It took a lil longer than planned... sorry for that.
Well here it is. Chapter 3!
Feel free to comment!
FLASHBACK:
Checking if it was really locked, he smiles and walks away, towards his car.
Going home.
Chapter 3:
The first thing Ayame is thinking about while waking up; "I'm going to regret sleeping on the couch someday." She carefully stands up, leaning on her good leg. She shifts a little bit of weight to her other leg; when nothing bad happens she shifts half of her weight on it.
"Alright, now its food time!" Stretching she walks towards the kitchen and whilst boiling water for Ramen she looks at the couch. A small beam of light lands on something that's laying on the ground next to the couch as she walks over she recognises it.
"My necklace!" She runs over and falls on her knees in front of it.
"Auch! That hurt. Stupid me! Forgetting that my knee is in a bad shape..."
Ayame mentally slaps herself.
Gently she picks up her necklace, noticing that its repaired she puts it around her neck.
Sighing in relief, then she hears the sound of metal rattling against each other.
She looks down and sees Kakashi's dog-tag.
Remembering the day before she smiles.
She also notices the grey hoodie.
"Oh why not?" She puts it on and eats her Ramen.
When she's done eating she gets all the things she needs for school and leaves.
While closing the door behind her she looks at her mobile.
"I'm late." She says, walking off towards school.
While slightly limping she walks into the school, Ayame sees Renji and his friends standing against the lockers in the main hallway.
She decides it's probably best to ignore them and limps the opposite way, her knee still hurting from before.
While walking Ayame sees Mr. Ching coming towards her.
"Are you in school already?" He asks.
"Yeah, I guess... I'm alright." Ayame smiles.
"I've got your class after this break right?" Without waiting for a response Mr. Ching continues.
"I'll keep an eye on Renji." He pats her on her shoulder.
"I don't think that will be necessary, I guess Kakashi scared them, 'cause they ignored me completely. Renji only spared me one look, so I think I'll be fine." She offers another smile and walks towards her locker at the end of the hall.
"I'll see you in class." Mr. Ching says quietly while Ayame is walks away.
Memories from the previous day are floating to the surface, Ayame grins when she thinks of Kakashi, how he threatened Renji.
The school day went by peacefully and without any disturbance until...
Ayame walks towards her locker to get her books for the next day.
When she opens it, it's slammed shut by someone who is standing behind her.
Ayame quickly turns around and sees Renji, he puts his other hand also on the locker, trapping her.
"What do you want?" she hisses.
"Are you sure you should be talking to me like that? That guy isn't around you know?" His face dangerously close to hers.
Ayame turns her head away in disgust, but Renji roughly grabs her chin with his hand and turns her face towards him. "Wearing his hoodie won't make any difference."
Now Ayame has to look at him.
"Get your hands off me!" She grabs his hand and tries to pull it away, but without result.
"Now, now... I am being nice, so you should be nice to me." Renji smiles cocky.
"Piss off" Ayame yells at him.
"And what if I don't?" He asks her with a grin.
"Then I'll... I'll-"
Before she can finish her sentence, Renji slams his fist against the locker dangerously close to Ayame.
"You'll do what?" He asks.
Too afraid to even move or talk Ayame just stands there.
"That's better, you should obey me. After all that guy isn't around to save you."
"I don't need him." Ayame pushes Renji away with all her strength and starts running away.
"Oi, come back here! I'm not done with you!" Renji yells angry he starts to run after her.
"Leave me alone!"
As fast as she could Ayame runs towards the exit of her school, unwanted tears sliding down her cheeks. As she opens the door and steps outside ready to continue running she bumps into someone.
From the impact of the bump she falls to the ground, landing on her butt.
"Ouch my butt... I'm sorry" She says, quickly standing up and running passed the stranger.
"Hey wait, are you alright? Ayame..." The stranger yells after her.
Ayame doesn't react to her name nor does she recognise the voice, she is going numb. The shock of Renji and then bumping into someone, and how much her knee was hurting.
Ayame was sure she made the right choice now, however she might regret it later
-The stranger's Point Of View-
His phone vibrates in his pocket.
