The monster crawled up relentlessly. Kei face-palmed as my foot was sucked into the powdery depths. Ayumi could only stare on in horror as I sank in up to my knees. Thigh-deep, I clutched my hand over my heart, over-dramatically reciting a soliloquy the two girls had head at least five times already.
A vein at Kei's temple twitched. Staring dubiously at the snow drift I was stuck in, she looked as though she was debating whether it was enough snow to suffocate her.
It was, but she didn't need to know that.
Ayumi only rolled her eyes and nudged her, extending a hand towards me. Due to their combined efforts, I was freed from my prison fairly quickly. Unfortunately, snow had pooled into my boots, freezing my feet. I stamped them a couple of times, in a futile attempt to warm them, then stared pitifully at my friends.
"Don't give me that look." Kei said, with a light chuckle. "It's your fault for not paying attention."
"So mean, Kei." She deftly ignored the way my bottom lip protruded in a semi-pout.
Ayumi rubbed her bare hands together, giving a little shiver. "Let's get you home quickly, alright? Don't want you getting sick."
"That's probably a good idea." I agreed, for a moment captivated by the plumes of vapour dancing in the air as we breathed. "Feels like my toes are going to fall off."
We pressed on, cautiously picking our way through the heavier sections, the taller Kei charging forwards to braze a path for me to follow. Thoughtful as they were, neither of my friends laughed at the hop, skip and a jump routine I implemented to place my feet in the indents Kei left in her wake.
Being Winter, it was freezing. Like crawl-into-a-hole-and-die worthy temperatures. Those brave enough to venture outside had the foresight to wrap in sixteen different layers of clothing to avoid the biting chill, giving off a cute, teddy-bear like appearance. And although the sky was cloudless, a rarity, I assure you, the wane sunlight did nothing to provide suitable warmth.
The sharp trill of birdsong rang out. Little did I know, it was a warning. My head had automatically whipped to the side to locate the owner of the melody, hopeful to spot a robin. Just a step away, Kei and Ayumi were chatting happily.
The next thing I knew I was tumbling forwards, a sudden weight on my back throwing me to my knees. In theory, I supposed that I should have been accustomed to surprise attacks by now. San always displayed a tendency to tackle me randomly, after all. Not to mention how Rokka could pop out of literally nowhere without even the slightest warning. Too bad it didn't work that way in reality.
At my startled squeak, Kei immediately whipped around. With a demonic glare that promised death, the girl prepared to unleash her wrath upon my apparent attacker.
Until she noticed the bright blue hair.
In all fairness, it was pretty hard to miss.
She pulled the punch successfully, merely blinking down at us, utterly unamused. "You know, your life is a damn circus. Sometimes I regret talking to you."
From the moment the mystery person used an outstretched hand to soften our descent to the ground, I knew there was nothing to fear. So it came to no surprise when the arms affectionately squeezing me tightened just the slightest amount. "The feeling's mutual, don't worry." A familiar, cheeky voice replied.
He was warm, I noticed, absently. Zero seemed to radiate a pleasant heat that warmed me to the very core. Smiling stupidly, I teased a stray blue lock, observing how content he seemed, with his eyes loosely closed.
My gaze shifted towards the movement at my side.
Ichii had finally caught up, cheeks flushed pink from the cold.
"Welcome back!" I exclaimed, tapping Zero's hand to be released. He did so, reluctantly, as if he wasn't especially eager to let go.
"It's good to be back." Ichii replied, and while he was distracted with waving at Kei and Ayumi, I threw myself into his arms. Together, we fell backwards into a pile of snow, the powder softening our landing considerably. Recovering from the sudden hug-attack, he merely laughed and returned my embrace just as enthusiastically.
"Have you grown taller?" I asked, against his broad shoulder.
"I think you've just gotten smaller." The brunette teased, tweaking my nose.
"I am funsized."
"True."
