He ran his fingers through her short plum tresses as she slept, her unclothed slender form pressed up close to his. The closeness wasn't that of an unconscious longing to be near the one she loved, though many times she claimed she did love him, but an attempt to protect herself by clutching him as hard as she could. Shiori was vulnerable. Shiori was vulnerable and Ruka was an upper-hand. She was vulnerable, but Ruka was a shield. She was vulnerable but Ruka gave her power, as long as he remained hers. So, she would press as close as she could in a vain attempt to hold him in her clutches as long as she could.

Ruka wistfully wished yet again that it was Juri sleeping next to him instead of this fragile and cruel girl. This girl who was somehow managed to be simultaneously masochistic and sadistic. Why? He asked himself for what must have been the millionth time. Why did noble Juri love someone as pitiless as Shiori? He could forgive the girl her insecurities, but he could never forgive the way she held them against Juri and did everything in her power to torture the orange haired female who only wanted to make her happy. Shiori's actions were self-destructive as well as vicious, and Ruka could not think of anyone he despised more.

So why? Why did Juri love her so much? He frowned in hurt frustration and continued stroking Shiori's hair, an action void of any fondness or affection. He didn't even know why he was doing it. Perhaps because it was something Juri wanted to do?

Poor Juri. The lovely fencer was a masochist in her own way, falling for the corrupted likes of Shiori Takatsuki. Nothing to be found there but pain. Juri didn't deserve that. But why? How? How could she? The more Ruka asked himself, the harder his heart clenched in his chest and the more he realized the unspoken inquires were pointless. Knowing where the statuesque lioness's passion for the mendacious serpent in the grass came from would not change it, nor enable Ruka with the tools to change it. Love was blind. True love was absolute.

"How I envy you," he whispered softly to the sleeping snake. Shiori was genuinely cute in her slumber, her lips slightly parted and her short plum tresses splayed over her ivory cheek. She was definitely endearing in this way, though Ruka would have gladly traded her for Juri Arisugawa. Ruka would have traded anyone, to be able to run his fingers through her tangerine ringlets and trace kisses along every inch of her pastel peach skin. He longed to do it. To touch Juri, to kiss Juri, to make her his. But that would never happen. Because Juri was simply not interested, would never be interested, and even though Ruka yearned for Juri; he yearned for her happiness more.

"Though I do have a funny way of showing it. Don't I?" he asked himself in a hushed breath, Shiori's silky locks slipping from his fingers. Oh yes, he had a funny way of showing that he loved Juri. If anything, he just kept hurting her more. Being here with Shiori right now, that was hurting Juri. That kiss, that rough kiss he had dared to steal from her in the fencing area had hurt Juri. His very presence at Ohtori was hurting Juri. A dagger of remorse and grief stabbed right into Ruka's heart. Hurting Juri was the last thing he wanted to do, it truly was…But it was also necessary. The world was sick and harsh, and in order for Juri to be happy, she'd first had to be pained. She'd have to duel again to get her miracle, and Ruka had to be the one to push her into it. No one else could.