Warming a Frozen Heart

Deactivation

CHAPTER 23

Deactivation

-Kyousuke-

On my way to school, I saw JC walking with Luke. There was that fiery look in her eyes despite them being half-lidded, and I knew she was angry at me. I did my best to avoid them on school grounds, but it was harder than I thought since I sat in between the two of them in my class.

Miss Nina was informed of this by Erin, and she told me that we should all make up. That's why she didn't attend homeroom today. Her not attending homeroom would be the signal for us to have free time. I took a piece of paper and wrote: 'JC, can we talk? Not here.'

I slid it over to her desk, and it took her a solid five minutes staring, and another five to write a reply. 'Where? I can't leave Luke.'

My chest felt like it was stabbed at the mention of his name in our conversation. 'In the changing rooms for PE class.'

She stood up and headed for the door, and I followed suit. When we arrived, I locked the door behind me to prevent anyone from interfering. "JC, I'm sorry."

JC gave me a deadpan look, as if she was saying, "Why am I getting the apology?" She sighed and crossed her arms. "Oh. Okay."

I blinked at her lack of a proper response. "Is Luke okay now?"

"No. The wound hasn't dried up yet."

"Can you tell him my apology too?"

"Do it personally," she scoffed. "Just like we're doing now." I noticed a red mark on her neck despite being hooded by her hair. I stepped closer, and she took one step back. She got cornered when her back hit the wall. I put both of my hands on either side of her head to look at it closer. "W-what are you doing?" she squeaked.

I lifted one of my hands to brush away her hair despite her threats. "Where'd you get this?"

She slapped my hand away. "Get what?"

I looked at the mark carefully. "A hickey. Where the heck did you get a kiss mark?"

Her eyes widened, and she started fumbling at her neck. She pulled clumps of hair to cover it, and her face was getting redder by the minute. "Did Luke give it to you?"

"N-no."

Her stutter only confirmed my suspicions more. It hurt a lot, but I had to be tough. "So you're his now." I replaced my hand on the wall and set my knee between her legs. This caused her to squeak again, and she was scared. I don't even know what I'm doing to JC right now. Ever since I saw them yesterday, something in me changed. "I thought you were mine."

What are you saying, Kyousuke?!

This is wrong!

"W-what are you t-talking about?" She tried backing up into the wall, but her attempts were futile since her legs still brushed against my knee. "Get... g-get away from me."

"I thought I was the only one you wanted." My hands lowered themselves to her face, and I involuntarily leaned closer. "I thought you liked me."

This is scaring her! What are you thinking?!

This isn't you!

My systems were acting against my mind now. "Didn't you tell me that you like me? Remember? On the rooftop?" My eyes were dancing with desire now, and it terrified me. What am I doing to her? "Say those feelings again, JC."

She kept her mouth shut and tried to shrink away. "With the way you're acting, t-there's no way I'll repeat them again."

I breathed against her neck and she shuddered. "I thought I was the only one you wanted. That I was the only man you trusted." Even if it was against my morals, I began moving my knee higher. My mind wasn't the one in charge now. "Am I not, JC?"

"Stop it..." she whimpered, her hands trying to push me away. "Stop it."

"You said it very clearly. That bastard that left you this said so too. Don't you love me, JC?" My voice suddenly became different, and I was clouded by anger and desire.

"Let go... please..."

"Your body says otherwise," I taunted, nudging her thighs. "You want it too, don't you?"

"Stop it. I'm just your underclassman." Her voice let my mind to gain control again, and I finally snapped out of my trance. "Underclassman?"

Her eyes were lost and looking everywhere, and her fingers clawed at the wall. Her mouth was hanging open, and it dawned on me that she was seeing her bad memory again. "Get away. Get away from me!" she shouted. "JC, it's me, Kyou--"

Her eyes were tearing up now, and she was lost. "Get away from me..." she whimpered again, then her eyes closed. She fainted and fell on me. "JC? Hey!"

She hung lifelessly on me, and she didn't reply.

***

-JC-

"Come now, Snow, you want it too, don't you?"

I felt myself being cornered into a wall, and everything else happened.

My eyes snapped madly open, and the first thing I saw was the pale gold color of Luke's hair. He reached out and brushed my tears away. "Kyousuke made you go back into your memories, I know. That's why you're dreaming about that again."

"He wasn't himself in the changing room."

"Boys will be boys, JC. He's just jealous, that's all. But since he's dense, he doesn't know what he's doing."

"You didn't kiss me on the neck, did you, Luke?"

"Why would I do that?"

I set my hair on the other side of my neck and showed him the reddish spot on it. His eyes widened. "No. I didn't." He started laughing. "Seriously, that's nice handiwork."

"Of what?"

"A mosquito did that to you. It formed into a lip-like shape because of your body's defense reaction. Seriously!" He doubled up in laughter, and poked at it. "Don't you feel the bump where that bloodsucking critter bit at? Is this what you and Kyou were arguing about? This is just so... hahahaha!"

I threw a pillow at him in irritation. "Kyousuke should learn how to determine a mosquito bite from a hickey! Hahaha!"

"Shut up, Luke."

"This is so fun! Bwahahaha!" He held his hands over his stomach. "Maybe he thinks that I got all kissy with you in the dark, so he tried to do the same! Haha!"

"That's exactly what he thought."

"Or maybe you think I sucked and bit at the skin on your neck while you're asleep! Hahaha!"

"I would feel you even before you manage to brush my hair away, you idiot." I sat up and gave him a glare. "You know how much I can feel even if I'm in deep sleep."

"Yeah, you'd feel a cat walking on the carpet in the middle of your dreams."

"Maybe you shouldn't go approach Kyousuke these days."

"Hmm? Why?"

"He's mad at you. Even if he says he's sorry, he's still mad at you."

"Okay!" he answered like a kid. Luke, even though he's smart and serious, is always laughing. He would laugh at the simplest things, especially in romance. That's what makes him himself, though. He leaned towards me and kissed me on the lips. I backed away frantically, almost falling off of the clinic bed. "What gives, Luke?!"

He smiled at me. "I'd never give you something as offensive as a kiss mark, JC. If I kiss, it's never that way except if they give me permission to do so." He gave me a wink. "Boys will be boys, after all."