Mamoru comes to the bedroom, having Aoi into his embrace.
He helps her sit on the bed and lies her head against the headboard. Then, he kneels quickly in front of her.
Usui Hurrys in total confusion to the room, the cup of water in his hands. For how much he was shaking, some of it was spilt all over the floor. Mamoru takes her head between his palms, dead worried. He catches his tears, hanging out his eyes as he tries hard not to cry.
He brushes the hair off her forehead.
"Oh my god! Aoi, the bruises on your forehead!"
He turns to Usui."Brother, please give me the water!"
Thunder fast, he hands him the cup.
"Brother, what's wrong with her? Why is her face so pale?"
Mamoru doesn't reply. He couldn't reply. He is focused on helping Aoi drink the water, supporting her head with his hand. To some point, he can feel his whole arm go numb.
"Mamoru-Nee san!"
"Usui!" Responded Mamoru in whispers. "Please! I'll tell you later."
"I... I'll bring a towel and cold water. We need to wet her face."
Mamoru nods, and Usui goes to the bathroom running.
Done seeing him out, Mamoru turns back to face Aoi as he feels how her breathing is all missed up. He stands up and sits next to her. Then pulls her head towards him, laying it comfortably on the side against his chest. He finally cups her cheek and says.
"Aoi-san! Please! I need you to feel my heartbeats! Follow my breathing! Can you do it?"
Aoi nods faintly, which makes his worries fade a little.
"You're doing great! Breath with me, and your heartbeats will become steadier!"
Just a few seconds after, Usui came. The bowl in his hands and his clothes soaked wet.
Mamoru takes the towel and squeezes it thoroughly, then cools her face with continuous light touches.
they remained in that same position for nearly 3 minutes. Until he felt Aoi Pressing a weak pressure against his chest. She is pushing him away, working on sitting up straight.
"Ma_moru-kun..."
"Aoi-san?"
"Old lady!"
She catches her breath for a moment and continues.
"Please... stay away."
Mamoru releases her immediately but still hangs his arms around, not touching her, in case she loses balance.
"*Sob*!" Aoi starts to sob, holding her voice to not escape her chest.
She then holds her head. Palms pressed over her forehead. As she was looking down, suffocated by her own breath.
"I... sod... I feel so disgusted I want to die..." said with a strangled voice.
She started to pull her hair again, making Usui lost in a stun.
He stepped forward to stop her, but Mamoru quickly took her hands.
"Don't touch me!" She screamed hysterically.
Automatically, Mamoru lifts his hands. He hurriedly takes the blanket up the bed and curls it handful times around his hands. Then, takes hers again.
Eventually, he could loosen her grip for a little bit. But she doesn't seem to calm down.
"Aoi! Please calm down!" Screams Usui abruptly.
He jumply kneels beside her and lifts his head to meet her gaze. He cups her cheeks in both palms and tilts gently her head down to console her.
"Am right beside you! We're here, right by your side. Old lady! Please look at me!"
They finally locked eyes, and Usui gets to draw a soft smile as an answer to her worries.
"You're strong, Aoi! I know that! Even if you feel weak, it's okay! We are here to help you get up strong, Whenever you're worried you may not be. You're gonna be fine! Everything... is gonna be fine."
Mamoru can finally feel her fists loosening completely defenceless. He, thus, lets a long grasp and sits down in relief.
Aoi's sight is still hooked to Usui's face as he wipes her tears, which are flowing non-stop, with his sleeve to not touch her.
"I... sniff... I am sorry." She closes her eyes in despair. "Mamoru-kun... I am really sorry for what I_"
"Aoi-san, please. It's okay. I know." He pats on her head, one layer of blanket still around his whole arm.
"Old lady, get some sleep." Usui stands up, and so Mamoru does seeing his brother rearranging the bed.
All of a sudden, her phone rang. when Aoi took the call and put the phone close to her ear, the two brothers could hear the scolding screaming of Mori.
"You slut! You messed up again! How could you! Now the director is speaking the story of you avoiding him and assaulting him!! Do you know how much dishonour you brought to our family?..."
Hearing what her father said, Usui got in a furious rage.
He feels his blood boiling in helplessness, seeing Aoi struggling to look for fitting excuses to calm down her dad.
Before she could speak, Usui takes her phone away and answers instead.
"Hi sir. Am Usui. We're busy now. Don't call."
Then he hangs up and throws the phone on the nightstand.
Aoi smirks in pain, head down and eyes shut for how much tired she was.
"Do you know how bad of a problem you got me into?"
"I don't care! You don't need to care, old lady! I'll fix it. Be 100% sure that I will. Now, what I want from you is to get a rest and go to sleep."
She lifts her head to meet his eyes and nods finally. "Fine. Sleeping a little won't hurt." Then she turns to Mamoru and adopts a shaking smile. "Thank you Mamoru-kun. For everything!"
He smiles back and responds. "Aoi-san, there is no need to thank me. Now, please take a rest."
When the two guys made sure Aoi is laying comfortable and well covered on the bed. Usui follows his brother out as he motions him to have a talk together.
***
The dim light from her bedside lamp casts a warm and gentle glow over Usui's body and face.
When Aoi opened her eyes after a long fight with the exhaustion, she finds Usui next to her, in the Worst position for him to be sleeping.
He is sitting in the sturdy wooden chair pulled close to the bed, his back is curved hard and his legs and arms are crossed.
His breathing is soft and smoothing however his forehead is slightly creased, betraying the comfort he was chasing his whole sleep.
Thus, she relies on her elbow to stand up.
