Shaky Foundations
(A/N) Things are getting rather heated! I think it's time we come to a compromise, eh?
WARNING: A Tsundere Kokonoe, a rather OOC Ragna, very awkward sexual tension, and more naughty words than usual courtesy of our favourite bitter cat and demon! :D
Chapter 6: Let's settle this here.
The botanical gardens were a recent addition to the laboratory on the request of Tager. He'd suggested to the higher-ups of Sector Seven that they build more sources of leisure to motivate their bitter, overworked, unmotivated scientists and professors. The project had been approved around five months prior, headed by the Red Devil himself with some help from local charity goers who felt like doing something useful.
They hadn't made much progress yet: A few exotic trees stood in odd positions on the short green-grey grass, and the sprinkler system had to work overtime to keep what little plant-life remained healthy. Tager wasn't too pleased when he found one of his peers lazily napping there a few weeks ago, so imagine how angry he would've been if he found a girl and a boy careening down the cobble patio.
"Ragna! Wait!" The girl shouted, barely being able to keep up with the charging man. He didn't turn to reply, or even react to his name being called. He just kept going, and going, and going.
Kokonoe's legs were getting heavier by the minute, her frail feet pounding the ground with all of their might. Unlike the athletic man she pursued, she rarely spent time exercising and thus had the endurance of a morbidly obese computer designer. The distance between them was rapidly increasing, until eventually she lost sight of him.
"God... Damn..." She sputtered, sinking to her hands and knees to regain her breath. Her lungs had never felt so sore, each deep inhalation stinging like a thousand sharp needles. She knew she needed more air however, and bore it with gritted teeth.
After a few minutes of rest, she scanned the area with her keen feline eyes. While the garden lacked many trees, the layout of them gave off the illusion of a large, thriving forest. If Ragna was hiding, he had hundreds of spots he could hole up in. She could probably find him if he didn't move from wherever he lurked, but for some reason she doubted that he'd sit still for too long.
This isn't how it's supposed to be.
This wasn't exactly the romantic situation she was expecting a few minutes prior. To think that they'd gone from being coiled in the calm warmth of one-another's arms to a hasty and panicked pursuit across the grassy fields of the backgarden. She was hoping that he'd do something cheesy like in the books and films; maybe carry her off to bed and then...
She hauled herself onto shaky legs, swallowing hard to wet her parched throat. She never remembered what Tager's advice was when it came to running, so she elected to simply walk at a hastened pace.
"... Ragna?" She called out, doing her best to shout with a soothing, motherly voice rather than her usual bitter growl. "Ragna? Where are you?"
She had no idea why he'd run off so suddenly. He had her right where he wanted her: She was absolutely defenceless to his advances, yet he decided to pull back. Why didn't he kiss her there and then? In all the novels she read, that's how the relationship began.
... Unless it was just an impulse.
Maybe he didn't love her? Maybe he despised her? Maybe he launched himself at her out of an animalistic lust that had been building up in him for the past few years? She may've not known how a boy's psyche worked, but his two decades without any love life must've driven him crazy.
Breaking point.
That must've been why he looked so sickened.
He was sickened by himself.
Why didn't she just say it to his face? Bluntly tell him the truth? This would've been so much easier if she just said "I love you", and waited for his reply. To be honest, she didn't even care if he returned her affection or not anymore, she just wanted to settle this issue. Once the words were traded, she was certain that the two could get back to their normal boring lives.
Or if he returned her feelings...
She'd be pleased if he was happy, and that was that.
She wandered about for around twenty minutes, occasionally calling out Ragna's name with rapidly degenerating enthusiasm. Eventually it became nothing more than a forlorn whisper: A plea for him to reveal himself as she rested in the shade of a grand oak.
It was morning already.
The beams of the rising sun were amplified by the glass dome that surrounded the garden, increasing the strength of the already brutal heat. She still didn't understand how the weather could be so indecisive as to be raining and freezing at night, only to scorch her in the day.
The brush of the oak provided much needed cover for her seated form, Kokonoe breathing calmly as she surveyed the grounds. Tager was right in creating this place: It was calming and serene. She could even hear the soft tweets of Parsnip, Tager's pet bird that had apparently taken a liking for the garden and made it her home.
