Kingdoms (kaimaki fantasy AU)

Chapter 23: "I've Never..."

Thank you for the 700+ reads everyone.

Also, you might need to have tissues at the ready...just in case.

The sound of Kaito's breathing was the only thing that helped keep Maki from freaking out. She had never gotten worried about anyone else or what had happened to them before. Kaito was the only one that was an exception to that. She couldn't understand why. She's not meant to care about people. That's not what she was trained to do. Any feelings towards people were beaten out of her so many years ago. She's meant to be a heartless monster. Kaito however, saw past that exterior. He made her smile, something that she had forgotten how to do. He made her feel like a human for the first time since she was a child.

"I don't know if you can hear me. But if you can, I need you to give me a sign. Anything." Maki suddenly started to say, not sure why she was speaking or what she truly wanted to say. She just wanted to get Kaito to wake up. Kaito only laid still, the rise and fall of his chest was the only thing that indicated that he was alive. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were just going to be another face on the street. I thought that you were going to leave me for dead after I had fainted on you. But you...you took care of me. Since day one, despite me telling you to leave, you stayed with me like you were my shadow. When I needed to run, you ran with me. When I needed to hide, you hid with me. No matter what, you stayed with me.

When we got separated in that awful valley, it felt like a part of me was missing. I don't know why it happened, it just did. And when I saw what that...thing had done to you, I thought that I had lost you. I thought I was too late." Maki wasn't sure if she felt Kaito squeezing her hand, but she would like to think that he was. It would give her a form of comfort that she needed. It would tell her that he could hear her. That he might wake up right here and now. She would give anything to see that smile of his and him telling her that he was okay.

"I...I've never felt like that before. I've always fought to kill, but that was the first time I've fought to protect someone." Maki continued, her voice suddenly becoming heavy as she remembered how hard she fought the monster. No, she can't cry, not now. Assassins aren't meant to cry after all. "I've never...been given a nickname like Maki Roll before." Maki suddenly found it hard to speak as she felt her throat tighten. She cleared her throat as best she could to get out everything that she wanted to say. "I've never...meet someone as stubborn as you before. And...I've never...fallen for someone before..." That was it. That was when her barriers were suddenly demolished. She couldn't stop crying. She can't remember the last time she had cried. She did her best to stop her throat from closing up. She really needed to try to get out all that she wanted to say. She didn't care if Kaito could hear her or not. She needed to get this out now. If she doesn't than she might regret this for the rest of her life. This was tougher than she. Who knew that making a love confession was like a life or death situation? Maki brushed aside her tears and swallowed as hard as she could so she could speak.

"So, please...come back to me. I swear, if you wake up right now, I will kiss you. Pay you back for the first night we met." She whispered, letting out a strangled chuckle as she cried. Kaito didn't make any move to comfort her, he couldn't. He continued to lie there, almost peacefully. Feeling desperate, Maki took off the cloth on his forehead. After brushing his hair away a little, she lightly kissed his dampened, feverish skin. "Please wake up, Kaito. Please..." Maki wished that this was some kind of fairy tale or some childish thing that they were in. That moment might have been when Kaito opened his eyes. Maki felt her heart sink even deeper as Kaito only continued to sleep. He even stopped talking in his sleep. Only his breathing comforted Maki's ears. At leas he seemed peaceful. Sighing hopelessly, Maki dampened the cloth a little more and placed it back on his fevered forehead. As she sat back down, she heard quiet footsteps. She furiously wiped her red, sore eyes of any remaining tears. She didn't want anyone else to see her like this. Kiyo calmly stepped towards her, seeming to not notice her now dried tears. He held a cup in his hands full of hot tea, steam rising from the hot liquid.

"I really do believe that you need this." He advised, offering the cup to Maki.

"Thank you." Maki sighed, trying her best to keep her emotions steady. She took the cup, feeling relaxed as it warmed up her hands through her gloves. She didn't realise how cold she was until she sipped at the tea, the warm feeling of the beverage trickling down her throat.

"Your love for your friend is truly beautiful." Kiyo suddenly commented as he sat down the opposite side of Kaito. Maki kept her eyes trained on him. It wasn't for the fact that he overheard her, but she still didn't trust him near Kaito. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear."

"He saved my life. He's helping me to get to where I need to go. I think this is the first time that I let someone get this close to me." Maki sighed, keeping a hand on Kaito's when she suddenly noticed an uncomfortable look on his face. He looked relaxed again as he felt her hold his hand, but still looked like he might have another nightmare soon. Or maybe it's because he sensed another presence that he wasn't sure about.

"To love someone that much is one of the things that makes humanity beautiful." Kiyo seemed to be smiling behind his mask. Maki raised an eyebrow at him. "I used to love someone that much. I loved her so deeply. And she loved me so deeply. We were bound by fate, an external love that could never be broken, even if it was a forbidden love." Someone used to love this guy? Oh well, everyone has their own opinions about certain people. Maki didn't pay much attention as this guy started to ramble on about this lover of his. She only sipped her tea a little more, feeling the urge to be warm. She kept her eyes on Kaito. He still looked uncomfortable. Maki gripped his hand a little tighter, trying to reassure him that she was still there.

"Might I ask, where are you two going?" Kiyo suddenly asked, snapping Maki out of her worry. She really didn't want to tell him anything. He's kept them hidden so far, but she doesn't know if he'll keep doing that if she told him everything. She'll have to keep the main details out. So long as he doesn't know about the assassination attempt, she and Kaito should remain safe.

"Kaito is taking me to the border, so our next stop will be the closet town." Maki explained, keeping it as short as she could.

"You must have come a long way." Kiyo hummed, sounding interested. At least he's not being too nosy for now. If he keeps asking questions, Maki will just have to shut them down with a warning.

"We have. That's why I'm not sure if...if...if I..." Maki said before she suddenly felt lightheaded. Why was she so lightheaded? Kiyo seemed unfazed by her suddenly changing like this. That's when Maki looked down at the cup in her hands. It was something about the tea. It had tasted different to what she was used to. It wasn't bad or anything like that. Maki looked back up at Kiyo, his yellow eyes burning into her soul. She didn't feel the cup slip from her finger, nor hear it as it shattered on the ground. The bastard...Maki was too careless to realise that he drugged the damn tea. Kiyo slowly got up. Maki shot to her feet. She reached for her knife. However, in her rush to stand, she became more lightheaded. She tried to take a step, to defend herself and Kaito, but her body betrayed her. She fell to the ground with a heavy thud. She was starting to see black spots in her vision. She couldn't move at all. She tried to, but her body felt so heavy that it was impossible. She heard Kiyo's footsteps as he stalked over to her limp body. Her eyes trailed up to him as he knelt down to her.

"I apologise, but I'm afraid that you're not leaving. At least, not in the way that you think." He sighed, brushing a few strands of hair from Maki's face. Maki would punch if she could move. She hated feeling like this! She can't protect Kaito...

Kaito.

Maki looked towards the bed. She could see Kaito's hand near the edge of the bed. To her, it almost seemed like he was reaching for her. Maki kept her eyes trained on him. She can't lose sight of him. She just can't! She has to protect him! She needs to get up. Maki once again tried to move her body. It betrayed her in every way, she can't even twitch her fingers. Her eyes started to close against her will. She has to stay awake. She has to...stay...awake...

"Kai...to..." Maki whispered, one final attempt to get him to wake up. And then, the world turned pitch black.