Chapter #8- Treading On Ice
The chairman later informs us that both Agari and his mentor had gone a few minutes before Zero and I had gotten home. 'Said it was an emergency. I tried to stop them seeing as Agari was bleeding all over the floor but they wouldn't have it. The boy was really shaken up.'
I couldn't stop my shoulders from shaking with repressed laughter even though Zero sat with a bored expression. His acting skill were beyond reasonable. The chairman looked at me suspiciously. Days passed as the three of us would just laze around in our pyjamas infront of the fireplace with warm blankets and hot choclates sometimes watching re-runs of dramas and sitcoms on television. The chairman would sometimes leave somewhere for business but be back before the day was out. Zero and I spent this time together. I may have been imagining it but I started to notice him always around me more when the chairman would leave. I wondered if he thought it was because I would get lonely. The snow would do that to me. I was a lonely person, I usually liked to have people around me and I think Zero knew that. So he spent more and more time with me. A few days before winter vacation ended, Zero asked me a about the snowball fight?
"You want to go out? Now?"
He shrugged his shoulder, like it didn't matter to him. I was sitting in the living room watching T.V when Zero had asked me the question from the doorway. I swung my legs off the couch and ran to my room.
"Get ready to lose."
"Come on Zero, it's not funny."
Contrary to what I said, Zero was shaking with repressed laughter as he looked down at me. I had fallen on the ice multiple times and Zero wasn't helping by just laughing his bum off.
"I knew you were clumsy Yuki, but you just broke your own record."
He hardly finished the sentence before he started laughing again. No matter how beautiful he looked while he laughed with the reflection of snow creating diamonds on his face, his cheeks flushed and his smile that cpuld melt even the thoughest hearts, he was, in fact, laughing at me. After our rigorous snowball fight outside in the snow, I had spotted a stream of ice in the forrest just outside the academy. Thinking I was born a pro, I walked over the ice just to find myself landing on my but. Zero hadn't stopped laughing since. I gave another attempt to stand up, I put my hands under me and pushed my body up then I moved one leg forward and carefully put my weight on it. Just as I was about to smile in triumph, my leg gave way and I ended up on the floor again, my face coming into contact with the cold ice. Laughter filled my ears as Zero headed towards me. I lay still as Zero stood over me, he tried to stop himself from laughing when he saw how angry I looked, though his mouth did break into consequent smiles.
"How about I help you up?"I narrowed my eyes into a glare. Oh, now he helps me. after multiple attempts of just enjoying the show. He offers his hand to me when I lift my face up. Instead of taking it though, I slap it away. He rolls his eyes, a small smile making its way to his face. 'Oh come on Yuki.'
I started to slide away from him. that's right. Slide. Like a caterpillar. Laugh if you want. I didnt know how else to move. I heard a low chuckle behind me and I would bet anything that he was holding a hand over his mouth to stop himself from bursting with laughter.
"Oh, come on don't be mad Yuki.'
I kept crawling. After I thought I had crawled enough, I looked back and Zero on the other end of the stream, a good deal of distance covering us. I stuck my tongue out at him and I heard him let out an annoyed breath. Again, I tried getting up. Pushing myself on my legs and flapping my arms out to balance myself, I was finally able to stand. I let out a joyous laugh and turned to Zero. He was smiling at me, and my smile slid slightly at the surprised thump I felt in my heart. What was that? He started towards me when I heard a sound, it wasn't the thump of my heart this time, it was a crack. A loud crack, I look down at the ice and notice a large scar forming on the ground, right under me. I look up at Zero, his face has fallen into that of shock, his eyes wide as he looks at the ground under me. Another crack.
"YUKI!"
The ground breaks under me and my body falls through the layer of ice. My eyes squeeze shut and my brain stops processing as the cold and harsh pain hits me. My body becomes paralyzed as the freezing cold of the ice wraps around my body like a caccoon, strangling me, leaving me immobile. I can't breath, there a loud ringing in my ear that clouds my mind, and my body is hit with a thousand needles. I will myself to move, I had to get out. I reach my hand out, catching the edge of the hole I had fallen through. I pull myself out as my fingers almost give way at the slippery ice. I see Zero running towards me, he's in a panic and I try to hold on the edge as he gets slides to his knees and reaches out a hand to mine just as I let go. He pulls me out of the water. My body feels like a ton of weights and I can't move, the cold is freezing me. My heart is stopping, my teeth chatter and my hands shake uncontrollably. He pulls me to him and holds me against his body. Even the warmth radiating from his body can do nothing as I lay against him shivering.
