A/N: Awww dear readers/peasants, I'm blushing! I love to receive your reviews and support for the story, you guys are da best. Thee best.
Disclaimer: I don't own Maid Sama!/Kaicho wa Maid-sama! or any of the characters belonging to it.
Warning==tread with caution===possible smut, just a tiny ounce of it====captain crunch cereal=====yum=====that has nothing to do with the smut just so you know======I just really like captain crunch===============p=====E===A====S===A=====N==T====S===!====
Chapter Nine. Lockdown
Tora sat in his bedroom on his fancy sofa, surrounded by his elegant belongings, and breathing in air that was contaminated by other rich and proud, arrogant people that inhabited the house all these years along with himself.
As he sat there, having come to his room after temporarily giving up on stalking outside of his mother's door, he thought;
If I'm not allowed to see her until she's feeling better, then all I can do is wait patiently and try to get a grip, get a hold of myself. Pull myself together... a task that's normally so completely and utterly simple for me. When did it get like this though? Harder... life isn't as care free as I usually find it, lies don't come as easily, a calm exterior isn't as easy to emit as it should be normally for me... the hell is this?!
His fist, without his own knowledge, had come down hard on the coffee table in front of him, and a shock of pain shot it's way up his arm and throughout his nerves. He didn't care.
He honestly didn't care, though.
Presently, he couldn't give a damn about himself, or at least he didn't bother as much about himself as he usually did. In fact...
He actually loathed everything about himself at the given moment.
"Weak... I've become disturbingly weak..." Tora said, pulling his throbbing knuckles into his other hand.
No, it wasn't he who could be weak just so easily all on his own. The current situation had turned him weak.
"And she saw me... and I let her..."
He shook his head, then stopped, staring down at his feet that were planted firmly into the plush carpet. He thought... he just sat and thought, thinking of no one thing in particular, his mind was simply doing something it was quite accustomed to doing- taking the initiative, pulling itself back together, thinking of ways to make this whole thing just blow over easily so he could then become a tin man once more, undeterred like he normally was.
With a breath that came easily for the first time in the last 24 or more hours, he stood up.
Silver-blue eyes snapped open and the body belonging to them sat up with an unnatural suddenness.
"What..." Akari whispered, looking around at her very own room, staring down at her lap, which was in the bed with the covers pressed lightly over it; and then she held her head in one hand to think for a moment.
All she could remember, actually the last thing to remember, was when Tora had fallen back asleep beside her on that bench, and she then fell asleep again with him as well...
But how had she gotten back into her bed now? She wasn't one to sleepwalk. Plus, Tora had been grasping her hand so tightly even in sleep that she doubted she could've made a single move to get away.
Then...
He brought me to my room himself.
An abrupt vision of Tora carrying her sleeping figure gently in his arms flew across her mind and she pushed it back by standing up from the bed and steadying herself. That was highly unlikely. But he had been acting a tad out of character lately... oh, and especially last night... what she saw, and when he spoke to her, what they had talked about, his actions, the way his eyes looked into hers...
"WHY THE HELL AM I BLUSHING!" She found herself yelling and shaking her head again after realizing the blush crossing over her face in bright pink-red as she looked in the mirror in her bathroom.
She proceeded to wash her face, take out the two still-damp braids she had slept in, and let her hair fluff about in slight waves just past her shoulders. It was growing longer if it was like that, past her shoulders a bit more now...
Yes, think of more practical things.
She gazed at her reflection a bit admiringly. Though she wasn't one to brag or to gloat and also wasn't all that selfish, she did happen to be one of the few young women in the world who did not get insecure. She found her face to be appealing, though maybe a bit too childish to be taken seriously. Maybe that was why people often tried to get away with things, and attempt to manipulate her? Ah well, aside from that, she was comfortable with how she looked, even with the lack of makeup on her face.
Wait... had she looked this way last night? With Tora? Damn it, she had nothing on?! Her face, that is. What had he thought? Oh god, maybe she was a little insecure about her looks-
"UGH! I don't care about him, or what he thinks of me, why can't I have an intelligent thought process this morning?"
She left the bathroom and changed out of her wrinkled blue dress, and into some comfortable jeans and a t-shirt that was simple and black. No need to get dressed up, correct?
Akari listened to the sound of her phone buzzing on her work desk in the corner, but ignored it as she became lost in thought and leaned back against the door that led into the closet. Tora had acted so... broken, then. Why hadn't he ever react to anything so emotionally powerfully until now? It must be hard, holding it all in, years and years of pain or other emotions, how had he done it? He should have had more freak out moments than simply last night. She felt... sorry for him. No, that wasn't it- how could she possibly feel sorry for him? No, it wasn't pity. It was a sense of understanding, an equal, mutual feeling that she shared with him. She knew damn well what emotions were like, and when they boiled over the surface, how crazy one could act. In her family... coming from her family... yes, she understood...
