—

— Heartfelt —

Chapter 4 :Dusk to Dawn

—;—

And here she was, starring blankly at the high ceiling of the conspicuous room, lying down on the bed as her limbs were widely streched on the rumpled bedsheets. The previous hours had been of the most distressing since her stay here. To both her mind and body; to both her soul and heart.

She didn't know why, and if she did, she pretended to be unaware of the reasons. She didn't know why she broke down that miserably in his presence. She just cried like she never had before. Like the weak being she had become would.

At first, only a few drops of confusion welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

And suddenly, the dam broke.

Burning torrents flowed down her face, wrenching sobs unconsistently punctuating the room as she collapsed to the floor, still bared and defenseless. She was a pitiful mess, her harsh sobs making her shaky figure heave up and down with each gasp of air.

And much to her surprise, she choked on her tears when he wrapped his white button down shirt around her thin back, a motion which only drove her deeper into sorrow. She foggily saw unbuckled dark trousers come into view and then he was there.

He kneeled in front of her, pressing her head between his palms as his thumb smeared the scorching tears off her cheeks. His eyes gazed into her downcasted ones with an expression akin to anguish and a mix of conflicted emotions, before he gently took her arms and helped her in his shirt. As her whole body was limp and heavy, she heed no attention to his doing as her grieve still took all of her consciousness. He unhurriedly buttoned the shirt up, grabbing her arms to circle them around his neck and sliding his arms underneath her back and knees, before he lifted her off the floor to the large king sized bed.

As she rested in his arms, head tugged under his chin, he whispered sweet nothings to her ears, with comforting kisses between each words.
Through she did not hear any of them, her frantic heartbeats simmered down with each whisper. He climbed on top of the bed, leaning his back against the few pillows propped to the headboard. Pulling her into his arms, her head was laying on top of his strong chest as tears rolled down his bust.

Throughout the whole outburst, he held her tightly in place, his hand gently stroking her hair as his lips brushed her forehead, occasional soothing murmurs squeezing her soul dry.

Why? That was the only question that came to her mind back then. A single syllabe; a single word; only one question: and yet, so many uncertainties. Instead of the usual pattern where he would, without concern, walk out on her if she was to act as what he considered was bothersome, he was still there. No cold stares, apathetic expression or emotionless indifference: only concern shone in his bright emerald eyes.

And even when the perioc hiccups steadied, he still held her lovingly in his arms, not letting her go, until he felt that her resistance eased down as drownsiness took better of her.

Awhile later, he nudged her awake, softly whispering her name in her ears, a contrast so blatant compared to a few hours ago, when he treated her like some kind of slave. She shivered in retrospection.

A tray of food was being brought up and set at the bottom of the bed.

And he fed her tenderly.
Tenderness that stirred pain, apprehension and fear to her core. Tenderness that added to her emptiness. But never did she dare to look at him in the eyes, and least of all try to distance herself. Else, she would have seen an expression she never had until now. And little did she know that, even when he sat on the adjacent sofa, his laptop on his thighs as he told her he would work: his eyes never ceased to come back to her more often than they purposefully should.

She pretended to be asleep, her back facing him. Her gaze transfixed on the wall that stood far in front of her, she lost herself in the past. Moments later, she heard the distinct clic of the door being unlocked, and locked back as he left the room.

Wide awake and her heart painfully beating in her chest, she rolled on her backside and drifted to her former thoughts.

—

"Ayuzawa," Takumi called. Their classmate were celebrating their graduation in an grill shop, and obviously, even the President was successfully forced into drinking to celebrate the end of high school. They were seated on the floor around a long table close to the ground as smell of sizzled meat filled the whole shop.

"Mmmm... Usui! What are you doing here! Haha..." she laughed heartily when her friend whispered to her ear. That sounded so pleasant to his ears but he knew how she could act when she was the slightest drunk. He suspiciously eyed the table, spotting the trio who seemed to plot something as they frantically glanced at Misaki, whispering ushed words to eachothers. She was, apparently, completely unaware of her surrounding.

Else, she would have warned them not to try anything inappropriate. They were definitely getting out of here, before she would unleash her drunk-behavior, Takumi thought.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will take Prez' back home." he voiced, loud enough to be heard by the crowd. Eyes wide open, Misaki started to struggle as he tried to pull her by the arm to get her to stand. Every guys on the table seemed pleased by the new, happy to know that the devil who had messed up all their chances with the girls for more than two years would soon be leaving.

"I have to stay! The girls are going to get harmed without me!" She slurred at him.

"They can manage, don't worry," he said, dragging her as she tried to hold on the table. "Plus, I don't think you could be of much help right now, Prez." He added, before hauling her over his shoulder, carrying her out to the exit.

"Good night." He threw one last glance at the guys. His intent was clear, and what his eyes said was: "Don't think about doing anything improper." The whole room shivered at the glare. He walked away without care, and crossed the threshold of the shop though Misaki was wailing and thrashing around, yelling some "Let me down! Usui!" and a few angered growls.

It was dark outside, and spring's night held a chilly tone. Several cars crossed them on their way as occasional passersby would give them curious look. Misaki finally calmed down after awhile, and stilled in his grasp.

