The Idol and the Prince
Part XI
09/13
"What is wrong with me?" Naoto frantically stuffed the smaller bags into the largest one, taking off after the girl as he burst through the doors. At the entrance, he stopped, a torrent of cold rain hitting him hard from every angle. He was soaked in a matter of seconds, the freezing cold water seeping through his skin and into his bones.
His eyes darting around worriedly, Naoto rushed around, trying to catch sight of Rise. Luckily, the streets were still empty, but the dark skies and the blinding torrent of rain made it hard to see anything. "Rise! Rise!" The detective yelled at the top of his lungs, starting to panic.
Suddenly, he felt a wave of relief overcome him as he spotted the twintail disappearing around the corner in front of him. His feet moved automatically and he took off after the girl. Sprinting across the street, the detective narrowly missed the cars, cutting through the sparse traffic to gain some distance on Rise. "Rise! Rise, wait!"
At the sounds of his voice, Rise sped up, stumbling blindly through the streets, pushing her way through the light crowd.
"Rise! Please! Just let me explain!" Naoto strained his voice, ignoring the stares he was attracting and the people he pushed out of his way.
The redhead covered her ears with her hands, choking out heavy sobs as she half stumbled down the streets. The rain was cold and numbing, mingling with her tears as the water streamed down her face. Her legs were frozen and uncooperative, her knees starting to buckle. Suddenly, she ran headlong into man with an umbrella, falling backwards onto the pavement from the impact. No one offered to help her up. The people around her walked past her, ignoring the young woman's plight. Even if she was Rise, no one could tell in this insane storm. In the middle of the sidewalk, she sat there, unmoving, the flow of tears refusing to stop.
"Rise! Rise!"
Rise's ears perked up at the voice, scrambling to her feet as she heard the hurried footsteps come up behind her. She was barely on her feet when a hand reached out and clasped down on her arm.
Instinctively, the idol turned, lashing out as she flailed her arms around wildly. "Let me go! Just let me go!"
Naoto winced as Rise's fist connected hard with his cheek, but he kept his hold firm on the girl's arm. "Rise! Just hear me out!"
She pulled, trying to free her arm from Naoto's grasp. "W-why are you even here! Just leave me alone! I have nothing else to tell you! I-I'm useless to you now!"
"Rise, no! That's not true! What I said before...I didn't mean to say it like that!" Naoto fought with Rise, trying to get the girl to stay still. He wrestled her arms to her side, crushing the redhead against him as he held her tightly.
Rise struggled in Naoto's arms, thrashing around, trying to resist the feel of his faint warmth that felt so good against her cold skin. "Y-you used me! You lied to me! You tricked me!"
"I might have tried to get close to you because of the case at first, but now, but now!" Naoto hugged Rise close to him, feeling his voice crack. "I've fallen in love with you."
The idol was shocked at the level of desperation in Naoto's voice, but she just couldn't believe it. He had been lying to her all this time, his intentions false from the start. "I-I don't believe you...You're just...trying to trick me again!"
"No! I'm serious about you, Rise! I've fallen so hard for you..." The detective held the girl tightly in his arms, resting his head on hers as he pressed his lips to her forehead. He was starting to feel the coldness seep into him, his hands numb.
"Y-you're lying...You're lying...there's no way I can believe you now..." Rise could feel the shivers run down her spine, her slender frame shaking from the cold wetness that soaked her through and through. The redhead had calmed down by now, but the tears were still streaming down her cheeks, the suffocating feeling still weighing down on her heart.
"I've never felt this way about anyone...I never knew this could ever happen, but I'm crazy about you, Rise. Please believe me." Naoto released his grasp on the girl, holding Rise at arm's length so he could make her see the conviction in his eyes.
"Y-you're such an actor, a fake...I hate you! I hate you..." Rise's words were losing their edge, her resolve slipping away. She was so angry only mere minutes ago, but now, she wanted nothing more than to make amends with the boy who broke her heart. She wanted to feel his warmth against her, to hear him tell her all those sweet lies. She just wanted to give into the temptation, but her ego wouldn't let her. The words were on the tip of her tongue and she had to say it, to deny the wretched emotions that were taking her over.
