The next second, I grabbed him by the lapels of shirt with both hands and yanked him closer.
"So..." I began, my fervent stare boring into his startled eyes. "How do you feel about me?"
"I... I..." He faltered.
"You. Yes you... You what?!" I snapped, shaking him.
At that moment I wanted nothing more than to continue shaking him until his brains rattled into proper order. It was the first time in my life when I was losing my composure to this degree.
"I like you!" He finally blurted out, gaping at me as though he was entranced.
'I like you very much!' His thoughts followed.
Indeed, thoughts were still more honest than words, but it was better than nothing at all.
"Then, why are you running away from me? Why have you been avoiding me and why do you want to leave the company?" I fired question after question, still clinging tightly onto his shirt.
His expression turned painful and his eyes watered slightly.
"But... But even if I like you, Masato-sensei, you don't like men, so I know you won't..."
"I like you!" It was now my turn to cry out.
I saw his eyes widening until they became round like saucers. His mouth opened in a silent exclamation. At that moment, his entire expression screamed astonishment and disbelief.
Seeing him so quiet and muddle-headed, my lips curved into a smile. I even let out a low chuckle.
"I know it must seem like a shock to you. Believe me, it was a shock for me as well when I finally realized my feelings. I spent so many years hiding myself away from people, hardening my heart until it became a block of ice. But ever since I've met you, Kurosawa-san, I've changed. Bit by bit, slowly and gradually, like spring coming after winter, my heart melted and I began feeling things I've long forgotten. I don't know exactly when it happened but, along the way I have fallen in love with you… Rintarou."
I stopped to take a deep breath. Pouring out my feelings like that felt both scary and refreshing, creating a stormy mixture of emotions inside me.
I looked up at him and saw his gaze flickering with passion. His feelings were engraved on his face, clearly and openly for me to see. There was love, yearning, tenderness, and a wish to protect.
However, there was also a glint of raw desire, hidden somewhere beneath that veil of innocence. Feeling that fire in his stare made my face blush a bright red and I lowered my head, bumping my forehead against his chest.
"Will you really abandon me, Rintarou?" I mumbled softly, my fingers gripping his shirt tighter.
Those words appeared to have sent a jolt through his body. I could feel him quivering and the next moment a pair of strong arms were wrapped around me. He held me tightly, pressing my body into his chest as if wanting to absorb me into his very soul.
After a few seconds of silence, he pushed himself away slightly. With a gentle touch he grabbed my chin and raised my head. Our eyes met and I felt like a strong magnet had caught me. I was unable to look away. My answer was right there, in his deep, clear eyes. Reflected into the lustrous black of his pupils there was only one person: me. It was as if I was his everything.
I felt his gentle touch across my face and I instinctively held my breath. His warm finger traced my skin, from the corner of my eye all the way down to my lips. The sensitive skin tingled and shivered at his touch, and the breath I've been holding slipped away from me.
As if acting on a signal, he caught my breath with his mouth, his lips pressing down against mine.
It was slow at first, then it became more ardent. His arms caught me in an even sweeter embrace than before, while his tongue traced and licked my trembling lips. His mouth was like an army conquering a new territory. Nipping, biting, licking and sucking, all in a hazy succession and leaving behind traces of its devastation. His advancing tongue was chasing mine continuously, not allowing it one moment of rest.
This was a completely different Kurosawa-san. As if a switch had been pressed, he became someone else, someone who was passionate, domineering and possessive. Someone who could create jolts of passion with a single touch.
Still, I could hear his heart beating with the same love and devotion, and his caresses were just as gentle as before.
Right now, Kurosawa-san was showing me different sides of him, exposing himself little by little, trusting me to accept all of him.
In the end isn't that what love really means? To trust the other person to accept everything about you?
After several minutes, we were both out of breath, gazing at each other with a mixture of emotions. He pulled me closer, breathing softly into my ear.
"Keita… Keita… Keita…"
This fluttering whisper caused a shiver to course through my body and I felt like I was about to melt into a puddle. With each time he called my name my heart felt fuller and fuller. His words were like small droplets of water that were falling inside a half empty glass. It felt both wonderful and tormenting.
I never knew that someone's voice could carry such feelings and cause so many reactions to a person's body. I had to hold onto him tightly for fear of collapsing.
"Keita, I'm sorry. I will never leave you. I'll stay by your side, for however long you wish me to."
"En." I nodded my head, feeling extremely muddle-headed and weak-kneed. "I'll hold you to it. So never act stupid again."
"En. I won't."
His voice carried a warm smile. He kissed the top of my head and glanced down at me.
I bet my face was quite a spectacle at that moment, all red and flushed with embarrassment.
"But Keita, I am curious about something. How come you could hear my thoughts earlier?"
That's right! I almost forgot about that. But I really didn't know how to answer his question. The truth of the matter was, that I didn't know if I would be able to do it. I simply took the risk and tried it.
"To be honest, I am not quite sure either. The only thing I did was touch your face."
"Then what about now? Can you hear something now?" He asked, suddenly cupping my face closely, making our noses bump into each other.
"Too... too close, Rintarou." I muttered, blushing furiously.
"Eh?! Earlier we were even closer, so what are you being all embarrassed for now? If you're like this just because of a kiss, then how are we supposed to do... that later." He blinked at me innocently.
Thinking about what he was insinuating, I felt like my soul was just about to escape from my body. My face turned into a spectacular shade of red, and even my ears and neck were flushed with a bright pink.
"Stop talking nonsense." I said through gritted teeth, trying to shy away from his intense stare.
"Keita, what are you saying? How is this nonsense?! Isn't it normal for couples to..."
"Enough about that! You pervert!" I snapped, pushing myself away from him and bristling like an angry cat. "You stay away from me!"
"But I can't. I want to kiss you." He pouted, stepping closer.
"Out of the question! Once was enough for now." I threw at him resolutely, trying to maintain a safe distance from this dangerous creature.
"Eeeh?! But I want more! Keita, don't be so unreasonable." He whined loudly.
Perhaps I have been too trusting before in thinking he was an innocent puppy, when he was in fact a wolf in disguise, just waiting to devour its prey. I guess that kiss earlier was simply a preview for the things that would follow.
"Keita, what are you thinking about in broad daylight? You're blushing so much. Are you perhaps thinking about naughty things? And yet you won't even let me kiss you."
He grinned teasingly, catching up with my faltering steps. In less than two seconds, I was trapped again in his embrace and he kissed the side of my head gently. His low, mellow voice drifted into my ears, sipping tenderness all the way down to my heart.
"I don't mind waiting, Keita, so there is no need to worry. We'll take it slowly, until you get used to everything. After all, we have a whole life ahead of us to enjoy each other." He smiled down at me lovingly.
"En. We have many years ahead of us to make beautiful memories together." I agreed, my tone warming up considerably, and I returned his loving gaze.
During that warm summer evening, a soft whisper drifted out into the wind. It flew off towards the sky, being witness to a kiss and carrying with it our solemn promise to each other.
"I love you."
END