"Love me?" She met his irritated gaze; looking for any signs of sympathy and concern…she found none. 'So then, he doesn't care…?'

Kouta let out a harsh sigh of pent up frustration; he couldn't focus on this conversation while Nyuu was still in need of help.

He growled. "Just drop it Yuka! You're being overly jealous for no reason!"

"Oh am I?" She spat.

"Yes! Now is not the time to be fighting, Nyuu is in need of serious attention! Can't we just…talk about this later?" He wasn't just concerned about Nyuu; he also had no idea on how to respond to Yuka's outburst of emotion. She was right…he had kissed her, back when they had only just met the ruby eyed Diclonius a few weeks before and back then; he had also probably meant it as well. But after finding out who she really was, the 'cool horned' girl he had taken to the zoo and sat with during a storm…the 'cool horned' girl he adored…as well as the ever innocent and unbelievably naïve Nyuu…he really meant what he said to her, no, to them that night before they went to face they're fate.

'You…that poor lonely girl I met in the woods…and Nyuu too…I love them.'

"Kouta…You're such a jerk! Just stay away from me!" With one swift, fluent movement of her wrist, she slapped him hard across the cheek and ran from the room, sobbing desperately into her hands while leaving Kouta dazed in her wake.

'Why do I always get so jealous…?'