Welcome to Gaia! ::

Daichi looked from Rui to Kaoru, almost certain Kaoru would opt to go with him. He wasn’t sure while he knew that… just the day before yesterday he felt like Kaoru was forcing himself to be with him… and with Rui here, he’d have an excuse to stay behind… but… Kaoru did actually enjoy his company, like Daichi enjoyed Kaoru’s. It was still a wall Daichi had to mentally climb… but with Rui’s help with getting Kaoru to talk and understand what Daichi was saying, he knew it would get easier. Daichi smiled slightly when Kaoru agreed to go with him. He made sure Kaoru saw his small smile before he turned to the bedroom and walked to his closet. He didn’t undress until he heard the door gently shut behind Kaoru. “Are you feeling alright, Kaoru?” he asked softly, wanting to make sure Rui wasn’t pushing the male too quickly… he was being over protective. He knew Rui was an excellent therapist, and knew what he was doing… he still worried for Kaoru.

Once dressed, Hana was harnessed and leached. “Help yourself to the kitchen Rui. We won’t be too long.” He said as he took the leash, then lead the little party out of the apartment. Well… more like followed since Hana was leading. Once on the street, they headed in a direction Daichi knew was a small area of grass for Hana to do her busy and sniff around. He held the leash in his good hand, letting his bandaged hand swing between himself and Kaoru. It was a beautiful day out… Daichi watched Hana’s little butt as they walked. She’d stop to smell something, then continue, and repeat. It was adorable. When he felt Kaoru’s hand gently slip into his own, he looked down at their hands, then at Kaoru and nodded. “Yeah, this is fine.” He said softly, returning his gaze to Hana. He had a nagging question in the back of his mind… but he didn’t want to upset Kaoru… but Rui did want him to be honesty… his brows pulled together as he tried to get the nerve to ask. Eventually he sighed softly and resolved himself to just ask. “Don’t-don’t take this was wrong way Kaoru but… do you actually want to hold my hand, or is this just part of your conditioning?” he asked softly, glancing down at their hands again… hopefully Kaoru understood what he meant by conditioning and hopefully the male would get upset with his question. He looked up at Kaoru’s face as they paused so Hana could pee on a patch of grass. He was careful to leave his own face calm, not angry, just slightly curious.

Daichi listened to Kaoru, and he was actually surprised. Very surprised. So holding his hand was one of the first acts he took on his own free will…Kaoru explained a bit more of his ‘training’ and it made Daichi a bit sick that a mother would train their child to think like that. He hated that woman so much. Daichi looked down at him and shook his head, squeezing Kaoru’s hand to make a point. “I didn’t ask because I want you to stop… I kind of always thought you were forcing yourself to touch me.” He said honesty. Jezz… that made Daichi sound, a bit weak… this honesty think was going to be embarrassing…

They walked around the corner then back to the apartment. “We shouldn’t keep Rui waiting for too long… and I need to call into work… have some files emailed over… I’ll have to work on my computer tonight.” He said a they walked back inside their apartment building and made their way back to their unit. “We should probably go grocery shopping after Rui leaves.” He mentioned, knowing that their fridge was pretty empty since they had been gone all weekend.

Daichi gave Kaoru’s hand a small squeeze. “It’s alright.” He looked at the male. “Seriously, its’ alright.” He said softly. “I don’t have any major meetings this week, just some phone calls and emails to answer. My company runs pretty smooth whether I’m there or not.” He shrugged a bit. “I’m just a bit of a control freak. Rui had told me I need to work on it.” He said, reflectively. “It’s not going to kill me to stay home and work a bit less… it’ll probably actually be good for my health.” He said. “And I’m not doing it to babysit you Kaoru… yes, I want to keep an eye on you, but not because I think… you’ll try again… just… I’m just worried about you, okay? … You’re not a burden.” he said a bit rushed. Damn this honesty policy… he felt like he was blushing. They were almost at their apartment when Kaoru asked if he could stay home while Daichi went grocery shopping. Everything in Daichi’s head was screaming at him to tell Kaoru no… he had to come with… Daichi didn’t want him alone. But he knew, now, that Kaoru hated crowds, so ya… the store was probably the worst place for him to go… and he was feeling like a burden, like he needed to babysat, so leaving to go to the store showed Kaoru that Daichi trusted him, and he knew Kaoru needed that reassurance right now. But damn… “S-sure Kaoru. You can stay home. Will you make me a list of things you want me to pick up?” he asked.

