A/N: Blah blah blah words words words yadda yadda here's this chapter's quotes:
"I totter, and did I take steps would be tipped over, like the ideal of some mistaken lover." ― Robert Frost
"A snare is Love, a shame, who are maimed with Love, totter and falter and stare, lost in a world defamed." ― Hilda Doolittle
Chapter Thirty-Three. ...As If About To Fall
He was leaning back against the wall directly across from her bedroom door, looking quite comfortable and calm with his arms crossed in a casual manner. As always, his appearance alone and simply the way he held himself demanded that all eyes should be on him; he looked as suave as ever in a silken, beige button-up shirt, dark dress pants, and perfectly shined wingtips.
Akari blinked in his general direction as she exited her room, but other than that she forced herself to tear her eyes away from the glorious sight. Damn him and all his perfection... sometimes, she truly hated how attractive he was. It only made it harder to resist him.
Seeing that she had finally come out of her room, Tora straightened up and wordlessly approached her. He took three graceful steps forward before he was able to reach out a hand, and unexpectedly, gently he ran his long fingers through her hair. He couldn't seem to help himself, and the action had been on impulse. She did look rather upset, and there was a small part of him that wanted to comfort her.
For some strange reason, Akari stiffened, yet allowed him to be this close to her. As his fingers slid through her hair, he noted randomly in his mind that it had grown longer, and now curved four or five inches past her shoulders, in waves of rich cinnamon-brown. His eyes traveled to her face while he curled a lock around one of his fingers, and he frowned when he realized that her bangs had grown quite a bit as well and they swept, un-styled, almost directly into her pewter orbs.
When he moved his hand to cradle her cheek in order to guide her face closer to his, Akari looked up and met his eyes with a careful glance. In her eyes, she sent him a clear message- and it said not to mess with her right now. She wasn't always so willing, and though her bark was worse than her bite, she would still probably bite if he tried anything at the moment. After all, she wasn't in the best of moods.
The Igarashi heir already knew when not to take things too far though, and instead of leaning in for a kiss as it looked like he would do, he simply reached up with his free hand and brushed her bangs away so that they didn't overshadow her eyes. The corners of his lips quirked upward slightly and his eyes darkened when he could clearly see the fierce look in her bright gaze. If he didn't have such impressive control over his urges, that look of hers would drive him to do a series of inappropriate things to her, right where they stood.
"I'll have Maki take you to get a haircut tomorrow." He voiced, breaking the unnerving silence between them. He was still standing much too close to her to be considered socially acceptable, and his hand was still resting at her left cheek, his thumb rubbing over the smooth surface of her skin, almost in a teasing, taunting manner. His eyes burned into hers, staring as if trying to spread some of their own golden warmth into her silver, icy, blue-tinted depths.
Each of these small actions of his seemed to add up in order to imply one very prominent message: she was his, and he had her all to himself. He stood there towering over her, staring deep into her eyes- and his gaze along with his calm presence could almost be translated as him being affectionate towards her- except his fingers applying pressure to her cheek felt like he was trying to assert his dominance over her. With just that, the way he held his hand to her face and smoothed his thumb across the rise of her cheekbone, he had her feeling both teased by him, and owned by him. It was like he was mocking her with just a simple touch.
Muttering about infuriating, idiotic tigers under her breath, Akari lifted her own hand to touch his, and she slowly peeled his hand away from her cheek, her mind dismissing the amused way in which he stared at her. Taking a step back, she brushed her hands over the outfit she had changed into- a delicate, over-sized sweater that hung low to her hips like a dress, and the most elegant pair of black leggings that she could find in her closet- and avoided all eye contact with him.
"I do not need a haircut, and I certainly don't need you waiting there right outside my bedroom door like some sort of stalker." Her tone had some bark to it, that was for sure, her eyes pinned to the floor and glaring at the carpet.
Tora resisted grabbing her by the arm and forcing a kiss on her, which made a muscle in his face unexpectedly twitch. More than anything lately, all he'd been thinking about, all he'd been wanting, was to give her enough proof of his true feelings that she would wholly accept him. He wanted her to love him, and he wanted her. Though it was true he had told her she was his, she was still resisting, he still wanted more- and she wasn't making it easy for him to be patient and control his urges. He tried to hold back, tried to not be affected by her new-found sass and the way she so blatantly refused to look at him at the moment...
Tora sighed, heavily, moving his hand through his hair distractedly as his eyes roamed all over his prize. He couldn't help it, she was such a temptation.
