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Open My Heart: Understanding

"You don't realize how strong she is Kyo... She's put up with a lot of pain from our family... She's tough, but truely that's the face she puts on for everyone around her."

It was a week since the incident with Mr. Conte, he had been taken to the authorities where they delt with him accordingly. But the words Isabella had spoken the morning of the incident kept replaying in Kyo's mind. Now he understood what the young girl ment by all that she had said. She was right, Annika was strong, but she was broken... just like he had been.
She was still having trouble looking at him, and she would barely talk to him. But under Hitori's care, she was healing surprisingly fast. Apparently she just cracked a rib instead of actualy broke it, which helped thing alot, but was still painful at times. All the same, Kyo never left her side. He would sit on the bed, fall asleep with her, and he even read his favorite book to her. (A/N: Kyo... favorite book?? That's kinda scary . )
It was late at night, Kyo had fallen asleep with his head laying on the side of the bed, but Annika was wide awake.
'Why does he still care? Didn't he see how weak I was letting him do that to me?' Annika was so confused that she didn't want to try and figure it out. Finally, it suddenly came to her, 'What am I thinking? Annika you've been such a fool! He loves you, has he not already proven that to you? What about that night at the hot springs! How could you have been so blind!" She reached over and started running her hand through his soft hair. A smile broke onto her lips as he began to stir. He looked up at her sleepily, suddenly he was wide awake.
"Is there something that you need?" he asked completely alert, Annika shook her head and moved over.
"Lay down with me" Kyo smiled, and climbed into bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her, making sure he didn't put too much pressure on her middle section, but he wasn't too worried. Her bruises had been healing fast concidering the tree things Isabella had been using to help heal them. Ice, Arnika gel and tons of fruits and veggies. Kyo was skeptical at first, but he was proven wrong when they didn't look so ugly after a day or two. Annika snuggled up to him as much as her body would let her, laying her head on his chest. She was beginning to think that Kyo had fallen back to sleep when he spoke to her.
"So... what's with the change of heart? You've been really cold to me all week" His voice gentle, and deep, warming Annika immediately.
"Honestly... I was ashamed to look at you. I was afraid that you would think of me weak. I was to blind to think of anything else. But then... I realized that if you were dissappointed in me, it wouldn't matter, cause you love me more then that" Annika felt his hand stroak her head.
"I never even thought of that Annika. I don't think of you as weak. Quite the opposite actually. I thought I had it bad. But I was never physically hurt like you have been. I can now fully see why Isabella looks up to you so much. She has a good reason to. You put up with a lot of pain from your father, and I can't help but love you even more for that." Annika fisted her hands in his shirt, silent tears running down her face. She was happy that she hadn't lost his love like she had thought not an hour ago. After that, nothing else was said, nothing else was needed to be said. So the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

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There ya go.
Lemon next chapter!