So I just added the second half of Chapter 5. It's a bit strange to add to a chapter after it is already posted, but I finally got to the stopping point I had planned on. Thankfully, I found some bit of motivation and I present to you, my longest chapter yet! Enjoy, my darlings!

Light began to pool in from the cracks in the curtains in his room, and landed directly on his eyelids, interrupting Hiko's sleep. With a light groan, he opened his eyes about halfway, yawned, and moved his arm to rub his eyes. All of a sudden however, he felt something warm and soft pressing against him.

There she was, his childhood friend, snuggling tightly against him. Her face had been placed against his chest, and he could feel her warm breaths through his thin blue pajamas. Her right arm had been wrapped loosely around his neck, and her left was sprawled around the top of his head. Her legs had managed to intertwine with his, and her back was slightly bent forward as she slept.

He had been lying on his side as he commonly did, so she was essentially using him as a human body pillow to hug throughout the night. But for how long she had been, he had no idea. Regardless, she seemed to be sleeping just fine, so it wasn't another one of her flirty moves. Perhaps she had a nightmare in the middle of the night?

To his own surprise, he hadn't freaked out in the slightest. Almost like he was already acquainted with sleeping with her, which most certainly was not the case.

He looked to his alarm clock. 6:30 AM.

There was still plenty of time before he had to get up to prep for the day, so he decided to stay put to allow the girl cuddling him to get some more rest. He managed a very content smile at Zakura, wondering how anything could be more perfect than this single precious moment. He never dreamt that in a million years he would be a snuggle buddy for such a beautiful young lady.

With extreme care, Hiko removed his right hand from under his pillow and placed it softly on the back of Zakura's head, stroking her hair as delicately as possible as he watched her reaction, to be sure not to wake her.

She's so precious like this… I wish this moment could last forever. If I'm lucky, maybe this can be a common occurrence for her to hug me like this.

A sound from the girl suddenly caught his attention. She had started snoring? No, it was something else. It was deep and low, like a snore, but softer, more tranquil. He returned to running his hands through her hair, only to hear the same sound once again.

What? What's she doing…?

He lightly chuckled as he figured out the sound. Unbelievable. His sweetheart was snuggling him in his bed, not snoring, but purring as he stroked her hair.

You never cease to amaze me, Zakura. You are just so damn cute, no matter what you do.

After enjoying the company of the sleeping girl for about ten minutes, Aihiko decided it was time to get up and ready for school. He had never missed a single day and hadn't planned on missing one, even for Zakura.

"Alright, sleepy head. Time to wake up," he softly called to her, shaking her shoulder with a light amount of force. She responded almost instantly.

Without ever opening her eyes, the girl opened her mouth - wider than he ever thought possible - with a loud yawn and revealed her elongated canines to him. He took note of them, but just as the rest of her strange features, he didn't mind at all.

"Mor...nin'," the girl replied, her voice sounding a bit less harsh than the night before. She hadn't a care in the world as she adjusted her face to be just below his neck, eyes still shut, and began to sniff him. Lightly and quickly at first, but then she pushed her nose into his collarbone and took a huge whiff.

"Mmm…", she practically moaned, before swiftly licking a line up the boy's chin.

Recoil in the form of a shiver ran through Hiko's body, and he shuddered a bit at the feeling of her tongue. He bit his lip and blushed bright red, his reaction completely the opposite of the one as a child. He found the act this time to be strangely erotic, but didn't dare to say anything.

"Citrus-y. With a hint of…"

The girl smacked her lips together, observing the taste that lingered in her mouth.

"...mango? Hmm… well, either way... it's fruity and sweet. I like it."

She suddenly opened those bright, exotic green eyes, just inches from his face. They seemed to bloom with life, instead of being dull and pale like they were previously. The new bright green highlighted her pink hair and gleaming red horns, even more so than the rays of light spreading across her from the window. She was… stunning. Beautiful.

"W-wow…", was all Aihiko could muster saying in astonishment in that moment. He collected himself and continued softly. "Your eyes… they're radiant and… full of life. I thought you were beautiful before but… words can't describe what I'm looking at…"

A slight blush dusted the girl's face as she lowered her head.

"You… really think so…?"

Her question was voiced in the cutest, most innocent tone he had ever heard from her. It made his heart skip a beat.

"I do. You're incredibly beautiful."

The girl swallowed and then leaned in close to him, her lips ever so slightly parted as her face approached his. Knowing full well what she was going for, he opened his lips as well, welcoming her's as they brushed together. He smiled as she pulled away from the simple, endearing kiss.

