Title: Evil in Her Eyes
Author: Amm (SoulSeeker)
Pairing: Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio
Fandom: Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna
Theme: #24—good night
Rating: For Everyone (PG)
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing ‘Barbie’ with them, cause god knows they’re a lot more fun than real Barbies.
Summary: He had no idea where he was, but he knew it was the last place he wanted to be.

He had no idea where he was, but he knew it was the last place he wanted to be. Kousuke was running through what seemed like dense forest; the ground was covered in sticks and leaves, waiting for him to trip and fall. It was also mushy, making it hard for him to keep up his speed. Even Ryoko would have troubles in this condition, he imagined.

But what was he running from?

He had awoken, his senses diminished in his sleepish, amnesiatic state. All he knew was that he needed to run. He had been running and he needed to run some more; but he couldn’t remember anything, and it was as if he’d been placed in a body not his own.

There was no time to dwell on such things, however. He was being chased.

Whoever it was was catching up rapidly; Kousuke could hear it in the running footsteps. He toyed around with the idea that it might be Ryoko, playing a practical joke to fool with his mind. But he recognized Ryoko’s running, and the steps weren’t hers. They were, however, familiar. It was no stranger. Realizing this made him a little less worried to look back.

A pair of bright glowing eyes stared at him out of the darkness of the trees. They matched the color of the full moon, and were drawing rapidly towards him as the figure approached. She was fast, and though small, she proved threatening. Her moves were elegant, seemingly flawless and so precise that one would think they were rehearsed.

“Rio?” Kousuke finally pinpointed the identity of the figure, and as he said her name, the shadows that concealed her seemed to subside. He could make out some of the finer details in her face; the curve of her lips, in the shape of a smirk that she had inevitably learned from him, and also the evil that resonated in her eyes.

She was silent.

He wondered now more than ever why he was running, but something told him not to stop. He could see glimpse of silver in her hands that shined in the moonlight—a blade, small and dangerous, much like herself. She seemed possessed, like a puppet on strings.

He managed to stay ahead of her. His long legs gave him an advantage, but he wouldn’t be able to run forever, and the darkness certainly did not help.

Why is she chasing me with that blade? Did I piss her off again? Jeez! Women…agh!

Just as Kousuke’s pace began to slow, his feet dragged lower and lower to the ground and he stumbled on an otherwise innocent tree branch. Rio pounced now, taking the upper hand as Kousuke’s lips met with the ground. She sat on him as he struggled, and though it would normally not take much effort to brush Rio off, his fatigue from running began to set in. He struggled with as much force and energy he could muster, running practically on empty. He could see her shadow in front of him, lifting the dagger high into the air. And though she had been silent until then, she said three final, ominous words before she struck.

“Good night, Kousuke…”

Suddenly, all the while bracing himself for the pain, Kousuke heard a loud crash that reminded him of thunder, followed by frantic knocking. He ignored the knocking at first. His mind seemed to block it out, but it got louder and louder until it was the only thing he could hear. His eyes sprung open.

He sighed, rubbing his head a little and feeling slightly disoriented as he stood up and attempted to walk towards the attention-seeking door. The dream that had seemed so real temporarily slipped his mind as he greeted his visitor Rio. She was originally staying in the room down the hall, alone; but with the thunderstorm he heard going on outside, he was not surprised she made her way here.

“Erm…Eyes didn’t answer his door. C-could I…?”

“Yeah. Come on in.”

She smiled, seeming relieved as she made her way inside. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t sleep, all alone…” she murmured. “This horrid weather…”

“It’s okay, no need to explain,” Kousuke saved her the energy. “You know what to do.”

It hadn’t exactly been the first time she had taken refuge in his room during a thunderstorm. Normally, she chose Eyes’s room, but in times when he was away or would not wake up to answer the door, she would rest in Kousuke’s room. And like every other time, she slept on the couch, saying the same thing she always did:

“You know, a real gentleman would let the lady sleep on the bed.”

And Kousuke replied sarcastically, smirk painted on his face: “What lady?”

Rio grumbled, but respected the fact that she was in his room, his territory. She tossed a blanket over herself, sighing, and looked at him, relaxed on his bed. “Good night, Kousuke.”

And with those words, memory of the dream that had briefly been suppressed once again resurfaced. Kousuke’s eyes widened, as he remembered the way she said the words. The way she held the dagger

up in the moonlight, and the yellow glow in her eyes, showing no regret for what she was about to do. He shivered a bit at the thought, wondering why he would ever have such a dream. He wondered if it was a premonition, but looking at her, he could never picture her the way she appeared in his dream.

Her eyes, grey and innocent. Her hands, smooth and beautiful, as if she’d never done a thing wrong. The way she whimpered at any sound of thunder, and flinched at any flash of lightning. No, there was almost no resemblance at all, he decided, between the two pictures he had of Rio in his head at that moment.

“Is something wrong?” Rio asked, as Kousuke continued to stare.

And suddenly, he shook his head, and all sign of fear was lost. “Yes, I’m fine. Good night.” He nodded in reply and, eager to get some real sleep, pulled a blanket over himself and switched off the lamp near his bed. The nightlight placed in the outlet near the couch would be good enough for her, he figured.

“Oh, Rio?” His voice chimed up once more.

“Yeah?”

“Stay away from the kitchen knives.”

A/N: So, this was just kind of a random idea that came to me after remembering the creepy yellow glow in Rio’s eyes after she killed Imazato-sensei in the anime. I found it very memorable and I still have a clear picture of that very shot in my head, even after years of not having seen it.

Anyway, it was random and pointless, but I hope you enjoyed. Half way mark. Cheers!