Fire and Ice, Book 1 Chapter 1
Title: Fire and Ice [On-going]
Author: amejoou
Characters/Pairings (for this chapter): Inoue Mao/Matsumoto Jun, Shibasaki Kou (implied/mentioned only)
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Of ice queens and fire kings and everything/everyone in between.
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Mao and Jun own each other.
Tags: fanwork: fiction, fictype: angst, fictype: real life
NOTE: This is the first Maotsujun fanfic that I’m posting anywhere, so comments/feedbacks will be much loved.
Also, I'm still finding my way around LJ so my apologies for any infraction. I'm quite slow when it comes to these things. ^_^ (You can also read it at http://amejoou.livejournal.com/)
Book 1: Then
CHAPTER 1: FREEDOM, NOT SPACE
[Spoiler (click to open)]“Space.”
The word came out of Mao’s mouth in a whisper. Her impassive eyes focused on the now quiet man who uttered the word just a short moment ago. That’s all we’ve had these past months, she wanted to tell him, but the thought remained in her head. “May I know why you’re asking for space, Jun-kun,” she coolly asked instead.
Jun met her gaze, trying to detect anger or pain in her expression, but her eyes were devoid of emotion. “I need to think about something,” he answered.
“Are you sure it’s about something, not about someone?” she asked, her tone even cooler.
“Are you accusing me of cheating on you?” Jun’s voice could not conceal the anger that suddenly seeped into him.
“I’m asking you to tell me the truth.”
Silence fell between them as his fiery glare challenged her chilly stare.
“I’d rather hear it from you now than read about it in a tabloid later,” she stated matter-of-factly after a while.
“Kou-chan is just a friend,” he said, his voice now more subdued. “There were other people with us that time.”
The paparazzi photo of him and Shibasaki Kou coming out of a karaoke bar flashed in her mind. It was plastered on the front page of a tabloid more than a week ago and tongues had been wagging ever since. Her initial reaction when she first saw it was to call him and demand for an explanation, but being the cool, rational person that she was, she decided to wait for him to take the initiative. But none came. Now here he was, asking her to give him space.
“Do you like her?”
“What kind of a question is that?”
“The kind that you can answer with yes or no.” She noticed that his cheeks were flushed. “Do you like her? Are you happy when you’re with her? Do you feel alive when you’re together?” The questions rolled from her tongue, her dispassionate tone expertly disguising the pain that was pinching her heart.
He met her cool gaze but his eyes immediately capitulated. He looked around her living room and decided to stare at the stuffed Mickey that was sitting on an armchair not far from him. He wanted to tell her yes, but he did not want to hurt Mao so he opted to keep his mouth shut instead.
“Please, Jun-kun. I’d like you to tell me the truth no matter how painful it is.”
He looked up and saw that she was waiting for him to answer, her face as calm as her voice. After some time, he sighed and replied with a weak nod.
Mao’s already aching heart was shattered into slivers the instant his confirmation came. He clasped her hands and willed herself to remain calm. She stood up. “Please wait here,” she told him and headed towards her bedroom.
The moment she closed the door, her body began to tremble. She leaned on the hard, wooden door and clenched her hands, her nails digging into her skin. “Now is not the time to break down, Mao-chan,” she silently reprimanded herself. After a few moments, she let out a heavy sigh and then walked towards her vanity table.
She opened a drawer and took a small box covered in red velvet. She opened the lid and saw the diamond encrusted gold band that he gifted her on her last birthday. My commitment ring, he told her then. She closed the box and then stared at her reflection on the mirror.
“This pain will break your heart but it won’t kill you,” she said in a low voice.
She headed for the door and let out a heavy sigh to calm her still frayed nerves before reaching for the knob. She then opened the door and walked towards her soon to be ex-boyfriend.
Jun looked up when he heard the bedroom door close. He watched Mao as she walked towards him, his eyes noticing a little red object clasped in her hands.
“Here.” Mao offered the red box to Jun.
Jun looked at the box that she was giving him, his mind immediately deducing what was inside it. He looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked, “Why are you giving me that?”
“It’s not space that you need, Jun-kun, but your freedom.” She calmly reached for his hand and deposited the box there. She turned her back and went to sit on the couch opposite him.
“Are you breaking up with me?” His beautiful brown eyes questioned her.
Could those eyes be pleading with me, she silently asked as she met his gaze. “I think the correct question is, are we breaking up?”
Once again, his eyes surrendered to hers. He bowed his head and stared at his slightly shaking hands.
“Let’s stop deluding ourselves that this relationship is going to work. All we’ve done these past months is fight, make up, only for us to fight again. We better end it now before we start hating each other.”
He looked at her sitting coolly right across him. He knew fully well that self-control was one of her strengths, but it still surprised him to see how unruffled she was even at a situation like this.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly, not knowing what else to say.
She simply nodded. After a while, she spoke, “I’m leaving for Shanghai tomorrow evening and won’t be back until Saturday, you can come and collect your things while I’m away. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to go to your place this afternoon to collect mine.”
He looked at her, still shocked at how composed she was. He wanted to ask her if she was not affected at all, but the words did not come out of his mouth. “We have rehearsals this afternoon,” was all he could utter.
“Okay then,” she said, like it was the most natural thing to say at that moment. She stood up, signaling that their conversation was over, as was their relationship. She walked towards the door and reached for the knob. “Thanks for everything.”
He stood up and stared at her for a few moments. He then walked towards the door, towards the end of their relationship.
Mao opened the door and whispered, “Goodbye, Jun-kun.”
Jun gazed at her face one last time, his eyes searching for even the slightest trace of sadness or regret or anger in her expression. When he saw none, he walked out of the door - out of her life - without a word.
