A/N: Just read it fast and be done with it aright? Sorry isha little long~~
Someone in the reviews made a rather good point about my OC. She's supposed to be a strong-willed young woman who knows who is worth her time and who isn't. And yet, she's getting pushed around by all these men in her life? The fu-
O~kay, allow le author to explain a bit: she really is strong-willed and all that, it's who she really is. But her family sort of just takes that away from her. Notice how in the story, she starts to become a bit more submissive after moving back into her old estate. (the characters in the story are always talking about it- they say she's spent too much time away from home and thus has become 'less of a lady' and all that) Being away from home gave her time to become independent and strong once again. Her father and her brother have pushed her around her whole life, and throughout the years with them she's had to submit and suppress her stubborn features and become more the lady-like, submissive type. And that all comes back to her once she's living with them again. It's how she's had to put up with living for years and years.
So my point here is, the submissive qualities about her are brought out when she spends time in her old home, with her family. It's how she has to act in that home, because if she breaks the rules and if she tries to be strong-willed she gets beat up or yelled at. (wow, now I feel bad for my character...)
I am sorry if you disliked how Akari's been acting right around now. To be honest, I don't really like it either. (actually I hate the fact that men have been pushing her around- as Susan B. Anthony once said: "No man is good enough to govern any woman without her consent.") But her family have always pushed her around her whole life, not just now, and on top of having to revisit that submissive side of herself after re-moving in with her family, she has all this confusion going on with Tora, and so she's not in the toughest of mindsets right now. / She's been kind of a weak target, if you get what I'm saying :P
HOWEVER- IT'S ALL APART OF MY SUPER AMAZING PLAN FOR THE STORY! :D WAHAHAHA!
seriously you guys, I'm excited. In all truth, you are supposed to start to doubt her character right now- hehe- because there's a lot that's going to happen in the next few chapters that's going to fix that about her... :D I have it alll planned out. I think. heh :) probably.
So, thank you thank you to the honest reviews of all of you! Your criticism is absolutely spectacular! And a lot of you guys are pretty funny! And you often embarrass me... haaha, what a good crowd you are. Seriously though, some of the reviews I read make my face go red with either shame or amusement. Or both. Most often, both. Or also extreme happiness. It varies with the commentary.
Anyhow, you weirdos just make me smile.
...Really though people, cut Akari some slack. How do you think YOU would be reacting if Tora was always around you, acting like he does and all this *stuff* between you two was going on? You would be the same way- FLUSTERED AS HELL! and did you know that when humans are flustered, it makes them all the more prone to idiocy? Tis true, tis true. You're welcome for the psychology lesson...which you didn't ask for... you are welcome.
Though I promise I'll start to make her less idiotic soon. Hopefully maybe probably. Hmm, I dunno, it's kind of funny to watch you guys getting flustered because of my OC getting flustered.
Now please enjoy the story ;) This chapter is a bit long, much like the author's notes :P oh I'm terrible. Terribly AWESOME! :D Right?!... no response? okay.
Chapter Twenty-One. Friendly Competition
Akari gazed blankly at the piece of fabric in her hands.
Soft, linen maroon cloth seemed to be staring back at her, judging her.
It was the sweater Tora had given to her. And she almost wanted to wear it.
But then she pictured his reaction if he were to see her in it, and she knew she didn't want to see him all smug, and proud, in that arrogant, knowing way of his. She didn't want to see the way his eyebrows arched, and the way his perfect teeth would glint at her sharply from behind his soft, parted lips.
Lips that she wanted so badly to kiss.
Ugh.
Suddenly, rage flooded through her, and she found herself throwing the sweater across the room.
What the hell had he done to her?! Just a few days ago that look of his would have annoyed her to no end.
She hated arrogance. She hated the rich, especially the filthy rich, with their massive egos, and big heads, and smirking faces.
She hated people like Tora.
But yet she only disliked he himself.
Well, that is, she may dislike him, but it's only the artificial parts of him that she dislikes. If he could just be more real...
But he wouldn't ever allow it. At least- not for very long. And she knew that, so she had to be careful with her feelings.
"I can't love him," She told herself, becoming stern about it as she tried to clear her mind. "And there's no way in hell I'll let myself drop down to the level of one of his many mindless admirers. I'm not allowed to feel that way until he becomes something more than who he is now."
It hurt to admit it, but she had no choice if she wanted to protect herself and her dignity. Her values told her that she couldn't truly love anyone who was incapable of loving back. That person had to be real, with fully-functioning emotions.
Tora had to change. Because she wasn't going to change for him. She had decided that after the many hours of torture that she'd already thus put herself through, over-thinking the whole thing. Pft- she was just not going to let this affect her anymore. Nope.
Yes, Tora had to change. It was about time he became a real person.
"Maki, give me the other one."
A frustrated Igarashi boy ran another hand through his hair, messing up his styled bangs as his Vice President and friend handed him another tie.
"No, no," Tora said quickly, not even fixing the new tie on himself completely until he was throwing it somewhere behind him, onto a mess of several other ties that didn't please him. "That one won't work either."
Alright, this was getting out of hand. Even he knew that he was acting strangely.
"Won't work for what?" The black-haired helper asked, now assisting Tora by sorting the mess of ties back into the closet, while Tora continued to pace, muttering in his head about ties and needing to be looking absolutely perfect.
Suddenly, cold gold eyes turned on the questioner. "For what, you ask?" Tora snorted, rolling his eyes and then grabbing the nearest tie from the other boy. "Are you not aware that I am attending a party within the hour?"
"I'm aware..." Maki said cautiously, hoping on not getting kicked out of the room. "But, what I don't know is why you need to have the perfect tie for the occasion."
"It's only polite for me to look my best."
"That's not what it is..." Maki muttered to himself mostly, but of course Tora caught it.
Tora spun around, still fixing the tie he'd grabbed from Maki around his neck. "Huh. Is there something you'd like to say?" He said, eyes narrowing.
"Not at all."
"...Really, Kanade." Tora's voice had calmed to a slow dabbling of words now, as he adjusted his tie just right. "If there's something you want to tell me, just speak up already."
Maki regarded his friend for a moment, and, seeing that the blonde had calmed down considerably compared to the small freak-out that was happening a few moments before, he decided to share his thoughts.
"It's no secret you want to look good for her." He admitted, slowly. "So... I was wondering, why?"
"Why what?" Tora asked, preoccupied now with glancing into the full-length mirror, checking himself for any flaws now that he had slipped on yet another tie.
"Why do you want to impress her with your appearance so badly all of a sudden?"
"What are you going on about now?" Tora didn't give the other man time to reply to that as he swiftly continued. "For christ's sake, I'm not trying to impress her. I've already done that." Tora smirked, though his eyes looked weary, tired even. "I simply want to look my best tonight, for no other reason but to have other people admiring me."
"Right."
"Right." Tora repeated. Then, he glanced over at the other boy. "Tell me how I look."
Maki examined the other with a keen eye, since he saw and knew how important this was to the poor, emotionally-conflicted President.
