I just wanted to thank everyone for their continued support while I work this out with everything going on. I swear I'm not ignoring anyone or any aspect of this story, life is just making things very difficult. Any who, this is the updated version of Chapter 6, I decided to go a little different at the end and added a bit more fluffy, cuteness to it lol. I hope everyone enjoys and looks forward to the next chapter!
Disclaimer: WhisperingLady does not own any characters in this work of fiction, simply the story and ideas. Thank you.
Chapter 6: Len comes home
The world faded around me. All I could feel was the warmth of his lips pressed against mine. I couldn't begin to describe the way he tasted.
All I knew was that I didn't want it to stop; but a thought occurred to me as I felt that warmth leave, Len finally breaking the kiss and leaning away from me.
My eyes fluttered as they stayed closed for a few more seconds, my consciousness wanting to savor the feeling that lingered from his skin touching mine.
I let my eyes slowly slide open as my vision cleared and Len's face came into focus. He looked flushed, a darker red staining his cheeks and a little on the bridge of his nose.
His eyes, however, shone brightly as he looked at me, a genuine smile on his lips. This only made the thought screaming inside my mind blurt out, even more. "YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND! AND YOU KISSED M-" His hand came up and pressed against my lips, effectively stopping what I was saying and making me look up at his eyes again, meeting his gaze.
"Rin. Let me explain before you start to freak out, alright?" He chuckled before he broke our gaze and looked at his hand resting on my lips.
He moved it ever so slightly to lightly trace my lower lip with his thumb. The blush that coated my cheeks was instantaneous as his skin left a trail of what felt like fire along with my own.
I nodded, a little shakily, in fear that my voice would crack too badly if I tried to talk. "Thank you. And I apologize for springing that on you, but I couldn't wait any longer. I needed you to feel what I couldn't tell you with my words. That was the only way I could really answer all your questions."
He looked so genuine; any anger I had simply melted away. He loved me...Which all seemed to make sense now, but it just caused more questions to pop up in its place.
I waited for him to explain whatever it was that would hopefully fill in the rest of the blanks.
"Miku and I aren't really dating. Yes, we act like it at school, but that's all it is. An act. Not that I really care; I've only wanted to be in a relationship with one person, but it's helped her, and once I caught her cheating, she didn't want to give up the status and reputation that dating me has. Her words, not mine."
He chuckled softly as he looked down at my hand and gently grabbed it, letting his thumb lightly trace random patterns on the top of it. Such a nice sensation.
"She...she cheated on you?" I asked, incredulous. I didn't like Miku at all because of what she's said about my friends for defending me. But I didn't peg her for the kind that cheats in a relationship. It was mind-boggling.
"Yeah, came as a bit of a shocker, but I think she realized a long time ago that she couldn't really compare to the one I really had my sights set on."
He gave my hand a light squeeze, my heart skipping a beat as I realized he was talking about me. He would have rather been in a relationship with me, than the most popular girl in school.
Then again, the reason for her being so popular was because she was dating him, so it was a bit of a paradox in itself.
"I've wanted you for a very long time Rin. And Miku did her best to try and win me over, but in the end, she realized it was useless. She started to develop feelings for Kaito and one thing lead to another and before they knew it, they ended up together. I found them the night it happened and that's when they broke down and told me. I couldn't really be mad, now could I? Yeah, it was a little upset that Kaito would do something like that, but he told me he's been in love with Miku since like 2nd grade, so I just sort of shrugged it off." To put emphasis on that point, he shrugged his shoulders.
I was still in shock from everything, as I tried to digest it all. "Len, I don't...I don't really know what to say, to be honest." I had so many things racing through my mind, so many things I felt like I needed to tell him.
So many questions melted into a jumbled mess and I couldn't figure out which one to ask first. "I guess I should be asking questions, but I don't know where to start." I chuckled softly as he smiled warmly down at me.
"Well, whatever you want to know. I'm an open book, Rinny Bear." The mortification was also instantaneous as he called me that name. I audibly groaned and felt my cheeks get hotter than they already were, eliciting a loud chuckled from Len.
