A Vocaloid Fanfiction: Golden Heart - Neru - P11

Neru couldn't move. She was stuck in bed, with a massive headache and a rapidly growing cold and fever. Images became fuzzy shapes and sounds became blotted and mumbled. All Neru could do was lie back on Akaito's pillow and rest; which was extremely hard on account of that she couldn't even breathe through her nose and her migraine was impossible to ignore.

Akaito walked in; immediately noticing the blonde's displeasure and with a smile he sat down beside her, replacing the towel that lay across her forehead. Neru, blearily, opened her eyes to look at him.

"Feeling better?" Akaito asked gently.

Neru scowled at him, which only increased her headache.

"Just peachy," she replied, closing her eyes in pain.

Akaito ran a long hand down the side of her face and slid it under her neck, lifting her head off the pillow. Neru's eyes flipped open in suprise as she saw Akaito wave some medicine in front of her.

"Take these tablets. They'll help with the pain and make you sleepy so you should be able to rest for a little while."

Neru didn't need to hear any more as she sat up and downed the tablets with one giant gulp of water before settling down again, resting her eyes as she curled up to one side. Akaito slowly got up off of the bed.

"I'll leave you then," he said but was stopped by a small hand gripping his own.
Turning around, Akaito found himself gently pulled closer towards Neru as she put her hand on Akaito cheek, reeling him in. The two's lips lingered on the other's for a long, blissful moment before Neru broke away to bury her head into Akaito's pillow.

"Thank you," she said shortly, her face almost completely covered by the pillow, "For doing this."

Akaito brushed some hair out of her face so he could look at one golden eye, staring back at him.

"You're welcome."

---

It was now almost midday and there was no word from Neru since she ran out of the Masquerade and Meiko refused to believe Kaito's judgement of his brother.

"Would you stop pacing already? I told you, Neru's fine." Kaito tried to reason with her.
Meiko only glared at him. This argument had gone around in circles for hours and neither of them was backing down. Haku had left ages ago, unable to deal with her friends' arguing.

"I know my brother and―"

"And I know Neru! She wouldn't just run off and leave us!"

"Then why don't you trust her enough to believe that she's safe with Akaito?"

"I trust Neru, not Akaito! Who knows what he might've done to her, if anything."

"He wouldn't have done anything like that to her! She―"

Suddenly, Kaito's phone rang; bringing their dispute to a close. He reached for it and opened it.

"A..Akaito?" Kaito said into the phone while Meiko gasped.

"Where are you? Is Neru with you?" Kaito paused to hear his response and by this time was also holding back Meiko as the brunette tried to rip the phone from his grasp.

"Let me talk to him!" she hissed but Kaito shook his head, continuing to hold her back with his legs and free arm.

Kaito pulled the phone out of her reach as the woman tried to climb on top of the sitting man. Kaito noticed their position of Meiko's thighs resting on Kaito's hips, her upper body strewn across his own. Getting flustered, the blue man was distracted as Meiko seized her chance to grab the phone, Kaito now feeling very harassed.

As soon as the mobile brushed her fingers, Meiko leapt off of the bedraggled Kaito and pressed the phone to her ears as Kaito tried to gather himself together as he leant back
on his bar stool and onto the bar bench.

On the other end, Akaito leant against a wall, holding the kitchen phone in his hand, a grin on his face as he listened to the noises coming from the other end. Some muffled sounds filled his ear before a sharp, irritated voice spiked his brain.

"AKAITO SHION, YOU ASS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH NERU?!"

Akaito had taken the phone away from his ear in pain before bringing it back.
He replied smoothly:

"Ah, Meiko! Lovely to hear from you again and that voice of yours, how've you be―"

"CUT THE CRAP, AKAITO! WHERE IS NERU?!"

Akaito rolled his eyes, wondering how Meiko figured Neru was with him.

"How much are you willing to pay for her ransom, Miss. Meiko?" He replied calmly, casually staring at his nails with one hand.

