Bittersweet Kiss

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Ryuzaki sat in his trademark position as I sat across from him in a local Café. Of course people looked at him (then at me) as they walked by our dainty table in the middle of the restaurant since his knees were pushing against his chest and his back was curved. Strands of Ryuzaki's thick black hair lay just above his large, daunting black eyes. All of his attention was focused onto the tower of sugar cubes. I didn't mind as he ignored me, or as I thought he was doing.

I kept my mind busy on the menu I held, looking at the interesting things that sounded tempting to eat. I never really had American food before, so I was excited to try some during my stay in LA. I sighed inwardly as I tried to make up my mind.

The waiter came to us, breaking my gaze. "Would you like anything to drink before you order, ma'am?"

Setting the menu in front of me, I smiled up at him. "Just water with a slice of lemon, please."

"Sure." He turned to my companion, Ryuzaki, and waited for his answer. "And you sir?"

Ryuzaki didn't bother to look at the young waiter. Instead, he held his sugar cube midair and said in a monotone voice, "Black tea."

"Alright, I'll be back." And with that, the waiter was gone.

I couldn't help but to feel a certain tension between me and Ryuzaki. Well, it could have been just me, but…

"So, Naomi," Ryuzaki said aloud as he set the cube on top of another. "Tell me more about yourself."

My heart sank a little. I mean, I didn't mind telling him about my personal life, but that's not what I wanted to do. In fact, Ryuzaki is the most strangest man I've ever met in my life. So what in the world makes him think that I want to tell my whole life story to this fool?

I leisurely placed a hand underneath my chin and managed a smile. "Why so interested, hmm, Ryuzaki?"

Actually, the first time I saw this man, I didn't think he was the type that cared about the personal life of others. Heck, to make things more fun, I'd probably lie to him about everything about me.

"I just figured that since we're here and all, we'd get to know each other more," he explained to me, his deep eyes locking with mine.

His gaze was so powerful and intense, I had to look away for a moment. It was creepy, almost disgusting. I can't really explain, but it was a feeling that penetrated me almost. Within seconds, I recovered myself and looked back up his pale face.

This time, he wasn't looking at me, but at his seven inch sugar cube tower. I stole a glance around the two of us to see if anyone was staring. It was so embarrassing to see that a twenty-three year old man would act in such a way.

"Ryuzaki," I spoke his name softly, grabbing his attention. When he looked up at me, I continued on. "Stop playing with sugar!"

Ryuzaki leaned back in his chair, creating a slight screeching sound to fill the air around us. My eyes winced as he began to create a new tower of sugar. He didn't say anything to me, but continued doing his childish behavior.

"Must you play with food?" I asked him again, trying to provoke an answer from him. Not surprisingly, he didn't answer. After some time of watching him, I gave up. What are the odds of him listening to me anyhow?

If he wanted to make a fool of himself, fine.

I looked up when the waiter set my glass of water in front of me and Ryuzaki's black tea aside from him. Taking out his small notepad, he asked, "And what would you like, ma'am?"

Forgetting about Ryuzaki, I said, "I'd like a cheeseburger."

"I want five strawberry shortcakes," Ryuzaki said in his bored tone of voice.

A confused face appeared on the waiter, but nevertheless, he didn't question Ryuzaki. Instead he took our menus and disappeared.

I tapped the tips of my fingers against the checkered covered table, wishing I were alone than be with Ryuzaki. The stacking of sugar cubes didn't stop, and I don't think it would either. Eventually, once Ryuzaki messed up and knocked them over he'd stop--

"Ryuzaki," I moaned in a stressed tone as I slapped a hand on my forehead. A layer of cubes were spread across the table as some bounced off the table onto the floor. His clumsiness knocked the whole tower down. What a mess was in sight, and a waste of sugar might I add.

A few cubes landed by my hand, so I picked one up. Hmm, I mused to myself, cubes of…sugar.

Pretty neat, I guess. They were not in powder form and were easier to handle. I began to toss one up in the air for fun, but not too high of course. They were like dice, but made out of sugar.

They were edible and sweet…I was tempted to stick one in my mouth, but then I remembered that Ryuzaki had touched it.

Ew.

Who knows if he washed his hands…or where they've been?

