Here There Be Asses

[Uchitoru Enzui]

Enzui kicked at the sidewalk, muttering curses under her breath. After about a month, she'd gotten used to the slightly more polluted air than she'd gotten through her gas mask. Now she was as dirty and disgusting as the next person.

She swerved to avoid a group of girls nearby that looked a bit too interested; even without the mask, Enzui still looked...well, difficult to tell her gender. Not boyish--fine, kind of--but still feminine. Right...? Well damn. The girls didn't think so.

Maybe that was why Jung had...

Enzui shrugged away the rising mortification that came with remembering, as well as the reflexive anger. Bending her head down, she walked without glancing at the buildings she passed up in the street she was on.

And she needed to tune her ATs, too...

[Chu Jung]

Jung's exasperated breath went unnoticed by the bleach-blond, buxom ditz of a girl, who, as a matter of fact, hadn't stopped opening and closing her mouth since he suggested they take a walk. If he didn't know better, he'd say she was enthralled with the sound of her own voice.

His eyes wandered up to the sky, even as his arms slipped around her petite waist. She didn't seem to notice his obvious inattention, but minded to walk closer to him. He had forgotten why he had even bothered to pick her up, but even as he wondered to his reasoning, it surfaced. It being the unmentionable, taboo thought of what had happened a month prior, it being the thought of what coulda, shoulda, woulda happened. It being forcefully pushed down.

During the course of the month between it and now, Jung found his playboy aptitude increasing ten-fold, a new date every couple of days. Another girl to keep his mind off of her, any efforts of self-control failing miserably.

With an almost renewed vigor, Jung smiled softly at the girl, motioning with his head. Without any heed to what the hell she had been talking about he cut in, eyes momentarily focused on nothing but her face. "Was that my place or yo-"

Bump.

Or something a bit more than a bump, as the impact felt as if whoever hit him hadn't even minded to slow down. Jung's arm, tangled with the girl's waist, halted any possible falling that could've occurred- not to mention any dirtying of his shirt - his foot instead finding support as it stepped backward. Jung recovered quickly, shaking off the impact and turning on whoever had decided to ruin any possible good mood he was having. "Hey, wat-"

....F-

He stared, bewilderment clearly written on his face.

[Uchitoru Enzui]

Enzui refused to look at passerby, even when she nearly bumped into several other people. They shot her dirty looks and continued on their way, though, and she continued slouching down the sidewalk without a care i--

Someone slammed into her. Enzui quickly pushed away, reflexes already have her regaining her balance less than a second from impact. She looked up, glaring into whoever's face that she'd--

...Shit.

It was Jung.

She immediately looked down again, brushed past and started to walk as fast away as she could without outright running. Just seeing him had a familiar burn gathering in her eyes and a blocking up of her throat. It was best to get away as soon as was possible.

[Chu Jung]

She immediately glanced down as soon as their eyes met, something that caused Jung's hand to reflexively reach up, only to stop hardly even half-way. Even as she brushed past him Jung's attention was fixed on where she had stood, 'deja vu' repeating in his head.

He blinked once, eyes cast downward as he thought on what had just happened. Despite however brief it was, the feeling of awkward tension still lingered. But he didn't want any awkwardness between them; she could be awkward all she wanted, but like hell he wasn't going to be the cool-headed one.

"Who-" Jung brushed off his date's hand as he turned around, his wits finally gathered.

Her pace forced Jung to half-jog to catch up to her, a hand reaching out to grab her shoulder as soon as she was within reach. "Enzui," He kept his tone indifferent, still depicting his confidence that he had a handle on the situation. "Isn't there something we should talk about?"

[Uchitoru Enzui]

Enzui almost considered jerking away when she felt the hand on her shoulder, but instead stood still, head remaining bowed. She stared at her feet, sneakers showing stark against the pale sidewalk.

"Enzui," in such an indifferent, collected tone that Enzui wanted to simultaneously turn around and break his nose as much as to just touch him. "Isn't there something we should talk about?"

Jung was right there. If Enzui wanted, she could in fact punch him. If she so wished, she was able to hold him. But she didn't--Enzui wasn't sure of what she wanted anymore. So, refusing to turn around (And anyway, she didn't want him to see the wetness of her eyes or how her throat worked furiously to keep herself from shedding tears of mortification.

