It Was All Arranged [R. Sakamaki]

Hello Dear

438 days, that was how long Reiji Sakamaki had been plotting his revenge. The dark-haired man had memorised every crack in the brick wall, every speck on the harsh floor, every heartbeat of every convict. The pale boy was thirsty - so thirsty - and livid. When he'd first been forced into the smelly, orange jumpsuit, Reiji's face had been set, anger danced within his veins as he set his mind on killing her.

He spent a year in isolation, after successfully becoming the top bully, fighting to stay alive in this place filled with brutal monsters. Reiji was one of them, he knew that. That was why she'd sent him there... away from her. When darkness wrapped around the icy cells, Reiji thought of her. How much he hated her, how much he longed to strangle her for her wrong doings... how much he wanted to smell her sweet scent. He needed to remind himself that he hated her.

On the 440th day, Karlheinz had shown up outside of his son's cell, a cheshire grin on his pale lips as he stared down, disappointed rage burned through Reiji's flesh. "What have you gotten yourself into?" Reiji was covered in blood, the thin liquid dripped from his lips, his hands cuffed to the wall, shirt ripped and glasses removed. "I'm disappointed in you. Stop fooling around, I expect you to return to the castle and await my next orders."

That was how he'd ended up in her small apartment, wandering the empty halls and admiring her landscape paintings. It'd taken him forty years to find her. Forty years, living through his father's merciless beatings and cruel curses. Thirty-eight years since he'd murdered his mother for a comment she'd made about his wife. There was a long cut left behind from his punishment after that, it started at the angle of his jaw and travelled down his chest, to the hip opposing. He hoped it'd make her feel bad, make her regret her decision.

Reiji had dressed himself as he usually would, his suit was grey, shirt white and flawless. His hair was neatly swept back, it was longer now, reaching his elbows. He hadn't cut it yet. His glasses had been returned to him, his wedding ring too which his Father had plucked from the storage rooms of the dark prison. With a long sigh, the man sat himself on the plush, white couch opposite the large bookshelf. His eyes scanned the titles of the books lining her shelves. 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' was red, he considered plucking it from the shelf and he would've had the door not swung open.

Athena Tsukinami looked as beautiful as she had all those years ago. Her soft, auburn waves had been tied up, away from her pale, round face. The clothes she wore were tight and dark, showing off her figure. She'd gained weight over the years - she looked healthier, happier, prettier. An eyebrow quivered when the yawning woman lifted her shirt over her head, revealing the grey sports-bra that concealed her breasts.

"You haven't seen me in 42 years, you haven't sent any letters or paid me any visits, yet you strip before me? How indecent of you." A smirk stretched across his lips as his fuchsia eyes travelled from her plump waist and up the curve of her breast to the necklace embracing her neck. He noticed her rings scratching the top of her breast. Athena looked at the man, blinking in disbelief as she dropped her shirt to the floor.
"You're one and a bit of a life sentence early," she merely commented, a thin smile on her lips, her jaw clenched as her stormy eyes met with his. She'd vowed herself to look him in the eye, to show no remorse for what she'd done. The tall woman's hands curled into fists behind her back.
"My Father... needed me," was all Reiji said, staring her down, his expression stoic. Athena only nodded.

"Are you here to kill me?" the words had left her lips before she'd processed them. Reiji stood from his seat, her head lifting to look him in the eyes.
"I thought about it," he took a step towards her, she didn't step back, "I dreamt about it... about the way I'd kill you." He let out a sigh, adjusting his glasses. He was still wearing his wedding ring.
"That didn't answer my question," Athena responded as he sauntered towards her. She didn't flinch as his hand swung, smacking her in the face, snapping her head to the side. She didn't fall, she kept her hands by her sides as she turned to look at him. A gasp left her lips as he wrapped his hand around her neck, squeezing tight. It wouldn't kill her, not now.
"I want to kill you," he spat, glaring into her round eyes, "I want you to die - I hate you." His hand uncupped her throat as the gentlemen cleared his throat. "Pack your bags. We're moving in with my brothers."

"One more night," she said softly. They'd spent the evening packing her belongings into large boxes. Reiji had sighed as he seated himself upon the couch.
"I see that you're still sentimental."
"You're about to take me from the life I've always dreamed of having," she returned, "I'm spending a final night here." Wishing to not argue with her, Reiji had stayed silent as she wandered into her bathroom, switching the hot water on and showering.

He hated to admit the immediate comfort he'd felt upon seeing her. He hated the relief of knowing she was okay. He hated her. He hated this place. She hated him too... but why was she painting him? Athena had insisted that she sort that corner of her apartment out and he now knew why. There were dozens of paintings, all with his face - it was... sweet he supposed. He quite appreciated the thought. Half were torn though or scribbled through...

Deciding to let the woman have her final night of freedom, Reiji sat himself on the couch and waited, listening to her faint cries which drifted into loud snores. He allowed himself to smile, his hatred dying as he closed his eyes. He'd missed her.