(A/N: You guys can write down in the comments below on how you want the 'bodyguard trial' to be like for a few of the days in the week!
Like, all of them going to the beach, mall, park, etc. And Shiro has to accompany them to all of these places that you guys write! Please write down in the comments on where you want them to go during that week! )
~{&}~
"Wait, you saw him?" Hyde questioned incredulously as he stared at Sleepy Ash, who was averting his gaze with a blank expression on his face, and all of the other remaining people in the room were acting as if they weren't necessarily worried for him so as to not steer up panic but they were doing a very bad job at it.
Sleepy Ash sighed for the nth time,"Yes, I did. I told you that three times already but you are still asking that question? What a pain..."
Hyde pouted, annoyed at his older brother's nonchalant words,"I mean, who wouldn't?! You just saw Mahiru in a freaking convenience store! How small of a world do we even live in? It sounds too coincidental to be true!"
"But it is, and nothing's changing that," Sleepy Ash flat out spilled the tea, causing the blonde to hold in a growl.
The Servamp of Sloth glanced at his younger brother before averting his gaze to the side, and flashes of the truth of what had happened moments ago pierced his head painfully.
He assumed that it was an ordinary day after the whole 'Mahiru's not his Eve anymore' fiasco (besides that he was going to have this 'bodyguard trial' with the C3's fox); have a nightmare about Mahiru leaving him, wake up panting and regretting his life decisions over and over again for thirty minutes with self-loathe, decide to get his lazy ass up and relive another day of suffering by doing anything a human would do.
It was like he was grasping onto that feeble hold he had on that tiny string of hope by doing anything possible to keep his head afloat from the sea of his demon's desires, even though he knew it was all futile to try.
Everyday was the same.
Except, this day was different (ironically).
Yes, he did have a nightmare again. Yes, he did wake up heaving and panting. Yes, he did have a 'I regret my life dearly' session for a few moments.
But that was what set it apart, because the session was only for about a few moments. It wasn't for thirty minutes or so (his best timing was forty-eight minutes, he counted), it was only for a few seconds, and after that, the hollow feeling just... dissipated away like fog.
And it's not only that; he was woken up from his nightmare not because his body's natural instinct was to get up, but it was because... something seemed to send an electric shock through his body, perhaps?
Even though that electric shock was random and painful at first, the aftermath felt... comforting, to put it that way.
It felt like his hollowness was filled up a little. It felt like after that shock was administered, he had a weak connection or bond formed to something or someone. He didn't know what it was, but after he tasted the bitterness of the shock, sweetness enveloped his taste palate, and maybe that was why he decided to cut his self-wallowing session short.
He, for once, got up early and managed to see Lily still playing a bit with the kids before the blonde goes off on his daily routine, and when Lily saw him awake, he was flabbergasted yet relieved.
He was surprised as well at his own attitude change, but he decided to push it back to his mind and greeted Lily and took a stroll around, hoping to clear his mind of anything related to Mahiru because it'll cause his inner-consciousness to swallow him deeper into that pit of eternal regret (not like he wasn't already regretting being alive at the moment).
And that was when he bumped into the brunette himself, which spiralled his 'don't think anything about Mahiru' mindset down the drain quickly.
The brunette seemed surprised at his appearance (or appalled at the sight of him, but that word struck a knife into his heart so he'd rather not use that word thank you very much) and, like him, had a short mental breakdown.
But since Mahiru was clearly more grounded to Earth than he was, he snapped out of his daze quicker than him, said something along the lines of 'I change my mind' or 'You can keep it', and made a run for it.
This however caused him to break out of his box that kept him in his mind during that time being, and he quickly tried to grasp at Mahiru's arm or whatever part of him to keep him close. To keep him from disappearing again into thin air.
It was as if time was slipping by the cracks of his fingers and if he didn't grasp onto Mahiru fast enough, he would just be another mere chapter in his long novel called his immortal life; but the catch was that this chapter would be one of the most painful yet happy chapters in the whole book.
The suspense was so overwhelming that it threatened his tears to overflow at that same very moment. He wanted to say so many things to Mahiru at that moment but before that, he needed to keep him close to him.
