Urban theory

Urban theory: Chapter 7

Rikimaru was sleeping on the sofa as the sun shined irritatingly to his pupils and waked him up. He heard some talk from the kitchen. It wasn’t clear what were they saying but the voices were slight and sounded happy.

Oh yes, no he remembered. It was Ayame and Tatsumaru making dinner. They had plans for the night. A month had passed since he’d met that insecure man, Tatsumaru and dragged him out of his fragile closet. They decided to be friends after all. Rikimaru was more than happy about it because he didn’t want to meddle someone else’s mental problems too deeply or be the one he could rely on like a significant other half. He still had his own brains to figure out. And yet still they were very, very close in one level, sometimes. They were both free to go and do as they pleased.

Waking up felt depressing. He couldn’t say why and it irritated him. Maybe he had been a middle of a good dream and woken up too soon. They were all going to bar together Tatsu, Ayame, Jin, Dan and someone Tatsumaru had just met. How much had Tatsumaru changed in one short month, he thought hearing him laugh in the other room. Tatsumaru smiled a lot, which of course wasn’t bad because he had the most beautiful and sincere smile. Sometimes it seemed he was high on some drug all the time with his hyper.

For some reason this remembered him about the Sunday morning after the costume party.

Flashback

It was one p.m. and Tatsumaru was kissing the half naked Rikimaru on the hall that led to the kitchen. Not that he was too much clothed himself.

Rikimaru pulled away smiling. “…I’ll be right back…” He parted form the embrace and disappeared in to the corridor. Tatsumaru smiled to himself happily and eyes the floor he didn’t quite feel walking on as he turned to the kitchen. Sound of a coffee cup placed at the table woke him up from dreaming. There was someone in the kitchen. He looked up saw this someone reading a newspaper holding it up so that nothing more than female fingertips showed there was actually human behind the paper.

And as usual Tatsumaru panicked and thought slowly to back away and go to tell Rikimaru there was a woman in his kitchen. Was she the roommate, sister, mother, friend, boss, wife, lover, he couldn’t remember anymore. As he stood there Rikimaru came to the kitchen and pumped into Tatsumaru who was standing in the door way. Little surprised he kept them in balance by folding his hands to Tatsumaru’s middle. “…Sorry, what are you standing in the middle of a path for…?” He laughed slightly kissing his cheek.

Tatsumaru couldn’t get his eyes of the woman that was looking at them or mostly at Tatsumaru. Rikimaru wondered Tatsumaru’s strange behaviour and finally noticed Ayame sitting next to the table looking somewhat amused. “…Hey, you home already?”

“Morning Tatsumaru…”

He was in another mans clothes, in his kitchen at the morning and his hands possessively tied around his waist. This was worse than all of the above together, she was his cousin. “…Ayame”

Rikimaru first looked at Tatsumaru and then Ayame. “You two know each other?”

“We’re cousins” Ayame said. “There’s still coffee on the kettle and… toasters on the pan…”

Rikimaru walked to Ayame and kissed her on the cheek, before moving to take some cups off a shelf. “I should have noticed…” Even thought Tatsumaru find it very disturbing he slowly moved to sit on the opposite side of the table.

“So how’s uncle doing?” She asked.

How could she be so none caring? “…Fine…”

“Cream or sugar?” Rikimaru asked from where he was standing.

“…Both…”

Soon they were all sitting in the breakfast table and Ayame put the paper away. No-one said anything. It was weird. Rikimaru checked the open jobs quickly.

“So…” She started. “…What did you mean by you should have known we are related? We don’t look the same, do we?”

“…No, but you both have that birthmark on left inner tight that looks like a…?”

“Rose petal?”

“I was going to say like a turtle, but whatever you say…”

Ayame smacked Rikimaru and both smiled. Tatsumaru took a big sip from the cup.

“…So, you two… are like…” Both looked at Tatsumaru, having fun by tormenting his mental health. As they didn’t seem to get it, he finished the sentence. “…together?”

“No…” He said.

“Heaven’s no!” She announced like she had just been asked to date a coat or something. Rikimaru picked on her tone. “…Oh but… We used to date.”

“Really?”

“It wasn’t even month…” She hurried to say.

