A Dash of Chili Powder

26

[Haha. Vell is funny. :3 Yuki and Kiba have been together since they met. Hmm, shall we say, love at first sight. >3]

"I don't like tht he's blind," Amaya muttered softly, knowing that being blind could get him killed. "He could get hurt." 

She let go of Rage's sleeve and moved up in the short line, black basket in tow. She really didn't like blindness. Being unable to see was like being defenseless. You wouldn't be able to know what was around you or what was happening around you. For all you know, you could be walking right off a cliff or worse. Someone could kill you.

She frowned.

Yuki hissed quietly and grabbed the front of Kiba's jacket, careful not to hurt him, and dragged him up close. "Are you stupid?!" she snapped, obviously still crying. Her eyes were wet and she smelled like salt. "I was fucking worried sick about you and all you have to say is 'Are ya okay?' Like MY health matters! It's YOU that I care more about!"

Kiba flinched, baring his teeth as she grabbed him and yelled in his face. "Calm down, dammit! 'Cos I care about YOU! Goddamn." He eyed the bandages on her hand and gently grabbed her wrist, pulling it off of him. He couldn't stand to see her in such a frustrated frenzy. She really DID worry about him.

"You don't get it, do you, Kiba? I thought it was MY fault! And when you didn't move, I felt so fucking empty--" 

He held up a clawed hand to her mouth. "Shut up. I'm fine. Now, are YOU okay?" He lightly pushed the hair out of her eyes and took in a sharp breath. Black...black marks? What the fuck happened when he was out?

Gracie

Bewildered, Rage looked back at the teen around his age. He didn't look blind - his visible eye was a warm dark honey color, bright with enthusiasm. However, as he looked closer, he noticed that compromising scar hooked around that eye. And the teen, while lively, never entirely focused on what was in front of him - his eye was honed in on something a few inches left of the customer's ear.

So he WAS blind. Well, if he was, he was doing pretty well for himself.

Rage moved up with Amaya, her armed with a basket and him just cradling his cargo in his arms. He didn't have as much items as the tiny purple haired girl.

And as the last customer before them left with their goods and change, the brown haired teen turned his pleasant eye on them.

Vell ripped open the package of red bean rice dumplings with his teeth. "Fuck my life..." he growled with exasperation.

As he ambled from the open-air stand selling sweets a block from the hospital (Vell had smelled it just by standing outside the hospital and craved that taste instantaneously) the silver haired teen chewed on his stress, along with the sweet dumplings.

We met up a few months ago. After a whole decade and I'm still scared of Onii-san... He chomped on another sweet, sticky dumpling out of defiance. But now he's got this kid. She's got all these problems going on with her... What, are you a masochist now, Onii-san?

Halfway to the hospital, Vell stopped. What was he doing? He wanted to leave, didn't he? Now was his chance! He could get out of here, disappear from the Leaf's radar, from Kakashi's, from everyone's. He wouldn't have to deal with all this anymore if he could just turn his back now and have the ability to drop his only blood relative and never...see him again....

Vell rubbed his face as he stood in the middle of the street. "Like I could do that...."

"ORAHH!!"

Someone kicked Vell from behind. Right in the liver. There was no shout but his body folded instinctively from the agony and he hit the dirt road without resistance.

"'Atashi anata o kirai, shonen no neko!" (I hate you, Neko Boy!)

Vell's eyes widened as he stared at the ground. That voice. He whipped his head up and looked at the teary-eyed girl glowering over him, fists shaking at her sides. Her wild blond hair was silhouetted by the sun.

"K...Ku...Kugomi?"

[It's been more than a year since they've seen each other. OAO'']