Aomine stood in her doorway, staring down at Ivy. He couldn't help but notice she was wearing his favourite team's jersey. Her hair was a mess, and she had dark rings under her eyes, obviously she hadn't slept much. That didn't bother him at all, she still looked beautiful standing there, the light catching little sections of her hair from behind, illuminating the colour, it was like a wild fire. He cleared his throat, looking away awkwardly. "Kuroko asked me to stop by, since I didn't go to school today." He rubbed the back of his head. "I kinda expected you to be asleep."
"I couldn't sleep." She answered plainly, looking away from him. She moved from the door, letting him into the apartment. "Thank you." She stated, without looking at him.
"For what?" he was shocked. Did she just thank him? Was it for saving her the first time, or completely stopping her on the bridge? Looking around the apartment, he tried to act like he didn't care what she was going to say, but the truth was, he wanted to know. He wanted to know she was ok, he wanted to know she felt comfortable in her life now, he just wanted to help her.
"You snapped me back to reality last night." She answered, sitting on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest. "After I left the store, I pretty much don't remember anything. I can't exactly remember what you said to me, but I remember your face, staring down into mine." She rested her left cheek on her knees, looking at him. Her eyes were sad, but less broken than the night before. "I hardly know you, yet there's something about you…" she sighed, looking away from him again.
Aomine blinked a little, surprised by her words. He knew exactly how she felt, sort of. He knew that even though he barely knew her, he wanted to take her pain away. He wanted to see her smile, a true smile, not the one she put on to hide her pain. He wanted to know the real her. "I know what you mean." He reached over, touching her shoulder lightly. "I want to help."
"How? How could you possibly help?" she pushed him slightly, standing up. "How are you supposed to help with the dark, churning pit that fills my inner self?" she stamped a foot, staring at him. "How am I supposed to trust someone I barely know?" her voice grew quiet. "When the people who I've known my whole life do nothing but hurt me." He barely heard her, but he understood. He stood hesitantly, gently pulling her close. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing gently.
Ivy stiffened. The rage that had been churning in her chest began to dissipate. He was so warm, she had never felt so safe. Very slowly, she leant into him. What was it about the tall stranger that made her feel so protected? Blinking, she realised that she had relaxed. Pushing him slightly, she gave him a look of denial. "What do you think you're doing?" she stepped back, glaring up at him. He was taking advantage of her weakened mental state. He had to be. She took a few steps away from him. "What kind of person are you? Taking advantage of a girl when she's in pain!" she pointed to the door quickly. "Get out!"
She didn't want to send him away, but there was no way she could trust him. He'd turn out just like everyone else. They always did, every time she began to trust someone, they turned out to be an arse, out to look after themselves. She sniffled a little, trying to keep herself from crying. "Get out! Get out and don't come back!" This was easier. Sending him away before she got attached, then there was no way he could hurt her, was there? There was something inside her chest, tightening at the thought of him leaving, but it was for the best.
When he stayed where he was, she swung, connecting her fist with his chest. "Get out!" Hot tears ran down her cheeks. Why was she crying? Was it because he wasn't listening? Or… was it because she was making him leave?
Aomine winced, a hand pressing to his chest. She was crying, and screaming at him. Just a moment before she had let him hug her, but now, she was trying her best to make him leave. He didn't want to leave. The throb in his chest began to worsen, damn that girl had a swing on her. He gave in, turning to walk towards the door. "Fine, I'll leave." He looked back at her, a lump forming in his throat. "But I'm going to keep coming back." He wanted to help. He wanted to know her, all of her, the good and the bad. He closed the door behind him, wincing as he spotted an older woman glaring at him from across the hall. "What are you looking at?" he snapped at her, before stomping off, a scowl finding its way to his face.
What was wrong with that girl? He was trying to help, offering to be with her, offering to help her recover. He winced again, feeling his chest tighten. He really needed to start wearing padding when he went to visit her. Soon, he found himself standing on a basketball court. He sighed. "What am I doing? Asking her to trust someone she barely knows." He sat on the court, huffing to himself. How was anyone supposed to trust him when he couldn't do the same for them? He flopped back, resting his head on his bag, staring up at the sky. He was being hypocritical asking her to trust someone who didn't know trust. What was he going to do? He couldn't just keep showing up at her home, that would be creepy. He reached for his phone, dialling a number, before resting it against his ear. "Tetsu." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I need your help."
Ivy sat, wedged between her bed and the wall, barely visible to anyone who dared enter her room. She rocked slowly, sobbing loudly. Who did he think he was? Wedging his way into her mind, into her life. Yes, she wanted to live, she wanted to find a way to push the darkness down, but she didn't want anyone to hurt her again. Her body shuddered lightly as she tried to breathe. There had to be something she could do. The pain in her stomach had started again, soon after he stormed out. Taking a shaky breath, she tried to curl tighter into herself. She had removed the spare key from outside, so no one could get into her apartment. She wanted to be alone. She wanted the world to disappear. What else was there? She wanted to be alone, being alone meant no one could hurt her. Maybe letting Kagami and Kuroko into her life wasn't the best move she could have made. They made her feel alive again, which was good, but when they left it made her feel worse. Cutting things off was for the best. She would just stay in her own little world, maybe she'd even stop going to school. She didn't need her grades, no one cared if she was the smartest girl in their school. Half of them didn't even notice she was there. That was it. She would leave school, get a new job and start over. She nodded, starting to fall asleep. That was the right decision.
