Heyy readers. How's it hanging? Did you guys like that last chapter? I know it took forever for me to put out, but I at least got around to it. Ok, so I want to personally thank Reviewangle for the extremely helpful critic. Thank you. I am working on this by myself, my friend who does my editing doesn't do fanfiction so I'm riding solo on this one. And I love all the reviews and follows I get on this one story alone, because I've never done an anime story before and you guys make me feel like I'm doing a really good job. So, for like the third time in this, Thank you.
So, Monkey finally showed up and we got a small look at Ayame's real feelings for Yata. And then she got hurt. I know some of you might hate me for that, but trust me...she'll be fine. I would't do that to you guys unlike some authors out there in the world.
So, without further ado, let's make it do what it do-
I had blacked out...
"What the hell?" I groaned as I turned over in an extremely uncomfortable bed. A sudden sharp pain raked over my body, and everything hit me. I remembered everything. As the memory of Yata getting hurt hit my mind and shot up. "Fuck!" I screamed as the pain hit me again...and hard.
"Ayame!" I heard several people gasp.
"Dammit, lay down." I knew that one. A pair of hands, I presuming Yata's pushed me back down on the bed. I opened my eyes and saw everyone. Yata was pushing me back down onto the bed, Akagi, Rikio, and Bando looked as if they were moving to help me, Dewa and Chitose were by the window looking sorry, and Kosuke and Eric were half sitting in the chairs. Kusanagi was by the door. Everyone was here...even Anna who was hiding behind Kusanagi.
"Where am I?" I asked stupidly. I was in the hospital obviously.
"You're in the fucking hospital." Yata snapped. "And you wouldn't be if you hadn't stupidly jumped out in front of a fight you had no fucking business being in." His arm was wrapped up.
"Your arm." I totally ignored him and reached up, ignoring the pain as well.
"What?" He raised a brow and looked at me like I was stupid. "My arm is fucking fine. You're the one with a fucking gash in your back." He said harshly.
I ignored him and focused on his arm. If I had just jumped in when that whole fucking fight had started I could have stopped all of this. Yata wouldn't have gotten hurt and I wouldn't be in the hospital. Stupid fucking Blues. I ran my hand over the bandages. I wondered how bad it was. Was it deep?
"Dammit, will you ignore my fucking arm!" He snapped.
"How bad is it?" I asked, ignoring him a third time.
"You have a fucking busted open back, and your worried about a little cut in my arm? Are you that fucking thick?" He pushed my hand away.
"No," I snapped back. "I'm not the one that got into a stupid fight! That fucking jackass was goading you, Yata, and you couldn't even see that." I was pissed that he called me thick. He was the one who was thick. Like ridiculously thick skulled.
"I know what he was doing, Ayame. I just didn't care." He growled.
So, he didn't care that I begged him to walk away? "Go away." I said flatly.
"Excuse me?" He gasped.
"I said go away." I repeated flatly.
"Can you guys give us a minute?" Yata growled, eyes still pinned on me.
"Don't hurt her, Yata!" Anna snapped.
"He won't, Anna." Kusanagi reassured her and left with the others.
"What is your deal?" He barked.
"My deal? Maybe you should tell me what yours is, because I'm not the one who started this." I scoffed.
"You want to know my deal?" He growled. "You almost fucking died!" He yelled and pushed my hospital shirt up. There was so much gauze around my abdomen. "You back was torn open. And you lost a lot of fucking blood." He said softer. "And you don't care."
"I do care." I said sharply. "But I care more about you and everyone else. You guys are my only family and I was terrified that you had been seriously hurt." My words were edged and emotional. "I begged you not to fight. I told you we should have just left, but you 'didn't care'." I threw his words back at him.
"I'm fine." He laughed lightly. "Here," He said and unwrapped his arm. "See? It's not all that bad." He said. It was too bad, but it was still deep. "Will you please take care of yourself now?"
"Yes." I said quietly.
"Thank you." He said and got up.
"Yata, when can I go home?" I suddenly asked.
"The dorms-"
"No, home. When can I go back?" I asked again, being more specific on what home was.
"Oh, uh," He rubbed the back of neck and looked around. "I don't know. Why?"
"I don't want to stay here by myself." I admitted.
He went wide-eyed and rubbed the back of his neck a little harder. "Uh, what do you want me to do? Stay here?" He wasn't looking at me and he was blushing. I thought it was kind of cute how flustered he still got with me.
"Please?" I asked.
He looked at me and then sighed. "If they don't release you tonight, I'll stay again."
"Again?" I raised a brow. He tensed and paled.
"Did I say again?" He laughed nervously.
"Yes." I smirked.
"I meant, uh-"
"He meant he stayed here last night while you were in ICU! He wouldn't go to sleep until you were put in here. He stayed on the couch!" I heard one of the boys-probably Kusanagi-say from behind the door.
I laughed and looked at him. "Yata, that's sweet that you were worried about me."
