MidnightPilot's Secret Drafts

Through These Years [Kisame x Mairu]

Mairu, a woman in her early twenties, could say she spent most of her time alone. Despite having a shop open all the time, the ones who become her customers were passing travelers, due to the location of the said shop, which also acts as her home.

And to be truthful, she felt lonely. Her family was dead, and only one kid visits her regularly. A thief who goes by the name Akai. She missed the brat, really. But she knows the girl has her own business as a Konoha shinobi. As a Swordwoman. And Mairu won't stop her.

The said woman was currently reading a newspaper behind her counter, when suddenly she heard a bell, indicating the entrance of a customer. Quickly putting down the papers, she put on a wide smile.

"Welcome! How can I help-..." She stopped as soon as she realized who had walked in to her shop. Someone who hardly ever see her, despite their history of love. Their meetings were always due to coincidence, never once did he decided to spare his time to came to her.

"...Kisame...?"

The man, drenched wet because of the rain, still wrapped in his black-with-red-clouds-cloak, stayed silent, taking off his straw hat. Mairu's breath hitched. He looked so defeated, so lost, so weak.

"Wait a minute." The woman said. She went to the door, turning the sign 'Open' into 'Closed', locking the said door and also the windows, closing the curtains.

She immediately grabbed a towel before she went to his side. He sat on the chair, leaning on the counter, still not saying a word, staring off into space.

That's when she know that he was in a state of shock.

Mairu let out a small sigh, standing in front of him, "You can't stay in this wet cloak, you'll get sick." She stated, unzipping his cloak and took it off. She took the towel, wiping his face and body, cringing when she saw the amount of the new scars.

"What happened, Kisame...?" She wondered out loud, more to herself, healing some of the cuts that had re-opened themselves. Kisame let out a heavy breath, clutching the fabric of her clothes. Mairu froze, slowly putting down the towel.

The man pulled her closer, burying his face in her neck, and before she knew it, he started sobbing. Quietly, but it was obvious from how she could feel his warm tears, how his body trembled.

She ran her fingers through his hair, as if trying to calm him down. "Kisame... what's wrong...?"

Kisame still didn't answer. Mairu knew nothing, and he was the one who's going to tell her the horrible news. Something he wouldn't like to do, but he had to. She deserves to know.

"It's just..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say. Mairu pushed him away, smiling gently at him as her gaze softened. She took his hand and led him to the living room, where he seated himself on the couch. She sat next to him, still holding his hands.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Kisame weakly nodded. He turned to face her, leaning his head on her shoulder as his tears continued to fall.

"It's her..." he whispered, "Akai."

Mairu's body tensed. While Akai hates Kisame, the man thought the girl was living peacefully with her cousins, as far as she knows.

"She grew up so fast..."

Mairu nodded. It was out of character, so strange for Kisame to suddenly started talking those things.

"But... why? She doesn't deserve that." He muttered, "She shouldn't have... shouldn't have... She couldn't just..."

"She should have lived." Those words finally left his lips, "She couldn't just die like that. She doesn't deserve death. She should have survived."