Lost and Found - Book 1

Chapter 14

Alm sobbed into Kyoya's chest. He did his best to hold her up as the weight of all the pain and fear she felt made her knees weak.

"I'm never getting home, am I?" Alm sobbed, shuddering, her face pale.

"You can't give up," Kyoya said, his hands on her shoulders as he looked down into her glossy eyes. "I'll find a way to continue helping you, I promise."

Alm pushed his hands off of her. "You mean continue playing me like a fool to keep me here longer?"

Kyoya frowned. "No, and I really am sorry I lied to you. I want to help."

Alm wasn't ready to let this go. "What would have even happened if I hadn't found out? I had might as well been blacked out for our first time with how fucking blind I was!"

Kyoya poked her between the eyes. "You are blind, we both are."

"You think this is a joke?" Alm pushed him in the chest and he cried out in shock. She cried out next, when he grabbed her wrists.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, I shouldn't have kicked you out and I shouldn't have lied. I care about you a lot, but I haven't been acting like it and I'm sorry for that most." Kyoya let her go. Alm looked up at him, teary-eyed. "Alm, I love you."

Alm started sobbing again. Kyoya held her against him, kissing her forehead and hair until she'd calmed down.

"Do you know what the worst part is?" Alm mumbled into his chest. "Part of me is actually happy Nekozawa couldn't help me get back home. I'm happy to still be here, even though I'm leaving my entire life behind if I stay."

Kyoya embraced her, and they stood that way, soothing each other with their combined physical warmth. Alm looked up at him. "I wish things weren't this way. I wish our worlds weren't different, so we could be together without all of this pain."

"Me too, Alm." Kyoya frowned and kissed her softly. "Me too."

*

It was still dark out when Kakashi and Mik left the apartment. By the time they had reached the field where Iruka had agreed to meet them, the sun was on its way up, low and hidden behind the trees. Iruka stood in the middle of the field, a cold fog wrapped around his legs up to his knees. Kakashi quickly went off to the outskirts of the clearing. He sat down against a tree and retrieved a book from his pocket. Mik approached Iruka, but remained a good distance away. Iruka smirked.

"You have no chakra, and will hopefully never find yourself in the middle of a real battle, but while you are surrounded by ninjas, it would be smart for you to learn some self defense." Iruka cracked his knuckles. "Think of this as an aptitude test. Defend yourself."

Iruka rushed her while her guard was down. She only had time to take a single step back before he had slammed shoulder first into her, tackling her to the ground. Kakashi's laugh was muffled in the distance. Mik looked over at him, his book still open in his lap, but his one visible eye stared right at her. Lifting herself up to her elbows, she looked up at Iruka, a smirk on her face and a look of dark amusement in her eyes.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you had some pent up frustration towards me."

Iruka chuckled, helping her to her feet. He moved on to actually teaching her after that. How to block a punch or a kick. How to dodge punches, kicks, weapons or anything else being launched at you. Where to punch and kick to easily take down an enemy and slow them down long enough for someone with actual fighting skill to arrive. And then they sparred for a little, partly practicing those moves, partly having fun.