Chapter Eight

After a very long silence in the library and an even longer one on the walk home, Sanageyama became very concerned that he'd done something wrong. Maya hardly even glanced at him as she dropped her backpack on the table before spinning towards the bathroom, locking the door behind her with a click. His sensitive ears strained to hear what was happening but it was useless; everything was drowned out by the sound of running water. Grumbling in exasperation, the kendo captain unceremoniously flopped himself down on the nearest chair before groaning loudly. His head hit the sturdy table with a thump.

What a mess.

Jaw clenching, Sanageyama felt the powerful urge to break something just to relieve some of the tension mounting in his body. He refrained out of respect for Maya. And because I can't seem to fucking control Shingantsu right now. His perception was currently spinning and lurching in so many directions that it made him nauseous. Gripping the edge of the table with white knuckles and keeping his forehead planted against the wooden surface, Uzu swallowed a collection of bile rising in his throat. This was utter misery. He was almost to the point of begging Maya to speak; to say something, anything. Even a string of violent curses would be better than this.

A pissed off Maya was something Sanageyama had experience dealing with but this cold silence was a million times worse. It left his mind on the brink of sheer insanity. She was his anchor; a rock in his sea of blindness. And the thought of never hearing her voice again was downright terrifying.

Sanageyama knew he was being overly dramatic. It was only one kiss. Maya was going to forgive him after he apologized and promised to never do it again. However, therein laid the problem: I'm not sorry. Uzu felt a pleasant thrill flit up his spine as he reflected on the kiss they shared. It was fast becoming his new favorite memory. And I can't promise not to do it again.

Relief was instantaneous as the bathroom door swung closed, blocking Maya from the piercing gaze of Shingantsu. She immediately spun the faucet wide open, letting water pour into the sink as she slowly slid to the ground, burying her face into her hands. A dry sob ripped from her throat. This mission was not progressing like she'd planned. It was supposed to be cut and dry; fuck over the bad guys and then get the fuck out. Easy.

I'm not a bad guy.

Maya hissed quietly through clenched teeth at the memory of Sanageyama lounging across her lap. This was all his fault. Cursing silently, she flung her head back into the porcelain sink with a painful clunk and stared murderously at the door leading out of the bathroom. Hatred was a far easier emotion to deal with than whatever this was. She needed Sanageyama to be cruel and heartless and a bastard but instead-

She shook her head furiously. It wasn't fair.

Curling into a ball, Maya rested her forehead against her knees and shivered silently. Sanageyama had saved her life twice now and had displayed startling devotion when he swooped down for the impromptu kiss. It was a powerful statement; one that he did not need to make. Which means he wanted too. That realization was the main issue here. Kissing her was not the problem. Kissing her in front of the entire elite student body of Honnouji Academy was the problem. If he had cornered her in the library or got handsy on the trolley it would be different. That would simply be Sanageyama being an ass. But this…

And god, the way it made her feel when his fingers delved into her hair and coiled around her neck; his thumb tracing up her cheek as his warm lips sealed expertly over her own. The contact took her breath away. And it made me- Maya shuddered at the memory. She could still hear the soft moan as it escaped her lips. Screwing her eyes shut, she prayed desperately that no one else was close enough to hear it. It began and ended much too suddenly, leaving her thoroughly confused and more than a little flustered. Her heart was still pounding several hours later.

Why? Why do I want to kiss him again? What did I do to deserve this?! The job was supposed to be simple and yet here she was, getting familiar and, dare she say it, affectionate with the enemy. Of course, logically all of this could be turned to their advantage. If Sanageyama actually cared for her on an intimate level, it would make accessing Satsuki that much easier.

But I'm not supposed to actually want to be with him! And why would I want to?! He's stupid and selfish and obstinate and-

Good-looking, protective, endearing, sometimes adorable… a separate area of her brain offered. Hissing audibly, Maya leaped to her feet and threw the bathroom door open with a thunderous crash before storming out into the apartment again. Sanageyama looked surprised and jumped to his feet just as she grabbed the collar of his jacket.

With both hands gripping him tightly, she demanded, "What the hell, Sanageyama? Why did you kiss me?!" Her anger might have sounded convincing if not for the very audible quiver in her voice. Her shoulders shook with unspoken emotion and tears threatened to spill down each cheek. Maya looked furious, confused, vulnerable and everything else in between as she stared up at him.

