02 - Of Dreams and Reality
Mail Jeevas rolled onto his side, blue eyes gazing at the busy woman who was typing right next to him. "Ari," he called softly, reaching out to run a hand through her hair. "Love, it's so late..." the time on her laptop read 1:24 AM. As his fingertips graced her neck, she sighed and stopped, pressing a button on the sleek gadget and finally turning her head to face him. As the laptop shut down, she tucked it in the case and put it on the floor.
He smiled as she curled up in his arms. "You should get some sleep if you want to work well tomorrow," he murmured, gently nuzzling her neck in an attempt to soothe her. "You'll do well with this case. I know you will." He waited for a response - one that consisted of a peck on the lips and a small smile on her face, but none came. Arianne's breathing deepened and slowed down, causing him to smile much more.
"Good night, lovely," he whispered, securing his arms around her neck as he closed his eyes, soon drifting away to sleep as well.
Away from the house and into a hospital further away, a doctor asked for the condition of his currently unconscious patient. The nurse took one look at the heavily bandaged man and sighed, her eyes taking notice of the bandages carefully wound around his face, his eyes, nose, and mouth only seen.
"No chance of waking soon, sir."
The doctor heaved a sigh and walked out. The nurse could hear his final words.
"He needs to."
She looked at the patient once more and silently agreed with her superior. He was right. He would need to be awake by the following morning for the arrival of the police.
No, scratch that.
He would need to be awake for the arrival of A.
Hours passed in Tokyo as the moon fell and the sun rose, sunlight filtering through the home of Mail and Arianne. The woman stirred slowly and soon opened her eyes, blinking and trying to get used to the sudden beam of sunlight in the room. Warm, muscular arms held her by the waist and she smiled only slightly, feeling at peace at the feel of her lover's firm yet gentle grip on her.
Shifting only a little so she should look at him, Arianne laughed at the sight of his adorable, youthful features. His ginger hair fell into his face, covering his eyes. His lips were slightly parted, and slow, steady breaths of air rushed into him, and then out. Reaching out, Arianne brushed his hair away from his face and leaned in to gently kiss his forehead, yelping suddenly in surprise as his eyes opened, revealing blue irises that were locked into her green ones.
"Jesus," she complained. "Scared the living hell out of me, love." He grinned and let go of her, stretching and letting loose a content groan as he stretched his muscles. Arianne kept her gaze on his contracting triceps, cheeks reddening as she hastily looked away. Mail didn't seem to notice her staring and made a goofy face, running a hand through his messy hair slowly.
"I'm sorry," his grin was evident. "I didn't mean to, baby." Mail chuckled and pulled her close once more, slowly nuzzling the part where her neck and shoulder met. "Do you have work today, or is it a day in?" he waggled his eyebrows. "Today is perfect bed weather, if you know what I mean." Arianne scoffed, but only blushed more at the comment.
"It's sunny," she retorted, eyes turning towards the window.
"That's the point."
"...there's a point?" How clueless she could be. Mail loved those childlike inquiries, but she could really learn to read the atmosphere at some point of their time together.
"Never mind," he let go and sat up. "What do you want for breakfast?" Arianne spared him a curious and searching stare until replying that she was in the mood for bacon.
Breakfast seemed too quick for the woman, who told Mail all about her new case. He was only given the gist of it last night, for his lover was too busy starting to research about it. Mail offered his help and wished her luck, and Arianne replied with a grateful smile. He knew she wasn't the type to express herself with words, and that didn't bother him at all.
Arianne had finished her shower when she heard Mail talking heatedly on the phone, conversing in what seemed to be quick and angry Japanese. She pressed her ear to the closed wooden door that separated the bathroom and the bedroom, knowing it was wrong. Nervously, she bit down on her lower lip as she listened in on the conversation.
"I'm not buying it, Matsumoto, and you know it."
"But if you just think about this,"
"Are you even thinking of her?"
There was no reply.
"Matsumoto, just call me later."
Jun Matsumoto was Mail's close friend, in charge of a large business that actively took part in Tokyo's expanding economy. They had met officially in one of his parties, and the Japanese man took an interest in her almost immediately. Arianne wasn't bothered, but the attention was almost alien-like to her. It felt strange, like trying something new for the very first time.
She was still on the gray side on whether to embrace it or not.
Moving away as quietly as she could, she carefully dried herself with the towel and looked at herself in the mirror. Long black hair was in a neat wet bun, some strands falling over her heart-shaped face. Her green eyes still looked sleepy, but a hot mug of coffee could fix that. Arianne chewed the inside of her cheek before taking off the towel and starting to dress, making sure to take her precious time.
What was Mail talking about? The thought couldn't seem to go away. Stop it, she scolded herself as she picked up her green toothbrush and toothpaste, that is completely none of your business, and you know it very well. She rinsed her mouth and started brushing slowly, sighing and just staring at her own reflection in the mirror for a few moments.
That topic aside, she had a single regret.
She had not told Mail that this case would cause her to lose sleep. Surely that was evident enough from last night, but this one seemed much more intense, much more complicated than expected. Her lips curved down, signifying that she was not pleased at all.
The pieces could be connected, but there was a missing part to put it all together.
Arianne had not investigated the crime scene just yet, but she had a feeling in her gut that there would be much more than a murder involved.
Her mind went back to the question she had asked Touta. She repeated it in her head slowly, mulling over each of the words before the choices she had.
Which of the Deadly Sins is the root cause of evil?
