Twitch.
Groan.
Irritation.
The four walls decorated with hooks and shelves, plus the floor full of display cases and tables - all of them full with... that.
Needless to say that it drove her mad. No matter which direction her eyes flickered, it would be there. Oh, there was a cute hat on that rack over there... nope. That sweater was absolutely adorable and just her size... nope. That studded belt was... nope. Every hat, sweater, belt, or any other article of clothing or accessory that she was fond of... just, no.
It was the middle of spring for crying out loud, where was the vibrancy! The outside world screamed for warmth and a colorful spectrum and yet her favorite boutique still kept its drabby and icy array of things. The contrast between that store and the street in front of it was astounding. And for the life of her, she never thought she'd want to so desperately be somewhere else.
Marching out of said place of business, Risa laced her fingers through her hair and cursed. Why - WHY - did everything she want have to come in that color? Even if it wasn't exactly a rainbow of assortments, couldn't there at least have been some shades of blue? Teal? A dark green, even? But no. Every Godforsaken item in that shop was... was...
Tugging slightly at her hair, she stomped her foot on the ground before turning and walking away. She didn't want to be anywhere near this headache-inducing nonsense anymore. So she combed through her hair with her fingers and pulled the purple band off her wrist to tie it up. She had been doing that a lot lately, she had noticed. She tried not to, going so far as to leave all ponytails locked in a drawer in her room. She would tie part of her hair back with her pink ribbon and go about her business, same as always. But halfway through the morning, she lost all patience with herself and ripped the ribbon from her head. And in all of about two seconds, her hair would be tied back rather awkwardly in a single bunch and she would feel ten times better.
After about two months of attempting such a great feat, she finally caved and unlocked her drawer. The colorful hair ties brought a smile to her face as she wrapped one around her wrist and walked out the door. Why she had fought so hard about the issue, even she didn't know. She had to suppose that it was because she thought it made her look less feminine. It wasn't as attractive, she thought, as wearing her hair down or in her standard ribbon.
But ever since Dark disappeared, she found herself caring less and less about her feminine appearance and more about looking how she wanted to. There was no mistaking it, she was definitely a girly-girl at heart, but that did not have to confine her to dresses and skirts. Once the lusty man of her dreams was gone, she cleared out some closet space and filled it with all sorts of adorable (and totally fashionable) denim shorts and jeans. Cute t-shirts and tank tops also found their way to a hanger in her wardrobe, and before she realized it, she had a vast display of attire to choose from every day. She was pleased.
And, yes, most of these new clothes came from the store she just stormed out of. She loved their stuff, it was all so stylish and eye-catching. They had a great mix of designer wear and store brand items, not to mention everything she could ever need. Shirts, jeans, skirts, dresses, shoes, hats, shorts, accessories, belts, jackets... they had it all. But if there was one thing Risa absolutely couldn't stand, it was that... that... horrendous excuse of a color!
"Stupid store, not updating their line." She muttered as she weaved in and out of people's way on the crowded sidewalk. She wasn't paying attention, but she had caught the eye of several boys, though they made some rather crude comments and gestures. You know, how her ass looked perfect in her jeans, or how her shirt showed off just the right amount of cleavage. Those sort of remarks.
But she failed to notice, fortunately for them, and kept on walking. Her overwhelming disappointment left her at a loss of what to do. She had originally intended to spend at least an hour there shopping and picking out things and then go to get some lunch with Riku and Daisuke, but now... now she was fifty two minutes too early with no destination in mind. Sure, she could browse through the other shops, but she'd done that a million times before. They didn't really have anything worth buying. Was it sad that there was only one good store in this part of town? Probably.
But just as she went to turn the corner, she came to a halt. Squinting her eyes, she focused on an oddly familiar mop of blue hair. She watched as the person politely held the door open for a crowd of people and then as they retreated off further down the street. Without any conscious thought, she changed course and started off after the azure target.