Sanageyama felt dumbfounded. He honestly had been planning to lie; to blame it all on ego and then make some sexually inappropriate joke that he was sure she would not approve of. However, looking at her now with Shingantsu, he felt like his heart was being squeezed. Words eluded him. All he could do was watch as a singular tear made its way down her pale cheek. She brushed it away angrily. "I told you not to play with me."

"I'm not," he replied automatically, surprised that his voice was even functional.

"You are," she accused while gripping his collar tightly and giving it a shake. "You promised NO inappropriate contact and then you kiss me in front of the entire school!"

"I would hardly consider a singular kiss as inappropriate contact-"

"Sanageyama-"

"And it wasn't in front of the entire school…" Just everyone who matters.

"That is not the point, Sanageyama!" Maya bellowed, releasing his jacket with a violent jerk before spinning to pace around the small apartment. Shingantsu tracked her progress while his own feet remained planted. He expected her anger; granted it was a little more explosive than he anticipated. However, the hurt and confusion darkening her normally light, melodious voice was disconcerting.

Deciding to tread more carefully, he tried to explain: "I wanted to make a statement."

"You threw Hakodate through a wall, threatened her with obliteration, I believe it was, and draped this stolen necklace around my neck all to make a statement. I believe your point was vividly clear to anyone in attendance at the school today. So why, pray tell, was kissing me in the middle of class in front of Hakodate absolutely necessary?"

"I-" Sanageyama cut himself off by clamping his mouth shut. There was no good way to explain this. It had been a spontaneous decision born from an illogical need to mark Maya; it was for her own protection and for his own selfish pride (mostly the latter). The act served as both a declaration of intent and a warning to anyone who might attempt to stop him. It was stupid. Especially given the unwillingness of his chosen partner.

"You know, sometimes I think you're getting better and then you go and pull shit like this." Her voice was a dejected growl as she stomped past him to the sink, filling up a kettle before slamming it against the stovetop and spinning the temperature dial. She braced her hands against the counter with her back turned. "I thought we were friends."

"We are!" Sanageyama insisted stubbornly, feeling his temper flash as he whirled around to grab both her shoulders, yanking not-so-gently until they were face to face. "We are friends."

"Friends don't kiss friends in front of the entire school!" Maya snapped hotly while glaring at the place his eyes should be. "I'm not your fucking property."

"I never said you were," he growled low while taking a step forward. She slid back just out of reach of his spiked belt, feeling her back brush against the counter.

"Yes, you did! When you kissed me in front of everyone!"

"I swear to god, woman-"

His warning was lost as Maya cut him off, "You treated me like some pretty piece of real estate; like a fucking object you could own. We," she emphasized her point by gesturing between them, "are not a couple, Sanageyama. We are not dating and you are NOT my boyfriend and you sure as hell don't get to parade me around the school like some-"

Maya found herself unable to complete the sentence as she was suddenly lifted off the ground and slammed into the nearest cupboard. Then his lips were on hers. Ravenous and rough, Sanageyama pressed her head against the wooden cabinet with his mouth while angling the curve of her hips into his waist, letting her legs dangle on either side of him as she balanced on the countertop. She tried to push him away but instead found her hands tangled in his mess of green hair, tugging helplessly as his skilled tongue pried her mouth open. Then, all semblance of rational thought left her mind.

A moan carried from her throat and Maya felt her legs instinctively coil around his lean waist. Sanageyama had been careful to lift her above his spiked belt and despite his rather rough treatment, she did not feel any sort of pain. On the contrary, her entire world was bathed in heated pleasure. His hands were everywhere; burning as they gripped her waist and roamed over the entirety of her back, slipping under her shirt to count each vertebra before fiddling with the strap of her bra. She let out a squeal of disapproval, muffled against his open mouth. He swallowed the sound eagerly before breaking the kiss. Leaning against her neck, he tugged off her neckerchief and began to softly nip at the newly exposed skin. She shivered under his ministrations, crying out suddenly when his teeth grazed a particularly sensitive area. His body grew rigid in response.

"The things you do to me…" He groaned lowly before moving back to her lips. The contact was fleeting and soon Sanageyama was trailing open mouthed kisses across her jaw before stopping at the shell of her ear. His breathing was heavy as he insisted, "This is why I did it. I want you, badly. And I don't want anyone else taking you from me."

"That isn't… your decision… to make…" Maya had a difficult time forming coherent thoughts much less entire sentences as he continued to tease the outer shell of her ear. God, why does that have to feel so good?

