97A/N: Thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter ;) Thanks for your patience, too. The author was just being her difficult self the past several days so she wasn't updating haha.
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Chapter 3
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MISAKI woke up slowly. She felt rested for the first time in quite a long time. The previous nights, she had barely gotten any sleep as she stewed with anger and worry. But last night, she had a peaceful sleep, even dreamt some things that made her blush crazily in the daylight.
She lifted her head lazily and her eyes took in her surroundings. All sleep left her when she realized that she wasn't in her room. Before she could react though, her eyes landed on her bed, if you could call it a bed, a warm and living bed. More than half of her body was on top of none other than Usui who was fast asleep. They were both on the floor, a blanket protected them from the cold.
Misaki's face exploded with heat and her whole body tensed explicably. She knew she fell asleep beside him, but they were seated when they fell asleep.
'He probably moved us.'
Still as a stone on top of him, she slowly let her eyes wander on his sleeping face. Gone was the teasing smirk on his lips as he slept peacefully. Also gone was the impassive face that he usually sported. He looked like a child in his sleep.
'You look comfortable even if you're lying on the cold hard floor and a weight on top of you.'
A smile graced her lips at his peaceful rest.
"Thank you," she murmured softly as she recalled how he had distracted her and comforted her in his own way.
'Your own perverted way, you alien.'
She leaned down on his face, painfully slow, until their lips were almost touching. She hesitated at first, before she finally closed the gap and gave him a soft lingering kiss. Her eyes closed instinctively at the contact. Then just as slowly, she pulled away, then looked around guiltily, as if she expected that someone had just seen what she had done. Suddenly, she felt like she had just taken advantage of him. Again, her face resembled a cooked lobster as she blushed for the third time since she woke up and in just a span of a few minutes.
"Hmm...Misaki..."
Misaki's face quickly transformed from full of heat to pale. Her body became rigid again. Her eyes widened as they promptly focused on him. She watched his face with trepidation. She expected his eyes to open any second. She waited for the inevitable and braced herself for the embarrassing taunts that would come her way.
Misaki waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
But nothing happened.
Her shoulders relaxed a bit. She rolled her eyes, feeling stupid. This was Usui. If he was awake, he would have been ecstatic of what she had done. In fact, she had a strong belief that she would have been attacked already if he was aware. Their position would have been reversed before she could have blinked. Her back would have been on the floor already with his form hovering above her in a matter of seconds. Since none of those happened, she knew that her antic hadn't been discovered.
"Idiot."
Gently so as not to disturb his sleep, she extricated herself from his warm embrace. Then she gently covered him with the blanket, before she headed to the bathroom quietly. With her back turned already, she didn't see when Usui's eyes snapped open, shock and pleasure written in his wide green eyes.
"Misaki..." he muttered as he winced. He was glad that she didn't notice what was awakened by that sweet kiss. If she had, she'd probably castrate him even in his sleep.
With a hoarse chuckle, Usui stood up, and then grimaced. He needed a cold shower before he officially started his day. Yet, despite the uncomfortable feeling, he was elated, so very elated.
"DO you really intend to follow me to Seika, you idiot alien," Misaki snapped at her shadow who ignored her, which served to infuriate her further.
Usui had first insisted that they miss school and just stay at his apartment. Of course that wouldn't do for Misaki. She had a mountain of work to do for the Student Council. Besides, it wasn't in her nature to slack off. Because she won that argument, he insisted that he accompany her to school despite her protests. She couldn't shake him off since then, even when they finally passed through Seika High's gate.
"You don't have to follow me around like some dog, you stalker alien. And you'll miss classes by being here. Go back to your school, you idiot," Misaki snapped, though not too harsh because she kind of like having his presence with her, someone she could trust particularly at this vital point on her life. However, the rational side of her knew that he should be at school and the stubborn side of her insisted that she shouldn't be depending too much on him. The confusing feelings started to give her a headache.
Instead of saying something, Usui gave Misaki a lazy smile then winked at her. These predictably caused her to blush to the roots of her hair.