They were already attracting stares and heated whispers, but the sight was about to become more awe inducing. Passer bys were chuckling, whipping out their phones even in the midst of the relentless storm.
"Just disappear...Leave me alone. I really hate you! I-"
Rise was silenced as Naoto bent down, crushing his lips to hers as he kissed her roughly. She fought back at first, but her efforts waned as she lost her senses to the young man's aggressiveness. Rise couldn't help herself, letting out a soft moan as Naoto forced his tongue in her mouth, ravaging her desperately. The detective's hands wandered slightly, caressing the small of her back as he tried to bring her closer than she already was. Rise let out another moan, tangling her fingers through Naoto's sopping wet hair.
After what seemed like forever, the two parted. Rise took deep breaths of the water logged air, her mouth raw and tingling. She brought a hand to her face, brushing aside the hair that was matted across her cheeks with the rain water. "N-Naoto-kun..." She shivered slightly, feeling the electrifying cold shoot up her side.
"R-Rise...we should really get out of this rain..." Naoto took Rise's hand in his own, looking around as he spotted a couple of bags splayed across the sidewalk. Hurriedly, he rushed over, picking up the spilled contents. "Sorry about the clothes..." He muttered under his breath, wondering if Rise even heard him.
Without another word, Naoto tugged Rise along, his eyes searching the stores on the side of the road. Suddenly, a sign caught his attention, the neon words 'hotel' coming into view. The sign looked shady and considering the part of town they were in, seeing such a cheap looking hotel could only mean one thing. The detective could feel a blush grace his cheeks, but he pulled Rise towards the building anyway. They had to find shelter and dry off somehow or else they'd both catch their death of cold.
"N-Naoto-kun...T-This place is..." Rise felt uneasy as they entered the building, the strange lighting setting off warning bells in her head.
"I-I know! But...we're just here to dry off..." Naoto , his hand still tightly wrapped around Rise's, went over to the automated selection menu, looking for a normal looking room. Finally finding one to his tastes, Naoto fished around in his pocket for his wallet, pulling out the waterlogged piece of leather. Unwilling to let go of Rise's hand, Naoto fumbled around, sliding out his credit card. He held his wallet in his mouth, raising his card to the machine to make his purchase.
Seeing which room Naoto was planning on getting, Rise's eyes widened. "N-Naoto-kun! That's one's way too expensive!" Reading the description, it was a deluxe suite with a well furnished room and a very lavish v.i.p. bathroom.
The machine beeped as Naoto made his selection and a card key popped out of the slot on the bottom. Clumsily putting his card and his wallet back in his pocket, Naoto took the card key, tugging Rise along behind him. His cheeks were beet red now and he just couldn't keep his head out of the gutter. He tried to concentrate on finding the room, his head jumbled with stupid thoughts. "W-we're in room 503."
They made their way down the hallway to the elevators, silent with the heavy awkward silence that descended between them. The only sounds in the corridor were their squeaky footsteps and the sound of water dripping off their clothes. They left a trail of rainwater in their wake, the floors slick with the rain. At the waiting area, Naoto jammed his finger on the up button, his hands shaking violently.
The elevator let out a chime as the doors slid open and the two stepped in. When the doors closed, the tension thickened, making the atmosphere strangely tense with a kind of apprehension. Silently, Naoto pressed the button for the fifth floor.
Naoto sat on the edge of the bed, heaving a heavy sigh as he buried his face in his hands. He was clad in a pair of boxers, his soaked through dress shirt slick to his skin. His hair was matted to his face, sopping wet with rain water. A chill wracked his body and he sneezed.
Sniffling, the boy stood, undoing the buttons on his shirt as he peeled the piece of clothing off his back. He grimaced at the slimy feel, flinging the top aside. He went over to one of the large dressers, rummaging through it as he found a large towel. He draped it over his shoulders and ruffled it through his hair, drying it roughly. Naoto walked back over to the bed, and grimaced at the carpeted floor against his bare feet. Pausing, he looked across the room at the dressing table, staring at his unfamiliar reflection in the mirror. He ran a hand across his bandaged chest and felt a sort of resentment building up within him.