"Yes?" He answers it.
"Hey, this is Akira. I was wondering, you told me that Ayame has hurt her knee yesterday..."
"Yeah..." He waited for Akira to continue.
"Could you pick her up at home? Cause we really need both of you today, and I don't think it'll be wise to let her-"
"Cycle to work?" He interrupts him. "Yeah I already thought of that, don't worry I'm about to pick her up right now."
"Ok, thanks. I'll see the both of you soon then. Take care." Akira's voice sounds through his mobile.
"See you soon." He hangs up.
He steps outside of his car and walks towards a school. He knew which college she was on. He had followed her this morning to make sure she wasn't overdoing it. But why did he care about so much about this girl?
Deep in his own thoughts he walks towards the front door. When he is about to open the door someone already opens it from the inside and before he could step aside that person bumps into him. He steps back slightly from the impact.
"Ouch my butt... I'm sorry" He hears her say. Before he knows she's already on her feet and running past him. As if everything went into slow motion that moment, he could see a tear running down her cheek. His eyes widens in shock, it was her, wearing HIS hoodie!
"Hey wait, are you alright? Ayame..." He yells after her, but before he could run after her the door opens again.
He immediately recognises Renji and firmly grabs him by the collar of his shirt.
Completely caught off guard Renji stumbles from the force of his grip.
"What the F-"
"-FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" He finishes Renji's sentence slamming him against the door.
He could guess what had happened.
"I..I..I..." Renji stutters with grave terror in his voice and a scared face which has gone pale.
"Why were you chasing her?" His grip tightens.
Renji could barely stand on his feet and looks like he is about to faint.
"You are wasting my time." He releases Renji and quickly walks away.
He could hear Renji yelling "Fuck you, Kakashi!" after him. But he really didn't care, he had something else on his mind. He had to find Ayame as quickly as he could, because if she continued running like that she would definitely injure her knee even more.
Quickly he gets into his car and starts the engine.
When he drives past the gates of the school he could see Renji sitting in front of the door, he still had a pale face. Kakashi smirks. "Serves him right."
However at the same time he realises something, normally he never loses track of his emotions, but since he met Ayame he had become very protective over her, and angry when people like Renji were around. What was wrong with him? "I don't have time to think about it right now." He says to himself, he is only a few streets away from her apartment.
When he gets there Kakashi parks his car and quickly gets out and slams the car door shut. He runs towards a corner, around that corner is the stairs which lead up towards her apartment.
He runs around the corner and is caught by surprise, his lightning fast reflexes act immediately.
-End Kakashi's POV-
While running home her knee starts to hurt more and more. Ayame knows that she has to stop running soon or else it could go terribly wrong.
Arriving at the stairs that go up to the first floor of the flat, she sits down.
Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, she inhales deep and tries to calm herself down.
She hears a car door that gets slammed shut and someone who is running and getting closer to her.
Fearing that it's Renji she stands up and raises her arms defensively, figuring it would be best to catch him off guard and suddenly give him a surprise attack she pulled her bad knee up, she'd rather have a bad knee than that guy.
The moment he came around the corner she kicks forward. She sees silver hair and a green scarf. She realises it isn't Renji, but it was already too late to stop her kick.
Before she could register what happened she is laying painfully on the ground, face down.
"Ouch... Ka..ouch...Kashi that..Aaaauw... hurts...Ouch!"
Kakashi releases her immediately but she stays on the ground. Too shocked of what happened and in pain because of her knee that had hit the ground pretty hard when she don't know what happened when he came around that corner after Kakashi had blocked her kick.
"Uh... Ayame?" He asks
"Yep that's me." She says with a groan. "Ouch... that really hurts." She turns around and sits on her bottom and looks up towards Kakashi.
"I'm so sorry... My reflexes...You kicked...I just..." He stammers and kneels down.
"It's OK, it was my fault anyway." Ayame tries to smile but a pained expression takes its place.
"Where does it hurt? Can you stand? Shall I help you? How is your knee? Are you alrig-"
"-Kakashi?" She interrupts him.
