"Reika? You cut your hair!"
Said female blinked up at the perpetrator, peering at the female from under her chocolate ice-cream cone. She tilted her head and a slow grin tugged at her lips, two rows of straight teeth revealed.
"Mimiko!" She exclaimed, surprised that she was able to see the older woman so suddenly. Without warning, the 26-year-old reached her hand and ruffled Reika's brown hair, which was now cut to ear-length and scruffy, as a result of her naturally wavy hair.
"Now you really look like a boy!" Reika blanched, her happy expression falling and replaced by a glare.
"Gee, thanks." Obvious sarcasm dripping from her flat tone.
The darker brunette chuckled and plopped beside her, poking Reika's cheek playfully. "I'm just kiddin'. It looks cute.. in a fluffy puppy kind of way.."
"That's worse." She groaned, her content mood now ruined. She licked at her melting ice-cream, a pout on her lips from Mimiko's jabs. "..Whatever." She eventually said. "Shizuo said he liked it."
"He was lying." Reika spluttered, nearly choking a bit on her cone. Before she could whorl on the older female and glare, Mimiko shrugged. "I mean, how's he gonna grab you by the locks if it's too short? That's not very fun when having sex.."
Now she was just choking on her own spit, gaping at the brunette ghastly. Her face flushed a cherry red and she pointed at her horrendously. "You're perverted!"
Mimiko grinned at her innocently. "My, my, you're not a virgin are you?"
Far from it, a tiny voice whispered at the back of her head.
"That's non of your business." She huffed, growing irritable of the perverted woman.
"So you are?" She chuckled.
"No!" Reika exclaimed. Realizing she had gave herself away, she flushed, a scowl plastered as she lapped her ice-cream. She wisely decided not to say anything else on the matter. Mimiko laughed softly, and looked off in the distance, a small smile stretching her face. Reika glanced at her through the corner of her eyes and huffed.
"What got you so happy?" She asked, trying to seem disinterested, but utterly failing.
"Oh nothin'," She said with a mysterious glint in her eyes. "It's not something you would particularly understand, little girl."
Reika narrowed her eyes at the blue-eyed female. "I'm not a child, you know!"
Mimiko snickered and grinned delightfully at the other's annoyance. "Hm. Who knows about that!" She ignored Reika's glare and they eventually fell into a comfortable silence. Reika exhaled a deep sigh and Mimiko found herself smiling at nothing once again.
"So I see you've made your decision." The younger female looked a little confused and blinked. Mimiko sighed, and reluctantly clarified bluntly. "You and Shizuo?"
"Oh." She looked sheepish for a moment. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "..I guess I did."
"Are you happy then?" Mimiko side-glanced at her.
"Huh?"
"Are you happy with your decision." She stated.
Reika flushed, the tips of her ears reddening despite the warm weather. "Oh.. Um, well.. I guess so. I feel content." She murmured. She blinked and a nervous sweat started to trickle down her temple. "I-I mean! I know I'll be happy in the future!" She paused. "Yes. I'm happy with Shizuo."
Mimiko stared at her, an unreadable expression flitted for a split second. Her gaze was calculating, and Reika suddenly felt jittery. Fidgeting under her intense gaze, she was thankful when the other started to speak. Her relief was short-lived.
"You may be happy with Shizuo, but are you happy being with Shizuo?"
She blinked, feeling her heart rate speed up a beat. "W-what's.. the difference?" She mumbled.
Mimiko suddenly rolled her eyes, reverting her happy attitude to one of boredom. "There's a difference, little girl." She started. "There's a big difference." She paused, thinking over her words carefully. "It's like if you like me as a person, but can you see your entire life spending it with me?" She snapped her fingers. "In other words, do you love him, or are you in love with him?"
Reika blinked. "Well.." She paused. "Uhm, well.." She bit her lip. "It's not that I don't feel something, I'm just not sure if I feel it."
"You're not in love." She said bluntly, expecting her nails.
Reika blinked again, this time in shock. She quickly turned to the defensive. "Hey! I said I'm not sure! We've known each other for a year, but it was just recently that we've started dating!"
"How long have you guys been dating?" Mimiko looked overall disinterested as she glanced at the flustered woman.
