Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL 1. Bandages

_A/N: I've started a collection of AccidentShipping one-shots/drabbles. There will be a total of 31 when I'm done^^_

_But in order to finish, I'll need prompts from the readers! In your reviews (if you're kind enough) please leave a one word prompt (well, could be more than one word, but try to keep it simple^^). Could be anything, though I'd like to keep it rated T and lower. So please read, review, and drop a quick prompt that I will try to give you in future chapters! Only one word a review so I don't get swamped, if that's ok? I've started this out with the one below~_

* * *

**1**

**Bandages**

* * *

Rio is used to bandages.

There was a time when her entire body had been wrapped in them, strangled in their hold; she couldn't _escape_. A time when her form was stiff and _burning_ from the rough clothe pressing against her singed skin, increasing that oh so familiar pain. It was a time when she couldn't even cry without it hurting, without the salty tears stinging as they ran down her cheeks and the heaves of her sobbing chest aching.

Therefore, Rio has taught herself to be strong.

It's little things now. The bandages no longer shield her gaze from the world or tie around her hips, her arms, down to her ankles and up to her neck. Sure, she'll nick her finger on the edge of a paper at times or trip and scrape her knees (but no one needs to know about that). However, the dressing it takes to heal those insignificant little cuts are minimum.

It's when she accidentally breaks her wrist that the memories flood back in an overwhelming wave of discomfort.

Ryouga has already been notified, and he'd practically screamed on the phone that he was on his way. His sister merely rolls her eyes at his worry.

"Such a moron," she chuckles, lowering the cell with her good hand and flicking it off. She looks up at the boy who had brought her to the hospital, smiling. "Don't you think?"

His arms are folded over his chest while he sits in a nearby chair, legs crossed in a no-nonsense fashion. His maroon stare is cast toward the ground absentmindedly. When he hears her speak, the boy snaps his head up in attention. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Thomas," Rio sighs heavily, "I asked if you agree that Ryouga's an idiot. Are you alright?"

Actually, he appears to be the exact opposite. The way his eyebrows are knitted and his fingers are clenched against his cream and gold sleeves are unsettling indications. Thomas had been there when she'd so stupidly gotten herself injured. His lips are angled in a scowl, jaw noticeably clenched, shoulders hunched slightly.

And then she gets it.

Yes, it sucks to be back in this gauze that's pushed even closer to her flesh by the itchy cast. But Rio can live with it, knows she has to be tough to meet her reputation - she cannot afford to break down over this, she's been through much worse. Yet it's then when she recalls that it was the Arclight family who had landed her in that "worse" state of health.

Rio has _never_ blamed Thomas.

Despite that fact that _he _blames _himself_.

"Oh, Thomas...," she whispers, letting the name linger on her tongue. The painkillers have left her head a little foggy, but it's clear enough to make the connection.

With shaky steps that she steadies, Rio stands and moves to be next to him, placing her adept palm on his shoulder and squeezing her fingers against it. She leans forward a little and holds her broken wrist out in front of him. Thomas winces.

"See this?" Rio murmurs. "This is going to heal. Like everything else."

He looks like he's trying to smile, but he's failing miserably, and gently, carefully, she snakes her arms around him, pulling his head into the crook of her neck. It isn't much. She knows with all of her being that this shattered young man will never be able to forgive himself, _trust_ himself. No matter how much she wishes he would, it's an unspoken knowledge that he simply _can't_.

All Rio wants to do is embrace his splintering heart with the bandages that had once saved her.

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_~Finish~_


	2. Regret

_A/N: Prompt from a _Guest_ reviewer. Thank you! Please drop a few more, guys, I need some fluffier words, too~ This contains some spoilers._

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**2**

**Regret**

* * *

.

.

He should have told her those three things.

He should have told her.

He should have.

.

.

**1.**

She's in for a check-up, something she has scheduled three times a month and every other week; it's like a therapy session to make sure her burns are healed and her body is functioning correctly. Ryouga usually takes her, but today - according to her brother - she had wanted to go alone to prove she could be independent.

But despite her wish, someone joined Rio in her assigned room at the Rehabilitation Center this Saturday morning. She is on the second floor in room 205, two rooms over from the elevator entrance. The Burn Unit is semi-connected to the hospital where she had once been residing after the fire. Rio still has to come by so the doctors can be absolutely positive that she's recovered.

For the certain someone visiting her, the place makes him shudder and laugh nervously to himself.

His dark eyes trail the numbers on the doors, one by one, picking out the three-digits he wants. With a quivering hand that he clenches to stiffen, he knocks his knuckles against the flat entryway roughly.

"Yes?"

He pushes it open slowly, muscles aching after the hours he'd spent back home, slamming his fist against the walls and pacing as he tried to make a damn decision. But he was here now; may as well follow through with it.

IV stands before the girl he'd nearly killed that night in the alleyway and gazes at her with a sad, guilty stare - one that's left damaged after his attempt to rescue her. He clasps his hands behind his back politely and takes in the details of her surprised face. She has soft skin and a nice complexion. Her eyes are maroon, much like his own, only a shade lighter. Her hair has grown back nicely, thick and lush.

IV opens his mouth, ready to say it - it's been built up inside of him for so damn long and he can't wait anymore - and is cut off.

"It's alright," Rio whispers, a genuine smile gracing her pink lips. "You don't have to say anything. It's alright."

And he doesn't. The_ 'I'm so, so sorry...' _dies in his throat the moment she tells him he's been forgiven. It's obvious anyway. She understands his regret as the tear escapes his shut lids, sliding down along the scar that dirties his cheek - the one she'd given him while clawing desperately for something to save her.

.

.

**2.**

They were holding a dinner party for the winners of the World Duel Carnival, and everyone who had participated were invited. About a month late, but hey, Heartland was suffering from the loss of their favorite psychopathic, green-haired announcer.

At first, IV hadn't even wanted to go. Actually, he was _still_ against the whole idea of it, but his brothers dragged him along anyway. Fancy social gatherings were not something IV particularly enjoyed, and he was defiant until the very end, going as far as to anchor himself to the doorway while V pulled him outside.

Naturally, his older sibling went out of his way to look professional. His long, silver hair cascaded down his back in a fashion that IV kinda wanted to poke fun at. III, on the other hand, wasn't all that 'mature -like'. And although he wasn't 'sexy' or anything, he did look admittedly adorable.

But IV - he felt ridiculous.

All three of them wore classic black suits and ties, his own being a deep red color. All he wanted was his signature coat or a pair of jeans but _no_, he had to be _pretty_.

So here he is, standing awkwardly by the food table, sipping on some punch and ignoring a trio of fangirls off to the side and Ryouga's scowling at him, watching V interact with that guy Kaito and III make a few new friends while he does absolutely nothing productive. Oh the joy~

"You look like you're having a blast," a tone laced with sarcasm says to his right.

IV nearly leaps out of his skin.

Rio is next to him, pursing her lips and lifting a brow at him while she pores herself a glass of the flavored drink. She smirks at him, adding, "You're rather jumpy tonight."

He frowns, at a loss for words as he clumsily avoids his gaze.

"You look good," Rio says, putting her index finger to her chin thoughtfully. "You clean up well."

It takes a moment for that to register as compliment and IV fumbles over his words. He still has no clue how to act around this lady and his tongue won't form the sentences he wants it to. Rio giggles at his stumble and tries to stifle it, like she feels it's rude.

Then IV stands back to look at her - actually _look_ at her - after he finally thanks her. Rio is wearing an indigo dress that reaches her knees and stops in carefully measured ruffles. The fabric is tighter around her hips, waist, and above, ending in spaghetti straps over her shoulders. He blinks rapidly when he realizes he's being a little creepy and she snickers again.