Planted firmly in his lap, I swatted playfully at his hand, then set to work affectionately flattening his windswept hair. He looked so relaxed as he leant against me, eyes half lidded. Those ochre orbs flickered upon hearing the commotion behind us. Zero and Kei were play fighting, as usual, flicking lumps of snow at each other while poor Ayumi ducked for cover.
"There they go again," Ichii chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"What did you expect?" I asked, reasonably amused. While the two had resorted to lobbing snowballs, I returned my attention to brunette, beaming. "How was your trip?"
Ichii smiled, glowing with happiness. His gloved hands were clasping my bare ones, warm fabric gliding in circles over my skin to provide warmth. "Excellent. It was great to see Sarasa and Jeff again."
"We had a lot of fun!" Zero agreed, from a couple of metres away. "... Didn't realise how much I missed the place 'til I was back." And then he promptly face-planted a mound of snow as a Kei pelted him with a snowball.
"I'm glad you went," I said, sincerely.
"So am I."
Glaring up at Kei, Zero shook as much of the snow from his hair as he could, then turned to address me. "I've got something for you," Eyes darting to the two grinning girls, he added a hasty, "Later."
I nodded, satisfied, before saying, "You know, you didn't have to come back this early."
"There's no way we could've stayed there any longer. Missed you way too much," That was my turn to flush. Ichii jerked his thumb in Zero's direction, who was deliberately looking anywhere but me. "Especially that idiot. He wanted to call you every day to make sure you were alright."
"Did not!" The bluenette exploded, noticeably embarrassed.
Kei looked like a cat who had just caught a mouse. She wore an evil grin at this development that had Zero's eyes widening with horror. He immediately threw a snowball at her, and the game commenced.
"It was weird not having you around," I admitted.
Ichii shook his head. "Hope we took the crazy with us?"
"Well..." I intoned, and we burst into laughter. "Pretty much. Oh! Pearl missed you, too," I added, lowly. "Constantly asked when you were both coming home. It was adorable! He's especially attached to you, Ichii."
"I'm honoured. Where is Pearl, anyway?"
"At home. He wanted to come, of course, but I was worried about him being out in the cold." I grimaced a little sheepishly. "That, and I didn't expect you guys to rock up so early."
"My bad," He said, smirking. "Zero was being intolerably impatient."
"As usual."
"Hey!" Zero protested, leaving Kei to come and rest his chin on my head. I poked one of the arms dangling over my shoulders, not even questioning how he could possibly find it comfortable. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
The silence that followed was answer enough.
"Wow," Zero said, dryly. "Thanks for the support, guys."
Ichii was absently playing with my hair. He didn't seem to be all there, but at the same time, appeared to be at peace. Cocking my head, I studied the brunette intensely. "... What?" I asked, skeptically. Ichii merely blinked innocently back at me. "You're not telling me something."
His gaze moved over my shoulder, to where Zero was still leaning. That glance couldn't have been more obvious if they tried.
Ichii bit his lip, his face softening into a more heartfelt, delighted expression."Sarasa," He paused, emotional, appearing sweet and uncertain and so, so elated. "Is pregnant. She's going to have a baby."
"We're going to be uncles." I'd never seen Zero look so excited before.
So, what could I do but throw my arms around their necks and hug them close, too happy for words.
After parting with my two friends, the three of us headed back home in high spirits. The two boys quickly realised I was struggling to maneuver myself to keep with their pace, and slowed, before Ichii offered up his back.
I refused, embarrassed, but Zero gave me no choice. Which is why I currently found myself being piggybacked the rest of the way, cheeks puffed with annoyance, glaring daggers at Zero, who was whistling innocently as if he hadn't just caused my suffering.
Thankfully, we didn't pass too many people, and those that we did thought we were absolutely adorable.
On the other hand, Zero did keep complaining about feeling as though we were being watched. Ichii gave him the benefit of the doubt, but mused that the bluenette must still be feeling paranoid, something which clearly irritated him.
Reaching my house, Zero nonchalantly snagged my keys from my pocket and unlocked the door, waltzing in as if he owned the place. Ichii followed in afterwards, still carrying me- much to my exasperation- and gently kicked the door shut behind him. Zero was almost immediately ambushed by an incredibly enthusiastic kitten, his face lighting up with glee at Tabby's unexpected appearance.