I shuddered involuntarily as I dropped the cube. Ryuzaki was busy remaking his tower. I sat and stared once again.

But this time, after actually holding a cube for myself, I wanted to help him.

Odd, I never felt the need to play with such things, but it looked like fun. The way Ryuzaki was so intent on making a tower, it sort of encouraged me to make one too. I stared at Ryuzaki with great curiosity and with a different interest level.

Without even lifting his head, he said, "Do you find me attractive, Naomi?"

I was caught off guard for a moment. He knew I was staring without him actually having to look up. My face began to heat up.

"What? No…," I stumbled for words, "wait, what I meant to say was--" I was cut off when the waiter set our plates in front of us.

I took that as my escape route into not having to answer his question. When the waiter left us alone, Ryuzaki said to me, "I've never been out for lunch with a woman before."

"Oh, really?" I acted surprise when I really wasn't. I mean, just look at him. His hunched figure, his dark bags, and not to mention his childish nature, who'd want to go out on a date with him?

"And might I say that I am lucky," he added. It was hard for me (or anyone else really) to decipher his face because it simply held no emotion. I couldn't tell if he was lying or being truly sincere.

"Why is that?" Lucky? He felt lucky for…?

He clutched his spoon with only his thumb and index finger and used it to cut into one of his strawberry shortcakes. A few cake crumbs slid from the edge of the silver spoon and back onto the plate. I eyed the scarlet syrup trickle down the sides of the golden cake. My tongue licked my lips as I tried to look away.

With the spoon tipping in front of his lips, he said, "I'm lucky because I have a beautiful woman accompanying me this afternoon."

He spooned the bite into his mouth as he watched me. A wave of completely shocked spread throughout my body. Actually, it was hard to tell what I was feeling, but it was something I hadn't felt before. Flattered? Dazzled? For some reason, all my negative thoughts about Ryuzaki began to make me feel somewhat guilty.

If my face was hot before, it was even hotter now. I looked sheepishly down at my food and said quietly in return, "There's no need for that, Ryuzaki."

Seriously, Ryuzaki, stop talking…

Well, after that, he did indeed keep his mouth shut, refraining from uttering another word. I looked at my cheeseburger and sighed inwardly. This disgusting, high calorie food didn't look so tempting as Ryuzaki's cakes. I wanted a taste, no, I wanted to snatch a plate from him and eat it. He was already onto his third cake when I suddenly realized that I hadn't touched my own food.

"Hey, er, Ryuzaki?"

"Hmm?" His intent eyes rested upon my hopeful ones for a moment while his spoon dangled from his mouth.

"Do you mind if you could share with me?" I said this carefully, trying not to sound desperate or anything of the like.

Ryuzaki said nothing, nothing at all. It was killing me. I wanted a bite of that cake and I wanted it right now.

Underneath the table, my fingers were fumbling and picking at each other. I crossed my left leg over my right leg and jigged my foot in midair as I waited for him to say something, anything. His silence was annoying me greatly.

He cut carefully into the piece of cake and balanced the creamy, strawberry drizzled piece on the spoon and faced it towards me. I winced. This wasn't what I wanted. Who in the right mind would want to eat from a spoon that had been in Ryuzaki's mouth?

I blinked a few times to clear my mind. "Um…, can you just give me a plate? You have like five."

His lips were still in the same thin line when he said, "That might not be a good idea."

I rolled my eyes. "What do you mean? I'm sure it will taste great. Just look at it. It looks so tempting."

He still had his hand floating midair with the spoon lingering at the end. "You can't judge something by looking at it. Sometimes, you need to have a taste of it first before you decide if it's really good or not."

"For heaven's sake, Ryuzaki. This is a cake we're talking about." I propped my head up higher by placing my hand under my chin.

"True, but I think you should try it first. You know, see how you like it?" He neared the spoon closer to my face. I wanted to flinch back right away, but there was no need to do that since he stopped and retrieved his hand back.

"What?" I asked, confused as to why he stopped. Well, you know, not that I didn't want him to …I'm just curious.

"One sec," he told me, scooting his chair closer to mine.

The screeching sound caused by the chair legs rubbing against the floor irritated my ears. When he finally stopped, I looked to my right. BAM! His face was right there, his body was right next to mine. So close, I could feel his cold breath against my skin.

