I don't know why but I was trying to upload this chapter a few days ago and was always having an error. Bwahahaha...
Important Announcement:
Rose Velvet will be my beta for this story. So expect that things would be better narrated with her help. But for now this has not undergone Rose Velvet's keen eyes.
Yoichi: Façade-chan does not own Gakuen Alice… Why do I have to say this always? pouts
Façade: For you're so cute when you do that!!!! glomps on Yoichi
Yoichi: I hate you, you hag!!!!
oO
Chapter 10: Curiosity Can Kill the Cat
By: facadephazzad
Oo
Drained… That was what Ruka was feeling as he was driving on his way home, the lights from the other vehicles and the buildings reflected by the glass shields casting shadows on his frowning face.
The blond bachelor had had so much things happening in just one day. All gave considerable blows to his image, his reputation and his ego.
He shook his head as images of the recent events started coming, not daring to recall what happened as he knew that one step back in recalling it could send him to a car accident. He was not that careless.
As he neared the curb that would lead him to the entrance of a suburban village, a pang of anxiety began attacking him knowing all too well who he would see. His gut constricted as he felt the acids move inside the muscles all due to his uneasiness.
Maneuvering his sports car, Ruka's frown deepened seeing a pile of Gakuen Alice's Special Forces lined just a few meters away from the regal gate.
How did he know they were alices? Simple, aside from their all-black suits, they wore masks of different animal faces, sported round and thin bracelets and some even have several earrings. Such things were known as Alice limiters.
The feeling would've been creepy if Ruka didn't know them. Their eyes couldn't be seen but the power of their stares and the strength their posture emanated was unnerving.
Pulling his car to a halt, one of the Special Forces stepped up as he dragged down his window. The person automatically recognized him as it gave a curtsied nod.
"Why are you - - - Whoa!" Ruka saw the group move in an instantaneous motion, surrounding his vehicle from all sides, the passenger door opened and a young man with deep aquatic hair sat beside him.
"What the heck!"
The chap, looking straight outside spoke. "We were tasked to prevent the media in squabbling you Nogi-sama."
Eyeing the group, Ruka could surmise that there were more forces surrounding them, but lurking in the dark. "What's your name?"
"Wind claws. We will be staying here until tomorrow."
Ruka smirked; the young man was well trained to give only his code name and speak straight. He concluded that most of the guards were ranging from 13-17 years of age.
His eyes dimmed remembering Natsume's life and the experience of other dangerous ability types. Although there were some changes, the Special Forces were still having rigorous training.
"You guys could go home now, it seems like the media wasn't interested to come all the way here anyway."
Wind Claws gave a regretful shook of his head. "That is not true Nogi-sama. The second we came here throngs of paparazzi were all over the place."
He then handed him a hologram gadget that pictured an afternoon swarming with media men right in front of the subdivision. It was a standard operating procedure for them to acquire a vision of the place during reconnaissance.
"However they were not able to come in further for we drove them away and we are now securing both land and air of this whole vicinity."
"Was someone hurt?"
"None sir. We have strict orders not to hurt anyone. One of my colleagues has an alice of sleep and then we teleported them to their respective stations. We will be here to secure that no one will continue to persist."
Ruka nodded. "Is that so… But forget the orders, go home." He then signaled that he would start his car, the young man shifted his foot but did not budge away. "Do you have anything else to say?"
"Nogi-sama…"
"If you're worrying about not following orders, just tell your damn commander that I told you so."
Wind Claws stiffened a bit, perhaps in shock of hearing someone curse his senior, but shrugged it off with a shoulder.
"I forgot to say that we also took care of those who wanted you or Ms. Imai dead."
Ruka's eyebrows quirked. "Dead? What the hell are you talking about?!"
Clearing his throat with a brief cough, "They may all be unwarranted threats from your fans or from Imai-sama's admirers but there were people here awhile ago that were threatening to kill you or Ms. Imai because of the news."
His eyes narrowed into slits. "Haven't you even known of fans saying things without meaning them?"
Again a shrug of shoulder. "Most may be so, but there was one who almost dropped a bomb unto your roof from a helicopter. If it weren't for our quick response, your house would've been into pieces right now."
"Are you even bloody serious?! No one would do that."
This time Wind Claws turned his head towards Ruka. "Sir, we do not joke around our work. I am telling you what we did and what we saw."
"But no one would do something at that extent! Maybe they were media trying to take shots and - - - "
"And they dropped their camera?" He was interrupted by the now sarcastic voice of the guy. "Believe what you want to believe Nogi-sama. We will stay here until tomorrow afternoon. After that, you can take care of yourself."
Ruka's eyes darkened and slumped roughly back on his seat. Stupid, stubborn Alice Special Forces. Through the side of his eye Wind Claws gave him a kind of bow and went out of his car, signaling to the others to move out of the way.
Wind Claws watched the sports car as it entered at gated village. Pressing something in his ear…
"Current status." A voice came to be heard.
