2 weeks later

[asail]

Augito's heart practically stopped when the bell rang, sinking in her chest when she realized she hadn't been paying attention during class. English wasn't that hard for her so she shrugged the thought away. Her throat was parched and her mind scrambled over what she had been pondering throughout that hour. She staggered out of her seat and settled the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Augito..." Her teacher called. Augito lifted her gaze to her, feeling her voice leave her. "If you're just going to fantasize all period don't bother coming to class..." Her teacher instructed coldly. Augito lowered her head, her voice shamed. "I understand." She said simply, she waited a moment to see if her teacher would say anything else then departed out the doorway. Her teacher wrote roughly on her white board, gaze locked onto the tip of her expo. "What a cheeky w.hore..." She mumbled to herself when she thought Augito was out of ear shot. Augito's heart rate was steadily increasing as she came closer to the library. Time had made the situation seem less urgent but she was still nervous. She tried calming herself, breathing deeply. Her face had returned somewhat to it's natural color, however her cheeks were still hot. She turned a corner and was a little worried to find Zed already there. She picked up her pace. "Sorry!" She said hastily once she got in ear shot. "Did I keep you waiting long?" She asked in a slight panic. She stopped in front him her long bangs irritating her eyes. She wanted to move them, but her arms were locked beside her. Gazing at Zed's face, the primary feelings of her worry flagged by an almost relief. She could hardly believe how much her views changed when she came into Zed's presence. It was almost like nothing else mattered anymore. Nothing but Zed.

[Kodiak]

Zed's blank stare was replaced with a small grin as Augito came quickly into view. "Hey there." He rose a hand halfway for a brief greeting. "It's nice to take the time to pause and just watch other people activities for a change." He closed his eyes contently. "In other words, it's most definitely fine." Zed opened his clear blue eyes, his stare suddenly becoming blank again as if he was trying to remember something. He dug into his pockets. "Oh hey~! I got these tickets for the Wildlife Animal Park, and I was wondering if you'd go with me? You do like animals, right?" Zed pulled out two pieces of paper wedged horizontally between his fingers. His childish grin began to fade and he tilted his head. "ORight, you probably have alot of homework huh. It is a weekday." A bit of his smile remained, yet more mature.

[asail]

Augito couldn't help but sigh in relief. "Thank goodness..." She breathed. "I was worried that I left you waiting for a long time." She continued, her smile finally free to return to her face. She blinked as his facial expression suddenly changed and gave him a blank, wondering stare as he showed her the tickets. For a moment it looked like she didn't know what he was talking about, however when she figured it out her face brightened. Her smile swelled. "Yes, I love animals! Thank you so much, Zed! I, uh-" Augito trailed off, her body becoming tense. Her voice lowered from her previous joy. "Z-zed, could you... Bend down for me real quick?" She asked tentatively, her cheeks becoming hot.

[Kodiak]

Zed scratched the back of his neck. "Haha great, glad you could come. I wouldn't go without you, of course." He sunk his hands back into his pockets along with the tickets. "Its a far walk, so we're going to have to wait for a bus." Zed tilted his head in slight confused, and blinked slowly. "Yeah sure." He lowered his head, close to hers and smiled softly.

[asail]

