Yoshiki had been surprised, at the very least, a few days ago when he woke and actually found that he wasn't alone. Even now, he was still pretty confused, and wanted to stay away from thinking she may like him. That only made it hurt worse when reality came knocking, which it always did. So, he tried his best to think nothing of it, past the skip in his heart at her being so close when his eyes opened. It was... nice, of course, but that's why Ayumi had probably avoided doing it up until now. She didn't want there to be warm feelings, only hot moments. She didn't want anything past friendship, with the added satisfaction of sex. So he'd... he'd pretend it hadn't happened.
Besides that, today was a celebrating day for Satoshi and his brand new fiance, since they had all been available in the afternoon. It was like normal hanging out with adults, first they ate out, and once night rolled around, they'd become more like the rest of their age group. Though, instead of a club, this time it was more like a bar with some dancing mixed in. Though, he really didn't feel like dancing, it wasn't his thing. So, he resigned himself to drinking while the two lovers embarrassingly got their dance on. He just sat at their table with a drink, mostly sloshing it around with the occasional small gulp.
Ayumi was out of her element in a bar like this. Actually, she had been out of her element at the club too. She figured the only reason Naomi and Satoshi were so eager to go to them was because the two got lost in each other, and the actually scene didn't matter. Just the music and them. It was probably nice... even in their best moments, Keitaro and her had never been so in sync or lost in each another. She was off on the side of the bar ordering a drink, though she was hopefully limiting herself to just a nice buzz. She wasn't a very graceful drunk, and she didn't want to get sloppy. As she waited for the Strawberry Daiquiri she ordered to be done. She glanced over to where Yoshiki was seated, a weird jolt hitting her when she realized Ren near him. She was saying something... but she couldn't hear the conversation over the noise of the bar.
"Hey, I was wondering if you'd be interested in a dance," Ren said in her most flirty way as a hand rested on his forearm.
Yoshiki had been minding his own business, and would've liked for it to stay that way, but he was then approached by a girl. One completely unfamiliar to him. He glanced up at her, not feeling anything toward her advances, not even her touch. This was the curse of his affection... He could never get interested in girls who seemed that way about him. It was enough to drive him mad, but he could do nothing more than comply with it. After all, he still... loved Ayumi."Er, sorry, I don't really want to," he said in refusal. He wished he could move away from her hand, but that felt incredibly harsh, and after he told her no, he assumed she'd remove it herself.
Ayumi's attention was pulled away for a moment as the bartender handed her the drink she ordered. She forced a polite smile, thanking and paying the person. She held the drink in her hand, eyes moving back to Ren and Yoshiki. She felt... really angry. Though, she wanted to chalk that up to the fact Ren had to keep putting her grubby hands on- Eck... well, this wasn't the same, was it? Yoshiki wasn't' hers, despite what they may do together. It was tempting to go up and snap at Ren to piss off... but, she found herself curious to what Yoshiki may do.
"Aw, c'mon, one little dance won't hurt," Ren continued to insist with an overly-sweet smile.
Yoshiki mentally groaned at her persistent. He didn't like rejecting people... It wasn't one of those easy things... but it was necessary. "I really don't want to," he told her adamantly, guessing he'd have to make his point. He brushed off her hand, despite how rude or harsh it seemed. "Sorry," he repeated with emphasis, to get it across that he could tell she was flirting, and was refusing her advances as well.
Ayumi watched Yoshiki sweep away Ren's hand, and she was... relieved? Why? Well, it was nice to know one of her closest friends wouldn't be interested in Ren. That's why she had to be happy about it. She took a sip of her drink, watching as Ren didn't seem to understand the word 'no.' Now knowing she wasn't interrupting, she took herself and her drink over to the two. "Hi, Ren, shouldn't you be with Abe?" Ayumi greeted her ex-roommate with a small sneer.
Ren was just about to continue to insist they dance, despite his rejections. He was too cute to pass up. Her cute, flirty demeanor died and changed to horror as she heard Ayumi's voice. "Oh, Ayumi... hi," she said awkwardly, glancing at Yoshiki in worry. Was this her boyfriend or something? "Uh, we're not... doing that anymore," she answered with an awkward shrug. "You know... you can move back in," she suddenly said, trying to be friendly.