My feet touched the ground with a controlled pat, Ichii ruffling my hair in response to my gratitude, watching with amusement as I pried the clinging kitten off Zero.
Tabby, of course, mewled sorrowfully, but I ignored her guilt tripping and followed the boys upstairs after we'd all kicked our boots off, me leaving mine at the door. Zero flung the door open to their unit and instantly threw himself at his bed. Both I and Ichii watched him bounce and fall back down with a content sigh.
"I'm home!" He breathed, snuggling into his pillow.
Ichii blinked thrice, then snapped his head round to look at me. I was gaping at Zero. The instant the bluenette glanced back up at us, cheeks flushed with joy, we had struck the most inconspicuous poses possible (read: The most ridiculous, highly suspicious, difficult to maintain positions we could ever think of).
A moment later, Pearl burst through the door and pounced on Ichii, perfectly distracting us all.
"You're back!" He cheered, nuzzling his head against the brunette's cheek.
Ichii chuckled, tickling the little dragon under his chin. "Yeah, we're back."
We played video games for the rest of the afternoon, huddled together with a bundle of blankets and a constant supply of hot cocoa to keep us warm.
Everything was perfect.
When my mother arrived home, Ichii and Zero snuck downstairs while she was messing around in the pantry. The brunette grabbed a newspaper, spread himself lazily across the couch, and grinned when I gave him a thumbs up. Zero, on the other hand, sprinted into the kitchen, threw himself down on his side and raised one leg in the air ever so casually.
Upon seeing Zero, my mother became a whole new level of excited, instantly tearing through the rooms to locate Ichii once she'd sufficiently suffocated the bluenette in a hug.
Both boys had dinner with us, though I was the only one to notice them slipping food to Pearl, who would zip between them under the table and hide himself in Ichii's jacket to avoid a prowling Tabby.
Once they'd "returned home" (read: pretended to leave, then parkoured back through my window), we watched a customary Christmas movie, ignoring Zero's rare complaints at how cliche it was, before finally parting ways to get ready for bed.
Snuggled under my covers, I absolutely beamed.
Best day ever.
Something hard and sharp dug harshly into my skin, roughly jerking me from my otherwise pleasant dream. Grabbed by my ankle, I was yanked off the bed, hitting the floor with a solid thump.
Drowsy and only half conscious, I struggled to focus on the figure. The shadows clung to them like a cloak, and they reached out towards me with thin, spindly fingers like the raked branches of the trees outside. Briefly, it reminded me of the iconic scene in the BFG, when the eponymous character is reaching through the window to snatch up little Sophie. But this person was not as big, nor did they seem especially friendly. There was a dark, malicious aura they emitted, almost like body heat, that had my heart thumping wildly in my chest.
My first reaction was to scream.
Zero and Ichii had drilled that into my head countless times: Scream, scream as loud as you can and we'll come running to protect you.
Despite that, I choked it back, forcing myself to hold in my fear. I had to stay quiet. There was no way in Hell I could mix my mother up in this mess. Scrambling wildly, I swept up my tactical pen from the bedside table, raining down a frenzied assault as those fingers snapped tightly around my arm.
They snarled, the sound emanating from deep within their throat. Feral, like a wild animal, I flinched, swallowed and continued to strike, yet their vice like grip did not lessen even the slightest. The carpet seared my skin as I was pulled several feet across the ground, the shirt riding high up my stomach. Aiming for the legs, and knees, they stumbled and I took the opportunity to twist sharply out of their grasp.
Finally free, I struck out mercilessly, thanking high heaven that there was a pointed nib on the lid precisely for the purpose of slamming it into every pressure point available. Swinging again and a again and again, I continued until they slipped back just enough to satisfy my raging adrenaline.
Chest heaving, I backed up a step, eyeing them warily. For a moment, I thought they were leaving, but in an instant they were approaching once more. I retreated, half-stumbling as they flanked my right side.
