pika318: This is a from the same universe as Chapter 4: Unwilling Cooperation.
Warnings: Implied Rape
One shot: Stormy Weather
It had been sunny in the morning, but as morning turned to afternoon, the skies darkened rapidly, prompting Ashiya to move to the window.
"Urushihara, come and help to take the clothes in. They should be dry by now, but if you find any which aren't dry yet, just put them on the table and I'll find a place to hang them. Then you can fold those which are dry."
There was no reply from behind him, but Ashiya had not been expecting any.
After all, Urushihara Tomoyo, also known as Lucifer, had not been able to speak ever since she was woke up in the hospital three weeks ago.
Ashiya heard the sound of movement behind him and Urushihara appeared beside him to take down the clothes hanging outside the window. She ran her hands through the cloth of the clothes she took down and either put them in the basket behind the both of them or the table.
Between the two of them, the task was completed quickly, and as Urushihara settled down on the floor to fold the clothes and Ashiya closed the window, it appeared that they had made it in the nick of time as rain started to hit the window, growing heavier and heavier.
"Whew, made it in time." Ashiya commented. He then moved to open the window facing the common corridor so they could get some ventilation. It was then when—-
Crack!
Even if he was supposed to be a Demon General who feared nothing, Ashiya could not help but jump at the sudden noise.
He turned behind him on reflex, but after seeing that the room was still intact, and confirming that the source of the sound probably came from the lightning flashing through the darkened skies and heavy rain through the window, he relaxed slightly.
His line of sight then shifted to Urushihara, who seemed to have stopped what she was doing, a shirt in her hands. She was staring out of the window, at the lightning.
At first, Ashiya thought she was just pausing in her work. It was normal, given how she was unable to do one task for long periods of time because she was still recovering. But then he noticed her hands. They were gripping the shirt tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
No, that was not normal at all.
"Urushihara?" Ashiya called out, hoping for a response.
There was none.
Crackling lightning and rumbling thunder.
"There's a heavy storm outside? Guess we can't leave then."
"Why don't we have fun with her until the storm passes?"
"We can't injure her anymore."
"There are other ways to have fun."
Their voices replayed in her head, as if they were in front of her.
They're not here, this isn't real.
Her skin crawled, and it was as if she was back there, in the basement, at the mercy of their hands, touching every inch of her skin.
Her breathing quickened, and she tightened her grip around the fabric in her hands, trying to ground herself to the present.
"You're so tight."
No!
"…hara…Lucifer!"
Ashiya breathed a small sigh of relief when Lucifer seemed to finally react, her eyes finally focusing on him.
Taking care to block her view of the window, he knelt in front of her, waiting for her breathing to slow down.
Eventually, she seemed to relax, and her grip on the shirt loosened.
"Are you alright now?" Lucifer nodded, but the haunted look in her eyes was still there.
Ashiya sighed inwardly. How was he supposed to approach this? Being demons, none of them were experienced in the emotions department.
"The apartment is fitted with a lightning rod."
Lucifer looked at him, confusion on her face.
"That means we're safe from the lightning outside. It won't hurt you."
A few seconds passed, then Lucifer's hand moved to touch the rough skin on her neck, where the collar had been.
Lightning, electrocution.
Now that she thought about it, it wasn't strange for Ashiya to misunderstand how this situation was affecting her.
But misunderstanding or not, he was still trying to help her. Even if he was the most emotionally constipated demon she knew, he was still trying to comfort her.
She gave a small smile and looked at the clothes left on the table, motioning for Ashiya to go back to whatever he was planning to do before the interruption.
Ashiya paused, but as she started folding the shirt in her hands, he finally stood up and went to the table to hang up the still damp clothes.
One day, she might tell them what happened.
But for now, this was enough.
END