That was the only sound she could hear.
She could've sat there for eternity, the grass comfortable and the shade cool. But she had other engagements at this time: Priority engagements that ruled over everything else.
But where oh where could Ragna be? She'd already circled the entire garden, an acre of ground, twice. He was probably on the move, making sure to stay in constant cover from her hunting glare. Reluctantly hauling herself to her feet, she pondered her next move.
She planned to make another round. She didn't really have much choice in the matter; it was the only action she could take. Flexing her stiff arms, she set off once again.
But then she heard a noise.
Sniffling.
It was the lightest of sounds, but it was emanating from close by. Placing her feline ears against the large trunk of the oak, she found that it sounded even louder.
He was on the opposite side of the tree.
Running her hand along the grooves of the rock-solid wood, she circled it slowly. As she rounded it, a seated figure came into view.
White hair, red coat, miss-matched eyes.
It was him.
Crying.
He sat with his knees tucked up, his arms wrapped around them and pulling them close. Rested against the trunk of the tree, his body trembled as he sobbed and sniffled. Never before had he appeared so defenceless and weak in Kokonoe's eyes.
Never before had he looked so helpless.
Kokonoe didn't know what she should do. In one hand she wished to approach him and comfort him, like he would probably do for her. But on the other hand, she recalled the one time when Tager tried to help her during an emotional crisis, and how angry she felt about him getting involved. Perhaps Ragna wanted to distance himself from her right now, and work it all out on his own? Why else would he run away?
"K-Koko... Noe..." He mumbled, noticing her presence.
Too late.
He raised his head and turned, looking at her with reddened eyes. His tear streak faced begged for company, for some symbol of affection to calm him down.
So that's what she did.
Slowly she waltzed over to him, her legs heavy from fatigue and fear.
She enveloped him in her stick thin arms, surrounding him with her warmth.
She hugged him.
She remembered what her mother did for her many years ago, back when she was a little girl. She was crying about something, it must've been something trivial: A broken toy or maybe a silly argument with a friend. Her mother just went up to her, sat her on her lap, and let her sob into her arms.
Let it all out.
That's what she said.
She knelt at his side, letting him cry against her chest. His trembling slowly subsided alongside the drying of his tears, her hands rubbing his back soothingly and lovingly to calm him down.
Just like mother all those years ago.
"I-I'm sorry..." Ragna stuttered, pushing her away and pulling himself back. "I'm sorry... F-For putting you through this crap..."
"What? W-What do you mean?" She asked, leaning forward to close the distance inquisitively. Ragna looked away, his expression shifting into a bitter snarl.
His sadness had shifted to rage in mere seconds.
"Everything I've done! All this shit I've pulled you through, all the things I've said..." He spat, swinging to his feet and trying to leave. Kokonoe grabbed his hand hastily, begging for him to stay.
Don't go.
Please.
"You've done nothing wrong, Ragna! Since when have you said or done anything bad?" Kokonoe asked angrily, her voice firm. It hurt her to yell at him, but like a parent and their child she had to get tough sometimes.
Ragna clenched his fists and swung around, a jabbing finger pointing right at her button nose.
"Oh, come on Kokonoe! Why do you think I did all that work to take you to the theatre? I had a reason!" He began. His hands shifted from their accusing position and grabbed her shoulders roughly, as if he was unwilling to let her go. "I did it all because I..."
Silence.
The power of his rage had quickly diminished, allowing his common sense to tug tightly on the leash and pull him back to ponder what he was about to say. His grip loosened on her shoulders, the tight pain she felt weakening as he pulled his arms back to his sides.
"Kokonoe..." He started once more, his voice forlorn and weak in contrast to the fury it had barely moments prior. "I tried to... Earlier, back in the lab... I-I couldn't control myself, if it went any further I might've hurt you..."
Kokonoe blushed, recalling the roughness in how he tossed her down and loomed over her. To be honest, she was less bothered by the act rather by how he didn't take the next step.
That was the happiest moment of her day.
"N-No need to apologise, Ragna..." Kokonoe muttered, realising what he meant when he said "Further". Ragna's gauntleted hand shot to his face, rubbing his features quickly and impatiently.