He tried to ignore how her attractiveness was only amplified when she behaved so fiercely like she was now, and he also tried to ignore how the possessive, controlling, dominant side of him wanted so badly to snuff that light of resistance out of her and make sure she knew who was in charge of who here. He wanted to tame her, fuck her, love her, keep her as his very own. He wanted to remind her over and over again that she belonged to him, and that she should obey him and give him her love as well... Truly, he was some sort of selfish animal, with powerful male instincts and a sick, twisted way of showing his love.
But he didn't care. He was Tora Igarashi, and that's just who Tora Igarashi was. Should he care? If he wanted her, he wanted her. And he'd have her. If he loved her, no matter how messed up his concept of love was, those were still his feelings. And he'd force his feelings onto her. (That's just who he was.)
Still, though, he knew better than to act rashly right now. Now was not the time for proving himself to her, or getting her to submit to him again like she had been but two hours prior to this- now was simply not the time and he knew that. Chiyo would be arriving at the front door of his estate any minute.
The tiger forced a smile, showing rows of perfectly straight white teeth, and two sharp canines. "So you're alright with your bangs hanging in front of your eyes? Well then, I plan on seeing you walk your way into a wall sometime very soon."
Akari scowled almost immediately after he spoke, her eyes flying over to look at him for a brief moment, and she opened her mouth-
"Also," Tora cut her off with that fake, gentlemanly tone of his. "call me a 'stalker' if you like, but I was only waiting for you for a few minutes. If it's fine by you, I would like to take you with me to the living room now, where we'll be waiting until Chiyo arrives."
She couldn't help it. Every word he'd said was disregarded, except for one. A name, that her brain chose to focus on. "...Chiyo?" Her lips moved tentatively as if testing out the name.
Tora looked down at her with a certain glint in his eyes.
"Chiyo Sakurai. My fian-"
"Your fiancée. Right. I could have guessed it myself, that's who you were talking about." She completely avoided his gaze and tried to speak as if she was simply stating a fact, though for some reason, her voice had a small quiver in it. Clearing her throat, she pushed past him and started strutting her way down the hallway. "Well, let's go then. I'm curious to see what the great Igarashi heir's betrothed looks like." Her throat seemed to close up tightly at the end of that sentence.
Tora blinked once, allowing the smile to wipe clean off his face. He quirked a brow and hurried after her, following her brisk movements with his own smooth, long steps.
Once walking alongside her, he stole a glance down at her face, and saw that she looked rather pale now. What, earlier she was burning up, and now she's white as a ghost? Did she have a fever?
He started to reach out a hand to touch her forehead, but then drew back.
Or perhaps... perhaps the nerves were getting to her? Perhaps, she wasn't all too comfortable with meeting his fiancée, and the fact that he even had a fiancée truly bothered her...
"Nervous?" He voiced, a new grin on his face as he peered down at her with a knowing gaze.
Akari, who had been thinking over things in her head and focusing almost all of her attention on putting one foot in front of the other, startled when he spoke. She looked up and met his gaze, trying to put a mask over her features.
"Am I supposed to be?" She answered his question with a question of her own.
Tora grabbed her elbow, guiding her around the corner she was about to pass. She really wasn't paying attention to where she was going. "That's for you to decide." He said calmly, breaking eye contact with her while casually leading her down the next set of hallways.
Growling, Akari grabbed his arm and stopped him at the end a long corridor. The boy stared down at her with nothing but a quirked brow and an indifferent gaze, but she knew better, she knew he was secretly teasing her, inwardly smiling like the devil he is. "It's not like it's any of my business whether or not you have another woman in your life. So if somewhere in that big head of yours, you're thinking I'm concerned, or jealous, or nervous, you're wrong."
"I never said anything about jealousy or concern, Akari. I was merely asking if you were nervous, because it is perfectly normal to be nervous about meeting a member of the prestigious Sakurai family." His tone with laced with a sour, prideful hint of venom. He knew he had gotten the better of her.
Akari became tongue-tied after that. She blinked at him, and he was gazing at her so calmly- but she could see the cunning glint hidden in his eyes and it was making her more and more frustrated. Her cheeks flamed up like they had earlier today, and her bright eyes flashed while she glared.
"Alright, you pompous blonde, that's enough. I'm obviously not in the mood to be a source for your amusement, and you already got to play with me earlier at the dojo..." When a small smirk showed itself on his lips, she turned an even deeper shade of red. "So that's enough, just stop being such a menace already!"
In his head, Tora was thinking about stealing a quick kiss from her, just to get an even better reaction than the one he was getting now. Casually, he leaned forward, not to kiss her but to reach for the handle of one of the doors set into the wall next to him and open it.
"After you." He said lowly, hiding a sly smile behind his polite façade.
Silver-blue eyes zeroed in on Igarashi's face, as if detecting what lay underneath his perfected, gentlemanly mask. "...Demonic Casanova." She spat, right before walking through the door and into one of the many intricate, beautiful living rooms.
