Melted Hearts

by ohdon'tdoit

Commission for Kulstudio. Rin Mori is Kurenai's younger sister who has constantly been helping out Team Hokage since the beginning. She recently moved into Tokiya Mikagami's home and their new, happy living situation gets awkward when Tokiya comes home drunk after a party one night. TokiyaxOC, Rated M for strong lemon content.

This is a commission for Kulstudio on DeviantArt. I do not own Rin Mori, her backstory, or anything related to her character in any way.

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"What should I do? What should I do?"

A nervous girl frantically paced around the living room in circles, her feet making light indents in the white carpet as she found herself completely absorbed in her thoughts.

"I could buy him a present? Oh, but I don't really have any money... I could throw him a party? Oh, but I'm not very good at organizing big events either..."

Rin had a problem. A very large problem. Today was her roommate's birthday and she had only heard about it this morning. Tokiya Mikagami never really liked talking about himself so when Rin had casually asked him what his plans were for dinner in the evening; Tokiya had shrugged and replied, "I'm not sure. I never really do anything fancy for my birthday so maybe just some sushi for take-out is fine."

Rin had nearly fallen out of her chair during breakfast when Tokiya said it was his birthday. Why didn't he tell her sooner? Whether he was accustomed to doing fancy things on his birthday or not, Rin would have liked to know the day her roommate was born so she could have planned something nice for him!

Tokiya and Rin had been living together for a little over a month now. Once the tournament came to an end, Tokiya had caught wind that his new friend didn't have a steady place to live anymore. He was more than happy to suggest that she move in with him in his small-but-cozy two-bedroom apartment. Rin had been hesitant at first. After all, moving in with a young man she hardly knew seemed a little strange. It wasn't that Rin didn't like him, of course, but she had never lived anywhere else but in Koran Mori's mansion for the entire duration of her life. She never had to cook, clean, or even take care of the Mori mansion. Her only responsibility as a member of the household was to be a weapon and train her body so she could eventually be of use to the Mori family... Suddenly moving into a new household and adapting to an ordinary life was difficult for Rin at first, but she was definitely managing, thanks to Tokiya.

Rin was no longer a tool for destruction. Rin had long since abandoned her last name as a Mori and only wanted to focus on being a normal girl. Tokiya had taught her how to clean, do laundry, and even cook basic recipes. Granted, she was forbidden from using the stove without supervision after one too many fires had started. He was always so kind and patient with her, never allowing himself to get frustrated at her ignorance of the human world. There was no way she could ever repay his kindness in full, but even so, Rin still wanted to do whatever she could to show him just how appreciative she was for all the things he had done for her.

Rin tucked a few strands of ebony hair behind her ears as she walked into the kitchen. She had never celebrated her own birthday-no one really celebrated anything in the Mori mansion-but she knew it was custom for people to eat cake with candles atop of it to honor one's day of birth. After peering into one of the cabinets, Rin spotted a thick, blue book with black writing on the cover that read Mifuyu's Baking Recipes. She hastily opened it, thumbing through the pages until she found something relevant to her search.

Tokiya's older sister was a great cook, Rin had learned, who had inspired his own love for cooking. He had always referred to this cookbook for guidance in all of his recipes, and Rin could only assume it made him feel a little closer to his sister by using her handwritten book. Recipes were a great guide for cooking, and if she could somehow manage to follow the instructions carefully, she could make him a cake while he was away at school for the day.

Sure, she knew she wasn't allowed to use to the stove while he was gone, but the oven wasn't technically the stove though, was it? Well maybe it was, but Tokiya had only ordered her to not grill or fry things on the stove unless he was around to make sure she didn't burn the apartment down. As long as there was no need to pull out the fire extinguisher, then maybe he wouldn't get mad at her for cooking something while he was away, especially if it was for him.

Rin glanced at the clock. It was only fifteen past nine in the morning. Tokiya wouldn't be coming back from school until four o'clock-that was plenty of time to bake a cake! She knew he was fond of anything chocolate so a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting would be the perfect treat for him!

"Let's see, according to the recipe I need 3/4 cup of butter, three eggs, two cups of flour, 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder..." Rin's eyes scanned the pages of the cookbook before she skipped around the kitchen, locating all the ingredients that she would need to make the cake. A burst of excitement ignited in her chest as she retrieved a large bowl and a whisk, laying it out on the counter along with all of the ingredients.

"Just follow the recipe, Rin," the young woman encouraged herself as she tied a white apron around her waist to prevent any spills from staining her blue, baby doll dress. Her long, black tresses were then tied back behind her neatly with a blue ribbon so she wouldn't accidentally get any stray hairs into the cake batter.

As she mustered up all the self-confidence she could find, Rin set to work on preparing Tokiya the most delicious cake in the world.

Ugh, could this day go by any slower?

Tokiya Mikagami sat in his school desk, eyes wandering lazily out the window as he tuned out the teacher's lecture in his history class. November 13th was his least favorite day out of the year. His birthday only served to bring back painful memories of his sister surprising him with gifts and homemade cakes.

He could remember Mifuyu's smile vividly in his mind as she yelled out, "Surprise! Happy birthday, Onii-chan," as he returned home from school. Although the memories of celebrating his birthday with his sister were pleasant, they only served as a bitter reminder that she was no longer there waiting for him to come home so she could shower him with love and appreciation. A twinge of pain shot through Tokiya's chest before he suppressed the memories once again, burying them deep down into the dark caverns of his heart. He could reminisce about the past on another day when it didn't hurt as much to think about Mifuyu.

On the bright side, at least he didn't have to return home to an empty apartment anymore.

His new roommate seemed to brighten up his once lonely and dark apartment. Albeit a little shy and quiet, Rin was a sweet and caring girl who was always eager to help around the house. She was undoubtedly grateful that he opened up his home to her, but what she didn't' realize was that she was the one doing him a favor by moving in. Her presence was far from intrusive and Tokiya greatly valued the time they spent together—she was like a breath of fresh air to him. She had been a little intimidated by him in the beginning, but over the past few weeks she had opened up to him more and more. He wanted to know more about her but getting her to fully trust him would be a long, gradual process. It wasn't as if he was in a hurry, though. It was only natural for new friends to slowly get to know each other at their own paces. Plus, Tokiya had no room to talk. It took him months to finally warm up to Recca and the others, but their loud and obnoxious personalities had made it rather difficult for the introverted swordsman to get used to them. It was different with Rin though. He didn't feel pressured to act or behave in a certain manner. He could just be himself around her.

It was a shame she wasn't enrolled in school—she was incredibly intelligent for someone who never had a proper education and she always seemed to catch on fast—but she wasn't used to social interactions. It had taken him a long time to even get her to tell him about her childhood or anything related to her past. She was the younger sister of Kurei Mori, a long-term enemy of Team Hokage, but Rin was nothing like the rest of her family. She had never wanted to hurt anybody and she even turned her back on Koran Mori. She was a kind and honest girl and was the only person Tokiya could earnestly say he always enjoyed being around. Nowadays, they were able to talk openly like old friends, hopping from topics like their favorite books to their deep, philosophical views on the world. Rin was a little oblivious to the rules of society, but if she ever grew comfortable enough to attend school with him, Tokiya would have been more than willing to help her adapt.

As he thought long and hard about Rin, Tokiya began to make a mental note of more things he could possibly teach her about. She had spent most of her life in seclusion, forced to be locked away from all that the world had to offer. He had already shown her around the city several times but large crowds made her tense and bustling shopping malls only made her feel claustrophobic.

Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong.

The bell signaled that it was time for all the students of the school to take a break and enjoy their lunches. It was a daily routine for the members of Team Hokage—Recca, Yanagi, Domon, Fuuko, and Tokiya—to all sit together on the roof of the school and talk about future battles and plans. Normally their "meetings" were far from peaceful as Domon and Recca almost always ended up arguing over who was the better ninja. Even Fuuko would always chime in with her witty responses and join in the brawl, and either Yanagi or Tokiya himself would have to step in and make them stop. They were all such a rowdy bunch and it didn't take much for them to wear on his nerves.

He wasn't in the mood for socializing. Maybe he would just skip lunch and sit here by himself in the classroom, writing down more ideas on the different places he could show Rin in the future…

"Maybe I should take her to a theme park?" Tokiya mumbled softly under his breath as he began jotting down his thoughts on a notepad. "No, amusement parks are too crowded this time of year…Maybe an aquarium?" The silver haired male was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't even realize that was someone was standing behind him until a loud voice pierced his ear drums and sabotaged his concentration.

"MI-KA-GA-MI!"

Tokiya jumped lightly in his seat as he sharply jerked his head around. "Damn it, Recca! What do you want?!" He snapped as he hastily covered his throbbing ear with his hand, glaring daggers at the asshole who so rudely dared to interrupt his thoughts.

The bright eyes of his boisterous classmate twinkled in jubilee as Tokiya turned to face him. "Yo! Mikagami! I was just about to meet up with Hime-san and the others to have lunch. You comin'?" With a cheerful grin, Recca adjusted the baseball cap atop of his messy black hair before shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants, ignoring the fact that Tokiya looked like he was deviously plotting to murder Recca to make him pay for disturbing him.

After a moment, Tokiya slid his gaze away from his comrade as he pulled out his lunchbox from underneath his desk. "Actually, I was going to have lunch by myself today. I have a lot of studying to do for next week's test so I wanted to get a head start—"

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, whats this?" Recca blurted out as he swiped up a piece of notebook paper that was lying on his desk. "Places to take Rin for a date: Aquarium, arcade, karaoke, a cat café, a Shinto shrine…" The pesky boy began to read Tokiya's notes aloud as he skimmed the paper. His grin widened ever so slightly as he wagged his eyebrows at Tokiya. "Wow, Mikagami! I didn't realize that you and Rin-chan had that kind of relationship!"

Tokiya's cheeks instantly flared up into a crimson blush as he bolted out of his seat and snatched the paper away from Recca's grimy fingers. "We don't have that kind of relationship!" he hissed before balling up the paper and crumpling it into his hands.

"Then why are you trying to take her out on dates?" the raven haired boy asked in a mocking tone as he leaned in close to Tokiya.

The swordsman turned away from Recca's piercing stare as he started to unpack his lunchbox atop of his desk. "I'm not trying to take her out on a date! I mean, well, by technical definition I am trying to take her out on a date, but only as friends. She spent most of her life trapped in a cold, dark room-thanks to that Koran Mori bastard-so I want to have her experience all the good things in life."

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww, that's so romantic, Mi-chan!" Another voice reached Tokiya's ears and his blush deepened.

"Damn it, Fuuko. How long have you been standing there?" he groaned as he caught his other classmate sneaking a peek at him from over Recca's shoulder.

"Long enough!" the busty girl replied as she skipped over to stand beside the brooding swordsman. Fuuko was a bit insensitive when it came to people's privacy, much like Recca, and hearing the quiet and stoic Tokiya Mikagami talk about his roommate in such an affectionate way was too much for her to resist butting in.

"So you want to take Rin-chan out on a date? Maybe you should stop thinking about the places you want to show her and find out where she wants to go," Fuuko advised as she pointed to the crumpled up paper in his hands. "Arcades and karaoke joints may seem fun but Rin is very shy. Also, do you even know if she likes cats or not before you decide to drag her to a cat café? She would probably prefer going to an art gallery or something peaceful like that."

Tokiya rolled his eyes as he scooted away from her, uncomfortable by her close proximity to his seat. "Oh yeah? And how would you know what Rin is like?"

Fuuko shrugged in response. "I've actually sat down and tried to get to know her better. You live with her, Mi-chan, and I still don't think you know a lot about her. I guess you just don't have the same kind of charisma as I do! She has no problem in opening up to me—"

"Don't you guys have somewhere to go? Where is Sakoshita-san? She's probably waiting for you all on the roof," Tokiya answered with a sigh as he pulled out his chopsticks so he could start nibbling on his rice and egg omelet.

Recca snapped his fingers as if he suddenly remembered something important. "Oh, right! I almost forgot! We planned on telling you this at lunch but since you'd rather sit here by yourself and plan dates for you and Rin-chan, I guess we'll tell you now."

Tokiya glanced at Recca out of the corner of his eye as he took a bite out of his omelet.

"Today is your birthday so we're all throwing you a huge party at my dad's place. He's going to clear out the building and we're going to have a DJ playing some killer tunes and we're all going to eat pizza and play party games and it's gonna' be so awesome!" Recca threw his arms up in the air with a dramatic display of extreme enthusiasm.

Tokiya's reaction was far from what Recca had expected. He nearly choked on his omelet and Fuuko practically had to beat the living daylights out of his back to prevent him from going blue in the face. After coughing for a few seconds, Tokiya waved his hand dismissively before he finally regained composure. "Why didn't you ask me if I wanted a party first before you decided to up and throw one?!"

Recca shrugged. "Who doesn't like having parties on their birthday?"

"Me," Tokiya sneered as he gritted his teeth together.

"Oh, jeez. Well, isn't this awkward?" Recca laughed.

Tokiya rubbed his temples in irritation as he slowly counted to ten in his head. Fighting with Recca was about as pointless as mopping up a floor with a dirty rag. He was always so oblivious to other people's feelings and he was always so careless in everything he did. "Damn it, Recca, you should know that I don't like parties. Plus, why do you even care about celebrating my birthday? It's not like you and I are even good friends. We're just teammates."

"Awwwwww, don't say that, Mi-chan! You know we love you," Fuuko said with a wink as she leaned over to ruffle his dark gray locks. "We've all been through a lot lately. The tournament has been over for about a month and we haven't really had time to relax or celebrate because of our upcoming exams. We could all use a party and Recca thought that having one on your birthday would be a good way for us all to celebrate our achievements while also honoring our most trustworthy teammate."

He shooed Fuuko's hand away as he patted down the unruly strands of hair that were now jutting out of his pony tail. Fuuko did have a point, Tokiya hated to admit, and everyone had been too exhausted lately that celebrating the end of the tournament had been far from their minds. A party might do the gang some good, but Tokiya had honestly wished that they would have picked any other day but his birthday to have a shindig. "Can we reschedule the party? I kind of already made plans tonight," Tokiya declared. It wasn't exactly a lie. He had made plans with Rin to have sushi for dinner at the apartment. Although simple, that still counted as premade plans.

"Come on, Mikagami! I've already hired a DJ and my dad is out of town for the weekend. Hime-san has been looking forward to it all week long and she'll be so disappointed if you don't come to your own birthday party! We even got you a cake for the party! It's vanilla with buttercream frosting—"

"No. Besides, I only like chocolate cake," Tokiya answered harshly but soon realized that there was no point in arguing. Fuuko began to give him the puppy-dog eyes as she puckered out her lips in a pouty manner. Recca, on the other hand, was now on his hands and knees with his face shoved into the ground, begging Tokiya to change his mind. The eyes of every other student in the classroom were now focused on the three oddballs, whispering behind their backs at how weird they were.

"Please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeeease come! I promise it will be a lot of fun! Plus, you can invite Rin! I'm sure she'd like to hang out with us again," Recca pleaded.

Tokiya heaved a heavy sigh of defeat as he let out a long, exasperated groan. "Okay, fine! I'll go! But only for a little while! And don't' expect me to dance or anything. That is absolutely out of the question!"

Fuuko and Recca gave each other a loud high five as their hands clapped against each other. "All right! It's settled then! Come to my place right after school!" Recca cheered as he skipped out into the hallway, not even bothering to bid Tokiya a proper farewell. After all, he was tired of keeping his princess waiting for him. She was going to be so excited when he told her that Tokiya was coming to the party!

Fuuko, however, lingered by Tokiya's desk a little bit longer. "Sorry for pressuring you," she said with an apologetic smile. "I know you don't really like social activities but this will be good for you and Rin. Plus, we can play truth or dare and I'll make sure you guys are dared to kiss!"

"Don't you dare, Kirisawa," Tokiya answered as he set down his chopsticks before looking up to meet her gaze with a cold, penetrating glare. "If you make Rin do anything indecent, I will make you regret the day you were ever born."

Fuuko remained silent for a moment as she watched him with great interest. "I knew you liked her but I didn't realize you were that infatuated with her." Fuuko gave him an all-knowing smirk as she leaned against his desk, folding her arms over her chest as she looked down at him.

Tokiya quickly shook his head as he grew more and more irritated with each passing second. "It's nothing like that! I just respect her a lot, is all… She really helped us out during the tournament and even though Kurei is her brother, she still took our side and betrayed her family. Plus, it's none of your goddamn business." His words suggested that their relationship was strictly platonic but the blush in his cheeks indicated that there was something else. Fuuko wondered for a moment if Tokiya had ever been in love before or if he ever even had a tiny crush on a girl before. Ah, who was she kidding? Of course, he had never liked a girl before. Before he joined the team, his mind had been consumed with nothing but thoughts of revenge for his sister's murderer. Although the darkness still lurked in the realms of his heart, Tokiya had finally learned to cope with the pain of losing his sister without solely relying on the thirst for revenge. For the first time in his life, Tokiya was allowing himself to focus on other things in life and maybe now he was starting to pay attention to the women in his life. Well, woman, to be precise.

