Everyone was trying to deal with the information in their own way as they sat staring at the spot that Haruto had once been in. Saya was only wondering when it was going to get easier for Haruto as Saeko only hung her head at the reactions, or lack thereof, of her companions. Shizuka could only look down. I should've said something… I should've done something to make him feel better… maybe make him stay… he seemed so sad when he left… She stood from her seat and quickly left the room to go and find him.
Takashi's eyes were wide as he stared off into nothing. He's… from the past? That should be impossible! But… with everything that's been happening… I guess even time travel can be possible… Rei was trying her best to stay still and not run after him. She didn't like him like Saya, Saeko or Shizuka… but she still thought of him as a good friend… even if she had only known him for a little over three days. He looked so broken… he… he had hoped that we would accept him. He probably told Busujima-senpai since she was the one to announce the start of it… so she more than likely accepted him as he was… so he expected the same from us...
Kohta had no thoughts as Alice sat on his lap holding Zeke in her arms. She looked up to Kohta's unreadable face. "Kohta-onii-chan… what's wrong with Haruto-onii-chan?" Everyone flinched at his name and tried to sink back into their very skin except for Saya and Saeko… for they accepted him right away and Shizuka had left. Kohta tried to look at her and smile. "Nothing's wrong with him, Alice-chan! He's just… different… that's all..."
She had a small twinkle in her eye, giving her the same look that everyone was getting used to that showed her childlike innocence. "Is he going to stay with us? Just because he's different doesn't mean he has to go… does it?" Takashi looked down and Saya and Saeko smiled at the question. Saeko spoke up to it before anyone else could. "No, little one… he's going to stay… because no matter what… whether he's from a different place or time… he's still our friend and has done nothing short of protecting us with his life when he needed him. We won't hate him for something so..." She could barely hold back her smile. "... trivial..."
Alice smiled her wonderfully innocent smile as she leapt from Kohta's lap and ran for the door. She turned with her smile. "I'll go tell Haruto onii-chan then! He'll be happy!" She put Zeke down and opened the door as she got a running start down the hallway with the dog right behind her. Saya smiled as the door hung agape on its hinges. She then turned to Saeko with the smaller smile. "You're right, you know..." Saeko nodded with her own grin as she looked down. "I know… but there is something that Haruto-kun and I are going to have to tell you later."
Saya raised her eyebrow but then her mind clicked as she knew what she meant. They slept together, didn't they? What else would I expect from two hormonal teenagers that spend the night together alone during an undead outbreak? And that little twinkle in her eyes makes it clear… oh well… I did tell him that I don't mind sharing… and it's true… I wonder… maybe her, Shizuka-chan and I could… NO! Bad Saya! While she shook the thoughts from her head she smiled to Saeko. "I'm sure that whatever it is is fine! Besides..." She got a small lecherous grin as Saeko began to blush at it. "... If it's what I think it is… I already said that I don't mind sharing..."
This got jaw drop from Saeko and Rei while Kohta and Takashi had funny grins plastered to their faces and blood coming from their noses. Saya blushed when she remembered that there were other people in the room but she kept her perverted smile on Saeko, eliciting an even deeper blush from the young swordswoman. Saya giggled as she walked over to the door. Now I just need to find Haruto-kun… he must be heartbroken…
Haruto had taken to sitting on the roof of the house, staring up at the darkening sky. Since he had left the room, he had been witness to some man coming in with one of the creatures in a cage. He spoke of how he was a hero and then he opened the cage to decapitate him. He then spoke of how if they wanted to survive then they would fight for it. He couldn't help but smirk at him as he saw him go inside.
That was a while ago, though and now he could only watch as the sky off in the distance began to glaze over with a gray sheet of clouds. It was windy where they were but it was still sunny out. I just wish that the events could match the day.They'll probably want me to go… keeping secrets just made them trust me less... He sighed as he was about to lie back until he heard someone calling his name. "Haruto-kun! Haruto-kun, where are you?" He sat back up as he recognized the voice as Shizuka's. Looking over the edge of the roof, he saw her running from the house trying her best to find him. She's looking for me?