Augito smiled weakly as he spoke, pestered by whatever was on her mind. "Thank you." She whispered, hesitated for only a moment then closed the small space between them with her lips, kissing him softly. Augito's kisses were very light and sweet, she rarely had the valor to kiss him so when she did they tended to be on the long side, for she would become lost in her feelings. She had closed her eyes to avoid imploding from her nerves, blush heavy on her cheeks, the kiss melting away most of the tensions from her face. She drew away from him slowly, her eyes opening simultaneously. She stared at him for a while, her mind still seemed to be preoccupied, her stare flickering to the floor and back. "Z-zed... I..." She took a moment to calm down, the feeling of his lips keeping her timid as it had absorbed her attention. "I don't understand... When you said 'If I ever say I don't love you, please don't believe me'... I-I don't know if I'm just being over dramatic but I can't stop thinking about it. And I know I shouldn't let it bother me, not that I'm bothered, but I just want to remind myself of my boundaries. I told you I'd become spoiled, and now I'm thinking the most outrageous things, not like I think it's ridiculous or anything like that, I..." One could most likely imagine what Augito looked like during her little speech, blushing, fretting over tiny details, waving her hands, fidgeting. That overwhelming tension, that anxiety within her began to build to such an extent that it started to become hard for her to talk, and her rambling became difficult to muster so that eventually the topic had to be released, the fact that was bothering her. She took a moment to gather herself, taking a final look at the ground then raising her eyes, shadowed by flushed skin to Zed. "I-I like you a lot, Zed... More than like, I'm..." Her eyelids lowered, nerves eating at her confidence in speech. "I'm practically obsessed with you... So I don't know if it's just my mind playing tricks on me, but, and I probably got this all wrong, it... It sounded like you... That you... love me?" There it was, out of her head and her mouth. As she recollected herself, feeling her thunderous heart beat return to her and her lungs slacken a little she flipped. She covered her eyes with her hands, feeling the heat of her cheeks on her chilly palms, her head dipping. "O-oh my god. I'm sorry... I-I spoke out of place..." Her voice had regained some of its previous strength but was hindered by guilt and mortification.

[Kodiak]

The instant Zed felt the soft touch of Augito's lips against his own his face grew hot. At first his eyes were slightly wide, but he calmed and the lids lowered halfway. He gazed at where Augito's distinctive emerald pupils would have been if they weren't shut away. When she backed away, Zed rose a hand to stroke her hair and brush some of her bangs tenderly behind her ear while he listened to her talk. His face still felt warm, but most of the redness had dissolved. One of Zed's hands slipped into his pocket, curling around something but he did not bring it out. He was very quiet, afraid that even the smallest breath would over power the sound of her stammering dialect. Once she finished, he did not put an end to his silence. He looked down at her with clear, expressionless eyes. "Augito.." He finally said, his voice slightly quiet. "I'm sorry I failed showing you how I really felt. I should have treated you much better.." He sighed, his other hand retreating from her to his pocket. "I must have been so horrible and careless that you didn't notice."

[asail]

Augito's eyes widened. The comfort she had gained from Zed's touch withered away as her guilt increased. "W-what? No, of course not!" Augito's hands slipped away from her hot face, waving her wands side to side frantically, some of her redness fading away. "I-I'm just saying that I didn't know if I heard you right, is all! Please don't be sad, Zed! It's completely my fault! I-I guess I'm just still not that used to it, wait, that's not what I meant! Ah, this is coming out all wrong!" Augito's panic had restored most of the volume to her normally quiet voice. She took a deep breath to calm herself, her eyes no longer wide when she opened them again, however her blush was stronger. Her long bangs, once brushed back by Zed's hands now drifted back into her face. "It's not your fault I didn't notice, Zed... You already treat me so well, so well that I can't think of anything I could ever do to give you the same happiness that you give me... Its just that..." Her small fingers clutched the fabric of her skirt, her gaze lowered from Zed's face. "You're always so warm to me that I can never see myself good enough to be... to be your lover..." Her blush intensified as she said the word. "Even right now it's hard for me to swallow that you... love me... Because it makes me feel- it just..." She attempted to lift her stare back to Zed, unable to because her emotions were imploding inside of her, so instead she merely smiled sweetly. "It's amazing, actually. I feel like I'm going to explode..." She admitted weakly, her smile much bigger than usual. She crossed her arms loosely over her stomach, her eyes closing. "It feels so warm... When you're loved..." She opened her eyes slowly, finally lifting her bright, blissful gaze to Zed. "I love you, Zed..." She said, almost breathlessly. So lost in her glee, mind literally floating above her past and her troubles. For once, she seemed care free.

[Kodiak]

Zed just smiled while she talked, seeming as though he already had things on his mind. Once she seemed done, his hands curled around her hips softly. " I can never see myself good enough to be your lover? Augito, mmm how can I help you see..understand.." His face was brought down close to her, his lips touching her neck. "I love you, Augito. And no one else." Zed's head moved slightly and slowly, going farther up her neck and kissing it again. "I love you Augito.." He shifted again and kept kissing her delicately, each time whispering the same thing into her ear. Zed eventually paused, and pulled her close to him. "Augito, will you be mine...and I be yours..."

