Disclaimer: Yugi-Oh GX does not belong to me nor its characters or rights over the story.
Warn: This story may have heavy and uncomfortable themes/situations like use of drugs, violence, intimate relations, suicide, abuse, sexual harassment, rape, depression, trauma and bad language. If you do not like such, Do not read this.
Very long chapter, Rie and Hell Kaiser are finally reunited!
Oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo
Chapter 17: Fleeting Dream
Rie's eyes open lazily. It takes some seconds until they are used to the darkness in there. Then, she gasps, opening them startled. The room is unknown: white bed sheets, strange ceiling and the dark walls; the man-sized glass windows in front of the bed are covered by black blinders, very faint moonlight trespassing its crevices, and there is a table on the side, near the windows, two chairs near it.
She quickly sits down, but her head spins and spins, disregarding her own conditions, she slides down the bed, even through her stockings, the ground is freezing, her skin still jolts at the temperature. Putting a hand on her aching forehead, her eyes search for signs of what happened.
The moments flash through her mind: her colleague's betrayal, how they dressed her in that room, her duel with the new ruthless Hell Kaiser that she can't recognize, and finally, how they said they'd auction her if she loses, then his face as he delivers the final blow in the duel, emotionless.
Her heart feels pressured, tightening inside her chest, she looks at that bed sweating coldly. What happened? Where is she? And just who… Bought her? Her lungs feel slightly out of breath, she squeezes her eyes shut. She doesn't want to know any of that. She'd rather not. After everything, to end up like this is…
The click of the door sounds behind her, she is set in a state of panic. She shouldn't. The reason why she started learning self-defense martial arts was exactly to protect herself, but with a body in that condition…
She clenches her fists, but her strength is still limited, shutting her eyelids and grinding her teeth, her body shakes with the thought of someone coming there in the darkness to assault her again. A hand finally touches her shoulder, it sends chills down her spine, a vague remembrance of the day she was defiled comes to mind, her blue orbs become lifeless.
Without thinking on who it is, she turns around, pushing that person away, they step back with the amount of force she uses, their hand leaving her shoulders alone. They seem a bit surprised, but it is only when they talk she awakens from her desperation:
"Rie, It's just me."
That familiar voice, she dares to look at their face, her lips move on their own, calling his name, in utter perplexity. The person standing right in front of her is none other than Ryo Marufuji. She struggles to understand the situation.
Her eyes flicker. He can see it glimmering in the darkness. In a blink of an eye, her arms wrap around him, pulling him tightly in an embrace, he can feel her tears wetting his clothes, just like the old times. With a delayed reaction, he accepts that embrace.
His fingers ruffle her hair gently, it's really been some time since they last hugged like this, his stoic orbs concentrating on her. He lets her cry out those tears she has been holding for too long, in a moment of pensive silence. His eyes squint, a severe glint to them as he ponders. The top of her head can't even reach his chin's height, since when was she this small? It seems he has gotten taller since the last time they hugged each other like this.
Her hands slipping on the lines of his back, gripping his coat strongly, her shoulders quivering, he can hear her sniffing.
"It's alright, Rie."
The fact she is the same from before, somewhat soothes his expression. He lets her warmth sip through his skin, closing his eyes and bending over her shoulder. His hands slithering on her hair, caressing it. It's as flossy as he remembers, it smells like a mix of perfume and a very faint hint of shampoo, a courtesy of the underground, he guesses.
When she feels his chin resting on her shoulder, startled as if noticing something important, she pushes him away and steps back, in shock.
"What is it?" he asks indifferently.
The reason why she came here in the first place was not to be leniently cuddling him, she had to ask many things and get to the bottom of the story: what made him change so much? Why was he involved in those duels? And what happened during this time they didn't see each other?
Her head becomes dizzy with all those thoughts, the complicated web of questions and implications she pictures on her mind spirals everything around her. She wobbles a step back, almost losing her balance, until he quickly puts a hand behind her back, supporting her.
"You shouldn't fret this much. Your body is in no condition for that. I just sent the doctor who examined you away, he said you should be resting."
Putting her hand to her forehead, she feels cold rush through her veins, her fingers become as numb as they were when she was being electrocuted. His hand steadily grabs her shoulder from behind, slowly guiding her to a chair near the table, sitting her down. She observes his movements, he disappears somewhere and comes back with a glass of water, putting it on the table and pushing it forward to her direction.
"Drink this. It seems the drugs they gave you are not fully gone yet, but they should wear off in some hours…"
She flinches at the word "drugs", true she was injected with a strange substance, she is more surprised this doesn't faze him at all. She glares at the cup with a scowl and hears a scoff from him.
"This is just water, don't worry. You should really drink it, Rie."
After finishing the sentence, he takes something from his chest pocket, it is her communicator, the one she left at the entrance of the underground ring. Astounded, she looks as he places it on the table, pushing it closer to her. Her orbs quiver, fixating on him.
"I got this back for you. It's better if you have it, right?"
For someone who was so merciless at the underground duel, he has been unpredictably considerate. Taking the device on both her hands, she can feel the lingering tepidness he left there. She clutches it, her eyes wavering more wildly when meeting his opaque orbs.
Her heart feels lighter with the hope that the old Ryo is there, or at least, a part of him remains in that person, under the cold features and implacable behavior. He leans his back on the glass window, crossing his arms and casting a sharp side glance at her.
