CHAPTER 15

Rings


-o-

Oh my God, oh my God, I'm not gonna open my eyes—I swear!

"Hey…" I heard him calling me. His voice's soft. Maybe he really believed that I fainted. I could blush if I admit this but… he sounds… worried.

He's still holding me on both shoulders, slightly shaking me. I want to spank myself for not being unconscious for real. God, my knees are like jellies and I can't think rationally.

Who can! Tell me who on earth can think of any normal thought after seeing… uhm… censored!

Okay… it's not actually censored. Just… bare… gulp… bare chest… and… uhm… abs.

Hell, yes. Abs.

Girl's and gay's weakness—Abs. Darn, even a conservative one like me can be affected.

But not bad huh… he's got good, well-defined—Shocks! I shouldn't think about that! If I'm not faking the fainting maybe I slapped my own head for my craziness. Hotaru's right. I really need a neuro check-up.

"If you're not really unconscious, better open your eyes and stand on your feet or I'll carry you again upstairs." He said, making me flinch… and finally blow my cover. Geez, how arrogant! So much for being concerned.

I opened my left eye first, then my right. But I closed them shut again! Oh God, please bestow me an alice that can dress people up because this guy's bareness is utterly amazing, I don't want my eyes to pop-out from their sockets and I don't have all the saliva to shed in case my mouth fails to close after dropping and I don't want a cardiac arrest.

Crap, did I just thought of amazing? As in amazing body?

This is what I'm saying. It's either he's a bad influence, making me crazy that I don't can't even control what I'm thinking or I'm just naturally crazy.

Forget it! I cram for the floor and when I'm sure that I can stand steadily, I shrugged his hands off me and turned away with my eyes still closed. God, please answer my prayers.

"What's wrong with you!" he asked arrogantly. Irritation was obvious in his tone.

"Get covered-up, will you!" I retorted, finally opening my eyes. I don't know what he's up to by now but I'm sure he's still behind me.

"It's your fault in the first place. If you didn't shock me by your grand shriek, maybe I'm still decently covered by now…" he said, then he's closer. My body stiffened and I held my breath. He leaned down beside me and picked the kit on the floor. I was finally able to exhale when I heard him walking away from me.

Right, he spilled the coffee and got burned. Maybe it's not that bad but I'm sure it hurts especially if it was really hot. Yeah it's my fault… because I shrieked.

But wait it's not my entire fault! I will not shriek like that if I wasn't shocked. And I was totally shocked because I was already dead-curious about what happened and where am I now and when I was about to ask him… when he turned to face me… it was him—the inglorious bastard.

"Hey it's not my fault!" I ranted as I turn to face him. Just the left part of his body was visible to me. His jacket's buttons were half-done from the hem and his sleeves are rolled to the elbow exposing his fair skin with little red patches on it.

That skin… The tip of my fingers tingled and I felt a rush of hot blood on my neck. It feels like I've known its texture… it's like I've run these fingers of my mine on it. My heart started beating fast and I can feel every hair on my body standing up—even the hairs inside my nose.

"Then whose fault is this?" he rolled his eyes on me but he kept his gaze on me. My body still hasn't recovered yet and now that my eyes stupidly met his gaze, I know I will not be able to think anymore. I can only think of…

Red eyes…

"Hey!" he called out and thanks to the flinch, I got my thoughts back.

"Where's Aoi? Why am I here… with you?" I asked him at once before I forgot it if he dazzles me again. Yes, dazzle. Even if I hate to admit it, I am bewitched. See, I can't think rationally and my heart behaves like a drug addict's. I'm starting to think that he's got a pheromone alice… but wait… if it is his alice, then… I could've nullified it. Darn, he's a real mind-boggling creature.

"Aoi's gone… She left… I mean, escaped again." he simply said, still wiping some cream on his wrist.

"Huh!" I exclaimed. My mouth hung open, "She can't leave me here… with this guy…" I murmured, almost frozen on where I stand. My knees felt weak again but I forced myself to stand straight. After all I went through because of her… this is where I'll end up to! "But I thought we're heading to her brother's house…?" I muttered again, actually, only to myself.

But an unexpected answer was given by that guy who's leaning with his hips on the table and his arms crossed in front of his chest, slightly hiding the bare skin that can be a possible cause of unsolicited light-headedness. "I'm Aoi's brother." He told me with a poker-face expression.

