A/N Sorry this has been on Hiatus for so long. I lost my desire to write or draw for awhile, and I just recently got it back. I am hoping to continue this story now.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kaichou wa Maid-Sama! I only own my own original characters and the writing in this story.
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Chapter 22; Tension
She pushes against him, trying to get free as well as trying to ignore his close proximity. "Stop it..I want to go home and go to bed.." her voice was almost pleading, needing to get away from the situation before she betrayed herself.
He smiles against her ear before pulling her into a strong hug, whispering into her ear again, "Very well. I'll let you go so we can get home and go to bed together."
"Tora-" she starts but is cut off as he pushes her back against the lockers and locks her in a hot and steamy kiss that leaves her mind reeling. With a self-satisfied smirk, he pulls away and walks back into the showers with his stuff, "Better hurry then, so we can get home~"
She stands there for a few minutes, frustrated and confused at her own feelings.
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Kailey lets out a growl as her alarm blares to life at 5 am the morning after her last match with Tora. The events in the lockers repeat through her mind, as she throws an arm over her eyes and lets out a groan. "What is happening to me?" She sighs aloud to herself, before clicking her alarm off and slowly climbing out of bed. "Mmm..." She moans sleepily, stretching her arms up above her head and yawning. "I don't wanna go out today...Ug." She sighs to herself, as she walks over to her dresser to pull a workout mat out to start her morning routine.
She continues her routine by taking her daily shower after working out. After stepping out of the shower, she looks at herself in the floor-length room in her bathroom. She traces a finger over the scars covering her, lost in her thoughts and memories. She sighs again, pulling on her uniform and making her way out of the bathroom. Slinging her school bag over her shoulder, Kailey grabs her earbuds and slips them in, wanting to ignore any more comments from Tora. Just thinking about his face and signature smirk cause the blonde heiress to blush profusely. She angrily shakes her head, chasing the thoughts from her mind, "Dammit!" She scowls quietly to herself, putting on some music and making her way towards her door.
She takes a deep breath, hand hovering over the handle, before putting on a pretty smile and opening the door. Tora was leaning against the wall across from her door, his eyes closed. He looked...Peaceful, and her heart skips a beat. She stares at him for a moment, before shaking her head and walking fully out of her room, closing the door behind her.
Tora opens his eyes, taking in the beautiful girl before him. Her back was to him as she shut her bedroom door, and he smiles to himself. Pushing himself quietly away from the wall and coming up behind her. Before she has a chance to realize he has moved, he deftly brushes her hair away and kisses the back of her neck. She yelps in surprise and tries to move away from him. Tora laughs softly, backing away from her and smirking.
She turns around and sends him a flustered glare, before tipping her chin up and striding away towards the front hall, "Hmrph."
Tora laughs to himself, before following after her. 'I wonder if she is still thinking about last night? I know I am...' He thinks to himself, remembering the feeling of her soft lips. He sighs happily, walking to the entrance. He picks up his pace, moving around in front of Kailey and beatning her to the limousine. As she catches up with him, he opens the door with a smile and gestures for her to get in. He had noticed her earbuds in, and didn't try to say anything to her for the time being. She watches him with suspicion as she gracefully climbs into the backseat. He gets in after her and shuts the door.
As the limousine pulls away, Mineko Igarashi smiles to her husband, "See what I mean? He appears to have taken quite a liking for the girl. I believe they would make a wonderful match, wouldn't you agree dear?"
Suezo Igarashi nods to her, "Yes, my love. I think you may be right. I will discuss the matter with Silvermorthnone-dono. However, he has contacted me with a request. There is a boy from the Fortin family is coming to Japan, as his family is considering creating a business branch here. His father was wondering if we might house him here for his visit. Would you agree that that is acceptable?"
Mineko looks troubled for a moment, "Very well, it is always wise to accept requests. I will have a room prepared for him," 'Away from Kailey-chan's, naturally...' she thinks to herself with a sly smile, "When is he due to arrive, my dear?"
Suezo smiles, "Very good. His father said his flight was planned to land in a few hours. He will be here before Tora and Kailey-san return home, so we can get him settled in first."