"Let me down please, it's embarassing..." She pleaded, her face all red from shame.

"Oh? So you are not drunk enough to ignore the public?" He chuckled, before putting her to the ground.

"I barely drank." She retorted with a glare.

"Then, let's go home hand in hands Misa-chan." He said with a cocky grin. Her brows furrowed as she slapped his arm, making him wince softly.

"Home? But that's the other way around Usui!"

"I meant, our home as my appartment. Let's spend the night together, Prez'." He winked, and turned around to look at her frozen look as she stood in the middle of the street, seemingly irresolute about the way things were going.

"But... Maybe I don't want to go there?" She blushed. The pink hue that crept onto her cheek triggered his curious mind.

"Why not? We could do so many things there, like, play to games, talk, cuddle, kiss..." Her eyes widened as he casually spoke those last words.

"Inappropriate! I'm going home!" She stomped the other way around, but he caught her arm before she could put distance between them.

"You can't go, Ayuzawa."

"Why?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in a drowsy way.

"Your mother, she will be surprised if you get home so late, and on top of that, drunk. You smell like sake, don't you know?" He gave her the only most-likely reason she would maybe acknowledge. Crossing his fingers, he hoped she would buy the made-up explanation without tantrum.

"...Uh?... Ehh?! Really? I'm going to take a shower and I'm heading back then." She turned around and started to stride off to his apartment. And he was glad she couldn't see the broad grin that was plastered on his face. Did she, maybe she would have changed her plans. Following her steps in the crisp night, his smile never faded away on the whole way back home.

—

The shower was running as he sat on the couch waiting for her, not even bothering to flick the lights on. His unfocused stare was directed towards the night view his flat had on the city. Relaxing his posture, he allowed himself to close his eyes for a few minutes, before exhaling deeply. Unconsciously, fatigue prevailed as he slumbered into a well earned sleep.

Several minutes later, she had finally finished and felt refreshed by that quick shower. Stepping out of the bathroom, a trail of light filled the room when she opened the door. Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the darkness as she walked up to the main room. Silents footsteps were brushing on the cold tilled floor as she made it to him. The sight that greeted her made her eyes widen in return.

He was dozing off, his head slightly cocked to the side, resting on the back of the sofa as his soft hair gently fell down around his closed eyes. Such a singular sight that she had never seen of him before. He looked so defenseless, a significant change compared to his usual expression...

Such precious lips.

She closed the distance between them, standing in front of him as her gaze never left his face. She relished in the silent admiration she could permit herself as he would never know her intent. Her hand gently stroked his hair, ever so carefully so as not to wake him. Sliding to his cheek, her touch only left warmth and tenderness in their wake as they followed the path of his jawline.

Slowly bending down to him, she could see his long lashes upclose, so close she could even touch them when her eyes flickered to his. She could hear his regular breathing as his chest rose and fell down with each intake, feel her nose softly brush against his. Her breath mingled with his as her lips melted on his own, a delicate promise from her part and a silent confession to their relationship. He shifted under the caress, and before she could pull away, his hands were already cupping her face with fondness. She looked into eyes that mirrored the limitless city lights, each spark a myriad of feelings. They were a window to his soul and only reflected his devotion to her, an undying passion and serene compassion. Her heart stirred as he pulled her onto him, softly flushing her against him as she sank in his embrace.

"Ayuzawa..." His soft spoken voice rang in the silent room.

He tilted his head upward, their noses touching as his eyes closed, revelling into the warmth of the contact. Her eyes wandered over his face before her lips roamed upon his sealed eyelids, leaving soft kisses in their wake. His eyes fluttered open, and suddenly, he nudged her off him, pushing her down to lie on the couch. Crawling over her, he towered over her slender figure before diving down to her exposed neck, pecking on her soft skin.

"Uh!... It tickles, Usui!" She exclaimed, writhing beneath him as she tried to pull away from his touch. She gasped for air, her slanted eyes overflowing with tears of laughter. And before she knew it, fierce lips came into collision with her own. His intent altered with the playful showdown they just had as he took advantage of her parted lips, pulling her into a heated kiss. Not before long, the atmosphere between them became thick with passion. Her hands fisted in his hair, she pulled him closer to her as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tasting her over and over again, capturing her lips with fervent devotion. She moaned in his mouth as one of his hand came to hold her own hand, threading his fingers with hers in natural perfection.

"Ayuzawa?" He inquired. Her half-lidded gaze was lost somewhere in the depth of his forest eyes. Alcohol was taking its toll on her mind, and to add to the equation: it was way past midnight. She was past her bedtime by several hours, no wonder sleep was catching up on her.

"Hey, don't leave me?" He pleaded with a smile as she started to nod off. "Misaki?" He called once more. She smiled at his apparent desperation. He was so adorable, getting all flustered when his desire were to be left unfulfilled for the night. She weakly giggled at his expression.

"I could not even dream of that, Usui..." She said before her eyes closed on a last glimpse of emerald. Drifting away, she fell asleep in his safe embrace.

—

"I should not even dream of that, Usui."

Because if she did, she would not know how she could trust anyone again.