There was that lovely face of hers. Their long battle had finally come to an end, and she didn't need to be worried about changing him anymore. It was already done. They were now the same, and he could feel her closer than ever. He wasn't quite sure how they ended up where they were, but he couldn't mistake her face. She was his -

"Zero Two…"

And he was indeed her -

"Darling…"

The girl's hands suddenly began to run through his hair and around his head frantically, in search of something, no doubt. He chuckled lightly as he felt her fingers running on his scalp.

"Haha~ Zero Two, what are you doing?"

"Darling…?! W-where are your -"

They looked into each others' eyes with sheer confusion at their interaction. He was missing something?

The two teenagers continued to stare at one another, completely perplexed for several moments before blinking once, then twice in sync, clearing their minds of the irregular thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Zakura… I uh… didn't mean to call you Zero Two or whatever, it just sort of…"

"...happened?", she finished. He nodded in response.

"Yeah… I don't know what came over me."

"Hmm…"

She pondered her thoughts momentarily, furrowing her brow and tilting her head to the side. After she was done thinking, she gave a small shrug and grinned wide.

"That's alright… but I think I like your nickname."

The pink haired angel gently traced Aihiko's bottom lip as she smirked, her eyes lidded seductively.

"Daaarr-ling~"

"D-d-d-darling…? Y-y-you're going t-to call me that now?!", he stammered, almost in protest.

Zakura licked her lips and giggled in acknowledgement, knowing the boy was now at her mercy. She was free to embarrass or seduce him at will.

Hiko swallowed and prepared himself to apply his limited knowledge of flirting in order to counter her. His index finger pressed lightly against her lips, shushing her giggling; and ignoring the blood rushing to his face, he gathered what courage he had and struck back vocally.

"Y-yeah well, in that c-case… You're my honey…!"

"I like it," she replied promptly, with a sly smile. "'Two can play at that game', huh? Cute."

Something caught the boy's attention all of a sudden. His honey's voice was almost back to normal. She was still quiet in volume, but louder than a whisper and most certainly not as rough as she had sounded before. In the short conversation they had, she was somehow able to recover a large portion of her vocal range. But how? The red markings around her neck were still very prevalent, and had hardly faded overnight.

"Um… Zakura, your voice…"

"Huh? I didn't even notice! My voice is back! Or at least most of it…"

She reached up to her throat and gently forced herself to cough, as if talking still hurt a bit.

"That's alright, honey. Take it easy. Don't push yourself too hard," Aihiko commented, a bit concerned. "It's alright if you don't talk."

The girl began to massage her throat lightly, agreeing with him as she inclined her head slowly.

Well this is a fantastic start to the morning. Things are all over the place. Why the hell did I call her Zero Two again?

As he hopped out of his bed, he turned to look at Zakura. She was still rubbing, hoping to help the pain a bit.

"I'm going to go grab your uniform so you can put it on. Oh, and your beanie too. You probably don't want my mom knowing about those," he said, pointing to her horns as they gleamed in the sunlight sneaking into his room.

With that, the high school boy prepared for the worst. He knew his mother had gotten home, and judging by the smells wafting from the kitchen, was making breakfast. Was that grilled salmon?

He loved his mom's grilled salmon, it always had the perfect blend of spices and herbs. Not too much for the morning, but just enough to add a huge burst of flavors that would ultimately lead to a savory salmon dish. She probably had some rice and miso soup prepared as well.

I wonder if she had checked up on us? Saw us in bed together? Shit, did she see us cuddling?! Oh no, please let that not be the case…

"Morning, momma," Hiko greeted as he passed by the kitchen, a bit nervous.

"Good morning, dear. How did you two sleep?", she replied casually. Perhaps she hadn't seen them?

Best to not let her know if she doesn't already.

"Pretty well. Zakura is a bit of a handful. She has a sprained ankle and lost her voice. So I sort of had to carry her everywhere…"

He laughed nervously, hoping not to arouse suspicion from his mother.

"Did you call her 'Zakura'?"

"Oh! Yeah. She changed her name I guess. I haven't exactly asked her about it since I don't want to strain her voice. She is still that same girl though… and… I apologized to her."

"I'm proud of you," she beamed. "You seem much… more yourself now that you've gotten to see her again. I enjoyed that you got into your studies, but you shouldn't have let it consume you…"

"Yeah, you're right. But I feel so much more relieved now that I got to apologize to her. I… I think I um… really like her, momma."

"I can tell," she replied with a sly tone in her voice.

Oh shit… she knows doesn't she…?

"When I came home, I saw the two of you curled up in your bed. You both seemed comfortable so I didn't want to bother you. But you know I have to ask, Aihiko…"

"We didn't! I swear we didn't! She… had a nightmare. So she didn't want to sleep alone. So she sort of… clung to me. But I promise we -"

"I believe you. I know my son isn't like that. I trust you to be respectful. That's how I raised you after all."

