By Your Side - A Challengeshipping story

Chapter 11~ Tying cut strings

Please don't ask about the title, it is relevent but I'm bad at coming up with titles. And DON'T WORRY, THERE IS HOPE FOR MA CHALLENGESHIP!!!

Also, I have retuuuuurned...

[Shark's POV]

5 minutes. That's how long I've been waiting. And I know I'm not normally one to feel emotions such as worry or impatience to other people, but I couldn't help it this time. I still don't know how, I'm not responsible for my emotions at this point. Anger was even bubbling in my chest, and I didn't know where it came from! I had no reason to be angry. But, then again, I am mostly associated with anger, and it's becoming an emotion for my everyday life.

Kite was late. And the worry I was feeling didn't help, making me think that he lied to me, or that he was stuck somewhere, or maybe I lost him forever. He could've hurt himself, or maybe forgot. I don't know why I was so abnormally anxious with anyone for that matter. Never forget what Kite had done to the innocent people. But... those scars... what did they mean?

I was in my usual swimming trunks, my hair out as per usual, and my eyes were practically glued onto my watch, almost as if it had all the answers. But it just blinked back blandly, only making my questions furthermore urgent. I heard a door open, the faint padding of feet slapping against the digustingly-clean, wet floor. I turn around to look at the late-comer, whom was definitely late, and...

H-he looked... amazing!

Even since I laid eyes on him at that moment, my stomach was doing almost backflips! My heart was pounding quicker, occasionally forgetting to beat, and I felt like my body had heated up by 10 whole degrees! Something was in my throat. My cheeks felt abnormally heated. What is going on?! What on earth is this emotion?!

Kite was in nothing but a pair of swim shorts. He was showing skin. To me! I couldn't take my eyes off his defined chest, exposing his collar bones and small waist. His arms were dainty and slightly muscular, still littered with the cuts he tried so hard to conceal. But he was showing them all to me! His hair curled around the edges of his shoulder, all of his body from his feet to his face was... almost p-perfect! How can a man look so... beautiful!

I didn't dare voice any of it out, trying to look at anywhere but Kite's eyes ,  eventually failing when he was almost in front of me. I couldn't directly see them though. He was hiding his head, wrapping his arms around his frame insecurely, avoiding my eyes and shifting uncomfortably under my gaze. Was this man really a monster? I found it hard to believe now.

"I... is this too much?" He was definitely uncomfortable, but was it at exposing himself, or at how my reaction may be. I figured it was option 1, so I reached my hand out to where his gaze lingered, giving him an assuring smile to give him a little urge. He followed me, and we both walked into the pool, further to the centre so our heads and the tips of our shoulders were exposed. Kite looked a lot more comfortable now, and I continued to keep the 2 ft gap between us.

"So..." It grew heavily awkward, and I wanted to take that word back. I figured out that Kite hurts himself and I had no idea why. It was definitely him, they were too identical and neat to be an accident. Then we had a full 48 hrs of not exchanging one word between us, and now that we were actually able to talk, nothing came out. Kite actually spoke something first after bobbing up in the blue water for a bit.

"About what you... found out that day... um... please don't tell anyone!" He spoke quietly, in case others would catch his talking.

A few seconds passed between us, and I could feel Kite's anxiety spike up, providing me with the temptation to reach out and clasp his hand in attempts to sooth him. And that's exactly what I did.