What's up, everyone? I guess this chapter is one of the more of the AyanoxKazuma fluff chapters. Hopefully this is a good chapter, since I waited so long to update. And thanks to Zephyra-chan for the battle scene advice! It's greatly appreciated! ^-^
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To be curt, I was scared. I was having a horrible dream where everything was black, dark, and full of--nothing. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, and couldn't even scream for help. In the distance, I thought I heard yells and shouts...blasts and gusts of wind like there was a storm going on...
Then I heard a very familiar voice; one that always filled me with warmth: Kazuma.
I listened some more, and realized that the far-away shouts were threats. What was going on?! Was Kazuma fighting someone? I needed to help!
I struggled to move again, but I couldn't. Something held me back; locked my muscles in place against my own will. What the heck?! I thought angrily, fighting against the hold as much as I could. Why can't I move?! But no matter how hard I fought and pushed against my strange, invisible binding, I couldn't move. I couldn't even twitch.
Once in a while, as I continued to struggle, I would suddenly sink into a deeper, dreamless sleep. But then, quick as it happened, I would return to the awful nightmare of immobility.
Wind roared even louder than before in the distance, and I could practically picture Kazuma's purification winds tearing down from the sky to the earth. Strangely, the sound was almost comforting. I guess it was because it was the only thing that seemed normal in this bizarre dream. It almost seemed like a lullaby, slowly letting me relax and letting the panic of not being able to move seep away, and even letting me sink away...from the...noise...
........................................
"Ayano?"
His voice flowed through the bleariness of sleep, waking me up a little. Was this still a dream, or was I really waking up this time?
"Ayano. Can you wake up for me?"
Wait a second. He kind of sounded breathless. I frowned to myself and tried to wake up more; fighting against the heavy fog that filled my mind.
Something suddenly touched my cheek. Kazuma's hand?
I heard him sigh. "And here I thought your day couldn't get worse," he said sympathetically.
That woke me up. I snapped my eyes open to see Kazuma leaning over me, his hand still resting against my cheek. Above him, the navy blue sky was cast in a slight glow by the moon and stars.
I irritatedly pushed his hand away, trying to ignore the tingles that went down my back at his touch. "Don't touch me!" I snapped. I sat up and looked around. I was in my courtyard. I turned to give him a glare. "Care to tell me why I'm sleeping out here with you watching me?" I snarled. Really, who just sat and watched people sleep?!
Kazuma just gazed down at me from where he knelt beside me. He looked kind of beat...kind of like he did after he summoned all of his power. His eyes were guarded and unreadable as they bore into mine.
After a minute, I frowned. "What?" I asked.
Suddenly, he clenched his teeth together with a snapand put his head and hands on my shoulders in a sort-of hug. "K-K-Kazuma?" I stuttered in surprise, my cheeks heating up.
"That bastard," Kazuma snarled, his voice sounding a little shaky. "He almost killed you!"
I froze, listening to his ragged breathing in my air. "What?" I asked in confusion.
"Do you remember anythingfrom earlier today?" Kazuma asked, pulling away and looking into my eyes.
I tried not to let his prying eyes try to confuse me. "Well....the last thing that I remember is seeing a blond-haired boy. That's the last thing I remember. After that, there's...nothing." I looked at him, and saw that his jaw was tight, and his eyes blazed with anger. "...Kazuma? What happened? Do you know him?" I asked uncertainly.
Kazuma snorted in disgust. "Know him? Not really. But I know enough and he's done enough to make me hate his guts."
This was getting annoying. What had happened today? "Kazuma!" I said sharply, grabbing the front of his shirt in my fist. "What. Happened. Today?"
"Today, when I left you, I went to talk to Tachibana," Kazuma started, ignoring my angry fist. "She gave me a solo case specifically because she didn't want what happened today to happen."
I tightened my fist. This was getting nowhere.
"Stop being impatient," Kazuma said in annoyance. "Recently there's been a lot of cases of girls going missing and dying because their boyfriends failed to find them in this twisted freak's 'Hide and Seek' game. Today, that blond-haired guy that you last saw, he's the culprit. His name is Kenichi Seki."
I stared at him, listening to every word. I still hadn't released my hold on his shirt.
"Every time he speaks directly to a girl who's having an emotional instability at the time, he has complete control over her. After he does, he takes her away and hides her; leaving a note in her boyfriend's room telling him where to find him, at what time, what's going on, and what the stakes are."
My brow furrowed in confusion. "But--if the boy revealed himself, wouldn't the police just be contacted and arrest him or something?"
Kazuma's eyes flashed. "The kid plays dirty. He clearly states that if anyone is told and he himself is harmed, instant suffering is inflected on the girl."
I curled my lip in disgust. "Playing safe, huh?" I growled. I unconsciously tightened my grip on Kazuma's shirt.
"Yeah. And the victim alwaysdies." Kazuma's hands suddenly wrapped around the hand and wrist that held his shirt. My cheeks flared, and my heart sped up. I was suddenly caught in his intense gaze, and I couldn't look away. "And that's exactly what almost happened to you today," he said. "He took you, Ayano."
His hold on my hand was warm and gentle. I was already being distracted by his eyes; I didn't need to be distracted by his touch, too! I tried to pull away, releasing his shirt, but his grip only tightened. He pulled me closer, so his face was mere inches from mine. "How do you think I found out what was going on, Ayano?" he asked in a low voice.
I stared, mesmerized, into his dark eyes. I thought through his question and realized with a jolt that Kazuma had gotten the letter.
Which meant...
"No!" I shouted, shaking my head quickly as my cheeks got even more red (if that's even possible). "That's not how it is! You know that better than I do, Kazuma!" I clamped my lips together, realizing what I'd just said. Would he see the double meaning behind that last sentence?
If he had seen the true meaning (which he probably did), he didn't show it. He put his face even closer to mine, and a smirk suddenly played at the corners of his mouth. "Are you sure that's true?" he asked, his warm breath fanning my face.
I tried to keep my breathing even. "S-s-s-stop being an idiot!" I snapped, trying to cover my embarrassment with rude comments. I pulled away and stood up quickly.
Kazuma stood up and looked at me, still smirking. "Go get some rest. You look like hell."
Rage instantly boiled up inside me. I summoned Enraiha to attack, but Kazuma was already hovering out of reach above me.
"Take a moment to calm down," he said sarcastically.
I ignored him and took a few deep breaths. After a few minutes, I was calm enough to put Enraiha away. "So did you get rid of the guy or what?" I asked.
"No. I'm going to go kick his ass tomorrow," Kazuma said with arrogant surety.
"Do I get to help?" I asked, anger tightening my voice. At that moment, nothingwould have made me feel as good as flying at Kenichi with Enraiha and splitting him in half.
"Nope." Kazuma grinned down at me evilly.
"Why?" I demanded flatly.
"Because you'll be no help. You'll be hypnotized by his voice."
I tried not to let that comment get on my nerves...even though it was true.
There was silence as I stared up at him, feeling frustrated that I didn't get to help him fight that idiot Kenichi. Kazuma just smirked down at me the whole time.
"I have a question, Ayano," Kazuma said after a few quiet minutes.
"What?" I snapped.
"If Kenichi can only mesmerize girls having emotional instabilities, what were you mad about when he caught you?"
Funny how he instantly assumed my 'emotional instability' was fury. "I was mad because you piss me off!" I yelled up at his smug face. "You're an idiot!" I whirled and stomped inside, leaving Kazuma behind as I tried to control my emotions. Like that will ever happen.
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Okay, this was a longer chapter! Read and review, please! I hope it was okay and not too out of character! ^-^