See, I told you that it wouldn't be very long. I don't normally keep my promises, but hey, sometimes I'm on top of things.
Same rules apply to this one, I gotta' set up the story for it to go places. I'm glad that some people are sticking with this. Thanks for support!
Warning: Swearing. Other than that all previous rules still apply.
Disclaimer: The characters still belong to Square Enix. If they did belong to me, I'd be rich and probably still writing FF. But since I'm still dirt poor and writing this, well. . .
Read, review, and fangirl on!
Chapter 5-
As I predicted, the walk was a little long. Neku and I don't talk much- there would be more time for discussion later.
Stepping into the shop I greet the chef. He sits us down at a table for two and takes our orders. As he turns to leave he takes notice of my arm, and stands there for a moment in shock.
"Woah! Sir, would you, um, like a bandage for that?"
"Hmm?" I glance down at my arm, which has been consistently bleeding since here and the Udagawa, "Oh, yes. Thank you, that'd be lovely."
The man leaves quickly and comes back equally fast with some gauze- handing it too me before running back into the kitchen to prepare the never ending orders of food.
Neku seems to take notice of my appearance for the first time, jumping slightly in shock at the sight. Arms bruised and one of them bloody, his mouth opens as to say something, but I ignore his fish act and dip the extra napkin in my glass of water- slowly cleaning the wound and surrounding skin, then bandaging it.
"What? The hell happened to your arms?"Neku asks as I wrap my arm.
"Nothing much," I tell him offhandedly, as if we were discussing the weather, "just got into a bit of a tussle."
"Liar. If those guys back in Udagawa didn't lay a finger on you, then getting those couldn't have been an accident!"
"Sometimes even I can be careless, Neku." I tell him, securing the wrappings and looking up at him. He just stares at me, leaned back in his chair- analyzing. Thinking.
"It was last night with my step-father wasn't it? I knew that he wouldn't miss without a reason."
Way smarter than I gave him credit for. I sigh, "Correct again, Neku."
"That means that the damage spans more than just your arms." Neku observes.
"And how can you tell that, dear?" I place my chin in my hands and stare.
"Because it's never just one spot."
I hide the sad smile behind my hands. I wish this boy didn't need a guardian angel.
"So any more questions, Neku?" I ask as our food arrives.
"Yes. But I'm not gonna' ask them right now."
"Why's that?" I smirk, picking up my chopsticks and digging into the bowl.
"Because you don't have any more intentions to tell me the truth today. Anything that you tell me will be a ready answer and it won't be truthful."
My smirk from falls from my face, and he notices, given away by the glint in his eye. He knows that he just struck a blow that I didn't see coming.
"Neku, Neku. You do catch on quick." I pull my smirk back onto my face. This might actually be fun.
After we finish eating I stand up and stretch. I then proceed to look at Neku, who's staring at me again.
"So anymore stops?" I ask him, tossing the right amount of yen on the table.
"What do you mean?" He stands as well and looks warily at the money.
"It's real, Neku. I'm not a cheat." I giggle at him, "I mean- do you want to stop anywhere else before heading home?"
He follows me out of the stand.
"I have to go back?" He whispers.
"Yeah. You don't have a choice with this one, Neku. I'd rather you didn't but if you don't your parents are going to go all 'ninja' on your ass when you finally do. But I'll be there, and I won't let anything happen to you. You can count on little, old, me."
He glares at me, "Then I want to stop at the Wildcat."
"Then let's go. Though you do realize that it's all the way across town?"
"I don't care." Neku gestures with a hand, "That's where I'm going, and I'm pretty sure that you have to follow."
I raise my arms and shrug my shoulders, "You got me there, Neku. Wherever you go I have to follow." I smirk, "Let's go."
"Hey, Phones. Hey, Boss. What's up?"
"Nothing much." Neku sits down at the counter, "I just have a couple of questions."
"Ones that J won't answer? What a surprise." The sarcasm dripping from his voice.
I shoot Sanae a look at the same time Neku exclaims, "J?"
"Oh," Sanae looks started and then understanding crosses over his face, "a game. Got it. Sorry, Kiddo- you're not going to get any more info than that."
Neku sighs, "At least it's a start. Mr. H, how is it that you can see him?"
I shoot Sanae another glance. He's not free to give out this info.
I needn't worry, "Clairvoyant, Phones. Started talking to this one a while back and soon got pulled into this crazy job."