"Yes?"
"Shut up please, you are giving me a headache..."
"Oh...Sorry."
"It's alright." She says. "Now help me to get to the stairs, please?"
"How's your knee?" He asks without responding to her 'question'.
Ayame looks confused at Kakashi.
"Alright I guess, just hurting a bit."
"Good." And before Ayame knows what happens he picks her up and carries her up the stairs.
"Kakashi?" She asks.
"Yes?"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?" Ayame yells at him and tries to struggle out of his grip.
Kakashi strengthens his grip but not too hard so he won't hurt her.
"Calm down, I'll put you down in front of your apartment." He says calmly.
Ayame huffs but stops struggling.
"Good girl." He says.
Arriving at her door, Kakashi puts her down carefully.
"Thanks..." Ayame says with sarcasm.
"By the way, about work-"
"-I totally forgot! Damnit I will never be on time like th-"
"-I'm going to take you there, with my car." He interrupts her.
"Really?" Ayame asks.
"Yeah, so just get your clothes and we'll leave, but don't rush yourself!" He says that last with a teacher like voice.
"Yeah yeah..." Ayame stumbles away, her knee hurts more than she had hoped.
After a few minutes Ayame is done.
"I'm done." she says.
"Alright then we'll leave." Kakashi says with a smile.
"Don't you dare to pick me up again, I can walk myself."
Kakashi chuckles.
"Really! I'll kill you if you even try." She tries to sound threatening.
"Alright alright!" Kakashi outs his hand up in defence and slowly walks away.
Ayame locks the door behind her and walks after Kakashi, she tries to walk as normal as possible.
She follows him to his car and sits down on the passenger's seat, and Kakashi sits down on the driver's seat.
Figuring it would be best not to ask about what happened earlier, Kakashi puts on some music.
"Do you know this song?" He asks Ayame while driving away.
"Let me listen for a bit."
A guitar starts playing.
"It's the acoustic version though. But I like it."
"Woah yeah yeah oh."
"This is the band Hinder, am I right?" Ayame asks.
Kakashi nods, eyes on the road.
"Just a kid, just a fool."
"Always trying to play it too cool."
"Do you know the title?"
"Hmm... Loaded and... Alone, Loaded and Alone. Yeah that's the title."
"How about this song?"
A slightly distorted guitar starts playing.
Then the rest of the instruments comes kicking in, drums, bass.
"Well I don't know what to say."
"Because there's no truth to what you say."
"I know it kills you I'm this way."
"There's something different every day."
"The band Staind with Could it be." Says Ayame with pride.
"I'm impressed!" He looks at her for a few seconds, then focuses on the traffic again.
Ayame laughs.
"How about..." Ayame takes her iPod out of her pocket and connects it to the radio.
"This... song." She presses play.
"Kiyasume gurai ni nareba ii yo."
"Michi ni mayotte hikiaeshite."
"Jikan dake sugite yuku kedo."
"Ellegarden with Niji." Says Kakashi.
"I hoped you wouldn't know." Ayame laughs again.
"I used listen to Ellegarden quite a lot."
"Used?"
"Yeah, the time I lived in Japan, only been 2 years though. Anyway, I've been to a concert of theirs in Japan, he sings really well live."
From the lack of response Kakashi quickly looks to his right, to Ayame.
He laughs because her mouth is hanging open and her eyes are wide. He focuses on the road again, still slightly chuckling.
"What?" He asks.
"You...you've been to JAPAN?" Ayame asks is disbelief.
"Yeah." Kakashi says back casually.
"I want to go there so bad!"
"Well then go there."
"I can't... Don't have the money." She says sad.
"Oh well... Ah we're here already." He parks the car and gets out.
"Careful with your knee." He says while taking his bag from the trunk.
They enter the McDonald's and are greeted by Akira.
"Hey Ayame, Kakashi. I've heard about your knee Ayame. Too bad, but I really need you today, that's why I sent Kakashi to pick you up, also that's why you'll be doing first window at the drive through today."
