Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ My Sister's Keeper ❯ Desire ( Chapter 4 )

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My Sister's Keeper
By: Melissa Norvell
Chapter 4: Desire
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Sitting in a wooden chair with my knees up, I hold my ankles as I stare at Ushio's sleeping form with a worried expression, thinking about everything that happened last night. Ushio and Tadao have gotten into some bad fights before, but they were never like this, if things were getting this bad, who knew what would happen in the future. That thought scares me more than anything.

I sigh deeply to myself.

'Ushio…You're always trying to protect me. Even then, you tried to get Tadao to leave me alone. That fight shouldn't have gone that far. You shouldn't have hurt like that. I hope you'll be alright. I really worry about you being so reckless and everything.' I think to myself as I watch my brother sleep soundly, with bandages around his head from the bottle injury. 'What was that? Last night, when you danced so close to me on the floor? Our bodies were so close that they rubbed together.' I blush to myself as I remember that aspect of that night. The feeling of his body, raking across mine sent chills down my spine and sparked tingles in my stomach. It makes me feel strange even now just thinking about it. 'I shouldn't think of you like this…but I can't help it. I just remember that feeling and it takes over me. My head spins and I get hazy when I'm around you, like everything is blurred and all I see is you. You've always been my prince, and the one who protected me. Lately, when you say that you love me, I can't help but wonder in what way.'

There is a knock on the door, causing me to avert my gaze from my brother.

"Huh? I'm coming!" I say as I quickly get up from the chair and make my way to the front door. Running down the hall and through the living room, I finally reach it and open it up to see Risa, standing there, looking at me with a bright, smiling face. In one hand, she holds a bouquet of blood red roses and in the other, she holds a small present.

"Hello Sumerie."

"Oh, Risa, it's good to see you. Why are you here?" I'm happy to see her, but I find it odd that she's here with gifts for my brother. I should come to expect this, since Ushio has many fans, but Risa has never been the type to be so outward with her feelings.

"I saw that huge fight between Tadao and Ushio. Man, when he got that bottle busted off on his head, I felt so bad. So, I decided to come over and see how he's doing," she's right, the fight was pretty bad. I'm glad they stopped before the security at the party stopped them. Risa has liked my brother for a while, and if it were me, I'd probably be here with gifts too.

"You really like my brother, don't you?" I ask, finding the gesture sweet of her. It's nice to know Ushio has someone who cares about him so much.

Blushing, my friend waves in dismissal as her embarrassment overtakes her. "Oh you! I'm just here to see if he's doing well. Can I come in and talk to him? I want to see his face when I give him his presents, but I don't want him to get up and come in here with his injuries. He needs his rest."

"Sure, come in," I smile gently to her and gesture for the other girl to come in. She nods and walks in happily, following me back to my brother's room. "He's back here," I instruct her as I gesture to his closed door. Risa nods as she reaches out slowly and opens it.

Ushio is lying in bed, his form is motionless and the bandages are wrapped snugly around his head as he sleeps soundly. I glance over to Risa to notice that she looks a little down by that fact.

"Drats, he's sleeping. Maybe I should come by another time. I mean, he needs his rest," my friend decided, but as soon as her sentence ends, my brother slowly opens his eyes.

His gaze goes straight to me, and I am the first name he utters.

"Sumerie…" Ushio says weakly and I gesture to my friend.

"And Risa is here too," I state as the girl holds out her elaborate bouquet.

"These are for you," Risa forces the words from her mouth as she shoves the flowers forward, the delicate blossoms bob with the movement. I can tell that it takes a lot of courage for her to do such a thing.

My brother smiles gently at her and gazes at her with tired eyes. "You shouldn't have," his voice is labored as he attempts to sit up in bed. Ushio slowly manages to erect his torso, and then a sharp pain bursts through his body. The injured boy groans in pain as he quickly grabs either side of his head. I rush to his side, concerned for his injuries and place my small hands on his broad shoulders. He shouldn't have gotten up so quickly like that. It just made his injuries worst.

"You shouldn't try to sit up," I advise, "you're still healing."

"I'll be fine, dear sister," Ushio dismisses and levels me with a placid smile. He never wants me to worry too much for him.