Oh thank goodness. Dodged that bullet…

Aihiko watched as his mother began setting the table with a proud smile on her face. He sighed, knowing she was alright with what had happened during the night. He really wished to tell her about the vision that lead to their kiss and the name he kept using on her, but it was best to keep that under wraps for now.

He then headed to the washroom to retrieve the girl's school uniform from atop the dryer. Once it was all in hand, he hurried upstairs and into his room where Zakura awaited her clothes. In the worst way possible. Just like the night before, she was stark naked, laid completely bare on his bed.

Quickly, the boy averted his eyes and covered them with his free hand.

"What are you doing?!", he whisper-shouted at the pink haired girl. "You didn't have to be naked! What if my momma sees?!"

"Oh. I guess you're right. But where would the fun be in that?", she replied seductively, lidding her eyes and grinning devilshly. This girl certainly knew damn well how to use her feminine wiles as a weapon.

He approached his bed carefully, sidestepping so as not to look directly at her. He knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to pry his curious eyes. Once he had reached her feet, he quickly dropped off the pile of clothes and turned around entirely.

"Th-there's all of your clothes. P-please get dressed…"

"Mmmm, alright. If that's what you want, daaarling~", she teased. "I figured you'd want another look."

"N-not right now… M-my momma is home and -"

"Oh~? So you do want another peek…", she interrupted.

"Y-yeah well… you're… attractive. Very attractive…"

He felt a large blush come across his face, and he was certainly glad he was facing away, because she would have definitely teased him for his red face.

With a sigh, the boy found his way to his own uniform and picked up the blazer, collared shirt, and pants, and a fresh pair of boxers from his drawer, making sure to face away from the girl getting dressed on his bed. The sounds of zippers and shuffling caught his attention but he consistently maintained control.

"Be back in a minute. I'm going to go get dressed elsewhere."

After several minutes of cleaning up in the washroom, and suiting up for school, Hiko cautiously returned to his room, closing his eyes as he entered.

"You're actually dressed this time, right?"

"Yeah, you can look," he heard Zakura reply.

Upon opening his eyes, he saw a total surprise. She was actually clothed!

Her school uniform actually looked quite cute on her and he couldn't help but observe it in its entirety. The way her soft pink hair was contrasted by the grays and greens of her outfit, it only added to her beauty. He had been mesmerized by her ever since yesterday, but now, looking at her all cleaned up and taken care of, it was on a totally different scale.

I bet she would look incredible in just about anything.

She noticed his exploring eyes and smiled at him gracefully. She did the same to him, and eyed him up and down.

"Your outfit looks great on you too. No wonder I couldn't find you all these years. You were in a different school."

"Yeah I sort of… received a scholarship…"

"Sounds like you're pretty accomplished then."

"I sort of… became obsessed with studying… I actually got lost in it a lot. But that's a story for later. Breakfast should be ready so we shouldn't keep momma waiting."

After reaching the side of the bed Zakura resided on, he lowered himself and arched his back as a platform for her. She slid herself on to him and he then hoisted himself straight and held her legs.

"If you can, stay off your ankle today. I'll see if we can't get you a wheelchair or something so you can get around easier."

"I don't need a wheelchair!", she snapped. "I'll be fine just limping around without you."

"But… that's not good for you," Aihiko pleaded. "Maybe a cane or something would be helpful."

He began carrying the wounded girl down to the kitchen as she audibly pouted with a 'hmph!'.

"I'll figure something out myself. I appreciate you carrying me in the house, but I won't have that luxury at school."

"I know that. That's why I'm trying to help…"

"I'll limp. I don't care."

"A-alright just don't get hurt anymore…"

Once in the kitchen, Hiko placed the teenage girl in her seat and pulled out the one at its side. He sat down with a sigh, aware that she was too stubborn for him to convince. He would have to do something once they arrived at the school, without her knowledge.

"Judging by your uniform, you go to Hokkaido High?", he inquired.

She replied with a nod and began to dig into the food already set on the table. Aihiko's mother let out a hearty laugh as she watched the girl gobble up the food, rice and soup practically flying through the air.

"She always eats like this. She has been starving up until now, so I guess it makes sense," the boy nervously commented to his fascinated mom.

To Hiko's surprise, breakfast was fairly quiet in terms of conversation. He was used to having nice, light discussions with his mother over breakfast, but now that they were accompanied by a famished young girl, they simply viewed the show in bewilderment. She was eating by shoveling handfuls upon handfuls of rice and fish into her mouth as if she was at an eating competition. Her eating etiquette needed a lot of work.