"Back to the name-calling, I see." Tora followed in behind her, closing the door with a soft 'click'.
Akari took a quick look at the way the room was set up, and noticed two couches settled across one another with a glass coffee table settled between them. There was also a chair settled in at the farthest end of the table. Immediately, she sat down in the chair, thinking it would be the safer option, what with Tora roaming around the area, searching for any opening to aggravate her. She did not want him sitting beside her- especially considering who their company was going to be.
Tora eyed his prize for a moment, smirking before sitting down on one of the expensive sofas. Now all there was to do is wait for Chiyo to arrive.
The room had remained silent for quite some time, before there came a polite knock on the door. A maid introduced Chiyo, and led her into the room before leaving to get everyone some tea.
Akari's eyes widened and she felt compelled to straighten her back as she sat in her chair, when she first got a look at Tora's fiancée.
The girl was beautiful. Her hair was long- much longer than Akari's- and it looked like black silk, with a dark violet sheen to it. Her fringe was neatly combed, just like the rest of her hair, and settled lightly over her forehead, barely coming to a stop right above her misty grey eyes. Her face was the perfect oval shape and every feature on it was smooth and sweet, her eyes showed nothing but purity and kindness.
Also, she was wearing the most lovely kimono Akari had ever seen, dark purple with lovely little flower designs on it and silken trimming, and it fit her perfectly. The young lady looked both elegant and gentle, innocent and very, very pretty. Not the kind of gorgeous you'd see in a super model, and not the kind of casual beauty that Akari herself had- no, Chiyo's looks were of a softer nature, and much more refined. She looked very neat, graceful, and effortlessly beautiful.
"Hello," On top of everything else, her voice was pleasant and melodic. "My name is Chiyo Sakurai, it's a pleasure to meet you." She bowed towards Akari, who wasn't sure if she should stand up or continue sitting.
Before she could do anything, however, Chiyo then turned towards Tora, who had risen from his seat to greet her with a charming smile. "Tora-san, thank you for consenting to my wishes. I hope my visit and this meeting doesn't inconvenience you in any way."
Akari watched with a very blank look on her face as the Igarashi heir stepped forward, offering a hand to his guest and fiancée. "You could never inconvenience me." When he had hold of one of her dainty hands, he politely led her over to the couch so that she could sit down beside him.
There was a sudden pang inside of Akari's chest, which caused her to jolt slightly in her seat. Tora and Chiyo looked over at her, as if expecting her to speak.
Shit... She thought to herself, feeling all at once very uncomfortable. She looked down at her own apparel, and wondered if she was under-dressed. Her thoughts also traveled back to the conversation with Tora about her needing a hair cut, and she carefully lifted a hand to push her bangs away from her eyes.
"Errm-" Her voice did not come out like she wanted, and it even wavered a little bit. She was sweating for no god-damn reason, and in her desperation cleared her throat and tried again. "It's nice to meet you as well," She dug in deep and found that lady-like part of herself that she normally kept hidden. Her back straightened even more, and she politely crossed one leg over the other. Her gaze settled on Chiyo and she gave the girl her best smile. "My name is Akari Michiyo, and I must say, I feel honored to meet a member of the Sakurai family. It truly is a pleasure."
Tora raised an eyebrow at her behind Chiyo's back, and Akari's eyes only flickered to him for a moment before they settled back on his fiancée. The girl was smiling kindly back at her, her eyes shining with a sort of innocent, pleasant light. This girl had to be untainted by Tora- Akari even doubted that she knew what kind of person he really was. Poor girl... and she was supposed to marry him!
"Thank you. I also hope this visit doesn't inconvenience you as well, Akari-san."
On impulse, Akari corrected the woman. "Please, you don't have to call my name so formally. I'm much more comfortable not using honorifics."
Tora was smirking, and even settled back in his seat with his legs crossed, his hand rubbing his chin as if to say 'hmm, how interesting.' Akari wanted to shoot a glare at him, but knew she shouldn't with Chiyo watching her.
Chiyo was very taken aback by Akari's statement, so much so that she was speechless for a moment. When Akari blinked at her in wonder, the lady seemed to regain her senses and respectfully shook her head. "If it is alright with you, I would like to speak using honorifics. I couldn't possible talk with someone I've just met so casually."
Akari was a bit baffled herself. "Oh. Well, please excuse me then, you may call me whatever you like." She pondered to herself for a moment, wondering how many other differences there were between herself and this girl. Chiyo also used proper honorifics with Tora, her own fiancée, which she found strange, and, well, sort of unnecessary. Though she would have to respect the other girl and not speak of it.
"So... Chiyo-san, is there a specific reason that you wished to meet me?" Akari asked, trying to hide behind her own perfect mask, just like Tora did.
