Chapter 8

Kotetsu struggled against her bonds as she tried to see through the blind fold that Rufus had put on her. She could feel the ropes pulling at her skin, could feel them burn as she caused more friction in her frantic attempts to get free of this place.

She was not an animal, contrary to popular belief, and she didn't like the new direction Rufus was going in. Last night had actually been okay until the tying up had started...

Kotetsu tried to rid her mind of images from the night before, her nether regions stinging a little in memory of it all. Rufus had been far gentler than her master had ever been, but he still did not care for her the way she would have liked. He had called her such horrible names, even slapped her a few times. But still the best experience she had had thus far.

Of course, until all this tying up and sexual torture had started...

Kotetsu felt her heart skip a beat as she heard the main doors open with a crash. Hopefully Rufus wouldn't take his rage out on her... Gawd she hated to be held down like this, hated to have to trust that the other wasn't going to harm her too much, or even kill her. It went against all her training and survival instincts...

Kotetsu's heart sunk as she realised with her keen senses, that the person, most likely a man, that had entered the room was not Rufus. His walk was a little off in rhythm, his weight being slightly more, his shoes a lot clumpier... She begged and pleaded that they didn't burst into the bedroom, hoped and wished that they would just be on their way and wouldn't see her lying there in the nip, a shameful pose that was causing her cheeks to redden.

But of course, her luck would have that the bedroom doors burst open, accompanied by an angry growl that echoed for what felt like forever in the room. Oh well, it wasn't like she had much dignity anyway, why not ruin some poor man's day with her offending body? She couldn't help but wonder why this shit always seemed to happen to her... though she knew she wasn't alone in this abuse, she still couldn't help but feel she had had her fair share already...

Kotetsu tensed as she felt the blanket of the bed get pulled over her and hands touch her wrists, making quick work of the knots that held her tight. She wanted nothing more than to be left alone with herself, to go back to the dreams of what ifs, with Cloud being the leading figure, naturally...

"Don't worry, you're safe now." Kotetsu's heart stopped as she recognised said blondes voice, and then proceeded to sink in embarrassment. Of all the times to appear, of all the times to be the hero...

Cloud untied the ropes on her feet, his anger being fuelled now by pure rage, disgust and somehow jealousy. He was going to end Rufus's life!

Kotetsu pulled the blindfold off her eyes as she felt Cloud's gloved hands against her naked back, helping her to sit up as he sat down beside her. So many questions ran through his mind, but he waited for the girl to adjust to her surroundings. All he should really be thinking about right now was getting Kotetsu out before they were found. Reno had made it very clear that they only had a half hour window of opportunity to get the whole mission completed, and he had already wasted most of it looking for Kotetsu. He looked over to see the empty eyes of the girl he remembered. The girl he had longed to help and protect, and had failed to do so, miserably. He held in his temper as he watched the now covered up girl, wondering what his best course of action from here was.

First of all he had to find Kotetsu's clothes. He made quick work of his search in the bedroom and in the vast living room, only to find that the arsehole had ripped them when he had taken them off the girl violently, presumably the night before. Plan B. Holding in another spout of rage he stormed back into the bedroom, grabbing some of the ropes Rufus had used as he approached the statuesque girl. She refused to look at him, though this time it was for different reasons. The tension of the moment was thick.

"Please. I'm not going to hurt you." He tried to calm the girl down as she pulled away from him, her eyes fixated on the ropes he held. "It's to hold the sheets onto you for makeshift clothes." He tried to reason with her as he slowly approached her shaking figure, fully aware of how ominous he must have looked. Confusion, fear and sadness filled her eyes as she looked at Cloud's chest, probably the closest he was ever going to get to eye contact. "Do you trust me?" Kotetsu laughed softly, the sadness and longing it held would probably haunt the blonde for the rest of his life. He tried his best to restrain the girl without hurting her, though he knew if she had really wanted to get away, she would have. "There." Was all he said before taking her hand and leading her to the opened doors of her new tormentor's living quarters.

