Take your time or I'll take your Heart

Chapter 20

I woke up to see Ren laying next to me and Morgana was sitting on my lap. I looked out the window to see the sun was up. I sighed, knowing that testing was coming today and Ren would have to leave. I sat up, making Morgana wake up.

"What are you doing?" Morgana asked.

"Waking up," I whispered, trying not to wake Ren up.

"You made me wake up," Morgana said as he stretched out. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"I need to do testing. You and Ren have to leave for the doctors to do that."

"Aw, can't we stay here?"

"It's their rules. I can't change them."

"I hope everything goes well."

"I do to," I said.

Ren finally woke up and the doctors came in telling him he had to leave. But he could visit me back around noon since they were hoping that testing would be done by then. Ren picked up Morgana and walked out of the hospital.

"How's she doing?" Futaba asked once I walked into the apartment.

"She's doing ok. They're going to test her to make sure that she wasn't dehydrated or malnourished. Testing should be done by noon. I think she'll give me a call or something."

"What are you going to do now?" Ryuji asked.

"Well, you're all here. Might as well do one last goodbye. I don't think we need to head to the metaverse anytime soon."

"Can we at least see Y/N before we leave?" Ryuji asked.

"Sure," I said.

We hung out together until around noon. I got a phone call from Y/N and I headed over to the hospital to get her. They told me the results of the tests, which were negative. She was discharged from the hospital and we stopped by her parent's house to let them in on the news. Once we were done there, we headed back over to the apartment. She was surprised to see the rest of the Phantom Thieves there.

"Why are all of you here?" I asked.

"We needed to make sure you didn't lose yourself to your shadow," Ryuji said.

I smiled at them, "Thank you for helping Ren with that."

"It was our pleasure," Yusuke said.

"We're always there for a friend," Futaba said.

"But you don't even really know me."

"If you're a friend of our leader, then you're friends to us," Makoto said.

"Thanks guys."

"We just wanted to make sure you were ok," Haru said.

"And we wanted to say goodbye. This might be the last time we see you guys," Ryuji said.

"I'm sure if we head over that way, we'll meet up somewhere. This won't be the last time you see Ren."

"Last time that the world needs the Phantom Thieves," Ren said.

"Yeah," I said. "It was nice getting to know all of you. Take care."

"You too," Futaba said as she hugged me and hugged Ren.

"Hope to see you around," Makoto said.

"Keep in touch with us," Haru smiled.

"I'd consider you an honorary Phantom Thief," Yusuke said.

"Thank you, Yusuke," I said.

"Take care of our leader, Y/N," Ryuji said as he hugged me goodbye.

"I will, Ryuji. I hope to see you soon," I said.

He pulled away and said goodbye to Ren. After they had left, Ren closed the door and looked at me. I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder.

"I can't express how thankful I am."

"I was hesitant about doing it, since the worst could happen."

"I understand. I guess you had to do that with a lot of people when you were a Phantom Thief."

"Yeah. Is there anything you want to do?"

"I could use a nap."

"Alright," I said and pulled away. Morgana jumped down from the counter and Scarlet got up from the couch and headed into our room. I grabbed Ren's hand and walked into our room. I fell onto the bed and he got in beside me. He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I love you, Ren."

"I love you too, Y/N."

~1 week~

A week had passed and my father had called me to see if he could spend the night at the apartment. It was pretty late when he called and I said sure. He came an hour later and he literally stumbled in. It looked like he was drunk. He knocked a few things over and landed on the couch.

"Dad, does mom know about this?"

"Hell no. If she heard that I was out drinking again, she'd have my head," he slurred and stuttered.

"How many drinks did you have?"

"About five or six," he slurred again.

"What should we do?" Ren asked.

"I think we should take him back to the house. If he's this intoxicated, we need to take him back," I said.

"I ain't going back," he stood up and looked at me. "Do you really think I want to go back to that hell hole? You're gone, so you don't know what the fuck's going on! You're too oblivious to know anyway."

"Don't assume I am oblivious. It only makes an ass out of you and me," I sneered at him.

"Oh, when did you get so badass? You're worse than your mother," he said.

"Don't talk about my mother like that."

"I can talk about her all I want. I'm her husband. You're nothing but a useless daughter who can't do shit!"

I knew this was the alcohol talking, but I had heard him talk down to my mother a few times. It happened only a few times, but they hurt every time I heard him tell my mother she was nothing and that we were nothing. He hid it well, but now his true colors are showing.

"I can do more than your drunk ass can," I said.

"Look, don't take me back to the damn house until I say so, got it?"

"No, we're taking you back now."

"No!" he said and slapped me. I stumbled backwards and looked at my father in shock. He's never laid a hand on me. He's only laid a hand on my mother and she did nothing. She took the hits and I guess she was tired of taking them. He got ready to slap me again, but Ren grabbed his wrist and turned my dad to face him.

"Don't lay another hand on her," he said.

"I'm her father, I can do whatever I want."

"Not when it comes down to this," he said.

"What are you going to do about it?"