"Oi, Rio!" The voice belongs to her brother, and Rio immediately turns to pout at IV.

"Sorry, I'll be back later!" And with that, she's off rushing to Ryouga's side, her punch left on the table, forgotten.

IV's hand is outstretched, and he quickly recoils in disgust at himself, regretting as he grinds his teeth. His soft _'You look nice, too'_ is left for the empty space where she'd once been to heed.

.

.

**3.**

His fingers couldn't grasp her in time as the portal to the other world opened wide, gaping with an ominous, dim light, and pulled her form into its deep depths of alien atmosphere. His fist had closed, holding nothing but thin air. His heart had frozen over, layered by the ice of her forced pitch and the frigid glint in her eyes.

And only moments before, he'd been embracing her.

"Last I heard, you were in urgent care again."

Rio whips around to stare at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. They're damp and unsure, and he feels the need to wipe the threatening tears away, but he stays a safe distance from her.

"What are you doing here?" IV asks, shoving his hands in his pockets like he couldn't give less of a damn about the withering planet closing in on them.

The girl bites her lower lip, glaring at him dangerously. "Get out of here, IV."

He lifts a brow and smirks, feeling that familiar pang of his scar. "I'll leave when I'm good and ready. I always say a good scene needs a little fanservice, so here I am." Normally she would have laughed at that, but Rio is in a fowl state at the moment.

But then, that's what happens when you find out that your entire life is a lie.

The buildings around them are desolate, empty, crumbling in some places, like ruins from ancient times out of III's deck. It's scary to know that everything they've known, known as a _home_, is turning into nothing more than a Satellite of decay. IV scratches the back of his head, expression becoming gentler. He knows what it's like to lose everything. So maybe - just maybe - he can relate to Rio a little.

"I'm sorry, IV," she whispers, only barely audible. "But I _have_ to."

"You don't have to say anything," he insists quietly, recalling those same words being spoken to him once. "It's alright."

Hesitantly, he moves over to her, wrapping his arms around her smaller form and pulling her close while she finally lets go of the sorrow she's been suppressing. Her body, with burn remains hiding beneath her clothes (he's seen them, she's lifted her blouse to show him), is wracked with sobs that she tries to smother. He could say a million things to her right now, but only one sticks out in his mind, and he wants to murmur it in her ear, but she's pulling away from him suddenly.

"I don't want to have to hurt you," she gasps harshly, eyes petrifying and still watering. The mask comes over her face, and her appearance alters into something alien. He isn't surprised by this, but it still rattles his core as the Barian backs away from him.

The gateway swirls into view behind her and she begins to step inside.

"Rio!" IV screams, rushing forward and trying to grip her arms. But she's gone now, on a different end of the war, a place where he can't touch her, can't hug her, can't even _see_ her. His lungs seem to contract as the air stops flowing inside him, he can't breathe, his skin is numb, everything feels so out of place, so _wrong_.

Rio - Merag - hadn't even glanced back.

"You're not a monster!" he shouts into the crackling streets of Heartland - regretful words that no one will ever hear but IV himself.

.

.

_~Finish~_


	3. Gift

_A/n: Prompt given by_ Yes_. Thank you! I appreciate reviews~_

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**3**

**Gift**

* * *

When she kicks his ass in their rematch, IV just gapes at her, astonished and at a loss for words.

Rio lowers her Duel Disk and smirks, tossing her hair from her face and straightening her posture. On steps that are nearly prancing with her victory, she joins his side, narrowing her gaze at him. Triumph is written there, and her opponent merely shakes his head, still flabbergasted.

"How did...?" IV trails off, shuffling his deck absentmindedly as he shoots her a confused glance.

Rio grins at him wider. "It's a gift."

* * *

They're playing an old Japanese game called _Shougi_. It takes severe concentration and strategy, like Dueling, so IV figures he's pretty good at it. He has beaten his brothers several times, which is quite the feat considering V and III are his siblings.

So when Rio points to the board and asks if he knows how to play, his mouth curls into a smile as he states matter-of-factly, "It'd be poor fanservice if I didn't."

The girl lifts an eyebrow at him and offers to take him on in a quick match. Naturally, being the man he is, IV accepts this challenge immediately.

When she defeats him with smoke practically rising off the pieces, she says with a sickly sweet voice, "It's a gift."

* * *

"How did you manage to heal so fast?" he dares to ask once.

She peers over at him, stretching her arm expertly, easily. The doctor just left and they're alone in the Burn Unit room, there for a quick therapy session. It's the last one she'll ever need to attend, and she had decided to bring IV along for the prideful ride.

Rio huffs and he already knows what she's going to say, so he glares out the window, crossing his arms as he waits.

"It's a gift~" she chides.

* * *

"I'll race you back," Rio blinks at him.

"The hell, I just got here and you're already trying to embarrass me?"

The Kamishiro sister just shrugs, swinging her book bag over her shoulder haphazardly and running off down the sidewalk and skidding around the corner. IV scowls after her, fully aware that he's already lost, and takes off after her halfheartedly. She touches the door to her and Ryouga's home first, and is about to say her trademark sentence when he touches her lips to silence her, breathing heavily, and mutters, "Shut up."

"It's a gift," she growls around his hand.

* * *

IV shows up on her door first thing that Saturday morning. He's memorized her schedule by now and has a good idea of when she wakes up on the weekend. So the boy stands at her entrance and taps his knuckles against the polished wood. He keeps his hands behind his back, shuffling awkwardly and chuckling when he hears a feminine tone shouting at her brother indignantly.

Rio swings it open and stares at IV suspiciously. "What's up?"

He tilts his head and pulls his hidden palm into view. Rio bats her eyelashes rapidly at the sight as he holds out the little box wrapped in purple with a pretty bow on top. The note on it reads: _To the Birthday Girl_.

IV laughs out loud as she blushes deeply and declares, "It's a gift."

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_~Finish~_


	4. Laughter

_A/n: Prompt given by_ Konig der Something-or-other _(stop changing your name~)__. Thank you:) I appreciate reviews~ Enjoy mah drabble._

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**4**

**Laughter**

* * *

He's already awkwardly shaken hands with The Barian Lord Nasch - wait, he's Ryouga again...right? - and spoken a few words with him. His old friend tries to express his regret but he's immediately cut off by the Arclight boy's raised hand. IV holds no grudge against this alien human who had obviously suffered so much.

It's when he is with Ryouga's sister that things get somewhat more complicated.

All IV can think about when they're cut off from everyone else and away from the crowd is how refreshing it is to see her old face. She isn't masked by her otherworldly body anymore - there's her mouth, her cute nose, and the humane glow to her eyes.

They're sitting on a wooden bench together in the park, just the two of them, while pedestrians enjoy the beautiful weather around them - and to think this is the aftermath of a chaotic war. IV leans back into the support, sighing heavily and allowing his lids to fall closed a moment.

"I-"

"-Don't wanna hear it," he yawns rather loudly. Shifting his weight to get a little more comfortable, IV peers over at her lazily. He's still a bit sore, muscles stiff and aching, and the back of his neck is killing him. After all, he _had_ awaken to find himself sprawled on the tar road, battered, beaten, exhausted. His brothers had had to find him and practically carry him back to their home.

Rio stammers at him, clenching her hands in her lap. "I just..."

"I already told you," IV reiterates, sitting up straight once more, smirking over at her. "We're all okay, so don't be sorry and don't feel guilty."