"I'll pass, I'm happier as is," Ayumi told her flatly. The two looked at each other, Ayumi's eyes narrowed and Ren's furrowed in concern.
"Ah... right..." Ren responded awkwardly, glancing aside.
Yoshiki was a little confused as she kept hanging around, but almost felt like shrinking back into his seat when Ayumi came around. Almost like he felt like she was coming over to scold him, even though he was saying no to this girl and.., he guessed more importantly, they weren't going out. When she first spoke, he was wondering why she'd be talking with a sort of hidden malice. Was she... jealous? He quickly erased the thought with panic of hope rising, and the mention of Keitaro. This must have been a personal issue with this Ren girl... As he listened further, he gathered that it was her ex-roommate. This thing with Keitaro and Ren... was it why Ayumi had sought a different place to live? He was still clueless on the details, as Ayumi had never told him, and he had never asked... After all, it wasn't his business at all. But it had to have something to do with a possible relationship between Ren and Keitaro... He glanced between the two, hoping he wouldn't be caught in the middle of a cat fight. After all, girls held grudges... for, like, ever...
"So, do you want something?" Ayumi challenged, not seeing why Ren just wouldn't walk off. There was no reason for her to stick around the two. Yoshiki had apparently said no to her, and Ayumi was certainly no fan of hers. Ayumi sat in the bar stool next to Yoshiki, looking at Ren expectantly.
Ren paused, glancing at Yoshiki and back to Ayumi. "Ah, sorry I didn't realize you two-"
"We're not," Ayumi cut off quickly, not wanting her to finish that question. "He's a friend, and he doesn't seem very interested in you, so why don't you just walk away?" Ayumi said with venom. She didn't like Ren... She was two-faced and had no loyalty. She wasn't interested in ever continuing a friendship, so she burned the bridge with no hesitation.
Ren looked insulted by Ayumi, but didn't seem ready or willing to argue. It just wasn't worth it... there were other guys around the bar. She just shot Ayumi a look before turning and walking off.
After Ren finally left, Yoshiki glanced to Ayumi with his brows furrowed. "That was... a little harsh, don't you think?" he wondered aloud. While he had been annoyed by her persistent flirting, being bold wasn't something to be particularly chastised for. When it was a girl with a guy, anyways. When guys were persistent, it for some reason turned creepy. Well, anyways, he kind of felt bad for Ren, because she didn't seem so bad. Then again, he didn't know her like Ayumi may. After all, they were- err, used to be dorm-mates.
"People don't learn unless you're harsh," Ayumi said with a shrug as she took a sip of her drink. Maybe she had been too quick to turn against Ren, but it just didn't seem right. Would a real friend, someone who was genuinely concerned about you, go out or hook up with an ex? She could have at least asked... Ayumi would have probably given her the okay, just out of not wanting to seem bitter. "Besides, why do you care if I was short with her?" Ayumi asked him flatly, unsure why, but the concern irritated her.
Yoshiki guessed that was somewhat true... But still, it wasn't necessary... He looked at Ayumi as she gave her own question, which was sort of hard to answer. "Well... I guess it's because she didn't look like a bad person," he answered casually, taking a drink. He had to be careful not to say 'she didn't look bad', because then it sounded like he was somewhat into her. He didn't know why, but it just felt weird, since while they weren't in a relationship, being with anyone else still felt like cheating...
Ayumi raised an eyebrow at Yoshiki, a fire in the pit of her stomach. "Of course you wouldn't think so, she was fawning after you," Ayumi noted with a small, irritated scoff. She didn't really know why this entire thing was giving her such a bad attitude. It had to just be Ren... and Yoshiki's weird decision to try and stand up for her. She looked at the contents of her drink, realizing there was only another mouthful left. Huh... she normally took much longer to get through a full drink. She mentally shrugged away the fact as she drank the rest of the drink before placing it on the counter.