"Now, Rie, will you explain to me why were you at the underground arena? Don't tell me you were after me..."
She bites her lips, taking a moment to type a message, her brows curl upwards in worry and affliction, avoiding that penetrating gaze of his.
"I was investigating the underground duels… And I also wanted to see with my own eyes what happened to you..." her eyes lift, staring at his unchanged expression.
"Is that so?" she sees a faint smile briefly flash on his face, he then turns to her, still in a haughty posture "You shouldn't have gone there. You were doped and almost auctioned. Not to tell you tasted the true underground duel experience. It could have ended very badly for you."
"It all ended fine, right…? Because you helped me it seems... But where is this place?"
She asks, looking around in a daze. He smirks with a confident tone, uncrossing his arms and coming closer to the table, standing in front of her.
"This is my apartment."
"Why did you bring me here…?" she gapes, her surprise turning into a deep thoughtful tone "Does that mean you knew it was me?"
"I had my suspicions when you entered the pit, your cards too, but I only confirmed during the duel, even before it was finished. I don't know anyone else besides me who wouldn't cry out loud in pain if they're being tortured with electrodes, plus, your hair slipped off that helmet when you collapsed… It was unmistakable."
A shiver runs down her spine when she sees his smirk, it is sadistic and provocative at the same, he supports one of his hands on the table, bending over closer to her, but still keeping his head above hers, inducing her to look up into his eyes.
"Rie, I thought I told you I'd come to see you once I settle my own life, yet, it seems you've gotten impatient while waiting… Why is that? Was I not clear enough before?"
"You ignored me! I asked you many times, many questions!" she contests his claims.
"Yes, I wanted some time alone and I told you that. What you did was very reckless, coming to the underground, really?"
"Very rich coming from you! Disappearing without ever replying to my messages and pretending everything is fine! It's not fine!" her stern expression wavers at the last part, her blue marbles oscillating with tears.
"Had I not brought you here, you'd probably be in a stranger's bed right now. To think you'd come this far after me and get yourself into trouble for that, you really didn't change a bit… Back then it was like this too… Did you miss me that much?"
His tone comes off more nostalgic than sour, smug even at the last part. She can see a very subtle curve on his lips, almost as if he is enjoying the reminiscence. With a hand, she pushes his chest back and stands up, making him recoil to give her space, then types angrily.
"I was there for my job, besides I wanted to know what happened to you… I sent you so many messages, why were you ignoring me? I wanted to see who the Hell Kaiser was with my own eyes, because I couldn't believe it was really you, Ryo-san! But then you… You just dueled like that… Even with me… How could you be so horrible…? How could you do this?"
"Do you think I wanted to hurt you?" His face wrinkles, his hands grab her shoulder rashly and shakes her once "No! You're the last person I'd want to hurt more…" a bitter smirk plays on his lips "Do you really think I enjoy seeing you suffer? That I did it on purpose? I wanted to protect you, that's why I took you out of there. Had I not done anything, you probably wouldn't even be alive now…" his eyes narrow, as if feeling attacked by her words.
"You say that, but… Right now you're the person that is hurting me the most..."
The statement stupefies him, his mouth opening slightly at the sight of her tears as she covers her eyes, he lets go of his firm and unnecessarily strong grip on her shoulders, his eyes flickering.
Her head swirls more because she got up abruptly, her body loses balance again, everything is spiraling in her sight, her back starts bending down, he quickly supports her back with an arm again, pulling her up, but all it does is to make her fall to the front. In reflex, he grabs her bringing her close to his chest as a support.
Her eyelids threaten to close, her vision intercalates between pure black and the man holding her, she feels his arms coming under her as her body is lifted, but her senses are just not coming back. The images and sounds are hazy, muddled even.
"It seems the underground dueling was too much on your body." she hears his voice say with a snort.
He leans her somewhere, she is still unsure of what is going on, her head just had too much. The duel, his new self, Tonomiya's betrayal, everything. She'd wish this would just end.
"I am happy you are here now, Rie. I really am."
The sentences are low, she barely heard it, and it's the last she listens to before completely passing out right there. Did he really say that? Or was it a silly daydream of hers? Her eyes are closed and bothered for some time, her dreams are memories of the dark days in which her friends were taken and Ryo. In her dreams, he was taken by darkness too.
She wakes up sweating aplenty, sitting straight on a bed, scared of her surroundings until she notices it's still his room. It's dark inside, but as her eyes get used to it, she sees his silhouette: he sits idly at the table on the opposite side of the room, near the window.
His finger plays on the border of her untouched water cup, upon feeling stared at, he finally casts his gaze towards her. There is an apathy inside his eyes that resembles how he used to be in school, but colder. Did he stay awake the whole time? And how late is it? Many questions pop in her mind, annoying her.
Getting sight of her communicator right beside her, she takes it and slides off the bed again, wobbling on the first step and putting a hand to her head, it hurts and it's not the only part of her body that hurts, not after all those electric shocks. She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath to diminish the pain, but opens them when she hears his calm footsteps approaching.
His hand tries to reach her shoulder, to help her stand properly, but she shoves it away with a furious slap, looking at him in disbelief, he is but mildly startled at her reaction.
"I still can't believe you knew it was me and still went through with the duel to the end!"
She brings the communicator closer to her chest, her blue orbs oscillate looking at him. He can tell she is expecting to hear an acceptable explanation. His expression dims, a fierce seriousness burning inside his eyes.
