A/N: Okay so I totally didn't expect to get this one out in the same day as the last update but... BONUS! Lol. Anyway, I'm sorry this one is so pathetically short, and also, you're all most likely gonna wanna kill me at the end for everything I put Enri through in this chapter... trust me, it absolutely KILLED me t write it ! TT_TT Having said that, the drama in this chapter is thicker then the rest of the chapters, I swear! It's a one-time thing! lol. So, without further adieu, on with the story! :3
Disclaimer: I own the members of Vilikosto and nothing more!
Several pairs of eyes widened in shock and horror at the waste and ruin that lay before them.
"Mon dieu!" Oliver exclaimed in shock, his hand going to his mouth. "What in the world happened here?"
"It looks like a tornado struck." Demetra said bluntly, frowning as she looked around.
The Giancarlo mansion was completely trashed and indeed looked like a tornado or hurricane had struck, or like it had been through one of the world wars at the very least.
The small group watched a few maid scurrying in and then out of the room carrying garbage bags and cleaning utensils.
"Where's Enrique?" Max asked rhetorically. Keisha gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.
"Oh no! You don't think he's hurt, do you? What if the place was robbed?"
Kage and Demetra exchanged a look before moving forward as one into the next room. After a hesitant pause, the rest of the group followed.
When the small group piled into the living room off to the side of the main entrance hall, they looked at Demetra and Kage to see dark and dim looks on their faces. Following the girl's gazes, they all gasped and/or frowned to see what the girls were so displeased about.
Stretched out on one of the huge couches was Enrique, his head lolled back on the back of the couch with a pretty girl under each of his arms, both draped over him rather inappropriately.
The heat in the room suddenly rose several degrees and the group turned to see Keisha and Demetra aflame as they glared holes through the blonde and is companions.
"Go and distract Victoria." Demetra seethed dangerously. "Make sure she doesn't come back until this mess is cleaned up."
Max, Oliver and Kage all exchanged looks before turning and hurrying out of the mansion, going off to find the brunette who was still unpacking her things from the car.
Her fists at her side, Demetra stalked over to the couch and reached down to grab both girls by the front of their barely-there shirts and pull them to their feet. The disturbance immediately awoke the girls and they instantly sobered up when they say Demetra starring down at them with a murderous glare.
"I suggest you make yourselves scarce." She snarled viciously. "Now."
The girls gulped, their faces going several shades whiter before Demetra roughly dropped them to the ground. Without a word or hesitation, the two scrambled up and bolted out the door. Turning back towards Enrique, Demetra made to grab him as well but a quick red blur halted her in her tracks.
The crack of a good, sound slap echoed well outside the living room as Keisha's hand was brought up to connect with the beautiful Europeans face. Enrique came to his taps immediately and bolted up, his hand instantly going to his now scarlet and throbbing face.
"OW!" He yelled loudly. "What the-"
Looking up, the blonde's face paled considerably as he noted the two murderous looking young women hovering over him.
"Ladies!" He attempted suavely. "Let me expl-"
He was cut off by another hard, sound slap to his other cheek.
"Can it, playboy!" Keisha growled furiously. From beside her, Demetra was eyeing the normally cheery and happy-go-lucky girl with slight surprise and pride, greatly impressed with the redhead. "I don't want to hear it! We were off having fun and spending time together while Tori was left feeling guilty half of the trip for not taking you along! And here you are necking it up with some blonde bimbos while shes gone as if she'd never been there in the first place! You disgusting pig!"
Enrique cringed painfully, Keisha's words wounding him far deeper then her hard slaps ever could have.
"I...I didn't mean to..." He replied hoarsely, his voice cracking slightly. "I was just... I felt so bad that she took Oliver and not me that I..."
The blonde paused and bit his lip looking away from the girls.
"It was only supposed to be a few people..." He whispered softly. "Just something to... get my mind off of things... I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to get so out of hand... "
Baby blues turned to look back up at the girls and both were a little shocked to see genuine tears in them - though they were very careful to hide it and keep up the facade.
"Please... I really care about Victoria.. so much... please don't let me ruin this. Help me, I'll do anything!"
Both girls were glaring at the blonde with the utmost disgust, but whereas Demetra was willing to let him lie there and rot, Keisha could feel herself beginning to cave.
"I'll help you this time Enrique, but know this; it will NEVER happen again!"
Enrique's expression brightened hopefully.
"I swear!" He choked.
Demetra scowled and reached out to grab the front of his shirt, leaning down and yanking him forward until she was almost nose-to-nose with him.
