You might get hurt so I'll protect you
Holding up strongly with one swing
Kizutsuke tabun mamotte yaru ze
Tsuyoku kazasu hitofuri ni
I woke up slowly, feeling my throat raw and my head spinning rapidly. Groaning slightly, I forced my eyes to open when I felt a pair of arms tighten around me. The light was rather bright, telling me that I hadn't been out for long after I'd been revived by the god holding me protectively against his body.
"Don't push yourself," I heard him murmur, those amber eyes looking down at me in great relief. I gave him a tiny smile before trying to sit up a little, letting him help me as I stretched out my muscles.
"I think I'm fine," I rasped, coughing as the feeling in my throat irritated it. "Can I have some water?"
Takeru nodded and leaned back, reaching into the cooler nearby and handing me a water bottle. I opened it quickly and downed the whole thing in one go, the cool liquid bringing relief instantaneously. I took a lovely deep breath, relishing the salty tinge in the breeze before setting the bottle aside.
"Help me stand up," I said, shifting in his lap slightly to make it easier for him to get up.
The god hesitated, eyeing me carefully for a few seconds before relenting with a nod. He cradled me in his arms as he stood, making me blush at the intimacy of such a position, and lowered me to my feet as slowly as I needed. The sand beneath my feet was nice and warm, if edging on just a bit too hot.
Takeru let me lean against him as I tested the strength of my legs by taking a step or two. I was pleased with myself when they only shook a little bit, already recovering from the near-accident earlier. I turned my head and smiled at the blunette who was watching me very closely.
"I'm fine, I really am." I leaned up and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you for saving me, Takeru-kun."
A light blush appeared on his skin and he glanced away, scratching his cheek with a finger. "Just promise to not do something that stupid again, okay? I lost about a hundred years off my life."
"I promise," I said, meaning it. After seeing how worried and panicked he'd become, I wouldn't be able to risk my neck like that again without thinking of this day. "Hey, at least now you have an excuse."
He glanced over at me with those pretty amber eyes of his. "What excuse?"
"An excuse to come check up on me every once in a while, since you're being 'grounded' by the Emperor." I smirked as he rolled his eyes. Once again a dark expression crossed his face, and I wondered what thoughts had passed through his mind. "Now, what do you want to do?"
"You're not going swimming again so soon," Takeru said fiercely, giving me a firm glare. I snorted in response.
"No thanks, I've had enough of the water for now. I meant more along the lines of maybe building a sand castle or shell hunting."
He lost the stern expression and relaxed visibly. "That we can do."
I grinned and walked over, taking his hand and tugging towards the shore. "Then let's go."
Thankfully for the both of us, the rest of the day passed without incident. Honestly, if something had happened again, I think Takeru would have just picked me up and taken me back into the cave just so he could keep me safe. I wouldn't have minded it, but every other step he was giving me a weird expression, as if he wanted to say something about my condition.
As the sun started to set I slipped my sun dress back on, knocking the stray sand back onto the beach. The towels and cooler were already packed and ready to go, and I sighed in slight disappointment that the day was over.
"Oi, jellyfish! Are you done yet?" Takeru called from the cave entrance, already back in his god form. His golden eyes looked me up and down again, and he looked like he'd prefer to walk me back home, but that wouldn't be a good idea if he was on a short rope with his own world.
"Yeah, I'm done," I answered, picking up the items and walking towards him to say goodbye. As I got close, he reached out and pulled me into an embrace, making me squeak in surprise. I tried to step back, but the arms around me tightened and I stilled, sensing an odd aura from the god in front of me. "T...takeru?"
He didn't respond, but I felt one of his hands lift up to stroke the back of my head, petting me gently as he held me close. His cheek was pressed against my temple, my hands resting on his back as I returned the hug. I closed my eyes and let myself lean into his warm body, enjoying the feeling of being this close to him. My heart swelled in emotion, and I nuzzled his shoulder a little.
Takeru chuckled lightly before pulling back and looking at me. I blinked at the many emotions showing in those bright gold eyes of his, but what made me blush and my heart start to pound was the overwhelming look of love that he was directing at me. Only me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled up at him, feeling the same love shine through my ocean blue orbs.
