Shutter ➳ CITRUS

Twenty Eight - Yuzu

Yeah, I was right, there are 5 chaps left for this to end...

Mei's POV

I slowly creep into consciousness. My hand slides out from the warmth of the duvet and reached out to Yuzu beside me. Only there's no Yuzu beside me. I clutched the cold sheets and forced my eyes to open.

"Zu?" I call out groggily. It's ridiculous that I'm already fucking panicking without her beside me when I wake up but to add the ridiculousness of it, she's just a meter away from me.

"I'm here," her voice replies.

I prop myself up on one elbow and see her cross-legged on the floor, her back rested against the bed, and is fussing over something.

"What are you doing?" I asked and moved towards her. She's holding a camera in her hands and with one look on the screen I knew she was taking photographs of me again. "You pervert."

She stopped fussing over the photos and turned to me with a mischievous smile. "Good morning," she says and kisses me.

"G'morning," I replied when we break away. "What are you doing up so early?" I asked, lying on my back and staring at the ceiling, making a big yawn.

Yuzu sits up on the bed and we stare at each other for a minute. The bump on her forehead has already come back to normal and just a faint purple blotch is in its place. It's been almost a week since her accident and I was afraid something would happen to her if she's out of my sight so I insisted she stay in my apartment while she heals.

Yuzu reached out and pushed the hair out my face. "I'm leaving today, remember?"

My shoulders sagged. "You really have to go?"

She's going to Toyosu to start setting up the exhibit and I totally forgot about it. Not that I was not paying attention, I was just fucking distracted with her accident and her injuries most of the time to think properly.

"Harumi's been running errands since Thursday. I have to go and help her."

The exhibit's only two more weeks away from their opening and Yuzu should have been in Toyosu since the other day with Harumi but because of my insistence, she took a few days off.

"But I need you here."

I'm whining, I know but I can't help it. Ever since the accident, there's this constant need for me to be with her, to protect her from the harms that might go her way. When Dan died, I didn't get to do anything to stop it but I can do it now with Yuzu. If she fucking dies on me or just gets hurt in the slightest without me lifting a finger, I won't be able to forgive myself.

Yuzu smiled radiantly, seems to be enjoying my clingy side. "You can always visit," she said tenderly.

I groaned. "But you might not be completely alright yet."

"Mei, I don't feel pain anymore."

"But the doctor said you should get proper rest!"

"And I have for the last five days, thanks to you."

"Five days isn't enough."

"It is for me."

"Pfft, fine leave me."

The bed dipped when Yuzu climbed the bed. Before I know it, she's straddling my hips, her weight trapping me down.

"Don't be like that baby, fuck knows I want to spend all my time with you." She reached out and twines both of our hands together. She kissed the back of my palms before she reached down and kisses me.