:: Kitzaku-san ::
Disclaimer: I do not own Megami Kouhosei in any way possible.. X.x
Authoress Note: I... thought about a discontinuation to this. But then I didn't understand why. I mean... I get more reviews with this thing, than I do with Nightmare. And I was going to discontinue this? I know... something's wrong with me, sorry! ^.^ I like this story and it's going on... and I'll develop a plot somehow and maybe sneak a lemon in there because I need practice on those. ^.~
:: Silly Phil! Rio is for Gareas! ::
Gareas was dumbfounded all that week, and not to mention he was depressed. And when Gareas was depressed, the only way he could express that was through his own anger. Which of course led to dismantled objects that otherwise should not be dismantled, and dents in the wall, which should not be there either.
Not even his Repairer, Leena, could calm him down this time. Her smooth way with talking that could even comfort the dead didn't help. For, after all, Gareas had been rejected before he'd even asked.
He'd even begun to avoid Rioroute. The thought of the blonde pilot brought a new rush of depression to Gareas' heart, and seeing him only made it worse. And that meant more dismantled objects and holes in the wall.
He was also thinning out from his lack of eating. Whenever they had free time, chances were Rio would go to the cafeteria. Therefore, he avoided it at all costs. VICTIM had attacked twice already and he'd gone out with an empty stomach. Leena and Erts realized his sudden decline in ability, but Gareas still would not eat. And it only made things worse when Rio didn't do anything about it. It felt like he didn't even care.
Gareas was currently on one of his many rampages. Slamming fists into walls every now and then. He knew he was acting childish about the whole deal. He knew he should just accept Rio as a friend and be happy. But he'd let too much of his heart ride on the deal, and he was shot. Unknowingly, the green haired pilot found himself in the cafeteria, and Rioroute was no more than three tables in front of him.
I came here because my mind subconsciously smelled the food. Gareas told himself. Not because I wanted to see Rio... Though, he couldn't decide which option was the true one in the first place. He turned around briskly to go, but Rio suddenly called his name.
"Gari-kun! Where've you been?" He called and waved for him to come over. Gareas did so, half willingly and half reluctantly.
"I've been... busy with Eeva Leena." He lied. The sad part was, Rio knew he was lying.
"No you haven't. I've been checking up there all the time and you're never around." Rio was eating something, as usual. But it was a rarity on GIS, as well as GOA. Ice cream. They were only given it once a week and it was Rio's absolute favorite food, other than cheese of course. The last time that GIS had ice cream was the day Gareas promised Rio they'd get some after the crash ballet lesson.
Gareas didn't know how to answer that, so he pointed at the ice cream. "So, today is ice cream day?"
"Yeah. You missed last weeks' remember? But I understand if you had a headache. It's the EX. I get those too." Rio shrugged.
When Gareas promised Rio that ice cream, he'd suddenly backed out of it after he found out Rio only thought of him as a friend. Complaining of a headache, the green haired pilot had escaped to his room.
"Yeah, curses to the EX." And to whatever's holding me close to Rio Gareas silently added.
"So." Rio grabbed another mouthful of ice cream and shoved it in his mouth. Gareas watched him intently, getting hungrier with every bite. "Where were you really hiding all this time?"
"Busy thinking up new strategies."
"I doubt that. You haven't been doing so well on the battlefield."
"Thanks for finally noticing." Gareas muttered.
"What do you mean by that?" Rio looked offended. "I haven't seen you outside the battlefield in a week. It's almost as if you're... avoiding me." Rio paused for a minute, the idea starting to make sense. After Gareas didn't say anything, Rio answered for him. "You are avoiding me. I did something wrong again. Like always."
"Hey, now stop right there." Gareas stood up. Rio was so startled at his actions he dropped his spoon into his ice cream bowl, sending the cold cream all over the table. "It's not you, alright? It's me. There's something wrong with me. You're perfect Rioroute. More perfect than even I can imagine."
Since he was already standing up, Gareas turned to leave. But a cold hand had found it's spot resting on the green haired pilot's shoulder. He was forced to turn around and look into Rioroute's eyes. Something he would have avoided at this moment, given the very first possible chance.
"Gari-kun..." Rio whispered the nickname he'd given Gareas not so long ago. But its affect did a lot for Gareas. Just maybe, what he had said. Could Rio possibly...
"Yes... Rioroute?" He leaned closer.
