3Author Disclaimer: Hello to those brave souls that still walk around the empty and cold tundra that is the Ergo Proxy fanfiction section. This is a story that I wrote nearly a year ago. I edited some and what not, but I didn't get too nit picky due to the fact that it's been a while since I even saw this series. I hope you guys enjoy, I'm a bit late to the random but I love EP all the same, btw this is Christmas Eve for me on my side of the world so Merry X-Mas everyone!
Vincent almost felt his jaw drop as he saw a half-naked Re-L through a halfway closed doorway, preparing to go to bed. He felt both his ears and face warm exponentially. This wasn't the first time he'd seen her like this. Although he wasn't quite himself at the time since he transformed to Ergo Proxy, he had barged into her bathroom just as she preparing to take a shower. However, the memory itself was fuzzy, so seeing Re-L in the flesh, with nothing but her undergarments, was a sight to behold.
Her shiny black hair gave a shimmer of blue under the dim lights of the room, her long slender arms and hands, along with her athletic legs, curvy hips and smooth, but pale skin. She was a lot thinner than most women but that didn't seem to mind him in the least, rather, he enjoyed her physique. He licked lips but froze at the action. He was not licking his lips because she was there. They were dry. Yes. They were VERY dry. It was the cold that dried his lips, not Re-L. She had absolutely NOTHING to do as to why his lips were so dry. He immediately looked away but his eyes went back to her eventually.
Any man would love to be in his place right now, peeping at a beautiful woman, but Vincent didn't feel great doing it. He didn't mean to creep up on Re-L in this…situation. He had just come back with extra blankets from the hull of the Rabbit, courtesy of Pino. All he was going to do is drop off some blankets on her cot because he thought she was still in the shower but he miscalculated. Severely. Several questions came to mind as he saw her wipe of off the makeup from her eyes, giving her back to him (which he didn't mind AT ALL by the way) and completely unaware of her being there. Did she mind being like this in front of him? Was it because he already "saw" her in this state? Was it a course of habit? Did she already do this on a day to day basis? Did Iggy know about this?
Did another man see her like this?
That made Vincent's eye twitch with jealousy. No, that wasn't true. How can someone be good enough for Re-L? She was a strong, independent woman that didn't need to depend on anyone, much less need weak, useless people around her. He paused and mentally slapped himself. He praising her but not insulting himself in the process.
The sound of her mascara case snapping shut brought his mind back to reality. He felt the level awkward increase as he was still creeping in doorway with a tower of blankets that nearly reached his neck and was making his arms stiff.
"Vince! Why are you staring at Re-L Re-L like that?" Pino said in her louder than normal cherry voice behind him, making him jump and dropping the blankets loudly on the metal floor, in turn startling Re-L. She whipped around wide-eyed at first but then narrowed into a deadly glare. Vincent really did drop his jaw this time and quickly turned to Pino.
"I wasn't staring at Re-L!" blurted instantly. Pino tilted her head in confusion.
"But Pino just saw you staring at Re-L Re-L for approximately seven minutes and thirty five seconds" she added with a smile and a innocent giggle
Vincent felt his face burn with embarrassment as he quickly glanced at Re-L and back to Pino "W-W-W-Wha-H-H-How-How long were you standing—"
"Enough" Re-L commanded, making the two looked back at her as she threw her mascara case in bed. "Go recharge Pino, Vincent and I need to talk" she added with a snarl.
"Ok! Pino will go night night!" she said once more with a smile before running off down the dark hallway. Vincent was stared as her for a moment before he felt a tug on his coat and his back slam into the cold wall as the door slammed shut next to him.
"Just what the HELL were you trying to pull off Vincent Law? Huh?" she hissed, but seeing that there was no answer from a terrified Vincent made her patience thin and slammed him against the wall again "TELL ME!"
"I-I-I found, I mean me and Pino found some blankets, it's getting colder lately and it freezing here late at night"
Re-L's eyes flicked to the fabric below and back to him.
"I wasn't going to hurt you Re-L, really—"
"Is that you or Ergo Proxy speaking?" she asked firmly "you know I have something that can kill you, right? Or did you just forget? So, what are you?!" she shouted
"I am Vincent Law" he said with equal firmness, olive green eyes looking directly at her blue ones.
