OMG! 400 reviews! Thank you all so, so, so, so much! *Jumps around room*!
Special thanks to my four hundredth, and almost four hundredth, reviewers, Manga-Cats-Anime, and XxKingArthurIIIxX.
400 reviews and 20,000 views... I DON'T DESERVE THE LOVE! XD Thank you all soooooooo much!
Here's a chapter I think everyone who enjoys IA and IO will love, so take this as my thanks for all the great reviews. I'll have another question at the end of this chapter, it's short so don't flip out if you hate those, but I'd love to see what everyone thinks!
Thank you all so so very much, oh and one more thing, enjoy!
~Tiruneko ;3
X~52~X
IA stares out the hotel window, her red eyes flickering back in the reflection on the glass. She tilts her head sideways as another set of gleaming red eyes come into this distorted mirror. IO hangs just above her, mouth slightly open as a gust of snow blows past the window, sending white flurries dancing in the air. IA's breath catches and IO places a palm on the cold glass, wincing and drawing back suddenly, as if it scared him.
"It's cold…"
"It's snow…" IA replies, voice entirely filled with absolute wonder.
"It looks like your hair." IO states, smirking just a little. IA turns to him, eyes filled with deep sorrow IO doesn't understand. He doesn't know where it came from, but here it is, plain and simple all of the sudden, a sharp yet such a dull pain drilled into her watery and gleaming red eyes.
"It's snow." She repeats, voice faltering.
"IA-"
"It's snow. It's… yuki." She turns back to the window and her back arches. She places one palm on the glass. As her shoulders begin to shudder, her other free hand flies up and covers her eyes that are now under the blanket of her hair. IO lurches forward, nearly throwing himself onto the thin window seat. He sits next to her and throws out his arm over her shoulder. He doesn't have to pull her, IA throws herself into his side, burying her face into his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck, sobbing so hard she's silent.
IO catches his own reflection in the snowy glass. He is almost ashamed to say the snow is beautiful.
Len glances over to the window, IA is bawling again. His hair casts a heavy shadow over his eyes and a deep raspy sigh escapes his lips. It hurts. What maybe even hurts worse is that IO is comforting her. He's the only one she'll speak to, and the one she goes to now to cry on. IA doesn't trust Len anymore. Only IO. And he is painfully aware. Len watches IO wrap both of his arms around IA's upper back and squeeze her gently, burying his own face into the top of her hair and inhaling, as if drawing comfort from the one he's comforting.
Setting the bundle of new towels down on the freshly made bed- courtesy of Lapis- Len turns and walks into the other room, leaving the children to their own type of silence.
In the other room, the one with only one bed, a type of calming air hangs between the group, like a pleasant fog. Len's eyes scan the room for the one person he really wants to talk to. In the frame of the bathroom door Lapis is combing through the large mass that is Miku's hair. The two girls talk quietly, Miku's face vibrant and Lapis' face content. On the only bed in the room, oddly enough, are Gumi and Yuuma. Gumi is leaning against the head board of the bed, flicking through movie channels lazily. Yuuma sits next to her, but not close, watching the way she moves instead of the TV, as if Gumi is more interesting than any action flick on the screen. Gumi's eyes have a sense of hollowness that has somehow become apparent overnight, and Yuuma looks tired. Len's eyes move on to under the window in this room. Rin sits with her back to the glass, nestled into-
Len nearly screams. Rin and Oliver sit on the window seat, facing outwards towards the rest of the room. Oliver holds a book in his hand, one he stole from luggage downstairs, with Rin's head resting in the crook between his neck and shoulder. His head rests on hers, the same way IA's does when she sleeps on IO's chest. Both of their eyes are down, but Oliver's free hand is wrapped around Rin's lower back, pulling her into his side, nearly invisible. Rin's eyes flutter closed for a moment and Oliver whispers something in her ear. Rin nods gently. Oliver turns the page of the book.
Len stalks over to them, nearly fuming. "Rin." The two blondes are snapped, rather violently, out of their daze. Rin pulls away from Oliver so fast she nearly hits her head on the window. Oliver drops the book onto the floor with a soft thud and a crimson color rockets up his face. He squirms, giving an awkward glance at Len before hurriedly looking away. Rin stifles a laugh, but is actually quite angry.
