Host's Chocolate 8

Host's Chocolate
Elle Doki
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Yao returned a few hours later with a bag of books. After setting them onto the counter, he wandered over to Mei. He could hear faint cries.

“Mei?” he asked, shifting the sleeping figure. “Mei? Mei… Wake up!”

Mei was crying, tossing and turning in his restless sleep. “N-no… I don’t… not… I don’t… want… Please!”

Yao shook Mei once harshly. It snapped the other from his sleep. “Mei!”

Mei gasped, staring up at Yao, tears running down his cheeks. It took a moment for Mei to realize it had been a dream, then he rolled to his side and began to cry. “I don’t want to want anything anymore! Never again!”

Yao stared, shifting to hug the other up into his lap. It took a few moments, but he succeeded finally. “Shh… Shh… It’s okay, Mei… You can want stuff.”

“I can’t.” Mei cried softly, pushing his face into Yao’s chest slightly.

“Why not?”

“Because… It killed Mom…”

“Hm?”

“She and dad were going to buy something. I wanted them to get me some chocolates or something since it was Valentine’s.” Mei explained through soft breaths. “There was a shooting in the mall, and Mom died. Dad told me not to blame myself, and he went back to work after he mourned. It was hard for him, but… Harder on me.”

“You didn’t want stuff after that, did you?” Yao asked, stroking Mei’s hair.

The other just shook his head, continuing his soft crying.

“You can stay in my arms until you’re calm, okay?”

Mei just nodded.

Shortly Mei was asleep again in Yao’s arms, in much more calm dream this time.

Yao pet Mei’s hair gently from his crown to his shoulder and back up again. “That must be why you try to avoid wanting things, isn’t it? It’s okay to want stuff though, Mei… That was just a bad accident… It’s okay.”

He sighed, sitting there with Mei on him for several hours. He turned, looking out his window with a sigh. “Moi…”