"I also brought something else for you," Risa states that she wasn't finished giving her gifts to the young man.

"Sumerie, could you get me a glass of water?" Ushio asks. I nod and ask him if he would like ice in his water. He informs me that he would like it with little ice and I agree and head off to fetch it for him. I was glad that my brother had woken up. He had me worried for a while, and he had been sleeping a lot since he received his head injury. He seems to be better and I certainly hope that Risa can cheer him up.

When I walk back down the hall with the ice cold water in my hands, I hear the both of them laughing together. For some reason, I am momentarily captivated by his laugh. My brother's laugh is always so soothing. A small smile creeps onto my face as I open the door to hear Risa's excited voice.

"Really? That's great! I can't believe you actually agreed!"
I wonder what they were talking about. I know it's none of my business, but I listen in any way out of sheer curiosity.

"I'm not completely cold, you know. Besides, you're Sumerie's friend. You haven't left her side and for that, I am grateful," Ushio lightly rested against the large, crisp pillow, which had been laid against the headboard of his bed.

"Well, I'd better get going. I'm going to be late for tennis practice," Risa reminds herself as she glances at her watch with an expression of realization.

Ushio agrees.

"But, it seems like you just got here," I make myself noticed. I don't really think either of them really saw me come in. They were probably too caught up in their conversation to pay any attention to me.

"Yeah, I had to make it short," Risa smiles as I hand my brother the cool glass of water. "I hope you'll be alright, Ushio," she casts a worried look to him.

"I'll be fine. They are only minor wounds. Don't worry about it," my brother dismisses the subject so easily. Minor wounds? He was K.O.'d by a liquor bottle! How can he just sit there and say that they are minor wounds? I sigh mentally. I suppose Ushio has always been like that, though.

"You know I do. I can't help it," Risa tells him.

"I hope your practice goes well," I wish her luck as she begins to walk out of the room. She thanks me and tells the both of us that she'll see us later, especially my brother. Risa puts extra emphasis on that word as she blows him a playful kiss and opens the door, only to find that Takeshi is on the other side. The two nearly collide as yells are let out.

The spiky-haired teen jumps back and throws his arms up, letting out a startled yell and Risa shrinks back and accuses him of scaring her. I resist laughing as I put the back of my hand to my mouth and stifle a few giggles.

"You scared me too! I went to open the door and it felt like I was magic or something," Takeshi puts his arms down. He looks as if he feels a little stupid admitting such a thing.

"How weird!" Risa rubs the back of her head and laughs.

My pale blue eyes lock onto his form, as I say his name in a happy tone. It's been a while since I've seen Takeshi, which is off because he's usually around Endo so much it seems like those two are joined at the hip.

"Oh, hey Sumerie!" He smiles in his usual impish way. Anyone who knows Takeshi knows that he possesses the smile of a cunning fox "Man, it feels like a revolving door around here."

"I think the both of you just had weird timing," I find the whole incident odd, yet humorous.

"Probably, I was wondering if Ushio was alright. I heard that he got into a big fight with Tadao."

"He did," I admit as my gaze becomes crestfallen. I hate even thinking about that incident.

"Man that must suck. I bet they both wanted you on their side," Takeshi seems to sympathize the fact that I was more than likely caught in the middle of the situation. Even though his assumption is right on the matter, I still feel worse for them than I do myself.

I feel like it's my fault in a way.

I nod and look back up to find that he seems worried for me. I try to explain the situation the best I can to him on what happened. I'm sure that he's just been hearing hearsay, and if I know Takeshi, part of the reason he even came here was to get the real story from the sources themselves. He was never the type to believe in the hype. "I don't want to be on anyone's side. I feel bad for both of them, but Tadao took a cheap shot. It was worse than just another fight. I've never seen them like that before…not that violent. I'm just really worried about the both of them." I express my concern on the fact that things had gotten worse between them.

"I don't know how to get through to them. Do you want me to talk to Ushio about it? I mean, we're pretty close, so he'll listen to me more than anyone else," Takeshi offers to help me, and he's right, if anyone could get my brother to listen to them, it would be him.

"But, he's hurt and I don't want to bother him," Ushio doesn't need all of that pressure on him, especially with a head injury and everything. Right now, he just needs to rest. He probably can't handle an interrogation session from Takeshi.

