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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:
Then kiss me, you fucking idiot.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Aki had died and gone to Heaven— she was sure of it. Her skin was warm, but not scalding hot. Her muscles were more relaxed, making it easier for her to move. There was a smell of lavender in the air. She was sitting in the jacuzzi by her lonesome, her long hair tied into a bun on the top of her head—though the face framing parts had fallen loose around her face, the hair itself had gotten a little damp from the humidity. She was wearing the plain white T that clung to her body with only her underwear underneath—it wasn't like anyone would know anyway. She was completely alone outside.

The outside area was pretty nice, with fairy lights strung up from trees, twinkling in the darkness. There were rose bushes everywhere, a few benches scattered throughout and a picnic table close to where the swimming pool was. Her bedroom was right beside where the jacuzzi was, and so, she had left her slide door open a little bit, letting some air into the humid room. It was a particularly warm night—not exactly toasty, but from the heat coming from the jacuzzi, there was a warmth in their air.

Aki tipped her head back, a pleased sigh leaving her lips. She'd never been in a jacuzzi, but now that's she had, she could see the appeal. The water was bubbling, the temperature perfect on her skin, the smell of lavender wafting through her nose. She was enjoying it—very much so. However, once she had been sitting there, basking in the water for at least twenty minutes, a soft drizzle began dripping from the sky. It wasn't torrential by any means and was kind of warm—it felt nice. But then she remembered that she had left the door of her room open and that the rain would surely be running into the floor on her room.

She sighed, putting her hands on the rims of the jacuzzi and pushing herself out. Her bare feet hit the path, leaving a wet patch in the shape of her feet. The white T-shirt clung go every inch on her body, droplets dripping into the paved walkway as she headed in the direction of her room to close the door. Though, something unexpected happened. The slide open door to the bedroom next to hers opened and someone stepped out—usually, Aki would have sensed the presence, but water was something that threw her ability off, so before she could stop herself, she smacked right into the person.

They collided roughly, making Aki stumble backwards. She tripped, her body falling backwards. She felt her feet slip over a ledge and she tried to grab the thing closest to her to stop her fall—which just happened to be the person she had knocked into. But instead of stopping herself, she only dragged the person down with her. They fell for a second before their bodies were submerged in water, having fallen directly into the pool. Well, shit.

Aki's bare feet hit the bottom of the pool and she pushed herself upwards before breaking out of the surface. She coughed a little, giving her head a shake like a dog, water spraying from her hair. The person she had crashed into burst out of the water, a foul mixture of profanities leaving their lips.

It was Chuuya.

"What the fuck, Kitagawa!" He yelled at her, smacking the water with his hand, splashing it onto her, making her blink back. His hat was floating on top of the water beside them and his hair was clinging to his face and neck, sticking to him like honey.

Aki's eyes widened in annoyance, "Don't blame me! You came out of nowhere!" She exclaimed, splashing him back.

Chuuya's eyes narrowed at her, "Maybe have some spatial awareness every once and a while and you would have seen me coming!" He was angry—very angry. He had only been stepping out the back to head to where his car was parked. Like the workaholic he was, he had brought some paperwork to finish which he fully planned on doing. That's when Aki came out of nowhere like a fucking wrecking ball and knocked him in the pool.

Aki pushed herself closer to him through the water, "And what about you, huh? You didn't see me coming either!" She retorted, her eyes in narrowed slits. She was also angry. She had been enjoying her time alone in the jacuzzi before Chuuya came along and ruined it all. She had been trying not to get her hair wet—and now it was fucking soaked. Her glare deepened. "You've completely ruined my hair, you asshole." She growled, reaching up to pull it from the floppy bun it was sitting in. It was already soaked; there was no point in keeping it in the drenched bun, allowing the water to drip into her eyes.

"I don't give a shit about your hair, idiot! I'm fully dressed! I'm soaked!" Chuuya yelled at her, giving her a rough shove to push by her towards the rim of the pool.

"Oh, boo-hoo, you big fucking baby." Aki snapped, glaring at his back as he reached up, his fingers hooking around the ribbon below his collar. He unclipped it and then yanked it off, slamming it onto the path above them, splashing water onto the concrete.

Chuuya turned, glaring at her as his fingers tugged at his collar of his shirt, loosening it. His gloved hands began working on the first few buttons, undoing them at a rapidly annoyed pace, "Honestly, screw you." He hissed, his hands moving under the water to undo the buttons of his waist coat. Once they were loose, he yanked it off and tossed it onto the ground, a grunt leaving his lips.

