|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:33 pm
Iris let a childish laugh punctuate his almost-confession, the warmth of Xiao's body seeping into his chest and covering his psyche with a happy sparkle. He didn't understand it, but it felt like the whole world had started right there and then, with her in his arms and a secret he had even tried to keep from Rai right on the surface, right under his tongue, about to be set free.
He squeezed his eyes shut. Okay? Okay?!? Of course he was okay. He was more than okay. He was... happy. Just happy, really happy. With her with him like that, and his arms around her and the both of them as if they were the last Heilas on the planet, oh, it was a beautiful madness.
"Xiao..." he began, holding on to her for dear life.
"Xiao, I love you."
Rai wasn't paying the slightest attention to the two heila conversing on the other side, instead it had felt to her as if her heart was broken, everything and anything in it just cracking under that sadness. Letting go of a sad laugh when she heard him, that worry brimming in his voice, palms sweaty. His hands flashed in front of her face animatedly when he began to speak.
Feeling stupid, she looked up at him again.
"O-oh," she giggled through her tears, wiping at her eyes wildly with a hankercheif she had produced from her jacket pocket.
"I-I'm sorry if I seemed really b-bothersome or just..." she couldn't finish her sentence once the tears started again and it felt like her throat was clogged up with all that sadness and that pathetic feeling that was so familiar...
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:04 am
Xiao didn't really know what to say, his body felt like it was panicking against her own and now she was really beginning to worry about him.
He had never been THIS excited over ANYTHING around her, maybe the first day they started cooking, and yeah, he'd hugged on her a lot as a smaller Heila, but never THIS much... And now he was trying to say something, she couldn't understand it at first and had to really strain to hear..
But once she did hear it, her face errupted out into a flush against her will. She had no idea! Maybe a brotherly love, but never... Never one that entailed saying "I love you!" and MEANING it! She could tell he meant it just from the seriousness of his stance, of his face, of his very tone, though... It was timid, and shy, which only helped make her realize it was all the more true.
It was like someone had just unceremoniously slapped her face with the signs, as well, as event after event after event began showing her just how much he did. When it had started. Why he had done certain things. And yet, for some reason she wasn't 'Aww, that's so cute!' or 'hosnap this is SO BAD!' ...
No, for some reason she got butterflies in her belly as well, as the words tumbled about in her mind's eye, she could do nothing but stare for no words would come to say 'yay or nay' to the situation. When had she ever been told that before...?
When had anyone ever actually said 'I care about you!' to her? Aaya-Tan never had to, he showed it to her through his actions and tolerance of her idiocy, but, it was more like a big brother would their younger sibling, as she had seen Mariah treated the same, but regardless...
Her flush deepened a moment and finally she found out why she couldn't speak. She felt the same.
She felt the same about Iris. He had always been so caring and gentle and sweet to her. Always wanted to be with her, always greeted her with warm smiles and open arms. He was so kind to her and never pushed her away or got angry with her (Well, save that one time back in the beginning, but even then he showered her with praise and affection)... So very...
"Wo ai ni..." She didn't really know how to say it to him in English. The words never had been said from her before, so.. It was all she could do but to just say it in Chinese.. Hopefully he'd understand, her body language only gave it away as to what she was saying after all..
Dami, however, was in a completely different position. He finally put the broom to the side and knelt down in front of Rai, body tilting forward and hunched a bit so he could look her in the eye, "... You're always welcome here, Rai. You and Iris both. You two are welcomed company, and I know Anita and Arma-Marinae won't mind... IF you want to work her officially, we are hiring... And it'd be nice to have another friend around..."
He smiled sweetly at her, brow tilted up in a slightly sheepish expression, but it was obvious he meant what he said. He lifted a hand, not realizing how intimate the gesture would be, he brushed a few of her hairs from her face and tears from her cheeks, "... Please don't cry for me. It's not worth it, you know. When you feel no pain, you shouldn't cry. So you're either crying for me, or you're hurting over something...."
