Pretear Fan Fiction ❯ One and Only ❯ Chapter 14

Chapter 15

 

Author's note: Next we have one of the most adorable characters in the anime: Hajime. Hey, Hajime!

 

Hajime: Hello! *smile*

 

Me: Aww… you're so cute! *huggles*

 

Hajime: *looks around* Where is Hannah? She's my friend!

 

Me: She's in the story right now.

 

Hajime: I wanna go to there!

 

Me: Okay. *smiles* Onto our story, since the little one wants to go back. It's based on an anime that's not mine.

 

Hajime: Yay!

 

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Kei tapped feverishly on his keyboard, looking intensely at the screen. He was working on a project that Brian had assigned him, which was going to be used to determine if he could work as an intern in the company. He really wanted this job, so he was working extremely hard on this project.

“Hey, Kei!”

He was jolted out into reality, and he jumped an inch out of his computer chair. He looked towards the door and saw his tall, blonde partner standing there, laughing at his expression.

“Sorry I scared you,” Elora said with a giggle. He harrumphed and turned back to his computer. He was usually all right to be around, but when he was working, he was usually just about as much of a tight-ass as Hayate.

“Whatcha doin'?” she asked, coming behind him. He glanced at her, a little irritated, and then sighed.

“I'm working on a project for Brian's company,” he answered shortly. He continued to tap on the keys, getting back into the zone.

“I'm glad you're getting a job with his company,” her voice came, interfering with his concentration. “I'm sure you'll do good.”

“Is that so?” he said, hardly paying attention.

“Yes,” she continued with a light tone in her voice. “Brian is very nice, and I know both of you will bring in pretty good pay checks. I'm sure Brian will appreciate you coming to work with him. He really likes hanging around people. Knowing that someone he can trust will be at work with him will probably make his stress level lessen.”

Kei continued to work, but couldn't help listen to part of what she was saying.

“Stress level?” he said. “What do you mean?”

“Well, he's kind of carrying us,” she said with a sigh. “Pretty much all of us ran away from home when we were younger and found out that we were knights. He's been working and keeping us on track. Now with you guys, no offence, he's been having more stress. He has to keep up all the finances, being the oldest, and is our guardian… and is the Pretear on top of that.”

Kei stopped typing for a second, really thinking of what she was saying. She was right. He had this big house, and with a big house comes big bills. It occurred to him, also, that he and the other guests in this house had seemed to be taking it for granted. They hadn't been doing much, not even thanking Brian for all of this.

But it was something interesting for Elora to realize it while everyone else didn't even care about it. She was either very observant, or very caring about what happened around her. He tore his eyes away from the screen to look at her, and found her looking out the window with a distant gaze and a gentle smile on her face. For some reason, it was a sight he couldn't take his eyes off of.

She slowly turned to face him, and her smile grew. “I'm just glad for Brian that you are going to help with the finances a little. Everyone pitches out as much as they can, but we don't have all that big of jobs. Our income is on the small side. So, taking the pressure off of him is a great thing of you to do.”

Kei thought a little and ventured, “And do you have any feelings for Brian that contributes to your relief?”

She laughed a little and shook her head. “No. He's more like an older brother to me. Besides, that's Mary's job. She's been quite taken with him since we came here.” Elora sighed and turned from the window, headed out the door. “Thanks for your time, and again for your help. Just remember what I said.”

He nodded and said, “I will.”

She flashed one grateful smile before leaving the room. It was a while later before Kei could take his eyes from the spot where she stood and to get back to his work.

 

 

Himeno glanced at Hayate from next to him in the dark. The movie was getting kinda dull at the moment, and it was obvious by the way Hayate was watching it that he felt the same way. He was slouched, his arms folded across his chest, and looked at the screen with a bored expression. It looked like he was about to fall asleep.

She sighed. Okay, so maybe her plan wasn't going as well as she thought it would. But that didn't mean she couldn't work her magic still. She sighed and scooted casually closer to him.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, catching his attention. “Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.”

He looked down at her and saw just how close she was to him. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her upturned face. She blinked innocently at him, and all he could focus on was her lips. Red colored his cheeks and he immediately faced the screen.

“I-I don't know about that,” he said, clearing his throat. “I mean, it seems like a good movie.” He looked back down at her. “Wouldn't… uh… wouldn't you say?”

She shrugged, tilting her head to the side. “Seems boring for a horror flick. You wanna leave or…” She scooted closer. “Do you want to stay here and watch this horribly boring movie?”

“Himeno…?” he said, staring down at her, as she slowly got closer.

“Do you want to stay?” she asked huskily. “Or do you want to leave?”

“I… uh…”

He seemed to be falling for her magic quite well. He was now speechless and looked like he was about to melt. Yes, he was putty in her hands. Now all she had to do…

She sensually placed her finger on his chest and slowly dragged it down his shirt. “What do you say, Hayate?”

His arm slowly moved its way around her waist as he stared into her eyes, finally understanding why she really wanted to come to the theater. She placed her other hand on his chest as their faces drew closer.

