CHAPTER VI

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Haruno Yukinoshita lay silent in her seat. She had gone back to their residence in Inage after the disastrous reception down in the city. The whole manor was well lit, kept insulated and heated by the furnaces from the ground floor to the terraces. All the servants had retired to their living quarters in a separate house. But the dining room was empty and the atmosphere, chilly.

Her father had not come back with them to the manor. Mr. Yukinoshita, furious at the turn of events, went off to straighten business someplace else, and attempt to rectify the damage that would befall his own interests. Haruno could not count on her own sister either. Even though she had, admittedly, never shown enough appreciation for Yukino, she did love her. She found herself unexpectedly hoping that Yukino would be there. She didn't need her support, but she wished that Yukino would be there at least. Yukino may not be able to placate their mother's wrath - she hardly dared to talk back at all - but it was better than facing Mrs. Yukinoshita by herself.

When Mrs. Yukinoshita asked her to take a seat, Haruno inwardly shivered. Her hands felt damp and cold, and she could not look her mother in the eye. Mrs. Yukinoshita paced around the dining room of their mansion, her hands crossed neatly behind her regal kimono. Her face wore a stony, expressionless visage. Her lips were pursed, and her dark blue eyes intimidating as thunderclouds.

Mrs. Yukinoshita pulled a chair and sat across from Haruno. She flicked her wrists to roll up the sleeves of her kimono, still not speaking a word. She was very composed. Her face was nonchalant. Haruno felt sick, as if awaiting some sort of punishment. Mrs. Yukinoshita poured a glass of water from a pitcher and sipped slowly.

Mrs. Yukinoshita never drank when faced by adversity. Only the weak-minded drink, unable to comprehend and to handle reality as it is. Haruno knew this, and she knew it was what made her mother so cunning, impervious to any intimidation. When Haruno looked up and saw the smile on her mother's lips, she was frightened. "You seem pale, Haru-nee. Is something the matter?" Mrs. Yukinoshita asked.

"No," Haruno answered timidly. She refused the glass of water. "I'm fine, oka-san."

"Then I suppose there won't be any issues if I ask you to explain what had happened back there."

Haruno swallowed the lump in her throat. She gripped the hem of her dress tightly. "I don't know what you're pertaining to, oka-san," she replied.

"You don't know?" Haruno shook her head. Her mother hummed to herself. "As in, you did not know that Hayama-kun would break away from you, or you do not know why you cried and ran away after he did so?"

Haruno froze. "I don't know why I ran away."

"That's a foolish answer. There must be a reason. And what is it?" Mrs. Yukinoshita went on, her voice becoming colder.

"Oka-san, I don't know." Haruno finally resolved to look up and glare at her mother straight in the eyes. Her lips quivered, but she continued. "I left the room because I was uncomfortable. Every one of them is turning against me. What could I have done?" She protested, starting to speak up.

Mrs. Yukinoshita was inwardly amused. She stopped, continuing to look down at her daughter. She said in a curt, eloquent manner, "At that meeting, what else do you think you could have done, aside from bursting into tears like a big girl? When did you think that was acceptable? Ano, since you learned of it from novellas?" She scoffed incredulously. "And the man being the one to break off in the first place, it's even more ridiculous. You've completely damned your dignity as a woman in front of the Hayamas, in front of your family, everyone. From now on, that's what people will associate you with: the girl who was refused by her fiancé. The girl who doesn't have the ability to decide for herself. Humiliating."

Her harsh words fell like hailstones in a storm. Haruno felt her ears burn with shame. Mrs. Yukinoshita sighed, getting up, and put her fingers over her forehead. " So, Haru-nee? What will you do now, my dear? Your fiancé has thrown you. The boy, Hayama-kun cannot be turned to our favor anymore. And the other families will challenge us as soon as they catch wind of our weakness."

Haruno also got up from her seat. "What do you want me to do, oka-san?" She said, brimming with contempt.

"You watch your tone with me, young lady." Mrs. Yukinoshita glared at her piercingly. "Why are you asking me what you should do next?" She asked dubiously.

Mrs. Yukinoshita walked over, passing behind her. Haruno clenched her hands until it was white. She looked down. "Weren't you the one who wanted all of this? Who asked me to accept the marriage proposal as the heir to our family?" She replied angrily.