"You know, you never really get flustered around girls but Rin," Fuuko noted, "I mean, even around Yanagi you always seem to be calm and collected. But I've seen the way you behave around Rin. Whenever she smiles at you, your eyes light up and you start fidgeting nervously like a giddy schoolgirl."

"T-that's absolutely not true, you brainless monkey," Tokiya replied in a haughty tone before he took a sip of his green tea.

Fuuko chose to ignore his nasty remark. "Not to mention, you always hurry home after school so you can be with Rin. Even when Yanagi asked you to go with her to a café one day after school, you politely declined and said you needed to get home to Rin."

"That's because I can't trust her to be home for too long by herself. She's clumsy and the safety of my apartment is threatened each time she even turns on the microwave to cook a bowl of instant noodles. I'm always scared that one day my apartment will be burned down by the time I get out of class," he retorted but Fuuko just rolled her eyes at his pitiful attempts at making excuses.

"Sure, sure… You know, I always thought you had a thing for Yanagi, but now that I think about it, you've always just treated her like she was your sister. I think Rin's the first girl to ever make you lose character. I'm glad you guys are getting along but just don't do anything dirty to her until you know if she feels the same way about you," the violet haired girl continued but suddenly stopped as she realized that Tokiya was trying his best to ignore her as he shoved an entire riceball into his mouth. He was completely and thoroughly embarrassed in every way possible and the tension radiating off of him was enough to suffocate the entire school.

"Just shut up…and let me…eat in peace," Tokiya said in between mouthfuls of rice. Fuuko couldn't help but giggle at his sudden change in attitude. Although he was always stern and serious, Tokiya definitely had a cute side to him that he was showing to others more and more. She couldn't help but think Rin was responsible for that. The whole world could see that Tokiya Mikagami had a little crush on his new roommate—and who wouldn't? She was as pretty and delicate as a flower with a personality as pleasant as a rose garden—but getting Tokiya to admit his true feelings was as difficult as pulling teeth.

Dropping the conversation for now, Fuuko followed Recca's trail after giving the fuming male a gentle nudge. "Don't be so sensitive all the time, Mi-chan. There's nothing bad about having a crush on someone. Anyways, I'll see you and Rin tonight!" With that said, the girl left Tokiya to sulk in his desk, his mind boggled and distracted by thoughts of Rin.

What an ignorant bitch. Of course having a crush on someone was bad. At least, having a crush on a girl that would never feel the same way about him was bad.

He was fairly certain Rin only saw him as a friend. Fuuko wasn't too far off base when she said he wasn't very charismatic, and even though he was rather handsome, he didn't exactly have a charming personality. Although he and Rin had a lot of common ground, their personalities were vastly different. Rin would never insult her friends and she was kindhearted to every living thing on the planet, contrary to the rude and condescending Tokiya who looked down on everyone he met. Although their compatibility as roommates was at a high level, there was no way someone like Rin would ever be romantically drawn to him.

It was better to lock his feelings away and stop his romantic fantasies of Rin before things got awkward. What was the point in crushing on someone if the feelings were never going to be mutual? He'd just have to nip it in the bud before it got too serious. He would also need to control his emotions better and not be so frazzled whenever Rin was around. If Fuuko, of all people, noticed how bashful he was around Rin, in time, Rin would notice, too.

That wasn't going to be easy, though. Once upon a time, battling opponents had been the only thing that got his adrenaline pumping, but all he had to do was be around Rin and his heart would start slamming against his chest as if he was going into cardiac arrest. Sometimes their hands would brush against each other whenever he tried to teach her how to cook simple meals and he would suddenly grow self-conscious and end up accidentally knocking things onto the floor. Sometimes she would accidentally walk out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel because she forgot to bring a change of clothes into the bathroom and Tokiya couldn't help but grow aroused at the sight of her. Sometimes she would fall asleep on the couch and look like an elegant porcelain doll and all Tokiya would want to do was stroke her hair and listen to her gentle breathing.

Come to think of it, even the subtle things that Rin did—like humming to herself while she cleaned, giggling softly under her breath whenever she found something funny on a television show, or even the way she often talked to herself whenever she had to make a decision about something—always seemed to make butterflies rise in his stomach. He was drawn to Rin in the same way a moth was drawn to light and fighting against his urges was becoming harder and harder every day. It took all of his strength to not reach out and hold her every time she welcomed him home with that adorable smile on her face.

"I knew you liked her but I didn't realize you were that infatuated with her."

Tokiya's stomach dropped. This wasn't just a simple crush. He was falling in love with Rin. He ran a hand through his thick hair, glaring out the window in frustration as he suddenly lost his appetite. How irresponsible could he be? He had offered up his home to Rin so willingly, partially because he enjoyed her company and partially because he didn't want someone like Recca or Domon offering her to stay with them instead. Recca was her half-brother but Tokiya was worried Recca would make her uncomfortable with his rambunctious personality, and Domon would have doubtlessly tried to do improper things to her while she slept. Those men were disgusting pigs but now Tokiya realized that he was no better than them. He was a man, too, and it wasn't uncommon for males his age to be interested in sweet and beautiful girls like Rin. He should have known he wasn't exempt from primal urges…

No. He was different from them. He would never act on his desires. He would never cross the line and cause trouble for Rin. She trusted him and he would be a damned fool if he did anything to hurt her.

He needed to be careful around Rin. She was like a fragile vase and if he accidentally pushed her too far, she would fall to the ground and shatter. She didn't trust men and she had made that very clear before. All the torturing Koran Mori had inflicted upon her had forced her to put up massive walls around her heart that not even a bulldozer could smash down. There was no way Tokiya, of all people, could break down those walls and show her that not all men were frightening. He was a coldhearted asshole, not a knight in shining armor. Rin deserved a prince and, frankly put, Tokiya knew he just wasn't good enough for her. It was a sad, heartbreaking reality but it wasn't as if there was anything he could do about it. He would just have to ignore his feelings and be satisfied by simply being her roommate until a man worthy enough of her could sweep her off her feet and erase all her pain and bad memories.

It was exactly four o'clock on the dot and after two failed tries of baking a chocolate cake, Rin had finally managed to successfully create a cake that was safe enough for human consumption.

Well, kind of safe.

Rin stared at the chocolate lump on the plate, a heavy sense of dread weighing down her mood. It wasn't pretty and the edges were burnt to a light crisp. It was very dry on the outside but gooey and clumpy on the inside. At least the heavy amount of chocolate frosting covered up some of the crusty places so hopefully Tokiya wouldn't notice. She had tried making it look a little fancier by placing chopped strawberries on top, and she hoped they would add a little more sweetness to the bland flavoring of the cake.

It was depressing that this was the best she could do. The first two cakes she had made were complete and utter failures—one of them had even nearly chipped her tooth as she bit into it—and she had no choice but to toss them out. Tokiya would be coming home soon and she didn't have time to prepare another cake. She set the cake to the side before sighing at the chocolate monstrosity. It would just have to do.

Rin removed her apron before staring in horror at the horrible mess she had made in the kitchen. Splotches of chocolate covered the white, tiled floors and there was enough flour powdering the counters to fill a whole bucket with. She could only imagine the terror-stricken look on Tokiya's face if he were to walk through the door that very second and feast his eyes upon the destroyed kitchen. There was definitely no time to redo the cake when she needed to hurry up and scrub the kitchen!

As the determined girl got to work on cleaning, the phone in the hallway began to ring. Rin set down her washrag and sprinted towards the phone before taking a deep breath. "Hello, Mikagami residence," she announced to the caller. Although she wasn't a Mikagami, the only people who ever called were only looking to speak to Tokiya. Tokiya had taught her the proper way of speaking on the phone so she would know exactly what to say whenever someone called when he wasn't home.

"It's me," replied a voice at the other end of the line.

Rin's heart sped up in her chest as she heard Tokiya's gentle tone. "H-Hello, Mikagami-kun!" she managed to squeak out.

A soft chuckle emanated from Tokiya's voice for a moment before he began talking, "Hey there, Rin. I hope you had a good day at home today." Even though they were close friends, she never seemed to break the habit of referring to him as Mikagami-kun. Tokiya had secretly hoped that one day she would call him by his first name, but he wasn't about to press his luck.

Rin nodded emphatically, forgetting that he couldn't see her movements over the phone, as she answered, "Why, yes! Yes, today has been a good day! I'm just, uh, trying to clean up the place for you before you get home." She cast a quick glance over her shoulder at the disastrous kitchen that she had barely made in dent in with cleaning.

She sounded a bit out of breath and even a little bit nervous but Tokiya decided not to ask her about it. "Ah, I see," he replied after moment, "I actually was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to a party tonight."

"A party?" Rin asked, taking note of the apprehension in her roommate's voice.

Tokiya sighed before continuing. "Yeah, it looks like Recca and the others are throwing me a birthday party. There's going to be food, dancing, and a birthday cake."

Birthday cake? Rin glanced at her round glob of chocolate on the counter that she had made for him, a frown forming on her lips. If his friends already prepared him a birthday cake, then there's no way he'd want one from her, too. Especially one as rancid as that one…

"That, um, sounds like fun…but…" Rin struggled to find the words to say as she pressed the phone tighter to her ear. She enjoyed being around Hanabishi-kun and the others, but the idea of going to a party sounded a bit overwhelming. She didn't know how to dance and large social events only served to make her feel nervous. She was fine talking with people on-one-one and as of recently, it felt like she and Tokiya would never run out of things to talk about. However, the thought of trying to talk with him in a group setting seemed a bit stressful to her. She would probably stumble over her words and somehow end up ruining his fun with his friends.

"But?" Tokiya asked after he heard a long silence from Rin.

"But, um, I actually have a few things I wanted to get done tonight. Why don't you go on without me and I'll see you when you get home?" Rin spoke up after a moment as she struggled to find a good excuse to get out of going to the party. If she went, she would only bring Tokiya down. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel pressured to talk to her while he was surrounded by all of his other friends.

He tried his best not to sound too disappointed but he should have anticipated that this was going to be her answer. The two of them were very much alike in the fact that they weren't keen on hanging out in large groups, and Tokiya would have loved to decline the invitation to the party as well, but as fate would have it, he didn't have a choice. He didn't want Rin feeling the same pressure as he did from Fuuko and Recca so he let her off the hook.

"That's fine. Honestly, I don't really want to go either. The last thing I want to see is Domon's dance moves. I'll probably make up some lame excuse so I can leave earlier. If you'd like, I'll make us dinner when I get back since I don't plan on staying at the party for too long. I know I promised you sushi tonight but I'll take you out to dinner later this week to make up for it."

Rin began smiling to herself. As always, he was so considerate of her feelings and didn't want to leave her hanging high and dry. That was just one of the many qualities in Tokiya that Rin admired, even though she wished he wouldn't worry about her too much. "Please don't rush! I want you to enjoy your time with your friends. I'll just be here whenever you get back." Actually, this was a pleasant turn of events. She was a tiny bit bummed out that Tokiya wasn't going to be home until a little later, but at least this gave her more time to clean up the apartment. If she was sneaky enough, maybe he wouldn't even realize that she had trashed the place in his absence.

"All right then," he said before hanging up the phone. Rin exhaled a heavy sigh of relief as she placed the phone back on the receiver. As she returned to cleaning, she began to think of what else she could possibly do to surprise Tokiya for his birthday. Now that she knew he was already having cake at his party, there was no way she could give him hers now! Surely she could do something else for him that didn't involve cooking…

Rin didn't have many talents that didn't involve fighting. Her powers of darkness, although vastly different from her brother's fire-based attacks, were not something to be taken lightly. Rin's sole purpose in life was to follow Koran Mori's demands and eliminate any enemy that threatened to foil his evil plans. Due to Rin's meek personality, she detested fighting and would have much preferred to use her powers to help people instead of hurt them. Unfortunately, the power to manipulate shadows wasn't intended for anything other than destruction.

She glanced down at her hands, eyes softening, as her mind drifted back to Tokiya. Because of him, she would never have to step foot in the Mori mansion ever again. She could find ways to help people and never again allow anyone to exploit her magical skills to cause pain and suffering. Rin didn't want to destroy, she wanted to create. If she could somehow make something for Tokiya's birthday present, then she could maybe channel her deep gratitude towards him through a handmade present.

But what could she make?

Her eyes scanned the room in hopes that an idea might suddenly pop in her head. Her sketchbook fell into her line of vision as it rested neatly upon the coffee table. Rin could hardly call her love for art a talent since she could mostly only draft rough sketches of objects or people. A simple drawing wouldn't suffice as a worthy enough gift for Tokiya, but maybe she could use her passion for drawing as a basis for something else.

Wait, didn't Tokiya have a paint set and an easel somewhere?

Tokiya often liked to chat about his sister to help preserve the memories of her. She had died tragically when Tokiya was very young but Rin could only imagine that she was a beautiful and kind woman while she was alive. Mifuyu liked to cook, clean, play the piano, and even paint. Although Tokiya had to sell his sister's old piano to make ends meet a few years ago, he still kept her old painting utensils. Would he mind if Rin borrowed some of Mifuyu's stuff so she could paint him a picture? When Rin had first moved in, he instructed her to make herself feel at home. He didn't say that she wasn't allowed to touch his things or even Mifuyu's former belongings so surely he wouldn't get mad if she borrowed some art supplies.

The wooden easel was resting in the small laundry room where it had been collecting dust for years. Next to the easel sat a large bag with a blank canvas and an assortment of oil paints and brushes. Very carefully, Rin carried the easel and bag to her bedroom and began to mix some paints.

Rin had very little experience with painting but she distinctly remembered one instance in which her brother, Kurei, bought her a small paint set when she was nine years old. He knew she had a love for drawing and thought it might be a good idea if she got to add a splash of color to her illustrations. Rin had absolutely adored the feeling of the paint brush between her fingers as the colors brightened up her picture, adding a warm flavor to her monochrome doodles. Unfortunately, she had accidentally knocked over her palette and splotches of paint had stained the carpet of her bedroom in the mansion. After beating her senselessly for the spilled paint, Koran forbade her from ever having paint in the house again. Kurei never mentioned that instance again, but Rin knew he felt guilty for secretly bringing her a paint set in the first place.

Now that Rin was older, she was aware of the fact that she needed to be careful. Even though Tokiya wouldn't ever raise a hand at her over something as miniscule as spilled paint, she still didn't want to ruin his beautiful apartment. With great care, Rin set up the canvas and added a few globs of paint to a wooden palette before she tied an apron around her dress once again.

One problem was settled: she knew that she wanted to give Tokiya a painting for his birthday. But now she had another problem: what on Earth should she paint for him?

A simple portrait wouldn't do, but Rin wasn't very skilled in drawing elaborate pieces. Instead of trying to paint a portrait of him, maybe she should paint him an image of something that represented him. She closed her sterling eyes and let her mind be filled of nothing but Tokiya in hopes that inspiration would come flowing into her mind.

Tokiya was calm, gentle, and graceful. He was an experienced swordsman who could strike down his enemies with nothing but a quick flick of his wrist. He was a deadly warrior who seldom showed mercy to his adversaries, but behind those cold, piercing eyes of his rested an innocent boy whose life had been stricken with grief. He only fought because he felt obligated to and he only raised his sword against those who threatened his teammates. Although his classmates revered him as a coldhearted loner, Tokiya was actually a tenderhearted man who only wanted to find a way to put his sister's soul to rest. He was remarkably strong, inside and out, and Rin had so much respect for him to the point it was hard to put into words.

As Rin vividly imagined Tokiya, she couldn't help but smile to herself at the thought of him. Not only was he an outstanding person, he was handsome in every way. His hair, the color of a stormy cloud, looked softer than silk and Rin even caught herself daydreaming about running her fingers through it. His amber eyes reflected the inner tempest that swirled within his heart, but whenever he was not engaging in battle, they had a certain sense of tranquility about them. Rin wanted to see more of that tenderness and she only wished she could be the one to warm his frozen heart with her affection.

"Tokiya," Rin said in an inaudible whisper, "is kind of like the ocean."

The ocean was tranquil and enchanting with so many enticing mysteries lurking beneath the surface. Although beautiful, it was always wise to approach the ocean with caution. It was unpredictable and the rolling waves could just as quickly swallow you up whole and trap you within its grasp if you didn't take the necessary precautions. Giant storms could also greatly affect the sea's mood. One minute it could be calm and peaceful, and the next it could be a raging deathtrap for those who dared to venture near it.

Tokiya was the same way. He was fascinating, yet deadly. Serene, yet unstable. He had so many secrets and although Rin wanted to learn everything there was to know about him, she knew venturing too deeply into his heart would be dangerous.

Rin's hands began to move on their own as she dipped her paint brush into a clump of indigo paint before gliding the brush along the canvas. With a clear image of Tokiya in her mind, she began to paint the sea.

Rin's eyes never left the canvas as the colors melted together. She paid very close attention to the midnight sky and even decorated it with a few white speckles for stars after she finished putting the final touches on the ocean's waves. There wasn't much going on in the picture-just a landscape of the ocean below a starry sky-but something about it just really reminded her of Tokiya. Rin smiled to herself as she added another coat of paint, humming lightly as she immersed herself in her artwork.