Mineko nods, "Good." The couple go back to their work. Mineko orders the servants to prepare a room for the Fortin man that is far away from her son's and Kailey's.
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Tora watches Kailey closely on the ride to school. She was looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought. He noticed that she was rubbing some sort of polished rock in her hand. She looked troubled, and he began to worry that something was wrong. As they near Miyabigaoka, she blinks, as if coming out of a daze. When she notices they have almost arrived, her mouth forms a silent 'O', and she pulls the earbuds from her ears.
Feeling his eyes on her, she turns to look at Tora. A small blush spreads across her delicate face, and she glares in embarrassment, "W-what are you looking at, little tiger?"
He laughs softly as his door is opened, "Nothing, my princess. Shall we go to our class?" He offers her his hand, and she gracefully accepts it. The polished stone is still in her free hand, and he wonders what it is.
As the pair walk towards their room, Kailey notices that students are staring at the two of them. With a start, she realizes that they are still holding hands and she has to fight back a blush. Keeping her carefully crafted smile, she tries to subtly pull her hand from Tora's.
He gives her a sly smirk, having noticed the eyes of their peers as well. He leans down towards her and whispers into her ear, refusing to release her hand, "What's wrong, my princess? Are their eyes making you uncomfortable?"
Still having to remain composed, Kailey's eyes narrow slightly. In a sweet voice, she quietly answers him, "I hope you know that your death is going to be a long and painful one."
He smiles, laughing softly at her comment before remarking back, "Ahh, I don't think you have it in you, my dear." He straightens back up and watches her out of the corner of his eye. His smile grows wider as her cheeks turned even pinker, and she struggles to keep her serene smile about her lips-the lips he longed to kiss again. Realizing where his current thoughts would lead him, Tora quickly looks forward again, a small tint flowing across his own cheeks now. 'Damn, this is troublesome. I'll have to find a way to get her alone again.'
As they near their classroom, he feels a pair of eyes boring into him and looks up. Before them, a short girl with long black hair and amber eyes makes her way towards them. Looking at her, Tora sees a cool and calculating look in her eyes, before she turns those eyes on Kailey and she smiles slightly. He looks down at Kailey, seeing her eyes light up at seeing the girl. Kailey then turns that smile on him, before a look of confusion passes over her face and she starts to blush again.
Shaking her head softly, she tries to pull her hand from his, and he realizes she wants to see her friend. He relinquishes her hand, and watches as she swiftly makes her way to the other girl, embracing her swiftly. He follows after her more slowly, wanting to know who this girl that Kailey was so happy to see was. 'I vaguely recognize her...Who is she?' He thinks to himself, as he approaches the girls.
"Good morning, Altea. How did your last exam go?" This was the first time Tora had ever seen her give a genuine smile to someone at the school, and he realized that she considered this girl a close friend.
"Hello, Kailey. My exam went quite well. My time of studying paid off quite well. You seem chipper this morning." Altea responds in a quiet voice. She turns to look at Tora with that same calculating look as he stops beside Kailey. "Hello, Igarashi-san. I don't believe we have had the..pleasure..of meeting yet. My name is Altea Kunisada. He starts to respond back, but she turns back to Kailey and continues before he has the chance, "Class is going to be starting soon. Shall we talk later tonight? I don't have any studying to do today, so I would be able to spend time with you, if you would like."
Kailey nods happily, "I would love to. I will text you later on, have a good day." Kailey then turns and heads to their class, a small bounce to her step.
He starts to follow after her, but this Altea girl wraps a vice-like grip around his arm. He looks down at her in surprise, before his eyes narrow and he gives her a cold stare. "Unhand me, Kunisada-san."
She gives him another of her calculating looks, nodding to herself after a moment and releasing his arm. She turns her back to him and looks back over her shoulder, making direct eye contact with him, "If you hurt her, your life will become forfeit to me. She has had a very hard life, and she would not be able to survive her trust being betrayed by a man again."
He takes a step towards her, confusion clouding his face, "What is it you know?"
