A/N: Holy hotcakes things are about to get HEATED up in here! This chapter is a spicy pizza pie, yowch! I may have gotten a little carried away at some parts. And I have no regrets.
Also, I have been sitting on this piece of information for a long while but this song: The Lightning Strike by Snow Patrol is literally the main theme for Renei and Tora's entire relationship. I often listen to it on a loop when writing scenes between the two of them. It fits them so well it's uncanny. From the lyrics about 'a perfect halo of gold hair and lightning' to things like 'I don't wanna run, just overwhelm me' to 'I want pinned down, I want unsettled'... it's all so perfect for them, I can't, I-
And can we talk about the development of Sanyu and Shin's relationship? Even I wasn't fully expecting it, it just sort of... happened. And somehow it makes sense? And their theme song, btw, is Play with Fire by Sam Tinnesz which also fits them perfectly.
I have thought a lot about this, clearly. And, well, I've certainly had enough time to ^_^"
please review, my loves :) I really want to see what everyone's thoughts are on how these relationships have developed. I'm so curious about what everyone's opinions are, and yes, we are going to ignore Usui and Misaki until we properly acknowledge the whole Renei-Tora-Sanyu-Shin love square! ;D
"I want pinned down
I want unsettled
Rattle cage after cage
Until my blood boils
I want to see you
As you are now
Every single day
That I am living
Painted in flames
All peeling thunder
Be the lightning in me
That strikes relentless."
― Snow Patrol, The Lightning Strike
"Love can walk through fire without blinking." ― Alan Jackson, Livin' On Love (yes this is a country song, and yes, I do like country music, so bite me;)
Chapter Thirty-Five
Painted In Flames
...
Sanyu had been frowning to herself for a while now. So long in fact, that she feared the worry lines were now permanently etched into her skin.
She held her wounded pride close to her chest, wondering why she had done this to herself, where she had gone wrong. Tora didn't want her, and so much of her time had been wasted on him. She had tried to cling to someone else for a while, distracting herself, while plotting to bring Igarashi back around or just get back at him in turn, but... well, she hadn't anticipated Shin being someone that she'd actually develop a liking to.
As her luck would have it though, he didn't want her either.
When was it that she had dropped her guard? She usually didn't allow herself to care about things too deeply, because it put oneself at a disadvantage. And in the beginning, it was easy not to get carried away. She merely found the guitarist to be amusing and useful, albeit a bit cute. They both blew off steam venting about Igarashi to one another, they'd both confided a few of their secrets to each other, and over time she'd found that she... enjoyed being able to act so open with someone. She enjoyed him. His quirky smile, when it did show for her, was decidedly charming. His carefree attitude was reassuring, in a weird way, and it was difficult not to feel relaxed around him. He was just so easy to get along with; he made it easy for her. She had fun listening to his music and looked forward to their school lunches at the coffee bar.
Aside from that, there was this spark between them that she knew he had to feel too. Otherwise, why would he have kissed her with such... passion, the other day? Unless he was just that stupid, and didn't realize what it might mean to girl, kissing her like that.
She wanted so desperately to unearth more of that passion between them. But of course, Renei just had to keep stringing him along, even after she'd stolen all of Tora's attention for herself.
Sanyu truly hated that woman.
But she liked Shin. Quite a bit, actually, if the way her heart skipped whenever she thought about him was anything to go by.
The worst part about having those feelings, was not knowing how to portray them. Sure, she knew how to flirt, and be seductive. But when it came down to... showing affection... Well. Her family had certainly never raised her with anything of the sort. Her father was an unapologetically sharp-tongued titan of a man, and her mother hardly ever spoke more than a few words at one time. Neither of them had ever taught her anything more than how to be cunning and tenacious. Because that was how you got what you wanted out of life, out of people.
So of course, when faced with either expressing her true feelings to Shin, feelings she didn't even fully understand yet, or backing him into a corner... she'd chosen the latter.
"I almost thought you wouldn't come, but it turns out you're a smart boy, after all." Sanyu smirked, turning around to face the balcony doors as the red-head occupying her thoughts slowly closed them behind him.
He was frowning at her, his brow furrowed in displeasure. "Sanyu, this has to stop."
Sanyu felt her heart drop, before allowing her smirk to grow larger on her face. "What has to stop? The lying? The deception? All war is deception, Shin. It's how most wars are won."
"You've changed." Shin took a few steps toward her, reaching out a hand; attempting to placate her. She didn't want to be placated, though. "You aren't playing with me now, you're playing against me, and I―"
"No." She stepped past him, moving to look over the balcony's edge. Her hands held to the railing, and she gripped it tightly so he couldn't tell she was shaking. "I'm still playing with you. Playing with you, I daresay, is the most fun I've ever had." She paused. "It's a lot like playing with fire, actually."
"I'm... not sure what you mean?"
"Moy plamya. My flame..." Sanyu pouted, turning to face him again with her elbows on the railing now. "Wild and uncontrollable. Free-spirited. You know, Tora was a bit like that, once. But then your dear friend came along and ruined him. She turned the powerful tiger into a tame cub. I mean, he still acts the part of a sharp-toothed beast, but she's filed his claws down to practically nothing at this point." She scoffed, and rolled her eyes.
"I fail to see what you're getting at here." Shin took another cautious step toward her, the frown continuing to tug at his mouth.
"She would ruin you, too," Sanyu tipped her head back, glancing at the black sky churning with faint, wispy clouds in front of a waning moon. Her voice was soft as she said, "But only if you let her..."
"Sanyu," He was close enough to her now, to lean on the railing beside her. When she tilted her head down, she noticed his side profile in the dim light ― the line of his nose, the pull of his lips as he tugged the bottom one between his teeth...
A flicker of want rushed through her, and she bit her own lip, thinking suddenly about dragging him down to her and crashing their lips together in a desperate, fiery kiss. His tongue ring popped into her mind, and she nearly whimpered at the thought of how it had felt last time.
"I don't want to see your flames doused." She reached up, tucking a rebellious strand of red hair away from his eyes. "I don't want her to change you in any way."
Shin grabbed her hand, gently, and gave her a sincerely confused look. "She isn't going to change me, Sanyu. Renei is my friend."
"Renei only thinks for herself!" She snapped, pulling her hand back to her own chest. "How many times have you told me about her chastising you for doing things you simply enjoy? She even judged you on your past―"
"That was only because it put her brother, not to mention the rest of my friends and my father's reputation as well, in jeopardy!"
"And why were you in jeopardy in the first place? Because of her. Because of the stupid drama that follows her everywhere. And then she had the gall to go and get mad at you?"
Shin was shaking his head now, causing more and more strands of hair to fall from where the hair gel had kept them at bay all night. "I should have never told you about that―"
"But you told me for a reason, Shin. Remember? You were feeling like it was a bit unfair, to be judged so harshly and put in your place so quickly when―"
"I was mostly feeling guilty, though." Shin grunted, folding his arms across his chest, frustrated with how the conversation was being led. "Renei has apologized to me for being judgmental in the past. She has taken the time to look at her own faults. You're just seeing the situation from a single vantage point! You don't know the whole of everything, and your opinion of her is biased, anyway, because she's been your rival from the very beginning―"
"Why do you stick up for her when she doesn't let you be your true self?!" Sanyu straightened up to face him, eyes flashing an icy silver in the light of the moon. "From what I've gathered, you only ever feel like yourself around your other friends, or with me―"
"No, that isn't..." When she narrowed her eyes at him, Shin gave pause. "Okay, perhaps Renei has always... intimidated me, a bit. But most of that is just the nerves I feel from liking her so goddamn much. I want to impress her, and be there for her in ways others haven't been. I want to protect her and hold her close and be the one she goes to in times of need. And that's intimidating, with her, because..."