She knits her eyebrows uneasily, fingers quivering as she tries to control them. IV frowns, mentally slapping himself for handling the situation like this. In all honestly, he doesn't want this whole ordeal to be a big thing. He wants all of them to forget about it, pretend like nothing ever happened, pretend like their bonds were never severed. _Terrible fanservice_, he thinks coldly, pinching his thigh through his pants.

Hesitantly, the young man lifts his arm and grasps Rio's shoulder gently, and she turns to stare at him with a wide gaze brimming with questioning. IV brushes her bangs away softly, moving toward her. She gasps silently as he presses his lips against her forehead, as if kissing a bruise better. When he pulls away, he grins sheepishly, and she can't suppress the snicker. Even after her palm smothers her face, clearly embarrassed, Rio simply cannot stop laughing.

Soon enough, IV finds himself joining in, lungs hurting from the _sobs_ of amusement. He even hits his knee, attempting to calm down. Rio rests her head in the crook of his neck, curling up to ease the pains in her abdomen. She doesn't cease her laughter, though.

Because really, what else are they going to do?

* * *

_~Finish~_


	5. Mortician

_A/N: Prompt from _Blackwing Fray the Huntress_. Thank you...? (Lol, she didn't think I'd actually do it. Probably won't even read it, anyway.) Enjoy~_

_Note: Completely AU. Rated T for some light swearing and religious topics. I think I crossed some lines ehehheh...:/ Tread with caution? Probably. I don't think it's _that_ bad... I had wayyy too much fun writing this._

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**5**

**Mortician**

* * *

He is the soul who brings the dead to their final resting place, the undertaker of the lost, the servant of both the Devil and God themselves. He looks the part, too, with a long scar gashing over one of his dark maroon eyes. He has to look formal, according to the Big Guy in the Sky, so he wears a suit. He has to look threatening, according to the Bitch from the Underground, so his attire is completely black - including his undershirt and tall socks. And he's pretty good at acting upon the demon and the angle he has to be. He's polite to his tag-a-longs while holding a daunting air behind him.

His hair is the color of gold, like the halos above pure spirit's forms, and also the color of scarlet, like the blood that condemned criminals spill on asphalt floors.

He is simply the messenger of Heaven and Hell.

This is how it has been for many years - so many that the book called the Bible can't even record them - and it is how it will be for many to come - so many that not even the Aztecs could have dreamt up a number.

So when he shows up at the funeral with his hands buried in his pockets and one leg crossed over the other, leaned in one of the many chairs lined neatly in the room, black slouched, he knows it'll be an ordinary day.

But...he's been wrong before.

It's a tradition for the deceased individual to attend their own funeral. Whether they like it or not. The embalmer of sorts folds his arms across his chest as the ghost takes a seat beside him in the empty space to his right. It's a girl, like his last client, who had been a fifty-year-old. But this one, she's about sixteen, and he cringes.

The emissary hates getting young people.

He is in a million places at once, a demigod almost, a prophet; right now, he's sitting in about 40,000 plus other ceremonies, attentively focusing on each one like every inch of him is there. He's speaking with an elderly man about his granddaughter, playfully patting a child's head, patiently scowling as he listens to a former businessman yap about how his yacht was left behind. He keeps telling him that they can't haul a fricken boat to the afterlife, but he apparently isn't registering.

But _this_ girl has brought forth his consciousness just a little more.

He sees hot women all the time and they usually don't leave much of an impression. After roughly 56 million people a year, they kinda blend together into one big, insignificant blur.

He racks his memory a moment. "Kamishiro Rio, right?"

"And who are you?" she snaps, straightening her spine. "Another dead guy?"

"What, already getting some grim reapers interested in your ass?"

He's not expecting her to punch him that hard, but she certainly gets her point across and he shuts up. The female named Rio sits back against the cheap cushion, frowning deeply. "It's weird," she murmurs. "Attending your own funeral."

"If you wanna make things even stranger, go and check out your body," he suggests - half joking - and taps his dress shoe against the polished floor absentmindedly.

"You never answered my question," she sighs.

He lifts a thick brow at her. "Call me your own personal mortician."

Rio apparently isn't amused but he smirks anyway, reclining a little more. Just because his bosses say he should be professional doesn't mean he has to be every second of every day of every decade. After a moment, Rio turns away, and at first he thinks she's talking to herself. "My brother is here. I hope he'll be alright."

"I can answer that if you like."

She jerks her head to stare at him, gaze intent and admittedly intimidating. "You can really do that?"

"Why not?" he shrugs, uninterested as he stifles a yawn. "God and Satan are good buddies of mine, I can pull a few strings." At that thought, he sits forward, balancing his elbows on his knees and allowing a long, wire thread materialize in between his fingers. Rio purses her lips at him while he fiddles with the strand.

"Odd hobby."

"You tend to obtain them after a few centuries." He peers over at her and smiles. "Your brother's going to be fine, by the way. It'll take a while, but he'll figure things out."

She pauses, considering his words carefully, searching for signs of him lying. "...Thank you."

When the service comes to a close, Rio wanders around the crowd of people come to see her off. Her mortician trails along behind her, giving her enough space. The last time he'd crowded someone at an event like this, they'd strangled him. Not a process to be repeated.

Therefore, he bids her a wide berth as she listens to a conversation between her mother and best friend (so affirmed his information provided). Stays a few meters away as she grins at her father's story about the time she'd first ridden a bike. Turns his back as she cups her brother's cheek tenderly and tells him to stay safe while she's gone.

"What now?" Rio asks quietly.

They're outside of the building at this point, leaned against a rusty railing off to the side of the parking lot. He twists the string that wraps around his fingers and palms - it's a habit that he finds clears his mind when he's feeling a little overwhelmed. It happens when you're carrying on thousands of conversations all at once. He's twirling the twine around his thumb right here, in Amsterdam, in New York, over in Guinea, Ust'-Kan, Lenzburg. _Many_ places, even Pagonérion and somewhere in Quebec.

He blinks slowly. "I check up on your sin list and ship you off somewhere."

"_Che_," she shakes her head. "And how does that work?"

"Actually," he stands up in a better posture and allows the string to fade, "I just finished."

"...And?"

He peeks at her questioningly. "What are you worried about?"

"Well, wouldn't you be a little on edge if an intruder was searching through all your secrets?" Rio retorts, moving so her attention is directed away from him.

"I only look at what I have to," he promises, dipping his chin and placing his fists in his pockets again. "Nothing more, nothing less." She knits her eyebrows, concerned, and gazes at the grass. Her mortician breathes out heavily. "You're clean. Looks like He gets a new resident."

Rio muses at that. "Then you'll be taking me there?"

He frowns thoughtfully. "It's a one-way trip. You won't even remember the travel; just open your eyes and find yourself there. Hell, I don't even have the privilege of mingling up there _or_ down below, so you may not even recall meeting me for all I know."

"That's...very sad," she whispers, pity lacing her tone. Her blue hair buffets in the breeze and the stars illuminate her pink eyes in a way that makes her rather attractive. In another universe, maybe they could have been friends. But she's dead, a phantom, an essence of life without a solid anatomy. He's the creep who drags those who are no longer living to an eternity of either bliss or damnation. It doesn't work to have relationships with _anybody_.

"I've been like this for as long as I can think backwards," he laughs bitterly. "I'm used to it."

Rio appears angered by that. "It's not fair."

"Perhaps," her mortician lifts his shoulders, not wanting to argue. He's already bickering with a cranky lady with too much makeup in Moscow and having a dispute with a teenage gang member over in Phoenix. He's just _done_. "Hey," he starts. "If I can...I'll try and ask the Almighty if I can visit you once or twice. Sound good?"

At that, she beams at him through the sorrow evident in her face. "I'd like that."

