• CHAPTER 71 - AKATSUKI'S HEARTBREAK

    You left your best friend...your dead sister's lover heartbroken once more to run off with your lover. You leave behind nothing more but a note. How do you make up for such an act?

    "Akatsuki?" I squeaked, freaked out at his sudden act to press the barrel of his gun against Kai's forehead.

    "You son of a b***h," Akatsuki hissed, "you took her."

    Kai didn't say anything. I looked up at him, confused at why he wouldn't deny that or anything, "Akatsuki, he didn't take me! Didn't you see the note?"

    "Of course I did," Akatsuki snorted, still not removing his death glare from Kai.

    It seemed too sudden to have suddenly run into Akatsuki in an abandoned part of town and he holds his gun up to Kai all within a three-second time interval. What had Akatsuki and Kai talked about when Kai came to the apartment? Wouldn't Akatsuki expect me to go back to Kai eventually?

    "Akatsuki, please," I stepped forward once, "let's just talk about this."

    "Over his dead body I will," Akatsuki pressed the gun against Kai's forehead harder and I saw his finger twitch on the trigger and Kai did nothing.

    "No!!" I shouted and dove at Akatsuki.

    I ran into Akatsuki and we were both knocked to the ground and his gun went off. I gripped his wrist with his gun as hard as I could and held it above his head. I rose myself so I could see him properly and I punched his chest.

    "You b*****d!!" I shouted at him. "You seriously just tried to shoot Kai!!"

    "Arisa, get up," Kai ordered me, but not too aggressive.

    "No!" I shook his hand away and glared at Akatsuki. "What the hell is your problem?!"

    "That blood-sucking murderer is my problem!" Akatsuki argued back easily. "You can't let him off so easily after he did what he did to you!"

    "Well, I did!" I gripped the collar of his jacket and the rain started pouring harder. "You don't even know half of the story, so shut the hell up!"

    "I know how Vampires are! I know their ways!" Akatsuki hissed.

    "The only way you would know is if you were a Vampire!" I shouted again. "You're so retarded!"

    "Arisa, get up," Kai ordered me again, grasping my bicep firmly, "you're bleeding."

    "What?" I turned to my left where Kai was gripping me and a pungent sting shocked my arm.

    "Akatsuki's bullet grazed you," Kai slid my sleeve up, observing the deep gash in my left bicep.

    "I thought I wouldn't be affected by those guns," I reminded Kai, both of us temporarily ignoring Akatsuki and his fury.

    "Those guns can harm you, but can't kill you," Kai pulled my sleeve back down and helped me up.

    "Arisa--" Akatsuki stood up and reached out to me but was stopped short by Kai pushing him back.

    The only noise in the atmosphere was the sound of the pouring rain and the subtle growl growing in Kai's chest. Kai didn't seem to be angry when Akatsuki nearly shot him; he became angry after Akatsuki accidentally shot me. I covered the gash on my arm with my right hand and leaned my back against Kai's torso, allowing him to freely wrap his arms around me to hold me close to him.

    "Can't you just hear us out?!" I blustered at Akatsuki. "You never took the chance to know Kai! You never took the chance to get to know why he left me!" it hurt me to bring that up again, but I'm sure more can happen.

    "Why would I want to speak with him?" Akatsuki hissed through his teeth.

    "Just listen, you a*****e!!" I started shivering and my hair and clothes were dripping with so much rain water. "Just listen to what he has to say!!"

    We were all standing in the rain again, not saying anything. Akatsuki kept clenching his fist and squeezing his gun every few seconds. I knew he wanted to swing his gun up and shoot Kai square in the temple and I was pretty sure he would do it, seeing as he already tried to kill Kai right in front of me. But something was holding him back, and--I hate to sound selfish--he won't kill Kai right now because I'm here.

    "Akatsuki, please," I pleaded, barely audible above the violent downpour. "Did it affect you that much? Tell me everything; how you feel, how you want to solve things, everything."

    With a sigh, Akatsuki's grip on his gun loosened a little and he slumped his shoulders slightly, "Fine. Follow me."

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    I stripped off my jacket and Akatsuki wrapped both a towel and a fleece blanket around me--after he bandaged my arm--in an attempt to dry me off and keep me warm. I sat at the breakfast bar with Akatsuki standing on the other side and Kai was leaning against the wall with his hands stowed in his pockets. It felt too much like when we first met Akatsuki and we came into his apartment...only the atmosphere is so much worse.

    "Can I get you anything?" Akatsuki asked in a half whisper. "Anything to eat? Drink?"

    I shook my head. I kept peeking over at Kai in fear that Akatsuki would suddenly turn and shoot him or Kai would dive at him if Akatsuki said something wrong. My hands were trembling from either fear or the cold and I tucked my hands into the blanket I was secured by.

