S-CRY-ed Fan Fiction ❯ Crash into Me ❯ You Oughta Know ( Chapter 3 )

Crash into Me

 

Chapter 3- You Oughta Know

 

As Ryuho paced the long halls of HOLY his mind still refused to give him peace, instead still stubbornly clinging to thoughts of his former best friend. Why was he so obsessed with her tonight? Why couldn't he just put Mimori out of his mind once and for all? Why couldn't he think of anything, anyone else?

 

He mentally cycled through the list of other HOLY personnel and sighed when he paused at his partner, Sheris. She liked him, he knew. It was so obvious, the way she was always flirty and playful when they were supposed to be working. Ever since puberty had kicked into overdrive for the girl, her exploration of her burgeoning womanhood had become an exasperating complication. She had changed her uniform a few months ago to flatter her developing figure but Ryuho had considered it highly impractical. And now she was constantly posing and primping, becoming obsessed with her looks to the point where he'd had to admonish her about it. Much to his chagrin she had merely interpreted that as a positive sort of attention from him, making her even more flirtatious and solicitous. She could learn a lot from Mimori; despite her good looks that girl was always working, making her position at HOLY her top priority…

 

Ryuho practically smacked himself in the head, realizing that his willful mind had redirected itself back to the `Kiryu heiress' yet again. He had to stop thinking about her or he wouldn't get any rest tonight. Maybe he was thinking about her because he hadn't really apologized for knocking her down; he made a mental note to stop by her station tomorrow and give a brief yet honest apology. He insisted to himself that he was not going to ogle her; there were plenty of guys to do that for him. Perhaps he'd find a way to gently hint at Cougar's numerous female conquests- someone should warn her about his questionable intentions and colorful history with the women of HOLY. Surely he could do that without appearing jealous…

 

His hand reached up and rapped lightly on the door in front of him. The entranceway was somehow familiar, but then again all the doors to the personal quarters looked alike. Wait, whose door was he knocking on?

 

Before Ryuho had time to step away and blend back into the hallway the door slid open revealing a towel, a white men's shirt and unbelievably long, bare legs. His eyes hit the bunny slippers just as an angelic voice uttered “It's really late, Cougar, and I've had a hellish… Ryuho!”

 

Bewildered scarlet eyes snapped up to meet warm yet startled mahogany ones as Ryuho finally realized what he'd done. Mimori's door… he'd walked right to her quarters.

 

You blithering idiot! What possessed you to come here? However, Ryuho stopped chastising himself long enough to blurt out a lame explanation for his presence, “I… came here to apologize… for earlier.”

 

“Oh, um… that's alright. It was my fault, really.” Mimori was fighting hard not to stare but was losing that particular battle. Again remembering her state of dress, she clutched her shirt tighter in her fist and quickly snatched the towel off her head. Long, damp hair swung up in her face and a few stray strands stuck to her cheeks. Hand still full of towel, she ran a nervous finger down each side of her jaw in turn to tame the errant locks. She was shocked when she could just make out Ryuho's gaze slowly trailing the path of her hand. What's going on? Why is he standing in my doorway staring at me like a stalker? When he made no move to reply or walk away, she hesitantly offered, “Would you like to come in?”

 

Her question suddenly snapped him back to reality and he realized what he'd been doing. He hastily replied, “I should be going,” but somehow his feet refused to budge. She hesitantly stepped out of the doorway and he found himself walking into her apartment without his brain's permission.

 

Mimori noticed that he still had his workout clothes on and fought the urge to close the distance between them in order to sniff him. At least he wasn't sweaty anymore- thank goodness for small favors. She walked deeper into her apartment to give herself a bit of space and had to hide her surprise when he followed her. Needing to busy herself, she inquired, “Would you like a glass of water?” and hastily retreated towards the kitchen, intent on fixing herself one regardless of his answer. She dropped her towel across the back of a chair and sighed with relief when he uttered a quiet `thank you' to her retreating back. Maybe his mouth was as dry as hers…

 

He followed her as far as the table and then pulled out a chair as he proceeded with his impromptu apology. “I'm sorry I knocked you down, I wasn't looking where I was going.” He heard glasses clink and the sound of the fridge door opening. “And I'm sorry I yelled at you… I was having a bad day.”

