About an hour later Gokudera drops down on the couch, pulling Phoenix down with him.
"Those were probably the best pancakes I've had in my life."
Phoenix smiles and leans against his side.
"You're welcome."
"Hm…I don't know, I think I could've done a better job."
Gokudera smirks as he jokes around with his girlfriend.
"Strange, I didn't know that charcoal passed for pancakes these days."
"You're a sarcastic little brat, aren't you?"
Gokudera pinches Phoenix's cheeks and the girl grabs his hand, kissing his palm.
"Yes I am."
Gokudera smiles softly and leans into kiss her, something that Phoenix mirrors but stops when there's a knock on the door.
"Really Reaper...you have the worst timing."
Gokudera sighs.
"Just let him knock. We can continue."
Gokudera leans in a bit closer as Phoenix pretends to think about it.
"Okay."
She smiles and brushes her lips against his, grinning when he hooks an arm behind her and pulls her closer. They kiss passionately, Phoenix presses herself closer to Gokudera and probably would have continued much farther but Reaper opens the door and walks in.
"Well, I'm glad to see you two have made up."
Neither teen even looks at the intruder, engaged with each other as they were. Gokudera actually pulls Phoenix on top of him, which she responds to with a smile and tangling her hands in his hair. Reaper sighs and walks past them, pulling Phoenix off Gokudera as he does so. He grabs Phoenix's arms and places a knife at her throat.
"Ready to listen now, Young Hayato?"
"What the fuck is your problem!"
"I want that man broken and Phoenix is going to do that. But she can't while you are occupying her time."
Gokudera spits at Reaper.
"Screw you!"
"Hayato, don't! It's okay. Reaper you don't have to do this. Does he Hayato?"
"Tch. Whatever. He just didn't have to be an asshole about it."
"You know with that kind of outlook I may have to re-work our deal Phoenix. "The man shoves Phoenix away from him and she falls, hitting her head on the corner of the table. "What do you say to having your...other half witness your sessions?"
Gokudera rushes over to Phoenix and helps her up, a small trickle of blood flows down the side of her face and he wipes it away with his sleeve.
"Are you okay?"
"Well that depends...is it okay to see stars?" Gokudera turns to Reaper and glares at him, keeping a protective arm around Phoenix. "Reaper that wasn't part of our deal. I don't want him seeing that!"
Reaper shrugs at Phoenix's complaints.
"I don't care. He made me angry and he needs to be punished, but you made me swear on my mother's gave not to physically hurt him while you hold up your end of the deal. So this will have to do."
"Don't worry Aydan. I can do this. I'm not weak. If this is the game he wants to play, then so be it."
"I don't think you're weak. Hayato, can't you understand why I don't want you to see me at my worst?" She turns to Reaper. "I will do this alone or no deal."
"I understand, but I'd rather suffer then watch you be hurt by this jerk."
"Hayato please...don't argue with me on this." Phoenix turns back to Reaper. "Reaper do we have a deal?"
Reaper motions to one of the guards who grabs Gokudera and places a gun to his head.
"No. You know my rules Phoenix. He needs to be punished."
Gokudera clenches his teeth and struggles against the guards hold.
"Get off me!"
Reaper smiles.
"I will count to thee. One...Two..."
Reaper motions to the guard and Phoenix yells.
"DON'T! Reaper...no, Cesar, please. You don't need to do this. Come on Ces, I know you're still in there somewhere."
Gokudera watches as Phoenix pleads with Reaper, biting his lip because he wants to say something.
"No, keep your mouth shut. You'll only make things worse."
Reaper looks down at Phoenix coldly before grabbing her wrist and twisting it behind her back.
"Cesar is gone Phoenix. He left years ago."
Phoenix wrenches her arm out of his grasp.
"I don't believe that." She looks back at Gokudera, worry written across her face, and then back to Reaper. "Please, Reaper...don't kill him."
Gokudera grinds his teeth.
"I swear I'll kill him forever hurting her."
Reaper leans in closer to Phoenix, whispering in her ear and smiling at Gokudera.
"I don't plan to, just make him watch." He straightens and motions to the guards, telling them to let Hayato go. "I'll give you a few minutes to compose yourself Phoenix, then you and your boyfriend will go to the elevator and to the first floor. Room 15. If you try to run...Hayato dies first."