With a sudden flash of panic, I realised they were backing me into a corner and instead held my ground, snatching up my alarm clock and flying at the dark shape, slamming it into their head with all my might. Horror spiralled in the pit of my stomach when I heard a sharp hiss of pain, but I didn't relent. Again and again, I used the blunt object to strike out at the unwanted visitor.
That was, of course, until it was knocked roughly from my hand.
Gasping, I ducked low and barely managed to avoid a retaliation blow that likely would have knocked me flat on my ass. Holy crap- they're strong! The followed relentlessly, foam practically bubbling at their mouth, baying for my blood.
I'm in way over my head!
My eyes prickled.
Tears welled up, thick and fast. Taking a shaky breath, I forced them back down and ducked again, barely avoiding teetering back into the wall.
My next slash hit the target and elicited a furious cry from the figure.
The tip was slick and wet.
I'd drawn blood.
The thought almost made me gag. But they were in my room, they were attacking me. I pushed forward, ignoring my conscience, fighting for my life. Launching into my next barrage of attacks, I hoped that my frenzy would leave the figure with no room to try and gain the upper hand.
A palm to my chest had me tumbling backwards. I caught the wall to stop my descent, warding them off with a kick that snapped centimetres from their face.
"Leave!" I instructed, my shaking voice betraying the firm, unyielding attitude I had been intending to adopt. "Get out of here, now!"
They refused to listen, and closed in once more.
Squeezing my fists tightly, I backed away. And then everything fell away, a horribly yanking sensation present on my navel as I slipped, hitting the ground hard. Immediately I rolled under my bed, holding my breath.
The second I noticed movement edging closer, my hand shot out. Hooked around their leg, I pulled as hard as they could, watching with sick satisfaction as they crashed down to the ground, giving me enough time to crawl out and beat my fists against them with as much strength as I could muster.
My knee was pressed deep into their stomach, pinning them down as I hit them over and over. Raggedly, I began to whisper frantic pleas for them to leave just leave get out leave me alone I'm scared what do you want from me? Briefly, they grappled with me, but couldn't keep a firm grip on my erratic limbs. Relenting, they threw up their hands to defend themselves, strong forearms blocking the majority of my attacks.
My breathing was no more than desperate little gasps, and I was trembling all over.
The fighting commenced, full force so suddenly I froze in surprise.
Taking advantage of my shock, a strong hand closed around my wrist. I blinked. Then I pressed the pen point into their throat. "Let go."
Snarled. I snarled. I hadn't felt quite that viscous in a long, long time. After a long moment, they did as I instructed, and I could relax.
Suddenly, they thrust their hips up and dislodged me. The pen went flying. The figure was up, retreating. The curtains billowed in their wake, door hanging ajar, creaking eerily from their sudden, unexpected departure.
Shaking all over, I hugged my arms tightly around my body, trying and failing to take calming breaths.
It took approximately 2.5 seconds for me to abandon any thoughts of staying quiet, the tears already falling freely as I stumbled blindly towards the cabinet door. There was a resounding crash as I entered the boy's unit, far too hysterical to knock. The noise woke Zero instantly, who sleepily shaking his hair out of his face and squinting through the darkness at me.
By that point, I'd already subsided into helpless little sobs. Within a second Zero launched himself forward, crushing me against his chest in a massive hug, Pearl only a second behind, curling himself around my neck.
Ichii was slower.
The brunette had always struggled with rising, hence the ridiculous amount of coffee needed for him to become alert. Propped up on his elbows, blinking blearily out, I would've thought he looked the epitome of adorable if I hadn't been so terrified.
"Hikari?" His voice was low, tingly, husky from sleep. It took a long, tense moment for him to process everything, but very quickly he was flinging back his blankets with just as much vigour, using Zero's shoulder to catch himself when he stumbled.
Both boys were content to stand there, half-naked and shivering in the dead of night, holding me tenderly until I'd managed to stop crying.
