Corpse Bride || Haitani Brothers/OC

24 - cruel

then came the part that made it difficult to just sit still in his seat. he could tell she was being grabbed or at least manhandled, and he wondered then when he'd become so faint of heart when Hikari took care of herself well enough.

"while you hurt your heads trying to come up with ways to have him killed past all his security, he defenselessly sleeps beside me every night."

Ran almost smiled. it was perhaps the truest thing she's said that night, he thought.

"if not, then I can help you bring down my husband at least."

and she sounded so convincing about wanting him dead that it almost hurt.

"and why would you?"

"because Ran killed my brother."

all thoughts left his mind, and fear and denial ate him whole. this was the truest thing she said.

she knows.

and she'll hate him, and they won't ever be the same again, but he couldn't care about losing her. he was just so shaken up by the thought that she might lose herself. can she even take any more pain? she was ready to leave the world behind not so long ago.

Ran took off the headphones, tossing it to the table as he abruptly stood up. he buttons his jacket, his hands cold inside his gloves. he's not sure how he could lessen the damage he's caused, it's not like he could beg her to not be so hurt by what he's done. the fact that they loved each other made everything worse.

if he could just reverse time. he'd make it so that Hideo would be alive, or if it was too much to ask for, then he would've settled for not trying to earn Hikari's heart. things would've been easier for her had she hated him endlessly.

he shouldn't have told her he loved her. no, he shouldn't have even come back alive. he should've stayed dead.

"leaving so soon, Ran?"

"you told her."

"did I really?" Mikey smiled.

+++

"you should just go to bed," Rin says, arms crossed as he looked at the girl who paced in the living room.

"it's past midnight, why isn't he home yet?" she asks, barely looking at him.

"he'll arrive when you wake up so just go to bed."

"you think I can sleep like this?"

"he called me earlier, he just has some more things to take care of."

"you said you left your phone!"

"I did?" he asks, pursing his lips, "well, I actually have two phones."

before they could actually argue, the elevator bell chimes. Hikari looks to find the man she'd been looking for all night, his frame tired as he leaned on the wall, his eyes hazy like he wasn't really there. to top it off, he was soaked in blood—like he bathed in it.

"Ran!"

and all of a sudden he was engulfed in her arms. the blood of his victims dirtying her, the scent of her hair anchoring him back to earth—to where he was. in her arms.

"did you get hurt?" she asks, her voice frantic.

he wondered if she was so worried about him that she forgot about Hideo.

"Ran, what's wrong?" she pulls away from him.

her eyes were puffy, he could tell right away that she'd been crying. he made her cry again, he thought.