Parrot and its Beetle! :P

"I- I'm not sure, but... I think I've decided... Maybe." Laiko replied hesitantly - suddenly glad for the darkness that saved him having to meet her eyes. This... This could change everything. No, this would change everything - hell, he could feel himself changing already just speaking those few words... Accepting the decision he had come to.
He turned his attention to the television then - obviously unwilling to say any more, especially without prompting. The image on the screen was miserable, and soon dampened his already low spirits. As if seeing crying people would help him any... He sighed softly, glancing away. He tried to lie still for a moment, but soon gave up. He was simply too tense.
When he reached that conclusion, Laiko pushed himself into a sitting position in the bed - wincing at the stiffness in his neck.
Yet even sitting - Laiko could not stay still. He shifted and fidgeted and sighed every so often, just not quite managing to relax. In fact, he seemed to be getting himself more worked up by the second. The tension in his neck muscles ached fiercely, and he wished he could just relax to relieve the pain, but trying to relax only made him tense more. Geez, but he was hopeless! Laiko stifled a soft chuckle at this thought, and only then did he find a hint of relaxation. Now, if only he could remember how to do that for next time...

Laiko took the glass of milk she offered to him and raised it to his lips, taking a brief sip. Unfortunately, it did not seem to moisten his throat, which now felt dry from nerves. "I-" He began uncertainly at her question, but the words seemed to stick. Laiko cleared his throat, then tried again. "I- I think I... Do l-like... Uh, well... I don't know..." He trailed off again, gazing awkwardly in the opposite direction to Annabelle. A blush was slowly heating his face, and upon feeling this, Laiko chuckled nervously. "It seems I'm no good at this." He admitted with a helpless shrug, managing a weak, amused smile. He took a deep breath, then had another sip of milk before placing his glass on the table beside him - obviously stalling. "Okay, here goes... I don't know for sure, I'm still a little uncertain and confused, but... I think- I think that maybe I'm not gay after all... And maybe I-" He broke off then, seeming extremely uneasy.
He heaved a sigh of frustration then, turning away and remaining silent for a while. "I'm scared." He whispered finally into the darkness - glad to finally be saying something that he knew. Something he was certain of: He was terrified. He was absolutely, completely, inexplicably terrified. This was all just far too much of him... He wanted nothing more at that moment than to just run away, but he was scared to do that, too... Fear paralysed him, far worse than any punch in the neck ever could.

Laiko merely grunted in response to Annabelle's words - feeling far to vulnerable to say or do anything more. If this was 'himself' that he had found, then he could damn well understand why he had forgotten himself in the first place... He was so pathetic, he had probably done it on purpose! But thoughts like that wouldn't help him... He had to get a grip. Maybe he'd feel better in the morning... Well, later in the morning, anyway. He managed a faint smile as Annabelle mumbled good morning to him, then sighed and slipped down under the covers.
His thoughts were such a mess that it took him ages to get to sleep. When he finally drowsed off, the pale line of dawn was already creeping toward the horizon. Yet thankfully, once Laiko was asleep, he slept like a brick.
And when daybreak came, he was still sleeping - nor did he show any signs of waking for a long, long time. Perhaps he didn't want to wake up at all... He was still too frightened to face the new side of himself that he had unlocked... And even more frightened to face Annabelle after his newfound discovery.

Laiko jerked awake from his uneasy sleep as he heard the sound of the television clicking into life. He stiffened instantly, for once finding himself fully awake the moment he woke up. However, Laiko remained perfectly still and silent - hardly daring to breathe for fear that Annabelle might guess he was awake. He just didn't want to face all that... He would have to adapt to an entirely new way of life now, and how could he know if he'd be able to do it or not...? What if he became like those other jerks he had seen around school, who would beat each other to a pulp because of a girl? Or those guys, like Mike, who constantly had crying girls slapping them and storming away. He didn't want to be one of those guys... He didn't want any of this. All he'd ever wanted was to see people happy... To help them, if he could. Would all that change now...? Or was it perhaps true that all that had changed was his mindset toward one particular topic? Ah, what did it matter anyway? If he just pretended to be asleep for the rest of his life, he'd never have to face any of it.
With that childish thought in mind, Laiko let his attention wander - listening to the TV to distract him from his thoughts, but still not budging an inch.