Yoshiki looked at her flatly, irritated that his words had still been turned on him. He didn't mean that, she just seemed... normal to him. In other words, she didn't seem like a bitch deserving of a cold shoulder. "It's not that. I don't like being flirted with," he admitted as he glanced to the side, taking another drink, "Even when she was talking to you, she seemed okay." Then again, that might have been because she was frightened of Ayumi... Really, he didn't have a good look at her character in these short minutes, but saying she was nice would be more accurate of a guess than her being unpleasant.
Ayumi looked unconvinced by him claiming he didn't like being flirted with. Everyone liked it to some degree... it just mattered if you were actually interested in the person flirting with you or if you're a narcissistic. "Tch, that's because she feels guilty," she grumbled as she waved over the bartender to get another drink."She's two-faced and someone I'm not interested in associating with anymore," Ayumi explained, seemingly unaffected by 'breaking up' with her roommate of almost two years.
"Hey, cutie, what're you doing just sitting around at the bar? You should be dancing~" A feminine, slightly slurred voice of an attractive woman suddenly cut into whatever conversation the two may of been having. Ayumi turned her head, the fire in the bit of her stomach flaring as the girl moved a hand onto Yoshiki's thigh. She turned to the bartender and ordered a lemon drop shot.
Yoshiki would've argued that if she feels guilty, then she shouldn't be that bad of a person, but there were several reasons he didn't. One, he didn't know what happened between them, it was none of his business to deem her nice or mean. Two, it didn't really matter, what was said was in the past, and Ren was already gone. And three, and probably the most important part, some other girl butted her way over to him, and into their conversation. He glanced away, feeling this girl was much bolder than Ren... and wreaked more of alcohol. "No thanks, I'm good, really. I don't want to," he answered firmly, taking his eyes back to her so she'd get that he was being serious and moving her hand. To Ayumi, is was probably becoming obvious why he had been a virgin. He denied everyone and anyone. Did that... make his feelings too obvious? He mentally cursed at this realization, but it couldn't be helped... The damage was already done, and he still wasn't remotely interest in other girls, enough to even fake-accept her advances.
Ayumi watched from the corner of her eye as the girl dejectedly walked away at Yoshiki's very firm, and actually somewhat harsh rejection. Not that she could blame him, especially since the girl seemed drunk. Anything but firmness would be taken as playing hard to get. As her lemon drop was handed to her, she held it for a moment before taking the shot. The alcohol burned her stomach, but did nothing to relieve the annoyance and bitterness in her system. If anything, it almost felt like it added fuel to the fire. She raised her hand, the bartender seemingly getting the message as they began to make another. This feeling, whatever it may be, needed to go away. Yoshiki was free to fuck and do whatever he wanted to any of these girls throwing themselves at him... The thought didn't help her. This had to be some fluke, because... there was no way she was actually jealous. Jealousy meant that she felt like she had some claim over Yoshiki and that... that she may like him. Which wasn't the case, it couldn't be.
Yoshiki sighed tiredly as he and Ayumi started their walk back to his apartment. The night had went by pretty much the same... He kept getting bothered by increasingly drunk women, and had to reject them, while worrying over the amount of alcohol Ayumi had kept downing. She had insisted she was okay, though, so he could do nothing more about it. Anyways, they had stayed a few more hours, so it was pretty late when they all had decided to head back home. Even if she had said she was fine, though, he wouldn't stop keep watch over her. After all... her stumbling around wasn't very convincing...
When they got home, he shut and locked the door, feeling pretty worn out after their day out."You should probably get to bed... Do you want any water, first?" he asked with concern as he turned to face her. He didn't really want her suffering a hangover in the morning.
Ayumi had quickly lost track of the amount of drinks she had consumed, triggered by the women parading over to Yoshiki. Trying to get their grubby hands on her Yoshiki... she couldn't stand it, but she also couldn't make a scene. Her self control was exercised greatly, as she kept in mind Satoshi and Naomi's presence. By the time the door had finally closed behind them as they returned home, she was no longer willing or capable of holding back anymore. As he turned to her, his concern touching and triggering even more emotions. She moved forward, burying her head into his chest as her arms wrapped around him possessively. She mumbled something against him that was made inaudible between being muffled and slurred.
