Warnings for this chapter: Nothing really...Kouga has a bit of a dirty mouth, and there's some implied...well...nevermind.
A/N: Heh...sorry for the late chapter...again. I'm a naughty girl. But here's an extra, EXTRA long chapter for ya'll! Lots of love, Kelly
Kouga patted his back pocket, finding it flat. "Damnit." He mumbled. He probably looked like an idiot standing out in the apartment parking lot, locked out of his own car because he couldn't find his keys.
He shoved his hand back into his back pocket were he usually kept his wallet, but found the keys to not be there. He cursed again. "Maybe I left them in the apartment." He muttered.
He kicked the tire irritably, and headed back in the front door. Luckily they usually kept that unlocked. I mean, who would even think about trying to break into Kouga's apartment?
He checked the dish by the door where he usually threw his spare change. A few pennies and a dime, but no keys. He went over to the stack of papers on the counter. Bills, class registration…no keys. "Damn it all to hell."
A little light went off in his head. "Maybe Ayame grabbed them by mistake!" He announced to no one. He grabbed the phone on the wall and quickly dialed Ayame's cell phone. It rang once. Twice. Four times…then Ayame's voice came onto the line.
"Hi, you've reached Ayame, sorry I'm not here to take your call! Leave me a message, and I'll give you a call back! Thanks." Kouga sighed. She was too nice for her own good. Ayame's sweet voice switched to the monotone of the cell service. "To leave a call back number, press 2 now. Please leave your message after the tone." Kouga waited…"Beep!"
"Hey Ayame, its Kouga. Give me a call when you get this, ok? I can't find my keys, and I think you might have grabbed them by mistake this morning. I've got to get over to the school to see a councilor about some classes, and I can't get into my car. I hope to hear from you soon." He hung the phone back up on the wall and glanced at his watch. His appointment was in 20 minutes, and it took 10 to get to the school from here.
He rubbed his temples with his forefingers. What a day to lose his keys. He had to make this appointment 2 weeks ago! He picked the phone up again, and dialed Ginta. He picked up after two rings. "Hello?" He asked.
"Ginta! I need you to give me a ride to the collage!"
"Uh, kay. What's the hurry? And why can't you drive yourself?"
"I lost my keys. I think Ayame might have them, but she's not picking up her cell. I'm dead if I don't talk to this councilor today; I still have no idea what classes I'm supposed to take for my major!"
"Ok, ok. I'll be over in 5 minutes." The phone clicked, and the dial tone reached Kouga's ears. Ok, good. He's not going to miss it.
"What do you mean I have to take Calculus!" Kouga roared, making the councilor jump in her seat.
"It's a required class for your major." She said simply.
"I failed PRE ALGEBRA! How the hell am I supposed to get away from this class with a passing grade!"
"I suggest a tutor. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to see another student in 10 minutes."
Kouga glared at her. "Sure. Thanks for the help." He said sarcastically. And he got up from his chair rather roughly, and walked out of her office.
Ginta was waiting for him in the front parking lot. "Come on man." Ginta whispered urgently as he approached the car. "I don't have parking permit, and some cop has passed behind me like 10 times! I can't afford a ticket right now!"
Kouga hopped into the passenger seat and Ginta took off. When he arrived home, it was a little after 6:30. He swung open the front door, expecting to see Ayame, but the apartment looked just as he had left it. His brow furrowed in confusion, and he went over to the message machine, seeing that there were no new messages. Usually she would call if she wasn't going to be home till later. And hadn't she gotten his message?
He picked up the phone, dialing her number a bit feverishly, but once again got her answering machine. This wasn't like her. She always picked up her cell. And wasn't she just supposed to be going out shopping for the afternoon?
He jumped onto the couch, his distress not very evident in the way he casually clicked though the TV channels. Someone who really knew him (i.e. Ayame) would tell you that he's stiff, and worried, he just didn't like to show it so he forced himself into a position that he knew other people looked like when they are relaxed. He's good at that kind of stuff.
He stopped when he got to a documentary on wolves. Well, why not? The documentary lasted an hour, and by the time it had finished, Ayame still wasn't home. He was starting to get fidgety with worry. He went back to the phone and dialed her number again. When the answering machine picked up, he said, "Hey Ayame. I'm really worried about where you are, it's getting kind of late. Please, please give me a call back when you get this to let me know that you're ok." He put the phone back on its hook.