Distantly I hear my name being called over and over again. I move my eyes to Zero as he takes off his coat and puts it around me. He picks me up, his arms under my neck and knees, bridal style. I see his lips moving and realize he's the one calling my name. I try to stop my hands from shaking as they clutch at his shirt. He carries me to the chairmans headquarters and almost breaks the door, trying to open it. The chairman wasn't here so he could ask him for help. I felt about numb now, I couldn't feel a thing, but my body doesn't stop shivering. I hear nothing except for the shattering of my teeth and the pounding of my heart in my ears. He takes me to the bathroom and sits down under the shower with me on his lap. He blasts the hot water and it washes down over my face as I feel Zero's body hug me closer to his. The hot water feels strange against my numb skin, but slowly, my body starts to warm up. I close my eyes and emerge myself under the water. Zero removes his jacket from around me, then my own, then my sweater and then my shirt. I remove my boots, socks and pants with my numb and shivering hands and am left my a thin shift that reveals my bra and pants as it's soaked in water. At this point I wouldn't care who saw me, my body was returning back to its normal temperature under the water. I take a deep breath. That was one of the most horrifying moments of my life. I put my face in my hands, the danger I had been in. The thought of being alive after that shook me up. I suddenly didn't have the energy to be shocked, just grateful. I was here. I was okay. I felt something heavy land softly against my back, I turn my face slightly and see that Zero has laid his forehead against my back. The intimacy of the moment brings a blush to my face but it's easy to ignore.
"Yuki..." his voice broke and tears fell from my eyes at the tenderness and worry in his tone. He reaches his hand to wrap around my fore-arm, as if he couldn't bring himself to do anything else. I felt his hands shakeing. I reached my other arm and bring his hands to my mouth and kiss his palm. He stiffen's against me but I dont let him go. I don't want to and I don't think I can. It's alright, I'm alright. Zero is here, Everything's fine.
We sat there for a long time under the spray of the shower, so long that my fingertips had wrinkled and resembled raisins. Zero got up before me, he was as drenched as I was. He went out and got a towel and my clothes for me. I put them on and leave the bathroom. Zero's waiting for me outside and he hands me a sweater and a pair of my favorite fuzzy pink socks, I roll my eyes at his judging look and we both head to the living room where there's a fire growing. I sit right in front of the flames, I wasn't cold anymore but just the very thought of the ice had me shivering to my core. Zero got me hot coacoa and threw a blanket over my shoulders. I turn to smile at him, which, as expected he doesnt return, but looks at me worridly.
"Are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?"
i shake my head. "I'm completely fine. Just a little cold."
He nods and takes a deep breath before resting his head back and closing his eyes. I return my gaze to the danceing flames of the fire, trying not to think of the ice outside and focus my attention at the steaming drink in my hand. All we could hear was the sound of the fire crackling and the occassional sip of my drink. Zero distracts me from my thoughts by murmuring something I don't hear.
"What?" I ask, turning to him.
"I'm sorry," he says, his voice barely a whisper. My eyebrows knot in confusion.
"For what?" He's quiet. I get up and wrap the blanket tighter around myself as i sit down beside him, facing him. "Zero, for what?"
"I couldn't stop that from happening."
I stare at him, confusion still evident on my face. I shake my head at him.
"Zero... what are you talking about. That wasn't your fault."
"I couldn't save you."
"But you did."
"I shouldnt have let that happen in the first place."
"Zero, I wouldnt be here, if you hadn't been there."
His jaw clenches and his hands to turn to fists when I say that. He lifts his head to look at me, his eyes half covered by his hair that glows with the fire. The part of his gaze I could see was smouldering, there was something I didnt recognize there, but it made my heart beat harder. "
You shouldn't worry about me so much."
He let's out a breath and turns away. We stay like that for a while, I didn't understand why but my heart woldn't stop pounding against my ribcage. What was wrong with me? I wasn't cold or scared or hurt anymore. I allowed myself to ponder over this issue in the silence we both created. I dared to take a peek at Zero, right at that moment, my stomach gave a flip and my breath caught. That wasn't possible. I couldn't start having feelings for Zero could I? The kiss we had shared came to mind and I blushed at the memory. However, no matter how many times I told myself that it just wasn't meant to happen, I couldn't make myself forget the feel of his soft lips against mine. I turn away from him and get up, my heart was about to burst and it hurt in a weird kind of way.
"I-I'm going to bed."
He nods without looking at me. I turn and leave the room, my face flushed.
(A/N) Thank you all for the reviews and the favorites and sorry i haven't updated in the longest time but i'm having severe writers block for this fic. i'll probably discontinue it if idea don't start popping up in this pea i call a brain. Love you all XD