"Suit yourself," she groaned with resignation as she entered the school building.
Like a loyal dog, Usui followed Misaki as she headed to the Student Council meeting room. He still felt like he was floating in the clouds after the kiss she had given him when she woke up and thought he was blissfully ignorant. He was glad that he woke up that time considering that he wasn't really a morning person. He didn't tell her about his knowledge though, sure that she would be embarrassed, would react violently, and then would act all cautious and rigid around him until he managed to break her walls once more. But still, this was him. He intended to taunt her on another time. For now though, he wanted to bask in pleasure at the affectionate treatment that his girlfriend had bestowed upon him when she thought he was asleep. The only thing that dampened his light mood was the matter of her father that bothered her, and therefore bothered him. He wondered what he should do and what she should do, or rather, what they should do.
Misaki, for her part, still marvelled at the fact that not only she didn't sleep in her own house which she hadn't done before unless she was on trip like when the Maid Latte staff headed to the beach, but that she had slept in a male's house and they were alone for the whole night, even if that male was her boyfriend. Moreover, she had woken up on top of said boyfriend, even if nothing had happened between them except sleeping. She fought a blush that threatened to overcome her face and glanced at the said boyfriend who was comfortably seated on top of her desk. She had trusted him wholeheartedly by spending the night alone with him, and he had proven himself trustworthy, despite the perverted remarks that frequently left his lips.
"If you're staying here, then make yourself useful, idiot T-Takumi," she said with mocked annoyance as she placed a stack of documents on his lap. She mentally berated herself for faltering when she had spoken his name. She wasn't very comfortable addressing him by his first name yet, especially in broad daylight. She felt more secured calling him by his first name in the darkness.
'Just like you were braver being held by him in the darkness, weren't you?'
The happiness that appeared in Usui's face at her accomplishment, however, made the shyness Misaki felt worth it.
Usui accepted the task with a grin plastered on his lips. Misaki hadn't forgotten about the change in name calling. True, he was still either idiot Takumi or alien Takumi or perverted Takumi, but those were fine with him. She was the only one who called him those names, and allowed to do so. Even if they didn't have verbal understanding about it, they both knew that those names were equivalent to endearments. They might sound offensive to others, and their relationship might be interpreted as the opposite of the real deal, but they didn't care. As long as they understood each other, that was the most important.
Thus, Misaki and Usui worked together in companionable silence. At some point, Misaki lifted her head to observe her companion. His face was a mask of concentration as he worked, so different from his usual blank or bored expression. She flushed when he lifted his head and caught her gaze. Nonetheless, she fought the urge to look away and instead shifted her expression into a challenging one from that of a shy one. She also resisted the urge to roll her eyes as predictably, a smirk broke his face.
For a moment, Misaki and Usui had a staring contest. Her expression turned fiercer as he wiggled his brows teasingly, taunting her for being caught staring. She scoffed at him, then deliberately focused her eyes on the document at her hand. Despite the lack of noise, she could almost hear his laughter, no doubt amused by her display. Naturally, her traitorous cheeks darkened some more, but she pretended that she wasn't embarrassed at all.
For good long minutes, Usui focused his eyes on Misaki, a grin plastered on his lips and his eyes twinkled with amusement. He knew she was aware of his gaze, but she studiously ignored him. He stared at her until her movements indicated that she had grown uncomfortable with her audience. That was when he decided that he had teased her enough for the time being and returned to his work.
With Usui's help, the stack of work that Misaki needed to accomplish quickly thinned. She didn't insist for him to leave again, while he didn't make any teasing comments anymore. Instead, they enjoyed the silence together, which was a rare occurrence.
As soon as Usui was finished with his task, however, he returned to what he liked doing best – watching Misaki. The way she gave all her energy to whatever she did was something that he admired about her. Thus, he didn't wonder why she was so angry with what she believed as betrayal on her father's part. He didn't doubt that she loved her father very much before, and there was still love somewhere in her heart for the man she hated now. Otherwise, her father's actions wouldn't have left a deep scar in her and that she wouldn't be so affected by the man's appearance now. She loved to the fullest. And she did everything for the people that she cared about – her mother, her sister, her friends at school, the people at Maid Latte, and even him. The knowledge that he was among the important persons in Misaki's life brought a gentle smile on Usui's lips. Her being with him despite his circumstances was testament that she cared for him very much.
