I can fix her- Taiga

Ken leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting lazily across the courtyard. Silence spread between us before he finally broke it. “Taiga… don't you find Rei, like, scary?”

I followed his gaze, which settled on Rei, who stood next to the vending machine, painted by the afternoon light. She laughed softly as a friend caught her wrist, their hands swinging playfully in an arc. A sharp knot tightened in the pit of my stomach. "I'm glad you find her scary."

Ken’s eyebrow arched. He leaned in, slinging an arm around my neck and pointing at them. "Don't tell me you actually think Mai and Rei could be a thing."

I caught his wrist, peeling his hand down before his pointing could draw attention. I looked from him to the girls. "It's possible."

"Not a chance." He recoiled, a low chuckle vibrating in his chest. I watched him as other students blurred past us in the background. Ken leaned back in, his voice dropping to a murmur. "I slept with Mai. She's not gay."

The sounds of the courtyard died as I stared at him. “Aren't you dating that girl from your department?”

"So?" He shrugged and pulled out his phone.

"That's cheating."

"It's so common." He lowered the phone and slid closer once more. "You should try it sometime...."

I dislodged his arm and diverted my gaze back to Rei. He went quiet, that smirk finally draining from his face. By the time I looked back, he was already standing and slinging his bag with a sharp jerk onto his shoulder.

"God, you're scary too," he said, walking away.

I watched him retreat until he vanished into the crowd, then anchored my gaze back on Rei. Cheating? To betray the only person who fulfils me?

Betrayal is a symptom of lawless hearts. Rei and I are not loveless.

*****

The feeling of her touch lingered on my cheek. It had been a pinch, but my skin burnt as if she’d branded me.

“Tell me, what do you see?” She smiled widely, handing me the glasses.

The frames felt heavy and slightly askew. I adjusted them at the bridge of my nose, the plastic pressing against my skin. I looked through the lenses. At first, the world remained the same – same colours, same light – but when I turned to Rei, I froze.

Above her head was an enormous bloody bush of long red threads, like an umbrella, casting a shadow over her. The lines twisted around each other; a thick one moved towards me while many extended above and out of the walls. I swallowed against a sudden surge of bile.

She said these are the lines between people who s-slee-

My eyes darted from one thread to the next, trying to count, but they blurred altogether. A suffocating heat climbed my throat. When? How many?

My eyes finally met hers. Her expression was blank; her gaze glistened while hunting for a crack in me.

She wants a scream or a confession of pain. A dry, breathless laugh tore from my throat. I forced my eyes shut, letting a smile spread across my face. “Look at you, like you have a red broom over your head.”

She opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it shut, her lips pressed in, forming a white line. A flush of what looked like pure fury climbed her neck, her brow knitting into a sharp 'V'. “You don't want to know? Whose red line does it belong to? Who did I…”

My heart hammered against my ribs. Why would I ever want to name someone I didn't want to think about?

“I love you, Rei.” The room felt like it was tilting. “No matter what you did in the past, I still always love you.”

She froze, her eyes scanning every corner of my face. I pressed my palms flat against my thighs, digging my fingers into the fabric to hide the tremor in my hands.

Suddenly, she moved, marching forward and claiming my lap. She caught my face in a sudden grip. Her lips touched mine. Her tongue pushed in, stealing the breath from my lungs.

See, Taiga, in the end, it's only you.

Heat surged up my spine, making me dizzy. I removed the glasses and locked my arms around her waist, pulling her to me. I deepened the kiss until the world narrowed down to the taste of her. For a heartbeat, I thought I saw those red lines even without the glasses.

A sharp, gurgling sound disrupted the moment between us. We broke apart, breaths coming in ragged hitches, our eyes still locked into each other's. Her flushed skin and heavy lids made me want to pull her back down. She was still radiating anger, but I refused to give her the breakdown she was starving for.

I traced the line of her jaw with my thumb. No. I shouldn't.

“I will go make some food.”

I shifted her off my lap gently, stood up, and snatched the apron from the chair. I moved toward the kitchen, the linoleum cold beneath my feet. I pulled the eggs from the fridge.

She remained where she was, a silent weight at my back. I could feel her eyes burning into me.

I set the pan on the burner. I struck a match, the sulphurous scent filling the air as a flame flared.

The threads flashed before my eyes. The hands that locked into her. The bodies pressed on top of her.

I bit my lower lip, drawing out drops of blood.

I’ll be the last and only one. The one she will eventually crave with desperation. I will be the one to fix her, to cut every red line until only the ones leading to me remain.

The egg cracked with a sharp snap against the rim of the pan and slid into the base.