Breathless
Chapter 14: Confession of Broken Hearts
"Thank you very much, Akira-sama and Reiko-sama have trusted our place as the place of choice to fulfill your wishes!" The manager of one of the world-class wedding store designers bowed politely to let go of Date and Reiko who had bought a wedding dress that was arguably fantastic to be worn by Emu at the wedding later.
Throughout the journey Date unceasingly recounted the figure Emu in his eyes to Reiko. Her sparkling eyes and her enthusiastic face showed the childish nature of Date felt thick. Date does not look awkward showing his spoiled nature and childishness if being alone with Reiko makes the brown-eyed woman very grateful Date can love him as his own mother. Sometimes Reiko wonders if Date still has the memory of her birth mother, Haruka. Date has not mentioned Haruka's name since her mother's death. Even Date is like living in the world without knowing who Haruka really is.
"Mom's? Will Emu like the dress I chose for her?" Date asked Reiko who made Reiko laugh amusedly looking at Date who looked worried about her choice.
"Of course she will! Mommy's sure Emu will look amazing in that dress!" Reiko assured Date.
"Really's? I can't wait to show Emu this dress, Mommy! I wish she could give me her sweet smile again. I really miss him" Date said with a faint smile.
Reiko watched her son's face suddenly turn into a wistful one as if the bright sun had been covered by a black cloud that was ready to dissipate the radiated light. The smile shown was weaker than the smile at the beginning of the conversation. The sudden change that Date showed made Reiko worried for her only child.
"What happened baby boy!?" Reiko asked as she gently stroked Date's shoulders making her bow and then directed her gaze towards Reiko.
"Mom, will Emu smile back at me like she used to?" Date's eyes look glazed to make Reiko conclude that Date really has fallen in love with Emu. No doubt about it.
"Why are you asking like that baby boy?" Ask Reiko gently.
"I haven't seen her face in a smile in a long time. I really miss your smile again Mom! Very!" Date looks frustrated. He took his eyes off Reiko and lowered his head.
"Maybe you should talk to her, baby. Give her what you want and explain it well. You also need to understand their feelings. What he wants and feels. Maybe with that you can improve your relationship for the better" Reiko suggested later, while reaching for one of Date's hands and holding it.
"In addition, Mommy please be more gentle with Emu-chan. Stop the habits you imitate from your Daddy! Mommy believes Emu-chan will love you more and give her whole life for you without being forced. You don't want to see him cry every day and continue to be tormented by all your treatment?" Reiko finally advises Date so that he can control the temperament nature formed by his father.
"But-but Mom! I just-"
"Please listen to Mommy talk first Akira-kun!" Reiko's voice rose as Date interrupted him, leaving Date instantly silent. He had never seen Reiko this hard.
"Well, when was the last time Emu-chan smiled? After you treated him rudely or before?" Reiko's question made Date think hard. She realizes that Emu's sweet smile stops her from enjoying after the events of the night that Date first hit her and forcibly takes the thing that is most precious to Emu, her girlhood.
"See! Mommy can read from the look on your face. Emu's smile came to a halt when you started being rude to her." Reiko looked at Date's agitated facial features.
"But Mom! I was really emotional at the time. I saw another man kissing Emu-chan. I can't think back then! I'm afraid of losing him! I don't want another man touching it! I, I can't afford to lose it!" Date riled to remember when he saw Hiiro directly touch Emu and kissed her forcibly which finally ignited the anger of Date at that time.
"I just wanted to teach her a little lesson and make her my whole life. But then I can't stop and control it! Every time a man approached her I became flustered and-and-and" Date began to realize that all this time he had been treating Emu so excessively. But that's all he did because he was afraid of losing Emu and didn't want any men to approach him again. Date sobbed and flailed his face regretting it.
"Oh, honey! Come here!" Reiko grabbed Date in her arms and began stroking her beloved son's hair.
"Mommy knows that you love Emu-chan so much and don't want to lose her. But you also have to overcome your limits. Emu-chan is a gentle woman. If you treat him harshly, he will be further crushed and you can only have an empty body without a soul. Is Akira-kun ready to live with Emu-chan without her love?" Reiko asked again if Date should stop his rude attitude.
"No, Mom! I want him to love me like he used to. I wanted to see her smile when I looked at her. I want to go back to chatting with him, joking with him or just hugging him. I want our relationship to be back to how it was!" Isak Date in his mother's arms.