He wasn't moving very fast, not like her, anyway. She jogged now, hugging the edge of the curb to stay out of traffic and avoid running into people. Her hazelnut orbs were locked onto the man she thought she knew and she grew closer and closer to him with each step. And just as he was about to cross the street, she yelled, "Hiwatari!" Getting the reaction she wanted, the man turned his head in her general direction, eyes a little bewildered at the sudden cry of his name. And just as she thought, he was indeed who she had suspected him to be.
She slowed her pace, stopping a few feet before him. Out of breath, she was panting slightly, huddled over so her hands could rest on her knees. But she looked up at him, aiming to let him know that it was her who called for him. He looked down at her, wondering why on Earth she had been chasing after him. He shifted the goods in his arms, earning himself a free hand and he offered it to her. She grabbed it and he effortlessly pulled her back upright. The light on the crosswalk turning green at that same moment, he subconsciously led her across the street with him.
And stopping on the other side, he said, "What are you doing here, Miss Harada?" She brushed some loose strands of hair out of her eyes, making a mental note that her bangs needed to be trimmed again. She straightened herself up and shook her head before looking at him. There was something about him, she just couldn't quite place it, that... surprised her. But it was also irritating. As she debated the conflict of emotions, he waved his hand in front of her face to try and bring her back to reality.
"What?" She blurted out without thinking. Raising a curious eyebrow at her, he sighed and repeated himself. "Oh! I was just doing some shopping. Didn't really work out, though." Not bothering to prod into her shopping dilemma, he only gave her a small nod as he slowly kept on walking. He hadn't anticipated on her following him, and neither had she, to be truthful. But with a little over forty five minutes to kill, she really had nothing better to do.
"Whatcha got there?" She was being so casual that it actually startled him. How was he supposed to respond to her, anyway? It hadn't been that long since both Dark and Krad vanished, leaving him to be a hollow shell. He hadn't completely found the person he wanted to be yet, his personality was still a work in progress. But he supposed in situations like this that it was appropriate to smile and answer the lady next to him. After all, without Krad to hurl him into a cage of pain and torment, there really couldn't be any harm in it.
"Just some coffee and a bagel." Her eyes drifted to the cup and bag in his other hand and she giggled a little. Being unsure of her reaction, he stopped moving and questioned her. "No, no, I'm not laughing at you. I just think it's funny is all. You don't seem like a coffee kind of guy." She assured him. "I don't?" What was that supposed to mean, anyway?
Laughing again, she folded her arms behind her back and trotted forward, leaving him to catch up to her now. Where was she going? Did she know that he had plans to go back to his apartment? Did she know where his apartment was? Why would she? Why would he wonder such things, anyhow? Shaking his head, he just let his feet carry him as he took a sip of the said coffee he didn't look like he was supposed to be drinking. It wasn't his favorite thing, he could admit, but it certainly helped him wake up in the morning. Though some would argue that ten twenty was a little late to be getting up for the day. It didn't matter that it was a Saturday.
"Miss Harada, where are you going?" He finally managed to ask her. She stopped and turned on her heels to face him. With a rather adorable smile, he had to acknowledge, she said, "Well you were walking this way, weren't you?" Nodding, he said, "Yes, but, that doesn't mean anything. Where are you going?" She pondered his question for a moment, not really having thought any farther than if the kid with the sky blue hair was him or not. She actually had no intention of really talking to him, let alone following him, but it just sort of... happened, she guessed.
Sweat-dropping, she rubbed the back of her head before apologizing. "Sorry, Hiwatari. I wasn't really thinking when I followed you. Since my whole shopping adventure was a bust, I guess I just got a little overexcited when I saw you. See, I don't have anything to do until eleven. So I guess when I thought I recognized you, I took that as an opportunity to busy myself. I'm sorry."
Now understanding what this was all about, he relaxed. His translation of all that boiled down to 'I'm-bored-and-need-something-to-do-for-about-an-hour.' Sighing, he closed his eyes, and let a small smile creep up onto his face. And taking a step back, Risa also beamed when she saw that he wasn't angry with her. She even chuckled again, surprising him. "I suppose I should get going then. I didn't mean to take up your time like that. I'll see you around at school." She said as she began to turn back.