"You fucking wish." Aki seethed, moving towards him, planning on getting out of the water.

She reached the rim of the pool, turning her back on it, planning on hopping up to get out but before she could, Chuuya slammed his hands over her shoulders. His fingers gripped onto the ledge of the pool as he lowered his face to hers, water trickling down the side of his face, "You gotta stop saying shit like that without actually meaning it. You have no idea what I want." He told her in a low voice, his face inches from hers, his arms on each side of her, gripping the wall of the pool.

Aki laughed, "I know exactly what you want, Nakahara," She insisted, her back to the wall of the pool, trapped between it and him with his arms locking her in. "You might fight and deny it—but you want a taste, even if it's just a teeny-tiny fraction of it. The mere thought alone eats you up—you hate it and you hate yourself even more for it." Chuuya blinked, staring at her in disbelief through wide eyes whilst hers were narrowed bitterly.

"You can't stand to be around me because of how much you like it, right?" She prompted. Chuuya's lips parted, but he didn't say anything. She laughed again, the sound bitterly sweet. "I mean, come on. You can't be close to me without getting fucking hard—"

"Shut your mouth." Chuuya growled over her, dipping his head.

"Fucking make me." She hissed, her gaze fiery as she glared at him. Somehow, if possible, they had grown even closer during their argument. Their noses were almost touching, their breaths blowing onto each others faces.

Chuuya was very aware of Aki's half-naked body pressed against his—all wet and soft. He felt dizzy. He felt like he wanted to scream. He wanted to murder her and kiss her. Kiss her. Fuck. He really wanted to kiss her—he had been wanting to for a while, perhaps since the moment he met her. He had tried denying it, tried fighting it because what kind of fucking psychopath wanted to kiss the women he despised? But how much longer could he fight the gravity that drew them together? The situation didn't matter—they always ended up that close together, the gap between them being inches apart.

Chuuya found his hand moving all own it's own, like it was fucking possessed. It reached out, landing on Aki's hip under the water, feeling the curve of her waist. He grabbed her, pulling her into him roughly as his other hand snaked up her neck, his wet gloved hand gliding across her damp skin. His fingers danced at her throat, wrapping around it—but not tightly, just enough to take hold of her. He tilted his head, nudging her nose with his, making her breath hitch in her throat. It satisfied him, to know that something so small made her breathless.

"You want me too," Chuuya said in a quiet tone, his voice gravely. Aki was staring at him, unblinking. His hand was warm on her neck and his grip tight on her hip, making her dizzy. "You try to cover it up with all of your snarky comments, trying to play it off at my expense. But it's all a charade, isn't it? You think I couldn't feel the heat between your legs that day in the closet?" A shaky, uneven breath left Aki's lips, feeling her cheeks grow warmer as drizzly rain washed over them, fairy lights flickering in the background.

"What if you're right?" Aki asked him, her voice small, though it held defiance. "I admit I want you just as bad as you want me, then what?" She pressed, her hand coming out of the water to loop around where his open collar sat, exposing his chest.

"I don't know," Chuuya confessed, pressing his forehead against hers. "All I know is I really want to kiss you." He whispered, pulling back a little to look at her, his eyes flickering to her lips—pouted and ready for his.

Aki stared at him, blinking slowly, "Then kiss me, you fucking idiot." She dared him, pushing herself against him even harder. It made a groan leave his lips against his will.

His hand moved from her throat, snaking around the back of her neck and into her soaking hair. He gripped onto the onyx locks, bringing his face closer to hers, his heart beating erratically in his chest. This was it. He was finally going to do do it—he was going to give into temptation and kiss her. Finally, his lips would be on hers—he wouldn't have to fight it anymore. He could give up.

Growing impatient, both of Aki's hands gripped to the collar of his wet shirt, "Fucking hell, Nakahara." She grumbled, but he didn't have the chance to quip back—because her lips were suddenly on his. Their mouths moulded together perfectly, as if they had been created to fit together. She had kissed him before he even had the chance to do it. She couldn't wait any longer—she wouldn't wait any longer.

Once it registered in his brain that they were kissing, he returned the pressure to her mouth. He pushed her back, pressing her back against the wall of the pool so hard she could feel the tiles digging into her skin. His hands were all over her, exploring every crevice of her body. They gripped her hips, her waist, her ass, her neck, her face—everything. He couldn't get enough of her and her lips that tasted like the last sugary drink she had been drinking. She was intoxicating—like his own personal drug.

