The Air That You Breathe
Full Story Summary:
(Mikoto Suoh x fem!Reisi Munakata) "Breathing the same air as you makes me ill." She constantly tells him those spiteful words and yet her actions always speak otherwise. Mikoto Suoh had always found a deep attraction for Reisi Munakata. He pursued the beautiful creature despite being unfamiliar with the new feelings that immediately took hold of him but little did he know that Reisi Munakata would be the death of him. Dragged into the fate of becoming a king and queen, becoming enemies became inevitable for the two. Now, Mikoto becomes constantly torn between a grudging hatred for Reisi and an ardent desire for her…while battling his own demons along the way. (may contain Izumo x Seri and hints of other pairings in the future)
Chapter Six:
Stitches
Just like a moth drawn to a flame
Oh, you lured me in, I couldn't sense the pain
Your bitter heart, cold to the touch
Now I'm gonna reap what I sow
I'm left seeing red on my own
Her heart was racing a thousand miles per hour, her whole body became frozen still…the only thing that she was conscious of was the feel of Mikoto Suoh's lips tenderly pressing against hers. She could not understand what was happening. The sound of her heart beating rapidly was the only sound she could hear, everything else was muted – shut from her ears. What was this? What was happening? Numerous questions filled her brain. She could not think straight. His lips felt warm, soft…
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Reisi snapped; finally able to wake up from whatever cursed trance she was pulled into by the red-haired delinquent. She pulls away from him before sending her palm to his face. Fortunately, Mikoto had quick reflexes that he was able to dodge her slap and grab for her wrist. Looking at his face made her feel all the more irritated since he looked like he has no clue whatsoever of what he had done wrong. He looked very confused as he held her wrist; his amber eyes questioning what she was doing. "Huh?" he made a soft sound; reminding Reisi of a whining puppy.
"What was that just now?" Reisi could not stop shaking. She glared at the clueless redhead and her eyes went straight towards his half-opened lips. He actually kissed her. He kissed her! "Why the hell would you do that? Are you an idiot? Is that a joke? Because it is not funny!" she pulled her arm away from his grip.
"I…I…uh…" Mikoto stammered. It was his first time to stammer like a complete fool in his life…since he seldom talks. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Reisi. She was glaring at him with such an ardent and terrifying hatred that he could not think how to properly respond.
"Listen, Munakata –"
"No." Reisi's answer was firm. She clenched her hands into fists; keeping her condescending violet eyes at him, not wanting to show any signs of weakness from him. "I am sick and tired of this friendship game you forced me into playing, Mikoto Suoh!"
"Munakata…"
She did not allow him to speak.
"YOU listen to me, delinquent. I have been so gracious in letting you do as you please and letting you act like we are buddies even though I clearly stated how much people like you turn my stomach. I did not want to be your friend in the first place –" Her words seem to cut Mikoto deep. His eyebrow furrowed, his upper lip quivered but Reisi – the ever so arrogant ice queen – is not done lashing out on him just yet. "You cannot just do whatever you want with me, Suoh-san, do you understand? What you did just now…was uncalled for."
I did not want to be your friend in the first place.
I did not want to be your friend…
I did not…
Everything else that Reisi was telling him were muted and all he could hear was that over and over and over again in his head. She would not stop going on and on, oblivious by the fact that every time that lapsed as she spoke, more and more does he feel like he was being ripped apart. His chest was tightening, he could not breathe and his limbs were shaking.
"Shut up!" The words slipped out of him. He could not take it anymore.
Reisi was startled by him raising his voice.
"You acted like we are friends then tell me that you did not wanna be friends with me in the first place? And this…this…! Was our friendship just a game to you, Munakata? Do you have any regards to how people feel? Are you dense, you idiot?!" Mikoto's voice was trembling, "You're horrible."
Mikoto was deeply hurt by her words but…he could not bring himself to hate her completely. He does not think that she was horrible. Not really. He just feels so…angry and betrayed.
"Suoh-san, I will not let you speak to me that way!"
"I did not mean that…"Mikoto's voice has become fainter, softer than the one he used to speak to her just now. He tried to reach out for her, to take her by the shoulders but she took a step back, demanding that he get away from her. He insisted, "I did not mean any of that."