"Oh, I see. Now you blame me. It's my fault, isn't it?" Her mother said in a supercilious tone. She hovered around her like the accuser herself. "It's my fault. I was the one who caused embarrassment at the meeting. I was the one who couldn't decide for herself. Yes, perhaps it's not because I haven't raised my daughter properly at all. Perhaps I was simply a bad mother." Mrs. Yukinoshita chuckled coldly. "That, I can accept. I would not abandon you still, Haru-nee. But perhaps you wish that you were born in another family, with a different mother, who would love you more than I do. I can accept that still. No, no. I am not offended, but what have I ever done for you to look at me so scornfully, my child?"

Haruno could not bear it anymore. She burst out indignantly. "You never gave me a choice! Never!" She cried. "All you expected of me is an obedient slave to your self interests!"

She almost did not feel the pain initially. She tasted blood on her lips after Mrs. Yukinoshita had slapped her across the face sharply. Haruno was suddenly shocked, and instinctively tears sprang to her eyes.

Mrs. Yukinoshita spoke with a frighteningly serious tone. "You do have a choice, my dear. Everyone does. You had the choice to disobey me. Is that such a far-fetched notion for you to entertain? It has always been a choice, as much as it is choosing to remain obedient against your will and hesitating to seize your ambitions. Don't you perhaps have any dignified conviction Haruno? God forgive, what would become of other women if they followed the same mindset as you? Being the eldest daughter of the family, I expected you to find yourself, even directly disobey my wishes, and in the process prove your capability as an individual. But no; unlike Yukino, you never dared to risk making mistakes and disappointing me - that in itself, is far more saddening. Because it shows that you never had the adamance to face the consequences of your decisions. You never took any risks, never took an opposing stance in respect to me. You never developed your own principles.

"There comes a time when a girl makes the spontaneous decision to walk out of another woman's shadow. It takes adamance to survive in a world dominated by men who expect subservience of you as a woman - even greater, to walk off a different path when everyone else will go down the same wretched avenue just to say they got somewhere. Anyone can be the faithful girl in the family, but to be able to stand by herself against all odds, to abide by independent principles, that is what distinguishes a woman.

"I wished only the best for you, Haruno. I love you and your sister dearly. There is no extent I am not willing to go for your well-being. But there are times when I must watch you toil and suffer and fall, because that is necessary in life. I will not hold your hand in everything, that is not how it is. Your younger sister has endured, she has chosen to pursue her own ambitions, her own career, and marry a man she truly loved so what is your excuse? If you still fail despite everything I've taught you, that is not my incompetence at all. Why, the odd bird does not blame it's mother if it couldn't fly! It's not me, it's you. And when that happens, your incompetence disgraces me as well, because a daughter is a reflection of her mother, which is honestly a philosophy that I find fucking absurd. Unless you didn't know, I have a sense of self-respect and I refuse to be shamed because of you. You're a disgrace, Haruno. You've humiliated our family, but most of all you've humiliated yourself. Leave now, before I do anything else. I have nothing more to say to you."

Haruno found herself unable to speak. Mrs. Yukinoshita raised her hand towards her and waved her off. "Leave," she ordered silently.

Haruno was frozen in despair. A river of tears crossed her cheeks, and she could not help it. Her own mother waited for her to vanish, looking down upon her with disdain. She took a step back, then another. Then she stormed out of the room, out of the mansion, the doors swinging close behind her with finality. She ran, and ran, until she could not go anymore.

Hachiman continued to walk down an avenue in Ginza district. This was the greater, more complex part of Tokyo with rows of high-rise buildings in every block and storefronts lining every street. Further down the street was another apartment hotel he was checked in. If he happened to stay out late, or the weather caught up to him while he was working around the street as usual, he could always sleep in his hotel room. He'd simply call his friend and tell her he wouldn't be home for a bit.

The weather had indeed caught up to him. It was raining generously that night. He grimaced. The dreadfully cold winter months had just ended, and instead it was now raining, Hachiman thought. He had been out all day, driving around the city meeting up with his associates and ensuring that everyone was doing their jobs. They had new establishments to collect protection fees from, and illicit hotel casinos to regulate. Hachiman was in Ota city earlier, in Haneda airport. The airport was bound to become one of the most important and busy hubs of the mob, where a lot of things took place. Any Yakuza presence in the place had long receded, so it was a simple affair to get a hold of the place and put hands on the unloading bays.

His phone rang within his pocket, and he picked it up. It was his friend. He strained to listen amidst the rain. "Oi, Hachi. What's with the hold up?" Yumiko asked in an impatient voice.

"Right. I just got caught in the downpour, is all," Hachiman said, looking up at the pitch-black skies.