He hung his head, unable to look anywhere but the floor as he admitted it; admitted the one big, glaring insecurity he'd always carried with him, since meeting a mesmerizing woman like Renei. "Because I can't help but to think I'm not good enough for her, even if I my intentions are better than Igarashi's... even if I want to do right by her, how can I? How can I when I've led such a shitty life in my past, and when I've already been lying about all of this, behind her back?"
A long silence dragged on after his last few words, the only thing passing between the two of them being a cool, gentle breeze.
"Shin." Sanyu's voice sounded strained, something he'd never heard from someone as confident as her before. It caused Shin to snap his head upward, his large eyes gazing into her narrowed ones.
"Any girl..." Sanyu continued to struggle, her heart beating against her ribcage as if it were to burst free at any moment. She glanced at him for no more than two seconds, before looking back up at the sky, tracing the shapes of the clouds as a way to calm herself.
She took a deep breath inward, before letting the next words out in a rush. "Any girl would be lucky to have you, alright? Renei included."
Shin's eyes widened, his own breath catching as he noticed how nervous she seemed. "Why would you..." He watched the way she breathed, the way she gripped the railing for support. "...you're just saying that. You couldn't actually believe that."
"Oh?" Sanyu sighed, running a hand over her gown to keep herself from touching him instead. "And why wouldn't I?"
"Because you are just as intimidating as Renei, if not, more so." Shin rolled his eyes, laughing slightly at all the memories of her taunting and teasing him. "You're brash and obnoxious and always up to no good. You've just been using me all this time to get back at Igarashi and―"
"You're an exceptional idiot."
Shin balked, hearing that. "E-excuse you?!"
"If you think I've been using you the whole time, that I haven't been genuinely enjoying your company, then you're an idiot."
"But... I thought..."
"Not like it would matter, if I tried to explain it to you." Sanyu whipped her head toward him, her teeth grit, her expression clouded by anger. "You're too much of a whipped puppy to notice anything anymore, that's just how strong of a hold Nakajima has on you."
"Well then, Sanyu." Shin took a step back, glaring down at her in annoyance. "I had no idea you felt that way. Thanks for the string of insults, as usual."
"Oh, Shin, honestly!" She rolled her eyes at him, again, as if he really were daft. "It's not like it isn't true! And you should know, it's beyond frustrating, to watch from the sidelines as she leads you on, with no intention of actually returning your affections. She either doesn't care as much as you think she does, or, she's a spineless coward who's too afraid to hit you with the truth."
"Why are you telling me this now!?" He clenched his fists, voice quavering with hurt and frustrations of his own. "After everything we've been plotting together, suddenly you're―"
"I'm telling you now, because I'm afraid of what she might to do you in the end." Sanyu snapped, turning and pushing him back with her hand, her painted nails stark against the black wool of his jacket. "Nakajima is a safe girl, who does everything by the book. Even if the two of you were to try making it work together, she could never give you what you need. You need someone who can understand your wild side, someone who has one of their own."
She stopped, breathing harshly against his chest. Her eyes slowly trailed the length of him, up to his neck muscles straining with the words he was holding back, to his defined jawline, to his lips...
Shin reached for her, his hands shaking as they settled on her waist. She inhaled sharply, at that, eyes fluttering to meet his own.
"You..." He shook his head, his voice low and the confusion evident all over his face. "You don't know what I need." He pushed her backwards, giving himself some much-needed space. For as small as Sanyu was... her presence could be overpowering. "And honestly, given how much energy has been invested at this point, I would at least like to try and take my shot. With or without your help." He pulled his hands away, reaching up to straighten out his flyaway hairs, turning to leave. "Now if you'll excuse me, Renei is probably downstairs being flocked by other men and I'd prefer not to keep her waiting―"
"I like you."
He stopped, mid-step, with his back facing her.
"I like you, and I don't want you to go back to her." Sanyu took a deep breath, shoulders lifting, then dropping heavily. "I want you all to myself."
Shin turned around, slowly. His eyes were as wide as saucers. "I didn't think that... it could actually be true." He gaped at her, watching her wring her hands in front of herself, watching her eyes flicker with emotions he often felt for Renei― desperation. Desire. "Why?" He couldn't get the question out fast enough. "What... what changed?"
"I don't really know, myself." Sanyu shrugged. "But honestly, can't you feel it too? This... spark between us? It took me a while to notice it myself, but..." She took a step toward him, wearing the most honest expression he'd ever seen from her. Honest, and vulnerable, too. "We are oddly similar, don't you agree? We would work well together, far better than you and Renei ever would."
Shin stared at her for a long time, his mind doing what felt like a million somersaults.
So Renei had been correct in her assumptions about Sanyu. What's more, shouldn't it bother him more, that she could see if before he could? Perhaps he really was stupid? And shouldn't it bother him that Renei supported this? Because he liked Renei, and Sanyu was supposed to be the one helping him get Renei to like him back, and in turn, he was going to let Sanyu have Tora, but then, that wouldn't be very fair to Sanyu, given how Tora had started treating her...
Honestly, at this point, he was beginning to realize that he wasn't okay with Igarashi having either one of them for himself.
What did that mean, exactly? Did he simply despise Tora so much that he didn't want the guy to have any woman to himself? Or did he feel a flicker of something for Sanyu, like what he felt for Renei? Was it his Hero complex shining through, his wish to help anyone in need, or where these two women simply the only exceptions in his eyes?
Shin had told Renei that his relationship with Sanyu was complicated. And it had been, before. But now... he couldn't even begin to describe how he felt about it. About any of this.
At most, he could confidently say that he was confused beyond belief.
"Sanyu, you... You only like me because I was friendly with you, in the midst of Igarashi treating you poorly." Shin started, not knowing what else to say. He felt that perhaps he was in denial about the whole thing, but he had to say something, didn't he? Sanyu deserved an answer now, not in a week's time when he could finally piece this all together in his head. "I have a hard time believing that it could be anything more than that." He grabbed the back of his neck, rubbing anxiously, paranoid for her answer ― because he knew her well enough by now to know that she could be downright terrifying when she didn't get her way. "Besides, you can't encourage me to make a move on Renei, to be her escort to the party tonight, and then immediately after that change your mind and say that you 'want me for yourself instead."
Sanyu took several steps back, staring at him with utter... was that a look of betrayal he caught in her eyes? What?
"You judge me." She said it so quiet, he almost didn't catch it. "For sleeping with him, for letting him use me. You've judged me this whole time, haven't you?"
Shin opened his mouth, then shut it just as quickly. He was lost, for all of ten seconds, before finding his voice again. "I mean... not exactly, but, well... why do you think I've been fighting so hard to keep Renei away from him? I already knew of his reputation with women well enough, but after listening firsthand to the way the two of you have used each other... I was even more angry at the guy. Igarashi thinks he can just do whatever he wants to whoever he wants, then throw them away. He ruins everyone he gets close to―"
He certainly didn't anticipate the aching sting across his left cheek, interrupting him mid-sentence. He blinked, turning his head slightly to look down at Sanyu's raised hand.
She'd charged right up to him, and slapped him.
"What the hell, Sanyu?!"
"I am not ruined." She breathed out harshly, focusing her coldest glare onto him. "But thank you, Shin, for opening my eyes to the fact that you've seen me as nothing more than damaged goods this entire time."