"Those are the rules of the underground, you can't stop a duel once it starts and I have no intention of going easy just because it is you. I don't know why you are angry, I took you out of there, I won, so I deserved this night with you, don't you agree? You could have been in worse situations if I left you there alone. Is this what you wanted from me? To leave you at the fate of whoever has money to afford you? Would you be satisfied, then?"
The raw words shock her, he doesn't have any trait of emotions in his face. Does he actually mean that? She can't admit he is actually treating her just like those people and pinning it on the fact she could have had a worse nightmare than the one she is having now.
"You're unbelievable!" he can see the irritation through the text "How can you say this after what happened? You literally tortured me and yourself in that ring! Why are you behaving like this? This is not you… This is really not… The 'you' I knew, Ryo-san..."
Her eyes are anguished with his sight, he can see the tears forming again as she displays the last parts. A smooth huff comes out of his mouth, as if he is bothered.
"That is right, this was not like the old me… But this is who I am now." he gives the ultimatum.
"Why? You wouldn't have changed from day to night, you shouldn't… Why are you acting like this? All in black, disrespecting every opponent, disregarding even… Me… This isn't..."
"Rie, I've been through hell, and after experiencing it, I decided to change. No, I had to change. The person I used to be is not there anymore! Now I don't care about anything else but victory, and I will do whatever I may to achieve it. Call me insane if you want, but nothing else matters to me right now… I've just lost and lost more and more, I'm done with this! I'm done with losing anything else in my life! Don't you also understand that pain comes with gain?"
Victory? Hell? Pain? Loss? What is he talking about? It hurts her to see him like this. Why can't he just go back to who he was? If he suffered so much for so long. Then why didn't he just tell her? She was there, she tried to be, then why? Why did he change so much? His intense speech pierces her as much as his twisted smirk.
"Back in school I was a fool, that part of me died, I'm done being like that. Someone who can't stand up for a loss, a duelist that can't muster all his potential, man up to just admit having feelings for someone he likes or even capable of finding out disgusting criminals. I was such a useless wimp, I am really elated you still dared to come here after my pathetic display. What did you even like in me back then? No matter how much I think, I can find nothing worth your attention."
"No! You weren't pathetic! You were kind and respected everyone else, regardless of who they were! I liked that part of you! I liked how you were back then… Even if you couldn't find those people..." her hands tremble, her typing is frantic and passionate "I don't mind! I didn't like you because you could find them for me anyways, that was never the reason… I just..."
"You can say that, but I think I am way better now. If I was there, things could have gone differently, I'd make sure to do it properly this time, both in my dueling and finding those pieces of garbage." His smirk is conceited and bitter. "I will not lose to anyone now."
"This is not you… I don't want you to… Don't act like this, please… Hurting people and yourself, this is not the true Ryo-san..." her eyes flicker, almost in a plea "You used to be gentle, respectful, confident, courageous and strong willed, even when you looked sad, you always found a way out of it, then why…? Why did you have to change? Even if you didn't… You were… Fine the way you were..."
"I disagree, had I not changed, nothing would have improved, I would be forever in this foolish loop of regretting the things I let slip from my fingers and the things I made people around me lose. But if you despise me so much now, you are free to go out that door. I will not hold you back."
He looks at the entrance of his apartment, she inspires air, trying to catch her breath, her eyes still oscillate afflicted when she looks into his. He is deadly serious about it. Despite all they've been together, how can he be so...?
"Why are you saying this...?" her fingers reluctantly ask that question.
"You came all the way to see me, I thought It'd be unfair to let you leave without ever seeing my face. That is all. You have no reason to stay if you don't want to. In fact, you need some rest to recover fully."
She remembers his fond, kind smile, this memory is set into flames, becoming ashes. Her heart staggers with the thought. It is undeniable that he saved her from a worse fate that night, but the way he talks and his composure, everything else is so different.
She saw he was in pain, that he needed help, but even when she stretched her hand, he refused it proudly and said everything would be fine. Why did she not insist that day? Why did she let him go alone and wasn't by his side? She feels only regret. Nonetheless, she sees a hint of hope, under his wicked sense of victory, he still took her out of there and helped, that means there is still some of the Ryo she knew. She wants to meet him so much.
He seems convinced she will leave, closing his eyes in a resigned sigh, disappointed even, perhaps, he wanted a different answer from her all along even if he was the one telling her to go. She was convinced of that herself too, that if he is not the same, she wouldn't be there anymore. But facing him now, this is not how she truly feels.
Even if he is walking through hell, even if he is a completely different person now, she won't let him go this time. She will be with him until the end, and they will walk together, she will make sure to help him this time, hard as it might be to reach out to him, he never gave up on trying to talk to her even when she refused it too. Wasn't that tenacity what moved her heart profoundly?
With that resolution in mind, she pulls him closer in an embrace, surprising him. He gapes at the action, his hands hover over her shoulders, he can see her tears trickling down, his eyes falter for a brief moment. She lets him go before he has the chance to repay that hug. Her fingers type calmly the next words as she wipes her own tears, showing it to him.
"What are you saying? My feelings for you won't change… Even if I don't agree with you, I still want to be by your side. My reason was always the same, I just wanted to be with you because I like you."
"Rie..."