"Huh, what luck. Anyways, I made dinner for the both of us so you'd better hurry."

"About that," he said. "I don't think I'm coming back until morning." He looked back up Harumi-dori avenue, past Heisei-dori. The boulevard was definitely clogged up, all the taxicabs and sedans crawling along the rainy road.

Yumiko huffed a bit from the other line. "Where the hell could you go?" She said skeptically.

"I'm sitting in at a friend's place. I've got some things I'd want to get done quick."

"I made spicy stir-fry tofu again, how 'bout that?"

"Very tempting offer, but ah, unfortunately I'll have to decline."

"That so. Hmph… fine then. Don't ever come back."

Hachiman burst into a laugh. "Aw, come on. Don't be like that."

The call already dropped first from the other end. He shrugged to himself. The most dismaying part about it was that he was probably passing off on a pretty good dinner. Maybe Yumiko didn't sabotage the tofu. It'd be really good. It would've been better than skipping dinner and going straight to sleep.

He tightened his grip on the briefcase he carried. Hachiman continued to walk along the street, the rain fluctuating slightly as it poured. He hadn't brought an umbrella but the blue overcoat and fedora he often wore served him well and kept him dry. His slacks were damp however. The hotel was not far. He thought of stopping by the café nearby, but changed his mind.

Hachiman turned around a corner, down an empty street, and he spotted a woman in a light brown cashmere coat walk out of another café and into the rain. It was Haruno Yukinoshita. Hachiman slowed down and watched Haruno go down the street alone and without an umbrella. Hachiman knew it was simply a coincidence, since she lived in an apartment in Ginza as well - she told him once. But this lower neighborhood was far from her apartment, which was on the other end of the avenue, way across the boulevard. Maybe she's spying again, he thought, and was poking around his favorite coffee places.

He gradually caught up and was a step beside her. It had been a day since he last saw her. She was sullen, turned downwards with a desolate look. She glanced at him, and her eyes widened in disbelief. "Haruno-san?" Hachiman said. He drew closer towards her. "My word, you're drenched. What's the matter with you, out in the rain like this?"

She looked away from him and continued to walk forward. "Leave me alone," she muttered.

"You're going to get sick, and then you might die."

"T-That's not such a bad thing at all."

Haruno stammered and laughed softly. She ran a hand through her wet hair and combed it back, showing her forehead. Even in such a ruffled state, she looked gorgeous. Hachiman shook his head. "Alright, no more jokes."

"So this is what it's like to be alone."

"Yes."

Haruno looked at him timidly. "Did you ever feel lonely back when you used to go through this every time?"

He shrugged. "Being alone is different from being lonely. You get used to it."

"Ne, Hachiman… you're used to being lonely?"

Hachiman looked back at her. "You forget I have my family, Haruno-san."

Haruno felt something inside of her warm up after spotting the short, sweet smile on his lips. It disappeared and she felt cold again. His words now started to hit her like ice. "Oh, right. I'm sorry," she laughed sadly.

"What're you sorry for?"

"...everything. For being a big nuisance to you."

Hachiman huffed. He couldn't ignore the raindrops soaking into her hair, so he took off his hat and placed it on her head a bit roughly. She blinked and stared at him. He said begrudgingly, "Apology accepted. Now, will you lighten up already?"

Haruno smiled a bit. After a while, she spoke again. "You're not going to ask me what happened?"

He shrugged again. "Why should I? I have no interest in other people's personal lives."

"Ano… that's how you've always been," she mumbled. "Don't you think it'd be fine to get a bit more involved?"

"Maybe," he answered thoughtfully. "So, what happened? Why are you so depressed?"

"It's… uhm..."

Hachiman sighed. "It's complicated, isn't it? Exactly why I don't get involved. You don't need to tell me, I understand," he said lightly.

"Do you really?"

"Well no, it's a fucking hyperbole, me understanding you."

Haruno stifled a giggle, seeing his shift of demeanor. He was suddenly more friendly, amicable, and she appreciated it. Hachiman couldn't help but grin a bit. He said to her gently, "But I think there's going to be a person who'll be able to understand you well, Haruno-san. He's just a bit held up along the way."

"I already have you."

Hachiman brushed off her flirty remark. "Do you want me to call you a cab?" He asked.

"I don't have anyplace else to go."

"Don't you have an apartment?"

"I don't want to go back. Not now. I just want to get away from… from it all."