It wasn't until the phone started ringing that Rin was awoken from her trance. She had been so absorbed in her painting that she didn't even know how much time had passed since she had begun her art project. She dashed to the phone and swiftly answered it before the caller was redirected to the answering machine. "Hello, Mikagami residence," she spoke into the receiver after she wiped her paint stained hands on her apron.

"Hello? Is this Rin-chan?" rang out a gentle, female voice from the other end of the line.

Rin took a quick guess as to who it might have been. "Yes, this is she. Is this Yanagi Sakoshita?"

"Ah! Yes! It's Yanagi! I'm sorry to bother you so late! Mikagami-san is currently passed out, but he kept rambling on and on earlier about how he desperately needed to call you or else you would be upset at him," Yanagi said while adding a short giggle to the end of her sentence.

"He's passed...out? Is he all right?!" Rin panicked as her hands instinctively clutched the phone tighter.

"Oh, yes! He's fine! Well, um, as fine as someone intoxicated could be," Yanagi explained quickly as she clearly heard the rising panic in the other girl's voice. "You see, Recca and Domon spiked the juice I had prepared and Mikagami accidentally drank some. Well, he accidentally drank a lot, I'm afraid. Everyone is really drunk and it's a bit troublesome..."

Rin's hands loosened but the heaviness of her heart didn't lighten. Tokiya was drunk? That was very unlike him. How could he not have noticed the strong aftertaste in the juice? Well, it was too late now. She would just have to care for him the way she often had to care for her friend, Joker, whenever he went out to bars and had a little too much to drink.

"Mikagami-san was too drunk to properly dial your number so he asked me to call you in his stead and apologize for staying out so late. He laid his head down for two seconds and now he's out cold," Yanagi continued, the light tone in her voice indicating that she found the whole scenario amusing. The loud voices of the rest of the gang could be heard in the background and it sounded like they were having quite the party. Yanagi, on the contrary, appeared to be completely sober since her articulate speech didn't falter at all during their conversation. Either she had a strong alcohol tolerance or she somehow managed to avoid drinking the juice.

"I see... Should I come by and pick him up? I wouldn't feel very comfortable if he tried to walk home by himself," Rin answered as she imagined Tokiya drunkenly trying to find his way home. He might accidentally walk into the wrong apartment or even find himself on the other side of city.

"No, that's all right. I'll wake him up and take him home. I think I'm the only one at this party that can walk in a straight line," Yanagi said before the faint sounds of struggle could be heard on the other end. "Come on, Mikagami-kun! It's time to wake up and go home!"

"I...I don't wanna'..." grumbled Tokiya softly but loud enough for Rin to hear over the phone.

"Please get off my lap. It's time to go! Rin-chan is worried about you," Yanagi told Tokiya.

Rin's chest tightened. Tokiya was resting on Yanagi's lap?! "I'm sorry, Rin-chan! I have to hang up now, but I promise I'll deliver him to you safe and sound in just a few minutes. Bye-bye!" And with that said, Yanagi hung up.

Rin could do nothing but stand there in the hallway, hand still clutching on tightly to the phone as the empty dial tone whispered into her ear. She tried to process all this new information but it was too much for her to take in. Tokiya went to a party, got drunk, and fell asleep on Yanagi's lap.

Why did the very thought of him lying on Yanagi make her heart ache?

Yanagi Sakoshita was sweet and it came as no surprise as to why guys like Recca practically worshiped the ground she walked on. She was the splitting image of a real princess and always remained high-spirited and optimistic, even in the face of danger. Rin had often caught Tokiya stealing a few glimpses at Yanagi whenever they were together. He had said on multiple occasions that Yanagi looked a lot like Mifuyu-from her big, brown eyes to her petite figure. They were identical in so many ways and Rin always thought that maybe Tokiya was drawn to her simply because of his sister's resemblance. But...maybe there was something else?

What if Tokiya had feelings for Yanagi? Feelings that went beyond friendship?

It was none of her business who Tokiya fancied but she still couldn't help but wonder why her shoulders felt heavy and why her heart felt like it had been punched in the center. Tokiya was her friend and it wasn't like he had ever shown any signs of seeing her as anything more than that. So why did she feel so disappointed?

"Maybe I'm just jealous of Yanagi," Rin consoled herself as she made her way back to her bedroom to sit back down on the stool and continue working on her painting. "I mean, she's just such good friends with him and I doubt Tokiya would ever feel comfortable enough around me to rest his head in my lap."

Rin couldn't help but find it rather bizarre that she wanted Tokiya to fall asleep in her lap, but the human mind was a complicated thing. Ever since she met Tokiya, she had found herself thinking erratic thoughts about him and desiring an intimate form of companionship from him. She often daydreamed about the two of them having picnics under the cherry blossom trees and sometimes they would have long, affectionate embraces in the made-up scenarios of her wild imagination. More often than not, Rin also discovered that she wouldn't have minded experiencing mild touches with Tokiya, such as holding hands or kissing on the cheek. All innocent stuff, really, but it was still strange that she only had desires to do that kind of stuff with him and not her other friends like Recca and Joker.

Surely there was no underlying meaning. It wasn't as if Rin was in love with Tokiya, or anything.

...or was she?!

She began to panic as her hand accidentally slipped, causing the paintbrush to escape from her fingers and fall right onto her lap. It was a good thing she was wearing an apron or else her favorite dress would have had a giant black stain permanently stamped on it. As she tried to still her beating heart before she continued painting again, she pondered on her feelings towards Tokiya.

Her heart always raced whenever she was around him, and she even often fantasized about what it would be like if he ever kissed her. It was normal for humans to wonder what it would be like to be romantically involved with their friends, wasn't it? She had never given it much thought before but what she felt towards Tokiya could have been far more than just simple gratitude. What if she really was in love with him? What then?

Rin had no time to mull those thoughts over in her head as a loud knock brought her back to reality. Rin bolted up from her seat and raced to the front door before her hands shakily opened it.

"Rin-chan!" greeted an overly ecstatic Yanagi. Hanging over her right shoulder like a dead corpse was a very sleepy-and a very drunk-Tokiya.

He tilted up his head to look up at Rin with tired eyes before pulling away from Yanagi to try and stand his on his own. "Honey, I'm home," Tokiya hiccupped as he nearly fell over just from standing. The blue jacket of his school uniform was completely unbuttoned and hanging open, exposing his chest to the world. His ponytail, although still intact, had hairs sticking out from all ends. Tokiya was usually a neat person who was always perfectly groomed, but now it looked like he had just been caught in the winds of one of Fuuko's tornadoes.

With her jaw slightly agape, Rin stared at Tokiya's wobbly form before slowly sliding her gaze over to Yanagi. "Is…he okay?" she asked warily.

"I probably should have explained just how much he had to drink," Yanagi apologized as she bowed her head politely to Rin. "But don't worry! I'm sure he'll be fine in the morning. Would you like me to help you get him to bed?"

Rin didn't have any time to accept her offer as Tokiya pushed the brunette aside to step into the doorway. "There's no need! I'm p-perfectly fine!" he grumbled with slurred words. Rin stepped out of the way and watched him as he stumbled into the living room, making his way to the couch so he could flop down on it lazily. Yanagi giggled all the while before reaching out to cup Rin's hands in her own.

"I guess I'll leave him in your care now! Recca and the others are also pretty drunk so I should probably head back and make sure they don't accidentally burn Recca's place down. Right before I left with Mikagami-san, Domon had found Recca's father's secret stash of illegal fireworks. I'm scared of what will happen if someone sober doesn't step in," Yanagi said as she squeezed Rin's hands gently. "I really wish you could have been there tonight. It would have been a lot more fun to have another sensible person there to chat with."

"Oh, um, I'm sorry," Rin apologized as a tiny smile tugged at her lips. She almost regretted missing the birthday bash but the thought of having to take care of the entire drunken cast of Team Hokage didn't sound very enjoyable. "Big parties kind of make me nervous."

Yanagi beamed brightly at Rin before releasing her hands. "I completely understand. Plus, tonight's party got a little crazy after the juice got spiked. I just drank water so I was spared from the craziness, but Mikagami-san probably had more than anyone. Either that or maybe he's just a lightweight. You should have seen him do the Macarena! It was definitely a sight to see!" Yanagi burst into a small fit of laughter and Rin couldn't help but do the same.

Tokiya dancing? Really? Now that's a sight she would have paid to see!

"Anyways, I'm sure you'll take real good care of him," the brunette added with a wink, "But I should warn you. Apparently he's a very affectionate drunk. He tried to cuddle Recca and he even fell asleep on my lap. So just keep a watchful eye in case he tries to, um, you know…Be touchy-feely with you." For a moment, Yanagi wondered if it was safe for Rin to be by herself with the extremely inebriated Tokiya but Rin was a tough cookie; surely she could handle herself.

"Touchy-feely? What do you mean by touchy-feely?" Rin questioned. Yanagi just shrugged her shoulders before turning her back on Rin. "I guess you'll find out soon enough! I have to go now so take care! Please don't hesitate to call me if he becomes a little more than you handle!"

In a flash, Yanagi was gone as she sprinted down the walkway. Well, that was helpful. Rin watched the peculiar girl dash off before she closed the door. She turned around to see Tokiya sprawled out comfortably on the couch, his cheeks stained a bright pink. Yanagi wasn't kidding—he really was drunk.

She wasted no time in heading over to the kitchen to fetch him a cup of cold water. Trotting back over to the couch, Rin handed him the water with a small smile. "It looks like you had fun," she teased.

"Yeah, right," Tokiya scoffed as he forced himself to sit up so he could drink the water. The entire room was spinning and his mind was as hazy as a cloud. Just how did he end up like this? He remembered drinking the fruit punch but what compelled him to drink so much of it? "It was a stupid party. Everyone kept pressuring me to do things because it was my birthday and for some reason, I actually did them…."

Rin cracked a smile before taking a seat beside him. "That's because you're drunk. People do silly things that they wouldn't normally do when they drink alcohol. I take it you've never drank anything alcoholic before?"

"I'm not drunk," Tokiya hissed as he took a sip of the cold water. "And, as a matter of fact, I did have one beer last summer."

"Just one?"

"…..Yeah."

"So this is your first time being drunk. No wonder you did the Macarena," Rin baited.

"H-how do you know I did that?!" Tokiya's cheeks began to darken from something other than the alcohol.

"Sakoshita-san told me just now. I wish I could have been there," she replied before noticing that he had finished his entire glass. From her experience with her friend Joker, alcohol could make its victims feel dehydrated. Unless Tokiya wanted a massive hangover in the morning, he'd need to drink a lot of water and maybe even eat a few crackers. Rin took the empty cup from him before scurrying back over to the kitchen to refill it.

Tokiya's eyes followed Rin as she left his side. "Yeah, I really wish you could have come, Rin. What were you doing while I was gone?" Around her waist was a white apron that was stained with various splatters of paint. "Arts and crafts, I see?"

Rin looked down at the apron after she handed Tokiya his water. She began to untie it in the front but had a bit of trouble as she reached her hands around the back of her neck to undo the knot at the top. It wasn't coming undone as easily as she thought and Tokiya noticed her apparent struggle. "Here, allow me," he grinned as he set his cup down on the counter before standing up to help her.

"No, I'm fine. I just tied it a little too tightly, that's all. You probably should just lie down for now, Mikagami-kun," Rin said quickly but Tokiya was already behind her, moving her hair to the side so he could untangle the ball of fabric. He focused on the knot and tried to loosen it, but his attention kept sliding over to her exposed neck. The way her jet black hair fell over her right shoulder like a curtain of velvet made her look extremely alluring from the back, and the faint scent of jasmine from her shampoo tickled his nose and nearly made him swoon.

Rin felt his shaky hands clumsily fight the knot but after a few attempts of tugging and pulling, it finally came undone. However, Tokiya's hands slid from the loose ties of the apron to her shoulders, holding her in place.

"Is everything okay, Mikagami-kun?" Rin asked quietly as the apron fell from her shoulders and landed carelessly onto the floor.

"Yeah," Tokiya breathed out, his breath tickling the back of her neck as he leaned in close to her, "I was just thinking about how good you looked in an apron, even one with paint stains all over it. I was also thinking about how exciting it would be if I came home one day and you were wearing nothing but an apron."

Rin froze. Did…he just say what she think he said?!

"M-Mikagami-kun?!" she panicked but right before she pulled away, he leaned in to plant a swift kiss on her neck, and goose bumps instantly spiraled down her spine without warning.

She jerked away before turning around to face him, her cheeks as red as a rose. Tokiya stood there with an arrogant smirk on his lips before he reached out his hand to flick her forehead. "Relax, dork. I was only joking."

Oh, Rin did not like drunk Tokiya. Was this what Yanagi meant by being touchy-feely? "That was not a very nice joke!" Rin chastised as she brought up her hand to grace against the tender flesh where Tokiya's lips had just been. Joke or not, it was enough to make Rin's heart slam against her chest as if it were threatening to leap right out of her body. Tokiya had never tried to touch her like that and he even always made sure that he sat at the opposite end of the couch whenever the two of them watched television or played video games together. He was very particular about keeping his distance from people so that his personal space would not be invaded. But now he just decided it was okay to kiss the back of her neck and claim it was a joke?!

"You never answered my question, Rin," he said after a moment, cocking his chin up as he looked down at the flustered girl. "Why were you randomly doing arts and crafts in the middle of the night?"

Rin flipped her long locks back over her shoulder as her eyes drifted towards the door of her bedroom. It wasn't quite finished yet (it still needed a few more coats of paint) but she knew Tokiya's curiosity would eventually get the best of him. "I was working on a birthday present for you," Rin answered honestly as she began to grow uneasy underneath his gaze.

"A birthday present?" he asked, arching a slender brow in her direction, "What kind of birthday present?"

"I tried to bake you a birthday cake while you were gone at school today," Rin said as she averted her gaze away from him to stare down at her white, frilly socks. "But I can't really cook so it was a complete and total disaster."

"You used paint to bake a cake? Now I remember why I commanded you to never use the stove in my absence," Tokiya chuckled before heading back over to the couch, plopping down on it once again before shrugging his jacket off his shoulders. It was way too hot in the apartment to be wearing a jacket and at that moment he didn't care that it would probably make Rin uncomfortable if he roamed around their place shirtless.

"N-no! I didn't use paint for the cake! I just thought that I could paint you a picture for your birthday since the cake didn't work out," Rin mumbled as she began to fidget with the hem of her blue dress, shifting uncomfortably. Why did he always make her feel so nervous? "I just wanted to do something for you to show my appreciation for you…" Now that she said it, giving him a painting for a birthday gift seemed to be a little cheesy. Tokiya was probably going to tease her about how she gave him such a sentimental gift and now Rin was regretting painting it in the first place.

Tokiya's expression softened as he watched her timidly stare down at the floor, nearly burning holes in the carpet with her penetrating stare. She was embarrassed? How adorable. Tokiya patted the seat down next to him, urging her to come sit by him.

Rin cautiously walked over to the couch before sitting down beside him, awaiting his snarky responses about how she chose to paint him picture like a five year old would do. What did she even expect him to do with the painting? Hang it up on the fridge? Oh, she really should have put more thought into it.

Tokiya was the type to always throw out rude, sarcastic comments to his teammates. He was the king of insults and could pull the cleverest of remarks out of his pocket for any given situation. For some reason, he always held himself back when it came to Rin. Even when she spilled an entire carton of milk on the floor and poured dish soap into the dish washer, he never flat-out insulted her. He liked to tease her, but only light-heartedly; he would never have said something to actually hurt her feelings. Rin had always guessed he treated her more kindly than his other friends because he saw her as a fragile specimen. But now that he was drunk, she was worried that his self-restraint had greatly diminished.

"Hey, Rin," Tokiya said, making her entire body stiffen up as he scooted closer to her.

"I know it was a silly idea… I'm sorry. I should have thought to give you a better present. I just don't have any money right now since I've been scared of getting a part-time job," Rin interjected as she twiddled her thumbs together in her lap, unable to meet his gaze as her eyes remained fixated on her lap.

Tokiya shook his head as he reached over to lay a gentle hand atop of her thigh. "Actually, I don't think a painting is a silly idea at all. Will you show it to me?" He asked in a husky voice as he inched his face closer to hers.

"It's not finished yet… Could I show you tomorrow?" she asked, unable to mask the shakiness of her own voice. She turned her head slowly to look at Tokiya, only to realize that his face was only a few centimeters away from hers. All of her breath hitched in the back of her throat before she quickly turned away from him, suddenly self-conscious and anxious.

Tokiya liked the way she squirmed underneath his gaze, but he normally wouldn't have ever tried to purposely make her nervous around him. Their friendship was based on respect and Tokiya would have rather been hit by a car than ever make Rin feel uneasy around him. Unfortunately, the alcohol had completely drained him of all sense of reason. Now, all he wanted to do was make her squirm even more.

He began tracing small circles upon her exposed thighs with his fingertips. He loved all of the cute dresses she wore, but he was particularly fond of this one. It was soft to the touch and had buttons that trailed down from the low neckline to the waist. It reached just above her knees and the slinky material made it easy for him to inconspicuously slide it up further to show a little more of her milky white skin.

