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not_krysShe didn’t want to admit it, but she was getting sleepy, despite all the noise going on around her. Yuugo and Serena were still in an intense card game of War, neither wanting to give up easily. Yuzu was talking to Rin about this new singing and dancing video game that she adored, getting the other girl really excited and asking to play it the next time she came over. Shun stood in the corner, watching over all of them quietly while Gongenzaka watched Serena and Yuugo’s card game. Sawatari was getting something from the kitchen, Ruri couldn’t remember what it was.
She was currently sandwiched between Yuuto and Yuuya, both watching the game as well with vague interest, but bored by this point. Yuuya’s cat had also found a comfy spot on her lap, getting white hair all over her dress.
Not that she really minded. She’s had worse things on her clothes than cat hair.
All of these factors didn’t help with contributing to her tiredness. Yuuya and Yuuto were both comfortably warm, as was the cat, quietly sleeping and purring as she scratched its ears. The couch was unfairly comfortable too. It was soft and cushy, as if it had many a person want to take an afternoon nap on it. It also didn’t help that she had been out all afternoon with the girls, helping them pick out clothes and party supplies. Yuuto had been with Shun, so she had no idea what they had been up to. Probably boy things for all she knew.
He did look good, showered and his clothes clean and pressed. All of them looked good, really. The difference that a hot shower makes, after almost three years of living without the luxury…
She didn’t realize how much she had missed something like that back in Heartland. The simple luxuries that they all had to go without for survival for so long…
Her head felt heavy as her eyes lightly closed, her breathing evening out. She could vaguely remembering a soft, careful hand reaching around her shoulders, trying it’s best not to disturb her. Any other time, her hardened instincts would have kicked in, to make her wake up instantly at someone barely touching her.
“It’s just me, Ruri.” A soft voice whispered in her ear, calming her instantly. She knew that voice.
“It’s safe here,” he continued, “you don’t have to wake up if you don’t want to. It’s my turn for the watch tonight, so get some rest.”
It might not have meant much to the others if they had heard, but it was something that she, Yuuto, and Shun would recognize. It was something they would say in order to get the other to sleep if they had trouble doing so. A reconfirmation that this was a safe space, that it was okay to relax for now, that someone was keeping watch to make sure they stayed safe. Yuuto or Shun was usually the one that told her that, now not seeming to be any different. If he could help it, Yuuto would let her sleep as much as he could. They weren’t in Heartland now, so they could afford the quiet moments. They didn’t have to be on their guard. Yuuto would wake her if anything were to happen, she knew.
Slowly, she relaxed again, laying her head more comfortably on Yuuto’s shoulder, her eyes heavier than before. No one but Yuuto would know that she had taken a quick nap anyway, right?
—–
It was eerily quiet and dark when she woke up next. She thought that she could hear distant laughter, soft and gentle at first, like how her parents and Shun used to sound like, all those years ago. It felt so long ago, she wondered if Shun still knew how to laugh like that.
That soft and gentle laughter soon grew louder, too loud. Eyes were soon looking down on her, those dark and cruel eyes, the face all too familiar. He was still laughing as screaming soon harmonized with him, making a horrible sound that struck deep in her heart.
She was surrounded by fire next, the screaming and the malicious laughter ringing in her ears. She wanted to scream herself, to make the noises and the heat stop. She didn’t want to see this anymore.
And then, he appeared.
The man that had kidnapped her. The man with the same face as Yuuto, as Yuuya and Yuugo. It was his eyes that were looking down on her, staring at her cruelly, his smile twisted as he chuckled quietly.
He was reaching for her, his chuckling increasing in volume. She felt cold and tried to move away from him, tried to run from him, but she wasn’t fast enough. He had grabbed onto her shoulders, his grip like stone. She screamed in fright, yelling at him to let her go. He only continued to laugh at her, holding onto her shoulders as she struggled to get free.
When he finally did release her, she was free falling into darkness, making her scream again. Before she could hit ground again, her eyes opened wide and she was breathing hard.
—–
A dream… it was only a dream.