The hand that had been petting me moved to cup my chin gently, tilting my head up slightly. My breath froze in my throat as the blunette leaned in slowly, keeping his eyes locked with mine as very softly, hesitantly, he laid his lips over mine in a tender kiss.
It felt like lightning had just struck me, the sensation of our lips touching. My face burned as I let my eyes flutter shut as he pressed those lips more firmly against mine, fully capturing my mouth and making my entire world tilt at a crazy angle. I gripped his back with my hands so I wouldn't fall over as I very softly kissed him back, a tiny whimper escaping my throat.
We stayed like that for a minute or so before pulling back, our eyes reopening and gazing at the other. He had his own blush upon his cheeks, the thumb of his hand upon my face gently stroking my cheek as I smiled up at him. My heart felt like it would explode out of my chest from the joy of finally having kissed the god I'd fallen in love with, and the butterflies in my stomach flitted around madly.
"There," he muttered, leaning in again to peck my lips once more before speaking. "Now I've left you something to remember till I can come back."
I blinked up at him, leaning my head into his hand a little more. "What do you mean, till you come back?"
"I'm grounded, remember?" An amused smirk graced his handsome face. I pouted slightly as I remembered that little fact.
"Promise you won't be gone too long?" I pleaded up at him, not comfortable about the fact that I wouldn't be able to see him for even a few days.
He hesitated then, a strange sadness filling those emotional eyes. I frowned, a tiny instinct warning me that something bad was going on, something he couldn't or wouldn't tell me. I reached up and put a hand over his, squeezing it for reassurance.
Takeru closed his eyes and sighed in acceptance, placing his forehead against mine. "I promise to be back as soon as I can. If I want to meet, you'll hear me call you through the pearl." His hand dropped from my cheek to run his fingers down my neck, making me shiver as he reached the pearl and lightly touched it. I felt a strange tingling sensation as it glowed for a few seconds before fading, the sunset starting to dye it orange and red.
"I'll listen carefully every day," I promised, leaning up and kissing him as boldly as I dared. He made a startled noise before kissing back, unable to help himself. I pulled back and moved away, smiling at him with all the love I felt for him. "Be safe, Takeru."
"You too, pearl." The god smiled back before turning and sliding into the cave, disappearing into the darkness within and leaving me alone on the beach. I reluctantly turned and headed for home, my head still spinning from happiness at finally gaining a kiss from him.
However, that one little voice in the back of my head reminded me of that dark look he'd had, not just once but at several points during our day. I frowned slightly, wondering what could possibly be going on with him when I wasn't around to distract him from his troubles.
These thoughts plagued me as I walked the painted streets while the sun lowered from the sky. I stared at the shadow before me on the ground, not paying close attention to where I was going. And since I wasn't being observant, I of course ended up running into another person.
I quickly moved back from them, looking up and opening my mouth to apologize, only to have the breath in my lungs halt any sound I would have made. My eyes narrowed at the startled girl before me, my lips twisting into a grimace.
Nayomi looked at me in surprise, clearly not expecting to see me. She was wearing a very preppy looking outfit, with her hair pulled into a nice ponytail and a sunhat upon her head. Her dark eyes looked me up and down, taking in my rather bedraggled, sun-soaked appearance before smirking. I could immediately tell where this was going to go.
"Well, it seems someone had some fun in the sun," she said airily, turning to face me. I rolled my eyes and moved to walk around her, not even wanting to bother.
"Did you have fun on your date the other day with that short boy? Kouta-kun said you two were rude the other day when he went to apologize."
That, however, made me stop. I turned and gave a ferocious look at her, feeling satisfied when I took her off guard and made her take a step back at the deadly aura I gave off.
"Don't talk, don't even mention anything about me and Takeru-kun," I spat at her, eyes blazing at the suddenly scared teenager, seeing her eyes widen impossibly at me. "You have nothing to do with us, and neither does Fujiwara-san. Mind your own business for once, and get out of my life."
Not staying to take in her mouth dropping open in astonishment, I whirled around and stomped away, my mood soured by the encounter. Not the way I had wanted to end the day, by having to see that lying bitch's face.