He frowned slightly, "I didn't say anything wrong, did I? I hope not, I'm sorry if I did... And if not, you can talk to me about it, Rai... I'll always listen, you know. I'm good at that," he lifted a hand and tugged on his ears. Though mostly hidden by his hair most of the time, one could see they were actually slightly large. Not in an 'holy crap dumbo!' size, but in a cute way, like he never quite grew into them, "That's what these are good for, after all..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:27 pm
Iris loosened his grip on Xiao when he didn't hear an answer straight off, looking down at their feet, and up into her beautiful eyes. Still holding on to her, he risked opening his mouth to say something, her face was so red! Wanting so much to simply reach up and kiss her, he stopped himself at the last moment, a grey weariness seeping in from all corners...
Wo ai ni. Iris's ears perked at the familiar sound, something he had heard once, from a story Rai had read him once, or something, something-- what did it mean? Looking up, he caught on at the last second, her eyes brimming with something that he had never seen before, something so soft, so amazing, like a piece of magic that he had never noticed. And the tears started.
They started with no warning, like fragments of the ocean dropping in an hourglass, they fell in slow drops onto the ground and left stains where they disappeared into the cracks, his hands on her shoulders, holding on and knowing he'd never have to let go. Ever.
"Xie xie, xie xie, xie xie..." he leaned in to whisper, his voice shaking with the weight of everything he had kept inside until that moment, and then he was free, so free, and she was... she was...
Turning his head and finding no reason not to, he laid his lips on her cheek playfully with no other way to show how he felt, how much he felt that.
Perhaps she would know.
Rai was staring at Dami's shoes, taking in his every word with not a way to respond. Shuffling around in her chair, she let out a frustrated breath at her own pathetic appearance, her hair unruly and her eyes swollen and red like some kind of monster panda. Refusing to look at him, she caught the smile in only a corner of her eye, though it tugged on her heart strong as ever.
Her heart seemed to always be on edge when she was around him, and at his touch she could hear the blood rushing through her ears, her heart speeding away like a wild animal, the adrenaline pulsing through her veins.
"I-I do want to work here, Dami." she started, her voice cracking, too ashamed to look at him, too ashamed and too in love.
"Because... because I want to be with you." she confessed, wondering if he would get the message. Finally mustering the courage to look him in the eye, she continued on.
"And it wasn't your fault, I promise. I just... I care for you a lot, is all. And I was thinking, you know, 'how can he just laugh about it?' and I cry really easily, too," she chuckled, feeling the tears try where he brushed them away, her heart warming up like the sun on a winter day.
"It's just that... I've been chasing my own dreams, and I can't imagine them being taken away from me, in an instant, and it just... all of it... I'm sorry, Dami. I'm so sorry..." she choked, though she held the tears in, instead leaning in closer to him and reaching out, wondering what would be the limits, what she could possibly do to make him understand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:48 am
He had gotten to be so quiet she didn't know if it was maybe some kind of American game or not. Was he just saying it as a sibling? Or maybe he was just wanting her to pay attention to him?
She kept a rather blank look on her face for the time being, but Xiao's stomach was turning. Maybe she had said the wrong thing? Or maybe he didn't even understand what she had said. She had no idea what it was supposed to mean and felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach.
Though within seconds he seemed to start...Crying? She tensed immediately, eyes wide and before she could speak he was already ontop of her, kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear...
She chuckled at him, lifting her arms she wrapped them around his neck and nuzzled into his fur quietly. He was such a goofy Heila, far different from Aaya, but not so much different from Dami as her mind mulled it over. The two had similarities that were.. Well, very much endearing. She felt herself one of the luckiest beings on the planet, because two of her favorite people were there, and both cared deeply for her, one more so than the other... And..
Someone had actually told her that they loved her...
Dami didn't like how Rai wouldn't look him in the eye. It was making him really nervous, actually. It made him think that maybe he HAD said something offensive, and she was just being too nice to say anything. He lifted a hand to rest it on her shoulder, trying to move to where she HAD to look him in the eye, but she was literally avoiding him.
