Puddle (Phae)

[Onira]

One young man vibrated slowly. His head moved up and down only slightly against the dim lights. His shadow was deep, breaking the reflection of insecurity he held. It resonated. Seeped from the skin the red ooze. The mix of lust, love, and a hell of a lot of embaressment. The feet continued to osillate, adding further to the broken compusure and red cheeks one possessed from a complete and total melt down. The mess continued, switching foot after foot. Yes, Onira was a liiiiiiiittle nervous.

"C'mon man, pull yourself together."

Onira breathed deeply, discontinuing the melted kangaroo jump. He now stood completely still, teeth clenched together and cheeks as red as a complete super nova. In reality, he more felt like a cold glass of water. Once a cool, calm, and collected mass, he slowly melted into a puddle that only wished to regain it's former glory. No, now he was stepped in. Vulnerable to all of mankind. Demoted from his previous status of indestructability and tough demeanor. A little wet spot.

"You can do this. You can do this."

The puddle shivered from complete and total nervousness. You see, in Onira's "vision" he had seen a very revealing Phae. This wouldn't be such a problem, had he not been in his own mind. He was starting to suspect he carried some desire, and possibly love for Phae. He felt somewhat bad for it, because Phae was younger than him, and was trying to help. But he couldn't deny his own mind.

"Okay. Here goes."

Onira inched closer, raising his hand only slightly. He pressed his second knuckles against the door and let a breath escape him. Although he tried to cool it down, he couldn't help but show the absolutely beet-red cheeks that one instantly recognized as embaressment. But still, he had to try.

Knock, knock, knock!

Onira waited.

[Phae]

Phae sat on hers and Junpei's bed reading a book for leisure. Jun was in class or somewhere on campus and so Phae actually had the room to herself. She had spent the day in silence as this was her off day a bit of training in the cool air of the morning but since then she had been reading and hadn't even broken for lunch. Jun would be angry if he found out she had skipped a meal but she wasn't planning to tell him.

She looked up at three knocks on the door and glanced at the clock. She didn't know anyone that would be coming by but obviously she had to answer. Jun had classes til after dark and so she knew it wasn't him besides he had a key. She closed her book after placing her bookmark in it and stood up smoothing down her skirt and went to the door. Her sword was not on her waist as she was at home so it hung cerimoniously on the rack.

She opened the door to see a very red Onira standing in the doorway.

"Onira!" she said with a bright smile and hugged him. "Are you allright? Here come in and have a seat."

She put an arm around him and led him into the dorm room and stayed behind for a moment to shut the door. She moved to sit on the bed and motioned for Onira to sit anywhere he liked.

[Onira]

The puddle was motionless as the sound resonated through the hallways. The door. The barrier between Onira and the object of his desire. Phae. The door opened inward to reveal her. She seemed glorious. She was in the regular attire, but something in Onira's embaressed mind made her seem... radient. Even more beautiful than usual.

"Uhh... um..."

Phae hugged Onira and his body stiffened. He was so dense he felt like he was about to fall down if even the slightest breeze hit him. Luckily though, somehow, a breeze kept itself back. Thank god.

"Oh... uhh..."

Onira was pulled steadily into the room, still stiff as a tree. It was all he could do to walk into the area. Phae locked the door and then sat down on the bed, leaving Onira to his mind. Bad move. He was starting to doubt himself now. Telling himself to just run. Leave. But he couldn't. He needed to confess himself. Atleast try. All he needed to do was move. And he did. Steadily walking to the bed and sitting down next to Phae. And I mean right next to her. Like, any closer and they'd probably turn into one mass.

"Oh... umm... uhh..."

Onira couldn't find the words.

[Phae]

He sat RIGHT next to her. His leg touching hers. She had never sat this close to anyone besides Jun and it was a bit..uncomfortable. She didn't move though but turned her body so she could see him better and that put them about two inches apart but thier knees still touching. She took Onira's hand in hers and placed it in her lap not understanding what could possibly be wrong.