 

Her disembodied voice reached out to him from the kitchen, “Me, too. It would seem there's a lot of that going around.” It was easier to talk to him when she couldn't see him. She settled into a more conversational tone as she continued, bustling around the counter with her task. “We had an outage in the lab and I lost all my data for the day. It was exasperating. What brought on your bad day? Was it the field expedition today? Some of the team ended up in the ED. Is, um… is Sheris fine?”

 

His voice was relaxed as he replied offhandedly, “I'm not sure. You'd probably know better than I would; I haven't seen her since we got back.” What a strange question… why would she ask me about Sheris? His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he recalled his partner's `damsel-in-distress' routine after he'd revived her, “Did she say something about the operation?”

 

Mimori silently winced, knowing that she'd just talked herself into a strange little corner. She'd brought up Sheris only to gauge his response to her name. But did she really want him thinking of his beautiful partner while he was in her apartment? She tailored her answer rather carefully, “She just said that you had saved her instead of pursuing the Alter user. It sounded like his escape wasn't your fault…”

 

He sighed audibly, “It was. I underestimated him and he got the jump on me.” Why did he tell her that? He never talked about missions with anyone, especially not someone outside of his team. Had he really gotten that comfortable here already?

 

Mimori sauntered into the living room with two glasses and put one down on the table in front of Ryuho. He nodded his thanks as he suddenly felt the need to stare a bit too intently at the water in front of him, refusing to acknowledge the inordinate amount of naked leg walking by or the fact that from certain angles the hem of her long men's shirt made it look like she didn't have any shorts on. He did notice that her bunny slippers were now curiously absent, so that she was gliding about on dainty little bare feet. He took a large gulp from his drink as she settled in the chair catty-corner to his with her own glass and looked up at her face as she leveled kind eyes on him. “You're being too hard on yourself. I think what you did was admirable given the circumstances.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at her, watching as she took a small sip of her water. He hadn't thought of it that way. What if he'd chased the Alter user and Sheris had really been hurt? Would it have been worth the capture? Was detaining a single Native Alter user really worth the safety of his team?

 

Mimori watched him consider her comment and felt a tiny triumph at her insight. She could feel him slowly letting down the outer layers of his guard and she wondered if perhaps she might get the opportunity to re-cultivate some of the bonds that had long been untended between them. She had so many questions about the strapping young man sitting in front of her: How did he really see her? Had she misinterpreted his opinion of her? Was there perhaps a part of him that still cared for her after all these years? Was the chilly demeanor he typically directed towards her merely a front? And if so, then what hid beneath?

 

Ryuho watched Mimori smile to herself over her glass and wondered at the source, vaguely hoping that he might be the cause. It was a strange and rather comforting sensation to be sitting here with her, jovially sipping and chatting about their days in comfortable clothing and without a conference room fool of onlookers. He was free to smile at her and linger on the one that he gave him in return. Of course he didn't do that, but just knowing that he could felt rather nice. It was comfortable, and he wondered if this was what friends and couples did when they `hung out'. Then again, maybe it was too comfortable…

 

Remembering her strange greeting at the door, he shifted the conversation. He was curious about who else would be dropping by her apartment so late after hours. “You thought I was Cougar; were you expecting him tonight?”

 

Her eyes widened and a hint of a blush crept into her cheeks. Though her shy smile remained in place, she avoided his gaze as she spoke, “I thought maybe you'd seen him and relayed my message…”

 

Oh please! Like he'd give Cougar a reason to pester the girl any more than he already did. The man was practically harassing her on a daily basis as it was. Still, hadn't she been in the process of shooing him when she opened the door? “…But you were going to turn him away…”

 

She heard the mix of triumph and arrogance in his voice and wrinkled her nose. He thought he'd clued in on her little ruse! Well, she wasn't ready to give up the game just yet. “I, um… I'm not exactly dressed for company… I was going to ask him for a rain check for lunch tomorrow.” She watched Ryuho's eyes darken at her reply and mentally smiled in satisfaction.

 

A streak of irrational possessiveness shot through him; he was at a loss to comprehend what possible interest she could have in Cougar, of all people. They had nothing in common, as far as he knew, other than perhaps an insatiable craving for heavily caffeinated drinks. His brain grappled with images of the two of them together and he felt his composure slipping away. He grasped insistently for it, unconsciously falling back into his clipped manner as he sought the most socially polite way to discourage her peeking interests. “Ms. Kiryu, perhaps you're unaware of his predilection for aggressively pursuing the young women of this organization. He's particularly fond of new faces who have yet to hear of his reputation.”