Last minute preparations were fairly uneventful, as Hiko and Zakura packed their bags for the day ahead. He still had plenty of questions, especially ones regarding her drawings and behaviors, but he felt uneasy about asking about them. More so the unhealthy habits than the drawings. Perhaps after school.

It was sooooooo cute the way he carried her around on her back all around the house. He was so sweet and innocent, she just couldn't wait to embarrass him more! It was like he was begging to be toyed with constantly!

She had already zippered her bag and been hoisted on his back when something caught his attention.

"Hold on. I think you're forgetting something," the innocent little boy claimed as he grabbed her ID from the table. "You'll probably need this."

"I've already closed my bag. It's probably not that big of a deal if I don't have it for the day."

"Well it's still important, so I'll hold onto it until we get to your school, alright?", he said as he slipped the small card into his jacket pocket.

"Mmm, okay, darling~", she cooed.

"H-hey, don't say that with my momma around…!"

Oh so Momma would get upset if I call you darling around her? Duly noted~

"Okay, okay…"

With everything said and done for the morning, the two set out for school, waving goodbye to Aihiko's mother as he carried Zakura on his back.

"You're lucky that our schools aren't too far from each other. I normally walk, but we can take the bus if you want. It'll be easier on us both."

"Hmm I haven't been on a bus in a long time," she claimed, wondering about when the last time was.

"Alright, bus it is then," he replied cheerfully, probably because he wouldn't have to walk a mile with a girl on his back.

A few minutes later, the couple arrived a bus stop and hopped on. Aihiko instructed the driver of their destination and walked back to a pair of empty seats about halfway down the bus and placed her gently down on the seat by the window. Good choice, she loved watching the world pass by.

She watched him seat himself next to her and smile. Those beautiful icy blue eyes caught her attention again. He wasn't the only one finding their new partner to be stunning. Something was new this morning, however. She couldn't quite identify what was different, but his eyes had a sort of gentle radiance to them. Like he was revitalized. Maybe because he was just super happy to be back together? She was unsure, but it didn't bother her. In fact it calmed her, soothed those worries about going back to that horrible place called school.

She returned the gesture with a wide grin that showed off her fangs and then leaned up against his shoulder. She was so glad everything was back to being good and happy, yupyup! No more street brawls, no more perverted men, just her and her new darling.

The boy sitting next to her tenderly wrapped his arms around her, and leaned back against her. She could hear his steady breaths as they enjoyed the short ride to Hokkaido High School.

Just after 8 AM, the two teenagers arrived at Hokkaido High, a general public school. It was not a very large building, but consisted of three stories, and was home to a gymnasium and full sized cafeteria.

Hiko once again carried her on his back all the way to the school yard and then turned his head back to Zakura.

"Hey, where is the infirmary?", he inquired suddenly.

"Infirmary? Why?", she almost growled back. She despised that place, and every other place with the needles and medical equipment. Those people never know how to properly treat things, and they always interrogate and blame her for how she got hurt.

"Because you need something to help you walk. I'm not gonna let you walk around school with a bad ankle. You need to get some assistance."

Zakura snarled at the thought of going to the infirmary again. Was he planning on this the whole time? To make her put down her guard so he could force her to be in a wheelchair?

"No, no, NO, NO!", she hissed in protest, struggling a bit against his back.

"Stop being a child," he snapped back with surprising seriousness. "You are hurt. You're letting me help you, now let someone else help you while I'm not around. It's not like they will hurt you. Please, do it for me."

Do it for you?! Oh, you sly little shit! Pulling that card on me now? Ugh! I hate that place but...

"Fine… just for you," she whispered.

"Thank you. Now where is it, honey?"

A slight blush rose to the surface of her face from the use of that word.

"F-first floor… on the right from the entrance…"

Zakura was a bit upset he had used her feelings towards him against her, but she knew she would be a hypocrite to say it was out line. After all, she constantly did the same thing at home, when she teased him about her body. Fine, she would endure this visit to hell.

They arrived soon after, to a loud, exasperated sigh from the nurse in her office. A well endowed, golden blond woman began to approach them. Zakura was well acquainted with the woman, that prying little shit stain.

"Oh goodness, what has the troublemaker gotten into this time?", she questioned with a groan, rubbing the bridge of her nose in irritation.

"Zakura hurt her ankle yesterday. It doesn't have to do with school, but I wondered if you wouldn't mind allowing her to borrow something to walk on," the boy carrying her responded. "She can't walk well, and I don't want her limping around school."