Suddenly, he could hear the water shut off in the bathroom and the sound of the shower curtain being pushed aside. Naoto scrambled over to the shopping bag where his new, but slightly damp sweater was, putting it on hastily and zipping it up all the way to the top. He rushed around the room, picking up his discarded clothing as he laid it more presentably across the loveseat in the corner of the room.
The bathroom door creaked open and Rise stepped out, letting out a long sigh. "Wow! I feel so much better now! It feels so nice to be warm and clean." She giggled to herself, her mood perfectly cheery and a 180 degree difference from just mere minutes before.
"R-R-Rise! What are you doing!" Naoto spun around hastily, covering his eyes with his hands as Rise strolled out of the bathroom with only a white towel clutched to her front. It wasn't even wrapped around her; it was just...there, very poorly covering the crucial parts.
"What? Is something wrong, Naoto-kun?" Rise feigned ignorance as she closed the distance between her and the detective, swaying her hips saucily as she walked towards him.
Peeking between his fingers, Naoto took a glance in the mirror in front of him, gasping as Rise came up behind him. He nearly bit his tongue as Rise hugged him tightly from behind.
"Naoto-kun...I just wanted to tell you that the shower's free now." Rise's lips were right against Naoto's ear and every word sent a chill through his core. Her chest was pressed up right against his back, the thin layer of his sweater and the towel were the only things separating him and Rise's bare assets.
Suddenly, Naoto felt a soft material fall around his legs and he looked down to see a white towel on the ground.
"Oops. There goes my towel."
At that, Naoto felt the blood rush to his head, his thought process halted. He couldn't think of anything except for the fact that Rise was embracing him, her naked figure flush against his back.
"R-Rise..."
"Hmm? What's up, Naoto-kun? Why don't you talk to me face to face?" Rise's voice teased him, her lips against his neck, her hands wandering up towards his neck, reaching for the zipper.
He took a deep breath, trying to stop his voice from shaking like a leaf. "I don't think we should do this, you know..."
"I thought you said you loved me, didn't you...?" Rise's voice dropped an octave, holding a dangerous edge. She nestled closer to Naoto, her dainty fingers pulling at his zipper slowly as she nipped lightly at the boy's neck.
Instinctively, Naoto craned his neck back to give Rise more access, letting out an uncharacteristic moan as he felt a sharp sensation sink into his skin. It was an indescribable mix of pain and pleasure, sending jolts of ecstasy rippling through his thin frame.
"I do love you..." The detective's voice drifted off, feeling the swell of desire rise up within him. He shivered slightly as Rise's hands wrapped around his torso, running up and down his slender sides, his taut stomach. Her hands were warm against his cold and clammy skin, spreading her warmth through him.
"Since we're here...you could...show me how much you really love me..." The redhead's voice was getting raspier, her breathing heavy and laboured. She gathered her courage as she trailed her hands lower, resting on the waistband of Naoto's boxers.
"R-Rise, Rise!" Naoto finally screwed his head back on; the girl's fleeting touch against his waist shocking him back to reality. No matter how pleasant this dream was, it was going to turn into a nightmare soon if he didn't put a stop to it. He shook the girl off, his cheeks bright red as he hastily zipped up the sweater he didn't know was left open.
"What's wrong, Naoto-kun?"
Naoto stood stock still, fidgeting with his zipper as he remained facing away from Rise. He knew the girl was still stark naked and she wasn't going to retain any modesty at this point.
"I-I really can't do this. It's impossible..." The detective squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head back and forth as he tried to think of a plan to get out of this mess.
"It's...impossible? And I thought you were enjoying yourself too..." There was a sense of disdain in her voice, a slight bitterness hanging in the air. Naoto could hear the faint shuffle against the carpet as Rise's arms snaked around his waist once again.
"Please don't misunderstand...it's not like I don't want to do this...but I just can't." Naoto struggled half heartedly in Rise's embrace, trying to distance himself from her, but she held him tightly, unwilling to let go.
"If you really love me, Naoto-kun...I'm sure you can prove it to me." Rise nuzzled her cheek against the boy's, lacing her fingers through his. "Show me that I'm not just an informant to you..."