 

Aha! She had been right about his distaste for the swift, audacious officer. But was he cautioning her out of spite or jealously? Her mind hummed at the possibility of the latter; she had to find out. She also desired a little payback for the untimely resurfacing of her surname again. “Really? That's strange because some of the girls told me that he was actually quite charming and debonair. He's supposedly very well read and seems to be a rather engaging conversationalist. I thought it might be nice to have someone to talk to.” Yes, that sounded innocent enough. She wanted him to understand that if he was interested, he'd better speak up before someone else beat him to it. Let's see what he says to that!

 

Ryuho leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of him. She must be joking! Can't she see what a hopeless womanizer he is? He's been through an entire wing of nurses since she's been here! His reply was abrupt and impatient, “Unfortunately I doubt his agenda will be so innocent. I would advise you to be cautious around him, Ms. Kiryu. You don't know him like I do.”

 

She bristled at his authoritative tone and sterile response. He thinks he can just scare me off like that? Where's his backbone? And we're back to `Ms. Kiryu' again, hmm? Does he really think he can tell me what to do? Her nervous displeasure had her standing up, unconsciously seeking a more commanding stance; his cocky attitude needed to take a hike. “Really? I didn't think you knew anyone around here like that…”

 

Ryuho blinked in shock. That remark cut deeper than she realized; she had no right to say something like that, to attack him socially. However, he refused to lose his cool in front of her again, matching her cool tone with his own. “Well, I could be wrong about him. Perhaps he `charmed' all of those women into his bed with his `engaging conversation'. Anything's possible.”

 

He's patronizing me! Anger steadily rose within her at his callous comments and superior posturing. She was wrong about his stony façade being merely a front; he was as sensitive as a dissected cadaver, and just as sociable. Well, she'd had enough of it! Mimori stepped away from the table and closed in on him, intent on finally giving him a piece of her mind tonight. “It sounds to me like you're jealous. Does his popularity bother you that much? Or is it the fact that he has real passion- something you probably wouldn't recognize if it kicked you in your stuffy, snobbish ass?”

 

She was standing over him, hands firmly planted on jutting hips. In her huff she'd forgotten all about her `smock' and it fell open, revealing the low cut of her tank and a too-generous portion of heaving chest. However, even that sight was not enough to distract Ryuho from the harsh words that spilled so venomously out of her mouth. Her accusations had really wounded him, stabbing at one of his deepest insecurities; she wasn't going to get away with that…

 

He rose to his feet and leaned forward, causing her to instinctively back away from him. His voice was cold and accusing, “This isn't about jealousy, Ms. Kiryu. I didn't know you'd be so easily won over by a flashy smile and clichéd pick up lines. I thought you had more common sense.”

 

Mimori withered under his intense gaze; the teen's muscles bunched under his skin, clenching and unclenching, as he bore into her with intense eyes. But suddenly she recognized his intimidation tactics and grew even angrier; he was trying to bully her into relenting! Not this girl, not tonight! And she straightened back up to her full height. She didn't care how gorgeous he was right now- for the second time that day she'd had enough of him!

 

“This isn't about common sense; this is about you trying to run my life like I'm one of your little soldiers! You know what? Get out! That's the last time you get to call me `Ms. Kiryu' tonight! I don't need some lecture from you like I'm a child! I'll go out with whomever I want!”

 

Throwing him out? Did she think she was going to win the argument by getting rid of him? She was acting like a prissy little princess, putting on superior airs when he knew she was just another spoiled, manipulative rich girl, getting her way by flaunting her family's money and power. It was how she had weaseled her way into a position at HOLY, and it was why all the men were now panting like ravenous dog for her attention. He wasn't going to let her pull that act with him; he'd knock her down a peg by whatever means necessary…

 

“Fine! It seems I misjudged you, Ms. Kiryu. Perhaps you're not meant to be anything more than a notch in his belt! You're not as innocent as you pretend to be, are you? Apparently you're willing to spread your legs for any sleaze willing to sniff up your skirt!”