He still had the spoon in his hand. His expression was as emotionless as usual. Slowly, he brought the spoon to my lips. I opened my mouth to take it in. The moment the metal met my tongue, I tasted a sweet, savory flavor. The soft cake warmed my mouth while some crème lingered at the edge of my lips.

I was about to lick the white crème from my lower lip when Ryuzaki leaned towards me. His cold tongue traced around my lip, licking the crème off. Without parting an inch, he moved his lips from my lower lip to my mouth.

He pressed his dry lips against mine as he slid his tongue inside me. I forcefully swallowed any cake I had left in my mouth as he edged in closer to me. His clammy, cold hands held my cheeks as he pressed his lips harder with mine. His tongue toyed with mine as I closed my eyes. He tasted like a strong, bitter tea with a hint of sugar. The taste was almost too sweet yet at the same time a little sour (from the tea perhaps?) He bit my lower lip, but gently so that it wouldn't hurt when he did so.

I slit my eye open just a hair to see his face, but I was in for a little bit of surprise. His big black eyes stared down hard on me. My eyes widened as I saw his so open and so intent. I thought when people kissed, they were supposed to close their eyes, not have them open!

He slowly broke the kiss, a thin trail of saliva attached the two of us as he leaned back. It broke in the middle as he licked his own lips. I sat still and didn't say anything. Neither did he.

The rest of the world went on like nothing happened. In the background, the usual chatter and clatter of people and whatnot filled the restaurant. I stared at Ryuzaki, wondering what just happened and why.

"Mmmmm," he said after a moment or two. "I think you taste pretty good."

I finally came back to my senses.

I slapped him. Hard. With my hand.

A loud smack! sounded as my hand made contact with his cheek. His face jerked to the side. He placed his hand where it was beginning to turn red then looked at me.

"Ow," he said in a emotionless voice. "That hurt."

"You're disgusting," I scolded at him. "How could you do something without asking me first?"

"I didn't see you refusing," he reminded me, as if I wanted to hear that.

I crossed my arms around my chest and sighed inwardly. "It's still wrong," I muttered under my breath.

"You know," he began, edging closer to me. "I don't think I need cake when I have you."

I was going to slap him a second time, but as soon as I was going to swing it, he caught my wrist. His hand squeezed my hand with enough force to keep me from moving.

"I hate you," I told him as he released my hand, letting it slide down my side. He faced forward in his chair with his side facing me.

"I love you," he replied, but not to me. He said it to his stupid cake.

"You're choosing cake over me?" I asked confused at the same time jealous. I wasn't too surprised to hear him say this because after all, he is quite queer.

"Yes," he gave me a straight answer right away. "Cake doesn't hate or slap me."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Ryuzaki."

I looked away from him and tapped my foot impatiently as I stared at my ugly cheeseburger. Ryuzaki was still sitting beside me, closer though as he ate his damn cake, making noises as he did.

"This is so good," or "Mmmmm," and even, "No one can taste better than this…"

Gross, Ryuzaki. I think he's a stupid, cake obsessed man who doesn't know what love is or even means. Seriously. I think he's a lost soul, a wreck. I know deep down inside, he needs me. Wants me. Lusts for me. I know it, I just know that right now--

"If you apologize, I'll take back what I just said," he told me, interrupting my thoughts about him. I heard him set his plate and spoon down on the table. His stare pierced through me, I could just feel it.

Yeah right. I am not going to apologize to this disgusting, irritating human being (or barely) who thinks that cake is better than me. He's just a pathetic, emo-looking--

"I'm sorry," I broke out before I could stop the words from my mouth. Damn it.

Ryuzaki cut into his cake once more and held in to my mouth. "Want more cake?"

I blushed involuntarily and a new wave of heat warmed my face. "Yeah, why not. I think I like what I tasted."

And I did. I wanted to taste him again and again, with or without the damn cake.

-End-

So how was it? Did you like it? I think this is a cute little scene between the two. In this one-shot, I made Naomi seem somewhat confused by her feelings for L, as you can see she keeps switching her views. Lol, I don't think Naomi favors American food. XD Well, anyway, I hoped you all like it. Please leave a reivew! Thanks!