Shameless Encounter (Closed)

Hotaru glanced behind her yet again as she walked up the street, wondering if she had made the right choice. She had just come from a club a ways from her house, and had left a very nice woman to go look for something all by herself. While at first she had thought she would only slow Tsukiyoko down being the weak, slow girl she was, maybe company was more important. But, she had looked rather distressed. Tucking a lock of midnight hair behind her ear, she sighed, then frowned as she realized that was painful.

Pausing for a moment, the youg woman looked down at her feet. Her lungs were hurting. She really wasn't supposed to go out when the weather was below 40 degrees (F), and now she was paying for it. She really hated being sick. She wished she had something that could be pinpointed, curable. But no, instead, she just had a weak body. The most she could do for that was take enough vitamins and hope that someday she would grow out of it. Well, for 19 years she had been waiting to grow out of it, and she was still stuck, now in her first year of University, as "that sickly girl." Or sometimes, if they didn't know her well enough, "that sickly pretty boy."

Coughing once or twice, she resumed her pace. She still had a mile to go before she made it back to her heated studio, curtsey of her parent's money. Bringing her hands up to her mouth the cough again, the sleeves of her jacket fell to her elbows, exposing just for a moment the name Shameless, written on her too skinny right wrist. That happened far too often for her taste, but it was a product of never wearing clothes that actually fit her. Glancing up at the sidewalk in front of her, she did not realize that on this street, she wasn’t alone. Nor did she realize the walk back to her home would change her life forever.

Makoto never noticed the cold; it seamlessly passed through him, as if it was a summer breeze attempting to sway a tree to its knees. He liked walking alone at night, passing couples who were captivated in lust and those throwing painful words at one another. These encounters with individuals and couples amused him. How feelings spawned and died, sometimes in short lengths of time and others spanning the length of a lifetime. He walked with a slow stride but with a proud stance. He scanned the area and realized how deserted the streets felt. It was too cold for most people, and probably retreated into the clubs and bars that stretched along the streets.

His eyes fixated directly ahead of him at a short thin shadow that approached his direction, he didn't think much of it until the figure inched towards him. His head and heart tingled with an odd sensation he wasn't familiar with. He moved forward with uncertainty, with each step the pull inside his body got stronger. He stopped abruptly, he noticed the figure was a very boyish girl. He never mistaken anyone from what they actually were, it wasn't his nature. He stood almost horizontal of her, he grabbed her frail wrist. Turning his eyes down to the writing of her true name on her wrist. Rubbing his thumb over the word Shameless. He could not mistake it for a tattoo, not if it was the same phrase and in the same location as his. It washed over him immediately, his sacrifice, was in his grasp. This explained the strange feeling he felt as he approached her. No one phased his radar like she did. Could it be that she understood? Felt the same feeling as he did? Knew he was her fighter, and she was his master? His friend Akio spoke of the connection between a fighter and a sacrifice, and what he was to do as a fighter.

"Do you know who I am?" He wispeared into the wind. Watching the breath curl around his face and evaporate into the night sky.

Hotaru gasped as a man with cold eyes suddenly reached out and grabbed her right wrist, staring at her name. She didn't scream, nor move as he studied it. She didn't know why, but something felt... right. A total stranger was standing in front of her, grabbing her arm and she knew she was not strong enough to pull away, and yet, she was not afraid. He ran his thumb over it, and she watched like a statue. She felt something inside of her chest, the thing that was telling her not to be afraid. Her name tingled even after his thumb moved off of it. She didn't understand what was going on, only that this person was... special.

"Do you know who I am?" he whispered to her. The voice radiated inside her head, burning it's mark into her memory. She looked up into his eyes, and knew she would never forget that color. But it was also the cold, distant hollowness in his gaze that broke the spell his touch had originally cast upon her.

Wrenching her arm away, he made no attempt to hold her down. She glanced at the top of his head and noticed he had no ears. Now she was nervous. Common sense was kicking back in, trying to override the pull she felt in her heart.

Taking a step back, she held her right wrist with her left hand, pulling it close to her chest. Who was this guy? Did he make a habit out of randomly grabbing people on the street?

