Nice Voices - English Version

Chapter 8 - Dim Scene

They meet three more times, at the base of Tokyo Tower and the laps around it grew longer and longer each time they would see each other.

Flaminia knew that the more time she passed with the man, the more she felt light and calm, at ease...but also that she was more and more risking of come across her father's anger.

She was taking advantage of every break she had to meet him and those dates began to occur earlier and earlier: from midnight to eleven thirty, eleven o'clock, to half past ten.

Every time they were both attracted early at their usual place «didn't you tell me that your break was later in the evening?» asked Aoi while they were walking slowly one next to the other, just a few inches away «yeah, but...tonight I wasn't that busy so...I decided to take a break earlier, why?» she turned to stare the dark, shiny eyes in the man's face, her cheeks blushing slightly «I don't want you to get into troubles at your work because of me» he shrugged, looking down at her.

With relief he noted that the bruise from her face was finally gone, but he thought that new ones appeared just above her collarbone, hidden clumsily by her scarf.

Taking a deep breath, Aoi thrusted his hand into his double-breasted coat's pocket, pulling out a white, unmarked envelope «tomorrow afternoon at six we'll have a concert...you want and can, pass by to see us» hinted while handing the envelope that Flaminia took between her fingers in amazement «...a concert?» she gaped with a huge smile that slowly grew on her lips «sometimes we have extra tickets for friends and acquaintances and since I'm a lone wolf...This one would be wasted» joked the guitarist, sinking again his hands in his pocket, now visibly embaressed.

His dark eyes stared the girl take the ticket from inside the envelope, looking at it on the front then on the back «Oh my Kami...» hissed Flaminia, noting not only the name where they would exhibit, but also the seat number and the words 'backstage' «T-Tokyo Dome?? You'll play at Tokyo Dome?!» she blurted out while moving her chocolate gaze to him, a beaming expression on her face «you guys must be so good then!! And...backstage?» she added, lowering her eyes again on the ticket.

Aoi laughed slightly, he didn't expected such a reaction: she seemed like a frantic child and the fact that she didn't know his band made him feel a little better.

You never know might date you for your fame or your moneney «it means that you can come to the backstage after the concert...so I can take you home» he spoke, seeing her stop her walking standing still behing him.

Aoi went on for a few steps away from her, before turning around to stare at her «Tokyo Dome is quite far away from this zone and the concert will finish during rush hour...so...» he almost tried to excuse his own idea, approaching here with a slow pace «if you want of course, you're not forced to--» he fell silent when he felt the impact against his chest, her arm that was holding him around his waist while the other was curled up between them.

Flaminia tightened the grip on the ticket against her heart and around the slim built of the man: she didn't expected a gift from him and the mixture of excitement and fear was so overwhelming that made her realize how alone she was, after all.

She was so happy that her chest was hurting «you just needed to tell me, that you liked it» Flaminia heard him chuckle right above her right ear and Aoi, slowly, wrapped his arms around her soft figure remaining in silence, feeling her small laugh-mixed sobs warming up the fabric of his black coat.

As he imagined, holding her was like embracing a big, cuddly pillow, that in that moment was trembling from head to toe «is...b-better for me to...to go home now and...and see what I can do...so I can come see you» finally whispered Flaminia, closing her eyes and carefully passing her fingers under them to remove the fairly smugded make-up.

She felt the man's arms hover around her waist for a few seconds, holding her against him, before feeling them relax and release the grip «go then» he uttered with a small but genuine smile that the girl swore she never saw on his face before «see you tomorrow» concluded Aoi, taking her hand in his own, leaning in to leave a gentle kiss on her cheek as usual.

What he didn't expect, however, was the rapid movement of Flaminia and before he could realize, his lips were resting on hers, both her arms knotted around his own neck.

Aoi's eyes widened in surprise and saw her lashes flutter softly while her closed shut eyelids barely blocked a couple of tears that coursed down her cheeks.

What seemed like an eternity were only a handful of seconds that could be counted on the fingers of one hand and Flaminia abruptly moved away from him, as if she just realized in that moment what she had done.

Aoi watched her staring at him wide-eyed and red-faced, before the girl turned on her heels running away down the road «fuck...» breathed the man rising a hand to his lips, he could still taste the saltiness of her tears and the naturally sweetiness of her mouth, the softness and despair that she poured into that kiss.

His heart jumped strongly in his throat and in an instant he felt a shard of panic in his chest: he couldn't fall in love, it was too early, too dangerous, pratically useless!

When Aoi closed himself into his car, he looked down at his palms while taking deep breaths, still feeling the shape of her body against his own.

Her scent, her hair against the jaw, the dark spots that her tears left on his coat.

The trembling of the girl's muscles...Aoi wondered whether it was for happiness or deep fear «...fuck» repeated now with a softer voice, clasping his hands on the wheel.

His eyebrows frowned in confusion, while his lips smiled again «I'm fucked...holy shit...» muttered taking the phone to start swyping a text to the leader of the band «I need to talk, get your ass off the bed» he wrote quickly, before starting up the vehicle.