The brunette was the first to pull away. Head bowed, his warm, big hands cupped my cheeks, fingers brushing against my cheekbones as he wiped away lingering tears. Zero still hadn't let go of me. His hand remained tangled together with mine, applying pressure every so often, a sa silent support which I was greatly appreciative of.
"You're safe now." Ichii assured, his soft voice holding such sweetness it almost induced a fresh waves of tears. Zero squeezed my hand in agreement, and Pearl, the precious little angel, affectionately nuzzled his little head against my jaw.
I tickled the little dragon under his chin. He didn't react as he usually did. Now, he paused and wrinkled up his little nose. "Hikari, was someone else with you just now?"
Ichii froze. "What are you talking about, Pearl?"
Confused, Pearl blinked, looking from me to Ichii, then back again. "There's this funny scent all over her. It's recent. Can't you smell it, too?"
"This scent…" Zero began, barely managing to keep calm. "Is it coming from anywhere else?"
Pearl, apparently not sensing the incoming danger, said, "Her room. It's really strong in there!" Frowning, the dragon's tail thrashed softly as he peered at me. "Who was it? I don't recognise that smell at all."
Ichii began to rub very gentle circles over my back to soothe me. He must have noticed how I'd started shaking again. "Hikari? Is... that why you were crying?"
Trembling weakly, I explained everything to them.
They listened, half horrified, half furious, as I explained how the figure had attempted to drag me from my bed and the heated battle that ensued. There was an underlying respect that flashed in Zero's electric blue orbs upon hearing the details of my struggle, mixed with a pure, apoplectic flash of the brightest, bluest hue encircling his iris. Sometime during the talk, dark, angry flames began curling over his knuckles, cracking ominously, slowly snaking up his arms. He'd scowled at his fist for a couple of seconds, giving it a futile little shake, but seemed unable to extinguish them.
There was no doubt about it.
Zero had traversed passed pissed off and settled very comfortable on absolutely livid.
Even Ichii's usually mellow ochre orbs were smouldering as he flicked on the lights and surveyed the mess of my room. The curtains still swayed gently, seemingly more calm now that the danger had passed. Zero closed the door and shoved the locks home much harder than necessary, scanning the area for any immediate danger. Evidently, he found none, as the tight, tense bunch of his shoulders loosened somewhat.
"Don't worry," Pearl whispered protectively, from his perch on my shoulder. "I'll burn anyone who tries to hurt you."
I managed a weak smile, and gently patted his head. "Thank you, Pearl."
Ichii's butterfly touch barely graced my faintly throbbing skin, his fingertip delicately tracing the swollen red indents that each whippet thin digit had inflicted. "Does it hurt?" He breathed, brimming with concern.
"A little," I admitted, in a hushed voice. "But I can manage."
Zero was shaking in silent fury. His flames flickered dangerously. "They put their hands on you!?"
I flinched into Ichii's side. The brunette replied for me, after a shuddering breath, "Would've done a lot worse, I can imagine, if she hadn't been able to fight back."
"I'll kill them, I swear I will."
"That makes two of us."
Zero snapped around to Pearl. "Can you track their scent?"
The little dragon wrinkled his nose, sniffing the air experimentally. "Maybe," he replied, a little dubiously. "It's weird. Their scent was muffled to begin with, but now it's disappearing like it's being erased."
Ichii managed to somewhat placate Zero with a few choice words and a fond clap on the shoulder.
The bluenette sighed, only relaxing somewhat. "You should try to get some sleep." Zero said with a yawn, giving my head a couple of affectionate pats, the flames causing a pleasant warmth to ignite in my chest.
I nodded wearily, carefully handing Pearl to the Ichii- the little dragon protested wildly at that- and reluctantly climbed into bed, biting back my childish pleas for them not leave me.
"We should do the same." Ichii headed back towards their unit, Pearl tucked comfortably against his chest. Zero, however, remained exactly where he was, even when Ichii observed him with a confused tilt of his head. "Zero? Come on, let's go back to bed."