"Want some ice cream?" Rio then held up the bowl and smiled wide. What just might have been a smile faded from Gareas' face.
"No I do not want ice cream."
"Why not?"
"I'm not in the mood."
"Yes, you are." Rio's tone was almost forceful, had he not chuckled slightly afterwards. Gareas was startled none-the-less. Rio must have taken that opportunity to shove a spoonful of ice cream down Gareas' throat. "There. I told you you were in the mood for ice cream." He smiled, coaxing Gareas to sit with him. "Let's just pretend nothing happened and go back to the way things were again, alright?"
Gareas slowly took his seat back next to Rioroute, taking time to swallow the ice cream. "All right..." Rioroute grinned happily and after eating another spoonful, he fed one to Gareas again. The routine continued quite well, and soon they were joking again, causing each other to laugh and dribble ice cream down their chins.
After what might have been the third bowl shared between them, Gareas vision was beginning to feel a little fuzzy. Things were going in and out of focus continuously and in order to keep his balance, he was forced to hold onto the table. Since Rio was sitting right next to him, their hands had slammed together, causing them both to look up at each other.
Rioroute looked rather pale, and he was sweating lightly. Apparently, his vision was blurring too because he was blinking. That's when Gareas felt unexpectedly cold, and it wasn't just from the ice cream. It was as if someone had turned the climate control to below freezing. He hugged his arms close to him, and shivered slightly.
"Cold too?" Rio asked. There was the tiniest hint of a chatter in his voice.
Before Gareas could even nod. Someone apparently had turned up the heat. The once almost-frozen beads of perspiration on both the pilots' foreheads, now rolled freely down. Gareas looked around him frantically, but no one else appeared to be having the same symptoms as he and Rio.
Then again no one else was eating ice cream.
"Rio, maybe we should leave..." Gareas tried standing up, but his legs were noodles and forced him to sit down again.
"You know... you're right." Rio held his head. "I really don't feel good." He held out his hand for Gareas to take and they helped each other up.
Once they had gotten out of the mess hall, Gareas slumped against the wall. "I feel like someone threw me in an oven..."
"F-Funny..." Rio stammered. "I just got c-cold again." He fell next to Gareas. "Gari-kun... you're so warm." The blonde pilot held Gareas close to him and sighed, his chattering disappearing slowly. Gareas on the other hand, noticed Rio's freezing cold skin and welcomed him for more reasons than one.
They stood in the hallway for a long moment, holding each other, their body temperatures changing rapidly and their visions blurring. After a while, Gareas lifted Rio's head. "I'll take you back to you room, alright?"
Rio nodded slowly, and together they headed towards the sleeping quarters. Gareas tried turning into Rio's room, but Rio managed to push forward. The green haired pilot opened his mouth in protest but Rioroute spoke up first. "I don't want to go to my room, yet. I can't spend time with you locked up in there."
Gareas' mouth hung open, and before Rio noticed, he closed it. The tiniest traces of a lost smile were forming. Rio wanted to spend time with him. Gareas knew the direction they were heading for too: The Relaxation Room.
The Relaxation Room on GIS was very different than on GOA. It was rarely 'daylight'. Most of the time, the climate control had it set at dusk. Occasionally there was a clump of trees in the corners, but it was mostly a huge field of flowers. One giant tree stood in the middle of it all, like a garden. And, you could walk over it on a platform that almost destroyed the beauty of it all. Then again, the Relaxation Room was one of the few spots that people could really talk alone.
Several times they stumbled. Whatever had been in the ice cream wasn't getting any better, but at least their body temperatures had stopped acting so rashly. When they managed to reach the room, Rio literally fell on Gareas, exhausted from being the one guiding them here. Gareas caught him promptly and carefully guided him towards the tree in the middle.
The both sat, slumped against the trunk of the tree, breathing softly, allowing their visions to clear and their heads to stop spinning. Gareas managed to look over and Rio and started laughing. "This is pretty pathetic."
"What?" Rio turned his head lazily.
"I think someone spiked that ice cream."
Rio laughed. "Thank you Captain Obvious." But then he grew serious. "...but who would have done that?"
Gareas shook his head. "I can't think of anyone that would literally want to-"
He stopped because Rio's breathing was getting harsher. Suddenly scared, Gareas grabbed his shoulders. "Rio! You alright?"
Rio muttered something. His face was flushed and he fell forward into Gareas' arms. "It's so hot... everything... so hot." Even so, his teeth were chattering.
