�I don�t want to talk about it,� I warn as Kiyo opens his mouth to say something, knowing he�s wondering why Dakumi�s jacket is now bloodstained and where all these bruises came from (not to mention I�m bleeding all over the floor). He closes his mouth and waits for the elevator doors to close before encircling his arms around my waist and pulling me to him.
�I really don�t want to be touched right now, but his presence is always comforting, so I figure I�ll let him get away with it.
Unfortunately, as I let my head rest against his shoulder and he tightens his grip slightly, my lower back protests with a sharp jab of pain. There�s a particularly bad bruise there; right where the edge of the desk was digging into my back as Ishiro did what he pleased. I flinch at both the pain and the memory, and Kiyo releases me immediately.
�Sorry, I wasn�t thinking��
I wave a hand dismissively to let him know it�s all right and promptly change the subject as I lean back next to him against the back elevator wall. �I�m leaving in two days.�
�It�s too soon.�
�Yea, but you wanna be the one to tell Ishiro that?�
�I�m worried about you�� he says softly out of apparently nowhere, slight frown in place.
�I know,� I say with a sigh, �but there�s nothing that can be done about it. I have to go. Well, unless I�d like to relive the last few hours. And I don�t.� He has no argument for that, so he drops the subject as abruptly as it was picked up. Though, somewhere around the fifth floor he speaks again.
�I�ll go for you.�
�What?�
�I said �I�ll go for you,�� he reaches to push the button for the top floor, �I�ll ask Taijou if I can go instead. I mean, I won�t have as much as an effect on Adel as you, but--� He cuts himself off as I grab his wrist and looks up with a questioning glance.
�No, Kiyo.�
�I don�t want you to go when you�re not fully healed. If something goes wrong��
�I�d rather something go wrong than have you incur the wrath of Arashi and possibly Ishiro,� I tell him, pulling him into an embrace, �I want you to be safe, too.�
�Let�s go together then. I can hang back a bit in the shadows; just in case you need me, you know?�
�You�re not going to give up, are you?� My tone is annoyed, but the smile gives me away.
�When what�s most important to me is in danger of being lost?� Kiyo asks, resting his head against my shoulder, �I think not.�
�Well, fine then,� I say with a small sigh and amused shake of my head as I pull him closer, �we�ll go together.�
Dakumi and Azami were in the middle of a conversation (probably plotting against me) in the lobby as the doors slid open, and I let a sigh escape because I know what�s coming and I don�t feel like dealing with it. I�m so exhausted I could just collapse in a heap on the floor right now and go to sleep; not to mention the blood loss from the eventual scars Arashi and Ishiro so generously gave me.
Dakumi is quite content to look the other way and not address me, but unfortunately, Azami isn�t.
�Seems you got a taste of your own medicine, didn�t you,� he taunts with a smirk, �your life�s just been so rough lately, hasn�t it?�
�Shut the fuck up, Hiro.�
I don�t answer Azami. I wasn�t planning on it anyway, but now I can�t. Kiyo just punched him straight in the face with his last demand for silence, so excuse me if I�m shocked. It�s hard to remember, since he�s generally so gentle (and has a childish air besides), but Kiyo can be downright vicious when he deems fit, which is mainly whenever he and Azami happen to cross paths like this.
They�ve never gotten along. Even before he came to me and Azami went to Ara, they�ve just hated each other from the day they met for some odd reason.
Azami hits the floor hard, though he jumps right back up, and he would�ve lunged at Kiyo had Dakumi not grabbed him. Kiyo just grabs me by the wrist and walks on as Azami attempts to free himself from Dakumi�s grasp, throwing profanities and threats after us the whole way. I ignore the scene behind us as well after one last glance back as I allow him to lead me, though I do question the destination. Or try to, at least, but I ended up laughing too hard to talk.
See, Azami just turned back to Dakumi and yelled in a tone of disbelief and outrage, �What an ass!�
And Kiyo, without missing a beat, simply said, �Don�t get too excited, Hiro. It does belong to Bladen, after all.�
End scene; enter the fade to black as we head out of the lobby.
We head down the steps of the building through the cool night air, and I�m suddenly reminded I have nothing but a jacket that�s a size or two small for me to keep my upper half warm.
�It�s cold,� I complain, clinging to his arm, �and I could fall asleep standing up.�
�It�s winter,� he says with an amused smile, �what do you expect?�
�I expect the world to cater to my whims and suddenly switch to summer,� I declare, �because, damn it, that�s what I deserve.� He just laughs and frees his arm from my grip.
�Do you think you can remain awake for five more minutes,� Kiyo asks me, swinging a leg over the motorcycle parked in front of the building, �it�s all I ask.� His tone isn�t serious, though the look on his face is.
�Believe me,� I say, waving a hand dismissively, �I won�t be able to sleep until I at least get a shower. Between the blood and�� I let my sentence trail off and take a seat behind him, slipping my arms around his waist as he nods and turns the key.