I know that's the only real question that Neku is going to ask. He can see as well as I can that Sanae is not going to give any detail regarding me or what we do. He continues asking about clairvoyancy for the sake of his curiosity and then moved on why he decided to run the Wildcat if he was as 'special' as he said he was. Topics soon moved to the discussion of the next Cat design. By the time Neku is essentially done it's late and the party life of Shibuya has come out. The open sign on the door has already been flipped and when Neku yawns I decide to wrap up this little party.
Thankfully, Sanae realizes this too.
"Com'on, Phones. Time for you to scamper back home and hit the sheets. It's way past your bedtime."
Neku looks like he's about to say something but Sanae continues, "No arguing, Kiddo. Boss has gotta' get you home in one piece, safe and sound. Let's not give him a hard time tonight."
Neku groans and stands up, "Fine," he grumbles and walks over to the door, "Thanks for everything, Mr. H." He pushes open the door and I move to follow, but Sanae stops me.
"J, just give him all the info. He can take it, and he's a smart kid- he's gonna figure it out eventually. And when he finally he does he's gonna' be pissed that he didn't hear it from you. If he rejects you and you flicker out, well I can't help you then and everything is gonna' go to hell in a hand-basket."
"Like what? My name?" I give him a look that says I want the discussion to be over, but he doesn't let it drop."
"That too, but more like the fact that your presence all these years is the only thing that got him past preschool and all the days after. Those scrapes you have now are some of the lightest I've ever seen you with. He doesn't know how much crap you go through daily just to keep him safe."
"And it's going to stay that way, Sanae." My eyes flare as I glare at him, "I'll tell him things in due course, but there are some things that shouldn't be talked about and that is one of them. If you tell him, I swear-"
"Woah," Sanae's hands go up in defense, "I'm not going to tell him, J. I know how Neku is, he'll blame himself for everything. I'm just saying, if you don't tell him then who will? And when the truth does come out all the shit will hit the fan- and it'll probably mean that you fade and he dies."
"Since when have you been able to tell the future?" I snap.
"Since never. I'm just saying what I think will happen."
My gaze lowers to the floor, "I- I'm having more fun than I have in a long time, Sanae. Playing this little name game with him, and he- Neku's been more lively today than I've seen from him in years. This'll keep him wondering and guessing. Life won't be as much of a chore for him anymore. If I fade then so be it. But he's not going to die because I withhold information. I'll make plans for another to take my place if it comes to it."
Sanae puts a hand on my shoulder, "I don't want either of you to revert to what you were. You before he was born, or him before he found reasons to get up. But do you really think that another angel will be able to protect him like you? You are the best of the be-"
Neku pokes his head back into the shop and gives us a quizzical look, "You coming or what, 'stalker dude'?"
I perk up for his benefit, "You could call me 'Angel'?" I tease, walking closer to the exit. He gives me a horrified look and ducks back outside. I smirk and to once more to look at Sanae.
"I'm gonna' keep him guessing while he can. Before he get's too used to me, or so afraid of me that I have to assign another angel to him. . . or go back to being invisible." I add that last part without much hope. I'd have to re-assign.
"Or until he gets so sick of putting up with you that he forces you to leave."
I laugh and open the door, "Yeah that too." it slams shut behind me and I walk over to Neku.
"Sorry for the wait, dear. I had a few things that I needed to discuss with Sanae away from prying ears."
"Don't call me 'dear'." He snaps, and we start the walk back home, "What were you talking about?" he finally asks.
"Grown up things." I smirk and he glares at me.
"Jerk." He murmurs and I can't help but giggle.
His parents are comatose when we arrive back at his 'home', but Neku still climbs up through the bathroom window. I choose to simply appear in his room, at which he tries not to look startled.
Grabbing a towel and his pajamas, he creeps back into the bathroom to take a quick shower. While he does that I sit on his desk and raise my frequency to one that only he can see, then send Sanae a quick text.
Make sure to give out the plans/orders for tomorrow.
- J
A minute later I get a reply.
Already done.
- S
I smile and click my phone shut as Neku comes back into the bedroom.
"Jin."
"What?" I look at him confused. He's spouting nonsense.
"Does this mean that I'm right?" He sits on the side of his bed, waiting for an answer.
My mind clicks and I grin at him, at which he scowls, "We're playing the guessing game."
"Yes." Neku snaps, "So did I get it right?"
"What do you think?" I change my position on the desk so that I can properly face him.