"I didn't mean to say it like―"
"Clearly, you did!" She spat at him, and he flinched. "And you're a fool for it! You're the biggest idiot I have ever had the displeasure of pouring my heart out to!" She stomped her foot, as if to relieve more of her anger, and turned past him to march for the doors.
"Sanyu!" Shin spun around, one hand holding his cheek, the other reaching for her arm. "Please, wait, listen! I know how that sounded but I honestly didn't mean for it to―"
"You need to get this knowledge into that thick skull of yours, Yoshikawa! You can't play at being a knight, all gentle and sweet and polite, when you're lying about your identity to the princess." She looked over her shoulder to seethe at him, and was quick to smack his hand away. "The princess has fallen for the dragon's charm, anyway, so there's really nothing left for you to do at this point but accept defeat!"
"I can't... Sanyu... just wait... Please, wait." Shin called after her, his eyes wide with panic and disbelief at what she'd said; at how completely hurt and infuriated she'd sounded. She looked so livid, but crestfallen at the same time. Her voice shook and rose dramatically, until she had screamed the last two words in his face.
She didn't wait. She was gone long before he was able to gather his thoughts into some semblance of order, leaving behind the sharp sting in his cheek and a newfound guilt gnawing at him.
"I really am an exceptional idiot, aren't I?" He mocked himself, slumping back against the railing and staring blankly up at the moon.
xx
It occurred to Tora, as he was staring into his fiancée's startled face with ire and lust sheeting the gold of his eyes, that what he felt for her was something that would continue to bring forth a side of himself that even he could be surprised at.
He'd almost forgotten how it felt, to be filled with so much bitter resentment, all because of that cretin, Usui.
Seeing him with Renei... it made an old spark of anger ignite. Perhaps he could stomach seeing that fool Yoshikawa parade her around, but Usui Takumi...
Tora would be damned if he let that pretty boy 'Prince Charming' take another good thing out from under him.
The jealousy flared brightly in his chest the moment Renei had said the other boy's name, and he hated that it was there. This time around was so much worse than how it had felt with Misaki. With her, it had been less about jealousy and more about... the competition. The exciting way she stirred things up, and how making a move on her in any way always got a rise out of Usui, whom Tora saw as a rival since day one and therefore, thoroughly enjoyed poking fun at.
But this time around, there was nothing fun about the thought of sharing Renei's attention with the other man. Tora didn't want to play that game again, not this time around, not with this woman. She was promised to him, after all, not the other blond. Tora had known her first, had spent time with her family, had witnessed the best and worst versions of her personality first-hand.
So he was allowed to be possessive of her, and he was allowed to be the one who got riled up when Usui went anywhere near her. While the jealousy was unsettling, he couldn't help it at this stage. There was something about Renei, in particular, that made him want to unleash it ― made him want to grab her and hold her and kiss her as many times as it took, to let every other man on the planet (Prince Charming especially) know that she was his.
Having her chest pressed up against him, her eyes looking wildly into his own, was a good start.
"You're too close, Igarashi," Renei huffed, trying to push her arms between them to grant herself some space.
"But you wanted my attention, didn't you?" He smiled at her, something he was all too aware was more wolfish than polite.
Having her glare on him felt nice, nicer than he'd remember it ever feeling. "No!" She denied it, her teeth gritting and her frustration flaring up. "I didn't. In fact, I―"
He tugged on the shawl, effectively pulling her even closer to him. Their breaths mingled in the air, his lips trailing from the corner of her mouth, to her cheek, to tickle her reddening ears. "Your burning glances throughout the night said otherwise." He lowered his voice to the lightest rumble, delighting in the way she shivered.
"W-well you were clearly set on ignoring me, so it's not like they mattered!" Renei shot back, and when she tried to stomp her foot over his, he spun them back toward the sinks, throwing her off balance.
He shoved her playfully, her lower back hitting the edge of the sink as he dropped the shawl and pressed one of his legs between both of hers. His hand reached to cup her cheek, and her eyes blinked wide at the gesture.
She's cute when she doesn't know what's going on, Tora spared a passing thought, smirking to himself.
"How else should I treat you, after you've rejected me so harshly, my dear?" The question came out airy, light, and far too casual for the subject at hand.
She seemed to stop breathing, at that. "What?"
He cocked an eyebrow. "Don't play stupid, Renei. It really doesn't suit you."
"I'm just..." She shook her head, and glanced to his other hand, which had landed beside her on the edge of the sink. "Look. Tora. I didn't reject you, but I didn't know how to respond, after..."
"We kissed." His eyes narrowed. "And you were enjoying it quite a bit, if I remember correctly. But then you shoved me away, made a comment about comparing our kiss to Usui and his girlfriend's sickening, undying love for each other, and ran off before I could say anything in response."
Renei opened her mouth, but her mind had clearly blanked out. She couldn't seem to look him in the eye, and the guilt was written all over her face.
Tora waited, until very lightly, her foot kicked against his leg. "What they have isn't sickening." Her tone was quiet, nearly inaudible. Such shyness, Tora decided then and there, looked very strange on her.
"If that's the kind of thing you really want, then I can't help you there." Set with stubborn resolve, he stepped back, letting her have her space again. "It's exactly why I decided to ignore you tonight. There's no point in me acting like a prince, when I am so clearly the villain in your mind."
Her eyes snapped up to his, then, and she leveled him with a newfound glare. "The real question is why do you feel this incessant need to act like a villain? I wouldn't see you as such, otherwise. You don't have to be that way. And you don't have to act like prince charming, either."
Tora's eyes narrowed at how sure she sounded, of that. "Don't I?"
"No, you don't! Just stop acting in the first place!" She stood up straight, trying to make sure they were eye to eye while she carried on with her nagging. "Do you know how exhausting it is, trying to keep up with all of your different personas? One moment, you seem like you want me, and the next, you seem as if you cannot stand to be in the same room as me! You constantly keep me guessing and do you know how much sleep I've lost because of it?!"
She stepped forward, shoving a finger into his chest, eyes alive with varying emotions. "I already had the hardest time deciding if I was even going to show up tonight, and then when I did get here, nervous as all hell just to be in the same building as you... You acted as if I didn't even exist! As if you didn't have a care in the world!"
"Tell me, then," Tora grit his teeth, his jaw locking up with the usual stiffness that came around whenever she was proving to be particularly vexing. "How am I supposed to react to a woman who runs for the hills as soon as I get close to her, yet follows me with her eyes from a distance? I couldn't very well walk up to you with that mutt hanging all over you, anyway."
"I've been feeling confused, alright?! And Shin's presence around me has certainly never stopped you from butting in before!"
He snorted, opting to ignore that last part. "I still fail to see what there is to be confused about, from my end. You're the one who showed up in that," He looked pointedly at her cleavage. "revealing outfit, with another man on your arm."
"And what about you and Rulin-san? She was supposed to be on your arm tonight." Renei's lips tilted sharply into a frown. "And then you showed up without her, and I..."
"You seemed to be happy enough, with your date."
"If you had looked at me even once this whole night, then you'd have been able to tell how unhappy I truly was."
"That," Tora's voice fell to a lower octave, deep and dark and altogether chilling. "certainly didn't stop you from dressing up for him."
"It wasn't for him, so for the love of god, would you kindly stop fixating on that?!" Renei groaned, throwing her hands into the air in a wholeheartedly frustrated manner. "This is impossible to explain, when you're acting like this!"
Tora was glowering at her, golden eyes practically aflame as they watched her, red-faced and chest heaving, in that sinfully absurd, perfectly fitted dress. "Fine then. Try me." He muttered in bitter contempt.
