Anime Drabbles, Ficlets & One Shots

Kaoru Kaidoh ~ I Will Protect You [2 of 2]

Genre: Angst, Romance, Dark, Fluff 

Word Count: 3,319 

Pairing: Reader x Kaidoh 

World: Anime, Prince of Tennis 

WARNING: This fic contains abuse, both mental and physical.

Three months. That's how long it's been since you started dating Kaidoh. Although you loved every second you spent with the male, you would be lying if you said it was easy. He wasn't the most affectionate person, but he did like to hug you when you managed to find time away from the regulars – this was always a problem because of your bruises. Life on the outside may have gotten better, but life at home had only begun to get worse. You had been sure that you were hiding your happiness, but there were often times that you found yourself smiling without realizing it, giving your mother plenty of chances to catch you. She hasn't said anything, but her beatings were becoming more frequent.

Keeping up with lies and secrets is always hard. Honestly, it was mentally exhausting to you and you found yourself forcing smiles more often – the only time you smiled genuinely was when you were with Kaidoh, but even that was getting to be difficult.

As it turns out, Fuji had figured out about your problems at home. Honestly, you hadn't been too surprised when he confronted you – he's a tensai for a reason. His knowledge took some of the weight off of your shoulders and he was more than willing to help keep your secret, though he did encourage you to confess to Kaidoh. You refused, of course, because you were too afraid. He was quick to anger, after all, and you were sure he would not appreciate being lied to for over three months.

You sighed as you re-adjusted the strap on your bag. School was over and Kaidoh was currently at tennis practice. He had tried several times to get you to attend his practice, but you could only reject the offer. You wanted to watch him, of course, but things at home had already gotten so much worse that you really didn't want to push your luck by coming home late. It's safe to say that Kaidoh hadn't been too happy about your decision.

When you reached the front door of your house, you took a minute to collect your nerves before entering. The first thing you saw was your mother sitting at the kitchen table, eyes narrowed into a cold glare.

"You're late," She spat, making you flinch.

"I-I came straight home..."

"Then I suggest you come home sooner!" Slamming her hand on the table as she stood, she slowly approached you. It reminded you of a cat stalking its prey and it made your body stiffen. "Or maybe there's something distracting you from your dear, sweet mother."

"Of course not!" You cried, quickly realizing your mistake. "I-I m-mean... you're the most important person, mother..."

She gripped your short hair between her fingers and tugged your head back sharply, ignoring your cry of pain. "That's right, and don't you dare forget that. Now, make me dinner before I get angry."

She shoved you forward toward the kitchen and you stumbled, barely missing the counter that nearly collided with your head. You set to work without a sound, shakily grabbing the items needed to prepare your mother's meal. Normally, the older woman would disappear upstairs, sleeping or watching TV until dinner was ready; 'Less time spent seeing your ugly face', she would always say, but this time was different. She just stood there, leaning her body against the wall as she watched you through narrowed eyes. It made you feel more nervous than usual.

Several times you nearly dropped a bowl or cut your finger, but the older woman didn't make a sound. If it weren't for the aura of anger and hatred seeping from her skin, you could have forgotten about her presence altogether, but life had never been that forgiving when it came to you.