"Listen, dear." Joshua grabbed the arm that had the sigil running up and down it, as active as ever. Although, it seemed to fade slightly and become more transparent with each passing moment, as if it were to disappear into oblivion completely. He slowly shut the door behind us as we stepped into my room and my legs grew weak when Joshua walked up to me so that our bodies were barely inches away from each other. Joshua grabbed the glove on my right hand and tugged it off, tossing it behind him as he did so, doing the same action to the other glove. He rolled up my sleeve and ran his fingers over the sigil. I shivered from the goosebumps that appeared and the slight electric feeling I could feel from his light, but gentle touch. The sigil seemed to circle my arm faster when he came into contact with it, as if speeding up the process. Joshua then brought his hand up to my face and brushed a few loose strands of hair out of my face. before setting his hand on my cheek, as if he forgot that he was going to say something to me.

I leaned on it with my head as I closed my eyes, resting there for a moment before we both pulled away, finally realizing what we had been doing just a moment earlier. My face heated up slightly and I felt like my knees would give out at any given moment. Come on Joshua... Don't leave me hanging like this...

"I suppose you must be getting tired huh? Then I guess it's off to bed you go. Don't worry, I'll tuck you in." Joshua laughed softly as he said this and tugged me over to the bed. My mind raced as fast as my heart did, different thoughts coming in from all directions and angles possible.

"I thought you had something to tell me," I mumbled. "You just told me to listen, and now you're changing the subject."

"Oh never mind that thought dear. You don't need to worry your pretty little head over it-"

"You don't have to change the subject you know. I mean, if you truly don't want to tell me, then don't, but if you do, not would be the time." Joshua was silent for a minute before his arms wrapped around my torso in less than a second as he enveloped my body in a tight hug. Startled by his actions, I was nearly tackled by the sudden contact. I backed up and hit the bed frame of my bed, wincing at the corner that was digging into my side. Slowly, I wrapped my own arms around his slender body.

"It's just better to avoid somethings, wouldn't you agree dear? After all, we both already know the pain of losing someone we held dear to us..." My (e/c) eyes widened as I recognized the meaning behind what he said. I'm not that important for him to beat himself over me, being reckless to try and save me from whatever trouble I managed to get myself in. I then thought about what he said.

'... we both already know the pain of losing someone we held dear to us...'

Joshua had never talked about his life before becoming the Composer, and as far as my knowledge went, not even Mr. Hanekoma, who has known Joshua longer than me, knows much, if even anything about his past. But who did Joshua know that died? Was it a family member? A friend? A lover even? Asking him would be prying into his business and I felt as if it would be opening up old wounds.

"... I know," I whispered. "It hurts, more than anyone can imagine. Having someone you cherish, someone you love, care for even, be taken away and feeling your heart be torn in two as your world is flipped upside down. The confusion and the heartache comes at full blast and you feel as if you'll never recover from the loss." Joshua's arms tightened around me before he pulled away, his eyes closed as a smirk was on his face. It seemed forced, and he didn't open his eyes to me.

"Heh, yeah... But all of this talk is making me tired. Let's call it a night, shall we?" I nodded, sensing that he didn't want to talk about the subject anymore. Finally, we laid down beside each other as Joshua had his arms lazily wrapped around me holding my body close to him. His face was buried in my hair, as he began to try to fall asleep himself.

Without even realizing it, I began to absentmindedly hum a song I remembered from my childhood, one my mother would sing to me when I was frightened, or restless late at night. I could feel Joshua smile into my hair, humming the second verse to the song.

"I'm surprised you know this tune Joshua," I said. Joshua stopped humming and made a scoffing noise.

"As if I wouldn't know a song as beautiful as you my dear~" I smiled, as I enjoyed the compliments made by Joshua as he was able to slip one in, in any conversation. In sync, we hummed the song again.

I had learned more in this moment with Joshua than from all the years I had known him. Joshua was a concealed person, only allowing the world to know what he wanted them to.

......

"So, then, uh, have we found out any news on Nikolai?" I asked nervously as I was seated on my warm and comfortable bed, having just woken up minutes earlier. Mr. Hanekoma made a humming noise as he shook his head, his hair moving slightly back and forth as he did so. It was wild like always, and he didn't do much to tame it. Makes me wonder how Neku can keep his hair up in those spikes it's always in. How much hair spray does he even use?