She stopped walking as she stopped and brought her hands up to her chest. With his superior hearing he heard something… it sound oddly like sniffles. His eyes widened a fraction. She's… crying? Over me? Why?"You know kid… I knew you were dense but I never thought you were actually that stupid..."
Haruto ignored him but noted what he had said. He kept his eyes on Shizuka and saw her bring her hand to her eyes to wipe away what he thought were tears. He scolded himself as he realized that she was crying over him. I guess… maybe leaving like that wasn't such a good idea... He stood with his long coat whipping in the wind as he disappeared in a black flash of speed. He reappeared right beside her without making a sound.
"Shizuka-chan… are you okay?" She immediately turned to him with her eyes red from her tears. "Haruto-kun… why'd you leave?" He turned his head away as he sighed. "I… I thought that maybe I would give you all time. You seemed to be so… shocked by the information given..." Shizuka just cried even harder. "Of course it would shock us! Things like this… they don't… they just don't happen regularly!" He tried to look back at her but couldn't bear the sight of her crying. He turned his back completely. "But that's not even half of the things that I'm holding from you all..."
Shizuka walked up to him and kept one arm to her chest as she reached out to his shoulder with her other. He looked over his shoulder only a little as he felt her touch. "Everyone has their secrets… some that we just can't tell, Haruto-kun. You don't… you don't need to feel this way for being natural..." He tried to shrug her off but she held her hand firm. He spoke when he realized that she wouldn't let go. "But these secrets are dangerous! They're evil! They can get someone killed if they aren't handled right!"
Shizuka kept her hand on his shoulder as he spoke. "Haruto-kun..." He turned his head forward as he tried to keep his eyes from hers, knowing that he would only break down if he saw them. Inside… he was fighting a battle with himself and the sky was starting to gray as his mind was being torn. Damn it… so much… I can't… these feelings… god! Rejection… I don't want it… they won't accept me… it'll be just like home! They'll stay because I can protect them… but after that… they'll shun me… block me off like nothing more than a weapon to be brought out when things get too rough!
"Haruto! Stop this now! I know that telling so much to people you should barely be able to trust… it's hard… but they haven't judged you yet! You've trusted them and they haven't shown any signs of judging you or pushing you away! You told Saya about your demon… you told everyone about you being from the past… they're all still here! They're shock! Not on the verge of shunning you..." His body began to shake as he fell to his knees and clutched his head, the rain beginning to fall around them. "You don't get it! Everyone back home… they left! They left me! They came back when they needed me! I'm nothing but a tool... a weapon! They hid their feelings from me and when I served their purposes they threw me away!"
Shizuka began to worry as she crouched to console him. "Haruto-kun...we aren't going to leave you...we are staying together..." He kept shaking as he punched the ground, his tears beginning to fall, though she couldn't tell in the rain. He began to whimper as he kept his hands over his head, as if trying to shield himself from something.
Off at the entrance of the house, Alice had just walked through the door and was about to go back in for an umbrella until she heard Haruto's outburst. She looked back and out farther until she saw Shizuka back away a bit as he collapsed to his knees. She put Zeke down and ran over to him, getting drenched in the rain. "Onii-chan!"
Haruto lifted his head up slightly in the rain and looked back to her, his eyes bloodshot from crying. "Alice-chan..." She dropped down and hugged him by his neck tightly, burying her head into his shoulder. "Haruto onii-chan… are you okay?" He tried his best to smile and laugh, but his smile was half-hearted and his laugh was dry. "Alice-chan… I'm fine… don't worry. You should go run along and play with little Zeke..."
She pulled back and looked to him with the beginnings of tears in her eyes. He couldn't bear it and he broke down again into tears with his arms limp at his sides. "Onii-chan..." He kept crying as she tried her best to make him happier. She hugged him and gave him a quick and innocent peck on the cheek, like a daughter would give her father before going to bed.