“Himeno…” he whispered, his eyelids sliding closed.

She lifted her face more and closed her eyes. She could feel his heavy breath on her skin and it made her anticipate it more. She drew closer to close the gap…

“IIIIEEEEEEEEEK!!!”

The screech could be heard throughout the theater. They snapped apart, and the first thing that came to Himeno's mind was:

“Where's the demon larvae, and why the hell does it have such bad timing?”

But they soon realized that there was no real danger when they looked at the screen and saw the chick in the movie simply being dismembered by some alien looking creature. Himeno let out a sigh, as did Hayate. She slowly looked back at him and he met her gaze.

She offered an apologetic look. “This isn't going to work, is it?”

He shook his head and folded his arms over his chest. “Afraid not.”

She stood up and he followed her out of the almost-empty theater. He gently slid his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, “Let's not ever go to a horror flick for a date again. Deal?”

She looked up at him and said, “Deal.”

 

 

Ashlee drew back her fist and drove it into the punching bag in front of her with great force. Sweat lined her brow and her breaths came out as gasps for air. However, she couldn't stop. The pain and stress inside her heart was driving her to go on.

Go's face popped up in her mind and she growled, bearing her teeth and driving her fist into the punching bag again. She replayed what had happened the other day in her mind, and one clear image stood in her mind: Go's face close to hers.

Soon she was pumping both arms against the bag, sending out blind fury. “Guys are jerks,” she muttered with each punch. “I don't need them. Why would I? I've gotten along great without them. Who needs a guy? Not me. Nosirree. Don't need one. Not even if he's great, sexy, funny, and also a Pyro.”

“Sounds like you just described me,” a voice came from the doorway, snapping her out of her world. She whirled around and looked towards the door and saw the last person in the world she wanted to see at that moment.

“Go!” she exclaimed, furrowing her brow. “What are you doing here? Don't you know better than to barge in on people?” She huffed and tossed a stray hair back into place. He shrugged.

“I guess not,” he said. He leaned lazily against the wood of the doorframe, looking at her with his same cocky grin. Her heart gave an extra beat and she felt heat rise to her face. She turned quickly to hide it and faced the punching bag again.

“Well, if you have no business with me, I guess this conversation is over,” she said, getting back into position. She drew her fist back again and lunged. How much of her mutterings had he heard her say?

“Actually I do have business with you,” he said. She slowed down when she heard the serious tone he took. She glanced in his direction and saw him walking towards her. Her heart began to beat faster, but she blamed it on her exercise. When he was directly behind her, she stopped.

“Go,” she said softly. “Please… just leave me alone.”

“Why?” he asked. “Why do you insist on doing this to yourself… and to me?”

She turned around to face him, which proved to be a mistake. He was tall, and he was larger than life in so many ways. He was out of her reach. He was… the only thing she really wanted.

“Don't do this to me,” she whispered.

“Don't do what to you?” he asked, taking her arms in his hands and looking intently into her eyes.

“You hardly know me,” she responded, trying to look away from his deep, dark eyes. But for the life of her, she couldn't move an inch. His touch was paralyzing.

“I know that you're funny and smart,” he said softly. “I know that you love to play with fire.” This attracted an involuntary smile from her. “I know that you're nice, you're a little immature, and that you never quit, no matter what the costs. And… I know that I'm falling for you.'

“You're not falling for me, dammit,” she said, finally lowering her eyes from his. “What can happen between us, anyway? I mean we'll be happy for the time being and pretend everything's normal. But what about later? What about after all this happens? What about when everything's over? You'll go back to Japan to the life you're supposed to live as a Leafe Knight, and I'll live mine here… away from you. And Leafe Knights can't love and stay a knight. Once they make a commitment, they become a normal person, giving up their powers. Are we both willing to do that?”

“Ashlee,” he laughed lightly, attracting her eyes again. “I'm not asking for you to marry me. I'm asking to go out with you. I'm not talking about next year. I'm talking about today.”

“But that's what hurts, you ass!” she cried, pushing him away. She looked at the ground and wrapped her arms around herself, trying desperately to shut off her heart from the thing that was going on. It wasn't ready to be hurt again. “It's always the same. I'll let myself fall for a guy, and it'll seem like forever, when suddenly he leaves for one reason or another. They're all jerks, playing girls' hearts like guitar strings.”

“Why can't you just not think about it and live life as it is,” he asked, tilting his head. “Don't look before you leap this time. Don't put too much into this and live it as it comes.”

“That's what I've been doing,” she said, choking back tears. “But every time, some guy shreds my heart into little pieces, expecting me to put the parts back together on my own. It's best just to live life alone.”

She heard him sigh and saw as he stepped back, turning around. He walked to the doorway and stopped. He turned slowly to look at her.

“When you realize that not all guys are out to wring your little heart out, come to me,” he said. “In the meantime.” He sighed and looked away. “Your heart can always heal again. But you can never go back and change what you decided. Not living life to the fullest takes away something precious in your life. Just think about that.”

With that, he left her alone finally. But this time, she wasn't sure she wanted him to.