Identity Disorder {A Juuzou Suzuya Story}

Chapter 13

Emiko woke up to the muffled scream of her creaky wooden floors outside her room. She sat up sweating and panting quietly as she woke from a dream that did nothing to console her. Her eyes strained through the darkness to stare at her closed door. She could feel her heart pounding steadily in her chest at the idea of an intruder.

Sighing because she knew it was most likely Juuzou's usual restless rounds through the home. Her clammy hands reached for her bedside lamp and she clicked it on with heavy limbs. Shoving the heels of her palms in her eyes she remembered her dream vividly.

That same damn ghost pain of the needles stabbing her skin remained though her reliving the memory had already finished. The ache in her flesh haunted her as she knew that she would most likely never physically feel the level of pain again in her lifetime.

She swallowed at the thought of her arm before rolling up her sweat shirt to see the evidence of her memories in real time. Her skin no longer bled like it did in her dream but the scars that remained was a far worse sight. She stared blankly at her arms for some time, trying to grasp that this was their actual appearance.

The scars that filled her skin held a memory that hurt to even ponder. Her arms used to be something only she and her father knew of. Frustration climbed through her chest as she remembered the way Juuzou pushed his way through her privacy and exposed her arms to his crimson gaze. Remembering the grin that filled his pale face and the joy that lit his eyes created feelings Emiko was unsure of. She would have thought with the way he thought of her to be doll like, the sight of her marred skin would have disgusted him. But it only seemed to bring him close to her.

The sound of knocking reached her ears and she swallowed the emotions that swam inside at the voice the mumbled through her door.

"Emi... Are you awake?" Juuzou's voice came through low and with no particular emotion. Emiko pondered ignoring the rag doll outside of her room but figured that even if she did pretend to be asleep, he would probably come in anyway.

"Yeah, come in Juuzou." She called and watched him walk quietly in her room. She guessed he laid down at some point in the night due to his uneven jogger pant legs and wrinkled shirt. But as most nights, he was restless and wandered the house.

He closed the door behind him and leaned against it quietly. Aiko pieced together that he was in one of his off moods again. His eyes were tired and his face expressionless. The only indication of his mood was his hair tied up in a short choppy ponytail that he did when he was thinking hard about something,

"I can't sleep." He voiced in a monotone. He looked impassively at Emiko who sat on her bed, half covered by blankets. "I had a dream from when I was younger and I can't sleep."

He did not necessarily sound bothered but he did express exhaustion. Staring at Emiko in her bed, Juuzou remembered when he had slept with her for the first time. She was in distress and crying but he was too tired to care for her. Staring, he saw her coffee brown eyes stare back quietly but her face flushed as if she was remembering the same thing.

This was not the first time they spoke in the middle of the night due to Juuzou's restlessness but it was the first time he had came to her and spoke to her about it without her coming to find him. His usual tendencies to walk around her home aimlessly was his usual function. The squeaking of her floors was what usually got Emiko involved as her paranoia made her a light sleeper.

"Why is tonight different?" Her head cocked to the side with her quiet questioning and he sighed deeply, allowing his legs to give in and sliding to the floor against the door. He sat with his arms resting on his knees but did not break eye contact with Emiko.

"I'm not sure. I did have something hovering in mind that I wanted to ask you about." Emiko hoped it was the same thing that still peeped in her mind every once in a while these past two weeks.