They stepped back into their apartment and Daichi leaned down to release Hana from her leash and harness. “Sorry to make you wait, Doc.” Daichi said and he set the leash on top of their suitcases, which were still by the door. That reminded him of Kaoru’s letter. He discreetly grabbed it and slipped it into his back pocket. Maybe he could walk out with Rui and hand it off to him. He walked over to the couch to join the other two, and see what Rui had planned for them. Then he’d call his company and have his files emailed over.

Daichi gave Kaoru a small smile while he hid his fear. He really didn’t want to leave Kaoru here alone… but he needed to. He couldn’t stay home all the time… at least this would be a short time alone compared to going to work. As they stepped inside, Rui handed them lists of things he wanted them to work on, one individually, and one as a couple. Daichi took his list and quietly read it over as Rui explained the time frame he wished these things to be completed. ((do you have a specific plan for Daichi’s individual list or should I make that up?)) Daichi gave Rui a look, a very definite look. Daichi was never a very willing participant in therapy. And taking orders from Rui was usually fought tooth and nail.

Daichi appreciated that Rui would be checking in on Kaoru for the next couple of weeks. It would give him some peace of mind while he was at work. But when Rui turned to him, Daichi’s shoulders tensed. He frowned at Rui proposal. “Listen, Doc. You’re here for Kaoru…” he shook his head a bit. He was willing to participate to help Kaoru, but he didn’t need therapy. “Once a week, and a phone call. And two dinners a week, here, with all of us.” He countered back. Rui should have known it wasn’t going to be that easy to Daichi to agree to therapy. They settle on some terms, but Daichi still felt he was getting the short end of the stick… too many days of therapy for himself. Why was he having individual one on ones? Maybe to take privately about Kaoru? He shrugged.

Glancing from Kaoru to Rui, he nodded and followed the male out into the hall. Daichi pulled the door tightly shut and stepped away from the door, so that they voices wouldn’t echo back into the room. Daichi frowned at the news. So Kaoru’s mother was missing. That was unsettling... His frown deepened when Rui used the ‘L’ would. “I never said…” he just shook his head. There was no point in arguing with Rui. He obviously could see Daichi's feelings for the boy. “Kaoru has asked to stay home while I go to the grocery store… do you think It’s safe to leave him here? I think he wants to show he can be trusted…” he said softly. He slipped his hand into his back pocket and pulled out the letter Kaoru had written him on that night. He held it in his hands for a moment, staring at it. “Kaoru wrote this, before he tried to…” he cut himself off and held it out to Rui. “Read it. It might give you some insights.” He said, not mentioning that he hadn’t read it, though it was obviously unopened.

Daichi actually felt a bit relieved when Rui told him that he had looked around their house for items Kaoru could use to hurt himself with. He should have felt invaded, violated, but he didn’t. He shook his head when the male apologized. “No, actually thank you for looking… it puts my mind at ease.” He said softly, sighing a bit. Rui took the letter and Daichi could practically see what Rui was thinking. Eventually, he’d make Daichi read that letter… even though Daichi had no desire to. He sighed softly and just nodded when Rui confirmed Daichi’s thoughts. He wasn’t going to read it today… but there might be information that could help Kaoru today, so someone had to read it.

Daichi nodded and shook Rui’s hand as he started his good bye. “I will, thank you Rui.” He said softly. But he paused when the male mentioned getting Kaoru a treat from the store. He frowned, blushing softly at the therapist. “Just. Leave.” He said, shooing the male off. Seriously… Rui… Daichi shook his head a bit and composed himself before stepping back into the apartment. The room smelled of Raman and Daichi smiled softly. “Hey, Kaoru. Rui’s gone.” He informed. “Did you make a list? I’ll eat first, then head out to the store.” He said, moving to sit at the bar with Kaoru.