    "So, Vampire," Akatsuki glared at Kai, "tell me why you abandoned Arisa at the orphanage a month and three weeks ago."

    "You evidently are oblivious to the contract, aren't you?"

    "What contract?" Akatsuki eyed me from the corner of his eye.

    "The whole reason we abducted her nine months ago," Kai crossed his arms.

    "But what contract?" Akatsuki was getting pissed...more pissed. "Tell me what the contract is about."

    "Kai--" I tried to intervene.

    "You're already knowledgeable about Arisa's blood, are you not?" Kai interrupted me.

    "Of course I am," Akatsuki scoffed.

    "And there are excessive Vampires and Werewolves after it," Kai almost whispered.

    There was a pause before Akatsuki answered, "Yes,"

    "I was sentenced to murder her parents alongside the Vampires who carried out the duty," Kai started, "but I backed out at the last possible second. And trust me, that was no easy task.

    "After my so-called 'boss' heard about my betrayal, he gave me different orders," Kai's face went grim. "He bound me under an inescapable contract. I'm..." he paused.

    I looked over at Kai with pleading eyes, not wanting him to tell anymore. I wanted the whole contract business to be put behind us, put out of existence. But I suppose since there is no way out of it, then it would be best for Akatsuki to know. Kai tried all he could to destroy that contract...and nothing worked.

    "I'm sentenced to bring her to her death," Kai mumbled.

    Right when Kai was halfway finished with "death", Akatsuki already had him pinned up against the wall with his silver anti-Vampire/anti-Werewolf gun up to Kai's throat.

    "You sick b*****d!" Akatsuki blustered, pressing the barrel of the gun against Kai's throat as hard as he could.

    "Akatsuki, don't!" I dove at Akatsuki and clung to his arm. "Let him explain!"

    "He doesn't need to explain anymore!" Akatsuki hissed. "I'll kill him!"

    "Stop!!" I shoved Akatsuki's arm away with most of my remaining strength. "Please understand that he's trying to stop it!"

    Kai stared at Akatsuki in apathy, "Now you comprehend why I left Arisa at the orphanage?"

    "No," Akatsuki snorted, grasping his gun tighter.

    "I brought her back to the orphanage because I was scared," Kai admitted openly. "I was petrified I would end up infiltrating Arisa and kill her or I would unexpectedly bring her to her end. I wanted to break that contract and at the same time, confirm she was in a safe environment."

    Akatsuki dove at Kai again, pressing his gun against Kai's throat once more, "So when you found out you couldn't break the contract, you brought her back where she's in even more danger than before!"

    "It was not my choice to bring her back," Kai mumbled. "But I yearned for her badly."

    "It's my fault I'm back, Akatsuki," I admitted, choking on my words. "Miku and Takeuchi found me. I could have easily told them to leave, but I couldn't do that."

    "Arisa," Akatsuki growled at me, "do you have any idea how petrified I was when I came back to an empty apartment?"

    My heart stopped for a second. I had never seen Akatsuki mad at me before, "I'm-I'm sorry," I paused for a second. "Please understand that if something comes up involving the one you love, then you can't help but go along with it."

    "So you're saying you'd do anything this monster tells you to?"

    I nodded, "Yes. Pretty much."

    Akatsuki glared at me for what felt like the longest time, still depressing the barrel of his gun against Kai's throat. Kai did nothing to stop him, didn't struggle in the lightest bit. Akatsuki removed the gun slowly and unhanded Kai and looked down in defeat. Not only did defeat wash over him, but a large sign of depression came over him.

    "Arisa," Kai whispered to me, "maybe it's best if you know how Akatsuki feels."

    I froze and looked up at Kai, "What?"

    "You son of a b***h, stay out of my head," Akatsuki hissed at Kai.

    I turned to Kai again and stared at him with panic, Kai, don't tell me he's in love with me too! It was hard enough having two brothers in love with me. I can't have my sister's lover fall for me too!

    "Arisa..." Akatsuki started with a sigh. "It's...confusing, really."

    He was willing so easily to admit how he feels? "Okay...tell me more."

    I sat myself down on the bar stool and Akatsuki stood across from me, setting his gun on the counter top and leaning on the counter top with his hands folded and his head down, "It's selfish,"

    "Tell me," I would have been shaking crazily if I hadn't tucked my hands in my lap.

    "I'm not in love with you in general," Akatsuki peeked at me through his bangs with his depressing eyes. "It's the parts of you that resemble Aya that I'm in love with."

    I stared at him in shock. Wide-eyed and gaping a little; was I seriously that much like Aya? For Akatsuki to almost fall in love with me?