Haruno was crestfallen, and Hachiman understood her reluctance. "I see," he said shortly. They walked under what little shade the tall buildings in Ginza and the storefront canopies offered. Hachiman had taken the side close to the road assertively to keep her away from the rain as much as possible. "Well, I wouldn't mind if you stopped by my flat for some tea or coffee," he said afterwards.

Haruno seemed to brighten up upon hearing his answer. She didn't hide her willingness. "Okay," she smiled.

She gingerly stepped closer and took his hand. They didn't have any umbrellas, but she immediately felt warmer and the rain wasn't so menacing anymore. Hachiman led her across the street and to the hotel he had checked in. He knew that he wasn't supposed to bring anyone else over to this place, as it was exclusively his mattress room - his living quarters during work days, and whenever he wasn't back with Yumiko at the apartment. But seeing Haruno Yukinoshita in the rain, broken and ripped of her proud demeanor piqued him, or perhaps he simply couldn't help but be entranced by her beauty.

Hachiman felt her fingers slip in between his and squeeze his hand a bit. She felt cold. The whole fiasco from yesterday must've gotten really under her skin and affected her greatly. In any case, she was down, and wasn't much of a threat to him anymore so he felt free to offer her kindness at least. One acquaintance to another.

When the two arrived at the place, they were silent. Hachiman opened the door and let her in first, before stepping inside. He flicked the lights on in the room. "Well, here we are. It's not a big place, but it does the job," he said humbly.

Haruno was quiet. "I see."

He pulled off his sopping wet overcoat. She did the same. He took her coat as well and hung them on a rack. The rain had seeped down the back of his neck when he had taken off his hat to give to her before, irritating him a bit, but Hachiman knew it was worse for Haruno whose blouse was very damp and cold. He took a towel and dried his hair first, then handed it to her. She started to dry herself off.

Hachiman stood, hands on his hips. He watched her with an almost affectionate, brotherly look. Haruno noticed this and blushed slightly.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll get the kettle hot in a minute," he said and passed by her. "I'll see you some dry clothes." Hachiman went off.

Her eyes began to wander around the room curiously. The flat was a clean, decent place with more than enough space for two people at a time. However, judging from the lack of amenities and furniture in the living room, it was obvious that Hachiman lived alone. Haruno would've thought that he had simply moved in not too long ago, if he didn't tell her that he'd rented the room a few weeks back. He used to sleep here when he stayed out late doing his business, and couldn't come home to the Capablanca.

There were curious details that Haruno noticed. Although Hachiman seemed to be more than well off, living in an urban high-rise and appeared to be someone with always a plan, and handling multiple jobs during the course of his day, he wasn't decadent. She saw that his closet merely contained plain shirts and neatly-folded slacks. The refrigerator was unplugged, meaning he really didn't stay here a lot. There were no pictures anywhere, save for a small photo attached to the fridge door. It was a photo of Hachiman with his parents, and beside him, his younger sister.

Haruno watched him, as Hachiman made his way to the kitchen sink. He set down the black briefcase he'd been carrying on the countertop and unlocked it. He opened it furtively, in silence, as if he was privy to some sort of secret. Haruno managed to catch a glimpse of it from the couch. The case was filled to the brim with stacks of paper bills - 10,000 yen banknotes, all sitting there together perfect as a jigsaw. Hachiman picked a wad of money with a hand and shuffled it in his hands like a card. Haruno commented, "that's a lot of money, isn't it?"

Hachiman glanced back at her and smiled. "Yeah. Month's pay for me," he said.

Haruno easily saw through his lie. She inwardly scoffed, smirking at him. "Is the coffee ready?"

"Sure."

Hachiman hid the briefcase away in the cabinet under the sink. The kettle whistled steam, he took it from its socket shortly. He poured it into an orange mug that he had brought out and had already filled with a teaspoon of black coffee, and then also filled his own mug. He stirred both cups a bit and opened the cupboard to reach for a pot of sugar.

Haruno continued to watch Hachiman smoothly move about, drawn in by his presence and that attractive, small pleasant smile he wore on his lips. Whatever was on his mind was surely the reason for his mood. The look in his half-closed eyes made him look more relaxed than usual, and his slightly damp, oily hair was messily combed back and strands of it stuck over his forehead. He didn't bother to make small-talk with her. He was very different from when she saw him at the business meetings. He wasn't the most handsome fellow she'd ever seen, not by a long shot, but the way he carried himself, coolly indifferent to people, and possessing a mysterious elegance unlike anyone else, was unexpectedly and extremely seductive to her.