Mahiru was the first person who taught him that some happiness can't be reclaimed. His dark, hidden past that he dared not speak of to anyone else, not even his siblings... without him, they would have remained forever dark, and he wanted to repay him back however he can. But that ambition just seems like a mere fleeting dream after he left him.
It seemed so surreal, how he was always by his side back then, fighting subclasses together, being on the lookout for each other and smiling together. Although his mind is plagued by the horrors of his deeds, he will never forget about it. That is the certain truth.
Couldn't they just revert time and go back to those times?
Although by the looks of Mahiru trying to run from him, to escape or be out of his eyesight, the brunette didn't seem to have the same very desire that he did; instead, it looked like he wanted the opposite, which was straying as far as he could from his reach.
His body had moved on it's own, his desperation etching deep into his mind and hands as they went forward to grasp at Mahiru's hands without him even comprehending it, and he was so, so close to holding on to it.
However, as if the close proximity of his own hand to his caused an electric current to shoot through the brunette's body, Mahiru turned around with the speed comparing to that of a vampire's, fast enough to cause a gust of wind to flutter his hair and pulled his hand away from his.
Mahiru had clutched his own hand closely to his body as if he was protecting it from being touched by Sleepy Ash's hand, as if skin contact would immediately break his hand like it was porcelain, and he had the most heart-wrenching look on his face that Sleepy Ash had ever seen before.
It was almost, if not the same, look that Hyde had on ages ago when he left them to kill the Creator, and it was the very same look that had haunted him for centuries.
His mouth was trembling, his eyes were wide open as if he had done the most horrendous and terrifying thing that mankind has done to the world, and his whole body was shaking like a leaf as incoherent words (or mumbling, he couldn't tell which one) came gushing out of the brunette's mouth like he was trying to find an answer or an excuse or something to say to him.
But the only words he could muster up was,"I-I'm sorry. I-I can't— I have to leave."
He couldn't even form a coherent and complete sentence; that was how terrified he was. And then, at that moment, Sleepy Ash was sent into a full blown high-end chase around the city.
He couldn't even describe how fast Mahiru was when he made a break for it. Shoes screeching on the floor due to friction, the way the wind slapped him as his body moved and how his legs powered solely on adrenaline, pushing him forward.
He was caught off-guard by the difference of physique that the brunette showed at that moment compared to two years ago. How much had Mahiru been training for?
And then, they were running again, Mahiru being the runner while he being the catcher, shouting incoherent things while apologising to people who he bumped into along the way and ignoring the snarky remarks thrown towards him.
He didn't care. His attention was solely on Mahiru. Nothing mattered except Mahiru at that moment in time. It was as if the rest of the world was blurred out, the only bright and clear thing being the form of the brunette who was running away.
And he was determined to catch up to him.
Fast forward time, and for a second, he swore that he saw the brunette swerve to an alleyway. He didn't trust his eyes and was almost about to run straight, but it was like there was a magnetic force that drew him into the alleyway, as if a bond or a chain that was connected to someone was being stretched and the other end has to keep up if it didn't want to be stretched beyond saving.
When he got there, his face had fallen when it turned out that Mahiru wasn't there at all. He tried calling out to him, calling his name in a futile attempt for the brunette to respond, even though he knew that nobody would be dumb enough to do that. And when the expected silence greeted him back, he was completely devastated.
The accursed chain or whatever it was led him to the wrong direction, and he lost all hope then.
And before he knew it, with the devastation and despair overwhelming his entire body whole, the tears were the next to start overflowing.
Pain had coursed through his veins, disappointment and desperation plaguing his feeble and vulnerable form for not catching up to Mahiru when he was right there, right underneath his nose, within his grasp, but he lost him again.
The tears wouldn't stop flowing. A deep and concaving feeling had erupted into his chest, making him feel hollow again.
But just then, it was as if something was tugging on that so-called chain of bond; something seemed to be reaching out towards him, desperately trying to cling onto his form but slipping every time, and, even if only by a little, the hollow feeling lessened.
It was as if it was trying to connect to him, trying to form a stable link, trying to get closer to him so that it could perpetually touch and grasp onto him tightly but something was holding it back, trying to pull it away from him.