"When I learned that there was a young lady staying at the Igarashi residence, in all honesty I became a bit curious." Chiyo admitted, and then hesitantly she added in, "And I felt it was only fair I got to meet her."
Silver-blue eyes flickered over to Tora, who seemed to just be nothing more than a spectator of this conversation. He met her gaze as well, and she could tell he was more than interested and amused about the way things were going. Akari fought a scowl, and looked back to Chiyo with a small smile. "Well, now that you've met me, what do you think?"
It was a strange question, and she wasn't really sure why she asked it, but perhaps it was because she wanted to impress Chiyo as much as she impressed her. Admittedly, Akari felt self-conscious the moment she laid eyes on the Sakurai girl- really, it was no wonder she was chosen as the great Igarashi heir's future wife- just watching the two sitting next to each other was a sight to behold.
They were both so lovely to look at, both so refined, and yet... the differences in them were very evident. Tora exuded an aura of confidence, with a mesmerizing gaze and a presence that simply left one transfixed. Chiyo, on the other hand, had a very graceful, but gentle and shy, aura about her. Her eyes held warmth and sincerity instead of power and intensity, and her presence also left you transfixed, but in a much different way.
They were so different, and it actually made Akari wonder- were they really the perfect match? They looked like it, but she wondered what their relationship was like.
Chiyo had been regarding Akari for quite some time now, and finally she answered in a quiet voice; "I don't know you all that well, and I can only give my first impression." Her eyes met Akari's, and the look in them said that Chiyo had seemed to have figured something out. "I think that you are... a very interesting person."
This statement, for some reason, seemed to startle Tora more than Akari. Akari simply sat still, absorbing the words and trying to define what 'interesting' could mean, exactly. Tora, meanwhile, had uncrossed his legs and sat forward a bit, and his lips parted as if he were going to now partake in the conversation.
"It's getting rather late, we'll be late to dinner if we don't leave soon." He said, merely glancing at the antique grandfather clock in the room before moving his gaze over to Chiyo, and giving her a smile. "We should be going now, Chiyo."
He stood up, as did Chiyo, but when he started to walk towards the door she stopped him with a hand on his elbow. He looked back at his fiancée with a little bit of surprise.
Meanwhile, Akari, who was still sitting in her chair thinking, looked up at the two in intrigue.
"Um, Tora-san." When he looked at Chiyo's face as she spoke, Tora noted that the smile on her face was a sad one. "You don't need to take me to dinner." Her grey eyes were filled with a certain understanding, and it had taken Tora aback.
He released himself from her soft touch and turned fully to face her. "Oh? Is something wrong?" He tried to sound as concerned as possible, and also tried to ignore the way Akari was staring now.
Immediately the Sakurai girl was shaking her head back and forth, holding up a hand. "Not at all. I just know that if you were to go to dinner, you would rather have other company with you."
When Tora opened his mouth to protest, she gave him another smile, and this time it reached her eyes. "Please," She interrupted before he could start. "do not feel guilty. It would only serve to upset me greatly if I knew I had made you feel bad about anything."
Akari stood up suddenly, wondering now if the girl already knew about the way Tora was involved with her. Right as she took a step forward, Chiyo turned to face her, which made her stop in her tracks.
"Akari-san," She said sweetly, though there was a note of sadness in her sweet, shy voice. "thank you for being willing to meet with me this evening. I apologize that I took up even this much of your personal time." She bowed forward, very respectful, but Akari almost thought she seemed to be bowing in something like... defeat.
And then the girl was turning towards the door, pushing lightly past Tora, who was just standing there- not chasing after her, not saying a word.
He may not feel guilty in the slightest, but Akari was feeling it in full. "Wait!"
Chiyo looked back, blinking. Akari looked to Tora, who had his hands in his pockets and was staring right at her, glaring, daring her to say anything. She gulped, her throat parched. There was a raging fire burning in her veins that was caused by her seeing Igarashi acting in such a way. He was just letting this happen, he wasn't even trying to console Chiyo, who was obviously upset, no matter how much she tried to cover it up, that much was obvious.
Her eyes settled back on Chiyo, and Akari tried to smile as kindly as possible. "Are you sure you don't want to go to dinner? Tora seemed to be looking forward to it, and you're already here."
Tora glanced over at his fiancée now, wondering if she'd buy that. Now that he knew she was more intuitive than he'd thought, he doubted she'd believe those words, about him looking forward to dinner.
"Yes, I'm sure. I really should be leaving now." Chiyo's voice came out softly, shyly, and she wasn't even looking at Tora anymore. Instead, she locked her eyes on Akari, looking the girl up and down, noting all their differences. "It... was very nice, getting to see you for myself."
