Broken Protector

Chapter 22: He's back

"Keeva, wake up!" Ayato calls through my door. Groaning, I rolled over and buried my face in my pillow, "Piss off!" I scream back. He bursts out laughing, "Come on, there's a surprise for you downstairs!"

In response, I throw my screeching alarm clock at the door. It falls to the floor with a thud and shatters into multiple pieces. Silence was heard from behind the door while i stared at my now broken clock.

"Did you just break your clock again?" Ayato asks after a long pause. I tried to hold in the giggles but failed, "Ye-yeah!" I giggled. "You're paying for the next one!" Carlisle yells. I hop out of bed, still giggling, and grab Ryder's hoodie.

Slipping it on, I bounce towards and out the door. I immediately tackle Ayato from behind, screaming, "It's Christmas eve!" He managed to grab a hold of me before I slipped off his back and starts running down the stairs.

Everyone was waiting at the bottom of the stairs with grins on their faces. When we hit the bottom, Ayato helps me jump off his back. "Go look in the living room," he says, shooing me away.

Frowning in confusion, I walk into the living room. I immediately froze at the sight that greeted me. Ryder was leaning against the fireplace, wearing a tight black t-shirt with black jeans as usual along with a Santa hat on his head.

He's back!

"Merry Christmas. Or Christmas Eve, anyway," he greets casually, smirking at me. A half cry, half squeal, falls from my lips as I dashed towards him. He steps forward to catch me as I jumped into his arms.

My legs wrapped automatically around his hips as I loop my arms around his neck and hug myself to him. "You're here!" I squealed. Ryder was laughing as he spins me around. When my feet are back on the ground, Ryder wraps a arm around my waist and pulls me back into him.

"Is this a dream?" I ask breathlessly. He grins, pressing his forehead against mine, "No, I'm real, this is real." I grinned back, crashing my lips down onto his. His hand moved up to my upper back while his other one wraps around my wrist as I pressed my hand against his shoulder.

My other hand held tightly to his jacket as his lips hungrily cover mine. We were both aware of our audience but simply didn't care. Ryder tilts his head to deepen the kiss while pressing me even closer to him.

We were interrupted by someone clearing their throat awkwardly. Ryder slowly pulls away from, no doubt, turning to glare at the person. I kept my eyes closed as I leaned against Ryder, panting softly.

"Do you mind saving that for later and maybe not in front of us?" Ayato comments dryly. I groaned in annoyance, opening my own eyes to glare at him.

My arms slither around Ryder's waist and he wraps his own around my shoulders. I relaxed into his familiar and comfortable embrace that I've missed and close my eyes, resting my head on his chest.

Unknowingly, I had started leaning my entire weight on Ryder and taking him by surprise, he stumbles a few steps, catching me in his arms. My eyes snap open immediately and I jerk up right.

"Whoa, steady there, princess," he murmurs. Ryder was frowning, probably finally, taking note of my red eyes and the dark bags underneath along with my slightly thinner frame.

"I've only been gone for four days," Ryder growls, "She shouldn't be this thin and dead looking." His eyes snap up to Ayato's and I immediately step in. "It's my fault," I whisper, stepping shakily in front of him, "I skipped meals and told them I wasn't hungry or I had already ate. They didn't know."

When his eyes lower to me, I shrugged, "And you know how bad the nightmares get, Ryder," I mutter. His hand tightens around my wrist, "How much sleep did you get each night?" He grounds out.

Gnawing on my bottom lip, I answer weakly, "Two or three hours, four or five if I got lucky." My voice was barely louder than a whisper. Ryder groans, running a hand through his hair, "And how long crying?"

My eyes lower to the ground, "Twenty or so minutes after nightmares, a hour or less before I normally fall asleep at night, ten in the morning when I wake without you and hell if I know after Marcus and others bullying me," I answer truthfully. "So maybe 75% of the time."

I wince, waiting for Ryder to explode. But he didn't and that's what scared me. Calm Ryder when he's angry is much more dangerous and scary than when he's out of control. I carefully peek up at him through my eyelashes to see him standing there calmly-a clenched jaw the only thing giving away his anger-with blank eyes and cold smirk.

I didn't look at the others as I spoke, "You guys should leave. Like now," I whisper urgently with a shaking voice. Ayato hesitated, "I don't-" he shuts up when Ryder's eyes snap onto him. He lowers his head and follows the others out.

"I think it would best if you left too, Keeva, I don't want to hurt you," Ryder says in a strangled sounding voice that was also tightly controlled. I take a few cautious steps back but otherwise don't move.

I know that he's had too many people bail on him when shit got ugly and I refuse to be one of those people. So I shook my head and folded my arms defiantly, "No."

Ryder sends me a angry glare and I could see his control cracking. "Keeva, princess, please," he pleads. He didn't want me seeing him breaking like this.

My eyes soften and I approach him, taking his clenched fists in my hands, "No, Ryder, you have nothing to be ashamed of," I murmur. His hands curled tightly around mine. I ignored the pain shooting up my arms at his tight, painful grip and continues staring him in the eyes as I spoke soothingly.

"Let it out, Ryder. We're in this together," I whisper. Ryder lets go of my hand and wraps m in his arms instead, burying his head in my neck. His arms were wrapped possessively around my waist while I stroked his hair and kept a arm around him.

"Don't blame yourself. I've been like this for years, Ry." My voice was soft and quiet and my heart was aching for the trembling man I held in my arms.

"You have no idea how much I love you, baby," he rasps, his lips brushing my neck lightly. "You don't see how much you've changed me." He was still trembling but not as bad, "You've given me hope that I'm truly not a fuck up."

I couldn't help but snort at that. "Pff, you a fuck up? I don't know what world you're living in, King, but I'm 100% sure that I'm the fucked up one between us," I mutter. Ryder started shaking again but in laughter this time.

I smiled to myself as his laughter fills the room like a beautiful melody. "You really don't see how perfect you are, do you?" He muses as he pulls back. Sadness was still clear in both of our eyes but we, the two fuck ups, are healing.

We may be broken in our own twisted ways but we have each other. We fix each other and hold us together when one of us can't. Believe it or not, but he needs me as much as I need him. Because I love him for him and he loves me for me.