Yoshiki was taken off guard as she moved into him, his heart doing that annoying jump. She made some sort of noise, but he couldn't really hear her. D-did she just want to have sex, her way of saying it a little more sloppy due to the alcohol? He assumed so, but this more innocent closeness was throwing his demeanor out the window and his cheeks began to grow hot. "Er, Sh-Shinozaki, sorry... I, uh, have... work in the morning...," he tried to explain, and resist the urge to hold onto her back.
Ayumi looked up at him with a confused stare. In her drunken state, it was hard to process what he meant. Instead of trying to figure it out, though, she ignored what he said. "You're mine," she stated as he grip on him tightened. "Those other girls..." she began to say, her eyes narrowing at the the thought of all of them trying to attract him... touching him... it made her stomach burn unpleasantly. "They're not allowed near you..." she mumbled sloppily as she nuzzled against him. The thought of her rules, all those lines she had tried to draw, were cast aside.
Yoshiki's eyes widened at her as she seemingly claimed him. Even though it seemed unusually possessive, he found that it only flustered him further. What was... she saying? This was her own rule... that they weren't supposed to get jealous over the other... Not that he minded her tight grip on him... But, he couldn't tell what he should do... She was drunk, so she had an excuse to be clingy... Right? He found all this confusing, and he didn't want himself to fall victim to hope again... But with her talking like this... it was hard not to believe that she actually had been jealous. That she actually... felt more for him than she let on... He found that he was at a loss for words, stuck on what to say. What to do, as well, as his arms was torn between staying still and wrapping around her.
Ayumi felt a little bit of distress as he didn't respond, confirming that he was hers. He had rejected all those girls at the bar, though, so he had to be loyal to her, right? "Yoshiki's mine..." she said in a whisper as she leaned up to gently press her lips against his. She pulled back a little, keeping the gesture innocent. "And... I'm Yoshiki's..." she added with a flushed face. She took claim over him, and so she was letting him take claim over her as well. He was so sweet and good to her... all the other factors that had kept her from doing this before didn't even enter her mind. She just wanted to be with Yoshiki. In the sense that they've been together, but also being able to be so much more.
Yoshiki looked in her eyes as she repeated her claim, unprepared for the gentle kiss. This... was more like how he imagined being with Ayumi... This warmth, instead of heat... He somehow cherished it more, and it made his face flare up more than her seduction. At her next statement, he couldn't hold back a flustered, quiet noise of bewilderment. She... was his... His heart jumped, and couldn't keep back his hope from flooding his mind. She was drunk... he shouldn't fall victim to his own desires... But he couldn't help it anymore. "Yeah... I'm yours...," he finally answered, leaning forward to set his forehead against hers. "I... always have been," he admitted with a small, pathetic laugh, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
Ayumi's eyes lit up at his answer, leaning into the touch of his forehead. She smiled lovingly as she felt his arms wrapped back around her. It made her heart skip and her body warm more than the alcohol had. That jealous bitterness in her stomach finally dissolved as it felt right and true to belong to one another. He was so warm, and she was happy to be with him in a completely nonsexual way. "And you always will be?" she questioned quietly, wanting the knowledge that she didn't have to worry about him cheating or leaving her for someone else. That their ties to each other was so much more than most people's.
Yoshiki admired that new smile, yearning to see it again and again. He had to say... all of this wasn't something he had expected at all, but he was really loving it. He... liked this more than the other night, when they had started the whole 'friends with benefits' thing. "Mm... That's right," he answered without hesitation, smiling gently at her. If he had no affection for any other girl for four years, he could bet that's how it would stay. Especially now that he could... actually be with her. "I'll love you... forever," he told her before giving her another soft kiss, then moved back to look at her. He may have to felt this strongly before Heavenly Host... But all that mattered was how he felt now, how he had grown to love her more than anyone else.
Ayumi felt a warmth spread from her heart at his smile and sweet words. This was all that mattered, how she felt about him. How he made her heart jump in ways no other person had ever managed. The word 'love' stalled her for a moment before she realized with giddiness that's what she had been feeling. She kept falling back to Yoshiki because that's what she wanted, even if she had been too blind to see it. She enjoyed the touch of the kiss, the softness was completely different in nature than the way they've been together before. "I'll love you forever, too," she said with a shy smile. It was the first time she said the phrase and meant it. It felt... nice, really nice. She wanted to say it a million times and hear it from him just as much.