"You're the best thing that happened in my life. The person I love is not the Kaiser or the Hell Kaiser, but the person under this all. I wanted to meet you, not the person you show in front of others, but the real you. After this whole time, do you still not understand that, Ryo-san?"
The coldness on his expression dissipates, slightly stunned by her words, his hand reflexively touches the back of her head, pulling her close, she can feel the warmth of his chest, hear his fast heartbeats, closing her eyes to engrave the sensation and his scent on her memory.
"Are you saying you'll be with me regardless of who I am?" he lets go of her, taking a peek at her expression.
"I will not leave you alone this time." her fingers crawl to his palm, holding it, his hand twitches in response, slowly accepting hers.
"That's right..." her eyes are transfixed on his as her thoughts flow "Back then when I walked through darkness, you were there for me… And now, it's my turn… I can't just abandon you after all… It wouldn't be right. Because I feel this is the moment you'll need help the most… And I have the sensation if I just let you be… I'll never see you ever again..."
Saving those thoughts for herself, she grabs the hem of his coat, leaning her head against his chest, a brief smile comes to his lips as he watches her. Releasing him, she steps back.
"I appreciate your feelings, Rie. I really do."
His hands reach out to her, he touches her face affectionately, caressing her skin as gently as she can remember. His other hand grabs around her waist, pulling her close. He kisses her without any previous hint. For a moment she is stunned with the sensation of his warm lips touching hers, she pushes him away blushing from top to bottom, he lets her go with a provocative smirk.
"I was such a wuss before… Too hesitant and afraid to do anything... But I am not that person anymore..."
He steps closer. She takes a step back, but stumbles on the table behind her, supporting her arms, there is no escape route as he draws closer, bending over her, walling her in between his arms.
"I will not hesitate this time."
He plants another kiss, she tries to resist at first, but she can't. She's been waiting to meet him for so long. Compared to their first kiss that was mild and tender, this one was so much more passionate and intense, his mouth is so warm as his tongue plays with hers, exploring in how many ways he can move it inside her mouth.
She is almost sitting on the table, his hand glides smoothly on her thigh, pulling her stockings slightly down, stopping as she jolts with the sensation of his touch. Since when was he so daring? She feels the blood under her skin is boiling, burning.
He finally lets her go, she is almost out of air, he seems to enjoy the sight. She flushes even harder, opening her mouth in a tone of protest, but before she can say anything, he leans down for another kiss, even bolder than the first, her hands slowly reaching his face, appreciating the softness of his skin.
The more he kisses, the more her strength lessens, she feels compelled to follow the rhythm, albeit unwilling to admit it, she also enjoyed it, specially after the months without seeing him. When he stops for the second time, his arm goes under her bottom and he lifts her up with no effort.
She loses her balance, bending onward, supporting her hands on his shoulders. She can see his face under her as he carries her to the bed, dropping her there. She fidgets even more, her expression asks an obvious, but cute question of "What are you doing?!".
"Isn't it evident?" his smirk is almost ironical "There is something I've been wanting to do with you. You don't need to be so embarrassed about this, we're adults now."
He leans on kissing her shoulder, the neck, the kisses start traveling down on her torso, but before his brazen lips touch her skin again, she uses both hands to push his chest away as he bends over her on the bed, closing her eyes and averting her face from his.
He backs off his torso, his expression in a mix of disgruntlement and certain affliction. He can't accept that she would refuse him.
"You don't want to?"
Her hands tremble, he can see the fear on her expression as she stares into his face, anguish coloring her eyes blank. There is more to it than that, her eyes don't seem to be looking at him, but at a part of her memories she'd been working to forget.
"So I lost to your past in the end…?" he mutters to his inner self, his lips closing in an inexpressive line.
For him, that victory was also something he wanted to achieve over her past, so she could move on with him too. But she seemed unprepared and reluctant. In the end, he is disappointed in himself for being too forceful when she had a lot to swallow that night.
He frowns, frustrated with the result of his advances, her eyes flicker while looking at his cold, yet fazed expression. Why is she avoiding him? After all he has done and what she has seen that night, she just can't...
He crawls away from her, sighing heavily. She sits up straight, covering her teary eyes, he can see her shoulders shaking. Standing up in front of her, his brows curl upwards slightly, feeling bad for her and in a half dismay. His hand makes a way behind her nape, pulling her head closer until her forehead arrives at his torso, staying like this to comfort her, sliding his hand on her hair gently.
"I won't force you to do anything, you should know that. You can stop crying now."
She pushes him away in an outburst, glaring at him, her lips curved down as she gestures the words which he can understand.
"I don't know you anymore! You ignored my messages, you ignored me and now… Now..."
Her head spirals after the movement, and in a second, she plops back onto the bed, fainting with those nightmarish visions of the underground in her mind. A disturbed grunt comes out of his throat. Accommodating her legs onto the bed and covering her with the bed sheets, he goes back to the seat he had before, closing his eyes and muttering inaudible words, lightly hitting his forehead, in some sort of self punishment.
After long dreams, her eyes open to see a lighted room, unlike during the night, the brightness comes from faint sunlight outside. She rolls to the side, her mind is foggy about the latest happenings, she slowly sits up, putting a hand to her head recollecting all that transpired.
A flinch and in a second, she is fully awake, looking around. Her orbs go everywhere until they land on the figure standing silently beside the bed.
"Ryo… san...?"
"You're finally awake." His expression is as distant and insensible as usual.