Cloud gritted his teeth as he tried to steady his temper, the winding corridors of this shithole making it awful difficult to ignore everything. He stopped abruptly at a slightly open vent, gesturing for Kotetsu to go first.

"This is our way out. The others have already gone so it's just you and me now." Kotetsu's expression didn't change as she studied the small vent, then her new dress, wondering how on earth she was going to do this while holding her smashed dignity. It was like trying to cup water in her fingers it would seem. "Go on. I'll be right behind you. Just keep going straight until I say so, okay?" Kotetsu nodded curtly, trying her best to suppress the urge to run and hide under a rock. There were, however, no rocks in this place unfortunately, this sickly clean and angled place not being her usual surrounding.

Cloud lifted her effortlessly until she was at the right height to pull herself into the small hole, his eyes staring straight ahead at the wall in case he saw anything he shouldn't have. Sometimes he wished he wasn't such a decent guy...

Kotetsu crawled through the small space, her nobly knees acutely aware of the hardened surface of the metal. Cloud clicked the vent shut before fallowing suit, his whispered words encouraging her to continue on. After a few minutes, Cloud informed her of the next direction.

"We need to take a left here, and exit into the rafters above the training area. There we need to be silent as we cross over the ceiling, sticking to the metal beams. Then at the ladders, head down until we reach the basement level. Got that?" Kotetsu nodded, though the action was lost in the dark. Cloud assumed however she understood as she took a left and began the long journey to freedom.

It didn't take them long to reach the ladders, and with little incident as Kotetsu's graceful nature allowed her to balance expertly on the thin, metal beams. The journey down the old rickety ladders proved to be a lot more taxing on the girl as she was plagued with fatigue, her body aching and her eyes closing. Rufus hadn't really let her sleep much last night, and she hadn't recovered from her phase out from the day before.

"Just a little further, we're on level 14 now." Kotetsu would have probably moaned her annoyance had she not been trained otherwise.

A good while later, the pair reached the bottom of the ridiculously, and now abandoned, long fire escape system, the smell of fresh air hanging lightly with a hint of foosht in the dark basement.

"Follow me." Cloud took Kotetsu's hand, sending sparks up her arm and down her spine. She would give anything for that to be a regular occurrence...

Kotetsu felt the warm sun pool over her as she quickly rubbed her eyes with her free hand as they stung nastily from the brightness. Cloud did the same, looking surprisingly cute, as if he had just woken up. She looked up at the sky, watched as the clouds lazily moved along the sea of blue with not a care in the world, or so she had assumed. Maybe they did care, but for what, she didn't know.

"We have to hurry." She had almost forgotten that they were on the run as she stood there, appreciating freedom. Cloud was already moving fast into the shadows of some nearby trees, his hand gesturing for her to follow. She did so, her senses alert for anything dangerous. Cloud made some signals with his hands into the distance, and at the other side of the huge expanse of garden area, the red head from the building popped up and waved back. Kotetsu immediately took action, grabbing the blonde by the shoulders and throwing him to the ground as she lay on top of him. She ignored their current position as she waited for a sign that it was clear, her eyes begging for the blonde to understand as she stared at his chin. "What are you- " she plastered her hand over his surprisingly soft lips, effectively silencing him.

"Not good man." Was all she could say as she struggled to find the words to explain. She hated being so achedemically lacking. She felt Cloud relax under her grip and his warm gloved hand take hers from his mouth.

"I don't like him much myself, but he's what helped get you out." Kotetsu sat up from the blonde, stunned. She dusted him off quickly, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. Cloud chuckled softly as he ruffled her hair, his smile making Kotetsu's surroundings melt out of focus, her only priority in life being the man in front of her.

Damn Tifa!

