/Give it Back/

Rumiko strolled down an empty hallway carelessly. Dim lights lit the pathway that seemed to continue to go on and on; feebly to nowhere. Her eyes were cast downward, her face blank and unalert. Too many thoughts rushed around her mind trying to find the conclusion to her problems.
She needed the answers to the question from the night before.
Instead of them being answered, they only crashed into the side of her skull, like a child running smack-dab into a freshly cleaned window.
Her hand caressed her forehead, wishing she could physical push all of her thoughts out of her mind.

The thoughts did not stop. They would never stop. And there was nothing she could ever do about that.

The thoughts continued to plaque her. She would never see her 'daughter' again. At least, not as she had been only three months before. Sweet, innocent, and ignorant.

But...it wasn't only her daughter she wished so much to see once again-but her current significant other. The one she had hidden her growing feelings from since they arose.
She never showed them.
She never told him.

And finally, when she did sum up the courage to speak up and basically serve what was left of her heart on a golden platter to him-he was gone.

"I have to go, its my duty." he had said to her. On impulse, she lunged and caught hold of his midsection. And in seconds she uncapped her bottle of feelings. Spilling her heart out on a sinking ship.

For those few seconds of run on sentences, he was thankful. He finally understood. Never-the-less, he could not stay. But-he didn't want to forget.
"I'll come back...after everything is done...I promise." Her hues were unsteady and seemed to not believe his words.
"May...I take your collar? For a temporary keepsake...and...to back my promise?"
She was hesitant. Her simple, black collar meant a lot to her and simply handing it over...well, she would have never had thought of such a thing.

She wanted that promise to exist though and with that simple yearning; she handed over the dark piece of fabric. His smirk satisfied her.

Having something wrapped around his neck did not appease him and instead slipped it around his slender wrist. His eyes caught hers for the first time since he had told her of his departure.
At that moment, something clicked. He leaned forward, his lips brushed hers at first, then finally met gingerly. His lips were almost as icy as his eyes.
The act had not only surprised her, but himself as well. It seemed like hours before he found enough eternal strength to pull away.
"Gomen Nasai..." Was all he managed to whisper before he turned and dashed off out of sight. Lost, hazel orbs only stared after someone who was no longer there. Finally, she regained her composer and locked herself away into her room; tenderly taking care of her bloody nose.

It had been too long since Rumiko had heard his voice. In rage, desperation, and defeat, she punched the wall next her. Her hand throbbed and for a moment, she wished that was the only pain she felt. Rumi's knees felt weak but instead of giving in she marched to her room's door. Upon pulling out her keys, she thought she had heard a noise. Normally, she would have checked around to make sure nothing was there, but this one time she let it slide.
Click!
Her key slipped into the lock silently but before she could announce herself home-free something bigger and heavier slammed her into the shut door.
"Ooofff!....Get off of-!" Rumi eye's caught her assailant icy orbs and made her stop mid-sentence. The man grabbed her tight with a pleased look plastered to his fine features.
"Still feisty I see." He mused as he let go of her cold body. Her eyes couldn't honestly believe what they were seeing right now-could they?
"A-aidou?..." The whisper escaped almost silently. In return, he shrugged and opened his arms.
"Of course...What's wrong?" The happiness fled from his soft voice and was replaced with worry as he noticed the water brimming at the girls’ eyes.
She charged him, leaping into his opened arms.
"Agh!" He yelled before she flung him to the ground below. Rumiko's eyes met his own and for a second, he felt scared.
"I want my fucking collar back you ass!" was the only words she managed to bellow before burying her face into his chest.