Zero stubbornly shook his head, using his shirt to wipe away the blood staining my tactical pen, which he returned to his rightful place at my bedside. "No way," He growled, and the fire danced wildly for a moment. "I'm staying here. Who knows if that bastard will try to snatch her again?"
Ichii's lips curved up in a soft, knowing motion. He made a small noise of understanding, before allowing his gaze to dart to me. "Is that okay with you, Hikari?" I nodded with a little more enthusiasm than I probably should have. By then, Zero had successfully extinguished his flames.
"I want to stay, too!" Pearl exclaimed, attempting to wriggle out of Ichii's hands.
I slowly shook my head, smiling softly at him. "It's alright, Pearl. I'll be fine with Zero here."
Pearl frowned but reluctantly quietened down. Ichii affectionately stroked him behind his horn. "Alright, then. I'll see you two in the morning."
We echoed a jumbled chorus of 'Goodnight' as Ichii switched off the lights, plunging the room into darkness. My heart constricted with fear, nerves igniting with a sudden flash. I instantly sought out Zero, who had tucked himself up on the floor with a couple of spare blankets and a pillow.
"Zero?" I called out, desperately.
"I'm right here." A pause. "I'm not going anywhere."
I steeled myself with a deep breath. "Um... Z-Zero?" He mumbled a quiet acknowledgement. "The floor... It can't be too comfortable.. Y-You can sleep up here... I-If you'd like..."
Small flames flickered to life in the palm of his hand, gently illuminating his face. "Don't worry about me, Hikari. The floor's comfortable." He smiled reassuringly, wiggling his feet under the blanket. When my expression didn't change, Zero became uncertain, his brows pinching together. "Is something wrong?"
"U-Uh... Yeah..." I ducked my head, flushing brightly. "I... I'm scared... I don't want to be alone..."
He hesitated, all confidence lost. "You really want me up there with you?"
"P-Please, Zero."
With a short nod, he'd clenched his fist, surrounding us in darkness once more.
The bed dipped. He swung his leg over me painstakingly slowly, as if I would shatter if he suddenly touched me, settling down on the side closest to the door the attacker had escaped from. I snuggled closer, seeking his comfort. He stiffened, all awkward and unsure of himself. "Are you... sure about this?" He asked, swallowing thickly.
Is he... embarrassed?
"Y-Yeah... It's selfish but... can you stay up here? With... me?"
"'Course I can." It was an accomplishment for Zero to manage to tweak my nose without taking an eye out. "Sleep." He instructed, softly pressing a kiss to my forehead.
I blushed, but he seemed semi-conscious, and not a minute later, was sleeping peacefully.
I, on the other hand, didn't have that luxury.
Every time I even so much as attempted to close my eyes, my mind flashed back to it, replying every moment with blow-by-blow precision. Eventually, I gave up on sleep. At some point in the night, Zero had curled close, an arm thrown lazily over my side. It took a lot of effort to slide underneath without waking him- it was obvious the placement was deliberate, intended to wake him if I was dragged out again.
The unit seemed unusually quiet as I slipped into the room, the only sound being Ichii's soft, steady breathing.
Determinedly, I headed for the cellar, switching on the lights as I passed them. They blinked on after a short moment, bathing the room in a golden glow.
Pyjama shirt discarded on the floor, clad in a sports bra and shorts, I pummelled the punching bag with all my power. It swung ever so slightly like a pendulum from my blows, yet it did not match the explosive power Ichii possessed. On an especially taxing day, the brunette boy had retreated down here to blow off steam, unleashing all his fury on the bag. I myself had been up on the balance beam, but after a while I could only watch in awe.
After ten minutes, I had worked up quite a sweat, yet I didn't relent.
Hands on my body-
The bag took another beating.
Pinned on the floor-
Shaking my head, my leg snapped out in a powerful kick.
Utterly useless-
More punches and kicks, with ragged panting and curses sprayed in between.
Why was it so difficult?
The blows turned sluggish,
Why couldn't I fight them off?
Frenzied,
I've been trained for this!