"RANSOM??!! YOU LITTLE―"

"Cool it, sunshine; I'm kidding," Akaito cutting before Meiko could utter any verbal abuse, "How'd you figure Neru was with me, hmm? My dear brother, Kaito perhaps?"

"…maybe," Meiko spat, still fuming at how much this man could wind her up. She wanted to wring his neck.

"Not that it isn't a pleasure listening to you but could you give him his phone back? I want to have a word."

"I'M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET, AKAITO! TELL ME WHE―hey! Kaito! Lay off! Give it back…"
Meiko's sharp voice faded to background noise as a weary, male voice took over the phone.
"What are you playing at, Akaito?" Kaito asked, sounding defeated.

"Nothing to play at here, brother; just was thinking you and your friends deserve an update on your Neru's current situation is all…" Akaito trailed off as he looked in the direction of his bedroom where Neru was tucked up in his bed with a fever. He heard a sigh on the other end of the phone and listened hard for Kaito's soft voice to reach his eardrums.

"Just tell me where she is. We're all worried about her and she isn't answering her phone," A hint of irritation was spotted in Kaito's voice and Akaito knew to quit the games.

"She's fine. After running out and my following her, I took her back to my apartment and now she's got a really bad fever and signs of flu. I've barely touched her and apart from the runny nose and red cheeks, she's a hundred percent….how'd you know I was going to take her back to my place, anyway?"

Kaito chewed at his lip as he let Akaito's words sink in. Meiko had her cheek pressed against his as she had calmed down and listened to the mobile as well. She breathed a deep sigh of release as she heard the news of her dear friend being safe, despite a cold. Kaito was also glad for Neru's confirmed safety but his mind was lost in his memories of a small, cheeky red-headed boy of whom he would play with every day while the adults watched on fondly at the blue boy.  

The fiery red-head loved to get dirty and play in the mud and come home filthy only to be yelled at by the authoritative figures while his calm, quiet older brother watched on with sad, blue eyes as he saw his doppelganger blink back angry tears. He would hold it in until they were up in bed, their brothers already long ago asleep while the blue-headed child lay awake listening to his younger brother's muffled sobs as he cried into his pillow in the dark.

To this day, Kaito knew Akaito better than anyone. He had his snappy, sarcastic front but on the inside he was still just a little, misunderstood boy with vivid, fluffy hair. Their other brothers might have forgotten his soft side long ago except Kaito who knew that Akaito would do anything for the people he really cared about. He can't stand seeing pain.

And yet…for years he did watch the pain he caused on others; not only on his brothers but also on his friends and girlfriend of whom he never loved at all. Anger and sadness had stabbed him in the heart as Akaito became mean and spiteful in his teenage years. He shut everyone out by hurting them in any way that he could, his demon of a temper destroying everything he ever loved. His friends turned away from him and his own brothers tried their best to forget him. Soon he seemed less like a dear person in their hearts and more like a villain and would bury him in their thoughts as a wicked person.

But he wasn't. And Kaito knew that. He KNEW that he saw real true love in his eyes as he danced with Neru. He saw the longing look he gave to his old friends as they stared at the scene before them of their best friend Neru about to kiss the man they had made themselves hate for so many years. It came as too much of a shock for them that they hardly reacted when a very upset Neru burst out of the room, followed by Akaito.

Of course he wouldn't let her cry her heart out in the rain. He would take her home and love her, no matter what. His only friends given him horrified and disgusted looks only short minutes beforehand but all that mattered to him at that moment was Neru.
Kaito never doubted his brother about Neru. She had changed him, made him know how to love again. Kaito had hope for Akaito.

After a long pause, Kaito swallowed; trying to wet his dry throat,

"You're my brother. It's my job to know…I trust you." Kaito said finally and Akaito felt a smile crawl to his lips as warm feeling settled in his chest.

"Well then Kaito, I have a favour to ask of you…"

Kaito frowned, confused.

"A…favour?"