The meal was pleasant and Daichi didn’t mind eating leftovers. He knew the fridge was empty. He glanced at the list Kaoru had made, looking for items he wasn’t sure of. He’d rather ask now that look silly in the store. “While I’m gone, I want you to lock the door. And don’t open it, for anyone. Even my mother… just tell whoever it is that I’m on my way home and you have to wait until I’m home to let them in.” he said. He hated how controlling that statement sounded. But for now, it would have to do. He didn’t want anyone surprising Kaoru when he wasn’t home… especially during Kaoru’s healing.

After lunch, Kaoru grabbed his wallet, phone and keys. He grabbed the list and gave Kaoru a small smile. “I’ll be back soon.” He said softly, resisting the urge to kiss the male before he stepped out of the door. This wasn’t a final goodbye… Kaoru would be fine… it was just a trip to the store… why was he so anxious about this? Daichi stared at the apartment door across from his and frowned. He forgot, in his haze, he had called and bought the place next door… maybe, if things didn’t work out, he could move Kaoru into there… then he could still be close enough to look out for the male, but not too close to bother Kaoru anymore… He sighed softly at the thought and headed down to the garage.

The ride to the grocery store was short, though Daichi did take the time to call, using his blue tooth, the office and arranged for work to be sent to his email. He explained he would be working from home for the next couple of days and to only call him in case of emergencies. Once at the store, Daichi grabbed a cart and started to go up and down the aisles, looking for the items on Kaoru’s list. It was pretty standard. He left the fresh fruits and veggies for last, as he hated the way wet produce sounded as it slid into the bags. It made his skin crawl. The bakery happened to be on the way to the cashier counters. Daichi stopped and stared at the little personal cakes in the display window… Rui words floated back to him and he blushed slightly. There was a cute little cake, decorated in a dark chocolate mirror glaze. It looked good… did Kaoru like chocolate? Daichi sure hoped so… because he bought it. Paying for the rest of the items at the cahier’s counter, Daichi kept glancing at the cake. He couldn’t believe he was doing this… how did he give this to Kaoru? ‘I saw this and thought of you’? Embarrassing! Maybe ‘I saw this and I thought we could share it’? that was a bit better. Daichi took his cart to the car, loaded up the groceries, then returned the cart. The Cake sat safety in the front seat in it’s tiny little box.

Daichi clicked his blue tooth when he saw Kaoru was calling. “Hey, I’m-“ He felt his body run cold when he heard Kaoru sob on the other end. And his words sparked a fire of fear and anger. “Kaoru! Get behind a locked door! I’m almost home!.” He floored the gas petal. He didn’t care if he broke speeding laws. The tires screeched as he took corners too quickly. He turned into the garage parking lot, narrowly missing another car. He jerked, parking the car crooked in his parking spot. The cake few out of the seat to the floor and was left forgotten. As were the rest of his groceries as Daichi took the stairs up to his apartment. He ran to the door and he growled when he found it unlocked. He was never the type to hit a lady, but if she was still here…

“Kaoru!” He yelled, slamming the door behind him, looking around the living room for either Kaoru or his mother. The side table was knocked over, the couch looked like it had been shoved at one end, making it crooked. He quickly checked his bedroom, and saw light under the bathroom door. “Kaoru!” he looked over the room, checking to make sure the woman was actually gone before going to the bathroom door. “She’s gone. Open the door Kaoru.” He tried to calm his voice, but it wasn’t working. His heart was racing. Was Kaoru hurt? He said she tried to kill Hana. Was Hana hurt? Kaoru couldn’t open the door fast enough. Daichi swept the male into his arms, hugging him and Hana for only a moment before he pulled back and started to look for injuries. “What happened? Are you alright?” he said, rushed as he checked obvious places for wounds. Damn it! This was not supposed to happen! How the hell did she have a key!?! Daichi had so many phone calls to make. He was furious! He wanted that woman’s head on a platter! And he would have it, even if he had to do it himself! But first, he had to make sure Kaoru was okay.