"Onira, what is wrong tell me." she said and held his hand gently for comfort and support. Something was wrong with her friend. The necklace he had made her hung around her neck as it always did she never took it off..ever just like the ring still on her left hand. "Something has happened, I am here for you as always."

[Onira]

Onira swallowed deeply. He was slowly getting more comfortable in the situation. Not at home, but atleast a little more comfortable in what he had placed himself in. He had stopped shaking, he was slowly regaining his breathing and talking patterns, and even the red from his cheeks was dissipating. However, with that progress, came one thing that instantly broke through the shield he had. Phae's words. They cared for Onira's well-being, and this made the blush instantly return ten-fold. He started shivering uncontrollably, fully losing any ability to let sound escape his throat.

"..."

He was completely silent, but had his lips open to speak. Nothing was coming out. No matter how hard he tried, he was stuck. Nothing to do. Nothing to say. Nothing, but what he felt. His mind. It couldn't reveal itself without the body. Without the ability of communication at it's disposal, it was worthless. But, it tried. Harder and harder to get to the body. To get past the wall. And like Phae's words, it made it. It got through.

"I'm sorry."

Onira's body twisted slightly and his arms moved to wrap around Phae and hold her tightly. To let her warmth flow through him. But only for a moment. After maybe a second he regained himself, almost throwing his body to the floor and facing Phae, on his knees and head against the floor, as if begging for forgiveness.

"I'm very sorry miss Phae. It's just..."

His words were lost again in embaressment.

[Phae]

She watched worried for the friend that sat beside her. He seemed to need to tell her something but was having a lot of problems doing so. She watched in horror as the poor man next to her could not get out whatever it was that was so important to come to her.

Then he hugged her and her eyes widened her arms came up to return the embrace but then he suddenly shot out of her arms and was kneeling down infront of her begging for forgiveness resorting to calling her 'miss Phae' again.

"Onira." she said in a pleading voice and took his hands in hers pulling up so he would sit next to her again. "Please now, calm down take a deep breath."

If he did move back to the bed one hand held one of his again and the other rubbing his back slightly trying to keep him calm and comforted.

"Now, tell me take your time. What is wrong? You know I am here for you no matter what." She kept rubbing his back as she leaned in a little to reach it. She wondered what could be bugging her friend so much.

[Onira]

Onira was sat slowly up to the bed. Part of him was surprised that Phae didn't like cry or run away or something. But, the other parts of him remembered that Phae was tough, both emotionally and physically. Not to mention her wisdom. She was truly astounding. Then again, that was the problem. She was astounding. Possibly too much so for Onira. Oh, the poor Onira.

The red-cheeked Onira was no longer so. No, now his entire face was completely red. It was quite humerous actually. He was shivering, beet-red, sweating, and unable to let even a word out. He was nervous and embaressed to the max.

"I-I"

Onira couldn't get the words out. He was struck. Not by a hand or a foot, but by his emotions. Those were truly powerful tools to strike. Hit harder than any club, and pierced further than any rifle. They were strong both for one's self and against one's self.

C'mon, I'm stronger than this. Remember. You're no puddle. You're a cool, calm, and collected block of ice. No, you're an iceberg. C'mon man. Just say it. Just let them out. Regain yourself and let your emotions fly.

"I-I..."

Onira took a deep, steady breath.

"Phae, this is childish I know, but in my dream. In my mind. I was searching my mind when I was on that cement pillar, and, while I was there, I saw something. Two things actually. One was a umm... *cough* revealing form of yourself. However, the other was you just lying there, dead. It hurt me. I knew it wasn't real, but the image of it injured me. And, I don;t know how to describe it. It felt deeper than friendship and..."

Onira stopped his story short and stood up, walking to the door. He kept his back towards Phae

"Sorry to bother you Phae."