"Kaon put me up to it, which should have been obvious to you. In fact, I figured you already knew." Renei watched him for a reaction, but his gaze was guarded, giving nothing away. She rolled her eyes at his stubborn facade. "I'm going to assume that you found out, at some point... and that you're smart enough to have figured out by now that she's been playing us both for quite some time. She's the reason you invited Sanyu as your date, and the reason I invited Shin as mine. And the only reason I listened to her is because... well, initially, I was angry with you. And I was worried about Shin, because he was spending an unnatural amount of time with Sanyu, and I didn't want him being led down a difficult, slippery slope... He used to have a lot of troubled habits in the past, you see, and I didn't think Sanyu was the best influence―"
"So you did all of this to protect him?" Tora cut in, eyes flickering like candles in the wind. "You really have no idea how men work, do you, Renei?"
She sighed and gave him an annoyed look. "Apparently not, if this is where the night has gotten me... I don't like how many times I've had to explain this, to multiple sources, but... I didn't ever want to lead him on. It was never my intention to do so, and yet, part of me did want to use him to get a rise out of you... at the very least, I should be honest about that much."
"I could think of a couple of other things you could be more honest about." Tora cocked an eyebrow at her, lips pursed as he mulled things over.
"Oh, yeah? Like what?" She challenged him immediately, something that he could have seen coming from a mile away.
"I have compiled quite the list, actually." He tapped a finger to the side of his head, smirking. "Would you like me to start from the beginning? Or I could work my way backwards, if you'd like."
"If you are going to be this annoying about it, I'd rather not―"
"You and Usui."
Her eyes went wide, as if she weren't expecting that. "I beg your pardon?"
Tora's gaze, in response, darkened; his entire demeanor shifting from sarcastic to harsh and resentful in the blink of an eye. "What is the nature of your relationship?"
"Are you serious? That isn't even remotely..." Renei paused, gauging him with her eyes. It took a full minute, before she was smirking at him. "You know what? I think you should learn to mind your own business, for once."
"You are my business." He took a step toward her again. "And, funnily enough, so is he."
"Wow." It was her turn to raise an eyebrow at him, this time, acting all arrogant and blasé. "What a delightfully creepy thing to say."
"It's the truth." Tora huffed. "And I told you before, not to cause any trouble, or else I'd have to step in."
Her smirk seemed to widen. "But I didn't cause any―"
"You spilled a drink on my esteemed guest tonight. You whisked him away from everyone else, when it is his job to socialize and make new connections here. Not only that, but you took it all a step further by pulling attention away from him, by showing up in inappropriate attire."
"Inappropriate? For God's sake, Igarashi, it's not as though I'm wearing lingerie!"
Amber eyes flashed at her words, and for a moment, he looked... hungry. "Hmm. As much as I'd like to comment on that... there are rules, Nakajima. Things that you can and cannot do. I've told you this, time and again, and yet you continue to challenge me at every turn."
"It wasn't even my choice to―"
"You can't spill drinks on my guests. I know," He held up a hand to stop her from denying it. "that you did it on purpose."
"I'd actually say that was the highlight of Usui's evening here. He was trapped, miserable, and I needed a way out too. We were just―" She shook her head, putting a quick end to her explanation. "Wait, why am I explaining myself to you? I shouldn't have to."
Tora gave her a look. "You can't just―"
"Oh cut the bullshit already, we should be past that by now. You aren't mad about the drink, you're not even mad that Usui left. The only thing bothering you is the fact that I've been around every man here tonight, aside from you. And you know what? That's your own damn fault."
"I do believe," Tora's voice was a little too soft with his next words, filled with a certain anger she could not place. "that you threw yourself at him. Literally, I might add. And he leaned into it, all too happy to let you sweep him away."
"Are you..." Renei stared at him, mouth agape as she seemed to realize something for the first time. "No, no... Really? You can't seriously be jealous of Usui. He's devoted to someone else, we both know that, and I'm―"
"Strutting around in a dress of sin with that attention whore Yoshikawa, of all people?"
"Enough about the dress, Tora! I'm honestly sick of all the attention over it."
"Oh, really?" He took a single, dangerous step closer to her, a telltale, devious smirk dancing across his face. "So you wouldn't mind if I just ripped the damn thing off of you, then?"
Renei placed a hand up between them, her eyes scanning his for how serious he was about the threat. It unsettled her greatly that he appeared to be, quite, serious. "You are clearly a bit unhinged. If I had known that wearing this would have affected you in such a way, then I wouldn't have worn it, no matter how much the Elite insisted―"
"You would." Tora leant closer, closing the space between them with another step. He didn't even bother to acknowledge her hand as his chest bumped into it, her soft palm bracing against the hard muscle beneath his shirt. "You've done it before, getting my attention only to rip the rug out from under me, and you would do it again."
Renei tried her best to protest, but her voice wavered with the words, "No, no, I wouldn't!"
Tora grabbed her by the waist, firm, rough, and demanding with his touch. His eyes were another thing entirely ― sparkling, bright, alight with something that could only be described as the most dreadful desire.
"You know that you would. And I'd still succumb to it, again and again, and do you know why?"
Slowly, as if under some sort of spell, she shook her head at him. Her bottom lip, he couldn't help noticing, was being nibbled at by the sharp tug of her own teeth.
Tora looked into her eyes, and saw anticipation lingering in their depths.
He laughed, breathily, and spanned his palm up across the bare skin of her back. His eyes closed, for a brief instant, as he pictured all the other moments he'd shared with her, being in such close proximity to her as this.
His voice is so, so quiet, when he finally admits, "It's because you bewitch me, Renei. Like no woman has before. The thought of any other man having you, touching you, eats away at my sanity, do you understand?"
His eyes opened, then, to have another look at her. She had released the hold on her lip, and was staring at him with a shocked, almost shattered expression.
"I..." Renei sighed as his warm, long fingers gently trailed up her back, tickling her skin, reveling in the feel of her beneath his hands. She, too, reveled in the feel of him; so much so that she could hardly think to form words. "Aren't you― aren't you the least bit concerned over the fact that Usui left? That he's probably going to spend the rest of his night with Misaki, who you―"
"Nothing could be less important to me right now." Tora intoned, his hand on her waist squeezing lightly, pulling her ever-closer to him. "And why do you care so much about it, hn?"
"I never said that I―"
"No." He squeezed again, firmer this time, while the other hand at her back traced circles between her shoulder blades. "Why do you care, Renei? Where is the girl who doesn't give a damn what others think? The girl who played the piano at my family estate as if the rest of the world around her had disappeared?"
Renei blushed at his words. "Tora... I hardly think that was anything special."
He glanced up into her eyes, a smile forming at his lips. "I'm not finished. Won't you tell me where she is? Where is the girl..." He leant forward, bumping his forehead against hers and sighing as he spoke. She felt warm and familiar to him, and he liked it immensely, having her so near. "the spectacular woman, who brought the piano keys to life and smiled as if that was her sole purpose in life? To make a room go still with her musical prowess, to make a whole crowd of people stop and stare at her... and yet, no one could touch her when she played. Just as your mother couldn't touch you, not anymore, when you stood up to her that night. Just as my parents couldn't touch you, when you left them behind at the table. They had to send me instead, and I..." He paused, realizing that he was running his mouth without even thinking twice about it.
"You... what?" Her voice was a whisper, soft and sweet beside his ear.
"I've never been so delightfully astonished," He slowly admitted, fingers still tracing somewhere around her back. "as when I watched you, tipsy thing that you were, punch Izaki so hard in the face that he fell to the ground." He chuckled, recalling the memory with no small amount of fondness. "And when you kissed me underneath that teacher's podium, as if the act itself would breathe new life into the both of us... that was the second time I've ever been so completely discomposed in my life."