"A-almost t-two months.." She said, her voice shaking with bubbling nervousness.
"How long had you and Izaya dated?"
"...Around two months.." She muttered. Realization dawned on her. "Hey, don't compare Izaya's and my relationship with Shizuo's!"
Mimiko shrugged. "The point is that you knew with Izaya."
Reika glared fiercely. "That point isn't valid. He faked it the whole way through."
"But you didn't."
She froze, feeling her face heat up. "T-that chapter ended Mimiko!" Her voice sounded slightly shrill, though mostly angry.
Mimiko smirked. "Maybe so," She started. "But there's always a sequel."
"Well, this sequel does not particularly include Izaya!"
"How is there going to be a sequel without a main character?" She asked innocently.
"I-It's not about him!" She flushed.
"Ah c'mon, Reika," She rolled her eyes. "It's always about him and you know it."
Her teeth clenched. "When I fell for Izaya, I fell for the person he pretended to be."
Mimiko paused, before sighing. "Then why were you so hurt, and for so long?"
"B-because!" She glared. "Wouldn't you?"
"Most indefinitely." She smiled. "But I would've got over it and moved on with my life. That chapter would've been burned to ashes, making sure I would never re-read it. I wouldn't have dueled on it, because the truth is as soon as he had broken up with you, the person he pretended to be died. He was gone, and replaced with a stranger. Yeah, sure, you were angry and bitter at first, but you would have gotten over it. You would've treated him like a stranger." She looked directly into Reika's eyes. "You cannot be as stupid to believe that he was an absolute angel when you dated him. You told me yourself, he never spoke of himself, he had countless enemies, and Shizuo had mentioned that almost every bad thing that happens in 'Bukuro is because of him. He wasn't an angel, and although subconscious, you knew that there was a darker side to him, didn't you?"
Reika stared at Mimiko, though before she could form a proper response, she continued. "The point I'm trying to make is that even after he broke up with you, you were still in love. You keep telling yourself that you were in love with the person he pretended to be, but the bitter, ugly truth was that you were heart broken from the breakup. 'I hate him because he tricked me', was your reasoning right? You probably reminded yourself that repeatedly so you wouldn't forgive him."
She felt speechless, humiliated, embarrassed, and a weird sense of invasion but mostly, thoroughly, she felt pissed. The most pissed she's felt in a long while. "Don't put words into my mouth!" She stood on her feet, dropping her ice-cream onto the cement floor unintentionally, but it went unnoticed. She whorled around and glared at the relaxing female. How can she be so calm, when she felt like murdering her at the moment?! "I.. I love Shizuo! There! I said it!"
"But did you mean it?" There was an amused twinkle in her eyes that just infuriated Reika even more. "If so, why did you hesitate?"
Reika glared angrily. Mimiko continued relentlessly. "You're really not angry at me, are you?" She lightly chuckled. "Have you ever guessed that it's alright if you don't love him in that sense? Your not betraying anyone... well except yourself. Maybe your the type of woman who doesn't marry for love. My mother was the same." She shrugged.
"I'm not listening to this!" Reika finally huffed. She turned on her heel and stalked off in the other direction. She heard an audible sigh, and a quiet mutter she wished she didn't hear.
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself."
"Oi, you okay?"
"...Yeah," She murmured, suddenly snapped out of her little trance. She leaned her head against his shoulder, slumping her weight against his body. He threw an arm around her shoulders and looked down at her, a small sigh escaping his lips before they tugged upwards. She looked back up and kissed the corner of his chin. He blinked, a tiny flush creeping up his face. She smiled and pulled her gaze back to the screen in front of them. "Why wouldn't I be?" She said quietly.
He stared at her for a moment before reaching his hand to her face and pulling it to his. He lowered his head and closed the distance, placing a slow, warm kiss to her lips which she quickly returned. Too soon for his liking, she pulled away and stared into his eyes unerringly. "What do you feel for me?" She asked, the question rushed and shaky.