The room, however, was darker than she remembered it being before she fell asleep. Yuuya was gone, as was his cat. They were replaced by a warm blanket wrapped around her. There was one thing that hadn’t changed, however.
“Ruri?” a voice asked, concerned.
She turned toward the voice, almost jumping when she saw his face. She only calmed when she realized it was only Yuuto, and not her kidnapper.
“…Just a dream. It was only a dream,” she said, trying to reassure herself again.
Yuuto squeezed her shoulder, keeping his arm around her.
“Wanna talk about it? You were struggling in your sleep and yelling at someone to let you go.”
“…Just the regular stuff, Yuuto. Nothing to be too worried about.” She rubbed her eyes, feeling a slight dampness there. She hadn’t even realized she had cried a little bit.
“If you’re sure,” he rubbed her shoulder with his thumb, "I’m always here to talk if you need me.“
"I know.”
They were quiet again, Yuuto continuing to hold onto her as she got a better hold on herself.
“…Where is everyone?”
“Some turned in early, moving up to Yuuya’s room to let us rest. Some went home. Great party, huh?”
“Then… where is-?”
“Still in the corner, watching us. So, no funny business.”
She chanced to look behind her, seeing the tall, familiar figure, his golden eyes almost glowing in the dim room.
“It’s pretty late now,” he continued, “so, you wanna watch a movie? We’ll have to keep it quiet since everyone’s asleep, but…”
Ruri smiled, liking that idea. When was the last time they had sat down for a movie together, anyway?
There was one thing missing though.
Quietly, she took off the blanket and headed towards her brother’s corner, taking his hand and gently pulling him towards the couch. Shun gave very little resistance, easily following Ruri and joining her and Yuuto on the couch. They were all curious to see what kind of movies Standard had in comparison to what Heartland had before…
Well, before everything had happened.
Before they could decide on something to watch, however, Ruri was feeling sleepy again, Yuuto not too far behind her. Shun instead turned the TV off, letting them both sleep on the couch.
'It’s safe here,’ he thought to himself, looking over both of them, making sure the blanket was keeping the two of them warm.
“It’s my turn for the watch tonight…” he whispered, Yuuto settling more on Ruri, keeping his protective arm around her.
“So get some rest, both of you.”
She was currently sandwiched between Yuuto and Yuuya, both watching the game as well with vague interest, but bored by this point. Yuuya’s cat had also found a comfy spot on her lap, getting white hair all over her dress.
Not that she really minded. She’s had worse things on her clothes than cat hair.
All of these factors didn’t help with contributing to her tiredness. Yuuya and Yuuto were both comfortably warm, as was the cat, quietly sleeping and purring as she scratched its ears. The couch was unfairly comfortable too. It was soft and cushy, as if it had many a person want to take an afternoon nap on it. It also didn’t help that she had been out all afternoon with the girls, helping them pick out clothes and party supplies. Yuuto had been with Shun, so she had no idea what they had been up to. Probably boy things for all she knew.
He did look good, showered and his clothes clean and pressed. All of them looked good, really. The difference that a hot shower makes, after almost three years of living without the luxury…
She didn’t realize how much she had missed something like that back in Heartland. The simple luxuries that they all had to go without for survival for so long…
Her head felt heavy as her eyes lightly closed, her breathing evening out. She could vaguely remembering a soft, careful hand reaching around her shoulders, trying it’s best not to disturb her. Any other time, her hardened instincts would have kicked in, to make her wake up instantly at someone barely touching her.
“It’s just me, Ruri.” A soft voice whispered in her ear, calming her instantly. She knew that voice.
“It’s safe here,” he continued, “you don’t have to wake up if you don’t want to. It’s my turn for the watch tonight, so get some rest.”
It might not have meant much to the others if they had heard, but it was something that she, Yuuto, and Shun would recognize. It was something they would say in order to get the other to sleep if they had trouble doing so. A reconfirmation that this was a safe space, that it was okay to relax for now, that someone was keeping watch to make sure they stayed safe. Yuuto or Shun was usually the one that told her that, now not seeming to be any different. If he could help it, Yuuto would let her sleep as much as he could. They weren’t in Heartland now, so they could afford the quiet moments. They didn’t have to be on their guard. Yuuto would wake her if anything were to happen, she knew.