    "I'm..." I looked down. "I'm surprised you could say that so easily."

    "If I were in love with you," he emphasized, "then it would be harder."

    It didn't make any sense what Akatsuki was saying. If I'm Aya's twin, then of course we're going to be so much like each other. The way I am is the way I've become. None of Aya's traits passed on to me after she died; I was born the way I was. So how can Akatsuki say he's in love with the parts of me that resemble her? He's saying I'm more of a reincarnation than her twin. It wasn't making any sense.

    "That's why it was rough for me the first few days you were here," Akatsuki sighed, "because you're just like Aya. I was afraid I'd become depressed again and end up betraying her."

    By surprise, I heard Kai subtly growling behind me, "That's frivolous," he hissed. "If you learn to move on, then it's not betrayal. It's betrayal if you completely abandon your dead beau."

    "Shut up," Akatsuki hissed back at Kai. "You're not the one I'm speaking to."

    "Akatsuki..." I didn't know what to say.

    "You're almost like another Aya to me," Akatsuki smiled halfheartedly. "In almost every way."

    "Answer me this, Akatsuki," Kai barged in again. "Do you know what really killed Aya?"

    "Of course I do," Akatsuki scoffed. "Her parents told me all about her and Arisa's blood."

    "Then enough acting as though you were oblivious to it," Kai lectured. "You knew her fate; you expected it to happen."

    "What are you saying?" Akatsuki asked in a serious low tone.

    "I'm saying quit martyring and move on in your life,"

    Akatsuki slammed his fists on the breakfast bar, making me jump, "Who the f*ck are you to tell me what to do?!"

    "Akatsuki!" I shouted in surprise.

    "Arisa, let's leave," Kai extended his hand towards me.

    "Wait," I told Kai.

    I hopped off of the bar stool, tears brimming my eyes, and I circled the breakfast bar and immediately embraced Akatsuki tightly. I buried my face in his shoulder and gripped his shirt tightly and started crying silently. Akatsuki stood still for a second before he lightly embraced me back.

    "Akatsuki, I'm sorry," I sobbed. "If you want to burn me, then go ahead and burn me. The only thing I will ask of you is for your forgiveness." I sniffed. "What happened was for the best."

    Akatsuki didn't say anything but he sighed deeply. I continued, "That month I was here with you was one of the best months of my life. Thank you."

    I felt Akatsuki stiffen under my embrace and he sighed deeply again, "It almost feels like...Aya is dying all over again,"

    That immediately hit a pressure point and I embraced Akatsuki tighter and cried a little harder, "I said I was sorry!" I sobbed. "Just please understand. You're an amazing guy; I don't want to lose you."

    There was a very long silence before Akatsuki whispered in my ear, "I'll be seeing you again," it sounded somewhat reassuring; not a threat like I had expected.

    Akatsuki and I unhanded each other and Kai helped me into his heavier jacket right away. Kai and I left the apartment without another word and without looking back. I tried to rush myself by speed walking but I ended up tripping on a crack and falling onto my hands and knees on the sidewalk. I didn't cry out; instead, I sighed and sat on my bottom and leaned against a building wall, not caring about getting my school uniform dirty. Kai kneeled next to me and stared at me sympathetically.

    "I'm sorry, Arisa," I hardly heard Kai through the pouring, freezing rain.

    "It's okay," I started wiping off the running blood from my knee, only to be washed away by the rain. "He just needs time."

    I was kind of surprised that I stopped crying right away. It was probably because Akatsuki told me he'd be seeing me again in a halfway reassuring tone. I felt Kai's icy hand cup over my cheek and I reacted by holding his hand onto my cheek and looking down.

    "He'll be okay," Kai reassured me, not incredibly angry that Akatsuki tried to kill him twice.

    "I know," I sighed.

    Kai cupped his other hand under my other cheek and he leaned in to kiss my forehead. He pecked my cheek a couple of times and pressed his forehead against mine. Kai was allowing me to take the time I needed to pull myself back together and I couldn't care less if I got sick--which I most likely would.

    "Where's my bag?" I whispered in exhaustion, looking around me for my missing schoolbag.

    "I'll get it," Kai offered and teleported out of my sight before I could protest.

    I started freaking out, suddenly remembering I left my bag in Akatsuki's apartment. I tried to listen beyond the rain and keep an ear out for any gunshots. I heard nothing. Another minute went by before Kai teleported back outside in front of me. I released my breath and stood up. Kai crouched over and I hopped onto his back obediently. Kai walked a few blocks to the edge of the city where the gravel leading back home was. I grasped his shirt tightly and buried my face in his neck before he took off in a full sprint, the raindrops clipping me like frozen knives.