Jason exhaled a small cloud of smoke as she hugged him. His arms remained at his sides, and he slowly looked down at her.
". . .where were you?"
His voice was quiet. Monotone, yet somehow dripping with a deep pain. Steady, but impossibly on the edge of hysteria.
Sakura wiped her eyes as she stood to her feet and stared at him.
Before thinking twice, her arms would wrap around the taller man. She did not care if he accepted it or not, she will not let go.
She began shaking again, doing everything in her power to not burst in tears.
Slowly, Jason would grab his lighter with his freehand whilst he took a cigarette from his pack and set it on his lip.
"Well? Gonna do something about this 'roach?'"
He'd light the cigarette, the flame from his lighter making his scarlet eyes shine despite their dull tone.
She took a step back before tripping over her feet, and landing on her rear. Her head tilted back and looked at him.
Shaking, teared hers, and her hand over her mouth.
Now her heart began to ache.
“ 𝘠— 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, ”
Her voice cracked into a whisper.
His eyes narrowed for a moment, and he gave a small nod. To prove it was indeed him, Jason would use his shadow to pull his cigarettes from his pocket.
"Surprised I'm alive, I see."
Her stomach began turning, feeling nauseous, shocked, and her heart rate began elevating.
She lets go in surprise, displaying her shaky hand.
“ . . 𝘑𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 ? ”
Part of her hoped she was right.
Part of her hoped it was not.
Her eyes widened.
"But it is..Sakura Yoo."
His voice rumbled from his throat and held a surprising edge to it. Despite looking clean shaven at a distance, his stubble was rough under her hand.
Her hand held his chin (harshly) and forced his line of vision to match with hers.
Only one person she knew had those eyes.
But it was—
“ . . 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦, ”
"You wound you're former Beast so."
He'd rake his hair from his face, his scarlet eyes piercing into hers. Just under his right eye was a scar, one he got when defending Sakura himself.
"You call the man who gave nearly everything to you a roach? How cutting."
His tone was barely above a whisper. It held no emotion; just like he was when they first met.
- among those who had no clue with who walked with them. He killed as if it were second nature, as if killing was the only reason he lived.
Now. . . best hope he doesn't end up looking for you.
Nobody had seen Jason in months. It was as if he just..fell off the face of the planet. One day he reminded his former students that their homework was due the following Monday and the next? He was gone. Nowhere to be found.
Even checking the house that he once lived in with -
His morales? His patience? His smile? They all left with his daughter. Now? Jason doesn't even know where he is.
The man he was though? The man once revered in the dark Underworld of crime, who killed without mercy or without hesitation? He roamed the streets. He walked -