The pushing and pulling sent an electric shock coursing through his body, making him yelp in pain from the sheer suddenness of it.
And that was when it heard it:
A loud and screeching cry of pain from a voice that sounded uncannily similar to Mahiru's.
A sense of alarm had overwhelmed his body, and everything else being cancelled out in his mind except for the thought that Mahiru is in danger, Mahiru's hurt, I need to help him right now and he shouted out for his name.
But all he heard was a whimper, as if something was holding back Mahiru from crying in pain (a reliever that he so desperately needed at that point in time) and trying to mask it up.
And that terrified him.
He acted fast, faster than he could have ever imagined himself doing and the only clear thought in his mind that wasn't static was HELP MAHIRU and his body acted according to his wishes.
He had gotten up the fire-escape stairway in an instant (how the brunette had managed to get up so quickly when he was just a human, he would never know, but he didn't care enough to investigate) and hoisted himself over the ledge and scanned his surroundings for him.
He saw Mahiru in the most vulnerable position he had ever seen him be in his whole life. Dread settled in the bottom pits of his stomach, and after swallowing a gulp, he tried to reach for him while calling out his name.
Instantly, Mahiru scrambled to get up but only managed to sit up right, and when he tried to call for him again, his words pierced through his ears and soul.
"What else do you want from me?! I've given you everything you've wanted already! Freedom, happiness, everything! And I even sacrificed myself for it! But you didn't care, did you?!"
Words couldn't describe the feeling of self loathe he had at that moment, and he tried to get something out of his throat that seemed right to say, and ironically, the only thing that came out was Mahiru's name.
But even then, the brunette continued to pierce words through his heart.
"I've given you everything that I can offer already, so don't you dare ask for anything else! I have nothing else to give because my soul is already empty, emptied from the inside out because of your greediness!"
Each and every time he said a word, a knife as painful as Tsubaki's sword stabbed through him, and it felt ten times worse than being on the receiving end of the impalement during the time where he and Mahiru encountered Tsubaki destroying the hospital with Iori and the rest.
His face showed his internal pain, and by the look
Mahiru gave, it must've been pretty obvious, and he slowly sank to his knees and apologised sincerely for his actions.
He couldn't see Mahiru's face at that point in time as he was looking down, but when he saw movement, he shot his head up to see Mahiru rushing straight for the edge of the building.
He didn't stop or chase him this time around.
Before Mahiru completely jumped off the building though, they looked straight at each others' eyes, and a mental click, like a lock being locked, like a chain being connected to another chain, like a puzzle being solved, resounded through their heads.
It was as if they had a connection and the chain of bond in Sleepy Ash's head mysteriously locked itself into place, asleep but in place, only waiting for someone to wake it up.
Both eyes' had widened at that, and Mahiru gritted his teeth before jumping off the building, wherever he was headed to.
Left alone in his pathetic loneliness, he broke down in agony, finally letting the bottle that he had used to keep everything in uncapped and everything came pouring out like a tsunami, and his voice became hoarse with the cries he made.
After that, he left to go back to Lily's mansion, where, surprisingly, everyone was gathered at. When they took in his disheveled form, they immediately panicked and tried to calm him down, which thereafter they threw questions at him left and right.
Like what Hyde was doing right now.
He sighed as he looked back at Hyde who was currently being belittled from others for trying to provoke him ('Not like they aren't doing it already by talking so loud,' he noted in his head), but Hugh decided to silence the whole room by clearing his throat dramatically.
Hugh turned to look at him and nodded once before turning back to the rest,"It doesn't matter. The past has been done and is over. He met Mahiru, Mahiru ran away from him, end of story. Nothing much happened, nor did it benefit him or us. So please, do not turn this into a much more debated drama than what it already is."
The rest turned to him and he mirrored Hugh's actions by nodding back at them, reaffirming Hugh's instructions, and the whole crowd sighed.
The whole crowd consisted of everyone except the Melancholy group (obviously), the C3 group (shouldn't that be obvious already?) and the Wrath pair, to which the two women told them that they were going to work in the C3 for today.