"Don't worry about it," the tan skinned boy waves a hand at me. "He needs to know how you feel. If it was me, I'd like to know if something upset you and the things that you were worried about."

I look down in defeat. He's completely right. "I guess you're right," I suddenly feel a large, warm hand on my shoulder and glance up to see Takeshi smiling at me. It is a comforting smile, so much that it's contagious. I return the smile which was given to me.

"I'll be fine, really," he tries to convince me. "Leave it up to me," he goes in and the two of them begin to talk to each other. I can faintly hear what they say for a few moments.

"Oh, Takeshi," I hear my brother realize that he walked into the room. He knows that I am talking to him outside of the doorway. Maybe he doesn’t realize it is him. Voices are deceiving like that.

"I just came over to see how you were doing and what you were up to," Takeshi informs in a cheerful voice as I hear chair legs drag across the ground. He's probably sitting backwards in the desk chair. It's a Takeshi habit. I swear, he sits backwards in every chair he finds. "Well, down to in this case. Man, what happened?"

"Tadao and I had a minor disagreement," Ushio's voice is distant and cold. I don't think he wants to talk about it.

"You have bandages and you call that minor?" I hear my friend question as I begin to eavesdrop on their conversation. I wonder what Ushio will tell Takeshi, if he'll tell him anything at all. "You must be a tough guy."

"I can manage," he is still distant, "I've managed all of this time. I refuse to let him have Sumerie."

"You're so protective of her. I mean, I realize that she's all you've got because of what happened with your parents and all, but you've got to let her life at least a little. Don't you think about how she feels, at least a little?" Takeshi uses a submissive voice and gladly so. If he would have spoken to Ushio in an angry tone, I'm sure my brother would have snapped at him. "She's really hurt and torn over all of this. I was talking to her just a few minutes ago and the poor girl looked as if she were about to cry."

Did I really look that bad? I feel so embarrassed now.

"I know. I know that it pains her to see me like this. I know that I hurt her, because I hate her boyfriend,” Ushio seems well aware of my feelings. Then again, he's always had that strange brotherly instinct. He can read me like a book. "I have my reasons for all of it. I am one man against the world on this. He is bad for her. I want her to see that, and I will go to any length to make sure that Sumerie realizes that there can only be one man in her life right now."

What did he mean by that? What are his reasons for doing all of this to me? I can't help but keep listening, even if I know it's wrong. Someone needs to understand him. He feels as if no one does, and strangely enough, I want to be the person who does understand him.

"No offense, but why is Tadao your business?" Takeshi defended me. That's really sweet of him to do, but I don't want another fight to break out because of me. "I mean, don't you want Sumerie to be happy? I don't see how she can be happy if it keeps getting taken from her."

"Are you really that interested in my problems, Takeshi?" I can tell he's getting irritated, but he's trying to deal with it because Takeshi is his best friend. Oh dear…

"I'm trying to understand you. You're so obscure," the spiky-haired street dancer points out. They've been friends for such a long time and even someone like him can't figure out my brother. I have to admit, I can't even decipher him at times. He's a mystery to everyone he's around.

"So, you think I'm obscure?" Ushio sounds amused with that fact. I can feel the victory in his words. "Well, allow me to tell you something about Sumerie and I that you don't know. I want you to understand why I feel this way and my relationship with my sister."

"Okay, I'd like to know."

"I've had to sit back and watch my sister hurt and in pain as people constantly took things from her. Her parents, her way of life, her love…She's has nothing and no one but me. I've been the only one, after all of these years that she could freely give herself to. The only one who would never hurt her. When we were small, I was even her source of protection. Her favorite game was prince and princess…and I was always the prince. I shielded her from all hurt, harm or danger, as I do now. I drove off the evil, just as I will drive him off, and claim the sweet victory of a smile on her face." The more my brother spoke of it, the more unstable his voice became. It's almost as if he's so driven on those thoughts that it's made him crazy. I hope it's just because of his head injury, but a part of me wants to think it's something more. It can't be. Maybe I just heard him wrong or something.

"Man, you've got the complex bad," Takeshi remarked. "You are convinced that Tadao is evil and he just wrecks your sister's life." It's probably just as he feared, if not worse.