For a moment, she pictured his perfect face, and wondered: Is he better now? From last night? Did he 'sober up'? Is he changed back to normal?
Akari felt her entire brain had been invaded. Invaded by that boy, if only for right now. Her voice, instead of coming out angry and put up with the situation, sounded saddened, quiet, it was an exhausted breath, a soft sigh that was close to some sort of plead, an unsure whimper, when she said;
"That... damn tiger..."
Tora sat in the library, in a chair facing the large set of windows that showed him a clear view of the front drive. When he looked out at the day, the white of the still, fallen snow across the lot caused him to blink dramatically.
Gold on white, molten golden fire staring to try to melt away the cold, blank slate of the snow.
He continued to ponder, staring out the window, his eyes fluttering at the brightness caused by the sunlight bouncing off of the sparkling still crystals. Though- he didn't see the white of the day when he looked out- instead, for him, he looked out to the snow and he saw ice, silver and blue connected to make a freezing pair of ice-shaded eyes that were, somehow, warm to him...
I don't get u, y r u hiding something from me & Seiji? Don't lie, I know u r.
Also, hey, wth is up with u & that Igarashi bachelor jack ass?
Another thing, you've always been so mysterious with us, & we r ur friends! Time 4 an explanation.
Hey, sorry about Aika. I saw the texts she sent you, she was bragging about showing the 'initiative' that I always tell her she severely lacks. I told her that she was just being cruel... Anyway, well she IS pissed and so she forgot to tell you where to meet us so we can talk. Can you get a ride to the coffee and sandwich shop on the street just past the school?
Akari stared at each text message in turn- the four written in annoying text-slang from Aika and the one written normally from Seiji. A massive weight of guilt dropped on top of her and she almost dropped her phone.
"Dammit."
She had no choice but to grab a sweater, acquire a ride, and drive over to meet her friends. No choice, because Aika had texted her a fifth time saying that if Akari didn't come meet them, they'd go to find her. Which didn't really worry her... until Seiji texted her ten minutes later saying that they were on their way to the Igarashi mansion, since the last person Akari was seen with was Tora. That, was when she texted both of them saying she was halfway there already.
"Look! There's the bitch!"
Akari rolled her eyes as she walked into the shop and saw her two friends sitting at a circular table right in front of the display window.
"Always nice to know what you think of me, Aika." She said, taking the third empty seat that was settled in between the two of them.
She couldn't help casting an uneasy glance at Seiji. Oh, he looked normal alright- his hair was back up in it's little ponytail, not a blonde strand out of place, and his eyes were less murky and their normal brightened shade of blue-green. His clothes looked the way they should- his jacket was zipped up nicely over a plain t-shirt, his pants were secured to his hips with a belt, and his hands, instead of reaching under table and across her thigh as she expected when she sat down, stayed lazily in his lap, holding his small cellular device carelessly.
"It's really good to see you, Seiji."
"You, too, Akari-san."
"Just call her Akari. I do. And it's not like she cares." Aika sounded irritated by the small talk.
"So, why am I here?" Akari knew better than to try to sound innocent, but she was hoping they'd fall for it.
They didn't.
"Are you really gonna pull that shit? You idiot! I'm furious with you- even more so now!" Aika swept her arm in a long motion for emphasis, and nearly knocked her drink off the table.
"You want the truth?"
"Uh, YEAH."
She glanced at Seiji. He smiled kindly.
"The truth is good with me."
Akari sighed. Should she ease them into it? No, then a certain music-obsessed girl might get impatient... well, guess she was taking the blunt approach.
"I live with the Igarashis."
"..."
"Guys?"
"..."
"You have to say something. Either of you will do."
Aika stood up, her curls of black bouncing over her shoulder as she shook her head carefully. Akari looked to Seiji- he had some sort of staring contest going on with the surface of the table.
"HA!"
Both Seiji and Akari's attention were suddenly drawn to the girl standing up from her seat. The caramel-chocolate of Aika's gaze was now a deep, darkened sort of brown as she stared seriously, smirking at Akari.
"You really are a rich bitch! Living with that sort of family!"
"That's her way of saying she wants you to take her to see the mansion." Seiji said plainly. He had obviously gotten over the shock as soon as Aika had shouted out.
"But, that's not a good-"
"Shut up, rich kid, I wanna see how you live and stuff."
Akari found herself being dragged from the shop and back into the cold day. Aika, taking charge, tapped on the window of the limo parked outside and it rolled down accordingly.
