My Kingdom For Love
By Kawaii Kitty
Another rainy night was upon Southtown, a town of many cultures and high crime. Inside the bar Illusion, two blondes were having a heated discussion.
The male of the two sighed heavily and set down a half-full wine glass. "Dammit, King…" he began, "why do you do this every time I come see you?"
The female placed a cork in a bottle of wine and picked up her own drink, a martini. "Because it's usually been two months since I've seen you, Ryo. You never come and see me anymore…"
The boy, Ryo Sakazaki sighed and finished off his wine, looking up at his girlfriend behind the bar. "That's because my family runs a dojo! When my father isn't training me like a freaking slave, we're training Yuri or someone else!"
King sighed and hopped up onto the bar, reaching a hand down and touching Ryo's. "And I run a bar. I have hundreds of customers every day, I have fights to break up, I have bottle shards to clean, and yet, somehow, I manage to make it to your family's dojo every few days in hopes of seeing you."
Ryo looked away from the girl and ran a finger through his thick head of hair. "Look, King, I really don't know what it is you want with me."
"I want a relationship, Ryo!" She said desperately, "I love you, and you know that! I want to be able to share things with you, you know? I want us!"
Ryo gave her a blank look. "Just…. what are you hinting at?"
King gave him a look of utter disbelief. "You don't get it?" she sighed and took a sip from her martini, then sat it down and tried to gain a little confidence. "I want… to get married, Ryo. Married."
Ryo yelped and fell back off of his stool onto the floor below. King was thankful that they were the only ones in the bar. She already felt embarrassed and didn't need people pointing and laughing at her boyfriend and her rather blunt marriage proposal. Blushing profusely, she hopped off from the bar and moved to help Ryo from off the ground.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Ryo nodded and stood, wiping some dust and dirt from his backside. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He sighed and then turned to Kong again, very uneasy. "Married?"
King looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Yes, Ryo Sakazaki. I said married."
Ryo sat back down on his warm stool and sighed heavily. "Man…. I…. Never even considered. I mean, I always knew you were kind of clingy.. but marriage?"
King sat down beside him and slid her glass across the bar to herself. "If you're not ready, Ryo… I can wait."
"It's not that it's at the wrong time, King…." He said, not even attempting to meet her gaze. "It's just the whole thing in general. My mom died when I was very young, and my dad never found the heart to date again. I wouldn't even have an inkling as to what to do, especially if we have children."
King looked up at him, shocked. "Ch-children?" she said, being taken off guard.
Ryo nodded and looked up at her. "Yeah, kids. I mean, first it's marriage, then it's kids, then a house, and then moving to another country…" he sighed heavily. "I just… I can't commit to something like that. Not now. If ever."
King looked down at the floor. "So… you don't love me?"
"What? What are you talking about?" Ryo asked, "Of course I love you!"
"Then why won't you marry me?!" King yelled, looking at Ryo with tears in her eyes.
There was a long uncomfortable silence before either one of them spoke. "Look… I love you. The entire world knows that. I just… I don't know. I'm not the type of guy that makes commitments like that."
"Just like any commitment…"
"Hey," Ryo said in his defense, "I never said that! I love you! I just… can't get married… I don't know why. I have this big fear about commitment… I want to make you happy, but I just can't get into it like that." He looked at the bar top, embarrassed. "You know, if it weren't for you, I would probably die a virgin."
King sighed. "If you're that afraid of commitment… then maybe we shouldn't be together…"
"Wh-What?" Ryo looked at her in disbelief. "A-are you serious?"
King nodded and wiped her eyes, then looked at Ryo. "Are you sure you don't want to get married?"
Ryo looked away and sighed, thinking for a long moment. He then nodded. "Yes."
"Then I'm serious…" She said, trying to make her voice strong and unwavering.
Ryo sighed and finished off his glass, then got off his stool and walked to the door. He plucked his jacket off from the coat rack at the front of the bar and put it on. "Alright… then it's over. Goodbye, King." He opened the door and stepped out, slamming it hard behind him.
King stared at the door for a few minutes before hunching over the bar sobbing. She sniffled and cried heavily into her sleeves. "God… Why..? I'm sorry, Ryo…" she sighed heavily and looked down at her belly. "It's… it's a good thing… I didn't tell him… that I'm late…"
As she finished talking to herself, the door of the bar opened and a young man stepped in, dripping wet. King sniffed and looked to him, surprised at what her eyes had found. The man had very tan skin and beautiful silver hair. His eyes were a deep, dark red and they shone with frustration and a desire to be released. He wore nothing but black leather. His jacket was short and halfway open, exposing some of his chest and the short equal-arms cross across his collarbone. His pants practically clung to his legs and were decorated up with lots of straps and buckles. When he stepped in, he walked straight for the bar, wiping the silver locks from his fiery eyes.
"Give me sake, and make it hot." He demanded, his eyes focused on King.
She wiped her eyes and stood up to meet him. "Um… sorry, sir, but we're closed…"
He sat down on a stool and gave King a dangerous look. "The sign says you're open. Now get me a damned sake."