Hachiman's back was turned towards her when he pulled off his jacket, and then his waistcoat. He was humming softly to himself as he threw his clothes into a tub. Haruno found herself gripping her slacks tightly as she sat uncomfortably on the couch. Finally she stood up in silence and started to walk up behind him. As soon as Hachiman turned around, Haruno pressed her hands against his shirt and was on his lips, kissing him.

After a few moments, Hachiman gently held her away with surprising patience. He was looking at her skeptically. "What do you think you're doing Haruno-san?" He asked.

Her eloquent rose-coloured eyes stared at him hazily. She spoke in a near-whisper. "It's obvious, isn't it?" She breathed, lifting her chin up at him. She held his hand that was on her bosom, which he used to keep her away, and pulled it stubbornly under her still-wet blouse to touch her breast. "Come on… don't tell me you're not up for it… I know we feel the same way," she growled.

The smile on his lips melted away, and she felt her heart twist. Hachiman gave her a direct look. "You're absolutely glamorous, Haruno-san," Hachiman said tonelessly. "Don't get me wrong. I want to keep you right now for myself. You've got such a fucking irresistible appeal. But this… you're worth too much trouble," he went on, "so don't try. Besides, you have a lot more to lose."

Haruno felt her temper stir again. She looked away, a hateful expression glowing in her eyes. "We broke up," she said. "The son-of-a-bitch humiliated me, and ruined the whole marriage agreement. My mother told me not to show myself around her again. They blame me for everything. Oh, I have a lot more to lose alright," she murmured angrily as tears began to fall on her cheeks.

"Isn't this what you wanted? To break away from Hayato-kun and everyone else?"

Haruno became silent towards him. She continued to build up a slow, visceral hatred against those people. But even with Hachiman's sudden act of condescension towards her, she didn't know what he actually was to her in respect to this whole affair. He wasn't a friend. They were hardly acquaintances. She did not want to make an enemy of him at all. In giving in to the sexual tension that she correctly discerned between them, she expected to find out. Hachiman was fully aware of this - he was not blind to her advances. He knew inviting her over put himself in a very precarious position.

Her rose-coloured eyes were now almost as dark as his, more cruel, possessive. The mask had fallen off. Something had caused her to snap. The true ruthless, Machiavellian nature of hers had finally bared itself to him. She expected him to return the gesture and reveal himself.

"I don't want anything else right now. Here I am. I'm sick of all the intrigue we have to go through. You understand me, I know you do. Why don't we be honest to each other right now? Or do you think yourself better than me?" Said Haruno coldly.

"Something happened, and you are not thinking straight."

"No. I know what I'm doing. Isn't this why you asked me to come with you?"

Hachiman didn't say anything, and slipped past her. He set down their coffee on the countertop and walked down the room. She went after him and attempted to hold back his arm. He stopped and turned. Maybe he wasn't having it, she thought contemptuously. He was always such a prude, or rather an impotent buffoon. Suddenly she felt Hachiman's lips on her mouth, and tasted him. Warm and bitter, of burnt tobacco and sweets.

Haruno gasped. She flinched and tried to step back, but he pulled her necktie strongly, not allowing her to move. He cornered her against the wall and pressed his mouth hard against hers. Too late for her - he was a shark, and he had smelled blood in the water already. He caught her lower lip, like a soft and delicious grape from the vine, and bit down on it. He went past and began to start on her neck ravenously, hitting a very sensitive spot under her left ear. This startled her, and caused her to moan involuntarily.

"A-Ah… wait," she whispered.

"I told you not to try. Are you going to stop me?"

He was not asking. There was the hint of greed in his low, husky voice. Only then did she understand. The carnivorous look in his cold eyes, the way he took the initiative from her fingers frightened her a bit. Now, she realized that she was not in control. His hands slid beneath her buttocks, and he lifted her effortlessly. She momentarily plotted on turning him over on the bed, straddling his waist and evening their places, but he threw her on the sheets harshly and was on her immediately. They stripped only half their clothes off in haste, and he tore away her slacks as soon as she unzipped it. He started to pull down her delicate panties. Suddenly naked, she felt her cheeks burn up and a look of anxiety shot over her face, matching her lust. She was several years older than him. She wasn't a virgin, not some innocent, starry-eyed schoolgirl. Yet now, she felt completely helpless like she did on her first night. It was so long ago. Lying beneath him, Haruno realized just how bigger Hachiman was compared to her. He was very disciplined, but deliberate with her. At that moment she felt something colliding past her thigh. She reached down with a hand to guide him. Oh, was he not a disappointment at least. She regained some confidence, certain she could handle him. She was sopping wet by now, ready. However he did not wait nor give her any respite. The sudden thrust of his entry, the unbearable pleasure that came with it made her cry in shock. She arched back, and he pulled her hips back down so that she was wrapped around his waist. He left no length wasted.

