Author's Notes - Hi all! Yes, I'm alive! With much prodding (with a big stick) from my other half, Nataku-chan, I have finally decided to continue on with my fanfics!
Wufei - ::yawns, brushing cobwebs off of himself:: It's about time, onna... So, how exactly will you be portraying the justice that is me?
::blinks:: Hey, I said I was writing again, but that doesn't mean I was writing about you. ::Wufei facefaults:: Anywayz, sorry to keep you guys waiting so long, hopefully I haven't lost anyone! Please enjoy!
~ The Standard Disclaimer applies...
Kiyone panicked. It had been days since she had heard the voices, but she still felt like she was being watched. Whenever she was alone, she felt a dark sinking feeling deep within her, as if something were drawing her in, taking control of her. It had not been the first time she had felt this sensation; it was something she had been familiar with for years. However, the feeling had never been this strong. Kiyone could feel herself loosing - she wouldn't be able to fight it much longer.
'I have to get away from here.' she thought to herself. Wasting no time, she rushed back to her room. Grabbing her traveling bag from out of the corner, she began frantically stuffing things inside.
"What are you so afraid of?"
Kiyone started, dropping the contents in her hand. With a gasp, she wheeled around to find Touma standing behind her. "Touma-kun…?" she blinked, still a bit startled. It had been days, a week and a half at most, since the blue-haired trooper had even attempted to speak to her.
"What are you so afraid of, Kiyone?" he repeated himself, a wounded look on his face. Kiyone noted it was similar to the one he had made during the incident in the rain a few weeks back. She blinked. 'He had been hurt to see me with Seiji!' she thought. Her heart did little flip-flops in her stomach. 'Does he feel something for me?'
Rather than get all emotional with him, Kiyone decided to play it cool. "You wouldn't understand." She told him.
Touma took a step towards her. "At least let me try." He told her pleadingly. "I… we want to help you."
"You can't!" Kiyone exclaimed, sounding a bit too panicky than she would have liked. She shook her head and resumed packing.
Touma lowered his eyes. This was going to be much harder than he had originally expected. "Is it so bad that you have to leave?" he asked quietly.
A t-shirt dropped out of her grasp. A chill ran through her, causing her to shudder involuntarily. She, however, played it off with a dazzling smile that left Touma weak in the knees. "It's not that." She answered. "I'm so used to going where the wind takes me, Touma. It brought me here and now it's leading me away. It's as simple as that."
"But you can fight it!" Touma exclaimed suddenly.
"Fight it?" Kiyone repeated, as if seeing some other meaning behind his words. She sighed heavily. "No, I can't fight it. Not now, not ever." She continued stuffing clothing into her bag at a faster rate. When she filled it to its capacity, she hefted it up, walked out into the hallway and sat it down by the door. When she turned around, she found herself again face to face with Touma. She found herself blushing despite her efforts not to.
The warrior of intellect's redness mirrored her own. 'You've got to tell her!' a voice inside of Touma screamed. 'You've got to tell her now before she gets away!'
Kiyone gulped. "I… have to finish packing." She replied, taking a step towards him.
"Do you?" he asked. Kiyone averted her gaze. "Do you really want to leave?"
"No." She was trembling now.
"Then why not stay?" Touma's hands were trembling. He wanted to so badly to hold her.
"I can't." Kiyone looked up at him, her eyes revealing her vulnerability and uncertainty.
"If I stay I'll just be putting the rest of you in danger!"
"You don't have to worry about us." Touma replied gently, hoping to reassure her. "We can look after you. We can protect you."
"I don't want to be protected." Kiyone cried out. "I don't need to be protected! I just need to know that I don't have to worry about you guys. You're all I have left!"
Why didn't she understand? Touma could feel himself getting frustrated. "Then stay with us!"
"I can't!!"
Something inside of Touma snapped. Without thinking, his hand shot out, grasping Kiyone's wrist. With a soft gasp from her as her only protest, he closed the distance between them kissing her softly on the lips.
Kiyone's clear blue eyes shot wide open. 'What in Kami's name is he doing?!'
Touma's common sense was going off like an alarm in a high-security prison. 'What in Kami's name am I doing?!'
Despite both their shock, neither made any attempts to break away. In fact, they both sank down to their knees, deepening the kiss as they went. It was as if their hearts had answered their question in unison. Exactly what you've been wanting since you both met.
When they finally broke away from each other due to lack of oxygen, they were left both dazed and speechless for several moments.
"I can't believe I did that." Touma replied after he floated back down from cloud nine. His face was still bright red.
"Neither can I." Kiyone agreed softly. "I thought you hated me."
Touma blinked in surprise. "Why would I hate you?"
"Well, you've been going out of your way to avoid me ever since before the picnic." Kiyone answered. "I thought I had done something to make you angry."
"No, it wasn't you." Touma replied, his expression turning dark.
"I see." Kiyone replied, quickly catching on. "Then this is another reason why I should leave."
"What?"
"When I first got here, I could see how close you and the others were." She explained. "But as long as I've been here, you and Seiji have been at each other's throats. I'm surprised you haven't gone at it yet, though there have been some close calls." Touma could only blink. "I'm not stupid, you know."