"Nogi-sama has safely entered the premises."
"Hnmmm."
"Requesting permission to speak."
The person on the other line smirked. He did not train his subordinates that hard, did he? Wind Claws was like a freaking military boy. "Go on…"
"The bombing attempt awhile ago, what should we do about it?"
A slight tapping sound was heard by Wind Claws. "The Academy already made some arrangements."
"Should we investigate the Barraulers at this point?"
"Nah… It was just a lovesick wanna-be girlfriend of Ruka who wanted to claim the poor guy for herself."
"I do not understand why a woman would do that." Wind Claws was still on the same spot even though Ruka's car has been long gone from his eyesight.
The commander on the other end sighed in exasperation. "Shinji Ibu, get out of your military fanboy shell and you'll somehow understand."
"But Rui-sama."
"This conversation ends now. I will tell this to Persona-sama and after you guys are finish report directly to Hyuuga."
"Understood." With that Ibu heard a click.
"Demo, I still cannot understand… Maybe the Barrauler heiress was psychotic… then she must be restrained… Rui-sama is wrong…"
He continued mumbling while his comrades exchanged knowing snickers while the official guards of the village were just completely freaked out.
Hotaru clutched the baseball bat beside her when she saw, through the window blinds, a flickering light. Breathing steadily, she heightened all her senses and positioned beside the front door.
The stranger outside made lightweight steps… Imai's eyes squinted, watching the doorknob turn ever so slightly.
She held her breath as the door opened and a shadow of a man came into her view, wrists flexing on the weapon at hand.
Imai saw the guy took three steps forward, "Perfect position," and then stopped. Another clench of her knuckles…
BLAG!
YEOWCH!!!
THUG!
Panting heavily, she ran her sweaty fingers on a switch causing the house to light up suddenly.
Armed still with her weapon, Hotaru steadily approached the body laid faced-down on the floor. The man was wearing black gloves and jacket, head hooded. The usual clothes thieves wore in every mission.
Making sure, a meter away beside the fallen enemy, Imai kicked it lightly. No response… Another kick… still there was no response…
She then moved beside the head, still a meter away, squatted and taking a long stick (which came literally out of nowhere), slowly lifted the hood.
First second, a pointed nose… Next second, a pile of messed up blonde hair… Imai's heart skipped a bit, having a good hunch who she just smacked out of consciousness.
"Arg… You are such an idiot."
She did not proceed on lifting the hood but rather abrasively knelt and pulled towards her lap the immobile body, the hood falling off, revealing the cross-eyed Ruka.
Imai touched his head and neck to check if she caused a wound. Feeling nothing she looked at Ruka's face. Swiping the strands of his hair that covered his face wiping at the same time some sweat forming on his forehead.
Her eyes then roamed on his eyelids adorned with long, thick lashes, his sculpted nose, his smooth, marble-like cheeks and his reddish, supple, slightly apart lips.
Lifting a finger, she placed it near the top of his mouth, not actually touching it. Ruka was breathing steadily his warm breathe covering her finger's skin.
She observed that her previously fast beating heart was now gradually being in-sync with Ruka's pace. For a minute they stayed like that. Moving away her finger, she leaned nearer unto his face. Her breathe almost reaching his.
Thoughts came to her… she was curious…
Hotaru then shook her head, clearing the fogginess inside her mind. She was having unlikely thoughts and it would do no good. But the curiosity was too powerful that it was overtaking her.
…
… Would she or would she not?
…
…She would…
She pinched Ruka's nose, not letting it go, satisfyingly smirking when she felt him shift his whole breathing through his mouth.
Intrigued, Hotaru clamped her other hand over his mouth, shivering slightly when she felt something warm meet the center of her palm and some escaping in between her fingers.
Ruka's heartbeat became ragged as his oxygen supply became scarcer. Hotaru saw when his leg shifted as if in reflex.
She then felt that instead of the outward warmth on her hand, air was sucked in and bachelor's eyes shot open, grabbing her hand out of his mouth, breathing heavily.
"Ho-hotaru?" Ruka noticed that she was just staring over him. Shifting his head, he saw her shirt.
Imai added pressure on her hands on Ruka. "Stay still…" She said when he tried to get up.
"Demo…" He was well aware of their position and it brings back old memories, way back, under the willow tree… He shut his eyes and breathed… "Am I dreaming again or what?"
Hotaru slightly bit her lip. "Ruka, daijobu?"
A smile crept along his face when the phrase reached his ears. "If I am actually dreaming, let it pause at this moment forever…"
"Ruka…"
He felt euphoric, snuggling his head closer to Hotaru's stomach, feeling her warmth, the gentle breeze allowed by the willow tree to come in, and the soft hand caressing his cheek …
"Ruka!" Imai tried tapping his face slightly. Thinking that he might've dozed off again…
PAK!
The slap made Ruka's body jerk.
