My eyes had run dry, there were no more tears to cry if I wanted to. The pain had just exhausted me totally. The doctors had removed the bullet, apparently it had punctured a vein, not an artery, and I was fixed up already. I just needed to get over the pain, and I could leave whenever I wanted to. I sat in a wheelchair, not trusting my legs to hold my weight, and smiled as George wheeled me out of the hospital and to the Jaguar. He then lifted me in (here, I felt like such a baby, but you have no idea how much I blushed), fastening my seatbelt and getting in beside me. Before George could give a destination, I jumped in with Mitsu’s apartment number.
George looked at me in horror, but I’d already decided. “I need to get her out. Even if he shoots me again, and it kills me, she needs to be okay. She needs to be safe.” George pleaded with me, holding my hand and looking deep in my eyes. “I can’t change your mind, can I?” I shook my head. He sighed softly and kissed my forehead, squeezing my hand before sitting back in his seat. Within a few, silent minutes that seemed like hours, we’d arrived at Mitsu’s apartment. George wheeled me out and into the building, leaving the wheelchair in the foyer and carrying me upstairs, my body held tight to his and my arms around his neck like a newborn child.
We reached Mitsu’s floor and George stood before the door, sighing softly and holding me tight. “If he shoots, I’m taking it. Not you. Not this time.” I closed my eyes and kissed his cheek, squeezing him with what little energy I had. “I… I love you, George.” He squeezed me tightly, I could feel the compassion in his touch, and he turned to the side and leant back slightly. “Here goes.” He brought his leg up and kicked the door hard, quicker than you could blink. I stared in shock as the door exploded inwards, cracking in half and splintering onto the floor. George smiled slightly and walked into the apartment. I gazed over to the sofa, where Mitsu lay, as if sleeping but with blood seeping from his temple, and Charlotte sat beside the sofa, hugging her knees tightly.
I heard the door explode inwards, but I didn’t look up at the intrusion. “Charlotte!” I recognised the voice that gasped my name, but it didn’t seem to matter. “Charlotte, are you okay?” George asked, setting down Steven on a kitchen chair and walking over to me. “George…could you call Rin please?” Steven asked in a small voice, “I think he needs to know what happened.” I finally opened my eyes to look at Steven; he was looking a lot less pale than before. “It…wasn’t…him,” I whispered, knowing it was important to get my point across. Steven stumbled over to me. “No, shush, it’s okay.” I shook my head as he tried futilely to pull me up. “Don’t…it wasn’t him…he wasn’t the bad guy…there’s someone else…” Steven stared at me incomprehensibly until George spoke to us again.
“Rin’s on his way.” Steven nodded, and drifted over to George, slipping his hand into George’s. They put their heads together, whispering furiously. I didn’t care enough to try and listen. I wasn’t sure how long it was until Rin appeared, with Rikku tailing behind him. “We need to move the body,” Rin muttered. “Dispose of it discreetly.” Rikku nodded and moved towards Mitsu but I shook my head furiously, diving onto his chest and clutching him tightly. “No!” I yelled, “I want to say goodbye!” I started sobbing again as Rikku extracted me with deceptively strong arms. She led me over to the recently vacated kitchen chair and restrained me in it while Brother strode in and bent over the body. I had to avert my eyes. It seemed disrespectful to me that Brother was allowed to touch his body.
“Wait!” I cried, surprising myself. Brother stopped halfway to the door, a limp Mitsu lying in his arms with glassy eyes. I stared at Rikku until she stepped aside wearily. Brother glanced uncertainly at Rin as I walked over slowly, but despite Rin’s steady nod he still didn’t look confident. Mitsu’s eyes had dulled long since and his soul had left when his crooked smile slipped away. I had known that, but it still caused a shock of pain. “Good bye, I love you,” I whispered. Leaving a soft kiss on his cold, marble-like lips, I drew his eyelids closed. That done, I turned away and walked over to Rikku, clutching my torso tightly again. Rin ordered Brother to go quickly and meet us back at the flat.