He got a strange sense of satisfaction when he felt goose bumps form underneath his touch and Rin's shy expression only made him want to continue teasing her. "You can show me the painting tomorrow as long as you show me something else tonight," he whispered into her ear, making her shiver lightly.

Rin felt her heart practically beat out of her chest at Tokiya's seductive behavior. She wanted to get up and flee from the room but Tokiya's low, deep voice made her legs turn into jelly. Instead, she tried to slide away from him as she moved towards the other end of the couch, but Tokiya was too slick; he had already snaked his other arm around her waist to keep her from escaping.

"You know, I've never been fond of my birthdays after Mifuyu died," Tokiya said as he held her close, "They only brought back painful memories. Up until this year, I always just locked myself in my room and waited for the day—and the memories—to end. After I lost Mifuyu, there was just no point in celebrating any holidays anymore, including my birthday."

That statement came out of nowhere, but there was a bit of pain evident in his voice and Rin wondered if maybe she shouldn't try so hard to push him away. Maybe he was only being affectionate because he thought it would help ease the pain from the wound in his heart leftover from his sister's death? "I'm sorry, Mikagami-kun," she said quietly, unsure of how to properly console him during this time.

"But I'm grateful that this year was different. I'm glad I got to spend time with Recca and the others. The party was a lot of fun," Tokiya said after a moment, his hand playfully squeezing Rin's thigh. "But it would have been more fun if you were there."

Just like that, her head began to swim as butterflies danced in her stomach. She didn't know what to make of this feeling; it was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. "It was probably a good thing I wasn't there. I'm such a downer when it comes to parties. You probably wouldn't have had as much fun," she said after a moment before trying to wiggle out of his arms. His face was still dangerously close to hers and she caught a faint whiff of alcohol on his breath.

"Awwwwwwww, don't say that, Rin-chan! You would have been the life of the party!" Tokiya said, his grip on her tightening as he refused to let her get up. "But I guess it probably is best that you didn't go… All the guys think you're really pretty and they would have been all over you. I might have had to get violent."

Rin fervently shook her head, denying his claims. "Th-that's not true! I'm not pretty at all! Plus, with Sakoshita-san there, no one would have even given me a second glance."

A twinkle formed in Tokiya's eyes as he watched her grow bashful over his compliment. Did she really not know how pretty she was? Domon and Kaoru often made comments about her feminine face and slender body whenever she wasn't around. Although Recca was her half-brother, he often remarked that Rin would make a lovely bride for someone one day and that whoever managed to wind up with her was a lucky bastard. Rin clearly beat out all the other girls in the looks department and underneath her frilly dresses was a body that would make all girls seethe with jealousy. From his occasional peeks at her in her nightwear, he knew that she had curves in all the right places.

"Yeah, Yanagi is pretty. I really like her eyes and her smile, but I think it's her hair that really catches my eye," Tokiya admitted. He apparently had no filter when he was drunk and Rin's bitter expression went completely unnoticed by him.

"I see," Rin said after a moment, wishing for nothing more than to pry his strong arms away from her so she could retreat to the solace of her bedroom. Things were definitely getting awkward now and the urge to run was getting stronger.

"But don't get me wrong. I only find Yanagi attractive because of how much she makes me think of my sister. You're even more beautiful, though. Sure, you may not look like Mifuyu but that's okay. I especially like girls with your kind of body, to be honest," he bluntly said before bringing his face closer to hers once again. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as the hand on her thigh began to slowly hike up her dress even more.

He was getting way too close for comfort and Rin needed to get away or find a way to distract him before she fainted from the shock of the whole situation. "Are you saying you like Yanagi?" Rin hurriedly asked as she looked down at her lap. Tokiya's sneaky hand had managed to raise her dress high enough so that the hem of her black, lacey panties was now exposed. Flustered, Rin quickly shoved his hand away and yanked her dress back down. Just what on Earth was he doing?! Did he even realize he was doing something promiscuous?!

Dumbfounded by her question, Tokiya pulled away from her for a moment as he stared up at the ceiling. Rin breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she felt his warmth leave her but there was a slight pang of disappointment that swelled within her as well. Now that he wasn't holding her, her body suddenly felt cold and bare. "Hmmm, do I like Yanagi? I wonder…" He mused softly as he tapped his finger on his chin before slowly looking back to Rin with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

There it was again. That sharp twinge of jealousy. It stabbed her in the chest like a needle and injected her with a flow of pain. She frowned and looked away from him, trying to not let her disappointment show upon her face. Tokiya; however, saw that her shoulders slumped forward ever so slightly and that her fingers involuntarily twitched. She was easy to read and that was something Tokiya was about to exploit.

"Tell me, Rin," Tokiya muttered as he tucked a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Would you be upset if I said I liked Yanagi?"

Rin's eyes widened and the back of her throat grew dry. How was she supposed to answer something like that so suddenly?! Rin had a hard time making sense of her feelings towards Tokiya. Did she admire him as a warrior? Did she see him as a valuable teammate? Was he just a really close friend? Maybe a brother? Or…was there something else?

His amber eyes penetrated her own as he refused to let her go. Rin couldn't find the words to say nor could she look away from him, completely mesmerized by his handsome face. He licked his lips for a moment and Rin's gaze trailed down to look at them. For a split second, she wondered what it would be like to have those lips upon her own. The skin on her neck was still tingling from where he had kissed her earlier and excitement began to rise in the pits of Rin's stomach, tickling her insides and making her shudder.

And yet, he was the only one under the influence of alcohol. Rin still had her wits about her and she knew that he was only teasing her. The alcohol was making his mind fuzzy and it brought about this sudden flirty behavior. The same thing often happened to Joker whenever he drank and he was also rather affectionate with the help of vodka. The only difference between Tokiya and Joker was that Rin was able to freely decline Joker's advances and had no problem in forcing him to stop and go to bed. With Tokiya, she couldn't quite bring herself to shove him away. She was lured in by his tantalizing gaze and a part of her wanted to see just how far the alcohol would push him.

But that still didn't change the fact she needed to put a stop to this one way or another. Tokiya was simply mocking her and he was only craving companionship because the alcohol was tricking his mind into believing that he wanted it. He probably wasn't serious about finding Rin pretty and giving into him would only make her hurt worse later on.

The raven haired woman remained silent for a moment, selecting her words carefully. "I've always known you liked Yanagi, Mikagami," Rin said flatly. "In fact, I'm pretty sure the only thing that's holding you back from confessing to her is Recca."

That was the last thing Tokiya expected to hear. He continued to hold her gaze, eyes sparkling with amusement, as his hand continued to hold her chin. "Oh? What makes you think I like Yanagi?"

Rin sighed. "It's obvious, Mikagami-kun. She looks like Mifuyu so you're automatically comfortable around her. Plus, she's really sweet to you and treats you kindly. She's got kind of a motherly vibe about her and you feel relaxed around her. You don't snap at her the way you do Fuuko and the other girls you're around. I've also caught you staring at her many times in the past. You…don't have to hide it from me, Mikagami-kun. I'm more observant than I lead on."

Rin reached up to pry his hand away from her as she stood up from the couch. Hopefully he wouldn't remember any of this in the morning. Joker often forgot about his multitude of love confessions whenever he tried to court Rin after he had one too many drinks. If Tokiya also forgot about his drunken misdemeanors after a good night's sleep, the two of them could continue their living situation without any problems. They could pretend this whole ordeal never happened.

Tokiya looked away from her as he bit down on his tongue to try and prevent himself from saying any other stupid things. He didn't really like Yanagi and he had been attracted to Rin from the moment he first laid eyes on her. How did she not realize that the one he had his eye on was not Yanagi but Rin instead?

The juice at the party was full of alcohol. Tokiya knew it from the beginning, but he still chose to continue drinking it of his own free-will. His birthday had been full of pain, from the scattered memories of his deceased sister to the realization that Rin probably didn't like him back. The alcohol helped numb the pain and it even began to alter his thought process. He had decided on his own that Rin only saw him as a friend, but how could possibly know the real truth unless he asked her himself? Confessing to her straight up would have been a horrible idea if she turned him down. Even though Rin would have probably let him down easily, there was no way that things wouldn't be awkward between them afterwards.

But after taking a few more sips of alcohol, Tokiya had been struck by a brilliant idea.

He could get drunk, confess to her, and if she turned him down, he could pretend that it was only the alcohol talking and it wasn't his real feelings. It seemed like a good plan at first, but Tokiya had severely underestimated his alcohol tolerance and ended up going overboard. He couldn't think clearly anymore and his strategic plan of finding out Rin's feelings towards him was crumbling down before him.

He had thought that maybe he could try to trick her into revealing her own feelings or thoughts on the matter by admitting she would have been upset if Yanagi was the object of his affection, but his sly attempt at seducing her into submission blew up in his face.

Rin was bluntly pushing him away. She didn't see him as anything but a troubled teen with a sister complex and he felt foolish for thinking that she was going to reciprocate his feelings. Tokiya ran a hand through his thick hair as he leaned over, suddenly feeling nauseas. He really should have known that Rin didn't feel that way about him, but he still couldn't help feeling so defeated. Tokiya Mikagami rarely felt insecure in himself, but now he was feeling like nothing more than a pathetic piece of garbage for getting his hopes up. Maybe it was the alcohol that had given him that tiny shimmer of hope that he and Rin could have possibly become more than just friends…

"Are you all right, Mikagami-kun?" Rin asked as she bent down to rub his back gently. His muscles flinched underneath her touch and Rin quickly pulled her hand away before she stood up. She then placed a small trash can in between his legs in case he needed to purge the alcoholic contents out of his system. "You should really drink some more water and get to bed."

Ugh, why was she still being so nice to him? Wasn't she repulsed by the fact he had just kissed her neck and touched her leg? Or was she too damn naive to realize that he was flirting with her?

"You just don't get it, Rin," Tokiya whispered as he peered at her through his bangs.

Rin blinked twice in confusion. "What do I not get it?"

"The one I like isn't Yanagi, idiot," Tokiya grumbled before he snatched up her wrist. With a great bit of force, he tugged on her arm, making her lose her balance and topple over atop of him and fall right into his lap. His wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and nuzzled his face into her warm chest.

"The one I like is you, Rin," he muttered, his breath tickling her cleavage as he clutched on tighter to her.

Rin's face began to grow hot as her heart picked up its rapid pace again. "W-what?!" She was fairly certain she heard him wrong but the fact that she was now sitting on his lap, straddling him while her legs wrapped around his waist, made her think that maybe her ears were not playing tricks on her. It was such an intimate position and Rin could swear that Tokiya was able to hear how loud her heart was beating.

"M-M-Mikagami!" She could barely say his name, let alone find the right words to say. She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat but that still didn't help her find the courage to speak.

"You're so naive, Rin," Tokiya whispered as he looked up at her, smiling at her reaction to his boldness. "But it's probably my fault. I was so scared of making you uncomfortable that I kept hiding my feelings from you." His smile suddenly dropped as he wrinkled up his brows to stare up at her sternly. "But I'm done pretending that I only see you as a friend. I know you don't like me back but maybe I'll feel better if I just get everything off my chest."

Rin's hands instinctively pushed against him as her nerves fell into a frenzy. He was lying. He had to be. Either that or he was so far gone for the evening that he wasn't even sure of what he was saying anymore.

"Y-Y-Y-You're drunk, Mikagami-kun," Rin stammered out after a second.

"Yeah. So? It doesn't mean I'm not serious. Haven't you ever heard of liquid courage?" Tokiya replied curtly as he rested his chest against her breast, basking in the sound of her rhythmic heartbeat against his ear. Her petite body fit perfectly into his muscular arms, almost as if she was made to be there.

"You don't know what you're saying. You're only saying you like me because you know you can't have Sakoshita-san," Rin said firmly as she shut her eyes tightly, unable to take any more. His feelings weren't genuine and he was only teasing her. "You're just on the rebound…"

Tokiya sighed as the back of his hand trailed down her back, stopping right at the base of her spine. "Rin, I don't like Yanagi. Yes, she reminds me of my sister but it would be weird if I fell in love with her just because of that. Come on, Rin. Don't you trust me?"

She shook her head quickly, continuing to try to push herself off of his lap. "Please, Mikagami, just let me go… I don't like being teased like this. Can't you see it's hurting my feelings?"

Why was he acting this way? What did he hope to accomplish by toying with her heart like this? She couldn't help but wonder if he did the same thing to Yanagi while he was at the party, and that hurt her the most. She had no idea her roommate was such a playboy, but maybe this side of him was only brought to the surface whenever he drank. She would have to ask Joker more about alcohol and the kind of damage it did to one's self-control later on.

"No, Rin. I'm not letting you go until you understand," he grunted as he placed both hands on her hips, forcing her to grind into his waist even further.

The timid girl gasped as she felt something hard push against the thin material of her panties. Through Tokiya's pants, she could feel his manhood throbbing against her and it only made her tense up even more. He was aroused and the sensual position of their bodies pressed tightly against each other only made Rin feel even more unsure of herself.

"Please, Mikagami," Rin said a bit more firmly as she placed both hands on his broad shoulders to try to pry him off of her, "You're really scaring me. Please don't touch me like this…Not while you're drunk…" she mumbled, her breaths coming out as nothing but short gasps.

"Are you saying you wouldn't mind me touching you if I wasn't drunk?" He asked as he twisted her words around, a wry grin playing upon his lips before he planted a gentle kiss at the base of her throat.

"N-No! I don't mean it like that! I mean…I just…Um…I'm so confused! Why are you doing this to me Mikagami-kun?! I don't understand!" She shouted. Her attempts at wiggling free were proving useless as he continued to hold her in his lap. Tokiya tilted his chin up to press even more hot kisses upon her chest, just below her neck.

"It's okay to be scared, Rin. You've never had a positive experience in dealing with men before, but I promise that I will never hurt you," he said before applying a few more kisses, but this time allowing his lips to linger in the same spot for a little longer as he sucked on her skin softly. "I can do things to you to make you feel really good, Rin. All you have to do is accept me and my feelings for you."

Rin's eyes remained shut tightly as she tried to make sense of all the new sensations that were triggering her body's responses. Goosebumps danced along her back as Tokiya gave her a trail of hickeys, almost as if he were claiming her as his property with his love bites. It tickled and made Rin shiver but that wasn't the only thing her body was reacting to. The feeling of Tokiya's crotch pressed against her own made her warm and tingly in her tummy, which in turn only made her grow wary of everything.

"It's also okay," Tokiya stated in between his gentle kisses upon her chest, "to be confused. You've never been around guys your own age before so it's not surprising that you don't understand what it's like to feel attracted to someone. It's obvious to see that I'm attracted to you, though. Can't you see how hard you're making me? I've never once been turned on by thinking of Yanagi, but I can't tell you how many times I've touched myself in my bedroom late at night while thinking about your beautiful face."

That was a bit too honest, Tokiya figured, but it was too late to take those words back now. His sense of reasoning had been washed away and the only thing he cared about was convincing Rin that his feelings were true. At that moment he didn't care how awkward things were going to be in the morning. He didn't care that she would probably never look at him the same way again. As long as he could properly convey his love for her, he would just have to deal with the consequences of his actions later on.

"M-Mikagami-kun," Rin stuttered as she shifted uncomfortably atop of him, accidentally grinding on him even more, eliciting a low groan from the back of Tokiya's throat as a seismic wave of pleasure flashed through him.

"Rin, I'm tired of holding back," Tokiya admitted before he gently lifted her off of him. For a moment, Rin thought that maybe he was starting to sober up and that he was done assaulting her, but that ray of hope shattered as he abruptly pushed her down on the couch so she was lying on her back. He hovered over her and pinned her arms down above her head so she could no longer push him away. "If my words can't show you that I'm in love with you, then I guess my body will just have to do the talking."

She was confused as to what he meant at first, but when he dipped his head lower to press his lips upon hers, Rin steadily began to understand.

In the past, she had wondered what it would have been like to kiss him but now she didn't have to imagine it anymore. Tokiya's lips felt warm against her own and they were just as soft as she had pictured them to be. His kiss started out as a gentle peck at first but then gradually began to deepen as he glided his tongue across her bottom lip, urging her to part open her mouth so he could have more access. When she didn't oblige to his indirect request, Tokiya nibbled on her lower lip and forced her mouth to open more before he shoved his tongue inside, tasting all that she had to offer.

Rin could only make sounds of muffled squeaks as she felt Tokiya's tongue explore her mouth. He hungrily tasted every inch of her moist cavern and even implored her tongue to engage in a playful wrestle with his. Rin arched her back as she tried to turn her head away her head but he had her trapped underneath his weight as he continued to firmly hold each of her wrists in his hands. Realizing that she didn't have much of a choice, she reluctantly allowed her tongue to mingle with his.

The kiss was broken as Tokiya slowly pulled away so he could take a good, hard look at Rin, slowly taking in the fact that he had finally managed to do what he had been wanting to do for a long time. "Do you finally understand, Rin?" He asked with a smug look on his face. His arrogant façade immediately dropped as he saw that Rin's eyes were misty and a few tears had already cascaded down her cheeks.

"Let go of me, Mikagami," Rin demanded as she realized she couldn't take any more of his torment. He had gone too far with his joking and if he pushed her any further, there would be no going back for her.

