As some of you may know, Peanut and I are crazy about Roleplaying, and it's clear, since this is the second one on this site that belongs to us. And we aren't even done with the first one! Regardless, that won't stop us from starting this new roleplay, Rude Awakening!

 

Kinda dark and mysterious title, eh?

 

As stated in the title, this RP is one on one, no exceptions. Please refrain from posting in the RP. Instead, follow us on this new journey!

 

Peanut, my amazing friend, let's begin!

Riku's hand moved into Lightning's hair when she lowered her head, his other hand moving from her waist to her back. He exhaled a breath through his nose, staring up at the ceiling. She really didn't believe she was beautiful... That just blew Riku's mind. He certainly thought she was. Lightning was one of the most beautiful people he had ever met, if not the most beautiful. How could she be so down on herself?

Lightning shut her eyes when Riku's fingers weaved through strands of her hair, the girl aware that her cheeks were still flushed. She may have believed she was ugly, but Riku made her feel otherwise. The way that he looked at her...the way he held her...The way he came across period to her. He liked her for some reason and she wasn't sure why. No matter what he made her feel about herself, her logic won out as usual. Another ugly part of herself.

"You come off as tough, Lightning, because that's what you are," Riku said, keeping his voice quiet in the otherwise silent gym. "You're confident, and you're strong. Honestly..." He closed his eyes for a moment, actually about to admit something. "...There's honestly nothing more attractive than that." At least in my eyes. He admitted Lightning was attractive, and he was sure by now that other people thought so as well, if she paid attention to the news. He hoped that made some kind of difference to her.

"You don't get it, Riku," Lightning said softly, remaining in the same position. "I'm confident that I am who I am and nothing can change that. Not that this person is good. And if strength is being able to be apathetic, then I don't want to be strong anymore." Her fist was still sitting on the other side of Riku's chest, but it had unfolded as the conversation progressed. Now it was lightly gripping Riku's shirt.

Riku opened his eyes, turning his head a little to try and get a look at Lightning's face. But he couldn't see it. "...Look at me," he asked of her gently. His fingers moved in her hair a little, and he hoped that his gentle touches would act as encouragement. He never wanted to hurt this girl; she was fragile, beneath the exterior. The fact that she was letting him see that meant she trusted him, and he wasn't going to let her down.

Lightning swallowed at Riku's words and gesture, feeling her walls crumble. She tried to fight this before. When Riku first came into her life and she realized that she could get close to him, she tried to guard herself. She failed then, just as she failed now. She looked up at Riku with dry eyes and red cheeks, though her cheeks were no longer red from embarrassment. It was sadness that gave them that hue.

Riku looked at Lightning first, not saying anything. His hand left her hair and instead found her cheek, the young man being brave with his movements as he let his thumb trace over the flushed skin. "I don't know if what I think makes a difference to you," he started softly, his eyes finding hers. "But no matter what you say, you are beautiful. To me." His thumb stopped moving over her cheek, his other hand moving back to sit on her waist. "And in case you haven't noticed, other guys are finding you attractive too. I've witnessed it myself." It made him feel a bit jealous, but that was something he couldn't really help.

"Only outwardly," Lightning murmured, glancing to the side briefly before finding Riku's eyes. "But I know you're not obsessed with appearances. That's why...you're opinion matters." Her hand on his chest released his shirt, the girl wanting to sweep away a strand of silver hair that was in Riku's eye. She lifted it, then hesitated.

Riku smiled ever so slightly, his gaze going from Lightning's hand back to her eyes. "Then believe me," he requested gently. If his opinion mattered to her, then he wanted her to believe what he said. She was beautiful, and while he could have the ability to make her feel that way, she had to believe it first.

Lightning glanced at her own hand, and then back at Riku's face. With softened eyes, she nodded faintly and dared to do what she wanted. She lowered her hand and allowed her fingertips to run over Riku's forehead to brush his bangs out of his eyes. Those aqua eyes that made her feel like she was free-falling but also assured her of a safe landing. Or a safe flight, depending on if these feelings ever disappeared.

Riku's smile softened until it was gone, the young man feeling the fingertips glide over his skin. It was strange but expected that even the smallest touch from Lightning would send him closer and closer to bliss. Riku hadn't experienced this for a while, not since his last date nearly seven months ago. But...this was different. A lot different. If Lightning was as smart as Riku thought she was, she would know that his smile didn't disappear because he was unhappy with the gesture; he was just calm and collected, enjoying it while it lasted.

