Take Me Away

For Daiki

I heard the gunshot, following that was Daiki's screams and that was enough to break my trance of shock or fear or whatever it was. I hopped out of the window as it was the nearest and quickest exit and landed perfectly even though my bedroom window was 2 stories high.

I ran as fast as my feet would allow and immediately I was in front of Daiki. Who was in front of my father. Who was laying helpless bleeding from his shoulder. I guess I know who got shot now.

Thank Kami it wasn't Daiki.

But I couldn't help but stare at his helpless body in shock.

"Ambi, you should get away from here" I can faintly make out Daiki's voice.

I blank everything out. I feel relieved that he's hurt and I'd be relieved if he died, but he's still my father and I can't help but think that it should have been me. It was my fault. And I know that I shouldn't feel this way but I do. And I can't help it.

I stand here staring at him, he's still breathing and I don't know how to feel about that. He's conscious but he's just sitting there, holding his wounded arm with his opposing hand. I have the repulsing urge to help him.

Daiki and his father are behind me yelling at each other about something concerning my father. I don't don't know how we're all going to get out of this one.

"Come here baby girl," my father croaks.

I stand there contemplating what I should do.

"What-what should I do?" I ask him.

"Help me into the house, this is nothing, just a scratch, I'll live. Unless you'd prefer I stay here and bleed to death that is"

"I would like that very much"

"I know, I'm sure you would. It's actually better you don't help me isn't it? You hate me right? I'd hate me."

"I don't think so." I said simply, answering both questions.

I grabbed his good arm placing it over my shoulder and started to help him get up.

"Arigatō, Ambrosia." He said as we walked towards the house. It was then that I realised almost everyone was out on their porches looking over at us. But no one was coming over here. It was probably because Daiki had a gun.

We were up on the porch when Daiki must have realised we were gone.

"What the hell, Ambi?" He yelled making his way over here.

"If he dies you're going to jail Daiki," I calmly stated.

"You think I don't know that? I don't care he should've been dead already!" I could tell that he wasn't thinking rationally, the last thing he needed was to end up in jail.

"What are you talking about Dai-chan? You can't go to jail!"

Something seemed to click in him because the looked in his eyes softened.

"I know that," he said through clenched teeth as he took off his shirt, ripping it. He walked over to us and grabbed my father's arm and started wrapping the wound with a piece of his shirt in silence. Until my father thought that now was an appropriate time to start a conversation.

"You almost had me there kid," he chuckled.

"You're lucky my father interfered, You're a sick man. I want you out of her life." Daiki grumbled, as he finished wrapping the shirt around tying the knot with a little more force than necessary causing my father to wince.

"I'll turn myself in to the authorities, if that's what you want." He groaned struggling to stand, "my time is long overdue anyway."

"What?!" I exclaimed, but they ignored me.

"No need, we already called them." Daiki reassured my father, an right on cue we heard the sirens.

"What's going to happen to you Daiki?" I asked, my voice trembling. He took a step towards me and I realised that he was limping, and now that his shirt was off I can see completely visible scars on his back from the fight. Unthinkingly I walked towards him and began to massage the places on his back where the scars were.

"I'm going to jail," he deadpanned, turning around and grabbing my hands.

"But I'll be fine, trust me. I won't be in for long."

"Okay." That was all that I could say, Daiki was going to go to jail because of me.

"Don't worry son," I heard my father behind us, "we'll say it was self-defense."

"What?" I said, "how will that work?"

"It won't, there's a man out there who crashed his car because of us. I didn't even check if he was dead or alive. I don't need your help."

"When I came home you confronted me, I told you to leave my house but you feared for Ambrosia's safety so you stayed. I then threw you into the table so you ran outside and I chased after you. Once outside I saw the car approaching and threw you in front of it but the driver tried to avoid you and therefore crashed. Your father came out hearing all the ruckus, shotgun in hand, for self defense. You took it from him using it against me and shot me in the arm because you didn't want to cause damage, just stop me. After that you called the cops and patched me up, that's what we'll tell them."

"But that's not what happened, I don't want your help I can handle this on my own." The cops were down helping the man in the car now but I saw an officer look up at us.

"That's my story, that's what I'm going to tell them. If you're smart you'll do the same, she needs you." My father said nodding his head over to me.

Daiki thought about it for a minute. "You destroyed her, I hope they keep you in for life." Daiki said grabbing my hand walking down towards the officer who was approaching us. I suppressed my smile at Daiki's silent agreement.

"Oy ! You kids know what's going on here?" The officer asked us.

"Yea, the man over there should be able to tell you everything," Daiki said pointing back to my father, "we'll meet you at the station." The officer ignored Daiki's attitude and simply walked up the porch steps toward my father.

We went to Daiki's house after that, he needed a change of clothes.

I cried that night.

I cried a lot that that night.

More than ever before.

I've been holding these feelings in for a long time. As soon as we entered Daiki's house he pulled me into his arms.

I felt safe. I felt at home. I felt loved.

In Daiki's arms.

And I let it all out, everything I've been holding in for all these years. I cried to let it all out.

And it felt good.

In Daiki's arms.

Who would've thought that not so long after this I would have to leave Daiki, with no telling when I'd see him again.