Fall | hinata harem

chapter sixty-five

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Kita Shinsuke | Tuesday, 3:58 p.m | Inarizaki Base

"Rintarou is bringing your family here to visit you, Shouyou. Martin is dead, and, actually, his body is being eaten by Sakusa's piranha pond as we speak. His men are being heavily questioned before their deaths. And, Shouyou?"

Shouyou's tired, but gentle eyes turn back up toward my face from the bedsheets he's lying in to see my small smile.

"Next time, we'll be ready. We were distracted and slow, to excited about our affection for you being reciprocated, and you and your family suffered from it. For that, I'm very deeply sorry, Shouyou."

"It's fine, stuff like this happens a lot, and it started way before I even knew you guys. It's not something I'm proud of, but I've definitely learned to accept it. Don't beat yourself up, okay? I could have been more vigilant, too. I was just..."

Shouyou began picking at the stitching of the quilt covering him and his cheeks became a warm pink in color.

"... I don't know, I just couldn't stop thinking about you guys... my guys."

Oh, how sweet could any human possibly be? Shouyou is the definition of the word. So, so incredibly sweet.

I'm careful when I bring him in for a hug, well aware of his freshly stitched and bandaged wounds. The pain medicine made him a bit lethargic, which must be why he leaned against me so heavily. Not that I minded.

Not that I'd ever mind.

"I love you," I tell him whole-heartedly, "I want you to be safe. I wish I could just lock you up here, so no one could ever harm you no matter how hard they tried."

"Haha, you can't do that, Shinsuke, I have to work, I have a family, and I like being able to walk around and explore the city. I'm sorry, I'll try and be more careful from now on."

"You have to promise me," I command gently, "that you'll call, even if a leaf lands wrong on the sidewalk-- call me. Call someone."

"I promise, Shinsuke, honestly."

I look at him for a moment, my hand still carefully wrapped around his waist, and I'm bent over his precious body. The way his bright hazel eyes explore my face makes me want to... kiss him. Softly, just to know he's here and alive.

Seemingly reading my mind, Shouyou slowly lifted his arm up toward me and caressed a gentle circle beneath my eye with his thumb.

I lean over a bit more and nudge my nose with his. He presses a kiss to my lips, and it's the sweetest kiss I've ever shared in my entire life. My heart flutters in excitement, but I know how to contain it in these circumstances.

I still can't believe Shouyou accepted our almost ridiculous proposal. I swear to take the utmost care of him.

"You're family's going to be here soon. Do you want to rest a bit before they get here?"

"Mhm, that'd be nice. Thank you, Shinsuke. For everything."

"Of course, Shouyou. Sleep well."

"I'll see you later, right?"

I help him lay down in the bed, and I'm careful when I bring the quilt up to his chest.

"Would you like to see me later?"

"Yes, please."

"Then I'll be here."

He smiles so preciously at me that I'm still thinking about it when I slink out of the bedroom.

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Shouyou Hinata | 4:31 p.m

Yelling. Lots and lots of yelling and crying. She hugs me and it hurts terribly, even with the pain medicine coursing through me.

It's times like these that I wish Mama had never come back for me. Times where she can only think of herself and Natsu.

"Natsu was so scared! Look what you put her through?! Why can't you just hang around normal people?! Why can't you stop putting your family in danger?!"

I was being blamed for this. Natsu only kept crying and held onto my ankle.

"I'm sorry, Shou-Shou. I'm sorry you got hurt. Thank you for protecting me."

Natsu, my darling little sister. My lifeline. My savior.

I pat her head gently as Mama calms herself. I get it, really, I do. Natsu is her baby. Natsu is her everything, and she had to watch Natsu get slapped by a grown man and was rendered useless to help.

It pained me, too. Doesn't she know that?

"I'm sorry," she says after a while. Her tears feel as if they're burning my arm's skin. "I shouldn't take it out on you, Shou. You're so strong for handling that, I know you are or else you wouldn't keep throwing yourself back into these kinds of crowds, but Natsu and I- We aren't made for that sort of lifestyle. Why can't you stop hanging around all these bad people? Why can't you just live normally?"

I couldn't find the right words to answer her, but I felt something in the bottom of my throat that was, more likely than not, a scream of frustration.

"They are good people. The ones that attacked us are the bad-"

"Your friends led those people to us!"

"They didn't mean to! It's hard to explain, but if you just-"

"Shouyou, enough with the excuses! I'm tired of it. I'm tired of it all!"

She stands from her chair and guides Natsu toward the door.

"Until you decide to live normally, you will no longer be allowed to live with us, and... I think it's better that you find somewhere else to work as well."

The world dimmed so quickly as she walked away. Why didn't she let me explain everything? Why didn't she let Natsu hug me goodbye? Why was I such a bad person that she...

She...

Mama...

Left me. She kicked me out, fired me, and left.

"Mama," I murmur with the sting of tears in my eyes, but she doesn't turn back around to face me.

"I don't want to hear it, Shouyou. We'll give you a call sometime, okay? I just- I need time to think."

"Then-Then think. Stop trying to run away, please. I'm your son..!"

"You weren't raised by me, Shouyou, you were-"

"But I'm your son, still..!"

I'm crying, I feel my tears running like fountains down my cheeks, and she sees it, but she does nothing. Natsu breaks free of her grip and runs over to me. When she hugs me, she's aware of my wounds and she's careful about shaking me.

"I'll visit you, Shouyou. All the time, I will, and I'll bring you lots of good pastries, so don't cry, 'kay?"

"Natsu. Natsu, I love you."

"I love you, too, Shou-Shou."

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