"Understand this you little bastard!" She snarled just as savagely as she had at the girls. "I'm not one for second chances and I never liked you from the start so you sure as hell aren't in my good graces now! But I know that for some reason I'll never comprehend, Victoria thinks something over you which means to hurt you will mean hurting her and that I won't allow to happen."
The Captain shoved the blonde roughly back onto the couch and loomed over him like Death himself.
"I have no time for Huoras like you, or should I say Puttana?" Demetra's words were sharp and cold as a bladed knife and cut the blonde just as deeply. "You know what that means don't you?"
Enrique cringed again and tears prickled the corners of his eyes, once more feeling the girl's words wound him deeply. He had no idea what Huoras meant but he knew the second one and judging by Demetra's suggestive tone, he guessed the first meant the same thing.
Whore.
They were certainly punishing him for what he'd done. The blonde didn't want to think what would have happened had he actually been dating Victoria...
"I'm sorry." Enrique choked. "I swear, I never meant to hurt anyone... I meant what I said, I really do care about Victoria, I swear... I've never felt that way about anyone before..."
His baby blues were glossy as he bit his lip and starred pleadingly up at the icy-eyed blader.
"You have to believe me, Demetra..." He choked in a strangled whisper.
Demetra snorted and looked down the length of her nose at the blonde.
"Your pathetic theatrics don't work on me, Huora." She seethed. "This will be the first and last time I help you and remember my words; it's not for you!"
That said, Demetra turned to Keisha, who was looking at Enrique out the corner of her eye, feeling a little guilty for him. She believed Demetra's approach was a little harsh but she also knew the reasoning. Demetra wanted to scare and scar the blonde so badly that he never so much as considered doing anything that would hurt Victoria again. If her methods succeeded then it would be worth it, no matter how harsh. In the end, the Captain was protecting the one of the only people who actually meant anything to her in life, and she was doing it the only way she knew how.
Keisha sighed and reached up to rub her hands down over her face. When she looked back at the blonde again she gave him a deep frown.
"Just how long has this party been going on for anyway?"
Enrique reached up to rub the back of his head sheepishly.
"Um... since you all left..." He muttered under his breath. Both girls gawked at him.
"The whole week?" She exclaimed in shock. "You idiot!"
Demetra growled again and she closed her eyes as a vein throbbed in her forehead.
"Get your ass up and go grab a shower!" She hissed furiously. "You smell like a cheap bar!"
Enrique blinked up at her.
"Wh-what?"
Demetra opened her icy eyes and glared down at him.
"Go get cleaned up!" She snapped at him. "We'll worry about this, you worry about trying to make yourself actually look presentable!"
Enrique blinked at her for another moment until he finally grasped the concept and a flood of relief washed over him. Jumping up from the couch, he hugged Keisha who merely stood still and turned to Demetra to do the same.
"Touch me and it'll be the last damn thing you ever do." She stated darkly, her tone making the room drop several degrees.
Enrique paled again and took a few steps away from the girls before bowing lowly.
"Thank you so much! I can never repay you! I am forever in your de-"
"GO!"
Jolting in fright, Enrique finally turned and bolted from the room.
Keisha looked around the room ans sweat-dropped.
"This is going to take a while..." She groaned.
Just then the sound of Demetra's cell going off cut through the silence. The Captain pulled the device from her jacket pocket and frowned when she read the words on her screen.
"We don't have a while." She stated bluntly. "Kage and the boys can't hold her off much longer."
Silver eyes looked around the room before frowning and releasing a deep breath.
"You take that side, I'll take this one."
"Right!" Keisha exclaimed, giving a mock salute. That said the two lit off in different directions as fast as their legs could carry them.
"What's the big deal, guys? Am I missing something? You've been trying to keep me outside for the past hour and a half! I'm bored already!"
The efforts of the three bladers went in vain as Victoria pushed her way past them into the main entrance hall.
"Just what are you guys trying to-"
There was a loud clunk as the brunette's bags suddenly dropped to the floor.
"What the-"
The three behind her cringed and braced themselves for the inevitable outburst.
"They repainted the main hall? NICE! I like it!"
Oliver, Max and Kage all exchanged looks before peering around Victoria. Relief flooded them as they noted that the house now looked as sparkly clean as always and that not a thing was out of place.
"Was this what you guys were trying to hide?" Victoria asked with a grin. The three sweat-dropped.
"Uh... yea." Max replied. Kage simply nodded.
"Of course, Cherie." Oliver added. "Glad you like it..."