"I know," Uzu murmured, sounding mildly discouraged. "It would make things a lot easier if it was."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," he paused briefly to nip again at the sensitive area beneath her ear, feeling satisfied when she let out another loud gasp and clutched his shoulders. "That I want to try this, Maya. For real. With you."

Her brain felt dizzy. He wants to try what now?

She tried to take a calming breath only to hear the air catch in her throat as his skilled tongue coiled around an earlobe, drawing it into his hot mouth. She shuddered violently; her thighs tightening like a vice around his muscular waist. No good… can't think straight… need space. His hands were moving again. One gripped her outer thigh firmly while the other tugged at the ribbon holding her hair back. It unraveled easily, sending the bundle of thick crimson locks cascading down her back like a stream of redwood water. Sanageyama ran his fingers through it with surprising gentleness before pressing his face against it, inhaling deeply.

"What color is your hair?" He asked, a tone of reverie present.

"Red," Maya replied breathlessly. She felt him smile then- not a smirk or a toothy grin- an actual genuine smile as his fingers continued to play with the loose strands.

His voice held an air of boyishness as he said, "I like red hair." He then captured her lips again in a searing kiss. It was all too much to take. One minute she was on the verge of throwing something at Sanageyama and the next he had her pinned against the kitchen counter flushed, breathless and enjoying all of it far too much. She considered smacking him but the thought was fleeting and she instantly forgot about it when his mouth moved back to her neck.

Forcing her voice to work, she attempted to clarify, "What did you want to try? You want to try sleeping with me?" Maya did not mean it as an invitation but Sanageyama, oblivious as always, decided to run with it.

"Hell yeah!" She heard him exclaim, his voice suddenly very husky as he asserted, "And I don't want to do it just once." Maya felt her heart leap into her throat and her mouth suddenly go dry. Warm hands caressed up both thighs and his lips were no longer teasing. He planted them directly on the sensitive area beneath her ear, biting and sucking until she writhed against him.

"W-wait, Sanageyama…"

"Uzu," he corrected with a seductive purr, his lips curving into a devilish smirk against her skin. "I want you to use my first name."

"What? No! I didn't mean- That wasn't an invitation!" Maya felt his head tilt slightly at her words, unfortunately causing his lips to drag across a point that sent her about through the roof. In an instant, her back arched and she let out a loud moan that echoed through the small apartment. Her nails bit into his scalp as she pulled herself forward until she was flush against him; her breathing heavy in his ear.

"Shit," she heard Sanageyama curse with a groan.

"Uzu, stop," Maya gasped, maintaining a death grip on his neck. "We have to stop. I need you to stop." She felt his grip loosen at her words. Slowly, one of his hands came up to support her lower back while the other settled on the wooden cabinet behind her head.

Tousled green bangs covered his bandana as Sanageyama leaned his head down, his voice suddenly uncertain as he questioned, "You okay?" Maya nodded her head mutely against his shoulder. They were both panting. He grew silent for a moment as they both tried to catch their breath. As it stood, she really should try to push him away but for some reason Maya just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I'm still confused," she admitted, feeling her body finally start to relax as rational thinking became a readily available brain process again. Sanageyama still felt rigid as a board under her fingertips. "I swear, sometimes you can be so arrogant and insufferable that I can't stand you and then other times you… I mean… I really don't understand you. What do you want from me?"

"Everything." His voice was coarse and raspy. His body had not lost any of its previous tension and he gripped the cabinet behind her with white knuckles. Maya jumped when he suddenly untangled their limbs and abruptly stepped away, causing her to topple off the counter.

"What the hell, Sanageyama?" She barked indignantly at his retreating form. He did not reply and instead seemed set upon the task of removing his clothing as quickly as possible. His white jacket was tossed haphazardly over the back of a chair and his spiked belt hit the floor with a loud clunk. He was in the process of stripping off his shirt when she yelped, "Just what the hell do you think you are doing?!"

With his back facing her, Uzu continued to pull at the offending article of clothing; his voice a low growl as he insisted, "Unless you want me to turn around and take you right here on this fucking table, I suggest you let me do this."

Maya felt her cheeks pale and her eyes widen. Right here… on this table… An exhilarating thrill swept up her spine but she squashed it down, ripping her eyes away in favor of glaring at his now bare back as it retreated into the bathroom. She heard the faucet turn off (apparently in her rage, she had forgotten to do so earlier) only to be replaced by the screeching spray of the shower. Sanageyama did not even bother to shut the door or close the plastic curtain. He climbed right in still wearing his white pants and lime green bandana, letting the water soak through his disheveled green hair as he braced one hand against the wall beneath the showerhead. Clear streams of water spilled down his toned chest and abdomen before absorbing into the cotton cloth of his pants. The increasing weight caused them to ride low, exposing the curve of each hipbone.