"Take the three of us to the Igarashi residence, will ya? My friend Miss Michiyo here wants to show us around the place."
Before Akari knew what was happening, she was stuffed in the back of the limo with Seiji on her right side and Aika sitting across from them, both of her classmates were looking around at the interior of the car admiringly. The engine started. The limo was driving away now...
"Are you some sort of witch? Sent from hell to punish me?" Akari mumbled meekly, leaning back in her seat while Seiji laughed and patted her arm reassuringly.
Aika shot the two other passengers a look.
"No! I'm just curious and you owe us one anyhow!"
"Yup. I was right."
"What's that? I can't hear you~!" Aika suddenly had her ear buds shoved deep into her ears, her Ipod whipped out like some sort of deadly weapon in her hands.
"I'm sorry that she's so misbehaved. I forgot to feed her this morning, you see, and the doctor said-"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH SEIJI! BAKA!"
The rest of the ride, Seiji and Akari couldn't stop their giggling as Aika shot dirty looks and bad language at them after every pleasantry they made about the temperamental music-lover.
Tora had dozed off momentarily without even realizing it. When he woke up, he found himself staring back out the window at the frozen day, and the remains of his dreamless nap were starting to form into a memory from last night as his mind reawakened itself...
'He had awoken with a start that night- shocking himself out of a silly dream about that one Western movie he'd seen forever ago, The Wizard of Oz; and in his dream he had been the tin man and Akari had been Dorothy and his mother had been that old woman, what was her name, Auntie Em? Emilia, Emily?
But all thoughts of sick aunts, or mothers, and strange lands, left him as he came to the realization: He was actually sleeping beside a woman.
The key word there would be BESIDE. Not with, not on top of, not underneath. But-
"Beside?" He accidentally spoke aloud, moving his head from where it sat on the girl's shoulder. Tora's gold gaze watched on in mild curiosity as the girl sleeping beside him shifted and mumbled unintelligibly, her lips moving in a gentle, soft way as he watched them, and then they ceased speaking and she went back to taking deep, lazy breaths, her head now leaning against his arm.
What... happened? I don't remember falling asleep like this... I don't even remember talking to her- wait, yes, I had her come sit down with me... and we talked... but I never let her sleep next to me like this! I would never do that! So why is she so comfortably leaning against me like it's simply nothing?
"Mmmm..."
Tora's gaze fell upon the top of her head. He leaned forward a little bit so that he could see her face...
How... interesting. She looked so peaceful like this. It was like her face was completely set apart from all of her thoughts, and she was just relaxing, breathing, sleeping... she looked almost happy, as if she felt safe lying against him in this way. He almost, wanted it to stay like this.
But that would be weird of him to do. It's even strange for him to think it. Who was this girl, anyway? She was just a girl. Just any other girl- wait no, she was a prize.
A prize to be won by me myself, and only me, remember? And I still haven't won it...
Without hesitation he took hold of the perfectly opportune situation that was displayed before him. He inched his way out of her reach, standing up, glad she was something of a deep sleeper, and then he turned to hunch over her and picked her up, holding her careful in his arms.
He proceeded to head to his room, but at the last minute turned back and went the opposite way. Her room was closer, he thought.
When the pair entered her darkened room, he realized only then how late it must be. Walking to the bed he set her down and then proceeded to close the curtains together on both windows. When he turned back to the bed, he noticed that the sleeping girl had shifted, and her dress' sleeves were dangerously close to slipping full well off of her shoulders. He grinned, forgetting everything else but his want, his ego, and his lecherous way of going about things as he began to approach her in the dark...
A few minutes later on, Tora walked out of the girl's bedroom buttoning his shirt back up, and walked off. He had thought he was going to surprise her and take advantage of the situation. And as he walked soundlessly down the halls to his room, he had no logical answer as to why he hadn't. All he'd ended up doing was tucking her into bed!'
Tora's bright gold eyes pushed past the haze in his brain that was caused by the sudden memory and saw the movement in the white emptiness outside. He stood up, walking closer to the window, and caught a glimpse of the three teens just stepping out from one of the limousines. Who...
His eyes widened slightly when he spied a young man, the one from before- at the school- hooking an arm around an unsuspecting Akari's waist and pulling her flush against him. The way he was leaning his back against the limo so casually, the way he let his hands trail down Akari's back so mindlessly set something off in Tora's brain, and the last sound that was heard in the library was the sound of the door slamming abruptly shut behind him.
"What's with this weird ponytail?" The blonde boy suddenly shook his head a little, noticing the thing bobbing on his head with a strange look on his face.
"What the hell set him off this time?!" Akari asked frantically, pulling back from Kai as he raced his hands up and down her back, forgetting about the hairdo and gazing at her in a deeply suggestive manner.