Naoto's head was spinning with Rise's scent, her voice and the gravity of her words finally sank in. She wanted to do what they shouldn't, what they couldn't or else Naoto would be exposed for the liar and the cheat he really was. No matter how much he wanted to give into his dark desires, they would be ruined if he did.
"We both know the case isn't closed yet, so you can still squeeze some information out of me..."
Naoto shook his head. "No, no...that's not-"
"If that not the issue, then I hope you're not just lying to me. You don't know how much your words hurt me earlier, to find out that...that you were just toying with me."
"I'm not toying with you! I-I told you!" Naoto turned around abruptly, his eyes flaming with a conviction Rise had never seen.
"Actions speak louder than words. Words mean nothing, Naoto-kun. " Rise held a strange look in her eyes as she closed in on the boy. Naoto started to back up, trying to increase the distance between them. Rise was starting to show a side of her that he had never seen and he was starting to...get scared.
"R-Rise. Please understand. It's really not that I don't love you enough to do this, b-but...I'm just not ready!" Naoto blushed hard at his own embarrassing words, trying to appease the beast in Rise.
"Hah! Not ready? What are you talking about? Any teenage boy would jump at this chance to sleep with me, but you're really special if you have the guts to turn me down like this." Rise continued to corner Naoto, pushing the detective backwards until he had nowhere to go. The back of his knees hit something soft and that's when he realized that Rise had him where she wanted him; right up against the king sized bed.
"I-I'm not that kind of person, Rise. Why are you rushing into this? I-I really don't think I can handle this kind of thing." Naoto's voice was starting to quiver now, losing most of his bravado as Rise's hands started to reaching underneath the thin sweater that protected his dignity.
He was scared that he would be exposed, scared that Rise would hate him and scared that he would be humiliated. Naoto almost felt the wind being knocked out of him as Rise pushed him down rather roughly on the mattress. His legs were still dangling off the edge of the bed as Rise climbed up on top of him, stark naked. He tried to avert his eyes modestly, but Rise commanded his attention, reaching for his right hand and placing it on her left breast.
"Can't you feel how fast my heart is racing? Aren't you the great Detective Prince? What's a little girl like me to you? I'm sure you can handle me no problem." The redhead licked her lips, eyeing Naoto like a piece of candy. Nothing about her gaze was innocent and the boy felt more and more like a child as the idol continued on.
She ran her fingers along Naoto's inner thighs, inching further and further up his leg. Her fingers were already through the leg of his boxers, crawling up towards an off limits area.
"R-Rise! Stop this!" Naoto struggled under the girl's weight on his legs, swatting her hands away and trying to cover himself with both his hands.
"Don't be shy, Naoto-kun. If you're going to be an adult, this is going to be step in your life that you'll have to take sooner or later." She pulled at his hands, trying to wrestle them away from himself.
"W-why are you doing this! I-I told you! I can't do this!" Naoto fought with Rise as she clawed at him, practically assaulting the detective. She slipped her fingers into the hem of his boxers, tugging roughly.
"You're being immature, Naoto!" Rise continued with her sexual assault, trying to force the article of clothing off.
"I-I might talk like I'm all mature and adult-like, but I'm really nothing more than a high school student who knows nothing about romance!" Naoto didn't realize he was yelling as he said this, his hands grasped fistfuls of his boxers, struggling to keep them on. Rise's weight bore down on him, making his legs feel numb as the seconds passed.
Rise was winning the struggle as she managed to get the waistband down a couple of inches, her elbows pressing down on his abdomen. Just a little more and his secret would be exposed, their friendship ruined and his reputation as a detective, gone. He flailed around beneath Rise, bucking his hips as he tried to sit up. The idol temporarily stopped stripping the detective as she attempted to hold him down so she could continue.
The mattress springs squeaked as the two struggling on top. Naoto was getting desperate, but he still had the consciousness to try and hold back. After all, it was Rise who was sitting on top of him completely naked and trying to strip his boxers off.
"Kyaahh!"
Naoto pushed a little too hard and Rise teetered backwards, losing her balance. He scrambled to grab her outstretched hands, but she tumbled back off the edge of the tall bed and onto the carpeted floor with a thud.
"Rise!"
