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Their eyes met...and the rest of the world fell away.
You loved me. I wanted you. We belonged together.
I know you still. I recognize you. I've been waiting for you. I've needed you.
I've been coming for you. Everything I've done, I've been getting ready for you. You're everything.
You're mine. I belong with you.
You belong to me. And I can't exist without you. Not anymore.
The electric shock faded as they stared. Suddenly, she realized where
they were. She backed out of the door and leaned against it for a moment,
trying to catch her breath. What had happened? He had seen her naked, that's
what! Who the hell was he? She screamed and tore down the stairs.
He sat in the tub for a moment, trying to recover. Oh, shit. This
is not the way he wanted her to find out. He leapt out of the tub and
dried himself off quickly. He could hear her scream and winced. He got
dressed and went down the stairs. She was lifting a table over her head.
He spared a moment to admire the fire in her eyes. Then he looked down at
his feet and said,
He watched her as she yelled at him on the way to school. She
was different from those he knew before. That made her special somehow.
He wondered what it was exactly. It wasn't exactly like he had a lot of
past experience. He just knew that she was different, more...more something.
Suddenly, they reached the gates of the school and a huge crowd of boys
tore towards them, shouting her name. He was taken aback. Why were they after her?
He leapt up on the fence to watch, trying to figure out the hell was
going on. Her sister shouted down at him, and in reply, he gestured. She
responded,
A kind of anger rose in him. She had to deal with this every morning? Why did no one fight by her side? The anger was mixed with admiration as he watched her fight. She fought with honor and with grace. Her fire blazed high as she fought bravely. The two emotions twisted within him as he continued to watch. They became connected. Now whenever he particularly admired her, he'd insult her instead. It wasn't a conscious decision. Just one that was created in the heat of battle. Finally she was finished and he leapt down to be by her side. But still, there was a final challenger. His ego was in control, but he had already made an unconscious decision. No one was going to get the opportunity to hurt her. Not when he was there. He took the challenge.
She watched him flip gracefully in the air and felt an odd sense of
relief. This guy was fighting her battle, but it was okay. She had been fighting
for so long, it was kind of nice to have someone else fight for her. And it
wasn't even an effort for him. He was playing with his opponent, letting the
guy underestimate him. But she knew better. It was all in his eyes. He was
laughing, enjoying the challenge. What would it be like to have those eyes
focused on her, filled with passion and caring? While she had thought he was a
girl, he had been wonderful, laughing and joking with her. She had thought
she found a kindred spirit. Yet then it turned out he was a guy. Perhaps he
was still a kindred spirit. She watched him evade the skilled blows of his
opponent and remembered how he had dodged her the night before. Deep inside,
she admitted she would never be as good as him. But what if, what if they stood
together, partners? He would protect her and she would take care of him. The
way it was supposed to be. Doubt filled her as she questioned her ability to
care for him as she wanted. As she questioned whether or not he'd be content
with her. And then anger filled her as she became angry that he could cause
her to doubt herself this way. So now, every time she doubted herself to be
worthy of him, she became angry at him. When he provoked those doubts, she
tried to hurt him back. It wasn't a conscious decision. Just one that was
created in the heat of battle. But then the rain began to fall and
he began to change. His father came out of nowhere and grabbed him. She followed,
wanting to make sure he was all right. Thus began their first day.
The days after were filled with bickering and insults. Anger was the only
emotion they felt comfortable expressing. To show any other emotion carried with
it the risk of ending up married by the end of the day. Anger was safe. Anger became
their connection. A sort of pattern emerged. He would try to say something, it
would re-enforce her doubts, she would grow angry and hit him with her mallet. And
when she hit him, part of him knew she still cared. That kind of anger required
a great cost of energy. That cost would only be paid if it was worth the effort.
As long as she hit him, he knew that she considered him worth the effort. He didn't
understand the reasons for the anger and he knew that it would grow old after a while,
but for now, it was enough. She didn't know if he cared or not, although part of
her believed he did. All she knew was that she was coming to expect him to be there.
He was there when she awoke in the morning, he was there when she ate lunch, and he
was there when she went to bed. That same part of her expected him to always be
there. When her pet was missing, she went straight to him, almost certain that he
would make things okay again. And he did.