Aomine frowned, looking at Kagami and Kuroko. "What do you mean, she won't let you in?"
"She changed her locks, and stopped coming to school." Kuroko answered plainly. He sipped on his vanilla milkshake, expressionless eyes staring up at him.
"We think she's had a breakdown. We don't even know if she's been leaving her apartment." Kagami explained, looking up from his pile of hamburgers. "We're worried."
"Why come to me?" Aomine looked off to the side. He hadn't seen her in two weeks, he had forced himself to stay away, not even asking Kuroko or Kagami about her. Though she was still always on his mind, he had given her space. Getting beat on by a girl didn't do anything good for his ego. "She doesn't even like me."
"She does." Kuroko interjected. "She let you into her apartment, without either of us there for backup."
"So?" Aomine was confused. She didn't like him, she hit him, she screamed at him, and sent him away.
"She doesn't do that for anyone. That apartment is all she has, it took us forever to be allowed in." Kagami spoke through mouthfuls of food.
"Right." He didn't believe them. Looking at them again, he tried to think. "Have you two just sat at her apartment, checking if she's really there?" he was starting to worry, if they hadn't seen her for days, there was a chance she really had killed herself.
"We did, for a while, but the lady from next door chased us off." Kuroko answered, nonchalantly. "She was yelling something about there being too many boys causing that girl issues."
"She gave me a pretty dirty look when I got kicked out." He sighed. Standing up, he looked at them. "Did you not think, that after she's tried to kill herself twice, she might be injured or dead in her apartment?"
"Wouldn't it smell?" Kagami looked at him like he was an idiot. Aomine felt his eye twitch, a scowl forming on his face.
"You fucking idiot." He turned, walking out of the building. Walking quickly, he headed towards her apartment. If he was lucky, she hadn't killed herself. He needed to know she was ok. He paused on the bridge, blinking a little. There she was. She was standing with a tall man, chatting with that fake smile on her face. What the hell was going on? He rushed closer, grabbing her by the shoulder, only to realise it wasn't her. "Sorry." He grunted, letting the stranger go. Was he going crazy? He rubbed his eyes, never letting up on his rushed pace. Looking up, he spotted her again, giggling with a middle aged woman, he raised an arm in the air, only to stop himself, the woman giggling turning back into a stranger. Was he seeing things? She'd been on his mind so much lately, and learning that she had disappeared, he was starting to see her everywhere.
Jogging up the stairs, he took a deep breath. There was no smell, no signs that there was anything wrong. He knocked lightly on her door as he reached it, crossing his fingers. She was going to be there, he knew it deep inside of himself. He waited, listening closely. There was a soft sound inside, like shuffling. His heart skipped a beat. She was ok. The door opened slowly, her pale face coming into view. A lump formed in his throat, his breath catching. She'd lost weight, it was obvious in her face. The second the door was wide enough for him to see all of her, he threw his arms around her, in a tight hug. He felt her stiffen, though she didn't back away. He held her tighter, mumbling slowly. "I was worried. They said you dropped out of school." he clung to her tighter. "I thought…" he paused, moving to look down at her shocked face. "I thought you did it… ended it all."
"Aomine." She spoke slowly, looking up at him. Her voice was so soft, weak. There were tears in her eyes, welling and threatening to overflow.
"Don't cry. Don't you dare cry." He ordered her, practically forcing his way into her apartment. It was a mess, dishes piled up on the sink, clothes scattered around the small living space. He didn't care. She was alive. She looked so fragile in his arms, he couldn't help but tear up a little himself. He shook his head, grumbling. "Why the hell would you do this to yourself?"
"I lost my job, remember." She mumbled weakly, her face now hidden in his chest. She felt cold to the touch, it worried him.
"I told you I'd help you find a new one." He sighed out, moving her to the couch, sitting her down, kneeling in front of her. He took in the clothes she was wearing, they looked tattered, like she'd fallen in them recently. "Did you jump off something again?"
"No." she answered, looking serious. He sighed again, reaching up to lightly cup her face.
"Have you been eating?"
"A little." She averted her eyes from his. She hadn't been eating correctly, he could tell.
"We're going to order food. I'll pay." He stated, reaching into his pocket for his phone.
Ivy couldn't look at him. How was it whenever she felt like it was time to give up, he was always there? She had been planning on just curling up and never moving again, but there he was, all worry and anger. She watched him, tears forming in her eyes. He was her guardian angel. The one who stopped her wanting to hurt herself. The light shining in her dark world. She knew it for sure now. The last two weeks she'd been thinking of him, every time she contemplated ending it, his face would come back to her, whispering, 'we don't want this to be like the beach again, do we?'. It brought her back from the edge, and it scared her more than anything in the world. She wanted to push him away again, she wanted to run, but something stopped her this time. Being alone was just that, lonely.