"No, listen Kokonoe..." He growled, looking her deep in the eye once again. Even in this situation, where he should've been the weak one, his stare easily crumbled her resolve. "I violated you, I was about to... Shouldn't you hate me?"
What?
"All of the things I've done, topped off by that. You should hate me: You should never want to speak to me again, should cast me aside like the filthy bastard I am."
"No!" She shouted. Ragna jumped from this sudden interruption, the sheer adamancy of her voice shocking him. "Shut up, you idiot!"
Kokonoe ran up to him and glared at him at point blank range. Despite her small size compared to his longshanked form, it was almost as if she was looking down at him.
"How could I hate you? You've been there for me as long as I remember! You've helped pull me through so many difficult times with that stubborn personality of yours! Where the hell has it gone? Stop being such a whiney pansy and bring the Ragna I know back!"
Out of nowhere she swung a punch, fuelled by rage and raw emotion in its speed. It didn't even faze him as it landed at his chest, but the message was clear. She swung again, and again, each swing producing a dull thud.
"The Ragna who laughs at perverted jokes! The Ragna who doesn't react to anything I throw at him! The Ragna who always has that facade of confidence! My Ragna!"
She slammed her head against him, staring down at the grass that their feet stood upon. The sun had finally risen to its peak, casting a long shadow of the two figures close to one another.
"I love you." Ragna said.
As blunt as it was, the message sent her mind haywire. After all of this time chasing him, it turned out that he loved her?
"... How long?" She whispered monotonously, her voice muffled by his chest. He leant his chin down, resting it gently on top of her soft, pink head of hair.
"Years..." He muttered. "The theatre thing was... I-It was a ploy, to try and get you to like me back..."
Kokonoe couldn't help but laugh at this. This entire charade could've easily been avoided if they'd just been open about their feelings. Instead, they shyly danced around the issue until it led to this.
To think that a bitter cat and a loud-mouthed man could find love.
"Idiot..." Kokonoe chuckled. He raised his chin and looked down in confusion, allowing her to reveal her tear streaked, smiling face. "I love you too."
Surprisingly enough, it was Ragna who started the kiss. As if he had been holding the urge back for the past few years, he lunged forward and pressed his lips against hers. Being their first, the two had no idea how to really proceed from there. Thinking more out of the new feeling of lust she had, Kokonoe's tongue teasingly slithered out to try and pry his mouth open. She succeeded with ease, Ragna willingly surrendering to her and doing the same.
In a matter of moments, this romantic first kiss has turned into a luscious deathmatch, the pent up feelings of the romantically drained duo being released like the opening of a floodgate. Doing the same as Kokonoe, Ragna began the act of exploring the warm, foreign confines of her mouth. She tasted sweet, mixing the flavours of strawberry and lemon lollipops. On the other hand, Ragna had the bizarre taste of chocolate in his mouth, something Kokonoe joyfully partook in sampling.
The two did all they could to hold on, Ragna's large arms tightening across her back desperately. Alas, nature took its course, and they both pulled back gasping for air. The two stared into eachothers exhausted, tear stained, drained looked visages.
"... W-We should go inside..." Kokonoe whispered, her lips quivering gently. For some reason Ragna looked different than usual. His usually firm handsomeness remained, but his expression lacked its usual neutrality.
He looked happy.
And judging from his expression, Kokonoe likely looked just as different.
"Aren't we technically already inside?" Ragna asked, his previous sadness completely forgotten and replaced by his usual dry wit. While it wasn't exactly funny or anything, Kokonoe couldn't help but laugh.
Not a howl of laughter.
Just a giggle.
Soon enough even Ragna joined in, clenching her hand firmly as she led the way out of the glass dome.
A warm, content giggle.
For while they had many years of ups and downs ahead, they had finally found some secure, common ground.
For once in both of their shaky lives, they had a stable foundation.
X
(A/N): Well... That was disappointing D: (Very rare for me to write a happy ending, it's a strange feeling :/)
With that, we come to the conclusion! The next chapter is just an epilogue, so I guess this is technically the end!
For those who want something more... Erotic... Check out Chapter 6.5 "Joyride"! (Which has been released as a oneshot due to its nature D:)
Otherwise, tune in for the final chapter coming soon! :P