Victoria grinned and turned forward again.
"It's great but not quite worth all the fuss. You guys are so weird." She then looked around. "Where's Enri, anyway?"
The three exchanged another look before turning back to watch the brunette proceed towards the room they'd last seen the blonde it. Gulping, they hastily hurried after her.
Victoria blinked in bewilderment as she noted Keisha sprawled out on the couch, looking half-dead while Demetra was sitting on the end of it with her head lolled back on the couch and eyes closed, also looking a little exhausted.
"Uh... did I miss something?" She asked, half-amused, half-confused.
"Nope..." Keisha replied with a slight pant, her eyes still closed. "Just got suddenly tired. Right Demi?"
"Yea." Demetra replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Random exhaustion..."
Behind Victoria, the others sweat-dropped again as they looked around the now perfectly tidy and sparkly room.
"I see." Victoria replied, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Where's Enri?"
"Right here."
The brunette turned around to see said blonde now standing before her with a bright smile, looking just as sparkly clean as the room and simply glowing radiantly. With a wide smile of her own, Victoria stepped forward and closed her eyes as she hugged the European tightly.
"I missed you." She whispered so only he would hear.
Enrique's arms pulled her closer and he leaned his head down to press a sweet kiss to the top of her head.
"I missed you too..." He mumbled softly. "So much..."
Behind the two, Max tilted his head to the side slightly as he observed them.
"Are they always like this?" He whispered to Oliver curiously. Oliver produced a lop-sided smile.
"Oui... lately they are." He replied softly. "It's like they're already together isn't it?"
Max watched the two.
"Um... kinda, yea."
Victoria lifted her head from Enrique's chest to look up at him. She opened her mouth to say something when an object behind the blonde caught her eye. Aquamarine orbs narrowed on the obnoxiously pink bra draped over a huge elephant-ear plant and she pulled away from the blonde with a small glare.
Keisha, noting the bra herself, smacked her forehead, that side of the room having been her job. Demetra's expression darkened while behind the pair, Max cringed, Oliver swallowed hard and Kage closed her eyes and frowned regretfully.
Frowning in confusion, Enrique looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened as his gaze fell on the object that had captured Victoria's attention. Looking back to her he could practically see the fire in her eyes and his stomach knotted sickeningly as he waited for her to explode.
"Enri, how did studying go?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"Great!" The blonde answered a little too quickly. "I'll ace that exam for sure!"
"Good." The brunette replied simply. "You won't mind me asking you a few questions then."
Enrique swallowed hard and the others all watched him carefully, each of them figuratively on the edge of their seats.
"Of course.." The blonde replied a little shakily. "Ask away, bella..."
"What's the Capital of Japan?"
Enrique blinked at her.
"Uhmmm..."
Behind the brunette, the blonde caught sight of a certain redhead furiously waving at him and mouthing one word over and over. When finally he caught what she was trying to say he looked back at Victoria and smiled.
"Tokyo." He replied eventually.
Victoria narrowed her eyes at him before looking over her shoulder at her friends. Keisha was looking up at the ceiling innocently whole Demetra's eyes were closed with her usual stoic expression on her face. Turning back to the blonde again, she nodded.
"Right. And what was Tokyo formerly known as many years ago?"
Enrique swallowed again and this time caught sight of Demetra holding up three fingers, her eyes still closed.
"That's right! It's a three letter word... and starts with...E... Eni... Edi... Eri...Oh, I know!"
"Edo!" The blonde said confidently.
This time Victoria frowned and turned him around so his back was now to the two girls on the couch.
"Good." She replied a little more irritably this time. "What Hemisphere is Japan located in?"
The movement of Kage poking a finger upwards in the air caught Enrique's attention this time and his answer was so immediate that Victoria didn't even notice he'd had help.
"Northern."
"When was Japan discovered?" Victoria continued without missing a beat.
Oliver's fingers were already busy forming four numbers over and over on his hands when Enrique looked behind the brunette for advice again.
"1789." The blonde replied as hurriedly as he could, determined not to let Victoria be suspicious to his cheating again.
"Who is the current Emperor of Japan?"
It was impossible to miss the gigantic sign Max suddenly pulled out of nowhere and Enrique blinked only once in bewilderment before quickly reading the sign and once more answering the question.
"His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor Akihito."
Victoria grabbed Enrique's face in both of her hands now, forcing him to look at her and only her so as to make sure he couldn't cheat when she asked him the final question.