He frowned a bit more and stopped when she finally spoke. She did want to work here? Well, he'd have to go and get an application for her... He grunted, trying to stand without hurting himself, but it was obvious his knee was giving him trouble from kneeling down on the tile. Stupid Dami! Why must you make everything so difficult on yoursel!
He stopped as she continued speaking, now in a slight crouch his eyes lifted and, there she was, staring right into his eyes. He fidgeted slightly, he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Sure, Rai was cute and all, but he wasn't used to being so directly approached, even if it WAS one of those subtle things...
He felt a light flush brun across his cheeks. He didn't know exactly WHY, maybe it was because of a cold? He couldn't explain it himself so he probably wouldn't try to think on it too much... But she wanted to be with him? That was great! He always liked frie-- Nowaitaminnit.
She was blushing, unable to look him in the eye, stammering, fidgeting, shy... HOLYYSHI--. Not that kind of friend!
Well, there was only one thing that he could do!
"Well, if you like being with me so much, how about I take you out to dinner tonight then? And don't worry, I won't be cooking... So you don't have to wear a raincoat," oh yeah, real smooth, Dami. Ask the girl when she looks like s**t (at least in her own eyes) to go out with you after getting soaked to the bone from a sprinkler system. Well, between the two of them, they looked like the perfect patch. One turned on the sprinklers, and the other's internal waterworks were working Juuuuust fine.
Though as she spoke about dreams, Dami chuckled and shook his head, "Being a trackstar wasn't my dream, Rai... Not at all, it was my passion, but not my life's dream.. Nah, I want to travel the world. Sample all kinds of food while IN their country.. I want to become a master chef one day... It's why I work here, and why I've been asking Xiao to teach me... I've got to ask Cirre and the others, too.. Aaya's so lucky, he has an entire cultural world living in his house or over at his house every day," Dami pouted almost angrily. Well, there wasn't much to be done about how many people or Heila Aaya-tan had running around, he just knew that because of Xiao-Li, he would be able to ask all of them to teach him how.
And who would know how to cook the best better than the master chefs themselves, right?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:55 pm
Iris sighed, feeling the warmth of her face buried into his shoulder, wondering if this was really how princes felt when their princesses embraced them, when they slay the dragons to protect their angels, their lives on the line; He wanted to be like that, too. Or to sing her a song or write her a poem or fly her away and be with her, forever.
Stroking her hair, her breath on his fur sending him into shivers, he learnt the meaning of happiness, and it was so beautiful.
"Xiao, Xiao," he whispered, finding that she tasted just like summer.
Rai had told him that love was never perfect, that there were always bumps along the way, or else there would be some trouble, somehow, somewhere-
Rai was wrong.
He would have to tell her that later, how wonderful it was, but perhaps now was not the time, he noted, realizing that Rai was in a mess and Dami was all over the floor trying to clean up that mess.
She felt a pang of sadness when she saw him have trouble standing up, wanting to get up to support him, or do some of that work for him because she cared so much. More than she had cared for anyone.
At his offer, Rai giggled, imagining the frenzy of the restaurant running about, the elegant ladies lifting their skirts to avoid the rivers of tomato sauce, the men using their jackets as umbrellas- At least, until what he said registered in her mind. Her eyes boggled, the blush deepening to a maroon.
"Y-You aren't s-serious..." she stammered, not being able to imagine it.
"I m-mean, I've been so much trouble, already, I don't understand why you have to go to these lengths just to ch-cheer me up, I'm fine, really-"
Stopping dead in her tracks when Dami contradicted her, she opened her eyes wide, realizing how much their dreams were alike. She wanted to be a writer, traveling the world to gather material and be able to change sensual perception into words so real that people would feel how she felt. She had meant to write about him, too, but could never come up with the proper words to tell others just how amazing he was...
And she had forgotten her tears. Because of him.
"When that time comes..." she started quietly, this time ruby eyes staring straight into his own.