"All I have is a pair of crutches. Is it broken or sprained?"

"I believe it's only sprained. She can still walk on it, but I would prefer if she didn't."

The blond nurse let out another irritated sigh, and when she turned around to retrieve said crutches, Zakura stuck her tongue out in spite. This foul creature deserved more, but she had decided to remain somewhat reserved.

Ugh, I hate this. I hate this woman, and I hate that I have to use crutches. I'm pathetic.

Reluctantly, Zakura allowed Aihiko and the school nurse to help her use the crutches in order to walk around. Once she got the hang of it, the girl growled in disgust.

"I hate this. It's going to make me a target."

She knew all too well that wasn't the full reasoning for having a fit over something designed to help her, it didn't have to do with being a target at all.

"Would you rather risk hurting yourself more?", the blond woman tackled. She couldn't be more obvious with the amount of annoyance she voiced.

"No, she wouldn't. Thank you for your help," Aihiko replied respectfully in place of Zakura.

After getting everything situated surrounding her care, Aihiko and Zakura left the infirmary, the girl clumsily maneuvering the crutches to get around.

"See? Now you don't need me. You'll be fine getting around the school now, right?"

"Ugh… Yeah, yeah. These things are just so damn annoying…"

"You'll get used to them, don't worry."

"That's not my problem. I just don't want to be seen as weak, because I'll be targeted."

"You won't be targeted. Just don't get in any trouble, alright? I have to go to my own school. Wait for me and I'll pick you up afterwards."

The pink haired girl nodded reluctantly, still fuming about the walking assistants she was forced to use.

"It's not about being targeted…" Zakura mumbled. She held her crutches with an iron grip, even fearing she might snap them like twigs.

Her black haired companion tilted his head and looked into her eyes deeply, clearly wanting to know the rest of her thought. There they were again, the only things in the world that was soothe the worry and the pain. Not just that, they were definitely prettier than last night, like almost superdeliciousOhMYGODSTAREatmeMORE levels of pretty. They had changed, but entirely for the better. She loved his eyes, she loved his face. Everything was soooooooo fucking cute.

"It's about…?"

His voice snapped her from her entranced state. How long had she been staring into those two jewels in his head? She needed to be careful, she would easily be lost in them for hours. They were like a calming ocean wave, wrapping around and caressing her entire body, just letting her float carefree. But she couldn't vacation there just yet.

"...it's about pity. I hate being pitied. I hate being treated like I can't take care of myself dammit… I pretty much raised myself. I don't want someone's goodwill. Why the hell would I?!"

The once calm pupils began to shine red. Rage was beginning to take over as the girl was entering dangerous emotional levels. But she couldn't hold back now, he wanted to know, so he would know.

"Where the hell was the goodwill and care when I went through that fucking sickness?! Where was it when I lost my only friend?! Where was it when I lost my parents?! Everything! Everything got completely fucked!"

Dormant fangs began to awaken as she seethed to the brim. She was hit full force with feelings she thought she had long abandoned. The ocean water that had calmed her moments before was now boiling, and she was the cause.

"Woah, woah, honey, calm yourself!" the boy called out in vain. He had awakened the beast within, unshackled it, and it was about to unleash its fury.

"Where was the world when I lost everything?! WHERE?! WHERE, HUH?! I DIDN'T ASK FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE TO BE RUIN -"

Aihiko threw himself around her and began to stroke her hair, something he knew she enjoyed, without a doubt.

"I know, I know. Relax… darling is here. We will rebuild that lost life. It's gonna take time, but we will do it, for sure. Just take it easy…"

The ocean stopped boiling in an instant. A cold wash of water washed over her, causing the fire to fizzle out. She was once again in her happy place. She took a deep whiff of it and let the fresh air dull her anger. Everything was alright now. Darling was here.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as he continued the embrace until he was sure she had calmed down all the way.

"There. Better?", he inquired, as if he needed an answer. She was no longer shaking with anger, and instead was enjoying the warm hug she had received.

"Mhm…", she replied softly as she stuck her nose into his neck and sniffed again. His scent was stronger, tastier. He began to pull from the hug, blushing a tad bit.

"Good. I have to head to school now myself, oka -"

A pleasant present had been planted on his lips. A kiss from a very happy pink haired girl. It was only a short one, but it was affectionate nonetheless. She had rosy cheeks as she slinked back to her crutches and hoisted herself up on them.

"I know you do. Have a good day… darling~"

She didn't even have to keep facing the boy to know his face had been stained red. He was caught off guard by the sudden kiss, and she had added insult to injury by using her new favorite word.

Darling. Darling! Darling! Daaaarrling~! Her mind began to wonder just how many ways the word could be phrased as she headed to homeroom that morning.

