MARS Fan Fiction ❯ Fall of a Broken Angel (Part I of the Angels Series) ❯ Scars ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5—Scars

 

At last, at long last, Kira's therapy sessions ended. On the last day, Rei took her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant to celebrate, and then drove her home. They watched TV for a while, and after an hour or so Rei glanced at Kira, who was lying with her head on his chest and his arm around her, and saw that she was asleep. And for a moment, something inside him hurt, and he had the strangest impulse to wake her up. However, he simply slid his arm out from under her and stood. Scribbling a note to Kira, he threw his coat on and left to see Tatsuya.

 

Tatsuya had the day off work, and he came right to the door of he and Harumi's apartment when Rei knocked. “Rei! Hey! Kira's last day of therapy, huh? Where is she?”

 

“Asleep at home,” Rei replied, dropping onto the sofa. “I thought I'd get out for a while and come see what you were up to.”

 

Tatsuya tossed Rei a can of soda and sat down next to him. “So how're you two doing?”

 

“Kira's great,” Rei replied. “She seems really happy. I don't know how she does it…I'd hate the world if it was me.”

 

“She's strong,” Tatsuya replied. “A lot stronger than either of us. What about you?”

 

“What about me?” Rei asked uncomfortably.

 

“C'mon. We're best friends. You can't hide anything from me—something's bothering you. What is it?”

 

Rei sighed. “It's…nothing. I'm just…I keep thinking about how close I came to losing her. She means the world to me, and she almost died. And now…it's like nothing's changed for her. She's still…Kira. My Kira. I almost lost that Kira. And now…every time I watch her sleep…I can't help but wonder if…if she'll ever wake up.”

 

Then, at last—after over three years of holding all his tears inside—Rei finally felt something break loose, and he cried—for himself, but mostly for Kira. She had been broken by her stepfather, so long ago, and now this. And worse, perhaps worst of all, was not that it had happened, but that she had done nothing to deserve what she had gotten. She was like a piece of white paper, and the sins of the world were the ink that that paper was soaking up. She was paying for what other people had done; it had to be that, because she had done nothing herself that would merit such punishment as she had been given.

 

And that, Rei thought, was the most horrible and unfair thing he could ever remember witnessing.

 

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When Rei returned to his apartment after night had fallen, it was to find Kira still asleep, but she was thrashing and crying out, tangled in the sheets. He ran quickly over to the bed and sat down, shaking Kira gently. “Kira, sweetie….wake up. Wake up, it's okay. It's just a nightmare. Wake up…”

 

Kira's eyes opened, and she stared at him, sweating and shaking. “Rei…” she gasped. “Oh, Rei, it's you…”

 

Nodding, Rei sat down on the bed as Kira sat up. He took her hand. “What happened?”

 

“N-nothing. It was just a nightmare, that's all.”

 

“Wanna tell me about it?”

 

Kira nodded slowly, and Rei stretched out on the bed, taking her into his arms. Still shaking slightly, Kira said, “I've been having nightmares for awhile…since I woke up, actually, and they're always the same—me, just lying there in the dark. Everything's pitch black, and I'm just lying there. But always end with me hearing your voice, or feeling your arms around me, and waking up. But this time, everything just kept getting darker and darker, and I felt myself…dying. Just losing energy, and losing the will to fight. And I just…went away. Right there, in the dark, I just died. And then I was floating, and I was at my funderal, and you were standing there, crying, and Harumi and Tatsuya were, too, and my stepfather was there… And I tried to reach out and touch you, but my hand went right through you, and then I was floating away, and I was crying and screaming for you, saying `I'm right here, I'm here!' and you were looking down at the gravestone and saying, `Don't go!'” Kira shuddered and buried her face in Rei's chest.

 

Rei tightened his hold on her. “It's okay, Kira…I'm here…and you're here…and we're together. Nothing is going to happen to you, I swear. Nothing. I'm always here to protect you, and I'll never leave you alone again, I promise.”

 

Kira moved, if it was possible, even closer to her husband. “I know you want to change before you go to bed, but…please…could you just stay here with me? For a while? Don't leave, okay?”

 

Rei's hold reached the bone-crushing point. “I've been here all along, love. I'm not leaving. Now or ever. I love you.”

 

After Kira finally fell asleep, Rei couldn't bring himself to move her so he could get up and change clothes. So he just lay there for a while, watching her sleep, and hoping—knowing—that this would be the end of her nightmares.

 

He'd thought he'd cried all his tears at Tatsuya's house, but he found now that he was wrong. He lay there, holding Kira, and cried, at the same time silently begging God not to ask anymore of his precious and only love.

 

And he knew they couldn't forget.

 

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Okay really short chapter, but who cares? I'm FINISHED!!! Now on to the sequel. It will be titled Rise of a Broken Angel. Review, please! Pretty please with sucre on top, I will-a stop talking like zis!