[-][L-N+][P-1x1] Even if Loving You is a Crime (now playing)

[BrokenScreamBox]

Utsuki did as he was told, wiping away the dried tears. He muttered a slight "Thank you," and took a breath of relief. However strange a thought it was, he somehow appreciated that the criminal had visited. Maybe the stalker wasn't such a bad person after all.

It was at the moment he finished cleaning his face that he heard the familiar sound of the garage opening. His father was back. What time was it? He seemed to have come home a lot earlier than usual.  

[edluver1992]

"Well, it sounds like that's my cue to scram. Stalk you later, kid." In five steps, Kenichi was at the window and on the balcony, preparing to jump into the tree. He was pushing his luck as it was, and it seemed as if that had just come to an end.

As he jumped, he barely missed the branch he needed to swing himself back into the tree and crashed to the ground, barely biting back a long and loud stream of curses. He heard, more than felt, his leg snap and pain shot from his leg and up his spine. How the heck did I miss the dog gone branch, he shouted in his head as he clutched his leg.  

[BrokenScreamBox]

Utsuki was sure he heard someone, specifically the criminal, fall, but before he could investigate he heard the sound of the door opening and slamming. His father was home, and it was time to hide. This particular day of the year was not only the anniversary of Mom's death, but also a day when Dad was rather abusive. It was only one day out of three hundred sixty five, but nonetheless it was still rather frightening.

He could hear his father mumbling about something, but it was incoherent. At the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, Utsuki ran to the attic, a room his dad never visited on this day. It served as the perfect shelter, though not a very good place to hide. His father would always pound his fist on the door and demand that Utsuki exit the room, and almost every year he would go near to obeying.  

[edluver1992]

Kenichi grunted and pushed himself into a standing position, steadying himself with the bushes. He made his way by hopping on his good leg until he was sure that he was out of sight of Utsuki's bedroom.

Once he was hidden, Kenichi sat down with his bad leg sticking out in front of him and rolled up his pants leg. Upon seeing the leg, he decided that looking at the damage was a bad idea. It made it hurt all that much more. He swore softly and rolled the pants leg back down. He needed to get to a hospital, and soon. He stopped, though, when he heard banging coming from the house he had just escaped from and swore again. If he had to rescue that kid, again, on a bad leg, he was not going to be in a good mood.  

[BrokenScreamBox]

Utsuki crouched in the corner the farthest away from the door. His breathing became quick and shallow, dreading the possible moment that his father might finally come into the attic. As each moment passed, he become more and more tempted to obey his father and thus receive a beating. It was strange, because his father is a police chief, but it wasn't like he was an actual alcoholic or anything.

"Utsuki, get out here right now!" his father shouted, punching the door hard enough to form a dent that joined many others. Utsuki only cowered even more, trembling and trying to resist going to the door. Ever since his father first became drunk, he never wanted to leave the attic for quite a while.  

[edluver1992]

Kenichi grit his teeth and climbed up the tree yet again, rolling in a somersault as he landed in order to avoid hurting his leg even more. He stalked to where the shouting was coming from, becoming more and more angry as he limped towards the racket and listened to what was going on.

"Excuse me," he growled, when he reached the commotion. "But may I ask exactly why you're pounding on a seemingly random door for no apparent reason."  

[BrokenScreamBox]

Suddenly, the pounding had stopped and Utsuki wondered what was going on. Before he could begin thinking it over, he thought he heard the criminal's voice. What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be running away?

Utsuki hurried to the door, putting his ear on it and trying to hear from the other side. He could hear his father mumbling something he couldn't hear, and he knew the criminal was in trouble.  

[edluver1992]

"You'll have to speak up, old man. I don't speak Drunk," Kenichi snarled, barely restraining from grabbing the police chief and slamming him against the door. "I don't give a crap one way or the other about whatever reason you're on your butt drunk, but if the kid's in there, I do care. Do you understand? Now, tell me what's going on."  

[BrokenScreamBox]

For a moment, Utsuki wanted to leave the attic and try to convince the criminal to leave, but he was too afraid. All he could do was listen to what was going on through the door. If he left the shelter now, he might not be able to come back. But what could he do?

Utsuki listened to his father mumble something that sounded like "Mind your own business." It seems that he didn't recognize the criminal. Well, who would in that kind of drunken state?  

[edluver1992]

Kenichi lost it then and grabbed the chief, slamming him against the door. "What happens to that kid is very much my business. Now, if I were you, I would suggest not making this difficult. I have a broken leg, a kid hiding from his own father, and the very same police chief who is constantly trying to catch me drunk and yelling at his kid for no reason. Tell me what's going on."  

[BrokenScreamBox]

Utsuki shook a little, and now he really wanted to stop the fight. He could hear his dad trying to keep his anger down, but in his drunken state it seemed impossible. What if the neighbors tries to find out what it was? What would they say about a drunk police chief and a criminal fighting? They obviously would do something that only bad things could come out of.  

[edluver1992]

Kenichi dropped the chief on the floor. "Get away from here," he snarled, kicking at the chief with his good leg. "Utsuki, are you in there," he called.  

[BrokenScreamBox]

Utsuki opened the attic door just slightly. Through the slit in the doorway he could see that his father had passed out, and the criminal was standing near him. Even though everything seemed okay, Utsuki didn't want to leave his sanctuary. The attic was the only place where he felt truly safe.  

[edluver1992]

"Come on out. The old bas- He's not going to do anything to you. Not if I can help it." Kenichi shot a fowl glare towards the police chief and held out a hand to Utsuki. "Come on, kid. I gotta get to a hospital. This leg's killing me."  

[BrokenScreamBox]

Utsuki only stepped halfway out the room, and halfway in. If there was trouble, he could run back to the sanctuary. So far, his father had not stirred, so maybe he was just sleeping off the alcohol. Even if he was, however, that didn't mean all was safe.

He was only faintly aware that he was still trembling. Just putting a finger out of the attic made him really uncomfortable. It was at times like these that he wished his mother was still alive. She would know what to do.