The tiger kept a close eye on the two girls as Akari stepped past him as well now, aiming for where Chiyo was standing. He stood rigidly in place, staring on blankly as his prize grabbed hold of his fiancée's hand.
Akari couldn't explain why she was feeling so sympathetic right now, but perhaps it was because she knew how hard being involved, not only romantically but in any way, with someone as selfish as Tora was. Or because she could see Chiyo finally starting to realize that she'd never catch Tora's eye in the way she wanted to. There was a look in her grey eyes, a look of mourning and self-pity, maybe even some embarrassment- shame. She imagined Chiyo most likely already knew that Tora wasn't the most... loyal man to be with, and she also imagined that the girl had always been willing to wait for him, had been stubborn enough to look past all his faults and try to make a relationship with him work.
But it was fairly obvious, to everyone in the room, that Tora had his interests set elsewhere. And Chiyo, smart, (though also gentle and innocent) girl that she was, had quickly guessed that it was Akari he wanted to be with. It went unsaid exactly how the girl found out about Akari staying at the Igarashi's, but she seemed to be well enough informed. Perhaps meeting Akari was her way of making sure the facts were true?
One thing seemed certain now, in this awkward moment with Akari holding the other girl's soft, delicate hand and peering at her closely. Chiyo knew more than she wanted to, and had now affirmed it with her own eyes. And she was acting as if she were backing down, like somehow she understood everything and needed to politely respect that. Tora may have a mask on his face and he may be a very good actor, but Chiyo had probably known him long enough to see how he felt without having to ask.
"Akari." Tora was the first to speak up after two solid minutes of the girls simply staring at each other. His voice was deep and his tone was bitter- he almost sounded like his father then.
"...It's alright, Tora-san." Chiyo's voice was still very sweet, even though Akari had breached her personal space by grabbing her hand. She smiled, a faint and polite lift of the lips aimed towards Akari. "Is there anything you'd like to say before I go?"
"Yes-" Akari blinked, speaking quickly and then stopping when she noticed, she was really at a loss of what to say. She placed a second hand over hers and Chiyo's, and smiled. Then, the words just started coming... and they wouldn't stop. "It was lovely meeting you, and I'd like to do this again some time. Maybe- would it be okay with you if we all shared a meal together some other time? You could accompany Tora, and I could bring my own fiancée along as well. I'm sure the four of us would have a lovely time."
The intake of breath that was Chiyo's gasp kept Akari from hearing the slight growling sound that Tora had made from where he stood behind her.
"I-" Chiyo withdrew her hand, trying to maintain her lady-like composure, though it was obvious that Akari had given her quite the shock. "Well, that would be..." Her voice was very shy, and so quiet now that Akari had to lean forward more in order to hear properly. Grey eyes met silvery-blue, and there was a nod. "I suppose- that really does sound like a lot of fun. I didn't know you were engaged, Akari-san, how wonderful." She smiled, her grey eyes looking less sad than they were a moment before.
Akari coughed uncomfortably, but tried to look happy about admitting to something she had never wanted to admit to, much less liked the idea of. "Yes, it's- very wonderful."
Chiyo seemed to be doing a bit better now, and she glanced past Akari to give her fiancée a benevolent smile. "Then... I'll see you again soon, Tora-san."
The smile Tora offered back was enticing and charming, bright, wide and perfect... not to mention absolutely 100% forced. "I look forward to it." He consented calmly.
"So, we'll plan it in the next few days." Akari said, seeing Chiyo to the door. "And again, this was such a nice visit. Thank you for coming over, Chiyo-san."
Chiyo nodded, smiled, and then the door closed behind her and she was gone.
Akari leaned forward, against the door, listening to the other girl's retreating footsteps, and feeling all at once very exhausted from just that one short visit. She leaned her forehead against the white wood of the door, just as two hands slammed down on either side of her shoulders, with long, strong arms cutting off all escape routes.
The poor girl had been oblivious to the predator in the room, but now a sense of nervousness had erupted inside of her and was going off all at once like a thousand sticks of dynamite embedded in her soul. She could feel his breath against the back of her neck, and shivered from the heat of both that and his body caging her in.
She turned her head to look into a sharp, bright, golden pair of eyes. "Igarashi?"
"What the hell was that?" He asked, obviously frustrated.
Somehow, she felt both calm and frantic, being trapped by him like that. She knew he wouldn't hurt her or anything, but at the same time he did look very frightening and that look of his- that angry, Igarashi glare- was... really something else.
"What?" She accidentally said the word before she could think any better of it.
