To push me off from the stagnant-ness, I decided to type this. I was pretty much inspired by John Mayer's song and the idea just popped into my head when I recalled my friend talking about a pairing jiving with this song. Anyhow, this is for my friend, Zhou Ying. :D
I don't own the song, nor do I own the characters. I simply own one: Ai Xin.
"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"
"I told you that fox will set this place on fire."
A dark-haired man crossed his arms, "You just made a lucky guess."
The first speaker smirked, "You owe me ten gold coins."
"I'll give it to you, Ishida, when you make sure not one man gets left behind," the dark-haired man spoke, brushing off the ash from his blue cape.
Ishida Mitsunari frowned, "That is not part of the deal Cao Pi."
Cao Pi smirked, "I know, but who's the boss?"
Ishida rolled his eyes, "You are…"
"You sound unconvincing," spoke the Wei Prince.
Mitsunari was thinking deeply on something when the Prince called the attention of the lady lieutenant. "Lieutenant Ai!"
Ai Xin approached them, "Yes Prince Zihuan?"
Cao Pi gestured to Mitsunari, "Help Ishida look for soldiers inside the castle."
"Uhm… sir… where is Lord Ishida?"
Cao Pi looked to the side and then looked around. "It seems he had started. Now go." But he's the first to leave the Lieutenant.
Ai Xin looked side to side. How come it feels like Lord Ishida did not go look for remaining soldiers?
Mitsunari moved as fast as he could through the burning castle. Where is she?
She couldn't have gone too deep. Then again, Zhou Ying always had a bad sense of direction. As he ran, he recalled earlier events.
It's not a silly little moment
It's not the storm before the calm
This is the deep and dying breath of
This love that we've been working on
"Ying, now's not the time to be talking about this," the red-haired man said.
"How can it not be the right time Ishida."
Ishida… She rarely calls him that. It must be very serious. He gave in. He closed his papers and turned to the side to face her.
"What is it about Ying?"
The Chinese girl looked at him. It seemed as if she was thinking very long and hard for quite some time.
"We're going to break away soon from Orochi right?"
He nodded in agreement. "Yes." He had this odd feeling. Why is it that he fears what she will say next?
"I thought of going back to Wu, to my father."
His eyes widened, "But why?"
She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I don't think, we should pursue our relationship. I mean… we are from different worlds Ishida, different times… I don't think my father will even approve of our relationship."
"We can always try Ying."
Ying shook her head, "… You don't know how it's like, Mitsunari. I am practically engaged to a man. If I pursued in this relationship, I am dishonoring my father's name!"
Mitsunari frowned, "I am not going to lose you that easily, Zhou Ying."
She wouldn't listen, "It had to be done, Mitsunari. I will leave Wei and return to Wu after this." With that, she just left.
"Zhou Ying!"
Can't seem to hold you like I want to
So I can feel you in my arms
Nobody's gonna come and save you
We pulled too many false alarms
Where could she be, he thought. He looked side to side. He only had seconds before the beam falls on him. The smoke is getting blacker as well.
"Zhou Ying!" he called out.
There was no response. He ran towards another direction. Damn these sliding doors. He heard clinking and clashing of metal on the other hallway. He quickly made his way there, at the same time calculating the time needed to get out before the whole place falls down.
He turned to the corner and saw her. She looked tired; there were a few cuts on her as well.
"Ssssss…hiyaaaaaaaa" yelled a snake man.
Zhou Ying was tired from fending them off that her reaction slowed down. She braced for impact.
But there was none. Instead, she heard zapping.
Zap! Zap! Zap!
Zhou Ying opened her eyes. "M-Mitsunari…"
Mitsunari grabbed her hand and led her away from the room, without a word.
We're going down
And you can see it, too
We're going down
And you know that we're doomed
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room
Zhou Ying let herself be led off by Mitsunari. She mentally kicked herself for thinking that she would be able to find her way out on her own. They were in the upper floors. They reached the stairs.
"Hold my hand Ying, and relax," Mitsunari said.
She indeed held his hand, completely trusting him on this one. Together, they made their way down the weakening wooden boards of the stairs. This felt like a soft sweet memory.
"So, what do you think of the red mop head?" Ai Xin asked, lying down on her side of the bed.
"Lord Ishida you mean."
Ai Xin smiled, despite a few twitching. She had just been bandaged on the shoulder due to an arrow shot. She was forced to drink a few gulps of wine as well to numb the pain.
"Yes, him…I noticed that you've been acting all mushy around him."
Zhou Ying sighed. Her friend must be feeling the spirit of the wine. Ai Xin wasn't really like that. She's always collected and sharp with things.
"It's nothing, Ai Xin. It's just an exchange of mutual admiration."
"I don't think so Ying. The guy just snaps at anyone save for you and Cao Pi."
"He doesn't snap at you, Ai Xin."
"…Really?"
"Yes really."
"You still haven't answered my question yet. What do you think of that guy?"
She sat in silence, thinking on what to answer to her friend. What is it that Ishida Mitsunari has that just makes her go back to him all the time?
I was the one you always dreamed of
You were the one I tried to draw
How dare you say it's nothing to me
Baby, you're the only light I ever saw
"Eeek!" The floorboards gave way. Zhou Ying felt the plunge but did not continue falling. Mitsunari held on to her hand. Zhou Ying looked up. She could see that he's straining to hold on to her.
"I'm going to pull you up. Just hold on Ying."
Then with three counts, he hauled her up. Zhou Ying landed against him, coughing.