Re-L felt something inside her as he looked into his eyes. It was making her a bit nervous and it made her hands clammy. She wasn't sure why but something told her he was not lying. He opposed no resistance and not once did he raise his voice against her. There was no denying the tender, loving way her was looking at her. She was feeling her heart quickening under his gaze but she came to sense with herself.
"Prove it to me. Tell me something that only Vincent Law could."
Vincent raised a brow, making Re-L's eye twitch.
"Don't play stupid, it's something that only he could tell me without any hesitation, so? What is it?" she asked, patience nearly running out.
Vincent lowered his gaze "I don't take back what I said about you shooting me, and like I said, if I become a terrible monster once I get my memories, you shouldn't hesitate to put me down. Ergo Proxy would never say that…and you know that" he said meeting her gaze once more.
Re-L's eyes narrowed but then softened. She then jumped when he stroked her cheek but never broke the eye contact.
"I'm in love you Re-L, you know that…how…is it even possible for me to ever hurt you? Even with how I feel about you?"
Re-L felt her voice give out. She was not able to answer him. Yes, he already did confess to her but it didn't make her stir the way it did now. She hated to admit it, but she enjoyed his touch and caresses, and then realized that her grip has completely softened. Their faces were quite close to each other, too much for Re-L's liking, but then it hit her; he wasn't making any sort of advances. Any man in his position would take this moment to do as he pleased with, but not Vincent. All he did was stroke her cheek and stare into her eyes. That was it, and it was all he was content with. It reminded of how Ergo Proxy broke into her bathroom and she was cornered against the sink, terrified of the monster before her. The situation was the same. Ergo could have easily done what he pleased but it was the opposite. All he did was stroke her lips. That was it. Well, before Monad showed up and decided to fight while Re-L passed out. Not even Ergo lifted a hand against her, much less try to. She felt a pang of guilt for kissing Vincent back then. She used his feelings for to distract from the weapon that meant to kill him. The distance between them has diminished slightly; she could feel Vincent's quickening breath on her lips and his rapid heartbeat under her hand. It hit Re-L that it was she alone had reduced the space between then, causing her to feel a wave of fear and a need to get away from him. She grabbed his chin shove it roughly against the wall while she pulled herself from his grasp.
"Vincent Law, you'd better get used to seeing me like this. I'm not going to change my habits because you feel hot and bothered at the sight of me, do I make myself clear?" she said, never losing her stern tone. He gaze cold and unwavering.
"B-but your sight doesn't bother me…"
"So you like seeing me like this? How male of you"
Vincent blushed "Wait-no I didn't mean it like that"
"Then what do you mean?" she asked raising a brow, and stroked his bottom lip. Re-L had to admit it, she like having this control over him. Seeing him turn into a nervous mush under her touch, and how his pulse was quickening by her current situation. But there was something else, something that was drawing her to Vincent Law…but wasn't sure what exactly it was…
"I won't do this again" he said with a sweet smile "I'll get use to your habits, promise"
Re-L felt heat creep up her face at the sight of his smile and roughly let him ago as she walked back to her cot while removing her hair clips "just pick up the blankets will you?"
Vincent rubbed his jaw with a slight smile and picked up the blankets "there aren't many, but they are thick and a bit heavy…"
"As long as they do the job it'll work fine for me" Re-L said as she approached him and took most of the blankets, leaving Vincent with two, raggedy blankets.
"H-Hey you took most of the blankets!"
"You honestly thought I was going to let you off so easily? Take this as a punishment" she added curtly
"But it's cold"
"You're a proxy Vincent, you won't die so easily, so suck it in" she said as she fixed the blankets, oddly avoiding his gaze or his presence overall actually. That was strange, why would she-?
"Do I have something on my face?" she said flatly as she snuggled in her blankets, finally looking at him.
Vincent shook his head and chuckled, "just waiting for you to get in bed" he said as he turned off the lights and headed to his spot on the floor.
"Don't you need the light?" Re-L asked sleepily
"I'm a proxy remember? I don't need the light to see. Why the worry?" he added with a smile.
"…."
Vincent froze for a second and stayed silent, it seemed she had fallen asleep or used this as excuse to end the conversation. He scratched his head, it didn't matter to him; all he cared is that he was near her. He was grateful that their paths had crossed once again, and he was going to do the best to enjoy their time together. Although he wished that he could always be by her side, even after returning back to Romdo. He slid under the covers and glanced at Re-L before drifting to sleep. Little did he know that she had been watching him as well, she only snorted and turned.