Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction ❯ Vulnerability ❯ If You Truly Care ( Chapter 8 )

A/N: I actually got my computer fixed and it deleted this chapter and had to write it over. So, here is the re-written version of this chapter.

I I I

Vulnerability

Chapter 8: If You Truly Care

I I I

‘Of course not!

She doesn’t mean anything to me and it it’s ludicrous of me to think so.’ Saionji tried to rid himself of all contemplation to lead up to such an idea.

He took his hand from atop hers, and sat it in his lap.

“Hmpf.” Could be heard from the kendo-ka. They sat there, for a moment of stillness, then the sound of textile shuffling could be heard as Saionji buttoned his jacket up a bit, still leaving a few towards to top unbuttoned, to riel Juri’s nerves a bit.

The curly haired lady was still silent.

“Well…” Saionji started.

“What did you mean by what you said?” The orange rose’s head shot up at Saionji.

“What part of what I said, I said a lot within the past hour.” Came the retort.

“When you said, there are no such things as miracles. Miracles could never know your true feelings, the only one who can are those who can feel your pain and have experienced the same things you have. “She replied.

“Can’t I have the same belief? Why shouldn’t I be able to? I don’t believe in them.”

“I never said that.” Juri scoffed.

There was silence yet again.

“So, why do you think I humiliated you?” The orange haired duelist finally asked.

“Didn’t you tell them?”

“Them as in who? The Seitokai? The Ohtori students?”

“Knowing you – all of them.” Saionji replied.

“Actually, I haven’t told anyone.” Juri replied. “I’ve been trying to tell you this, but you kept flipping out on me.”

“So you know…” A glimmer of defeat shown in Saionji’s once defiant eyes.

You’re no different then Himemiya. You don’t have a will of your own. If you did, then you lost it, and I always thought you were the stubborn one.

“What’s there to know? I just read a couple of pages.”

“That’s why it was missing today.” Saionji stated simply.

“If you knew I was looking in it, why didn’t you come and try to find me?” Juri replied. “Or maybe you want to duel for it back?” She smirked and held up the green and black book.

Saionji didn’t even try to take it away. He just looked at her with a defeated look, and then looked back at the ground.

If you’re so used to having no will, then maybe you can be my Rose Bride, and I can be your prince.

“I don’t like the duels any more then you do.”

“But you’ll go to them for her.” Juri scoffed.

“Jealous?” The Vice President asked.

“Hmpf! You wish.” The leopard purred.

“What if I wanted you.” Saionji replied, smiling a bit.

“What?” The woman turned her head quickly to face Saionji. “What did you say?”

She looked surprised that he would be as bold as to mention such a thing.

“Why do you look so shocked? So uncharacteristic of you, Arisugawa.” Saionji replied, no hint of playfulness to his voice, though he simply was only joking around with her, much to his brain’s protests.

‘Wait…He what?’ Juri thought. ‘He couldn’t have meant that, but he didn’t look like he was joking. He’d better be joking, for his own sake.’

‘Why am I joking around with her? I don’t even like her that much…’ Saionji thought to himself.

“That’s not funny, Kyouichi!” Juri warned.

“But, what if I’m not joking?” the green haired man replied playfully, leaning into Juri’s face, their noses almost touching.

“What are you - ?” The leopard asked, but cut herself off.

“Arisugawa…” The kendo-ka sighed and closed his eyes.

“Don’t make me slap you again.” Juri warned further.

“Sounds like something I’d say.”

“What?”

“You try to be everything I am not, and yet you can’t seem to escape that fate.” Saionji teased.

“That’s not funny, nor is it true.”

“Oh, but it is.” Saionji replied. “Someone holds your heart, just as someone holds mine, and in this twisted fairytale world, you cannot escape your destined fate, because you yourself do not control it.”

“Hmphf!” Juri turned he head away from Saionji and closed her eyes.

“You can deny it all you wish, but you are a hypocrite.”

“Hypocrite? I’m not a hypocrite.” The curly haired duelist denied.

“You are a hypocrite. You and I are not that different at all, and yet you have this heir of thinking that you’re higher then I am.” Saionji told her. “You like to be strong on the outside, though on the inside you’re broken and tattered. You never show it outright, but I’ve caught on to you. You might know things I haven’t said within the pages of this book, but some thing you get by analysis, and not just something that can be read within a bindery. I know you more then you could ever know yourself.”

Juri turned her head to look at him. “So what if you feel the same way, it doesn’t mean that we’re alike. It doesn’t mean you know entirely how I feel.”

“But you do admit you feel something beneath your façade.”

“Apparently I’m not the only one.”

“I never denied that.” The green haired man replied.

“You do to the rest of the world.”

“They do not know what you know.”

She paused, nothing but a heavy silence hung in the air around them. Juri hung her head in defeat. “Maybe your right, but that last thing you said had better been a joke.”

Saionji held a slight victorious smile. “What thing?”

“The thing about wanting me.” Azure eyes narrowed.

Saionji gave her a playful, yet uncertain answer. “If you truly care, in time you’ll find out.”

“What?” Juri looked confused for one moment in her life.

‘What the hell did that mean? What do you feel towards me, Kyouichi? You’d better be playing around, for your sake…and mine.’

TBC

Preview for chapter 9:

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.

A/N: Sorry for the delay, I’ve had to re-write this chapter. To be quite honest, I think it turned out better then the other one I’ve written. Please tell me what you think! Sorry if it’s a bit OOC I wrote it when I was sick and I’m sure Oneesan would clear up all OOC parts for me, thanks.

A/N: This is Oneesan and no, there were no errors character wise here. This chapter is in original format.

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