“…Was that before or after you…?”

Rikimaru chuckled. “…Why do you think I prefer men?”

“…That hurt…!”

“I’m only telling you the truth honey…”

“Sadistic bastard…”

“Takes one to know one…”

“Fuck off sheep-lover…!”

“I will…”

Silence landed on the kitchen again. Tatsumaru could hear himself swallow the toaster down.

In the short period they had known Tatsumaru had learned to comprehend their weird, a bit twisted humour. Still most of the time he was not sure when they were serious and when not.

Suddenly it became suspiciously quiet in the kitchen. Something moved on the couch and he looked up seeing two faces staring at him. He fought to get his eyes open properly.

“…It’s dinner time Mr. sleepy head” Ayame said.

“We have or had good chicken legs, but she burned them… totally black… Can you imagine?”

“…I’m afraid I can…” In the middle of his yawn his phone started to ring. He answered it and rose up from the sofa. He had talked about two minutes or so when he hanged up and looked over the two.

…”What?”

“…Got a new job?” Ayame asked.

“Maybe… I won’t tell, before I’m sure…”

Tatsumaru looked curious. “Oh? Some lawyer business?”

“Nah…”

“…You remember what that woman said… In that costume party…?”

Rikimaru nodded. “I don’t think I’ll be ready yet to crawl back… If I’ll ever be…Besides it is not as easy as she led to understand…” He sniffled the air and looked down at the two who were still sitting on the floor. “…Do we have dinner or not?”

Half an hour later they wee sitting on the table and eating take out Chinese, chicken with vegetables and rise.

“Isn’t it quite sad that none of us can cook?” Ayame said.

“No offence, Ayame but I really do know how to cook…”

“Yeah right…” She said to her cousin. “Why are we eating take out then?”

“…because you didn’t listen to me when I said…”

“Okay, Okay… point taken…”

“I cooked all the time when I used to live alone…”

Ayame and Rikimaru both stopped chewing and looked over to Tatsumaru and both said the same thing. “…used to?”

Tatsumaru tried not to smile but couldn’t really hide it. “Yeah.. I got a roommate… Nothing like that though, he’s kind of my superior in the company and younger and…”

“He’s nice?” Ayame asked.

“Nice…yes… little weird though…”

Rikimaru seemed slightly concerned as he twisted the fork over and over again in his noodles. “How weird?”

“Well… sometimes when we talk he’s partially doing the talking and then some other time he seems so spaced out that you can’t get a word out of him. I heard he…”

Rikimaru lost the interest and fixed his attention to the food again. “Seems natural…”

“Yeah I guess so… Maybe we’re not used to share our personal space…”

Ayame looked over to Rikimaru who didn’t notice it. She sighted and pushed it out of her list of worries for a change. “…How old is he?”

“…I think he’s 20 after next month… or was it nineteen… can’t remember…”

“Cute?”

“…No! He’s … not! And we couldn’t, I’m evaluating his work, it would be so wrong… And he’s not gay!”

Rikimaru looked up to his plate with a devilish smirk. “You so sure? Tell me, were you in boxers when he had trouble talking to you…huh?”

Tatsumaru thought it for a moment. “…You people… Don’t you ever think about anything else? Some of us can live together with out getting to your level.”

Ayame played with a piece of chicken at her fork. “Poor-Tatsu… Living in a need again…Maybe ‘someone’ should do something about it and not mope all the time in home…?”

Living in a need, her cousin thought socked mostly by the fact that he actually wasn’t this time or in a some time hadn’t. Was he starting to be a sex addict? Did he really want to even know the answer?

“I’m not moping and stop selling me, thank you…”

“See…” She said. “Totally impossible case… Besides, I can sell you whatever I want, your ass is mine and living isn’t free, you know…And… when’s the last time you shopped anyway?”

Isn’t it practically the same thing to sleep around even thought he enjoyed it more than back then, Tatsumaru wondered off. No, it couldn’t be. Besides this was his time to find something he had never hoped or thought to exist in his young ages. He was studying when other of his age went on dates and parties. He just couldn’t find him self interested of a girl more than a friend.