[asail]

Augito didn't give much response when he touched her, still smiling blissfully up at Zed. Her expression started to become inquisitive, confused by his words. Her stare followed him as he lowered, her smile dissolving a little as her curiosity began to ebb away her happiness. She took in a sharp inhale of breath as she felt his lips on her neck, her face flushing a bright red. However, as he continued she felt herself start to slip away, her heart and breathing rate increasing. Breathing becoming shallow as her eyelids drooped. The gentle touches of his lips and the way he talked to her practically melting her. She found herself craning her neck a little as he got higher, allowing him to kiss more of her. She began to get startled as she noticed her body becoming hotter, her hormones finally making their appearance against her will. Her rising temperature scared her. Augito's fear was short lived as Zed pulled her close, the relief allowed her body to relax into his. Feeling the warmth of his body combine with the returning chill of hers. Her face was still recovering from its explosion of red, now laying heavily across her nose and on her cheeks. The pale green of her eyes half revealed, listening to him quietly. It didn't take long for her to respond, once again sounding breathless. For this time she was winded by Zed's past affection. "I wouldn't want to be with anyone else but you... You are my everything..." She closed her eyes, her arms slowly, tentatively wrapping around him, her small hands flat on his back. "I love you, Zed..."

Ashley watched from a distance, hidden by the intersecting wall of two hallways. Her stare and expression was unreadable. She had been watching the entire time. "Did I keep you waiting?" A voice called. Ashley slowly turned her head to K.G. who was strolling down the left hall. His smile wide, crooked. His eyes devilishly sparking. "I think you know da.mn well how long I've been waiting..." Ashley answered wryly. She made no resistance as K.G. cupped the side of her face with his hand, his other hand in his pants pocket. "My apologies, I thought you'd enjoy the show. I have been..." Ashley glowered at him, but didn't take her face out of his palm. "You sick ba.stard!" She spat under her breath as to not attract attention. K.G. feigned a look of hurt, however the false gleam in his eye was betrayed as his twisted smile merely widened and thinned. "I'm not the only one who has committed sin," He paused to let his eyes drift to Augito and Zed, then back to Ashley. "You want to be the one in his grasp, don't you? Prince charming seems to have that affect on you..." Ashley's eyes burned brighter. "Shut up." She hissed. "You want Zed so bad, I can hear your heart bleeding.?" K.G.'s grip became harder on Ashley's face as she tried to look away. "Stop it..." She whispered weakly. "You know what will make me stop." He replied, his words spoken in low tones. Ashley squirmed under K.G.'s piercing gaze. "A-alright... Who do I need to kill?" K.G's smile brightened from its sinister state, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "That's a good girl... Don't worry, if it all works out Zed will be all yours. You'll just be the one to bear the guilt and blood, is all." He cackled cruelly, his vile chuckle low and quiet. He released her jaw. Ashley lowered her head, her blond hair creating a shadow over her eyes. She heard K.G. depart, her shoulders trembled. "Why can't I just..." She whispered hoarsely to herself, her trembling hands lifting to cover her eyes. "Why can't I just let you go?" With that she lifted her face out of her hands and left the intersection, vanishing.

[Kodiak]

Zed felt her gentle touch on his back, and he touched her upper arm with the back of his hand. "You feel hot.." He rose and pressed his palm to her forehead. "You alright?" Zed's eyes lowered halfway, and his lips slouched. He suddenly became animated once again, eyes wide and body lively. "Oh shoot, we're gonna miss the bus~!" He extended a hand to her; Zed's frown now a smile. "Common, I'll give you a piggy back ride. It'll be quicker." His eyes strayed to some distant halls, but he paid little attention to them.

[asail]

Augito blinked slowly, blushing lightly as she always did. "Y-yes I'm fine." She was quick to say, not wanting Zed to worry or find out about her past situation that almost scared her to death. She blinked slowly again as Zed's worry sprang into an entirely different expression, not expecting it. Her surprised little frown turned into a smile as she remembered their trip. Her eyes widened and she blushed at his offer. "If you're certain I won't crush you..." She whispered as she placed her small hand in his. Returning to her normal, cooler, temperature. She was so used to Zed's touch and kindness now that she hardly freaked out anymore or argued with him in that light, nervous perspective of hers. She still appeared embarrassed and uneasy about a lot of things, her vague innocence still prodded by some actions or words that would obviously cause her to become anxious. Otherwise she was much calmer as her incredibly fragile soul was slowly being mended to stability.