She gives him another calculating look, "It is not my place to say anymore than that. She doesn't realize it fully yet, but she has deemed you worthy of her heart and trust. Stay by her side, and you may come to know what my words mean. Just remember, your life becomes forfeit if you cause her more pain. She is like the Bourbon Rose. She has thorns put up to protect her, but her petals are easily crushed."
As he tries to figure out her meaning, the black-haired girl retreats to her own classroom as the bell chimes. Tora walks into his classroom, still trying to decipher Altea's words, and makes his way to his seat beside Kailey.
Once he sits down, she leans towards him and whispers in a soft and worried voice, "Are you okay, Tora?"
He looks at her, taking in the way her delicate features come together to create a worried expression as she expresses her concern for him. He offers her a bemused smile, "Of course, princess. I couldn't be better." 'She has deemed me worthy? How can that girl know? If that is true, I need to do more to make Kailey realize her feelings, as well. I want to know her-the real her, not the facade that she puts on.'
Kailey tilts her head slightly, her eyes scanning his face to find the truth to his words, before finally sighing and looking at the teacher again, "Ok..."
The rest of the school-day goes by rather uneventfully. Altea and Kailey spend their lunch together, and Tora sits with them and just listens, more lost in his thoughts than anything else. Once their classes are over for the day, Altea and Kailey make plans to talk on the phone later on in the night.
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Kailey was in a rather good mood. She had brought her polished moonstone with her to school that day, because it brought her comfort. She'd had a bad feeling that morning, but when her and Altea made plans at school, it had put her in a better mood. As her and Tora get into the limousine, Kailey's phone chirps with a text. Pulling her phone out, she quickly reads over the message.
Tora looks at her, seeing a grin spread across her face as she reads whatever the message was. 'Who could be texting her that she'd make a face like that?' He wonders to himself, a bit jealously.
Heeey Okami-chan, Misa-chan and I were wondering if you wanted to meet up with us at Seika High and hang out. That Matsushita kid will be here, too, but I can chase him away if you want. He seems to have taken a rather large interest in you, and is always talking about your royalness. Ugh!
-T
Kailey grins as she reads Takumi's text, sending her own back quickly.
Awww, you poor baby. It must be so annoying to have my 'royalness' flaunted in your face. You were always sensitive at my amazing title, haha. I'd love to hang out with you guys. And don't worry about him, I like him. He may be..overwhelming..but he isn't a bad guy. I'll see you in a bit.
-Her Royal Highness
Shortly after her text sends, she gets another one back from Takumi.
Ha! Don't be letting that kid's interest go to your head, Okami! You aren't my Queen, lol. See you soon.
-T
Kailey laughs at the text and looks at a confused Tora, "Hey, could we go by Seika High before heading home? Taka-kun and Misaki-chan want to spend some time together."
Tora looks at her as she smiles brightly and hopefully at him. 'Interesting...' He smirks at her, "Why of course, my princess." He knocks on the window and informs the driver, before watching Kailey as she hums quietly.
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Tora helps Kailey out of the limousine and it about to lead her to where Takumi and Misaki are waiting, but before he can she speeds her way over to them. Surprised, he quickly follows after her.
Kailey stops in front of Takumi and points down at the ground, "Get on your knees and bow to your Queen, peasant!" She smirks mischievously at Takumi as he raises an eyebrow at her.
He turns to look at Misaki, "See, told you we shouldn't have told her. Now I have to show her her place."
Kailey yelps in surprise as Takumi charges her, "How dare you lay violent hands on your Queen!" She chirps as Takumi picks her up. "Put me down this instant, you fool! I'll have you thrown in the dungeons! I'll have you-" Suddenly she freezes, making direct eye contact with Tora and turning absolutely crimson.
He looks dumbfounded at her actions for a moment, but then bursts out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Takumi sees Tora for the first time and his eyes narrow in distrust, before he gently places Kailey down on the ground again. Him and Misaki look at each other as Kailey fidgets awkwardly, still blushing.
Tora finally regains his composure and looks at Misaki and Takumi, realizing they are staring at him closely, "Hello Takumi-kun, Misaki-chan. It's nice to see you again, I hope I won't be intruding."