"I just-"
"Because I was hopping you stayed." I shot out.
"You what?" He, and all the guys outside, gasped.
"Yata, I wanted you to stay. Out of everyone I'm glade you were the one who stayed here with me and watched over me." I smiled.
"Well, I-I just-"
I lifted myself up as much as I could and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed deeply and froze. He looked over at me with wide-eyes and a pounding heart. I could hear it from where I was laying it was going so fast.
"Why did you-"
"You really are the thick one." I rolled my eyes and kissed his lips. He tensed up so bad I thought he had had a heart attack. I went to pull away, but he leaned back in and kissed me. It wasn't rough or hungry. It was nice and sweet and amazing. I prayed this wasn't a dream.
I pulled away to lay back down, my back beginning to ache tremendously. I was smiling and he was smiling. I scooted over a little and patted the open space next to me. He was hesitant, but he got onto the bed and draped an arm around my shoulders. I put the TV on and let some movie play. I drifted off to sleep not long after that. I cuddled up close to Yata, enjoying every minute of this bliss.
I woke up against something hard and warm. It smelt good, and was snoring softly. I opened my eyes and saw Yata's chest. I was cuddled up next to him, my face pressed against his solid chest. I snuggled up closer and was careful not to do anything to my back. His arm was just above my head and the other was draped lightly over my waist. If I could wake up like this forever I would, no questions asked. Remembering the small and yet amazing kisses we shared the previous day came flooding into my head, making me smile more. I reached up and pushed back his beautiful chestnut hair from his relaxed face. I just took him in. I never thought I could feel this way about a person. I mean, I had only known Yata for a few months, but it felt like I had known him forever and I wouldn't be able to breath without him. We barely knew each other, and yet I felt like he saw me in the most vulnerable, most real way.
I felt wanted. That was something I hadn't felt in a long time.
"What are you doing?" He asked sleepily, his eyes still closed.
I retracted my hand quickly and blushed. "Nothing." I squeaked.
He opened an eye and a small sleepy smile presented itself on his lips. "You're such a fucking weirdo." He said groggily. He looked over and reached for his watch. "What time is it?" He yawned.
"Like nine in the morning." I yawned along with him. Whatever scientist said that yawns were contagious wasn't lying.
"Dammit." He groaned and started to get up.
"You've got assignments today?" I asked, forcing myself not to move too much.
"Assignment." He corrected. "If you even want to call it that." He shrugged and put his shoes on.
"What are you doing?" I asked, pressing for more information.
He looked at me from the corner of his eye and then sighed. "We're going to get your stuff from that dorm today."
"Why are you-"
"You're a part of HOMRA, you basically live at the bar already. And now that the Blues know who you are and your school year is nearly up, it's time you stay permanently." He said as he tied his laces.
"Yata, I'm a big girl I can-"
"I didn't decided that by myself, Ayame." He cut me off. "Kusanagi feels it's time too. It's not just me."
"You promise?" I raised a brow.
"Swear." He crossed his heart and held his hands out in surrender.
"Ok, fine. I doubt my brother will continue paying the bill anyways. Not now that I'm officially out of his hair forever." I said aloud.
"That's another thing. You're brother." He said.
"What about him?" I furrowed my brows. Haru was still and forever would be a sore subject.
"You're going to have to tell me about him. Why you hate him so much." Yata was serious. He wanted to know and he wasn't taking no for an answer.
"Haru's just a bad person. He hates me and the feeling is completely mutual." I muttered and looked away.
"And that would be because..." He was pressing for more info. Gr-eat.
"OK, so you want the whole thing like now?" I raised a brow. Yata didn't answer, so I kept going, "Haru was my mother's biological son with her previous husband/boyfriend guy, I don't really know. When they split and my mother met my father they got married and had me. My mother requested that Haru come see us, but his father told her to basically go to hell and take me with her. So, Haru and I never met and while my parents never even mentioned him, his father told him horrible crap about my family.
So, when my parents died the only biological family I had was in fact Haru. By law he was stuck with me, and he had already made up him mind to hate me. He made it obvious he didn't care for me and he sent me as far away as legally possible the second he could. That's when I started Ashinaka. I was only twelve and had no family, no friends, and only saw my brother seven days out of the year. Those seven days became dreaded hell for me. The first day the family shrink and a officer who was in charge of our case would come out and have sessions with us. The second through the seventh day was just me wondering around the town because Haru refused to let me be alone at his house. He paid my dorm bills so I could stay through the summer and sent me barely enough food money to live off of. That's how it's been for six years, and it's how it will be for the rest of my entire life." There it was. The whole Haru story. The basic gesit of my relationship with my jackass brother.
Yata went to open his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "I don't want an 'I'm sorry' or any pity bullshit, ok? I accepted my relationship with my brother a long ass time ago and I don't care for him. There's nothing to be sorry about or to pity. Haru and I will never see each other again anyways, so there's no use in apologizing for my brother's horrible existence."