"Do you see her happy?"

"Uh," that one simple question stumps Tadao beyond words. I think this is the time that I just walk off and let them talk. Everything will be alright from here on out.

I think I'll call Risa after she gets home from tennis practice. Besides, I'm curious about what happened between the two while I was out of the room. They both seemed so happy.


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"Oh, Ushio? He's doing better," I speak into the receiver of the phone, talking to Risa, who seems a lot happier since she's talked to my brother earlier. All of her worry surrounding his injuries has probably been put at ease. "I think I was him walking around his room for a while earlier."

"That's great! I'm so excited about our date! Ooh! I get all jittery just thinking about it!" She exclaims, and at that moment, I find out what they were discussing that made her so happy.

"You asked him out on a date? Where are the two of you going?" I pull my legs up into the chair with me and drape my arms across my arched kneecaps.

"To a sushi place just down the road. Don't worry! I'll take good care of him, and if anything goes wrong, you'll be the first to know," Risa assures me, and I'm glad. At this point, it's bad for Ushio to go anywhere by himself.

"I can't keep him locked up, I suppose," no matter how much it kills me. Hearing something rustle, I glance down the hall to see my brother pulling on a long-sleeved slate blue shirt. He must be getting ready to head out with Risa.

"Ah, you worry you much! You know, I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time now," she tells me, and I know, she's had a crush on Ushio since she was twelve. Telling her this, she laughs a little. "I know! I finally get to go out with him! Even if it is just to go and eat something, and his is hurt and won't feel like doing anything much. It'll be nice just to spend time with him and have it be the two of us. I just want to be close to him, but he's been so avoidant and kept to himself lately."

"He's never been the best with his emotions, or women for that matter," I remark. My brother never could keep a date. I've always wondered why. The women he was with were so kind. I would have loved to have one of them as my big sister figure.

"Yeah, but being around you is a definite plus! We're good friends, so I can at least get to see him."

"You make it seem like that's all you keep me around for," I fake pout. Risa doesn't really mean it that way, but I like to pick on her.

"You know that isn't true!" Risa defends her prior statement. It is just the reaction I want out of her. A smile crosses my pink lips at my secret accomplishment. "We've been friends longer than I've known Ushio!"

"I just like to give you a hard time. I know that you love me too," I joke with her.

"Not in the same way, mind you," Risa teases me further.

"Of course not."

"Well, I'm ready. I'll be over there in a couple of minutes. Wish me luck!"

"Much luck!" I tell her happily as we both bid each other good-bye. As soon as I hang up the phone, I see Ushio next to me. He must have walked up to me when I was busy talking.

"Was that Risa?" He questions, and I tell him the answer. I also informed him that she was coming to pick him up as well. My brother informs me that he'll be gone a couple of hours.

"You know Risa, don't you?" Smiling, I know what he means. Risa was one for long dates, especially with him.

"I should," he replies dryly. "I'll see you when I get home."

"Take care of yourself," my eyes go to the door, where he stands looking at me. "I worry about you with your head injury and everything."

"I can get around. It just feels like a huge headache. I'll be fine. I promise," Ushio walks slowly over to me and plants a small kiss on my lips. The very contact sends tingles up my spine for some reason and I'm reminded of that instant on the dance floor, where we had been so close.

A faint blush creeps upon my cheeks as I think about my unsettled feelings for him. I wasn't left with long before he pulled away and stared into my round eyes with glistening blue ones. Ushio's eyes are so beautiful, and I find myself entranced in their beauty before he turns his gaze from me.

We each say out good byes and he leaves to go out on his date with Risa. My brother leaves me in my thoughts of that night, and the feelings of confusion that plague me.


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-- R I S A ' S P O V --

We walked home together, side by side. It was a moment that I cherished with all of my heart. A part of me just couldn't believe that I had actually just been on a date with a guy that I had a crush on since I was twelve!

I feel like this should go on forever.

"Oh, they had the best Teriyaki chicken, didn't they?" I ask him as we are wrapped up in a conversation about the restaurant’s food. Even though the conversation is so simple, the sound of his voice is enough to excite me.