Author: amejoou
Characters/Pairings (for this chapter): Inoue Mao/Matsumoto Jun, Shibasaki Kou (implied/mentioned only)
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Of ice queens and fire kings and everything/everyone in between.
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Mao and Jun own each other.
Tags: fanwork: fiction, fictype: angst, fictype: real life
NOTE: This is the first Maotsujun fanfic that I’m posting anywhere, so comments/feedbacks will be much loved.
Also, I'm still finding my way around LJ so my apologies for any infraction. I'm quite slow when it comes to these things. ^_^ (You can also read it at http://amejoou.livejournal.com/)
Book 1: Then
CHAPTER 1: FREEDOM, NOT SPACE
[Spoiler (click to open)]“Space.”
The word came out of Mao’s mouth in a whisper. Her impassive eyes focused on the now quiet man who uttered the word just a short moment ago. That’s all we’ve had these past months, she wanted to tell him, but the thought remained in her head. “May I know why you’re asking for space, Jun-kun,” she coolly asked instead.
Jun met her gaze, trying to detect anger or pain in her expression, but her eyes were devoid of emotion. “I need to think about something,” he answered.
“Are you sure it’s about something, not about someone?” she asked, her tone even cooler.
“Are you accusing me of cheating on you?” Jun’s voice could not conceal the anger that suddenly seeped into him.
“I’m asking you to tell me the truth.”
Silence fell between them as his fiery glare challenged her chilly stare.
“I’d rather hear it from you now than read about it in a tabloid later,” she stated matter-of-factly after a while.
“Kou-chan is just a friend,” he said, his voice now more subdued. “There were other people with us that time.”
The paparazzi photo of him and Shibasaki Kou coming out of a karaoke bar flashed in her mind. It was plastered on the front page of a tabloid more than a week ago and tongues had been wagging ever since. Her initial reaction when she first saw it was to call him and demand for an explanation, but being the cool, rational person that she was, she decided to wait for him to take the initiative. But none came. Now here he was, asking her to give him space.
“Do you like her?”
“What kind of a question is that?”
“The kind that you can answer with yes or no.” She noticed that his cheeks were flushed. “Do you like her? Are you happy when you’re with her? Do you feel alive when you’re together?” The questions rolled from her tongue, her dispassionate tone expertly disguising the pain that was pinching her heart.
He met her cool gaze but his eyes immediately capitulated. He looked around her living room and decided to stare at the stuffed Mickey that was sitting on an armchair not far from him. He wanted to tell her yes, but he did not want to hurt Mao so he opted to keep his mouth shut instead.
“Please, Jun-kun. I’d like you to tell me the truth no matter how painful it is.”
He looked up and saw that she was waiting for him to answer, her face as calm as her voice. After some time, he sighed and replied with a weak nod.
Mao’s already aching heart was shattered into slivers the instant his confirmation came. He clasped her hands and willed herself to remain calm. She stood up. “Please wait here,” she told him and headed towards her bedroom.
The moment she closed the door, her body began to tremble. She leaned on the hard, wooden door and clenched her hands, her nails digging into her skin. “Now is not the time to break down, Mao-chan,” she silently reprimanded herself. After a few moments, she let out a heavy sigh and then walked towards her vanity table.
She opened a drawer and took a small box covered in red velvet. She opened the lid and saw the diamond encrusted gold band that he gifted her on her last birthday. My commitment ring, he told her then. She closed the box and then stared at her reflection on the mirror.
“This pain will break your heart but it won’t kill you,” she said in a low voice.
She headed for the door and let out a heavy sigh to calm her still frayed nerves before reaching for the knob. She then opened the door and walked towards her soon to be ex-boyfriend.
Jun looked up when he heard the bedroom door close. He watched Mao as she walked towards him, his eyes noticing a little red object clasped in her hands.
“Here.” Mao offered the red box to Jun.
Jun looked at the box that she was giving him, his mind immediately deducing what was inside it. He looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked, “Why are you giving me that?”
“It’s not space that you need, Jun-kun, but your freedom.” She calmly reached for his hand and deposited the box there. She turned her back and went to sit on the couch opposite him.
“Are you breaking up with me?” His beautiful brown eyes questioned her.
Could those eyes be pleading with me, she silently asked as she met his gaze. “I think the correct question is, are we breaking up?”
Once again, his eyes surrendered to hers. He bowed his head and stared at his slightly shaking hands.
“Let’s stop deluding ourselves that this relationship is going to work. All we’ve done these past months is fight, make up, only for us to fight again. We better end it now before we start hating each other.”
He looked at her sitting coolly right across him. He knew fully well that self-control was one of her strengths, but it still surprised him to see how unruffled she was even at a situation like this.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly, not knowing what else to say.
She simply nodded. After a while, she spoke, “I’m leaving for Shanghai tomorrow evening and won’t be back until Saturday, you can come and collect your things while I’m away. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to go to your place this afternoon to collect mine.”
He looked at her, still shocked at how composed she was. He wanted to ask her if she was not affected at all, but the words did not come out of his mouth. “We have rehearsals this afternoon,” was all he could utter.
“Okay then,” she said, like it was the most natural thing to say at that moment. She stood up, signaling that their conversation was over, as was their relationship. She walked towards the door and reached for the knob. “Thanks for everything.”
He stood up and stared at her for a few moments. He then walked towards the door, towards the end of their relationship.
Mao opened the door and whispered, “Goodbye, Jun-kun.”
Jun gazed at her face one last time, his eyes searching for even the slightest trace of sadness or regret or anger in her expression. When he saw none, he walked out of the door - out of her life - without a word.