Daichi started at Kaoru’s head, gently touching and prodding for injuries as Kaoru spoke, frantic and sobbing. He felt his blood boil as Kaoru tried to explain what happened. He checked Kaoru’s arms as he tried to comfort the male. “It’s alright Kaoru. You did nothing wrong. You did everything right…” he said softly. They hadn’t expected Kaoru’s mother to have a key to their apartment. His own mother didn’t have a key… when had she broken in and copied their key? Daichi slipped his hands under Kaoru’s arms to his sides, and continued his search down the male’s sides. He stopped when Kaoru flinched. “Kaoru, Kaoru… shhh shhh… it’s okay… love, it’s okay…” he tried to calm the male. “Does your side hurt? What did she do to you?” he asked softly. He pulled Hana out of Kaoru’s grasp and set her on the counter, still very near in case Kaoru needed her presence. Kneeling, he carefully grabbed the edge of Kaoru’s shirt. “Lift your shirt for me Kaoru.” He said softly, steady. But he was fuming.

That evil woman invaded his home, assaulted his wife, and tried to kill his dog! How could this woman be so deluded to think that this would go unpunished? Kaoru’s ribs were bruised, getting darker. He carefully traced his fingers over the bruising welts and it took everything in him to stay in that bedroom. He wanted nothing more than to find this woman and beat her to death. “Does it hurt to breathe? Sharp pain, stabbing pain?” he asked, trying to judge if he could move Kaoru or if he could call a paramedic. What were they going to do? Daichi looked up at Kaoru, and his heart broke to see how frightened Kaoru was.

He stood and picked Hana back up, putting her in Kaoru’s hands. He gently directed Kaoru to the bed and pushed on his shoulder until he sat. “Sit here, don’t move.” He said calmly. He went out to the living room and grabbed their suitcases. He tossed the dirty clothes into the hamper and started to fill both cases with their clothes. Shirts, pants, socks, underwear… every drawer was left open as he rummaged through and threw things haphazardly into the cases. He grabbed another bag from the kitchen and filled it with Hana’s things. Once he set the three bags by the door he returned to Kaoru, kneeling in front of him. “Come on Kaoru. We’re leaving.” He took the male’s hand and headed to the front door. He’d call his mother in the car. He knew they could stay in his old bedroom for a few days while they figured out new living arrangements.

Daichi hated how hollow Kaoru was looking. But he could coax and comfort Kaoru once they were safe at his mother’s. He carried the suit cases while Kaoru held Hana’s bag. He locked the door, even though he felt that was useless and directed Kaoru down to the car. He threw the bags into the truck, moving the groceries as needed. He’s give the groceries to his mother, surely they could use them. He slipped into the driver’s seat once he was sure Kaoru was in the car and buckled in. Hana stayed close to Kaoru, and Daichi was relieved for that.

Daichi slipped his Bluetooth onto his ear and called his mother. His voice was empty, very controlled as he told her about threat to his family, her family. He told her how she broke into his home, tried to throw his ‘daughter’ off the balcony, and kicked his ‘wife’ until his ribs were purple. He asked/told his mother they were on their way to stay in his old room. He didn’t want to say much more over the phone, they could talk in person. He also sent a text to Rui, telling him very briefly that Kaoru had been attacked and they would be with mother. He hoped Kaima would try to get to Kaoru at the main house. Then he could deal with her himself…

Daichi turned on the car when Kaoru spoke, gaining his attention. He looked at the cake, smashed and broken and he nodded softly. “I saw it at the grocery store and thought you might like it…” he said softly. He was actually surprised the package hadn’t opened upon the crash. “It used to look nicer…” he said softly, then shrugged. “I’ll get you another one.” He reversed the car and drove out of the garage, towards his mother’s. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, reaching over to put one hand on Kaoru’s leg as he drove with the other hand.

He drove quietly, going back and forth between drumming his fingers on Kaoru’s leg or squeezing the male’s fingers. He pulled into the long driveway of his childhood home and parked the car. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you Kaoru. I won’t make the same mistake twice.” He said softly before he parked the car and got out of the car. He walked to Kaoru’s side and opened the door for him, helping him get out of his seat. He took the male’s hand and lead him up to the front doors, which opened before he could even knock.