[Kodiak]

Zed stared at her blankly, but eventually nodded. "Alrighty." It seemed like he let it go too easy. His fingers curled around hers and his other hand helped him lift up her ever so light body without damaging it. Zed brought her up to his shoulders and laid her on them delicately. He chuckled; it felt the same without her on him. Zed moved slightly quickly until he was outside the school. His eyes darted about before continuing to move again. It wasn't a far walk, but the bus was already there. He let her down in front of the vehicle, smiling. "You sure this is alright?"

[asail]

Augito couldn't help but let a small, astonished squeak escape her. Ascending to a height that was almost intimidating to her, used to being so close to the ground at her abnormally small height. She tried to suppress the heat of her cheeks, finding her small hands gripping tightly onto his shoulders. "It's so high..." She whispered breathlessly from awe or fear. It seemed like she was more concerned about her distance from the ground than the situation. Other than her first statement Augito was relatively quiet during their walk to the bus stop. Adverting her eyes to the people around including the lazy classmate in her fifth period. Whom, at last glance, was looking directly at Augito with a big, knowing grin on his face. At the stop when Zed finally let her off Augito was more than relieved to be her own height again. When Zed began to help her down a weak smile spread on her face. Wobbling a bit, almost falling over, as she released one hand from his shoulder. She took Zed's hand quickly, startled, and came safely onto the ground. Even after the small time she had been off the ground the earth still felt a little strange beneath her feet. Her pale green stare flickered for a moment to the ground, like she was making sure it was there. By the time her head rose Zed had already asked his question and it didn't take long before a sweet, sincere smile came to her face. "All I want is to be near you... Honestly..." Augito answered softly, her cheeks flushing lightly. A loud 'aw' emitted from the passengers on the bus who could evidently hear the two. Augito's blush intensified, turning her head quickly to the bus then down to the floor. Her hands gripping each other tightly on her lap. "Sorry if I embarrassed you..." She added quietly in hopes that no one but Zed could hear her.

[Kodiak]

Zed smiled and laid a hand on her head like he always used to. "You could never embarrass me Augito. I don't care if the whole world hears." His clear blue eyes were soft, parallel to his words. He turned from her, pulling his arms behind him and linking his hands together in a stretch. Zed was always a calm person, sometimes energetic, but something about him seemed off today. It seemed like he was struggling to keep his composure, and his eyes betrayed his words. He climbed into the bus, dropping a few coins into one of the boxes and slipping to the back seats, where there would be less people. He kept his eyes locked on Augito, knowing it was risky bringing her around so many people. He sat; his body felt pampered, flawless due to the lack of new wounds. Zed's body still contained the same lean figure it always had, yet he felt more loose and stiff lately.

[asail]

Augito's eyes remained trained to the floor, despite Zed's comforting touch. Only raising her head when he spoke to her. She blinked, her red face dissipating to a light pink about the bridge of her nose. She couldn't help but let a small smile come to her face. Augito nodded, following Zed onto the bus and immediately felt uneasy. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of all the people. Her heart beat accelerated and her face became paler. Scurrying closer to Zed, her small hands gripping the back fabric of his jacket/shirt/whatever as she followed behind him. She stifled a protest as he paid the bus fair by himself knowing full well that it was done. However the guilt ate at her a little, unable to speak as the presence of other people constricted her throat. She felt herself start to tremble. For a moment she reflected and wondered how she could've ever gotten brave enough to embark on a bus filled with people. This thought gave her a little strength as she thought of Zed once more. When they reached the back of the bus she felt a great pressure leave her. Taking a deep breath as they sat, her eyes closing momentarily and most of her apprehension vanished from her face. She had removed her hands from the back of Zed's jacket before they sat, and now one rested tentatively on the fabric of Zed's lower sleeve close to his hand unintentionally. It was almost funny to see Augito's small, frail frame against the large bus seats. She seemed to be practically engulfed by them. She lifted her small face to Zed, giving him a reassuring smile.