The blonde donned an obviously new suit, (NOT a tuxedo- as Tora had mentioned earlier that Tuxedos would obviously be worn by every other male at the event, and he wanted to stand out in the crowd. Which was strange, because Tora had never once complained about wearing a Tuxedo to a party before...) it was black, but not only was it black, it was such a dark color of collected, silken threads that he nearly looked like midnight was wearing itself on him. The suit jacket, along with the combined pants, stood out in very dark contrast to Tora's hair and beaming eyes. To top the outfit off, the young man also had on a pair of nice dress shoes, also black, and the tie he was now wearing was a gray color that came off to the eye with a platinum sheen to it if displayed under a the right lighting.
"Looks like you picked the right tie." Maki commented, saying less than he was expected to for a reason. If he said more, Tora would begin to think he was lying just to make him feel better about the outfit. And also, he didn't want to mention to him that the tie nearly matched the eyes of a certain auburn-haired girl that Tora was so obviously dressing up for. He didn't even know if Tora noticed it yet, and he certainly would not be the one to point it out to him. You know, in case the President exploded and threw the tie off of his body in denial. Yes, Maki wouldn't be risking that.
Tora's eyebrows shot up at the short answer, and he turned around once again so that he could examine himself fully, from all the right angels, in the mirror once again.
He stared. And stared. He took his index finger and thumb, lifting the tie slightly, peering at it through the reflection of the mirror, and then let it drop as a small smile crossed his features.
"Yes. I think this will do." Was all he said.
Akari was currently stationed by the door with Ikehara to watch her and make sure she didn't screw up greeting the guests. Though, she felt he was more there just to annoy her, than anything else.
If she were being totally honest, he did frighten her quite a bit, as well. She felt very threatened by him. After all, he was creepy, unsettling, pushy, and had now tried more than once to sexually assault her. The only reason she was acting normal around him, was because she was continually forcing herself to. She'd gladly rather dive headfirst into the fiery pits of hell before she let him see how much he truly scared her. She was not going to let him know that he had gotten to her. Because he worked for her father, that meant she couldn't get rid of him or file any report. So, she was stuck with him. So, she had to act strong. Even though she'd been seriously lacking her usual strength lately.
That said, what with her needing to act perfectly natural and all, the night was playing out as such: Greet guests politely, swat Ikehara's hands away. Engage in short, pleasant conversation with a stranger, curse at Ikehara quietly. Smile and wave to the growing crowd, turn to Ikehara and send him a death glare.
It was a constant tennis match of acting like a good-mannered young lady one moment, and then angrily threatening Ikehara with foul language the next.
"I swear, I'm going to kill you~" She hissed the words through gritted teeth politely, her smile not once leaving her face as people passed them by. Though the sourness hinted in her tone was very clear as well, even if slightly hidden.
"I doubt you'd get away with it with all these witnesses around~" He countered, whispering it through the same fake smile on his face, as his hand moved against her in secret for what seemed to be the umpteenth time.
"Stop brushing your hand against my ass!" She turned around shortly, just long enough to send him an angry warning glance that said 'I mean it' before she was back to waving and smiling at the new arrivals to her party.
"You know what? I think I'm growing on you." He insisted, not for the first time in the past 45 minutes.
"Ikehara, there are no words that can describe how much I hate you. And really, I would have thought you knew this smile on my face wasn't for you, and that it isn't real anyway." She hissed, nodding her head to another stranger dressed in elaborate clothes, her smile never once faltering.
Before Ikehara could reply again, a new face appeared in the crowd- and one she actually recognized. She opened her mouth, about to call out a greeting, when the young man did it for her.
"Akari! You look fantastic!" The brown-eyed young man commented, and she closed her mouth to give a slightly-genuine smile.
"As do you. You look really handsome, Orochi."
She wasn't just saying that either. His hair was combed back elegantly, his eyes were as deliciously chocolate as ever, and he donned the usual black-and-white tux that was of course very formal, and yet it somehow looked casual on him, like he wore the clothes and not the other way around. Which wasn't exactly bad- clothes, accessories, certain trinkets, they were all just cause for people to judge your character before they got to know you. She liked to see that he looked... different, from the rest of the crowd. Though she still didn't fully trust him, even if he seemed different, something was definitely off about him...
"Thank you, I appreciate the compliment." He replied, white teeth flashing, tanned skin rippling slightly as his features morphed into that usual dimpled smile of his. "Acting as the door greeter, are you?"
Sighing, Akari nodded her head, and then Ikehara spoke up.
"Yes, but I think I can take it from here." The older man insisted, giving Akari an unexpected push towards her classmate. She turned her head, giving him an odd look, but he was already in the middle of greeting another guest. That was... strange.
It was then, when she turned her head back towards Orochi, that she realized her arm was trapped in a link with his own.
She raised her brow at this. "You move fast, don't you?"
His boyish laugh was what greeted her ears next, and he tugged her along with him through the steadily growing crowd.
"I have to, right? I don't want anyone stealing you away from me tonight."
Their eyes met as she studied him for a moment. "Sorry to disappoint you, but this is my party and that unfortunately means that I'm like the centerpiece everyone has to crowd around and study... You won't get much time alone with me."
His dimpled grin looked highly suspicious as he spoke his next answer for her. "I'll just have to keep close to you while you entertain the others, then."
And he turned his head away from her, nodding to a few people himself as they continued to pass through the crowd. Akari, not having the time to think to herself before people began to approach them, simply sighed and allowed herself to be eaten up by the socialites that so desperately wanted to attack her with their meaningless words and phrases.
Maybe I should have worn some sort of disguise to this event...
Tora, after merely stepping from his car- he wasn't even to the house before him yet- was bombarded by frivolous young women, older women, and even a few business partners her recognized. Of course, he smiled and attempted conversation with them, but his mind was set on one goal that seemed near impossible at the moment; getting to the party inside.
"I'm glad to hear that, of course that's wonderful news." Tora supplied, to an elderly man who was one of his dad's newest suppliers in some sort of business marketing affair. "I'm so sorry to cut this short with you, but I have to make my appearance. I was invited personally, and I don't want to insult Mr. Michiyo by showing up late."
The other man nodded, and his daughters with him nodded, and Tora couldn't help but think they all looked like a group of bobble heads, bobbing up and down and left to right in perfect unison at whatever words he spoke. He wanted to smirk, but he had his features collected into the sincerest of grins.
"Thank you for sharing some of your time with us." One of the girls implemented, giving him her brightest smile, though Tora wasn't in the least impressed.
"It was my pleasure."
Before they could hold him back any longer, he left the group, hurrying, but not looking as if he was, towards the open doors up ahead of him where so many people were currently filing inside, handing off their coats, and then scurrying into the large mansion.
"Well that took up a good several minutes of my time..." He growled, stepping up to the doors and shrugging off his warm coat, handing it to... Ikehara, of all people. He sneered- seeing that face put him in an even fouler mood, but he only nodded to the other before dispersing into the crowd.
Of course, now his new purpose was to find the prize everyone was gathered here for.
Since the dancing didn't usually start until most of the guests had arrived, and people were only just starting to appear, Tora didn't bother making his way to the ballroom, and instead wandered around, glancing through groups of women and men dressed to in their finest, in order to try to find Akari.
It surprised him how shortly it took him to find her, maybe only a couple of minutes, but then again, the crowd wasn't as big as it was going to be in just a few hours from now.
"Damn..." He cursed under his breath when his eyes found her figure, it was undeniably her, even if she wasn't facing him, he had long since memorized her every move.
Her hair was just past her shoulders and was kept straight, and he was unused to this. Normally, the locks were curving in waves of cinnamon, but with her hair straightened like it was, he had to admit, it made her look much more... sophisticated. He approved. And as his eyes kept traveling the length of her, his approval only grew. She wore a dress that was tight enough around the middle to show the curves that usually hid underneath a drab school uniform, and then the skirt fanned out in a flattering manner past her knees to the floor. It was made of fine silk the same color as his tie, (fancy that!) and, it being a one-sleeved dress, had a single black diamond strap resting over her left shoulder that shone slightly in the dim lighting, winking at him to approach.
Taking that as a reminder to move his feet, he did approach, slowly, as he settled his thoughts and emotions.
But he stopped moving once again when he saw an arm slip around that slim waist of hers, a man's arm, and one that he wanted to break.
Tora's eyes traveled up, finding the back of the head of the man who was touching his prize. And just as his lips curled into an unpleasant snarl, the guy turned, and immediately locked eyes with Tora. Those soulful, suspicious brown eyes, Tora would know anywhere.
'I don't care how important you are,' Tora's own eyes seemed to speak a warning. 'If you don't back off, you are going to regret it.'
'Bring it on' Is what Orochi's eyes seemed to reply, and he even had the nerve to smirk.
This almost set Tora off- almost. But then Akari was pulling away from the other boy, giving him a strange look, and then her head was turning as he followed Orochi's gaze to Tora. As it has happened several times before, silver met gold and mixed and collided beautifully, nearly startling the both of them. Tora watched on silently as the girl opened her mouth, closed it, made a strange face, and then turned, excusing herself to the few people surrounding her before hurrying away into the growing crowd.
Tora took swift steps to follow the steadily disappearing girl, but suddenly, a tall figure was blocking his way.
"Igarashi!" Orochi said with a grin, his tone nothing but congenial and pleasant. Then, he turned to a few people behind him, beckoning them over. "Excuse me, but look who it is! The one and only heir to the Igarashi Foundation has arrived!"
Tora inwardly groaned, putting on a polite face as the small group approached him. This was a distraction for him- damn that puppy-eyed idiot!
He'd be surprised if, by the end of the night, he wasn't strangling this boy to death with his bare hands. Somehow, this was more annoying than the Walker kid's interference with Misaki all of the time.
Maybe because, this time around, it was much, much more personal for him.
Akari took a deep, steadying breath as she avoided the stares people were giving her flushed figure, and hurried to slip outside. Even if it was cold, and her arms were already starting to freeze up, she welcomed the chilled feeling, trudging over in those annoying heels of hers to the edge of the balcony she had ended up on.
Her original plan was to, once Tora arrived, converse with him as she did with everyone else. Act as if he had absolutely no effect on her. As if she hardly knew him.
So, what had happened?
"I chickened out, that's what happened..." She gruffly told herself, wanting to just dive over the edge of the balcony and avoid this whole ordeal.
"Chickened out of what?"
Spinning around, Akari saw a tall form approaching her. Though it was starting to get fairly dark outside, she recognized the voice that matched the shadowy figure.
"Orochi? I thought I left you back inside."
"Trying to get rid of me?" He asked, stepping into the patch of light she stood under so that she could clearly see the playful look he was giving her.
"Actually, I'm just trying to breathe for a second. I needed a moment to myself. Maybe I'm becoming claustrophobic." She sighed, stepping away from him and turning her back, so that she could lean forward against the cold marble that kept her from tumbling into the snow below.
"The party is for you. Of course you'd become claustrophobic- everyone wants to meet you!" He explained, laughing good-naturedly.
"Yes, but I'd rather not have to meet them..." She replied, not meaning to let the words come out in the open.
"Oh, well I guess-"
"Well, well, well. Don't you clean up nicely."
Akari tensed at the voice that joined them, speaking at her. And beside her, though she didn't see it, Orochi tensed as well, gritting his teeth as his smile lessened.
"Igarashi... I thought you were busy speaking with-"
"I had to insist that I speak to them later." Tora's tone was somewhat cold as he interrupted the other a second time. "After all, the only reason I'm here, is for Akari."
At these words, both Akari and Orochi made surprised noises, and Akari even turned around.
Seeing the burning look Tora was directing on her, insistent and verging on exploding into a temper, she turned her eyes to Orochi, who stood a little closer to her than before.
What the hell was this?
"Orochi, could you leave me alone with Tora for a moment?"
Brown eyes suddenly snapped their gaze on her, and he looked as if he was about to object. Before he could, she smiled at him.
"What? I thought you were a gentleman. And this is my party, meaning I have to converse with all the guests, not just you."
Orochi didn't speak back to her. No, he only turned away, shoulders hunched, and threw Tora a warning look before going back inside.
Akari watched Tora stare after the other boy, she watched the way he frowned and the way his shoulders were squared and his jaw set. Was he... could he be...?
"Jealous?" She suddenly asked, catching the young man's attention. He turned his head back towards her, smirking at her comment.
"Of course."
She blanched, unprepared for the answer he gave her. Then, he was stepping towards her, and she found that she couldn't take a step back, less she fear falling over the balcony.
"Why wouldn't I be, when you look as you do now." He eyed her, stopped walking, just to stare at her. And she allowed herself to inspect him as well, deciding that, even though she did not want to admit it, he looked as handsome as ever. Maybe even a tad more so than usual.
"Thank you." She answered him, eyes coming to rest over his hair, his perfect mess of bangs, before meeting his gaze once again.
She had the weirdest sudden urge to mess his hair up and then run away- but withheld the action. Not only would that be extremely childish, but he would also find her later and make her pay for her strange actions.
"I really am only here for you." He took another few steps forward, until he had placed himself in front of her. Gazing down at her, he smiled, loosely, cunningly.
"Glad to hear it." She mumbled, staring back at him with a steady gaze. She was still debating running her hands through his hair and giggling like a child.
Okay really, was this what people meant by getting drunk off of love? She hadn't had a single thing to drink tonight yet, unless you counted the image of him she was currently lapping up with her eyes.
"Show me."
She blinked. "W...What?"
"If you're so glad about it, then show me that you are." Tora was suddenly leaning in closer, his gaze never once breaking away from hers. "Prove it."
Akari gulped, her eyes flickering around him, studying him again. And then she reached a hand up to place on his shoulder. Instead of pulling him forward though, she pushed him back slightly, surprising Tora.
"I don't have time for that," She explained, collecting herself and making her face unreadable. "I- have more guests to greet."
Tora stared at her, and she pulled herself away from him quickly, escaping back inside before he could say anything more.
"Why was she staring at my hair...?" He wondered aloud, as he slipped a hand over the top of his blonde locks in slight puzzlement, smirking at her strange reactions. She consistently somehow managed to catch him off guard, doing the unexpected like that.
Then again, she could have been reacting as anyone else would. There could be something wrong with his hair.
Quickly, Tora left to go find himself a mirror.
It was later into the night now, and practically half of the rich community was collected inside of the Michiyo mansion.
Akari had just about had enough. She was fed up, tired, becoming cranky. Her feet hurt. And Orochi was stalking behind her all the time, joining in on any conversations she had with others.
Speaking of conversations with others, she had spoken now to over a hundred different upperclassmen and their families, and more than once some of them had tried hinting at setting her up with their sons. And she was not at all interested, but had to act it, thus, the same stupid smile had been settled on her face since the very beginning of the party.
Then of course, there were the people here and there who would ask her if Orochi was her date for the night, which always managed to make her choke on air and him smile in that good-for-nothing, well meaning, innocent-yet-suspicious way of his.
But by far the most pressing and uncomfortable questions asked were the ones of why she had left the estate, where she had stayed during that time, and why she decided to finally come back. Her brother had rehearsed exactly what to say with her, so she didn't have trouble repeating the same planned excuses over and over. Just so long as they didn't know her father emotionally abused her, and her brother hit her, then their family could keep their good name.
And so, she was lying to strangers all night long, laughing at jokes that she truly didn't understand, smiling whenever someone insulted people who weren't as rich as them, and nodding her head when someone mentioned something unimportant, like how expensive their jewelry was, or how they would argue over the fact that their homes were bigger than someone else's. The gossip that the ladies would engage in would leave her giggling along with them, and the important matters that the men would discuss would have her agreeing, or disagreeing, with them, depending on which reaction would make them the happiest.
In other words, it was a living nightmare that had her desperately wanting to wake up from it.
So when it was time to report to the ballroom for dancing and laughing and singing and what not, she did not object, and simply ambled after everyone else.
However, the minute she had stepped onto the smooth, clear dance floor, Tora was at her side. She looked up at him as he gripped her elbow, smiling at her appropriately. It was not his usual dark grin or smirk, but his faked, perfect, handsome smile.
"I believe that-"
"I have to pee."
For a moment, both teenagers stared at each other, blinking at Akari's sudden random declaration, as any sense of formality drained immediately from the air surrounding them.
In one swift movement, Akari pulled away from him, scurrying off into the crowd, leaving Tora to stand completely baffled at her choice of such an awkward avoidance tactic.
Slowly his head turned in the general direction she flew off to, and he cocked a single eyebrow in response.
That's when Orochi walked up to him, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. Tora barely recognized his presence, not caring to converse with him.
"Have you seen Akari? She promised me a dance."
"Apparently, she had some urgent business to attend to in the ladie's room."
Orochi crossed his arms, cocking an eyebrow of his own as he studied the amused expression growing on Tora's face, making him feel as though he had missed some sort of inside joke. "Right..." He cleared his throat louder than necessary in order to gain the blonde's full attention. "Well, she better hurry. She promised me the first dance."
No sooner had the words been said than he gave Tora a sly smirk, and turned on his heel, walking away as his words began to sink in.
Tora looked in the direction Orochi went in, and back in the direction Akari had run, and as the realization hit he wasn't exactly happy about what he'd just figured out.
With a snarl, the golden-eyed young man pushed his way through the crowd; a tiger hunting after his prey.
He found her, once more, in one of the many dimmed hallways in the estate, mumbling to herself as she held onto the wall for support. If he had to guess, she was probably chastising herself for making up such a lousy and, rather embarrassing excuse in order to get away from him. Sneaking upon her with quiet, smooth steps, he was placed directly behind her before she finally sensed him there and turned around.
He nearly smirked when her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, but right now he had to stay serious, focusing on why he followed her.
"What's this I hear about you dancing with Orochi?" He asked, being polite enough, though he knew the polite tone worried her more, like he could switch attitudes at any moment and pounce.
"You really get a kick out of giving me heart attacks, don't you?" She replied, squaring her jaw. He saw it in her eyes- she was determined to avoid the question he raised.
"Akari," His lips slipped down into a frown, and he stepped closer to her, though she took a few steps back, stumbling slightly in her heels. He rolled his eyes. "Just answer me clearly, for once. I've been watching you all night and you seem perfectly pleasant around everyone else."
She opened her mouth to ask him if he truly had been watching her all night, but then a voice interrupted.
"Oh there's my dance partner."
Tora tensed up as he heard the other boy putting noticeable emphasis on the word 'my', while Akari looked unsure of what to do, as the owner of the smiley-sunshine voice approached them.
"Hello Orochi." She simply said, not wanting to say more for fear of upsetting either young man, who both always seemed strangely tense around the other. Despite Orochi's seemingly cheerful demeanor, it was only obvious he was trying to get on Tora's nerves. And was succeeding. If they were some sort of rivals, which she was smart enough to assume at this point, then this could get... interesting. In a very bad way.
"Well, I'm still awaiting the honor of the first dance with you," Orochi spoke, reaching forth to grab onto her wrist. "Let's g-"
In a quick flash that almost could be considered inhuman, Tora had reached out and snagged the other boy's arm in a tight grasp, effectively making everyone go still and quiet.
Golden eyes, fierce with a dangerously possessive emotion in them, zeroed in and locked on the other young man like a target needing to be shot out of existence. Tora didn't let go, and Orochi didn't dare move.
"Problem, Igarashi?" Orochi asked, feigning absolute innocence. Which really worked well for him, with his younger, more boyish features.
"You tell me. Fuirutsu." Tora responded with cold malice hiding just under the surface of his congenial tone.
Meanwhile, Akari just stood there, looking at the two standing so close to her side-by-side, wondering exactly what she was supposed to do about it. Eventually, she decided to try anything at all, before they broke each other's arms, and opened her mouth to speak up.
"Don't." Tora abruptly cut her off before she even started, though his eyes never once left the boy's next to him. "We're just talking. No need to stop us."
"Yes, exactly." Orochi added in with an airy tone to his voice. "Though Igarashi, I wouldn't mind it if you released your grip on my arm."
Tora raised both eyebrows, but did not let up on his grip. If anything, Akari thought she saw Orochi wince as the grip tightened.
"Akari." Golden eyes landed on her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin at the suddenness of it. "Don't you have some guests to entertain?"
Her brow furrowed, and she became, again, ready to speak up and stop this nonsense.
"Yes."
Well, she hadn't meant to say that.
She also hadn't meant to begin her long walk away from the two. But she was doing just that- walking away from the situation before it got any worse.
At the last minute though, she turned around, watching as the two boys watched her, as if waiting until she was gone until they acted upon their death glares.
"Don't kill each other." She supplied, retrieving widening eyes and blinking stares from the two young men before she turned around and dispersed back into the crowd, who had all begun to take up dance partners as music trickled and echoed around the ballroom.
Orochi made his way through the crowd of guests, holding his arm lightly where the Igarashi boy had gripped it so firmly.
God damn, where is that girl? He thought to himself, trying to see if she was out dancing like everyone else.
As his eyes flickered over the moving bodies surrounding him, he thought he caught a flash of silver- her dress slipping between people- and he followed after it. He was pleased when, after only a few steps, he was just behind her.
Now, to begin his fun.
"Mad at me?"
The girl spun around, her eyes widening slightly when she saw who it was. He still saw the look of distrust barely glimmering in her eyes. That bugged him.
"Did you and Tora have a nice- talk?" She asked, supplying him with a question as she avoided his.
Orochi chuckled to himself. She was trying to make it sound as if he and Tora had been having a lovely chit-chat about the weather. Which is not what had taken place at all. Which, he assumed she was smart enough to know. That must be why she seemed a bit on-edge.
"Yeah... we did." Was all he offered, grabbing a nearby drink from a tray that a passing waiter supplied for the guests.
"What, happened?" She asked, all the more worriedly. And he had a feeling- her worry wasn't really directed at himself. This annoyed him.
He raised an eyebrow, swirling his drink slightly in his hand. "Does it matter?"
"Yes."
Taken aback by her quick reply, he paused to think as he took a sip from the liquid held within his glass.
"I just talked some sense into him." Orochi finally said, swallowing, smiling, and then setting the drink lazily back on the tray he had got it from, as the waiter was still standing there holding it. "Now, shall we dance? I hope you haven't taken up any other offers before me."
Akari, he noted, was exceptionally talented at covering up her true features when she wanted to (though not so much as he or Tora was). Her feelings were hidden inside her in that moment, as she screwed her face into one of false acceptance of his blunt answer and obvious avoidance tactics. She offered herself to him, stepping up beside him casually after that.
Orochi slipped in a quick smirk to himself. Maybe she thought she would get answers out of him if she loosened him up a bit. However, he was determined not to let that happen.
He could keep a great deal of secrets all to himself.
Though the biggest one, he figured Tora already suspected. That was fine by him though- there was nothing the Igarashi fool could do about it.
"I do hope you'll still forgive my behavior at the school." The young man seemed to covet her arm like some sort of treasure as he looked down, staring at it linked with his own. Suddenly, he was pulling her closer, so that she sidestepped into him and their hips bumped and arms brushed closer.
"That's something I'd really like to avoid discussing anymore." Akari allowed herself to be kept close, just so long as he didn't try anything else, she'd allow this much contact. They were dance partners right now, and so she had to allow it after all. Unless she wanted to cause a scene, which she didn't. Actually, being ignored sounded rather nice to her right about now- though that obviously wasn't going to happen.
Anyway, she was, at the moment, still angry with Orochi for not telling her what had happened between him and Tora.
She didn't exactly like Orochi as much as she did upon first meeting him (for obvious reasons) but she also knew, or at least assumed, that he wasn't the same womanizing tyrant as Tora was. In a way, she was drawn to him- mostly it was because of how gentlemanly he'd treated her, and how intensely sincere his apologies were. She actually sort of thought of it as seeing the side of Tora that was missing. The TRUE gentlemanly side.
"Alright. I won't push you on the matter, but I just wanted to apologize once more for my part in it."
She looked up at him, a question in her eyes.
And then he could be completely confusing, acting all strange, and highly suspicious. Which was why she didn't trust him fully.
"Your part in it? Then I'm assuming I have a part in it as well? What did I do?"
He momentarily glanced down at her, smiling before looking straight ahead of himself again, pushing them towards the middle of the dance floor, or at least as close as they could get.
"You led me on, of course."
She stopped walking then, and glared slightly at him.
"I did not lead you on." She pointed out, noting that he'd finally unlinked his arm from hers, and he was now standing right in front of her, watching with a playfully amused gaze.
Looking up at him, it was so hard to make a good point with his height advantage bugging her so much. Damn her short genetics.
"Ah, but you did. Why else would I hastily make such an advance on you?"
"Let's get this straight, I did NOT lead you on." She folded her arms, her chin jutting out in the way it does when she becomes both stubborn and defiant.
He chuckled, happily smiling at her words before placing a hand on her shoulder. She jolted, her eyes widening in surprise as he leaned down closer to her. His gaze locked with hers as he said; "If you didn't try to lead me on, then why did I become so attracted to you?"
Her eyes widened even more, and she brushed his hand off her shoulder as her cheeks grew even more brightly red, her gaze burning brutally into his.
"Attraction isn't necessarily caused by someone leading you on. Your logic is faulty."
"Alright. So my logic is faulty." He was still leaning slightly towards her, bending in order to close space between them.
Does he not know how uncomfortable he's making me? No, maybe he's fully aware of it.
"Akari."
She glanced at him, wearily eyeing him as he smiled his unusually charismatic smile, with those cute, damned dimples. She blinked when he saw the dark shade of brown that were his eyes, darkening even further before he spoke again.
"May I have this dance?"
She immediately took his hand when he held it out to her. Finally, something to help distract her.
The moment he pulled her to him and they assumed the rightful dance position, Akari knew that he was just as talented, if not more, as she was. His fingers placed themselves around her hip lightly, and as he led, they danced in perfect unison with each other. A few of the other dancers even stopped for a moment to stare, and Akari felt embarrassed that they had to be so attune to everything that she did. Especially when she was dancing with a gentleman. She didn't want rumors spreading about them, no matter how nice Orochi could come across.
"I find myself liking you more and more, and so I have to ask you." Orochi began, twirling her around slightly until she faced him again. Their eyes met, and she noticed that he looked very serious for a moment. "Is it safe to say that you at least find me suitable to your tastes?"
She blinked up at him, unsure of how to react, as her feet stopped working and they stilled their movements.
What was that so suddenly?! Wait, shouldn't she have been expecting it though? Despite how little she knew him, she did think it was obvious he at least liked her a little more than a friend. But then she thought, she must have been imagining it.
More like, she wished she'd been imagining it. She found herself taking a step back, trying to clear her head by putting space between them. But then, he was persistent as ever and followed her steps closely.
"I can't answer something like that so suddenly! What do you expect me to say anyway? That I like you? You BAKA!" She shook her head, scowling.
"I'm sorry if I'm making you nervous." He said, reaching forward with an arm and setting his hand at her waist once more. "But I need you to understand... And it was just a simple question."
Need me to understand what, exactly?
"Simple question my ass." She hissed quietly at him, very self-conscious about the stares they were receiving now.
He laughed, shaking his head at her as he drew slightly closer.
"You're acting so very unladylike." He mused, hand raising from her waist to her shoulder blade, so that he could begin again to assume the dancing position from earlier.
"You sound like Tora." She said, lacking any good-natured tone to her voice as she came close to rolling her eyes at him.
His eyes suddenly became half-lidded, the look in them changing to something that was along the lines of, displeasure. But that soon morphed into a slight grin on his face.
"Well, Tora Igarashi and I actually aren't entirely different. We do seem to have the same taste in women."
The moment that he saw the Fuirutsu boy let go of her, Tora lept smoothly into action. Trailing after the girl as she made her way over to the beverages, he watched in amusement when she was stopped by several groups of people before she could reach her destination. He knew how that felt- annoying. And it was fun not to be the only one having to go through that.
He had to admit, she was better at socializing than he would have originally thought. Her hands moved lightly forth to shake hands as her smile attained a highly pleasant, cute, charming sort of grin. Her words came out clear and bright, and she was talented in engaging her audience. And sometimes, they would ask her questions that should normally leave her struggling for an answer, embarrassed or ashamed, but she would simply answer with immediate, sensible responses.
She was just as much of a professional at changing herself to people's liking as he was. She wore as many masks, and played as many roles.
Maybe that's why she could see through him with such ease, because she knew the tricks of the trade.
This, he had only slightly expected from her. Compared to the girl he knew, this particular side of Akari was much, much more different, and so it was interesting to witness how she could change so easily into someone else, someone who she really wasn't. How she had developed a sense of polite conduct was beyond him, when she was normally so ungodly stubborn and ill-mannered. How she had arranged herself into such a perfectly inept socialite, puzzled him, when she was usually so opposite from the word 'lady'.
Ah, now that group had left her alone. Perfect. It was time to make his move.
He practically slunk towards her, a sly grin just lighting up his features, as he pulled up behind her while she settled her fingers around the rim of a glass, raising it to her lips for a drink.