Laiko tensed as he felt a weight sink into the bed, and he remained stubbornly motionless when Annabelle nudged him - keen to keep feigning sleep for as long as possible. But Annabelle was insistent. She nudged him again, and even spoke his name, and after that there was no point pretending any longer. With a weary sigh, he tuned to face her. She looked stunning, and that certainly did not help anything... A dark glare slipped onto Laiko's face with his thoughts, and only when Annabelle scrambled away from him did he realise, much to his dismay, that she thought it had been meant for her! He had to stifle a groan at this thought and, with much difficulty, resist the urge to kick himself. He was messing up already. He had known this would happen... He was already upsetting her! Gosh, he really needed to get a grip... This was terrible.
He jerked himself out of his thoughts then to listen to what Annabelle was saying. Something about leaving.... Going home... He couldn't decide whether he was relieved or dismayed. He wanted company, but he wanted to be alone... He wanted to be near Annabelle, but he didn't want to have to face her after what had happened the night before. "Want me to come with you?" He asked in a somewhat dull voice - attempting to mask his tone as tiredness with a fake yawn. Laiko's face was more guarded than ever now. If he had seemed emotionless before, then now he was like a block of wood, or perhaps a robot. He showed no emotion whatsoever, for he had so many of them that he didn't know what to show, and he attempted to hide any expression from his face, for fear it would be the wrong one. Feeling terribly soft and vulnerable, Laiko had begun building walls around himself, though what they were protecting him from he could not say. One thing he did know was that he would not be himself until those walls had fallen down... And he had built them too high to break them himself.

Dismayed by Annabelle's words, Laiko quickly attempted a flustered objection. "N-no, it's not- I-" He stuttered incoherently, but before he could make any sort of sense Annabelle had left - leaving him alone behind the closed door. It took Laiko a moment to realise that his arm was outstretched - his fingers reaching after her - and then he felt rather foolish, and let it drop awkwardly to his side. Great... Now he had just upset her even more.
Laiko gave frustrated groan and tugged at his hair, then began pacing the room in a distraught fashion. What the hell was he supposed to do now?! This was awful. Simply awful... He needed guidance. Instantly, Laiko's thoughts shifted to Mike and Kevin, and for a moment hope blossomed within him, but then he remembered that it was weekend, and they would be at home... So he was alone. Completely and utterly alone.
With this thought fresh in his mind, Laiko continued to prowl around the room like a caged animal - feeling trapped inside his own mind. What did Annabelle want from him? What was he supposed to do?
Well, no matter what, he was not sitting around and waiting here. He'd go insane in a minute, what with all this pacing. Maybe he'd go outside and wait for Annabelle...

A while later, Laiko found himself waiting outside the hotel. It was a cold day. Cold, dark and windy - with raindrops that fell like bullets from the sky, almost threatening to hail. Undeterred by the weather, Laiko sat on the dirty old bench outside while the rain gradually soaked through his clothes. His hair was plastered flat to his head, and it dripped relentlessly down his sodden face and onto his hands clasped together in his lap. Many a time the doorman suggested to him that he stay inside, but Laiko simply smiled politely and said that he was waiting for somebody, and that he felt he would rather wait outside. Finally, the man gave up, and Laiko was left sitting alone on the cold, hard bench with the rain pelting down on him. Nobody else was outside in weather like this, and Laiko felt somehow peaceful - knowing that he had the world to himself... Or so he thought.
As he was sitting there, Laiko once again felt the prickling feeling on his spine that told him that he was being watched. His head jerked up, and Laiko winced painfully at the movement - feeling agony rip up his spine to the vertebrae in his neck. He released an involuntary gasp of pain, and at the very same moment, he heard movement nearby.
Next thing he knew, Laiko's body was reacting almost without his permission - his thoughts unable to keep up with his movements. He had no idea what was happening or why... Then, suddenly, he heard a loud bang and all he saw was black.