This really isn't fair, Maya decided as she was stuck ogling his perfect physique from across the kitchen. Now that Sanageyama had kissed her, and I mean really kissed her, she was stuck noticing all kinds of stupidly attractive things about his body. In that moment, she thanked whatever deity had given her a good head on her shoulders. Otherwise, she would probably be in the shower right along with him licking a trail from his navel to his throat. Shaking her head violently, Maya jumped when the teapot she left on the stove suddenly began to whistle. Scalding white steam poured from the spout and she hurriedly moved it to a different burner before spinning the dial back to OFF. Then, a sudden thought occurred to her.

Glancing from the slowly diminishing plume of steam to the bathroom, Maya felt her eyes widen in realization. He is taking a cold shower. That's why there is no steam and the windows have not fogged up. She blinked once before suppressing a surprisingly giddy chuckle. Idiot.

Rolling her eyes in spite of herself, Maya crossed the threshold and entered the bathroom. She grabbed a towel from the rack before reaching into the shower, switching the icy water off as she climbed in behind him.

Goosebumps decorated his chest and arms as Sanageyama turned to face her. "What are you doing?" He sounded uncertain. Instead of answering, she moved on her tippy-toes and draped a towel around his shoulders, feeling him shiver beneath the plush cotton.

"Is Shingantsu working right now?"

"Not very well," he admitted through chattering teeth.

Maya stared at him for a moment before sighing deeply, wrapping the towel more snuggling around him as she questioned, "What were you thinking, Sanageyama?"

He caught her hand lightly, pulling it and the towel closer to his chest. "I was thinking that you probably would not appreciate me throwing myself at you a third time today."

"No, not the shower thing. I meant what were you thinking… You know… Out there in the kitchen?"

His features shifted into one of incredulity. Acting as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, he replied, "I want to date you."

"You want to date me? Like officially, monogamously date me for a prolonged period of time?" He nodded his head in affirmation.

Maya was stunned. She felt stupid and guilty and tried to cover it up by asking pointedly, "Did you throw yourself at the other girls you wanted to date?"

"Hell no," she heard him snort through chittering teeth. "They threw themselves at me." Somehow, this bit of information only made her feel worse.

Lowering her head, she asked, "Why?"

"Have you seen me?"

"Not that! You vain, self-absorbed-" Her explosive rant was cut short when Sanageyama began to laugh. This only served to further infuriate her. He was teasing me! That ass! Maya let out an irate squeak as she was suddenly crushed against his chest. Strong hands held her squirming form tightly as she tried to wriggled out of his hold, protesting in outrage, "God dammit, Sanageyama! You are cold and wet and-"

"Probably in love with you," he finished for her, still chuckling lightly. She froze in his arms. The color drained from her face only to be replaced by a vibrant crimson; a deep ache settling in her chest.

"You-you can't just say things like that," she stuttered weakly. "And what do you mean by probably?"

Uzu shrugged his shoulders. "Never been in love before so not really sure how it goes."

"Love is the sort of thing you want to be sure about before you go spouting declarations, Sanageyama!" Her anger was a lie. It was a default setting to protect her heart from going places it shouldn't go. This man… This boorish, selfish, unbridled… The idea of him loving her should fill her with dread.

So, why doesn't it? Rather than disgust, Maya was left feeling raw and pleasantly electrified.

"Jesus, calm down. No need to shout," Uzu stated while flinching. "Sensitive ears, remember?" She simply stared at him bewildered. Just what in the ever-loving hell am I supposed to do with him?

She ultimately decided to ask: "What am I going to do with you?"

"Agree to date me?" He offered helpfully, grinning like a fool when an exasperated groan left her lips.

Ignoring the topic altogether, she tugged him out of the shower and stated flatly, "You need to get out of those wet clothes. I don't want you catching pneumonia again."

"You should help me," he proposed while sporting a roguish smirk.

Maya refused to blush. "I very much doubt you need my assistance."

