Hidden Wife

An Eternity of Without Me

"Reiji?" 

A voice called out from behind, causing him to abruptly turn around. There, he was met with a familiar face, now fully awake and staring right at him. Reiji's hand involuntarily clenched as he maintained his intense gaze, rooted to the spot. Without even thinking, he found himself standing in front of the woman, his fingers tightening around her neck. She let out a yelp of panic, desperately clawing at his hands with her nails. Just as she was on the brink of losing consciousness, again, another hand forcefully pulled Reiji away, granting her precious air to breathe while she clutched her throat.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Ayato shouted, his fangs bared at his half-brother. As the woman coughed and gasped for air, another pair of hands gently patted her back and supported her shoulder. Shu tenderly comforted her as the coughing subsided. He always played the role of her savior, after all.

"It's alright, I've got you," Laito murmured while wrapping his arms around her trembling form. Though she was drenched in a cold sweat from the ordeal, she was ultimately unharmed. Suddenly, a sharp slap echoed through the room.

Ayato had struck Reiji in the face, hard, sending his glasses tumbling to the floor. "Pull yourself together!" Ayato barked. "The woman just woke up, and you tried that bullshit!?" Reiji didn't offer any retaliation; his mind was filled with tumultuous thoughts.

Laito soon stepped in, positioning himself between the two. "Gentlemen, you can settle your differences later. Must you really make her fear you even more with a fight~?" Laito purred with a sly grin. Ayato clenched his teeth but reluctantly acknowledged his brother's words and stepped aside. Reiji straightened himself out and put his glasses back on. The two vampires continued to glare at each other, no less angry at the other, but decided to keep their fury silent.

Shu continued to hold the woman close, protecting her with his arms like a wall to a castle. He held her head closely to his chest, in case any of his brothers were to try and harm her again. Shu could recall the many times he had held her close as a younger boy after Cordelia had gotten pissy that day. He could also remember the many other times she had held him close when defending him against his own mother. But, this time, it was different. 

Instead of seeking solace in his arms and thanking him, she pushed him away, wrapping herself tightly in her robes. Shu was taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor, and his brothers shared his surprise. Even during their angriest moments, she had never pushed them away before. Perhaps she had grown weary of their presence after being confined for so long; that's the conclusion the brothers reached.

"Please... leave," she whispered, her hairpins drooping as she avoided eye contact. Though they were curious about her reasons, one by one, the brothers left the room. Except Subaru. He was filled with anger and frustration.

"You think you can sleep forever, and when we finally bring you back, you can just push us away!?" Subaru yelled. She visibly flinched, retreating further into her garments. She clutched her robes, struggling to maintain composure in front of the young man. "Answer me!" Subaru demanded, his fists clenched, and teeth gritted in frustration as he confronted her feeble, quiet cries.

"I..." She couldn't continue; any more words would lead to sobs. She bit her lip to stifle her tears. "....Get out," she whispered. "What!? Speak up!" Subaru shouted. "Get out!" she screeched, tears streaming down her face, her eyes wide, looking distraught. She looked like she had gone off the rails. Her breathing was irregular, but rather than comforting her or apologizing, Subaru gritted his teeth but eventually left the room with an exasperated huff.

Subaru stormed through the mansion, ignoring the disapproving glances from his brothers, and slammed open a door. Yui, who had been trying to relax, jumped up from her bed and stood trembling in the center of the room, fearing what he might do if she delayed any longer. Subaru approached her, seized her blonde hair, and forced her into her closet. With one hand, he held the closet doors closed and used his other hand to lock the knobs.

Yui pounded on the door, crying and begging for him to let her out. Tears streamed down her face as she wailed and screamed for help. However, her struggles were in vain against the much stronger vampire. She kicked the door like a child locked in her room, but only wore herself out. She sobbed, burying her face in her hands, as she slid down the back wall of the wardrobe. Her breathing was heavy, and the words in her head echoed like ink on a letter.

The words "Get out, let me out, don't leave me here" repeated incessantly in her mind like a broken record. She despised the coldness of the closet and the coldness of Subaru. But Subaru was struggling as well. He had long released the closet door, but Yui had not noticed. Instead, Subaru sat against the wall just in front of the wardrobe, burying his head in his knees, silently willing her to be quiet. He closed his eyes as her loud wails gradually turned into sobs and eventually faded into quiet whimpers and sniffles.

He didn't know what to do. She was no longer there to guide him- no longer emotionally present to teach him what to do. She hated him just as much as his own mother did. He was an abomination of a being.

=================================

Ms. (name)'s breathing never once stopped its rapid pace as she looked around the room, whipping her head around as she looked at the familiar room. A place she once found a comfort, her safe haven, was now her own personal tomb and cage. A dungeon she could never even dream of escaping. However, familiar sounds shot through her ears like a bullet. Sounds she never wished to hear again.

A baby's crying, shouting, and her own sobs filled her ears as if water. She covered her ears with her hands, trying desperately to shut them out. To not remember. She placed her head on her knees and then onto the floor. She hit her head with her fist, trying anything to shut her mind up, even if for only a moment. Her body began shaking, her body felt numb. She was petrified. The baby's sobs and cries echoed in her ears and the shouting of someone she once called a husband swirled her head like an never-ending carousel. "Shut up! Please... just let me think... just a minute... please" her shouts faded to whispers as she begged her own mind to stop.

Just as she begged to herself, an awful slashing and stabbing noise rang through her ears. And then, everything stopped. She was back in her room, no baby, no people, just her. Just herself and pure silence. Her eyes were practically shaking as she rapidly moved them to look around the room. She clutched her hands close to her chest, taking deep breaths to try and calm down.

After a few moments, her breathing evened out and she looked cautiously around her room with a calmer mindset. She got off her stone bed and walked around the room, noticing that her room looked as if she had been in it just yesterday. Her kimonos dragged behind her as she slowly walked, but she abruptly stopped when she saw the mirror on her tiny vanity. She stared at her disheveled appearance. But it only lasted a second. She then saw a flash, and now she looked exactly how she did before Cordelia put her to sleep. She was younger, but much more distraught. More depressed, more mad.

Her face was stained from tears, her makeup falling off her face. Her hairpins were nowhere to be seen, only messy hair. Her Uchikake was falling off her shoulders and her obi was slanted to the side. She looked disgusting. She could feel the slimy, eel like fingers of her husband grasping at her shoulders as she felt his whispers in her ear. "You have disappointed me, (name). Why should I keep you if you can't even give me what I want? Nobody wants you, (name). No one in this manor cares, especially the boys. Your body is a disgrace, disgusting, impure."

"Crash!"

The mirror fell to the floor in shards. The reflective glass decorated the floor like glitter while blood from her fist dripped onto it. She stepped back, only to let her legs collapse under her. Why... why must he torture her like this?