The Two Families

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Laura's POV:

The remainder of the day went by with the doctor checking up on my wounds. Not even once did Mikito or Hideo acknowledge what they did to me. I just hoped that Sofia or Luka understood what I meant when I called them vlákas. My back still throbbed in pain as I leaned against something. Hideo kept coming back to check up on me throughout the day. 

I got bored of sitting alone, so I decided to head downstairs, sitting outside by their pool, dipping my feet into the cool water. I looked up at the night sky, trying to see if I could see any constellations. 

"That's Ursa Major," A voice called out from behind me. I turned around, meeting Hideo, who stood in sweatpants and a black t-shirt. His black hair wild and messy. 

"May I?" He asked, pointing at the empty space next to me. I nodded, moving over to give him space. Hideo sat down and rolled up his pants, dipping his legs inside the pool. He looked over at me and smiled. His eyes didn't sparkle or twinkle in the shimmering lights, his eyes were dull and unapologetic, much to the contrast of Luka's eyes that flashed with mischievousness, despite both boys being the same ripe age of twenty-seven.

Hideo looked up, searching the sky for stars; he pointed at something, "that's Ursa Minor." I tore my eyes from his face, looking up at the sky.

"It look's very pretty," I whispered, smiling.

I could feel Hideo's eyes on my face when he replied, "pretty? Yeah."

We sat in silence for some time. Looking up at the stars, I splashed my feet around in the water, humming a song to myself. Occasionally, Hideo would point up to the sky, naming the constellation and laugh whenever I couldn't find it. We sat there for hours, laughing and talking about stars, space and everything in between.

I yawned, stretching my arms and groaning when my wounds throbbed. Hideo shot up, immediately, helping me stand to my feet. He flashed me a charming smile before asking, "do I need to get you a wheelchair?"

I crackled, "why wheelchair when you have a proper functioning back? Get on your knees, Takahashi."

Hideo smirked. One second I was standing, and the next, I was thrown into the pool. I jumped up, shrieking at the sudden cold water. I looked up in shock as Hideo was practically crying from laughter. He apologised profusely through fits of laughter.

"Stop apologising and get me out of here!" I screamed.

Hideo was still giggling, but he extended an arm to pull me out, not realising the predicament he put himself in. With every single muscle in my body, I yanked his arm, pulling him into the pool. Hideo's head popped up from under the water, glaring at me. I smiled innocently. He ran a hand through his wet hair, exposing his forehead. One single strand of jet black hair fell onto his perfectly chiselled face. 

"I'm going to get you for this, Zika," Hideo threatened. Hideo launched at me, grabbing me and pushing me under the water. It was all fun and games, but the memories of Mikito pushing my head underwater came crushing back, holding me tight in its grasp. I couldn't breathe. I pushed against Hideo, going up to the surface. I was shaking. Worry was extremely evident on Hideo's face.

"Woah, Woah, Woah. Are you okay?" He asked.

I held the edge of the pool, trying to calm my racing heart. Hideo hesitated but placed a hand on my shoulder, lifting my head with his other hand. I looked at him, still breathing heavily. He raised his eyebrows, caressing my face. His dark eyes filled with so much worry. For a second, he didn't look like the same notorious Mafia leader I met a couple of years ago; instead, he looked like a lost puppy, a concerned friend.

I parted my lips; memories of that night came crashing back. Hideo's eyes flickered to my lips before meeting my eyes. My breathing levelled out during the intense moment. Sounds of water echoed in my ears as I absorbed the nature of our situation. Hideo Takahashi, my best friend's rival gang leader, and I were standing in his pool, soaking wet. Hideo's black shirt stuck to his hard chest, accentuating his toned muscles. I was wearing a white shirt, that clung to my body, and unfortunately, my choice of bra was black.

In a single moment of boldness and desperation, I pulled his face closer to mine. Despite the situation, Hideo was still six-foot-three, and he towered over my five-foot-seven self. I stopped in front of him, scared to move on. Hideo leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine. My heart fluttered in my chest as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Hideo's hands went around the back of my thighs, pulling me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, not breaking the kiss. Slowly, it went from soft and gentle, to hungry and desperate. My hand buried itself into his hair, pulling it roughly. He groaned against my lips, biting down, earning a yelp from me. 

I pulled away from him, breathing heavily against his lips. Hideo looked at me, rubbing his thumb along my bottom lip. When he removed it, he smirked, showing me his bloody thumb. My eyes widened, and I rubbed my thumb on my lip, realising that Hideo had caused my lip to bleed.

"The two of you seem to be really close," a voice called out from behind me. I turned my head back, locking eyes with Mikito. I turned around to Hideo, whose body was still pressed up against mine. He backed away, climbing out of the pool and helping me. Mikito's eyes flickered down to my chest before going back to my eyes. Hideo must have noticed my discomfort because he took off his shirt and covered me with it. I thanked him, making my way back into the house. I ran upstairs, forgetting the immense pain my back was in and slammed the bedroom doors. I inhaled sharply, stripping myself of my clothes. I changed into a silk nightsuit, before throwing myself onto the bed. 

This is going to be a long night.