He stood on the ice, listening in disbelief as the jackass made his
proclamination. Nobody was going to touch her, she belonged to him!
The fire within him reached new heights. He grabbed her hands and launched into battle, using the flames to fuel him on. His fury became thick, like steel, creating a core of strength. And when they sent them into the Couple Cleaver, the steel melted, sending the strength flooding through his veins. It combined with the urgent need to protect her. He couldn't let her go. He'd never let her go.
Why wouldn't he release her? If he didn't, he could get seriously hurt! She didn't care about herself, she just knew that if he got hurt because of her, she'd never forgive herself. He insulted her again, and her anger was provoked. She unconsciously gripped his hands tighter. She had just got him, he had just entered her life. She didn't want to think about what it would be like without him.
Fine, if he wouldn't let her go, she would fall with him. They were released into the air and everything seemed to happen so fast. He twisted his body, so he'd take the impact. Had to keep her safe. No! What was he doing? She felt the thud as he hit the wall and she landed next to him. He still held her hands. The announcer was saying something, but she was focused on him. He was so still. She called his name. He wasn't responding. Nonono! You can't leave me! Not yet! I just found you again! I can't lose you, not this soon. Don't leave me!
She collapsed on his chest, crying. He felt her warmth, it penetrated the fog that
surrounded him. She was crying, she was in pain. He couldn't leave her, not when
she was like this. He didn't think that he could ever leave her. He stood.
Why was he standing? He was already hurt! She couldn't stand it if he got injured
any worse. She poked him and he fell at her feet. Her pet wasn't worth this. Nothing
was worth his pain. He had to stop this, she had to convince him.
Her eyes were a deep brown and they were filled with concern for him. He stared up
into them, trying to break through the shield of anger they always used. And as she
squeezed his hand, just as he thought he could find the words, he felt a cold
splash and he was plunged into darkness.
It was his rival, again determined to take her away from him. The fire of
anger rose high within him again. How dare he think that defeating him would weaken
his claim on her? She was his. She would always be his, no matter who he lost to. But
he wasn't about to start losing now. He battled among the icy rocks, determined to
prove that he was the better man. Whenever he faltered, the memories of her eyes looking
down at him, of her grace in battle, the press of her hand, gave him new strength.
What were they doing? Didn't they know he was hurt already? She had to stop this.
She flung an ice boulder at their heads. They gave her a combined manly disgruntled
look and told her to butt out. She was flabbergasted. They told her to butt out?
She attempted to stand, but slipped and felt herself falling into the icy water.
She screamed his name.
He rescued her. He always did. And she seemed to do nothing, but inflict
pain on him. From her mallet attacks to her cooking. Now he had three other
beautiful women chasing after him. All of them were much more accomplished than
she was. Each of them could take better care of him than she could. But he was hers!
Wasn't he? He never said, and even though part of her knew, she wanted to know for
certain. But he never said. And as her doubts grew, so did her anger. Their fights
grew more frequent and more intense. He didn't quite understand her fury. Deep within
his soul, he knew that she was his and he was hers. That would never change. He didn't
understand why she was jealous. It wasn't until she left him that he understood a little
of what she was feeling.
It may have been an old debt, but she still felt compelled to pay it. And the
compulsion proved true. She was needed. She could provide comfort and care. What he
had always mocked was appreciated here. Here, at last, was someone who loved her and
who she could take care of. But it wasn't the same. It wasn't him. He watched her for
awhile before approaching her. He had been in shock when she had left, had grown
furious with her for abandoning him. They had to force him to go after her. He watched
her for a while, saw the way she smiled at this new boy. This new boy had also
saved her when she was a child. He felt a sense of gratitude mixed with jealously towards
the newcomer. Gratitude for saving her, keeping her alive for him and jealously
that someone else saved her. That was what he did. That was what he offered her.
And now she was getting protection from someone else. It also sparked fear within
him. If she didn't need him to protect her, what else did he have to offer her?
For the first time, he understood a little what she had to put up, having three
constant rivals. That first time, when she told him that she was staying, he felt
like his heart had been crushed. The thought of returning without her, it provoked
a paralyzing fear.