Rikimaru looked to the ceiling: “Ma… I should have never left home. The world is an evil, gruel place with her in it. She’s made your beautiful little boy an object to abuse and sell…”

Tatsumaru wondered how Rikimaru’s family thought about him being gay. Had he told them? Or were they all dead considering Rikimaru’s temper. He sure kept his cool but what then when he’d reach the line.

“And this is the thanks I get… Really, I should hang out with real men more often…”

Tatsumaru felt a nasty ring in her words; real men. Weren’t they real even thought they had a bit different interests?

“…I can sure warm your bed even thought I’m not ‘a real man’ … Don’t shut me out, Ayame darling…?”

“Stop calling me that, you piece of meat...! Eat up, so I can abuse you longer until you pass out.”

“Yes, mistress…” He sighted sounding unhappy.

Tatsumaru had dated a girl once, it ended ugly. She was more of a friend than anything else, but unfortunately the girl didn’t seem to think so and eventually when they broke up, they hated each other. He looked Ayame and Rikimaru, both trying not to grin or laugh to their stupid jokes that saw no end. You could have thought they were a couple. They sure acted like one, but Tatsumaru knew they couldn’t be. Rikimaru was gay and she… well was a she. Could they be a couple?

Rikimaru looked at his clock. “I have to get going soon… the practice starts at six.” He went to put the plate away and then went to get his gear. He came back to the doorway that head to the kitchen and trop the heavy bag on the floor. It gave a thud.

The cousins in the kitchen looked over to Rikimaru who was facing the hallway and didn’t look at them.

“…Something lost…?” Ayame asked stuffing the rise in her mouth.

He still didn’t look. “…You ever got the feeling that nothing ever happens in your live and you are just walking around in endless circles... with out… anything to… get to… to reach for…” It had started as a question but ended in weird self bitty.

“…Um…? No? Not really…” Tatsumaru watched at him in confusion and Ayame just stared suddenly serious.

Tatsumaru’s words woke him up and he gave them a half hearted smile before walking to the hallway to put his shoes on. “…Guess I’ll be going to keep the class then…”

Ayame and Tatsumaru sat for a while in silence, listening him putting his shoes on. Ayame felt sad for him. Then Tatsumaru sprung off his chair and went after him.

“Can I walk with you…?”

“Sure…”

She heard them and wondered. Smiled a little for the thought if Tatsu would make him carry out her suggestion? She thought better not to shout it after them and Rikimaru’s words kept her thinking.

In the hall Tatsumaru was still putting his jacket when they were going down the stairs. “Rikimaru, can I ask you something…?”

“Sure…”

“Then stop… I can’t talk when you’re walking…”

They stopped. “…What?”

Tatsumaru wasn’t quite sure how to form the question. “…What’s the deal between you and her?”

“Deal?”

“…The truth…”

“…Why do you wanna know…?” It surprised Rikimaru that he had actually cared about their little jokes. Somehow he got a feeling Tatsumaru had found his inner big brother, cousin thing that wanted to protect her. Why Rikimaru did know this? Because he was acting the same when it came to men and Ayame, no-one was good enough for her. Like the cop really needed to be protected, sure, she was picky enough.

Why did he really want to know, Tatsumaru thought it over? “Why do I wanna know?”

Maybe Rikimaru was a bit over protective. It could have been a reason why she couldn’t make her relationships last or in other point of fief no-one, no-one was good enough for her.

“Because… if… there is something between you… I’d like to ask for… advice…?”

This was true, Rikimaru thought, no men could ever bee enough. They were too selfish and self-centred bastards. Even Tatsumaru had that side Rikimaru had only thought to find in certain women. Tatsu, being a bastard; that was saying a lot.

“…advise?”

