I saw Hiro standing in the doorway and thought nothing of it until his hand lashed across my face as I passed him.
"What the fuck was that for," I half-yell, half-hiss, hand moving to cover my stinging cheek, "what did I ever do to you?"
"It's your fault," he snaps, ice blue eyes glowing with hate, "it's your fault Ara is dead!" I just stare at him in shock and grab his wrist as he raises his hand to hit me again.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Like you don't know! You probably begged him to kill Ara for you!" His voice takes a whiny tone and mock sorrow briefly replaces his anger, "'If you cared about me, you'd save me. You love me, don't you?' Is that the line you used to make him do it? Pout your best and maybe even cry?"
"And just what the fuck makes you think that," I practically snarl, not appreciating the fact I'm getting blamed over something I didn�t even know about and the implication I�m that manipulative, "your own goddamn delusions?"
"Was it something else?" Hiro lowers his tone, the malice in it becoming thicker, "Maybe you told him you'd sleep with him if he did it. That's it, isn't it? You manipulative little whore--"
"That's enough with the guilt trips and idiotic fighting," Tao's voice cuts in sharply as he smacks Hiro in the back of the head, "you're not helping yourself any, Ishiro the Younger." Hiro just continues to glare at me in response. Tai, who has also made an appearance, grabs me by the arm and pulls me away from Hiro, seeing as how I'm visibly shaking with rage and about to strangle him. If he misses Arashi so damned much I'll give him a fucking reunion right now.
"I don't why you'd care anyway, because it's not like he gave a damn about you. You were never going to get anywhere with him. Probably just another name on the list of people he's used!"
Hiro looks hurt through the angered expression on his face and Tai's grip tightens to nearly bruising force in warning. He's not exactly fond of Hiro either, but it was cruel to throw that in Hiro's face (mostly true though it may be) and he can't approve of it. Hiro gives me one last look that promises to make me suffer and heads for the doorway.
Bladen has just now walked in, but it's clear from the look on his face he heard everything that Hiro said. Hiro pauses in front of him, and I'm surprised when all they do is have a glaring match.
"You're still here?" Bladen speaks at last, voice oddly emotionless, "Get the hell out of the way." With that he shoves Hiro to one side and comes to a stop in front of me, looking me over as if checking for injuries.
"You okay?" His tone is still emotionless, though there's worry in his eyes. Hiro leaves without further trouble, and I shrug as Tai releases my arm.
"Dignity's shattered."
"Ah, well... Fuck dignity anyway. Bitch deserved it."
"So," I say with a slight shake of my head, derailing the subject of what Hiro does and doesn't deserve, "are you going to tell me what I just got blamed and insulted for?"
"Oh, that," he laughs bitterly, giving me a look that's an odd mix of amusement and regret, "I killed Arashi. Paid him a little midnight visit and put a bullet through his head as he slept."
"You...what?" Hiro just said it, but I guess it didn't hit me full force until it came out of Bladen's mouth. I know he and Arashi's relationship only got more hateful after that time Bladen went after Adel, but... "But why?"
"Because he threatened you," he answers nonchalantly, as if it were a perfectly ordinary thing for a person to kill for a reason like that, "he threatened to harm you, and I wasn't going to stand for it."
"But he didn't do anything," I protest, not entirely sure why I'm defending him, "there was no reason--"
"There was plenty reason," he interrupts, voice low and malevolent, "and I wasn't about to wait for him to carry it out before doing something about it."
I'm not sure whether I should be flattered or fearful that he's willing to kill for me like that, but I think fear is winning out. I back up a step or two (somewhat in spite of myself) almost into Tai, who taps me on the shoulder.
"We need to go fill Dakumi in on recent events. You think you can handle things here," his gaze shifts to Bladen before falling back to meet mine, "take care of him for us?"
"Both of you are going?" I ask, flinching at the disappointment in my own voice.
'Get it together, damnit. Okay, so he'd apparently kill for you...but he'd never do the same--or even less--to you.'
'Then again, you never thought he'd kill for you, either, so...'
"Yes," Tao answers as he and Tai head out the door, though I barely hear him, "we won't be gone too long."
'You're being stupid! This whole thing is just...stupid!'
'You can never be too sure...'
"Hey, Kiyo, you sure you're okay?" A hand waves in front of my face and I blink, glancing up at Bladen. He frowns slightly, worry written clearly in his features.
"I'm fine," I say, waving a hand dismissively as I try to make it replace the truth.
"You're not�afraid of me, are you?"
"No!" I yell the word automatically, almost defensively, even if it's a lie. Bladen just gives me a critical look; he can always tell when I'm not being completely truthful.
"Yes...no...I don�t know..." I bury my face in my hands and he tentatively pulls me into an embrace, making sure I feel nothing but comfort as my empathy kicks in with the contact.
"I'm sorry..." he says softly, a few waves of regret washing over the comfort.
"For what?"
'You're not going to kill me next, are you?'
'Shut up!'
He doesn't answer at first and I gulp, taking a deep breath. "For what," I ask again, wishing my voice didn't sound so shaky, "you didn't..."
'...Didn't what? Do anything wrong? That's not true. You can't really tell him that.'
"I don't know," he admits, letting his arms fall to his sides, "for upsetting you, I guess."
"You don't have to apologize...you were just looking out for me..."
'Just don't save me from myself anytime soon, okay?' I shake my head slightly, trying to rid myself of these damn negative thoughts (without banging my head against the wall in the process) and shiver slightly, feeling cold. I always feel cold when I break contact with him.
"Kiyo...?"
"Forget it, it's fine," I insist before changing the subject, "what do you need? You look okay...Well, besides that pathetic look you're giving me."
"Appearances are deceiving..." Bladen tells me, shrugging out of his jacket, "and Ishiro wasn't very happy when he found out I attacked Arashi. Leviathan only knows what he'll do when he finds out the bastard's dead."
"I feel stupid for not realizing that," I say, flinching at the sight of the dark, black-purple bruises marring the tanned skin of his arms and most likely the rest of him, "but you're the idiot. Putting yourself through hell for me."