Kailey finally regains herself, and throws a hand to her face. Looking at Takumi she exclaims. "Oh shoot, that's right! I'm sorry Takumi, I forgot to mention that the tiger was with me."
She looks dejected at her mistake, and Takumi pats her on the head, "That's alright, Okami-chan. Afterall, you are the Queen." He winks at her playfully, causing her to laugh.
She smiles at Misaki, "Hey Misaki-chan." The two girls hug, before Kailey turns her attention to the brown-haired boy. "Hello Carter-kun. I hear you have given me a new nickname." She smiles at him, and Tora immediately looks at the boy, sending him a glare.
Takumi and Misaki give each other another look, as Carter stammers. "U-um. I'm sorry, I'll stop. I didn't mean any disrespect, K-kailey-san." He glances at Tora, seeing his glare.
Kailey shakes her head, "I was only teasing. I don't mind. Oh, that's right! Tora, this is Carter Matsushita." She looks back at him and grabs his sleeve, gently pulling him towards her with a smile.
Tora is surprised, but lets her pull him close. He smiles smugly at the brown-haired boy, "Hello. I am Tora Igarashi, perhaps you know of my family?"
Carter looks a bit dejected, seeing Kailey smiling at Tora. "Ahh, yes. I know your family's name, as well, Igarashi-san. It's nice to meet the esteemed heir."
Kailey smiles at Misaki and Takumi, "So what's the plan?"
Kailey doesn't notice that she is still holding Tora's sleeve, but the rest of the group did. Misaki and Takumi share another look, before Misaki smiles at her. "There wasn't a huge plan, I just figured it would be nice to hang out. I don't have to go to work for another hour. We could always get ice cream in the park again-my treat."
"Mm, sounds good." She smiles brightly, as the group head out of the school and towards the park.
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The group finally find an ice cream stand, and Misaki drags Kailey with her to get the ice cream after taking everyone's orders. The guys are left sitting on the bench as they wait for the two girls to return. Takumi watches Tora track Kailey with his eyes, an almost tender look softening his features.
Takumi looks at Carter, "Would you go get napkins, Carter-san?" As the boy complies, Takumi stares at Tora. "You've fallen in love with her, haven't you?"
Tora's eyes widen in shock, as he turns to stare at Takumi, "W-what-"
Takumi hold up a hand to stop him, "I know that look. Misaki and I both had our suspicions for awhile. Today has just confirmed our prior thoughts." Tora remains silent, not knowing what to say in response to Takumi's accusation. He continues, "Don't worry, we don't plan on telling her. It's up to you to tell her that. However, we will be watching you. I've been friends with her for a very long time, and she has a bad history. If you do anything to hurt her, you won't enjoy the outcome."
Tora looks at him, "I don't plan on hurting her, that is not my intention at all. She is precious to me, and I don't want to jeopardize that. I must ask though, what type of bad history are you talking about?"
Takumi makes direct eye contact with him, "It really isn't my place to specifically, because I will not betray her trust. I would ask you not to push the matter with me, because her trust is a very precious thing to gain. I will tell you this, her father is a very controlling person. Julia was a very kind person, and she helped offset the mildly abusive relationship Kailey has with her father. After she was murdered, he got worse. Her little sister isn't much better." They both turn to look at Misaki and Kailey as they make their way back to them. Takumi smiles at them, before continuing, "Stay by her side and show her happiness again. There is a darkness in her heart that even I cannot help with. She needs someone who can take care of her, protect her." He finally turns to look at him again, "I am entrusting her heart to you, Tora Igarashi. If you break her again, you will live to regret it."
Tora starts to say something, but before he can, an ice cream cone is shoved into his face, "Here!" He looks up to see Kailey smiling down at him, holding a double-scoop of rocky-road out to him. As he accepts his, she takes a bite of her peppermint ice cream. Thinking about what Takumi had said, he looks at him again, "Takumi, you can rest your worries now. I understand."
The two of them look at each other for a moment, before Takumi dips his head, "Good." He then looks up at Misaki's questioning face, nodding to her.