But by the time he reached the conclusion that he would rather have her live with another man than put herself in danger, she had already left. He knew then that he loved her, when he thought he had lost her. He went after her, yet he was still too late. He watched her being plunged down through a pool of water. It was at that moment that everything crystalized.
As the water closed over her head, she knew she was going to die. His name floated through her mind. If only he knew the truth, if only she had told him...now it was too late. But no, he had come again. He had saved her again. And then he was giving her up? He truly thought she could love another?
Yet there was no time. By the time she recovered, by the time she rushed to his side, he was gone, lost to her. Or so she thought. She managed to save him this time and then he saved her right back. Finally, the enemy was defeated and they were together again.
She was coming back with him. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he
wanted to promise. He never wanted to go through another time like that. It would be
different now, he'd be different. He had been so worried that he lost her. It was the
first time he admitted how empty his life would be without her. The first time he
admitted to himself how much she meant to him. It was the first time they held hands.
He had been so quiet. She wished she knew what he was thinking. Still, she
was glad she was going back with him. This is where she belonged, by his side. When
he reached back his hand, she stared at it for a few moments and then took it. This
was all that mattered. Just the two of them and this connection between them. She felt
a small thrill at the feel of his skin against hers. He had carried her numerous times,
usually to protect her from one threat or another, but they had never simply touched
before. It was a small reward for the awful time they had just experienced. She never
wanted to feel like that again. She had almost lost him. She admitted to herself how
much she needed him.
It was supposed to be the beginning of something new. Yet it turned out to be
only another step in their long journey. It continued on, the anger, the insults. Still,
now, they were getting tired of it. They had been battling each other for so long, and
deep inside, they knew they were meant to stand together, not on opposite sides. Something
had to give. Something had to change. Yet the event that finally broke the pattern was
something they had never wanted, never expected. She died.
She had leapt from his pocket, blocking his body from Saffron's blast. He'd been
frantic, and tried to get the water to cure her. Saffron resisted and he killed him. It
was the first time he'd killed a living being, but it was done without thought. She was
in danger. Nothing else mattered. Then he got the water and she turned back to normal.
He was relieved, things would be fine again. Except her eyes were closed. And she wasn't
breathing. He had been too late. He'd lost her.
He refused to believe it at first. They had been through so much, defeated almost
everything that stood in their way. She couldn't just leave him, she couldn't. He held her
body in his arms. He tried to tell her what he'd always wanted to say. What had been in his
heart from almost the first moment he saw her. What had been there since their souls
had been created. He tried. But the grief overwhelmed him and his tears fell in hot
bursts on her face. His throat closed. The only thing he could do was scream out her
name. He had been sitting on a ledge. It occurred to him that all he'd have to do
would be to fly off the ledge and then he'd be with her again. They'd be together. And
then, then a miracle. She touched his face.
It was an odd experience, looking down at yourself in the arms of the man
who you loved. Did this mean she was dead? Was she supposed to go somewhere? But
she couldn't leave, not yet. His grief was so strong, it was hurting her, even
like this. She wanted to be able to do something. It wasn't fair. They had come so
far and now she had to leave him. Tears ran down her face as she watched him
struggle to tell her. She had always known he'd cared, but never this strongly.
Never this much. The force of his love touched the love she had in her heart. It
vibrated and bloomed. She couldn't leave him. Never, she could never leave him. And
then he screamed. Kami-san, it hurt, hurt so much. Then she felt a tug and saw the
bond. She followed it back to her body, followed it back to him. And then cradled
close to his heart, she could have sworn he said he loved her. She was going to tell
him she felt the same. She reached up to touch his face and he stared down at her
in disbelief. They came together in a close embrace. It was one of the few times
that they touched without anger involved. He said her name and she answered,
reassuring him that she was still here.
He wasn't sure whether to be upset or happy. The arrival of the others had
spared him from a potentially embarrassing scene. A scene, a voice whispered inside of
him, that needed to happen. He had to tell her how he felt. He'd almost lost her, what,
two, three times, now? And that wasn't counting the times that other people's interference
almost destroyed their relationship. He had to tell her. But not now. Not when they
were surrounded. Later, when they were alone and there wasn't so much pressure.