Lightning lowered her hand to Riku's chest. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she whispered as she stared into his eyes. His smile was gone, but she knew that didn't mean that he was unhappy. He was still holding her after all. Holding her, staring into her eyes, calling her beautiful...It was all overwhelming. She didn't know how much more she could take, even if it was the best thing she felt in forever.

Riku kept his hand on Lightning's cheek, though he moved it to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. His eyes followed the action. "...You just..." he started, his voice at the same level as hers. "...You surprise me, Light." One minute she was the tough girl he had first seen, and the next...she was gentle with him. She was showing the side of her that attracted him most.

Light blushed, shutting her eyes for a brief second and leaning into Riku's hand at the same time. She surprised him, but that wasn't what that look was for. That look was...love. Or at least, deep care for somebody viewed as more than just a friend. She had never seen somebody look at her that way before, but she had seen others share that look.

Riku simply gazed at Lightning for a moment, feeling her lean into his hand. She was responding to him in positive ways, and that only acted as encouragement. After all this time of taking care of her, protecting her, being with her...he was finally admitting and showing his feelings. He cared for Lightning--for Claire--as more than a friend. A lot more than a friend.

After a few moments, Lightning opened her eyes and glanced at Riku's hand on her cheek. She loved this, more than anything, but...It was too much. She lifted a hand to Riku's on her cheek, lightly wrapping her hand around it before she began to sit up. Her head and heart were reeling, but this was the course of action she chose for now. Withdrawal.

Riku blinked slightly in surprise when he saw Lightning pulling back, but he covered it up with a small smile in understanding. I get it, he told himself. He knew that if things kept going like this, they would cross a line that there was no going back from. And right now, Lightning clearly didn't want that...and he was okay with it. He felt her grasp on his hand and held it in return, though not too tightly. Riku wasn't the clingy type, and he wouldn't be now, especially since he and Lightning weren't in a relationship. They would go at her pace.

Lightning slid over to the side, releasing Riku's hand after a few moments and staring down at her lap. Her cheeks were still pink, obviously. The hue had hardly changed since she landed on top of Riku. Crazy how quickly things changed from awkward to...sincere and sweet. Those words didn't seem to define the situation completely, but for now, they would be good enough.

Riku decided not to stare at Lightning, and instead give her space. Clearly she was flustered, embarrassed, or nervous. Whichever, he would allow her to handle it in privacy. He sat up and then started rising to his feet, placing a hand on the punching bag next to him for support. Of course, he was still so caught up in what had happened between him and Lightning that he neglected to realize the bag wouldn't hold his weight. It swung to the side with his weight and he fell over, landing on his side with a small grunt.

Light looked over at Riku when she saw the bag swing, since the movement caught her attention. That gave her enough time to see him fall right back down again. Normally she would have just snickered at Riku if he did something humorous, but this was so out of character for him--he never, ever had a klutzy moment like this before. It was for that reason that she began to laugh.

Riku forced himself to sit up when he heard laughter, but that was when the bag decided to come back and hit him in the back of the head. He grunted, lifting a hand to the back of his silver head as he furrowed his eyebrows. But that laugh... Lightning was laughing at him, and while he was a little embarrassed, he didn't really mind. She was actually laughing...

Lightning had still been looking over at Riku, and she was surprised to see the bag come back and hit the back of his head. That only made things more humorous. She laughed softly, lifting a hand to her lips and diverting her gaze to the ground for a few seconds. When was the last time that she laughed? It had been a long time. Maybe years.

Riku lifted the hand from his head to the bag, making it stop swinging as he looked at Lightning. He smirked a little, happy with the fact that she laughed. Even if it was at him, he was okay with it. He had never heard her laugh before, but now that he had...it made her more beautiful in his eyes. Riku wanted to hear it again, sometime soon.

Light looked back up at Riku with the pink still in her cheeks and the laughter in her eyes as she silently rose to her feet. "If standing is a competition," she began. "I won." She offered him her hands, knowing that she was more steady than the punching bag. Or was she, with how odd she felt because of what just happened between her and Riku?

Riku released a small "hmph" at the words, looking up at the girl in front of him. "Fair enough," he acknowledged, lifting his hands to place them in Lightning's. He rose to his feet with ease, making sure not to pull her down with him; they would have ended right back where they started when she fell from the rafters.