#plz i need more people to talk to abt shifting

[abbeypotter]

i need more shifting mutuals if yall are shifting to dead poets society, or hogwarts plz hit me up i want friends.

[frywen-babbles]

Sounds of Silence pt3

A/N: TW: off-screen violence, mentions of assault/violence

It was way past midnight when they arrived back at Mitsunari’s apartment. She could barely stay awake and kept rubbing her eyes while they ate. There was a cast on her arm but nothing else was wrong.

She had lied at the hospital, told the doctor she had fallen. The look on the doctor's face told Mitsunari, she hadn't believed a word she said. Not that Mitsunari himself believed her, her injuries were so clearly caused by someone else. He didn't even know why she bothered lying.

She had refused to take the fliers about domestic violence the receptionist had offered her when they left, but the receptionist had given them to Mitsunari instead and he had hidden them in his pocket before she could see.

Mitsunari woke up when his phone alerted him of new message.

[06:23:19] << bookshy >> thrs sm1 bhnd my door!! [06:23:20] << bookshy >> plz hlp!! [06:23:20] << bookshy >> !! [06:23:20] << bookshy >> !! [06:23:21] << bookshy >> !!

He was still half asleep when he stumbled into the living room, only to find Hideyoshi standing behind his own door, trying the door handle and speaking softly.

“Hideyoshi! Stop!” Mitsunari grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the door.

“Whoa!” Hideyoshi stumbled back a few steps and looked at him his eyes wide when he took out his phone.

[06:23:50] << ManjuDreamer >> its ok its just my flatmate [06:23:51] << ManjuDreamer >> youre in his room

He quickly messaged her, his fingers flying on his screen.

[06:23:51] << ManjuDreamer >> im here now [06:23:52] << ManjuDreamer >> you can come out its okay

“Whaa…?” Hideyoshi tried to ask, but Mitsunari interrupted him.

“What were you thinking?” He turned towards Hideyoshi, his tone sounding too harsh even in his own ears. Most of all, Hideyoshi looked confused. Mitsunari sighed and let his face relax to a more neutral expression running his hand through his hair.

“I forgot some papers I need today. I thought I could just quickly grab them without bothering your friend. Is there something you’re not telling me?” Hideyoshi tried to explain.

Just then, the lock on Hideyoshi’s door clicked and the door cracked open. She looked at them warily before she opened the door completely and gave them a stiff bow. Mitsunari had to fight the urge to look away. Something tight and cold coiled around his chest and for a moment it felt hard to breathe. Her cheek was not as swollen as it had been the night before, but now a large bruise had formed on her cheek and around her eye. She was wearing his t-shirt and sweatpants and just below the sleeve he could see another bruise. How could someone do this to her? To anyone? He had no clue.

He heard Hideyoshi make a strangled noise behind him which shook him out of his thoughts. He fumbled with his phone trying to come up with something to say.

[06:25:30] << ManjuDreamer >> Do you want breakfast?

She looked at her phone when she felt it buzz in her pocket and then looked back at him. She didn’t nod or shake her head, instead, she pointedly looked at Hideyoshi and back at him.

[06:26:24] << ManjuDreamer >> Sorry. This is Hideyoshi. He’s my friend. [06:26:39] << ManjuDreamer >> He was here last night too. He wrote that note to you.

She wrote something with her phone and then handed it towards Hideyoshi.

“I… uh…” Hideyoshi stuttered but accepted the phone anyway. There was a slight frown between his brows as he typed his answer and handed her phone back to her. She looked at it and let out a small amused huff, a small wry smile on her lips. She quickly typed something and soon Mitsunari's phone buzzed with a new message.

[06:28:01] << bookshy >> breakfast?

Mitsunari looked at her, but she was typing again before she handed her phone to Hideyoshi. He looked at the message but seemed to be lost for words.

“We’re having breakfast, are you joining?”

“Uh, sure…” Hideyoshi mumbled and handed her her phone back.

She awkwardly sat at the table, while Mitsunari and Hideyoshi made the table. When their backs were turned to her, Hideyoshi whispered,

“Do you still know what happened? She said she would leave after breakfast, but I don't feel good about this.”

“You do realise you don't have to whisper? She wouldn't hear you even if you yelled at the top of your lungs. And no. I don’t know what happened. She said she fell.”

“What…?”

“Hideyoshi, she’s deaf. Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“She’s… oh… Oh!” Hideyoshi turned to look at her and flashed her a bright smile. Mitsunari almost resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he focused on pouring coffee into three cups.