"I told you I would use it on you. And now you know the truth, there's nothing stopping me from saying it in public." "OH, GOD! NO!" I said, jerking my hand away from his, to cover my face. I didn't know which thought was scarier, hearing him say that in a public space or the looks on her friend's faces if they heard him call her that.
He just chuckled even deeper before he gently grabbed my hand and took it away from my face; his now inches away from mine.
I could feel his breath hit my skin, my eyes widening at the speed at which he covered the distance between us. He looked into my eyes and smiled deeply; Catching me off guard, he leaned up ever so slightly and gently kissed the tip of my nose.
I couldn't help myself, and let out a light chuckle. "Well, I guess I have a few questions, but it's all just a jumbled mess, so I don't really know where to start," I answered honestly.
He nodded understandably and smiled at me, knowing it was all a little much for me to digest right now. "Well I want to answer anything and everything you have so you can be as comfortable as you need to be to trust me."
His smile was hinted at with a sense of deep sadness as he reached for one of my hands and put his over it. I looked down and saw how much bigger his hand was than mine. It practically consumed mine, almost like a pitcher's mitt. I couldn't help but smile softly before I looked back up at him, meeting his gaze.
I could see the wanting in his eyes and I just wanted to make it all better. Make him realize it was okay. "Well, I guess I want to know why you didn't tell me sooner." I started with the loudest question in my mind, hoping that the answer to that one might also answer other ones.
"Well, I didn't really know how to approach you after I realized you had forgotten me. You didn't know who I was and I thought it would just hinder you from finding someone if you knew who I was and my feelings for you. I guess I thought I was helping you by not making you relive your past with a boy you may or may not still like. It didn't seem fair to you Rin...And all I want is your happiness."
He squeezed my hand lightly as he spoke the last word, putting an extra emphasis on it.
I couldn't help but smile in response before I flipped my hand around in his grip, and intertwined our fingers together. I sighed a little as what he said sank in.
"You know, it would have been so much easier if you had just told me who you were. This entire time I've had this ungodly obsession with you; and for the life of me, I had no idea why. It always baffled me, but I never really questioned myself about it. Maybe I should have."
I said chuckling slightly before meeting his gaze again.
My expression changed as a second question came to the forefront of my mind. "Oh! That's another question I had. Why didn't you ever stop your friends from picking on me?"
I could tell it struck a chord with him, as the words came out of my mouth. I knew he didn't want that to be one of the questions to pop up.
"There's really no excuse for not doing more, and for that, I'll always be sorry. I didn't think it affected you as much as it probably did. I was hoping that if I talked to them outside of school about it and if I never participated, it would just stop. But I guess I was wrong. I'm so sorry Rin... I know that doesn't really make up for it or even necessarily answer your question. I guess the only answer I have is I don't know. I thought I was doing enough to stop it from the shadows. Not give any hints that I preferred you over others. I thought if they knew who you really were, especially while the Miku lie was happening, the bullying would get worse. And not just by them, but by other people who have no business in caring about these things."
I sat in silence with Len holding my hand for a few minutes, revisiting some of the worse things that the teal-haired girl had subjected me to. Paint in my shampoo bottle, gluing my project to the desk so it came apart when I tried to lift it up, photoshopping me on a pig's body and printing out flyers to put up around the entire school; she had tormented me for seemingly no reason, but now as I reflected back on just the last few hours, I began to think maybe she did have a reason. Maybe she knew after all and wanted to get back at me for something she thought I could help.
"Did you know about everything? About the time she decided to steal my clothes from the locker room and hang them on the flag pole? Or when she put maggots in my locker?" I asked after another moment of silence. I felt his grip tighten, my head instinctively turning to look at him. To my surprise and shocked expression, I saw a few tears roll down his cheeks. "I didn't until after I couldn't stop it..." His words were so quiet, I had to strain my ears to make out what he said.
"Rin, you have to believe me. If I knew beforehand all the horrible things she had planned on doing, I would have come out with the truth a long time ago. I thought it was childish stuff like name-calling, or maybe insulting your outfit. Nothing nearly as bad as what they told me. Then again, I don't know why I believed them honestly. I should have known..." His lower lip trembled as he took his hand from mine and brought it to his pained expression, burying his face in both his palms.