"I had no idea that you felt that way," Renei frowned, he could feel it as her forehead wrinkled in thought. Her voice sounded small, as if she were reluctant to say anything more.
She didn't trust herself, at the moment. Tora knew this well enough, due to the way her body was trembling, just slightly, beneath his dizzying, delicate touches.
"My point is..." Tora leaned back again, to properly look her in the eye. "Where is that woman? And why do you hide her away, more often than you let her out?" He raised an eyebrow at her, and pinched her side enough to make her jolt. "Or do you actually enjoy playing the part of a meek, paranoid puppet?"
"I am not a puppet, Tora." She stated gruffly, one of her hands moving to swat away the fingers of his pinching at her waist.
"Then why do always have to fall in line with what others expect of you? Why don't you just let yourself be free?" He had wondered this, to himself, for quite a long time now. It was a big part of the reason why he always pushed her buttons so much, trying to get fresh, unfiltered reactions from her.
"And what would it mean," Her eyes found his with a sudden frustration, and her voice sharpened with a whole lot of vitriol. "for me to be free in our world? You know how it is as well as I do. We have duties that we can't just walk away from. So what would true freedom mean?"
He quirked his other eyebrow at her, because he sensed a rant coming on. "Renei―"
"Would it mean hurting whoever I want, if they get in my way, like you do? Would it mean disrespecting and disregarding other's feelings for my own selfish benefit? Always letting my will run wild, no matter who might suffer from my actions along the way?"
"Renei."
"I want to know. Or do you not have an answer for me?"
He paused to think about it, his fingers leaving the space they'd been occupying for several minutes on her back.
"It would mean," When he looked back at her, once he'd decided on what to say, his hand moved instead to touch her cheek. "Playing the piano, not because you were asked to in order to show off, but because it simply makes you happy to."
His thumb brushed over a few of the faded freckles under her eyes, and she squinted at him.
"It would mean wearing whatever you wanted, keeping to the more modest, simplistic styles that suit you far better than some gaudy red dress..." He paused, grabbing the hand that clenched at her side, and bringing it up to his lips. When he brushed his lips across her knuckles, soft as can be, his eyes looked straight into hers as if the whole world narrowed down to her face, her hand in his, her sunkissed skin flushing with the more attention he showered upon her. "And it would mean that you could kiss me all you wanted, without it having to mean anything to anyone else. You could have me, however you'd like, without feeling pressured into it, or forced."
Renei stared at him, for what felt like a long, long time. She appeared to be soaking up his words, calculating how true he was being. And he was willing to be remarkably patient for her, lips quirking into a signature smirk when she moved her fingers to finally intertwine with his own.
"I don't know―" She choked, her eyes fluttering closed as she took a deep breath to steady herself. "I don't know how to take what I want. Most of my life, or at least since the day my mother started to control everything from behind the scenes... I just..." She opened her eyes to look back into his, a world of hurt and uncertainty dancing within her indigo orbs. "I can't remember what it's like, to live in a world where I get to choose."
Tora's smirk grew into a full-blown grin, and he laughed lightly, squeezing her hand. She seemed to smile at the sound, her breath leaving her in a small chuff of air between them as she laughed a little, too, at her own foolishness.
"Is that why you fight with me so much?" Tora's canines flashed as he grinned in sharp amusement at her. "Because I'm the one person that pushes you to make your own decisions? Even though your goal is to marry me, from the first day I showed you my true colors, I told you that isn't what I wanted. And that meant you didn't have to play nice anymore. You could choose to act however you wanted around me..." His voice sharply lowered to a growl, "Insolent, stubborn, spiteful, and at times even..." He pressed his lips to her ear, and just barely brushed his lips against it in a sly whisper, "Quite ruthless."
Renei bit her lip again, leaning back to meet his eyes. She blinked at him, appearing quite surprised, as if she had never stumbled across this revelation herself.
Tora nearly laughed directly in her face, but his voice came out on a mocking, amused wisp of breath instead. He cocked his head slightly and asked, "You really didn't realize it?"
"I did, somewhat. It's just odd to hear you say it out loud. The fact that I have actually been letting my guard down around you more and more, all this time, is odd... because I've been practicing from the beginning to always keep my guard up, when you're around."
Tora gazed down at their entwined fingers. "I think it's safe to say that I've let my guard down quite a bit, too." And he was surprised to find that such a thing... did not completely unnerve him, as it would have in the past.
His father would, of course, call him weaker for it. His mother would scoff and tell him that, no matter how he grew or changed, he'd always turn out to be just like his father in the end. She would always go on claiming that the two of them were already too similar, for him not to follow in the man's footsteps.
"You have no idea how nice it is," Renei's smile, and her finger brushing against his lips, brought Tora's bitter thoughts to a grinding halt. "to hear this mouth speaking openly, without riddles or lies, for once."
"Well, dealing with the fake versions of you has been exceedingly frustrating, as well. You've acted like such an idiot, at times," Tora sneered at her, and pretended to bite at her finger. She pulled back immediately, her eyes narrowing at his words.
"Are you still of the opinion that I'm nothing more than a silly girl who lacks common sense?"
"Partially."
"Tora!" She smacked his arm, and it stunned him for a moment ― how playful and casual the action was.
"You can just be so..." He hummed thoughtfully, glancing upward as if the answers were written on the ceiling. "Well." He smirked soon after, looking back to her with bits of annoyance and displeasure sparking throughout his gaze. "It isn't exactly sensible, the things that you've done to get on my nerves. To name the most recent one," He held up a hand, and waved to her appearance. "Showing up here in a dress like that, on that fool Yoshikawa's arm..."
"You keep circling back to this damn dress." Renei stated dryly, eyebrows arching in a flawless mimicry of the look he often gave her. "Even though I've assured you that I had no idea it would affect you this much."
"You always tend to have an effect," Tora growled, a hand falling to trace the curve of her stomach, the side of her hip. "No matter the times when I've tried to ignore it."
Her gaze softened, just a bit. "Is that so?"
His golden orbs darkened as they swept over her again, drinking her in like a man dying of thirst. He'd been quietly fuming over the stupid dress for most of the evening, but even if he didn't like seeing her in it... part of him couldn't help but to appreciate the view all the other men had been treating themselves to.
"You didn't let me explain myself after our kiss." Tora's voice was low, bordering on sultry as he pressed the heel of his hand into the small of her back, and brought her swaying slightly closer to him. He dipped his head forward and down, brushing his nose against the line of her throat, pressing his lips to her neck and smiling when she, predictably, shuddered. "It's been the slowest form of starvation," He mumbled. "having such distance put between us after getting that close."
"Why," Renei sounded breathless, and his other hand flew up to her shoulder, tracing mindless patterns again, trailing slowly down her arm. He growled once more, the sound almost a purr against her neck, as she shivered; and he was thoroughly pleased that the barest touches from him made her react as if he'd sent lightning zipping up her spine. "Why are you telling me this?"
He shrugged, grinning something wild, teeth grazing her smooth, tanned skin as he let both his hands land on either side of her hips. "Starving men do stupid things."
"Is it stupid, then, to reveal your true feelings?"
Tora chuckled. "You're asking me?"
Her hand found his chin, and he allowed her to pull his face up to hers.
Her eyes were shining and sincere. "I suppose I haven't been all that forthright with my true feelings, myself, have I?"
"I don't know." He couldn't help but to smirk. "You tell me."
"I think I'd rather..." She smiled, shyly, demurely, and he furrowed his brow at the sight. "show you?"
A split second passed, and Tora blinked at her, wide eyed, shocked stiff from her sudden forwardness.
