Chapter Seven: Heartbreak Hotel

"I thought you'd never get here," Kyo groans, pulling the sleeves of my jacket in order to remove it. I work his shoes off with my own feet, allowing him to tease my lips apart with his tongue. He drives me back into the door of the suite, his hands gliding up and down my sides until I lose my breath. I move quickly to undo the buttons of his shirt, wondering why there were any at all, feeling him cup my backside in the dark. I lift my leg and wrap it around his; tilting my head back as his lips find my neck.

It's not long before we hit the bed and something soft pokes my arms as he pins them above my head. I turn my head to the side, inhaling the smell of roses, as hot, shallow breaths sound in my ears. When he lets go of my hands, I flatten them over the top of his shirt, slipping it off his shoulders to be met with sculpted muscle that burns hot under my touch.

"I haven't seen you in two weeks," I say, in between breaths. "I almost forgot what you looked like."

He bites my neck until I see a flash of white, laughing lowly against my skin. "Bet you didn't forget how I feel."

"Maybe...I did," I counter, breathless as he settles between my legs. "Want to remind me?"

He pauses, one finger absently twirling the hem of my top. My eyebrows draw together in confusion when he doesn't move and he remains quiet. I sit up on my elbows - to about to ask about it - when he presses his lips against mine. He moves achingly slow, his hands gingerly lifting my shirt. I break the kiss long enough for him to pull it over my head and he throws it somewhere, his lips roaming over mine the second its off. Its a complete change of pace from the fast and hard that I was used to. Because really, we only screwed, and never made love. You can't show what you don't have. But right now...all I felt was passion instead of lust; it was almost overwhelming. The way his hands moved through my hair like it was strands of expensive silk. The way he danced around my body with his tongue and his hands and himself like I was a priceless artifact. And when we're skin to skin, he takes his time. He doesn't hurry and he doesn't focus on himself; he focuses on me.

Eventually, he gets out of bed to turn on the light switch, revealing a Honeymoon Suite of reds and pinks, with fuzzy carpeting. Once my eyes adjust to the change, I realize that I was literally laying on a bed of roses. I notice the bottle of Soju on the nightstand next to an alarm clock, mints on pillows, and...the shiner on Kyo's face?

A gasp tumbles past my lips as I move to him, not caring about the fact that I was just as naked as he was. "What happened to you?" I take his cheeks in my hands without thinking, trying to get a better look at his eye to determine what stage it was in of healing. He grabs my hands in his, moving them away, but not letting go.

We stand motionless for moments that feel like decades of silence, as I toy with the idea of us letting our inhibitions take a back seat for tonight.

I look him in the eyes, trying to hide my worry, when he leads me towards the bathroom. His palm feels warm and strong, his grip tight as he drags us into the shower and turns on the warm water.

As the water rains on our heads and I watch his hair fall into his eyes, a million questions race through my mind no matter how much I try to shut them up. Why was he acting this way? What happened? Should I offer to treat his wound? What comes next?

But I voice none of this as he reaches behind me for the shampoo, lathering it in his hands and telling me to turn around. I do as asked, shocked when his hands begin to work the citrus smelling shampoo through my hair, my brunette waves appearing almost black under the torrent of water above our heads. And it feels so good that I don't think about what any of this means, but I decide to just enjoy it. Once he finishes, he pours a portion for himself, before repeating it in his own hair from behind me.

And for some reason, its soothing being like this.

I actually felt a twisted sense of comfort and peace.

Suddenly, he spins me around and brings me against his chest so that I'm flush against him as hot water and steam surrounded us.

I sigh, blissful when he washes it out of my hair, his eyes soft sienna instead of the smoldering crimson that he showed around school. "Do you want me to-" I start to offer the same treatment, when he declines with a shake of his head, putting a finger to his lips for me to be silent. I narrow my eyes at him, but I keep quiet, my hands moving to his hips as he rinses the shampoo out of his own unruly mop of orange.

I hear the roar of blood rushing in my ears, harmonizing with the rapid rhythm of my heart as I draw circles into his hip with my thumbs.

When he finishes, he looks at me through hooded eyes, leaning in to nip at my jaw though I withdraw just enough to get another look at his bruise. I don't know if its wrong for me to help him or to ask him anything about it. Things weren't confusing like this; not before.

I frown to let him know that I wasn't happy with his elusiveness for such a thing, standing on my toes so that I can plant a kiss on his cheek as means of telling him that I cared about what happened, but would respect his privacy again. His eyes grow wide in surprise, but he doesn't tell me that he appreciates my concern or to mind my own business. Instead, the vibration of one of our cell phones is what disrupts everything.

I reluctantly leave his embrace and step out of the shower, grabbing a towel on my way to our room to check the caller ID.

A smartphone - that's a version behind - shakes with the sound of an incoming call, informing me that my mother was calling me, which was unusual this time of night. I slide my thumb across the screen, bringing it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey sweetie, its Satoshi. I'm calling from your mom's phone. Listen, she's being checked for dilation at the hospital right now because she's preparing for labor."

Oh. My. Gosh.

"Wow! Is she okay? Do you guys need anything? How are you so calm? I'd be freaking out. In fact, this is a little scary. No, wait…more than a little. I-"

"Sorry to cut you off, but I have to get in there. I'm letting you know that it's almost time and your mom wanted you to be here to support her. We're at Sonata hospital. Can you get there?"

I glance over my shoulder, noticing Kyo drying his hair with a towel from nearby, returning my attention back to the call.

"Yeah, I can call a cab. Tell mom I love her, please."

"Will do, sweetie."

"Ok. See you soon, Satoshi."

"Alright, see ya soon."

I press the hang-up button, searching the floor for my clothes as Kyo ties the slightly damp towel around his waist. "What was that about?"

I shrug into the straps of my bra, thankful that it clasps in the front, my heartbeat speeding as I register his question and the fact that my baby brother was on the way.

"My mom's going into labor. I'm heading over to the hospital," I answer, pulling up my black skirt, and ignoring the slight tear in it for the time being. I'd just have to break out my traveling sewing kit later. "Want to come with?"

He freezes, just as taken aback by my proposition as I was. It seemed like the rules we made up were becoming…blurred, these days. I didn't know what was wrong and what's right; what's acceptable and what's not. But I'm more afraid of the relief that floods me when he gives his response.

"Yeah, fine. Just let me get dressed."

I let him see me smirk, before pulling my shirt over my head. "No, Kyo…I think I'll just shove you out the door while you're still in the nude. Let the whole world see your true self."

He flings his towel at me and I laugh, ducking just before it can hit me square in the face, scooping up my sandals and sitting on the bed to contact a cab company.

I don't know what's happening between us anymore, but…

I kind of like it.