Right when I finished making the meal, his door flew open and he slumped in the doorway, his eyes slightly bloodshot. He looked completely tired, so I assumed he'd pulled another all-nighter. I didn't want to bother him, so I kept quiet as I put his plate and cup of coffee before him before going to wash the skillet. He didn't budge like normal, which bothered me a little. Still, I had housework to do.
As I washed the dishes, I felt his arms slowly snake around my waist, but I didn't turn to face him. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "Why so tense?" I trembled in his arms. My head turned to look at his, my eyes instantly locking with his own.
"I'm not," I answered. I'd been frustrated for a while, so it sounded more snappy and angry than I meant it to. "I'm just busy!"
He took a step back, but he didn't let go of me. I growled and dropped the skillet in the sink and whisked my body around, only to fall victim to his larger form. My face planted into his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around me. I planted my palms firmly against him and shoved back. "Usagi-san! Let go of me!"
He shook his head. "No," he said simply in that flirtatious way. "You're mine."
Suddenly, my anger took me over completely. "That's it! I'm not yours, never been yours and never will be! I wish I'd never loved you!" I cupped my hands over my mouth. Had I really said that? He stepped away from me. "U-Usagi-san...?"
I watched him walk slowly away. He grabbed one of the sausages before going into his room and shutting the door. I'd never said anything like that to him before, and he'd never acted that way. I didn't know what to expect. I sighed sadly and ran upstairs to my room and slammed the door. I threw myself on the bed. I started to cry. I didn't know why I started crying, but I just did. It felt like someone ripped my heart out and stomped it. It hurt. Did Usagi-san feel that hurt, too? I grabbed a pillow and put it over my head. I closed my eyes and felt my conciousness fade away.
I woke up around dark. No lights were on, which I found odd. "Usagi-san...?" I mumbled as I pushed myself to stand. I staggered a bit as I went to the door. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. When my vision became clear, I noticed that I was standing in a different room from the one I had been in!
I turned the doorknob and slowly pushed it open. There, I saw my brother and his wife, Manami, sitting at the table. I blinked. 'I'm... in Osaka...?' I thought to myself. I couldn't believe it. It then struck me. If I lived here, then what happened with Usagi-san? My thoughts left me as my brother, Takahiro, called out to me. I jumped. "Oh, Nee-san? Um..." I bit my lip.
He eyed me strangely. "What? Is something on your mind?"
I nodded hesitantly. "About Usagi-san..."
He cocked his head. "Why're you worried about him? Do you regret your decision?"
I furrowed my brows. "What are you talking about? I decided to live with him, not move away." My voice held frustration in it. Sure, he'd always been a space case, but never that badly.
The two looked at each other before they both gave me worried looks. I watched them stand up and come towards me. Manami put the back of her hand to my forehead. Takahiro patted my shoulder. "He's not running a fever," I heard her say to him.
"Yeah, but he's dilusional," he answered.
They were making me worried. I looked between them again. "Guys, what's going on?"
She turned away and went to the kitchen. Takahiro leaned closer to me. "You said you were tired of him. Plus, when we first moved, you kept begging to come along. You said something about hating how he treated you."
My eyes widened. No, I hadn't intended for something like that. I...loved him? I wanted to cry. I wanted to run home to him and hug him, but I couldn't. I felt like throwing up. I turned and raced out the front door after sliding my shoes on. I didn't care if they worried. I didn't care about...well, a lot of things. I needed some air. First thing I needed to do was calm down.
I leaned on a lamp-post and sighed. I could see my breath since the temperature had dropped so much. I held out my hands and tiny snowflakes drifted into them. I shoved my body away from the post and took some steps away from it. I turned to look at it. My mind then went back to the day of our first kiss. Usagi-san and myself stood underneath a lamp-post, and the snow was falling then, too. I was crying. No, bawling, because of what Nee-san had done to him. I remember that he leaned on me and cried, too. He said no one had ever seen him cry. It made me feel special, really. But, I had been foolish and let him go. I told him...I told him a lie.
I went to one of the local convenience stores. My eyes searched for some sort of snack; I felt like I needed something. I lifted a familiar package. My mind went to the past again. I saw the time when I had to come back. He didn't want to let me go, so he took me away to Hokkaido with him not long after I arrived. He always surprised me in the smallest, and largest, of ways. I always appreciated it even if I never expressed my gratitude to the fullest. I put the bag down. Suddenly, I didn't feel like I wanted anything.
My feet led me to my next destination, though I didn't know anything about it nor where I stood for that matter. I just wanted to move. I wanted my mind to numb. I kicked a pebble on the road. It flew a couple inches before stopping outside a sweets-shop. I didn't bother to stop there. It did look like the sort of place Aikawa-chan would stop in, though. I remember that she'd walked in on Usagi-san trying to...er, 'play' with me a couple times, saving me from his 'wrath.' I chuckled at the memories. It soon faded, however, leaving only a frown upon my tear-stained face.
I went back 'home.' It looked like they had both went to bed. I looked around and found a note on the counter telling me to lock the door when I came in. So, I did. I sat down on the couch. I had grown tired again. I lay my body down and closed my heavy eyes. I didn't know where I'd be when I awoke, but it didn't much matter. In fact, my heartache felt like it could have killed me. Maybe...just maybe, I really did love him like he loved me. Though, I regretted the fact that I had to lose him to find that out. It made me sicker. I pushed it away and fell asleep.
I woke up and shoved the pillow off my head. I looked around. "Er... I was on Nee-san's couch..." I sprang to my feet, suddenly energized. I pushed open the bedroom door and noticed the familiar home. 'I'm...back?' I ran as fast as I could to Usagi-san's room. I banged on it. "Usagi-san!" I heard no answer.
I felt my heart drop. Had I done the wrong thing? Would he ever forgive me? Let alone open the door? I turned to walk sluggishly away, but I stopped at the sound of the door opening. There he stood, his hair in a mess and a tired look on his face. I reached out and took his hands, which seemed to surprise him. "Um...don't take this, er...as you normally would, but I think...No, I know I...love you, Usagi-san." I felt my cheeks burn brighter with each word I spoke to him. My heart raced wildly.
His eyes widened as a bright, joyous smile crossed his face. His arms wrapped swiftly around me, pulling me close like he always would. I, instead of fighting, snuggled him. He lifted me up bridal-style and took me to his room without a word. At that time, I didn't see a need for words.