It really didn't take long for him to get her into an uncompromising position. She was even impressed enough that she didn't try to struggle against him as he pinned her. It wouldn't have done her any good to struggle anyway though- he had her bent over the side of one of the couches, her spine resting against the couches' edge and her chest rising and falling inches from his own. They were facing each other, and he had one arm around her waist to keep her from completely falling backwards onto the sofa, while both of her hands gripped his shoulders for some sort of leverage. His free hand was grabbing her arm, out of habit more than to held her keep her balance.
"Acting ignorant will only serve to annoy me further." He growled softly, head bowing in order to edge his face closer to hers.
"Okay, I get it." Akari tried to control herself and remain the calm one here. "I'll explain myself, so just let me go-"
"No."
It was her turn to become bitter. She bent forward a little bit, as he had the audacity to smirk. "No? What, you're not going to let me go then?"
"In fact, I'm not." He answered her with a certain glint in his eyes as he spoke, a malicious glint that said she really was in trouble for what she'd done.
Akari tried to better assess the situation, but he truly was getting to her now. "And why not?" She grit her teeth and tried to push back against him, to no avail.
And then Tora pushed her back further into the edge of the couch, causing her to get a better grip on his shoulders and hook an arm behind his neck. He leaned forward and pushed his body into hers, nearly sending them both spilling over the edge to possibly tumble onto the floor. "Well that answer is simple. I don't want to." He moved his hand from where it gripped her forearm, and trailed a finger up her cheek in order to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His gaze went from hard to soft, and then it hardened again. "Also, I feel that I need to remind you once more, of who you belong to."
Akari's eyes widened when he released her, only to slide his hands down her legs as he crouched down on the ground. His hands were on her hips in order to steady her and keep her there, and then he moved his face closer to her body, until his nose was edging just beneath the rim of her long sweater.
He was... Was he?!
Instinctively, she raised a hand to smack him on the head (hard), but one of his hands flew up to stop her, gripping her wrist. He peered up at her and their eyes met, which immediately sent a shiver down her spine. Blonde hair and golden eyes- and of course, he was as gorgeous as ever. Those eyes of his narrowed as they continued to meet her gaze, and then he leaned forward again and managed to draw her sweater up further, until his nose and mouth could graze against the skin of her stomach.
Her heart slammed into her throat and she rubbed her lips together in order to silence any sounds she might make. She wasn't sure where this was going, but she knew that that gaze he sent her... well, those were definitely his bedroom eyes.
Tora surprised her though, rolling her shirt back down after merely brushing his lips to her skin and then lifting himself from his crouch in order to look down at her with a smirk.
"Perhaps I should hold off for now. Your body is still covered in the bruises from last time, so that should be enough of a reminder already."
Just as she was about to hit him and then storm out of the room, he stopped her with both his hands placed on the rim of the sofa behind her, so that his arms caged her in again, this time between the couch and him. His quickly reattained his glare.
"Now, back to the original issue at hand. Do you realize that you set yourself up on a date with Orochi?"
Akari blinked up at him, before scowling. "Oh shut up, it's all your fault I did that anyway! What was I supposed to do- she looked so upset, and I felt guilty-"
He raised an eyebrow, his face serious. "That doesn't mean anything to me. What matters is that you've now recognized yourself as his fiancée-"
"Well, I wasn't thinking before I spoke-"
Tora growled, leaning closer to her. "-when actually, you're mine."
Akari looked up at him, her silver clashing with his gold. They stared harshly at one another, before he took a step back, his eyes narrowing as he thought for a moment about his next words. She remained quiet, merely waiting for what he would say next.
"And now you've put us both in a unpleasant position. Since you made the offer, and that offer involved me, neither of us can cancel."
"I don't understand how bad this could possibly be..." She tried to argue.
He sneered, then gazed at her in all seriousness. "If I have to sit down to eat at a table with Fuirutsu, and watch him compliment and charm you all evening, I can guarantee he'll be dead before the main course arrives."
Akari was about to argue further, but then he was tossing her a cunning smile that made her weary.
"But that set aside," He said in a lighter tone. "I do wonder how you would react, if I were flirting with Chiyo all evening... It would be a nice little experiment, and we both know I can't help myself when it comes to drawing any sort of reaction from you." He ended his sentence with the usual smirk, and a raised brow.
Her ears reddened, and she grew very flustered all at once. "Baka! I wouldn't care! You'd be sorely disappointed, because you wouldn't get any reaction out of me!"
Tora licked his lips, noticing her lies right away. He stepped closer to her again like before, noticing her eyes looking this way and that, trying to find a way out of this now uncomfortable situation.
"I think it's time I teach you about proper confrontation." He said softly, almost inviting her to look up at him with just the sultry sound of his voice.
Frustrated, Akari tried to side-step him, but he took a quick step to the side as well, right before leaning forward, and beginning his little lesson.