"What?" She stands, facing Len. Len gives a half-sided confused and half disgusted glance at Oliver before grabbing Rin by the wrist and pulling her into the other room, past the still inconsolable IA and IO, into the bathroom. He shuts the door behind him and Rin frowns as he releases her. Crossing her arms over her chest she speaks. "What? I was enjoying myself if you hadn't noticed-"
"It's the IO kid."
"Oh. What about him?" Rin relaxes slightly.
"That's exactly it. We know nothing about him."
"We know nothing about Gumi, but she's still here." Rin raises an eyebrow and Len's face goes dark.
"That's the point, Rin. We know basically nothing about each other, except for me and you. How much do you actually know about Oliver?" Rin cuts him off by placing a hand flat against the chest of her twin, and glaring daggers. "I'm serious, Rin. This isn't me just being… me about whatever that was… it's a real problem. None of us know anything about each other. That's a weakness, especially us being this big of a group now."
"Why do you suddenly care? Because IA likes another seven year old better than you? Len, Yuuma told us they were in a cell together. We have no idea what they might have been through together-"
"Yes, Rin. Yes we do." Len's eyes go very, very dark and Rin glances at the floor, her face sinking. The two sit in their silence of memories before Rin decides to break it again.
"What's your point? You're jealous of a seven year old?"
"No, I'm worried about our weaknesses. We don't trust each other." Rin remains quiet for a moment. "And… IA… I did this to her."
"Huh?"
Len's voice takes a different tone, one Rin has only heard a handful of times before, and all times she'd rather not think about. "It's my fault they took her again… it's my fault that… that Yuki-"
A loud clap echoes through the bathroom, Rin stands, her hand raised, Len's cheek red from where she slapped him. Her face is literally, furious.
She stalks forward, forcing Len to press himself against the door. Rin puts her index finger in his face and speaks in a deep and forceful manner. "You don't get to always blame yourself, Len. If IA hadn't gotten taken back again, IO wouldn't be here, Yuuma wouldn't be here. Yuki… that's on all of us. You think you need to take everything on alone, Len. You don't. You're such…" Rin chuckles. "…you're such an idiot sometimes." She reaches up, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.
She pulls away suddenly and punches him playfully, yet very roughly, in the arm, before walking out of the bathroom.
~ ~ ~X~ ~ ~X~ ~ ~
"Alright, who had the fried rice?" Yuuma asks, holding up a brown Chinese food container. Gumi's hand shoots up in the air and her lips peel into a grin. The last container out of the take out bag is passed down and the sound of cardboard popping and chopsticks breaking fills the one bed room.
"Soy me." Gumi's hand flings outwards and Rin tosses one of the white packets into the air. Gumi's hand snaps around it like a snake around prey.
IO throws his hands into the container and after he's slurped down a fistful of noodles he glances at IA. The girl stares down into the brown cardboard rectangle, her face contorted into an unreadable expression.
The nearly identical boy sets his food container back down on the desk and turns to look at IA. She's still staring down, unmoving, unspeaking, unbreathing. IO bends down, peering into her line of vision. He places a hand on her upper back and frowns at her face when she raises it. Len glances over to see IA close to tears and IO in a similar position. He leans forward and stands, placing himself on the other side of IA. IO pulls his arm around her shoulder and she leans into him, looking as if she's about to puke.
"IA?" Len asks softly, the voice he always uses around her. She shakes her head and mutters under her breath.
IO presses his forehead to the side of her temple and IA's eyes flickered close for a moment. She hiccups and covers her mouth with her hand, almost about to cry again. Len's heart sinks. IO plays with her fingers unconsciously, and with his other hand runs his fingers through one strand of her hair. She releases her breath in one shuddering gasp and everyone falls silent.