Gazing at him, I notice how handsome he is against the moonlight. The pale white lighting manages to make him look mystical against the industrious background of the city. It's as if he comes from another world entirely. It's like he's something unearthly.

"It was good. I couldn't eat another bite." Ushio slightly smiles at me. I think he's thankful just to get out of the house. I don't blame him. He's never liked being cooped up when he's hurt. I hope Sumerie didn't mind being alone for a while, but I think she understood. Sumerie is good natured like that.

She's always so understanding of other's feelings.

"I'm glad that you like it. I've been wanting to make someone there," I tell him as we walk up his driveway and stand on his front porch, facing each other. The pale moonlight is now replaced with the warm light of the front porch. It makes him shine with radiance. "Well, I guess this is good-bye."

"I had a lot of fun. Thank you, Risa," Ushio tells me, and even though I know I'll see him again tomorrow, I want to draw this moment out and make it last. I hope he'll want to go on another date with me after this.

"No problem. I like hanging out with you," I give him a peaceful smile. I do more than like hanging out with him. I love hanging out with him.

"Oh, really? We should do it again sometime. When I'm not preoccupied with Sumerie," my heart drops at that fact. They've always been close, and it makes it hard for any girl to date him. I've heard the rumors that float all over school about that. Part of me hopes to overcome it. I want to be the girl that manages to break the boundaries and achieves the impossible.

I want to belong to him.

"You know…I've liked you for a really long time," I admit, blushing a little at such a thing. "I used to have the biggest crush on you…and I still do." Now was the time. I was going for it after all of these years. Hopefully I don't screw up our friendship. Please…

Please God, just grant my one wish tonight.

Make him mine.

"Are you saying that you're in love with me?" He arches an eyebrow, but his face remains emotionless. I know that he usually is a walking void, but that expression has always been daunting. It frightens me, especially now.

My heart is beating so hard I think that it might jump out of my chest.

"Yes…I do," I admit it to him and take a deep breath. "I love you, Ushio. I want to be the first in your heart."

"But you can't be."

"What? Why not?" I ask as I feel the force of rejection slam into me so hard that it nearly knocks the tears out of my eyes. Quickly, I have to blink them back.

"Because I love my sister."

Oh, that was why he said it. His family always comes first.

"You mean it in that brotherly way, right?" Laughing, I feel a little stupid for not getting his joke.

Ushio doesn't say anything and I stop laughing. There's an awkward silence between the two of us before he tells me that he had a good time, and that he hoped to hang out with me again sometime. For that, I'm glad.


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--- U S H I O ' S POV ---

"Welcome home!" Sumerie is there in the doorway, greeting me with her bright beaming smile. It's one of the few creature comforts I look forward to whenever I come home from something.

My head hurts like hell, and I can barely concentrate. The night air and laughing with Risa didn't make matters any better. Thanking my sister for her kind words, I walk over and kiss her as the same damn phrase rolls through my head that's been dancing through it since Risa uttered that little joke to me.

'Do I love her in that brotherly way?' I pull away from the kiss and make my way to my room without a word. Trying not to notice the flush on her face, I push the thoughts to the back of my mind and throw my tired body down on the bed.

The cool sheets feel nice against my warm skin. Soon, there's a light pattering at my window and I glance over to see that it's just rain. Come to think of it, the sky was cloudy earlier. I guess the weatherman was right this time.

That's a miracle in its own right.

'You mean, in that brotherly way, right?' Why is that damned question still in my head? Narrowing my eyes, I try to rid myself of it and my mind wanders from one annoyance to the next.

'Tadao, that bastard. The things he does to Sumerie pisses me off. I've never felt this way about anyone she was within the past. That sparkle in her eyes, the flush on her cheeks, her warm smile, the way she moves so fluidly when she's against his touch, the way she kisses him…and that look of complete adoration…Just like back then…' I think to myself as an image frozen in time of two small children, playing dress up with paper crowns and the costumes of royalty plasters itself in my mind like a snapshot.

The small girl hugs the boy. I can still hear her voice, haunting my checkered memories of what seemed to be a happy past at that point.

'I love my prince. There's no one like him, and I always want to be with him…forever.'

It was at that precise moment in time when I decided. All of those things that she felt towards Tadao…

I wanted all of that.



…To Be Continued