�Why are you doing this for me?�
He pouts at me as he turns around.
�I told you not to get up. You�re gonna reopen the hole in your stomach,� he points at one of the two chairs at the dining table, �sit.�
�Woof, woof,� I mutter sarcastically, taking a seat as he commanded and flinching again as the �hole in my stomach� makes it clear I�m not allowed to put the slightest pressure on it. I don�t bother to mention he hasn�t answered my question because I know he will eventually.
He�s always dodged things he doesn�t want to talk about�but he also always told me them eventually.
�I couldn�t let anything happen to you� And I kind of�owe you.�
�You do?�
�Well, yeah,� Bladen decides that cooking can wait and sits across from me, though he can�t directly meet my gaze, �I mean, I�m the one who got overbearing and drove you into the ground. That�s why you turned on me. Maybe�if I hadn�t pushed so hard�you wouldn�t have left.�
�Maybe it just wasn�t meant to be.� It�s a veiled comfort of a somewhat harsh kind, but he still understands. He knows better than anyone the �code� I talk in when it comes to such delicate situations.
�Perhaps,� he agrees with a soft smile, �but do either of us really believe that?�
�I don�t know, I was too busy blaming you instead of fate.�
�You�re such a stuck up bastard.� There�s humor in his tone, but his expression is completely grave, so I can�t help but think he�s actually being serious. He laughs, but it sounds forced. It takes two to make or break a relationship, after all, and if I wasn�t so convinced I was the only victim here, I�d hate myself too.
�Sorry,� I murmur in a rare moment of guilt, not able to speak any louder, �I really am��
He starts to say something, but then there�s a knock at the door, so off he goes. I sigh and listen to him talking as he answers the door. I don�t recognize the other voice, so I decide to focus instead on how I�m going to get out of this mess and back to Harada before he gets himself killed (or gives in to them) trying to save me. I was brought back to reality rather abruptly with a slap across the face and a hissed �You bitch.�
Somehow managing to avoid following through on the reflex to hit back without bothering to look who it is, I settle for death glaring at the young-looking brunette that stands in front of me with a look of rage on his face. Bladen�s got this mix of shock at the tiger�s actions and dread on his face, but makes no move to step in.
�What the fuck is your problem?�
�How dare you come begging him for help after what you did to him,� he nearly snarls, �what right do you have--�
�Shut up, Kiyo,� Bladen hisses, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him somewhat roughly back, �you�re the one being a bitch. First you storm off when I�m in the middle of trying to explain something to you, and then you accuse him of--�
�Just forget it!� I half yell as I stand, noticing the pathetic look on the tiger�s face as he stares at Bladen. He�s obviously not used to being yelled at like that by his lover. �Look, I didn�t ask for this--�
�You did,� Bladen interrupts, suddenly turning on me, �running around with that damn kid and screwing with the company. What did you expect?�
�Hey, fuck you,� I growl, � I didn�t ask for your goddamn protection, or your jealously to come into play here. If I asked for it, you should have just let him kill me!�
�He wasn�t going to--�
�Don�t give me that,� I tell him in a low, warning tone, �you think I don�t know how Ishiro works? He couldn�t care less about using me as bait. All he has to do is pretend he still has me in order to get Harada there and you know it. Or you should seeing as how you work for the manipulative bastard.�
They both just stare not sure what to say. I grab my jacket, which was so conveniently on the back of the chair I was occupying and start toward the door. Kiyo opens his mouth to say something, but I don�t give him the chance.
�Don�t bother. Haven�t you done enough? You want him, you can fucking have him.� With that, I stormed out, slamming the door behind me and not caring what may result from this.
It�s gotten dark and started to snow, but I haven�t dared to go home. They obviously don�t know where our base is, since they waited for us to come to them (and somehow I doubt it was just because it made things easier for them) and for all I know, I could have a tracking device on me, so I�m not going to go back and end up leading them there.
But I can still call.
Ducking under the canvas overhang in front of the grocery store, I find my phone still in the inside pocket of my jacket. I know for a fact calls can�t be traced from our phones because Sora made sure of it. Sora�s a bit of a techno-genius and works as our hacker when it comes to accessing the Raidien files that are only digital and have no �real� copy.
�Saburo?� I can hear the tentative hope in his voice. He wants to think it�s me, but he knows just because my number�s on the caller ID it doesn�t necessarily mean I�m the one that made the call.
�Hey, Harada��
�So it is you! What�s going on? Are you okay?�
�I�m a little worse for the wear, but I�ll live. I�m fine.�
�You don�t sound fine��
�A lot has happened,� I say simply, knowing he�ll understand perfectly with the rest of the sentence, �I saw Bladen.�
�Then--�
�I don�t want to talk about it, nor do I have the time. They could be following me, so I can�t come home yet. I will come back, but I don�t know when. Just�know that they don�t have me, and don�t let them talk you into believing they do. I�ll be in touch once I find somewhere relatively safe to crash.�
�Be careful.�
�I will.�
�I love you, San-kun.�
�I love you too, Sato.� I hang up with a sigh, and no sooner than I do does Bladen, with his excellent timing, speaks up from behind me.
�And just where are you planning on staying?�
�Certainly not with you,� I say, half turning to glare at him pointedly, �your jealous boyfriend would tear me to pieces. Why�d you even bother following me?�
�You need my help,� he says simply in reply, �am I not allowed to offer it?�
�Maybe I�m sick of needing your help like I always have.�
�Maybe you�re just stubborn.�
�Maybe I am,� I sigh again, turning away from him, �so just forget--�
�He won�t be very happy if you get yourself killed�� Bladen points out, resting his chin on my shoulder and hugging me from behind to keep me from leaving, �so don�t go and do so.�
�What, so now you suddenly care about what he goes through?�
�It�s you I care about.�
�I don�t believe that,� I say, pulling out of his embrace, �but what the hell else am I going to do?�
Somehow, I get the feeling I just made a really big mistake.