“Yeah… Like… when he sleeps with her…” Tatsumaru first pointed Rikimaru and then the upstairs. “And then he or she brings another he to the picture… Isn’t it quite awkward? I mean… What if the other one gets jealous of the another him or I mean that he gets jealous over she as she has he or other way around… What about if the other falls madly in love and never tells it to the other one but suffers the rest of his or hers life and the other don’t notice at all? Doesn’t that make this… he a terrible abuser? Isn’t it terrible to think that… Could they living together get unpleasant and broke them up as friends if they’d keep on sleeping together… once in a while… not planned or anything, but, of course that can’t work, because, if they are not in love or stuff and committed, right? Isn’t awful to see you one night slip every morning? I mean, breakfast, dinner, lunch, noon and afternoon tea not to talk about very late afternoon tea and all the snack bites in between... Not bites like that… Could they ruin each others lives if they get burned, sure like if the other one is very innocent , –inexperienced- and just -experimenting- stuff and… and the other one just… totally naively, provoking him so he, they can’t really stop…” He had to stop before he lost his eyes sight for the lack of oxygen.

“…I’m not sleeping with my roommate…” Rikimaru stated shortly and walked down the stairs. “…But someone sure is… Is he any good?”

“…He’s twenty…! And stop that walking…”

“Twenty? Pretty good then… What’s you frigging big problem here Tatsu?” Rikimaru stopped because he couldn’t get anything out of the other as he drawled behind him like a helpless child.

“Well, It’s wrong…?”

“…Is he forcing you…?”

“No, for…! No.”

“…You were forcing him?”

“God, Rikimaru? What’s gotten into you! No.” Tatsumaru was hurt for his latest suggestion, but had too much to think of to notice that Rikimaru wasn’t having the greatest day of his live. “Were not together, but when ever either one feels lonely… it just happens… Like last night…”

“…Last night…?”

“I was completely happy by myself, sleeping in my bed and then suddenly, there he is asking me if it’s okay for him to come sleep next to me… or something…” He blushed a little and looked away annoyed.

“…Is he ugly?”

“No…?”

“Has some short of an disease…?”

“..No?”

“You don’t really like him?”

“…Um… No?”

Rikimaru bite his lip so he wouldn’t explode on the stairs. “…You don’t like… What? What does it matter? For what I think, you are so fucking lucky if someone wants to cuddle with you all day long and still stands the sight of you every day…!”

Rikimaru wasn’t quite shouting his lungs out but now Tatsumaru could pick up the stressed tone of his voice. “…O-kay… Did I say something to upset you…?”

“No… Pms. Sorry. I. have. to. run. now. or. I’ll be late… See. you…”

He rushed out of the door hoping Tatsumaru wouldn’t follow him and ask what the hell was the matter with him, cup him in his hug and tell him that someone loved him. After thinking it over Rikimaru thought to take a taxi for prevent that happening. He wasn’t him. He couldn’t ever be, they were like the night and day. No-one could be him, probably not even the one spoken of.

He thought to walk; no-one would run after him. It wasn’t even long way to the yum. Unexpectedly a forgotten memory pulped back to surface.

Flashback

“I’m gona go now. I still have to do the paper for at least a dozen gases… Oh God…”

It was Saturday. It was cold outside but inside the fireplace and a lover was keeping the place warm and cosy. Rikimaru rose up from the sofa and the other sat down to where he’d left as if to steal the place. He’d stopped painting suddenly and was now looking for something at his pocket.

“What?” Onikage asked for his sight of unhappiness. He didn’t hear them very often and this one was out of place. He wasn’t even teasing his little toy at the moment.

“I just realized how used I am…”

How convenient for the occasion, he thought folding something in his closed fist. “You are good to use, ever thought it might be that…”

“I was talking about my work, you pervert…” He hissed in voice of abused, but smirked at him from the hallway.

Onikage looked at him half smiling half serious. You never knew about him or at least Rikimaru didn’t.

“…Who says I wasn’t…eh?” He made it sound like a threat: “…Come here…”

“…Why?”

“Because… I say so…”

“That’s not very nice… You really should learn some manners or…”

“For God’s sake! …Why everything has to be a game to you…!” He was nervous about this to begin with. Why did he have to make it even harder? That got Rikimaru only smiling wider and for what surprised Onikage, he was smiling back at him just as devilish or maybe more, he hoped. “…I got something for you…”

“…Don’t you all ways?”

“It’s in here…” He showed at his hand. “Do you wanted it or not?”

This got Rikimaru’s attention and he slowly came closer. “…It depends…”

“If you don’t want it…”

When Rikimaru tried to grab his fist Onikage moved it away continuing to do that. Eventually Rikimaru was sitting on his lap trying to get a hold of this mystery item by leaning over the other.