"I want you to imagine the restaurant I took you to that one night," Tora practically whispered beside her ear, fighting a chuckle as he noticed that her cheeks were tinted red because of the close proximity. "I want you to picture me there, sitting at the table we sat at."
Akari almost lost herself in the low tones of his voice that he was using, but just as she began to picture things in her mind she slipped out of it long enough to try and push him away. "Tora-"
He grabbed both her arms, adjusting so that she couldn't get away. "I'm sitting at the table, and sitting across from me, where you should be sitting, is another girl. Any girl will do, really, it doesn't matter who you see sitting there- just know that it's not you."
Unwillingly, as she was listening to his words, Akari began to imagine everything. The grandeur of the eatery, the servers, the lighting, the table they sat at... and at the table, sitting across from a very handsome Tora, sat Chiyo. And of course, just like in person, the Chiyo that Akari had thought up in her head was very fair, very beautiful and elegant.
Tora watched as Akari closed her eyes, and he knew she was beginning to picture it. He continued; "I'm laughing and she's smiling, it's only obvious I'm showing her a good time. And she's doing a good job of keeping me entertained as well."
Akari could see this happening in real life, the scene was just so perfect so it seemed so... natural. The two were having a great date together, enjoying each other's company, flirting, being the most ideal couple.
His voice continued to bring the images to life. "There's a pesky male waiter who keeps coming by, and this time he's brought some dessert. She takes to eating it, and when I ask her how it is, she smiles and leans over the table, holding the fork out for me to have a taste."
Beginning to feel uneasy with the scenes playing out with Chiyo and Tora in her mind, Akari frowned.
"She feeds the dessert to me, and after I taste it I smile at her, before returning the favor." Tora pulled back to see the look on Akari's face, and realized that she wasn't giving him enough of a reaction. He decides to move things along much more quickly then. "As I'm feeding her the dessert, some of it spills off the fork and into my lap. When I start to clean it up, she offers to help me and comes around beside me. I'm looking at her while she's bending over and dabbing a napkin on the stain..."
Somehow, Akari could sense that things were going to change soon, and the date was going to become something a bit more... well.
He leaned very close to her, now speaking right into her ear. "And then she looks up at me, and sees me looking at her... and I realize that I want to kiss her."
Akari knew she was just imagining this, but even making up something in her head about Tora kissing Chiyo was making her upset. "Wait-"
"I grab her and pull her into my lap. She seems a little surprised, but no woman can resist me, and when I start to lean forward, so does she. Our lips are edging closer and closer together..."
Akari couldn't open her eyes, and the images were pouring into her mind, no longer under her control. Tora's voice started to mix with the fantasy, and things only escalated from there as he kept telling the imaginary story.
"She pulled me closer with her arms around my neck and I leaned in far enough to finally kiss her, pressing her into my body, holding her close while our lips meet."
In Akari's mind, Chiyo was running her hands through Tora's hair and saying his name just like she herself would. And Tora was accepting it all in a very positive way, in fact, she could see him being a bit too eager.
"I let my hands travel. One of them travels through her hair, the other reaches down to her thigh, slowly caressing the skin there... moving slowly up her leg..."
Finally, Akari opened her eyes. "Igarashi, I am not going to picture that." She said, frantic to be rid of such a nightmare.
"Why?" Tora stopped the story, pulling back just enough to meet her gaze. "Does it bother you? Perhaps you're jealous." He mentioned casually, though his lips hinted at a knowing smirk.
Akari's eyes blazed randomly and she scowled. "I already told you, I'm not-"
He didn't even let her finish, before he was leaning forward again and ignoring her protests while he purred the last bit in her ear; "I kissed her again- this time more passionately. And then, when I released her lips, I whispered her name..."
Silver-blue eyes widened as he said it aloud- how- how had he known what girl she'd pictured him with?!
"Chiyo."
Tora was pushed away- roughly. Akari felt sick to her stomach and was blinking repeatedly in order to start to see the actual world again, and ignore the images only barely starting to fade from her mind. Unknowingly, she was trembling, if only the slightest bit. She felt vulnerable, and highly uncomfortable. And, admittedly... enraged with jealousy.
She looked up, seeing that idiotic tiger standing confidently just in front of her, looking all proud about getting her so worked up.
"I assume you're able to confront how you feel now." He told her. "How is it, realizing how powerful a feeling jealousy is?"
Akari was staring at him, blankly. She wasn't sure if she should be furious or admit to her feelings. It was obvious he already knew, and had just wanted to see her react like this- which pretty much made her mad all over again.
"I don't see how any well-respected restaurant would just allow two people to start making out at one of the tables!" She yelled at him, her entire face red and her body still shaky from the terrible feelings she witnessed by picturing Tora with anyone but her.