She smiles brightly, before looking at Kailey. "I don't understand what you see in peppermint."
Kailey pouts, "Hey! Peppermint is an underappreciated flavour!" She huffed in indignation, "It has a delicate and refreshing flavour that some people just can't appreciate. Tora laughs slightly at the interaction, causing her to glare at him, "Just what do you think you're laughing at, hm?" She challenges him, raising an eyebrow.
He laughs again, "Sorry, I've just never heard of peppermint flavoured ice cream. Is it good?"
She gasps, "Wha? You've never heard of it? That is simply unacceptable! Here, taste it." She holds the cone towards him expectantly, much to everyone's surprise.
Takumi and Misaki stifle a laugh as Tora looks shocked, before leaning forward and accepting a taste of Kailey's ice cream. He blushes softly, "Hm, ya'know I have to agree with you. That is quite a pleasant flavour." He winks at her with a small smile.
She turns to stick her tongue out at Misaki, "See? Tora has good taste. There's just something wrong with your taste buds, Misaki-chan."
Misaki laughs, before Takumi responds to her with a pointed look at Tora, "I suppose you're right, your majesty. The Igarashi heir must have good taste."
Kailey laughs, before continuing to eat her ice cream. Carter watches Tora and Kailey with a mixture of emotions, before sighing slightly. "Hey guys, I should probably get going. It was..nice to meet you Igarashi-san. It was good to spend time with you again, Kailey-chan. Good bye everyone."
Kailey turns to watch him walk away, looking slightly confused, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. It was nice to see you again, as well, Carter-kun. We should all hang out again sometime."
Tora also watches the boy go, a satisfied look in his eyes. 'That's right, boy. She belongs to me, and no one else.' He thinks to himself.
The group finish their ice cream cones, and begin walking towards Maid Latte, since Misaki was due to work.
Once they reach the doors, Misaki turns to look at Tora, "Would you two like to stop in for a bite to eat? The stupid alien will be intruding on me, anyway, but it would be nice to serve you guys."
Kailey smiles, "That sounds like fun. Is that okay with you, little tiger?" She looks at him, too caught up in her happiness to notice the way her heart beat picks up whenever they look at each other.
Tora smiles back at her, "Why not. We don't need to be back home quite yet."
Misaki nods happily, "Very well, I'll go get changed and take your guys' orders soon."
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Tora realized during their meal that Misaki and Takumi were both trying to help push the two of them closer, and he honestly appreciated the help. The two of them had decided to walk back to the house, wanting to enjoy the fresh air and each other's company. They were nearing the gates of the house now, their walk nearing an end.
"Today was nice. It's been awhile since I just got to go out and have fun, you know? It's stifling sometimes, having to act so proper all the time." Kailey exhales, a soft smile on her face as they walked.
Tora nods in agreement, "Yes. It's nice to talk to someone who knows that feeling, haha." He laughs slightly, shaking his head in bemusement.
"It certainly is." She turns to look up at him, a swirl of emotions in the depth of her green eyes. "You seem different from before. More...I don't know." She sighs softly, trying to think of what it was.
His heart skips a beat, before he smirks at her, "Shall I act more like this, princess~" He reaches for her, going in for a kiss.
Before he gets the chance to, she holds up a hand and laughs, "Now, now little tiger. Don't go ruining my good mood." She winks at him playfully, "You were doing so well, too."
He laughs, and the two of them walk up to the door. Suddenly it opens, and a guy Tora had never seen before smirks at them. Or, more specifically, smirks at Kailey. Tora looks at Kailey and sees the shocked look on her face, "W-what...Why. You? No.." Tora's eyes narrow as she mumbles, her shock mixed with fear at the boy before them.
Tora looks back at the boy, "Who are you?" He all but growls, not liking Kailey's obvious recognition of this person. He forces his face to return impassive when his mother walks up beside the boy.
"I see the two of you have returned. Good. Let me introduce you. This is Gabriel Fortin, heir of the Fortin family in England. He is to stay with us while he is in Japan. Gabriel, this is my son, Tora. I know you and Silvermorthnone-san have already met." Tora notices an almost icy tone to his mother's voice when she speaks to the boy, and he grows suspicious. 'Just who is this guy? My mother already doesn't like him. Kailey's reaction...Something happened...' He thinks to himself in confusion.