"Ok. I won't bring him up again." Yata held his hands up in defense. "But I've got to go." He sighed and looked down at his watch. He suddenly blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll see you later ok?" He said awkwardly and went to leave. I reached out and grabbed his wrist. I pulled him closer and gave him a goodbye kiss.
"I'll see you later, dork." I said and let him go. I curled back up in the bed with the pillow Yata had slept on, and then drifted back off to sleep.
Several more days passed by and I sat in the hospital. Yata stayed every night and left every morning. He stayed gone for the most of the day and then came back just in time to shower and sleep. It was nice to just have him to myself. We talked, we laughed, we really formed a real relationship. Rikio would bring me homework I missed in school, how he got it I had no clue. Even though I stayed in the hospital, the search for Yushiro kept going. They got a few more hits on his location and Anna tried her best to track him, but she didn't have too much luck. She came and visited with Kusanagi when he had time to stop by. Chitose and Akagi took turns standing guard, which I had said I didn't need a million times, but they insisted they stay.
And then I was released.
"Take it easy." Yata said calmly as he helped me out of the hospital. Rikio had brought me a change of clothes, the most comfortable sweat pants and t-shirt he could find in my clothes. He tried his best and I thanked him for it, but the elastic in my sweats went just under the cut in my back, making it a little sore. I had braided my hair to the side, keeping it out the way, but it would probably fall before I even got to HOMRA.
"Yata, how are we getting there? I mean, it's not like we own a car." I said truthfully. In the several months I had been a part of HOMRA I hadn't seen one car. Not a single one. They were all motor bikes, Yata's board, my skates, and then mostly walking. There wasn't one safe transportation vehicle HOMRA owned...I though.
"We have the van." Yata raised a brow as if what I said was dumb. I didn't know we owned a van. How was I supposed to know that when I hadn't ever seen the damn thing.
"Oh." All I could say was 'oh'. I didn't have anything else to say.
The white van that HOMRA apparently owned pulled up, Kusanagi in the driver's seat and Anna in the front passenger. Yata helped Anna out and then helped me in. He and Anna got into the back, where I quickly realized there weren't really any seats. They all made sure I was ok before Kusanagi drove off. It was pretty silent due to the early morning time. I almost fell back to sleep a few several times. When we pulled up Kusanagi and Yata got out and both helped me out of the van. Anna clung to my shirt, trying not to pull down.
"Anna, why don't you give Aya her space, ok? She still in a little pain." Kusanagi said softly.
"It's ok, Kusanagi. I'm just a little sore, she isn't hurting anything." I smiled and patted down Anna's hair. "Plus, I love it when she clings to me."
"Alright, if that's what you want." He said, putting his hands up in defeat.
"Come on, Aya, let's get you to bed." Yata said as if he got to decide where I was going.
"I want to stay down here, Yata. I've been laying down for three weeks." I rolled my eyes as we walked into the building.
Just as we pushed the door open a cloud 'POP' erupted and then several men all yelling, "Welcome home, Ayame!" It was amazing and gave me an even bigger since of home. Akagi, Chitose, Rikio, Eric, all of them rushed over to give me hugs that they were reminded to be gentle with by Yata, who decided cursing and growling was the way to do it. Every last one of them asked how I was doing, if I was feeling ok, made jokes about the thin scar forming across my back, asked me if I wanted to sit down or go upstairs to bed. It was nice to know people truly cared.
"I'm fine guys, really. I'm just a little sore, but moving around will help that in time." I laughed as Yata stood behind me, ready to see if I'd fall, collapse, or get tired. Boy was he over protective today. "The doctor even said I'm healing up faster than he thought, so I'm just peachy."
"If you say so." Rikio shrugged and patted me a little roughly on the shoulder. I winced, but nothing more than that.
"Hey, Fat ass! Didn't I just fucking tell you to keep it fucking easy?" And Yata blew. I rolled my eyes and turned to face him.
"He didn't mean it." I defended Rikio.
"Aya-"
"He didn't mean to, Yata." I said softly. "But thank you for worrying." I smiled and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He tensed and blushed profusely, which was cute. He softened pretty much after that...well, I say that, but he stayed next to my side giving everyone the death glare. That's my over protective boyfriend.
...Boyfriend. It had been nearly a month, but that word still made my whole body tingle. Yata and I were dating, like really together and shit. I knew I liked him, but I never really thought in a million years that we'd end up together. Especially not when I first met him and he was all closed off.
I looked around the room and my heart swelled. I know I've said this like a gazillion times, but I was so happy to finally have that feeling of family again. Everyone was laughing, playing around, Yata had his arm draped carefull around my shoulders, a smile on his face, Kusanagi was watching over everyone like a observant and happy parents...if that makes since. And Anna was latched onto my side like a little sister. It was great. I hoped it would never change.