Jeez! This damn girl changes emotions so much and so quickly, it makes my head spin! First, she's pissed, practically screaming, and the next, she's all kissing and "darling~" to me. I really don't get girls.

Hiko placed his hands in the pocket of his blazer as his mind raced and his face remained a flush red. She seriously changed personalities instantly! He didn't understand. Granted, he had calmed her, which was good, but she went from a hundred to zero in no time at all. It made no sense.

He continued his march to his school, he still had plenty of time to make it. He just hoped she would be fine without him where she was. Sure she could take care of herself when she could properly stand, but now she could hurt by anyone who disliked her.

The thought of anyone laying a malicious finger on even her precious pink hair made something rage inside him. He wasn't an aggressive person, in fact he was quite passive and docile, but that one thought made him imagine the scenario, in which he would respond by beating the ever living shit out of whoever touched her.

He clenched his fists in his pocket just thinking about the possibility. Why was he so angry? Why was he being so protective? Was he what she hated most…? Was he pitying her? It had to be more than that. He had never felt this way in his entire life.

Out of frustration of being stuck in his thoughts, the boy quickly flung the side of his fist into a street sign, not caring at all about the pain that resulted from it. He was just so pissed for no reason, and he couldn't seem to calm himself down. Had her anger rubbed off on him?

The boy had never turned back to view the street sign surrounded by frightened bystanders. The bus stop sign didn't have a slight blemish from the punch, it had been clearly warped, forming an acute angle from the point of impact.

He just couldn't seem to get her out of his head. It was driving him insane, as if he had to be with her at all times. He knew that wasn't the case, but even still, he felt he should skip school to spend the day with her. She was so… helpless in those crutches, he could help.

No! She is fine, Hiko. She can take care of herself.

He stopped at a crossroad and took a few deep breaths. In and out. In and out. Calm.

Much better.

He shook his hand that he had used to punch that sign, it was still screaming in pain. Better not do that again. At least it got some frustration out. Upon allowing the hand to slip back into his pocket, he became aware he had forgotten something - Zakura's ID. In his embarrassed state, he must have forgotten to give it back!

Shit! Do I go run back or risk her not having it all day?

That's right. She did say it didn't matter all that much. Maybe having an ID in her school wasn't as much as a priority as Apus High. At his private school, you couldn't so much as enter the school grounds without proper ID.

Dammit… I have to get to school. I can drop it off during lunch. It'll also be a good time to sort of have a date too… I really need to get on top of asking her out…

He sighed heavily, knowing he might have just screwed Zakura over for the day, but she would have to wait. He had to make it to school himself. With a short double take back in the direction of Hokkaido High School, the private school boy took off.

Lunchtime couldn't come soon enough. It seemed as though the whole day, Hiko had spent it nervously imagining situations that could befall Zakura in her weakened state. He had chewed away a lot of his pencil's butts, and tapped the point when not chewing. He was a nervous wreck for some reason.

Paranoia was overcoming him, but at last, there was that sweet release. He had about 40 minutes to get to her, to hand her the ID and get back to school. He could do it.

From the fifth story to the first in just seconds, the invigorated teenage boy sprinted, heading in the direction of Hokkaido High, and he felt like his legs were carrying him fast than ever. It felt incredible. He felt free and unburdened, it was all for her. For her. For Her!

He couldn't help but grin and laugh like a child as he ran through the city of Strelizia, faster and free-er than he ever had been. He took a slightly faster route than last time, bypassing the bent street sign from earlier. The route was a beeline to the other high school, no detours, no obstructions. More than anything, he wanted to see her. He wanted to see those eyes. Those gorgeous eyes. Those stunningly beautiful bright green eyes of hers, he needed to see them!

The scent of the city and the feeling of the breeze in his layered hair was just the cherry on top of this cake of an experience. Something had brought forth so much life and energy in his body, and he wanted to believe it was her. She had single handedly made him feel as if he could accomplish anything as long as she was around. Was this feeling… love?

Ten minutes was all it took to reach the gates of the public school she attended.

Ten minutes?! Holy crap, I must have been making my legs stronger just carrying her around! But she's so light! Light and soft and perfect!

He shook his head quickly to rid himself of the images of her soft skin laid out before him. He had to control himself right now.

He entered the school and stopped by the infirmary to ask the nurse where Zakura's classroom was. She was most likely eating there since she didn't like people.

Got it. Class 2-A.

Aihiko received strange looks from the students of Hokkaido, most likely due to his own school uniform not matching theirs. He was only visiting however, and was surprised he was as welcomed as he was.