She wanted to scream with frustration. He had been so close. The doubts that
had plagued her for so long had been quieted. They were still there, but the almost
certainity that he loved her was enough to keep them relatively silent. He would
tell her. And she would tell him. Later.
Perhaps that would have been enough. Perhaps this almost tragedy, had it been
left alone, would have been enough to spur the young couple to admit how close
they truly were. How much they needed each other.
You belong to me. And I can't exist without you. Not anymore.
Their fathers had forced another wedding upon them. They blackmailed her into
doing it, with a barrel of the Nanniichuan water for him. She would have done it
anyway. She loved him and she was nearly certain that he loved her. Nearly certain,
until he denied it.
"Eh? Since when."
"Because, while you were crying in Jusendou..."
"I didn't say it!"
"You almost said it!"
"What, you wanna fight?"
He wanted desperately to look down at her to make sure she was all right. This
scene was invoking a sense of deja vu within him. Yet the smoke was growing thicker and
he had to get out of the building before he could check on her. He could feel her coughing,
and he frowned. He never should have left her. He was going to have to apologize. After
he took care of the ones who brought the bombs. He was still in a bit of shock over that.
He knew the competition between the girls was intense, but he never thought that any
of them...well, okay, he never thought that the other two were capable of this. He burst
out into the fresh air. He bent carefully to the ground and sat Akane down, letting his
eyes roam over her face. She had soot smudged on her cheeks and she was pale. She had
looked so beautiful today, and look what his carelessness had did. Her eyes looked up
to his and he ran a finger over her cheek, apologizing under his breath many, many
times. She lifted her hand and grabbed his, squeezing it. She tried to speak, but her
voice was hoarse. Her eyes told him instead that she forgave him. He looked around
and saw the doctor moving through the crowds of people. Sirens in the background
announced the presence of the fire department. He carefully scooped her up again and
made his way over to the doctor. The doctor carefully examined her while he held her,
refusing to let her go again. Finally, the doctor said she was only suffering from
smoke inhalation. While the doctor was looking her over, he had been scanning the crowds.
He saw the two who had destroyed his wedding, standing at the fringes.
She tried to follow his gaze. When she figured out where he was staring, her
heart broke a little more. Was he grateful to them? Then she saw the coldness in his
eyes, felt the tension in his body. Her beloved was furious. She was glad. He brought
her over to her family and reluctantly let her go. The ice in his eyes melted and he
silently promised. She nodded. He stalked away, heading towards his other fiancees.
They saw him coming, and silently retreated to the side of the house, away from the
crowd. When he stood in front of them, he found that he could not speak at first.
"Airen, Shampoo is too. Just could not let wedding happen."
"So you thought it would be perfectly all right to start flinging around bombs? You could have hurt her! Not only did you destroy my wedding, but you could have hurt her!"
"Airen no want to marry violent girl, he want to..."
Her father postponed the wedding indefinitely. She shot him a look and found
him watching her. Both of them knew they needed to talk. That night, she heard a light
tap on her window. Looking up from her desk, she saw him, hanging from the roof. She
opened the window and he silently offered her a hand. She took it and he helped her
climb up to the roof. She sat down and he sat next to her, not quite touching her, but
close enough. They stared at the stars for awhile. Finally, he said,
You loved me. I wanted you. We belonged together.
There's an old Greek legend that says that humans were once created with two
heads, four arms, four legs, and one Soul. Then they angered the Gods one day and Zeus
threw down his lightening bolts, spliting the humans in half. Now the humans all had
one head, two arms, two legs and a half of a Soul. They were fated to walk the Earth,
searching for the other half of their Soul. In fairy tales and picture books, Soulmates
always end up together. Yet in real life, it doesn't always work that way. A single
event can be enough to turn a person's Path from their other half. It can be that
simple. Yet, once they've found each other, no matter what life throws at them, Soulmates
stay together. And nothing, whether it be God-sent, manmade, or even the Juskenyo cursed, can keep
them apart.
You belong to me. And I can't exist without you. Not anymore.
We belong together.
Soulmates.
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