 

:SMACK:

 

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The sound of Mimori's hand connecting with Ryuho's face echoed in the silence of her apartment, reverberating off the walls and against his skin. She was shocked- shocked that she had actually smacked him, but also shocked that he'd said such nasty things to her. However, she was so livid that nothing could make her back down at this point. She narrowed hateful eyes at him; he had crossed an un-crossable line. Her jaw was set so tight that it trembled when she finally gained the wherewithal to speak; when she did, it was barely above the volume of a whisper, “How dare you question my honor… You're nothing but a coward, you self-righteous son of a bitch!”

 

The words were quietly spat at him, snatched from thin air and hurled like tiny projectiles. However, it was her last word that instantly triggered something primal and explosive deep in Ryuho's core. My mother… she called my mother…

 

Suddenly blinded by an incendiary rage he snatched Mimori's outstretched wrist and crushed it painfully in a constricting fist. She yelped in pain and tried to yank it back but he held fast, arm shaking with an overwhelming anger. How could she say something like that? He thought she cared, thought she understood… But he was wrong.

 

Mimori grabbed at the vise-like fingers encircling her wrist, desperation rising as his grip only seemed to tighten. She began demanding her release through gritted teeth, “Let me go… Ryuho, what the hell…? I said let me go…!” Anxiety escalated as she pulled all of her weight against her trapped arm, but it was no use; he wouldn't budge.

 

“Take it back.”

 

Confused and frightened, she looked up at him with incredulous eyes but never stopped tugging against him. “What? What are you talking about?”

 

“Take it back, Mimori.”

 

She searched her memory of the last critical seconds that had passed and suddenly the gravity of her literal words and how he'd interpreted them finally sank in. His mom…

 

However, instead of apologizing, her face clouded with a look of disgusted disbelief. “Are you CRAZY? You know that's not what I meant!” and she renewed a more frantic struggle.

 

Ryuho's body was deceptively still except for the arm locking her wrist in his grasp, but the edge in his voice sliced at her, demanding submission. “I don't care what you meant. Just take it back!”

 

Utterly frustrated with her lack of progress on her trapped hand, she relented half-heartedly. “Fine! But you know I loved your mom! I have nothing against that woman other than the fact that she bore the most conceited, arrogant, frigid ASSHOLE to ever walk the earth! Now unhand me, you psychotic bully!”

 

Ryuho released her wrist but grabbed her shoulders in an angry, bruising grip as he pushed her backwards. “Just watch it! You're in no position to insult me, princess! Your mouth is going to get you in serous trouble tonight!”

 

She was utterly powerless in his grasp and resented her frailty. “Don't call me that! Don't you dare! Rrrrgggghhh! I HATE YOU!” Mimori stumbled backwards under his forceful onslaught until her backside banged painfully against the table. Both of the water glasses tipped over and crashed, splashing shards and their liquid contents across the smooth wood surface. He pinned her there and she writhed violently in an attempt to free herself. She worked her arms up between their bodies and banged her fists as hard as she could against his chest, but he simply shifted his weight ensuring that she remained trapped. “Arrrrggghhh! I never want to see you again, you MONSTER!”

 

Her last comment froze him in place and his grip on her arms suddenly tightened even more. A cold sneer curled his lips and he hissed at her through clenched teeth, “So I'm a monster? Is that what you think? Did you come all this way to be with a monster, princess?” He shook her once and then captured her eyes in an icy stare. “Did the `Beauty' think I was going to be her `Beast'?”

 

Hearing his vindictive words Mimori stopped struggling, but pressed her lips in a tight line as she defiantly stared back up at him. Her tailbone was grating against the table behind her and her back ached from the awkward angle at which he held her. Her arms screamed beneath his fingers and she felt tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She refused to let them fall; she would not cry for him, not like this. She could smell him again and agonized at how her body wanted to respond even in the midst of her fear. Everything was just too damned confusing…

 

Seeing her defiance as she purposefully curbed her building tears, Ryuho boiled with renewed fury. He pulled her hard against his chest and flattened himself against her in order to trap her once pounding fists between their bodies. He pushed his face into hers so that their noses were almost touching as he bent her even farther back over the table, continuing his torturous taunts. “You came all this way to see me, didn't you? But now you want him? You're going to jump into his bed because I wouldn't play `house' with you…?”