Her gaze lowers, avoiding his, she hears a groan of complaint coming from him, almost annoyed at her reaction, then he slides her communicator nearby.
"Are you still angry about yesterday?" The question brings her attention to his face, there is not the slightest hint of emotions in there but a blank stare.
"Why am I still here?"
"Should I have kicked you out of my apartment while you were unconscious just because you didn't sleep with me? Are you serious about this?" His voice is graver than she expected.
"I don't know… I thought I knew you, but… I don't know anymore… I wanted to see you, I tried, why did you just… Ignore me?"
Her eyes become watery again, he doesn't avert his gaze this time, instead his hand comes to caress her cheek, his brows curl upwards subtly.
"I am here now. Is that not enough? I'm not going to ignore you anymore. I also told you before we could meet at my apartment next."
Her eyes blink in surprise. So he does remember what they used to talk about before he completely fell into darkness. Holding his hand in between both her hands, she takes it away from her face, in sadness. His eyes open slightly as she lets go of him. Her head lowers, looking at the ground, a heavy sigh comes out of his mouth, bordering the impatience.
Her mind starts drifting away as tears threaten to fall, but she is startled when she sees his face underneath hers, he kneeled down, looking at her from below. Instead of using her communicator, she gestures with sign language this time.
"Past. All. You. Forget?"
A/N: if you are confused on why she is speaking like this, go to the end of the chapter and read the AN there.
"Do you think I forgot everything we've gone through and that promise?" He answers with a full understanding of her sentence, something that goes unnoticed to her.
"Don't. know..." she gestures with a shake of head and a shrug.
"I didn't. But the only reason it was even made was because I was too much of a coward. I told you before, but I am not the same and I don't intend to go back to how I was back then. I don't care about anything else but victory right now, and I will have it, it doesn't matter how I achieve it. I'm not losing to anyone anymore."
Her hands come to his cheeks, touching it warmly and caringly, her brows furrowing in sorrow, his gaze is unfazed at her tears, instead his seriousness just accentuates. He stands up, freeing himself from her touch.
"You should wash your face a bit, it will make you feel better."
He offers a hand to help her up, she curves her lips down and turns it away, getting up alone, he points the direction to the bathroom, a faint and troubled sigh coming out of his lips.
The water splashing on her face reinvigorates her a tiny amount. She strongly wipes all the make-up off, and makes sure that no trace of it is left, angry at it even. After all that is done, finally taking a moment to look at herself in the mirror, she notices how weary she looks. Less than the night before probably.
A prickle makes her arm twitch, she takes a look at the source, there are red marks on both of them. Startling her. Swiftly pulling the part of the dress covering her neck, she finds another mark there, fainter than the other two. A soundly gasp. Those were the places she had the strange device… If she has it…
Her feet unconsciously swirl her body around, her gaze searching for him confusedly, he was waiting for her outside, crossed arms, a standoff expression. His black coat is hanging on a chair, she can see his fully black outfit that was hidden under it and the shape of his torso and she doesn't need to be an expert to tell how well drawn his figure is.
"Do you feel any better?" his voice comes softer than he intended to.
Not saying any words, she approaches fearfully, he is startled when her hand inadvertently grabs the fabric covering his neck, pulling it aside, her head coming a bit too close to inspect it, he can feel her breath blowing on his skin. He turns his face to the side, wondering what she is doing.
"If you want me to take off my clothes, you just need to say so, I will gladly comply with your wishes." he smirks in a half joking and ironic tone.
Her blue orbs flicker looking at him, his smirk disappears as she lowers her gaze, he doesn't seem to humor her. Instead, she places her free hand at her own marks leftover as a proof of the underground duel, his expression dims.
She stares more at his bruise, it is certainly more defined and has a purplish color rather than red. He grabs her hand firmly, taking away from his neck kindly as he sees nervousness building up in her expression. He also takes her other hand from her own arm.
"It is not permanent, as long as you don't duel like that again, it will disappear." he lets go of her hands.
She shakes her head off slowly, a sorrowful glimmer on her eyes as she looks at him, questioning what he is doing. He grumbles in response, and pulls her close softly embracing her, steading his hands around her silhouette.
"It's fine, it doesn't hurt me anymore. Those people don't care if we get hurt, Rie. What you did was very dangerous. You could've been even more hurt than just a few bruises, you know?"
A strong push coming from her separates them both, he almost stumbles back, she embraces herself terrified by the memories of the other night. He steps closer, ignoring her state, pulling her chin up.
"I don't care if you did it for your job, me or whichever reason you had. You shouldn't get involved in anything related to the underground. That is not a place for you."
She lowers her gaze, almost biting her lips as tears form on her eyes. His brows curl upwards slightly, he lands his hands on her shoulders, then guides her to sit on the bed again. Her hair covering her expression, in a brooding mood.
He taps her arm, requiring her attention again, This time, he speaks proficiently through the sign language while also mumbling it in a low voice:
"Underground. You. Stay. Away. Hear. Me?"
Her lips unclose subtly after seeing him talk like that, she was unaware he could understand. Thinking back, she might have missed it due to being stressed and overwhelmed, but when she used signs before he answered her accordingly. Has he been learning it because of her? Her eyes oscillate, shining again with tears forming.
His hand comes over to the top of her head, sliding down, as he carefully strokes her hair, the same stoic semblance as usual, yet a surprisingly affectionate touch. Bending over, he puts one of his knees on the bed, invading her personal space yet again for a kiss that startles her.
