I DO NOT OWN AIR GEAR! enjoy ^^.

Chapter 11:

Ikki was trying to calm Ringo down and cheer her up, but blamed himself for staring to hug her. The thing is, the more he hugged her or things like this happened, the more he lost control of himself. I might even confess! I have to back off! He thought worried. He let his arms hanging around his own body. Just at the moment Ikki wanted to push Ringo off him, Ringo grabbed his t-shirt and pinched in it. Ikki looked down at her, her face was still hidden in his chest but he felt his shirt was becoming wet. Ikki putted his hand on her head, he felt his check glowing, there was a knot in his stomach but at the same time he felt butterflies in his belly. He became light in his head and a warm happy feeling surrounded him. Ringo was shaking from fear against his chest, she was yearning for protection. Ringo's shoulders started to shock heavier, and was getting more scared. It's getting worse than before. Thought Ikki troubled as he looked at her. "Ne, Ringo. Why are you so scared?" He asked her, Ringo didn't look up and didn't said anything either. "Ringo?" he asked, he pushed her a bit backwards so she couldn't look away from how or hide her face. Ringo didn't look him in the eye but was still shaking from fear. "Does you wound hurt?" asked Ikki but Ringo nodded, "Just a little bit." Whispered Ringo. "Why are you so scared?" asked Ikki as he repeated the question, Ringo lifted her shoulders. Another flash was seen and Ringo stared in front of her without reacting, then there was a clap. A really hard one, as if it was above them. This made Ringo wince again, she hid her face in his chest again. She was scared. Ikki embraced her again, he felt that was the only thing he could do.

Ringo hid her face in his chest. I don't want him to see me this way! She thought but couldn't stop shivering. Ikki just stopped embracing her but it felt as if his arms were still surrounding her. "Feeling better?" he asked when he sat next to her. Ringo looked aside and then stared in front of her again. If you hugged me again. Thought Ringo but immediately threw it of her mind and showed a weak smile. "Hmmmm…" said Ringo weak without looking at Ikki, "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked pissed off. Ringo still hadn't let go of his shirt, she felt so tired. Too much happened today, first the typhoon, then a thunderstorm, then she was dead and came back to life somehow, and now this. Feeling scared but also having a heavy burden on her shoulders. The burden of her own pain, not just only from her wound, also from her leadership with 'Sleeping Forest'. Knowing the duties and rules of Sleeping Forest and all she did was disobeying them, she left that place behind and didn't want to get back to that place. She wanted to stay here, in Ikki's arms. She wanted to have this safe and lovely feeling. Not coldness and hate, she wanted love, she wanted Ikki. She wanted Ikki more than anything. She wanted to leave everything behind and fly away, together with Ikki and no one else. "Ringo?" asked Ikki with a slight bit of concern in his voice, just enough for Ringo to wake up from her thoughts. Ringo looked up, right in his eyes. The warm, caring, brown eyes. Not the cold one. The warm one. She wanted him so bad. Her mind was getting more restless, but she didn't move a inch. She just stared into his eyes and when she did that, she realized how much she wanted him. This is bad… she thought as she felt the greed of having Ikki inside her growing more and more. "Ringo?" he asked again, he grabbed her arm then kneeled down and moved his face a little bit closer towards hers. Ringo's eyes followed him making every movement towards her, she smiled but that smile disappeared immediately. He was really close and looked back into her eyes, "Earth to Ringo?" he asked as he looked into her eyes. He waved his hand before her eyes slowly, but Ringo's eyes didn't react. They only stared at Ikki. I want to kiss him, I want him to be mine. She thought determined. "I…"whisperd Ringo softly, shocked by hearing that word she stopped shocked. What did I want to say just now? She thought shocked. Ikki who had noticed she finally said something, moved his face a bit closer to hear things better. "You?" he asked, Ringo looked away towards the ground and didn't say a thing. "You?" he asked again, he felt something was off and he wanted to know what it was. "Nothing." Said Ringo while she started to blush. Ringo stood up, her eyes became used to the darkness. She walked behind Ikki where she started to blush. She stood like that for a while.