[06:34:59] << bookshy >> plz stp tlkng abt me. im deaf not stupid

Mitsunari showed Hideyoshi the message he got. A faint blush appeared on Hideyoshi’s cheeks and he looked embarrassed for a moment. Then he grabbed Mitsunari’s phone.

[06:35:48] << ManjuDreamer >> where will u go? will u b safe there?

[06:36:11] << bookshy >> @ home [06:36:13] << bookshy >> ill b fine

She smiled at them, but Mitsunari didn’t feel like smiling. There was someone out there who had assaulted her and he still had no idea who it was. Would she really be safe at home? Her assaulter wouldn’t get to her there? Mitsunari snatched his phone back from Hideyoshi.

[06:37:29] << ManjuDreamer >> Are you sure? I should walk you home.

She was about to type a reply when her phone buzzed with a new message. She looked at it and Mitsunari could see as something shifted in her posture. Before she had been somewhat relaxed but alert, but now she was guarded, her expression shut off and Mitsunari didn’t miss the slight tremble of her hand.

[06:39:05] << bookshy >> that was my bf hell pick me up

“Your WHAT?!” Mitsunari blurted aloud looking at her shocked. How had he never heard about this?

“What?” Hideyoshi snatched his phone from his hands and looked at the screen. Mitsunari was too stunned to react. There might have been a time a few years ago when she talked about liking someone, but after that, she had never spoken about it again. He had totally forgotten all about it. Was this the same person? And if it was, why she hadn’t spoken about him at all?

Hideyoshi handed him back his phone and dug out his own, typing something before he handed it to her. She took it and typed something back.

“Mitsunari, snap out of it. Her boyfriend will be here in 20 minutes. We need to figure out what to do before then,” Hideyoshi interrupted his self-pity and typed something on his phone handing it to her again.

“Yeah…”

“I’ll put my number on her phone so she can contact me too if she needs to. I assume she has your number?” Hideyoshi asked while she typed her reply.

“No, we’ve been talking through a messenger app.”

“And you… no never mind.” Hideyoshi sighed. She looked at Hideyoshi and handed her phone to him. “I’ll put my number under Hideka. You can be Saki.”

“Fine…” Mitsunari grumbled and turned to look at her. She had drunk her coffee but hadn’t touched the toast in front of her. When she got her phone back, she showed Hideyoshi the new contacts before she typed something again.

[06:44:24] << bookshy >> i shld go change

[06:44:45] << bookshy >> thnx fr the clothes

She stood up and walked back to Hideyoshi’s room and then to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

“She said it wasn’t her boyfriend,” Hideyoshi said after a short silence. Mitsunari didn’t believe it. Not even for a second. If it wasn’t her boyfriend, why hadn’t she ran to him and instead opted to run to a person she didn’t even know the address off.

“It’s obvious she’s lying.” Mitsunari kept staring at the bathroom door, waiting for her to come out.

“I know. But when I asked she said he wouldn’t because he loves her. I think… I don’t know… Maybe we should leave it for now? I mean we can’t keep her here against her will.”

“How did he know she was here? I didn’t see her text him.”

“She could have done it in my room earlier.”

“I doubt it. She looked like she was surprised by the message.”

“Yeah… “

“Is Inuchiyo still home?”

“Yeah, I think so, why?”

“Could you send him a message and ask him to hang outside until her boyfriend comes to pick her up. The more people see what he looks like, the better. We might need to help her at some point.”

“Okay, I’ll ask him.” Hideyoshi gulped down the rest of his coffee and called Inuchiyo. Mitsunari raked his hand through his hair and rested his forehead against the table. Why was she being such a dullard? He was just trying to help but she was being so uncooperative! Refusing to tell him anything starting with the fact she had a boyfriend.

No. That was not the issue.

It was more than likely her boyfriend had assaulted her yesterday. He could come up with no other logical explanation on why she had suddenly appeared behind his door and not ran to the police and then to her boyfriend.

***

Mitsunari kept toying with his phone, ignoring the conversation around him. He sank further into the couch, every now and then sparing a glance at Hideyoshi in case he wanted to leave, but Hideyoshi was immersed in teasing Inuchiyo over something. He had no idea why Hideyoshi had insisted on dragging him to hang with Nobunaga, Mitsuhide and Inuchiyo. Hanbei was also there, but you couldn’t exactly say he was “hanging out” with them. He was sitting in the opposite corner of the room, totally lost in the book he was reading. They were supposedly playing something on Wii, but only ones interested in playing were Nobunaga and Inuchiyo.

His phone rang.