“…I can all ways give it to someone else…”

“Oh, screw you Oni…” He said and distracted him with a passionate kiss on the lips. It worked and Rikimaru pulled away as his fingers reached the item he’d been after. Little stunned he looked at the key in his hand. The other studying his expression as he did so.

“…You giving me your key?”

“No, that’s the key to my mother’s house so you can do the shopping for her… What did you think, dump arse…?” He laughed if not a bit nervous and covered his face with a one hand temporarily.

“…But… You never give your keys to anyone… remember…?”

“Well… maybe you are special case… and this way it is much easier to abuse you when you can come in your self and I don’t have to drag you.. Or get out of bed to do so…”

Rikimaru didn’t want to think it further or even to remember as he walked in the building he was holding the class in. He quickly changes his clothes wondering who had his key now and went to the hall that they kept classes shaking off the thought. There weren’t many at today’s class as it involved mostly revision exercises. Little over ten chattered around the area with padded floor and he turned to talk to them.

“Okay… Good day to you and… today… we’ll…” He kept on talking not looking anyone in particular. He usually was more considerate to his pupils and nodded to few of them which he could get an eye contact with, but not today. Today he couldn’t care shit about them. Strangers and half-acquaintances, the same that filled his world everyday.

They started the class that would fill the next one and half an hour. He did the moves and they repeated them almost in unison behind him.

This was almost like a dance yet maybe deadlier even as it didn’t conclude any alcohol. He concentrated to his hand movements fallowed by the rest of his body. Again it felt like simplicity looking for the lost perfection, harmony of a mind and body. His mind sighted in relieve as it was set to rest.

Rikimaru closed his eyes for a moment but shot them open at the instant he heard something breaking down. It was the door. Everybody stopped as time seemed to stand still.

Before they noticed the room was full of men dressed in black and all of their vests read SWAT. They pointed their guns at the people in the room and told them to get lay on their backs, their hands resting over their head.

Four men surrounded Rikimaru and told him the same. He obeyed having no idea what was going on. There seemed to be only ordinary people in the group , no-one even mildly psychotic or suspicious, except Rikimaru himself, he thought laying on his stomach as one of the Swat members took his hands and handcuffed him. What a hell…!

“You got the wrong guy now…!” It didn’t help. All they did was handle him with more force, like he’d just tried to escape. The Swat members said nothing, they never did. So it was pointless to ask what he’d done. His mind raced trough many things among the ages of his conquests. …No, no way, couldn’t be that young…! Could he?

They tore him from the floor and started to escort him out. He could only imagine how it must have looked in the eyes of his pupils that were left to lay on the floor, stunned like wild animals suddenly forced to stay still in a small gage. “…What have I done… Can’t you at least tell me that…?” He tried when they pushed him in a black van.

Before he could even get a good look over his captures they covered Rikimaru’s head with some sort of a fabric bag. No-one said anything or did anything after that. The car was moving, had been on the road for some time now. In these moments Rikimaru felt great need for a lawyer. Not to help in legal matters, he could do that him self, but in need of an eye witness for what was about to happen to him.

After a short ride the car stop braking hard. Was it a red light or were they in destination already? Two men grabbed his arms and took him out of the car. He couldn’t see a damn thing.

“Stairs…” Someone very masculine said.

He heard a key turn in a lock and he was pushed in a room. He was probably facing the door as one of the men took of his handcuffs. The door slammed shut and steps echoed in the stair way in an awfully familiar way.

He took off the bag and looked at the brown apartment building door whit a light blue frame surrounded by hundreds of shoes, socks, tennis patches, news papers and adds. Oh for god’s sake… She couldn’t…

He turned thinking no further and flash blinded him. Yep, she did…

“…Don’t say… you just ordered a Swat team to pick me home, didn’t you? You have such a loose brain…”

Ayame smiled happily, waving a Polaroid in her hand. “…It was just a payback, ho…”

“…For what?”

“For what? …yeah sure… think about it…”

“…I’m not in a mood… I… happened to like my stay at the practise, until your buddies gave heart attack to half of the people there! How can I explain that, no, no… the whole little swat team that kicked down the door was a seat up and actually quite good, in a twisted way, of a joke...”