She wasn't that ready yet. She chewed on her lips to silence the voice threatening to escape her throat. She felt as if might die in humiliation if she made another noisy moan in front of him. He evidently took great amusement in hearing her cry, so she refused to expend herself any more to him. Hot, shaky gasps instead seeped through her teeth as she turned away to hide her face. Her arms were coiled behind his neck, clinging precariously. He was hitting her all the way. Every forceful thrust caused her head to bang back into the pillows, and the way he trailed his lips and teeth along her throat, like a bloodthirsty lupine, stifled her voice into a whimper. She didn't know how long he had been sacking her as she was too overwhelmed, lost, unable to compose herself. She felt embarrassed in her current state, pinned tightly in place by him. At the same time it aroused an unbelievable, soothing feeling in her and she gradually gave in to the sensations. She choked a breath and was stunned when he brought her to a shattering orgasm. He stopped, and she felt the wet, silky burst of cum fill her, and spill between her legs. The contact as he steadily pulled out from her, too soon, nearly made her sensitive flesh climax again. Her legs slumped away from his waist, as she lay, splayed on the sheets. He was not done. At last he planted a kiss on her mouth again, and put his hands around her sides, pulling her closer and giving her a hot, affectionate squeeze. He broke off and didn't touch her still-aching body anymore, and it felt like punishment.

Hachiman rolled off her and propped himself on the headboard. Haruno was exhausted, her half-closed eyes turned to the ceiling. Her chest rose and fell in starved breaths. Her unbuttoned blouse was ruined, revealing her creamy, sweat-dampened breasts. They did not speak for a good while after that. The silence between them bothered her. Beside her, Hachiman lazily popped a cigarette in his mouth as if the most trivial had just happened.

The way he bluntly began to ignore her, pulling up a pocketbook - as if he were crossing her off that stupid list of his - insulted her. The cocky bastard, she seethed as she watched him.

"Do you want me to leave now?" Haruno asked impatiently, still panting.

Hachiman glanced and answered nonchalantly. "Do whatever you want."

Haruno turned away, clutching her blouse close to hide her bosom. Her lips were red and pulpy, her breasts felt bruised even though he'd barely handled them during sex. She hadn't had someone do her in this badly in her entire life, and her body was utterly in shock. The red flush on her face betrayed her feelings.

"Mou, Hachi…" she pouted, shuffling closer to him. She snuggled against his arm begrudgingly. "Look at me," she said softly.

He complied, staring back at her. Those dark, incredibly patient eyes belied his harder nature from a moment ago. She made him put away the cigarette and the book in his hands. She needed his attention right now, nothing else. She reached up to kiss his lips. "Thirsty?" He asked.

"Yeah."

Hachiman took a decanter from the nearby nightstand, and looked into the drawer for a glass. They forgot all about the coffee. He poured some of the amber liquid and handed the glass to her. "Go ahead, drink."

She hesitated a bit, but ever so prideful, took the bourbon in one gulp. The alcohol burned a trail all the way into her belly and left her sputtering. He smirked at her and she glared back at him.

"That's it, sweetheart."

"Are you trying to kill me?" She sighed. The whiskey made her feel really warm now, especially beside him. "Ano~… I feel really fucked now."

"Worry about it in the morning."

"Hachi… Hachiman. Don't leave me."

He huffed. "What? I ain't going anywhere."

"Good," she purred, brimming with relief.

She curled up beside him, shutting her eyelids. She felt the sticky wetness still between her legs, and a frightening thought worried the back of her mind. After a few minutes, the lampshade went out, and the room was swallowed in darkness. Behind her, she felt his arms slide around her body and pull her to him rather possessively so that they were spooned together quite snugly. She felt the heat of his chest envelop her backside. He nuzzled into the back of her hair. It scared her a bit, but drowsiness eventually washed her fears away and she didn't feel cold that night.

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A.N: I've read some 8man/Haruno stories but... It's never enough, is it?

One of the first fanfics I've read was Obsession by 80k Hikigaya and Beneath the Fire and Ice by Nihilaine. They never got finished. What the hell, why is that?