The radio blared loudly inside the hotel - the eager news reporter speaking about what had just happened: The next juicy bit of gossip for the people of the world. "I stand here, outside the GoodEarth Hotel where a shooting has just occurred. Doorman Frank Furter (I know, I couldn't resist. ) tells us that when he heard the first shot go off, he raced outside to find out what was going on. Frank also mentioned that he saw a boy standing there, but next thing he knew there was gunfire again. Frank says he doesn't remember what happened after that, but hotel worker Mark Hunts says that she saw Frank lying on the ground outside - seemingly knocked out by a blow to the back of the head upon hitting the ground, but that there was no sign of any shooter, that Frank had suffered no gunshot wounds, and that the boy he had mentioned before had vanished. Stay tuned to find out more as soon as 6FM radio have gathered more information. 6FM, Keeping you informed.
*lame radio music*

Laiko crouched in the dark alleyway breathing heavily and wondering vaguely how he had got there, and more importantly, if he had lost them. Laiko shivered slightly where he sat, partially from shock and partially from cold - for the icy water soaking through his clothes no longer felt as peaceful as it had before. Now it was a hindrance - making his movements slower than usual - and clumsy, too. His ragged breathing gradually began to gain normality as Laiko caught his breath, and then he relaxed slightly - glancing around. His hand was pressed to his shoulder, and blood was slowly welling up between his fingers - dripping down his arm to form a pool on the ground beside him. Laiko stared into this: Losing himself in the glorious light reflected in the thick crimson liquid. To think that mere moments before,that blood had been pumping through his veins... That it had been keeping him alive at the command of his own heartbeat. Now it had been spilled, wasted, and was essentially useless to any and all. Laiko shuddered slightly at the thought, then his head jerked up as he heard quiet footsteps approaching. They had found him! No, maybe not... Maybe they were still searching...
And with that desperate hope in mind, Laiko scrambled to his feet and dashed a short distance away - crouching behind a dumpster to hide from those who sought to kill him. However, when the footsteps came closer, it was not one of those intimidating, shadowy figures that he saw - but the very one person he both desired and feared to see the most: Annabelle. Laiko was about to call out to her - to get up and walk toward her - when she suddenly tripped and fell to the ground.
He released a gasp and leaped to his feet, preparing to dash out and check that she was okay. But at that moment, the dark figures closed in around her, and Laiko froze where he stood.
"That's right. Just come over here, and hand yourself over." One of the men said calmly, turning his gun to point it casually at Annabelle. "You can guess what's going to happen if you don't." He added with a smirk.
Laiko remained motionless. Sweat was breaking out on his forehead, and he swallowed rapidly - for his throat felt suddenly dry. He was trapped... What was he supposed to do?! He glanced around desperately, but he could see no escape... In short: He was screwed.

“No!” Laiko yelled as Annabelle leaped to her feet, but he was too late. The men had noticed her intentions almost before she had even got up, and before Laiko could so much as take a single step toward them, they had shot at her. Unwilling to look, but unable to look away – He watched helplessly as Annabelle fell to the ground, crimson blooming rapidly from her leg. “Annabelle!” He gasped, beginning to dash toward her. But after he’d taken only a few steps, a number of guns swiveled around to point at him. One man went over to Annabelle, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground to drag her out of the way. “Shock knocked her out.” He explained to the others, feeling for a pulse in her neck. Laiko felt an unfamiliar sensation of fury coursing through him at the sight of Annabelle’s blood, and suddenly he just forgot the guns and threw caution to the winds.
He leaped at the nearest man with a feral snarl, and in that instant panic sliced the atmosphere, and they began to fire at will. His senses quick as ever, Laiko was able to accurately calculate where the bullets would come from and he dodged them accordingly. Then, when one came that he could not dodge in time, he held out his hand and took it unflinchingly with his palm – killing its momentum so that the strike to his chest that should have been fatal ended up no more than a bruise. Then, before he knew it he was upon them, and he had snatched the gun from the nearest man with unbelievable ease, clutching it in his good hand while the other hung at his side, dripping blood sickeningly. Instantly, the atmosphere changed. Fear ran through the group, and one by one they dropped their guns and slowly backed away. “Let her go.” He snarled at the man holding Annabelle, a deep glare creasing his face. “And if you hurt her any more, so help me, I’ll-“ “Okay, okay!” The man exclaimed in a panic, gently putting Annabelle down before raising his hands in surrender, then hurrying quickly after his friends. Laiko could not even begin to guess why they had all run off the second he had picked up the gun, nor why it felt so natural clasped in his hand, almost like an extension of his arm, but that did not matter now. He cast it aside and dashed toward Annabelle, dropping to his knees beside her and pulling her quickly onto his lap. “Annabelle! Hey!” He called quietly, shaking her gently. “Come on, snap out of it…” He murmured softly, lightly tapping her cheek with his unbloodied hand.