It might be because - even though he's in the presence of so many humans at the moment - he's lacked so much personal contact for far too long. He may be desperate or whatever, sick of being deprived of the touch of skin, the taste of tears, the feeling of _love_. She's no different from the others, he keeps telling himself this, but contrary to his better judgement, the servant of two sides reaches and presses his fingers against her exposed collarbone.

Rio raises her eyes to stare at him, a bit surprised.

"My name's Thomas," he tells her in a soft voice, avoiding her line of vision. "Haven't told anyone that for, like, a millennium... But to you, I'll always just be your own personal mortician."

Rio can't help but giggle at that as she leans forward and pecks him on the cheek affectionately. "Thanks for everything, Thomas."

When she's gone, out of his grasp forever, he sits back, thinking about how he outta get the heck over to Austria. He replays the vow he'd made to her over and over - the one he'll never be able to fulfill. Then he groans and brushes off his tux, checking his appearance in the funeral home's window briefly, and makes his way down the tar of the street while cars pass right through him, neglecting to honk their horns at the invisible obstacle.

He'll be back tomorrow for the next scheduled commemoration.

* * *

_~Finish~_


	6. Smile

_A/N: Prompt from _Droite_. Thank you!_

_Yeah, I went there. (You'll see why when you read.)_

* * *

**6**

**Smile**

* * *

When she gets a puppy for her birthday, Rio knows she'll love it for the rest of their days together.

"What did you name the runt?" Ryouga asks when all of the guests have gone, leaning over the side of the couch where she and the tiny Beagle are cuddling. His sister keeps tickling the animal's ear, making it whine and bite playfully at her just-out-of-reach finger.

Rio glances at him and smirks sheepishly. "No clue yet."

The boy shrugs, not really caring and wandering off toward the kitchen to grab something to snack on. She turns her attention back down at the bundle of hyper on her lap. The pup seems to grin up at her, tongue lolling and eyes sparking mischievously.

.

.

"So you're telling me that you've had this thing for three days now and you haven't given it a name?" Thomas questions in an extremely flat tone as he watches the puppy sniff his boot.

Rio frowns thoughtfully. "I know...I haven't thought up the perfect name, though. Nothing seems to fit right."

The visitor scowls, considering that. "Just pick one. Maybe a standard title, like Max or Bruno. Or you could be like a celebrity and call it something completely wacko; like Purple Pineapple or Quattro."

"Who the hell names someone _Quattro_?" Rio snaps, crossing her arms to add effect. "That's stupid. I'm _not_ calling my dog that, Thomas."

He raises his shoulders in defeat, making a weird face. "I tried." It's completely sarcastic, but she decides to dismiss it.

Rio purses her lips skeptically at him, but forgets their strange little...whatever it was, when the nameless puppy jumps up, pawing at her leg. She makes a squealing noise at the sheer adorableness and Thomas blows a raspberry. Ignoring him, the Kamishiro girl kneels onto the carpeted floor and scoops the baby dog into her arms, lovingly rubbing his scruff and accepting the slobbery kisses on her cheeks. "You're so sweet~" Rio giggles as the Beagle yips.

Thomas hasn't said anything; his chin is resting on the palm of his hand while his expression appears irritated.

"What's wrong with you?" Rio chides, shuffling to her feet once more, still holding her new little companion.

Her boyfriend shrugs, arms crossed. He's glaring at the opposite wall awkwardly, one side of his mouth puffed out indignantly. There's a light flush to his face and she lifts an eyebrow confusedly. Rio considers his attitude a moment when it suddenly dawns on her.

"Don't tell me...," she begins, trying to hide the amusement in her voice, "that you're _jealous_ of the _dog_?"

Thomas hunches up and grimaces, blushing red. Rio chokes on a wave of laughter and eventually can't force it down anymore. She bursts out snickering, which quickly evolves into all out cracking up. He narrows his gaze, clearly embarrassed with himself and at the fact that she'd noticed.

"You're unbelievable," Rio comments, moving next to him and placing the puppy in his arms. Thomas tries to retort, but is soon cradling the thing in one arm, glowering down at it sourly.

He peeks up at his girlfriend and smirks. "I'm just _that_ desperate."

She playfully smacks him on the shoulder and the Beagle barks - high-pitched - and he winces dramatically. Rio spins on her heel mockingly, back facing him. She hears him standing and holds back a squeak when his arms snake around her waist and his breath pasts by her ear.

"Fine, the creature _is_ kinda cute," Thomas offers, nibbling her lobe teasingly. "But not as cute as your smile."

She slaps her forehead at the cheap comment and throws her weight backwards so they stumble onto the couch, Thomas on the bottom, the animal on top. "I'm going to name him Smile," Rio declares, patting the pup's ears. "You inspired me."

Thomas sighs loudly, shaking his head as Smile crawls over and licks his nose.

.

.

_~Finish~_


	7. Promise

_A/N: Prompt given by_ Yes_. Thank you:) I appreciate reviews if you're kind enough~_

_Don't mind me, I'm just trying to bring back this ship. This is slightly AU at the beginning, I dunno, I pulled some strings and stretched the truth for the sake of fluff. It's a good cause. As for _Miri_, I hope to have a 'proposal' chapter soon! Please be patient;^; I want to make it as creative as possible and my imagination is failing me right now._

* * *

**7**

**Promise**

* * *

The day they first met, Rio was six and Thomas was nine years old.

He was an older boy, one who was taller and practically loomed over the Kamishiro daughter. With wide, pink eyes, she kept staring innocently over at him. Ryouga, on the other hand, was much braver. He was crossing his arms over his chest and marching bravely up beside the bigger kid. He continued to sneak suspicious glances over at this Arclight child, who just frowned back.

When the grown-ups were out of the room, leaving the younger people to 'get to know each other', Ryouga finally got up the courage to actually speak. "So who are you?"

The maroon-and-blonde-haired son of the stranger in their house shrugged. "My name's Thomas. What's yours?"

Rio's brother was obviously not impressed with this intruder to their home, but accepted the fact that he was staying for dinner. Eventually, he wandered off, leaving his twin to fend for herself while their mother called him to help out in the kitchen.

Thomas peered over at her while they sat on the couch and grinned wide. "So what's _your_ name?"

She winced, caught by surprise at his addressing her, and fiddled with her dress fabric in her lap. "R-Rio. Rio."

"I heard ya the first time," he insisted, scooting closer to her. He seemed nice enough, a little crazy like all boys were, but Rio still wasn't sure about him. Yeah, she was more than happy to boss around her sibling or her friends at school, that wasn't an issue. But males who she didn't know and were older than her - that was a different story.

So when he came nearer, Rio moved away an equal distance.

Thomas pursed his lips, confused by her actions, but not pushing it. For a juvenile no more than forty-seven inches tall, he seemed to read others pretty well. Rio felt bad only seconds later for - _had_ she offended him? She didn't know, but it didn't sit right in her tummy.

"You...you won't hurt me, right?"

Thomas' eyebrows raised real high, like he was uncertain of why she'd even ask that. After a moment, though, he smiled in that way he did, with all teeth showing. He held out his hand, balling all of his fingers into a fist except his pinky. Rio hesitated, then reached out and linked her own with his.

"Promise!"

.

.

* * *

.

.

When the paramedics are whisking her away, shouting orders at each other and hurriedly fastening a gas mask over her lips, he gazes down blankly at his hand as his pinky lifts above his closing fingers and he whispers a soft apology for breaking his promise under his breath; he can feel the blood escaping the new wound on his face, staining the flesh with his sin.

.

.