She moved, cupping his face lightly. "I want to know you." She mumbled very softly. She was weak, she could feel herself slipping away again. She'd been woken by his knocking, for the first time in nearly six hours. He rode in on his white horse, all shimmering armour and knightly acts. She slumped forward, mumbling again, her head resting against his shoulder. "I'm so tired, Aomine." Maybe she was dreaming. That could happen, maybe he wasn't here at all, this was just a hunger induced dream.
Warm arms wrapped around her hips, lifting her off of the couch slightly. The warmth continued, meeting her butt, and left side. She opened one eye lazily, not sure what was going on. A frown formed on her face, realising that she was now sitting in his lap, while he worked on a wrapped treat. She opened her mouth to protest against whatever he was planning.
As she opened her mouth, Aomine smirked a little, popping the small chocolate into her mouth. She was so weak from hunger she had passed out against his shoulder. He needed to get some form of nutrients into her. He had a sports drink in his bag, that would work. He reached for his bag slowly, watching her as she savoured the chocolate. "Don't fight this, ok?" he muttered, holding her up straight while he held the bottle of drink to her lips. It would give her back some of the electrolytes she had lost from lack of food. Why did he want to help her so much? The shine had left her hair, leaving it dull and lifeless. Her skin was pale, sickly. Her looks didn't seem to matter to him anymore. Though he barely knew her, he didn't care if she was the most beautiful woman in the world, or if she grew a second head. He thought about what she had said before she collapsed against him, a small smile forming on his lips. "I want to know you too." He really meant it too.
Helping her sip at the drink and eat small snacks from his bag, he stroked her hair lightly. "When was the last time you bathed?" he wasn't trying to be rude, he was worried that she would get sick if she hadn't bathed recently. She didn't answer him, her face screwing up. "Not too recently then." He answered for her, hooping his arm around her waist, carrying her towards the small bathroom in her apartment. He had no desire to take advantage of her, all he wanted to do was help. He knew she was too weak to stand, so he moved to sit her on the bench. "You're going to have a bath." He stated plainly, starting to run the water.
She still didn't argue. He looked at her, a little worried that she had left him again. He smiled softly as he noticed her sitting there silently, a peaceful look in her eyes. She looked deep in thought, though it didn't seem like she was upset with him. He brushed his fingers over his chest, which had finally healed of all the bruises she had left on him. He checked the water as it reached a decent depth, nodding in approval, it wasn't too hot, but it wasn't cold. Turning to her, he held out a hand. "You have two options, either you take your clothes off and let me help you into the bath, or I force you."
"Why do you want to help me?" she gave him a half smile. "Don't you think I'm capable of bathing myself?" there was a note of teasing in her voice which he had never heard before. He moved a little again, helping her down from the counter.
"Do you not want me to see you naked?" he had to admit, teasing her was nice. He didn't want to impose on her if she didn't want him to see her naked, but he did want to make sure she was safe, being in here with her was the only way he could do that. "I can turn away until you're in the water, the bubbles will hide your body from my eyes."
"That might be better than letting you see me right away." She admitted, looking down shyly. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, waiting for him to turn.
Turning away from her, he pulled his phone from his pocket, texting Kuroko. 'Bring food, lots of vegetables and healthy meals. She looks like she hasn't eaten in a week.' He heard the rustle of fabric against skin, causing a blush to rise on her cheeks. He bit the inside of his lip, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He stood silently, waiting to hear the sound of her step into the water.
Jerking forwards, he felt a light hand press to his back. "Is something wrong?" he answered, his voice cracking as he spoke. What else could he ask? She had asked him not to look, and now she wouldn't get in the water.
This was all a dream, Ivy decided. Looking at the vast expanses of Aomine's back, she smiled to herself softly. Standing naked behind him, she wanted his help. If it was a dream he could at least help her into the water. "Would you help me in?" her voice was almost a purr. There was no darkness blurring her vision as it usually did in her dreams, but it didn't bother her. She watched him stiffly turn towards her, holding a hand out for her. Gently, she laced her fingers with his, giving him a warm smile. His eyes widened a little as they trailed over her body, before pausing on her thighs. She followed his gaze, wincing a little. "They aren't that deep." She mumbled, using her free hand to hide the various cuts and scars from his view. They were high on her thigh, in the fleshy part, where it would only cause pain instead of causing her to bleed out, and high enough to hide under her shorts or skirts. Taking a breath, she looked back into his eyes. "When I feel numb, sometimes… It helps to cut." She took half a step towards the bath. "Help me in, please." She almost begged him, licking her lips lightly. She felt a lot better since he had given her the strange tasting blue drink from his bag.
Sinking into the water, she sighed heavily. The water was just right, it smelled of vanilla and boysenberries, the bubbles tickling her skin. Why hadn't she had a bath in three days again? Why would she deprive herself of such a wonderful feeling? She looked up at Aomine again, he made her feel so peaceful. Maybe he was here to lead her into the afterlife. He looked stiff and awkward, trying not to stare directly at her. "Thankyou."