A/N: Aha. This chapter's dedicated to all of my lovely reviewers. Especially my fan artist, Kitsune-Prophet. So, here we go!
The first thing I felt slip from my mouth was a very ungraceful cuss when my consciousness returned. My body felt numb and I couldn't quite sit up, but my eyes fluttered open. Light blinded me and I winced, but after some time, my world began to focus a bit better. Then my mind decided to give me a reality check, which was unpleasant indeed. My skin was tight on my body, and my brain felt as though it was slamming against my temples in a desperate attempt to escape. It wasn't quite agony, per se, but more of an uncomfortable state of being.
A few more cusses escaped me. A hand touched my temple and I wanted to yell out in surprise. The skin was cool and had made me catch my breath. It was now that I actually began to think, something that had eluded me for the last few minutes. Where the hell was I? What had happened? What was I doing before I had blacked out? I couldn't remember anything…ugh…My head was pounding, my mouth was dry; everything felt tight and disjointed…
"Hide," I heard over me, and my eyes fluttered to the side. An all-too familiar set of gray eyes greeted me (two of them, which was one more than I was familiar with), and his hand moved to my cheek. "You have a really bad fever, Hide." I released a hot breath, nodding sluggishly in concurrence. That would explain a majority of my discomfort…but I don't think that covered everything. I opened my mouth to speak, but he gave me one of his sweet smiles and my vision turned hazy. I let my mouth go slack. "You've been asleep for a few days now. Your fever hasn't broken yet, but Mitsuru-senpai says it will soon." It was a lot of words out of him. I took them in in silence appreciation, and then I rolled my head so I was facing him completely.
Minato's blue hair was tucked behind an ear, so both of his eyes were in sight. Many of the hairs had strayed back stubbornly in his eye anyway, but for once I could completely see the pair. "Get a haircut," I mumbled, then swallowed and smirked. I was currently unaware I was saying what I was thinking; to me, my thoughts remained inside of my pounding skull. "You've got good eyes…" Minato's cheeks turned a bit pink, and he then fussed his hair back into his face just to make me realize what I had said. My already hot cheeks glowed a little more. Then I had to harsh the buzz.
"The green…sky…the moon…there was our school…" I started, the thought coming out deformed and incomprehensible to anyone who wasn't Minato, but Minato was Minato…and the thought was painfully clear. The other's playful smile faded away, leaving him with nothing but his blank gaze. I cursed myself, but continued to look at him in expectance. I wasn't quite sure what I had spewed out, but fragments of that memory were in my mind. "What…was that?" I added, as though I hadn't already made it clear that I wanted the question answered. I said it through heaved breaths; my mind was tired and I wanted to sleep. I couldn't think very well, and I didn't quite want to be caught so unguarded. I had a lot of secrets I kept to myself, and in this state, I knew they would slip off of my tongue like water off a duck's back.
Minato put a finger to his lips, gray eye unreadable. I had killed it. He had retracted into his silence, and I wasn't going to get anything from him now. I let my eyes shut, knowing it would be stupid to keep trying. Before I fell back into my fever-induced sleep, I felt him rest something wet on my head. I assumed it was a damp cloth, since my mother had done something similar of the sort to me when I was sick in my youth. It…was very pleasant. I smiled, and then once again as lost to the heat of my fever.
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"Give me the basket," I demanded groggily. I sat forward, tugging my robes over my shoulders, and threw out my hand expectantly. Minato, my personal maid, dived to comply, grabbing the basket and thrusting it into my hand. Once I had rid the sick from my system, I grunted, setting the basket aside. It was officially day ten of my horrible fever. It had broken earlier that morning, but I had been purging my guts since. As much of an emperor I felt like at the moment, I really felt disgusted with myself for being so sick in front of Minato. He was like the puppy I imagined I'd wanted; loyal to a point of pity, and without an unkind bone in his body. I just felt…I don't know, but I didn't like to be watched when being so disgusting and plainly 'yucky'.
Somewhere along the line, Akihiko had changed me from my school uniform and into one of his lay-around robes he kept in his closet. Minato had asked him to, since I knew he would've gotten too flustered stripping me down. I couldn't quite recall when this had occurred, but I bet it was during my time of constant sleep. I was actually pretty glad I was asleep, in all reality. They were very comfortable clothes nonetheless, and I was sleeping well in them. I had learned by now that I was in a spare room at Minato's dormitory, and they were keeping my parents updated on my whereabouts so they didn't fret.