“So you liked it…?”

“Not a one bit…”

She looked at the picture in her hand and laughed. “This is definitely going to the album…”

“…Let me see that…!” He reached over, but she pulled it away and made her way to the couch.

“So you remember?”

He looked at her puzzled after taking of his shoes and trop down on the armchair. She lay down as there for once was room to do so. “…Ho!”

Rikimaru thought it over. “…You mean my visit in your office?” He smirked evilly. It had been a hot summer day and he himself wanted to go to the beach, but what fun would it have been with out her. She was in work of course so the only thing he needed to do was to get her out from the office. Easier to said than done, or not if you had a poker face and a wicked imagination. Just how much can few trashy clothes, bare skin and carefully picked lines do in a middle of a room full of police men? You wouldn’t believe that she can actually blush, but yes she can.

Ayame mimicked her friend talking in a too high voice. “Uuu… Officer…? Did you want me on your desk or in the seven o’clock buss…? Or was it the patrol car, I can not remember after so many clients…”

Rikimaru laughed. “…I didn’t sound like that, did I?”

“…I still here comments about it… maybe you should ask my colleagues?”

Ayame looked at the picture of Rikimaru. She had put it on the table but he hadn’t noticed it. She could see a little discomfort in his face. Ayame looked at him and after a while could see it again. He was concentrating something behind his eyes. “…Did I go too far?” She asked in a tone that was unusually serious to her.

He really didn’t think he needed to answer her question- He wasn’t mad at her.

“…What did you tell them, to come and get me?”

“…Oh what did I say…? …That I need to get a friend home… Don’t worry, I know them all, veer guys.”

“You know it looked like a fetish thing going on between us?”

“…In a way?” She looked shocked that he could even mention a thing like that.

“Well, you know, the whole picture… cop, handcuffs, control, rested, helpless, submission…”

“I have never gotten the point of that…”

“…No… really? Should I…?”

“No…!”

“…You look awfully comfortable and nice lying on there and since I’m here and we have no better thoghs to do…?”

“Oh no… I can see where this is heading…Stop it…!”

“Why? Okay, I got it, sorry, shouldn’t play with the fire… mother never told me that…”

“How’s you mother got to do with any of this?”

“…I wish I knew… Funny thing happened today, after Tatsu and I left…”

“Really?”

“…I think I lied to him… I said I’m not sleeping with my roommate…”

“So…? You are not…” They shared a look. “…We haven’t since… you moved in… right?”

“Um-huh…” Rikimaru nodded.

“Wait… Why did you –lied-? Should I get offended?”

“Maybe I was afraid of his big brother complex or something… I dunno…you?”

“How could I know what goes on in that head of yours, especially when your not telling me anything…”

“How could I? We practically never see each other when you are either in work or in sleep… And I’m in a bar or cleaning the cutter…”

“…You are still thinking about him… you think I haven’t noticed?”

“I try not to.” He gave a weak smile. “But honestly… I can feel better times are coming… I don’t miss him that much anymore. Maybe just someone… someone… who’s mine… Completely. …Am I greedy?”

“Maybe we both are and that’s why we are lone… and will be lone forever…”

“Wait ten years and we’ll be sitting here just the same…”

“Aren’t we sad… You remember…?”

“…Remember what?”

“The promise we made when we were… what? eight or something?”

“…That I would all ways borrow you my Batman doll?”

She laughed. “No, idiot…! …That sounded bad… The other one? …If we are alone…?”

“…when we’re 35 we have sex?”

“Yes, dear, but we changed the end later…”

He thought it for a moment. “…I thought I don’t suit you anymore…?”

“Yeah… might be so, but what can I say… I’m a one desperate girl…”

“So it still holds? You know I couldn’t live in a marriage with out sex, right?”

“I could…”

Rikimaru couldn’t help but to remember what Tatsumaru had told him and how it made him feel. She had closed her eyes and probably tried to sleep and dream. She would find her special someone finally, he thought. Everyone would except him self. “…You gonna sleep… After you forced me to come here? Can’t the big bad ass cop sleep whit out someone watching over?” She didn’t answer.

