Chapter 14-Night and Day[Game of The Heart]

Chapter 14: Night and Day
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For a long while, I just sat there, shivering on the cold hardwood floor of the orchestra room. I was just too damn tired to move my ragged body away from the piano bench I collapsed against. I was still in the midst of recovering, and as I leaned my head against the cushion, I could see those drops of blood splattering on the ground beside me. Now the only question was: Whose blood was that? Just thinking about it began to revive the headache, but before it could get worse, I crawled my way out of the orchestra room. It was a slow process, but I eventually made my way out.

From there, I threw my hand up and latched onto the side of the door, gradually pulling my body up and following wherever the walls led me. I wandered for what was likely five minutes and finally found the familiar staircase. Then, I dragged my leaden body up the stairs, down the hallway, and towards my room. Just as I approached my door, two men emerged from the one across me.

"Damn, Vulpe. I know you can't sleep now, but why'd you have to wake me up?" Akin whined as he ruffled his bed hair.

"Because I was bored…" he reasoned weakly; he sounded almost like I did earlier. Plastering a forced smile on my face, I leaned back against my closed door and pressed my foot into the frame.

"Morning, Alice. You couldn't sleep either?" Akin asked, closing some of the gap between us.

"Of course not. She's the one who woke me!" Vulpe scratched at his mud brown bunny ear and sighed.

"Aw, come on. You're why I had to suffer this whole morning?" Akin teased with a small pout.

"Sorry…" I mumbled back, eyes lowered and glassy.

"I'm just kidding, Alice. The suffering is worth it if it's for you," he reassured me with his usual smile, reaching forward to tousle my golden locks, which dangled helplessly in front of my face before he brushed them back.

I blinked away the moisture in my eyes and brought them up to meet his, genuinely smiling this time around. "Thanks."

"So, since we're all up, why don't we grab some food?" Vulpe questioned, eyes sparkling. For once, he showed a huge smile—one that I didn't even know was possible—and threw his arms around us.

"You're always hungry, you damn rabbit. We just got up, so give us a break, would you?" Akin snidely retorted.

"Fine, suit yourselves. I'll be downstairs looking for breakfast."
Just as quickly as he told us that, he was off and away to scavenge. Akin rolled his violet eyes and smirked.

"He's an ."

"You're a bit mean when you're tired, aren't you?" I teased, curling a lock of blonde hair around my index finger.

"Not as mean as someone here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I cleared my throat expectantly and crossed my arms against my chest.

"You're really grouchy when you get up, you know that?"
I flushed pink. "N-No I'm not. I react how any person would if you woke them at four in the morning."

"No… You're just grumpy."

"You—"
I raised my hand to smack him, but he wrapped his fingers around my wrist.

"Tsk, tsk. Violent, too," he mocked playfully.

"You forget I have feet."
I kicked the back of his shin—of course, not too hard—and he immediately drew away, laughing.

"You're fun to play with."
I pursed my lips in the hopes that the blood rushing to my face would be diverted. Unfortunately, I realized the body doesn't work that way, and the heat grew on my cheeks anyway.

"Blushing, are we?"

"N-No!" I growled back, though it came out more like a pitiable squeak.
Beaming with success, Akin said, "Come on, let's go grab Leo and Cane for some breakfast."

"Oh, what about Eri?"

"Ah, jeez, don't even get me started on her. She sleeps like a—"

"Pig, yeah," I added with a nod.

"How did you know?" His eyes widened ever so slightly as he tilted his head curiously at me.

"O-Oh… Um…"

I didn't want to reveal that I'd showered in Cane's room this morning. It would easily give the wrong impression, and I couldn't have my partner getting suspicious of me.

"Lucky guess?" I asked, smiling hopefully.

"Hm…" He took a short pause and then grinned as happily as usual. "Good one. Yeah, she won't be getting up for at least another three hours. So we'll just grab Cane and Leo, and we'll be good to go."

"Wait, not Leo," I blurted out instinctively.

"Why not? I know he's quiet, but we can't exclude him like that… That's really mean, Alice…"

"That's not it!" I shouted at him. Hell, how could he think I would do that?

"Then why not?"