Cloud got back on his feet, his hand holding Kotetsu's cheek adoringly. He sighed softly as he freed her from his grip, and continued to signal to the red head in front. It wasn't long before the pair of them were making a mad dash through the bushes to the other side to join the presumably double agent, Kotetsu ready at all times to lay her life down for the blonde.

"What the fuck took you so god damn long?" Reno stuffed his hands in his pockets, a scowl in place. "Do you know how close we came to getting caught waiting for your sorry ass to get a move on?" Reno's voice was now picking in volume, causing the blonde to glare at him.

"Turns out Rufus was a lot hornier than you thought!" If his words hadn't cut the red head, his tone certainly had. Reno looked at the girl more closely, recognising in horror the expensive beige bed sheets of his boss's personal room...

"Fuck! I..." Reno looked at Cloud and then at Kotetsu again, his eyes begging for understanding and forgiveness. "I really thought he wouldn't have... I mean, not yet anyway... he was into older woman last time I checked... Cloud you have to understand I- " Cloud raised his hand to silence him, obviously still annoyed.

"Are you going to stammer on like a fool all day or are we going to move?" Reno composed himself well as he straightened up, but his eyes still remained pained.

"This way." His voice also still held a hint of regret.

Kotetsu walked between the red head and Cloud, like she was being escorted. She wished very much that Cloud had been the one in front however, her dirty mind wanting to watch him as he walked.

"In here." Reno pointed to an abandoned drainage system. "It will take you to where you left your bike, but be quick, the area is scouted once in a while." Reno was gone before Kotetsu could muster the courage to thank him, and Cloud was gently leading her towards the black tunnel. Water still lay at the bottom of the tube like tunnel, pieces of sharp metal and glass sticking up, ready to cut her vulnerable feet.

Kotetsu almost cried out in surprise when she felt strong arms wrap around her body, her hands shooting out to grab onto Cloud's shoulders as he lifted her bridal style into his arms.

"Can't have you cutting your feet now can we? Not after we've done so well so far." Kotetsu felt her cheeks burn painfully as he shifted herself so that she was now resting against his chest, her tired limbs hanging like she were drugged. "You're safe now. I've got you." Kotetsu revelled in the attention she was receiving, listening intently to the rhythmic beat of his heart and the slow steady breaths that Cloud made. His body lured her into sleep, her eyes feeling heavier and heavier with the weight of the world. The last thing she heard was Cloud's gentle, soft words, telling her to sleep soundly and he would take care of everything.

Take care of her.

...

Kotetsu felt her body bounce painfully off the bed as she jumped in her sleep. Her heart raced at incredible speeds as she tried to calm herself, a cold sweat covering her in a thin sheen. She could taste the faintness of morning breath as she tried to clumsily sit up from the bed, her body aching all over.

She ran her hands through her hair, and pulled it down until it reached her hips. That was when she realised she was no longer wrapped up in bed sheets. She pulled at her new brilliant white t-shirt, and examined it carefully. It had strange markings on it, which she presumed were written words, but she had no idea what they said. She then noticed the baggy black trousers she also wore, the fabric feeling so smooth to touch. She smiled softly as she enjoyed the feeling of being completely covered, before she remembered she had no idea where she was.

She touched her toes carefully and gently on the surprisingly warm wooden floor, her leg vibrating from the effort. She picked up the faint sound of metal clanging, and the odd footstep here and there.

She had no idea what to think, or what to do. Breathing herself calm again, she placed her other foot on the floor, ignoring the alarm bells that rang in her head trying to alert her of the mistake she was about to make. When she lifted herself from the bed and onto her weak and wobbling legs, she was only slightly surprised to find herself in a crumpled heap on the floor, hoping to god no one had heard her. She waited as still as she could, her ears straining to hear any sign of someone coming to her room.

Footsteps approached.

Her arms shook with the effort to lift her to her knees, her goal being the window at the far end of the room, conveniently... She rolled her eyes before making the mad dash, her knees clicking as she crawled weakly across the floor, her elbows and shoulders giving way with each advancing move.

