Red Strings ¦¦ Chishiya Shuntarou x OC

Fourteenth String

Pulling away from the hug, Kurenai held his face in her hands, stroking her thumb gently against his cheeks. She could not help herself as she was leaning closer until finally their lips met. And before she knew it, Chishiya was kissing back too.

Neither of them were willing to part from the kiss. Chishiya even had his hand on her lower back as if to prevent her from pulling away.

Only when they were both desperate for air did them finally stop.

Kurenai pressed her forehead on his, staring into his eyes with a soft smile. She was rather experienced when it came to dating, having started since she was in high school. But not once did she ever feel the same way she felt with Chishiya. Not even remotely close.

Her first boyfriend was the basketball captain, a third year and the most popular boy in school. They started dating because he had a crush on her and it seemed 'natural' for them to be a couple. They broke up eventually when he graduated and Kurenai realised that she never liked him.

Subsequently, her boyfriends after him were all guys who had the courage to confess to her, and someone Kurenai thought was 'interesting'. After about a month or two, however, she would get bored of them and break it up. Then she dove into a life of one night stands. This way, she could get the satisfaction sexually but not commit to anyone.

But along came Chishiya, stirring up feelings in her that she never knew she was capable of having.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Chishiya leaned forward, kissing her again.

It was the same for Chishiya.

Ever since he met Kurenai, he had been experiencing emotions that he never knew he was capable of. Emotions that he was never shown before too. Every time he saw her smile, he would smile too. When she was frowning, he wanted to know why. And when she was in danger, he wanted to protect her, even when he would get hurt in the process.

If this was him two years ago, Chishiya would not even bat an eyelash at the fact that she was being held hostage.

"Naughty," Kurenai whispered, breathing a little heavily. "No fraternising in the hospital."

"That's between staff, and staff and patients."

"I'm working in the hospital. And I'm a patient too," she said, pointing to the small cut on her neck from before. "Double naughty."

"Should we stop then?"

"Uh-uh."

The curtain separating them from the rest of the hospital was suddenly drawn, and the nurse who was treating Chishiya before stood frozen at the sight of Kurenai half straddling him. "I...I am so sorry, I'm just here to grab something. But also, you're needed on the floor Chishiya-kun."

Awkwardly walking around the two, the nurse grabbed a tray of bandages and hurried off, making sure to close the curtain behind her as she went.

Chishiya could not help the smirk on his face. What a thrill. He had never done something like this in the hospital, nor did he ever think of doing such a thing. Kissing on a hospital bed was such a cliché plot in those medical dramas that one would never think it could ever happen to them.

"I should get going," Chishiya said, getting up and took his white coat off. The sleeve was slashed and had blood on it, he should get a new one anyway.

"Shuntarou."

"I'll see you later."

He planted a kiss on her forehead before finally walking off.

--

Kurenai was still on a high from her kiss with Chishiya.

She felt like a teenage girl experiencing her first love, although technically, if she really was in love with Chishiya, he would be her first love since what she felt for all those others would never be considered love.

Touching her lips gently, she could not help the shy smile every time she remembered how his lips felt on hers. How she could taste the coffee she made him earlier that morning. And the way he would look into her eyes was more than enough to have her blushing bright red like a tomato.

Watching from the rearview mirror, Hanzo felt a little concerned to see his employer in such a giddy mood. Every day for the last five years he had worked for her, Kurenai would sit in the back either in a neutral mood or a gloomy one. Her smiles were rare, but they were usually directed at him out of politeness. Not once had he seen her giggling like this.

"Thank goodness you are okay!" Ayako gasped, dropping everything she was doing and went up to Kurenai when she walked through the front door, hugging her tightly.

"Kurenai!"

Aoi joined the hug, and they were both suffocating her with their tight hugs.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Ayako asked. "I was so scared when I saw the news, and they said you were held hostage at knifepoint! How terrifying!"

"What happened? Did they get the man? Are they going to charge him?"

"I'm alright," Kurenai smiled, taking her shoes off casually. "And I have a little cut but nothing to worry about. The man was just upset that his wife died when the boy who hit her with his car did not. They managed to subdue him and take him away. Last I heard, they are pressing charges but I'm going to get him a lawyer."

"What? Why? He hurt you!"

"He was just upset and wanted answers, and perhaps to get revenge. His intentions were never to hurt me, I just happen to be there."

Looking at Ayako, Aoi was frowning just as she was. While they understood Kurenai's reasoning, there was something not quite right about her. She was smiling. And now smiling because she had to for the cameras, or out of politeness. She was smiling genuinely, because she was happy.

Happy that she was held hostage?

"Kurenai, are you sure you're alright?" Aoi asked.

"Why yes, of course!"

Something definitely was not right.

Leaving the two to ponder her behaviour, Kurenai was heading for the stairs when she suddenly turned around, coming back. She looked at Aoi like she had something to say, though she was taking her time trying to think over her words.

"When you see your boyfriend, I mean not your boyfriend," she corrected herself before Aoi could. "When you see him, how do you feel?"

"Well...happy," Aoi replied, his cheeks already flushed. "Every time I see him, I feel warm on the inside and he makes me happy. Why are you asking this?"

"So that's what it's like to..like someone?"

"It depends. There's a lot of elements to-"

"What if I smile when he smiles? What if when he's upset, I try to do everything to make him smile again? When I have good news, I want him to be the first person to hear it. But when I have bad news, I want to see him to make myself feel better. When I see him, I feel really comfortable and relaxed but when I don't, I wish the day would end quickly so I can see him again. What does that mean?"

Both Ayako and Aoi looked at each other. It was no wonder that Kurenai did not understand these feelings, she never experienced them before. Nor was she shown them. It was not until recently she learnt how to love her own brother properly after all.

"That means you like that person. Like...like like them. A lot."