Tokiya paused for a moment as he watched her silently weep beneath him. She looked confused, frightened, and uncertain of everything. He had thought that by kissing her he could have shown her just how much she meant to him, but his actions only made her question him even more. Feeling guilty, he withdrew himself away from her and released his grip on her wrists, giving Rin the perfect opportunity to give him a good shove that was hard enough to push him completely off of her.

"How can you be so cruel?!" she cried out as she wiped away at the stray tears that were falling without her permission.

Her words stung him and Tokiya instinctively reached out to touch her cheek but Rin swatted his hand away. "No more! Please don't do this to me!" she begged before leaping up off the couch.

"Rin…Rin, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to show you how I feel about you," he protested but instantly shut his trap as Rin flew towards the door.

"Stop lying to me, Mikagami! You only see me as a replacement for Yanagi!" she shouted as she shoved her feet into her shoes in front of the doorway.

Mikagami tried to follow her but nearly tripped over his own feet in the process. The alcohol had taken a major toll on his body and his legs refused to work properly, forcing him to lean on a nearby wall for support. "Rin! It's not like that! I really do love you! I've loved you since the day I first met you!"

"No, Mikagami. You don't love me. You only love the idea of no longer being alone," Rin commented quietly, her voice nothing but a mere murmur as she placed her hand on the doorknob. She hesitated for a moment as she looked over her shoulder, eyes full of pain as she fiercely tried to fight against the tears that continued to sneak their way out of her sterling eyes. "I'm not Yanagi. I'm not Mifuyu, either. But I am especially not a toy," she snapped before flinging the door open, only to slam it behind her.

Tokiya could only helplessly watch as Rin fled the apartment, leaving him to be by himself in the cold, empty apartment. He thumped his forehead against the wall, cursing himself for being such an inconsiderate bastard, before his body slumped down to the floor.

He laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling; everything was swirling around the room and he was growing extremely dizzy. He felt like puking but his stomach was completely empty; just like his heart. He had no idea where Rin planned to go this late at night but he secretly hoped she was going to retreat to Fuuko's house for the night. Maybe when he sobered up, he could try to talk to her again and convince her that he was dead serious about loving her.

Just what could he do to make her understand?

Rin ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She didn't care what time it was or what kind of danger lurked in the city during this ungodly hour. She wasn't sure what she was running from exactly—Tokiya himself or her feelings towards him?

He was lying. He had to be lying, whether or not he realized it. He was a lonely boy who longed for companionship and security, and deep down Rin couldn't fully blame him for not knowing how to properly assimilate his distorted emotions. But to bluntly touch her and kiss her like he truly cared about her was the cruelest thing she had ever seen him done.

How could he betray her trust like that?!

Rin continued to run until her lungs felt like they were about to explode. She came to a halt and bent down, desperately trying to catch her breath as she felt another wave of tears about to hit. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and began to whimper inaudibly. When she opened her eyes, she realized that she wasn't too far from her favorite park.

Taking evening strolls around the neighborhood was a habit of Rin's since she didn't like the feeling of always being cooped up in the apartment. Cool, autumn nights like these were always refreshing, but Rin regretted not grabbing her jacket before she busted through the door. A million thoughts had been racing through her mind at that point but retrieving her jacket wasn't one of them. She wrapped her arms around herself as the autumn air licked at her skin; at least the breeze was cooling off the skin that had been burning from Tokiya's sensual touch.

Rin sauntered over to a nearby playground as she replayed the scenes from the night over in her head. She passed by the monkey bars and see-saw so she could take a seat at her favorite swing set, her breath finally returning to normal as she inhaled the crisp air.

Why did things have to turn out like that? Tonight was supposed to be a night where she celebrated Tokiya's birthday with him and gave him a present as a token of her appreciation for him, but then Tokiya winded up kissing her. Her cheeks grew hot just thinking about the kiss and Rin had to take another deep breath just to prevent her heartbeat from pounding painfully again.

Oh, if only Recca hadn't spiked the juice…If Tokiya had never gotten drunk, they could have had a peaceful evening together and they could have had a lovely breakfast in the morning and discussed current events in the world like they always did. Rin could have read books all day while he was at school and then she could have asked him to teach her more mathematical skills whenever he returned home. They could have enjoyed battling against each other in his video games, and then he could have laughed at how bad her cooking was whenever she tried to prepare dinner.

But now? Now things were going to be different between them. How could she possibly look him in the eye again after he kissed her like that?! They could never return to just being normal friends now that they had shared such an intense moment. Rin brought up her hand to gently grace against the edges of her mouth where Tokiya's lips had once been. She could still feel his tongue scraping against the roof of her mouth and the feeling of his muscular body pressed against her chest.

He said he wanted to show her what she meant to him but the only thing she saw was how scary he could be. He had been so forceful, so dominating. Her whole body had been paralyzed and Rin could only assume that it was fear that had consumed her consciousness, but the more she thought about it, did she really want him to stop? His lips had felt so good upon hers, and although it felt a little funny, when he rubbed the bulge in his pants against her private area, she actually grew excited over it. It was a feeling unlike anything she had ever felt before and that's what frightened her the most.

Rin was so engaged in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that a stranger had been steadily approaching the park, heading right towards her. His movements were carefully timed and whenever Rin thought she heard the sound of treading footsteps, the man quickly dodged her line of sight to conceal himself into the shadows.

Rin figured she was probably going crazy and that her mind was playing tricks on her. After the kind of night she had, she wouldn't have been surprised if she was on the brink of losing her sanity. She pushed her feet off the ground and began to swing back and forth; long, black tresses flowing the wind behind her as she did so. She closed her eyes to try to think of something—anything—besides Tokiya, but the swordsman had already infiltrated her mind and made no attempts at leaving. She couldn't get the image of his half-lidded eyes out of her mind after he pulled away from their kiss. She had left the apartment to temporarily get away from him, but how could she escape him if he kept creeping his way back into her thoughts?

As the troubled girl continued to swing back and forth, the stalking male continued to near the oblivious girl, watching her every movement as he remained hidden in the shadows. It wasn't until after he stepped on a twig that Rin took notice of his presence.

"Who's there?!" Rin snapped, instantly putting up her guard as her feet skidded along the ground to halt her swinging.

A sharp silence followed after and Rin, once again, questioned her sanity. But suddenly, the man stepped out from behind a tree, moonlight illuminating his form as two, sharp fangs twinkled in the soft light.

"Hey, now! No need to be so suspicious of little ole' me," rang out a voice into the darkness.

Something as ominous as a stranger following her in the park should have made Rin scream in fear but the second she heard his voice, she only rolled her eyes, not amused in the least.

"Joker, don't sneak up on me like that. What if I had decided to summon some of my dark magic to subdue you?" Rin scolded as she watched the man named Joker walk towards her with a light skip to his walk. His long blonde hair fell over his shoulders as he paraded around in a comfortable ensemble of cargo pants and a loose-fitted t-shirt as a gray hoodie was tied loosely around his waist.

"I thought that was you, Rin!" the blonde male said as he took a seat in the swing next to her, a big, goofy grin on his face. "I just happened to be patrolling the neighborhood when I saw a crying girl run towards the park. Since I'm such a good guy, I decided to follow her and make sure everything is okay, but lo and behold, it just happened to be Rin-chan! How is my favorite person in the whole wide world doing?"

Another crazy shenanigan was the last thing in the world that Rin was in the mood for. She had enough tonight to last her a lifetime, but she couldn't help but find it to be impeccable timing that Joker had decided to appear now, of all times.

"Don't be silly, Joker. You don't just patrol the neighborhoods for the fun of it," she said as her eyes narrowed at him. "You've been following me lately, haven't you?"

Joker shrugged as he tugged his beanie forward to conceal his eyes, chuckling all the while, "Fine, fine, you caught me, Rin-chan. Actually, I've been meaning to tell you that I found some leads on your brother."

Finally! She was receiving good news about her brother! Rin's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to face Joker, "What? You mean you know where Kurei is!?"

"I said I have some leads, dearie. I don't know his exact location, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I find that sneaky little bastard," Joker said as he kicked his legs back and forth and started swinging.

Staring down at her feet, she wondered how to respond to that. Well, it wasn't the good news she had hoped for but she knew Joker was trying his best. "I hope Kurei is all right," She finally said after a long moment, unable to peel her eyes away from a particular blade of grass that was sticking out of the ground. Her brother had been missing ever since the tournament ended and no one seemed to have even the faintest idea of where had run off to. She couldn't ask Recca for help; he and Kurei were not fond of each other in the least and it was a miracle that they hadn't murdered one another yet, despite all the times they tried to. Joker was the only one on the case and he promised that he would find Kurei for her, one way or another, so that amends could be made.

The male beside her continued swinging as he pumped his legs faster so he could swing even higher as his hair danced in the wind. "I'm sure he's fine! But honestly, I'm more worried about you then I am him right now."

He had said he saw her running and crying towards the park which was probably why he decided to show himself to her. The two of them had been friends for a while and he was the only member of Jyushinshuu that Rin had actually liked. His friendly, carefree attitude was contagious and there was something about his bubbly personality that drew Rin to him. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't drawn to him romantically, as he had hoped. Joker was a good friend, someone she felt she could truly count on, but Rin had always figured she was incapable of feeling romantic love towards anyone.

Until Tokiya Mikagami made her second guess herself, that is.

"Soooooooooo? Aren't you going to tell me what's bugging you, Rin-chan?" Joker chimed out before he slowed down his swinging. All was quiet in the park, save for Joker's loud voice, and Rin knew that if she dared to tell him what happened, she would only break down and start crying again.

And yet, Joker knew her better than anyone. Even though he had a tendency to make light of serious situations, he was always there to calm her tears. This situation had been different from her other predicaments but Rin believed that he could possibly provide her with some good advice since, after all, he was the one that had convinced her to move in with Tokiya in the first place.

She took a deep breath while trying to find the best way to explain what happened in the most eloquent way possible without giving away too many private details. Without further ado, Rin took a deep breath and then calmly told him the gist of Tokiya's drunken behavior.

Joker listened intently to everything she said, his usual grin now formed into a thin, neutral line upon his angular face, as he let her vent to him.

"So you're telling me," Joker said after Rin was finished, "that Tokiya came home drunk, put the moves on you, confessed his love to you, kissed you, and you ran away screaming like a lunatic."

Rin's cheeks flared up as she reached over to punch him in the arm. "No! Didn't you just hear anything I said?! Tokiya was being very touchy-feely only because he was drunk and he was trying to coax me into believing his confession was real just so I would keep him company for the night. He wasn't honestly putting the moves on me and he wasn't honestly confessing to me. I may not know everything there is to know about human interactions, but even I know that men like to persuade girls to join them in bed to ease their loneliness." She crossed her arms over her chest and cast her eyes down the floor as the familiar pain from earlier began to gnaw at her insides once again.

"And how do you know this?" Joker inquired as he rubbed his arm gently where she punched it. That was going to leave a bruise. For such a delicate woman, Rin sure packed a powerful punch.

"Well, because Mikagami-kun likes Yanagi," Rin answered as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger anxiously.

"And how do you know this?" he reiterated once more. She was the type to always jump to conclusions. Did she even have solid proof that Tokiya was, indeed, lying about his love for her? Joker was no expert on romance, but Tokiya wasn't the friendliest of guys and there was no way he would have invited Rin to stay with him if he didn't have at least a little bit of a thing for her.

"I know this because I'm an observant human being," Rin explained as she nodded firmly. "He carries around a photo of her that he found, he's always staring at her whenever he thinks no one is looking, he tends to get jealous whenever Recca spends a lot of time with her, and the list goes on. It's so painfully obvious that he has a crush on Yanagi so there's no way he was serious about liking me."

"Yanagi Sakoshita is hot," Joker said bluntly and Rin had to resist the urge to punch him again after such a bold statement. "Buuuuuuuuut that doesn't mean anything. If he says he doesn't like her, then maybe it really does mean he doesn't like her. Have you ever considered that possibility?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice and Rin almost regretted telling him everything that happened.

"Look, I think I'm a pretty observant person, too. I've seen him stare at you, I've seen him get jealous whenever Recca and the other Hokage people hang out with you, and the list goes on. He lives with you, Rin, and I'm sure he just never wanted to tell you that he liked you until now. Well, maybe he couldn't even control what he was saying 'cause he drank so much but I bet he was worried about confessing to you because he didn't want you to feel uncomfortable around him," Joker told her as he watched her reaction out of the corner of his eye. Her blush darkened as she sunk down into her seat lower before covering her face with her hands.

"It's…impossible. He could never like a girl like me," Rin mumbled as she felt the tears form again.

Joker stood up from the swing and began to walk over to the jungle gym. He was the never the type to stay in the same place for very long and he was already growing bored of the swings. "Well, enough about Mikagami. What about you, Rin-chan? How do you feel about him?" he asked as he climbed on the bars before hanging upside on one of them, his shirt rising up to his chin as a set of strong abs peeked out.

"How I feel? Oh, gosh, I don't know…Mikagami-kun is such an important friend to me. He's always been so nice to me and I love spending time with him," the timid girl replied with a sigh.

He placed a hand atop of his head to keep his beanie from slipping off as he continued to sway back and forth upside down like a monkey. "Do you love him?" Joker asked, rephrasing the question. Unless he directly asked her things, Rin was just going to beat around the bush and keep tossing out the "He's-My-Best-Friend" kind of bullshit.

"I don't know what it's like to be in love," Rin admitted as she turned her face to look up at the night sky, eyes focusing on a few clouds as they rolled across her view of the full moon. "How do I know if I love Tokiya if I don't even know what love is?"

Her dark past had almost felt like nothing more than a nightmare. All those terrifying days of being beaten and mutilated by Koran's evil hands, all the agonizing nights where Rin cried herself to sleep because her dreams were the only place she could feel remotely safe in… Rin's fingers traced the invisible lines along her wrist where hideous scars had once been. Yanagi, a mystical healer, had long since evaporated all the scars that Koran had left Rin with, but she couldn't erase the memories along with them. Yanagi's magic was strong enough to erase the blisters on her body but the pain still lingered. If Rin closed her eyes, she could still graphically remember the searing pain each whelp left as Koran slashed his spiked whip against her feeble body.

How could someone who grew up in such a dark and traumatizing environment know anything about love?

"Hm, you know, when it comes to love, you don't have to be all philosophical and shit," Joker said as he jumped down from the steel bars to plant his feet back on the ground again. "Love isn't something concrete. There isn't an actual definition for it, either. Love has many components and the easiest way to tell you're in love is by looking at the signs."

"The…signs?" Rin asked.

Joker nodded. "Yep! The signs! Here, let me ask you some questions, Rin. Does your heart beat really quickly every time he's around you?"

"Well, um, yes, it does. But does that really mean—"

"Question number two!" Joker announced as he interrupted the middle of her sentence. "Do you ever wish he would hug you? Or maybe hold your hand? Or even kiss you?"

The embarrassed look on Rin's face indicated that she didn't even need to say anything to verify his suspicions.

"Question number three! This one's a toughie," he said with a wink. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like to fuck him?"

Rin nearly fell out of the swing as she heard him use such vulgar language. She blushed furiously and stomped her foot on the ground, horried that he would ask her something like that. "W-what?! No way! I would never do anything as disrespectful as that!" Suddenly, Tokiya's words from earlier sneaked back into her memory as she recalled him telling her that he often touched himself while picturing her face. Although Rin had never placed her hands anywhere near her private area for reasons other than washing, there was no point in denying to herself that she did have spontaneous dreams where Tokiya's hands explored every inch of her body. She always woke up before the dream got too intense, but Joker was the last person she wanted to admit something like that to.

"I'll take that as a yes. Moving on," Joker said candidly.

"I never said yes!" Rin shrieked, her arms flailing up and down animatedly as their conversation grew a bit too personal for her.

"Next question! Let's say Tokiya was dead honest with his confession. Let's say he wasn't joking when he said he loved you," Joker continued as he scratched the back of his head. "How would you feel? Would you still run away from him screaming?"

"I didn't run away screaming," Rin pouted as she glared down at the dirt underneath her feet.

"Just answer the damn question," Joker grunted. Rin was as stubborn as a mule, but until he could get her to admit and accept her own feelings towards the Ensui master, she would just be stuck in a rut without any hope of making amends with Tokiya. Sure, Joker found Tokiya to be a bit of an asshole and the fact that he forcefully kissed Rin without her consent made his blood boil, but there was no changing the fact that Rin still liked him, even though she refused to openly admit it.

"I guess," Rin muttered as she felt the palpitations of her heart quicken again, "that I would actually be kind of happy to know that I'm the one he likes, and not Yanagi."

Joker smirked triumphantly before he walked over to Rin to pat her roughly on the shoulder. "Don't you get it, Rin? That means you love him!"

"I still don't know!" Rin blurted out as she clenched her fists together tightly to the point that her fingernails were biting into her skin. "All of this is so new to me! I'm scared of letting someone into my heart… What if Tokiya sees me for who I really am and then decides he doesn't like what he sees? What if he only sees me as an object?!"

"Do you really think Tokiya only sees you as a thing? Come on, Rin-chan. You know he isn't like that. You live in constant fear that all men will treat you the way Koran did. Er, yeah, maybe Tokiya could tone it down a notch or two with his seduction attempts, but I'm sure it was the alcohol that made him a pervert," Joker said as he scratched at the light stubble that formed on his chin after days of not shaving.