I could hear his breath shaking as I plucked up what little courage I could and gently moved to face him, my body parallel his; my hand resting over the back of his own, hoping to get his attention before speaking. "Len, look at me," I said, quietly breaking the small silence. It took him a moment before he let his hands drop from his face, a sniffle echoing in the near silence of the room around us.
His eyes were slightly puffy and red as the tears threatened to brim over his lower lid; his lip still quivering ever so slightly as he fought to look me in the eyes at first.
Finally, his gaze met mine and I smiled softly, my hands gripping his lightly. "I don't hate you for not doing anything. My issue was never with you Len. You don't control what she does and it shouldn't be your job to stop her from doing something bad. She's not some computer program that needs someone constantly watching over her or a puppet that needs to have her strings pulled."
"Yeah, it hurts to get bullied and have to face that every day, but it's high school. It's always going to have this sort of dynamic. On the social ladder, I'm on the bottom, Miku on the top. It's just how things go I guess." I shrugged my shoulders slightly, giving his hand a light squeeze.
"You say that now, but I shouldn't have just sat by and let you deal with it. I should have stepped in and at least done -" I cut him off mid-sentence.
"And done what? Asked her nicely to stop picking on me? If your guy's relationship was how you told me, it wouldn't have mattered. Not to mention, knowing girls like Miku, it would have just made it worse. Not to mention the groupies that act like your own secret service. Honestly Len. I'm glad you didn't do anything." I said, giving him a reassuring half-smile.
He squirmed slightly before sighing, locking his gaze with mine. "Alright. If you say so, but I'm not gonna stand by anymore Rin. I swear -" His stare turned serious as he reached up and grabbed both my shoulders, causing me to keep my eyes locked with his. "-I will never let anyone bully you again. Not if I have any say in it."
He looked so determined; his grip on my shoulders tightening to slightly uncomfortable before he pulled me into a hug, one hand resting on the back of my head and the other on my lower back.
"I want to protect you Rin. Protect you from all the horrible people and things this world likes to throw at sweet souls like you." His hand started to move in a petting motion, stroking my hair in a rhythmic pattern.
I couldn't help but smile softly and let a small sigh escape. I felt so comfortable with him. Like I was meant to just be in his arms for the rest of my life, and now that I was actually here, I was...scared? My heart wasn't beating wildly like it might be if something was terrifying to me, but I had this fear deep down that I couldn't pinpoint. Albeit, Len's hand stroking my hair was shrinking whatever it was that's scaring me, my eyes closing for a moment as I simply allowed myself to be in this moment. Something I thought would have never happened in a million years.
I don't know how long we stayed like that, but it seemed to be forever and yet only a few moments, before a light knock on the door broke the silence. My head shot up, Len's chin resting on top of my head, it seemed he had dozed off, by the weight resting on my skull.
"I hope you two are doing alright." A small voice came out of the body of a rather fragile-looking older woman. She smiled sweetly as she moved about the room, checking the other cots before finally coming to stand beside the one Len and I were occupying. "Oh! Lady Hikio. Thank you, I am. Len has been a big help." I smiled softly, before feeling the arms around my waist giving me a small squeeze before his body moved away from me slightly.
"Haven't let her out of my sight since I brought the food up here. Scout's honor." He said, putting one hand up in the air, his thumb tucked into his palm, the rest of his fingers pointing up. I couldn't help but chuckle, and it seems I wasn't the only one. Mrs. Hikio gave a few small chuckles before nodding. "You two remind me of my children. Such good ones they turned out to be." The smile she gave this time was hinted at sadness, but I knew better than to ask.
"I can't believe we actually stayed in there until school ended," Len spoke up, looking down at me as we walked along the street. He gave a sly smile, one hand resting on the back of his head, the other one entangled in my own, down by his side. He had insisted on holding my hand the entire way to my house, and I was never going to refuse such an opportunity.