"Afraid I can't say we have. The good news for you though, is that both sigils have finally disappeared completely. Only took a little over a week, but it wasn't that bad. The only thing is for you to regain your strength," Mr. Hanekoma said. He was seated on the edge of my bed, and had made a habit of waking me up before a certain time every morning, never allowing me any beauty sleep.

"Yeah, it wasn't that bad when I was cooped up in here. I just was bored to death. What was worse was trying to go out in public when that sigil was on my arm. At least I don't have to hide it anymore. My arm is as free as a bird," I said, moving around my arm in the air for emphasis. No more symbols swirled around it and all that the eye could see was my bare arm, nothing strange. Joshua was half-asleep and leaning on my shoulder as he played with his phone, making sure to keep it out of my view.

"You are a bird," Joshua commented. I lightly punched his shoulder and rolled my eyes.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"You do, actually." I smiled and closed my eyes as I stretched my arms far above my head. A yawn escaped my lips and Joshua yawned as well. "Mr. Hanekoma, you should let me sleep in for a day. You always wake me up so early," I complained, looking at him with half-lidded eyes.

"And if I didn't, then you wouldn't get anything done. Besides, you just had about a week to rest and get up when you wanted. I've been nice on other days, but you can't expect me to allow you to sleep all day long, all the time," Mr. Hanekoma said.

"Who says I'll sleep all day long? Rest is important you know. It'll help me regain my missing strength."

"Eating your meals and having something to drink will also help. I'll be downstairs waiting." Mr. Hanekoma then stood up and walked over to the doorway, disappearing into the hallway.

"What are your thoughts on this then?" I asked Joshua. "Do you think Nikolai will pull a stunt like before? Or something else?"

"Everything's a possibility," Joshua said, shaking his head lightly as he grinned slightly, thinking about some memory he had of an event I would have no idea knowing about, unless he described it to me. Although, it could apply to someone just running at you with a gun and shooting you until you drop to the ground, I suppose. "That's why it's good to keep your guard up."

"You have a point. When's the next Reaper's Game?"

"Next Monday." Joshua's voice had a strange tone to it, as if there was something I didn't know about, or wasn't supposed to know. His voice sounded strained.

"Are you feeling alright? You sound... off," I said, turning my head to look at Joshua, whose face was paler than usual. It was possible that he and Mr. Hanekoma talked about something before I had woken up. By the time Mr. Hanekoma woke me up, the first thing I noticed was Joshua, who was already on his phone, typing away at an app installed onto it. Joshua wouldn't survive without his phone, from what I know of him so far. He uses it daily, for almost everything he does. When he fights, when he calls someone, and for other activities that Mr. Hanekoma has usually set out for him.

"I assure you dear, that I'm fine. Worrying for me are we? It's just so sweet that my heart can barely take it~" I got a strange sense of deja vu, as if I had a conversation like this with Joshua beforehand about him not feeling well. Even Joshua had to have answers to questions that were predetermined. Set in stone to avoid telling the truth, or altering it in the slightest.

"You can trust me, you know that, right?"

"Of course~ I've trusted you with some things before now, haven't I? Surely you haven't forgotten already, or didn't take the hint," Joshua said with slight exasperation.

"Joshua, look in a mirror or something. You looked pale. You're regaining color now, but there's something you're keeping from me. You're acting strange. Stranger than usual at least," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Joshua shrugged it off and stood up.

"If it was serious, then you'd know, I'm positive of it. For now, I can assure you, that everything is OK." Joshua smirked as he looked back towards me one last time, before walking towards the exit of my room, which also counted as the entrance.

He paused, his back still towards me. "You're special, you know that?" Joshua left without another word, leaving me alone to my thoughts once again. Now he's saying that? Mr. Hanekoma had made a comment about that awhile ago, about how I was special in getting Joshua to show some emotion, bringing out the colors hidden beneath the mask he always wore, wherever he went.

"I'm not that special," I whispered, more to myself as a note. "I just get into trouble that people have to come and bail me out of. It would get annoying after awhile so how can you stand me? After all, because of me, Nikolai will end up coming back to harm you just to get to me."