Without thinking, he blurted out, "There's no need. I was planning on just going back to my apartment to enjoy my breakfast. You can tag along, if you'd like." Where in the Hell did that come from? But why did it matter? Krad was gone, he had no reason to fear anything. He and Risa had been classmates for several years now, it wasn't all that strange to invite her over... was it? Oh, what if she took it the wrong way? But it was her, she wouldn't misunderstand a simple offer like that. What if she thought he was being too forward, though? He was the former Ice King, never let anybody get near him person. A sudden invitation like that could frighten her. But with all the thoughts racing through his head, he was completely unaware of her surprised expression.
"Would that really be O.K.?" She asked. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. In accordance to the questions stacking up in his mind, she too wondered about the sudden invite. No, she did not suspect him of being inappropriate or anything of the sort. Aside from Daisuke, Hiwatari was the most gentlemanly guy she knew. It was just very unlike his usual character to openly offer something like this. But if he was serious, then she most certainly wanted to go.
"I apologize, Miss Harada, I did not mean to be so forward." He quickly muttered, but she just as quickly waved her arms in defiance. "No, no, you're not being forward at all! I was just making sure you were serious, is all. I've always wondered about where you live." She had? Honestly, yes. She knew that he used to live in quite the mansion with his step-father before the Black Wings incident. She also knew that he had since moved out. Going from an extravagant estate to a halfway decent apartment was quite the stretch. However, she was most intrigued by his decorating. He also did not appear to be a man who had any sense of proper decoration.
"Well then... if you would like to, my apartment is this way." They walked together down the cobblestone street in silence from then on. Her assumed lack of design on his part kept her brain entertained. He probably had plain white walls, no pictures hung at all. Basic furniture arranged in a boring fashion. A bare kitchen with hardly any utensils. And plain sheets and curtains to complete the set. Now, she was in no way calling him a boring person. She knew that to be untrue rather well. It was a simple question of ability, she was certain.
But she was delightfully proven wrong, for when they finally arrived and he unlocked the door, his residency screamed cool and everything but plain and ordinary. The entire apartment was lined with wallpaper (easily removable as they would not allow him to paint). He had a fair sized couch and a single chair in his living room, along with a nice sized television set and a gorgeous wooden coffee table. His kitchen was actually full of all sorts of utensils and pots and pans, all clean and put away, too. And even though she had not seen it, his room had a lovely full sized bed with plaid sheets and blue curtains. The only thing she had guessed right was his lack of pictures. There was not a single one to be found.
"Amazing..." She muttered, intended to only be talking to herself. But he had heard her and asked her to clarify. "No, nothing. This is just... nothing like I had expected. You have a lovely home, Hiwatari." Confused, he thanked her and stepped inside to set his breakfast down. He motioned for her to come in as well and she took a seat on his couch. It was comfortable, she noted, as she stared at the stack of mail on the edge of the table. Bills, perhaps? She was snapped out of her curiosity by him politely offering her something to eat or drink. She refused him, though, remembering her lunch plans. With that settled, he took a seat in his chair and pulled out his bagel.
She wound up staring at him as he ate, unintentionally, mind you. It was amusing to watch him stuff the bread in his mouth and let it hang there as he fiddled with his coffee. He had crumbs scattered around his lips as his glasses started to slide down the bridge of his nose. She couldn't help but think it was very cute of him, though she dared not say it out loud. But as she watched him scrunch his nose to reposition his lenses, she finally caught notice of his irritating feature from earlier. That conflicting emotion was ignited by his t-shirt.
"Ugh, not you to!" She practically screamed from her spot on the couch. She startled him to the point that he almost lost his food and spilt his drink. He stared at her - almost glaring - and gestured to her, saying 'what-are-you-talking-about'? without actually saying anything. She placed her hands on the side of her face and just drilled holes into his chest as she fixated on his shirt. He just had to wear that color, didn't he? How had she not seen it before? It had only been bothering her since this morning.
She finally had the nerve to rip her eyes away from his... distasteful top... and linger on his entire form. Uncombed blue tresses, deep sapphire eyes, confused and irritated (and cute) facial expression. The hideous plain shirt with a pair of loose brown cargo pants and his dingy white socks. He wasn't exactly stylish, but this combination seemed to... work for him. In some odd way, that is.
