HoW L0nG? (Hetaoni)

CHaPter fIvE

Author's Note: Just a warning....Fluffiness ahead. and a little gore with it too

Hazel gave another angry sigh as she twisted her neck to look at Lovino. The others had left a while ago to try to find any other clues of a way out. Hazel wanted to help again, but there was no way she was going anywhere with her shoulder still in bad shape from the last encounter with the Oni.

Lovino rolled his eyes as he walked over to her with a cup of water in his hands.

"Stop it, it's annoying." He reprimanded. "Now sit up a little and drink this water."

Hazel gritted her teeth, wincing a little as she pushed herself up. Lovino handed her the cup which she took several gulps out of. She gave the cup back to Lovino when she was down.

"I...want to help." She grumbled. The sentence had come easier. It had been a couple of days since she was injured, and a little more than a week since she had been found by Feli. Words didn't seem that much complicated before and she could actually carry on a conversation better.

"You can't do crapola, ragazza." He replied, taking the cup and setting it on one of the tables. "You're better off here until you're better."

She glared up at the ceiling as he went off to do something, thinking over things, which some reason, always drifted back to Lovino. It was very annoying. She felt like there was something she was forgetting constantly. Something very important and dangerous, but whenever she tried thinking, she'd think about Lovino.

Like, why did he volunteer to take care of her every day? Why did he seem suddenly protective when Francis, Gilbert, or Antonio came near her? Despite his grumpiness, when he looked at her his eyes slightly softened...

That butterfly feeling came back into her stomach and she growled. She didn't like it. She had no idea what it meant. During her time here, she had learned that the chill in the air meant the monster was near, and that tenseness meant it could appear any moment. She what the calmness of the monster being no where close felt and how the feeling of danger should never be ignored.

But when Lovino was near her, taking care of her, touching her hand, doing anything near her...there was this nervous feeling. A fluttering in her stomach, or a blush on her cheeks. It was something unknown. It made her feel uncertain.

She hated feeling uncertain...

Maybe she would ask Lovino or one of the others once they got back what things feelings could mean.

She felt tired and hot under the blankets of the bed. Slowly and surely, her eyelids started drooping before going to sleep.

***********************

She never had a normal dream anymore when she fell asleep...It was always a nightmare...

"Oh, look! There's a box in that cell!" Max pointed out to Hazel and Taegen. They were in the basement looking for any keys.

"We should check it out." Taegen said, brushing her red hair like it was a comforter. Her blue eyes darted everywhere.

The three of them entered the cell, surrounding the small box. Max tried, unsuccessfully, to open it.

"It's really nailed tightly shut..." He winced, pulling out some splinters from his tan hands. Sweat had started to form on his forehead under his black hair.

"Maybe there's a crowbar or something..." Hazel started to say when suddenly Taegen burst out sobbing.

"What if that thing's near? What if it kills us like it did O'Brien? You won't let it kill me, will you Hazel? Not like O'Brien!"

"Taeg, shut up! You're being loud!" Max hissed in a whisper. A chill filled the air, but Hazel discounted it. It was the basement, so it might be a little more chilly than the rest of the house.

"Taegen, I won't let it kill you. I promise, I'll protect all of us." Hazel swore.

Teagen looked convinced. She swallowed, then suddenly looked behind Hazel and screamed.

It had found them...

"Run!" Hazel cried as it charged at them. She pushed Taegen towards the door and turned to run, too, but The Oni already blocked her way. It raised it fist to deliver a blow to her head....

"Hazel, watch out!" Max yelled and leaped in the way. There was a horrible snapping sound as the monster brought it's fists down on the boy's head. Hazel's brown eyes filled with horror as she watched her best friend sink to the floor, blood pouring from the crown of his head...

*****************

"Hazel! Wake up! Wake up!"

She woke up in tears, her hand shaking. It took her a second to realize that she was in Lovino's arms. That butterfly feeling spread through her stomach and She blushed brightly at how close he was.

"Did you have a bad dream?" He asked, feeling her forehead which was rather hot.

"Y-yeah..." She mumbled, letting her head fall on his shoulder. She felt...safe for some reason. Like his arms could protect her from all the dangers in this house.

"Do you...want to talk about it?"

She immediately shook her head. She wanted to forgot, that's all she really wanted. Big, hot tears streamed down my cheeks as she let herself cry for a little. She finally had comfort from someone.

And maybe...this feeling wasn't so bad.