"Because…" I breathed out a heavy sigh; I couldn't really avoid this one. "I woke up in the middle of the night yesterday and decided to go outside for a bit to look at the stars. And Leo was just standing out there… He was probably up for a while, so I don't think we should wake him."


He looked at me like I'd struck him. "Oh, I see. Were you two talking?" His smile had ebbed away, and his eyes had narrowed with a bit of severity. Anxiously, I nodded my head at him.

"Is there something wrong with that?" I questioned in my own defense.

"No…" he mumbled, nibbling on his lower lip and averting my gaze.

"Akin? What's wrong?"

"Honestly?"

"Of course."

"Looking at your clothes…" He ran his eyes over my body, prompting me to glance down at my tank and shorts. "You must've been cold. If you ever go out in the morning like that again, you can wake me up and I'll find you something warmer."

His cheeky grin finally returned, and he gently brushed my cheek with his rough fingertips. "Okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" I whispered. "But Akin?"

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you being honest?"
His eyes broadened, and he drew his head back slightly. "W-What do you…"

"I asked you what's honestly wrong, but you're lying to me. Why are you lying?"
He stammered for a moment, trying to find a combination of words that might fit as an explanation, but he quickly found it futile and just smiled at me. "You're sharp, Alice."

"I know. Now, tell me."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Of course."

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes!" I answered without an ounce of hesitation. Had I known what was going to happen, I probably wouldn't have even answered.

Suddenly, Akin tucked his arm around my hip and tugged my body forward, pressing it hard and flush against his until a smoldering heat burned between our bodies. My eyes widened. For just a moment, I was captivated by the power and impulse he used to grab me… until I caught a glimpse of his smirk and remembered one very important detail.

This was Akin. If this didn't stop now, who knew how far it would get?

I immediately flew into a panic. I writhed against his grasp and tried to slither free, but with each struggle, he held me closer and tighter, almost like he was trying to pull me into his skin with him. And then, swiftly and skillfully, he slipped his hand under my tank and gently ghosted his fingertips across the bare, sensitive skin of my back. My mouth immediately ran dry; butterflies flew all across my torso as my heart thrashed about wildly in my chest and temporarily halted my struggles.

"W-What are you…" I managed to whisper as he cradled my head with his other hand and breathed his hot breath against the shell of my ear.

"Do you understand now?" he murmured alluringly.

Shivers resembling pleasure crawled almost incessantly up and down my spine as Akins’s fingers continued walking along the small of my back. He slowly trailed his lips along my tickled skin and began feathering sweet, tender kisses against my neck until I vigorously nodded in response to his question, hoping the attention would stop. It had to! All he wanted was for me to nod yes, right? I gulped when I felt his kiss become more forceful against my neck. He was too close to me! Too close! I managed to wriggle my arms between us and tried to push him away, but he held strong and firm like the fighter he was.

"S-Stop it. Stop it…" I finally whispered, "Please."

Then, as per my command, he simply released me and pulled away, providing the usual distance he did between us. That huge grin, cheekily as ever, plastered itself across his face. Did he just want me to beg him or something? I wanted to scream at him, but my voice just wouldn't come out right; it only spoke in stammers and broken phrases.

"W-Why would…" My cheeks were hot; burning like the sun had touched me.

"Why what?" He tilted his head innocently, and I could have smacked him if my limbs weren't so numb.

"W-Why would you even—"

"Remember what I told you before? I said you're cute, but I wouldn't attack you yet," he told me with a smirk carved into his lips. "Well, I decided now was the time."

"W-Why?"

"Because I got jealous," he stated, completely unabashed.

"J-Jealous? Of Leo?"

"I'm a guy. I can get jealous, you know? Especially since you guys were talking outside under the stars… It's more romantic that way, isn't it?" He smiled, and I couldn't help but feel he was just teasing me again. With that knowledge,

I felt a bit calmer, but unfortunately, I was one to voice my opinions. And quite clearly, too.

"But why would you be jealous? We're not… anything like that. Are you just screwing with me again?"
I backed away defensively, but he caught me by the wrists and pulled me back to where I was.

"Relax. You wanted to know what was wrong, and now you know why. It's all good, right?"