She placed her hands on his chest, and wet her lips with her tongue, and his fingers pressed more firmly against her hips as if that was the very thing that would be his undoing.
"Renei."
It was unsettling, this fire she elicited within him. It pinned him in place, it struck deep, and it burned. It swept through and scarred his insides, in the most beautiful, chaotic way possible.
"Tora," He could read something similar within her eyes, the longing tugging at her core in the very same way. It caused a strain to rise in her voice, and he realized with the sharpest clarity, before she said anything, that she burned for him too. "I―"
A sound ― the sharp slap of the bathroom door hitting the wall it stood against ― caused the two of them to jump apart in the next instant.
And for some unfathomable reason, perhaps because the Universe could be cruel and unusual with its punishments, Sanyu rushed in ― her face red and her mascara running, a hand held to her eyes to try to hide her tears. She was cursing up a whirlwind in Russian, her words spitting out of her in the iciest, most bitter of tones.
She looked up a moment too late, noticing the pair of them, and froze on the spot.
Tora did not hesitate to send her his most potent glare.
"Uh..." Renei stared down at the smaller woman, not knowing what to say. Clearly, things hadn't gone well with Shin, and given how much Sanyu seemed to despise her... well, she had a feeling that offering words of comfort would only end in the other woman lunging at her to claw out her eyes.
"Something the matter, Rulin?" Tora spat, causing the girl to ball her hands into fists and seethe silently for all of ten seconds.
"YOU TWO!" She screeched at them, the sound echoing off the walls of the bathroom and causing both of them to stiffen. Sanyu sniffled and ran her fingers underneath her eyes, as if that would help clear away the puffiness. "You are the last people on the planet that I wish to see right now!"
"Well don't let us stop you from leaving, then." Tora gestured across the room. "The door is right over there."
"I came here, to the women's restroom, for some privacy!" Sanyu looked ready to kill him, and Renei was sure that if she had it her way, Tora would be dead several times over. The sheer amount of hatred in her gaze was practically lethal, in and of itself. "I certainly didn't think any couples would be in here, about to fuck each other in one of the stalls!"
"We were not about to―" Renei started, only to be swiftly cut off.
"But now that I have barged in on the two of you, I'm not leaving." Sanyu's bright blue eyes had never looked more like pure, glistening ice, than in this moment. "In fact, I have something I'd like to say." Her eyes zeroed in on the other girl in the room. "Nakajima. Tsk. I know you don't like me very much, but with what I'm about to tell you, I do expect you to thank me afterward."
"Thank you?" Renei balked at the very thought. "And I never said I didn't like you, Rulin."
A snake-like grin was at her lips as Sanyu purred viciously, "Oh, so you don't have a problem with me fucking your fiancé, then?"
Renei's brow twitched, and her lips pursed, and she tried (and failed miserably) to keep a blank expression on her face.
"It's really none of my business," She muttered darkly, after a moment to gather her composure. "That you're wasting your time on men who are already promised to another. Is seduction the only tool that you have at your disposal to get into people's good graces? Because your lousy personality has not garnered you any positive attention, of that, I am certain."
Tora whistled, long and low, and she glanced over to see him looking between the two of them with both eyebrows quirked upward, and one hand lifted to carefully conceal what must have been a smirk on his face.
"You're enjoying this far too much." Renei hissed at him, and his eyes glimmered with amusement.
"Oh, my." Sanyu scoffed, after sparing Tora a sharp, cutting glance of her own. "Look at you, kotenok. So lively today. Did I hit a nerve? Since when did you have claws?"
Renei's attention snapped back on to her. "Don't call me that."
"You don't even know what it means."
"True, but I know when I'm being mocked."
"Hmm." Sanyu lifted a hand to her chin, and tapped her nails against her cheek. "And do you know why I'm mocking you?"
"No." Renei folded her arms, and frowned at her. "Would you care to enlighten me?"
"You were manipulated into coming here with Shin tonight, rather than this piece of human trash." Sanyu gestured to Tora, who had folded his arms and stood back against a stall door to continue to watch the carnage play out in front of him (from a safer distance). "You've successfully managed to sink your claws into one man, but now that you've got his attention, you're running around playing a games with the other, leading him on inevitably. It's pathetic and disgusting, and if you ask me, it's far past the time for you to start getting your priorities straight―"
"I'm not going to take advice from the type of woman," Renei took a step forward. "Who jumps needlessly, no, helplessly from one man to another." She gave Sanyu a slow, steady once-over. "From the looks of you, it never works out too well, does it?"
That last comment caused Rulin to bare her teeth, as if she were a feral animal. "You don't even know the half of what I've had to endure! I value myself more than―"
"If that were actually true," Renei felt the need to point out. "Then you wouldn't be throwing yourself, not only at my fiancé, but at my best friend now as well."
"Oh, fucking puh-lease. Stop acting as though the idea of me and Tora together is even relevant at this point. It isn't. And why don't the two of you just get married already? Or at the very least, do us all a favor and get it all out of your systems." Sanyu wrinkled her nose, as if the very thought made her want to retch. "Lord knows the two of you need it. You're just perfect for each other, I can see that clear as day by now. Both so tightly wound, ready to snap at any point. So calm on the surface, but boiling underneath. You're arrogant, careless and excessively hubristic―"
"Our relationship," Renei took another step forward, her fists coming down to hang at her side. "Isn't any of your concern!"
Sanyu laughed, hard, at that; in fact, she nearly doubled over. "If only you knew! If only you knew, Nakajima, just how much involvement outsiders have had in your relationship."
"What―"
"But that's besides the point I'm trying to make. I'll concede that you and Tora are meant to be together, but if that's to be the case, then you can't keep dragging Shin along as well. That isn't fair to him," Sanyu's eyes met Renei's with a bitter, glittering resentment. "But I would gladly take him off your hands, and treat him with all the fairness that he deserves."
"Yoshikawa already spoke with you, didn't he? So you know that he isn't anymore yours to play with than I am Tora's." Renei glanced back at Tora swiftly, flushing when he smirked at her, cocking his head slightly... endless amusement, and a hint of a promise, dancing within his eyes. Quick as a flash, she looked away. He was too damn distracting, and infuriating, for his own good. "I wonder just when it is that you two will learn we are people, not possessions or pets."
"Ironic that you say that, when you've possessed Shin from the very beginning." Sanyu glanced down at her nails, inspecting them with a sigh. "He's like a dog, you know. Tora always said so, and I agree. Shin is a dog, with a neglectful master, who won't pay attention to him... Yet he can't help but to keep coming back for more of the same treatment, because he is still being fed and given pats on the head every now and again." Her eyes flashed back toward Renei. "Or are you not aware of how long he's waited for you? It'd be downright cruel of you if you did know, yet decided to dress up like that tonight and throw him a bone anyway―"
"I was pushed into this," Renei cut in, voice quavering with emotion. "All of it! It wasn't my intention to 'drag him along' and if anything, he's been the one dragging me with him all night."
"Oh, poor kitten! Do you expect me to feel sorry for you?"
"No. I don't." A long, tired sigh escaped Renei's lips, as she fought to find the patience for this. "Honestly Rulin, it can't be helped that I'm engaged to Igarashi. And furthermore, Shin isn't anything other than a friend sticking by my side for the evening."
Sanyu glowered at her. "That's not the way he sees it. But, in any case... I still wanted to advise you to back. The fuck. Off."