"Alright, will do. Thanks Akira." Ayame and Kakashi walk towards the crew room and change into their working clothes.
"Did you tell him?" Ayame asks suspiciously.
"Maybe." He winks "Let's get to work then shall we?"
He walks out of the crew room, Ayame follows after him a short moment.
After several hours of work, Ayame is getting bored because there is no work for her to do, and there are no guests in the drive through and it's already dark outside.
"Mwaaaah! I'm bored, Kakashi!" She says through her headset to Kakashi who has the other one.
"Don't worry, another car is coming." He says while looking at the screen which shows the security camera facing the drive lane.
"Good evening, may I take your order please?"
Kakashi could hear everything through the headset.
"Yes, I would like a hamburger, and..." Says the first voice from the car.
"I would like you on a sandwich." Says the second voice, sounding drunk.
"I'm sorry that isn't possible." Says Ayame's voice.
Kakashi signs to Akira.
"Yes what's wrong Kakashi?" Akira asks when he's standing next to Kakashi, also watching the screen.
"Drunkards..." That's all he says and then gathers the order.
"Thanks." Akira says and he walks away.
"That's it?" Ayame asks.
"Yeah, don't forget yourself on the sandwich!" The drunk voice says again.
Ayame sighs. "Then you can drive to the first window, please."
When she opens the window Akira stands in the doorway.
Without noticing him Ayame continues.
"Good evening. € 23,50 please."
The driver gives € 25.
"Thank you." Ayame takes the money and opens the cash desk.
"With 1,50." She gives it to the man, but before she could withdraw her arm a hand comes from the back seat and grabs her wrist.
"I want my sandwich with you, I'll take you with me right now." He pulls her arm.
"I'm sorry sir, that won't be possible. Could you release my wrist please?"
"Nnnno! I want to do bad things with you." Comes the drunk response.
Suddenly a hand is on Ayame's shoulder and a shadow is cast over her.
"Sir, release her wrist." Says a polite yet stern voice.
Ayame looks up and sees Akira towering over her, looking at the man in the car.
"Oh so you've got a boyfriend?" Says the drunkard. Still not releasing her wrist.
"No. I'm her manager, and if you don't release her right now I'll have to call the police."
Akira takes out his mobile.
The drunkard takes the opportunity to give a jerk on Ayame's wrist, he pulls her of her chair and her knee hits wall. She curses in pain.
"I wanna do badstuff with her. Let me have her!"
"Let me go you fuchmmhf!" A hand is over Ayame's mouth, it's Akira's, he's still talking to the police.
"Yeah, you're speaking with Akira Fukuske from McDonald's Jinka Beach. Yes, we've got a guest who is harassing my employee." Akira speaks hurried in his mobile.
"Yes we need someone NOW."
She turns her head with a mad face towards Akira, however Akira is not facing her, he's facing someone outside the window.
She slowly turns her attention to where he's looking at.
A second hand is placed on her lower arm. A different one from the drunkard, this one is soft and warm but with a firm grip.
"Release her. Now." The hand slides down to her wrist and with his second hand, Kakashi releases the drunkards hand.
"Thank you, here is your order." He gives 2 brown bags to the driver. "Goodbye." He hisses.
"So that's your boyfriend!" Is called from the car.
The driver laughs and drives away.
"Thank you Kakashi. You can come in now." Akira says while putting his phone in his pocket.
"Alright."
Akira closes the window.
"Hey..." He tries to get Ayame's attention. "You alright?" His hand is still on her shoulder.
"Hmm?" Ayame is slightly shocked.
"Kakashi?" Akira calls.
"Yeah?" Kakashi appears in the doorway.
"Take her home please. You're both done for today." He walks passed Kakashi.
"Hey..." Kakashi says.
"Yes?"
"Let's get you home." Kakashi steps beside Ayame and lays his hand on her back and slightly pushes her towards the crewroom.
"Yeah..."
After changing they walk towards Kakashi's car.
They see Akira talking to the police and the driver of the car with the drunkard from before.
"It's my sandzwits!" The drunkards head stick out from the open car window. Waving at Ayame.