"No. Shut your mouth, Mikoto Suoh." Reisi said. How dare he even speak to her the way he did. She would never allow him to speak badly about her for no one has ever dared to speak badly of her. Why would they? How would they when she is perfect? "I don't want to see your ugly mug anymore. Do you understand?"
"Munakata…!"
The girl was glaring murderously at him; it looked like she was prepared to slap him, to strangle him. Mikoto stopped speaking, stopped doing anything; feeling like when he does something foolish right now, at this very instance, she would claw his eyes out.
He likes her. He likes her so much that it hurt.
He wants only to be able to have the chance to hold her in his arms.
He screwed up, didn't he?
Reisi turned around, ready to leave him.
"Munakata, I li–"
"Goodbye, Suoh." Reisi's voice was louder than his in comparison and whatever it was he wanted to tell her, it was drowned away by her voice.
His heart skipped a beat when she spoke to him. Mikoto simply stood there, rooted to the ground and unable to continue what he wanted to tell, what he need to tell Reisi. He just watched her as she calmly walked away. Apparently, she was saying the truth…that she really did not want to be friends with him in the first place. Looking at her now as she walked away, more and more thoughts entered his head. That was the girl he chose to love. He brought this to himself. He watched her leave until she was nothing but a tiny speck, swallowed by the distance between the two of them.
It hurts.
His lips had begun to quiver.
It hurts.
She never did care about him, did she? After all the times they spent together, he thought that…he had a chance.
He clenched his hands into fists. It's not like he was about to give up on her.
. . . . .
Several weeks passed and Mikoto gave Reisi the space that he thought she needs. He did not come every morning by her house, the way he did before. He did not come by her school to fetch her. He really avoided her. Fortunately, avoiding her had not been difficult since it seems Reisi was also avoiding him. For the days that passed, he did not see her at all in the train station or anywhere else. Perhaps, she really needed the time alone to think about what he did. He chose right to not show his face to her for a while.
Mikoto laid on his bed, his head pounding violently. It felt like his brain would explode any minute now. Goddamn. He ran his fingers through his hair, angrily. He closed his eyes; letting out a loud, dragging sigh.
Days. Goddamn days passed and yet he still could hear Reisi Munakata's hateful words echoing inside his head.
I did not want to be your friend in the first place.
I don't want to see your ugly mug anymore.
He clicked his tongue before sitting up from his bed, before glancing at the window of his room. He should have listened to his gut when it told him to stay away from Reisi Munakata in the first place but he just had to be his usual hard-headed self, huh?
His cell phone vibrated inside the pocket of his pants and annoyed by the persistent movement of the phone, he fished it out of his pants and pressed it open only to see Reisi Munakata's face on the screen of his phone. He actually forgot that he made the picture he took of her his wallpaper for his phone. Does he really not get that many text messages that he seldom checks his phone?
Reisi Munakata…
He stared blankly at the girl on his phone. She was glowing – her usually stern and hard expression was soft, innocent, and beautiful; her eyes were closed and he could see easily how long and pretty her eyelashes were. Her pink lips were pulled in a wide grin while she was laughing. There was a blush on both of her plump cheeks. He could not avert his eyes from the screen of his cell phone even though he wanted to stop looking at her picture like a complete creep.
He has to tell her how he feels for her.
Groaning, Mikoto stood up from his bed and made his way out of his house. He hurried; walking as fast as he could. The further he got from his house, the louder the drumming sound of his rapid heartbeat became as it pounded on and on against his eardrums. It would have been fine if the sound of his beating heart had a normal pace but no, it does not – the sound fluctuated from being fast to being rapid as hell. He ran and ran and ran until finally, he reached his destination.
Panting, he stood with quaking legs in front of Reisi Munakata's house. His lungs were on fire, the muscles of his legs aching, and sweat ran across his temples to his chin. "Muna –!" he endeavored to speak her name but all that left his mouth was a pathetic whisper accompanied by coughs. It pisses him off, always acting like a total idiot, always having himself look so low and pathetic…but he could not help it. As he stood there, coughing and clenching at his chest, he remembers what Tatara the damned brat had said before.