"A-Annabelle?" Laiko stuttered uncertainly as she scrambled away from him - clearly deeply stung by her harsh words and actions. "Get away" she'd told him... Why had she even come after him in the first place if she couldn't stand having him anywhere near her, even when he was trying to help?! But wait, no... Difficult as it was for him, he had to try to understand. She had just been shot... She was scared, and probably still in shock. But still... Why was she scared of him? Weren't they in this together? He was bleeding, too! He was also in pain - though more from Annabelle's actions than his physical wounds. Then he realised it: The gun. It felt so natural in his hand that he had barely realised he was still holding it. Seeming highly upset, Laiko flung it from him, then turned to Annabelle, raising his empty palms as though in surrender - one of them showing a large hole blasted right the way through with blood bubbling thickly from it. Yet if Laiko felt the pain, he gave no hint of it.
He clambered slowly to his feet then and moved toward her. "Annabelle, I'm not going to hurt you." He murmured quietly. "I thought you would know that by now... I'd sooner die than see you get hurt - didn't I just prove that?" He sighed and shook his head, glancing away from her. Nothing he did would ever be good enough anyway... Because he wasn't good enough. He was only half a person, after all, if he thought about it... "Forget it." He muttered quietly, glancing back at her. "You need to get to hospital." Laiko knelt beside her, and took her arm in a gentle grip with his good hand. "If you have your phone with you, then you can call an ambulance to take you there, but first let's just get out of here, okay?" He gently began to ease her arm over his neck then as he continued speaking, "I'll try carry you out of here... I can still walk... But you'll have to help me out a bit and hang on tight, because I can't move my left arm." He offered kindly - hoping that she'd just accept his offer. He was trying to help, and he just couldn't cope with any more rejection right then...

When Annabelle moved toward him, leaning close and pressing her cheek against his chest, Laiko hesitantly responded and gently stroked her back - with his good hand, of course. However, relieved as he was that she apparently did not hate him after all, Laiko was just confused all over again. Just what did she want from him...? He sighed softly, then lifted her up and began walking. Blood was gushing now from the bullet graze in his shoulder, not to mention the hole in his hand. He was losing rather a lot of it rater quickly, and the exertion of carrying Annabelle was telling on him more than he had expected. Yet he said nothing, and simply carried on - ignoring the times when his vision flickered, or dizziness crashed over him. Annabelle mumbled his name quietly then, and Laiko grunted in response - not wanting to take his attention off where he was putting his feet, which suddenly seemed awkward and ungainly - as though they belonged to somebody else's body and not his own. "I didn't mean for YOU to get away, just the gun." Relief jolted through him, and Laiko felt his step falter - only just managing to catch himself before he tripped. "Really?" He breathed quietly, a slight tension creeping into his muscles - as though he hardly dared to hope that it was true, yet he could not help but do so. "I- I thought... That you might have hated me." He admitted quietly - the pain in his voice betraying just how upset he had really been, even if he hadn't showed it.
After walking a short while longer, Laiko found himself standing outside the hospital - swaying slightly and barely managing to cling to consciousness. "Right..." He mumbled slowly, his words slurred and somewhat incoherent. "You're on your own now. I won't go in..."

