Chapter thirteen: wishful thinking

Allen pushed the abandon church doors open.

"It's not much, but it should do for the night." Allen said. Ayume was behind him, both of them were soaked to the bone by the rain, but Allen didn't notice how Ayume's right are was limp, and her left hand squeezing it. Ayume instantly sat down on one of the stools, as Allen went off to explore the rest of the church.

Ayume waited for Allen to be out of sight when she let out a small moan. she leaned over her right arm, she bit the bottom of her lip hard, eventually drawing blood. Ayume had times when her arm would hurt, but not as bad as this. Slowly, tears formed from her eyes and slowly slid down the side of her face, the tears were cold, and carried the salt over the deep cut on the side of her cheek. But she couldn't feel it.

"Go away." Ayume silently said to it. Another wave, more pain. Ayume felt like she was about to lose conscious, but she wouldn't allow it, she bit her bottom lip harder.

"Go away, go away, go away, go away..." Ayume kept repeating softly to herself, not realizing Allen had reentered the room when she started.

"Ayume?" Allen said. She didn't hear him, she just kept repeating "go away", slowly her voice started to break.

"Ayume?!" Allen yelled as he rushed toward her, his right hand was just about to touch her back.

"GO AWAY!!" She yelled, stopping him completely.

"WELL IF YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE, WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO SOONER!?" Allen yelled. Ayume's snapped open, quickly she turned her head to Allen who was already at the door.

"NO! Wait, ALLEN!!" Ayume yelled, not realizing that she accidentally moved her right arm, as a way to reach for Allen. She gave off a quick gasp, of pain. She was able to move her legs so she was standing in the isle when she called for Allen. But the pain brought right down to her knees.

The tears came back. Out of pain or sorrow, Ayume didn't know. She grasped her right arm, squeezing as hard as she could, trying to soothe the pain though the jacket. It didn't take long after that for her to feel something warm, ooze down her arm though the jacket. Damn it! She thought as she tried her best to take off the jacket. She slightly moved her arm, and she gasped, almost amazed how much pain one little move could do. Her white sleeveless shirt started to turn red as the blood continued down her arm. She closed her eyes, tighter and tighter, biting down on her lip, harder and harder, drawing more and more blood. I need to go outside, I need the rain on it. Maybe that'll make the pain go away. Ayume thought. Then I have to find Allen and apologize.And with that, Ayume mustered up as much strength as she could gather, as she tried to got outside.

Allen leaned against the wall of one of the abandon shops that was a little down from the church. Allen sighed.

"Why is that I feel so hurt by what she said?" Allen asked himself as he looked up to the dark clouds.

"Why do I care so much if she hates me or not?" Allen asked himself.

"I know i'm in love with her. but why do i care so much?" Allen asked one last time.

"Maybe again, she could have been talking about something else." Allen said. Wishful thinking. Allen thought.

He turned his head to the church as one of the doors opened. Ayume slowly step out, not noticing the stream of blood that ran down from her mouth. Allen noticed that and the river of blood that was coming down her arm.

"AYU-...!" Allen shouted, but then stopped himself. She might not want me. Allen forced himself to remember. He watched her, slowly walked outside into the rain. Once she got into the middle of the road, she fell landing on her knees. She grasped her right arm, as she looked up into the rain. The rain washed away the blood on her arm, revealing a design that went down Ayume's right arm and stopped at her hand. It was glowing a deep red, on the edges of the mark, thin lines went across her hand and arm and made there way up to her neck. The lines looked like think branches that where coming out of a much thicker tree. She said nothing, as she let the rain hit her face, her arm and her shirt. May I remind you that it is a white tan top, and it is wet. Allen, blushed, quickly looking away, but couldn't help looking back. Ayume's eye were still on the clouds, slowly she looked back at her right arm, bleeding stop. Did it stop?Ayume thought as she turned her head to her right arm. All of a sudden, a brand new wave of pain and blood came though. In reaction, her left hand squeezed her right arm, she shot her eyes close and head down, biting down as hard as she could on her bottom lip. Wishful thinking. She thought.

"AYUME!!" Allen yelled. He couldn't stop himself this time. He ran over to her, into the rain, but he didn't care. He grabbed Ayume's left arm and moved it way from her right arm, to prevent further bleeding, but her put pressure on her arm, trying his best to make her feel better. His right arm, went around her body, so than her head was on his chest. Her eyes slowly opened.

"Al...len?" Ayume manage to squeeze out, the blood running down her lip. She grunted, as another wave came though her, again she bit down on her lip, eyes closed, as she tried to grab her right arm, probably drawing out more blood. Allen wouldn't let her, he didn't her to hurt herself more.

"Ayume! Why didn't you tell me before if you were in pain?" Allen asked her, fear was in his voice. Ayume looked away from for a little bit.

"I didn't want you to worry about me. You have enough to deal with. Also, I didn't want to be a burden." She said.

"You're not a burden! you're a big help to everyone!" Allen shouted. Ayume smiled softly, Allen thought he saw tears rolled down her eyes but he couldn't tell because it was raining.

"You really think so?" She said in a very uncertain voice. Then another wave came, pushing her even deeper into the darkness.

Eventually, she fainted, the pain was too much. Allen looked down to her, she was soak, and he wasn't much better. Her arm stopped bleeding, the small lines, drew back into the mark. Allen looked at Ayume's lip, still bleeding. He moved his left hand, gently putting Ayume's hand down first. Allen put his hand against Ayume's check; his thumb wiped away the blood. He smiled softly.

"Ayume..." He a bit sad said.

XOXOXOXO

Ayume's eyes snapped open. She was laying down on one of the church stools, the rain stopped and it was morning. She slowly sat up; she looked at her right arm, wrapped up in gauze. She touch the side of her cheek where the Akuma cut her. There was a bandage. She looked at the exorcist coat that she over her like a blanket. It was Allen's. She looked down; her own coat was made into a make-shape pillow.

"You're up?" Allen asked. She turned around to see Allen entering the church, smiling again.

"Allen." She said beneath her breath.

"Feeling better?" Allen asked as he handed her an apple.

"Hai!" Ayume said as she nodded her head.

"Thank you, Allen-kun." She continued, taking a bite out of the apple. She understood that he knew what she meant when she said "go away", the night before. Allen looked forward, to the front of the church.

"So, is that mark a curse?" Allen asked, still looking forward. Ayume stop, slowly she swallowed. She looked down.

"I don't want to talk about it." Ayume answered. Allen turned his head to her.

"Well you tell me about it later?" He asked. Ayume stood up, handed back Allen's exorcist coat, and put on hers.

"Come on, Allen-kun." Ayume said smiling. "We have to find that Innocence don't we?" Allen nodded. She walked out of the church and into the morning light. In her mind, she replayed Allen's question. Wishful thinking. She thought.

It's kind of obvious about her arm, but the secret is not what the markings are, it's who gave it to her. This chapter's pretty cute in my opinion.

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