Disclaimer: I don't own Dave Matthews or any of the Ronin cast. I do own Rose. The song is entitled Crash into Me.
You've got you ball
You've got you chain
Tied to me tight tie me up again…
Dais had taken to wandering the city, letting himself be seen by other mortals. He was wearing blue jeans and a tie-dye Jerry Bear shirt instead of his normal Nether Realm clothing. He has his thumbs hooked into his pockets. Dais was in a generally bad mood, mostly with himself. He had failed again to tell Rose he existed. That and he was lost. How do mortals get their way around like this? He wondered, resisting the urge to vanish into thin air to reappear at Cye's. He needed some more help and he was kicking himself for not having courage.
He rounded a corner, not looking where he was going. The next thing he knew he was knocked to the pavement. Dais was about to give whoever it was a very rude comment when he looked up and saw who it was: Rose.
"S-sorry R- err ma'am," he stammered, feeling his heart pound in his chest. Moron! He chided himself.
She smiled and helped him up. "Totally my fault. I was thinking about something and wasn't paying attention." She looked at him closely. "Have we met before? I have a feeling I heard your voice before."
"I don't think so," Dais said slowly, voice steadier. Well, you haven't met me.
"Really? Oh well, my name is Miramatsu Rose."
Uh oh, I don't have a last name… "Mourri Dais," Dais answered, using the first name that popped into his head.
"Mourri? Are you related to Cye?"
Dais nodded. "Err, yeah. Distant cousins." Cye is going to kill me. "I'm kinda lost, actually. I'm new in town and I'm trying to find his house. Could you show me where it is?"
Who's got their claws in you my friend
Into your heart I'll beat again
Sweet like candy to my soul
Sweet you rock and sweet you roll
Lost for you I'm so lost for you…
Rose would've had gladly taken Dais, but she was heading to Ryo's place for a get together. "If you wasn't to see Cye, he'll be there."
Dais nodded. "Ok." Better talk to him before Rose does.
They took a bus to Ryo's house, which was out on the countryside. On the way, they talked about their lives, Dais making most of his up and mixing it with what he could remember from his mortal life. When they reached Ryo's place, Ryo answered and greeted them warmly, though seeing Dais appear by knocking at the door surprised him. Dais was meanwhile trying to get over his first bus ride as he went into the living room. So far, only Cye had showed. Cye was also shocked to see Dais there.
"Cye, can I talk to you for a moment?" Dais asked.
"Err…sure." He moved Dais to a separate room. "What's wrong? And this is not exactly the best time to show up…"
"Just pretend I'm your distant cousin and I'm visiting. Please?"
Cye smacked his forehead. "You told her that?!"
"It was the first name that popped into my head! I'm sorry!"
"Alight, alright. I'll tell the guys this. But you really need to—"
"Kento!" came Rose's voice as other Ronins entered the house.
"Hey! How's my girlfriend?"
Cye groaned. Dais had a really jealous look on his face as he turned his head towards the noise.
You come crash into me
And I come into you
I come into you
In a boy's dream
In a boy's dream…
A few days later. Dais was still wrecking down the old Dynasty walls with his fists. Since he and Kento first met he and Dais had been enemies, even after Tapla's downfall. Once again, Kento had out done him. Dais wasn't a happy person. Almost all the walls had been completely razed by Dais's fury.
He headed for his room and flung himself on the bed. The mirror flickered to show him Rose. Again Kento was with her. Dais turned his back to it; seeing them together made him sick to his stomach. He should have told her how he felt, how he had known her for the past four years. But he couldn't, he was too much of a coward.
The mirror began to glow brightly. Dais turned irritably to turn the damned thing off. To his astonishment, Rose was by herself. These days she never really was what with that annoying Hardrock hanging off her all the time. Presently she was walking in a park. Smiling, Dais went to meet her there.
He appeared some distance behind her, planning to call out her name before his courage failed him again. But then she shrieked as four people jumped her. Dais, enraged someone would dare touch her raced after them. He pulled one guy off her who was attempting to take off her shirt and slugged him across the face, knocking him unconscious. Another went to wail him for that, move, but Dais sent the unconscious person flying towards him. The third guy pulled out a knife and lunged at Dais, intending to skewer him on his. Dais grabbed the guy's fist half an inch before the knife stabbed him. Dais squeezed the wrist, smiling cruelly as he heard it snap in three different places. He then brought his knee up into the attacker's solar plexus and tossed him aside. He looked at the fourth one. "Are you going to try something too, or are you going to run like a smart moron?" The fourth took the second choice while his companions were getting up to flee for their lives.