_~Finish~_


	8. Proposal

_A/N: Prompt given by_ Miri_. Thank you:) PLEASE review if you like it~_

_Like I promised, here we go! I tried to be creative;^; Alternative Title for this is _Counting Stars._  
_

* * *

**8**

**Proposal**

* * *

The reflected lights blurring in her bright, magenta eyes make her even more beautiful that night - if that was even possible.

Underneath his skin, the grass is something between soft and rough as his palm rubs against the ground they rest on. There's no wind, not even the weakest of breezes, so the air is still, pleasant, quiet. Above their heads, the sky is ink black with thousands - _millions_ of stars scattered strategically among it. It's a sight one doesn't get to see back in the city, where light pollution and smog erase everything over the horizon, leaving a dark, dull grey.

It's refreshing.

Thomas frowns to himself uneasily as his girlfriend jabbers on about - damnit, he'd stopped listening. _Smile and nod!_ he thinks quickly when she glances at him for a reply. Rio appears satisfied as he agrees with whatever she'd just said and he smirks inwardly. _Nailed it._

It's not his fault that he's so distracted...okay, maybe it is. But Thomas mentally slaps himself to clear his mind and takes a deep, soundless breath to calm his nerves.

When Rio has settled down significantly, finally at a loss for conversation, her long-time boyfriend lifts his right arm toward the heavens. Sprawled on the floor comfortably, she raises a brow curiously. With his index finger, Thomas points at the North Star. "See it?"

Rio purses her lips, puzzled but interested, and nods. "Yes."

"That was the first star to show up in the whole sky the night we first made out," he insists with a low chuckle in his tone.

Rio laughs and smacks his abdomen playfully. "You're making that up."

"Am not!" he retorts, acting offended.

"Liar~"

Thomas shrugs, smirking. He motions at something else, waiting for the woman next to him to look in that particular direction. In a serene sort of voice, careful not to shatter the flawless atmosphere they invade, he murmurs, "If you use your imagination, that group over there forms the constellation Cygnus, which was a swan from Greek mythology."

"You seem to be trying to prove a point," Rio thinks aloud, grinning with anticipation.

"Of course," Thomas chirps, stretching his stiffening limbs slightly. His foot had gotten numb and he moved to get the blood flowing again. "Cygnus was at its peak the evening you and I broke the news to Ryouga that we were dating."

She bursts out in gasps of amusement, clutching her stomach at the humorous memory.

Smiling, he directs his line of vision to another stretch of the visible universe. "And over that way is Capricornus. He was watching that midnight when we stayed up to see the fireworks."

"I remember that!" Rio exclaims, suddenly excited. "We wanted to see the Explosives Show at about twelve o'clock that night and you fell asleep at _least_ three times."

Thomas blushes deeply, somewhat embarrassed now. Being discreet as his hands work to his blind side, he keeps talking. "Do you recall that early morning when we got up hours before our alarm and watched the comet?" His words are formal, in a fashion that implies he's a genius or a telemarketer or something like that. Rio hums in acknowledgement as he continues. "That time, _you_ fell asleep _five_ times before it arrived." She scowls, but the twinkle in her eye is rather noticeable.

His left hand slips into his pocket and he prays she doesn't hear or see the movement.

Using his right still, Thomas ushers for her to peer up at a particularly bright white-blue speck in the vast twilight canvas. "That star is named Vega."

"...And...?"

The man beams over at her. "I don't have a story for that one yet."

"You must," Rio tells him, as if in a state of denial. "There's _always_ a tale from you. You love astronomy."

Thomas simpers to himself. And that's because every syllable he's allowed to leave his mouth so far has been nothing but the truth. He's been locking these events in his head for years, never forgetting a second of their hours together beneath the unending stretch of unexplored outer space. Slowly, he sighs. "...Alright. I may have one."

Rio immediately shifts to another position so she can listen more intently. Her partner and the boy she loves so dearly places his right fist behind his upper neck for better support.

"I know a guy...who asked the lady he was madly and desperately in love with a very important question under the shine of Vega. He took her out to eat at her favorite restaurant and they enjoyed simply being alone as a couple for the rest of their outing."

Rio is staring at him now, eyebrows knitted.

"That night, as they lay together reminiscing, sharing anecdotes, relaxing, and just having fun, he popped that question..."

The shooting star that is streaking across the sky had caught both of their attention. There was no possible way he could have planned such a phenomena, yet Thomas leaps for it, playing off of that beautiful, lucky son of a bitch that appeared at the exact perfect millisecond.

"-When the meteorite flew by, lighting up their moment like a cheap Disney movie-" Rio stifles a nervous giggle, completely on edge currently. He gulps but keeps his throat from going hoarse. "-he leaned over,-"

Thomas rolls onto his side so he can stare her straight in her star-reflectant eyes.

"-and he asked his soul mate something that would change their lives forever."

Removing his hand from behind his back, he holds it above their bodies in between them as they lay there. Tied to his fourth finger is a thin, red string that dangles right before their faces. At the end of it is a shimmering, gold ring. It's delicate, with two diamonds decorating it. Both gems are encased by each side of an infinity sign, bonding the stones into a single, silvery setting.

Thomas whispers, "I promise to have a much more interesting story for Vega," he notes the tears welling behind her lids, "if you, Kamishiro Rio, will marry me...?"

For a terrible heartbeat, she is utterly silent, the only noise in the grassy field being the pounding in his chest that roars in his ears. For a wonderful lifetime, she smiles through the salty rain that cascades down her flushing cheeks and almost squeaks, "Yes... Yes, yes, I will marry you!"

Relief swells in Thomas's chest as he briefly wonders how his future brother-in-law will accept this announcement. He reaches out and embraces his official fiancée, who is still crying happy sobs. Rio calls him a "_sap_" before pressing her lips against his.

They kiss beneath their seal of engagement, which hangs from that red string of fate while Vega casts its light down on the finished story.

* * *

_~Finish~_


	9. Remorse

_A/N: Prompt from _Guest_._

* * *

**9**

**Remorse**

* * *

Merag has never been a particularly _condescending_ individual.

No, long ago, in another life, she fought alongside her brother and her kingdom in order to protect the people she loved and the place she once called home. It saddened her to watch the enemy die around her, made her sick - hell, she had even thrown up more than once at the sight of bloodied clothing and scarlet stained grass and glazed over eyes that would never blink again. That was just who she was.

As a Barian after her second birth as a new being, Merag still refused to think of herself as evil. In that place, she didn't hurt her comrades and there was no opposing force to fight and destroy. She was happy, with Nasch at her side, with her old fellow soldiers and kinsmen and dear friend Durbe safe with her.

And then she became human once again, with false childhood memories, with memories erased from her mind altogether. Even then, she wasn't antagonistic, just a fourteen-year-old girl who had friends and a dear sibling and - dare she call _him_ a potential lover? In any case, she had a life in Heartland City, was a teenager who hadn't lived the most normal of lives, but nonetheless had experienced the Earth version of growing up.

No, Merag wasn't a villain.

Never was, never will be.

But that is what everyone calls her as she steals their lives and plagues their _Sekkai _with an intimidating red light as two worlds collide and bruise each other mercilessly. She watches Tetsuo's form disappear and Kotori's eyes water and Yuuma's heart shatter and Kaito's body give out and Nasch's eyes harden painfully.

She doesn't have the 'privilege' of watching _him_ die.

But the nausea still overcomes her alien body - a feeling she shouldn't be having. Barians have no mouths; it's a way of concealing their emotions further, a way of looking stronger, and way of..._hiding_. Merag can feel his soul descend into the depths of - no, not Hell, not the place he's condemned himself to - God only knows where.