He glances sidelong at Kailey, to see that she has put on a less stable version of her public smile. She dips her head, a almost unnoticeable tremor to her voice, "It's wonderful to see you again, Gabriel. What brings you to Japan?"
Tora watches her closely, his suspicion growing as the conversation goes on. He looks at his mother to see her watching Kailey's reaction as well, a troubled look clouding her face. 'It's not just me that's noticed that something is wrong...' He looks at Gabriel to see him smirking at Kailey.
"My father is contemplating opening a branch of the corporation in Japan. I am to scope out the area. If he goes through with it, I will of course be leading the office." He speaks with an air of self-entitlement that infuriates Tora.
Before the conversation can continue anymore, Tora interrupts, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Fortin-san. Unfortunately, Kailey-chan and I have schoolwork to attend to. If you will excuse us, mother, we will bid you goodnight."
Tora makes direct eye contact with Gabriel, and sees the way his eyes narrow at the familiar way he addressed Kailey. Mineko watches her son closely, nodding, "Of course. I will have servants bring your dinner up to your room. Will you be studying in your room or Silvermorthnone-san's?"
"My room, mother." Tora responds, gently grasping Kailey's arm. After his mother nods her consent and leaves, Tora gently guides Kailey into the house and around Gabriel. He makes sure she is on the side away from Gabriel. As they pass each other, the two males look at each other. Gabriel gives a furious glare while Tora returns the look with a cold fury.
The two go up to Tora's room, with Gabriel following up the stairs behind them. Tora takes close note that Gabriel's room is on the far end of the house, away from Kailey's. He nods his agreement, and opens the door for Kailey, releasing her arm.
Stiffly making her way into the room, Kailey moves in a state of shock. 'Why? Why now? This can't be happening. I can't do this. He can't be here. No no no no no no...' She frantically talks to herself in her mind.
Tora closes his door and gently guides Kailey to his bed, pushing her until she sits on the edge before sitting down beside her and rubbing circles onto the small of her back, watching her carefully with worry. Since he had ended the conversation, she had been quiet and extremely pale.
They sit in silence for a long time. Servants bring food up for the two of them, and Tora puts them on his bedside table before going back to sit beside Kailey. Being unable to bear the silence anymore, Tora gets her attention. "Kailey, are you alright?" He watches her closely, noticing the way she jumps at his voice.
She looks at him, wide-eyed, before shaking her head slightly and looking away. Before he can say anything else, she looks at him with a perfect mask of a smile, "Of course. Why wouldn't I be. Gabriel Fortin comes from a lovely family who does good work. It would be wonderful for his father to open a branch here in Japan."
He searches her face, trying to read the emotions in her eyes but fails to. She had carefully made her eyes block out her true emotions. Tora sighs softly, not wanting to push her, "I see. I hope his father finds a suitable place for a branch office." He hates having to say those words, but knows she wants him to say what would be expected of an heir to say. "Shall we practice our lines together?"
Kailey smiles again, shaking her head, "I'm sorry, but can we later? I am rather tired and would like to go study alone for awhile."
He searches her face again, looking for a crack in her facade but finding none. He smiles back at her, "Of course, Kailey-chan. I wouldn't want to keep you if you are tired. Weren't you supposed to talk with Altea-san as well?" He wanted to see her real smile again, and hoped reminding her of her plans would help.
Her eyes glaze slightly, her fake smile fading slightly, "That's right..I had forgotten. Thank you for your understanding, Tora-kun. I bid you goodnight, then. I will see you in the morning." She slowly stands up, swaying slightly.
Tora stands with her and walks her to the door, opening it for her and walking her to her room. He opens her door for her, as well, "Of course. Have pleasant dreams, my princess." When she turns to give him a distracted smile, he leans in and kisses her forehead, whispering to her. "If you need to talk, I am only a knock away."
She looks up at him as he pulls away, a strange look coming over her face as she nods, "I..Thank you, little tiger." She smiles softly at him, before turning and going into her room.