Slowly, she relaxed again, laying her head more comfortably on Yuuto’s shoulder, her eyes heavier than before. No one but Yuuto would know that she had taken a quick nap anyway, right?
—–
It was eerily quiet and dark when she woke up next. She thought that she could hear distant laughter, soft and gentle at first, like how her parents and Shun used to sound like, all those years ago. It felt so long ago, she wondered if Shun still knew how to laugh like that.
That soft and gentle laughter soon grew louder, too loud. Eyes were soon looking down on her, those dark and cruel eyes, the face all too familiar. He was still laughing as screaming soon harmonized with him, making a horrible sound that struck deep in her heart.
She was surrounded by fire next, the screaming and the malicious laughter ringing in her ears. She wanted to scream herself, to make the noises and the heat stop. She didn’t want to see this anymore.
And then, he appeared.
The man that had kidnapped her. The man with the same face as Yuuto, as Yuuya and Yuugo. It was his eyes that were looking down on her, staring at her cruelly, his smile twisted as he chuckled quietly.
He was reaching for her, his chuckling increasing in volume. She felt cold and tried to move away from him, tried to run from him, but she wasn’t fast enough. He had grabbed onto her shoulders, his grip like stone. She screamed in fright, yelling at him to let her go. He only continued to laugh at her, holding onto her shoulders as she struggled to get free.
When he finally did release her, she was free falling into darkness, making her scream again. Before she could hit ground again, her eyes opened wide and she was breathing hard.
—–
A dream… it was only a dream.
The room, however, was darker than she remembered it being before she fell asleep. Yuuya was gone, as was his cat. They were replaced by a warm blanket wrapped around her. There was one thing that hadn’t changed, however.
“Ruri?” a voice asked, concerned.
She turned toward the voice, almost jumping when she saw his face. She only calmed when she realized it was only Yuuto, and not her kidnapper.
“…Just a dream. It was only a dream,” she said, trying to reassure herself again.
Yuuto squeezed her shoulder, keeping his arm around her.
“Wanna talk about it? You were struggling in your sleep and yelling at someone to let you go.”
“…Just the regular stuff, Yuuto. Nothing to be too worried about.” She rubbed her eyes, feeling a slight dampness there. She hadn’t even realized she had cried a little bit.
“If you’re sure,” he rubbed her shoulder with his thumb, "I’m always here to talk if you need me.“
"I know.”
They were quiet again, Yuuto continuing to hold onto her as she got a better hold on herself.
“…Where is everyone?”
“Some turned in early, moving up to Yuuya’s room to let us rest. Some went home. Great party, huh?”
“Then… where is-?”
“Still in the corner, watching us. So, no funny business.”
She chanced to look behind her, seeing the tall, familiar figure, his golden eyes almost glowing in the dim room.
“It’s pretty late now,” he continued, “so, you wanna watch a movie? We’ll have to keep it quiet since everyone’s asleep, but…”
Ruri smiled, liking that idea. When was the last time they had sat down for a movie together, anyway?
There was one thing missing though.
Quietly, she took off the blanket and headed towards her brother’s corner, taking his hand and gently pulling him towards the couch. Shun gave very little resistance, easily following Ruri and joining her and Yuuto on the couch. They were all curious to see what kind of movies Standard had in comparison to what Heartland had before…
Well, before everything had happened.
Before they could decide on something to watch, however, Ruri was feeling sleepy again, Yuuto not too far behind her. Shun instead turned the TV off, letting them both sleep on the couch.
'It’s safe here,’ he thought to himself, looking over both of them, making sure the blanket was keeping the two of them warm.
“It’s my turn for the watch tonight…” he whispered, Yuuto settling more on Ruri, keeping his protective arm around her.
“So get some rest, both of you.”