As she glares up at this forsaken, suffering sky with eyes gradually filling with extraterrestrial tears, she swallows back a harsh sob as her Barian form fades for a moment. She collapses to her knees and the reality of all that has happened comes crashing down on her, knocking away her breath. Remorse threatens to overcome her as she cries out to this dying planet.

Right now, she is just Rio.

Right now, she is that little girl who is trapped in a fire again - one she cannot extinguish, no matter how desperately she tries.

And for a second, it feels like there are lips pressing softly against her salty cheek, the rough feeling of a scar brushing past her ear, like he came to say goodbye, and the Gates of Hell open and-

He's gone.

* * *

_~Finish~_


	10. Snow

_A/N: Prompt given by_ Droite_. Thank you:)_

_I'll have a "rabbits" chapter soon, I'm trying to be creative again._

* * *

**10**

**Snow**

* * *

It's the first snowfall of the year and the city looks absolutely beautiful.

It is the kind of day where the white blanketing the landscape is fresh, untouched, somehow remaining clean and puffy. Flakes still lazily drift down from light gray clouds that float overhead. People are waking up, readying themselves to enjoy their Saturday time off and just have fun outside in the winter air. The atmosphere is so carefree and happy - and Rio is loving every second of it.

Yuuma dragged Ryouga away early in the morning, claiming the three of them (poor Kaito must have been involved against his will again) were going to have an awesome day full of joy and _kattobingu_. So Rio was on her own until Kotori could join her in the afternoon.

She pulls on a pair of white boots that meet dark, cotton leggings. Her blue sweater is long, reaching below her hips, with a belt clamping around her waist and a wide turtle neck resting on her shoulders. The girl swings a small purse over her arm and slips her hands into a pair of bleached gloves before shutting and locking the door to her home and rushing out to the streets.

The first part of her weekend consists of beaming through shop windows and kicking snow up onto her clothed toes and shaking it back off absentmindedly. It's peaceful and kind of nice.

But it doesn't last too long because when Rio reaches the Heartland Public Park, she recognizes someone.

His back is turned to her, leather jacket slightly dusted with melting specks of frozen precipitation. He has on jeans and leather shoes and a scarf wrapped above his collar bone.

Grinning, she ducks before he can spin and catch sight of her. Crouching to the floor behind the large trunk of a tree, Rio reaches toward the ground, shoveling together a bunch of snow. She can already feel the chill nipping through the fabric on her fingers, but she almost welcomes it. Summer had been extremely hot this year after all.

Stepping out from her hiding place, Rio, in one of her kindest tones, calls out, "Oi, IV!"

As soon as he moves to look at her, the snowball smacks square in the center of his face.

He immediately begins to loudly and ungracefully spit the stuff out of his mouth and wipe frantically at his now freezing skin to get it off. "What was that for?!" He's blinking rapidly at this blue-haired girl with wide, surprised eyes, scowl quirked downward as the white that stains his cheeks slips away.

Rio, on the other hand, is cracking up. Grasping her stomach to control her laughter, she points at him, trying to form words between gasps. "Your-...your face! I'm so sorry-...that was priceless-...though!"

IV grimaces back at her, absolutely zero amusement evident in his features. Not that his friend really cares, she's still giggling with a sheepish simper plastered on her face. Her eyes shut tightly as she tries desperately to compose herself. The guy hasn't said anything, and that only makes things funnier. Instant replay zips through her mind and the shocked expression on IV's features triggers her _again_. Rio attempts to force out a _sorry_ from her throat, but it doesn't exactly work.

After a long while of this, she finally gets a hold of herself, straightening her spine and opening her eyes to apologize-

IV swings his arm and the snowball smacks square in the center of _her_ face.

Rio doesn't even bother removing the cold substance; just purses her lips and glares up at him with an irked, furrowed brow.

IV smirks real wide. "Now _that_ was priceless."

* * *

_~Finish~_


	11. Rabbits

_A/N: Prompt from_ Maki_ and seconded by_ XxStarryHeavenxX._ Thanks gaiz~_

_Aha XD This is totally **not** what you people had in mind I'm sorry kinda sorta. Maybe I'll use the prompt again or something similar in the future because I totally used a huge loophole..._

* * *

**11**

**Rabbits**

* * *

It's been four hours.

Four. Hours. And _still_ ongoing.

It's been four, long hours of tossing and turning in sheets that just don't feel right against tender skin, with the fan somehow being flicked on and off by a quiet hand reaching above a restless body. Half a night of exasperated sighs that are silent as not to awaken the man passed out beside her. Endless minutes of heat flashes followed by cold spells and a continuing cycle of thermal temperatures rising and falling in a way that only insomnia can do to a person. Ticking seconds by the clock on the wall of staring blankly up at the ceiling, mapping out pictures in the swirls in the paint.

She has tried, she really has.

She's listened and listed every time Thomas inhales and exhales, memorizing the pattern of his slumbering breathing. And that seemed to lull her slightly - until he snored softly and shifted in their bed. It wouldn't have fazed her normally, but after so long of consciousness, it just pissed her off.

It wasn't just that - the young woman has steadied her own breathing and mentally repeated _'in...out...in...out...'_. She has tried to go into her own little world and make up a story in her head that would distract and perhaps plunge her into sleep when she least expected it. She's listened to some music on her device and earphones.

So here she is, the back of her neck sweating while her feet are cold, glowering as the lyrics of a song stuck in her head replay over and over, being completely jealous of Thomas, who merely continues to murmur parts of his incoherent dreams to her right.

Finally, she gives up, shuffling to her feet quietly to go watch some TV or something.

Though not quiet enough, apparently, because she feels someone limply grasp hold of her wrist.

"Sorry," she whispers. "Did I wake you?"

Thomas yawns and his eyes water a bit. He's still sprawled flat out on the mattress, trying to blink away the tiredness in his vision. The sheets fall from his bare chest down to his boxers as he moves to try sitting up. "Yeah. Where're you going?"

Rio clenches her fingers in the fabric of her periwinkle nightgown, feeling guilty for disturbing him. "Watch a movie or something. I can't sleep."

He hunches over, masculine form appearing heavy as he looks over at her skeptically. "You're gonna die tomorrow."

"I know that!" she snaps. "I can't help it though!"

Thomas huffs indignantly before reaching out, gripping her shoulders, and pulling her down with him as he lays on his pillow. Rio lets out a soft _oof!_ and pouts as her head nestles in the crook of his neck against her will.

He pokes her cheek gently, movements still slow. "I have an idea."

"Probably won't work-"

"It's something my older brother would do to help me fall asleep when I was really young," Thomas explains softly. "And when...well, he left...I'd do the same for Michael. It's like a family tradition, because I'm pretty sure Chris got it from Tron."

Hearing him talk like that makes Rio shut her mouth. Her lids lower halfway, eyebrows knitting in...even _she_ is not entirely sure. Concern? Pity? Adorableness? Admiration?

"Count rabbits."

And then the moment is gone. "...What?"

He laughs. "I'm serious." He lifts up his hand for both of them to see. "Imagine a whole bunch of rabbits are running around and you have to count all of them. They're cuter than sheep, after all."

Rio rolls her pink eyes, not impressed but amused nonetheless. "I'm not buying it."

He cranes his neck so he can kiss her cheek affectionately, then gets as comfortable as he pleases and holds her closer with one arm. He clenches his hand into a fist. "Zero rabbits." He can hear her snickering reluctantly, so he proceeds to extend his index finger. "One rabbit." Then his middle finger. "Two rabbits." And his ring finger-

"Three rabbits," Rio giggles faintly.