Reaper leaves and Phoenix stands where she is with her hands balled into fists at her side. She suddenly picks up a picture from the table and throws it across the room.
"Damn it!"
Gokudera clenches his fist as he sees Phoenix's anger in the set of her shoulder.
"I'm sorry. If I hadn't opened my mouth, we wouldn't be in this situation..."
"No...it's my fault. I should've know Reaper wouldn't let you off that easy." She turns to look at Gokudera and her expression is so pained that Gokudera holds open his arms. Phoenix crosses the room in a few steps and wraps her arms around his chest. "I don't want you to see this..."
Gokudera wraps his arms around Phoenix, holding her close to him
"It's okay. It'll be fine. I can handle it."
"I know you can...but I don't know if I can." She buries her face in his chest. "I don't want you to see me break"
Gokudera kisses the top of her head.
"I want to see every part of you. If I couldn't, then I wouldn't have the right to tell you that I love you."
"Even the parts that I abandoned a long time ago?"
He stokes her hair.
"Even those."
"What did I do to deserve him?"
Phoenix thinks before pulling back and looking Gokudera in the eyes.
"I still don't want you to see this. It's not a pretty sight."
"You waking up in the morning isn't a pretty sight."
He laughs.
"Well neither is your morning breath!"
Gokudera pouts.
"You know it's an affect from the smoking! It's not my fault."
"Then maybe you should quit." She kisses him. "Come on...we have to go."
"Never in a million years would I. I like it too much." He sighs. "Fine, okay. We can go."
Phoenix links arms with him and leans against him.
"What if I got pregnant? Smoking is bad for the baby, even second hand smoke."
Gokudera's eyes widen.
"W-Well...I wouldn't smoke around you or the baby. I'd go outside. And...you're not, pregnant, I mean...right?"
"I'm not...or I don't think I am...it's too early to tell. And the smoke gets on your clothes and every time I hug you I would breath it in and that could hurt the baby.
The silver-haired teen sighs.
"We'll figure something out if you ever do get pregnant. For now, it's fine, I'm sure. Speaking of which...Do you think we should ask Blue for some...er...protection. I mean, we haven't been using it so...I don't know. I'm just worried."
"You can ask...I know the guy and that would be way to awkward for my liking."
"But it'd be awkward asking! It's like...revealing to your great grandma that your sexually active with the girl next door. It's not a nice feeling!"
Phoenix smiles and laughs slightly, but stops once they reach the elevator.
"I really don't want to do this Hayato..."
"I know you don't want to. But it'll go fast, I'm sure. How long are you expected to torture him for?"
"Half an hour...with knives...and you watching..."
"Well...I'll pray it goes fast for you."
"You pray?"
Gokudera shoves his hands into his pockets.
"Well...occasionally. I mean, I am Catholic so...yeah, I guess I do."
Phoenix laughs slightly.
"Never pegged you for the religious type."
"I get that a lot. I don't know...it's just something I believe in. Sorry if it bothers you."
"It doesn't, I was raised Presbyterian so I can't really say anything. I just...I can't picture a caring God after what I've been through."
Gokudera shrugs.
"I don't blame Him for what's happened. I like to think He let us meet in order to make up for all the things that have gone wrong..."
"You do make up for a lot..."
"And so do you."
He kisses her softly on the lips and as the elevator stops, Phoenix kisses him more urgently. She pulls back and searches Gokudera's eyes.
"Hayato, tell me you love me."
The tanned teen opens his mouth to ask why but decides not to and just smiles softly.
"I love you. I always will."
"I don't know who I am going to be after this but no matter what happens, no matter who I become, I will always love you with everything I have. Never doubt that." Phoenix see's the guards coming out of the corner of her eye so she kisses Gokudera again. "Don't you ever doubt that Hayato."
Gokudera wants to tell her that he won't but by then the guards had come to take him away. His eyes meet hers as they pull him away.
"I would never doubt it. Please...don't change."
Phoenix watches as he goes and slowly shuts down every emotion. By the time she enter the room where a single man is tied to a chair, the only thing she feels is a slight boredom.