"I dunno." Aika sounded uninterested as she gazed around the estate. "Wow, the front entrance is a bit grand, huh?"
"All of it's grand, it's a mansion- HEY!" Akari absolutely had the nerve to slap Kai in the face as his hands reached her butt, slipping into the back pockets of her jeans.
The boy let her go with an unhappy snarl, and for the first time he seemed to realize where he was.
"Whoa, were are we?" His gaze suddenly lit up in hope. "A supermodel's house?!"
He promptly received another slap from Akari.
Perverted Gemini...
"Baka, no, it's Akar-"
"We came here to find a friend of mine." Akari lied over the top of her friend, sending Aika a furious look of 'don't you dare let this pervert know where I sleep at night'.
Aika went silent and Kai ignored their questionable behavior. He was much too busy gazing around at the white snow attractively cascading across the massive landscape.
"It seems kinda TOO big. Almost..." Aika started to say.
"Lonely." Akari finished. She had always thought the same thing about her own mansion, back with her father.
Her father... for a moment, she shuddered. She pulled her sweater tighter around herself, realizing just how cold it was outside, and then she came to the sudden realization that the sweater she was wearing was the one Tora had given her. She wondered, if not for a moment, if he would be okay with visitors...
"Come on airhead, show us around!" Aika grabbed Akari's hand and Kai followed behind them obediently, though Akari was pretty sure he was just staring at their butts as they walked in front of him. The thought disturbed her, so she pointed in a random direction and told Aika there was something interesting there, and when the girl rushed ahead of them Akari fell back into step with her personality-disordered friend.
He grinned ruthlessly down at her.
"So, whose house is this anyway?" His tone had taken on a suspicious note.
She shrugged, leaning slightly away from him as they walked slowly, following an eccentric Aika up ahead of them.
"Just someone I know. You don't know him."
Kai's eyebrows both shot upwards. "HIM."
"Yeah, him."
"Him?"
"YES, him. Wha- N-nani?!"
Suddenly the boy had pulled her up the snow-covered walkway and against the outer wall of the building, pushing her up against it with a mirthless look on his face. She was shivering from the cold of the building pressing into her back, but he equaled it out with his warmth as he leaned forward almost completely into her.
"So, you hang around with other men?"
"K-ai!"
Suddenly his lips had another firm grip on her neck, right where they had landed the last time.
"I don't think I can handle that..." He whispered, and bit down lightly, starting the same attack that had marked her the last time.
Though she was shocked into silence for a moment, that was over with as soon as he bit down. She shouted at him weakly, unable to say much because she couldn't help but sigh into his movements. She tried kicking him, but that didn't really work as they were somehow placed on a patch of the ground that was slippery and she lost her balance, falling out from under him.
He only came with her though, following her to the ground and holding her lower back against one of his hands, pressing her down and into the wall as she sat against it, huffing out a breath after the sudden fall.
"That won't work for you, trying to get away. You see, you made me a little jealous now, so I have to make sure you understand that..."
He dived for her neck again, and this time when he bit down on that same sore spot, she couldn't struggle, as he had firmly planted himself to kneel over her, pinning her helpless.
"Whoa! That's the biggest balcony I've ever seen!"
Aika's voice could be heard somewhere around the corner, and when Akari tried to cry out, a hand suddenly placed itself over her mouth and then the biting at her skin turned into sucking, and she let out a muffled gasp of approval.
Oh come on, what the hell?! Even though she hated this, why did it have to feel so damn good?! It only made it all the more frustrating! And why did things like this even happen to her?!
The hand that wasn't placed at her mouth slowly slid up her thigh, rubbing the fabric of her jeans with urgent fingers, signalling the want that was building up inside the boy. She couldn't help but let out another straggled cry as he moved to a different spot on her neck and started his attack there, and she cursed herself silently, as her noise was only seeming to encourage him.
"Now, are you gonna tell me whose house this is? And who that guy is that lives here, so I can go beat him up for making me all jealous over you?"
"Oh, are you referring to me?"
What an interesting turn of events... Thought Tora as he stood to the side of the couple of teenagers, the girl on the ground looking up at him with amazed silver eyes and the young man assaulting her staring over his shoulder at Tora with a sneer that looked nothing like his old rival, Usui's. This kid looked like he just wanted a good lay from the girl pinned beneath him. Meanwhile, Usui always looked overprotective of his girl because he thought of her for more than just sex. The two couldn't be more different- but perhaps...
Perhaps this boy could make a semi-decent rival?
"Get off of Miss Michiyo, would you? That position looks a bit uncomfortable for her." He caught Akari's eye and at first she looked grateful- and then she just looked put up with both of the boys with her. The red on her face, he knew, wasn't just from the other boy's actions, but because of her own rising anger.