"Oh God!! What have I done exactly Mommy?! I'm sorry Mommy! I still can't control myself! Oh, Shit!! Why do I realize it now!?" Date took off her embrace from her mother and began to lament her actions.
"It's Akira-kun! The things that have happened cannot be changed. What matters now. Talk to Emu-chan. Admit if you're wrong! Say what you feel and remember never to repeat your actions again! You have to promise and start learning to control your emotions. Remember the doctor who took care of you back in New York?" Tawar Reiko reminds Date of her therapist who took care of her during her education at Junior High School in New York.
"Bourdon-sensei?" Date recalled his therapist whom he had already considered to be like his own uncle.
"Yes, Bourdon-sensei. If you plan to settle in New York, Bourdon-sensei will help you control your emotions again. He's gonna set up your therapy schedule, Mommy's been in touch. How's it?" Reiko explains her plan to do therapy again for Date so she can control her emotions like she used to.
"Well Mommy, this time I'll obey all Mommy's words! For Emu-chan!" Date replied nodding in agreement to Mother's request.
"Great! That's my boy!" Reiko's smile expands. Now just convince Emu to accept Date again and the plan to unite the two will work seamlessly. Reiko will definitely keep her promise to Haruka, happy Date the beloved son.
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Date and Reiko arrive back at the warehouse area by late afternoon. Date brought several large boxes containing the results of his 'hunting' with his mother when at the wedding store this afternoon. The two of them went straight to the room where Emu was.
When Date opened the door, he saw Emu standing on a pedestal with several wooden blocks near the window. It appears that Emu was carrying a dagger and was trying to pry the window.
"Your? What are you doing!?!" Date's scream shocked Emu. Instantly the young doctor lost his balance and hit the shelf next to him. Date threw the item he was carrying and ran as fast as he saw Emu fall and grabbed his body protecting Emu from the shelf that finally collapsed on Date's back and made Date grimace in pain.
"EMU-CHAN IS! AKIRA-KUN!" Reiko's screams made the three bodyguards guarding the room run and were shocked to see the collapsed shelf hit Date's body.
The three bodyguards ran towards Date and immediately put away the rack that was hitting Date. They could see Date hugging Emu protectively. Protect Emu's slender body from the shelves they've removed.
"Date-sama! Is the young master alright!?" Said one of the bodyguards who looked worried.
Date gave a signal if he was okay with his hand. Reiko yells for one of them to bring her a P3k box.
"Are you okay, baby?!" Said Date looking at Emu worried, but his face grimaced in pain from being hit by a shelf.
Date could feel a vibrating grip on his front shirt. Emu's tiny hand gripped the shirt firmly. He could feel the young girl's body shaking violently. He seemed to be shocked by the sudden incident.
Date endured the pain on his back that was hit by the shelf earlier. He looked at Emu who was still closing her eyes and trembling. Date got up grimacing and carried Emu's body carefully towards the sofa. Emu slowly opened her eyes and looked at Date who was carrying her with a face enduring the pain
"Da-date-san?" Emu said softly. Date had protected her earlier and that was enough to make Emu worry about her situation? Is there still a sense of care in Emu's heart left for Date?
"Yes God! Emu-chan! Akira-kun! You guys okay?!" Reiko panicked with a box of P3k and a compress brought by one of his guards.
Reiko then approached Date who was carefully laying Emu on the sofa. Date took him a glass of water and helped him hold the glass that seemed to vibrate when Emu held it.
"Daijoubou?" Reiko asked gently to Emu and was replied with a soft nod by Emu.
"Akira-kun? Are you fine?" Then Reiko turned her question to Date who was still standing before them.
"Yes, I'm fine" said Date, who was seen hiding her pain.
"You lied, right?" Suddenly Emu looked at him with a gaze that Date could not explain.
Emu slowly approached Date and tried to touch the sturdy man's back. Date grimaced in pain indicating that he was indeed injured and was only pretending to be strong in front of Emu.
"Can I treat you?!" Emu's short speech succeeds in making Date and Reiko surprised. Date was speechless unable to speak frozen just like that. Reiko who saw the confused expression of the son then invited Emu to guide Date to sit on the sofa. Reiko handed Emu a box of P3k and ice cubes and left Emu and Date alone. Reiko hopes this will be a good start for both of them.