"Hey…" Len coos gently, reaching out for one of IA's hands. She flinches away, leaning entirely into IO, as if she can't support herself anymore. She's nearly on top of him, her face hidden in his shoulder. IO looks up, frowning at Len. "IA-"
She jerks upwards suddenly, eyes full of anger and a horrible aching sadness. "No!" She nearly screams. Miku's hands fly to her ears instinctively and Lapis places her hand on Miku's back as IA stands, hovering just over Len's head as he sits dumbfounded on the floor. "No!" She repeats just as loud. Gumi's eyes widen and Yuuma's jaw nearly drops.
"IA-", IO is cut off as the little fragile girl begins to shout.
"No, Lenny! You lied! You lie and you lied! You said you'd protect me, you said you'd protect us!" Len's face falls, his eyes concealed behind an emotionless mask from a long time ago. IA is nearly incoherent, screaming. "Us is everyone! Us is everybody! IO was alone! He's us! I was alone! Miki's alone! Yuki's dead!"
No one breathes.
IA starts again, nearly sobbing. "You can't protect us Lenny! You can't! You lied! You promised and you LIED! Just like Piko! He said it would be okay! YOU ALL LIE!" IA throws herself out of the room, running as fast as anyone had ever seen a child her age move. IO's eyes shake with horror in their sockets, and without thinking he scrambles over the rest of the dumbfounded group, bolting out the door after her nearly just as fast.
No one breathes.
"Who's… who's Piko?" Yuuma asks quietly, nearly silently.
Miku replies, as the only one who can muster a voice. "Her big brother."
"Where-"
"He died." Miku finishes. Len stands, slowly moving out into the hallway and closing the door softly behind him.
IO runs as fast as his legs can ever move. He passes by a hotel maid, startling her, and darts through another hallway when the sound of choking sobs stops him dead in his tracks. IO nearly falls flat on his face, not used to running and abruptly stopping. To his right is the ice machine in a little nook in the wall. There is a small gap between it and the wall and a strand of bleach blonde hair curls around the side of the cord. IO sighs, relieved, and slowly walks over, bending down facing the gap behind the gently humming ice machine.
IA is curled up into fetal position, leaning against the wall, her head buried in her arms, the sleeves of Len's former jacket soaked entirely soaked through with tears. IO crawls forward slowly until he's sitting next to her, facing the back of the ice machine. If it hadn't been for her hair, she would have been entirely hidden.
IO slowly reaches out his hand and curls his fingers around hers. IA flinches instantly. IO repeats the instinctual pattern of threading his fingers through hers and touching the tips systematically with a kind of gentleness that spreads a warmth creeping through IA. Her breath catches instantly and she immediately stops sobbing.
"Go away… you'll lie too." She mumbles quietly in a low pitch, defeated. IO moves closer, resting his head on her shoulder. Despite her best efforts to act strong, IA can't help but relax at his contact.
"Mm nhn." IO shakes his head "no" and IA feels the movement distinctly on her shoulder.
"Yes… you… will…" She chokes, tensing suddenly and gripping her knees strongly as her sobs begin to rock her body back and forth.
"No." IO states simply, pressing his forehead to her temple and curling into her side. The movement she makes is instinctual, she curls her left arm around his shoulders and pushes him deeper into her side.
"Y-yes you will!" She raises her voice slightly.
"No." He moves a strand of her hair off of his shoulder and wraps it around his hand. IA's sobs are quiet now, less strained and soft. IO presses one of his thumbs into the side of her neck, moving it around in small circles under the base of her skull. IA whines softly, the cries are almost gone.
"B-but you will." She shudders.
"I'll never make you sad. I promise." IO's voice is as soft as it was the night he stumbled into her cell. He's never seen IA like this. And it makes him want to strangle Len.
"B-but you'll break it and l-lie."
IO shakes his head and she slowly raises her splotchy and red, tear stained face, both of their equally red eyes burning with the same fierce and soft intensity at the same time.
"No. I'll never ever make you sad." IA breaks finally, throwing herself into IO's arms and gripping him so tight the breath from his lungs whooshes out, he sits surprised, yet happy. After a quiet moment after IA had long stopped crying, IO speaks again. "I'll talk to Len… for you… if you want." IA nods meekly and raises her head slowly from his chest, pressing her lips to his ear to whisper what she wants him to say.