"I think she likes this just fine." The kid suddenly reached back to Akari, pulled her chin up with a jerk of his hand, and brought her lips to his in a demanding kiss.
Tora went rigid.
This wasn't mild rivalry, all of a sudden. This was aggravation. He suddenly felt like Usui himself when he said;
"Hey." He stalked forwards and grabbed the back of the boy's jacket, pulling him and his lips off of Akari. "I said don't touch her."
"What the hell is going on, what'd I miss?"
Tora turned, the other guy's jacket still rolled up in his fist as he was holding him back, and saw a beautiful girl standing behind him. He almost would have found her worthy of sleeping with him- full chest, nice hair, good legs- except she somehow didn't appeal to him. Her face looked sharp, sexy, and womanly. He liked more of a... younger look in girls, he supposed.
He watched as she glared at him, then he gaze flickered over his shoulder and he turned to see Akari standing up and straightening herself out. He almost smiled- almost, but withheld it- when he saw she was wearing the sweater he gave her. Then he visibly sneered when he saw the markings all along her neck.
She seemed to notice them too as her hand flew up to touch them, and then she turned to look down at the boy trying and failing to rip his jacket out of Tora's grasp.
"How am I supposed to go to school like this?! Kai, what's your problem?" She glared at the other blonde boy with a look that would leave him thoroughly dead if looks could kill.
"I was jealous." The boy shrugged, and Tora finally let go of his jacket out of mere disgust.
"Of what?" This time the girl behind Tora spoke up, walking forward and helping the boy to his feet.
"Of me."
All three classmates looked to Tora. He smirked at each of them in turn, but when his eyes found Akari's, that silver gaze leveling with his golden one, his smirk seemed to lose some of its- well- smirk.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course I am now. Anyway, I might as well introduce you to..." She gestured to the pair beside her awkwardly. They both, the girl and the boy, glared at him in even disgust. "This is Sei- er, well RIGHT NOW it's Kai. And that's Aika-san."
There was nothing pleasant about the moments that followed the introduction.
"This is my estate," Tora said in a firm, cold, and authoritative voice. "And normally people aren't allowed here unless given permission by an Igarashi. Be that as it is, I would have to ask you, the both of you, to leave." His gaze landed pointedly on the other blonde. "And not come back."
"We're here with Akari, doesn't that mean we can stay?" The girl said, flicking her hair out of her face and practically growling her words at him.
"She is not an Igarashi, therefore-" He extended his arm in the direction of the front drive. "Leave."
This time, the boy spoke up, grabbing Akari around the waist in an annoyingly possessive way.
"Then she gets to come with us."
Tora watched the two of them together. Akari looked not only uncomfortable, but also on the verge of letting forth a torrent of curses and other inappropriate words that should probably not be said aloud so clearly at the Igarashi's estate for the whole world to hear. He jumped in on cue then.
"No. You have no right to be here, but she does."
Akari suddenly pulled away from the other boy and neared Tora with a murderous gaze in her eyes. She stopped in front of him, making sure no one could see when she mouthed something like; Don't let that pervert know I live here. Tora nodded in understanding, and enjoyed the surprised noise she made when he suddenly pushed her around and behind him. He stepped forward to face her two friends with that signature sweet smile of his that hid an evil intent underneath it.
"What ya gonna do rich boy? Call your personal guards on us or something?" The girl gave him a sneer that could win first place if it were a contest to see who could look like they hated the other the most.
"No. I am entirely capable on my own."
"You bastard... you're so damn smug, huh?"
Tora's gaze turned to the boys in stubborn irritation.
"Get off. My property." He said it so sternly, almost exactly like his father would. He could practically feel the fear radiating from the other young man, and his smirk reappeared on his face as he stepped forward slightly.
"Not without Akari. We were talking with her, she wanted to show us the mansion."
Suddenly the one boy looked at the other girl. "...When did that happen? I don't really remember..."
The girl sighed and waved a hand at him dismissively. "You wouldn't."
"Enough." Tora's tone caused both of the unwanted guests to quiver and jump. "I said to get out of here, and I'd like that to be done. Get a move on, please, we're wasting daylight like this."
"Alright you bastard, quit it with the talking and let's settle this like men. Your words are annoying me."
Akari was amazed at the difference between the Tora from the night before and the one in front of her now. So amazed, in fact, that therefore, she was unable to cooperate in conversation while he was scolding her friends, telling them to get out of sight. She, of course, wanted to tell him to stop dictating for once and convince him to let her friends stay, but she was shocked into not speaking.
When he and Kai proceeded to start a brawl with each other though, she snapped out of it and yelled at both of them for acting like children.