"Men are pretty scary, though," Rin shuddered as Koran's face flashed across her mind for a moment. "But I guess you're right… Mikagami-kun would never do anything to purposefully hurt me. I'm sure he only touched me inappropriately because he was tired of me rejecting the idea that he was being sincere with his confession."

Joker's jaw fell open slightly as he gawked at Rin. "What?! You mean he actually got to touch you?! Inappropriately?!"

Rin had chosen to leave out the parts where Tokiya slid his hand up her thigh and kissed her neck in case Joker overreacted, but it looked like it had slipped out anyways. Suddenly feeling awkward, she cleared her throat and tried to change the subject. "So, uh, let's say I do like Mikagami-kun. And he likes me back. What now? After tonight, I don't think I can properly face him ever again. I guess I kind of killed all chances of something romantic happening to us after I yelled at him and slammed the door in his face..."

"Well, first things first," Joker said as he pulled out a lighter and box of cigarettes from his pocket. With a quick flick of his fingers, a flame burst from the lighter before dancing in the evening breeze. "You need to decide what you want to do. Are you really going to reciprocate his feelings? If not, then maybe you need to tell him good-bye," As he popped a cigarette into his mouth, he regarded her with a serious expression, all forms of joking aside.

Rin chewed on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully, mulling over his question as Tokiya's face appeared in her mind once more. Her stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought of no longer living with Tokiya. She had only been his roommate for a month but she had greatly treasured the time they had spent together. She didn't want to leave him, but how could she make things right with him if she didn't even understand her true feelings?

"Take a night to think about it. I've been crashing at a place nearby so you can stay with me tonight while you think things over. Tomorrow, you can talk things over with Tokiya," Joker suggested after puffing on his cigarette as a few rings of smoke drifted in the air around him. The answer was so painfully clear to him, but Rin apparently needed more time to accept things. She was fragile and pure; everything was new to her. If only Rin had fallen in love with him instead of Tokiya... There was no way he would have ever made her cry the way Tokiya did, Joker thought to himself as he allowed the smoke of his cigarette seep into his chest and relax his muscles, keeping him from succumbing to his anger and jealousy. It wasn't Rin's fault that she fell in love with Tokiya and not him. Hearts were complicated things, that was for certain, and life would be a lot simpler if people could just choose who they fell in love with.

Rin stood up from the swing set after dusting off some dirt from her dress. Joker could see that she was trembling from the night air so he removed his gray jacket and hung it across her shoulders to shield her from the chilly wind. "Come on. Let's get out of here before you catch a cold."

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Every bone in Tokiya's body was aching as if he had just been trampled by a dozen raging bulls. When his eyes finally manage to open, the powerful gleam of the sun peeking through his window was enough to make him hiss out in pain as if he were a vampire or something.

He slapped his hand against his forehead, groaning loudly, as he pushed himself off the floor. His back cracked as he did so while his shoulders felt like they had been crushed by concrete bricks, but after a few agonizing attempts, he finally managed to sit up straight.

"What...the hell happened... Why was I sleeping on the floor?" Tokiya grumbled to himself. His head had finally stopped spinning but the nausea from the night before still lingered. It took all of Tokiya's strength to make himself stand up so he could hobble into the kitchen for a glass of water.

Pain kept throbbing against his skull and it was nearly impossible to ignore it as he found himself sensitive to the brightly lit rooms. He wasn't sure what all happened last night after he left the party but he knew one thing was for sure-he was in desperate need of a shower. He reeked of alcohol and his hair looked worse than a dirty old mop; there was no way he wanted Rin to see him like this.

All was relatively quiet in the apartment as Tokiya tiptoed to the bathroom, not wanting to wake Rin up since it was still pretty early in the morning. A hot shower was exactly what he needed, as well as a strong mint-flavored toothpaste to rinse out the foul taste of vodka in his mouth. The steaming hot water swashed over his whole body, waking up his aching muscles as well as his muggy brain. Now that he was more alert, he was able to finally recall the details of last night.

First he went to a party. Then he drank. After that he walked home with Yanagi. But...what happened after that?

Suddenly, Tokiya felt the urge to vomit as images of Rin's frightened face flashed through his mind. He remembered the feeling of her skin beneath his finger tips and the gentle panting of her breath as he leaned in to kiss her neck. He remembered her tears as they stained her cheeks before she fled the house, angry over how tactless Tokiya had been when he touched her so erotically out of the blue.

Oh god...

And just like that, he remembered the night's events in full down to every last detail. The water from the shower could wash away the sweat from last night but not the filthy sins that tainted his soul. With his own hands, he had shattered Rin's trust in him and crushed any chances of her ever feeling comfortable in his presence again.

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit," Tokiya spat as he hurriedly shut off the water and reached for a towel. The very last thing he could recall was Rin storming out of the house as if her life depended on it as hot tears streamed down her face. He had scared the living Hell out of her so it was only natural for her to run. Did Rin ever come home last night? After throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt, Tokiya sprinted towards Rin's room.

"Rin?...Are you awake?" He knocked on the door quietly at first, a bit remorseful over the fact that he was waking her up so suddenly, but then he knocked again when he didn't hear any response. He slowly turned the doorknob and creaked the door open wide enough for him to peak his head in. All the color drained from his face when he saw her bed completely empty.

Where did she run off to last night? Tokiya's first instinct was to call up Fuuko and ask if Rin stayed at her place that night but was gravely disappointed when Fuuko, who was also completely hung-over, grumbled that Rin didn't come to her home last night. Yanagi was next on his list but she, too, was uncertain of Rin's whereabouts.

He started to panic. Rin ran off somewhere and it was all his fault. If only he hadn't chosen to drink that night...He would have never gotten the courage to confess nor would he have been stupid enough to try and seduce her. God, he could be such an idiot at times! There was nothing more in the world that he wanted to do at that very moment than apologize and beg her for forgiveness.

Nothing was going to get accomplished as long as he just stood around moping. He needed to find her, even if that meant he had to search the entire city. Just as he was about to leave, a lumpy mound of chocolate sitting on a plate on the kitchen counter caught his attention. He stepped towards it and inspected it closely; taking note of the messy clobber of frosting that decorated the top. Judging by the sloppily aligned strawberries in the center, this delicious looking deformity could have only been made by Rin. Did she spend all her time yesterday trying to make sure his birthday was perfect? And didn't she say that she had painted something for him as well?

His stomach sank even further. He knew she probably hated him now but Tokiya could perfectly understand why she would. He had pretty much assaulted her and kept yammering on and on about how much he loved her with no regards to her feelings at all. A simple apology couldn't change the fact that he had undoubtedly added to her mental scarring, but there was no way he was going to give up until he made things right with her.

Just as he reached for the doorknob, a loud knock resonated from the other side of the door. Tokiya's heart practically leaped up in his chest as he hurriedly swung the door open. Rin had come home of her own free will!...

...At least, he thought it was Rin until he saw a very tall and lean male standing in his doorway with a beanie on his head and a cigarette in his mouth. His hair, a golden shade, fell in front of his face and reached down past his shoulders. He looked like your typical thug, but Tokiya had unfortunately been graced by this young man's presence in the past so he knew that he wasn't just some teenage delinquent.

"Joker," Tokiya stated as he didn't even attempt to mask the disappointment in his voice.

Seemingly not fazed by the frustrated look on the swordsman's face, Joker chuckled before removing the cigarette from his mouth, only to toss it on the ground and stomp on it as it sizzled underneath his boot. "Yo, Mikagami! You look kind of bummed. Were you expecting someone else?"

Tokiya didn't step aside from the doorway since he didn't want to actually let the other male inside his home. He stunk of smoke and the last thing he wanted was to have his furniture reek of pollution. "Well, I can't deny that I was expecting you, of all people." Although this young man was one of Rin's closest friends, there was no hiding the fact that Tokiya didn't particularly care for him. He was an eccentric character with the maturity of a ten year old, and since he was a former enemy of Team Hokage, Tokiya didn't exactly trust him.

"Relax, man! I just figured you wanted to know where Rin-chan ran off to last night," Joker said in a mocking tone as he peered at Tokiya through the thick bangs that shrouded his face in mystery.

Tokiya's body stiffened as his hands reflexively balled into his fists at his sides. "You know where Rin is?!"

Joker simply nodded as he shoved both hands into the pockets of his baggy cargo pants. "Sure do. After you molested her, she came running to me for comfort," the blonde replied. It wasn't exactly true, but Joker was too busy relishing the sight of Tokiya's priceless expression as he gritted his teeth and scowled at the opposing male in front of him.

"I didn't molest her!" Tokiya snapped, his voice coming out harsher than he intended it to. Well, he did kind of molest her last night but that was beside the point. "Just tell me where Rin is!"

With a wry grin, Joker just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know if I should tell you or not. After all, it seems to me like you really upset her last night... I mean, what kind of guy lies to a girl about having feelings for her and then tries to coax her into sleeping with him? Sounds like a real scumbag, if you ask me."

Tokiya sharply averted his gaze away from Joker as he glared down at the ground. "I was wrong for getting too drunk last night and I was wrong for being too forward with her," he admitted before slowly sliding his gaze to stare at the blonde before him with intensity. "But not once did I lie to her about my feelings towards her. I love Rin and I never intended to hurt her. All I wanted was to show her how much I cared."

"Because, you know, forcefully kissing a girl is really the best way of getting your point across," Joker mocked, his shoulders shaking as he chucked darkly. "Jeez, Rin sure knows how to pick 'em."

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" the Ensui wielder retorted. Even though Joker was being rude and sarcastic, Tokiya couldn't help but feel like he deserved to be ridiculed for his actions. Instead of initiating a fight and throwing back a few witty remarks of his own, he decided to shut his trap as he exhaled a heavy breath of defeat. "Whatever. I don't have time for this. I need to talk to Rin."

Joker cocked his head up as he eyed the young man before him with skepticism. "Are you sure she even wants to talk to you right now?"

Tokiya flinched. "I don't know, to be honest. But I at least want to apologize to her."

"It's going to take more than an apology to fix the damage you've dealt, buddy. Honestly? I just should make you pay for your crimes right here and right now," Joker spat, enjoying the fact that Tokiya's face was now wrought with guilt and shame.

"If you want to hit me then fine. Go ahead. I probably deserve it," the silver haired male said as he braced himself for impact. He watched Joker's hand retreat from its safe zone in his pocket and ball up into a clenched fist. "Punching me can't undo what I did to her but at least I'll understand a fraction of the pain that Rin experienced last night."

Joker readied his fist but then paused. That was pretty poetic shit right there, he thought. He wrinkled up his nose at Tokiya before grimacing. "Damn it, you really do love her, don't you?" It almost sickened him to see the typically apathetic Tokiya Mikagami act like such a drama queen over Rin, but he much preferred this melodramatic state of his over his usual impassive demeanor.

"I guess it really is obvious to everyone except Rin," Tokiya grumbled. "She thinks I was lying to her. She thinks I'm in love with Yanagi..."

"Well, now that you're sober, you gotta' go set things straight. Rin's had a hard life-you can't blame her for not trusting people, especially after the shit you pulled last night," Joker replied, a little flabbergasted at the fact that he was trying to cheer on his rival-in-love. After seeing Rin so distraught over figuring out her own feelings, he knew that he couldn't just sit back and watch her suffer. Things between them just couldn't be left the way they were. Whether Rin decided to accept Tokiya's love confession or not was up to her, but Joker thought the least he could do to help was to give Tokiya a good kick in the rear.

"You're right," Tokiya added with a sigh before he closed the door behind him, stepping outside of the apartment. "I doubt she'll ever forgive me but I need to at least get my feelings across to her the proper way, once and for all."

Joker rolled his eyes as he felt he might nearly gag from all the sentimental bullshit that was going on. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just know that I really will punch those brains of yours right out of your pretty face if you so much as touch Rin without her permission again."

"I will personally deliver my head to you on a platter if I cross the line this time," Tokiya nodded in affirmation. "Now are you going to tell me where Rin is or do I have to roam the whole city until I find her?"

Now that was the kind of determination Joker wanted to see! Sure, it hurt like hell knowing that Tokiya Mikagami, of all the damned people in the world, was the one to capture Rin's heart but as long as Tokiya was ready to take responsibility for his actions like a man, then maybe he wasn't so bad after all. With a grin, Joker decided to finally give him an answer.

"She's at a park right now."

Her eyelids felt heavy and Rin rubbed them sleepily. She didn't even get so much as a wink of sleep the night before after being ransacked by thoughts of nothing but Tokiya. Joker had let her take refuge in his hotel room, but he left soon after he dropped her off. As to where he went, Rin had no idea but she was grateful for his hospitality nonetheless. It was a shame she didn't get much sleep; she needed to keep her wits about her as much as possible if she planned on going back to the apartment later to have a long, sensible conversation with Tokiya.

Joker was right; she was definitely in love with Tokiya. As the night progressed, Rin found herself less and less disturbed by the fact that Tokiya had kissed her in indecent places and now she found her heart racing in excitement over the very thought of his fiery touches.

Even though she was finally coming to terms with her feelings towards her roommate, the heaviness of her heart did not even come close to lifting as a part of her still believed that she was nothing more than a replacement for both Yanagi and Mifuyu. Tokiya craved companionship and almost anyone would do, Rin assumed, but the very thought that his feelings for her were not sincere was enough to make her heart feel like it was about to shatter into pieces.

She had come to the conclusion that she would face Tokiya again today, now that he was sober, and tell him how much he meant to her. At the same time, she knew things would never be the same between them. Although she loved him and yearned for his touch, she only wanted him to kiss her again if he truly did care for her. Being a "stand in" for Yanagi just simply wouldn't do.

She had spent the entire night carefully planning out every word she would say to Tokiya. Knowing her, she would probably end up tripping over her words anyways and make a fool of herself in front of him. She had never confessed to anyone before, obviously, and it made her feel uneasy at the very thought of it. Joker had advised her to not jump to conclusions and assume that he only had eyes for Yanagi, but she really didn't want to get her hopes up either.

The park was rather lively this morning as children filled the scenery with their laughter and smiles, playing hide and seek with each other or climbing on the jungle gym. It was a bit too noisy for Rin's tastes, but she had still found herself nevertheless reclining on one of the vacant swing sets as tried to muster up the courage to finally head back to the apartment and face Tokiya straight on. There was just something about the playground, regardless of whether it was nighttime or daytime, that helped her focus on her thoughts.

After checking the silver watch on her wrist, the nervous girl decided that she had stalled long enough. It was now or never. She needed to find Tokiya, tell him how she felt, and then the rest would be up to him. If he chose to return her feelings, they could continue living together and begin their lives anew, no longer as simple roommates but as lovers. However, if he chose to reject her confession now that he was sober, she would choose to no longer be a burden on him and move out. It would just be impossible to keep living together after all that happened, and she honestly believed that sharing the same roof with a man she had unrequited love for would only bring her unnecessary pain.

Just as she decided to stand up from the swing set, her eyes fell upon a young man who stood at the entrance of the park. Sweat was glistening down from his forehead as his hair fell over his shoulders in an unkempt manner, free from its usual constricting ponytail. Rin had never seen Tokiya looking as disheveled as he did at that exact moment and it looked as if he was struggling to catch his breath,

"Mikagami-kun!" Rin gasped as she scampered over to him, frantically wondering why he was there at the park.

The panting male gasped for breath as he clutched on tightly to his chest, almost as if he could force his heart to stop pounding through sheer will power.

"Mikagami-kun! What are you doing here? Are you all right?" the panicked girl practically gushed over him as she searched for any signs of physical injury on his body.

He wasn't injured but he was still touched by Rin's worried reaction to his exhausted state. "Damn Joker….He told me you were at a park," Tokiya tried to explain in between his bursts of short breaths, "But he didn't tell me which one…So I ran all over the city looking for you…at all the playgrounds…There's…at least eight of them…"

Rin's cheeks flushed at his words. He ran all across the city trying to find her? Why didn't Joker specify that she liked the park that was closest to the middle school? She couldn't help but imagine Joker snickering at Tokiya's misfortune of having to roam the entire city; there was no doubt he purposely did not mention which park she spent most of her time in so he could watch Tokiya suffer.

"I was actually about to come back to your apartment," Rin admitted as she watched him finally regain composure and steady his breathing. "So there really wasn't a need for you to search all over town for me."

A torrent of sweat trickled down his forehead and he wiped it away using the back of his hand. Now that he had a few moments to catch his breath, he was finally able to talk normally without struggling. "No, it's my responsibility to personally retrieve you. I was the one who frightened you last night and made you run away. I should have followed after you last night but I was a blubbering idiot who couldn't even walk." Determination shined in his eyes and Rin could feel herself being pulled in by his enchanting orbs.

"No, I'm glad you waited to talk to me until today, now that you're not drunk," Rin murmured under her breath as her fingers meandered their way to the sides of her dress, fidgeting with the soft fabric as she grew more and more nervous as she stood by him.