"Shut up!" Ayame yells at him.
"Oh she's beasteeeh! Let me haz her!" He steps wobbly out of the car and walks towards Ayame and Kakashi. Kakashi steps in front of Ayame protectively.
"Sir, get in the car!" The policeman says. "Sir get IN the car!" The policeman grabs his arm and drags him towards the car.
"Let's go." Kakashi turns around and walks towards his car, Ayame walks after him.
"I'll have to hear your statements to." Calls the policeman after them.
"Yeah yeah, we'll wait in the car." Kakashi calls back.
After 10 minutes the policeman comes over to ask them questions about what happened.
He introduced himself as Jurou.
Kakashi explains what happened. Ayame doesn't say much, she just straight and
"Can we go home now?" Ayame asks after they've told everything that had happened.
"Yes of course, let me write down your mobile numbers though. That way I'll be able to call you if I need to know anything else." Jurou says.
"Sure."
They write down their numbers and give the paper to Jurou.
"Good night, and bon voyage." He winks at Ayame.
"Thanks, bye." Ayame says.
Kakashi starts the engine and with that the radio is turned on too.
A dance song starts playing.
"It's not getting over, Noo noo."
"Forget about everything."
"It's not getting over."
Kakashi drives away, away from the McDonald's.
They wave to Akira who is still talking to Jurou, he waves back.
"All the things I know right now,"
"If I only knew back then."
"It's not getting over, nooo"
"I'm not getting over you."
"Shall I put something else on?" Kakashi asks.
"No it's fine." Ayame says absently. She doesn't even actually hear the music.
"Alright."
Ayame is looking out of the window and Kakashi's attention is directed on the traffic.
The whole trip to Ayame's house was in complete silence.
She is thinking of what happened that day, first Renji then that weird guy at the McDonald's.
Why did this all happen to her? Why not someone else?
Ayame is brought out of her thoughts by Kakashi.
"We're here." He says.
Kakashi parks and he steps out of the car.
He gets Ayame's bag from the trunk.
"Thanks." says Ayame when Kakashi gives her the bag.
"No problem, I'll walk with you."
They walk up the stairs to Ayame's apartment.
When arriving at her door, Ayame takes her keys out of her bag and tries to unlock the door. However her hands are shaking so badly that Kakashi takes the keys from her and unlocks the door.
"There you go." He says, Ayame walks in and leaves the door open as a silent invitation.
Kakashi walks in after a short hesitation.
"Ayame?" He calls after her.
"What?" She says stern while turning around to face him, after a short moment of silence she notices how she had said that.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that."
"Don't worry it's alright. You've been through a lot today, how's your knee by the way?" He asks.
"It's fine... I guess." She repsonds absently.
"I'm hungry. Are you hungry? Want some food?" Ayame says changing the subject.
"Not really, don't worry about me." Kakashi says.
"Alright." She says while walking over to the cupboard, she takes out a tray with Ramen.
"Are you really going to eat that?" Kakashi asks in disbelief.
"Yeah, why not?"
"Because... It's not healthy or anything and I think its nasty."
"I don't think so." She limps over towards to the kettle and fills it with water to boil.
"Ayame?"
"Yes?"
"Put that down and get your ass over to the couch."
"But I'm hungry?" She says confused.
"I'll make you something... Just lie down or at least stop walking around with that knee of yours."
"You don't have to, I'm alright! I'll sit down in a minute when my food is done."
"No you won't." Kakashi takes the tray with Ramen and opens the rubbish bin, he sees several empty Ramen cups.
"What the... Is this all you eat or something?" He throws the Ramen cup in the bin.
"Err... No?" Ayame says innocent.
"Yeah right, get you ass out of the kitchen or else I'll throw you."
"Its MY kitchen!" She complains.
Kakashi gives her a look that says don't screw with me.
"Okay okay! But if I die of your cooking I'm going to haunt you till your death, and... and even after that!" Ayame limps out of the kitchen.
Kakashi chuckles and opens the refrigerator.
"Let's see..." He mumbles to himself.
Thats it for Chapter 3!