Another trait that endeared, and annoyed him as well whenever she was hurt, was the energy and passion she devoted to whatever she put her mind to, be for the school and students, her studies, her work, or for her friends and family, or even for him.
'I wonder if she's just as passionate in...'
And just like that, Usui's mind shifted on other matters and focused on it steadfastly. Shivers of excitement racked his body. Suddenly, the room felt warm, so very warm. His eyes darkened with desire. He yearned to have Misaki in his arms, the one person who could entice intense emotions from him. He intently watched her as she bit her lip while she perused the document in front of her. He had the strong urge to be the one biting those soft lips instead. For a moment, he felt envious of her teeth. And then he chuckled and felt a bit stupid for being envious of her teeth. There was only one thing he could do, that he would do. After all, he had the right to be the one biting those soft, red lips.
Misaki raised her head when she realized an intense presence beside her. She didn't notice Usui move towards her from the table on her right which he had used as he helped her do Student Council works. She opened her lips to scold him for startling her yet again, but her words stuck in her throat when her eyes focused on his face. And then she couldn't see his face anymore due to their proximity when he crushed his lips on her parted ones. Her eyes widened in shock, then closed as the kiss became ardent. She grabbed his uniform and tangled her fingers in his hair as she finally responded to his passion.
And that was the situation that the other members of the Student Council saw Usui and Misaki. They froze on their feet, shocked. Their minds became blank except of the fact that the two were locked in a passionate embrace and kiss. True, they had seen Usui kissed their President before, but that kiss was so different on what was in front of them. Their eyes almost bulged out when a pleasure-filled sound echoed in the room. They didn't know who it came from. What they all knew was that they started to feel the temperature rise. Sweat rolled in their bodies.
Usui knew about the other people's presence, though it was too late when he realized. Since they were already seen and he was having a really, really good time, he didn't abruptly pull away from Misaki who apparently missed their intruders. At the back of his desire-filled mind, he felt proud that he could make her forget about everything except him whenever they kissed, just like the way she could do to him. It was only because they were at a public place that he hadn't let his guard down, though by the way things turned out, he didn't do a good job.
Rude and selfish and definitely shouldn't be doing it considering that this was the Student Council's meeting room but didn't give a damn about it, he opened an eye and did his best to glare at the frozen forms at the door. He must have done it well despite being locked in a kiss with his girl as their audience unfroze and scampered away in fear. He was also relieved that one of the idiots had the presence of mind to close the door after them.
And just like that, Usui and Misaki were left alone. The kisses they shared at the Student Council meeting room were the longest and the most passionate that they had ever shared. Heck, it was the first, second, third and so on, passionate kiss that they had ever had. Most of the time, they only shared chaste kisses. But this time, it was very different. Their bodies felt like on fire, and their kisses were as if they couldn't get enough of each other, which was actually the truth. When they finally pulled away from the kiss, though their arms remained on each other, they were a mess. Their uniforms were crumpled, and their lips, particularly Misaki's, were slightly swollen. Their faces were very red, their breathing laboured.
"That was..."
"Amazing," Usui finished for Misaki as he kissed her forehead then rested his on hers.
For a couple of minutes, the room was silent except for their heavy breathing. When rationality returned, Misaki panicked as her wide eyes surveyed the room.
"They left."
"Huh?"
It took Misaki a few heartbeats before she realized the implication of his words. She paled.
"Sorry, Misaki. I didn't notice them until they were here," he said remorsefully. He knew it was his fault. He didn't mean to embarrass her. Most of the time though, she unknowingly made it very difficult for him to control himself. He just desired her so damn much. He yearned for her. He loved her. She was the only person he loved, and who loved him back, and saved him from what was used to be a lonely and unwanted existence.