"Hey! Stop it you two- baka, baka... BAKA! STOP RIGHT NOW!"
The two boys, who had been slowly approaching each other with purpose, only stopped when Akari ran around in between them and stood there, turning her head from one blonde to the other. Tora scoffed, but backed off. Instead though, of turning to leave, he stood right by Akari's side, a little TOO close, and refused to move.
Akari sighed heavily, confused by his sudden efforts at being involved in her life, and then asked her friends to please go and she would see them when the weekend ended, at school. She was suddenly very exhausted and she was hoping they could both see that and back off silently...
Kai turned slightly, and gave her a nod and a flirtacious wink, his eyes fluttering at her in quiet consent to her words. After a last long look at her, his eyes going up and down and stopping at all the inappropriate parts, he turned and began to walk in the direction of the limo without a word. Akari could've sworn she felt Tora tense up beside her, but other than that he stayed as he was, hovering next to her, his hand barely grazing hers as he stood a bit closer.
Aika gave Tora a glare, as he was exactly the type of stereotype she thought up in her head and despised, and then decided to rebuke him with her own signature smirk.
"Come on Akari, just blow off moneybags here and come hang with your friends instead."
Tora glared, and Akari took a deep breath and shook her head in defeat to her exhaustion.
"No, Aika, I really can't today. But tomorrow, I'd love to come to your place."
"Hmf. But we were already in the middle of something today... hey, maybe if we throw him a brick of gold he'll go to fetch it and leave us alone, like the good little purebred dog that he is." She stuck her tongue out at the blonde, trying to get on his nerves.
"That's enough now. Your facetious remarks are irritating me. Get off my property." Tora tilted his chin up and peered down at Aika with a look of disdain.
"No, old man."
Tora seemed to tense even more beside Akari. She didn't see this ending well.
"Um-" She jumped in before the two could start strangling each other. "I promise we can hang out before the weekend is over. Tomorrow, text me your address and I'll meet you there."
Aika seemed, at last, pleased with the answer she got and gave her friend a look of approval when turning to leave. But as she started following after Kai she started to speak over her shoulder in a careless tone;
"I hope you don't mind being the only other girl there with me- I'm inviting Ryuunosuke and Seiji as well. Hey~" The raven-haired girl turned her head back to pass on a mischievous look to Akari and Tora over her shoulder. "It could be like a double date, hah!"
Tora suddenly stepped forward as Akari was nodding her head to her friend in an 'I really don't care either way' manner.
"If you don't leave sooner," He said in a flat tone. "I'll kick you out myself, personally."
The girl nodded her head, but not to him. She had put her ear buds back in once again and wasn't paying attention to the conversation any longer.
Tora suddenly turned on Akari like a wild animal.
"You didn't tell them... about last night, did you?"
"If I say I did what would you do?"
His eyes widened suddenly, and he looked about ready to hit her. She braced herself- but suddenly the conversation was left on the wind as he grabbed her hand lightly in his and started to walk her back to the house with him. He wouldn't let go of her hand even when she jerked on it. It was kind of reminding her of last night.
"Forget that. Your neck looks a bit sore, and we have to get you warmed up too."
She glanced at his bare arms, her eyes catching the slight bulge of his biceps before settling on the short sleeves of his button up.
"I'm probably better off than you."
He made a sort of scoffing sound as he opened the front door and pulled her with him into the warmth of the front hall. His hand was still glued to hers as he dragged her around the house, and she could hardly keep up with his long strides.
Akari took a moment to glance at his face. It was set into it's usual sternly cool, uncaring look that you couldn't read into. If you weren't paying attention to his actions, you would think he didn't care at all about the situation and he was too busy indulging in his own thoughts. But if you realized just what it was he was doing... well, to Akari, she was starting to see more to him than a smug, smirking, rich bachelor and womanizer. She was starting to see... he did care. Sometimes, he did. Even just a little.
"Tora."
"What."
"I'm really okay... thank you, but I'll be fine on my own."
He stopped abruptly, and she realized that they were just outside her bedroom door. When he didn't turn around to face her, but only continued to clamp onto her hand like he was, she wondered if he was starting to hate her for seeing through his disguises...
"Hmm. I suppose you don't want to be rude to me, because of last night."
He suddenly turned around to face her, just catching the way her jaw opened ever so slightly before she forcibly closed it. He kept his face blank and his eyes low on hers as he talked monotonously, mechanically.
"You can tell me if I'm pissing you off, Akari. Don't think I can't handle it."
Almost instantly, her face grew pink, which changed gradually to a darker sort of red.
"You didn't have to be so unfair. You were being rude, to my friends!"