Chuuya's gloved hands curled in her hair, tugging her face closer to his, making her lips part, a moan escaping her mouth, giving his tongue entry. Their tongues glided across the other as they breathed heavily, griping and pulling each other. One of Aki's hands was on Chuuya's waist whilst the other was in his hair, gripping a fistful of the orange locks. He was driving her insane. He was a far better kisser than she could have imagined, keeping rhythm with her mouth expertly. It made her briefly wonder how many other women he had kissed with those crafty lips—but it didn't matter. She didn't give a shit. All she cared about was that he was kissing her.

Both of them were soaked to the bone, water dripping into their already wet mouths. Soft moans and exhales left their lips, both of them clinging to one another. Chuuya was rocking his hips ever so slightly into her, only allowing her to feel just exactly what she was doing go him. How the fuck was he so perfect? It didn't make sense.

Chuuya's hand went underneath her wet T-shirt, his gloved palm against the skin on her stomach. He moved it, brushing it against her rib, sending shivers throughout her spine. Even the slightest touch from him was enough to drive her crazy, "Chuuya..." His name slipped from her lips in a whisper. It made his mind spin. She'd called him by his first name for the second time—and it sounded so sweet. He kissed her even more ravenously after that.

                 She pulled his bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it, digging her teeth into the skin, making him moan and push himself against her even harder. Aki's hands found his biceps, smoothing her palms over them, gripping onto him tightly. Even though they were as close as they could possibly be, it still felt like they weren't close enough. She wanted to be under his fucking skin—or simply, under him.

Chuuya's hands moved down to her thighs, using them to part her legs. She swallowed hard, momentarily pulling away from him so that she could catch her breath—but she didn't have the chance when his arms hooked under her thighs and lifted her up onto the ledge of the pool. She gasped, her ass landing on the cold tiles. Chuuya lowered himself to her legs, his hands gripping both of her thighs. He began trailing soft kisses over the skin on her thighs, his hands roaming up to her hips as he did so. Aki threw her head back, closing her eyes, enjoying the sensation as she focused on breathing, rain pouring down onto her soaking body.

Chuuya's hands curled around the dripping wet material of her top before bunching it up, pushing it up past her waist. That's when Aki froze. Chuuya had already noticed the sudden shift in her body language—along with the reason why she had frozen up. All over her stomach and ribs were the faint marks of scars, as if a dagger had slashed her skin a hundred times. They were faded, small little bumps, marks of her history with the Double A. The rest of her scars were easy to hide, or rather, they had faded well enough to blend with her skin. But the ones on her abdomen were the most noticeable, a pinkish-white. She was ashamed of those marks—they defaced her beauty. She hated them.

But if Chuuya was disgusted, then he didn't show it. Instead, there was a soft expression on his face. Slowly, he brushed a thumb over one of the scars. It sent a pang straight through Aki's chest and she was on her feet within a second, "Wait—"

"That should be enough, right?" Aki spoke over him, cutting off whatever he was about to say. She stood with her back turned to him, a puddle of water by her feet, hands bunched into fists. Chuuya stared at her in confusion. "That should have gotten it out of your system, right? The kiss. It was enough?" Her voice was hoarse as she spoke, her eyes unblinking and glossy. She was scared that if she blinked, the tears would slip out.

Chuuya stared at her rigid back, "Out of my system? I—" his words got stuck in the back of his throat as he came to a sudden realisation. That's what she thought, wasn't it? That he had used her to simply ease his frustrations. It might have been true—before the kiss had even happened, but now that it had, it couldn't have been further from the truth. "Akira, listen—" her name. He had called her by her name.

"No," She snapped over him. "It's done, alright? We finally did it, now we can hate each other without the curiosity eating us up." Her voice was shaking as she spoke.

Chuuya blinked, a look of hurt on his face which surprised even him, "Is that what you want?" He asked her, his chest feeling heavy. He didn't know what he wanted her reply to be—he just wanted her to give him the answers. He needed her to tell him how to feel.

Aki nodded once, "It's what I want," She agreed, a coldness to her voice as the tears dripped from her lashes. She began heading back to her bedroom, every step hurting her. "Goodnight, Nakahara."

AUTHORS NOTE.

welp... it finally happened, but at what cost? these two r gonna drive y'all insane whilst they now try to fight their crazy feelings for each other🫣 enjoy!!!

— taylor xx