Inaccurate,
I should have been able to-
"Hey." My gaze darted to the door, where Zero was leaning. His hair was a unkempt, still a mess from bed, clothes rumpled cheerfully. Those blue eyes gleamed with worry. He approached much like he would a frightened dog. "That's enough, you hear? You're hurting yourself."
I opened my mouth to protest. His touch was feather-light, gracing over my hands, stealing my breath away. The skin was red, swollen, tinting into bruising. The flat of my foot was exactly the same.
"I… I don't feel it."
"You're a real handful." He sighed, and led me by the hand into the bathroom, cleaning the small abrasions and applying a cold compress to the forming bruises.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep."
Zero waved my apology away with a weary smile. "Thought as much. Next time you go for a wander, though, would you mind waking me up? You almost gave me a heart attack, I thought you'd been grabbed again, right under my nose, too."
"Ah, yeah… Were you really worried?"
"Of course. Don't do it again, understand? " His finger wagged scoldingly. "You're lucky I didn't get Ichii, he would've flipped.You might not have seen it, but he's angrier than I was."
I frowned. "Really? That's hard to believe, Ichii seemed fairly calm."
"That's where you're wrong." Zero raked a hand through his hair, slumping forward somewhat. "There's a new dent in the training room wall. Idiot must have had the same idea as you, and switched to the wall when he decided the punching bag wasn't enough to satisfy him."
"Should we check on him?"
He shook his head, shaggy hair bouncing. "No, leave him be. Knowing him, he's got it treated with sixteen different antiseptics and'll use magic to hide the bandages tomorrow."
I made an acknowledging mumble, and looked up at him from where I was seated on the toilet seat, and my eyes were hot and bright, and moisture was beaded across my upper lip. My hands clutched my thighs as I swallowed. "Zero?"
"Yeah?"
"How scared have you ever been?"
After a moment of intense contemplation, he sat on the floor, directly in front of me, and crossed his legs beneath him. "Very." From my unhappy expression, he could tell I was clearly waiting for a better answer. He rocked for a bit, thinking some more. "Look, I'd give anything not to be afraid. But then there's your suicide attempt at stalling the dragon, or Tomi threatening to kill Ichii and I just-"
"I get it."
"Sometimes it's so bad I can't think. I can't move. It's paralyzing." A sigh, and then he softened once more. "This about what happened earlier?"
I looked down. "Something like that."
"Still scared?"
"Terrified, more like. Zero, I was practically useless."
"I don't believe that for a second. You fought them off, successfully, all on your own. What part of that makes you useless?"
"You don't understand-"
"What?" He interrupted, roughly. "You think because you relied on the tactical pen, because you couldn't bust some fancy moves that it makes you useless?" I bit my lip, refusing to meet his gaze. "That's bullshit, Hikari. You won. How you did so is irrelevant. You didn't even need our help to protect yourself."
"I guess…"
"What's wrong?"
"I'm still afraid… What if they come back? What if I can't stop them this time?"
"You know, I think that in a way, it's good. If you weren't afraid, it would mean you didn't care, right? You have something you treasure here, and you fought not to be taken from it." The compress was moved. Zero inspected my hand for a long moment. "That's looking a lot better, I think it'll be alright. I doubt you'll be sleep tonight, so let's go."
Zero guided me to my feet and out the door. "Where are we going?"
"To spar." He had a boyishly cheeky grin. "I'm going to teach you a couple of tricks I've been holding back."
I beamed.
Four hours later had a frantic Ichii bursting into the room and tackling the both of us in a hug the moment he laid eyes on us.
And then chewing Zero out for at least half an hour for not leaving a note.
A/N: Finally, right? It took alarmingly long to complete this chapter. Surprisingly, I'd had the attack part written for about four months or so. I hadn't realised how fast paced this damn Manga is! *Cue mass hysteria upon realising the new 'villains' were introduced almost straight away*
Anyway, I'm taking to writing outlines for upcoming chapters. I've got the next one all set out, so as long as college doesn't get in the way, it shouldn't take this long to write and post it.
Many thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and any feedback/constructive criticism is welcomed.