But her hands grasped the window ledge and she sighed in relief. Success.

The footsteps seemed to approach much louder now, causing Kotetsu's heart beat to echo in her ears, drowning out the ominous noise. She fumbled clumsily with the catch on the window sill, fighting desperately to lift the stubborn obstacle. A soft knock echoed in the room followed by the doorknob twisting, just as she had created enough space for her escape.

She didn't even think as her instincts took over, the cold air of the late afternoon causing her to almost smile in achievement.

Her moment was short lived though.

"Kotetsu!" The blonde's voice called out to her as she felt strong arms wrap around her middle, stopping her mid flight. She hit the side of the wall with a slight bump, but Cloud's arms had managed to cushion the blow. "Jesus girl. We just got you here and now you're ready to leave?" There was a playful tone to his voice, but she could feel his eyes were serious as he watched her expression. Kotetsu allowed him to hoist her back into the small room, a familiar redness making its way to her cheeks.

She gasped for breath as she felt herself rather close to her saviour, her legs open and her lower regions pressing dangerously close to his, the thought causing her cheeks to burn much hotter. She wanted nothing more than to... she wasn't really sure what she wanted to do, but she was sure it was something. Her body was attracted to his like fire to oxygen. She fed off of him. Craved his attention so much that it was painful...

"You're safe." The words had such a profound effect on her that she felt her heart skip a beat. Did that mean the blonde was going to protect her? What an unusual concept... "Would you like something to eat? Drink?" Cloud lifted the girl's chin so that she was now looking into his perfectly blue eyes. Her blush returned tenfold as she became aware again of their intimate position. Cloud seemed to notice as he flustered slightly, allowing her feet to gently return to the floor. He kept his hands in place though, obviously aware of her current lack of strength. She smiled softly as she shook her head.

"Fine." Her small voice was hardly audible over her loud and erratic heart beats, but Cloud heard her all the same.

"You are most certainly not fine!" He scowled at the girl, trying to convey telepathically the importance of her getting her strength back. She just continued to smile and shake her head slightly. "Well, I guess you have no choice in the matter then." Cloud put pressure on the girl's back, making her step clumsily ahead of him and towards the bed. "How about some toast? Something lighter maybe?" Kotetsu struggled only a little against his strength, worried that her now acquired balance might leave her again. She flopped down on her bed, a lot more unceremonious than she had intended. "Now stay here and I will be back." Cloud pointed at the bed, a warning tone in his voice.

Kotetsu waited patiently as she listened to Cloud descending what she realised were stairs. A small smile tugged at her lips, a strange giddy feeling filling her stomach. Her hand rubbed her abdomen subconsciously as she studied the room, her eyes being particularly drawn to the little pictures on the nightstand.

"Shit." She felt her heart clamp down on itself as she stared at the happy family encased in the little wooden frames. Her eyes stung as she turned them to face the wall, annoyed that she had let herself get so involved. She had no idea what it was she was feeling, but running away was the only thing that seemed to make sense...

Kotetsu almost jumped when she heard footsteps on the stairs again. Almost.

A few moments later, Cloud had returned with some good smelling food, which had Kotetsu's mouth watering. She wolfed it down, not caring how ravenous she looked, because after all, this had been the first proper meal she had had in so long!

"Aren't we hungry?" Cloud joked as he sat down on the bed next to the girl, his ever observant eyes watching her. She blushed as she shrank back slightly, acutely aware of his intense gaze. "How are you feeling?" Kotetsu nodded as she tried to swallow what she had in her mouth, the strange flavours making her smile. Cloud waited for her to expand, but Kotetsu just continued to stuff herself with food. "So no pain?" he challenged, trying to get the girl to open up. Kotetsu just shrugged, her eyes still not meeting his. She gulped her water down, a very un-lady like moment, but Cloud didn't mind. He found it almost endearing really.