[Phae]

Phae watched as the man tried twice more to get out what he wanted to say before he finally began saying something. She listened it was about that night out on the roof. The night she had sat with him as he went from the cold to the warmth. When she and Onira had become friends. He said something about her and being a bit..naked and that he felt something..more than friendship?

Then suddenly he got up and began to leave appologizing. She shot off the bed quickly and grabbed his wrist.

"Stop it! Just say what it is you want to say. Onira please you know you don't have to be nervous. So you imagined me naked well it is a bit strange but really it's not like you walked in on me changing. I was hurt...allright. But there is more I can tell." She stopped and stood in front of him taking his hand softly. Her eyes softened as she looked up into his eyes her sapphire eyes looked up into him. "Tell me Onira."

[Onira]

Onira stood. Phae was definitely persistant. That much was obvious. However, what she was pushing to know, what she was trying to squeeze out of Onira, was information that would hurt Junpei. Onira didn't want that. He didn't want others to feel regret, and possibly even pain for his childish thoughts. He wanted to let the information be known to Phae, but a battle inside of him was raging. One trying to supress and the other to escape.

"B-but..."

Onira listened intently to Phae's words. They were hard, but as she looked up at him, they seemed to carry a soft undertone. Kind and peaceful. He was starting to feel like he'd die if he didn't tell her. Like fate would catch up to him and he'd just fade away. Like emptiness would take him. Make him nothing. The warmth would dissapear.

"Damn it!"

Onira placed his hand against Phae's waist and locked her lips with his. It was the only way he knew to express himself in the situation. The only way to really get his point across. A kiss.

[Phae]

Phae flinched when he cursed and then everything happened way too fast. She felt the pressure of his hand on her waist and suddenly his lips touching hers in a kiss. KISS! At first she was shocked but then she pulled away quickly and looked up at him hurt.

"Why? How..how could you? You know that Junpei and I are together and engaged." she said she wasn't made she was hurt. Hurt that he knew she loved Jun more than anything he had even made her a necklace that said Love is Eternal on it. And now here he was screwing everything hurting Phae and kissing her.

She stepped back.

"I don't understand. Why... " she asked she was blocking his way out she wanted an explanation and damnit she deserved one.

[Junpei]

((ooc: I was invited here by Phae))

IC: Junpei idly walked down the corridor to his bedroom, no their bedroom, yes him and Phae had moved in together and at the end of this week Junpei would have a fresh lease on life. Yes he would use that merging spell and Harlow would be history, and Junpei would live, yes live out his full life with Phaedra.

Gods how he loved that woman, ever loyal, ever understanding, and above all else she had said yes. Yes to an eternity with him, probably moving back to Germany to start their own family one day. He sighed, happily, he had found someone so young in life and damnit, he was happy for once in his life.

He reached their door and put the key into the lock, a turn and a push later the door came open, and just as Junpei was about to say I'm home, he saw Onira kiss his wife to be. Onira his first friend at Arcane Academy, Onira who had been with him when he did this room, Onira who had actually given a damn about poor old Junpei Taltos. He flipped, no he more than flipped, his hands were already engulfed in black fire when Phae stepped back, she was obviously not the one who kissed Onira, she was the one who had been kissed. Who knew what Onira might have had he not... dear god no.

"Onira... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

His voice boomed over the room and Loish, sitting on his shoulder, jumped a full three feet in the air where he slammed into the ceiling and fell back to the ground, landing by Phaedra. Junpei raised his right hand, over Phaedra's head and pointed it at Onira, Nether Fire engulfing his entire arm now, it was spreading all over his body and soon he would be encased in it.

"Out, just get out, before i do something I regret...."

His words were obviously directed at Onira, who was by now the center of enough rage to level a city block with the spell he was charging up. If Onira wasn't out in the next thirty seconds, he would be a crispy puddle on the floor.