The whole house is so silent, so serene, and the only sounds are her and Thomas as they count rabbits while the moon perches high up in the night sky outside. She isn't quite sure what eventually causes her to slip into unconsciousness - it could have been the counting part, though she highly doubts it. But before falling asleep, she hears Thomas mumble, "Fifty-six rabbits..." His embrace is warm and his voice is anesthetic when he uses it like that. And very soon, he's holding a dead weight who breathes peacefully and mutters something about bunnies against his skin.

Thomas smiles, then frowns.

He's still awake.

* * *

_~Finish~_


	12. Remember

_A/N: Prompt given by_ Yes_. Thank you:)_

_Happy Father's Day everyone^_^_

* * *

**12**

**Remember**

* * *

It's about nine o'clock at night when they decide to go to bed.

Thomas sets away his book and shifts in his chair loudly, stretching stiff limbs. Rio shushes him, but is grinning as she does so. His wife stands and is about to click off the lamp so they can leave to their room when-

"Mama, Papa...I can't sleep..."

Thomas's back is turned to the little girl, so he doesn't bother to hide the extremely sour facial expression and Rio tries her hardest not to laugh. Instead, the mother strolls past her husband and smacks him lightly on the shoulder before kneeling down in front of her daughter.

"What's wrong, Aimi-chan?" she asks softly, patting the child's dark hair.

With a wide, maroon gaze, their kid looks up guiltily with a tiny smile. "Nothing... I just can't sleep right."

Rio is about to speak when she hears the man standing, making his way over to his two favorite women. Thomas rests his hands on his hips and beams down at them. "We can fix that."

Aimi closes her eyes and seems to glow as she thanks them. Her father reaches down and picks her up with ease. She's so small, just four years old, and he only uses one arm, the other outstretched to pull Rio to her feet. He leans forward and whispers in the fellow adult's ear, "You go get ready, I'll handle this."

She nods gratefully and kisses him on the lips, then Aimi on her cute forehead. Rio bids her goodnight and leaves down the hall towards the master bedroom. Thomas is left alone with his baby girl in the living room. He beams over at her, mouth curled upward happily. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" Aimi agrees enthusiastically.

He can hear the soft undertone in her tiny voice, though - she's tired, that's obvious - and it's his job to assist her in drifting off into unconsciousness. He's done it before; usually sitting by her and stroking her hair is enough. Sometimes he brings her milk, sometimes Rio has to take over because he has no idea what he's trying to do. But tonight, he has a new idea.

So Thomas brings his 'baby' to her quarters and places her on her mattress and wraps her up comfortably in soft, clean sheets and blankets. He grabs her favorite stuffed animal toy from off the floor (must have dropped it coming for her mom and dad) and gives it to her to hug. She lays down and blinks up expectantly - (his heart melts when she does that).

"_Yosh_, Aimi-chan," he breathes loudly, sitting on the edge of the pillow-top. He fingers the fabric of his tan pants as not to lose his train of thought (he's tired, too). "I have a plan!"

She giggles, high-pitched and adorable-like, and squeaks, "Really, Papa?"

"Yes," Thomas laughs, poking the tip of her nose. "Wanna hear it?"

Aimi nods, excited. "Uh-huh!"

He lets his weight fall downward, touches his forehead to hers, and whispers, "We're going to count rabbits."

His daughter giggles.

"You can count, neh?" Thomas chuckles, pressing his lips in between her eyes and sitting up straight once more. "You're a big girl!"

Aimi exclaims that she is, that she's one of the grownup kids at her school and he tells her that he is so proud. Then he continues on with his declaration.

"Ready?" He holds out his left fist, right hand busy petting her thick, soft hair in what he hopes is a soothing fashion. In a quiet tone, he murmurs, "Zero rabbits..." And he extends his index finger. "One rabbit." Aimi snuggles into the cushion deeper as he adds his middle finger. "Two rabbits." His ring finger. "Three rabbits." His pinkie-

"Four rabbits," Aimi yawns, barely audible.

His thumb. "...Five rabbits..." He simpers gently. "...Six rabbits..." He slowly gets to his feet. "...Seven rabbits..." He's at the door now. "...Eight rabbits..." He closes it, and for good measure, adds in a silent sigh, "...Nine rabbits..."

"Ten rabbits," someone hums past his ear, and Thomas spins on his heel to snake his arms around his spouse's waist. Rio mumbles, "You still remember that, huh...?"

"I always will. The fact that _you_ remember it is the surprising part."

"Alright Mr. Cottontail, I'm sleepy," she drones, tugging him by his shirt collar. "You did good tonight."

Thomas smirks. "It's your turn next time."

Half an hour later, when Aimi comes into their room complaining about having woken up again, Rio slaps her 'soul mate's' arm and walks their child back to bed. Thomas pretends not to have roused from his slumber.

* * *

_~Finish~_


	13. Golden

_A/N: Prompt from _Maki_. Thank you!_

_OMG WTF is this crap I'm soooooo sorry._

* * *

**13**

**Golden**

* * *

It's probably strange of her to say - especially aloud - but one of her favorite physical qualities of Thomas is his hair.

Well, every part of him is gorgeous. His dark, maroon eye are easy to get lost in, they're intense, deep, and can be so, so soft. His height is nice as well; it's just to the point where she has to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him. His lips are warm and inviting against hers, taste good, are sweet and hesitant. The young man's smile is precious, adorable, sometimes cocky. His scar is rather attractive in it's own way; it seals their relationship, marks it right on his face just like the fading burn marks hidden beneath her clothing.

Rio loves everything about him, including every one of his imperfections - and that's what makes them so close. They can accept each other for who they are.

But if she had to _choose_, it'd only take a split moment for her to answer.

She absolutely adores his hair.

Thomas thinks that is weird.

"Look, I love your hair, too, it's fricken beautiful, but your obsession with mine is still bizarre," he'd often tell her.

It is a habit of hers to lean over the back of the couch and run her fingers through the thick strands on his head, feeling the smoothness and the equal wildness of them. She waits until he's sitting on the cushion reading or playing a game-boy or whatever it is he does when he's bored. That way he can't say he's busy and retort. It's genius.

"Okay, why...?" Thomas mutters more to himself when her hand ruffles his shock.

Rio cranes her neck to look at him, smiling from ear to ear with her eyes closed for extra emphasis. "Because your hair is so nice~"

"..._What_?" He can't exactly hide the amusement in his tone, and she's fairly positive she heard a small chuckle in there somewhere.

"It's so fluffy!" Rio declares, patting the top his skull affectionately. "Or at least, the blonde part is. Your red hair is more wiry. I suppose that's why it sticks out like that."

"Thanks," Thomas says flatly and extremely sarcastically, scowling.

Rio rolls her eyes and tugs a lock by his ear. "The blonde hair you have, though...it's so _silky_. I like the way it feels."

Her boyfriend laughs at loud, dipping his chin as his shoulders bounce. "That's my _fanservice,_ neh?" He is still smirking at his own joke after she pokes his cheek roughly at the crudeness of it. "I'm just joking! ...Sort of-"

There's a subtle _thump_ when Thomas's own book hits his upper arm, Rio holding it threateningly. "You're the complete opposite of modest, you know that, right?"

"It's a golden quality of mine."

"You mean like your hair?" the girl questions, unamused, bunching his long bangs into her fist gently. She doesn't mention it out loud, but she isn't trying to irritate him so much as she wants to touch the sleekness.

Thomas shrugs. "If that answer makes you satisfied, then sure."

Rio can see him smiling.