Naoto slid off the bed as he hastily pulled his boxers back up, rushing over to the redhead who was sprawled on the floor. Frantically, Naoto grabbed the towel Rise discarded earlier, draping it around her as he helped her off the ground. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
The idol groaned in pain, holding her hand to her head gingerly as she stood. "It hurts!"" Rise started to sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Did you hit your head, Rise?" Naoto fussed over the girl, his brows knit together as he inspected her injuries. He gently parted her hair, feeling around gently with his fingers on the girl's head. "It is starting to swell a little. I'll go get you some ice from the lobby." As he turned, Naoto was stopped by a tug on his sleeve.
"Don't go…"
He looked back to see Rise with her gaze directed downards, hanging her head in shame.
"It's okay. I'll just be a minute, so wait for me here." Naoto moved towards the door again, but the idol's grasp still stayed firmly on his sleeve.
"I'm sorry…" The words were barely above a whisper, but Naoto heard her loud and clear.
Smiling sadly, Naoto, shook his head. "What are you sorry for?" The detective raised a hand and rested it on the girl's head, stroking her hair gently. He felt like he should have been the one apologizing. After all, he was the one who was deceiving her. In fact, he even felt guilty for stringing her feelings along so far when there really would be no happy ending for them. It was a thought that haunted him night after night.
The girl suddenly burst into tears, flinging herself at the detective and bawling uncontrollably. "Naoto-kun…What on earth was I thinking?" E-Even though I assaulted you s-so violently, y-you still rushed over to see if I was injured at all..."
"Well, even though I am still recovering from the shock of your actions, I can't change the fact that I care about you, Rise." Naoto wrapped his arms around the girl, rubbing her back comfortingly as he tried to calm her down. "I really should be the one crying right now..."
"I'm so sorry, Naoto..." Rise truly felt ashamed of her actions, finally feeling the extent of her harassment. "I-I really didn't mean to go this far..." Leaning down, Rise buried her face deeper into the crook of Naoto's neck, soaking his sweater with her relentless tears. "I-I was...in over my head...or something. I'm horrible. I don't know why I did such a thing...I'm so sorry."
"I-It's okay...Don't cry, Rise. Please. It hurts me to know that I've made you cry twice today." Naoto pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of Rise's head, holding the idol closer against him.
"I know my actions were really despicable, but if there's anything I can do to-" Rise was desperate to make it up to the detective, but he cut her off mid sentence, telling outright that...
"You don't need to make it up to me or anything...It's in the past..." Naoto quickly interjected . It wasn't like he didn't want to sleep with Rise, but just the fact that he couldn't. He was sure that if he was of the male persuasion, he would have ravaged Rise long ago.
"There has to be something I can do to atone for my actions..." Rise pleaded with the detective, wanting to ease her own guilt somewhat.
Thinking hard, Naoto racked his brain for something that would put an end to Rise's insistency. "Well, there is one thing that would make it up to me..."
"What is it? I'll do anything, Naoto-kun!"
"Um...well, for starters, you could put on some clothes?" Naoto broke out of their embrace, blushing as he tried to avert his eyes from the sight of Rise's towel clad body. At this point, he almost regretted not drinking in the full sight of her earlier.
"O-Oh!" Rise sniffled, wiping away the last of her tears with the back of her hand as she wandered over to the abandoned shopping bags. She rummaged through them and let her towel fall, making Naoto swallow hard at the sight.
Biting her lip, Rise kept a knowing smile to herself as she faced away from the boy. Slowly, she drew her blouse over her head, exposing herself slightly as she struggled with her top. Next, as the idol fished out a pair of red panties from one of the bags, Naoto's eyebrows furrowed at her fashion choice, amazed at how mature high school girls were these day. Watching intently, Naoto took notice of the way Rise swayed her hips quite exaggeratedly as she put each leg through the holes in the thin piece of fabric. Taking a deep breath, Naoto couldn't describe the feelings that were provoked at the sight of Rise's rather…lewd performance.
Turning slowly, Rise continued to bit her lower lip rather provocatively, the swagger in her step accentuating the fullness of her hips and her long slender legs.