Tora immediately went slack-jawed, his gold eyes widening in surprise. He had not expected that to be the first thing that she said.
And he couldn't help but to start laughing.
Meanwhile, while he snickered about her first response to his 'lesson in confrontation', Akari folded her arms and fumed privately, thinking up in her head all the bad names that Aika had called Tora.
When he had finally finished, he was full-on grinning at her. He saw her glare, and shrugged. "Am I supposed to feel bad?" He asked.
"You're impossible." She muttered, still glaring. "I don't see what the need for all that was!"
"I told you that it was time to teach you about properly confronting how you feel." He smiled loosely. "And I must say, I'm glad you'd be envious of another woman having me to herself."
"How did you know that the girl I'd pictured with you was Chiyo?" She asked carefully.
He shrugged. "I made an assumption. You did seem intimidated by her when she first walked through the door and introduced herself to you."
Akari puffed out her cheeks before letting out a deep sigh. She really couldn't understand how he knew her that well, but she could see him carefully studying her movements with those watchful eyes of his. The damn tiger. "Well, whatever."
Tora, seeing that she had calmed down, grew serious all over again and stepped towards her. "Now you can understand why this double date you've conjured up for us is such a problem."
She nodded. "I get it, I get it. Honestly, the thought of going on a date with Orochi sickens me, and... seeing you on a date with Chiyo would bother me..." She peered up at him, clearing her throat. "Like I said, I wasn't thinking before I spoke. I don't even know why I suggested it..." She sighed. "So, what's the plan now then? You said we can't cancel, so I guess we'll have to go through with it."
Tora's eyes narrowed, and once again, he didn't look happy with her. "Yes. I guess we will."
Their conversation was interrupted when the door to the room began to open. Both of them looked over at whoever was coming in, and they were each entirely taken aback by who it was- mainly because she normally stayed inside her room a lot.
"You should be in bed resting." Tora commented in a low sort of tone.
The long-legged, slim Igarashi woman merely shook her head at her son's concern and then settled her eyes on the girl he was with.
"Akari, I'm going to need you to come with me." Her gaze switched back over to her son. "And Tora, your father needs to have a word with you in his office."
There was a pregnant pause where the words had to sink in. When at last they finally had, Akari glanced carefully over at Tora, who was staring at his mother with a strange look on his face.
"What does he need me for?" He asked.
"Why don't you go find out for yourself?" His mother answered sternly, telling him with her eyes that he should not be arguing with her about this.
"...Alright." He finally consented, glancing at Akari and catching her eye for only a moment before striding across the room, and walking around his mother and out the door.
That just left Akari alone in the room with Tora's mother, tottering on the brink of her nerves.
A/N: To my dearest peasants;
Alright, alright. I've been neglecting this story, I know. In all truth, I HAVE been rather busy- but I could have squeezed in some writing time, and the fact that I didn't is punishable by death.
...No, wait, nevermind that, I do not want to die. Dying is not a fun time, I would imagine, so please don't send out any cyber sharks to eat me alive!
I'm just going to apologize now about skipping the update. Also, dearest guest reviewer(s): First off, thank you for the suggestions, I will take them into mind. Secondly, um... well you've been rather busy reviewing, haven't you? Speaking of which, I've surpassed 200 reviews now (BIG 'YAY!') And lastly, I'm very sorry it took so long. If it makes anyone feel any better, I'm a bit scared of you guest people now, so that'll probably make me feel much more motivated in meeting my deadlines ;)
Referring to a few of my other reviewers (you know who you are): Well, aren't you just the sweetest things ever? The reviews I receive only get nicer and more thoughtful after each chapter, and I'm really very astonished that there are people out there in the world who are reading my stories, and enjoying them to the point of expressing their feelings to me in words. On top of that, not only do you leave lovely reviews, but there are also many of you who I realize generally care about me as a person and a writer. You wish for me to be in good health and not stress myself too much, because, not only would it be a shameful crime for me to fall ill and never finish this story, but also, you simply wish me the best.
I never truly realized before how considerate some of the people in this world are. Therefore, I want to thank you immensely for the support. And give you all great, big hugs, and loads of delicious compliments like; 'you're awesome', and, 'you're the best!', and- my personal favorite- 'what an indubitably wonderful group of fine individuals you are'.
I would like to remind all of you reading this that, not only am I thanking the reviewers, but I'm also thanking the public in general. Meaning ALL of you who read this story- the people who review, and the mysterious shadows who simply choose to read along in silence- ALL of you have my gratitude.
But remember,
Sometimes simply showing that you're there in a little review is just what any author needs ^-^
With love, your cerulean author~
CK :*