"I can. Nekomura-sensei has caught me in the library more than once after everyone else has left." I chuckled shyly. Now that I thought about it, the number of times I had been caught trying to avoid going home was staggering. I didn't want him to know that just yet though. I wanted to open up to him, at the very least, someone and tell them. But what could I say? I'm being blackmailed into having sex with my stepfather so he doesn't try and hurt my mother? How do I expect anyone to deal with that, let alone someone not much older than me? It's enough to make anyone puke, just to listen to. Besides...h-how do you say th-those words out loud to someone? I'm not strong enough to admit I'm this broken...not yet anyway.
"And that's when the sparrow just straight-up dive-bombed Kaito. He was so scared." Len's voice only barely registered to me as he spoke. What pulled me out of my thoughts was the light squeezes my hand kept getting. Looking up, I saw a quizzical look in his eyes and slightly worried as he stared at me with an unspoken question. "Hmm? Right! Sparrow, dive bomb. Kaito being terrified is something I think I would pay to see." He chuckled before putting a hand on my cheek and lovingly running his thumb along my skin. "Are you okay?" he asked, clearly not buying that I had been paying attention.
I sighed and nodded, knowing full-well if I started down this road, there was a whole flood gate that would be opened if I wasn't careful. "Yeah, I've just got some home stuff going on that keeps me pretty mentally preoccupied," I said, not technically lying. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from the word vomit that wanted to come out, as I watched his gaze harden the slightest amount. I could have sworn his grip on my hand had gotten tighter too.
Whatever it was that changed his expression passed just as suddenly as it came on, the signature soft gaze to his eyes returning before he pulled me close to him and leaned his face down, kissing the top of my forehead. "I'm sure that whatever it is, you are so much stronger than it and now that I've got you again, I'm not gonna let you face it alone. You've always got me Rin." A second kiss followed as I held back tears. I couldn't start crying, especially after telling him I was okay! I tried to gather myself as best I could, letting my face rest on his chest to buy myself a few more seconds to let the corners of my eyes dry.
He wrapped his other arm around my waist and simply held me for a moment on the sidewalk, his lips passively pressed against the top of my head as we stood there, not a single care in the world. At least, for a minute.
I sighed softly before deciding I would have to be the one to break the embrace so we could keep going where we needed to. I never wanted to go home, but I knew there was nothing I could say that would make a good enough excuse for why I didn't want to go back there. Besides, how could I possibly go to sleep tonight, knowing this could all very well be a dream? I'm not the type of person who gets this kind of happy ending. Everything felt new and scary, but I wanted desperately to believe it was all true.
"Come on, we need to get me home. They probably called my mom since I was out for an entire day. She's probably super worried." I said, letting out another sigh. I hated worrying my mother, especially when I had no logical explanation to give her. I'm a terrible liar in all honesty, and I hadn't even given myself the time to think of what could have possibly caused me to faint out of nowhere and stay in the nurses' office all day.
"I'm sure they over-exaggerated it like adults tend to do. Which means she probably thinks you're bedridden or dead." He chuckled, obviously enjoying the dilemma I was in. I huffed softly before sticking my tongue out at him. Only to have him leaned down and lightly bite the tip, eliciting a tiny squeal and an immediate blush to my cheeks.
My hands shot up and covered my face, putting a small amount of space between his face and mine. I could feel the intense heat radiating from my face. "Awwwwwww, you're so cute when you're embarrassed." I could hear the laughter in his voice as he spoke, followed by him laughing at my expense and pulling me back into a hug, my covered face pressed into his chest.
"I'm glad my pain amuses you," I said, trying to speak as non-muffled as I could. I couldn't tell if he actually made out what I said, but he pulled away from me and took both my hands in his, lowering them both. I looked up into his baby blues and saw the childish spark that I knew would get him into trouble one of these days. "Didn't you say we needed to get going? Can't have your mom killing you now, especially since I just got you back!" Another blush burst forward, but thankfully, I managed to hide it by starting to walk briskly towards our destination.
I didn't live that far from the school, but being with Len made everything seem to both stretch on forever and not last long enough. I wanted to share every moment with him, every laugh, every smile, every tear, and whatever else life deiced to throw at us. He seemed to fit into every crevice in my heart that I didn't even know were there, and it was amazing I was alive at all up until this point. It felt like everything missing about myself, I found in him.