* * *

_~Finish~_


	14. Bittersweet

_A/N: Prompt from_ Droite._ Thanks^_^_

_Sorry this is a little late. I'm tired._

* * *

**14**

**Bittersweet**

* * *

IV stares at the variety of choices for a long time; longer than he cares to admit. The colors eventually begin to blur into a big, insignificant canvas that makes him dizzy and a little scared. Swallowing, he pays for a bouquet that he close-to-randomly selected in an attempt to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. When he is outside on the concrete sidewalk, cars driving past and people walking by swirling incoherently in his vision, he freezes.

For a moment, thoughts like _What am I even doing...?_ and _Can I really do this? _flood his mind in a forceful tide of anxiety and guilt. But he clears his head as best as he can, shaking it harshly and touching the bandages which cover half his skull to assist in healing the gash on his wounded eye. That does it. That frees him for a second.

And that brief time of freedom doesn't last too long, but it's enough to get himself to the Burn Unit at the hospital. It's enough for him to ask the room number and it is enough for him to lock his body in the elevator and press the button with a shaking, unoccupied hand.

It gets tricky, however, when the adrenaline of feeling the cloth against what will one day be a scar wears thin and the flowers nearly slip from his grasp.

IV stands there awkwardly when the door slides open, a gaping entryway into the hall that leads to the metal slab he needs to eventually step through. Taking measured, deep breaths, he picks his way around the corner and he thinks he is doing fairy well until the chiseled **205 **comes into view and he can't move again.

He feels like he's a child once more, clutching III's hand as bravely as he can and watching V stalk down the street into the night air, abandoning them. Like the tiny boy whose father manipulated him into hurting this girl who did nothing wrong. Like the helpless kid who has lost his best friend at the same time the fire ignited, the one who can only see out of one eye temporarily and who bought these crappy plants as an apology that will only be discarded along with a slap to his face - -

He takes his own advice and slaps himself in the face to wake the hell up.

Then IV steadies the unhealthy rate of his pounding heart and inhales sharply, twisting the handle and going inside.

She's asleep, but that's alright. Her visitor notes the bandages (like his own) that crawl up her body and cringes slightly before creeping to the sink off the side, filling a plastic cup he finds in a cupboard. He sets it on her nightstand and places the flowers - blue and pink, he sees, he hadn't even bothered to look properly - in the water. IV then takes a stride backwards, ignoring the bitter taste in his mouth as he nods once and leaves the facility.

.

.

"_Ouch_," he hisses, flinching away from her outstretched hands. "The heck, are you trying to kill me?"

That stings more than she allows her face to express as she replaces the gauze wrapped around his abdomen and arms. Instead of apologizing for the thousandth time, she merely tells him, "Please stop squirming."

And that's when Thomas obviously realizes that something is wrong - be it the tone of her voice or the fact that she said the _please word_ so timidly - and he frowns deeply at her. "Rio...?"

She ducks her head, gaze downcast with her blue bangs falling in front of her pink eyes.

They are sitting in a doctor's office, there for what will be one of the weekly checkups Thomas will require for the next twenty-one days. Rio figured she owed him a few drop-by's at the paramedics' but now she is not so sure she wants to be here. The stark white walls seem to be closing in, suffocating her while the young man appears to be fine. So she bites her tongue and continues to cover his skin with the pale dressing, directing her line of sight away from the bruises and cuts.

Thomas's Duel with Ryouga - _Nasch_ at the time - had left him beaten. His heavy clothing hid the damage astoundingly well and only now did the severity of the aftereffects really sink in.

Rio sinks back into her seat once she is done and watches blankly as her (can she call him a _comrade_ now? is it _right_?) shoulders back on the layered jackets that complete his cream and golden attire. He blinks up at her when he catches her looking and grins sheepishly, then knits his eyebrows, concerned when she doesn't offer a reaction.

(There is a bitter taste rising up her throat.)

"_Che_," Thomas sighs, smirking to himself absentmindedly. He recalls fighting what he named 'the only one he calls a friend' and slamming against the tar and dipping into a comfortable darkness and never waking up and then _waking up_ and his brothers taking him home and watching as the Kamishiro's are revived and smiling at Ryouga and smiling again at Rio who grimaces back with tears clinging to her lashes. He laughs mentally, a terrible sentence passing through his mind /_I guess we're even now, neh?_/ and he wants to hit his own wounds as self punishment for that sour idea.

Rio raises her gaze at that noise and waits patiently, shivering a bit.

He shuts his eyes and tilts his head, reaching up to touch his scar with his index and middle finger. She gasps silently, clenching her jaw, and he smiles real wide at her, exactly like the first time they had met after the war ended. "It hurts, huh? Seeing someone you care for in a place like this...? But Rio...none of what happened is in any way your fault. You did nothing bad. We'll get through this, just like last time" _in the fire_ dies on his lips "and we'll _heal_."

(That bitter taste seems to fade, and all she can think is how sweet he is.)

* * *

_~Finish~_


	15. Chocolate

_A/N: I'm on vacation and writing anything on this dumb tablet is a bitch, so have a short chap:)_

_Prompt from _Maki_. Thanks, keep dropping those prompts gaiz, your support means a lot, and I appreciate reviews if you're kind enough!_

* * *

**15**

**Chocolate**

* * *

She wrinkles her nose and huffs in a low tone, "Aw."

"What is it?" Thomas asks, joining her on the patio.

"I'm an idiot, that's what," Rio growls, irked at her own stupidity. It's not a _terrible_ loss, she can always buy more from the little parlor down the street that she and Ryouga frequent, it's pretty cheap for how good the pastries are. But it's still irritating, mostly because it's _her_ fault.

She can hear Thomas stifling a laugh, and when she asks why, he sheepishly chokes out, "You're so dumb."

Rio hits his arm fairly hard and he giggles like a little girl, hunching his shouders to shy away from her swinging hand. She purses her lips and scrunches up her face indignantly at him before sighing wistfully at her accident. "What a waste."

"Michael used to constantly tell me that if ya made a mistake, you could always substitute it or doctor it up to make it not-a-mistake." She frowns and he shrugs. "He's the optimistic brother."

The young woman leans her weight to one hip, thinking. The chocolate she had left in a bowl on the table had melted in the sun. Now it is a puddle of dark, sugary pudding, untouched and just _sitting there _with _zero_ purpose. It's really quite depressing.

Rio pulls out a chair, cursing herself for forgetting about the candy, and plops down at said table. Thomas attempts to think up something to say (he just figures it's pointless to piss and moan about stuff like this, though if he said so aloud, he'd probably be shot by his own girlfriend) but eventually settles for seating himself next to her and mimicking the sounds she makes. It's not comforting, but it's ridiculously amusing.

She groans, he groans. She makes a _hmph_ noise, he makes a _hmph_ noise. She glares at him, he stares back. She blows a raspberry, he blows a raspberry. She tells him to quit it, he tells her, "Quit what?"

"You're unbelievably immature."

"I know right?"

She narrows her eyes and he watches while taking a sip of his drink as she grabs the cup of melted chocolate, placing it in front of her. What confuses Thomas is when she dips her fingers into the sticky substance. She states real calmly, "You...are..._annoying_."

Then she uses the chocolate to draw a big mustache on his upper lip.

At first he just looks at her with an expression that clearly portrays _Are you serious? _Then he shrugs for a second time and slaps his whole hand in the chocolate and wipes it across her entire face. Rio gawks at him, jaw unhinged and eyes extremely wide as the sweet treat drips down her cheeks and chin.

Thomas smirks, the French 'facial hair' making him look like dufus. "Now, what was that you were saying?"

Rio sticks out her tongue and - despite her mental laughter - mutters, "Jerk."

* * *

_~Finish~  
_


End file.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, Romance