At his apology, Misaki calmed down a bit. She couldn't blame him, even if he started it, because they were both at fault. She sighed with resignation. She'd deal with the consequences of their actions later.
"Let me take care of it," Usui offered as he straightened his uniform. She followed suit.
"But..."
"Let me do something for my girlfriend from time to time, okay," he cut off. He placed a gentle and chaste kiss on her lips before he headed to the door, his purpose clear.
"You always do something for me, not only from time to time, Takumi," Misaki muttered as she watched Usui's back disappeared through the door.
After a few minutes of thinking of the things that Usui had done for her, Misaki decided to leave the matter in his hands as he had said. With a sigh, she tidied some of the papers that they messed up during their kiss, or kisses.
"It's like something came over us and we couldn't stop. What the hell was that?"
Soon, Usui returned to the Student Council meeting room and found its sole occupant lost in deep thought. He chuckled when she jumped in surprise at his presence. Before she could start a tirade for his quiet appearance, he spoke.
"You have nothing to worry. They won't tell a soul, especially if they value their lives," he said with a devious smirk. When he caught up with their witnesses who fortunately hadn't gone on separate ways, he hadn't said a thing yet and they were already apologizing profusely, tripping over their tongues in their haste to not be on his bad side. He gave them a few well chosen words and he had their promise of silence for the rest of their lives.
"Who are they? At least tell me," she asked with resignation. She didn't want to be kept in the dark. Thankfully, Usui didn't withhold the information from her. She foresaw some awkward moments, but she would face it bravely.
Once the issue on being caught was settled, both Misaki and Usui became silent. It was an unbearable silence because of what they knew was coming next. With a resigned sigh, Usui broke the silence.
"I need to go to Miyabigaoka now. Will you be-"
"I'll be fine. Go to your classes, alien. I'm going to mine, too."
With great reluctance, they parted for the day. And as Misaki predicted, the meeting that afternoon at the Student Council room was among the most uncomfortable that they had ever had. The guys were too fearful, while she watched them like a hawk, albeit with a slight blush on her cheeks. Still, the day ended with no more surprises at the school and with her too caught up with things related to Usui that she was momentarily distracted from the problem at home. But she couldn't escape the issue forever as the time to go home drew nearer. She might avoid it just like what she had done throughout the day while she was at school, but she knew she couldn't and shouldn't keep doing it. Thus, she decided to take a break from work at Maid Latte even for just a day and instead go home. She resolved to spend time with her mother and sister and probably talk.
"Come to think of it. I haven't seen a glimpse of Suzuna today? Did she even go to school today?"
Misaki became concerned at the realization that she hadn't seen her sister at school the whole day. But as she thought of the events of the day, she concluded that it was because she spent most of her break inside the Student Council meeting room as she caught on her studies and also worried about the scene that she and Usui had been seen by the members of the Student Council.
"Oh well. I'm going to see her later. Mom, too...Hope she isn't too mad that I didn't come home last night...Stupid. I didn't even call her last night or this morning."
Misaki mentally berated herself for her thoughtlessness. However, since she couldn't turn back the time and do things differently, she decided that an apology was all she could give, and a promise not to make her mother and sister worried again. She took a weary breath and quickened her steps. As she walked, she idly took in her surroundings. She saw other students on their way home, too. She saw some children at the park. She saw a woman walking with her dog. She saw a man with a child on his shoulders, the child screaming with glee. She even saw a man and woman holding hands as they laughed happily.
"I really can't have things easy in my life, can I?" She muttered with a sigh as her family issues and Usui's circumstances swirled in her mind.
And so, Misaki walked towards her home, her mind filled with things to talk to her mother and sister and worries of the future.
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A/N: Just to be clear, this story isn't about trying to solve Misaki's issue with her estranged father. This is all about Usui's support and attempts (as well as success) in distracting Misaki at the time where the major cause of change in her personality had appeared in her life once more ;) Don't forget, this is for entertainment. Things were turned, twisted, enhanced, or exaggerated in some (or most) instances :)
Take care, folks! Have a nice day/night!
- - - Arvendell - - -
20 May 2012
11:25 AM