Dais turned to Rose, his only eye now full of concern. "Are you ok?" He asked, holding out a hand to help her up. She took it. She was trembling.
"T-thank you," she said quietly. Then she burst into tears and buried her face into Dais's chest.
Dais held her, letting her sob and feeling warm tears wet his shirt. He stroked her hair comfortingly. He was in a state of surprise and shock. And he didn't know how to respond. This was something new to him. Despite the circumstances, he felt his heart beat livelier then it ever had at Rose's touch. All too soon she stopped sobbing and pulled away from Dais.
Touch your lips just so I know
In your eyes, love, it glows so
I'm bare-boned and crazy for you
When you come crash into me, baby
I come into you
In a boys dream…
Dais walked Rose home. It was quiet. She was still trying to get over the fact that she had almost been raped and it wasn't Kento who saved her. Of course Kento couldn't, he had a saxophone lesson to go to and he didn't see it. And if Dais hadn't have been there…
They reached her house. Rose offered Dais some tea. Dais took up the offer. Why not? She might need a shoulder to cry on if she lost her nerve again. She made it and poured some into a mug for him. "I want to thank you again," she said.
Dais shrugged. "I couldn't just let that happen to you. A surprise attack with four against one really isn't a fair fight."
"Yet you stopped something horrible from happening."
Dais felt himself blush. "Well…Kento wasn't there to help out. I had to do something."
Assuming he knew that she was dating Kento through Cye, she sat down, sipping her green tea. After a few minutes of silence, she looked up at him. "I know where I heard your voice before."
In a boy's dream…
Dais had been trying to figure out how he used to be able to stomach green tea when she said that. "You do?" he asked, eyebrows raised. He kept a calm appearance, but inside he was jittery and felt like he had just eaten some deranged jumping beans.
If I've gone overboard
Then I'm begging you to forgive me
In my haste
When I'm holding you so girl…
close to me…
"You were there the night Caleb broke up with me," she said. "You told me to forget about him."
Dais was now stumbling for something to say. To get himself to lie about that. But he couldn't find any excuses. He was so good at lying. Why couldn't he do it now? "Rose, I—"
"You helped a lot." She said. "You have no idea what you have done for me."
Dais lost composure. Emotions from fear to relief to confusion were apparent in his eyes. Should he tell her that he loved her more then his existence? Now seemed right… but then again… Before he could stop himself, he leaned across the table and kissed her softly on the lips. "I'll always be there for you. Even when the whole world is crumbling and lost all hope, I'll be there."
Oh and you come crash into me, baby
And I come into you…
The phone rang. Rose excused herself to answer it, her face red. He heard Kento speaking loudly though he couldn't make out the words. Before Rose could come back, Dais vanished into the Nether Realms.
Serenity. That was his virtue. Yet all these centuries he had never truly felt it until now. He felt so much better, like a great weight had been lifted off his chest. He would see her again, though not through the mirror. The next time, he was going to tell her.
Hike up your skirt a little more and show the world to me
Hike up your skirt a little more and show your world to me
In a boy's dream…In a boy's dream…
Cye dropped his book again as Dais popped out of no where. "Dais! For the last and final time—"
"Thank you, Torrent," said Dais sincerely.
Cye stopped mid-sentence. A thank you was something that he never expected from the Warrior of Illusion. "Huh?"
"I finally told her. And thanks to you, I knew what to say." Dais gave a rare genuine smile. "I'll let you get back to your reading." And he vanished.
Cye grunted. Warlords! He flopped back onto the couch and was just resettled back into the story line of Hamlet when the phone rang. "Every blasted time…" he grumbled, getting back up to answer the annoying machine. He was tempted just to throw the thing out sometimes.
Back in the Nether Realm, Kayura was holding another meeting for the Warlords. She wasn't please with Kale and Sehkmet's behavior as of late. Dais was amused as he watched them get a severe tongue-lashing. Watching them cower and retort back was the perfect way to end the day. After it was done, went to check on Rose, in the guise of her wall again. She was talking on the phone to a friend, but she looked happier.
Oh I watch you there
through the window and I stare at you
you wear nothing but you wear it so well
Tied up and twisted the way I'd like to be…
She was again asleep. And by the looks of it, dreaming. The shadow of the moon reflected off her face, making her glow. She was an angel, to Dais's mind. She sighed in her sleep and turned her head, her long hair cascading down her face. Dais lovingly pulled it out of the way.
"Dais…" she mumbled.
Dais froze. Was she awake? No, her breathing was regular and deep. Was she dreaming about him?
For you, for me, come crash into me.
"I'll be there for you Rose." He said softly.
"Promise?" she asked. So she was awake.
"Promise," he said. "Sweet dreams, my love."