I studied the innocent expression he wore and shook my head violently, heart still racing. Here came the yelling I wanted to do earlier.

"No! You can't just do that to me! I'm not a toy, dammit! You can't just reach out and touch me whenever you want!"

I must've somehow struck a nerve there. Akins’s eyes immediately swirled with pain, his smile faded, and his chest heaved with deep breaths. I drew back, slightly frightened. What had I done?

"No, you aren't a toy! That's why I'm not treating you like one! I really…" His voice cracked sharply, and I found myself quickly withdrawing the accusations running through my mind. Was he serious?

"Akin? Do you really…"
He turned his head aside. Wait, but… Akin was never serious! Why was he acting like this all of a sudden?

"You don't really like me, do you? Not already?" I questioned in disbelief.

"You don't understand. Just forget about it."

He hurried down the hall to Cane's bedroom and knocked at his door before I could say anything more. Just because Cane was so damn prompt and stepped out about a second later, I couldn't bring up the subject with Akin again. I obediently trailed behind them, and as the three of us walked down the stairs, Akin chatted and smiled as easily as he usually did.

He seemed like such a bright and happy person, but that smile…

He was hiding so much underneath that smile.

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It was a quiet, quiet breakfast. Cane was rather mild-mannered; while that was a bit odd, he usually did not speak without being prompted to, so it wasn't that unusual. Vulpe was engrossed in the act of consuming a feast for breakfast, and he would've been silent were it not for his sloppy chewing sounds and the occasional period of choking. Akin was the only one truly out of sorts, just sulking and prodding at his food without really eating it. He even refused to sit next to me, so I was stuck alone on one side of the table, being forced to watch Vulpe's disgusting eating habits. He wasn't a bad person, but he possessed the table manners of a monkey with a fork. I wondered if I should confiscate his knife, just in case he got the bright idea to pick it up and fling it at me.

I wasted my time at the table, battering my eggs with the fork and mulling over what I'd done. Akin attacked me; if anything, I should have been the one to get upset! But in the end, it somehow turned out that I upset him. Was I not taking him seriously enough? He is human, after all.

And putting myself in his place, I suppose I would've been mad, too.

Damn, how do I keep messing up?

If I hadn't looked up, I wouldn't have even noticed. Almost as silently as a mouse, Akin rose from the table and strode out of the dining room. Was he really that mad? God, what the hell did I do? I tore at my hair in frustration.

Vulpe, who just finished his breakfast, finally sensed the tension in the air and followed readily after Akin. With nothing more than a whimper, I looked down at my plate and continued poking at my eggs.

"What did you do?" Cane questioned with his eyes directly on me.
Without lifting my head, I stopped playing with my food. "What do you mean?"

"What did you say to Akin to upset him like that?"

I brought my eyes up and glared coldly. Even if he could tell something was wrong with Akin, why did he automatically assume it was my fault? Just when I thought he was getting nicer, too! I must've suffered some brain damage. How else could I think that was even possible?

"I didn't do anything," I retorted quickly.

"I don't care how good a liar you think you are. I can tell."

I immediately slammed my fork into the plate and cringed at the decibel of the clang. Though it took a moment, I recovered myself and reinforced my defenses. "You think you know everything, don't you? But you don't. Get over yourself," I growled.

"Why don't you stop acting so high and mighty? This world doesn't revolve around you, no matter how much you might like it to. If you did something silly, then get up there and apologize. Your silly pride means nothing."

His words stabbed at me through the flesh, pricking my skin until I nearly jumped from my chair. "Y-You're…"

"Just suck it up and go talk to him." He averted my gaze, a faint blush powdering his cheeks, and muttered more softly,

"He's my best friend, so go fix him."

"Best… friend?"

Akin was best friends with this guy? Great, now he was confusing me, acting all nice when it came to Akin… Was he trying to confuse me? Or did this guy maybe have a split personality? That would explain how he and Akin got to be best friends. Those two were polar opposites, like day and night.

"Yes. So throw away your pride for a second, no matter what that did, and fix him."

"So, you agree that it was his fault?" I questioned, chin tilted up at him.

"I don't know what happened, but most likely."

"You're not blaming me for this? Why the sudden change in attitude?"