It took her time but she was soon able to get him to gather himself slightly. He sniffled as the rainwater dripped from his now messy hair and his nose. "Haruto… you need to listen to them… they are not going to abandon you. They aren't going to leave you because of something that doesn't really matter…" He looked up and met her eyes once more before he tried to stand. It was shaky at best as his legs felt like jelly.
His head was still low as he looked down to Alice who had her hands clasped together. "Are you okay, Onii-chan?" Haruto smiled in the rain as his sun blonde hair hung down in his face. "I'll be okay, Alice-chan… don't worry about me..." She tried to smile but it was still wavering until another voice joined into the fray. It was soft and close. "Haruto-kun..."
He looked to his right to see that Saya had shown up somewhere along the line. He looked away, ashamed that he had kept a secret from her. "Saya-chan..." He felt two pairs of arms wrap around him tightly and he felt Alice's arms wrap around his legs in a hug. His body tensed up at the touch of the women and the girl, but eventually he was able to calm down. Alice spoke in a small voice… soothing… a voice that most her age wouldn't normally have that could warm even the coldest person. "Haruto onii-chan… we aren't going to let you go… you don't need to worry about us leaving you… we're all a family..."
Chords were struck in his heart as he heard the words spoken from the little girl. He smiled a small smile as his thoughts were set straight. A family… I've only been here a few days… but they accept me… as part of a family? Why… why do I feel… so… assured? They… they love me… don't they?"They do, man. You don't have to worry..."
Haruto chuckled and the women and child around him just held him tighter. You're actually being nice to me, huh? "Shut the fuck up right there, kid. I ain't being nice… I just can't have ya going and getting crazy before I get out. When I'm out then I can kick your ass when you do shit like this."
Haruto continued to chuckle as he felt the arms leave him and the coldness of the rain returned. He opened his unknowingly closed eyes and met the eyes of Saya. He kept his smile as he brought her in for a quick and chaste kiss to the lips. He heard Alice give her innocent little protest and heard Shizuka whining. When he broke it he felt her arms wrap around him from the back as she spoke. "What about me, Haruto-kun?"
He chuckled sheepishly and looked back to Saya for an answer and she gave him the same grin that she had given Saeko. He blushed and took it as a yes, giving her the same quick kiss that he had given Saya, getting yet another groan of protest from Alice. He looked down to the source of it all and gave her a playful smile. "Can I have a hug, Alice-chan?" She immediately smiled at this and tackled his legs.
He grunted and forced himself to stay up as he picked her up, spinning her around and making her squeal in joy. When he stopped, she was laughing and he put her down. She kept her smile as she stopped laughing and ran off to go back to play with Kohta. Haruto looked at Saya and smiled. "I guess I overreacted, huh?" She nodded and giggled. "Just a little, Haruto-kun!"
He took his arm and draped it around her shoulders and was about to walk off until he got the attention-catching cough from Shizuka. He looked back and sweat dropped as she tapped her foot impatiently. He sighed with a smile as he used his other arm to wave her over and her playful scorn dropped as she skipped over and put his arm around her like he had around Saya.
As Haruto walked he heard Alter in his head. "I ain't one to compliment people… but you're one lucky son of a bitch, Haruto." Haruto chuckled as he was about to answer, but he didn't have time to as he heard a scream from the front of the house. He looked and saw Alice standing at the door yelling for him. "Onii-chan! Hurry! Kohta onii-chan is in trouble! He needs your help! Come quick!"
Haruto undraped his arms and took off faster than they could follow. All they saw was a black and blonde blur rushing towards Alice before picking her up and speeding off. Saya stood in amazement. "No matter how much I see that happen, it's still pretty damn cool." Shizuka nodded and Saya continued. "Anyway, we need to get everyone to Kohta-san! I'll find Saeko-chan and Takashi-san. If they are still in the room then we'll grab Rei-chan as well. We need to hurry and get to them!"
Shizuka nodded and they were off...