Kotetsu smiled as she held her empty plate and cup, staring off to the wall, trying her best not to look at the little pictures. It was then that Cloud noticed them all facing the wrong way. How strange...

"Are you still hungry?" Kotetsu looked at her plate for a moment before shaking her head. Her eyes then widened as her hand flew to her mouth, obviously about to be sick. "Shit." Cloud took her other hand and led her to the bathroom across the hall, nudging the door open and allowing the stumbling girl to empty her stomach into the porcelain throne. He pulled back what he could of her hair, and rubbed her back soothingly as she wretched a few more times. He smiled at her when she sat back, wiping the tears that had escaped from her eyes with his gloved hands. She smiled softly, weakly flushing away her awesome breakfast. "Maybe it was a bit too soon for you to be eating so much so fast." Cloud helped Kotetsu up as he pondered over what to do. "Starvation will do that to you. Strange, don't you think, how you need food so much, but your body doesn't know what to do with it when you finally get it?" Kotetsu nodded, feeling quite embarrassed about her overall weakness. It had been a long time since anyone had taken an interest in her wellbeing in such a caring manner...

"Sorry." She mumbled, her eyes facing the floor, a look of sheer devastation. Cloud couldn't help but pull her towards him, hugging her close as if to try and take away her pain. He knew this was going to be hard, but god he just hadn't appreciated how hard.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." He pulled his fingers through her hair soothingly, earning a relaxed sigh from the girl. She snuggled into his chest, her need for contact proving to be quite compelling. But then she remembered the pictures, Tifa, the kids... "What's wrong?" Cloud began to panic when Kotetsu pulled away from him quite forcefully, her eyes facing the opposite wall as she stepped over him to leave. She didn't reply. "Kotetsu?" she shook her head as she went into her room, and as she closed the door she whispered her thanks. Cloud sighed as he remained on the bathroom floor, completely confused.

...

"She turned the photos round?" Tifa sat with a cup of tea at the bar, watching as Cloud wiped down the last of the tables. She did enjoy when he had time to help her out, a nice sense of family and support that she felt her strange but wonderful home lacked at times.

"Yeah. Do u think it's to do with jealousy? Or just hurt because she doesn't have it?" Cloud sat down at the bar next to Tifa, running his hands though his hair in frustration.

"Maybe." She placed her now empty cup on the bar, her eyes locked onto Cloud. She had almost forgotten how caring he was when it came to others, since he'd been nothing but an ass to her and Reno recently. "Why don't you ask her?" The answer seemed so obvious, but Kotetsu wasn't as clear cut as that.

"I don't know. She doesn't seem to want to talk. Just stays quiet, well more than usual I guess." He sighed, obviously disheartened, and probably a little hurt. Tifa didn't understand or like it, but she was going to try and help.

"Maybe I should try. Maybe with me being a girl, it might make things easier?" Cloud nodded absently, his fingers tracing some of the grain patterns of the wooden bar. "Okay." She waited for him to say something, but when she was only met with silence, she perked up. "I'll go see if she's awake."

...

Kotetsu played with the wooden frame of the picture she held, containing the happy family that she could never be a part of. Cloud seemed to be a little absent from the loving situation, his expression one of pain and isolation. The girl that she presumed was Tifa hugged the two kids in front of her, her smile radiant and true. She was so beautiful, with long black hair and gorgeous dark eyes, healthy unscarred skin and no life threatening illnesses visible. Kotetsu rubbed her fingers over her, wishing with all her might that she could be like that. Could be like Tifa. She hadn't even noticed she had been crying until a tear dropped onto the glass, splashing slightly on impact.

She had to get away.

This was worse than any torture she could imagine.

A knock on the door made her jumping and quickly replacing the photo to its rightful place, except facing the wall.