“…I saw that…!” He said seeing her little smile, but she just kept on pretending to be sleep. “…Fine…” He walked away.

It was a learned routine to walk straight to his room, he stopped in the middle of it. It was different. The floor was clean and table also. He could actually tell he had a carpet. Someone had cleaned his room, Ayame? No way. Speaking of the devil she drawled in the room yawning. “..Where did you leave, you were suppose to keep me awake until we leave to a bar…?”

“Did you clean this?”

“…yeah, well, I was bored… and I thought it might cheer you up a bit. Does the trick for me at least, I didn’t even remember how did my room look. You like it or should I mess it up again?”

“Ayame, you really didn’t have to, you should just told me to clean it and I would…”

“So you want me to mess it up?” She said with a crazy clint in her eyes.

“…no. Thanks…”

“…You welcome…” She went back to the living room.

Rikimaru stayed and looked around in this strange place he didn’t recognise to his own. He sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in to his hands and finally focused to the floor. I didn’t remember the mat was in that colour…? Oh well, guess it was…

When all the paper boxes and books were orderly placed at the lines of the room it felt empty and too spacy. Too much room to move, too much room to think.

“We should get a move on… They are going to pick us up in fifteen minutes…!”Ayame yelled from her room. He had completely forgotten their plans for the time being.

“…What’s wrong?” She asked as Rikimaru came to her door leaning at frame and crossing his hands above his chest. She was looking into her closet of clothes.

He just shook his head saying nothing and made a face for her constant worrying about his well being. He couldn’t think any other way to thank her than give her a huge bear hug.

“Wow… I should clean more often…?” She laughed against his chest and leaned on him. He was so quiet and sighted tiredly on her shoulder. When had she last time felt so close to someone, she couldn’t remember.

She was relaxing, nice and dear, he thought and didn’t want to leg go. She was tiny in the middle and still in his arms, not going anywhere or anyone else. It felt nice to have someone to hold. Her breath was steady but weak as a birds. He could feel her other hand rubbing his back comforting while he pleased her head.

It felt right to hold one another like that whit out any other intentions in mind. World seemed to stop or at least slow down for a moment as they shared their feelings not by words but in acts of appreciation. For a second the world seemed tolerable place to live in.

The hug was getting long even in a slow motion. They had to move so that they wouldn’t fossilise or have to leg go. He grabbed her thick messy hair in his hand and pushed his fingers closed. He didn’t know what was the purpose of that, maybe just to keep moving. She was moving too and he copied her hand movements finding her lovely waist.

She had the most perfectly shaped waist he had ever felt. It was curve all the way no matter in which way were you going. Her navel shirts used to kill him when ever she’d wear one. It was unbelievable thing about her. Like if you’d first go up to meet the ribcage, pulled her body closer and then went down to the narrowest part, automatically the curve on her back came very strong. And down from there… What as he doing, Rikimaru suddenly asked himself or more importantly what were they doing?

She had her hand behind his neck and other one between their tightly pressed bodies as if to push him further away. He saw her parted lips and it was so easy to give in to it.

“Ummh…!” Surprised for the passion, a hush blurted out from her lips. She had long nails that dug in to his shoulder as he cupped her up.

She wrapped her long legs around his waist. He pushed her against the closet door after slamming it shut. A voice of a doorbell rang angrily in the apartment making them stop to their where abouts.

She hold his collar with both hands and looked down on him who looked back. The doorbell rang again and it was louder if it was possible.

Some strange clanking and people talking. Someone laughed. It was Jin. “…Shut up, you guys…! …Hellou!” Dan was yelling trough the letterbox. “…Anyone home!” It was quiet for a second.

“…What if they have gone ahead?” It was Jin speaking. The letterbox clanked shut.

Neither hadn’t dared to breathe properly, they just stared at each other.

“…I didn’t know the noises go that well trough the walls…?” He whispered.

“…They are still at the hall…” They could hear them taking, but couldn’t tell what they were saying. “…Think they heard us?”

They both looked at the hallway but couldn’t really see nothing much but the living room.

“…You wanna go after them…” He smirked speaking very quietly. “…Later…?”