"Sh-should I?" she stuttered. Had he truly been a threat, the smart thing to do was run away. Yet, despite the fact she had never seen him her life before, she could not bring herself to believe that he was dangerous. No, it was just the opposite. Now that he was here, she didn't want him to go away. And that frightened her far more than the person himself.

Makoto didn't realize at first that suddenly seizing a girls wrist could be startling, but he studied her face for a few seconds. Her eyes were unsure; struggling between her conscious and subconscious thoughts. He could tell she wasn't aware of their bond, she felt the feeling he felt in his heart, this was a undeniable, even for her. He stroked her wrist one final time, and thought how he should address her without frightening her.

She tugged her arm from his grasp, and he felt his hand fall to his side. She inspected his ear-less head. He know this would make her nervous. Darn ears are more of a burden with strangers. Her voice shook a little as she said "Sh-Should I?"

She wouldn't run from him, the pull between them would draw her like it had done to him. She must not know much about units, or should could tell who he was to her. "Do not be afraid, We are bonded" He extended his arm towards her, the light caught the words written on his wrist, flashing them and glinting off her eyes. "I am your fighter."

Hotaru's eyes went wide as he lifted his right wrist, showing the same name as her own, in the exact same place. Yoko-chan had had a name too... but it hadn't matched with her own like that, and it was in a different place. Was it coincidence? Or, was that how it was supposed to be?

He said... they were bonded. What did that mean? Was it because they had the same name? She didn't know what type of bond he was referring to, or why it was so sudden, or anything! She was really really confused, and the cold weather wasn't helping her. Neither was the feeling in her chest telling her this was right.

"My... fighter?" she repeated quietly, glancing back to his face. Fighter... that word sounded so familiar. She tried to think back... it was that person, the night she had come home from her first day at University. She had been freaking out because it was the first time she had seen her name appear. He had told her... it was her real name. Her true name. And that she was a Sacrifice, half of a whole. She hadn't understood what that meant at the time, she had been too scared and ran away. But now, maybe she was starting to understand what he was trying to tell her. But, maybe not.

"I don't... don't know what that is," she told him weakly. "Somebody told me once... that I was the Shameless Sacrifice. But I never understood what he was talking about. What does that mean? Why do you have the same mark as me? What do you mean bonded?"

And then, her eyebrows shot up in shock as she realized she had forgotten something fundamental in all this. Some might call her childish for it, but she found it extremely important, especially right now.

"What's your name?"

He moved his coats sleeve down over his wrist again and sought her hand. He felt the need to touch some part of her body, to keep her safe. He felt a wind sweep in and she looked terribly cold as her thin body shivered. He looked deep into her eyes and felt the confusion. He shifted his sight to the sky and wondered if she felt the same. The feeling of being complete when they were together. Standing across from each other, breathing the same air.

She started posing questions about their bond and what it meant. He understood that her true name had just recently appeared. Therefore she must not know very much about it. He felt like she had a very inquisitive nature, when she asked his name. He smiled briefly, "My name is Makoto Takashi" He paused before continuing, "Now as for the bond we have; I am your fighter. You are my sacrifice; my master. Together we are the Shameless unit, we fight together against other units. It is my job to protect you and obey you."

He stopped, letting her absorb what he had told her, he knew it was a lot. It had been a lot for him. He reached to his neck unbuttoning his coat. Pulling it off of his arms and draping it around her shoulders. He did not really have a compulsive nature, but he felt this sudden urge. A waft of emotion brought on in the wind, he drew her close and kissed her abruptly. Feeling a spark as their lips touched.

Hotaru felt something warm deep in her chest when he took her hand. She did not attempt to pull away this time. On the contrary, she felt safe with the contact. She wasn't sure if that was normal, to feel that way about a stranger, but she did. Maybe she was just being niave, but somehow, she didn't think so.

When he gave her his name, that spell that had been cast when she first felt his touch once again washed over her. Makoto Takashi... Makoto.... She loved the sound. It was such a pretty name. And when he smiled, it was wonderful.

When he explained to her, however, she didn't fully get what he meant. Together they made the Shameless unit. She understood that well enough. Shameless, they were one unit. That was a nice thought. She was the Sacrifice and he was the Fighter, ok. He was going to protect her...? Oddly enough, she completely believed in him to do so. But the last part. The obey part. What did he mean by that?

