Tapestry

To Protect You

Author's Note: There were issues with the formatting of this chapter, causing page breaks and my app to freeze. I think it was due to the video I had previously uploaded. Therefore, that has been removed and this chapter has been posted again and the other one deleted. Which means I lost my comments and votes ( ˃̣̣̥᷄n˂̣̣̥᷅)

But!! There is also an actual new chapter posted today as well, so please don't miss it!

The story is named after one of my favorite songs, called Ito (糸), originally by Miyuki Nakajima. The English name is Tapestry. It is beautiful. Please check it out.

Chapter One

"I'll wait for you right here."

The voice of your best friend reached you, somehow piercing through the pain that had taken up residence in your chest. It was a lifeline, helping you to push back your emotions, because soon there would be no room for them. Soon, you needed to do something incredibly important, and you would not be able to do it unless you were numb.

"You don't have to go through with this," Keiji tried for the last time. He knew it was a useless attempt, like all the others had been.

You would go through with this. Because for as open minded as you were, you were equally as stubborn. Once your mind had been made up, the outcome was set.

"I know," you acknowledged, for nicety alone.

The choice was more than your own. Now, you had to think about him...and you had to think about the being that was unable to make decisions for themselves yet.

Your eyes rested on the apartment door a few yards away.

You stalled.

You felt your chest burn with the need for oxygen, breaths coming in unsteady spurts, never deep enough. Your fists clenched, trying to rid yourself of the tremors that had taken over your fingers. The sting in your eyes overshadowed the sharp bite of teeth on your lips.

"Take your time," Keiji spoke, gently.

You nodded.

"I'll be waiting. Right here. When it's done," he continued.

When it's done.

The words echoed in your thoughts as you turned your key in the lock, opening the same door you had opened every day for the better part of a year.

Within seconds of entering, brown eyes met yours and you were swept into a firm hug. The warmth of his arms tried to bring you to another time, when things were simpler. And the soft press of his lips ghostee on the skin of your neck, coaxing you to forget why you were here and what you had come to do.

"I just got home a few minutes ago as well," Yuzuru spoke, breaking the embrace.

You shakily placed your sole key to the apartment on the console table by the door instead of back in your purse like usual. He didn't notice.

With eagerness, he pulled you further into the apartment that had unintentionally become a home for you both. It was the same apartment that his parents had rented for him because of its proximity to the ice rink you both trained at.

At some point, after accidentally crashing here so many nights, you both decided that maybe you should also keep your belongings here as well. He had said it would be easier for you to train that way.