Sour Hearts

Chapter eight, two stone fruits.

"Okay, Akai." Ryuketsu started, as she sat down onto the cold marble floor, folding her hands. Everyone sat down on the ground as well, since we didn't have any furniture. "You don't exactly have a place to go, now do you?" Ryuketsu asked. "No.. my parents believe me to be dead. I.. don't think they'd want to see me either way." Akai replied, her voice becoming more and more quiet as she continued. "Ah.. right." I said, pretending to understand the conversation. "If it doesn't inconvenience you guys too much.. may I stay here untill i have a place to go?" Akai pleaded. Ryuketsu's face softened in utter pity for the girl. First she tries to kill us, now she's trying to live with us? "I.. suppose."

  This.. odd feeling overwhelmed me when I saw the way Akai was pleading. And it wasn't positive. I wasn't sure what  I was feeling. But it was almost like a loss of respect..? I chuckled quietly to myself, trying to forget the feeling. "Yukki? Something funny?" Ryu asked, raising an eyebrow. "Ha! No, no, I was just thinking of a video I saw." I lied. "..okay then."

  "Uhm, Akai, you can sleep in my room with me- if you'd like?" I offered. "Oh.. sure. Thank you." She smiled slightly, picking at her thumb nail. "Alright, how about you get settled then. Hm?" Ryu patted Akai's back, and sent her to a bedroom. She turned to face me, once Akai left the room. "Alright, Yukki. If there's a better time, I don't believe in it. Go get your self obsessed softcore girlfriend." She grinned. "H-huh?" I stuttered. "You know what I mean, go ask her out. She's all vulnerable, she's so confused she can't possibly say no right now!" Ryu laughed. My stomach twisted. Okay, Yukki, remember that she's a psycho. Obviously she doesn't understand how messed up her words are.. right?  "Uhm.. that feels a bit.." I pannicked, how do I approach this..? "A little what?" She sounds concerned. Oh god. I guess I just need to blurt it out- "m-manipulative..?" I squeaked. I immediately felt as if I'd been shrunk to be the size of an ant, as I watched Ryuketsu's smile fall to a hard stare. "Manipulative?" Her voice deepened with anger. "Manipulative?!" She raised her hand as if she where to smack me across the face, her eyes where wide with anger. I braced myself for a hard hit.. but it never happened. I opened my eyes to see her slowly put her hand down to her side, followed with a deep sigh. My body tensed slightly less, my heart rate slowed to a pace only slightly abnormal. I looked up at her confused. "Why didn't you.. hit me?" I asked, quietly. She thought for a moment, "I shouldn't be getting mad at you for having different opinions than me." She looked away, as if embarrassed at her actions "just.. go to bed." She turned, waving her hand as she walked to the bathroom. I stood, dumbfounded. I'd never seen her look... Embarrassed before.

  I turned my attention up the stairs, where Akai had gone. To the room I'm staying in.

(A few minutes later.)

I made my way up the stairs, carrying two drinks in my hands. Two energy drinks, one peach, the other mango. I carefully nudged the door open with my elbow, and kicked the door closed behind me. The room was bland and empty, it echoed as I stepped in. The only piece of furniture in there so far was my bed. Well.. parts of it. My mattress, a pillow, and a blanket. Akai sat awkwardly on the edge. Her shoulders hunched at the sound of my foot steps. "Hey," I said gently, sitting down next to her, feeling the mattress sink down below me. "Hey.." she responded, quietly. Staring at the ground. I lightly tapped her shoulder with the edge of an unopened can of peach energy drink. She turned to look at it. Her eyes drifted to the can, then quickly up to me. She hesitated. "..for me?"

  I nodded, handing her the drink. She took it, questioningly. She turned away again, picking at the can tab, as if to open it, but she wasn't really trying. A few moments of silence later, I took it from her hand and opened it, handing it back to her. "Here." I smiled. "Thank you." She mumbled as she took it. She lightly scratched at the texture on the outside of the can with her nail. "Are you feeling alright?" I asked. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks." She shifted slightly, her nail still scratching at the can. She hasn't taken a sip yet. "I didn't do anything to the drink, you know." I chuckled slightly. She remained silent for a few more moments. "I know."
Her words didn't sound certain. She doesn't trust me yet, does she? "You can trust me Akai, I won't hurt you."  Her shoulders hunched and her eyes squeezed tight. I could see her chest puff up slightly as if she where holding her breath. Holding in something. Holding in her disbelief. Her own feelings toward the situation. "You can, I promise you." I reached my hand out to touch her shoulder, for a sense of comfort. She flinched. I pulled my hand away. "I.." she struggled to get the word out. "I trust you." She said it, but I could tell she didn't mean it. But.. you can't force trust. I sighed. "No, I really do!" She pleaded, looking up at me. "Don't lie to me. Trust is something I need to earn.. I get it." I took a long sip of my drink, feeling the bubbles burn at the back of my throat while the sweet and sour taste of mango fills my mouth. I shifted to the side slightly, my palm feeling pressure as I shifted my weight there.

"Do you.. remember what we'd talked about.. when I died?" Akai asked quietly. "That depends.. remind me." Of course I knew. I remembered every word. I remember the hollowness, I remember the aches, I remember the stinging in my eyes as the life left hers. "You.. told me you loved me." She laughed quietly underneath her breath, "and I didn't believe you.. untill you held me in your arms as I died. And I saw the look on your face.."  the scratching stopped. She dug her nail into the side of the can, leaving a dent as she held it there. "What where you thinking in that moment..? I want to know." She looked at me, her eyes begining to water. "What was I thinking..?" I questioned. She nodded. "I was thinking.. about how I knew it needed to happen. But it still hurt." I said, looking down into the can I held as if I where looking down at Akai's dying face once again. "Yukki.. you.." she stopped speaking, not sure how to word what she said next. I noticed her staring down at my wrists. ..the cuts. "You.. k.. killed your self after it happened." Her voice shook. "Technically we both should be dead right now. Both at the hands of you.."

  "By the same knife." I rubbed my thumb against my scars. "Is it really true? Did you mean it? Or did you lie to make me feel good in my last moments?" She asked, blurting it out. "If I lied to make you feel good in your last moments.. would it even count as a lie? I killed you. If I didn't love you in anyway.. I wouldn't have wanted you to feel good." I stayed quiet for a moment. The silence kept going for a long while.

I felt two cold hands grasp at my face, pulling me towards hers. She shut her eyes tight and aggressively kissed me. My eyes widened with surprise. I closed them quickly as I felt her cold lips warm up, I kissed her back. Allowing her to hold me in her arms as I did not too long ago.