He looked at the number intending to ignore the call, but as soon as he saw who it was he froze.

It was her.

Why on earth would she call him? There hadn’t been any messages from her for weeks. He had tried to message her over and over again but none of his messages had been answered. And now a phone call? Why?

“Hello?”

“…mmmh…haa…” the voice at the other end sounded pained.

“H-hello?” Mitsunari tried again, straightening his posture. His eyes shot straight to Hideyoshi, who didn’t notice him at first, but as soon as he glanced at him, he dropped his quarrel with Inuchiyo.

“How many times have I told you, I’m doing this because you’re not listening to me?!” The voice was angry and seething with contempt. Mitsunari heard some bangs and thumps and a quiet whimper. His face must have betrayed what was going on because Hideyoshi leapt to him.

“…s-sorry…” The voice he heard from the phone was a quiet strangled whisper he could barely hear.

“Is it her?” Hideyoshi asked grabbing his phone so he could look at the screen. He put the phone on speaker and turned volume full before placing it on the table in front of them, fumbling with his own phone a moment before he placed it next to Mitsunari’s phone.

“-tell you, you could speak?! Shut up, I don’t want to hear your voice!”

“AH!”

“What are you doing, cradling that phone again?! That’s why I took it away from you the last time! You care more about your stupid phone than me!”

That at least confirmed why she hadn’t been responding to his messages.

“What the fuck?” Inuchiyo asked, staring at the phone confused.

“What’s this nonsense?” Nobunaga looked irritated by the interruption and put down his controller.

“What was that noise?”

“Shh!” Hideyoshi shushed them with an angry glare. Before either of them had a chance to protest, the man on the other end of the phone spoke again.

“Don’t even think about contacting anyone. Nobody cares about you but me. Why are you being so difficult?”

“Sniff… ah!”

“Quiet now… I love you so much… you’re mine… mine alone… I won’t let you run away from me again… You should have known I’d get angry and jealous…”

“Haa- ah! …sob… Nnnn- aah!”

“This is all your fault…”

“AA! Haaa! Mmh!”

“You don’t mean that… I love you…

“Gaa…haa…ah…sob…”

“You should be grateful I love you so much and want to be with you…”

“Ah! Sniffle…”

“Nobody else would… No, don’t push me away, love…”

“Awk-! Nnnnh!”

“I lo-“

*beep beep beep*

He stared at his phone in silence.

Why had she called him?

“Mitsunari, I-“ Hideyoshi started, but he stood up and snatched his phone from the table. He turned his back to Hideyoshi and strode out of the room. His hands were shaking and slowly the tremor worked its way up to the rest of his body. He leant against the wall in an effort to steady himself, but it was no use. He slowly slid down on the floor burying his face in his knees.

Did that just really happen?

Did he really just witness his friend being assaulted?

And what good did he do? All he could do was to stay quiet on the other end of the phone and listen to what happened.

Why did she call?

What did she want him to do?

“Mitsunari…” he heard Hideyoshi’s voice but didn’t look up. He didn’t want Hideyoshi to see the tears that were trying to force their way out of his eyes. He felt so powerless and helpless. How could he help her when he didn’t even know where she lived?

“Mitsunari, please…” He heard Hideyoshi crouch next to him, patting him awkwardly on the shoulder. He shifted away from his touch. He didn’t deserve to be comforted. He was the worst kind of friend. She should have befriended someone like Hideyoshi… He had been so blind. So blind and stupid and now she was in danger because of him.

“Mitsunari. I think she was asking for help. We need to figure out what to do.”

“You’re disturbing me, I’m trying to think.” He didn’t sound as indifferent as he had wanted to. The quiver in his voice was too audible. How pathetic. He wasn’t even the one in danger and yet, here he was, in the middle of a breakdown. A self-deprecated laugh left his lips, only to be interrupted by a sniffle.

What a miserable excuse of a friend he was.  

“We’re getting her out of there, okay?” Hideyoshi put his hand on his shoulder again. “I recorded the call with my phone in case we need some solid evidence. I think now she wants our help, we just have to find her and get her to safety.”

Mitsunari took a deep breath. He needed to think. Think, think, think. But the harder he tried to think, the more his brain seemed to draw a blank, his thoughts only repeating how horribly he had failed her.

Now wasn’t time for this. He stood up, brushing Hideyoshi’s hand off.

“I need to go to the bathroom.” He left Hideyoshi in the hallway, locking the bathroom door behind him. He needed to get a grip, falling apart now wouldn’t help anyone.

***

@masamunesmistress