His hand comes behind her neck pulling her even more in that kiss and she is forced to bend back with him, almost falling to the bed. With his face still close, he looks into her eyes with a resolute glint in his eyes, leaving her in awe for a moment.
"Back then I didn't have what it takes to lead my life as it should be as a man or as a duelist. The person you liked was someone that couldn't even bear their own feelings or keep a simple promise. However, I am not the same as before, this time I will not hold myself back, even with you."
Her eyes flicker, her hands grabbing his shoulders, prepared to push him away again in a minute, he continues, ignoring her gestures and signs.
"Are you still afraid, Rie? I am here, right in front of you. Is this not what you wanted?"
She quickly grabs her device, typing a message and showing it while closing her eyes tightly as she blushes.
"I am still conflicted about you! Don't think it's enough to give me back my belongings!"
"Is that so?" he supports himself on both knees, his torso standing straight "That's a pity..." his hand slithers on her legs again, he can feel her muscles twitch under his touch "You looked really gorgeous in those clothes. Especially after you wore off all that make-up. You're very pretty like this."
She sits straight, taking his hand away in reflex and fidgeting as he smirks, relishing her reactions as she gestures:
"Now. Day! Not. Time."
"Isn't it better? I can see you more properly like this."
She almost jumps at his remark, her whole body reddening at his words, why is he even saying such things and with such a presumptuous smirk too.
"Why are you avoiding me now? You came to the underground because you wanted to see me right? I thought a lot about it a lot while you were resting. I told you before I made a promise because I was unable to face my feelings, I will not do that again, I won't make you wait anymore."
He bends over again, slightly pushing her to the bed, her back plops at the soft bed sheets, her eyes widen in bemusement upon his words.
"I won't ignore you or turn my gaze away from you again, Rie. I am ready to accept your feelings as a man and keep my promise. Will you still refuse me like that?"
Why is she avoiding him? The words stick to her mind. When she thinks about it, she vaguely remembers the smiles of those boys from school, her body shudders with that. But it's been so long, it's been so long since then, and right now. He is right in front of her, his gaze holds no fear or anger or bears any resemblance to the man she saw in those underground duels before.
Before she gets an answer on the tip of her tongue, he occupies her lips with his own, kissing over and over, barely giving her a break in between to catch air, at which point she wonders if he really wanted an answer to that question.
Her heart skips a beat. He just said it, didn't he? He is keeping his promise? Certainly she didn't imagine it in this sense, but… She is letting him go again, because of something that happened so long ago. He finally gives her a breather.
"Look at me."
She obeys his assertive request, unable to avert her oscillating blue orbs from him. Her heart is pumping hard inside her chest, can he hear it too? When she looks into his eyes, she forgets all those bad moments, as if they are erased by the infatuation she sees in him. He is so handsome, he has always been, but never like this before.
She had just seen the person he had become, how much he had changed, but even after seeing all his bad sides, nothing of that seems to matter when he looks at her. There is so much passion in his eyes, as if he'd been bottling it up all along, for a long time, just for this moment.
"Look just at me, Rie. You don't need to think about anything else."
He is here now, his warmth, his touch, his kisses, his face, his scent, she loves all of it. Unconsciously, her hand grabs his shirt, pulling him closer, he looks into her blue eyes, bewitched by them, they oscillate profoundly as she kisses him, pulling him over her.
He stops the kiss for a moment, looking at her expression, her eyes display such affection, she'd always trust him even when he didn't deserve that.
Her hand touches his cheeks gently, his brows furrow upwards in concern, he can't see anything else but her. Perhaps, they're both just madly in love with each other. He can't stop himself anymore, not like before, or rather, he doesn't want to.
"Rie, don't worry…" he smiles gently, she can see rue, but a fiery determination in him "I will overwrite all your painful memories."
With a lovesick tone to his voice he delivers another kiss that she willingly corresponds to, it evolves to him more than promptly undressing his shirt, she replies by undressing one of the layers of her dress too as he proceeds to slide his hand down her thighs, pulling her stockings along with it, she shakes it off while they kiss passionately, her hands too busy between caressing his back and pulling his face so his tongue can go deeper into her mouth.
He stops for a brief moment, his face looking like she just started a fever on him, from the size of his underwear she can tell he won't wait much longer. She gasps at the sight, they've just been kissing, how is it possible? His answer comes unexpectedly as if he understood perfectly her questionings:
"Why do you think I've been sparse with our kisses? Had I just kissed you every time we met back there, I wouldn't have been able to stop at that. This is just how much I like you."
The last part causes a twitch of discomfort as he puts a hand on her cheek, then helps her by taking off her dress. Her underwear is completely white and a fancy one too, they really put some effort into dressing her up for selling her in the underground.
He fully undresses and she does the same, his brows furrowing up in a mix of anxiety and regret he'd push her to this point. He takes a good look at her face, filled in uncertainty. Her skin is a shade lighter than his and her eyes are just so enticing, but they're certainly not all he has been looking at this whole time, he could give details for a sketch on her whole body by now.
The marks of the electrodes are visible on her arms and neck, a reminder of just how much suffering she'd had the night before, a pinch of guilt consuming his insides. Climbing on top of her, he strokes her cheek slowly, leaning in for a gentle kiss to soothe her nervousness, and a half apology for the troubles he caused.