A quick trip to the second story and then to the classroom marked 2-A lead him to Zakura's homeroom class. She wasn't expecting him, so if he was lucky he would get a surprised little smile from her, showing off those adorable little fangs of hers. He wanted that badly.

With a deep breath, the nervous boy opened the classroom door and looked around at its residents. Most people weren't even paying him any mind, and were instead staring out the window to the courtyard at the center of the school.

What the hell? Is something happening?

"Excuse me, um… My name is Aihiko. I'm a friend of Zakura's," he called out to the classroom, alerting them to his presence. "Does anyone know where she is?"

A few members of the window gang turned back and grinned. A brown haired boy with his hair slicked back replied.

"Yeah, we know where she's at!"

A gleeful smile came across the black haired boy's face. He could finally see her! His honey!

"Really?" he chirped, trying to contain his excitement.

The boy at the window nodded and then… pointed. Out the window.

"Come see for yourself!"

Aihiko's heart sank. What was she doing in the courtyard at lunch time? She's supposed to be eating her packed lunch. Alone and undisturbed in her classroom. Why? Why was she in the courtyard?

Panicking, he rushed to the window, hoping she was just eating outside.

Taking up the spot next to the pointing boy, he looked out the window and saw her. Not just her, but that large black haired teen from yesterday, the one she had kicked across the neck. He recognized him instantly. There were other student bystanders, but it was clear that there was something happening between Zakura and this boy, and Hiko felt himself hit a boiling point.

Hiko watched the slaughter continue for only a few moments, the wounded pink haired girl being tossed around like a ragdoll as the large boy assaulted her continuously with punches.

The private school boy let out a feral growl and clenched his fists with enough force to pierce his skin. His vision became completely tinted red. Blood began to flow from his palms, but he couldn't care less. Blinded by rage and the need for revenge, Aihiko began his descent to face his prey.

Darling is so adorable~ I can't wait to see him again after school~ I'm gonna kiss him and lick him and he's gonna blush and EEEEeeeeee! I can't stop thinking about him!

Zakura cupped both of her cheeks with her hands and shook her head wildly, internally screaming about the boy she liked. Darling was the only thing she could think about all day, she had sketched him about fifteen, no sixteen times, yupyupyup! He was just so perfectBeautifulANDHISEYES made her swoon. She had no idea where this obsession had come from, but she embraced it like a sixth sense.

She felt renewed and confident as she went about school that day, and now, she had even decided to have her lunch down in the cafeteria where most other students were. Some remained in the classrooms, but a lot of students actually dined on the first floor cafeteria.

Nothing could tear her from her thoughts about her childhood friend. Actually, was he even a friend anymore? They had done some cute stuff together and they even had cute nicknames for one another. Maybe they were more? Double friends? Was that even possible?!

The girl kicked her legs gently at her table, her thoughts and senses still driven wild by that boy. The sound of clattering crutches caught her attention. Who dared disturb her thoughts?

A large, muscular teen with messy, thin black hair was looming over her. He seemed pissed. She wasn't in the mood to be interrupted.

"Can I help you, ugly?" she hissed.

"Yes, yes, you can," he responded matter-of-factly. "See, my friend Roz is in the hospital cuz you broke his back. I'm here for payback, you little bitch."

Ah, so he was one of the brutes from yesterday. Ugh, not again.

"Piss off, I'm not in the mood for this."

A giant hand ripped her from her seat, holding her by her collar.

"Guess what? I don't care what kind of mood you're in," the large boy snarled. "You're getting your bitch ass kicked right now. Fuck your little crutches, I don't feel bad at all beating the snot out of you."

Her eyes narrowed at the brute and she snarled right back.

"I dare you to try, you limp dicked shit stain."

Following her sharp reply, she spit in the boy's face, right between the eyes. He clearly didn't take kindly to the gesture as he returned it by tossing her from the cafeteria into the flanking courtyard, through the open door leading to it.

She groaned loudly as she attempted to pick herself up off the ground, the force had hurt considerably, but not enough that she couldn't deal with it. The angered boy rushed her like a bull, plowing his fist into her stomach and flinging her even further backwards. Zakura fought the urge to hurl as she screamed in pain. Everything was hurting now.

She panted heavily as the bull approached her, slowly this time. A small crowd began to form around him, cheering him on. Was she really hated this much? Everything was going perfectly today and now everyone had singled her out, putting her in the ring with someone twice her size as if it was a fair fight. Which it probably would have been, had her ankle not been wounded.

Gently, she began to pull herself to her feet, stumbling and trembling from the last two impacts. Zakura gritted her teeth from the pain of her ankle screeching at her.

IGNORE IT! IT'S JUST PAIN!