"Talk about? Haven't talked about anything for a mo-onth. Don't know what you'd have to say now that's different." Damn it all, her voice cracked on 'month.' Enzui sniffled pathetically and hated herself for it.

[Chu Jung]

"Talk about? Haven't talked about anything for a mo-onth." Jung's eyes widened slightly at the crack in her voice. Had her voice ever cracked in her entire life? "Don't know what you'd have to say now that's different."

In the split second before he opened his wise-ass mouth and ruined his chances of happiness evermore, Jung found himself re-thinking his battle plan. As much as he hated drama and ball-and-chains of relationships, he knew he wanted....No. Actually...He had no idea what he wanted. If he knew what he wanted...He would've gotten it by now.

He cleared his throat, simultaneously clearing his mind of all doubts while he was at it, and finally let his hand drop. He knew she couldn't see, but the smug smile that appeared was more for him than her. He cut the pause short, knowing full-well she would dart off at any moment. His tone took a more serious edge. "Oh, something's different now, alright." He let his words sink in, hoping she wouldn't bolt.

....

The smug smile never disappeared, even with his humorless tone continueing. "Your ATs must be in horrible condition after a month. Don't you know better?"

[Uchitoru Enzui]

His hand dropped.

Enzui tensed, fully prepared to jet off if he so much as made another single wise ass, inappropriate comment.

"Oh, something's different now, alright."

Her head snapped up, red eyes be damned.

"Your ATs must be in horrible condition after a month. Don't you know better?"

...

Oh you asshole.

Enzui thought this without really knowing why. She was being irrational; his was a perfectly reasonable point. If moot. She could always hire another tuner...even if she somehow couldn't bring herself to.

"I do know better," she said dully. Her eyes flickered to glance behind Jung. "Your date is charging," she said snidely, before flushing and glancing away.

[Chu Jung]

He really should've expected the huge, anvil-in-his-stomach feeling of guilt that followed his words.

The smug smile that refused to lessen finally twitched into a frown, the sting of his words rebounding onto him. Especially when...He pointedly averted her gaze, the redness hurting something awful, a feeling new and unwanted.

"I do know better," she said dully. His eyes flickered back in time to see her eyes look beyond him, and he visibly winced as he recalled what he had been doing before he added yet another awkward rift between them.

"Your date is charging," He heard, though his head had already turned to his Barbie of a date. She forcefully took hold of his arm, to which he merely sighed as she took the reigns for a second.

The clearly audible sniff told Jung what his date thought of Enzui, and if he was looking, the clearly jealous - of what, he had no idea - expression plastered onto her face. "So," She eyed Enzui up and down, plastic smile included. "Who's this, your little brother?" She laughed gleefully at her genius. "Honestly, you shouldn't have to talk to someone as horrendous as her." She pulled on his arm, though he was readily rooted at the spot.

The insult he should've seen coming, but even his wise forethought was abandoned as he turned on her coolly, however much his anger was ignited and his eyes ablaze. "What the hell are you talking about?" He shoved her off of his arm, enough to send her sprawling to the ground. "She is beautiful, more than you'll ever appear to be." He turned back, hoping she had gotten the message 'Fuck Off' without it spelled out for her. And now, with that down, time to return to talking with his f-...

.....

Fuck.

Fuck.

He had actually fucking forgotten what started this whole thing. Frozen, in mid-turn, all he could do was blink, not really waiting for her reply, seeing as his mind was continuously repeating fuckfuckfuck.

[Uchitoru Enzui]

Big breasted bimbo latched onto Jung, clinging and being a general eyesore. From the look she gave Enzui, she returned her sentiments. The skater calmly flipped her off.

"So," She eyed Enzui up and down, plastic smile included. She didn't give her one back. "Who's this, your little brother?"

Like Enzui hadn't heard *that* before. Genius the girl was *not.*

"Honestly, you shouldn't have to talk to someone as horrendous as her." She pulled on his arm; Enzui turned her face away, not quite ready to admit defeat to a bitch like her but not willing to put up with shit.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Enzui's head whipped around, staring incredulously as Jung shoved her off of his arm. The girl fell. "She is beautiful, more than you'll ever appear to be."

...