Gareas straightened Rio up, suddenly curious as to why this wasn't happening to him. But the idea struck him as Rio's deliberately hugged him close. Rio had eaten so much more ice cream than Gareas had.
"Gari-kun..." Rio tilted his head up.
"Shh," Gareas ran his fingers though Rio's hair. "I'm here."
"That's good because..." Rio forced himself to pull away for a moment.
"Because..."
Rio squinted. "Gari-kun, you're still here?"
Gareas nodded. "I'm not leaving you."
"Good... good...good." Rio nodded, each time he said 'good' he leaned in closer. "Because I don't want you to go... good... good... good." He'd stopped shivering now, but his sudden spaz attack still left Gareas on edge.
"Rio, are you... sure you're all right?" he asked, worried and very aware at how close they were.
"Just fine Gari-kun..." Rio nodded. "Good... good... good... Just very hot..." and with a sudden push forward, Gareas had been knocked to the ground, lips interlocking with Rio's in a deep, passionate kiss.
Gareas had been so startled at the sudden fall backwards, that his mouth had gone open in shock. So, when Rio seized the opportunity to kiss him, his tongue had already found its ticket inside Gareas' mouth.
Thousands of thoughts were swimming in Gareas' mind as Rio kissed him ferverously. But, he managed to push them all aside and wrap comforting arms around Rio's waist, kissing him back. The response must have startled Rio and he broke the kiss. He was breathing harshly still, face red, and suddenly aware of himself.
Rio's eyes went wide. "Gari-kun!"
Confused, Gareas nodded.
"Were we... did I?" Rio pointed to his lips, then rested his own finger on Gareas' lips. The green haired pilot nodded once more without hesitation. Rio's face flushed and it wasn't from the after effects of the ice cream. He sat up suddenly, getting off of Gareas.
Gareas himself was confused. Apparently, Rio was himself now, the effects of the ice cream had worn itself out. Still, he'd wanted so much to believe that what Rio had done was out of true emotion. Then the image of Rio exclaiming they were 'best friends' made it back into his mind and he sighed rather loudly.
"You're mad at me now. You probably think I'm a freak."
Rio's sudden response made Gareas look up sharply. "What?"
Rio repeated. "You think I'm a freak now."
"Why...?"
"Because I'm gay!" Rio turned around, tiny tears were in the corners of his eyes. "You weren't supposed to know! And it's my entire fault for eating that ice cream. That's also why you were avoiding me, I'd thought I let it slip earlier, so I was scared." He avoided Gareas' eyes.
But things would have gone better if Rio had seen the look of pure triumph in Gareas face. Everything was beginning to come in clear then. Though, for some reason, he didn't want to express his joy so suddenly. In fact, he wanted to toy with it a while. There was no way he could have liked anyone else considering the big deal he was making now. "Rioroute... you're not a freak for being gay."
Rio sniffed. "I'm... not?"
"Of course not. I'm sure whoever he is that has stolen you heart is a very lucky man." Gareas continued. "It's no reason you should blame yourself."
Rio's eyes slowly shifted up to meet Gareas' own. "Would you hate me if I told you?"
"Told me what?"
"Who I like, dumbass!"
Gareas laughed. "Of course not!" Secretly, he was screaming in his mind to stop himself from glomping the poor boy or yelling at him for calling him a dumbass.
"Oh man, now how do I have to say this?" Rio fidgeted. He was muttering things to himself, having a battle with his mind too.
And as for as Gareas and the battle his own mind: he lost and, rather quickly. He grinned
and leaned forward. "Hey, Rio, guess what?"
Just as suspected, Rio looked up. "Wha- ooph!"
Gareas now had Rioroute pinned to the ground, and had done so very impatiently. It was the blonde pilot's turn to look startled. "Gari-kun, what're you...?"
Rio stopped because Gareas had grinned and placed a finger over Rioroute's lips. "Rioroute, just shut up and kiss me, dumbass." The surprise in Rio's eyes calmed down into joy, as they both pressed forward into a deep, long kiss.
:: Owari ::
*grins* There! A sappy... cute thing. And they didn't even say 'I love you!' what the heck is wrong with me... I was going to turn this into a lemon, but I didn't want to push my luck. So... I'll just end it here. It has the potential to continue... or even have a side-fic that's lemon. But I really don't think I'm good at that. O.O;;
Aracd: ... nope can't think of anything stupid to say. U.u; R&R