"When that time comes, will you take me with you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:35 am
Xiao-Li lifted her head as he spoke her name repeatedly, lifting her hand she started to actually... Tickle him?
YES! She began tickling him without warning! That was for scaring her! He had made her think he was just teasing or something! But regardless, at least now she knew and she felt more wanted than ever.
Lately it had been hard with Aaya. He had been dealing with a lot of things, namely huge stress factors. That was another reason why she was with Dami so much. lately things had just been getting out of hands to the point that Xiao would stay over at Dami's house sometimes. His parents had gotten used to her, and were no longer afraid of her. In fact, he was basically her guardian now, and there was another cake in the family that she was looking forward to seeing hatched.
She finally stopped tickling him after a little while, chuckling and speaking shortly after, "Don't think this makes me nicer to you. Study hard. No master get anywhere without hard work!" she scolded him lightly, but it was nothing harsh, just the honest truth. She didn't let Dami get away with a lot of things, either, and he was basically her adopted father.
Dami laughed, "What trouble? You cried a little on the floor. Oh. Big whoop," he reached down with a cloth, using the toe of his shoe he wiped it up, "There, problem solved. Now, do you want to or not, huh? Not nice to lead a guy on, ya know..."
He winked at her before standing up completely straight finally, hopping from one foot to the other momentarily to get the blood flowing back, "Dagnabbit.. Foot fell asleep," he tapped the end of his shoe on the floor as he lifted his eyes, meeting hers with a small grin.
"Gonna be a tight squeeze in my car, you know," that was as good as any answer she was gonna get. Basically meaning 'sure, if ya wanna'. Then again she'd be rooming with a guy and two heila most likely. Three if Iris came along (which was an obvious yes). He finally looked over to the two heila, head tilting he quirked a brow, ".. I think I missed something.."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:40 pm
Iris let out a gust of hair, feeling her hand fluttering over his body, not being able to stop laughing. He was sure to have caused an uproar had there been a crowd, his head thrown back, his arms spread out eagle-style looking as if he was hoping to grow into an airplane. Eyeing Xiao with mirth, he reached back and brushed his fingers over her neck, knowing the squeamish feeling it'd cause her.
Life was so much more fun when people had senses of humor, he noted, unlike some of Rai's writer friends who seemed to only know the meaning of elegance and tea parties. Why, they'd have a heart attack if they had caught a sight of the obnoxious creature Rai had ended up raising. He puffed his chest out with pride. Oh, yes. He was noisy, but they loved him, Rai and Xiao both; It was a happy thought and he giggled out randomly, imagining the things they'd do together and feeling all the stress from before suddenly being released.
"I'll work hard for you~" he sang, half joking. Winking at Xiao he twirled her around in his hands as if they were flamenco dancers, an amused smile permanently plastered on his face since the morning.
Rai giggled again, holding her hand to her mouth. Brushing away the last of the tears, she ran her foot over the spot that had been wet just a moment earlier, listening for the squeak of still-wetness, but found none. It was over for real, now.
"A little?" she scoffed, still staring expectantly at the puddle that should have been there.
She threw her hands up in frustration.
"I nearly flooded the place!" she exclaimed, though the jokes underneath had begun to shine under her eyes. Leaning back and admiring Dami's wink, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully though her answer had been decided even before he asked. Managing a small smile, she stood up with him, dusting off her skirt.
"I'm coming, if you haven't changed your mind. Iris would definitely love to come, and it's been a while since I've been out... " she trailed off, but started again, a bit of a nervous jump in her voice. "-and I really would like to spend more time with you. And I promise not to cry this time." she laughed.
Mentioning Iris, she smiled at Dami in response to his comment and turned to the two, only realizing that things had been changed drastically while the two were conversing. She blinked, amazed when Iris held onto Xiao's waist and danced with her, looking utterly flirtacious. Shivering, she looked over at Dami as if he had some confirmation, but knowing he didn't, turned back.
"Indeed." she deadpanned, not sure what else to say.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