Ok, where did Ayame say she was going today? Shopping for new school clothes, right? Well then she'd be downtown. But this is Tokyo for crying out loud! There are probably 300 stores down there!
He'd take a shower. She'd probably be back by the time he got out. He stripped off his clothing as he walked to the bathroom, letting it drop to the floor, not really caring at this point as to where it ended up.
He turned the water all the way to hot, and steam filled the small bathroom within minutes. He stepped in; jerking away from the scalding water as it first hit his sensitive skin. He forced himself to stay still, letting the water fall over him, relaxing his tense muscles. He knew his skin was getting flushed and burnt from the water, but he didn't really care.
He didn't feel like actually washing himself. He just needed something to distract him, and keep him occupied until Ayame came home. He turned the knob to off, letting the water drip off of him for a moment until he pulled back the shower curtain, and grabbed a towel, wiping his face free of water. He slung it loosely around his hips, and wiped some of the steam from the mirror above the sink to get a good look at himself.
Just like he figured, his skin looked flushed and irritated. He grabbed his boxers, slipping them on after drying his legs and chest of water. He opened the bathroom door, holding his breath. "Ayame? You home?" He yelled, unsure of himself. Silence followed him, and his shoulders dropped.
While rubbing his hair impatiently with the towel, he called her cell again, once again getting the recording of her soft, charming voice. He hung up without leaving a message, his worry rising again. A glance at the clock and it read 8:45. Woah. He'd been in the shower longer than he'd thought. He paced the kitchen floor, still in nothing but his boxers. Next time he wouldn't bug her about worrying about him.
He heard the door click, and he perked up. It swung open, and Ayame darted in, slamming it behind her. Tears streaked her face, and her breathing was heavy. The thing that really caught his eyes were her clothes. Her modest skirt was slopping lower on one hip, and the zipper looked like it had been forced because the stitching was ripped. The sleeve of her blouse had been torn, and her bra strap was falling off her shoulder.
She met his eyes, hers laced with fear and confusion. She came to him, and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her head in his bare shoulder, sobs raking her body. His arm tightened around her, pulling her closer. "Ayame," He said gently when her tears and slowed, and she was just sniffling softly. "What happened?"
She shook her head from wear it was still against his chest, not looking up to meet his eyes. "I don't wanna talk about it."
His voice darkened. "Did someone hurt you? I swear Ayame if anyone-"
"It's ok." She said softly, cutting him off. "It's over now. I'm safe here."
So something did happen! He pulled her the remaining foot to the couch, and pulled her down so she was sitting beside him. He took her hands in his, marveling at how soft and small they were compared to his large rough ones. "Tell me what happened Ayame." He said gently. He tucked some stray hair behind her ear.
Tears welled in her large green orbs, and she avoided his eyes. "I-I…Well, he…" She sighed, shutting her eyes, to calm herself. Kouga waited patiently for her to continue. "I guess I should start from the beginning. I was walking back from shopping, and I dropped my purse on the sidewalk. So I bent down, and started picking up the mess. When I stood back up, there was this man there in front of me. I told him excuse me, and tried to push my way past, but he blocked me.
"He-he grabbed me by the arm, and pulled me into the alleyway. I tried to fight him off, but he pushed me against the wall, and he started t-touching me!" She had started crying again, so Kouga pulled her against his chest again, rocking her soothingly, but his body was tense, ready to fight.
"Did he violate you Ayame?" He asked, his eyes flashing, ready to unleash hell.
"N-no. He ripped my shirt, and started to pull at my skirt, but I was able to knee him in the groin. I ran all the way home after that." She buried her head in his shoulder again so her voice was muffled. "Only you should touch me like that!" She cried. "I don't want anyone else to!"
He started to stroke her hair soothingly, relived that it didn't at least get too far. But it was bad enough though. "I'm here now Ayame." He whispered. "He won't get you, I swear it." He pressed his lips to the top of her head, and she hugged him closer. "Where were you when it happened?" He asked quietly.
She pulled away from him a bit, looking into his eyes for the first time in a while. "You're not going out there Kouga. He's not worth it, really. He's just dirty sleazy scum, and I never want to hear about him again. Don't do it, please." She begged holding on tighter to him. She noticed for the first time how tense he was. He was itching for a fight with this guy. He would never give in, so she decided to compromise. "Go tomorrow. I don't want to be by myself tonight."
He held her against him again. "Ok."