In the silence Emu and Date simply fell silent awkwardly. Both of them don't know how to behave. Until finally Emu pointed at the shirt that Date was wearing.
"Hmm, Date-san! Can you open your shirt first? I'll check your back!" Emu said then turned her eyes away as Date began to open her shirt.
Date then sat back to Emu, revealing a flushed back. Emu slowly compresses Date's back and then continues by giving a cold pain-relieving gel. After that, Emu painstakingly battered Date's body with an elastic bandage to prevent bruising from getting worse and reduce pain.
"It's over, Date-san!" Said Emu slowly then returned to her position awkwardly.
"Thank you!" Say Date briefly while wearing back the shirt slowly.
"I'm sorry!" The sentence throttled Date, he looked at Emu who was next to him in disbelief. Just now Emu apologized to him? Wh-wh-what for? Isn't he here guilty?
"If I hadn't tried to escape, you wouldn't have been hurt!" Made Date feel guilty.
With the arrogant and temperament attitude that he showed Emu all this time, it turns out that the young doctor is still thinking about his condition. Good Lord! How foolish I am to treat an angelic heart so cruelly! Sesal Date in heart.
Date grabbed Emu in his arms and sobbed.
"Baby, I was so fool!!" Said Date burrowing his face at Emu's sobbing nape.
"I'm sorry I've treated you so cruelly! I am stupid and useless!" Date further tightened his embrace of Emu so that the girl could feel the heavy breath of Date roaring at her nape.
"I'm sorry! I-i'm sorry! I beg you to forgive me!"
"Da-date-san! Please don't be like this! Don't play with my heart." Emu was uncomfortable with the attitude that Date showed. Is he really sorry?
"Don't you realize? You came to bring me hope when I was looking for someone who could love me sincerely. To fill me with your loving words and gentle treatment. But after you get my heart. Suddenly you destroyed everything! You destroy not the rest!" Emu's defense collapsed an overflow of her feelings the instant she took it out.
"Can't you feel the pain you've been through? Have you ever thought about how I felt when you did it all?" The confession of pain Emu expressed made Date's heart slashed. Date knew his selfishness had sacrificed the lover's feelings.
"Tell Date-san! Give me a chance to breathe. Give me a chance to feel the quiet life just once!" Emu's cry is becoming more and more.
"Emu! Please give me another chance! I admit that I was wrong! I'm cruel, selfish and ****! But I beg you to forgive me! Give me a chance to fix everything! I beg!" Date pleaded with great difficulty.
"Please baby! I don't want to lose you! Please, please!" Date kept begging for just a little chance to get back to what he was before the demon came and destroyed everything.
Their eyes are locked on each other. Tears have battered Emu's eyes, he doesn't know what to answer. When he looked into Date's eyes this time, there was a longing in his heart. That look, the gaze that was now looking at him was the gaze that had once melted his heart first. It was not the gaze when Date turned into a monster that broke his heart.
His heart is now beating fast. Wh why? Why could that gaze bring back the sympathy that had disappeared? Did she? Ah don't waste that thought! Get rid of the possibility if he is willing to accompany the man who has ruined his life!
Emu tried to let go of Date's hug and got up away from Date. But Date caught his hand again. Date got up from his seat and stood in line with Emu. Date tried to grab the young girl's body once more
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Du!!!!!
There was the sound of a loud explosion coming from the front of the warehouse they occupied. Date and Emu lowered their heads to hug each other when they heard the sound of the explosion.
"Su-what's that?" Emu asked with a voice trembling in fear. Date hugged her trying to calm Emu down.
"I'll check it!" Say Date and then get up.
"Ta-but-" Emu's scared. His hand involuntarily held Date's arm firmly
"Wait here! I won't be long!" Say Date firmly
"Wait on! Don't leave me! Please!" Emu looked at Date fixedly. Making Date smile, the gaze he had been waiting for was present in the eyes of the dream girl. He would not let that look disappear again. He promised to protect Emu no matter what.
"It won't be long! I promise!"
❆️❆️❆️❆️❆️❆️❆️❆️❆️❆️
*I found you here, now please just stay for a while
I can move on with you around
I hand you my mortal life, but will it be forever?
I'd do anything for a smile, holding you 'til our time is done
We both know the day will come, but I don't want to leave you
* avenged Sevenfold - Seize The Day