"Because if I piss you off any more, you won't go up there to fix him."

I rolled my eyes. "I see. Fine, I'll go up there and talk to him. But you know, if you were really his best friend, you wouldn't talk about him like he was a broken toy."

I rose from my chair, starting for the door until he sighed and spoke a few words that seemed to be directed at me.

"Sorry for snapping. I just… get nervous every time that goes off. He does silly things when he's upset. So…

T-Thanks. You know, for going up there."
I glanced over at his profile; blood was creeping up his ears and cheeks as I whispered gently, "O-Oh… Sure."

Still stunned and ducking my head into my chest, I darted out of the room before my reaction could fully show. I breathed in deeply and shuddered out an exhale, nervously shaking my head. He was thanking me? With him, it was like one step forward, one step back. For now, we were at one step forward, but I could guarantee that we would back up at our next encounter.

Well, he wasn't important right now. I had to go upstairs and recover that little to his former self.
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I swiftly dashed up the steps and barreled down the hallway, heartbeat thumping in my ears. After gliding across the carpet and landing in front of Akins’s room, I began my incessant knocking on his door. For a while, there was no answer, so I pounded more vigorously and began yelling at him through the door.

"Akin! Akin, say something!"
No answer.

"Get out here already!"

Suddenly, the door cracked open, and I heard another voice addressing Akin in a whisper.

"Hey, it's Rise. Should I go?" Vulpe asked carefully.

"Sure, sure. Let her in."

Vulpe threw the door open wide and brushed past me, mussing up my hair on his way.

"Cheer him up in there. He's really down."

Yeah, like I didn't already know that.

As Vulpe passed to his room, I slipped into Akins’s and slammed the door shut behind me. Compared to the realm of darkness and the land of sunshine and sprinkles, his room was quite refreshing. His walls were painted a cool lavender shade, and he had an air freshener in some corner that made it smell nearly as sweet. He was a bit messy with his clothes strewn about the floor and papers sprawled across his white desk, but he had overall an inviting bedroom. I looked down at Akin, who was seated on the corner of his teal comforter with the mattress sinking in a deep pit around him, and gestured for myself to sit as well.

"Go ahead," he whispered with a sigh. So, I slowly made my way beside him and rested my body on the plush bedding.

"Are you… okay?"

"Not really, but I'll get over it."

"Akin… Come on."

"Come on what?"

I paused a moment, stuttering out a few words to buy me time. "I-I was going to talk to the Queen when she woke up…

A-And of course, I need my partner to back me up! Come with me, please?"

"No," he stated, short and simple. He was really cold when he was angry.

"I… I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously…" I pleaded, fisting my fingers into his sleeve.

"No, you aren't. You're only doing this, because you feel like you have to. Well, it's fine, so forget about it."

"No, that's not it! Really!"

"Alice, don't lie like that. It makes me mad."

"Akin!" I whined, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm upset! Am I not allowed to be upset?" he snapped back quickly, effectively silencing my cries. I wanted to huddle in the sweet, lavender corner and hide myself in shame. Had I really upset him so badly? He was so welcoming to me, but I ended up stepping all over his feelings.

I was scum.

"Akin, I'm sorry…"

"No. Stop lying to me, Alice."

"I'm not lying!" I yelled, feeling dangerously emotional. "I'm not! Listen, I'll do whatever you want, dammit! Just stop being upset! You have to believe me already!"

Suddenly, his lips curled in a malicious smirk, and I could actually feel the regret coursing through my veins. I shouldn't have spoken so quickly. I really shouldn't have.

"Anything I want?" he clarified, grinning practically ear to ear.

"N-No, wait—"

"Ah, ah. You can't go back on your word now," he teased, playfully wagging his finger at me.

Dammit. Dammit.

How could I be so silly? Akin was never serious! He just knew I would say that, didn't he? Feelings, my Bottom! He was after this the whole time!

"Well, you were talking about going to see the Queen, right? She should be up by now, so let's go see her."
Akin smiled, beaming with glory, as he leaned over and pinched my cheek gently between his fingers.

"I win, Alice."

"You bastard," I hissed through my teeth, knowing now I couldn't go back on my word. I just had to pray he wouldn't take too much advantage of this.
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