"Give me a reason to care."
She looked at him in shock while he sighed dismissively shrugging his shoulders with his words.
"You bipolar blonde..." She tried to nudge past him, reaching for the handle of the door, but he suddenly reached out and snatched her arm, his firm grip latched on perfectly as he gazed down at her, the smirk hiding just underneath his grim appearance.
"Surely, something truly is wrong with you." She gave him a confused look and then he gave her the slightest smile. "That was a weak insult."
When she tried to open her mouth, but closed it instead without a word, he continued, leaning forward slightly.
"Tell me, does my presence somehow make you weaker?"
"I think you're voicing your feelings in a rather strange way, Igarashi." Her gaze found his, evening so equally that it started to bug him.
"What are you saying?"
"You're telling me how you truly feel, not how I do. I think it's you who feels weaker whenever I'm around."
Shocked into momentary oblivion by her words, Tora accidentally loosened his grip on her and she slipped away, opening the door to her room with a tiny creak.
Before either of them could say more, she was abruptly being stopped again as he easily slipped in her way, in between the cracked door and herself. He peered down at her, her words still running through his head, but he was determined to not let them bug him until after he dealt with this.
"You- get out of the way!" She looked both exhausted and annoyed- a good mixture, he thought.
"No."
"Erm-" She stumbled a moment, not expecting such an abrupt and sudden denial of her demands. Then, inches from his face, she blew up in a gathered rage. "You blonde machiavallian! You golden-eyed menace! You wealthy narcissist! You devilish sadist! You stoic nuissance! You suave craftsman! You sly incubus! You pervy sycophant! You Svengali bachelor! You... you shameful opportunist, you're a lecherous tiger!"
He only remained stoically calm and blinked down while she shouted her many harsh nick names. He was actually surprised by the words she used- and the talented comebacks that were formed using them. Then, as she was just about to start up again, saying even more, he quickly leaned forwards, moving down until his lips connected with hers, capturing her words in his mouth as he kissed her, and for the first time it was done sweetly, softly, dearly.
...Intimately.
"Stm...bt..." She mumbled as their lips connected, but soon, she joined in with his gentle fervor. Their lips were melding in a distracting way, and Tora turned her a little bit, nudged the door behind her, and pushed her with him backwards into the room, his tongue barely grazing her bottom lip. She tried to mumble something that again got caught on his lips, and then his hand slid down her side, down to her hips, sliding a bit over her jeans...
Tora smirked, abruptly pulling back, her phone in his hand. She opened her eyes after he broke the kiss, staring at him with a surprised face, flushed and confused and dazed. He quickly backed out of the room, pulling a specific key from one of his pockets, and no sooner could she react then he had already closed the door between them, shoved the key in the lock, and swiftly flipped it, successfully locking her inside of her room.
"Igarashi?...TORA!"
"You will not be going out tomorrow with your friends. The first reason being that I don't want you telling them about anything going on with my life or family. The other thing is..." Tora paused for a moment, and she seemed to pause as well, listening for him on the other side of the door. "...You shouldn't be associated so closely with such a dangerous character like that Seiji, or Kai, fellow- as his personality disorder can get out of hand- like it did today."
When he was done talking she had already started to throw her hands against the door, demanding his attention.
"Let me out of my room, are you sick or drunk or something?! Try to think clearly! You can't lock me up, you can't possibly be allowed to do that!"
Tora shook his head disappointingly, turning with his back to the door as a sad smile flew across his face and vanished at the same instant it came.
"Ah, when will you learn?" He leaned against her shaking door quietly. "Haven't I told you? I'm an Igarashi. I can do whatever the hell I want and you have no way of stopping me."
"Think..." He heard her slam her body once into the door, and then a thump, like she had slid to the ground. "This isn't fair... you aren't thinking clearly!"
"I am." He stood up straight, pulling away from her door, his eyes holding an uncertain look in them. He should leave her alone now, soon.
"You can't think, just from what you saw today, that my friends are so terrible? I mean, Aika has a nasty attitude, sure, but I can be like that at times too. And Seiji- Seiji's only like that when he's Kai, and even then nothing ever really happens because I make sure not to let things get out of hand! He's just a tease, and I can take control-
"Have you seen your neck, lately?"
That shut her up.
"I'll have someone bring you your meals tomorrow." He started to walk away, feeling a sense of nostalgia coming on. His father had done something like this to him once.
"I'm a prisoner in my own house? In my own room?"
And he had said something similar to that back to his father, when this had happened to him. He decided to answer the only way he could- the way his father would.
"Just try to behave yourself for once and stay in your room, Akari."