Rounding the last corner, my eyes found the familiar dark blue door and my heart skipped a beat. I felt myself trip on nothing and had it not been for Len next to me, I would have gone face-first into the concrete. He quickly pulled me back onto my feet and held me close to him for a moment before letting me go and trying to help me steady myself. "You alright there? I'd beat up the sidewalk for tripping you, but I think it might win." He said, a smirk playing at his lips. I chuckled before shaking my head. "Yeah, yeah. I tripped over my own feet honestly. It's a terrible habit." I joked, only half telling the truth.
The doorknob shook as I turned the key to the left and unlocked the door, letting it swing open as I stepped inside, Len following behind me. The house seemed quiet, but I heard a television on in the living room, so I knew at least one person was inside. I dreaded the possibility of who it might be. I turned and shut the door, my hand grabbing my keys. My back was still turned when someone spoke up
"Hello, Rin. How was school?" A voice echoed from the living room, no doubt watching her shows. I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath, sighing as soon as I recognized who was speaking. I just hope Len hadn't noticed; too much to unpack there and there was no way in the deepest pits of hell that Rin was going to scare him off with her dysfunctional family problems if she was putting it nicely.
"Hi, mom! School was...well, let's just say that I did not expect what happened. But I couldn't be happier!" Taking off my shoes and placing them by the front door, I smiled up at Len who already had his off, and placed them neatly by my mother's work shoes. "Oh! Mom, I brought an old friend over, I don't know if you'll recognize him or not."
"What do you mean dear?" she asked as Len and I walked into the living room, my mother's head-turning to meet us. It seemed to take her a few minutes, her brow scrunching in the middle; her mind no doubt turning with names and faces of people long passed.
"You're telling me that this strapping young lad is none other than that sweet little blonde-haired boy you were inseparable from?! Well. Let me get a good look at you!" My mother's bright smile seemed to light up the entire room as she walked up to Len, putting her hand on his cheek and looking him over.
"It's so good to see you again, Mrs. Akita. It's been too long! Rin, are you sure this is your mother? She looks waaaaaay too young. This has got to be like your sister or cousin or something!"
"Oh Len, you flatterer. You were definitely raised right." She smiled and lightly patted his cheek before dropping her hand and walking over to me, hugging me tightly. "He really grew up well, huh?" She whispered in my ear, followed by a chuckle. A deep blush immediately flashed across my cheeks as I tried not to let Len see. "MOM!" I whispered back, putting my hand over my cheek, making her full-on laugh now. "Oh sweetie, I know you agree. I have eyes." She winked at me before walking into the kitchen.
Len looked at me, looked at my expression, and chuckled before closing the gap between us. He placed his hands on my shoulders lightly and leaned down, placing a kiss on the top of my head. "Seems like she remembers me." He beamed at me, making my heart skip a beat and flutter in my chest. He was such a pure and wholesome person, I couldn't help but be amazed by him
"Y-yeah. I'm really surprised she does. But! I'm really glad she does cause that means I don't have to explain much. Although, she probably has-"
"NOW GO MAKE YOURSELVES COMFORTABLE! I HAVE A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU LEN! I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING!" My mother's voice shouted from the kitchen.
"Guess that's our cue, huh?" Len asked before grabbing my hand and motioning towards the couch. I gingerly nodded, the blush on my skin still blazing as we sat down, hands still interlocking. I smiled shyly to myself before allowing my head to fall and land on her shoulder. My eyes stayed closed as I felt lips brush against my forehead, my heart skipping a beat yet again.
I wanted to stay like this forever, just peacefully sitting next to the boy of my dreams as his thumb gently rubbed circles around the top of my hand. I felt what must have been his head lightly push on the top of mine. Nothing could ruin this moment for me. If time could just stand still and I could live in this moment for the rest of eternity, I would.
Suddenly the sinking realization of what was about to transpire punched me in the gut as the front door opened and a voice rang out. A voice that turned my blood to ice, like a freezing wave, I was paralyzed. "Neru, we're back!"