In a very vague manner, Minato described how he had woken up and found me sick at the school. He took me to his home, without explaining exactly how when he was still injured, and set me up. He wanted to skip school, a habit which I very wish to discourage before it had a chance to start, but a man called Ikutsuki had volunteered to watch me during the week for him. Minato had been very unwilling about this, but had gone along with it since Ikutsuki was the only one who didn't go to school who hung around at the Dorm at his own free will.
I was going to be able to go home soon, and I was kind of grateful. Some privacy would've been nice, but I was also saddened by this realization. Having Minato on hand and foot whenever I came to was…something I actually liked quite a bit. Not the 'hand and foot' part, but just having him nearby made me feel really good. Someone wanted to be there for me…It was something I had never felt before, and it really made my upset stomach feel a little funny. Sometimes it would drag a smile out of me; but I quickly hid that before Minato saw. I wanted to make it seem like I wasn't getting enough attention as I already was, since I wanted to take complete advantage of Minato's overwhelming kindness.
I fixed my robe again, as it kept sliding down my pale shoulder because Akihiko was generally bigger and taller than I was. He was a nice to share it with me, and I owed him quite a bit of thanks later. I turned to look at Minato, numbly wiping my mouth and giving him a smirk.
"You know that soup Yamagishi-san had made for me?" I asked. He nodded. "I liked it best the first time it was in my mouth, and as dinner." He laughed a soft, quiet laugh--a shy laugh, I had decided. It was as though laughing was something he just didn't do very often. It made me a little sad to think of it like that, but I knew it was probably the truth. It was hard to drag a laugh out of the damn kid.
In a pondering way, I rested my chin on my elbow, leaning forward a little. My hair was a total mess, because I hadn't slicked it back in days nor had I even combed it out, and I worried for a moment if it was going to end up looking like Minato's cut. I knew it wouldn't, since he had tried hard to get it angled as such, but it still made me anxious. I liked seeing out of both eyes, and frankly, I didn't know how he could maneuver so damn well with just one eye!
I know it had really iced over Minato before…but I don't think I could be patient anymore for him. I gazed to him sideways, my fingers on my slightly pink cheeks. "Minato-kun," I started slowly. With my free hand, I drew a circle into the fabric of the blanket that was across me. "I need to know now. What happened to me? I saw a green world--I saw our school, but that wasn't our school. It…It was a monstrosity. It oozed blood here and there…I had a few nightmares about it, actually." I looked up. His eyes had hardened. Just staring at me blankly, as though he had no clue what I was talking about.
We both knew damn well he knew exactly what I was talking about. I knew that this was the most vital of the information I would ever get from him, I knew that this was the information that tied a lot of the mysteries together. Strega, their disappearances that one night, and Minato's injuries. The true answer to all of this would come about through this; I knew it! I just had to get Minato to spill!
"Don't keep me in the dark," I added in a soft, coaxing voice. It felt strange on my tongue, but it had seemed to help quite a bit in Minato's decision. He stood up, and slid his hands in his pockets. He made to leave me, which made me feel quite hurt indeed, but he paused by the door. He peeked outside for a moment, then he looked up into the corner of the room. He locked the door, and then grabbed the chair from the desk nearby. He stood up on it and put his hand over the corner. Then he looked back at me. Though this behavior made me feel very uneasy…I knew he was going to tell me.
With gentle words and careful explanations, he explained to me The Dark Hour. He talked about the Shadows, and about his gift of Persona. He explained what was really behind Apathy Syndrome and the Lost, and about what Strega was, in short. When he was done, he jumped down from the chair and unlocked the door. I threw up into my basket again, heaved for a moment so I could get quite a bit of it from my system, and then I went to ask him questions when I looked up.
Ikutsuki had Minato by his arm, and he didn't look very amused (like he usually did whenever I saw him at Gekkoukan). Minato looked aside, gaze very blank. I wasn't very amused, either.
"You…aren't expecting me…" I started, but I knew that Minato wasn't lying. He didn't lie to me; not about something like that. As ridiculous as it sounded…as freaking crazy as it seemed, I didn't think it was made up. I don't believe in superstitions or fairy tales or the paranormal or any of that crap, but I got a feeling in my stomach that what I had seen was what Minato had described. I scowled. "Is he in trouble for telling me that?"
"Perhaps," Ikutsuki chuckled. It was a very dry chuckle. "He did leave out an important part, though. It involves you." Minato tugged sharply on his arm, eyes flashing but remaining downcast. I was tense, and I wiped my mouth, giving him an even look.