"Did he do anything? Did he say anything? He must've, right? That Shirota always has things to say before doing something, whether it be encouragements or anything in particular," Misono questioned as he stared at Sleepy Ash, to which the latter stared back.
Sleepy Ash reflected back on what Mahiru said, images of his face etched deep into his mind before averting his gaze again and replying,"He did say something, but it isn't important."
Misono looked like he was ready to refute,"But—"
Sleepy Ash returned the stare, gaze as hard and cold as stone and with a loud and strong, affirmative voice, he shut him down,"It isn't important. Leave it alone at that."
Misono's mouth closed in an instant, mumbling something along the lines of 'this bastard' before turning back to Lily who was trying to ease the situation's tension.
Tetsu took the initiative to go forward to Sleepy Ash, and with a soft voice, he asked,"Were the both of you unharmed? Were you two okay?"
Sleepy Ash glanced at him for a second before returning his gaze to the floor,"Mahiru? Yeah, I think he's fine. He should be fine. Of course, him jumping off a building is surely alarming but I believe in his strength and agility. He's fine."
Tetsu nodded, and Sleepy Ash began to slowly turn his back towards them,"We're gathered here because of that 'Shiro', aren't we? Let's hurry up and get this over with and go to the C3. Bastard-Chan, get your cars going—"
"If I may add two more questions," Tetsu cut him off, causing him to turn back around to see everyone staring at him without saying a word, and he narrowed his eyes at them.
"What is it? Make it quick," He answered lowly, slightly annoyed that they kept throwing questions at him left and right ever since he told them that he met Mahiru that morning. Should he have not told them at all?
Tetsu sucked in a deep breath, and with an unwavering gaze, he stared straight at the Servamp of Sloth.
"After knowing that Mahiru-san is okay, let me ask you this. Are you okay? How are you feeling?"
This caused his eyes to widen and his brain to stop completely in their schematics, and the world's clock felt like it just stopped.
The spotlight was solely on him now, not another actor, and the whole audience was staring at him on stage getting stage fright; his script's words that he had memorised the night before seemed to be disappearing one by one, and his mind was in a state of blank.
His retinas were already scorched with a permanent copy of the meaningless image of a blank script. The caving feeling was back. It's just a little hole, he kept telling himself. But deep inside, he knew it wasn't just that little, tiny hole. It wasn't too bright. It was too deep. Stretching forever into everything. A hole of infinite regrets.
The stage and hall began to crinkle, closing in on him. The air he breathed dissipated before it reached his lungs. People were laughing at him, snickering at his feeble form. There must've been a way out of this hell. It was right there, in his head, but he couldn't reach for it.
The colors, they wouldn't stop. Bright, beautiful colors. Flashing, expanding, piercing. Red, green, blue. An endless cacophony of meaningless noise. The noise, it wouldn't stop. Violent, grating waveforms. Squeaking, screeching, piercing. Sine, cosine, tangent. Like playing a chalkboard on a turntable. Like playing a vinyl on a pizza crust.
He tried to close his ears, but it merely proceeded to cause him to fall out of character even more on stage. Whispering were happening throughout the room, and he couldn't tell whether they were all snickering or some being concerned of his being.
He couldn't remember the exact words of the script. He had no way to get out of this except for lying and improvising the script a little. So lie and improvise he did, even if it wasn't characteristic of him, even if it felt as if he was putting on a mask of deceit to the others.
He sucked in a deep breath, and acted out his role in the play again.
"Alive. I'm feeling very alive," He responded back after a few moments of silence, playing the role of the joker in the tale and placed a mask over his face, and it morphed his previous monotonous expression into one that seemed comforting.
Alive. An ironic thing to say when he's feeling the exact opposite, and Mahiru may be feeling it as well because of his own actions that led to their downfall.
The rest were fed the sweet potion of a lie and bought it, nodding back and walking past him to prepare for the cars that were going to the C3, some patting him on the shoulder and saying things such as 'don't worry, it'll all get better soon!' and 'we were all really worried for you!'.
However, it all felt meaningless to him. All those encouragements, it just felt as if they were pitying him, pitying him for accidentally falling out of character during a play.
Feeling alive, huh?
His eyes darkened at that.
What a ridiculous thing to say.