He blinked, confused of the abrupt question. He stared at her for a little longer before clearing his throat. "What brought this up?" He countered. From the two past months of dating, they never really discussed their feelings, and they were both ultimately satisfied with it. She fidgeted for a moment, her gaze snapping to her lap. "Nothing really," She lied quietly. "I'm just curious." He stared at her for a moment longer before a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He kissed her again, surprising her. She felt the his tongue lick the seam of her lips, and she parted them so he may slip in. As she let him dominate her mouth, an arm wrapped around her waist while the other held her face in place. Growing suddenly eager for his physical attention, she scooted closer to his body, one hand slipping under the hem of his shirt, tracing his sculpted muscles underneath. He wasted no time on removing his shirt, lifting the bothersome material over his head. He hovered over her, coaxing her to lay down with the persuasion of his hands. With his powerful body towering over her, a thought came to her mind.
She hadn't had sex on a couch since she sought comfort from Izaya, two months ago. Coincidentally, she had imagined Shizuo over her, doing the same. And now, two months later, it was a reality. She had gotten what she had secretly wanted. She wanted this. She wanted Shizuo. That was the only explanation for it. And now she had him. Though in the process, she had lost another.
Of course, indulged in the presence of Shizuo, all thoughts of Izaya Orihara had nearly flew out the window. Nearly. She still caught herself musing over the past and reminded herself that all contact with the informant had been cut off for a reason. That even though he made her happy, he also made her sad. Shizuo never made Reika sad!
But did he make her happy?
She paused, thinking it over.
They had chemistry, and conversation between the two happened easily. She had butterflies when he kissed her, and she always smiled around him. She was attracted to him, more so than she had originally thought. He treated her right. He cared for her right. And he kissed her right. He always let her initiate the physical attributes to their relationship, and he never forced a kiss on her, save for when she asked him to be her boyfriend.
It took her a moment to realize he was calling her name.
"-eika?"
She blinked, her eyes focusing on his face. He seemed.. disappointed. He sighed and got off of her. "You spaced out again." He muttered. She blinked again. Was he talking to her to whole time of her musing? She gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of her head. He reached into his pocket and fished out a cigarette, along with a lighter. He lit it and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at her and took a drag from his cigg. "What's on your mind?" He asked. She jolted, surprise flitted on her expression. She gave him a smile, convincing enough. "Nothing really." She said. "I just feel a little out of it today. I think I got something from one of the patient's today."
The job Izaya had practically got for her.
Shizuo didn't know of that. Surprisingly enough, despite being her boyfriend, he still knew next to nothing about her. After she told him to ask her whatever he wanted to know, he asked for her phone number and other simple questions. She also knew next to nothing about him too. That thought didn't bother her as much as she would have liked. Especially when that thought had plagued her mind and made her obsess over the matter when she had dated a certain informant. Still, their relationship was more stable, comfortable, and more easy going than Izaya's and hers. Shizuo wasn't the jealous type and never made her feel monopolized. He was easily irritable, but she found that trait endearing. She found a lot of stuff endearing about Shizuo. He was easily lovable when one got past his rages.
Lovable.
Yes, she loved him. She really, really loved him.
But she wasn't in love with him.
"..-okay? Oi, you listening?"
"H-huh?" Dammit she zoned out again. He sighed, and she just realized that he finished his cigarette.
"I said don't over work yourself." He muttered. She nodded, a small smile on her lips. That was the thing. He cared about her, he warned her, he scolded her, but he never acted on this rather than just say. Especially in public. At that thought, her smile lessened a bit.
She wouldn't exactly mind getting monopolized.
She wouldn't mind a little jealousy.
She wouldn't mind if he let her take care of him a little from time to time, especially when he got a cold or something.
She wouldn't mind it one bit.
But she wouldn't exchange it for tricks, lying and twisted mind games.
A large, calloused hand ran through her hair and ruffled it a bit. Even this lost a little of it's comfort, but she still smiled. She reminded that he was just naturally like this. He was normal, and she needed a little normalcy in her life.
But isn't normalcy why she had left Matsuyama?
She looked down, thinking it over. She wouldn't tired of Shizuo, would she? She would eventually fall in love with him and live a life full of happiness and contentment, right?
.