I let go of George warily and hobbled over to Charlotte, lifting my hand hesitantly before putting it on her shoulder. To my surprise, there was no argument, no biting back. “I’m sorry, sister…” She shook her head. “Don’t, Steven. Don’t. I don’t want sympathy.” George stepped forward, an angry tone in his voice. “After all that? After we fought to find you, Steven got shot, he didn’t even take anything for the pain, lay in agony while-” I lifted my hand to silence him. “Please, George. It’s okay.” I hobbled back to him, my hand brushing hers as I turned. “She has to face this alone, like I faced the gunshot. It’s just who we are.”
The journey back to the flat-headquarters was long and silent. George sat on the end and I the middle, though he wished to sit between us (just in case). With my condition, however, he decided not to risk it, and to carry me in and out instead. It was awkward, sitting next to my dear sister, whom I cared so much for, but who had become to against me in the past weeks. I couldn’t blame her, however. Cheating on Julian, becoming spiteful, I’d changed a lot. She, too, had changed, in accordance to deal with me. I deserved every punch she threw at me.
When we arrived at the flat’s penthouse apartment, Charlotte walked straight to her room and slowly locked the door. Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, I was still massively exhausted and turned to George, who stood at the door, looking anxious and out-of-place. I stroked his cheek softly and took his hand, leading him (however weakly) to my room. He looked at me confusedly, and I simply smiled. “I’m tired, I’m going to sleep. I want you with me, but… I want to sleep.” George nodded quickly and I hobbled over to the bed and sat down. I frowned slightly, looking up at George. “I need your help. Will you promise me that you won’t peek?” He grinned slightly and said “I promise, but what do you need?”
“I sleep naked. And I’m not gonna break tradition. You, however, are going to stay fully-clothed. But I…” I frowned, “I’m not able to twist myself enough to take my clothes off. So if you don’t peek, could you…?” George blushed slightly and nodded, taking my hands and lifting me up, so I stood before him. “I can look until the underwear though, right?” I giggled slightly, rolling my eyes sarcastically. “If you must.” He smiled and started to unbutton my shirt, blushing as he did so, and slid it from my shoulders. I closed my eyes. “Sorry. I’m a little… stick-ish.” He smiled and shook his head. “You’re perfect.”
He bit his lip again. “And I’m not allowed to touch, right?” I shook my head. “Not yet.” He clicked his fingers, “Damn!” We both laughed, and he unzipped my trousers and sat me on the bed. He pulled at the trouser legs, sliding them off of me and looking down at me, laughing. “You shave your legs?” I smiled. “Makes them look better, and they’re smoother that way.” He bit his lip, his hand hovering above my right leg, and leaned forward to kiss me gently. “Do you want me to do the last?” I nodded, blushing. “But here’s when you close your eyes.” He did so, and slipped his hands into the sides of my underwear, sliding them down my legs and dropping them on the floor. “Done.” He said, without opening his eyes, and I scrambled under the covers.
Properly covered, I looked back to him. “You may look now.” He looked at me and smiled, leaning down and grabbing the edge of the bedcovers. “May I get in, too?” I nodded and he pulled the covers off just enough to slide in, covering us both up and looking in my eyes. I slid closer and he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight and close against him. I blushed slightly and opened my mouth to speak, but he beat me to it. “No peeking, I know. Now, darling, rest.” I smiled softly and closed my eyes, blushing as I felt his heartbeat. He ran his hand through my hair, cradling me. “I have something I need of you, before you sleep.” I opened my eyes and looked at him quizzically. “A simple question. Steven, this time with you, however dangerous, has been wondrous. I know it’s been so short a time since your break-up, but I must ask this of you before I explode. Steven… would you do me the honour of being my boyfriend?”
I smiled and lay my head on his chest, one hand on his heart, listening to his breathing his heartbeat strong against my hand, his scent already so familiar. “Of course I will.” He smiled, too, and kissed my forehead. “Now then, my lovely boyfriend, time for rest. Fear not, I won’t let you go.” I blushed and closed my eyes, wondering if I should lock the bedroom door or not, but decided against it. People could see us sleeping, I didn’t care. And I wasn’t about to ruin this moment. Within moments, the peace enveloped me and I fell into a deep, dreamless, perfect sleep.