When she turned around, she saw that Ikki was sitting against the wall, with his knees pulled up and his elbows leaning on his knees. The pose of an lost Ikki who didn't know what to do anymore, Ringo didn't know if it was he was aware of it, aware of the look in his eyes. Was he aware of his glance? This look and way of sitting was a look every girl would fall in love with. But Ringo didn't like this look, this was his look of being lost in something. He just looked lost in her eyes, not cool. Lost. Lost in his own thoughts, just like she was a few minutes ago. I wanna know what he is thinking right now… thought Ringo worried.

Ikki leaned against the wall, his own thoughts were confusing him. Staring up didn't help anything, but talking didn't help also. The situation was desperate and he felt like he was the only one who felt desperate. Am I the only one who feels this desperate? He thought, he looked at Ringo who was looking around. Searching for something. Maybe she lost something? He thought as he looked at her. Why didn't she finished her phrase? He asked himself when he remembered what just happened. I, what? Anything can start with 'I'. he thought hopeless, knowing he had to stop himself from thinking too much. Because he thinks something, he might get hope for something that'll never happen. He doesn't want that to happen. "What are you looking for?" he asked Ringo just to prevent to get some hope for something. Ringo looked him right in the face, but he saw that she felt busted. "I, erm… erm…" she started nervous, Ikki looked at her. Not understanding what she meant. "I was just looking for something that might cheer you up." She said on a whisper tune, Ikki knew for sure she felt that she looked like an idiot right now. But she didn't, not in Ikki's eyes. "Why do you want to cheer me up?" he asked surprised, Ringo looked shocked. "Because if you sit like that, you're desperate. And just with being desperate and sulking you won't beat Sora. Use your brain more!" She said angry. "Weren't you the one who said you'd beat Sora first? Before I did?" he asked pissed, "Sure I did. But I know you good enough!" she said angry. "For knowing what?" He asked. His mind became confused but he didn't show it towards Ringo, "That you want to beat him too!" she shouted. "So what if I want that? Isn't that only normal?" he asked pissed, Ringo walked closer and bowed above him. Ikki looked up towards her face. Her face hovered above his, what kind of moment was this? She looked down on him, Ikki saw she was grinding her teeth. From anger? He thought. "I know you good enough for knowing that even if I beat him, you won't be stratified. You'll challenge him to battle with you." She whispered. There he sat, on the ground looking at her face. He wanted to hug her so badly, but he knew that he couldn't. He looked at her eyes, the thing he loved about her. But the thing he wanted to see in her eyes, wasn't there. The sparkle of happiness wasn't there. Her eye only looked teary, and full of sadness. Eventually a tear rolled down, he didn't know how many minutes had passed, but he wanted to hug her more and more. Ikki reached out with his hand, to wipe a tear away. "So what if I did that?" he asked while he looked really serious at her.

Ringo looked at his face, at his eyes. The message became clear for her. He wouldn't listen to her, even if she said something that made sense, he just wouldn't listen. "No matter what I have to say, you answer won't change right?" she asked. She smiled sadly, Ikki saw her face. "nope." He said and stared right in front of him again. Ringo sat right next to him leaning against the wall. She sighed, she felt so tired. Her eyelids were giving in, her body wanted to sleep. Her mind wanted to stay awake, but was beginning to give in slowly. Her eyelids blinked slowly, the drowsiness became bigger than before. Eventually she fell asleep.

Ikki looked at her sleeping face, he felt sleepy as well. He smiled, she looked so cute. He bended over her and gave a small kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well." He said smiling, she was breathing really slowly. She was obviously sleeping. Ikki smiled, thank god she didn't wake up when I kissed her. He thought while he was smiling like crazy. Ringo moved her head, without knowing it herself she leaned softly on his shoulder. Ikki looked down on her and then looked away, he was blushing. He liked this shy feeling inside of him. He took a look at her again. Her face looked peaceful and her hair was hanging in front of her right eye. He looked at her for a while and then fell asleep. There they were sleeping, Ringo leaning on Ikki's shoulder and Ikki softly leaning on her head. They looked peaceful together, they gave a happy feeling to each other without knowing it.

to be continued