As soon as he saw Annabelle's painful limping, Laiko whisked her off her feet again. Well, as best he could with one hand, anyway. "Fine, you win." He muttered irritably, though a faint smile twitched his lips all the same.
Once inside, he followed the nurses blindly as they directed him, and nodded vaguely in response to Annabelle's words. He was struggling to get his mind to focus, so he didn't even bother saying anything. When the wheelchairs came, Laiko cast a disdainful look toward the one meant for him, then walked toward the room the nurse indicated for him with dignity - stumbling every other step despite his best efforts.
After much persuasion, the nurse finally managed to get Laiko into the bed, where he sat and flash mutinous glares at anybody who dared approach. Last time he had just been punched... That hadn't been so bad... Now he had been shot, and he did not want to answer a bunch of awkward questions.
Laiko ignored the nurse completely as she inserted an IV into his arm, and tried to force him to lie down, which he stubbornly refused to do. When the doctor finally walked in, Laiko's head jerked up. "Where's Annabelle?" He asked instantly, "Is she okay? Can I see her?" And he made as though to get out of the bed, but the doctor stopped him with a firm hand on his chest. "She's fine, and you can see her when I say you can." He stated coldly. Laiko muttered furiously at him, but the doctor simply ignored him and went about attempting to examine Laiko's wounds - though meeting much resistance. "You know this will hurt less if you just relax and let me see what's wrong." The doctor said finally, glancing toward Laiko with a stern gaze. "I don't want it to hurt less." Laiko retorted stubbornly, and the doctor chuckled softly to himself before holding down Laiko's injured hand and examining it as best he could. "Let me go!" Laiko hissed, tugging his hand away and leaping out of the bed. "I need to see Annabelle!" And with that, he raced toward the door. The doctor grabbed his arm and struggled to hold him back, then called the nurse to help. "Let me go!" Laiko growled, fighting against them and causing blood to flow more freely from his wounds. "Let me go... I HAVE TO GO!" He yelled, struggling more desperately and almost managing to pull away. He heard voices shouting then, people running, and then there was a prick in his arm and everything went black.

Laiko lay completely still for a while, then began flickering toward consciousness as Annabelle's voice caught his attention. He half looked at her, not quite seeing her, then lay still again - thinking it was just a dream.
Finally, a soft clicking sound caught Laiko's attention as Annabelle replaced the clipboard, and he awoke completely, watching her with a confused expression and trying to make sense of the situation. "You..." He murmured quietly, frowning as he tried to remember who she was. "Annabelle?" He asked in slight surprise, quickly pushing himself up, then gasping in pain as he put weight on his bandaged hand and flopping down again - bashing his head against the bedrest. This woke him up more effectively, and he shifted himself carefully into a sitting position, muttering mutinously all the time. "Can we leave now?" He demanded in a tense voice - watching her intently. Then he suddenly seemed to remember why they were there in the first place, and his gaze flickered to her leg. "Wait... Never mind that. Are you okay?" He asked - glancing up at her with intense concern and a hint of confusion.

As he saw her wince, Laiko felt instantly guilty. "Yes, your leg... I'm sorry, of course you can't leave yet." He apologised in a slight panic, seeming very upset that he had made a suggestion that might cause her pain. It had been so terribly unkind of him... Of course she couldn't leave now...

Laiko had just begun planning a means of escaping, when Annabelle's voice caught his attention. The unfamiliar shy tone shocked him, and he instantly fixed his full attention on her - wondering vaguely what was coming. "Laiko, would you like to go on a date with me?"
Laiko's eyes widened at her question, and he found himself glancing away awkwardly and blushing slightly as he attempted to figure it out. He couldn't even decide if he was glad she had asked or not... And now he thought about it, what had made her decide to ask him out now of all times? They were in a hospital... Both of them shot...
But that aside, would he like to go out with her? "Well..." Laiko began hesitantly, choosing his words with the utmost care and not quite looking at Annabelle. "Bearing in mind that I never quite know what I want... And that I have pretty much no idea what the average date entails... Yes. Yes, I daresay I would like that." He concluded in a soft voice, smiling slightly uncertainly at her and feeling rather vulnerable - worried that he might have done something wrong... His bright green eyes darted over Annabelle's face - searching for some sign of reassurance. Was he doing the right thing here...?