"I'm not doing anything!" Renei raised her arms, far past the point of simple frustration at this point. She was starting to get angry, and she did not want to deal with Rulin's problems, on top of her own, right now. "I'm just trying to survive the drama at this point! It has never been my intention to get in anyone's way of anything, aside from getting between you and Tora, since I'm the one meant to marry him―"
"Igarashi is a spoiled little rich boy who doesn't know a good thing when he has it."
"Well that's a bit insulting." Tora cut in, as if to ease the tension... but he had only succeeded in making it considerably worse.
"SHUT UP!" Sanyu's lips curled into a growl, before her eyes slid back to Renei. "Now, Shin, on the other hand... he would do his best to treat a woman right." Her face soured for the fraction of a second. "Although he can be such an idiot at times, saying the wrong thing, so oblivious to just how much power he actually has over others. He's more influential than he knows, and he's clearly not above lying to get his way..."
"You can't just assume that about him." Renei scoffed at the other girl. "Shin is the most honest person I know."
"Hmm." Sanyu attained a secret smile that instantly put everyone else in the room on edge. "Yes... He treats you well, doesn't he?"
"He treats his other friends the same way as he treats―"
"Do not," Sanyu took a step forward this time, wagging a finger in Renei's face. "Lie. To. My. Face."
"Fine, then." Renei huffed, and lightly shoved the other girl's hand away. "He may treat me a bit... differently... That being the case, what do you want me to do about it? I'm up for taking suggestions. It's not as though I want that sort of attention from him."
Sanyu cocked her head to the side. "If not from him, then from whom? Your shitty fiance?"
"Don't even go there anymore. This isn't about him right now."
"Oh, so the princess is protecting the dragon now?" Sanyu cooed, and it made Renei twitch. "After all he's done to get under your skin? All the fire he's breathed in your face?" Her mouth dropped open, and she held a hand up in shock. "Don't tell me, you've actually fallen for him?!" She barked out a laugh.
As calm as she could, Renei raised an eyebrow and moved to step around the other girl. "You know what? This conversation is over."
"No," Sanyu grit her teeth, and reached for her. "It isn't."
Renei spun on a dime, grabbed the girl's wrist, and threw her backwards ― hard. Her breathing was uneven as she pinned the smaller girl with a glare, whispering harshly,
"Yes." Her voice held no room for argument. "It is. You've had your fun. Go home, Rulin. No one wants you here. Not me, not Igarashi," Her dark, shaded eyes narrowed. "And, given the state you were in when you walked in here... certainly not my best friend."
Sanyu's eyes narrowed back at her, and something... evil lit up within their depths. A slow, creepy grin crept onto her face. "Your best friend, you say? How sad, that you'd actually call him that, after the selfish way he's chosen to betray you."
The world seemed to stand still after those words. Renei felt, all at once, the racing of her heart and the flush within her cheeks. She felt the panic, intense and sudden as a flashflood, sweep through her system as she thought about the possibility that Shin ― Yoshikawa ― one of her closest friends, the man whose crooked smile brought her relief on many occasions, the man who told her softly, sweetly, that caring about her family was not a crime, that more people should care as much as she does... the boy who dragged her from her world of loneliness into his world of music and sweets, involving her in his grouping of friends, with all their lovable charm and laughter... the boy who reminded her to smile, to find the fun in things, to not take herself too seriously or overwork herself―
The thought of him betraying her, it was somehow too much to handle. Because if someone as loyal, as upbeat and reliable and friendly as that, could turn around and stab her in the back... then she didn't know how she would ever be able to trust anyone again.
And it had taken a long time for her to trust him, to allow herself to open up to him, in the first place.
Renei's eyes glimmered, a sadness tugging at her heart, but a rage falling across her face as she hissed, "You're not going to turn me against him with lies and―"
Sanyu cut her off, tongue like the sharpest blade as she said, "Interesting that you mention that word. Lie. He was so very specific about not wanting to lie to you, but, keeping the truth hidden from you... going behind your back in secret... Now that, was a good enough loophole for him. So long as you didn't ask any questions, he didn't plan on giving you any answers."
Renei felt her resolve slipping, her faith in Shin faltering. "What do you mean?"
"Don't ask me." The other girl shrugged. "He's a rather honest person, to a fault, as you've said. Sooo..." Blue eyes flashed with sinister delight, and Sanyu gleefully suggested, "Go and ask him yourself."
There was a silence that fell, for a beat, although Renei could have sworn that her heart was hammering loud enough to echo within the room.
"Fine then." She took a deep breath, in, then out, and stared from Sanyu's grinning visage to the shiny, marbled floors. "I will."
"Good! It's about time you found out how selfish he is." Like a snake, the shorter girl slithered back to Renei's side, and delicately patted her on the shoulder before whispering, "You know, he puts on a good act. But he really is meant to be with someone more like me. Someone who he wouldn't have to lie to."
"I'd say you're the liar." Came the bitter, hushed response. "And he already sees that, and he doesn't want it."
Sanyu raised her hand, as if to slap her. Renei raised her head, gazing deeply into her eyes and daring her to try. Just try it, and see what happens.
One pair of eyes glittered like ice, the other, boiled and blistered like fire colliding with water.
"I'd say," Sanyu stepped back, and flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "it's more a matter of what he needs, not what he thinks he wants. Anyway, don't say I didn't warn you. Better keep those claws sharp, kotenok. And I do expect you to thank me later."
Renei stared at her for a long, drawn out moment. And then she jumped, about five feet in the air, when Tora snuck up on her and placed a hand at the small of her back.
"And I do believe," His tone was low, a warning of sorts as he studied the look on her face. "That we should get the hell out of this bathroom."
She gazed at him, helpless to move on her own. She was too afraid to move. She was too afraid to face whatever horrors Sanyu might be speaking the truth about.
"C'mon," He nudged her forward, gentler than she'd expected, and they passed Sanyu ― with Tora standing between the two of them, tucking Renei closer on his other side.
"Wait." She paused at the door as he held it open for her, and turned to look back at the other girl.
Sanyu was staring at the two of them with a look of pure disgust written all over her face.
"Where's Shin?"
"That jackass?" Sanyu grumbled. "I left him on the balcony on the second floor. But knowing him, he's probably out looking for you, now."
Renei opened her mouth to defend him, but felt the gentle tug of Tora's hand on her arm.
"Renei." His voice was at her ear, surprising her, yet again, with how soft it sounded.
She followed him out the door without further prompting, although she was too stiff to lean into him, and too worried to notice when he stopped her in the middle of the hallway.
"nei... Renei. Woman, have you suddenly gone deaf?" It wasn't until Tora pinched her, harder than necessary, that Renei was able to snap back to her senses.
"I have to..." She stared at him, noticing the stark outline of his nose, the beautiful edge of his jaw, the worry lines in his forehead, and the way his lips were pulled into the slightest frown. By the Gods, this man was... exquisite. But she couldn't focus on him, right now. "I have to go talk to... fuck." She sighed, and groaned as if in pain; pulling away from him and collecting her face into her hands.
"You don't, actually." He pointed out. His arms folded, and he stared at her, as if that was that. "You don't have to do anything."
"I can't just ignore this!"
"You could," His eyes swept over her, all of her, and good god she was such a beautiful mess right now and this series of events simply was not fucking fair―and he sighed in frustration. "But you don't seem to be able to."
"We can... continue this later?" Renei looked up at him, peeking through the cracks in her fingers.
"We can."
She nodded, once, and peeled her hands away from her face. "Okay. I just need to figure out a few things, that―"
Her breath left her in a rush, the words falling into empty space as Tora looped an arm around her waist. His actions were so smooth, so quick, that she only had a moment to catch the ravenous look in his eyes, before he'd pulled her tightly to his chest and swept her into a kiss so blistering, so all-consuming, that she felt as if her feet had left the ground and her heart had lodged itself permanently in her throat.