IO nods softly and stands, pulling IA to her feet gently. She drapes her arms around IO's neck, trailing behind him as he walks slowly so she doesn't fall. The first person they see is Yuuma, whose eyes automatically soften with relief.
"Guys! IO found her!" He calls down the hallway loudly. Yuuma slowly moves forward, bending down in front of the two and noticing the solemn expression on IA's face. IO seems as relieved as Yuuma and the steadily approaching rest of the group. Rin is missing as well as Len.
"Yuuma…" IO speaks quietly, embarrassed to talk in front of anyone that isn't IA. Yuuma nods, waiting. "IA wants me to talk to Len for her."
"Rin went to get him, he's outside." IO eases out of IA's grasp and turns to walk down to the lobby. In less than two minutes he's stumbled outside into the white flurries, and the scent of smoke attracts him to the side of the building.
Rin leans against the wall next to Len, who has his hair hiding his face entirely, a cigarette clasped between his fingers and pressed to his lips. Rin is in a similar position, her free hand on his shoulder. Their conversation is inaudible it's so soft. IO stops, standing in front of the two. Rin raises her head but Len doesn't look up as a plume of smoke floats above his head.
IO gulps. "IA… wanted me to come talk… for her. But… I'm not gonna' say what she wanted." Len lifts his head slightly, red eyes still hidden. IO gags a little at the overwhelming scent of cigars emanating from the space between the two twins. He inhales deeply before speaking slowly, with purpose, careful not to trip on his own oddly forceful words. "You made her sad. Really, really sad, yesterday. But before… she talked about you all the time. All the time. Whenever I'd cry…" IO pauses at the sound of his own weakness and a faint hint of disgust shows on his face as he continues, having admitted that he was so pathetic to have shown his pain to IA. "…she told me all about you. But now she's sad, and I'm…" He searches for a word. "…angry. You made her sad, and that makes me angry." His face has surprisingly turned dark for the look of a child. "I want- I need her to be happy again, and I'll make her happy again, so you stop making her sad!" IO shouts at the end, sweat dripping off his face despite the overwhelming cold of the air. "Make her not sad, and I'll make her happy." IO stops now, pausing for a long time and thinking something to himself. His face scrunches up in minor frustration, as if the words he's looking for are so far away. So he settles for the closest one's he knows. "She's mine to make happy!" He shouts quite loudly, so that his voice bounces around the hotel walls. He stands fuming now, breathing heavily under the snow. He's never talked this much to anyone but IA.
IO turns, spinning on his heel, and walks angrily and swiftly back into the hotel, stomping off in the snow. Rin chuckles as Len sighs, raising his head up to the clouds and pinching the bridge of his nose as he drops the cigarette butt into the snow beneath him.
"'Didn't know he had this much fire." She says brightly but yet in her signature monotone. Len grunts in response. "I don't know what he was trying to do, but it worked." Rin smirks.
"Worked?" Len snips, turning to face her.
"Well, you talked, for one." Rin turns her head slightly sideways, the way she used to when they were kids. Or, when they still felt like they were kids. "And two, you've stopped moping. The depression around you is gone."
Len stares at the blanket of cold emptiness on the ground, silent. He brings his hand to his chest and exhales deeply. "I don't feel like it's gone."
"Well, that's because you're an idiot."
"Screw off, Rin."
"Everyone's just full of fire today, huh?" Rin takes a long drag from her cigarette, blowing it out quite obnoxiously into Len's face to get a rise.
"…Don't think that just because I'm having a really bad day, doesn't mean I'm not going to punch you out for the smoking later." Len glares at her, angrily, yet playfully.
"I dunno', you seemed to pretty much not mind when you were smoking next to me…" Rin laughs.
Len elbows her gently in the arm. "Shut up."
"C'me on, let's go back inside. It's freakin' cold."
~ ~ ~X~ ~ ~X~ ~ ~
"Alright, who's sleeping where?" Lapis proposes again, standing off of her position on the floor where she had been watching a movie with everyone else. Rin groans, throwing herself down on the bed, grumbling loudly.
