�You�re breaking my heart, Daku-chan,� he says softly and with some semblance of regret in his tone, even though his expression shows not a trace of it, �but you know I can�t let you off so easily.�
�You don�t have a heart, damn you�� Ishiro gives me this odd look, and I can�t decide if it�s annoyance or amusement. Fuck, I didn�t actually mean to say that out loud. �Just stop�� I jerk my head to the side when met with a rough kiss, flinching with a hiss of pain as he removes one of the daggers from my shoulder as slowly as possible.
�You really have to insist on making things harder for yourself? You keep this up and you won�t live through the night.�
�Good then,� I nearly snarl as he moves onto the other dagger in my shoulder and removes it just as slowly, �go ahead--I�ll see you in hell.� No sooner do the words leave my mouth do I realize my mistake and wish I�d kept my temper under control.
�If that�s the way you want it, then I�d better get as much out of you as I can, right?�
�No!�
I jolt awake suddenly, sitting up from where I lay on my side in a panicked rush and nearly throwing Himeko onto the floor in the process. It takes me a few seconds to remember where I am, and a few minutes to stop breathing so hard as my heart races out of control.
�Hey, what the hell was--� I can hear the anger in her voice, as well as see it in her face as some of the late morning light streams in through the window shades, but it disappears as soon as she sees what a wreck I currently am.
�You�You should know better than to--� I bury my face in my hands, tears of relief streaking one after another down my cheeks, �To be using me as a pillow��
�Daku-chan�� Himeko wastes no time in pulling me to her, one hand lacing through my hair while the other holds me close protectively, �It was just a dream. It�s all right now�Just a bad dream��
But that�s just the problem�it�s not just a dream. It�s also my reality.
I�m not sure how long I clung to Himeko like a frightened child, but once I finally started to calm down, she gave me one last tight hug before standing.
�I�m going to go get Dells, okay?�
I nod with a sniff, using the back of my hand to remove the traces of tears. Himeko gives me a half-hearted smile through her worry and disappears into the hallway. Callie wanders out of the hallway a couple minutes later with a yawn, ears perking slightly as she spots me in my now slightly-reclined position as I lean against the armrest. The calico wastes no time in jumping up on the armrest beside me and sets about making herself comfortable.
Placing a paw lightly on my chest, she glances up with a wide, pale green gaze, as if asking if it�s all right. For some reason, I ended up with less bruises this time, so I have no problem with it and nod slightly to show this. Callie purrs in response, nuzzling my cheek as she steps over my shoulder and curls up on my chest.
Several minutes later, after hearing Himeko raise her voice to threaten Delsus� life, they both exit the hallway and Himeko gives me one last worried look before giving Delsus a small smile and heading downstairs.
Callie meows at him then goes back to nuzzling my arm. I suppose I shouldn�t be embarrassed about it, especially after how many times he�s saved me, but even so, my gaze only meet his for a second or two as he sits before I refocus it on Callie. She simply looks back with her pale green stare for a minute or two, before shifting her position slightly and closing her eyes. She knows everything will be fine now.
�I liked it better when you were half-asleep and didn�t have the energy to care, Daa-kun.�
�Yeah, me too,� I agree softly, still not able to look him in the eye, �but, well�here I am.�
�I know,� he says with a small sigh, �but it�ll be okay in a few minutes.�
�Just �okay.� That�s�wonderful. But what did I expect? Him to jump up and say, �That fucking bastard, I�ll go kill him right now,� then run out the door? You�ll have to get yourself out of this, even if you do deserve it��
�I don�t want it to be �okay,�� I mutter, more echoing my on thoughts than meaning for him to hear, �I want it to end.� I glance up with a glare set hard into my features, though the thought it�ll never end crosses my mind somewhat randomly and the tears plan of making a comeback. A slightly shocked look crosses Delsus� face when he sees the expression on mine, but he knows it�s not him I�m furious at, so he gets over it quickly.
�It will,� he says with a resolute nod, �I�ll see to that myself. But for now�you know the drill. Close your eyes, concentrate, and try to relax.�
I take a deep breath then do as he says, feeling his palm press lightly to my forehead, fingers tangling slightly in the looser strands of my hair. Delsus takes a deep breath as well, resting his free hand over mine in a gesture of reassurance.
Luckily for me, I don�t have to relive the memory again, just go into a trance. I can feel all the guilt, anger, and fear slowly ebb away, leaving me feeling as if I can breathe easier; like the emotion was a tangible weight over my chest and was just lifted off.
I feel the warmth of Delsus� hand leave my forehead as I snap out of my daze, opening my eyes in time to see him falling backwards. Callie jumps down from where she was curled up on top of me as I lean forward quickly to grab him by the arm. Flinching at how close his head came to hitting the edge of the coffee table, I shove it to one side as I lower him to the floor.
Callie comes to stand beside me as I kneel next to him and reach over to grab him by the shoulder and shake him out of it.
�Delsus. Hey, Delsus, wake up.�
�What is it?� A slightly confused gray-blue gaze meets mine and a relieved look crosses my face shortly before being replaced with a worried one.
�You blacked out this time,� I explain, �you okay?�
�I�m fi--� The words catch in his throat somewhere, hot tears starting to slide down his cheeks as a look of pure sorrow crosses his face.
�Hey�� I say in a gentle tone, hand raising to brush them away, �what�s the matter�?�
�It�s nothing,� he insists, shaking his head slightly, taking a deep breath when his voice nearly breaks again, �just now the emotion�it suddenly hit me and I wasn�t ready for it. That�s all�� He sits up, and I nod in understanding, though the worry I feel dissolves only slightly. Delsus smiles slightly through the sadness soaked into his features when he notices this.
�Don�t go getting all worried and shit again. I just got rid of your emotional problems and you�re already creating new ones.�
�Sorry, Dells.�
�You better not be caught dead at that office after closing for at least a week, either. That�s seven days, Daa-kun. Seven.� He waves his index finger in admonishment at me as he says this in a stern tone, though the smile�s still gracing his features.
�Yes, sir. I understand,� I assure him with a serious tone and look, hand snapping up in a mock salute.
�Good then. Now call in sick, because you�re staying here where I can make sure he can�t easily reach you.�
