A/N: Refreshed and recharged! I am ready with the next chappy for you all ^-^ Also, I was reading up on the reviews and need to give a big, giant, 'AWWWW!' I have the best viewers ever, I mean, really! (Even you shy ones who won't post reviews- don't think I don't know you are there, I see you and I love your silent support;) I am so so glad that everyone seems to enjoy the story. I just love the fact that something I have written is being viewed by others and is receiving so much positive feedback! XD THANKS! Thanks a billion!
Now... I present to you the chapter you have been waiting to get your hands on:
"A star falls from the sky and into your hands. Then it seeps through your veins and swims inside your blood and becomes every part of you.
And then you have to put it back into the sky. And it's the most painful thing you'll ever have to do and that you've ever done...
...But what's yours is yours. Whether it's up in the sky or here in your hands.
And one day, it'll fall from the sky and hit you in the head real hard and that time, you won't have to put it back in the sky again."
― C. JoyBell C.
"To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve... And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don't isolate." -Michael Jordan
Chapter Twenty-Seven. Selfish
He stood beside the bed, hands in his pockets, face drawn into a cold, impassive look as he stared down at her.
The pair had stayed like that for a long while now- in the darkened room with the lights off, he watched her carefully while she slept and dreamed.
Maybe it had been an hour, maybe it had been two, but regardless of the time there came a point where he started to get tired of standing, and so he turned to leave. Or rather, he had planned to, but at the last moment he found himself leaning down, and reaching out a hand. Gently, his fingers brushed her skin, pulling stray locks of hair away from her face and off to the side. Then, as if satisfied now by that small gesture, he pulled away, turning his back on the sleeping girl and walking towards the door.
"...Igarashi."
Tora froze, back still turned toward the bed. He didn't look over his shoulder, he simply stood there and waited to hear anything more.
But the room was silent once again after that, and her soft sighs of breath could be the only thing heard as he waited patiently for any more words from her. When he realized she was still only asleep, he closed his eyes and sighed, stepping again towards the door and easing his way out of the room.
It was funny, though, for some reason after hearing her say that in her sleep... he felt a bit better now.
Food poisoning, or any type of poisoning, wouldn't be beneath Orochi, Tora knew. Because that man was a slimy degenerate who would really do anything to get payback or revenge.
That is why, although Akari had only suffered from some sort of severe allergic reaction to the food she ate, Tora chose to see it more as something akin to 'poisoning'. Though everyone says it was an accident, Tora had figured it was all apart of Orochi's plan to use her to hurt him. Akari was, apparently, Tora's weakness, after all.
The whole reason he had lied to her and pretended to have lost interest in her was so that she wouldn't have to get involved in this huge mess of things anymore and could be safe for however long it took him to implement his plan. All he had to do was convince his parents, and even if they said no, he would go against them regardless and simply hand off Chiyo to Orochi. Then, he could deal with the repercussions of that- all the family issues- he'd probably blackmail the Michiyo men so they wouldn't do anything to Akari or make a big scene, and sweet-talk Chiyo's parents with an incredibly charming apology, and give his blessing and respects to Orochi and his family. Easy, for someone like Tora.
And after all that, after the complications were through with, after the trouble was out of the way, then he would take Akari back- for real that time.
However, Orochi was a smarter bastard than Tora had originally assumed. He stole Akari. Took her away, right underneath Tora's nose. It was infuriating and seriously messed with the plan. He had to be reassured that he always knew where Akari was, otherwise he was somehow lost... and couldn't follow through with anything at all. He had to know she was alright, after all, that was why he had lied to her, to protect her.
Pathetic, right? Tora had no idea what has happened to him. But he blames 'feelings' for all of his new pathetic traits and weaknesses.
What really got to him though... was the fact that Akari had gone willingly. Tora tried to convince himself that she was simply taken, stolen... but he knew she went of her own free will, and that pained him in a strange way. Did she harbor some sort of feelings for her apparent fiancée?
Was that even a possibility? He had never thought to consider it.
Placing a hand to his head, he tried to calm his nerves as he paced up and down the hallway. His own thoughts were really getting annoying.
Well, whatever. He'd just have to wait for her to wake up, and then see what happens from there...
Suddenly, he stopped his pacing and a small, barely-there smile flew onto his face. A smile full of his usual pride and self-assurance. She had called for him in her sleep, not Orochi. There was no way she would chose that guy over himself...
He was Tora Igarashi!
He had never doubted himself before- how could he now?
He would have her no matter what.
Akari's memories of what had happened were a bit foggy, but she did recall falling into Tora's arms. After that, a few things came around to her senses here and there- voices talking about her, the taste of medicine on her tongue... she didn't really know what had happened though. But at least now, the terrible pain and nausea was all gone.
Sitting up, she blinked the sleep out of her eyes and checked out her surroundings. Even in the dark room, everything seemed to have a familiar outline that she recalled seeing before.
Was she... she was back in the Igarashi estate?
The sound of the door sliding open caught her attention, and she turned her head towards whoever was entering her room unannounced.
It was...
"Tora." Even though she could only see his darkened silhouette in the doorway, to her it was so obviously him. Who else could possibly be that tall?
The young man let the door shut behind him, and approached her with his usual slow, regal walk. He passed by her bed and pulled apart the drapes covering a window, allowing light to flood throughout half of the room. When he then turned back to her and stood beside her bed, she could see his face clearly now, illuminated with the glow of the sunlight that was shining through the newly uncovered window.
His face looked solemn and completely unreadable.
"How are you feeling?" He asked in a bland tone.
Akari glared up at the man she both loved and hated, unsure of just how to respond to that. Should she get angry at him? Or should she try to stay calm and ask him questions about what happened?
Well, I suppose the latter would be the better option of the two...
"What happened to me, exactly?"
"You had an allergic reaction to the crayfish you ate last night."
She blinked. She had no idea she had any sort of allergies- let alone a serious allergy problem with crayfish, of all things. Really, earlier, she had felt on the verge of death. Like her stomach was going to cave inwards and her head was going to spin into the wall. Her body had been clammy and hot, too.
She cringed at the memory. "So what happened while I was out? I can't remember."
"I took you to the nearest clinic. They gave you the medicine you needed. It made you fall asleep, so I took you with me back to my estate."
Deciding on approaching this next issue completely bluntly, she met his gaze, and asked the main problem on her mind. "So I'm not pregnant, then, right?"
Tora hardly flinched, but then again, only she would be someone able to see the way he barely lost a tiny bit of his cool composure as he blinked for a moment and his eyes widened the slightest bit. Then his gaze settled steadily back on her, and he spoke firmly so that she could hear it perfectly clear.
"No. I had the doctors double-check."
Although she sighed in relief, some part of that answer bugged her somehow.
So she wasn't pregnant with his child... good. That was a good thing, right? Then why did she feel a little bit, seriously, it was only a little bit- disappointed?
It wasn't that she wanted a kid- she was hardly ready for that. And having Tora's child would just cause a billion complications that neither of them or their families would be happy with dealing with. Then there's the fact that the kid, growing up, would be shunned by both sides of their family because they would be considered a 'problem' or 'the child of an affair' or whatever other shit people say.
But-
Maybe there was a part of her that wanted it in the long-run though? Maybe she could someday marry Tora, and then they could have a family together, and...
Honestly, he brought at the very worst in her... since when was she such a love addict? She was always more of the independent type, and so she'd never until now thought about marriage, or babies, or romance in general.
Well, there was that one boyfriend she had a long time ago... the guy she first had sex with and all... but that wasn't a special relationship. Because he was more into her than she was him, and she only went with it because she was probably hoping it would develop into some sort of deep love... I mean, she had a terrible family- messed up father figure, messed up older brother figure, a mother who did love her, but didn't even notice the pain her child went through... so of course, once she'd found a guy so interested in her, she had jumped right into that relationship- but only in order to feel loved by someone. She didn't really give him any love back, and that's what ended up ruining it.
Hah. She was weaker than she thought, really, she was. Also, she knew nothing of love. So how could she think that this, now, with Tora, was something akin to that?
"Now that you have your question answered, I would like mine answered as well." Tora's voice was suddenly reaching her ears again, and he sounded almost, nearly, but not quite- gentle. Just slightly... though maybe she was refusing to see it though. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." Came her curt reply. She was refusing now to meet his eyes.
A slight pause in conversation followed, and she figured he was waiting for her to say more. Well then, so be it.
"I suppose you're relieved. Your precious reputation won't be soiled because of me now." She squinted at the blankets in her lap. "So, now that you've come and told me what I need to know, you don't need to worry about it anymore. You've done your part, so leave."
"I didn't come here just to rely information." His tone was filled with a miniature tremor of emotion. "The reason I came to see you is something else entirely."
Her eyes, of their own free will and without her consent, now drifted to meet his, and the familiar clash of icy silver on gold had some sort of impressive effect on both of them. She watched him as he moved in to lean over her on the bed and stare at her like that for another moment, his face hovering above her own. Eventually, finally, she reached up a hand, which they were both surprised to see was trembling, and pressed it to the side of his face.
He seemed to recognize the loving gesture for what it was, and offered up his own hand, holding it firmly over her shaking one. And then, she closed her eyes...
She counted around to ten in her head, and when still nothing else happened, she opened up her gaze to him once more and scowled at his expression.
He stared at her, a sly look crossing his perfect features, a terribly mischievous smirk.
"Did you really think," He whispered in a low voice. "that I was giving up so easily on you?"
Her eyes took on a surprised look, but her scowl deepened after that. "You-"
Leaning in swiftly, he planted his lips against hers, silencing her anger and replacing it with a deep yearning for him. She pressed her hand even more against the smooth planes of his face, trying to deepen the kiss, as she longed to feel that he needed her like she needed him... she wanted to know, for real, how he felt, and she wanted him to prove it in this kiss- she wanted him to show her he loved her-
However, Tora pulled away right before they got to the good part, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "I meant what I said before. I am taking you back."
"Damn tiger... reassuring me after all the crap you said before!" She reddened under his intense gaze, her cheeks going aflame as his golden eyes danced across her whole form, hungrily drinking her in.
He stepped back then, leaning away from the bed and straightening up beside it. "What I said before shouldn't matter now." He loosened his tie from around his neck as he stared down at her. "Besides, there was always a part of you that knew you shouldn't doubt me."
As his tie slipped to the floor, his fingers then flew to the top buttons of his shirt. Akari was hardly registering his actions though, because she was still striving to comprehend his words.
You know, I should be angry. Furious, completely mad with rage... so why is it that instead, I'm just- sort of- really happy?
She clenched her fists, frustrated by all his mind games. What is she supposed to say to all of this? Really!
Maybe that he was right? That there was a part of her that never doubted him?
LIKE HELL SHE WOULD ACTUALLY ADMIT THAT ALOUD! HE HAD A BIG ENOUGH HEAD ON HIS SHOULDERS ALREADY!
Turning her face towards him to confront him, she let out a surprised gasp as he placed both hands on either side of her on the bed, leaning in with his shirt left wide open for her to glimpse at his chest.
He smiled, seductively. "I think it's time I get back at you for that awful tuxedo incident..."
Akari blinked, blushing from up her neck to the roots of her hair, but somehow she managed to get a hold of her voice again. Raising her brow, as if mocking his actions, she responded teasingly. "You're still upset about that?"
Tora frowned. "It was blue. Very blue."
"Oh but I thought you looked so dapper."
"Akari." He warned, teeth gritted.
She ignored him, delivering her payback for all of the confusion he'd been causing her lately. "The whole my-prom-date-stood-me-up look that you had while wearing it absolutely charmed me.
"Akari..." Another warning.
"And the frilly white shirt underneath it all... so manly! Wouldn't you agree?"
"Ne, Akari~"
She froze as his lips nipped at her earlobe, and he said her name that way. A gulp couldn't be helped on her part as he pulled the blanket off of her body and got a knee up on the bed.
When his hands slid expertly up underneath her tank top, it unexpectedly caused bubbling heat to flood through both of their bodies. DAMN THIS TIGER!
Sighing, she met his gaze, trying to pull back in order to see him. He was smiling somehow both playfully and sadistically. She shook her head at that look in his golden eyes, the one of lust and want and highly perverse intent.
"Baka..." Her eyes narrowed on him as he ran his thumb over her lower lip and began to lean in once more.
Quickly, she pecked him on the mouth, and then somehow slid from his grasp and away from underneath him and off the bed. She ambled lightly over to the couch, turning and leaning against it and then smirking triumphantly when she looked to see the surprised glare on his face. She wouldn't let him get off that easily. He still had a lot of explaining to do.
He scowled, straightening up and then beginning to approach her. "Well well, so it's like that then."
She backed around the couch, putting more distance between them. Crap, now he looked rather hungry, didn't he?
Tora himself also stepped around the couch, nearing her with the malicious grin that told her he wasn't simply playing around anymore.
"How long has it been?" He wondered aloud, while she sweat-dropped and turned to sidestep a lamp. The two of them were rotating around the room, one following the other, tiger following prey. It would be amusing to watch, if the sexual tension in the air wasn't gradually climbing with every step he took closer to her.
"How long...? What are you talking about?" She mumbled, trying to avoid his eyes. Their gold coloring had darkened considerably now as he was enjoying the little game of cat-and-mouse she had accidentally initiated. One could practically see the want and desire rolling off of him.
Taking another step forward, he reached out both arms suddenly, effectively backing her into a wall and trapping her in his own bodily cage. He smirked while she cursed aloud.
"You're smart, you should know what I'm talking about." Leaning forward he allowed himself to almost brush his lips against hers. She inhaled sharply, and her reaction almost made him lose himself.
Really, it had been awhile since he'd had sex. The last time was that time he'd done it with Akari, and it was strange, but he felt that after that, she was the only one he needed for such things. And he was definitely in the mood for it now, now that he had her back, now that they were alone again, together... he just had to have her.
"Tora, I'm still mad at you, you know." She said in a strong voice, though her eyes could only stare away from him. He smirked at this fact- she knew if she looked at him, she'd give in.
Using one hand, he slid it from her waist up to her neck, and then slowly leaned in, kissing the sensitive skin just above her collarbone. He stopped her hand as it rose to push him away, and instead placed it to his chest, allowing her to feel the hard muscle underneath his tanned skin.
Akari gazed up at him, watching as his golden eyes glowed intently on hers.
"Igarashi... I really want to know, before anything else happens now... Why did you say all that to me? You act like you want me so badly now... but you had said the other night tha- mmph!"
The look on his face changed from a lecherous smile to a serious gaze, as he brought a hand up and silenced her by clapping it over her mouth.
"Eh?" His brow rose as he stared intensely at her. "What are you referencing at a time like this?"
She scowled, and used her free hand to pull his hand away from her mouth. "I want to completely understand your feelings for me, so you don't scare me like that again. Otherwise..."
His brow twitched in annoyance, and suddenly he leaned in close, his lips blowing against her hair.
"Otherwise you'll have nothing to do with me? You'll run away? Is that it?" He said in a dark, deep voice that she didn't often hear coming from him.
Akari opened her mouth to reply, come up with some sort of response, but then he pulled back enough to use his hand and grab her chin, while his eyes glared strongly and enchantingly into her struggling gaze. His words were said in such a way it was as if they meant to dare her to answer that.
"Tora..." Her eyes wavered, glancing all across his face, from the rich gold of his eyes, to his firm lips, to his light hair... everywhere. All over. She wanted to examine him, because if he wouldn't answer her aloud, maybe she could read his feelings from just looking more closely.
He leaned in then, pressing his lips to hers, being the complete opposite of gentle. Teeth pulled at her lips, his tongue lashed out, and his mouth was acting as if on it's own free will- like he was trying to swallow her up somehow, if possible. She squirmed as he pressed her as close to his body as possible, becoming more and more aroused and uncomfortable, but he just used both of his long arms and pinned her wrists to the wall, his mouth continuing its enchantment on her lips.
There came a time when her stubborn resolve gave way a little bit to the pleasure, as his tongue twirled with hers, and she let out a whimpered moan, which he only swallowed up into his own mouth.
Suddenly, after that, he sighed heavily and pulled away. He let out a groan of aggravation, and then his eyes opened up to her and they gazed at each other for a short moment, both of them panting, the air heated and filled with want and lust, and then-
Akari's eyes widened as she watched in absolute shock while he released his grip on her, and stood back. With an irritated look on his face he turned away, walking towards the closed door on the far side of the room as he began to button up his shirt.
Looking over his shoulder and back at her as he opened the door, he looked rather pissed off about something. "I just remembered I have a business meeting to attend to this morning..."
Her mouth opened in shock as he stepped out the door, closing it firmly behind him.
So, what, he was just going to leave her after getting her all hot and bothered?!
Blushing profusely, she wiped her mouth of his lingering kiss. He didn't even tell her how long he was going to be gone, dammit!
"Igarashi..." She growled, waves of anger practically filling up the entire room.
Well, at least things were back to the way they used to be... sort of.
Akari let the hot water wash over her whole body, as the steam began to fog up against the glass walls of the shower.
Well, here she was, showering...
ALONE, mind you.
Like hell she'd actually take that bastard up on his offer of showering together! BAKA!
You see, shortly after she had been left on her own in her room, she heard a text come in on her phone. After checking it and seeing that it was from none other than Tora, she read it and, well, he had basically said that when he gets back, he intends to show her a good time in the shower... since they'd never done that before.
She squeezed her eyes shut, letting the water hit her face. WHAT THE HELL WAS WRONG WITH THAT GUY?!
Whatever. She needed this time to herself. She needed to initiate a plan to get answers out of him.
What was he even doing with her anymore?
Using her? For what?
Was he toying with her for fun?
Did he even like her at all?
Was what he told her the other night the actual truth?
His actions said one thing, his words said another.
But he said he wanted her, didn't he?
Not exactly, he had just said he was taking her back.
What was she, an item? No, his prize or whatever he called it.
GOD DAMMIT SHE WAS A PERSON!
"Did you really think," His low voice suddenly filled her head once again. "that I was giving up so easily on you?"
Well that made it sound more like he wanted her as an actual person. Sort of.
"UUUGGHH!" She groaned, glaring at the shower floor.
Frustration bloomed in her chest, a flower budding and then sprouting a bouquet of anger and resentment. What the hell was she supposed to do with this guy?! Did he want her or not? She couldn't really tell. It was all so confusing- and it had gotten that way all too quickly.
His words said one thing, his actions said another.
"How unbelievably frustrating can you get?! And then there's the fact that I've been missing school, and all this marriage stuff going on with Orochi..."
Maybe she needed to go out on her own for a bit... Actually, that wasn't a bad idea.
Quickly, she turned off the shower and grabbed a towel.
"You are one lucky bitch."
Akari sighed, shaking her head at her friend. She still didn't know if calling her was the best idea, but they hadn't talked in a long time and she missed her anyway, sooo...
"Aika, maybe you should go back now... lunch is probably over by now-"
The music-lover slapped her hand down on the table, glaring at her friend. "Like hell I can go back to school when you are in such a state! Have you even looked at yourself lately? People won't grab any of the tables next to us because your giving off such a dark aura!"
Akari looked up, glancing around the small cafe in town that they picked to meet up in. It was true- all tables were cleared surrounding their own table, and the other customers had flocked to the corners of the room. She lowered her head and bonked it on the table.
"Well how fantastic." She spat sarcastically. Then, she peeked back up at her friend. "How exactly am I lucky again?"
Throwing her long black curls over her shoulder, Aika crossed her arms and sighed. "Are you blind? You've got the hottest and most popular bachelor in the country fighting over you with the second-most-sought-after bachelor in the country. They both have money, a good name, and they're both pretty god damn attractive."
"Is that how you see it? Are you actually acting like this right now?" Akari crossed her own arms as well. "It is much more complicated than that. I only wish it was the fairy tale you make it up to be."
Aika, for once, pulled out her ear plugs and really leaned in to listen. "Then explain. Tell me everything."
Taken completely off guard by her friend's new serious attitude, Akari scooted back in her seat. "Everything? Are you kidding me?"
"Do I look like I'm fucking joking?" Her eyes narrowed. "You pretty much disappeared off the face of the earth after you transferred over to Miya-big-ass-school-for-bakas-"
"Miyabigaoka." Akari quietly corrected.
"No, I got the name right. Anyway, me and Seiji haven't seen you in forever. And believe it or not, we get worried about you. After all, you're an idiot."
Akari sunk lower in her seat. "Gee, thank you."
Aika pointed an angry finger at her friend. "Oi, bitch! I stopped listening to my music right now for you, so sit up straight, and listen your fucking ass off while I'm talking!"
Blinking, Akari sat back up in her seat, sweat rolling down the side of her face as she watched her friend reprimand her.
Shortly after the outburst, Aika continued.
"We get worried about how you're doing. You never talk to us. You never answer the god-damn phone." Her eyes narrowed to nearly slits now. "So I'm here now, and I came to get some answers for myself. You told me the basics, but I know there's more. You say that it's more complicated than it seems? Then tell me the complications."
Akari wavered, even under her friend's intense glare. "Aika, I don't know if I should-"
"Tell me now, or so help me god I will shut you alone in a closet with Kai for three days. I'll even bring him some sex toys so you guys can have even more fun-"
"AIKA!" Akari slapped a hand over her friend's mouth, her eyes widened in panic. "Do you realize you are basically shouting out that you're going to let him rape me?!" She hissed in a low whisper. "That's a serious issue that you shouldn't even joke about!"
The raven-haired girl ripped the hand away from her mouth and shot back; "And do you realize you have basically shunned both your best friends out of your life?! That's a pretty serious issue as well!"
There was a sudden break in their argument where both girls felt their emotions boiling over the edge.
And then came the hugging.
Akari practically jumped into her friend's lap, crushing her into an embrace. "I'm sorry, okay? You're right. I've been all over the place, and I didn't want to bother you... things have been insane, and I don't even know the half of it still-"
Suddenly, she was thrown down to the floor and Aika was standing over her, arms folded, with a glare on her face. "'Sorry' doesn't cut it. Sit your ass back in your chair and start telling me everything."
Rubbing her backside and wincing, Akari stood up and sat back in her spot in front of Aika, scowling at her friend's apathy. "Sheesh, you try to ask forgiveness from a friend and they throw you onto the floor of a cafe... I am never going to try hugging you again."
"You shouldn't." Aika provided in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm not a hugger."
"Yeah, I have the bruise on my butt to account for that..."
"Oh boo-hoo. Rich bitch got a little bruise. Shut the hell up and tell me what I wanna know already."
"Yeah, yeah..."
Tora stepped into his car, slamming the door rather hard behind him.
"Miyabigaoka." He said loudly for the driver to hear, and then they were driving off towards the school.
He was still rather pissed that he had to stop his little 'reunion' with Akari this morning because of the meeting he had to attend involving his own family's company along with many others. There was a big merging going on and several meetings were held for it every month or so. If he didn't attend he knew he'd be in trouble, but there was another down side to going besides simply missing out on his time with Akari...
Orochi had been there. He had to actually shake hands with the guy.
Seeing that man's face had really made it hard for him to focus during the meeting. He'd never lost his focus in any sort of important situation like that before.
Never.
So, as you can imagine, Tora was beyond the point of frustration right now. He was perfectly furious.
That man was going to pay a great deal for messing with his life so much. For messing with his head, and his heart. There was absolutely no way in hell that Tora could let that guy have Akari, and he would make sure that things worked out to his liking in the end.
He just needed to get back to the original plan. Maybe he should contact Chiyo today...
Ah, but he couldn't. He didn't have the time. Both he and Orochi had been allowed to miss the first half of school for this meeting, but now he had to go back.
Suddenly, he clenched his fists. And Orochi would be there too now, at the school. There was just no escaping him, dammit!
Pulling his phone out, Tora looked at the last text he had sent to Akari. As he read, a smirk appeared on his face.
At least he had something to look forward to when he got home.
"Holy... shit..."
"Yeah..."
"Holy fucking shit."
"Yes, I know."
"Like, I mean, holy fucking god damn shit!"
"Aika! Language, dammit!"
"That was a bit of a counteractive statement, Akari."
Slapping a hand to her forehead, Akari sighed in complete aggravation. Sometimes, this girl...
"So, lemme get this straight." Aika splayed her hands behind her head as they continued walking down the street. "Basically... everyone's getting married?"
Akari blanched. "Uh..."
Her friend shrugged. "All I heard was the word 'fiancée' a bunch of times. Igarashi's engaged to Chiyo, and you're engaged to Orochi. But Orochi loves Igarashi's fiancée, Chiyo, and you love her fiancée, who is Igarashi. It's all about this big love square where everyone loves someone they aren't supposed to. God knows who this Chiyo girl loves, but she's not important really. The main issue is, your fiancée wants revenge on the man you love because he's engaged to the girl he loves, and that's all you know, right?"
"Sort of, but..." Akari muttered, unsure.
"The way I see it, there is a very simple solution." Aika stopped walking as they got to the corner of the street, and she turned to Akari. "Switch."
"Switch?" A sudden cold breeze filled the air, and Akari pulled her coat more tightly around herself. It was getting very late into the afternoon... they had really talked for a long time! "What do you mean?"
Aika rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "My god, you're impossible. I mean you guys should all just switch places. Switch fiancées. That way Chiyo can be Orochi's and you can have your so-called tiger."
Akari was about to say it was not so simple as that, when her phone suddenly began this insistent ringing, interrupting their conversation. Picking it from her pocket, she looked at the screen and blinked in surprise. "Speak of the devil..."
"I'm gonna head off," Aika told her over the sound of the still-ringing phone. "I promised Seiji I'd meet up with him after school and tell him everything we talked about. That goody-two-shoes didn't wanna skip out on classes today..."
Placing her ear buds back in her ears finally again, Aika walked across the frozen street, flipping off a car that almost ran into her. Akari rolled her eyes at her careless friend, after all, there wasn't even a crosswalk there...
Suddenly, the ringing device in her hand went silent and she glanced, as if surprised, down at her cell phone. Oops.
In the end, she only shrugged and dialed for her driver. Whatever he had to say to her, they could just talk in person back at the estate.
When she got back, the mansion was quiet as per usual. She figured she should check to see if Tora was home though. The two of them still had a lot to talk about, she was sure.
Walking down the empty halls, she realized all over again how much better this was from her own estate. Everything had a lighter hue... though there was still an emptiness in the giant house that couldn't really be filled. It was there in every rich estate- the space was huge and elegant, sure, but it just left more room for families to get separated and lost in.
Turning the next corner, Akari found herself walking right up to his bedroom door. That was quicker than usual- maybe she had been walking a bit fast.
But why?
Oh, god, she wasn't excited because of the whole shower thing, was she?!
Shaking her head back and forth, she decided that the answer to that was a definite- NO.
Well, maybe it was a maybe.
"Shut up..." She rebuked herself, raising a hand and knocking on the door.
...No answer.
She knocked again, this time a bit more loudly than before. Three knocks, then a pause... then three knocks again.
"Maybe he really isn't home yet..."
The sudden sound of a lock being unlatched surprised her, and then the door was opened, revealing Tora.
He gazed down at her, golden eyes lazily taking her in while she blushed at his appearance.
She couldn't stop her gaze from traveling the length of him- he really was tall. And his chest looked smooth and hard, the muscles there well-defined. His lean figure was complimented nicely by an abdomen that appeared rock-solid and chills suddenly ran up her spine as her gaze went even lower, to his torso, drinking in all that could be seen. His entire physique was so perfect, long legs, strong arms, hard muscles... all of it sculpted by means of the lessons in judo and other sports that he'd probably taken throughout his adolescence.
Then, the white towel hanging low around his hips suddenly had all her attention, and she bit her lower lip as her gaze swept along the edges of it, her hormones starting to get the better of her now.
Undoubtedly, she wanted to reach out and run her hands all over his perfect body. Maybe even be bold and rip the towel right off-
Wait, what the hell? She wasn't a pervert!... Was she!?
"Hn? My eyes are up here." He reached forward with his free hand, gripping her chin and lifting it, so she was looking into his amused gaze. "I don't suppose you'd like to resume where we left off this morning? Maybe you could come finish my shower with me?"
Akari jolted away from his hand, turning so that her back was to him. She tried to control herself, and took a steadying breath in, then out. "No, we need to talk about a lot of things still."
Sighing, Tora reached out and grabbed her, surprising her by pulling her inside his room. She stumbled backwards while the door shut and he stepped away, moving around her and walking over to his wardrobe.
She spun around and glowered at him, folding her arms. "You didn't answer me this morning. I want to know what exactly is going on with you."
Tora sighed. Ah, he really should've let the towel 'slip' when he had the chance... now he had to deal with her stubborn questioning.
"I suppose I need to come out in the open about some things." He said, fully aware that she was staring at him while he searched for some boxers and pants.
When he pulled out both items from a drawer, Akari scowled and he watched her with a blank look as she turned away from him. "Eh? What's your problem?"
"You're acting as if you are going to change right there in front of me, lecher!" She called out, walking over to a couch and sitting at it, still with her back facing him.
Tora smirked, allowing the towel to finally drop. "Don't you want to see~?"
"Not interested." She said blandly, face turned towards the floor, while Tora grinned and slipped into his clothes a few paces behind her.
"So stubborn~" He teased freely, chuckling lowly.
"Just get your ass over here and start explaining already!"
Tora frowned, sensing her impatience building and realizing the 'foreplay', per say, of this conversation was over. He wanted to drag it out, and maybe distract her and move on to other, more pleasurable activities...
Ah, but wasn't he good at being distracting? Hmm...
Smirking, he appeared on the couch beside her, letting his arm slide behind her, and when she turned her head to look at him, her jaw dropped, her eyes obviously angry.
"Put your clothes on so we can talk!"
"I have." He insisted.
"What, no shirt then?" She clenched her fists.
His eyes shone brightly as he tossed her a lie. "Couldn't find one."
Scowling, and highly frustrated, Akari stood up. "I'll get one for you my- self!"
Abruptly, Tora reached out and grabbed her around the waist, dragging her down and onto the couch once more... in his lap now. He leaned in towards her ear, one arm encircling her possessively while he growled. "No need. It's better like this."
"...You really are a bastard." She shook her head, blushing at their position as he chuckled and kissed the edge of her jaw. She could feel a warm churning in her stomach, but, she still wanted answers, and would stay persistent about it. "Tora... I need to know what's going on. I've only been told small bits of information... it involves me, so I have a right to know."
"Not all of it involves you."
"Well, whatever." She huffed, frustrated. "At least tell me why you said all those things that night... and why you seem to want me now- it's confusing! Do you like me or not? Am I nothing to you, or are you interested? You keep contradicting yourself and I don't know what to think-"
"You didn't answer my call earlier."
"...Nandeyanen!" She angrily shouted, rolling her eyes and trying to stand up and get away, but he simply pulled her in tightly to his chest. His chin rested at her shoulder, and a small smile stuck itself to his face- his 'evil' smile.
"You know, I was really looking forward to playing with you once I got home... but you weren't here."
"Just what is wrong with you? Like that's important!" She struggled again in his lap, and he groaned when she wriggled against a particular... part, of him.
Leaning over, he turned her face towards him and kissed her suddenly on the mouth, acting on impulse.
When he bit her lip it allowed him access, as she was too surprised by the sudden attack to fight back yet, and in mere seconds his tongue was tangling with hers, doing unthinkable things and getting the both of them all riled up, once again, just like that morning.
Akari pushed hard against his chest with her palms- she had somehow now ended up completely turned around, straddling him. The heat from his body entranced her own body, but her mind was fighting back, and even though his firm muscles felt good underneath her hands, she was pushing away from him, trying to get him to back off.
When he released her lips, she gasped out. "We still have to talk about what's going on with you and Orochi-"
"Don't marry him." Tora cut her off, causing her to blink wildly.
His head lowered down to her neck while his hands held her around her waist, keeping her on top of him, still straddling him as he laid back against the sofa. She couldn't see the look on his face, and he didn't want her to. He didn't like showing any sort of weakness, and he didn't like this... jealous, putrid feeling. He was being overprotective of her and it was weird for him. He wanted and needed her and he wouldn't stand for any other men trying to take her from him.
He couldn't stand... even the mere possibility of Orochi and Akari being together and married. It drove him mad just thinking about it. He couldn't share her. He couldn't let her be another man's lover. He had to have her, there was no question about it. He had to.
Yes, Tora had a strange way of loving... a possessive, overprotective, perverse, jealous, selfish way of showing his affection. That's just who he is.
"Tell me you won't marry him, and I'll give you whatever explanations you ask for."
He just couldn't stop himself. He had already started with the ridiculous ranting- and now he couldn't stop.
Akari, shocked beyond belief, opened and closed her mouth trying to get words out.
There was a short, discomforting pause where his head shot up and his eyes met hers. He glowered while her heart beat rapidly. She didn't know what good it would to do simply say she wouldn't marry Orochi- as things stood now, she was as good as engaged to him, even if she didn't have the ring yet and he hadn't officially asked her. Apparently, this had been planned for a while now, and her family along with the Fuirutsu's had agreed to it. Sure, she could tell Tora she wouldn't marry Orochi- but it's not like she could promise him that it wouldn't happen. She didn't want it to happen- but then, she had no power over whether it did or not.
Maybe, she could tell Tora what he wanted to hear, as long as she didn't have to promise.
"It's not like I want to marry him... I don't even know the guy that well..."
"Just say it already." He said, impatient, his grip on her hips tightening slightly while he practically glared at her.
"Alright, I won't marry Orochi." She avoided his eyes as she spoke.
"Repeat it."
"I won't marry Orochi." This time she looked straight at him.
Tora growled, pressing his forehead to hers. The gold of his eyes completely obscured her vision. "Say it like you mean it, Akari."
"I don't want to marry Orochi, baka! Stop acting like this! It's improper and you don't even have a shirt on!" She yelped, pulling his hands off of her and scooting away from him, moving to sit at the couch across from the one they'd been on.
Tora wasn't taken aback by her outburst- in fact, he knew if he pushed her like that, he should expect it. Still, that didn't change the fact that it made him angry. He looked at Akari, and she glared back at him, and then... he sighed deeply.
"Fine." He sounded pissed off, though he was doing a pretty grand job of masking it. "I guess I told you if you said that I'd answer your questions. So," He laid out flat on the couch, stretching his legs (which went over the arm rest) and folding his arms back behind his head. "Ask away."
It took her a moment to register his unusual submission, but when he peered at her, shooting her an annoyed look, she straightened up in her seat and began.
"Well... so far, all I know is the basics, not the details. Orochi told me he's in love with Chiyo, and a small thing about yours and his families not getting along... it was all kind of vague though."
"Orochi and I have been enemies for years." He started then out of no where, looking up at the ceiling as he spoke in a dull tone.
"And all of a sudden, we're jumping into the past..." Akari mumbled, irritated.
"You'd be surprised how much the past has to do with things now..." He spoke in a quiet voice.
Akari sighed just as heavily as he had, leaning back in her seat. Now that the scary Tora was gone, it seemed to have left behind an exhausted, weirdly calm side of him that seemed almost... weak. She shivered as she thought of that- weak was never something she could describe Tora as, and yet... right now...
"The Fuirutsu's and the Igarashi's don't exactly get along..." Tora continued to explain, eyes closing as his ramblings went on. "Our fathers hate each other, and both of our companies compete. We've always stayed barely one step ahead of them."
"Okay, so what-"
"Shut up." Tora cracked open an eye, staring at her pointedly. "When I'm talking."
Crossing her arms, Akari glared at him, but then he closed his eyes again and simply kept going.
"When I was younger I first met Orochi at a party- it was an assigned meeting that my mother had told me I had to participate in. She had said at the time that it was for my own personal reasons- for me to find a friend. A true friend, one that I didn't have to pretend to be friends with for the benefit of our families getting along. I became aware that that was a lie right away, but still, I didn't know anything really then. Anyway, he hated me right from the start, simply because of our families issues with each other, and I didn't exactly like him either. We always fought and got in massive arguments when left on our own. One time, I hit him-" Tora suddenly smirked. "And he hit me right back. That had never happened to me before. So, the hatred grew."
"Little did I know, I had really messed up. Me becoming friends with Orochi was the last way for our families to finally start to get along. The adults all thought that, if we, even at our young, juvenile age, could be on good terms, then they should be able to as well. Well, maybe if I had been told the truth, I would have tried harder." Tora paused, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling once more. "But there were apparent 'rules' set in place. Our families couldn't tell either of us how important it was. That way, it was a true test. To see if it was actually really possible for a Fuirutsu and an Igarashi to get along."
"Tora... where does this all lead?" Akari asked, curious at how deep this went.
"It leads to Orochi's permanent hatred for me, our families' long-lasting feud, and, eventually, his revenge plan that's presently being initiated."
Suddenly he sat up, turning properly around in his seat so that he could face her and look her in the eye. "I won't go into detail, because there's no need. But apparently, Orochi and Chiyo are childhood friends, and he's always been in love with her. When it became known that I was engaged to her, he lost it. His hatred for me was added on to his family's hatred for my family, and that was when things really started getting competitive. Each company began fighting for the highest position, it was a war, you could say. At the time, Orochi and I were still young, so it shouldn't have mattered so much. The engagement was years away, and even now, today, I'm still not married to her yet. But he is one to hold a grudge, so that's led to everything happening now... he's trying to take you away from me because he thinks-"
He stopped suddenly, eyes widening as his words trailed off and he stared at Akari in shock. A few more words, and he'd have said it. He might have accidentally confessed, right then in that moment.
Cocking an eyebrow, Akari glanced at him with a suspicious gaze. "What? He thinks what?"
Tora sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Nothing. He's just using you to get his revenge on me, and that's that."
"You see, that, I knew. He even told me himself. But what I want to know is... why would he use me? Is there a specific reason it's me?"
He opened his mouth, ready with an excuse, but she cut him off quickly.
"Also, why would you say all that to me? What you did the other night. Believe it or not, it hurt me a lot. Is that how you really feel? You think of me as something you've used, gotten sick of, and can now throw away?"
"That's-"
"If that's how you truly feel, maybe I should marry Orochi. He may not love me, but then again, neither do you, right? What's the big deal if I marry him? You wouldn't care."
"Stop." Tora warned, standing up.
She stood up herself, and began walking around the couch. "You can have any other girl to play around with. So maybe I should just leave-"
"I said shut up, dammit!"
Akari didn't really know what happened, but she suddenly found herself pressed into the edge of the coffee table, her hands holding her up behind her on the wooden surface. Tora was directly in front of her, gripping the edge of the table himself with his hands on either side of her, as he leaned over her smaller form, giving her a meaningful glare.
"Shut the hell up." He gritted, eyes burning with malice and several other misplaced emotions.
Shocked, Akari opened her mouth to say something, which was a bad idea. Quickly, and being pushed by his angry adrenaline, Tora raised a hand and grabbed behind her neck, pulling her head up to his and kissing her with passion. Since her mouth was so conveniently open already, he simply inserted his tongue and let it circle with hers, kissing her slowly, intimately, but powerfully.
As their tongues danced and their lips pulled and pushed, he slid his other hand up her back, pressing his knee onto the table between her legs. When he had his own balance, he began to lower her down onto the table, smirking into her mouth when she momentarily panicked and wrapped her arms around his neck.
When she was placed beneath him, only then did he pause to pull away and stare at her. She had a blank look on her face, still surprised by his behavior and the sudden intense kiss, and her cheeks were flushed beautifully while her hair slid around her shoulders in their usual cinnamon waves. Saliva wetted her lips and her eyes were shining.
There was a sudden second beat added to his heart's usual rhythm- no, maybe it was actually his heart skipping a beat. Tora didn't know, after all, he had never been a man of feeling, until Ayazawa, and even then, that was almost nothing compared to what he was experiencing now.
He already knew that he loved Akari. He found that out not too long ago.
But it was near impossible for himself to confirm that just yet. Loving meant giving all of yourself to a person. That included your own weaknesses. They'd see all the bad in you, along with the good.
Could this girl actually accept someone as messed up as himself? Could he even allow himself to give up his secrets, every single part of him, to her?
He had never tried to love another person, because he himself had never been a selfless person. And love is a selfless concept, isn't it? So how could he love?
Being selfish is a way of looking out for yourself- if you're selfish, you never have to sacrifice anything. That's how he'd always seen it.
"Tora?"
He blinked, suddenly coming out of his head and back to reality. He looked down at Akari, trying to mask his emotions once more.
Akari stared up at the man she had, somehow, fallen for. He looked conflicted, which was, well, new. Normally he tried to be so composed... and even, cold. Probably so that he wouldn't ever allow anyone in, so that he could never give himself the opportunity of being betrayed, or hurt.
He wasn't someone to ever leave their guard down, she knew. And yet, she felt like around her, he could be a different person sometimes. He could let his guard down and relax for once in his life; like when she sat with him after he cried and they simply slept together, or just the other little things-
She knew that the whole sweater thing was a trick of his, but there was also a small part about it where she knew, he just wanted to buy her something nice.
And then, when he told her friends to leave that one day when they were exploring the estate... well, she can surely assume he's not good at sharing. His actions were probably out of jealousy, something stupid like that, and yet, to him it meant a lot. That's why he locked her in her room that day. And no matter how pissed off that made her, she knew he was mainly just trying to keep Kai's hands off of her.
She remembered it all- the way he put his coat around her, the way he put his arm around her, the way he would occasionally glance at her when he thought she wasn't noticing... those were all tiny little things that, under normal circumstances, he would never, ever do. He'd never show his affections to someone for real, because that meant he was showing weakness as well. To him, feeling things was a weakness.
He may have a delusional way of acting, what with his cocky attitude and his self-superiority. And in the beginning of it all, she knew- he really was a rich bastard, a womanizer, untrustworthy, conniving golden devil who could care less about the difference between right and wrong. He was someone who always had a motive for everything, and that motive was a selfish one that in the end only accomplished something that he wanted, for himself and only himself.
But somehow, along the way and with everything that happened between the two of them, he began to change- or maybe he didn't change much, but she simply started to see past the illusion that is the Igarashi heir, the Student Council President of Miyabigaoka... And she started to simply see Tora as he is instead.
Truth and fact: he wasn't that bad of a person, she had come to realize. He was just terrible at dealing with his feelings in the right way, awful at connecting with his emotions, and pretty damn unpracticed when it came to the concept of anything close to love.
That's why... she would say it first.
"Tora..." She moved her hand to his face, making sure his eyes were looking down on her. Taking a deep breath, she stared right at him. "I-"
A sudden knocking interrupted everything.
He blinked down at her, and she stared up at him, and neither of them knew what to say or do. But both of them knew- whatever important thing was about to happen, whatever that intense emotion was that was hanging in the air between them, was now slowly ebbing away. The moment had been completely ruined.
Now, even though Tora had no idea what she was about to say to him, he could feel that it was obviously important, and so he easily became very annoyed by the interruption.
"WHAT?" He growled, turning his head towards the closed door, but still not moving from his position over Akari.
A lady's voice; "Sir? T-there is a visitor for you."
Cursing under his breath, Tora pulled back from Akari, stepping off the coffee table and allowing her to also get to her feet. He merely glanced over at her, and then suddenly he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the door with him.
Though she didn't know what was going on or who this visitor could be, he acted as if he knew exactly what was about to occur- and he didn't seem happy about it.
Wait, someone to see Tora that he wasn't happy about meeting with? Hmm... well, aside from everyone, the main person would be-
Tora practically ripped the door off its hinges, terrifying the maid on the other side. She quickly did a half-bow sort of stumble and ran off, allowing the flustered Akari to be dragged down the halls in Tora's tight grasp.
"You know you don't have to see him-" She tried, but he shook his head back and forth as they traveled.
"He will continue showing up like this until he becomes impatient. And once he's impatient, he'll try new methods to grab my attention, or yours. Either way, we will end up being interrupted by him. Might as well deal with it now."
They found the front hall quickly enough, at the furious pace they were going, and then they were in the large entryway, and stopped abruptly there on the spot.
"How many times are you going to show up uninvited?" Tora snapped, his grip on Akari's wrist tightening. She winced, but said nothing. The air was much too tense now for her to try the usual insistent arguing or stubborn chatter.
Orochi smirked, leaning back against the wall. "As many times as it takes." His eyes then scanned Akari. "I trust you are better now?"
"I thought," Tora continued on blandly, completely disregarding the fact that the other man had tried making conversation with Akari. "I made it clear to you on that first day. For you to give up and go home and let things be. This whole ordeal with your revenge and your insistent pestering is becoming ridiculous." His eyes narrowed. "So do everyone a favor and leave, would you?"
Akari glanced warily up at Tora. He stood there, tall as ever, and his grip was tight and possessive on her wrist. His gaze, narrowed and deadly, fierce and beautifully harsh and golden, for once showed something she had never really seen in his eyes before- impatience. And then there was the ever-present annoyance there as well, something that always came to light whenever he saw someone he found unworthy of his time.
"What, like a kicked puppy with my tail between my legs?" Orochi glanced at Akari, smiled, and then looked back to Tora, who had tensed up. "I refuse to give up. Especially when it's just getting to the good part, and you're finally breaking down. And then, also, regardless of what you want or she wants or, even what I want, I haven't got the choice of giving up. She is to be my fiancée."
Angered by the man's 'and that's final' type of tone, Akari butted in, growing all the more baffled with this conversation as it continued. "Wait, when have you been here before? I mean, besides the night that everyone was arguing about finding me."
Tora tried to say something first, but Orochi was quicker.
"I was here that first day you arrived, Akari." He smiled bitter-sweetly at her.
The girl was lost for a moment. "On... the day I came to live with the Igarashi's? When? I didn't see you- what's more, I wasn't told-"
"You wouldn't have been told," Orochi sneered, glaring at Tora's hand, which was firmly gripping her wrist still. "I was kicked out before I could even see you, after all."
Akari balked. Her mind was spinning as she thought hard, trying to remember all that time ago, on that first night she had stayed in the Igarashi estate. She traced her visit all the way until she was taken to her bedroom, and then, she recalled that small, almost unimportant detail.
"YOU were the reason I heard the door slam that night then? What was that about?"
"Yes. Tora wouldn't even see me for himself- he sent the servants to do his dirty work. I was rushed outside and the door was slammed and locked, right in my face." He suddenly smiled, his dimples looking out of place, as the smile was anything but innocent. "Not a very kind thing to do, don't you think? I only wanted to visit with you."
"You wanted to do more than that." Tora firmly spoke up, gaze serious.
Orochi stared, directly into Tora's golden-eyed glory. It was a brave move, and Akari had to admire it, if only a little. "So what if I did? We are going to be married eventually. I thought I might as well get acquainted with my new wife. I wanted to introduce myself to her, and then take her back to her estate where she belongs. From there I planned to propose soon enough-"
Tora's grip had become highly painful as Orochi just kept talking, and Akari nudged him a bit, trying to get his attention. He glanced down at her briefly, realized that he was practically breaking her wrist, and loosened his hold. Though he did not intend to let go.
"None of that is going to happen." Tora glared at his rival meaningfully. "Akari refuses to marry you."
"I don't think she has a choice, as I just told you a minute ago."
"Would you stop talking about me in 3rd person?!" Akari snapped, and both of their intense gazes landed on her. She sweat-dropped, but continued. "I am standing right here."
There was only a moment of pause, and then both men were back to glaring at each other.
"You're too caught up in your senseless revenge." Tora smirked. "It'll ruin you. You need to find some closure."
"Actually, that would be your job to do, Tora-kun." Orochi mocked, gaze darkening. "After I take her from you once and for all."
Wrenching harshly out of Tora's grasp, Akari surprised both men by spinning to stand in the middle of the two, turning her gaze from one of them to the other. Her voice was clear, and hardly polite.
"Did you not hear me before?" She practically spat the words from her mouth. "don't continue to speak of me as if I'm not standing right here next to you!"
Both men blinked. And then- both men smirked, Tora's look was one of amusement, while Orochi looked pleasantly impressed and surprised.
"No wonder he has interest in you. You've got a lot of spunk, for such a small girl. I guess I don't get to see a lot of that defiance in most women. Maybe stealing you away will have more benefits than simply for indulging in my revenge."
While Tora took a step forward, Akari turned away from him and faced Orochi full-on. She glared. "What are you getting at? You sound like you have more to say."
"Akari-" Tora began, reaching for her, and grabbing her hand, a stern look in his eyes as she turned her head to glance at him. It wasn't said aloud, but he clearly wanted her to get away from the other man.
Next thing she knew, his eyes were widening in the absolute look of horror and shock.
"What...?" When she turned back to continue reprimanding Orochi, she, too, was shocked into silence at what he was doing. There he was, bent down on one knee, pulling a big, shining rock on a silver band out of his pocket. A wedding ring.
A wedding ring?!
Panic set in quickly. She froze up, unable to move while he reached for her hand, the one not grasped by Tora, and spoke something to her. It barely even reached her ears.
"I should have done this sooner, but then I was unable to on the night I'd planned... Well, I came here to take you back where you belong, so I might as well propose while I still can... lord knows I won't be doing it in the car."
Akari's face went completely blank and her eyes widened as his fingers brushed against hers, and the ring was so close to sliding right on. She had never been proposed to before! And then, there was the fact that this didn't really seem right- what with one man, the man she actually loved, grabbing her right hand, and then another man, the man she was supposed to marry, holding her left hand, about to slide the ring on her finger.
The situation was too much to handle so quickly all at once, therefore, her brain was currently spouting something along the lines of: what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuccckkkk-
She was internally screaming as she watched Orochi begin to slide the ring down her finger.
A harsh tug had her tumbling, out of the maze of her mind and the fear due to the ring and the proposal, and back into a reality that felt strangely like... Tora's arms wrapped warmly and possessively around her waist. There was the sound of the ring dropping to the floor with a light 'clinkety-clinking' sound, and then absolute silence.
Looking up and back, she realized she was, indeed, being hugged from behind by Tora, pulled tight against his chest. Over her head, he was sending a death glare, the ultimate look of deep hatred, at Orochi, who was standing up now from where he knelt.
Surprisingly, the other man had a smile on his face. He placed the ring back in his pocket after grabbing it from the floor, and then just stared at the way his rival was holding onto Akari, holding her as if his life depended on it. Tora had never been seen so unhinged from his usual calm facade of cool and casual. And Orochi was enjoying this almost too much.
"What?" Tora sneered, danger glinting in his eyes. "You can't even propose properly, because you think it'd be better to do it right in front of me? This revenge of yours has made you pathetic."
"I need to talk with Akari alone." The other suddenly declared, ignoring Tora's insult.
The grip around Akari's waist did not loosen.
"No."
Rolling his eyes, Orochi stepped forward and grabbed Akari's arm, causing Tora to grab onto Orochi's arm, glaring menacingly.
Hadn't they been in a situation like this once before...?
"You have nothing to worry about," Orochi stared hard at Tora, who was about ready to flip the dimpled idiot over his shoulder. "I'll leave you both alone now. For today."
Feeling really uncomfortable with the two boys sandwiching her between them as they argued, Akari tried to move, and was highly surprised when she felt the hold on her waist loosen.
Tora stepped back, slowly, and very carefully. Although his eyes were narrowed on Orochi to distrustful slits, and he looked as if the last thing he ever wanted to do was let him be alone with Akari... Tora turned away, giving a tiny, slight nod of approval, and to Akari's absolute amazement, he walked down the hallway, leaving them to their time alone together.
At the last minute, they could clearly hear him call out; "You have one minute."
Ah, that's more like him.
"He..." She held up a hand, as if to try to make some sort of gesture that explained Tora's strange behavior, but then Orochi stopped her by speaking up.
"Though we are rivals, we understand each other well. He knows that I will simply talk with you and then take my leave. I'm actually impressed that he is showing me this amount of respect... I hardly show him any sort of respect in the slightest." He shrugged. "Just goes to show how annoyingly perfect he continues to be, while I still remain second-best."
Akari's eyes narrowed. "This isn't just about Chiyo then, this whole rivalry thing. You're jealous. Of Tora."
Orochi frowned slightly, then smirked at her. "I will neither deny, nor confirm that. Anyway, I came here to take you home, but my plans changed just now as it seems Igarashi is not going to stand for that... and I'd like to avoid anything troublesome." He let go of her arm then, stepping away. "Also, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your lovely time alone together, would I?"
She responded with a glare that could possibly out-do Tora's earlier glaring.
He simply smiled in return. "So then, until next time."
She awkwardly lifted her hand to shake his outstretched one, thinking it weird that he suddenly wanted to shake hands as if they're 'good buddies' or something. Instead of shaking her hand, however, he reached forth, only grabbing it so that he could pull her up against his chest.
"He will give up." Orochi growled unexpectedly. "He will give up, once he realizes how fruitless it is to compete with me. He'll give in when he realizes the situation it puts you in. He wouldn't want his precious lover to get hurt. And then, once he gives up, all he'll be able to do is watch from the sidelines, seeing you with me instead of him. Just how I planned."
She felt something then, a tug on her hand, something cool moving across the skin of her finger. She looked down and saw his ring, and then he lifted her chin so she could stare at him, (although it was a very defiant and annoyed stare on her part). "Just how I planned... you're mine. And he can't do anything about it."
She quickly yanked her chin out of his grasp and pushed her hands against his chest, giving him a hard shove and stepping away from him. The ring on her finger felt all too uncomfortable there, unnatural, as if it shouldn't be there, and she took it off quickly, throwing it to the floor at Orochi's feet.
A meaningful look was glinting in her eyes. "You are dead wrong. I am not yours, and I won't marry you. I refuse. I refuse to assist you in your stupid revenge plan. You don't even love me, therefore you have no right to call me 'yours'."
He smirked, bending down to retrieve the ring once more. As he walked towards the door, he looked back at her, a glint in his eyes and a strange smile on his lips.
"I guess our minute's about up now, so I'll be leaving. But, I'll be back."
She crossed her arms, knowing there was more he had to say still.
"...You know, you're right, I really don't love you." He commented simply. "But with that spirit of yours, I can see myself actually enjoying our marriage." He chuckled a bit. "I truly can... For the first time, I look forward to it, for a different reason besides my revenge on Tora."
She glared at him. "About Tora- you were wrong. About him giving up. You're wrong."
Orochi raised both eyebrows, as if amused or interested. "Oh? But what if you get hurt because of the consequences there are to refusing my proposal? You don't think he cares if something happens to you in all of this mess?"
Akari turned her back on her EX-fiancée, finished with their little chat now. A knowing look was shining brightly in her eyes as she spoke. "You shouldn't underestimate just how selfish he can be."
A/N: Phew!
Finally finished this chapter.
Anyway, I'll try updating faster next time. Give it, say, a week?
Also... have you noticed I didn't really end this chap in a cliffhanger?! YAAAYY I tried to not leave you in suspense for once! Really, I don't mean to always be doing that, I just sort of accidentally end things off with a twist all of the time. My apologies for turning you all into a bundle of nerves.
Please review, and you may be upgraded from the ranking 'peasant' to the ranking 'slave'
And if you're REALLY a star viewer, who reviews like, alll the time, I might allow you to upgrade from 'slave' to 'prisoner'
...Am I a sadist? (O.O) ?
Naaaahhhh.
CK :*
p.s~ I love all of you guys, and seriously, thank you a great deal for your thoughtful reviews and your devotion to the story.
(But if you don't review I will not hesitate to harm you)
^,^