Don't Give Up (On Me)

Twelve

It took a bit of clever maneuvering (no thanks to that infernal boot), and a lot of laughter (Eita took full advantage of Hitoka's ticklish spots as he settled her into place on his lap), before they subsided into a comfortable silence. His arms were loosely draped around her hips, and hers were around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. They faced each other, foreheads pressed together, mouths just inches away from fitting together perfectly.

Hitoka leaned back and smiled gently. "Guess I should explain my outburst, huh?"
"You don't have to."
"I think I do. Just so there aren't any misunderstandings later."
"Right."
"At first, it was nothing more than an attempt to hold my hand, or putting his arm around me; little touches which are so common that I didn't even think anything of it for the first few seconds. Then, I'd draw away, warn him to stop, to leave me alone. I didn't want him to so much as think about touching me."
"Did he stop?"
"Not right away. It'd be like he'd lay low for a few days before trying again. I literally had to slap his hand away, or shove him back, before he finally got the idea that I was serious. He still tried, but he'd back off if I caught him."
Eita tightened his hold on her.
"I don't know when he switched to a different tack, but one night, I woke up feeling warmth along my back, and an arm around my waist. I almost thought it was you behind me, but it felt different, and my brain kicked into overdrive. I screamed, turned over and shoved him so hard that he was on the floor before he knew what happened. A few minutes later, I realized I was still fully dressed, and under the blanket, while he tried to cuddle up to me."
"And he didn't try anything other than that?"
"No. He said he wanted me willing, but also he wanted us to be in love together. That was never going to happen, so he kept trying. It got to the point that I'd be awake until I knew for sure I was the last one to go to sleep."

He pulled her closer, and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She always managed to find something good in everyone, and that seemed to include the two people who held her captive for months. It wasn't like she was trying to defend Yahaba, either. She just had to make clear that the man wasn't too far gone to do worse things to her. Though, in all honesty, Eita knew it would've only been a matter of time before the bastard snapped and did the unthinkable.

Slowly, as if they had all the time in the world, he moved just enough to imprint an open-mouth kiss on her neck. He savored the way she gasped, her arms tightening around his neck. He moved up, leaving a little trail of kisses in his wake. She moved against him, her fingers threading through his hair, tugging a little, too. She sighed, though it melted into a breathy giggle the moment he tugged her earlobe with his teeth. He would've traveled along her jawline to finally end at her sweet mouth, but she pulled back to look at him. Her hands gently held each side of his face, her fingers were splayed, and he could feel a slight shake.

"Hitoka?"
"From the start, he tried to make me believe you weren't coming. That you'd let me go completely after time."
"But you didn't, did you?"
She shook her head once, but then her eyes welled up with tears, and she nodded.
"It was only once, and I wasn't thinking straight," she whispered shakily. "I was always blindfolded when we left a place, until we arrived in another. But you can't mistake the sounds of travel, like cars and trains. Or planes."
"Planes?"
She nodded again. "I don't know what he was thinking, but I assumed he thought if we left the country..."
"I'd give up and stop the search," he finished.
"Yeah. I couldn't leave a message for anyone to find, not knowing where we were, if they spoke Korean or Chinese, or whatever language of the country we were in. The longer we stayed the more I had to convince myself that you'd still somehow find me. And it was hard, because he kept saying you weren't coming, that you gave up. That he was the only one I could trust to stay with me forever."
"That asshole! I should have..."

And then Hitoka was suddenly kissing him deeply, wildly, and hungrily. She gave him everything she felt in that single kiss, and he gave it all back in equal measure. Then, he tasted the tears that fell from her eyes. When he would have pulled back to comfort her, she held tighter, unwilling to let him go. It was a first kiss, of sorts, but also something deeper and more profound. They were two halves of a whole that had been cruelly ripped apart, but with the help of their friends, they were put back together again.

"Thank you," she murmured once they could breathe again.
"For what?"
"For not giving up on me. Even at my lowest, I still held a little hope that you'd find me."
"I love you," he replied. "There's nothing on earth that could've kept me from finding you."
"I love you, too. So much."

She kissed him again, this time languidly, softly, taking her time to savor him. This time when they parted, they were both smiling. Before she knew it, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, told her to hang on, and then stood up from the picnic table bench. He turned so that she could stand on the plank, and then faced forward again, offering a piggy-back ride.

"I can walk, you know," she said even as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms and legs around him.
"I am aware. But it's dark, and you admitted you're clumsy with that boot on. Can't have you do further damage."
She shivered as his hands took hold of her thighs, gripping gently.
"Damage? I'm more careful than that!"
"I meant the boardwalk, the railing, and any hapless trees or saplings. Who knows, you might somehow run into a rabbit or some other innocent woodland creature."
"Keep that up, and my boot may just run into your ankle."
"Not from where you are."
"Only when you're least expecting it."

They bantered back and forth until they made it to the car. The ride back to their hotel was spent quietly talking about the upcoming tour and their plans for the downtime in between shows. They called Tetsu and Kei to talk about the first joint concert, which would actually be a series of beach shows for the end of summer festival at Atami Sun Beach.

"I know a place you'll love," Tetsu suggested. "It's closer to Ito. Nice and quiet, too. Almost your own private beach, really."
"But Tetsu, that's..." Hitoka started to protest, knowing the exact place he was telling her about.
"Don't worry! I've got another place to take Kei. Who knows, he might like that one better."
There was the slightest hesitation before Kei agreed. "It really is the best place. You'll love it."
"I've got a better idea," Eita suggested carefully, easily picking up on the uncomfortable vibes both Kei and Hitoka were giving off.
"What's that?"
"Trade ya. You keep that secluded little beach to Kei and yourself. I'll take Hitoka to wherever you wanted to sub it out with."
"Deal. Call me later and I can email you all the info you need."
"Thanks, man."
"No problem, bro."
"Wonder what that was all about," Hitoka muttered as she hung up.
"Dunno," he replied, parking the car and turning to face her. His eyes were bright and his smile was wicked. "Why don't we continue where we left off."
"I thought you'd never ask."

He carried her into their hotel, past a bemused receptionist, and into the elevator that took them to their room on the top floor. They didn't come back out for another couple days.