[Onira]

Onira stood up straight as Phae pulled away and Junpei walked in. He didn't seem embaressed anymore. He wasn't shivering, and his cheeks had completely returned to their regular color. He hadn't expected Junpei to walk in, but he knew the options. It was part of his science. To weigh the options. And of course, he had an exit strategy. Simple, yet effective. Sure it probably made him seem like a total pig, but he figured it for the better. No problems between Phae and Junpei, in exchange for Onira's banishment from them. Sounded fine.

Onira placed his hand behind his head and put on a childish grin, walking slightly closer to the door. The grin fell to a smile and Onira spoke.

"Guess I've been caught. Well, all the same, I should be happy for you. I mean, you found someone to love who loves you. Someone to hold. Someone to hug on those cold winter nights. But remember..."

Onira inched closer to Junpei, giving him a very amused smile. He licked his lips playfully as his eyes moved to Phae, giving her a cold yet somewhat apologetic stare.

"Sweet lips only stay for so long."

Onira walked out.

[Phae]

She wasn't expecting Junpei truthfully he must have been coming home to surprise her. What a surprise her heart beat heavily in her chest banging against the walls of her ribcage. The murderous rage she could see in Jun's eyes she had never seen in her life before. He arms covered in the dark black flames she had only seen in happiness and love when he had shown her something.

But then....THEN! He ... ONIRA had the nerve the NERVE to say what he did. That sent Phae over the edge. She dropped into a trance her body crumpling to the floor as her astral self appeared in the door way not allowing him to leave. Fire behind the eyes of the astral showed exactly how pissed Phae was that he would even try even mention something like that.

"How DARE you!" her usually sweet and happy voice boomed across the space it was unclear as to if it came from Phae's body or the astral but it was heard none the less. "I thought you were my friend..how could you say something like that."

Tears fell from both thier eyes leaking down their cheeks in pain, betrayal, and anger.

"You insult my honor. You show me no respect. After everything..." she broke off. Phae did not uncast her astral but she stood waiting for his explanation.

[Junpei]

Junpei's arms died in flames as Phae crumpled in front of him, right after Onira's little comment that is. Which had almost made his loose that fireball he had charging right there with all of them there. As she crumpled he caught her, the flames having died a split seconds before he touched her. He held her, with Onira behind him, and heard her voice boom over the room like his had, only MUCH louder. To be honest even he was afraid, and as he lay his love down so she could come away unharmed he was smirking. He wouldn't need to kill Onira, Phaedra might do it right here.

Standing and turning Junpei faced Onria's back and the front of Phae, her astral self stood in the doorway and blocked any chance Onira had of leaving, any. If he were to lay a hand on her he would die as well, Nether Fire already grew in the palm of Junpei's hand, glowing a radical blue and black, purple and violet.

"Best answer up bud, she can't hold me back for long."

Junpei said, rage and anger thick in his voice, Onira would be lucky to leave here without a scratch, if not his life. Junpei's rage was seeping now, the marks on hi shoulders visibly glowing threw his black shirt to cascade the room behind him in white and black lights. The seal was breaking, Harlow would be set free soon, and when that happened Junpei would summon him up and let Harlow play with Onira all he wanted.

[Onira]

Onira completely forgot about Junpei. Closed him out so to speak. He didn't really care about his empty threats. They were wasted to Onira's ears. However, he did hear Phae. He had dissapointed her with his act. Dissapointed her with his feelings. With his desires. He had thought that it was better to act on his feelings. Let them be known. But at the time, Onira was starting to think maybe he should have kept his emotions under wraps. They seemed to only bring pain.

"I..."

Onira's icy exterior broke for a second. Only enough for Phae's projection to see. For a second his violet orbs were soft. They reflected a powerful pain. The hurt Onira felt from Phae's words. he had harmed her and Junpei, and knew what he felt was not even half the pain he deserved.

Onira whispered to Phae's projection, so that only she would hear. His words were gentle and his voice low, showing slight signs of sadness.

"I've told you before. The cold is my home."

Onira would stand still until Phae either moved the projection or completely dissipated it. As soon as she did either, Onira would walk out. Alone.