Tokiya stared down at her, taking note of how anxious she seemed to be in his presence. Yeah, he fucked things up big time… Rin couldn't even look at him in the face. "Yeah, good point. Is it okay if we go back to the apartment and talk in private? I can understand if you don't feel comfortable enough to be alone with me after last night, but I really think we need to sit down and have a long talk." He scratched the back of his head as he, too, shifted his attention to the dirt so he wouldn't have to meet her eyes.

"That's fine," Rin nodded as she started leading the way back to her apartment. "There's a lot I need to tell you, after all."

He gulped nervously at her words. She was probably going to tell him how much she loathed him and how she wished he was never born. She was probably going to say that she never wanted to see his disgusting face again and that she was going to find other living arrangement since she couldn't bear to live under the same roof as a pervert. Well, maybe she wouldn't word things exactly like that. Rin was a civil person, after all, and she never even talked down to her enemies. Even so, he knew that today would be their last time standing in the same apartment, and it was all because he couldn't control his actions.

Domon was starting to look like an angel compared to him.

The two of them walked down the sidewalk in silence, both of them too afraid of initiating conversation. That suited Tokiya just fine; he wasn't one for small talk and he really wanted to wait until they were alone before they jumped into any serious topics. As they walked, he made sure to keep his distance and walk just a few paces slower than she in case his presence disturbed her.

Seconds stretched into long minutes, but they finally managed to make it back to Tokiya's apartment. He jammed his key into the lock before reluctantly leading the way inside. His throat was painfully dry, clearly from more than just his frantic race around the city, and he sauntered into the kitchen for a cup of water to quench his thirst. As he sipped away at his glass, he noticed that Rin had her eyes focused on the cake that was still sitting out on the counter. She looked like she was thinking a million thoughts but she made no attempts at voicing any of them.

"I saw that you made me a cake," Tokiya said as he cut through the silence like a warm knife slicing through butter, "but I haven't had a chance to try a piece yet. It looks delicious."

Rin shook her head, wishing she had thrown it away when she had the chance. "It's not. It's dry and kind of gross, and the frosting tastes suspiciously like tar."

How the hell did she manage to get chocolate frosting to taste like tar? Surely she was just exaggerating. "Was this your first time making a cake, Rin?"

"No, this was my third time making a cake. The other two attempts at your birthday cake could hardly be considered actual food, though."

So she had tried to perfect the art of cake making just for his birthday? His chest tightened at the thought of it and he felt like more of a jerk than ever. He should have never gone out partying with Recca and the others. "I guess I have no choice but to teach you how to properly make a cake then," he said as he leaned over to pick off one of the strawberries from the top of the cake before popping it into his mouth.

Rin remained quiet for a moment as she watched him eat the strawberry. As much as she would have liked to make a million more cakes with him, she was afraid she would never be given the chance to after their conversation today. After taking a deep breath, it was time for her to finally get things over with. The longer she waited, the more restless she would become and there was no way she was going to allow herself to back out now.

"Mikagami-kun, we need to talk."

A weak nod was his only response as he reached for another strawberry to distract him from the aching pain that swelled in his chest.

"I guess I'll go first," Rin muttered as her knees began to feel weak. It would have been best to sit down on the couch but thoughts of the night's previous events kept her from taking a seat. That was where he kissed her and there would be no way for her to concentrate on her words if she kept reliving those events in her head. "About what you said to me last night…about how you loved me…"

Tokiya flinched at how quickly this conversation was already going. He wanted to blurt out and apologize to her but when he opened his mouth to protest, Rin held up a hand as if to silence him.

"Please, let me continue," she told him before he could get another word out. "You were very drunk last night and I don't think you were aware of what you were saying or doing. As far as last night goes, I want you to know that I forgive you for everything you did. Joker gets drunk a lot and he often says and does things he doesn't mean. I don't usually hold Joker accountable for his actions while he is under the influence of alcohol, so I believe that I should treat you in the same manner."

W-what?! She was forgiving him?!

"Rin, no. Please don't forgive me so easily," he begged with a pleading look in his eyes. "What I did to you was absolutely wrong! I took advantage of you and alcohol isn't an excuse for my behavior!" His guilty conscience wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily just because Rin was a forgiving soul. No, he deserved to be punched a thousand times or be hanged for his crimes, as extreme as that sounded, and Tokiya wasn't about to just let that be the end of it all.

"There's something else I want to tell you," Rin whispered as she looked away from him. Her voice was now shaking at the edges and her cheeks were now as red as the strawberries on her cake. Even so, she tried to dislodge the anxiety in her voice as she continued speaking to him in a hushed tone. "I want you to know that I'm the one who's sorry for yelling at you and slamming the door in your face. You see, I'm not exactly upset that you touched me or even kissed me… What I am upset about is the fact that you were only doing it because you were lonely."

Tokiya couldn't find the words to say as he watched her fiddle anxiously with the blue ribbon that tied back her hair. He wasn't sure if he was still somehow drunk or just misinterpreting what she was telling him, but did she just say she wasn't upset that he touched and kissed her?!

"I'm sorry you lost your sister, Mikagami-kun, and I really want to comfort you whenever you're feeling sad. I want to be the one to hold you and tell you everything is going to be okay. I want to fill the emptiness in your heart and seal up all the holes in your chest," Rin continued as she finally brought her gaze up to meet his.

The gentle whisper of her name was all that Tokiya could manage to utter. "Rin…"

"But I know that you only see me as a friend, Mikagami-kun. When you were inebriated, you were only touching me because I was the person that was a close by. If you had the option, I'm sure you would have much rather been kissing Yanagi instead. As much as I want to drown in your kisses, I don't want to be just a replacement for another girl. If you ever kiss me again, I want it to be because you cherish me for who I am." Her heart was thumping loudly and it was getting harder and harder for Rin to breathe. Confessing her feelings was a lot more difficult than she had anticipated, and she hoped that everything she was saying was at least making sense.

What Rin didn't know was that Tokiya's heart was beating in sync with hers as the palpitations increased to a quick yet steady pace. He wondered for a moment if he was dreaming as he heard such sincere words pour out of her lips, but after a quick pinch to his arm, he realized that he was very much awake and alert.

"Rin, are you saying that you love me?" he asked uncertainly as he wanted to verify his suspicions of the meaning behind her words.

"I, um, well…" Rin stuttered, suddenly losing the bravado of confidence as it slipped through her fingers at the sound of his voice. "Um…Yes, I think I do love you, Mikagami-kun. I've just never been in love before so I wasn't sure what to make of all the feelings that swirled around inside of me until now. It wasn't until you kissed me last night that I finally realized the truth."

Tokiya gulped. "The truth?"

"Yes. The truth that I wanted you to kiss me over and over. I only pushed you away last night because I was afraid that you were lying to me…" Rin could feel the tears building up in the corners of her eyes at the overflowing emotions that coursed throughout her entire body.

The gentle quivering of her lower lip, the bashful look upon her features, and the nervous fidgeting of her hands was a sight that was almost too much for Tokiya to handle. Even though he had promised himself that he would never touch her without permission again, he couldn't fight against the urge to hold her in his arms. In one swift motion, Tokiya wrapped his arms around her trembling frame and pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"Rin, I wasn't lying. Who was it that told me I should continue living, despite the fact that I believed I no longer had a purpose in life after my revenge was carried out? Who was it that told me that I should fight for my own life in the way Mifuyu had fought for mine? You saved me from myself, Rin." His grip on her tightened a little more as he buried his face into her hair, reveling in the delicate scent of jasmine that emanated from her. "I never loved Yanagi. Hell, I never loved anyone but you. I'm sorry that I never told you clearly before but I was just afraid of losing you. I was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way and that you'd never want to see me again…"

He wasn't drunk this time. He wasn't desperately seeking attention. There was nothing about this situation that indicated that he was double-crossing her, and yet, Rin still had a hard time believing his every word.

"Mikagami-kun, why is it so hard for me to believe you?" Rin muttered as she reached out to wrap her arms around his waist, pressing their bodies closer together. Last night, she was afraid of accepting her feelings towards him, but now? Now she was surer of herself than she had ever been before. She was in love with Tokiya Mikagami and the realization of it forced a tidal wave of tears to come flowing out of her eyes. She concealed them from his vision as she snuggled her face into his chest, dampening his shirt.

"It's so hard because I screwed things up big time. I should have told you from the start instead of using alcohol as an excuse to tell you what was on my mind. I won't hide my feelings from you anymore, Rin. I love you." He pulled away from her so he could look at her face. He pushed some of her bangs aside as he brought his face in closer so he could rest his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry for acting so impulsively last night. I should have never forcefully kissed you or touched your body without your approval. I should have spent my entire birthday with you and confessed my feelings the proper way. The only thing I've ever wanted was to show you how much you meant to me."

"That's ironic," Rin said with a small smile, "because I spent all day yesterday trying to find ways for me to show you what you mean to me."

"You didn't need to stress about baking me a cake or giving me a gift, Rin," he told her, his lips dangerously close to hers. "All you needed to do was kiss me and I would have known."

He was being very forward again, but unlike last night, Rin didn't seem to mind at all. "Are you saying that a kiss is the best way to know some one's true feelings?"

Tokiya wanted to laugh at how innocent she was but doing so would have been poor timing on his part. "Of course. Couldn't you feel my love for you through the kiss I gave you last night?"

Rin paused as she looked down in thought. "Actually, I was too nervous to enjoy it…"

"I figured as much. Would it be okay if I tried to kiss you again? I really want to prove to you that my feelings for you are real." He wasn't going to steal another kiss from her unless she wanted him to, but after she gave a short nod of approval, Tokiya found that to be more than enough consent. He leaned in closer, pressing his lips lightly against hers as he held her close. It was a rather gentle kiss, contrary to the passionate one he had given her last night, and it was a lot shorter as well. Rin barely had enough time to allow her eyes to close before he slowly pulled away.

"Well? Do you believe me now?" he asked, his breath ghosting against her cheek as he fixed his eyes on her, searching her face for any signs of indignation.

"Um, well…" she muttered, "This kiss was a bit different from the one you gave me last night. I might need you to kiss me a few more times if you want me to fully believe you." It was a joke, of course, and Rin was actually gradually starting to believe him. It wasn't just the kiss that suggested he was telling the truth; it was the look in his eyes. His amber orbs were like a gateway into his soul and the warmth that radiated from them made Rin's heart flutter in excitement. She had never seen him look at Yanagi like that, nor anyone else, for that matter.

Tokiya really was like the ocean and Rin felt like she was close to getting swept away in his current. He kissed her again, this time with a bit of hunger to his lips, as he brought her in closer to his chest. She could feel his long hair brushing against her face and Rin could feel herself drifting farther and farther away from the shore as she allowed herself to get lost in the depths of his eyes before he pulled away from the kiss once again to gaze back longingly at her.

"I love you, Rin," he said as he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. "And I hope that you truly do feel the same way."

He had thought he had completely blown all of his chances after last night. He honestly thought he had lost her for good and that she would never forgive him. Never in a million years did he expect that she would confess her love to him the next day, and now here they were hugging and kissing like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"I do love you, Mikagami-kun," Rin replied as she entwined her fingers through his. His touch just felt so right. She was truly grateful that Recca had given him alcohol the night before, despite her apprehension towards it just a few hours ago. If it wasn't for his drunken confession, she wondered if either of them would have ever found the courage to divulge their romantic secrets to one another. She was also grateful for Joker since he was the one to give her that final push that helped her acknowledge the truth about her heart's desires.

"Enough of the Mikagami-kun nonsense," he grumbled, "It's Tokiya."

She had never once called him by his first name, even though he had been calling her by hers since day one. "Okay, Tokiya," she giggled, testing the way his first name sounded it on her lips. Tokiya grinned in satisfaction at the sound of his name and he displayed his happiness by bringing her in for another kiss.

This one was a bit deeper this time, and although his motions were slow and tender, he still kissed her a bit firmer. He let his hands rest upon her hips as he nibbled on her lower lip. Although she wasn't a very experienced kisser, Rin knew that Tokiya wanted permission to deepen the kiss a bit more. She slowly parted her lips to allow him entrance and nearly squeaked in surprise as she felt his tongue slip into her mouth. Her first instinct was to pull away but Tokiya's hand soothingly ran up and down her back to indiscreetly tell her that everything was going to be okay. He wasn't going to do anything that made her feel uncomfortable but he silently urged her to remain attached to his lips so he could taste her even more.

Rin shyly let her tongue brush against his and it wasn't long until they were passionately exploring every crevice of each other's mouths, hands gripping tightly to each other's bodies as if not even an earthquake could tear them apart. Tokiya broke the kiss only to allow the girl a few breaths of air before crashing his lips to hers once again. Rin didn't seem to mind that he kept stealing all of her breath away but when his hands sneakily made their way to the zipper of her dress, she found herself pushing against his chest as a dark blush splashed against her cheeks.

"Mi-Mikagami-kun," she mumbled and he instantly felt guilty for getting too ahead of himself.

"Uh, sorry," he replied as he cleared his throat before bringing his hands back down to his sides. "It's just that I'm so happy that we're lovers now. I never dreamed this day would ever come so I got a little carried away. I promise I'll keep my hands to myself from now on."

Rin, who was now becoming extremely giddy, rapidly shook her head. "N-no! It's not that! It's just that…Um…Well…" Oh no! She was having a hard time speaking again! All of her words were trapped in her throat, and even though she wanted to tell Tokiya that it was okay for him to touch her, she didn't exactly know how to.

He quirked a brow in her direction, grinning at the fact she was practically flailing her arms around like a frantic bird flapping its wings. "Are you saying that you don't actually mind if I touch you?"

Her cheeks turned fifty shades of red and she tried to hide her face from him by shielding herself in her hands. "Don't tease me like this!"

Tokiya took a slow step towards her before he pulled her into another embrace. "It really is okay to be nervous. Hell, I'm nervous, too. You're the first girl that I've ever loved and it's taken every ounce of my control to not give into my desires. I want to take things slow with you, Rin, until you're comfortable enough with me. I guess I shouldn't kiss you so roughly anymore in case I go too far again."

Rin saw a vibrant fire in his eyes that she had only caught a glimpse of the prior night. He had always been the type to completely take charge of his emotions and he never allowed himself to lose control, but the more time he spent around Rin, the more he could feel himself slowly slipping from his sanity.

"But, um, I am comfortable with you, Tokiya," Rin assured him as she reached for his hand to slowly bring his knuckles to her lips. "I may have been a little scared last night, but now that I know that we both share the same feelings, I want to swim deeper in the ocean of our love." It was a cheesy statement and, for a moment, Rin could see that he was furiously blushing at her comment.

"Are you even listening to yourself? I am a man and you're a woman. Unless you want me to lose control, we should probably stop here for now," Tokiya said, his eyes slipping past her as he glued them to the floor.

Rin looked hurt for a moment as she clutched his hand even tighter. "It's okay, Tokiya. I mean it."

She wasn't sure what plans he had in store for her but when he abruptly pushed her back against a wall and seized her lips with his own, she had a faint idea of what would happen next. He languidly guided her tongue to engage in another dance with his, but this time, his hands grew a bit friskier as they ran up and down along her sides before landing on her backside, offering it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm serious, Rin," Tokiya breathed quietly as he withdrew from their kiss. "You better push me away now. After last night, I don't think I can hold back anymore. However, if you tell me to stop now, I'll go take a cold shower or something until I calm down."

When she didn't push him away, Tokiya's eyes widened in disbelief. Even after he frightened her to her very core last night, she still was going to allow him to ravage her purity and allow him to claim her as his own.

"It's okay, Tokiya," Rin repeated one more time. "As long as it's you, I'm fine with anything."

He needed no further pushing as he scooped her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style to his bedroom as he tucked one arm underneath her legs. Rin instinctively wrapped both of her arms around his neck as they made their way to his room. She had never been inside of his bedroom before, mostly out of respect for his privacy, but it was just as clean and neatly organized as every other room in the apartment. Slowly and carefully, Tokiya laid Rin down on his bed as he stood beside her.

"I'm going to give you one last warning, Rin. Either we stop now or I'm going to finish what we started. This is your last chance to leave me be," Tokiya warned her, eyes practically penetrating her soul as he pierced her with his icy stare. Each of Rin's kisses from earlier only made him grow more and more aroused; if they didn't stop now, there was no way he would find the composure to stop midway later.

Rin pursed her lips tightly together in a thin line. "I'm not going anywhere. If you want me to fully believe that you love me, you'll have to prove it to me once and for all." Her voice was lowered to a sexy whisper, whether she realized it or not, and it was driving Tokiya wild.

Such a bold declaration made his heart skip a few beats and he was upon her quicker than a speeding bullet. He pinned her body to the bed with his weight, showering her in a flurry of heated kisses. His kisses travelled all over her pretty face, starting at her rosy cheeks and ending on her warm, inviting lips. Eager hands wrapped around her back as they tugged the zipper of her dress downwards.

Tokiya sat up for a moment to slide the dress off her shoulders, and when she didn't protest, he pulled it all the way down past her hips. Her ivory skin practically gleamed in the soft lighting up his bedroom, and for a moment Tokiya forgot how to breathe.

For such a sweet and innocent girl, her choice of lingerie was a bit on the daring side. Black lace and ribbons adorned her bra and the clash of the black fabric upon her pale skin only further added to her breathtaking beauty.

