ღLast time on Picking up the Piecesღ

Small arms wrapped around mine to hold me back. I struggled for a second, elbowing the person in the chest before closing the gap completely. A flash of lightning, and Rai's eyes filled with horror. His mouth opened and shut with an inaudible snap. Takashi and Akira looked at me, I moved quickly. Punching him in the face, he stumbled backwards, nose bleeding instantly.

"Rai!" Kotoko cried and ran forward. I brought my fist up as she ran by; colliding with it, she fell to the ground with a thud. Rai stood up and grabbed my shoulders, I felt searing pain in one side and gasped. He leaned closer.

"If you don't come with me, I will have everyone in this house killed," he whispered quietly, I saw the non-changing looks in the other's eyes and knew they didn't hear him. I pushed him away.

"I'll be ready to go in a moment." I muttered, slipping up the staircase and into my bathroom.

ღNowღ

Akira followed me after telling Takashi to not let Rai do anything drastic. He made me sit down and bite onto a towel as he removed the knife. I took off my shirt, painfully aware of how it felt to move, and faced away from him. He explained quietly that when Takashi and Satoshi were younger, they would cut themselves very frequently on the swords they used. He knew exactly how to handle the situation, even how to dress and care for the wound. It was something that his family had passed down since the days when the Morinozuka's and Haninozuka's fought alongside each other as servant and master.

He made me prepare the thread and needle as he stilled the blood flow. I asked him why he didn't take me to the hospital like he normally would. "The knife didn't go too deep, it was held in there. Besides, I want to help you, and taking you to the hospital will just ensure that you will be forever out of our reach to bring you back into our safety."

"I don't need the protection," I hummed as I handed him the suture supplies and he begun his work. I hissed lightly at the painfully tugging on the injured skin, but gripped the towel on my lap tightly. He told me to relax, so it wouldn't hurt as much.

"This says otherwise," his deep voice intoned with a hint of bitter amusement. I quirked a smile and we fell silent as he continued his job. "Take a shower, avoid too much water hitting the wound, and clean the blood off. After you get out, I'll bandage it," he patted my head. I stood up, feeling tired.

"I'd give you a hug," I murmured as he cleaned up the supplies. "We both know we're not huggy people, and I'm covered in blood."

He ruffled my hair before washing his hands from the blood. "I'll hug you before you leave," he promised with a faint smile. He left me alone, closing the door behind him. I turned and peered over my shoulder at the wound. It looked very professionally done and I sighed. The bloodied knife still lay on the counter. I pushed it into the sink and ran some water over it. Cleaning my blood from the surface before placing it to the side.

I grabbed the hot water tap and twisted it on. Hot water poured from the faucet, making steam rise and envelope the bathroom. I twisted the cool water tap and adjusted it until the water was the right temperature. After stripping, I took a dark cloth and stepped into the water. I let the water soak me before ringing the cloth out of access water and started scrubbing the dried blood off my arm. The red swirled into the clear water and into the drain.

The cut was free of dried and crusty blood. Blood still seeped through the bandage, making me a bit dizzy, and the warm water wasn't helping. I cut the water and stepped out. Quickly drying myself down and pulling on clothes. Akira came in once I called for him. He cleaned some blood off before bandaging my shoulder expertly.

"I'll wait for you downstairs," he spoke calmly, he pulled me into a hug and then left the room. I blinked once, and twice, before it registered that he hugged me. I smiled. He was an excellent father, and I truly wished that he was my birth father. Maybe everything would be different. I turned and looked in the mirror

Deep set purple under my eyes marked my sleepless nights. I sighed and pulled my good hand through my short brunette hair. This was either going to turn out really bad, or decent. I voted for the former. I don't deserve to stay here with the Morinozuka's. After all, I did kill my father. I have been hiding this from everyone for two years. If I continue living with them, even under the same name as them, I will feel guilty. I thought, her eyelids opening to reveal the hidden confusion that lay buried in her heart. He would kill them if I stayed. My future was set regardless if I wanted it or not.

A knock was heard on the bathroom door, I turned my head towards it and opened the door. Takashi of course, speak of the devil. I looked up at him, annoyance evident in my features. They softened when I saw how he looked. His body was ridged, but then again, it was always like that. Albeit his eyes where softened and sad. He reached over and touched just beside the swollen part of my shoulder.

"I should have know," he rumbled quietly, most likely to himself. Nevertheless, I still blinked twice in confusion and quirked my eyebrow up at him. He looked down, and dropped his hand. "Kotoko." He rumbled again. I nodded. I looked at his gray eyes before turning away from him. That stare he was giving me, just made me want to start kissing him, right there. Except, that wouldn't be quiet 'Haruhi-like' of me to do.

"Why did you trust her?" I asked, brushing past him and into my room to begin packing. He followed me and stilled my hands. It was then he noticed I was only in my bra and flushed, but held my gaze. He looked at me, seriously, before leaning in and kissing me gently on the side of the mouth.

"It was a misjudgement," he whispered, I blinked again in confusion. I placed my hands on his shoulders as he turned to go back down stairs. He looked down at me.

"Why did you go on a date with her?" I demanded, quietly. He stopped and turned to face me.

"I don't deserve you..."

"You're wrong Takashi." I said, before my hands slipped from his shoulders and fell down beside me. I walked to my drawers. I slipped on a dark tee shirt, one that I, ahem, 'borrowed' from Satoshi's room the other day. I shoved the other clothes into the duffle bag I would normally use to go with the family when they went on group outings to Takashi or Satoshi's tournaments

"I don't deserve you." I whispered as I walked out of the room.