[FIN] He Loves You Not

[Magician Arcana]

What actions was he talking about? Adam's joy at knowing someone he saw as a friend wasn't dead? Was that really so awful of a thing? He didn't get Akira's disappointment and hurt, but he kept the confusion from reaching his expression.

Moving his hand down, he took Akira's hand in his and let the words sink in between them. It wasn't an easily answered question. None of Akira's questions were fair, but instead of anger towards his boyfriend, Adam felt sadness. A deep, chest chilling sadness. Maybe to others, to Akira even, the two were fighting. To Adam... He was fighting a ghost. A ghost that Adam wasn't sure he knew how to combat. "I meant I was exclusively dating you, Akira." Adam corrected gently, it was starting to become emotionally taxing to battle, especially when Adam didn't know what to do.

"What the ********? No. I didn't ******** say that, did I?" Adam felt his temper flare at Akira's angry declaration, "I wanted to go and have an adult conversation with you privately, without the influence or interference of a third party. Is that so manipulative?"

Then of course, Iza began to speak. Akira didn't get it. He didn't get why Izaya was here, but Adam was vaguely certain he knew why. He didn't want to dwell too much on that, otherwise he would become too furious to function. Swallowing, Adam took in a deep breath and let it out. If he lost his tempter, it would be all over.

"No." Adam spoke firmly, "I care about Akira's past, of course, but that's for AKIRA to tell Me. Not for you to decide now is the time to spill all the details." For the first time since talking, he turned around and stared cooly at Izaya, "Don't you dare call his experiences a soap opera. Your life is no better."

All the weapons Izaya had, Adam was prepared to battle. It was just this one, simple concept that the blonde had forgotten. It tripped him visibly, making him tense as his throat clenched. He fought to regain control of himself, not wanting to give Izaya more amo, but hie face betrayed the pain and confusion before it fell back under placid neutrality, "When you're hurt by someone bad enough, they all take on characteristics of the one that hurt you. I don't feel this is a rebound relationship. If it were fragile, then it would already be broken, no?"

Finally, the anger filled his voice, "And you'd love that to happen. That's why you're here. You don't want this. You don't just give things away freely, there must be a want or a need on your end. You're lonely, and seeing others happy hurts you more than words can describe. Especially someone," Adam poked his nose with a finger, "That tried desperately hard to be your friend at one point. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too, Naka-kun." Adam spoke his name sickeningly sweet, "I could careless what you try to do to me, but Akira doesn't get abusers or their tactics and I refuse to let him be hurt by you."  

[Akira Midoriyama]

The shop clerk didn't pull his hand away from Adam's, but he didn't return the hold, either. He stared at the ground and listened to the gentle correction before jumping a bit at the angry response to his voiced assumption. His wide eyes watched Adam's face in silence and tried to read whatever he could. As always, though, his main ability to process information came through his auditory senses and the anger in Adam's voice at least told Akira that he was being genuine.

Someone who was trying to manipulate him, to be 'in control'...they wouldn't risk losing their temper and snapping like that, would they? That was the response of someone who was truly hurt. Immediately, regret flooded the silver-haired young man and he hung his head as he looked back at the ground in shame.

His ears still worked fine, though. Adam's answer to Izaya caused the tears in his eyes to finally spill over and he tugged harder than ever on his bangs. Adam was still defending him even after Akira had said such awful things to him. How could he be such a kind person?

Adam was like a knight with his shield out, protecting his noble against the enemy even when the cowardly noble was so paranoid that he'd attacked his knight from behind and stabbed him in the back, believing him to be no better. Yet still the knight held his ground and continued to protect. Because he cared that deeply for the one he'd sworn his allegiance to.

When Akira broke away from the two taller men, running back toward his apartment, there was only one thought that kept repeating over and over while his tears began to stream down his cheeks. What have I ever done to deserve someone like this?  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"Oh no~ Addi-chii's temper was too hot for the ice princess. You made him cry," Izaya commented nonchalantly as he watched Akira run off, hiding his face. "Maybe your relationship is already broken and you just don't know it yet." He then turned back to Adam upon hearing the mention of people taking on characteristics, his face as serious as death.

"Have I hurt you that badly, yet?"

Closing his eyes, he adjusted his sunglasses and his stance against the wall while listening to the blonde go on. When the other finished, he looked up at him and tilted his head. "Thanks for the psycho-analysis of what I do and think and feel. It's not as if I'm aware of them myself, those things being up to me."

He swatted away the finger that poked his nose. "Didn't you hear the words from his own mouth? I'm completely innocent. You're the only one doing the hurting of him around here."  

[Magician Arcana]

Self-hate burned in Adam's stomach. He turned and watched helplessly as Akira ran away, his hand dropping finally to his side like dead weight. Tears wanted to spill from his own eyes, but he kept them back. Drinking them down, he whittled the sadness into a mental sword and turned back to Izaya once more.

"Not yet. I haven't let you." Adam admitted coldly, his expression a mirror of Izaya's. Snorting, he folded his arms across his chest, "Bullshit. You know it's the truth. You did everything you could to get away from me, but now you're here? I'm not a ******** idiot."

Shaking his head the blonde grabbed what things Akira had forgotten in his haste to flee the scene, "I'm not that upset with you, Naka... If anything? I'm disappointed. I expected better, different from you." He looked over at Iza and sighed, "That was a pretty pathetic play. I've never stopped trying to be close to you, have I? You don't need to destroy my relationships to be my friend. Give that a once over, mm?"

Adam turned then and ran, ran in the direction that Akira had fled. From the trajectory he had watched, the blonde guessed Akira was going to his apartment. Genuine worry made his heart tense. What would 'Kira do alone? Would he be okay? What had he done to hurt him? The words that his boyfriend had used to hurt him still stung, the wounds fresh and aching, but that didn't stop him from worrying about Akira. After all, Adam was vaguely used to the pain. He'd been hurt many times in the past. This was nothing too new or shocking. From Akira it was new and extremely painful, but that pushed him to want to know more of why this was happening.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"I didn't say they weren't true," Izaya answered more softly, studying his nails. "I just don't need to be told what I already know. It's annoying."

He glanced back up. "How many more times are you going to let me disappoint you before you finally give up once and for all? Honestly, it's getting old. Besides, I play with others' relationships all the time. Why would you think that messing with yours automatically means I do it because I want to be your friend? I just do this stuff because it's fun."

Whether or not Adam heard him through to the end of his response as he ran off, Izaya didn't know. Maybe it didn't matter. Sticking his hands back in his pockets, he ignored the continued stares from the other customers of the cafe and walked away as if nothing had even happened.