"What's that?" He asked in a pleasantly curious tone, gesturing to the ruby coloring in the glass that she was downing.
She hadn't yet really taken notice that it was him, and so she simply continued her sip and swallowed, staring at the glass in her hand.
"Wine. It isn't very sweet though, more dry than I would prefer."
Tora, amused that she hadn't turned to recognize him yet, was basking in the faked conversational tone she was offering him. Only he would notice, but she was obviously, beneath the facade she put up, bored. And wishing to be left alone for once.
"Oh, and what would you prefer?" He asked, watching as she took another sip, pondering to herself.
"White Zinfandel." She openly declared, and then, as if she suddenly realized something, she turned around to face him. Her eyes found his and their gaze evened out, and then she was looking as if she was about to punch him in the arm. However, she quickly lowered her fist, searching through the crowd for a moment to wonder if anyone saw her tiny lack of lady-like persona in that moment.
"White Zinfandel, eh?" Tora continued on with their conversation. "You know, personally, I wouldn't even touch that."
Akari's eyes narrowed on him, and she even smirked the little that she would allow herself to. "Why, because it's pink, and that would make you look silly if you drank it?"
"Leave it to you to see right through me." Tora responded, sarcastically. "No, I couldn't care less what coloring the wine is. I just prefer to drink something more bitter."
"Is that why you're so bitter yourself then?" She cocked her head to one side, grinning.
He smiled wryly back. "Perhaps it is."
The two basked for a moment in what was probably the most comfortable, casual conversation they'd ever had together. But soon, that ebbed into nothing as Akari made an abrupt change in attitude, turned, and walked away from him.
Scowling, put off by the many times this had already happened tonight, he followed after her, needing to find out just what her problem was.
The blonde boy edged around the crowd, eyes trained on her as she stumbled through it. It wasn't hard to keep up with a girl tripping in her heels, and soon, as she pushed through the mass of dancing couples and waiters and laughing adults, he caught ahold of her arm, dragging her down a side hallway with him before she could object.
"Hey! Hey, Tora, cut it out already!" She demanded, as he dragged her along underneath the dim lights in her home, until they reached a staircase, which he had her climb up with him.
Despite her quiet shouting and her clawing at his arm, he didn't let go until they were all the way to the second floor, where they likely wouldn't be bothered.
As his eyes found hers when he faced her, she stared at him and started up her next excuse.
"I promised I'd dance with several other people, they're waiting for-"
"You're avoiding me, Akari."
The girl tensed up slightly underneath his strict gaze. It was obvious he wasn't going to let her just leave him behind like all the other times she had tonight.
Suddenly, noticing that since no one else was around, and she could act like her normal self, she became enraged. "I am not! Don't just accuse me of things, Igarashi. This is my party, so I've simply been busy with my guests, and I keep being pulled away, or I remember that I have to be somewhere, greeting someone. And besides that, the whole world doesn't revolve around you anyw-"
"Do you remember still, what I told you before," His voice was a feral growl, lowering itself in volume until it was just a whisper in front of her. "That you could touch me?"
Akari blinked at him, wondering where this was going. "Well, yes."
Suddenly, Tora reached forth and grabbed her small hand in his, pressing it to his chest, and holding it there firmly. He leaned forward, golden eyes locking in a gaze with hers, and then his other hand reached up behind her to settle itself on the wall there as he leaned in.
"Then stop avoiding me like an idiot, and touch me already."
Akari realized that, that was a command, not a hint, or a question. She stared right back at the boy who had her completely entranced, and suddenly, she just couldn't help herself, and she let her mind slip. She had been avoiding him, like an idiot, afraid to face him. But in truth, she did want to be around him. She'd much rather be with him, like this now, instead of spending her time speaking to strangers who half bored her to death, half infuriated her with their thoughtless actions and words.
And so, slowly, she moved. Her hand that was settled on his clothed chest was joined by her other, and she moved them each up his suit, over and around his shoulders, caressing him with gently pressured touches. Tora closed his eyes, breathing in deeply as her hands moved, and her eyes found his face and studied his look. He appeared... content. Relieved, if possible. Maybe even... a little happy. Though it barely even showed through his calmed mask that always covered his features, his feelings. It may not have been obvious to anyone else, but she did know him a little better than just anyone. He was, in this moment, blissfully peaceful. And that made her begin to feel like that too.
Leaning closer, into him more, she let her face hover just inches from his chest, staring at his tie as her hands moved down his arms, feeling slightly the muscles that lay beneath his sleeves. It was a nice tie, she thought in her head. She liked it because it matched her eyes, like her dress did. That's why she'd chosen the dress for tonight, after all. Admittedly, she had wanted to look her best for Tora. And here he was, looking his best for her, matching her with his silvery-threaded tie probably without even intending to. A small smile alighted her face as she moved her hands again, over his chest, one hand fingering the silky-soft fabric of that tie while her other hand just rested, happy with lying still over his heart.
All the while, Tora didn't move, he simply stood and let her touch him, caress him, and stare at him. He didn't dare open his eyes, as if that act alone would break such a peaceful spell. He wanted to feel her hands on him, and right now, not in any perverted way. He just wanted the relief her touch brought him, the gentleness only she gave him, and her comfort. He could never be comfortable, unless they were both alone together, and that's when he could truly enjoy her company. Enjoy himself. She relaxed him like a sedative, like a drug, with all the same effects that they would give him- increased heart rate, pupil dilation, tingling senses throughout the body, warmth like lava in his veins, settled down by an icy chill as the hairs along his skin prickled at any contact she made with him, even if it wasn't skin-to-skin.
Surprised as the young man suddenly let out a contented sigh, Akari removed her hands, unsure of where her brain had gone during this whole ordeal. Her heart, she realized, was beating rapidly in her chest, and she looked uncertainly up at Tora, who opened his eyes just barely enough to see her, gazing down at her carefully.
'Why did you stop?'
Akari stared up at him, and it took her a few moments to realize that he hadn't spoken the words aloud, his eyes had asked the question with one look.
"I- promised you a dance."
Tora watched her more closely as his eyes opened up more, revealing golden orbs that burned her like a heated touch.
"You did." He confirmed, not making any move, however, to lead her back down to the dance floor.
"So... then, should we go?"
"No. Not yet."
Abruptly, but in a smooth motion, his hand was cupping her face. His eyes closed before hers did as he leaned down, fully intent on pressing his lips against her own.
And he did.
The kiss was soft, softer than it had ever been before. And bitter-sweet, because of the wine still lingering on her lips. Tora was more than happy when she deepened it slightly, opening her mouth for him so that he could just slide his tongue in, swirling it with hers if only for a few moments of lost breath and heady delight.
Soon, though, and much too soon, he was pulling away from her, wiping her lips dry with the rough pad of his thumb, and staring at her with an unreadable expression. He was thinking.
Is this what things had come to between them? Stolen kisses in a darkened hallway where they had to hide from everyone in order to get some time alone?
She seemed to notice the look on his expressionless face, (however that worked, he did not know. Damn girl seeing through him all the time!) and her lips made themselves into a sudden frown.
"You seem... disappointed." She said, sounding, if he recognized it clearly, saddened.