Originally, her answer had been Pride - Superbia, in Latin. Now, she was thinking of his answer. He had told her that he thought it was Wrath - Ira, in Latin as well.
Now, which of the two influenced more?
Looking back at herself, she shivered. Her eyes reflected different emotions.
Perhaps, the question started to take its toll on her as well.
Arianne spit the toothpaste into the sink, rinsed, and washed it away.
"Good night, lovely," he whispered, securing his arms around her neck as he closed his eyes, soon drifting away to sleep as well.
Away from the house and into a hospital further away, a doctor asked for the condition of his currently unconscious patient. The nurse took one look at the heavily bandaged man and sighed, her eyes taking notice of the bandages carefully wound around his face, his eyes, nose, and mouth only seen.
"No chance of waking soon, sir."
The doctor heaved a sigh and walked out. The nurse could hear his final words.
"He needs to."
She looked at the patient once more and silently agreed with her superior. He was right. He would need to be awake by the following morning for the arrival of the police.
No, scratch that.
He would need to be awake for the arrival of A.
Hours passed in Tokyo as the moon fell and the sun rose, sunlight filtering through the home of Mail and Arianne. The woman stirred slowly and soon opened her eyes, blinking and trying to get used to the sudden beam of sunlight in the room. Warm, muscular arms held her by the waist and she smiled only slightly, feeling at peace at the feel of her lover's firm yet gentle grip on her.
Shifting only a little so she should look at him, Arianne laughed at the sight of his adorable, youthful features. His ginger hair fell into his face, covering his eyes. His lips were slightly parted, and slow, steady breaths of air rushed into him, and then out. Reaching out, Arianne brushed his hair away from his face and leaned in to gently kiss his forehead, yelping suddenly in surprise as his eyes opened, revealing blue irises that were locked into her green ones.
"Jesus," she complained. "Scared the living hell out of me, love." He grinned and let go of her, stretching and letting loose a content groan as he stretched his muscles. Arianne kept her gaze on his contracting triceps, cheeks reddening as she hastily looked away. Mail didn't seem to notice her staring and made a goofy face, running a hand through his messy hair slowly.
"I'm sorry," his grin was evident. "I didn't mean to, baby." Mail chuckled and pulled her close once more, slowly nuzzling the part where her neck and shoulder met. "Do you have work today, or is it a day in?" he waggled his eyebrows. "Today is perfect bed weather, if you know what I mean." Arianne scoffed, but only blushed more at the comment.
"It's sunny," she retorted, eyes turning towards the window.
"That's the point."
"...there's a point?" How clueless she could be. Mail loved those childlike inquiries, but she could really learn to read the atmosphere at some point of their time together.
"Never mind," he let go and sat up. "What do you want for breakfast?" Arianne spared him a curious and searching stare until replying that she was in the mood for bacon.
Breakfast seemed too quick for the woman, who told Mail all about her new case. He was only given the gist of it last night, for his lover was too busy starting to research about it. Mail offered his help and wished her luck, and Arianne replied with a grateful smile. He knew she wasn't the type to express herself with words, and that didn't bother him at all.
Arianne had finished her shower when she heard Mail talking heatedly on the phone, conversing in what seemed to be quick and angry Japanese. She pressed her ear to the closed wooden door that separated the bathroom and the bedroom, knowing it was wrong. Nervously, she bit down on her lower lip as she listened in on the conversation.
"I'm not buying it, Matsumoto, and you know it."
"But if you just think about this,"
"Are you even thinking of her?"
There was no reply.
"Matsumoto, just call me later."
Jun Matsumoto was Mail's close friend, in charge of a large business that actively took part in Tokyo's expanding economy. They had met officially in one of his parties, and the Japanese man took an interest in her almost immediately. Arianne wasn't bothered, but the attention was almost alien-like to her. It felt strange, like trying something new for the very first time.
She was still on the gray side on whether to embrace it or not.
Moving away as quietly as she could, she carefully dried herself with the towel and looked at herself in the mirror. Long black hair was in a neat wet bun, some strands falling over her heart-shaped face. Her green eyes still looked sleepy, but a hot mug of coffee could fix that. Arianne chewed the inside of her cheek before taking off the towel and starting to dress, making sure to take her precious time.
What was Mail talking about? The thought couldn't seem to go away. Stop it, she scolded herself as she picked up her green toothbrush and toothpaste, that is completely none of your business, and you know it very well. She rinsed her mouth and started brushing slowly, sighing and just staring at her own reflection in the mirror for a few moments.
That topic aside, she had a single regret.
She had not told Mail that this case would cause her to lose sleep. Surely that was evident enough from last night, but this one seemed much more intense, much more complicated than expected. Her lips curved down, signifying that she was not pleased at all.
The pieces could be connected, but there was a missing part to put it all together.
Arianne had not investigated the crime scene just yet, but she had a feeling in her gut that there would be much more than a murder involved.
Her mind went back to the question she had asked Touta. She repeated it in her head slowly, mulling over each of the words before the choices she had.
Which of the Deadly Sins is the root cause of evil?
Originally, her answer had been Pride - Superbia, in Latin. Now, she was thinking of his answer. He had told her that he thought it was Wrath - Ira, in Latin as well.
Now, which of the two influenced more?
Looking back at herself, she shivered. Her eyes reflected different emotions.
Perhaps, the question started to take its toll on her as well.
Arianne spit the toothpaste into the sink, rinsed, and washed it away.
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