Yoshi let out a shaky, soft laugh, overwhelmed with joy at this development, as his love-fogged mind saw it. If he was thinking rationally, he wouldn't be falling victim to this, because he should know how it was going to end if this followed the pattern of the rest of his life. But, he was too naive, his desperate heart only listening to what it wanted to. And it was listening to her slurred voice tell him that she loved him, like he had felt for her all these years. He was successfully trapped, and there was no way out besides a knife to his clinging heart.
The sunlight peeking in from the curtains hurt her head. The wave of nausea hitting her as she joined the waking world was overwhelming. Why was she in so much pain? She shut her eyes, taking heavy breaths as she tried to keep the sick feeling down. She peeked one eye open to glance around the room. There was a glass of water and some pain killer next to her on the bed-stand that she didn't think twice about taking. She slowly drank the entire glass before she realized... she was in Yoshiki's room? Did they-
Ayumi placed the glass aside as she shot out of bed, the aching pain in her head be damned. "Shit, shit, shit, shit," she began to mutter as the night came crashing back. 'I'll love you forever!? What the fuck was I think!?' she thought in a panic. Dammit, what had she even been thinking to say those things to him? And, oh god, Yoshiki had confessed too. This was bad, all very bad. This could not happen. She had to get out, stop any of this from progressing any further. They weren't going to get together, they weren't going to live together, and they weren't in love! It was just a stupid, overly affectionate drunk's words. She had to get all her stuff and leave.
Luckily, it seemed like Yoshiki was at work. She didn't know where she'd go. She just knew she had to get far away from this place before Yoshiki returned home. Any emotions felt by her was just residual from the sex... Ugh, she should have known this was going to happen. A friends with benefits thing only really works if both the people are pretty indifferent to one another. But, Yoshiki's... well, he's been in love with her. The thought made her stomach churn. This was so bad... she couldn't see him anymore for anything. She couldn't. This had to end right now, at this point. He shouldn't have gotten wrapped up in her lies. She scoured the apartment, grabbing anything that was her's and throwing it into the bag she had brought. She didn't bother doing a second sweep, because she didn't care. She could buy anything she had forgotten. She threw her bag over her shoulder and was about to leave. She stopped pulling a key out of her pocket. Her eyes narrowed at it.
"This should have never happened," she said about the entire thing. It was all a mistake. She dropped the key on the table before turning to leave, the door slamming behind her.
Yoshiki... had been in a stupidly good mood. Though... the more his day went on, the more the voice in the back of his head screamed at him. What was he doing, really? Trusting in the words of a drunk Ayumi about their future together? He didn't put too much negative thought into, though... He was too giddy because he had always been desperate for her. He grasped for any sign of mutual feelings, like a pathetic idiot... Ha, like one? No, he was one...
When he got home, it was quiet, and... empty. Something clawed painfully in his chest, but he still chose to be ignorant and pretend she was just at school... or out doing something... Of course, it became evident fast that he couldn't play dumb. Her stuff was gone, save for a few random, unimportant items. He was just on the brink of panic when he spotted her extra key on the counter. That... sealed the deal. He slowly stepped forward, taking the key and stumbling backward until he fell onto the couch. He looked at it with burning eyes, his heart heavy and aching, while his more rational, and wise half screamed at him. The side that knew how the world worked, and knew how empty his life had always been.
How could he have expected anything more? It was ridiculous, that he had fallen victim a second time, this one more painful and something he chastised himself for. Why did he believe words poisoned by alcohol?! Was he really such a naive child? He took a shaky breath, feeling everything be ripped out from underneath him. Everything around Ayumi... even their friendship... It was probably ruined, and that hurt worse than anything else. His hand clenched around the key to the point his muscles trembled, a burst of fire roaring in his stomach. He had single-handedly destroyed everything built over four years in one fucking day! "DAMMIT!" he screamed, standing and throwing the key on an impulse at the wall.