The trip had not been as liberating as she had thought it would be. It did not satisfy her as she thought it would. Nor was it the answer to her questions. As soon as she had arrived in the country side of Matsuyama, she had been reminded in the first place of why she had left there. The people were great. Her family was loving. Tourist had always came by for it's famous Onsen's. Though as soon as you got past all of that, Reika found herself greatly bored of the same routine. That's why she left. She wanted something a little more exciting, which her solution was the city.
.
She let out a quaky breath.
She couldn't help it, but she found herself comparing, and she hated herself for it. It was almost like Shizuo symbolized Matsuyama, whereas he was warm, loving, and familiar, while Izaya resembled Ikebukuro, dangerous, exciting, and interesting. Though the question still stood. In the end, would she leave Shizuo? The stable, healthy, only good thing that was really going on in her life at the moment. But if she left, she wouldn't run to Izaya. No. It was not right, for the both of them. Not to mention that two months had rolled on by and she had not once seen his face since she had gotten her closure. She was sure he had his own as well.
Wait.
Why was she even considering this?
These were senseless, stupid, selfish thoughts that had sprouted from her conversation with Mimiko earlier on. Blast that infuriating woman! Here she was, thoughtfully considering her lunatic, unwanted, advice and annoying, as well as confusing, Shizuo with her distant behavior. She could have been having sex at the moment, but there she sat, pondering useless thoughts! Of course she loved Shizuo! She wasn't going to leave him! Not for the world, and definitely not for Izaya! He was absolutely perfect for her! He never pressured her, forced her, made her feel useless, or tricked her! He was impatient at times, but he was honest! And she honestly needed someone like him in her life! It was as simple as that. And that was the thing, her relationship was simple and easygoing, not at all like the confusing and complicated thing she and Izaya had be forming. Even though she could have been having sex with the man she loved, she strangely didn't feel as aroused as she had been minutes before. In fact, she just felt tired, and just overall out of it, including the 'mood'.
Strange, she thought.
She smiled up at him, forcing it a bit, and leaned up to peck his cheek. He blinked at her and she let out a tiny sigh. "I'm a little tired." She said. "I think I'll go home, alright?"
"I thought you were sleeping over here?" He asked, confused at the sudden turn of events.
"Yeah," She grinned, cursing at how forced it felt. "But I think I'll jump you if I do."
"..." He stared her, an undecipherable expression tugging at his face. Eventually, a flush crept up his cheeks. "What's the problem with that?"
"I'm tired, remember?" She smiled at his embarrassment. He sighed, and a frown tugged at her lips when he closed his eyes.
She couldn't help but want him to stop her and claim her lips, just like the first time he ever did nearly two months ago. What happened to the overprotective Shizuo that didn't even want Izaya to look at her? That demanded questions from her and yell at her when she didn't answer them? The one that went through all the trouble of riding on a four hour train to get to her home town with his enemy, and had gotten so upset over her not telling him anything? The one that glared at her and pestered her to get answers from her the night she had to go to the hospital and get her stomach pumped?
"Alright," He muttered, her frown deepened.
It was like she only liked the thrill of being chased. Was she that shallow?
"Reika?" He asked. She blinked and masked her discomfort with a smile. "It's nothing." He stared at her a moment longer. He sighed once again and got up. He offered a hand to her and she slipped her palm in his. He suddenly pulled her up forcibly, his arms wrapping around her body, drawing her close.
"You can tell me anything." He murmured into her hair. She buried her face into his exposed chest, gradually feeling like crying. How could she give this warmth up? She was such an idiot for considering such thoughts. She let out a shuddering breath, sniffling a bit.
"Shizuo?"
"Hm," He grunted.
"I love you, okay?" She whispered.
.
"But did you mean it?" There was an amused twinkle in her eyes that just infuriated Reika even more. "If so, why did you hesitate?"
.
A/n: Ehehe late April fools! This story is not ending anytime soon.
Sorry for the long wait. I don't usually take this long to update, but my internet was cut off for the last week of March, then I got lazy. Ugh shitty excuse, but it's true (unfortunately). This is not really that much of a April fools prank as it is just that I lost inspiration and thought of ending it early, theeeeeeeeen BAM! Inspiration is back, with an attack! (wut) Anyways, yes, that was loserish thing of me to do, but without further ado, this is not the last chapter!
Please review?