He couldn't have said that. Enzui scratched behind her head, knitting her brow and glancing anywhere, everywhere but him. She bit her lip and shook her head violently. He was just being his usual confusing self, that was all. She tried not to think about the fact he was the first person who had ever called Enzui beautiful.

"You know, she was actually pretty," she muttered. "Sure you don't want her?"

[Chu Jung]

Okay, no. He was still in control. The situation was easily handled. Easily rebounded from.

Enzui was obviously...confused...at least, if the wild shaking of her head was any hint. 'Course, always the hope, by some miracle, she hadn't heard the whole 'beautiful' thing.... Well, that couldn't be, or she would've shot off earlier, wouldn't she?

"You know, she was actually pretty," she muttered. Jung composed himself, raising a confused eyebrow at her statement. "Sure you don't want her?"

Despite his attempt at 'composing' himself, Jung still felt...caught-up, and as such, a little mind-boggled. He glanced back at where his date had been, not even to check she was there, but out of some weird reflex. A hand went behind his neck, rubbing it as he tried to figure his speech out in his head.

"Uh...." Great start, jerkoff. He raised his head, a mental light bulb dinging in his thoughts. A half-assed smirk appeared, thought he continued to stammer. "I just said that to...uh- to get her off my back, y'know?" God, was that desperation in his voice? "I don't really think you're beautiful...not even pretty, no." What the hell. "So don't think too much on it, I mean. You can..." Words. Weren't. Coming out. Correctly. "If you want. But I don't think you're pretty," Yes. Reinforcement was always a good tactic. "Must less beautiful, at least, on the outside, y'know, appearancewomanlyfeatures n' all-...."

...Fuck this.

His eyes snapped back to Enzui's, having been lost in dumbass-thought for the last minute. "Enzui," He covered the gap between them, his hands taking a hold of her arms, partially afraid she'd dart off any moment...and partially to get better field advantage. He had a whole speech ready before he did this...but being this close to her again.....

He kissed her.

[Uchitoru Enzui]

"Uh...."

Oh, that was real intelligent. Enzui scuffed her shoe on the sidewalk, listening with half an ear. Her head was still spinning.

"I just said that to...uh- to get her off my back, y'know?"

Was that...desperation? She was hearing things again. Enzui wondered if she had a fever.

"I don't really think you're beautiful...not even pretty, no."

Her head snapped up. She stared at him, disbelieving. I mean, I know it's true, but what the fuck? Asshole!

"So don't think too much on it, I mean. You can...If you want. But I don't think you're pretty." Enzui was becoming less and less interested in this conversation. "Must less beautiful, at least, on the outside, y'know, appearancewomanlyfeatures n' all-...."

She glared.

"Enzui."

Jung covered the small distance between them, grabbing her arms. Enzui stiffened and curled up her lip in the beginnings of a sneer, fingers flexing and unflexing in agitation. If he wanted to start so--

He kissed her.

--thing...

...Enzui stood very very still. His lips moving againsts hers was like a bucket of ice-cold water being splashed over her--ice-cold water laced with sedatives, that is, because no sooner had her senses been given that particular eye-opener than she wanted to be closer. Despite everything he'd done to her and she'd done to him, despite the fact that she'd spent the last month or so in depression. And then...Enzui did something shameful.

She started to cry.

It started out with the burning behind her eyes, as always. Then she could feel something hot and wet trickle down--and that opened the floodgates. Enzui was bawling...minus the noise. The only sound she made was an audible hiccup.

[Chu Jung]

This was good.

No.

This was fantastic.

The whole fact she was responding, that is, was good...but the fact this was actually happening was better. How many years had he waited for this? And she...was she actually returning it? He forced himself to calm down, else scare the girl away-

Or.

Maybe he already did.

Even as he felt something hot and watery touch upon his face, his brain didn't quite link the two together. After all...if it was what he think it might be...it'd definitely be a first. And...tears could only mean he did something horribly wrong. But......

He pulled back - however regrettably - and stared at her tear-stained face. "Enzui, I'm sorry," He began, trying to sound in control but failing miserably. His hands moved from her arms to her neck, tilting her head up gently before laying his lips on hers again, pulling back as swiftly as he had come, a dead-serious gleam in his eyes. A momentary shock of what he was about to admit him caused him to stop and swallow before continuing. "Enzui....I love you. Please stop...stop crying."