I marched up to my apartment in record time, huffing as I set the cooler and towels down to start unpacking place was eerily silent with only me in the house, and I felt the sting of loneliness make itself known. Frowning, I hurried to put away everything, heading to the bath once I was finished with everything else.
I let the water run over my body as I thought about my day. Despite the near-drowning experience and the run in with Nayomi, I had had a good day. I realized that every day I had spent with Takeru, it had never ended that badly. Even during those first few times I met him and was still wary to trust him, the days had felt more bearable, and gave me something to look forward to in the future.
The Sea God had given me a reason to be. My breath caught as I realized this, a hand going up and lightly touching the pearl upon my throat. Ever since he'd given it to me, I'd never taken it off except to clean it, always with extreme care to not ruin the cloth or the pearl itself. It comforted me, knowing that no matter what happened, I had a way to call him, see him.
A way to no longer be alone in this world.
Smiling, I finished my bath and dressed for bed, a nice t-shirt and pair of soft shorts to relax in as I wound down. I sat in front of the tv and turned it on, my thoughts now straying to Nayomi.
I frowned, not happy that she knew of my and Takeru's relationship. Knowing her and her ways, she would more than likely try to gather enough information to ruin what we had. Though...normally when I stood up to her, she would respond with her own form of aggression, but this time...it almost seemed like she had been scared of me. No, that wasn't right. It was like she was seeing another person, one whom she feared for some reason.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, sighing and focusing on the screen in front of me. Whatever it was that was bothering her, I didn't care as long as it didn't bother me.
Fate just loved to fuck with me.
Ever since my run in with Nayomi four days ago, I had found that she was following me wherever I went. i'd only realized it two days ago, when I caught her ducking behind a corner just like I'd seen someone do out of the corner of my eye while on errands. And knowing she was watching me so closely was just ever so slightly, not much, but just maybe pissing me off.
I gave an aggravate sigh and turned around, glaring daggers at the alley corner where I knew she was hiding. Torture at school was one thing, but stalking? This was crossing the line. I marched my way over to the alley entrance, turning the corner and startling the dark haired girl lurking there.
"I've had it up to here with your bullshit, Nayomi," I hissed in her face, furious at her attempts to learn about my life, more than she already had known. "Why the hell are you following me?!"
To my surprise, she shrank back against the wall, a flash of fear in her expression. My rage lessened at that sight, replaced by a queer sense of hesitation. Nayomi had never hesitated before, so why should I when I catch her in the act?
"H-hold on, Yukino-chan!" she stammered, grinning nervously and holding her hands up. "I can explain!"
"Then you better start explaining before your hair suddenly becomes a lot shorter," I growled, only to feel a flash of guilt when she flinched. What the hell?
"Well...um, well..." she looked down and away, playing up the suspense for some reason. I leaned back and tapped my foot on the ground, impatiently waiting. "I was hoping you'd maybe have some time to have lunch with me?" she offered, posing it more of a question than a demand.
"...No." I turned and started walking out of there.
"No, I'm serious!" she pleaded. A strange note in her voice made me pause against my better judgement, looking back at her with distrust. "I know that you don't trust me, and I've given more than enough reasons to make it like that, but I'm begging you!"
I gritted my teeth, staring into her eyes to try and see any hint of deceit. The only thing I saw was desperation, a little remaining fear, and...something else. I couldn't place what it was, but it wasn't along any lines of a lie. Knowing that I'd regret this, I gave a sharp nod.
"You better not blow this, Nayomi, or you'll never get another chance." Like I'd give her any more chances either way.
A bright smile appeared on her face, lighting it up. I blinked, a little surprised to realize that lately all I'd ever seen was a sneer or a conniving smirk, not a smile like this. It made her cute, truly cute, and I sighed in irritation before turning and walking out of the alley and onto the sidewalk, the black-haired teen following me closely.
"Hey, lets go to this cafe over here," she said, pointing in a direction. My eyes almost bugged out at the sight of one of the more expensive places on the block and I immediately shook my head.
"Oh no, I don't have money like that! Just follow me," I said, turning and heading for a cheaper, but a very nice and quaint cafe down the road. Nayomi eyed the outside of it cautiously, clearly used to the finery of the well off. I walked in without hesitation, smiling warmly at the girl behind the counter.
