Aarmau: Remember Me, Remember Us, Just Remember

Chapter 99

Resting in his arms Aph hears his heart beating hard in his chest. He's angry again and it's because of her, again.

She's so tired now she can barely put two words together but she has to try and lighten the mood. "Um, Aaron? I'm still not wearing underwear."

Aaron flinches and then sighs. When he finally speaks to her there's very little emotion in it and she's not used to it. "I have you covered. Besides, it's too dark for anyone to see much of anything."

Her heart hurts just hearing him talk to her like this and the pain spreads through her until she can practically feel it in her fingers and toes. Her mind flashes back to the weeks after the Cafe's fire and it feels like she's in that same nightmare all over again.

As she drops her chin to her chest her body starts to shiver uncontrollably and she struggles to draw a deep breath. The harder she tries the tighter her chest feels and she knows she's moments away from an anxiety attack much like the ones from college.

Aaron walks down the sidewalk toward their neighborhood lost in his thoughts. He barely heard her comment about her underwear and he isn't sure if he even said anything to her.

What would he do if he lost her? Doesn't she know how much she means to him? Doesn't she know he would die if she left him again? Just the thought is enough to terrify him.

Aaron snaps out of his daze as he feels her body begin to shiver in his arms. It's not really that cold outside so he glances down at her.

With her chin tucked against her chest she looks like a wounded animal. Fear rolls through him just thinking there could be something seriously wrong. "Aph, what's wrong?"

She shakes her head as a sob escapes. She's pissed that she's crying yet again especially after she told herself she wasn't going to do it anymore. "I can't seem to get anything right."

Aaron glances around for the nearest bench and carefully sits down. "What do you mean?"

Aph actually looks up and glares at him, "You're pissed at me, again!"

Aaron thinks back over the last hour. Sure he's upset she acted without thinking but he's not angry at her. "I'm not pissed, Aph. Sure I wish you had taken more precautions before trying it but I'm not angry. If anything I'm scared. It's my job to protect you and it scares me knowing there are things I'll never be able to protect you from."

Aph stills in his arms and sighs, "But you shouldn't have to protect me all the time. I need to be strong enough to protect myself sometimes and maybe even you a time or two."

Aaron smirks at her, "You're my healer Shu and I'm your protector. You follow me into danger not the other way around. It's always been that way and we work well together."

Aph rolls her eyes at him and sighs, "Maybe I want to be the one to hold the sword from time to time. Well then stop being so moody, please. It's hard to tell the difference between you being pissed and when you're simply stuck in your own head. Now, why don't you finish carrying me the rest of the way home."