Feeling another chill down her spine, she barely had a chance to shiver before he draped his coat over her shoulders. She felt the warmth envelop her, saving her from the nipping air. She looked up to smile, and give her thanks. Instead however, she was suddenly pulled closer to him, and felt his lips meet hers in a gentle kiss before she could even get the words out

That was unexpected. When he pulled away, he found a very dumbfounded girl. Her ears were plastered to her head, out of embarassment or happiness however it was impossible to say. Her face had turned a bright red, hardly befitting of the name Shameless. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, no voice coming out. She looked up at him, staring at the light blue eyes that felt so safe to her, even after that.

"....aru..." she finally said, although it was far too quiet for anyone to hear. Again, she tried. "... I'm Hotaru..." Pulling his coat closer around her, she wondered why she felt no anger, or fright. In fact, that had seemed perfectly natural. And even after she pulled away again, she noticed she still found herself clutching onto his hand.

Well, she thought the first coherent thought to come to her mind since he kissed her, I'm 19, it's about time I had my first kiss.

Makoto smiled at her slight childish-but cute reaction. he himself became slightly flushed and he bowed his head so she could not see his face. As her name elapsed from her lips he thought it sounds right with his name, but he couldn't help but observe her shivering body even under his coat. Maybe he didn't feel the cold, but it made her look sickly.

"I like that name." He caught himself smiling briefly, but unlike the first time he didn't hide his face as he blushed.
"But really we should leave, I can explain everything if we go to your house"

He felt her grip his hand, he squeezes back in reassurance that he was no threat. Though by now, he know if she thought he posed any threat to her life she would have run a long time ago. For the first time he took time to fully glance over her, she was quite frail looking, but pretty. She was even paler than he was, which was hard for him to believe since he had always considered himself the palest person in the city.

He drew his other hand to her face and kissed her forehead lightly, but felt his hand linger as he stared into her eyes. Her eyes didn't show much of her, but reminded him very much of a child. After a few seconds and a chilling breeze he recognized it was time to leave.

"So what do you say? Show me the way." He squeezed her hand once more and smiled at her.

"Um, ok," she muttered happily. The blush hadn't yet faded, and Makoto's own pink cheeks just made her feel even more embarrassed. He was so cute, she realized suddenly. Although at first his cold eyes had distracted her, he was actually really gentle. Still holding his hand, she started walking again, leading him back towards her home.

Although questions were filling her mind to the brim, she kept her lips closed and silently continued. Once they got home she could ask all the questions she needed to, but for now silence felt the most comfortable. And it was comfortable, unlike the usual awkward silences that came with meeting a new friend. It was as if, even though they weren't talking, their touch was communication all on its own.

Even so, she still felt a little weird about taking someone she'd just met back to her apartment. Not worried about her safety so much.... nervous, maybe. Besides her parents and a nurse at one point, no one had ever been inside her Studio. She was anxious about what he might think of her. It was not a typical place.

"You're not allergic to any types of paint, are you?" she asked him nervously as they walked. "Because my apartment is sort of a mess right now and I don't know what's out and what's put away..." She trailed off, thinking how weird she must have sounded. She didn't want to scare him off! Although, he was the one that had found her, right? Still, maybe he'd think he had the wrong person, or decide he didn't want a weird partner or...

Eventually, she just gave up before her brain exploded and waited for his answer before freaking out.

[Hotaru has left Streets and headed Home]

Makoto let her guide her along the streets to her apartment without any opposition, he didn't

look around as he normally feel into the habit of doing. He just concentrated on her hand in his. It was silent the whole way there, but he didn't quite mind it. He just listened to their foot steps in unison on the pavement. He wondered if his request to go to her apartment was too brash. Considering they just met, but he knew that she trusted him, even if she probably had lots of questions for him. Perhaps he should have invited her to his home, but then again. He didn't like being home.

When she stuttered in front of her door about him being allergic to anything, things being strewn about..ect. He chuckled, in a homely way. "Oh no, I'm not allergic to anything. Quite worrying so much, There's no need." He himself was a neat freak, but that was only his pet peeve if it was his home and not others. Probably because his sister always had people over making a mess of things so he assumed most of the house chores.

"Well sweetheart are you going to show me in? I'M even getting cold."

Makoto has left Streets and is headed Home