". . . No." He grumbles after a minute.
"Then there's your answer."
He scowls again and I giggle, which makes the expression deepen.
"Jackson?"
"Nope."
"You're not making this easy." He informs me.
"Please, dear." I wave a hand in front of me, "Sanae gave you a hint. It was harder than hell a few hours ago."
"You can say that?"
"Of course, dear. There's nothing in the rulebook that says otherwise."
His eyebrows raise, "There's a rulebook?"
"Yes. Even Angels need a couple of rules to live by."
"Like what?"
"All in due time, my dear Neku. I mean, you just met me today, and you don't even know my name yet. How can you expect me to tell you everything?" I giggle and his temper rises.
"I feel like I'm going to get that a lot, and you've known me much longer than that." He mumbles, "Julian?" Neku shoots, but I catch it easily.
"No, but one of my colleagues would be very offended to know that you thought I was him."
"Uggh." He groans, and then sighs, "Com'ere. . . blondie."
"Neku, I did give you a name to call me by." I remind him.
"Like hell I'm going to call you that!" He protests, "Now come here." he motions to part of the bed in front of him.
"Why?" I don't like where this is going.
"Cause' I'm allowed to make a couple of demands of you. Now come on."
My body moves on it's own. I get up from the desk and pad over to the bed- which I look at apprehensively. Breathing out deeply I sit down in front of him- facing Neku, and putting a look of annoyance on my face.
"What is it?"
"Turn around." He's all business.
I comply and move so that I'm looking out the window.
"Now wh-" I cut myself off as his hands push up the back of my shirt.
I'm pretty sure I know what he's doing, and it's not good. . . for either of us.
"Neku, dear, pray tell what you're doing."
"It's just as I thought," He sighs, one hand gingerly touching my back, "It's all bruised."
Dammit that kid is too smart for his own good. If he's like this when I get hurt, well, then this relationship isn't going to pan out.
"It's nothing." I sigh, and try to pull away, "I've gotten worse from other cases."
The lie is smooth. There have been no other cases. I've been injured worse by his parents, all over the place. But there's no way that I'm telling him that.
"Either way, this happened on my watch." He grips a hand on my shoulder, "Stay put." he orders, and I have to obey.
He pulls out a first aid kit from under his bed, one that I haven't seen in a while. He takes out the ointment and turns back to me.
"Do Angels heal fast?" He asks as he rubs the medicine into my skin.
The cold makes me shiver, which he takes as a sign of pain and rubs lighter, "We heal faster than humans, but not at light speed or right away. It does take time.
I neglect to mention that the worse the ailment the longer it takes to heal. It'd just make him upset.
It's quiet in the room til Neku suddenly starts the names again.
"Jordan?"
"Wrong." I pull down my shirt and he goes for my arms. I evade and hop back onto the desk.
Neku frowns at me, "Junpei?"
"Incorrect."
"Jack, John?"
"No and no. you're going to run out of names soon." I inform him, bemusement on my face.
"Uggh. Just tell me- is it something ordinary or complicated?"
"All in due time, dear. You'll be able to tell me if you guess correctly."
He bites his tongue so he can control what he says. He's never been good at dealing with people, but I'm the worse one of all.
"Are you going to sleep on that desk?" He ask with some incredibility to his voice, bypassing anger in an attempt to change the subject.
"What do you think?" I turn my head to look at him.
"I could set up a futon. . ." Neku trails off and looks at me, expecting an actual answer.
"And let your parents get mad at you for having someone over? No."
"But you're here-"
"That still doesn't mean that they won't give you crap about it later. And how are you going to explain it to them when the other person isn't in the house? They can't see me."
"Touché." He grumbles and sighs, "Are you gonna' be okay over there?" Neku asks tentatively.
"Aww! Is Neku worried about me? That's really sweet." I smirk and he scowls. This is becoming regular routine, "Don't worry." I tell him, "I'll be fine. I've been sleeping here for a while."
"Longer than two days. . ." He mumbles.
"What is it, dear?" I ask.
"Nothing." He throws an extra blanket at me before rolling over and covering himself with his own. I grin at the gesture and make myself more comfortable on the desk.
"Goodnight. . . J." Neku quickly says from across the room.
I smile at this, "Goodnight, Neku."
I hope that you people liked it. I think that the plot will keep getting better. I still like what I'm writing so that's good- I hope that the rest of you do too. Until then, Em out!