"I don't want to think anymore. We're leaving tomorrow, that alone is enough to make me wanna' puke my brains out." Rin whines. Oliver chuckles on the floor beneath her and she kicks him sharply in the back of the head. He glares at her through his one eye.
"Well, first, who's taking watch? Clearly not Rin, and I'm freaking exhausted, I can't do that two nights in a row." Lapis declares, sighing deeply and sitting on top of the nightstand between the two beds.
"I got it." Gumi stands, cracking her back and grinning.
"Oh no-o-o." Len chuckles dryly, shaking his head, standing as well. "You literally passed out from exhaustion and slept for nearly two days straight and now you want to stay up all night? Are you crazy?"
"Yes, yes, I am." Gumi states blandly, sighing in slight aggravation. "Len, really I'm fine-"
Yuuma interjects sharply. "No, he's right." She sends him a glare only he can see that literally sends chills rocketing down his spine. "He's right." Yuuma repeats, softer this time.
"Just sleep with me and Miku, Gumi." Rin says. Gumi's eyes go wide with horror momentarily and flash with another emotion only known to Yuuma. Before the green haired girl can protest, Yuuma jumps in. Again. Much to her annoyance.
"She can't."
Rin raises an eyebrow. "Why the hell not?"
"Becau-" Gumi steps back, sharply digging the heel of her boot into Yuuma's toe. He flinches in pain and whines under his breath. Gumi whispers so softly he's the only one that can hear.
"You'll shut up if you know what's good for you." Yuuma has never been threatened like this before, ever. Gumi is honestly terrifying when angry, so he quiets down. She doesn't ease off of his foot.
"Because what?" Len asks as Miku stands, coming up close behind the blonde, still whipped from the events of earlier. Miku places her hand gently on his shoulder, to calm him down slightly. Len notices but doesn't acknowledge her.
"Nothing. But you really should res-", Yuuma whimpers in pain and bites his lip as Gumi digs her heel into Yuuma's foot even deeper.
Rin raises an eyebrow. "What's going on?" She asks, confused.
"Nothing!" Gumi assures, grinning devilishly.
"Yeah, right." Oliver agrees sarcastically, earning him another kick from Rin.
"It's not nothing…" Miku says very softly behind Len. "… Gumi… me and Lapis saw-"
Gumi's eyes widen with absolute horror and she immediately cuts Miku's soft voice off like a saw blade hitting wood. "It's really, honestly, nothing, guys. I just don't like sleeping near other people, it's always bothered me. I freaked out a little when I woke up and saw Yuuma next to me, that's how he knows. It's embarrassing so I really didn't want to talk about." She casts her eyes down, faking embarrassment quite flawlessly, to Yuuma's astonishment. "…It's really not a big deal."
"You're lying." Miku states simply from behind Len. Gumi tenses and her eyes burn like they do when she's about to fight somebody.
"I'm not."
"You are." Miku musters enough inner strength to argue, to everyone's surprise. Lapis grips Miku gently by the wrist of her free hand and simply shakes her head. Yuuma stares at Lapis and the blue haired girl gives the same worried expression back.
"Miku-" Gumi starts.
"Gumi we saw-"
"Miku!" Lapis whispers harshly, causing the teal haired girl's shoulders to sink slightly. She has no intention of backing down and yet she seems to be extremely saddened at what she's doing.
"Let her talk!" Len scolds, sending the room rocketing over a wave of silence.
Miku thinks for a very long moment before pausing. She steps backwards, away from Len, and simply shakes her head. "It's nothing." Miku turns to Lapis, her face pale and pleading. "Lapis… can you help me take a shower… before I go to bed." Lapis gives her a meek and surprised nod.
"Sure, Miku." She says softly, taking the teal haired girl by the hand and leading her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them with a soft click.
One of Tiruneko's Weird Little Pointless Questions: Fill in the blank! Poor_. Who did you feel really bad for this chapter? I know this is a little... somber but this chapter wasn't exactly a "light read".
Character Pole:
No change, so I won't take the time to re-write this. Sorry I'm lazy and my laptop's almost dead!
~Tiruneko ;3