The Exhibit

Pt 10

Emily's tears wouldn't stop, her eyes became clouded with them causing her to struggle to drive. Pulling into a random parking lot she lets herself go, her body heaving as she sobbed. The silence beyond her crying was painful. She was alone. A scream comes out of her, piercing her own ears. She had to let it all out or else it would eat her alive. How could someone put themselves in her life, let her be vulnerable, and then just let her go like nothing happened? How could she be so stupid? All she wanted to do was help and now here she is, screaming and crying over a man who never cared about her. The tears began to slow as did her emotions completely gone, a shell of herself left in the driver's seat.

Tsukishima stood there for a few minutes after she left, letting himself cry in silence. From his apartment he could see her drive off and speed down the street before disappearing into the night. He thought the first time he saw her cry broke his heart but today, today was 10 times worse. Seeing her so upset, all due to him, affected him more than he was willing to admit. He lazily walked into his room, taking off his clothes and putting them in his dry cleaning bag. Laying in bed he stared at the ceiling, going over the day and how it all went wrong. He had to talk it out, he figured. He needed someone to rationalize to, someone who would understand his dilemma. Grabbing his keys he leaves, hoping his one source of reasoning would help.

As Emily sobbed in her car Kuroo walks out of the bar, alcohol coursing through his veins. His uptight personality he had at work was gone, his collared shirt now unbuttoned.

Walking to his car, he can hear the sound of a woman screaming. The large parking lot was dark aside from a singular car towards the back with the headlights on. A white SUV was running, the lights from the dashboard revealing her face. He realized that it was Emily. Jogging over to her car he knocks on the driver side door. The dark tinted window slid down, revealing Emily's emotionally broken face. Her irregular breathing worried him, panic setting in.

"Emily, what's wrong? Are you ok?" He tries to ask gently.

"I... Tsukishima... He... He..." The tears started to fall again.

"Shhh, it's okay." Kuroo reaches through the window to wipe a tear from her puffy face. "Are you going to be okay to drive home?"

"I...I don't..." Her breathing started to quicken again.

"Slow down, take a deep breath. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to drive... in this state. Why don't you come back to my place and I can help you calm down." He was genuinely concerned.

Emily followed his command and took a big deep breath. "I don't know about that." she trailed off.

"Do you trust me?"

She looks at him, questioning how she should answer. Her exhausted brain didn't have the capacity to rationalize any reasonable answer, other than "yes."

"Okay, turn off the car and give me the keys." He reaches out and she places her ornate keychain in his hands. Pulling out his own keys he clicks a button twice and across the parking lot a cherry red sports car roars to life.

"Let me go grab my car quickly." He jogs off into the distance, returning shortly with his car. He gets out, leaving it running.

"C'mon," he opens her car door, rolling up the window.

Emily shuts off the car and gets out, her legs unsteady beneath her. She reaches out, grabbing his bicep to steady herself.

Kuroo places his hands gently against her ribcage, making sure she doesn't fall.

"Let's get you in." Snaking his hand around her waist, he walks her to the passenger side of the car.

He opens the door for her and she sits down in the leather seat. Reaching over her he clicks in her seatbelt.