His kiss sends a shiver down both their bodies as his warm skin brushes against hers, feeling much more of her body than ever before. He waited for this for so long, ever since school ever since that day in the cave, he just…
"Damn… This way I will be finished before it even starts..."
He curses mentally, his tongue too entangled on hers to say a word, his hand sliding up and down her body as he feels her tremble in enjoyment, her hands also exploring the lines of his figure, his back is broader than she remembers it.
He lets out an impatient growl, looking at her from above before leaning in closer, one of his hands exploring her chest, he can't wait anymore.
"Rie..."
A drop of sweat roll down his face among all the sweat building up, he doesn't stop himself there, grabbing her hips, he finally pulls her close, trying to make way inside her, missing the spot a few times, howling in a mix of frustration and eagerness at the failed attempts, until he finally…
"Ugh… Rie… You're so... Tight..."
He winces at the sensation, if he knew it'd feel this good to be inside a girl, he'd not have controlled himself ever. On the other hand, her expression looks pained, as if he'd set her insides on fire. He feels like there is no space inside her for him to be in there, stuck in the middle of the way, but tries to move even deeper. Is she rejecting him? he wonders. If that is the case, then…
"Rie… Look at me…"
His shaking hand caresses her face as he looks at her, making a trail of kisses on her neck as he thrusts in slowly and repeatedly, afraid of causing harm, a half pained, half delighted expression as her mouth opens reflexively at every time he slides in, it feels like he goes a centimeter deeper at every attempt, her wavering eyes try to stay on his face, but she can't fully pay attention to it.
"Mhnm… You're so beautiful..."
His hand doesn't shy away from her chest, he grabs it in one palm and occupies his mouth with her other breast, licking it and kissing it all over. He can't deny he has been fascinated and entertained the idea of experimenting the sensation multiple times in his mind, even back when they had just started dating.
Her toes curl up and she bends back at the sensation, her hands pulling his head more into her bosom, he can hear the soft bed sheets creasing under them with his plunging. The burning and bothersome feeling she had inside her before now starts turning into a conflicted mixture of the lingering prickling she felt and a surge of pleasure in her veins as she feels him moving inside and out her more fluidly.
"You're so hot inside… So absurdly soft..." his whisper comes off tremulous, planting soundly kisses on her breasts, shoulders and neck, as if he can't hold his breath for a single sentence with the amount of energy he is putting into his exercise. "Unbearably soft… Mmmm..."
Her expression is hazy, as if she is lost in the amount of overwhelming sensations, her hands make way to his face pulling him closer for yet another unbridled kiss, his hands finally letting go of her breasts and sliding to her hips, making way to her bottom, caressing her smooth skin and yanking her unnecessarily harshly, she jolts at the movement, her nails almost adding another mark to his already wounded body, her orbs closing and giving in to his warmth spreading inside her at every motion of his.
Her eyes open slightly , looking at the purplish mark on his neck, before she knows it herself, she bites it, making him let out a groan in half pleased and somewhat aching undertone. A smirk plays on his lips, he does not dislike it, just a look at her face so feverishly staring into his eyes, his arousal growing, he'd never been this stiff in his life.
"Fuck! I can't…"
Before she knows it, he increases the speed, rocking his hips even harder, slamming himself into her, trying to go as deep as possible and surprisingly, unlike when they started, it felt as if he could fully plunge himself into her. His temperature rises about 10 degrees every time his skin comes into contact with hers, brushing softly and feeling how excited she was with all that too, insane amounts of heat stacking, the sweat dripping from his whole torso.
He forgets completely about everything around, his voice sounding loud in the air as if he is the only one there, her legs cushion around his waist, her arms around his neck and they both wince at just how much they're enjoying this, despite all the pain she felt earlier, the sensation of knowing Ryo is right there seems to overlap with any sort of ill emotions she had, hearing his voice, feeling his scent blatantly invading her nose just brings her back to reality.
He can feel as his limb is grabbed everywhere inside her, wondering if she now wanted him as much as he wanted her right there, the feeling so strong a sudden rush of pleasure strikes them both, unable to contain himself, an unwanted moan escape his lips as he thrusts yet another time while his member twitches uncontrollably, gushing out inside her in a moment of pure joy, her grip on his back becoming so strong he can swear if she could scream, she'd be doing it about now.
His seed filling her, an impressive amount of it, not even when he had his urges he'd felt so much coming out. Was he really holding himself back that much? The fact it was being sent to her just made the sensation all much better, if he'd not been pinning her down on that bed, she would probably be climbing walls.
"Mmnn..." he almost plops onto her, holding himself on both arms that tremble, unable to sustain a firm grip. "Rie..."
Her mouth opens, he can read his name on her lips, she uses his back as a holder to pull herself up, tightly embracing him, her head hiding on his shoulder. They both fall to the bed, his whole weight over her, she welcomes him around her arms, still relishing the sensation of his overheated skin in contact with hers.
His arms also sluggish make way around her as his head nests into her chest, a muffled grunt coming out of his lips as if the action is too much of an effort. This is the first time he feels this exhausted, his muscles relaxing all at once and not moving an inch, crying for a break, his eyes closing. Almost giving in to the sudden laziness dancing through his body. She seems to still have a bit more energy left, tightening even more their embrace.
That morning, their silhouettes intertwined. It doesn't matter what happens after that, for that day, they just want to make company with each other.