Trying her best to stand up straight, the pink haired girl raised her hands and arms in front of her, taking a defensive stance. She couldn't be light on her feet, but at the very least she could defend herself - or so she thought.

A smiling Aihiko flashed into her mind and she focused on that lovely smile of his. The way his innocent eyes looked over her, it made everything worth it. She would -

That same large hand from earlier had gripped tightly around her neck and lifted her from the ground. She was daydreaming! She had let this boy too close without even realizing!

His other hand formed a fist and tore into her face as he released his grip, sending her tumbling into the grass and dirt, her left eye pulsating with enough pain to cripple an elephant. Her groans of agony were accompanied by her hands holding her face, where his knuckles had connected. Everything was on fire. No, everything was melting. The suffering was almost unfathomable.

Zakura's legs were no longer functioning. She was a sitting duck filled to the brim with aching muscles and bones. Her cries of mercy and screams of torment only made the crowd cheer more as the bull used her as a personal playtoy.

The world became a swirling chaotic jumble of colors as she flew back and forth around the courtyard, completely unable to defend herself anymore. People… found this amusing? To see her body become beaten and bruised, bloody and broken, because she defended herself the day prior? Her mind became muddled. She just wanted to think about him. Her precious darling, but the world had other plans, in the form of unrelenting, heavy punches. She wasn't even allowed a moment of respite to let her mind wander to those beautiful blue eyes…

"Get away from her. Now."

That voice. Her ears were ringing, but she knew that voice! Darling! Darling had come to her rescue! Tears ran down her bloody and beaten face as she raised her head from the slumped forward position she was in. It was him, without a doubt. Even through the garbled mess of a world, she could make out that black and blue uniform.

The bull turned to face the small outsider.

"Eh?! Who the hell are you, kid? This isn't your school!", she heard him shout. Her vision began to fade, as did her consciousness, but she remained strong. Darling liked her confidence and her strength, she had to hold on, for him!

Aihiko began approaching her, his hands clenched tightly.

"Don't you dare touch her again. Or I'll personally destroy you. Get away from Zakura. I'm not warning you again."

Darling was… angry? She had never felt this sort of power from the boy. The air of hatred that he exuded was so… off putting. He was always such a delicate, innocent boy. She had no idea that he was capable of this level of anger. Maybe she was dreaming?

He continued his march towards her, his determination unwavering, even as the large brute screamed questions and obscenities his way. His only care was the battered girl in the center of the courtyard.

"You have no idea what she goes through day to day, you bully," he yelled back in response. "None of you do! You're all a bunch of assholes! Beating up a girl who can't defend herself! Is this how you all get your sick fucking kicks, huh?! You should all be ashamed!"

The crowd fell almost entirely silent. Seems like darling's words hit home.

The bull charged. Not at Aihiko, but at her. Her eyes widened in fear. He was going to destroy her before anyone got in the way.

Another flying right fist send her head plummeting to the ground, blood distorting the entire world. Everything… hurt… so much… There weren't even words for the amount of pain she was in.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO FUCKING TOUCH HER!", she heard him scream rancorously before charging the teen twice his size. He didn't stand a chance.

No… darling… don't…!

She watched as her darling quite incredulously leapt from the ground and struck back at the bully. He landed a clean blow across his face from what she could see, and drug the towering male's entire body - head first - to the ground in a feat of baffling proportions. Just a few feet in front of her, her darling had toppled the teenager twice his size, and brought him crashing to the ground like a meteorite.

Debris, grass, and dirt flew in all directions, and once the scene had cleared, Zakura couldn't believe her eyes. The ground had actually cratered from the blow, the large black haired boy lay unconscious, and atop him, a very, very pissed Aihiko. From where she was, she could barely see the azure glint in his eyes, and the way he grit his teeth. For lack of a better term, it was… monstrous.

A low, infuriated growl came from the private school boy as he looked down at his prey.

Darling…?

Chapter Five - Darling / For Her

(To anyone who notices a drop in quality, I apologize. Also for being so slow with updating this story. I have been battling with myself for a few days now and I am having trouble finding the motivation to write consistently. I already know where I'm going with the story so it's really just a matter of wording it and posting it. It's just been a bit hard lately due to some internal struggles. I know I shouldn't be too personal, but to anyone enjoying this story, please be patient with me. Updates have been flying out due to my creative mind being at full blast, but it seems to have come to a halt. Don't worry, I am not giving up on this, but I just need to re-energize myself is all. Thank you all for the lovely reviews, they really keep me coming back to my computer to type up this wonderful creation of mine. Thank you in advance for your patience! Ride on my darlings~!)