"I never thought you were." he protested.
"Then what do you think about me, Touma?" Kiyone asked, her expression serious. "That is, if you think of me at all."
"Of course I think about you!" Touma exclaimed, flustered. "More than I'd like, actually. I haven't been able to think straight since the moment I met you!"
At this, Kiyone flushed slightly. "Does that mean you like me then?" she asked, a little hope in her voice.
Touma panicked. She had set up the trap and he had walked right into it. He wanted to scream out, 'yes, yes, a thousand times yes!' but something just didn't seem right. Was that how he really felt? Why did he doubt himself? Was it so hard for him to admit how he felt?
Unfortunately, due to his lack of response, Kiyone had summed up an answer for herself. Somehow she had thought it would be like this… she had never expected him to kiss her and then proclaim his undying love for her. Oh, how she had hoped for it, and it hurt terribly that it hadn't happened, but she wouldn't waste her time with tears. She was Jade Kiyone after all! She was a girl alone in the world, with only the wind and the open road to keep her company. Getting up and dusting herself off, she stepped past Touma, walking back into her room. "I figured as much." The door slammed behind her.
Touma could only stare at the wooden door in his face. As much as it hurt, he figured he pretty much deserved it. He stood up slowly, a sad expression on his face. 'No, Kiyone, I don't like you,' He thought to himself, as he turned to walk away. 'I love you.'
~*~*~*~
Nasuti and the other troopers were filled with silent questions as their fellow comrade, the warrior of intellect, descended the steps. He walked into the room quietly, finding a seat in an empty chair. The expression on his face alone was heartbreaking - one would think someone had died.
"Touma?" Nasuti called out. The blue haired warrior looked up at her slowly. "Is everything all right? We heard an argument going on up there… did something happen between you and Kiyone?"
Touma flinched, remembering the kiss. Resisting the urge to touch his lips, he remembered how she had stiffened against him, only to relax and deepen their kiss. As much as he had enjoyed it, it pained him to think that it would never happen again.
Noting his silence, Seiji frowned. "Did you hurt her?" he asked.
Touma looked up at him as if he was seeing him for the first time. "Hurt her?" he asked. "Why would you think that?"
"Don't get worked up," Shin replied, trying to mediate. "It was just a question."
Touma sighed heavily. "I think I may have…" he answered. "Though I didn't mean to."
Confused and curious, Shuu's eyebrow quirked upwards slightly. "Whaddya mean?" he asked.
Touma looked up at the others. "Kiyone is leaving."
~End of Chapter 14
Wufei - ::yawns, brushing cobwebs off of himself:: It's about time, onna... So, how exactly will you be portraying the justice that is me?
::blinks:: Hey, I said I was writing again, but that doesn't mean I was writing about you. ::Wufei facefaults:: Anywayz, sorry to keep you guys waiting so long, hopefully I haven't lost anyone! Please enjoy!
~ The Standard Disclaimer applies...
Kiyone panicked. It had been days since she had heard the voices, but she still felt like she was being watched. Whenever she was alone, she felt a dark sinking feeling deep within her, as if something were drawing her in, taking control of her. It had not been the first time she had felt this sensation; it was something she had been familiar with for years. However, the feeling had never been this strong. Kiyone could feel herself loosing - she wouldn't be able to fight it much longer.
'I have to get away from here.' she thought to herself. Wasting no time, she rushed back to her room. Grabbing her traveling bag from out of the corner, she began frantically stuffing things inside.
"What are you so afraid of?"
Kiyone started, dropping the contents in her hand. With a gasp, she wheeled around to find Touma standing behind her. "Touma-kun…?" she blinked, still a bit startled. It had been days, a week and a half at most, since the blue-haired trooper had even attempted to speak to her.
"What are you so afraid of, Kiyone?" he repeated himself, a wounded look on his face. Kiyone noted it was similar to the one he had made during the incident in the rain a few weeks back. She blinked. 'He had been hurt to see me with Seiji!' she thought. Her heart did little flip-flops in her stomach. 'Does he feel something for me?'
Rather than get all emotional with him, Kiyone decided to play it cool. "You wouldn't understand." She told him.
Touma took a step towards her. "At least let me try." He told her pleadingly. "I… we want to help you."
"You can't!" Kiyone exclaimed, sounding a bit too panicky than she would have liked. She shook her head and resumed packing.
Touma lowered his eyes. This was going to be much harder than he had originally expected. "Is it so bad that you have to leave?" he asked quietly.
A t-shirt dropped out of her grasp. A chill ran through her, causing her to shudder involuntarily. She, however, played it off with a dazzling smile that left Touma weak in the knees. "It's not that." She answered. "I'm so used to going where the wind takes me, Touma. It brought me here and now it's leading me away. It's as simple as that."
"But you can fight it!" Touma exclaimed suddenly.
