Third person POV
"It hurts.... It hurts... I can still feel the blades and the bleeding..." Akuma whispered, still crippled and motionless on the the ground by the door.

Hours and hours, no one came to disturb the pink haired girl. No one. Akuma was left alone in the dark dark room with nothing but her nightmares of the day.

Tears and tears, shaped from crystals, the stream was silent yet rapid. The drips of rain were the quietest of ever and the sound of thunder was far away. Not even a stifle of lightning appeared.

"... What am I suppose to do... I can't move my body... It hurts..." Akuma muttered softly.

"Gah!" Akuma whimpered quietly, feeling her leg turn hot like burning coal.

"It hurts! It hurts it hurts it hurts!" I gasped, grabbing onto my left leg, gritting my teeth.

"Damn it!" I cursed through my teeth, tears dispersing everywhere.

"Come~! Come~! Come~! Come join us in our game~!" The voices danced in my head, cheerful and creepily like puppets.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, feeling my lungs ache from the many times I've yelled today.

"... Just go away!" I whispered harshly at the nonexistent of a physical form that spoke.

*footsteps*

I became aware and frightened, hearing footsteps approach the door hesitatingly. My breath got caught up in my throat and my muscles tightened despite the pain of a hot and burning sensation. I began to glare in caution, expecting the door to open.

*creak*

"R... Ryu...?" I breathed out, tears coming to a gradual end.

"Akuma...?" Ryu whispered, eyes widening. "W-why are you lying there? Should I get-"

"No! GYAAHH!" Right away, I felt a course of poison and suffocation. My body become paralyzed with shocks of lightning, worse than the ones before. I couldn't breathe and I coughed and coughed for oxygen to breeze into my lungs.

I felt as if a connection of me has been forced away from me. As if my string of fate has been cut and burnt.

"Akuma! What's wrong!? I'll go get help!" Ryu panicked and I saw how fearful and horrific this was from the mirrored image of aquarium orbs that only stared at me and my helpless form.

I grabbed onto his leg in desperate measures, making sure he wouldn't leave to inform anyone! Ryu ended up falling down with a slight hard echo and I heard him grunt in pain. I felt guilty, but I absolutely cannot let him leave to the others right now! Absolutely cannot!

"D-don't go! Please!" I breathed out, panting.

"..." I saw he hesitation with Ryu's movement as he sat up and sighed. He shut the door and went to turn on the lights to eliminate the shadows of the dark.

"Thank you..." I muttered.

"Here. I don't think lying there is comfortable." Ryu stated, letting me use his shoulder for support as he guided me to my bed, letting me sit on it. He grabbed the chair from the desk and placed it a distance in front of me and sat on it.

"... I don't...... I don't feel it anymore..." I said, gently and softly with horror in my voice.

"...?" Ryu looked at me, concerned and confused.

"... S-stop staring at me!" I blushed, grabbing a pillow to only throw it at Ryu.

"Gyah!" Ryu said, surprised.

"Why do you keep using pillows?" Ryu said, as if he was relieved that the throw wasn't as hard as it looked when I threw pillows at Zen and Obi.

"How should I know?" I scoffed.

"... Are you sick Akuma? Should I go to the medical wing?" Ryu asked.

"No medicine can cure me of this pain... None." I muttered, curling my legs towards my chest.

"... Would you like to talk about whatever is bothering you?" He asked, making me hesitate.

"... Would you... You won't make fun of me, right?" I timidly asked.

"No. I promise I won't."

I sighed, relaxing my muscles. I grabbed a spare pillow and placed it onto my lap.

"I couldn't sleep last night... I hear these voices. Voices that are trying to make me give myself away to the shadows. A sacrifice... They keep telling me that they want to play and play and play! It's frightening... I'm too scared to sleep!" My eyes began to water.

"I hate it! And since this morning, I've felt so many painful sensations! Like my arms and legs were being sliced off or bruised! My head was screaming! I couldn't even stand at most which was why you saw me lying there by the door!" Crystals began to fall onto the pillow.

"..." Ryu was speechless from the way I looked at his face. His eyes read horror. Who wouldn't be horrified?!

"And I... I felt as if a connection or a part of me has disappeared... I'm scared! Just earlier, after that immense pain of suffocation, I felt all those burning sensations disappear with my connection! I'm so exhausted and out of it that I don't know what to do!" My voice cracked, small and painful.

"... I'm sorry."

"Huh...? For what?" I asked, wiping away my tears.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for not being there." He replied, making me even more confused.

"Stop apologizing. I was the one pushing everyone away! Literally!" I sighed. "Plus... Y-you being here already is comforting, idiot..."

"... Oh.. Now that those voices and your pain is gone, why don't you sleep now to recharge yourself?" Ryu asked. My eyelids were slowly falling, but I kept trying to keep them open.

"... I don't want to... What if they come back while I sleep?"

"Then I'll wake you up if you seem to be trapped in a nightmare... I'd know if you toss and turn while muttering something frightening." Ryu stated.

"Will you really do that for me...?" I asked, shy.

Ryu nodded his head.

"... Thank you." I breathed out.

Ryu's POV
"... Thank you." Akuma said, barely audio.

I nodded my head, handing back the pillow that was thrown at me earlier.

"I can finally rest without anxiety or fear... Thank you, Ryu. I appreciate it." Akuma smiled gently, showing a whole new side of her. At this moment, I saw how incredibly gorgeous Akuma was.

"N-no problem, Akuma!"

Akuma smiled once more, closing her eyes. Immediately, she dozed right off into a peaceful slumber.

I smiled, happy to know that I was able to do something to help her. But...

This scene reminds me of some deja vu... (1)
—————

(1)-  The fact that Ryu is with Akuma during a hardship and helping her get some sleep with some actual PEACE, it's just like how it was with Kiroyuki. A similar scene of this with Kiroyuki was Chapter 16-17.

I'm pretty sure Akuma herself really enjoyed such heartwarming moment with Ry- *rocket pillow has launched into my guts*

*ded*

Akuma: WHEN DID I EVER SAY SUCH THING?! I WAS JUST TIRED! BAKA AUTHOR! HMPH!

Author-Chan who is barely alive: Y-y... You love Ryu too... X____X

The gang: I knew it!

Ryu: *asleep*

Akuma: You better run! RUNNNN!

Author-Chan: *goes in some random helicopter* AWAYYYYY!

A/N
Have a great day and don't die from exams! Be prepared soldiers!

Thank you for reading this short bonding chapter! Please like this chapter and have a great day/ night!

#stainedpaintfromfacepaintingforkids #cramps #footasleep #haaalp #hotcocooooo #ihungry #shipsss

12/10/17

(Unedited)