"Can you still move, Ying?" he asked her, the tone, concerned.
"Yes," she responded softly.
Steadily, they reached the first level of the castle. Mitsunari had this really big frown on his face. There's fire everywhere. He ripped part of his red sleeve and gave it to Ying.
"Cover your mouth, the fumes is bad."
"What about –" before Ying could finish, Mitsunari was already wrapping a cloth around his nose. He once again held his hand. "Come on, we have to find a place with lesser smoke."
He sounds so… cold… so unreal, she thought. Why?
I'll make the most of all the sadness
You'll be a b- because you can
You'll try to hit me just hurt me
So you leave me feeling dirty
Cause you can't understand
They eventually moved to a place with a few fumes.
"Shoot, a dead end," Mitsunari said. He felt the walls for any weak place wherein he could break through.
Zhou Ying stayed in the center of the room while sitting on her heels. She could feel the fatigue in her bones. She watched as the man tried to zap the walls with his red lasers. Nothing budged. He only caused more frustration upon himself. Eventually, he returned to her side and sighed.
Zhou Ying looked at his face. There, she saw the effects of sleepless nights on him. Despite the sleepless nights, he was still able to pull off a few jokes and keep his focus. Like earlier, he was still able to keep his head even though they are coursing through a burning castle.
"Ying…"
"Yes, Mitsunari?"
He offered her his hand. She took it and stood up. "What is it?"
"Will you… dance with me?"
"WHAT?"
We're going down
And you can see it, too
We're going down
And you know that we're doomed
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room
He repeated, "Will you dance with me?"
"Mitsunari, what's got into you?" She felt her heart pounding. Are they really going to die? Is there no more hope?
Mitsunari stared into her eyes, "Just the urge to do anything to make sure you're happy."
"How can I be happy, Mitsunari, we're trapped in a burning castle with no way out."
"But… have you ever thought about who you're going to die with?"
Zhou Ying stopped to think. She remembered Ai Xin's question. What does she really think of Mitsunari? And, is it worth it… to leave him for Wu?
"Mitsunari…" She felt hot tears fall down her cheeks. She embraced him tightly.
Mitsunari was surprised by the gesture, but held her tight as well. At least, everything he did for Cao Pi, for Wei… was kind of worthwhile. It looks like he wouldn't be able to see them beat the crap out of Orochi.
He gently swayed them both, one step at a time, to the point that they are just slow dancing.
Go cry about it, why don't you?
Go cry about it, why don't you?
Go cry about it, why don't you?
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room
Mitsunari heard a creaking sound. He stopped and looked up. The support beams are on fire as well. There's another louder creak that it caught Zhou Ying's attention. She looked up. That support beam is quite big enough to crush them both.
"Mitsunari…"
"Yes Ying?"
"…I love you."
He was quiet, staring at her reddish eyes (from crying). He felt a tear fall down his cheek. "I love you too."
The support beams finally gave way and fell. Mitsunari quickly pushed Ying to the ground and then used himself to cover here. Zhou Ying held on to him, closing her eyes. At least, he knew the truth. At least she understood what she thought of him.
Burning room, burning room
Burning room, burning room
There was another explosion followed by a crinkling sound of crystals. Mitsunari felt a gush of cold air waft through him. He looked up and saw small reflections against an icy wall.
"…Lieutenant…"
Then, a voice pierced through the crackling of the fire against the cold ice. "Are you just going to lie down there and wait for the ice to melt? I'm not just going to let you die Ishida."
Mitsunari got off Zhou Ying and helped her up. "Cao Pi…"
Zhou Ying pushed herself up and was surprised, "Ai Xin!"
Ai Xin smiled but she looked strained as well. Her whole left arm was encased in ice that connected to the large wall formed across above the two inside the burning room. "Get your butts outta there. I can't hold on you know."
Mitsunari still had a little strength left and used it to drag Zhou Ying with him out to the open. He breathed in the smell of fresh air.
Ai Xin released her arm from the ice. The icy wall melted into water, and the support beams inside the castle collapsed.
Cao Pi had his signature scowl on his face, "What took you so long?"
Mitsunari responded, "Someone here had no sense of direction."
Zhou Ying's eyes flared, "What! Who's fault was it that we ended up in a dead end!"
"But at least we were located and saved!" Mitsunari retorted.
Ai Xin shrugged her shoulders. "Told you they would argue again," she said to Cao Pi. "Now you owe me ten gold coins."
Cao Pi rolled his eyes. Now he lost twenty gold coins. "You win this round, Lieutenant. Mind you, I'll get back at you." He got on his horse, and said to Mitsunari. "I'm not going to wait for you, Ishida. You better finish that argument." He cracked the reins of his horse and rode off.
Ai Xin said, "I left you a horse there." She pointed to a brown stallion beside her white mare. "You better catch up. The Prince is in a rather sour mood now that he lost two bets." She got on her horse and rode off.
Zhou Ying watched them both leave. "We should probably go."
Mitsunari stopped her, "Wait."
Zhou Ying looked back at him, "Why?"
Without another word, he bent his head and kissed her on the lips. Zhou Ying was taken by surprise at the act, but kissed back anyway. Besides, it's just the two of them. Nobody's watching.
When they pulled away, Mitsunari then said, "Now we go after them."
He helped Zhou Ying up the horse then him, then they rode off to catch up with the leaving Wei army.
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we should have learned somehow?
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we should have learned somehow?
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we should have learned somehow?
Tada! Well, that's the end of it. I do hope you enjoyed reading!