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Title: Can't Fight Love

Rating: T. Just… because.

Summary: Ray is in deeply in love with…? But what if she's married? Kai/Mariah/Ray. Who will Mariah choose? YOUR CHOICE!

Status: At the moment, it's going to be a very short story. May not even make it up to six chapters. This was just meant to be a one-shot, but I got reviews to continue.

Humaninspirations: A vote for both? Er… ok.

Bluestray: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you like it!

Lunarangel: I'm glad to see that you are loyal to Ray. It was quite sad, wasn't it?

Mushrambolover: Arg! It's hard for me to decide too! I might have to do two endings…

Fallen angel: Thank you for your review. You can see how the votes are panning out below.

M: Ooh, so you're choosing your second favourite pairing over your first favourite pairing? Interesting… I hope you like this chapter and please review!

Chapter Four: I Bruise Easily

Mariah walked along the street, her white handbag over her shoulder as she furiously wiped the tears away from her eyes. Life wasn't meant to be this trying. Love wasn't meant to be this confusing.

But it was. Because she was Mariah, the dainty little princess that got badly hurt if you even touched her. Her skin was like a map where her heart had been. Kai had seen the marks, but it hadn't necessarily been a bad thing. It had introduced her to a new love. A new life. A new beginning.

So she let down her guard. Dropped her defences. She learned to depend on Kai, and had no safety net to cushion the blows. But with Kai, she didn't need it. Kai – how cold and uncaring he seemed – was loyal and dependent. Ray however…

She bruised easily. Ray, though gentle as he was, still damaged her. Kai had managed to heal her. Ray had left marks like engravings such as a love heart on a tree. You couldn't scratch her surface without moving her. You couldn't show her affection, and then walk away. You couldn't hurt her, and then expect her to heal.

Didn't Ray know that when he was talking to her, he was leaving scars on her heart? Didn't he know that when he turned away from her, telling her that she had misunderstood the love they shared, that she had been broken?

But if she had not lost Ray, she would not have found Kai and never fallen in love with him. If she had never been hurt, she would never have known. So she had fallen, and Kai had been there to soften her descent.

She bruised easily. You had to be careful with Mariah. Everyone that grew close to her, left permanent marks. And for each one that left her, the marks became painful scars of the past.

Underneath her 'girl power' exterior, she was very vulnerable. She had let only a few people see this: Kai, Ray and Lee, her brother. Lee and Kai helped her, Ray… betrayed her.

Mariah chuckled as she came up with a very interesting thought.

Anyone who can touch you, can hurt you or heal you. Anyone who can reach you, can love you or leave you.

Ray had reached her, and he had left her. Ray had touched her, and he had hurt her. Kai had reached her, and he had loved her. Kai had touched her, and he had healed her.

I bruise easily. You must be gentle when handling Mariah Wong, no… Hiwatari. There's always a mark you leave, like engravings. I bruise easily. You can't scratch the surface without moving me underneath.

Finally reaching the Hiwatari Mansion, Mariah slid in her key card and the gates opened. She sighed as she reached the large building then walked inside. She saw Kai talking to Tyson and Hilary (most likely telling them to stop annoying him and get the hell off his property) then had a lot of trouble containing her tears.

She ran up the stairs, straight to her room that she shared with Kai.

Meanwhile, the three other occupants in the house (Kai, Tyson and Hilary in case you got confused) looked confusedly after her.

"What's wrong with her?" Tyson asked, scratching his head. Hilary elbowed him.

"Probably you."

"What? What did I do? Everyone's always blaming me for everything! I'll have you know that I won three championships in a row and I…"

Hilary smacked Tyson in the back of his head. "Moron…" she muttered under her breath.

Kai sighed and ran a hand through his slate-coloured hair. "I'm gonna go and see what's wrong. I don't understand. She was in a good mood this morning. She was going to go and visit…"

Suddenly, the Russian growled and clenched his fists. He bounded up the stairs, two at a time up to their bedroom. If that bastard had so much as touched her…

He reached their room and opened the door without knocking. Mariah was his wife. Privacy was not an issue.

"Mariah?"

She turned to him, her golden eyes threatening to spill tears. After a brief moment, she wrapped her arms around him and wept into his chest.

"Kai…"

"What is it? What did he say to you? Did he touch you? What happened? Did he hurt you?"

Ha. Had Kai learned nothing? Ray had already hurt her. So much. Too much.

"It's nothing, Kai. Just… memories."

He wrapped his arms around her small frame. "Don't worry, Mariah. I'm here for you. And I promise that now all the memories will only be good."

Mariah nearly burst out laughing. How could he promise something like that? Great. Look what Ray had done to her. He had made her pessimistic. He had made her bitter.

He had made her broken.

I bruise easily.

So be gentle, Kai.

Please…

Don't hurt me like he did.

Because I wouldn't be able to take it.

Please be gentle because…

I bruise easily.

0000000000000000000000000

Aw…

REVIEW!

VOTES

Kai – 5

Ray – 6

So it seems that Ray/Mariah is winning. However, Kai/Mariah is catching up quite fast. Remember to vote!