"T-that's all you're going to wear?" Naoto blinked rapidly, his mouth dry and his breathing coming in short gasps. He fidgeted incessantly as Rise took a seat beside the blue haired boy.
"Well, I did put on some clothes, so what else can I do to make it up to you?" The idol scooted closer to the detective, leaning over as she rested her head casually on his shoulder.
"Umm...well…" He hesitated for a moment, looking away from the girl as he scratched his head sheepishly. " I'll call it even if you forgive me for saying such hurtful things earlier. I really didn't mean them. It was just in the heat of the moment..." Naoto trailed off, continuing to not make any eye contact with Rise.
"Naoto... I've already forgiven you if you hadn't noticed. I was just trying to use your guilt to get what I wanted. I really am a horrible person..." Rise hooked her arm around Naoto's, nestling up to him. Beside the girl, Naoto sighed a silent sigh of relief, glad that his words didn't hang awkwardly in the air anymore.
"Rise, if you were such a horrible person as you said, I don't think I-I'd care so much about you. You're not horrible, not in the least bit. Trust me." He offered her a genuine smile, reaching out as he rested his hand on hers.
"I'm so lucky to have someone like you as...as my...my..." Rise hesitated, wondering what to say next. "My friend? I don't think that sounds right..."
"Well we've only known each other for two months..." Naoto added, curious about what Rise wanted to go with this.
"True. We've known each other for a short time, but I think we're a lot closer than friends, aren't we? I mean...you wouldn't make out and feel up a regular friend like Kanji for example, would you?"
"W-What! I-I barely even speak to Tatsumi-kun!" Naoto was livid, wondering where Rise got the idea in the first place. Sure Kanji had been hitting on him, but that didn't mean they were friends.
"So...are we friends with benefits?" Rise thought out loud, considering the situation.
"That's rather...crude isn't it? It implies that both of us are just in the relationship for the physical...aspects..." Naoto furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought, wondering how the conversation got to this point.
"Then...how bout we go out? Officially?" Rise put the idea out in the open. It sounded like she had just come up with the notion, but in reality, she had been thinking about this for weeks now.
"Sure. I wouldn't mind that..." Even though he said it with a completely indifferent nonchalance, Naoto could feel the embarrassment rise in his cheeks. They were hot to the touch, beaming bright cherry red, but for some reason, he felt strangely happy.
"Then I can call you just 'Naoto' now, right?" Rise inched even closer to the boy, sliding a hand across his lap as she rested it on his knee.
"You already call me Naoto whenever you feel like it... and I call you Rise, so there's really no difference with the honorifics and whatnot..."
Rise smiled widely, throwing her arms around the detective as she brushed her lips against his ear. "Then I'll call you 'Naoto' more often and create more misunderstandings at school."
Naoto sighed, but a grin spread across his lips. "I really can't argue with you, Rise. As long as you're happy, I don't care what you do." Turning, he closed the distance between him and the blushing schoolgirl.
"You're such a lady-killer sometimes, Naoto..." Rise trailed off as she smiled into the kiss.
Hours later, the room was pitch dark, both Rise and Naoto curled under the covers. Rise had her thigh thrown across Naoto's waist, clutching him like a body pillow as she slept soundly. Soft snores and deep breathing permeated the air, sounding out with the tick of thin hands as they moved across the face of the large hanging clock. The soft patter of rain tapped against the window panes, a rhythmic drumming. The hands of the clock neared 12 and a high pitched humming interrupted the domestic sounds of the hotel room.
Suddenly, the TV in the corner switched on with a buzz, glowing with black and white static. A figure in dark blue clothes appeared, adjusting his detective's hat to show his boyish face. The image flickered for a couple of seconds before fading to black, enveloping the room in an eerie silence.
A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Kinda choked this one out going through a slump of sorts. Exams and the such this month, so I doubt I'll get anything done until the summer. I really wanna thank all those who are still reading this and a thank you to all the support I've gotten from all my readers. I really don't want to disappoint any of you, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter at least a little! Please forgive me for spelling, grammar, etc. Even though I say I'm busy with exams, it's like I'm getting more chapters uploaded, so it's rather strange...Well, I'm kinda off hiatus now, but nothing's for certain. :O
Thank you very much and please review~!