"Fight it?" Kiyone repeated, as if seeing some other meaning behind his words. She sighed heavily. "No, I can't fight it. Not now, not ever." She continued stuffing clothing into her bag at a faster rate. When she filled it to its capacity, she hefted it up, walked out into the hallway and sat it down by the door. When she turned around, she found herself again face to face with Touma. She found herself blushing despite her efforts not to.
The warrior of intellect's redness mirrored her own. 'You've got to tell her!' a voice inside of Touma screamed. 'You've got to tell her now before she gets away!'
Kiyone gulped. "I… have to finish packing." She replied, taking a step towards him.
"Do you?" he asked. Kiyone averted her gaze. "Do you really want to leave?"
"No." She was trembling now.
"Then why not stay?" Touma's hands were trembling. He wanted to so badly to hold her.
"I can't." Kiyone looked up at him, her eyes revealing her vulnerability and uncertainty.
"If I stay I'll just be putting the rest of you in danger!"
"You don't have to worry about us." Touma replied gently, hoping to reassure her. "We can look after you. We can protect you."
"I don't want to be protected." Kiyone cried out. "I don't need to be protected! I just need to know that I don't have to worry about you guys. You're all I have left!"
Why didn't she understand? Touma could feel himself getting frustrated. "Then stay with us!"
"I can't!!"
Something inside of Touma snapped. Without thinking, his hand shot out, grasping Kiyone's wrist. With a soft gasp from her as her only protest, he closed the distance between them kissing her softly on the lips.
Kiyone's clear blue eyes shot wide open. 'What in Kami's name is he doing?!'
Touma's common sense was going off like an alarm in a high-security prison. 'What in Kami's name am I doing?!'
Despite both their shock, neither made any attempts to break away. In fact, they both sank down to their knees, deepening the kiss as they went. It was as if their hearts had answered their question in unison. Exactly what you've been wanting since you both met.
When they finally broke away from each other due to lack of oxygen, they were left both dazed and speechless for several moments.
"I can't believe I did that." Touma replied after he floated back down from cloud nine. His face was still bright red.
"Neither can I." Kiyone agreed softly. "I thought you hated me."
Touma blinked in surprise. "Why would I hate you?"
"Well, you've been going out of your way to avoid me ever since before the picnic." Kiyone answered. "I thought I had done something to make you angry."
"No, it wasn't you." Touma replied, his expression turning dark.
"I see." Kiyone replied, quickly catching on. "Then this is another reason why I should leave."
"What?"
"When I first got here, I could see how close you and the others were." She explained. "But as long as I've been here, you and Seiji have been at each other's throats. I'm surprised you haven't gone at it yet, though there have been some close calls." Touma could only blink. "I'm not stupid, you know."
"I never thought you were." he protested.
"Then what do you think about me, Touma?" Kiyone asked, her expression serious. "That is, if you think of me at all."
"Of course I think about you!" Touma exclaimed, flustered. "More than I'd like, actually. I haven't been able to think straight since the moment I met you!"
At this, Kiyone flushed slightly. "Does that mean you like me then?" she asked, a little hope in her voice.
Touma panicked. She had set up the trap and he had walked right into it. He wanted to scream out, 'yes, yes, a thousand times yes!' but something just didn't seem right. Was that how he really felt? Why did he doubt himself? Was it so hard for him to admit how he felt?
Unfortunately, due to his lack of response, Kiyone had summed up an answer for herself. Somehow she had thought it would be like this… she had never expected him to kiss her and then proclaim his undying love for her. Oh, how she had hoped for it, and it hurt terribly that it hadn't happened, but she wouldn't waste her time with tears. She was Jade Kiyone after all! She was a girl alone in the world, with only the wind and the open road to keep her company. Getting up and dusting herself off, she stepped past Touma, walking back into her room. "I figured as much." The door slammed behind her.
Touma could only stare at the wooden door in his face. As much as it hurt, he figured he pretty much deserved it. He stood up slowly, a sad expression on his face. 'No, Kiyone, I don't like you,' He thought to himself, as he turned to walk away. 'I love you.'
~*~*~*~
Nasuti and the other troopers were filled with silent questions as their fellow comrade, the warrior of intellect, descended the steps. He walked into the room quietly, finding a seat in an empty chair. The expression on his face alone was heartbreaking - one would think someone had died.
"Touma?" Nasuti called out. The blue haired warrior looked up at her slowly. "Is everything all right? We heard an argument going on up there… did something happen between you and Kiyone?"
Touma flinched, remembering the kiss. Resisting the urge to touch his lips, he remembered how she had stiffened against him, only to relax and deepen their kiss. As much as he had enjoyed it, it pained him to think that it would never happen again.
Noting his silence, Seiji frowned. "Did you hurt her?" he asked.
Touma looked up at him as if he was seeing him for the first time. "Hurt her?" he asked. "Why would you think that?"
"Don't get worked up," Shin replied, trying to mediate. "It was just a question."
Touma sighed heavily. "I think I may have…" he answered. "Though I didn't mean to."
Confused and curious, Shuu's eyebrow quirked upwards slightly. "Whaddya mean?" he asked.
Touma looked up at the others. "Kiyone is leaving."
~End of Chapter 14