Hours later,
The room is lit with strong sunlight intruding from outside. Ryo sits on the bed, clad in dark as usual, his eyes seem lost on the unexpected figure laying just beside him. Rie is rolled on his blankets, he can see her breathing subtly moving the sheets up and down.
Reluctantly, his finger reaches to her, combing a strand of hair that blocks her face. He always knew she was this pretty, but for some reason, today it feels like she is the most beautiful even as she sleeps carelessly like this. With a faint, tender smile, he gets up and leaves the room.
She opens her eyes slowly, her head still feels irritated by whatever they gave her last night, but she wakes up in a flinch as soon as she remembers Ryo and images of the early morning pop on her mind, making her whole face become a deep hue of red. She sits up straight, quickly covering herself with the bedsheets.
Her eyes scan the surroundings nervously, she can see her clothes randomly dropped somewhere on the side, but no sign of his garments or him. She hugs her legs, with an afflicted gaze. Is it true that they just…? What was she even thinking? Her head sinks in between her knees, in shame remembering part by part of what transpired.
She was brought here unexpectedly and was supposed to scold him, then how did it end up like this? They haven't seen each other for some time, but still, they barely kissed back then on their dates, she feels like they did a huge jump and it worries her.
The emptiness of the room feels cold, just like his current self. Nonetheless, when reminiscing about his warm touch not long ago, his kindness and his passion, she can't help but be more and more sure that true Ryo is still in there, deep in his heart. He still loves her.
A dilemma, she is still mad at him for going through with the duel and all of his overbearing attitude, but at the same time, she cannot forget he bothered himself in returning all her belongings and brought her here instead of leaving her to be auctioned. Perhaps, it was just a smart move to get to her. She doesn't know what to think of him anymore.
The clock sets off an alarm, it's past 8 am, so late, no matter what happened earlier, she still has a job to go. Gasping and quickly grabbing her clothes, the realization comes. She can't just use those for work, the outfit they put her in for the underground pit. Her real clothes are probably somewhere else.
She looks around once more, until she hears the door clicking, her eyes waver just by seeing him entering the room again.
"You woke up?"
He says nonchalantly, bringing a bag with him, placing it on the bed. If she hadn't seen his infatuation yesterday, she'd think he isn't the same icy, cruel Hell Kaiser from the arena.
"Those are your clothes. I got back along with all your other belongings yesterday. Your shoes are at the entrance."
She gasps, looking at him and clenching the blankets tight, hiding under them. He stares at her for a moment, as if processing the situation.
"You don't need to be like this, I've seen everything very clearly anyways." he smiles conceited at the last part.
The remark just makes her jumpy and uptight as she flushes, a muffled laugh, almost mockingly coming from him as he comes closer, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Did you think I would leave you alone without saying a word? Now that you came here, don't you think I will be letting go of you this easily."
She gestures anxiously trying to make sense and mixing in words, he gently puts a hand on her face, caressing it. She is even more flustered by then, dazing off while lost in his bluish eyes that stare deeply into hers.
"I am not the type of man that would make this one night of fun…" he snorts "I have to work now, but I am looking forward to meeting you again. If it depends on me, we could spend time like this every day…"
He just turns around and gets up without ceremony. She is startled by him, he casts a last glance back, with a bland and feeble smile, his eyes look harsh, but she can sense a tepid undertone to it. Before she can muster the words, she watches his back going away once more, the door closing shut behind him.
With a hand to her bosom, her eyes waver, contradictory thoughts about all that has happened. She vowed to herself to never let him alone anymore. And what is more important, he corresponded to those feelings, too eagerly even. She takes a look at the bag he left, it has her clothes, they are clean and folded.
"Did he do this for me…?"
Unsure of where his kindness is coming from, that question rises in her mind. She has seen both sides, but which one is her Ryo now? He undeniably cares and has feelings for her, but he seems trapped into the thorny and afflicted path, she feels this will lead to his destruction, that is, if he didn't fully crumble inside already.
If he has changed this much, she will help him remember who he was and be with him until the end. This is what she feels. Her heart pulsates even faster with the thought. That day, even though she goes to work as usual, her mind is still with him, daydreaming about those moments they spent together since they met.
She fears they will disappear like a fleeting dream if she stops thinking about it for a second. But her heart is comforted by the image of his smile, engraved into her. No matter what, she will be together with him from now on.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A/N: As you all saw, Rie at some parts talked in sign language, now I came here to explain why it is written with dots in between words and why the sentences are like that.
ASL (American Sign Language) is actually very different from the main written/spoken language, in the structure of sentences there are connectives that don't exist in signs, most words can still be spelled letter by letter even when there isn't a sign for them, though.
One of the main structures of the language is "Time-Topic-Comment" (yes, if you search videos on y*utube or sign language manuals, this is how the order of words in of sentences works, it can vary a bit, but the structure is still very different from written language), since I wanted it to be as close as possible from the structure of the real ASL, I did cut off the connectives and modified order of words in the way Rie speaks when she is using gestures, I hope you can still understand it properly.
Well, Rie still speaks through her device too, so not all sentences will be made like that, but I still wanted to clarify before there is some confusion on the topic. Every time you see sentences full of dots like that (i.e.: Today. Cold. meaning "Today is cold"), it's just Rie speaking through signs instead of her device. If you know ASL and see any problem with the structure of the sentences I wrote, please do tell me nicely and I'll gladly fix it.