The mixture of cool colors actually suited him rather well and she silently mused about what he would look like in brighter attire. She tried picturing him in a bright red sweater and a light pair of jeans, but quickly shook the thought. It didn't mesh very well, probably due to his already lightened hair color. The darker colors complimented him much better. Thinking back, she couldn't actually remember seeing him any anything brighter than that rusty red turtleneck of his. His school uniform didn't count.
Her eyes glossed over as she kept picturing him, but he was more concerned with her sudden outburst. "Miss Harada?" He said, hoping to regain her attention. Was she always this spacey when talking with people or was it just him? Regardless, he tried to meet her gaze and he awkwardly reached out a hand to tap her knee with. Her lost eyes were starting to make him nervous.
She blinked furiously before blushing madly. Had she really been thinking that much of him? It didn't help that she caught his intense eyes and his hand was a few mere centimeters away from her leg. His eyes widened at her realization and he quickly backed off and straightened up, an unnoticeable tint of pink gracing his cheeks. He cleared his throat and went to take another sip from his coffee before trying again. "Not me to, what? Miss Harada?"
"Oh! Uh, well... it seems I was wrong." Baffling him even more, she relaxed and leaned back into his still comfy couch and threw her head back to rest on top of it. She breathed deeply before sighing, trying to re-gather her thoughts. She now had to decide if her entire opinion of that wretched color was wrong or if it only worked with him. Did she need to go all the way back to that boutique and try something on? That was such a long walk...
"Wrong about what? You're not making any sense." Cracking open one eye, she sighed again. Would he think it stupid of her to have made such a fuss over something as trivial as a color? More than likely. Still, he had generously invited her into his home. The least she could do was answer him.
"Well... you see, the thing is, there is this shop out in the marketplace that I absolutely adore. I went there this morning to shop before running into you. The only problem is that almost everything they have is in one color: gray. Gray has always been the one color that I just can't stand! It's so ugly! But... seeing you in that shirt... I might have to reconsider." What she had said to be a simple explanation made his cheeks light up like a neon sign. Did she just say that he looked good in his gray shirt? Was he hearing her correctly? Did she know what she was saying?
As if on cue, her words registered with her brain and she shot up to defend herself. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that! I wasn't trying to say that you look good in that shirt-! Well that's not it either, I mean, you do, but-! What I'm really trying to say is that gray is a very nice color on you and now I'm having seconds thoughts about it-! Uh..." Her words just sort of trailed off as she babbled, trying endlessly to remedy the situation. However, he was far too amused now.
Yes, he was allowed to find her to be incredibly hilarious right now. He was allowed to think that she had the best facial expressions and gestures when trying to explain herself and when she was flustered. He was allowed to think that she looked awfully pretty with her hair all tied back so he could see her lovely face. That those jeans hugged her legs just right and her shirt properly emphasized her curves and shoulders. She sure was stunning... and he was allowed to think that.
It was then that he decided to interrupt her still ongoing senseless banter. "I think gray would look good on you, Miss Harada. Any color would suit you well." He said very matter-of-factly as he resumed stuffing the bagel in his mouth. She was frozen in place, practically glued to her seat on his couch. Eleven o'clock had long since passed and her cell phone had vibrated a dozen times, but she could care less. For whatever reason, she found herself unable and, admittedly, unwilling to leave him. Her eyes followed his now moving hand as he reached for his remote, clicked on the TV, and lazily walked over to his curtains to let some light in.
And to throw her into further uncertainty, he added, "It's about lunch time, isn't it?"
"A/N: Fluffy SatoRisa is fluffy! Gah, I really just wanted to write something cute and happy. It's the result of listening to too much Marianas Trench. Stutter is my current obsession. Anywho, this takes place about six months or so after the disappearance of Dark and Krad, so Hiwatari doesn't have to be the King of Cold anymore. I imagine that after that much time, he'd be more open and relaxed, but not totally "normal," per say. Whatever, if he's a little out of character, I don't care. This was too cute not to write."