Tora shuts the door after she goes in, and turns back towards his room. As he looks up, he sees Gabriel standing outside his own bedroom door. The orange-haired boy was watching Tora, too far away to tell what his expression was. The two stare at each other for a few moments, before Gabriel turns and goes back into his own room.
He leans his head back against his closed door, thinking, before he turns and notices that Kailey's food was still on his bedside table. Walking over to it, he picks the plate up and walks back out of his door and to her room. He raises his free hand to knock on the door, before noticing Kailey's voice. Curious, he leans towards the door to listen.
"I-I don't know what to do, Altea. I haven't seen him since he...I thought I was fine, now. I mean, I handled what happened at school relatively fine. I thought..." Kailey sighs into the phone, her voice trembling.
Altea lets an almost growl hiss over the phone, "Does Takumi know yet?"
"No, I can't tell him.." Kailey mumbles back, sighing again.
Altea's voice rises slightly, "You need to tell him!"
Kailey shakes her head, "I can't Altea! If Taka-kun found out he was back, he would kill him. I can't...I just..I don't know." Her voice breaks, and she has to take a moment to compose herself as tears fall down her cheeks. "I just don't know what to do. I know this has to be my father's doing, and I'm worried about his intentions..." She trails off.
"Does your father know what he did to you before?" Altea asks, quiet fury underlying her words.
"Ha, no of course not. Even if he did, do you really think he would care? I'm just worried because I know my father is looking into potential finances to throw me to." She responds bitterly.
Tora's eyes widen, shocked that that was a even possibility. 'No! I won't lose her to him. I don't know what happened, but I am going to find out...' He starts to turn away from her door, but then remembers her dinner. He takes a deep breath, composing himself, before knocking on the door.
He can hear movement from within, as well as the beep of a button. "One moment, Altea. Someone's at the door. You're on speaker now, though. Just give me a second." He waits patiently, and she opens the door.
She was in her black silk robe now, and he offers her a small smile, holding up the plate of food. "Hey, you forgot your dinner in my room. I thought you might need it." He studies her face, the way her features are placed in an expression of distress. He wanted to do something more to help her, but couldn't until he knew more of the story.
She smiles at him slightly, "Ah, I see. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, but I'm not hun-"
She winces as she is cut off mid sentence by the disembodied growl of Altea over the phone, "Don't you dare finish that sentence, girl. Eat your dinner or I will make that Igarashi boy force feed you."
Tora's eyes widen at the suddenly fierce and expressive tone the seemingly emotionless girl spoke with. He looks to see Kailey's reaction, and is happy to see her smile returning, "Okay, okay, that's not necessary. I'll eat, don't worry."
"Igarashi, I know you can hear me. You better make sure she does as she says and at least eats a few bites." Altea snaps at him.
He blinks, "Uh, okay Altea-san. I'll be sure to check on her later to make sure."
Altea makes a satisfied sound, "Good. And I'm sorry Kailey, but my father is calling me. We'll have to talk more later. Please at least consider what I said."
Her face droops again, "I will, Altea. Good night."
"Night." Altea responds, before ending the call.
Tora gently moves past Kailey, going into her room, "Where do you want me to put it?" He looks back at her as she follows behind him.
"Just put it on the bed. I'll..eat it eventually." She goes around him and sits on the edge of her bed, looking up at him with another distracted smile.
He narrows his eyes at her slightly, "I won't leave until you eat some of it." He brings the plate over to her and sits down, "Or do I need to feed you?" He teases her lightly, trying to lift her spirits. Picking up the fork, he picks some of the food up and holds it out to her, "Eat." She glares at him, some of her fire returning. He raises an eyebrow at her, causing her to roll her eyes and open her mouth. He gently puts the bite in her mouth, removing the fork as she chews. "Good girl."
She punches his shoulder lightly, glaring at him again, "You've had your fun, little tiger. Now give me my plate. I'll eat it now, just to appease you two."
He smiles at her, handing over the plate, "Thank you. I will bid you goodnight, again, fair princess. Enjoy your royal feast." He stands up and bows, looking up and winking at her.
