I: Rendezvous
The distinct tolling of the bell marked the end of homeroom. It was particularly dark that afternoon, and the distant rumble of thunder shook the lightning-streaked sky. She dismissed her previous thought, suddenly remembering the weather Alice's expulsion from the academy. A storm approaches.
Paying no heed to the cacophony that always accompanied the emptying of the classroom, she hurriedly gathered her belongings and made her way to the door. She was almost halfway through the rows of desks when something tugged at her sleeve, halting her advance.
"Hotaaaaruuu-chaaaan."
She drew the pigtailed woman a blank stare, then lifted a brow in silent question.
"Nonoko and the others are going shopping in Central Town," Mikan began. "I was wondering if you...well...wanted to join us." Eliciting no response from the stoic girl, she added, "It'll be tons of fun!"
"I'm afraid I have to decline," Hotaru cut her off. "I have to attend to some...important matters. I'm sorry, Mikan."
Disheartened by the rejection of her invitation, Mikan pouted and whined incessantly. She was pacified by three quick smacks to the head courtesy of a certain Baka gun™. "Mou, Hotaru, why do you have to be so mean?" squawked the brunette. She reluctantly relinquished Hotaru's sleeve and stalked off. The inventor sighed to herself, enjoying a moment's respite, only to be smothered by her best friend's tight embrace. "You're definitely joining us next time. I won't take no for answer then," she declared with an insistent tone. "Don't overexert yourself, 'kay?"
"Just go, baka," she replied while disentangling herself from the woman's arms. Without another word, she strode towards the door, leaving Mikan to apologize to their friends for her absence. Against her will, her eyes drifted toward Mikan, who was chatting animatedly with Sumire Shouda and Anna Umenomiya. Listening to the conversation was Class Representative Yuu Tobita, who would smile and nod in agreement every now and then. Hotaru wondered how much more the patient man could tolerate before he loses control. The brown-haired twins, Kokoroyomi and Kitsuneme were at their usual shenanigans, this time involving a dead lizard and squealing girls. She rolled her eyes at the females' reaction to the decaying animal. Yes, it was disgusting, with all its dangling entrails and that oppressive smell, but she didn't understand the necessity to scream in terror.
Her eyes finally landed on him. Ruka. Kind and gentle Ruka. He must have sensed her staring at him, because he lifted his eyes to meet hers. It was brief, but the interaction seemed like an eternity to her. Loneliness and longing, blue in every sense of the word; he made no attempt to veil his emotions. Then he smiled.
Seething with anger at her body's betrayal, she quickened her pace. Her brisk movement got her to the end of the hallway without her even noticing it. She felt the cold bite of metal as she leaned against the vending machine. She clutched her chest, wanting to rip out her heart and crumple it with her own hands.
"Ms. Imai, you are a horrible dancer."
She gracefully went along with the motions, each delicate step in sync with the music. He retracted his arm, forcing her to return to his chest. "My failure to learn is a result of your incompetence as a dance instructor," she retorted as she put an arm on his shoulder.
He laughed at her response. "To be honest, you're actually pretty good. It's like you were born to dance."
"That's a quick change of attitude."
"I'm not an idiot, you know."
"Keep telling yourself that."
She suddenly found herself resting in the crook of his arm. She grew painfully aware of the fact that his hand was touching the skin of her bare back. Note to self: KILL that baka for forcing me to wear such a revealing outfit. She opened her mouth to protest but stopped as she noticed the music change. "Oh god, why tango?"
"Scared, Imai?" He grinned bemusedly as they snapped their necks in a single direction. 1, 2, 3, 4. Turn. 1, 2, 3, 4. She kicked a leg into the air and slowly slid it behind her; Ruka mirrored the latter action. Surprising her yet again, he grabbed her by her thighs, hoisted her in the air, and wrapped her legs around his torso.
"I'm suing you for sexual harassment," she said while eyeing him with intensity.
"Might as well make the most out of it." He closed the distance between them with a kiss, effectively silencing her. Her amethyst eyes grew wide as he delved deeper. By the time he let her go, they were both blushing and breathless.