"Do tell."
Ikutsuki chuckled again, letting Minato go, and the boy shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, Odagiri-san, you are quite the miracle. You experienced the Dark Hour, and by all rights, you should've become one of the Lost. Surely you felt your mind being invaded?" I didn't say anything. "I know for a fact that you do not have a Persona, as Arisato-san does. You aren't like him at all. Yet you remain very different from a normal person." I was silent; I didn't know what to say. I knew I wasn't like Minato. That much didn't surprise me.
His next words did. "So, I think I need to see what happens if you were to wake up in the Dark Hour again."
"No!" Minato burst out, his eyes whipping up to Ikutsuki's. "His last experience made him this sick! He could get Apathy Syndrome! Or…Or…"
"He could die?"
I felt very uncomfortable in my stomach at this point. I didn't know what to say; I knew I was scared. I was very scared. Who was this man? His friendly exterior was freezing over with his real personality; it made me very, very nervous. I emphasize very for a reason; because really sounds too wishy-washy and all other words of that nature wouldn't come to mind.
I stood. I knew I shouldn't stand, and my legs wanted to buckle under me, but I tugged up the shoulder and I sneered, arms crossing. "You will do no such thing with me. I am going home now. I have enough authority as Student Council Vice President, and head of the Disciplinary Committee, and as friends with Mitsuru Kirijo that I can, and I will, have you fired and removed if you dare cause me, or Minato, harm." Power felt so good to use. I knew I would probably have dominance issues my entire life, but for right now, I was glad I liked to abuse it. "Step aside. I am not afraid of you, or your threats." Ikutsuki nodded, a very betraying smirk on his warm face, and stepped aside. Numbly, I reached down and slid on my shoes, then grabbed my clothes. I'd return Akihiko's robes later. I…I needed to get out of here.
I moved quickly down the stairs, though I almost fell several times along the way, and I moved through the lower level swiftly. I did not acknowledge Akihiko, Mitsuru, or Junpei as I walked past. I was outside, and well on my way towards home before my legs gave out on me. I cursed myself for my lingering illness, but I was grateful my headache and upset stomach seemed to be lessening. Fear was a pretty good medication in my case, I supposed.
"Hide-kun," Minato said quietly, coming up to me. Since I was unable to really get up, I was just trying to squirm into my pants so I didn't stick out and look so damn foolish. Well, I looked pretty silly, trying to get my pants on while sitting. Minato stood in front of me with a sad look, and I tried not to gaze up. My heart was racing; my fear was catching up faster. My hands were shaking. Minato crouched down and took them, trying to steady them, and looked at me. Simply, I tried to gaze away and pull my hands away to zip up my pants. He didn't let me, and forced me to look at him.
"Hide-kun…I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't…" he whispered, sounding pained. "I…just didn't want you to feel so left out, Hide. Now…you might…be in trouble…" I grit my teeth, but I knew my eyes were losing their shields. Eventually, I just let it drop…and I gazed down.
"…I'm scared," I murmured. "I'm scared. Is he going to actually going to do something?" Minato gave me a weak gaze. He didn't know. I swallowed hard, feeling that tremble worsen in my hands. I opened my mouth to talk again, but one of his fingers pressed against my lips. Running a hand over my hair, flattening it a bit for me, he moved forward and pressed a kiss against my lips. It took me a few seconds to realize what was going on. I was paralyzed until I decided that I was enjoying this.
I pressed back, parting my lips a bit so it was easier and not feeling so forced. The tenseness in our bodies loosened a little, and soon the tremble left my hands. Smart boy, I thought. Smart boy.
When he pulled away, I gave him a thankful smile. He nodded, then gave me a soft smile back. He pulled me into a side alley once he had dragged me to my feet, and he helped me change incognito back into my school uniform. It took me a moment to properly adjust the banner on my arm, and then I nodded. I handed him Akihiko's robes, and he ran his fingers over my messed up hair.
"You should get a haircut," he teased, and I blushed. A little off guard. He didn't usually taunt. I laughed softly, and he nodded. "Good. I'm…glad you're feeling better, Hide-kun…Please, take care getting home." He waved, and left with the robes. I remained in the alley for a moment or two, feeling my lips, and then I smiled a little broader. Nodding in response belatedly, then I left the side alley and continued home. It was late afternoon, and growing a bit dark out, but I didn't notice. I was walking on air. I turned a corner blindly, and between my eyes I met the view of a cold, metal barrel of a handgun. That, I did notice. It was a bit of a buzz kill.