"I swear, you're no fun," he drawled while reaching down to unclasp the buttons of his white pants, laughing uproariously when she whipped around to stare anywhere but directly at him. She heard his water-logged pants hit the floor followed by another decidedly lighter item of clothing. Her blush stretched all the way to her ears and Maya felt her eyes screw shut as Sanageyama breezed past in a VERY naked state, rummaging through one of the various cardboard boxes sitting at the foot of her bed. Finally, with great amusement, he called, "Alright, I'm decent. You can open your eyes."

Not trusting him, she was slow to crack each eye open. She balked at the sight. Sanageyama was currently lounging on her twin bed wearing nothing but his bandana and a pair of green track pants. He grinned lazily at her. "See something you like?"

With a humph, Maya stomped over and roughly pulled him up until he was sitting cross-legged on the bed. He protested but she ignored it; plopping a white towel directly on his head. "Why must you always be so aggravating?"

"It's a gift," Uzu replied automatically, suddenly very relaxed as she carefully dried his damp hair. He felt her fingers skim the bandana. For some reason, this action made his throat clench.

I don't want her to see the stitching. His sudden flood of panic was surprising. And illogical. Maya won't care about imperfections she already knows are there. This is ridiculous. And yet, despite his confidence, Sanageyama continued to fret about how she might react. There was no question that the sight was gruesome. Perhaps she would stop finding him attractive or worse, maybe she would start to pity him?

Before he could concoct any more outlandish scenarios, Uzu felt the knot holding his bandana in place come lose, the green fabric lightly brushing his nose before falling away completely. His shoulders grew tense and Shingantsu narrowed to solely focus on Maya. He flinched when she brushed his bangs away, her head tilting slightly to stare at him. Despite his fears, she did not appear repulsed or frightened; merely thoughtful as her fingers gently traced over each eyelid. "I don't know why you keep them covered," she murmured. "They really don't look that bad."

"They make me look hideous," he asserted bluntly.

"I swear, you and your stupid ego… They do not make you look hideous. I doubt you could look hideous even if you tried." He perked up at her words. Was that almost a compliment? "To be honest, I thought it would look way worse, especially with how careful you are to never let anyone see your face without the bandana. I thought maybe Iori had sewed googly eyes on you or something."

Sanageyama could not contain a bark of laughter at her words. "No, that would be way worse," he agreed, suddenly less self-conscious. Maya was done drying it seemed and was now combing her fingers through his hair, loosening the snares and making sure everything sat right. He resisted the urge to collapse against her. God, I love it when she does that. Uzu could not believe how wonderful it felt to have his hair played with. He had never let anyone touch it aside from yanking during sex.

And I don't plan to let anyone else touch it either. Content with his thoughts, Sanageyama leaned backward slightly and let out a satisfied hum.

It was moments like these that kept Maya from strangling him. Her expression softened as she continued to stroke his hair while asking one last time, "So, just to make absolutely certain that I understand: you want to officially date me? Because you genuinely like me as a person?" He murmured his confirmation before flopping his head backwards into her lap.

"Do you like me as a person?" He questioned feeling far too content to react even if she said no.

Maya seemed to think about it for a minute before begrudgingly admitting, "Yeah, I suppose so. But I don't know if I like the idea of me and you together."

"But you like what I do to you." It was a statement, not a question. And again, she felt the urge to smack him if only to wipe that cocky smirk off his face. She wanted to deny it but there was no way he would believe her; not after some of the sounds she made. Maya blushed darkly at the memory.

"Yes, I liked what you… did. But you really should try to be less pushy."

"I stopped when you told me to, didn't I?" He pointed out with a drawl. "And there was no inappropriate touching."

"What counts as inappropriate is for me to decide, not you," she shot back, glowering as she accused, "And you tried to unhook my bra if I recall correctly."

"Oh yeah, forgot about that," he mused, not at all sorry as she fumed at him. "In my defense, I did stop when you seemed uncomfortable. Even though it was really difficult." He took his time enunciating the last part, grinning from ear to ear like he was recalling a fond memory.

"I- you-" Maya wracked her brain for a witty retort but found none. "Fine. I will concede that we remained inside my comfort zone, if only just barely." It was a painful admission, especially since she had no desire (or did she?) of encouraging his behavior.

"Good, so we're okay to go round two then, right?" He purred while tugging one of her hands to run along his hard chest.

"No," she deadpanned.

"Oh, come on," he whined.

"No, and you are sleeping on the floor tonight. So help me, if I find you in my bed again you will not live to see tomorrow." Sanageyama smirked wickedly. Sounds like a challenge to me.