"Be-before you say anything," he huffed, still trying to regain his breath, "let me speak. Please."
That was the second time that she was silenced tonight, and both instances were by the same person. He was either insane, or had a deathwish. Either way, Hotaru Imai was clearly displeased but allowed the man to state his case. She stuck out a pair of fingers. "Two minutes, Nogi. I will not entertain anything beyond that."
"Okay, okay. This may come to you as a surprise, but I like you. I really like you, Imai. I've come to know that my feelings for Sakura don't run as deep as those I have for you. And I'm really hating on myself for taking too long to realize that." A pause. "What I did earlier, that was selfish of me, I know, but I just couldn't stand the thought of...you know, another guy taking your first kiss. For that, I apologize. I'm really glad you gave me a chance to tell you this. Grateful. So if you'll let me, I'd like to love you."
Correction: third time. She stared at him in disbelief. Was she hearing things? Had she been drugged and was now falling into delirium? Funnily enough, amidst the awkwardness and confusion, they managed to maintain their synchronized movement.
"Imai?"
She raised a hand to his mouth. The next eight words spoke volumes. "How much of a drink have you had?"
"Wha-You think I'm drunk?" He frowned. He had just poured out the contents of his heart, and now she questions their authenticity? No. He wouldn't let it stand. "What you just heard is what I truly feel. Yes, I've fallen for my blackmailer. I am not ashamed. So what if you're cold and uncaring? Selfish, greedy, merciless, evil? So the entire school fears you just as much as they do Natsume. Heck, some even say you're a perfect female carbon copy of him. I don't care. They're all fools, and all they can see is what they want to see."
She could no longer mask the pain in her eyes. "Nogi, please. Stop this nonsense. I don't need your sympathy."
"Why can't you accept the fact that I like you?"
"Why do you insist on deceiving yourself?"
"Seriously, stop berating yourself. You deserve to be loved."
"Stop pretending to know me. It's disgusting."
"Remember when I talked about my not being an idiot? I know, Imai, I know. I didn't at first, but I eventually realized that you took all those rehearsals just to spend time with me."
"How very conceited." A hollow cackle escaped her lips. "Idiot. I'm shocked you haven't flown off yet, like a balloon."
Did she just call me an airhead? Scratch that, why the hell is she laughing? "For a genius, you're really stupid at these things. I already love you, dammit. If you're still coming to terms with your feelings, that's okay. I'll wait. Although, if you want to reject me all together right now, I fully understand. I guess not everything is reciprocal." He smiled at her again. "Thank you for dancing with me. I'll return you to your dorm-"
"Shut up," she said into his mouth. He hungrily met her tongue with his, dancing a tango of their own. She nibbled lightly on his lower lip, but still managed to draw some blood. "Too soft, Nogi," she commented when they broke apart.
"You bit too hard," he complained. His face had taken on a dark crimson that she couldn't help but find adorable.
Smirking evilly, she ran her thumb across lips, further reddening them (if that were even possible) with the blood. "I love you more than you think I do."
She snapped out of her reverie. A solitary tear found its way down her cheek. Nothing else followed. "Ah, what a cruel trade off," she mumbled to herself. Regaining composure, she brushed the thin stream of moisture off her face and continued her journey down the adjoining hallway. There were no longer any students at that hour and the weather outside served to further emphasize the emptiness. Ten more strides, and she stopped in front of the dark double doors. She lightly rapped her knuckles on the wood. The black panels slid apart, a silent invitation to enter.
It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim lighting. He was just as she remembered him. With his deathly pale skin coupled with his spiky ink-colored hair, he'd make an excellent addition to a horror movie or TV series. His attire hasn't changed: the same black turtleneck, trousers, and high-heeled shoes. Everything about him was darker than any of her black dresses, save for that white mask that covered half of his face. His tinted lips twisted into a menacing grin.
"It has been a while. How are you faring, dear Firefly?"
First chapter, done. So, how was it? I originally intended to write a rather explicit NatsumexRuka oneshot, but I kinda lost my train of thought. I wonder how this one's gonna pan out. I'll await your reviews. :)