"Can I come in?" It was Tifa, though she had figured as much with the softness of her knock. Kotetsu rose from her bed and opened the door, catching Tifa off guard as she jumped back, obviously having had her ear on the door listening. "I – uh... hi!" Tifa chirped, raising her hand nervously and waving. Kotetsu stared at her, clearly confused. "I just thought I would come up and see how you are?" Kotetsu nodded curtly and stepped back from the door. Tifa stepped into the room and watched as the girl sat down in the furthest corner of the room and started to pick absently at the cracks in the floorboards. It was a little unnerving to say the least. "How are your bandages holding up? I was wondering if I could take a wee look see?" Kotetsu shrugged, but made no indication that she was going to make this any better by coming away from the wall. Tifa approached, remembering how much easier it had been to do this when the girl was unconscious. "Could you stand up please?" Kotetsu stood immediately, her eyes still fixated on the floor. Tifa poked and prodded at some of the wounds, judging Kotetsu's reactions, but the girl was surprisingly pan faced through the whole ordeal. She sighed as she noted some of the blood soaked ones, reminding herself to renew them soon. "I haven't told Cloud yet, but I noticed while bandaging you up last night that you have a very serious illness." Kotetsu's eyes flickered ever so slightly. "I don't know if you know about it, but it's called Geostigma, and it plagued people everywhere for a long time." Kotetsu continued to stare at the floor, but Tifa persevered. "There is a cure though, and you'll probably be kicking yourself when I tell you where it is!" Kotetsu didn't respond and Tifa was beginning to feel a little silly. "The pool at the church, where Cloud found you?" Kotetsu let a little smile appear at the corner of her mouth, her fond memories of that night filling her mind. Tifa didn't seem all that bad, which kind of made things worse in a way. A lot worse. "I'm sure Cloud will take you there and get this all straightened out, but if I'm honest with you? I've never seen anyone this advanced in the disease who can still walk about." Tifa seemed strangely proud of the girl, but Kotetsu just continued to study the skirting board. Tifa sighed softly as she sat down on the bed, gesturing for Kotetsu to do the same. Kotetsu remained standing. "Don't like the pictures?" She thought it best just to come right out with the reason why she was here. Apparently small talk wasn't going to go well, even if it was about life threatening illnesses that a said girl had. But Kotetsu didn't reply, as expected, just looked across the room at the window, her eyes glazed over with a thin sheen of tears. "I can take them away if you like?" Kotetsu shook her head. Even though they upset her, she was compelled and intrigued by them, having never experienced family life herself. Tifa decided to take another approach, surprised at the girl's sudden interaction.

She picked up the nearest of the pictures, one that was just of Tifa and Cloud, and the one that Kotetsu disliked the most.

"This one was taken quite recently actually. Cloud has been through quite a lot, and he was very distant for a while." Kotetsu turned to look at the picture, and then studied Tifa as she looked at the photo for a few minutes. Kotetsu had been taught to read people, and she could see that Tifa had obviously been hurt by Cloud immensely. She reached over and picked up the one that Kotetsu had been looking at before she came in. "That's why he was so distant in this one. He had what you had, the Geostigma, and he didn't tell anyone. He just suffered alone." She placed the picture back down facing away from the wall, obviously trying to insight some kind of reaction from Kotetsu. She waited for Tifa to continue. "I don't know how much you know, but Cloud had to save the world from the Geostigma as well as a man called Sephiroth." Kotetsu stirred from her standing position, obviously having heard the name before. Tifa waited to see if the girl would talk, but she remained silent. "He was a bad man, and Cloud has defeated him more than once, and will probably have to do it again at some point." Kotetsu was impressed. Cloud was much more skilled than she had previously thought. "But the journey up until that point was hard for him. He blamed himself for a lot of things, and became incredibly depressed. I did everything I could, but you can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved." Kotetsu felt Tifa's words sting her. "But he got through it, and has become so much happier of the last few months. And he has been a brilliant father figure for the kids, and a perfect friend to me." Kotetsu almost stopped breathing. Friend? What does she mean by friend? Did that mean they weren't together?