"Don't stare at me like that, Mikagami-kun," Rin mumbled as she could feel herself growing flustered by the intense lust in his eyes.

"Sorry. You're just so beautiful," he chuckled before leaning in to plant a kiss at the crook of her neck. Remnants of the hickeys that he had left on her neck from the night before decorated her neck and it was Tokiya's goal to add even more to the collection by the time he was finished. "And it's Tokiya, not Mikagami-kun. But you'll have screamed my name so much by the end of the night so I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually."

Rin didn't have any time to react to that statement as she felt devious hands adequately unhook the lapse of her bra. Shivers trickled down her spine as the hands then proceeded to trace the edges of her spine, making her practically squirm beneath his fingertips. He then proceeded to pull the straps off her shoulders before tossing the bra on the floor.

Rin shut her eyes tightly in embarrassment as she felt too shy to look up at his face. Tokiya, on the other hand, was etching the image of her partially nude body into his memory. To think that she had been hiding such a glorious pair of breasts behind her frilly dresses! He wasted no time in examining her chest further as he reached out a hand to cup her plump mounds, fingers lightly brushing over her rosy nipples.

She gasped in response as her back immediately arched at his touch. "You're so beautiful, Rin," Tokiya complimented as his fingers continued to explore her breasts, memorizing every little detail before he playfully tugged on one of her perky buds.

He then flicked out a tongue to taste the delicate flesh. She tasted faintly of honey and vanilla, and Tokiya yearned to lick every inch of her slender body until he tasted everything that was, purely and inherently, Rin. He curled his lips around one of her nipples, evicting a tiny squeal of surprise from her by doing so, before he tantalizingly suckled on it.

Heat surged through Rin's entire body as she felt his tongue swirl around her peaks. He offered it a few nips and nibbles and relished the fact that the harder he sucked, the more she writhed underneath him. Rin's moans could not be contained as Tokiya directed his attention to her other breast, giving it the same treatment as its twin. Meanwhile, his hand began to move of its own accord as it slid down to her hips and lightly brushed against the material of her black panties.

"Mi-Mikagami-kun," Rin moaned out between parted lips as Tokiya continued to tease her breasts with his mouth.

At the sound of his name, Tokiya snapped his head up and rolled his eyes. "I told you not to call me that. You're going to be punished severely if you call me Mikagami-kun again," he chastised before he bent down to gently bite the base of her neck. Rin flinched and quickly apologized before she felt one of his hands slide down her waist further.

"It's okay. I promise this will feel good. I just have to get you nice and wet before I take you as my own," Tokiya reassured her as he felt her body tense up. He rolled over to lay on his side as he snuggled his nose into her neck while allowing his hand to venture deeper into Rin's private area.

He slid his fingers in her panties, and much to his surprise, he discovered that she was already wet. Dripping wet. "Spread your legs a little further," he whispered huskily into her ear. Rin nodded before opening her legs a bit more, allowing his fingers to have better access to her sensitive center.

She had never been touched like that before and when he fingers lightly brushed against her aching clit, she had to fight back a few more moans. It tickled a little, at first, as he rubbed her womanhood delicately. He was right—it felt good. Extremely good. The strange noises that emitted from the back of her throat shocked her but she couldn't help the frequent mewls that poured out of her lips as he rubbed her clit faster.

His fingers trailed down lower until they lightly probed her warm entrance. Her wetness allowed his fingers to glide into her opening rather easily and once he slipped them all the way inside, he leaned over to cover her mouth in his so he could swallow her cries.

He pumped in and out of her slowly at first, his hands now drenched in her juices. Her voice was a beautiful melody that sang against his ears and he loved the naughty noises she was making. However, he couldn't wait until those soft moans turned into loud screams of pleasure as she cried out his name.

Tokiya withdrew his hand for a moment as he pulled down her damp panties. He added them to the pile of clothes he was apparently making on the floor of his bedroom before he inched down lower on the bed until he was eye-level with her nether region.

"W-what are you doing?" Rin shyly asked as he placed both hands on her thighs so she could present herself to his view even more.

"Relax," he whispered, his breath tickling her most sensitive area. "I just wanted to see for myself how good you taste."

Rin resisted the urge to clamp her thighs shut as he placed his face in between her legs. He inhaled her intoxicating scent before kissing her smooth, wet folds.

"M-Mikagami-kun! This is so embarrassing!" Rin protested as she covered her face with her hands.

"It's Tokiya," he corrected her before placing a kiss on her labia. She was delectable, just as he predicted, and his tongue began to glide across her petals as he indulged himself in her taste. Rin practically squealed in delight as Tokiya licked at her delicate clit. His hands found their way back into her opening as he slid a single digit in, adding to her pleasure as he continue to lap up her sweet juices with his tongue.

The sensation was nothing like she had ever felt before. Every lick sent wild spasms to come shooting through her body and something strange began to build up inside her.

"God, you taste so good, Rin," Tokiya mumbled before he continued his relentless assault on her center, sucking the bud gently as his tongue continued to roll across it.

One particular suckle pushed Rin over the edge as her hips bucked forward. A tidal wave of pleasure came crashing down on her and Rin could do nothing but scream as she came into Tokiya's mouth. His tongue didn't let up as he practically had to pin her legs down with his strong hands to keep her from kicking him. The closest thing Rin could compare her orgasm to was a roller coaster; each lick brought her closer to the top but it was his gentle sucking that made her come flying back down at the speed of light.

He drank up her sweet nectar before he pulled his head away. He wiped away the cream on his lips with the back of his hand and Rin could only watch in embarrassment as her chest heaved up and down in heavy breaths.

"How did that feel?" The swordsman asked with an arrogant grin as he licked his fingers.

"That actually felt really good," Rin admitted. She had never had an orgasm before but if it felt that great, she could only hope that Tokiya would give her plenty more in their days to come.

As Rin reveled in the after effects of her orgasm, Tokiya took the opportunity to remove his shirt. He removed his garments, piece by piece, until he was just as nude as he was. His toned muscles were the result of years of hard training and even the Greek gods would have been jealous of his athletic build. His pectoral muscles caught Rin's eyes as she slowly allowed her gaze to wander over his perfectly sculpted abs and all the way down to his throbbing member.

Rin nearly jumped at the sight of his massive erection as she suddenly realized that his entire length would soon be inside of her. How was something that big even supposed to fit?! Rin wasn't well-educated in the sex department, but from what she had read about it in some of Tokiya's medical books, it was supposed to go all the way inside her so they could be joined as one.

"Is it that scary looking?" Tokiya laughed as he noticed how wide her eyes were at the sight of him. "You know, you can touch it if you want. I mean, it's only fair considering that I just got up close and personal with your body."

He must have noticed that she was staring at it like it was a dangerous weapon of some sort, but she finally built up a tiny glimmer of courage as she reached out her hand to touch the tip of it. She had never seen a naked man before, and although it was a bit intimidating, there was something extremely alluring about it.

Tokiya decided to take matters into his own hands as he reached for her wrist, guiding her shaky hands along his shaft. "You have to rub it up and down like this," he instructed her. Rin did as she was told and pumped her hand up and down, being mindful to not squeeze it tightly as to not hurt him. She must have been doing something right as Tokiya collapsed down on the bed on his back, head jerked back against the pillow, as a low groan escaped through his gritted teeth.

He looked extremely relaxed at first, but the longer Rin continued to stroke his throbbing member, the more his muscles began to twitch. His groans were getting louder and louder as he begged for her to go faster. Not wanting to disappoint him, she picked up her pace and rubbed him harder.

Tokiya was practically seeing stars as he felt himself rising into a transcendental state. Rin's unexperienced hands felt extremely good, but they weren't quite enough for him to reach his peak. "Hey, Rin," Tokiya grunted, as he opened one eye to look at her from where he lay. "Will you do me a favor and suck on it a little?" He wasn't sure if she would readily accept his request; after all, this was her first time doing anything sexual in nature and he didn't want to bring her out of her comfort zone. However, when he felt a pair of soft lips wrap around his head, he practically had to keep himself from ejaculating into her mouth right then and there.

Rin slowly ran her tongue across the tip. A bit of pre-cum was oozing out of the top, and even though it was slightly bitter, it wasn't necessarily foul tasting. After a few more gentle licks, she slowly slid as much of his cock into her mouth that she could fit. Due to its length, she couldn't fit the entirety of it into her mouth without gagging.

The aroused male couldn't take his eyes off of his princess as she sucked on him. It was quite possibly the most erotic thing he had ever seen and not even his wet dreams could compare to the real deal of Rin's sultry lips upon his manhood. She bobbed her head and down, gripping onto the base of his shaft with both of her hands to keep him steady.

"Ah, Rin…Mmmph…" Tokiya moaned out as his fingers clutched on tightly to the bed sheets beneath him. Occasionally, she would stop sucking on him only to run her tongue along his entire shaft, licking him as if he was a lollipop. It was hard to believe that this was her first time giving a blowjob; it just came to her so naturally. If she continued sucking on him like that while her hands lightly played with his delicate testacles, there was no way he could hold out much longer.

"Y-You should probably stop, Rin…" Tokiya advised as he reached a hand out to stroke the top of her head. "I don't want you to finish me off like this."

Rin pulled away, bright blue eyes full of confusion as she looked up at him. "Why not?"

"Because, uh," Tokiya stammered, as his eyes darted around the room, conveying his embarrassed disposition, "If I cum right now, I won't have the stamina to keep going. And honestly, I want to be inside of you right this second."

Rin tried so hard to conceal her blush but Tokiya was more than aware of her shyness as he bent down to trap her into a kiss once more. "Are you ready?" he asked, smiling down at her.

Her eyes fell on his thick manhood once more and she suddenly grew fearful. "It's just so big," she remarked as she brushed her fingers against his girth once again. "Will it hurt?"

Lying wasn't his forte so with a heavy sigh, Tokiya offered her a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I've been told that sex is often painful for virgins. However, I promise I'll be gentle. If it becomes too much for you to handle, we can stop whenever you like."

Rin blinked once and then twice. "But I thought you said that you already gave me my last warning and there's no way I can get out of this?"

Tokiya laughed as he pinned her back down on the bed, towering over her, before he nipped at her earlobe. "You've already given me more than I could have ever dreamed of. I guess you could say that I'm feeling a bit merciful tonight?" His lips met hers once more as they engaged in another enticing kiss. Rin wrapped her arms around the back of his, entangling her fingers through his lustrous hair. "It's okay," she reassured him in between kisses, "I'm ready."

He used his knees to open up her legs as he instructed her to wrap her legs around his waist. With his golden eyes locked on hers, he kissed her gently once more. "Just hold onto me and call my name," he calmly told her. His gaze didn't falter as he slowly pushed himself inside of her entrance, sheathing himself within her. A pained scream departed from Rin's throat but Tokiya quickly covered her mouth with his, silencing her cries, as he remained as still as possible.

It hurt. It hurt a lot. She could feel his thick manhood tearing away at every last ounce of her virginity and she unthinkingly dug her fingernails into his back. Her inner walls clutched tightly around him and Tokiya felt bad that her pain was actually his pleasure. "The pain will soon subside," he tried to console her as he kissed her tears away. As much as it stung, the maiden didn't dare push her lover away. Instead, she leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"I'll be fine. You can keep going."

Her face, wrought with agony, made Tokiya's heart ache but he was touched by her bravery. Even so, he knew that she wouldn't be able to grow accustomed to his size unless he pushed himself a little deeper into her. "Only if you are certain," he said before sliding out her moist core, only to pound right back in.

He continued to thrust in her, slowly at first, and Rin discovered that the more he moved, the less it hurt. Before long, her cries of pain were melting into reticent moans of pleasure as the twinge of discomfort began to completely fade away, replaced by nothing but a powerful yet enjoyable sensation.

Tokiya's hips rocked back and forth, his cock plunging in and out, as he kept his eyes peeled to her beautiful face. Every little moan encouraged him to thrust in deeper and harder, which he was more than happy to do. Her tight walls constricted around throbbing organ so securely, and Tokiya knew that nothing in the world could compare to how amazing he felt at that moment. They were connected to one another, both physically and spiritually, and making love to Rin brought him to a euphoric state.

"You feel so good, Rin!" He hissed through gritted teeth as he pounded into her faster. His lips ascended upon hers again as he indulged in his desire to taste her over and over again. Her kisses were addictive and the way her fingers ensnared themselves in his hair was making him grow closer and closer to his final destination. Excitement was also beginning to build in Rin's lower region as his cock rubbed against a delicate spot deep within her depths. The sensation felt even better than when he had licked her, as hard as it was to believe, and Rin was certain that she would soon find herself soaring in ecstasy once again.

"Say my name, Rin," Tokiya commanded her as his hands held onto her hips firmly so he could penetrate her even deeper.

"T-Tokiya!" she cried out as her back began to arch.

"Keep calling out to me, Rin!" he said with a bit more urgency in his voice.

"Tokiya! Tokiya! I love you!" she responded as warmth began to envelop her.

Tokiya came harder than he had anticipated, filling her with his thick juices as he released his seed inside of her. His breathing hitched in his throat as his eyes rolled in the back of his head. The intensity of it all was too much for Rin to handle as she climaxed along with him, riding out her orgasm as he added a few more thrusts. The sound of their heavy panting was the only noise that filled the room before Tokiya could no longer find the strength to support his weight. He pulled himself out of her before he laid down beside her, holding her tightly in his arms as he fought against the exhaustion that threatened to consume him.

"That," Rin murmured, "was amazing."

He chuckled in response as he nestled his nose into her neck. "So do you believe me now? I love you, Rin. I always have and I always will."

Those words brought an indescribable happiness to come crashing down upon Rin's soul as she returned his affection by snuggling up against him. "I believe you," she smiled, never wanting to be apart from him ever again.

Before the two of them could even get comfortable, a loud string of curse words erupted from Tokiya's mouth as he smacked a hand roughly against his forehead. "Ah, fuck! I completely forgot to use protection!"

Rin turned over to lay on her side, bright eyes staring at Tokiya in confusion. "Protection?" she repeated quietly, wondering why he was getting so flustered all of a sudden.

"I came inside you, Rin! Don't you know what that means?!" Tokiya groaned as he flopped over on his back, frustrated over how careless he had been. He had been so caught up in the moment that he didn't even think about taking any precautions. "What if you were to get pregnant? Damn it, I really should have used a condom! I should probably get dressed and head to the pharmacy and buy you a Plan B pill…"

Rin wasn't sure what a Plan B pill was or why Tokiya was upset over the whole thing, but at least she had a solution to their problem. "It's all right, Tokiya," Rin reassured him with a smile, "because I'm actually on birth control pills."

Tokiya's eyes practically bulged out of his head at her words. "B-birth control pills?! Why?! I thought this was your first time!"

The raven haired woman giggled at his bewildered expression as she found it best to explain herself before the poor guy had a heart attack. "While I was living under Koran's roof, I was required to be on birth control pills in case I ever rebelled against my family and became promiscuous. They never wanted me to get married or ever have kids so I could focus on my one true purpose—to be a weapon. In order to prevent any accidents from happening, I had to be put on those pills."

That made a lot of sense, he supposed, but it still brought about a lot more questions. "Why are you still on them, though?" He asked, an amused grin on his face. "Were you anticipating that an accident would happen when you and I started living together?"

Rin's cheeks immediately darkened and she resisted the urge to beat his face with a pillow. Instead, she settled on bringing the covers over her face to conceal her embarrassment. "N-no! I wasn't! It's just that I was so used to taking them that I didn't break myself of the habit!" That was partially true at least, however, she didn't want to them that part of the reason she stayed on them was to help regulate her menstrual cycles. Information like that was too personal to disclose to her new boyfriend, she decided.

"That's good, at least," Tokiya breathed heavy sigh through his lips as he snuggled up against Rin once more. "I mean, if you happened to get pregnant, it wouldn't be so bad. I've always wanted to be a father...But maybe it's too soon to think about stuff like that. I promise I'll be more careful next time, though."

Rin peaked her nose out over the covers to sneak a glance at Tokiya's face to see if he was telling the truth. It was way too soon to think about things like that, but it still warmed her heart that he had a softer side that she had never even seen before.

Tokiya's eyelids grew heavy as he reached down to pull a blanket over their nude bodies while his legs intertwined themselves with hers. "I guess this means we're no longer roommates," he asserted while allowing his arms to drape over her sleepy form.

"What do you mean?" she asked, unsure of what he was getting at.

"We're lovers now, silly. That means you're no longer allowed to sleep in your room," he added with a grin, "because you're only allowed to stay in my bed from now on."

Lovers? It had a lovely ring to it, Rin had to admit, and she couldn't wait to tell Joker the good news. Well, this time, she would certainly leave out some of the major details, but at least she no longer had to feel confused by her own feelings. She still wasn't sure what the true meaning of love was, but she and Tokiya could figure it out together along the way. Things were going to be different now and that suited her just fine. As long as she could kiss him every day and wake up to his handsome face each morning, she would ask for nothing else in life.

"I love you," she whispered as her body grew heavier with each passing moment. Moments later, she was sound asleep while wrapped in her lover's embrace.

Nothing was more perfect.