Before he could think, he locked his lips with hers again, this time with just a bit more pressure, just a bit more pushiness on his part. When she gasped into the kiss he let go again, but this time his lips traveled down and he left fragile kisses against her skin, completely overwhelmed by the scent of her body wash, something that was along the lines of fresh air and the warm soil of the earth. And then, or course, there was always that ever so eminent hint of cinnamon that just came with who she was, how she smelled... It made him want to bite into her, though he held back, knowing the consequences of giving her a hickey when she had to go back to the party soon.
His lips lightly brushed her skin, traveling from one side of her neck to the other, and then down the the hem of her dress's neckline. Needing just a bit more, he daringly reached out his tongue, licking along the silver fabric, and his ears seemed to start ringing when he caught the light, barely-there, breathy moan that she let loose.
That only reminded him that he had to stop, though. Which he wasn't happy about. And of course, before his right mind could make him move away from her, he was already sucking lightly on the skin, at the joint where her neck and shoulder met. And when he did this, Akari moaned a bit louder, and he nearly just about shoved her into the wall in order to completely devour her.
As he was trying to restrain himself, knowing they would get in trouble if found, (well, more her than him) Akari reminded him of the same thing as well.
"Crap. Tora, you have to stop."
He moved a little bit, as if to pull away, but then his lips found her jaw and he kissed there, and then they of course traveled back down her jawline, suckling once again at her neck.
"Now." Akari's tone had suddenly become more urgent as she pressed her hands against him. "You idiot tiger, let go of me now!"
And then his eyes fell on her bruises, which he had uncovered slightly with his mouth, and he realized why she wanted him to let go of her. His grasp on her, (he hadn't realized until now, but he was pressing her against him, holding onto her) released itself, his hands flying away from her as if she had burned him.
When he looked up at her, she swore under her breath. His gaze said she was in big trouble.
"Is this why you've been acting so strange?" He commented, not sounding angry, but also not sounding calm either. He was some sort of in-between... like, bitter. Yep, he was holding her gaze with a fascinatingly bitter look. Maybe he'd had some wine recently.
Oh hah, she was so funny. Now was not the time for joking about that.
I was obviously avoiding you because we had sex you idiot! Not because of some stupid bruises! Her mind screamed, though her mouth formed a different response.
"I warned you to stop." Her eyes flashed accusingly, as she sought to turn this around on him. "But you just had to continue, to fulfill all of your stupid needs."
Reaching out, he grabbed her chin, but with a somewhat, just somewhat, more careful touch this time.
"Fulfill all my needs?" His eyes seemed to spark a warning at her.
And that was all he said.
Of course, he was a man who knew how to strike fear into anyone's heart, or instantly make someone uncomfortable, with just little words and short phrases.
Akari took a steadying breath, trying to get her chin out of his grasp. "Yeah that's what I said."
"Are you implying that you don't have the same needs as well?"
"It could be possible that I have the same needs, but-"
"But what? You just don't want me to fulfill them? Then how about Orochi, we can certainly go find him." He practically growled.
"What? No!"
"No?"
"Yes, no."
Tora paused for a moment, contemplating.
"Yes, no?"
"I mean no."
He raised an eyebrow at her, before finally letting go of her chin. Turning around, he started to walk away from her.
She opened her mouth to object, but before he could get too far away he stopped, turning, pondering. His mind, she could sense, was thinking over her words.
"I said no, and I meant it. I don't want Orochi." She replied, quick to try to distract him from his thoughts. When an Igarashi got to thinking, that was never a good thing.
Actually, when an Igarashi did anything, it never really was a good thing.
Tora turned fully around to face her, and though he was now farther in front of her, his gaze burned into her as if he was standing right there.
He knew she didn't like that other boy. At least not yet. There was still the possibility that she could like him at any given point in the future, and that's what startled him. The mere possibility. That's what bugged him to no end. It's what made him feel angry, really angry, furious even. It's what made him glare at Orochi, wishing he would leave and never return again, whenever he saw the other boy around Akari- or even without her. Actually, in all perfect honesty, he'd like to strangle the guy if he could. Just so he could relieve some of the built-up emotions... and maybe get rid of the idiot for good.
Also, the biggest thing that was bugging him was even worse than all of that. There was the fact- the pressing issue- that, it seemed as though Orochi...
Suddenly, Tora snapped out that tangent, knowing that if he started that thought, that suspicion he had, he would become thoroughly all the more enraged. And at the moment, he had to cool down, because he had another unpleasant factor that he had to focus on know. He remembered it again when he gazed at Akari once more.
"Haven't you ever taken a self defense class?" He asked, and though he was asking to actually get an answer out of her, she had supposed he was mocking her.
"What's with that all of a sudden?!" She replied angrily. Although, she was relieved he didn't look like he was mad at her anymore. "Anyway, I'm not weak, even if I haven't taken any classes like that before. So don't you dare ever think that I am."
He stared at her carefully, before beginning to approach her again.
"I suppose your family wouldn't want you knowing how to defend yourself against them." He remarked, finally figuring it out.
When he was placed just in front of her, he only stared down at her, watching her beginning to become uneasy.
"I don't have to ask who gave you those bruises, do I?"
"Not unless you already know." She simply replied.
Tora reached out suddenly, grabbing her arm and pulling it back behind her, before grabbing her other and pushing her up against the wall. He was careful not to hurt her in the process, but she winced at the sudden movement regardless.
"That is called a joint lock," He told her simply, still not letting her out of the uncomfortable position. "Want me to teach you how to get out of it?"
Struggling, to no avail, in his grasp, Akari murmured a quick "Yes" narrowing her eyes in defeated annoyance.
After ordering her to move her body just slightly to a certain angle, and then telling her to twist one wrist and jerk and do something else with her body, she slipped easily out from under him.
Not even a moment after she'd broke free, Tora had reached over and grabbed her hand, moving it so that it hovered over his pressed suit. He curved her fingers over the fabric, and soon she was gripping his shirt in her hand.
"When an attacker comes at you from the front," He explained. "And they grab onto you, what do you do?"
Akari stuttered for an answer. "Um, move away?"
"Which way?"
His eyes narrowed on her and she felt foolish.
"I don't know, backwards?"
"Tch. That's exactly that thing you don't want to do." Tora sighed, sounding troubled by her lack of knowledge. Then, his eyes found her and just before he began to move he added in a quick; "Here, pay attention."
Before she knew it, she was flying over his back.
Of course, he didn't actually want to hurt her, so she didn't land on the floor. He made sure to spin around and catch her at the last minute. But her grasp that she had on his shirt was sure gone.
"Now do you know what to do?" Tora asked as he helped her re-position herself on her feet properly.
She was too angry to comply an answer. "Are you insane?! I'm in a dress and heels, for god's sake!"
Looking down at her, slightly amused as her face blazed red, (oh, he had missed her angry eyes on him) he seemed to just notice her attire, and only shrugged.
"I asked a question. Now do you know what to do?"
"How could I know what to do, you just threw me over your back!"
"I was demonstrating." Tora sighed. "So you didn't pay attention, then."
"How the hell could I?! Like I said, YOU THREW ME OVER YOUR SHOULDER!"
"Well at least you caught on to that much."
Akari looked about ready to explode. "Igarashi, I swear to every god imaginable, you are unnaturally infuriating, and you're gonna go to hell."
"Do you want to learn how to defend yourself, or not?" Tora asked, his voice taking on a bored tone as he watched her with a careless look in his eye. Her insults obviously had no effect on him.