I'm one heck of an unlucky creature. Of all brothers in the world that Aoi can have… why should it be him?

I exhaled in aggravation. I started thinking about leaving but the rain's getting heavier and—wait! Wait! Wait! "Where's my clothes!"

"Still drying."

"Who's clothes are these?"

"Mine."

"Oh my God you didn't—"

"Excuse me." He rolls his eyes. "Aoi changed your clothes." I was able to breathe, thanks goodness. I swear I'm going in an exile if he's the one who changed my clothes. "Instead of accusing me of being a pervert, why don't you just thank me for the borrowed clothes?" He said. And there's a playful smirk on his lips.

Right. "Yeah, thanks…" I tried to sound grateful, but the shaking of my voice exposed my being uncomfortable. I can't even look straight at him.

Well after all the sarcastically-"nice" first meeting, impressions and source-less quarrels, this kind of unasked kindness is not expected. But I'm still grateful that I'm safe after all I went through. It's just that… It's kinda bothering to be around this person, especially if he's the main reason of my bad headaches lately.

"How are you feeling?" He suddenly asked, making me look up at him. This is another unexpected… gesture. "You had a fever…"

"I feel… good. I didn't know I had a fever." I said, well, honestly. I wasn't really aware that I fell sick, not until now.

He looked straight at me, red eyes piercing through my soul. A corner of his lips lifted up to form a smirk—not that playful one but a very familiar smirk. It's as if he's enjoying some secret inside his head and I'm starting to be scared that he's ridiculing me without me knowing.

I can't help it so I asked, "Why?" His eyebrows rose, exposing more of his glinting eyes. I hope it's not the answer to my question. "Why are you… smiling like that?"

He exhaled but his smirk was conserved in his face. "Nothing…" he paused. "I'm just amazed how we, you and me, ended up here. "

"Same for me." I was able to say. But rather than amazed, I feel more awkward.

He turned on his heel towards the pantry and started to move around while I stayed on my ground. As I glance around, I noticed that the house is big… big for a single person. It's bigger than my apartment, I guess but there's no concrete wall to separate the rooms except for the bathroom. All is black and white. Black sets of furniture, curtains and abstract, see-through dividers. They're all totally in contrast to the white walls and floor which are awkwardly clean. It's totally like him—white skin, black hair… black jacket, black pants. I felt so out of this place because of this lavender sweater.

"Are you planning to stand there all day?" he asked without looking at me. The truth is I don't know what to do. Remember… It's damned uneasy to be here… alone with him. I gulped again, hoping that I will gain some courage from doing that and cautiously walked towards the table and seated myself. He briefly glanced over his shoulders and reached for another cup with the other hand. I wish he's not that graceful… it's distracting. "Coffee?" He asked.

My mouth watered immediately and I nodded but I know he didn't saw me. "Yes, please…" I muttered. And in one turn, a cup of freshly brewed coffee is placed in front of me. My eyes closed at once when I smelled the aroma, but when I opened them again, I found him standing with his back on the pantry, not giving any emotion as he scrutinizes me.

SCRUTINIZE. Yes, that's the exact term.

And I think I'm doing the same. I just don't know why. It's just like I'm dragged by some weird magnetic force and I ended up staring back at him. And we stayed just staring at each other for a bracket of unreasonable minutes.

It could be unreasonable but a part of me tells me that it's worth more than a while to look at him. He's… beautiful—indecently beautiful that it made me take a hit on my self-esteem. His black hair, his nose, his lips… gulp… those red orbs, and even his short eyebrows seems so perfectly placed on his face. His looks are extraterrestrial, it's just unbelievable. It's like I'm staring at a Photoshopped picture, overly edited by the healing brush, emphasized by the dodge and burn brushes and saved for a gallery of priceless works of art.

Any girl's panty-garter would snap at the sight of him.

Thank God I'm exempted. Hahaha.

I suddenly felt sorry for the girl he would marry. It'll be surely a hard time to shrug off insecurities and—

His hair was neatly combed unveiling a handsome face. I can't even read his crimson eyes and that face which lights up like the sun behind him. He was in a loose long sleeved-shirt. Simple in its state, but so elegant, so fine and he has a rose on the left chest-line of his shirt. He looks so tall in those white trousers and yyaayyy... I was intently looking at him while walking towards him-like he's a different man from the one I hate so much, from that guy that I want to kill…

A wedding! Gosh, where did my breath go?