 

Slithering between clenched teeth, her command came out hollow and desperate. “Stop it…”

 

He saw a familiar emotion flash in her eyes and through the cloud of his rage he absently appraised their precarious position. Her forearms were pressed in the hollow between her breasts so that the round peeks were smashed against his pecs. His throbbing groin was pressed against her abdomen and her shirt had ridden up, exposing her belly. His left thigh was pressed between her bare legs, causing her shorts to creep up to the crease of her hip. He had her trapped; she had no choice but to listen to whatever he had to say. But more importantly, she was responding to the contact between their bodies- it would be her weakness in this battle and he would assert that strategic advantage while he had it.

 

“Were you just going to string him along, hoping I'd notice you?” He started moving slowly against her as he spoke, gauging any little reaction she made. “Or were you going to go through with it? Are you so desperate for a man's touch that you'd give it up to someone like him?”

 

This time, her voice faltered and cracked, “Stop it…”

 

However, he sensed her wavering resolve. He'd felt it countless times before in battle, when his opponent was skirting the edge of surrender, and he longed to push her over it. “Was he going to be your first? Or have you been busier than I thought since you've been gone? Giving the whores a run for their money?” At this he harshly drove his thigh up between her legs, lifting her body up several centimeters against the table. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a ragged breath, making a high noise in the back of her throat. That little sound practically doubled his growing bulge pressed against her stomach, but he persisted, delivering the decisive final blow. “…Or were you hoping that I would be your first?”

 

She cracked. Her eyes suddenly shot open and a single tear dripped down her pale cheek. “Bastard...”

 

As she said it, a puff of breath ghosted across his lips and he momentarily lost himself in his victory and the sensation of their bodies pressed so tightly together. He was so distracted that he never saw her ready herself, just noted the sudden change in balance a bit too late as she braced her foot against his leg and harshly twisted her body against his, launching to the side. She had enough power to spin herself away from the table, but not enough momentum to pull out of his iron-tight grip. They both pitched to the side and he crashed down solidly on top of her.

 

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For a moment Mimori was stunned by the pain, having landed roughly on her butt and back again. She kept her eyes shut until she felt his body shift over hers. However, when she opened her eyes, she saw that he had only lifted up off her upper torso; the rest of him was still draped heavily over her. She realized that in the fall his hand had snaked back to cradle her head- it had never hit the floor. She looked up into crimson orbs and was shocked when she saw only an immeasurable sadness.

 

Ryuho had gone too far- he knew it. She had burrowed beneath his defenses in a matter of mere minutes without even realizing it and his reaction had been so violent and malicious that he scarcely recognized himself. Now he didn't know how to undo it. He'd never had to worry about undoing anything on the battle field, but he'd been so caught up in her infuriating taunts that he lashed out. He knew he must have cut her just as deeply as she had him, but now they were both just a wounded heap on the floor. His hair hung loosely around his face but he could still see her eyes; they never left his lips as he finally spoke, “Do you really hate me?”

 

Mimori was totally confused. He was suddenly a whole different person, injured and self-conscious instead of vicious and menacing. His voice had sounded so small just now. Without even having to think about it, she shook her head slowly. Hate him? Despite what she had said she could never hate him, even after everything that had happened. Surely he could see that. “No…”

 

Still holding her head, he earnestly searched her eyes for evidence of the truth and perhaps even a hint of forgiveness. Seeing at least the former, he was imbued with a hesitant optimism and pressed further. “Was I right?” When she furrowed her brows at this new question he broke eye contact, focusing intently on the exposed tank strap tugging against her shoulder before clarifying. “About wanting me… as your first… Was I right?”

 

She closed her eyes and exhaled softly. “Get off of me…”

 

He shifted his weight again but he didn't obey her. He needed to know, needed to know how she felt about him, why she had returned after all this time. If it had been for him… When she opened her eyes once more he was waiting, again capturing them in order to gauge her sincerity in their depths. He probed further, “Was I?”

 

This time liquid effortlessly welled in her eyes, instantly pushing a single tear out of the corner. She couldn't believe he was going to make her say it, make her expose her deepest desires to him like that. But she just didn't have the energy to protest any longer. “Yes…”

 

The edge of his lips twitched and before she could process his response, he lifted her cradled head and crashed his mouth like a raging torrent down onto hers.

 

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To be continued…