"Do you care if I know how to defend myself?"
Tora narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't matter if I care or not, every person should know how to get themselves out of trouble. Otherwise more and more people are just going to die due to lack of knowledge and preparation."
Akari paled. "You really think... I mean, I know people can get mugged on the streets and all, but-"
Tora raised an eyebrow at her response. "That's naive of you. Of course, people die every day because they can't defend themselves. The world isn't as safe a place as you wish it to be, Akari."
She scowled at him. "I know that! And no, I'm hardly naive. I just, don't like to think about it. About death."
Tora waved off her excuse. "Just forget about that for now, I'm trying to make a point. You've been too submissive your whole life, even if you are a stubborn pain most of the time." He glanced at her, not amused at her offended look. He was being serious. "You need someone to teach you how to defend yourself."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Are... you offering?"
"Well what does it sound like?"
"But why would you do that for me?"
His eyes narrowed on her once more, and he almost looked mad, annoyed at her question.
"Because I want you to be safe, why else?"
She started to think that she was seeing one of the hidden nice parts about him, until-
"And," He smirked, pressing closer to her. "I want you to be able to resist everyone but me."
Her face reddened in rage, and she was about to smack him quite hard, when he moved even closer and his lips pressed to one of the bruises marking her skin. He pulled back slowly, eyes just barely glancing over hers.
"I don't want to see any more bruises on your perfect skin. So don't let it happen again." He said, in a soft tone that she was unsure was sincere or not. This was Tora, after all.
"O-kay..." She replied, not really knowing how else to react.
Then Tora leaned away from Akari, and straightened himself. His hand reached out to her, and she took it timidly as her temper began to die down.
"Finally. I've been annoyed, waiting to dance with you all night." He said, after leading her back to the staircase, back down to the immensely huge crowd of chattering, moving people. People that equally annoyed both of them.
As the two assumed their position, Akari couldn't help her wandering mind, which soon affected her mouth into blurting out thoughts.
"What happened earlier, Tora? Between you and Orochi."
The golden-eyed boy didn't look happy about the name she brought up, and his gaze was darkened another degree as he continued to think about his little 'conversation' with Orochi. It hadn't exactly been pleasant, and he didn't wish to dwell on it at all.
"Nothing you need to know the details of." He said dully, looking away from her as he led her around the room, slinking skillfully away from the other dancers so that they wouldn't bump into each other.
Akari, needless to say, was not happy with his supplied answer. "Tora-"
"Listen to me." Tora suddenly interrupted, demanding her attention with his eyes as they settled back on her. He raised an eyebrow, "And make sure to listen this time."
"I get it. Quite mocking me and talk already." She demanded, excited to get some answers.
Although, she wouldn't be getting any answers, much to her dismay. And what Tora said next only made her all the more curious.
"Don't let him touch you." Tora spoke clearly and seriously, while hugging her body a bit closer to him. "Understand. Don't let his filthy hands touch you."
"Why are his hands filthy?" Akari asked, only half-joking around. What was this, a warning?
"They just are." Tora supplied tonelessly as he began to spin her around.
"Are you just saying that-" She lightly ducked back as he dipped her, and then flew forward again into his arms, smirking. "Because you're jealous?"
Tora would have kissed her to shut her up if he could have, but with so many people around, he settled for shoving her head into his shoulder.
Leaning down, his lips brushed lightly over her ear. "If I were jealous, he'd be out of my way by now." He said in a dangerous sort of whisper.
Akari was then pushed away from him slightly, and they began to dance again as if everything was normal, even though he'd just said something that made her mind spin in worrying contemplation.
"Tora, what's going on between you and him?" She asked as they moved in a comfortable rhythm together.
Sighing, Tora tried to come up with some sort of answer. In the end, it still wasn't a good enough answer for her, but at least it was something.
"Just a little friendly competition."
A/N: I hope you know I was trying to avoid as much teasing as possible in this chapter. It's nice to actually write out a warm fluff scene, and finish it with some kisses :3
Alright guys, down to business. I'm not even going to sugarcoat it for myself. I didn't really like the chapter before this one. Guys, I'm- I'm getting lazy with my writing ;_; please don't hate me. I'm focusing my energy on doing better now, though. I just got lost with my ideas after the lemon. That really had me freaking out, you really have no idea. (I'd never written a lemon before)
And thus, after the author became rather shaken-up for a few chapters, she then realized she was acting like an fool, slapped herself in the face, and learned to start writing the best chapters again.
Hoorah. So heart-warming and lovely that I could do that. Don't you dare throw stuff at me and boo and hiss. I'm doing my darndest. Hey, you, I see you raising that tomato in the air! Don't you dare- no, stop- don't you dare fire it at me-!
Okay~ moving on to the next item to address on my A/N agenda: this is an answer to all those saying to update faster- (I'm sorry and guilty)
I've been excruciatingly busy, no really, I have been. I'm not even lying this time. My book that I ordered to study for my GED came in the mail, and I have a driver's manual I need to read/study as well. I also need to turn in my application for that job I filled out the other day...
Basically, I'm trying to juggle sooo much right now. Like...
-The promises I made to my friends that we will hang out again soon (because I lost my phone for 3 weeks, they thought I died, so I had to recontact them and now they want to see me to make sure I'm not a ghost)
-Finding time to fit certain needs into my schedule, like exercise, proper meals, bathing, updating my fanfics, studying for my drivers test, and studying for my GED. Guys, that GED book test study guide thing is thee thickest book in the world *groans* it's sooo many pages of boring... ~ it's fatter than any world encyclopedia, I swear to Gandhi...
-I need to get a haircut soon (my hair is grown out to the edge of my ass right now... I keep accidentally sitting on it -_-)
-I currently became a nanny for these two adorable monsters just recently, so they're with me every few days.
-Oh and, my little brother has been really depressed lately because of the crap that is our life, and since I'm his big sister a.k.a his best confidante, I hang out with him for most of every day. We play Pokemon, and Minecraft. He's decided he wants to be an architect when he grows up. Aww. Meanwhile, I'll go run off to the world of Pokemon and became a trainer. Heck to the yes.
(Don't laugh at me. Yes, I make time in my busy schedule for playing with my lil' bro. He needs me, I'm his comedic relief in our dramatic lives, and I love him to bits.)
ANYWHO- so yeah, I took on a lot at once... all that, plus the fact I need to update all my fics... I'm trying guys, I am. I love you all and I want to update just so you're happy, but damn am I tired.
Whoa, this A/N is a whole clusterfuck of TMI. Sorry, toooo much info, I know, I know. That's just me though. ;/ Insane, and all that. Send me fluffy love anyway, would you please? ] And I'll reciprocate!
CK *
p.s- extra kisses- * * * you deserve it for being so patient
p.p.s- I love you guys and all that warm-feeling shit, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I hope Tora was jealous enough for you. I didn't make him go to any extreme extent of jealousy, because he just doesn't seem like the type. After all, he likes to hide his true feelings, and jealousy is a way of showing weakness, so obviously he'd want to hide that. Sorry if you are disappointed though / That's just my take on it.
I guess he could slowly become more jealous, if you want, but I dunno if that will make him start to seem OOC or not. As it is now, I'm already worried about him seeming OOC! hope he isn't! if so, tell me and I shall fix it~