Chapter 67 - Friends

Their relationship was not a secret, and definitely had nothing to do with love.

The ring was like an irony of their real circumstance, but Ara remained quiet as Ryuu carefully placed the jewelry on her hand. Her heart had long stopped having jitters by now, her silver-grey eyes focused not on the ring, but on Ryuu's face the whole time he was doing it.

When the ring reached its final place on her finger, Ara didn't miss the sudden tensing of Kou's body, and the changes on his expression. He had frozen momentarily, as his eyes flickered as if in realization. It was really brief – only a fraction of a second, but it was very clear to her.

Ara reckoned Kou had also realized how the ring was a mockery of their status, and was maybe regretting the impulsive gift. His hand squeezed hers, as he finally looked at her face. For Ara, his clouded gaze, and the way he held her ringed hand felt like an apology of some sort.

She squeezed his hand back as if saying it was okay.

During their meetings since she found out they were engaged, Ara had always felt so pampered. She already knew it was not really in Kou's nature to be like this attentive. She knew he had put a lot of effort to make her feel at ease towards him.

The thought, the effort – Ara more than appreciated them. She was grateful that he was willing to get out of his comfort zone just to please her. But now, it was clear that it must have taken its toll on him too. It shouldn't go on like this.

It was wrong to assume that it's a man's job to take care of the relationship. The woman had to do her part too.

The rest of the drive, the car was basked in silence, although the two of them still held hands. For whatever reason, Kou's grip on her was very firm, as if he was thinking she'd flee if he let go.

"Kou," she called out softly as soon as they arrived at her house.

The Koutaishidenka looked at her, but stayed quiet, waiting for her to speak.

"You don't have to do this anymore," she told him with a reassuring smile.

When Ryuu frowned, she freed her hand from his and used her hands to cup his cheeks like one would do to a kid so they were eye to eye.

"I already know you're giving a lot of effort to make me feel at ease. I'm not going anywhere okay? You don't have to force yourself to do things that you're not used to," she continued, and the frown on Ryuu's face deepened.

"We're good. I'm already happy we're friends."

As soon as she said that, the frown on Ryuu's face turned into a full-blown scowl – a first time happening in her presence, and Ara was confused. Was she wrong then?

"We're not friends," Ryuu said bitingly, the sudden anger surprising Ara.

"I know. I mean we're engaged, and – "

She was not able to finish her words, as Ryuu's face had descended on her almost immediately, as he locked his lips with hers in a long searing kiss.

It was not the soft brush she remembered in her 'dream' that turned out to be real when she got drunk. It was a real, deep kiss, with his hot tongue invading the sweet cavern of her mouth, demanding, urging her to do the same.

As someone whose first kiss was when Aki's pet, a huge golden retriever licked her face, and her second, a mere brush on her lips when she was drunk, Ara had no idea how to respond.

As if frustrated, Ryuu pulled back, leaving her dazed, but pulled her along with him. She was now straddled in an awkward position on his lap, her face flushed, her hair and clothes disheveled. She had no idea how that looked so inviting.

This time, Ryuu pulled her face towards him, his hot breath fanning her face as his bold gaze scrutinize her luscious lips. Grunting in approval at how swollen they had become, his hand tugged the back of her head down for another round of kisses.

This time, Ara who out of curiosity forgot being shy had a few seconds of lessons from before. Always a good and competitive student, she placed her hands at the back of his head, pulling him as she mimicked what Ryuu did to her earlier, and returned his kisses. She was clumsy, but determined, her tongue, instantaneous and urgent as it intertwined with his.

Guttural sounds echoed inside the car as the kiss that initially started out of anger turned into a full-blown passion. Ara who had never been kissed like this before had long since lost herself in the act. She held onto Ryuu for dear life, as the prince's lips traveled from her lips down to her jaw, further down to her neck. When he bit her collarbone Ara gasped.

Feeling teeth nibbling at her clavicle as a mischievous hand cupped her buttock made Ara snap out of her trance. "Kou!"

Hearing her voice, the nibbling on her chest stopped as Kou too paused from his 'activity'. He looked up to her with an expression akin to pouting, displeased at being interrupted, and Ara almost laughed if not for the fact that embarrassment was beginning to sink in as her gaze fell on her open shirt. She had no idea how it happened, but Kou had successfully opened all her uniform's buttons and exposed her powder blue bra and her milky white skin underneath.

Bad pup!

Also…

Ara suddenly remembered Koga and the driver and her head flipped to the front and was relieved and thankful to see the partition was closed.

"Nobody saw," Kou told her afterwards and she looked back at him.

'That's not the only problem, is it?', she wanted to snap at him but didn't. Instead, she removed herself from his lap and started buttoning up her blouse. Her embarrassment made her clumsier, she couldn't hold the buttons properly, and so, Kou reached out and did it for her.

"We're not friends," Ryuu told her again as soon as he finished helping her straighten out her clothing. His pair of eyes locked again on her still swollen lips.

For the first time in history, Ara was able to discern desire flickering behind his ice blue gaze, and she blushed a deep shade of red.

"No, we're not friends," she conceded.

Bad husky!