The front door of the bar burst open down stairs, and Kotetsu felt her heart skip a beat. Had she been found?

"Tifa! He's doing it again!" Tifa rolled her eyes as she placed the picture back on the dresser, smiled apologetically, and dashed out of the room, screaming at Cloud to behave himself. Kotetsu listened intently to the argument down the stairs, trying to decipher what was going on. She heard Tifa shouting about Cloud being so rude, and what sounded like the red head from Shinra saying that there was a problem. Kotetsu silently made her way down the hall, and glided down the stairs, getting closer so as to hear better.

"What the fuck is it now Reno?" Cloud sounded impatient.

"Why do you always have to be so hostile? I'm here to help you! Kotetsu is in trouble." Cloud didn't seem to be fighting back anymore. He sat on the nearest table and waited for the annoying Turk to continue. "Rufus is mad! And he's looking. Plus, the leader guy, Sebastian I think his name is, is on the hunt as well. He has, like, loads of these weapons, Kotetsu's group were just the oldest, there are others who are trained to the same level." Tifa looked between the two, fear clearly evident in her eyes. "Cloud, we need to get her out of here, not just for her own safety," Reno placed his arm around Tifa, "but for everyone's safety." Cloud slammed his fist down on the table.

"I'll take down every last one of them! Rufus! That fucking asshole! Sebastian or whatever, he's fucking first!" Kotetsu felt her heart clamp down painfully. Cloud was going to get himself killed over her?

Why?

"No!" She surprised herself at her outburst, and almost dropped to the floor on her hands and knees, ready for her punishment. But the three just stared at her, completely taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"Kotetsu?" Tifa was the first to speak. She walked round a table and went to take Kotetsu back upstairs. "It's okay, we'll sort everything out, so why don't you pop back upstairs and get some-" Kotetsu closed her eyes tightly and flinched ever so slightly as Tifa placed her hand on her shoulder, obviously preparing to be hurt. "Oh no! Don't do that!" Kotetsu peeked through one eye to see Tifa flustering and apologising. This was new.

"It me who danger! I leave." Kotetsu slipped away from Tifa and made for the door, only to be stopped by a rather quick and unimpressed Cloud.

"Don't." Cloud's voice was final. Reno sat and watched as Kotetsu relaxed her arm which was currently in Cloud's grip, and noticed then how she still never made eye contact with anyone. "You're safe here! I can't protect you if you go off on your own." Kotetsu stared at the floor, deep in thought.

"Don't need help." Kotetsu twisted her arm out of Cloud's grip and made for the door again, only to be stopped once more by his hand catching her t-shirt. She twisted herself this time, tangling his hand up in the fabric, and crushing his fingers against her back until they let go, and she again made for the door. This time Cloud wrapped both arms around her, trapping her arms against her, and causing her to hesitate, loving the sweet sensations that ran through her. She then dropped to the ground while lifting her arms, slipping out his grip and finally made it to the door. "Kotetsu!" The desperation in his voice had her resolve leaving her, and she stopped, bashing her head rather harshly against the wooden frame of the apparently inescapable door. "Don't do that!" Cloud pulled her away from her previous destination and into a tight hug, making her blush. He rubbed his thumb caringly across the now reddening mark on her forehead.

"I danger." Cloud shushed her as he led her towards the nearest chair and sat her down, pushing her messy hair behind her ears so he could see her face. He knelt down in front of her and tried to catch her eyes with his, but she refused to look at him.

"I'll handle everything." He cupped her cheek with his hand and sucked in a breath when Kotetsu rubbed her face against it, almost like a cat craving attention, her eyes distant and staring off out of the nearby window. "I'll protect you." Kotetsu closed her eyes then and buried her face into his hand, hiding from the world.

Herro! Like i promised a nice big chapter to make up for last ones rubbishness XD and nice and soon too! I hope you all like. Would love to hear what you think so far. All criticism welcome XD

well enjoy! XD