"There were once beautiful Japanese women trained in the art of entertaining men with conversation, song and dance. What are they called, Enrique?"
The rest of the occupants of the room all held their breaths, fearful for the blonde and his lack of knowledge. But despite their fears, Enrique smiled as he starred into Victoria's entrancing aquamarine eyes. Though her skin wasn't porcelain like theirs and her face wasn't painted in their fashion, her beauty in his eyes matched the many stories and pictures he'd seen, somehow reminding him of those beautiful Japanese women all the same. He didn't need the other's this time; this time he knew the answer.
"Gaisha." The blonde replied in a soft whisper. "They're called Gaisha..."
Victoria blinked at him for a moment and starred up into his captivating baby-blues for a long time, her heart racing a mile a minute. The way he looked at her when he said that word - surely he couldn't be comparing her to those beautiful woman, there was no way that's what he was thinking. Pretty as she knew she was, her appearance dulled considerably in comparison to the Gaisha of legend...
Eventually the brunette released the blonde's face, her eyes still locked on his.
"Right..." She whispered, barely audible.
After a long time, Victoria finally smiled at the blonde, forgetting all about the bra as she brushed it from her mind, convincing herself that it had been left there from a long time ago.
"I'm so proud of you, Enri!" She said happily, reaching out to hug him again. "You did great, and I know you'll do well on the exam! This deserves a treat, and next time you'll be able to come with us."
Enrique returned her smile at first and hugged her back again, but the smile dropped into a guilty frown when she placed her head on his chest and closed her eyes. The blonde looked around the room at the people there-in, the guilt increasing at the deep frowns that creased all of their faces.
"It's... not necessary..." The blonde whispered. "You were right, I should have studied a long time ago..."
Victoria pulled away and beamed up at him.
"Of course it's necessary, Enri!" She said encouragingly. "You deserve it!"
The brunette the turned to address the room in general.
"Doesn't he guys?"
Everyone, except Demetra, forced convincing smiles and agreed what appeared to be enthusiastically. Due to Demetra's nature, this didn't phase Victoria in the slightest and she smiled happily at her friends before turning back to the blonde.
"There, ya see! So, I vote we all go out tonight and celebrate Enri turning over a new leaf! Be back in a few!"
That said Victoria turned and happily left the room in direction of her bedroom.
When the brunette was well out of ear-shot, everyone's smiles dropped and they all turned back to Enrique with deep frowns and dark expressions. Getting up from the couch to follow her teammate, Keisha gave the blonde a small glare on her way past him.
"You owe us big." She stated angrily. Then she was gone.
Max frowned as he starred at the other blonde.
"I dunno how that brain of yours functions, Enrique." He said, sounding greatly disappointed. "Don't you have a conscience?"
That said the blonde turned as well and left the room.
"No second chances." Demetra hissed dangerously as she passed the blonde to make her own exit. Kage gave the blonde a deep frown and lifted her chin in the air slightly before turning to follow her Captain out of the room.
The only ones remaining in the room now were Enrique and Oliver, and the blonde felt his stomach twist sickeningly as he noted the deeply disappointed and slightly pained expression on the greenette's face.
"Not you too..." The blonde almost whined.
"Yes, me to, Enrique!" Oliver scolded, his tone a little harsh. "How could you? That poor girl deserves better! After all she put on the line for you, all she's been through and as far as she's come both physically and mentally; you should be ashamed of yourself!"
Oliver took a few deep, calming breaths, his eyes not leaving Enrique's before continuing again.
"She's not like the other girls, Enrique. I thought you'd realized that by now. If you drive her away, you're never going to find another like her, and that's exactly what you're going to do if you don't make up your mind and treat her better!"
Oliver's frowned deepened then.
"This is you last chance, Enrique. Make up your mind. Decide right now, before you leave this room, what it is exactly that you want. Prove me wrong; prove to me that you deserve her."
That said, the greenette turned to walk away. Before leaving the room however, he paused in his step for one last comment, not looking at the blonde as he spoke again.
"I backed off for you... don't make me regret it."
Enrique's heart finally shattered then and the rebel tears he'd been too proud to cry earlier finally spilled down his cheeks as he dropped to his knees and hung his head. Never in his life could he remember ever feeling so low and horrible.
"I'm sorry..." He choked aloud, unable to wrap his head around the multitude of people he owed it to. "I'm so sorry... I know what I want... I've never wanted something so badly in my entire life... I know I don't deserve her but I'll do whatever it takes to change that. I swear this is the end; from now on it'll be different... I love you so much Victoria..."