It was like being licked by fire, starting from her mouth, and spreading all across her body.
When he let her go, breaths escaped them both in a rush. Their lips shined, their cheeks both flushed, their chests both heaved in unison.
"Come over tonight." He whispered, brushing the rough pad of his thumb gently across her lower lip.
Renei stared at him, speechless.
"Please." He added as an afterthought.
"I can't just― If Masao found out, he would―" She shook her head, as if that might help to clear the cotton that had filled her brain. "I have a few things I need to take care of, first."
"Think it over." Tora sounded so calm, it was almost remarkable, considering the look she'd seen in his eyes just moments ago. "I'll leave the front gates unlocked for you, and the doorman will know to let you in."
Her heart was, indeed, still lodged within her throat. Renei realized abruptly that she was excited. And terrified. And thrumming with far too much wild energy to make any clear decisions right now. "But what about―"
"My mother is most likely at some hotel with a stranger, and my father is away on business... likely, also, in the company of a stranger." He brushed the hair from his eyes, and shrugged.
Renei stiffened as she was left startled by his honesty. His family was more messed up than she had first thought. "I'll... I'll think about it." She found herself saying.
He smiled at her, and it was... everything. She wanted to kiss him all over again. His smirk was one thing, but when he smiled, and it was genuine like that... well. It was like walking out from the shade into a patch of warm sunlight. "Good." He leant forward and kissed her again. Soft and slow this time, with the addition of the sensual dip of his tongue against her lips, grazing the roof of her mouth just as his hands landed back on her hips... grazing upward, to her waist, pulling her tightly against his firm, muscled chest...
"Alright, already!" She had to place a hand to his chest to get him off of her, thinking that it would never end if she didn't put a stop to it herself. Tora merely blinked at her, as if he were so innocent; although the slow, lazy smile smoothing across his face said otherwise. "I have to go. I have to figure out whatever the hell is going on with Shin, and you should probably get back to the party, now that Usui is gone."
"I suppose you're right." Tora mused, leaning back and running a hand through his hair ― had she really messed it up that badly? Amazingly, she didn't recall running her own hands through it. His kisses were that distracting. Like honey and sunlight and fire and lightning.
She couldn't stop herself as she placed a hand on the back of his neck, and brought his lips to hers just one more time.
Tora groaned into her mouth, unexpectedly, and it sent a spike of delight through her system. He reached around and grabbed her other hand, bringing it to the side of his face. Then he made to grab for her, one hand resting just above the curve of her ass, the other tucking under her chin, making sure that the kiss lasted far longer than she'd planned.
Her mind was reeling, far too fast, and Renei thought that it would be quite impossible to describe this feeling to anyone who hadn't witnessed it for themselves. Kissing Tora was like sipping on the ambrosia of the Gods. It stoked her hunger for him, a thing she had only recently come to terms with, and it made her wonder: what the hell had taken her so long? Because who wouldn't want this? For anyone who hadn't kissed him, they'd never understand. They'd never understand how soft his lips were, how clever his tongue was, how beautiful his moans sounded in her ears. His hand shifted from her lower back to grasp, almost desperately, at the nape of her neck ― and it wasn't fair, at all, that when his teeth moved down to scrape against her lower lip, she felt a fresh wave of fire run through her, hot and heavy.
When his teeth ventured down to her jaw next, nipping delicately along the sensitive spot that connected just under her ear, she released a moan of her own.
Tora broke off from her then, sighing exasperatedly as his hands trailed to her shoulders and gently pushed her back. "That," When he spoke, his voice was raw and low and made her shiver for reasons she didn't want to think about, just yet. "Is simply not fair."
"Oh, I'm the one not being fair?" Renei laughed a bit, not able to believe this was happening, that they were both finally letting it happen... and trailed her eyes slowly over his form.
He was a sight, but then, wasn't he always? It was no secret that Tora looked good in a suit, but that wasn't what was getting to her at the moment. His chest was lifting and falling steadily, and her eye caught sight of his adam's apple bobbing as he tried to gather himself. He pulled away from her to run a hand through his hair again, and she wondered how he could make such a simple action look so attractive. He panted out another breath, slowly gaining back control over his faculties, and her eyes stayed on his lips, specifically on the curve of his cupid's bow that was begging to be kissed. And then there was his nose, so broad and straight and perfect, and his cheekbones, lit with a slight pink beneath his lightly golden skin, and his eyes...
She blinked, once she got to his eyes. Warmer than usual, like pools of amber, and staring at her a little expectantly.
"What are you staring at?" He asked her, a faint smirk playing around his lips.
"You, obviously." The words spilled out of her before she could think about them. "You're rather handsome, so I can't help it."
His curious expression got swept away by a slack-jawed expression, and she could have sworn, she saw more pink enter his cheeks as his brows lifted in surprise and his eyes widened in shock.
"Anyway, I'll... see you around." Renei stepped backward, shifting away from him before he could form a response.
Tora let out something like a sound of assent, and that famous smirk was back in a flash. "If I don't hear from you tonight, I'll be hard-pressed to believe Yoshikawa might have stolen you away again. I do hope that won't be the case."
She rolled her eyes at him. "If there is something fishy going on, I'm likely going to kill him, if the guilt doesn't eat away at him first." She frowned, then, falling all too quickly back into that horrible, dark place in her mind where the idea of him betraying her trust made her want to curl up in bed, beat her fists into a pillow, and scream. "I don't think he would ever hurt me like that, though..."
"Or you simply don't want to believe it." Tora was quick to point out.
"You aren't helping, you know."
"And I'm not trying to." When she looked over to glare at him, he had the most intense look of irritation on his face. "I've never liked him, and I especially haven't enjoyed seeing him parade you around tonight like some prize he won at a fair."
"Right." Renei muttered to herself, recalling how frustrating her night had been, up until Tora had cornered her in the bathroom. "Well, in any case... I can't stall any longer. He's probably waiting for me already."
Tora gazed at her for a long moment, his eyes never once leaving her own. She couldn't seem to find the willpower within herself to move away just yet, especially not with him looking at her like that.
"If you need anything, afterward..." He cleared his throat, and his eyes flickered to the floor.
"...Right." Renei repeated with a nod, feeling more than a bit awkward in the face of Tora Igarashi ― a man who had quite the reputation among their peers as being a ruthless, relentless tyrant who only acted for his own needs ― attempting to offer himself as a source of comfort. She smiled lightly at the thought that she was one of the rare few, to ever see that this side of him existed. "I'll remember your invitation."
Tora looked up at her, eyes suddenly alight with mischief as he made the passing suggestion, "I could always sneak into your apartment again."
She groaned at the thought, all too quick to shut it down with a shake of her head. "Absolutely not."
"Preferably while you're in the shower..."
"We are not going through that again."
"Why ever not? I thought it was fun."
"Well it wasn't for me!"
"But it thrilled you a bit," His expression turned darker, more devious as his voice dipped into a drawl. "didn't it?"
Renei stared at him, lips pursed, body tensing as she recalled him pressing her down into the bed.
"It did." He was all too quick to confirm it, the most infuriating, prideful smirk flickering across his face.
"Tora," Her tone was meant to be a warning.
"Renei," His was a slow, infuriating tease; and it was all too easy to notice the hunger that had appeared in his eyes again, trailing over her form like the physical presence of a flame.
"...I'm leaving." She grumbled, and spun quickly on her heel ― ears burning and stomach fluttering as she marched away with his delighted snickering fading behind her.
He was a damn sin, and he knew it.