Heavily, she pushs herself up, then adjusts the pillow against the headboard and lies on it finally.
She lifts her gaze to the ceiling then back at Usui.
"You are really good people." Whispers Aoi.
She takes a deep breath and pulls herself slowly towards Usui. When her hands reached his knee, she gave him a gentle shake.
"kid?"
He lets a languish sigh as his hands went all the way up rubbing his eyes.
When she sees his lashes beginning to part slowly. She knew that he needed a small push to fully overpower the exhaust.
"Usui."
He finally lifts his head, a bit startled hearing Aoi's voice.
"Old lady?"
He straightens his back and stretches his arms, then pulls the chair closer to the bed and asks.
"How are you feeling now, old lady?"
"Why do you look so worried, I'm not dying, for God's sake!"
Quickly, Usui gets up to the back of the chair.
Aoi Notices how puzzled he is. He is denying.
"Am not really that much worried. It's just..." He raises his hand and waves his fingers in question. "You're so old... I don't know... I'd be in trouble if you died!"
Aoi smirks. She sees how funny Usui was, failing to pretend not to care.
"Yeah needless to say. But, how much old do you think I am kid?" Teases.
He scratches the back of his head, thinking hard about her response, then harder about the question.
"I don't know, they told me you're old when I asked people. They were rather warning me. So I immediately assumed your 30."
"No way?" Exclaims Aoi, sarcastically faking her surprise.
"Don't tell me! You're younger? Now that I see you, face to face. You look less than 30. Isn't it?"
"Nah~" Aoi Waves off his answer.
She replies. "Much older!" She nods while pressing her laughter.
"Woah!" Hand covering his mouth in shock. "You're hopeless!"
"You can tell?"
"I mean... how much old? 34? 36?"
"Something like that, yeah."
"You needn't tell me. Can you find a partner at your age?"
"Ei~, don't be like mum now."
"Oh my god! Don't tell me!... they hooked me with you because it was helpless for you to get a man?! Oh my!" He drops a fake sarcastic cry. "My youth is being wasted for you, and you're treating me like a germ!"
"Deadly germ, yes."
"Deadly germ!" Continues Usui, immersed in his act. "Wait a minute!" He hangs an annoyed expression around his face. "You're as rude as ever. Even when you're sick,old lady!"
Aoi gives him the I-don't-give-a-shit look, while Usui eye-sides her in irritation.
Suddenly, he claps his hands with revived excitement.
"Ah! The dinner! You didn't eat anything, old lady? Right?"
"Yeah, nothing since I woke up."
"What?" Yells Usui concerned. "How come?! It's 6pm!"
"Ah~"Whines Aoi. "I just didn't have much of an appetite."
Seeing Usui's eyes drop with an unexplainable pain, she can't tell what it was for. Concern? Sympathy? Either ways, she isn't convinced with it: Usui worrying too much about her.
"Kid. I'm fine. I'll just eat anyth_"
"Dang it, Old lady!! You're this old and yet you can't take care of yourself!!"
He sighs his worries out, then leans towards Aoi.
He then holds her cheek in his hand, thumb sliding under her right eye. He gently pulls her inferior eyelid down and focuses his sight down to her eye bulb. While Aoi stares up at him, paralyzed in confusion.
"Look at your eyes! Dead white! *sigh*... I..." He takes his hand away and turns the other side, hesitant. Rather, drown in embarrassment. "I made you dinner. I'll warm it and bring it up here!"
"Wait! You made dinner?" Asks Aoi in a mixture of surprise and hidden fascination.
He slides his hand to brush his hair back, proudly.
"Yep! What do you think? Amazing, right?"
Not wanting to inflate his ego, she answered.
"Well, yeah. I mean, kid. We agree that I'm too old for you, but I'm still too young to get food poisoned!"
Usui sharpened his glare through Aoi's with greater annoyance.
"You are really!... No! I won't mind you. You're tired. And I think that's why you lost some brain. It's okay, old lady. You'll get fine."
He folds his arms to his chest walking towards the door.
"Whatever. If you don't want it, I'll go order something_"
"No, no! Wait, I..." She looks down, great embarrassed. "I want to eat what Usui made."
Hearing that, Usui smirks in a hidden enthusiasm. Like he was expecting her words. "Right! I'll come quick! Just wait here_"
"Wait, kid!"
"What?" He turns, not noticing the naked smile of joy over his face.
"The suit. I didn't get to see you in the suit. And the ball? How did it go?"
A more naked disappointment haunted his face in an instance. However, he draws the most fake smile he could ever have.
"I didn't win... the king of the year."
Aoi locks her gaze to Usui's face. And he can't tell which part of him she is considering, nor escape her eyes. But he can notice how her chin hardened as her eyebrows fall down her eyes.
"It's okay, kid. I told you it's bullshit. Even though I'm sure you looked the best one out of them all!"
"Yeah, I sure did."
"Can you try the suit on for me? I want to see you."
His eyes widen, feeling her voice penetrating his chest deep.
"You... want to see me in the suit?"
"Yeah, I'm super excited. I'd be honoured to see how you look."
He lost a truck of thoughts for a brief second, then zips his lips to press down his smile into a smirk. He sighs, pretending to be troubled by her request.
"*sigh* Fine! Just because you're sick, old lady!"
"Yeah, right. Sure!"
"I'll bring you your meal then go change!"
Making sure Usui left the room. Aoi relaxes her back to the headboard and takes her phone to check her emails.
Suddenly, her eyes escaped the screen as she got the unexpected thought.
"He is somehow cute."