Well, naturally, girls are like that, King .They go all sweet one minute and then, poof, they break your heart with a sledgehammer.
"Munakata-san, I have to talk to you!"
The sound of his own voice was rather new in his ears. He has never spoken in as loud as he just had. 'This is not like you, Mikoto.' What was he doing? What was it that he had been doing all these days? Reisi Munakata really made him lose himself and he doesn't know if it were for the worse or for the better – losing himself like this.
The house was dark, not one room was lit; even the one which was Reisi's.
"Reisi!"
He grabbed for the railing of the gate of the Munakata residence; his hands squeezing tightly at the thin metal bar. Then, from outside, he sees the light of the house's living room being turned on and he hears the door clicking open. Much to his disappointment, it was none other than Reisi Munakata's plain and simple older brother, Taishi, who – like their parents – do not resemble Reisi whatsoever. Even the air about them was different: Reisi was more of sophistication and pride while Taishi…there was nothing special with Taishi, he was like your average, normal person – certainly will not be difficult to forget.
"Ah, Red…I knew that it's you."
"Your sister…I want to speak with her…" the disoriented redhead stammered and he quickly added a "…please." to sound less demanding and to sound respectful.
Taishi sighed, "Sorry, kid, Reisi-chan has been exhausted from school and has retired to bed early. I could wake her up but she would be in a rather foul mood if I did so…"
"I see…" Mikoto cleared his throat. "…then…I'll take my leave now then."
"You could come by tomorrow morning…or you could tell me whatever it is you need to tell her –"
"No…I have to tell her myself." Mikoto insisted.
"Okay, you take care now, Red."
Taishi watched as the red-haired boy walks away. He never thought such a desperate expression would ever show up on a face that belonged to a boy he witnessed using another boy as a punching bag. The way he acted, the way he sounded…
It seems his parents had been correct. The redhead really did love his sister, didn't he?
. . . . .
Mikoto did come to Reisi's house that morning so that he could finally tell her how he feels about her and get it off of his chest but Reisi was no longer in her house when he came. According to Taishi, Reisi had to come to class early for the day then he told him to come back that afternoon or just wait for her dismissal in her school.
At school, Mikoto could not concentrate. All he could think of was to just get the day over so he could finally go to Reisi's school.
Tatara and Izumo also noticed how edgy he was that day and kept asking him what was wrong with him. He did not answer them.
At dismissal, he went to Reisi's school and he waited for her.
He waited and waited…until finally, twilight came and the red-orange sky turned into dark blue.
He wasn't able to see her.
It became like that afterwards.
Reisi was not in her house at morning.
Reisi was nowhere to be seen in school during dismissal.
Reisi was still not at home at evening.
On and on, the same outcome and he could not help but ask himself what was wrong with him, what has he done wrong, why did he have to screw up and so on and so forth.
Despite how empty his conquest had been, he still continued pushing and pushing…hoping that one day, there will be a different outcome; that one day, all his efforts would pay off and she would finally let him see her and he could finally tell her that he loves her.
But that day never came.
Reisi was already out of his reach.
It was rather pointless to keep pursuing and pursuing when on the opposite side, not one effort was being made.
Mikoto grew tired eventually.
Who could blame him?
He was only human…
At times, he remembers the memories he had with her. And every time he remembers, the pain only seem to grow and the bitterness seem to grow bigger than the pain itself. Try as he might, he can't forget her.
You watch me beaten till I can't breathe
Shaking, falling onto my knees
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches
Tripping over myself, aching, begging you to come help
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches
Needle and the thread,
Gotta get you out of my head
Needle and the thread,
Gonna wind up dead
- Stitches by Shawn Mendes -
Author's Notes:
This is the shortest chapter I wrote so far, not counting the prologue, so it did not take me long to type it from my scratch. :P
Whatever happened to Reisi? Well, everything will be clearer in the future chapters so be patient.
Say 'good-bye' to these two teens and say 'hello' to the 21 year old Mikoto and Reisi in the next chapter. :D
Again, I would like to thank each and everyone of you who reads this fic. :3 Thank you for being patient with this fanfic. It's far from ending, don't worry. XD
That's it.