"I don't see that I really have much of a choice..." She mumbles, which he catches as he walks away, feeling a little guilty for his actions, no, more than guilty, though he could've sworn he never felt guilt, ever, for anyone. He didn't used to.
Regardless of how he felt now, he couldn't go back on what he had done already. He was too full of pride, too stubborn for that. His ego couldn't take it.
As Tora walked, it gave him some time to think to himself. He didn't really have any reason to be doing this. He actually didn't fully understand why he'd taken her phone and locked her up like that. He was unsure of why her friends annoyed him so much- especially the boy. He really hadn't a clue...
Tora knew one thing for sure though. This feeling that he got when he remembered it... it was an ugly feeling. He sneered at the thought once again, the image that came across his mind. Watching that other boy kiss her caused his head to buzz in enough anger to make him want a good long drink of sake or some other form of alcohol, so he could forget it as quickly as possible.
And with that thought, as he entered his own room, he walked straight to the bar kept in the far corner. He pulled the only thing he had on hand that wouldn't get him too drunk if he drank just a bit of it- an expensive bottle of wine- and with a relief filled gaze watched it pool into the wine glass as he poured himself a drink.
A/N: You know in this chapter when Akari's talking about how Tora really sometimes does care, as he's pulling her down the hallway? That was based off of the Maid Sama episode 19 "Re-Paired in the Footman Audition" you know, when it's nearly over and it shows the short clip of Tora telling Maki that he can use a spot owned by the Igarashi Foundation for Maki's butler cafe? I just noted from that part that when Tora turns around and the camera is on his face, with Maki behind him left in shock, Tora smiles just a little bit- it's basically the first time in the storyline that we see that he has a softer side to him- (eh-hem: that he really does care) when he's treating Maki like a friend but not really saying it so straight like that. He simply gives his Vice President a place to put the butler cafe that the guy wants so bad- but it's an act with a hidden kind meaning in it and I thought Tora was being really sweet in that episode. :)
Now then...
Oh. my. bloody. hell. god. kami. deity. greater being. thing in the sky.
I AM SO GLAD THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH NIGHT TIME ROCKS! sorry, that was just an answer I had to put forth to one of the anonymous reviews. (I had no idea other people wished we all lived at night! seriously, can we all please be nocturnal? you don't have to be a raccoon or a bat or a vampire- we can stay human I guess, if you want- but I just want everyone to live the night life! I want to breath in the beauty of the moon, I want to whisk around in the shadows, I want to see things that you can't catch with your eyes during the day!)
Anywho, also, this goes out to ALL of my reviewers: guys I truly appreciate you. You're the best support a fanfictioner could get, really. I like and tremendously enjoy your reviews, short or long, harsh or polite, critique-y or not- I just LOVE to receive them! Makes me feel like this story is worth typing up. Also, to go out on a random short tangent here, I wanna say I love Aika, you know, Akari's friend? She strikes me as entertaining. I would hang out with her- despite her unpleasantries.
I felt like I had to add this word in somehow, because it was in the reviews. DUPLICITOUS!
Tora is proving to show some highly duplicitous behavior towards Akari, locking her up like that, eh?
On an entirely unrelated note, I hope you keep reading, cuz there may (or may not... hehe I'm such a tease) be some LEMON coming up in le story soon! Or not soon! You will just have to keep reading to know! haha, tease tease tease... you love me anyway, right though?
Whoa, I'm sorry, my tyrant side has been strangely absent for this particular A/N... Peasants... oh, that's better. :) PEASANTS!
Bwahaha! I love you, mwah! *:
CK :*
P.S~ do I talk too much?
P.P.S~ psst, the answer is YES, I DO :| I apologize for my rants of overbearing words but I can't help it, OKAY? V_V *sigh* guys, I have a problem. someone duct tape my mouth. or I guess glue my fingers together, since I'm typing this...
P.P.S.S~ eh-hem, since the anonymous reviewer learned a new word 'duplicitous' I decided to teach you ALL a new word that I LOVE to say and use: boondoggle. It means, and this is the legitimate description of the word- 'work of little or no value done merely to look busy' heh, in school, I bet we're all doing some boondoggling, aren't we? don't lie. everyone does it. STOP LYING! I CAN SEE YOU LYING! I have lie-vision. Yes. I do. And I'm not lying. Because you can't tell because you DON'T have lie-vision. So HA.
Maybe I should start acting my age... naaaahhhh, not with my peasants! you guys don't wanna see my serious, deep, mature side anywho... do you? ohoho...
No. You don't care. I can see it with my lie-vision that you're acting like you care but really just want to read the next chapter so you want me to stop typing this super long author's note and get to updating. :'( sowwy, I talk SOO MUCH and I know it too but can't stop! SERIOUSLY, GET THE DUCT TAPE.