"What can I get you, Manabe-san?" she asked in a pleasant tone, knowing that I was a regular there when I could afford it.
"The usual, and whatever she wants." I nodded back at Nayomi.
The other girl looked at the menu, clearly unsure of what was good here. Shaking my head at this, I turned back. "Actually, just get her the same thing as me."
"Of course. Go ahead and have a seat, I'll bring it over to you."
"Thanks."
Nayomi stuck close to me as I walked to the back of the quaint cafe, scooting a chair out in an attempt at manners. "Sit here." I lowered my backside into my own chair, perfectly at ease in the comfortable atmosphere the place offered. I crossed my arms and sat back against the chair, looking at her fidget.
"So, what was so important that you had to follow me for four days straight?" I asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.
Nayomi looked down at her hands, biting her lower lip. "I...I wanted to see...if there was any way...if you would possibly want to be..."
"If I would return to being friends with you?"
She nodded, glancing up at me through her eyelashes in trepidation. I could understand her hesitance, after so many years of enduring her torture. And she was right in assuming that I was not going to be the most accepting of her advances.
"If you thought for one second that I would-"
"I know!" she snapped, those dark eyes flashing in anger. "Why do you think I was trying to stay hidden? Of course you're not going to just welcome me back with open arms. I'm not stupid!"
For a brief second my hackles raised at the reappearance of the old Nayomi, but all of a sudden that flash of the past was gone, and she cringed and whimpered, covering her head to protect it. The behavior struck me as beyond odd, and raised more than a few questions.
"Here you are, Manabe-san," the counter girl said, placing the two chai lattes on the table with a smile.
"Thank you," I said, nodding at her politely. She turned to leave, and my attention went back to the girl who was now peering out from under her hair, nervous as a cornered mouse. "Here, try this. It's a chai latte with whipped cream and cinnamon."
Nayomi eyed the cup in front of her skeptically. I sipped lightly on my own, sighing in bliss as the caffeine hit my system almost at once. She picked it up and tilted it to look inside. I frowned as she proceeded to nitpick the outside wrappings.
"Just drink the damn thing," I snapped, loosing my patience.
She jumped slightly at my tone, frowning before taking a deep breathe and sipping from the cup cautiously. I nearly smirked when her eyes widened in delight at the taste. "Wow. That's pretty good!"
"Yeah. I don't like much else, but this tastes good as well as gives you a caffeine boost," I commented, taking a healthy gulp from my own despite the liquid's temperature.
"...So..." Nayomi glanced at me, taking in my semi-relaxed state. "How are things with that boy?"
"Totsuka Takeru. And it's going fine." I kept the fact that I missed him horribly the past few days to myself. My mind kept straying to what he might be doing at that moment, how he was faring while 'grounded,' and mostly, if he missed me as much as I missed him. My heart clenched, and a frown came over my face.
Nayomi noticed and tilted her head some. "That doesn't look like it's going fine. Where has he been?"
"Away. He has family that comes first," I allowed, eyeing her as I talked. I sensed no malice, no ill intent, but I could never bee to careful.
"Oh. I know how that feels. Kouta-kun is away for a few days, and I really honestly miss him a lot." A flicker of a grimace crossed her expression, and I raised an eyebrow.
"It seems that things aren't going the best between you," I commented, sipping the latte. "He once mentioned that you'd had some kind of trouble recently. Care to explain?"
Any calm she had retained from before fell away when I mentioned that, and Nayomi looked at me in stark terror, her eyes going wide and wild. I backed away an inch or two in my seat, narrowing my eyes at her in caution at once. Without warning she shot up from the chair, clutching her cup tightly as she jerked her head around, as if suddenly sensing danger.
"I-I have to go!" she stammered right before she bolted out the door. I made a slight lunge to stop her, but she was long gone before I was even out of my seat. I was left staring after her, mouth slightly open in shock.
What the heck was going on?
I may or may not be posting every day for a while, as I have dedicated some of my day to grinding my Blood Elf hunter to the highest level in WOW. Be assured, I'm still going to write, but with having to go through so many instances and dungeons, I'm plumb tuckered out.
Tell me what you think of the story so far, reviews are much loved.