What are those? A premonition? A daydream! What…?

A wedding… and not with a blonde guy. It's not real. I tried to shake the vision out of my head but the more that I try, the clearer the vision becomes—sunset, lights, breeze, red and white petals… me. I blink hard but even if I keep my eyes open, I can it—I can see me, with a… man. Black hair… my hand on his lips. Lips… that I've seen before and… and…. A smile… a smile that I know and… a ring on my finger.

"You okay?" He suddenly asked, his face shows-off a worrying expression. I knew at once that my wincing from the pain on my head was really obvious. I nodded to lie at once when I failed to find my voice. The sudden impact of the rainfall made my heartbeat worse too and it's the only thing I can hear by now. "Hey—"

I felt my breathing… it's irregular, raged even. "No I'm not…" I said. My mom often told me to be honest when I'm in physical pain and by now I feel my heart could burst. "But I can handle it…" I added.

Still curious about my visions, I stare down at my hands on my lap.

OH MY GOD!

I have a ring on my finger. It's true!

My heart pounded double-time. I have to make a deep inhale to make sure I'm still alive.

This is a joke. This can't be true.

"You're not okay." He said, coming closer to the opposite side of where I am seated. "What's wrong?" He sounded concerned but he asked with an authority that will make anyone reply.

My mouth was open already but I can't speak. I don't know if I'm nervous because he's near or because I have a ring on my ring finger and I can't take it off! He gave me another questioning gaze and thank God, I found my voice, "A… I…" shit, I… don't really know what to say. Maybe because of that he came to stand right next to me and pulled my hand, bringing it closer to him. The contact was electrifying, I have to catch my breath. And when I did… I got drowned in his scent.

"What's wrong with this?" He asked.

"I… I don't know why I have that…" I shook my head. Tears are starting to form in the corners of my eyes. "I can't even take it off!" and then I pulled my hand from him. He stood there as if waiting for more words from me or he wants to say something. "There's so much in my head… my mind right now and I don't know what they all are!"

"It's the same for me." He said, then his jaw clenched and he looked away.

"I don't mean to be rude… but…" I trailed off, assessing some reactions from him. He finally look back at me. "This all started when we met."

I sighed and took a step backwards. "I agree."

I glance back at my hand and the ring is still there. Once again, I tried pulling it off my finger but nothing happened.

"And what are you trying to do?" He suddenly asked.

"Obviously I'm taking this thing off. This isn't mine, to begin with." I retorted, continuing with the pulling act.

"I've tried it too…" And, as he said it, my head automatically jerked up so that I can see him. He tried too? And then… he raised his left hand with its back facing me, exposing the same or, I wish I'm just hallucinating, but… it's the same— The same ring. "Nothing happened."

My mouth dropped. No way.

I tried to relax and manage a very fake chuckle, "This is a joke." I stated. "Or a coincidence, maybe."

"A coincidence?" He asked with some tone of incredulity and sarcasm. "A coincidence that we both experience the same kind of headache; A coincidence that… I have this…" He showed his hand again, "…and you… have that."

I stayed silence. He's right. It's not like a coincidence at all.

"What can you say about the song 'You and Me'?" he asked, shifting his weight to his other leg.

"That song…" I found myself mutter. "Yeah… it's… somehow nostalgic."

"How nostalgic?" he asked.

"Well… I…" I raised my vision to meet his eyes. Darn, he's so hypnotic. Why did I even bother to look at him, sheesh. "I… can envision white and red petals… sunset… white linens…" and then it came again in my mind, like a triggered bomb—the petals, the view… the city lights, "there's me… my hand… the ring… a man… with black hair… and red—" My mouth and voice went dry as I look up at him and met his eyes.

God.

"If you're thinking about what I think I'm thinking…. Don't say it." He said in a rush.

"It can't be true… right?" I asked him.

I'm not sure but it's like I saw a hint of a small smile in his face. "Why? You don't want it to be true?" He challengingly asked.

What the air! "I think I will be the last person to like the idea." I told him sharply.

"Don't say stuffs like its final… Well, I still don't know…" He shrugged. Darn. Why is he so cool about this! Isn't he that arrogant guy anymore? "But we'll see… if it's true…"

"Forget it." I snapped. "It's creepy if it's true."

"Right." He smirked. "Creepy."

-o-


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