Crossed | Tokyo Ghoul x Vampire Knight

[9] Past

"Ayato!" Niko runs forward, her silver hair whipping behind her aggressively.

"What, Niko?" The boy snaps to her, his eyes sharp.

Niko recoils backward from the boy a little, her eyes widening. She pulls her hands back and stands still, slightly frightened of the boy's tone. Niko is only seven, but she can understand the difference between when she should pursue a person or not.

Ayato's eyes widen and he turns his entire body to face the girl, regret pulsing through him.

"Niko . . ." He reaches forward to the girl.

But Niko shakes her head and runs backwards, away from the boy. Ayato sighs and watches her go, his fist tightening on themselves. He sighs and follows her as she runs, as long as she stays in his sight he can follow her.

He reaches forward and grabs her elbow as she rounds the corner. She lets out a small noise as he pulls her back towards him. She struggles against him as he wraps his arms around her and pulls him into his chest, hugging her tightly.

"Let me go!" Niko whines, trying to get the boy off her, but Ayato is much stronger than her as he is older.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Usually, the girl wouldn't have reacted to his tone at all, but since her parent's death, she hasn't been able to take in people's reactions well.

Any type of negative energy sends her hightailing out of the room and away from the person, up until now, Ayato has been the only person to not set off her trigger. Niko keeps trying to move away from the boy but he holds on tightly, trying to calm her down. She lets out a loud sob, her struggling slowly stopping and her body relaxing in his arms.

He doesn't say anything, he just holds onto her tightly, his head buried into her shoulder. She hugs his arms with hers, loud sobs racking through her body and out of her mouth in a desperate cry for help.

c.r.o.s.s.e.d.

Niko rolls over in her bed, it being more comfortable than usual. She rolls her face into her pillow to avoid the light coming through the window and onto her bed. She takes a deep breath in, her mind calm for the first time in weeks.

She is always thinking and mulling things over thinking of something to do and how she could do something better or more efficiently. She's too scared to raise her arm and feel for Ayato, she expects that he isn't there.

She has been worried about him lately, the Cochlea attack causing him angst and her anxiety. As much as she tries not to think about it, there are just too many things to think about. She lets out her breath and tries to calm her mind, knowing the more she thinks the worse it will get and the worse she will feel for the rest of the day.

Her worries are quietly answered as the sound of ruffling sheets can be heard from behind her. She smiles and turns around, coming face to face with Ayato, who is trying to get back to sleep by keeping his eyes shut.

She reaches out and brushes his hair out of his eyes, grinning lightly when the boy scrunches up his face and moves away from her hand. She drops her hand and closes her eyes as well, hoping the two of them will be given the day off. Even if it is a crucial time, they have been severely overworked recently.

A mission every day or two really takes it out on people. Compared to Niko's one mission every week to a month, yes it was more taxing on her mind, she never really had to leave the office or spend excessive amounts of energy. Now she is pushing her body past the limit almost every time she is sent out and doesn't get any compensation for it, it is just expected of her.