"What the!!!" His hand on his quite numb face. "Imai?!"
"Baka don't sleep." Hotaru then comfortably positioned his head on her lap.
"Huh?" The images of the willow's leaves protecting them were replaced with a wooden ceiling, the comfortable grass they were on was actually the carpet, Hotaru was not wearing the Alice uniform but a wool shirt.
Imai noticed Ruka's face become emotionless, his eyes lacking color as he heaved out a heavy sigh.
"Why are you being so nice?"
She didn't bother answering. Ruka shook his head and smiled bitterly…
"Maids don't actually do this you know. They usually panic and they DON'T hit their employers." He shot her a glare emphasizing his sarcasm.
Her nonchalant eyes bore into him. So he already guessed about it. Oh well, it's not like he's that stupid…
"I am not a regular employee."
He grunted before trying to get up again but Hotaru tightened her grip on his waist preventing his elbows to completely stretch upward. "Stop being a stubborn asshole and stay still."
Ruka looked at her indignantly thinking that he being called an asshole was becoming a trend, while Hotaru stared back icily.
"Fine!" Ruka pouted in defeat and gingerly rested his head back on her lap. He was feeling a little dizzy anyway and seeing that Hotaru was having her rare moments of kindness, who was he not to take the almost non-existent opportunity?
A pregnant 5 minutes passed without any word passing between them. Hotaru just kept her position of Ruka on her lap, looking outside the window.
He, on the other hand, was trying his best to keep his breathing calm and avoiding any eye contact with the woman near him.
It was hard as thoughts of his "realization" about his feelings were pestering him, coaxing him that it was a romantic setting and the most opportune moment to do the "moves".
"Now, now, what a lovely sight."
Both flinched and turned their heads to where the voice came.
"I-imai S-subaru!" He suddenly jerked out and went into a sitting position.
The stoic, fine-looking man nodded, though his gaze was transfixed on the spot where Ruka's head was previously on. "Evening Nogi, Hotaru."
"You're late." Hotaru said while Subaru just shrugged and asked Ruka if he could walk and sit on a couch.
"I have my car with me and I don't know what button to push in your Teleportation Machine in order to bring it with me." Subaru said not bothering to look at his sister.
Though still confused and unsettled with the guy's presence Ruka complied. But then he surmised that Hotaru might've called her brother to see if he was okay. Even her wanting to stay on a lying position fitted in. Maybe she had done it when he was asleep.
Activating his alice, Subaru checked for injuries the younger man might've suffered.
During the check-up, "Nothing happening huh?", the alice doctor hissed under his breath, meaning only for Ruka to hear.
Ruka gulped, "Err..."
"Don't get malice into your mind doctor." Hotaru said who apparently heard what Subaru said.
The older brother raised his eyebrows, his face having the message, 'I-know-what-I-saw'. But she just gave him a smirk that Ruka interpreted to mean as 'Do-not-act-like-an-overprotective-brother."
The two had a couple or more of these glares when Subaru straightened his posture implying that he was leaving.
"I found no injury. No concussions or brain damage whatsoever, a pity though."
He gave out a playful chuckle even though Nogi wanted to somehow punch him for his insolence and conceitedness in his home. Hotaru just stared at him.
Giving another nod and a meaningful glare to Ruka, he kissed his sister on the cheek and went out.
Subaru on his way to his car couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. As someone part of their past, he was neither fully consenting nor comfortable with the situation.
Starting the engine, he took one last look at the house. He knew that he, being Hotaru's brother, does not even have the right to even meddle with such kind of troublesome business…
"Tsk… tough love… never too easy…" Subaru said and stirred himself away, bidding a sarcastic good luck but still a hopeful one.
Author's Announcement:
Again, this chapter was a part of the original chapter 10. I decided to cut it in half because I noticed that I was having 20 pages, in the original, and it was not finished yet (i.e. Verdana, size font 9, mind you).
Also, I might delete all the previous chapters and re-upload the beta-ed ones in the near future. So don't be shock if you'll see one day that instead of 10 chapters it would only contain 2. But don't worry, uploading would be done simultaneously once all the previous chaps were edited.
I'll also note when there were things added or deleted in a beta-ed chapter that would affect the succeeding scenes in the story.
Lastly, I have a job starting next week, so updates would be slower than the usual. I'd be under training and a lot of traveling within my country since I'm hired into a shipping/marine line company.
Thank you to those who gave me reviews.
jenica, jayne31 (i really had a good laugh with your review, but i love you for your effort ), rose velvet (whew that must be exhausting reviewing each chapters hehehe but i also appreciate it thank you so much), bloody kyoko, kawayan, spring emerald, snowcharms, ai-chan13, wizdomgoddess, monsterlife, juz-dream
and to all those who read my fic, hehe at least you spent some of your precious time reading it hehehehe... but i will be really grateful if you guys at least give some comments or suggestions that will make this fic better or just for me to hear your opinions hehehehe...