She blushes softly, "Laughing. You, little tiger, are a dork. Goodnight." She smiles at him, her heart fluttering slightly. He laughs and smiles at her, before making his way back to his own room. Kailey puts her plate aside after her has gone, her smile falling away. "I'm sorry..I know you are trying to help, but I'm really not hungry." She quietly talks to the emptiness of her room, before turning off the lights and curling up in her bed where she quietly cries until sleep takes over her troubled mind.
/~;~\
Tora paces his room, waiting for the other line to answer his call. After a few more moments, a tired voice finally picks up. "Why are you calling me, Igarashi?"
"Finally. I need to ask you something, and I need you to answer truthfully." Tora growls out, his voice taking on a sharp edge of worry that the other person easily picks up.
"Is Kailey alright? What's going on?" The voice of Takumi is now wide awake, and there is rustling as he gets up.
"What's going on, Usui-kun?" The soft voice of Misaki can be heard in the background.
"Sh, it's alright. Go back to sleep Misa-chan." Takumi sounds to be walking out of his room and the line is silent for a few moments before he comes back on, "Ok, talk. What's going on?"
Tora stops pacing and goes to sit on his bed, "Who is Gabriel Fortin?"
The line goes silent for a minute, before Takumi's voice comes across the line in an angry growl, "Excuse me?"
Tora's eyes narrow at the tone of Takumi's voice. "There is a man named Gabriel Fortin staying with us-seemingly at Dremore Silvermorthnone's request. What did this man do to Kailey? When she saw him, she froze up and is not eating."
"That man..." Takumi growls, "I told him...God dammit I told him not to ever come around her again!" Takumi's snarls darkly, "Keep that bastard away from her however you can. He's bad news. He..." A sigh can be heard over the phone, and Tora waits for him to go on. "When she was 14, Gabriel Fortin raped Kailey. He gained her trust, and then ripped her to shreds."
The line goes silent for a moment, as Tora grips his phone harshly, a furious expression covering his face. Pure rage exuded off of him, "He what?" Tora manages to hiss out through his clenched jaw.
Takumi sighs again, trying to contain his anger, "I won't repeat it, because it's not something she likes known. I don't know the whole story of what happened, she refuses to talk about exactly what he did. All I know is the basics. He is a very violent person, and Kailey was bedridden for weeks in recovery. No one in her family knows who did it to her, because she didn't know how her father would react. Honestly, he could have gone either way. Just...Try to keep her..safe. I don't know what he plans on doing this time, but whatever it is, it can't be good. No matter what she thinks, she can't fight back against him. He holds too much power over her from before. If he tries anything, she will be completely defenseless. With him, you will have to be her defense. Protect her, Tora." With that, Takumi ends the call.
Tora stands, gripping his phone so hard that it reaches the point of almost breaking before he throws it onto his bed. His face is a mask of dark, primal rage. He almost storms down to the boy's room to confront him, but realizes at the last second that he will have to handle the situation carefully. "She's going to be in a delicate state the entire time he is around. I can't act brashly, or I could lose her, too. I just have to wait. I'll make sure I'm with her at all times. Keep her away from the house, away from him. I can hold out long enough for him to finish his business and leave. I won't let him hurt her again." With that, Tora turns out his lights and climbs into his bed.
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A/N Well...I hope you enjoyed? It got pretty intense there at the end, eh? I didn't plan on introducing Gabriel until later in the story, but I decided it would work better now. I'm sorry you all had to wait so long for this chapter, but I hope it was worth it. I will post more chapters as I write them, but I don't know how often that will be because I am in college now and that, unfortunately, has to come first. The wait won't be nearly as long as this one was, because I have gotten my motivation for writing back. I will also be drawing some art from the story, so if you want to see it check out my deviantart at gallery. It'll be in the Broken Pieces folder. Now, I must go do a Psychology assignment. I may start writing the next chapter tonight, but I'm not sure yet. I'm going to be working harder on this story now, and further progress Tora and Kailey's relationship. And don't worry, Tora is going to be getting the chance to beat the brat up soon. ;)