Chapter 22

He was encased in ice. I could see him breathing as the block of ice fogged slowly.

"TATSUYA! HELP PLEASE!" I screamed in worry. Everyone came running as I yelled.

"Oh my god! What happened?" She yelled in fear, seeing Ryoko on the floor frozen.

"Did you . . ." Tatsuya questioned.

"Yes, but I didn't mean to. Now get him out please," I pleaded.

"Calm down," she stated.

She placed her hand over Ryoko, and a flame was viciously placed on the block of ice. Nothing changed. The ice block stood solid.

"How did this happen?" Tatsuya asked.

"I don't know but I didn't want it to." I cried,

"Nothings working, have you tried anything," she suggested.

"No, I might make it worse," I wailed.

"Your elements are stronger than normal, If you don't reverse it he might die, Ayla. " Talila spoke.

I held out my hand over Ryoko's body in the hope something would work. I closed my eyes, and the thought of Ryoko telling me to think of something warm and comforting. But just him was enough for me to feel the heat grow on my face. My body began to warm, and my hands started to warm up.

I opened my eyes to see a medium size flame grow on my hand. I pointed it towards the ice, and the ice started to melt. I started to smile seeing the ice melt off Ryoko's body. His limb body is on the ground breathing slowly. I hugged him wondering if he would wake up with more heat. I felt a hand pat me back.

"Are you ok? Did I hurt you?" I blurted.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," he assured me. He closed his eyes again, my heart jumped in fear. But once I heard him snoring I settled down.

"Do you think he will hate me once he wakes up?" I questioned. She looked at me concerned but then shook her head.

"I don't know, I honestly don't know," Ryoko's mother confessed. She continued to stroke my hair as I watched Ryoko.

Ryoko woke up, but he fell with a cold. I stayed by his side for as long as I could. When he began to stir I immediately wrapped my arms around him as he started waking up. His eyes widened in surprise before softening. He stared into my eyes, smiling.

"Hey," he whispered. I hugged him harder.

"He looks better already," Kaida stated as she walked into the room.

She smiled as she saw me hugging Ryoko, before asking, "Are you alright?"

"I'm ok. Just a runny nose," He spoke with a sigh. Kaida's smile turned into a smirk.

"Why do you care about him so much? You barely even know him," she replied teasingly.

"Maybe because I care about everyone. Maybe I should have saved him, but then I might never have gotten to meet the amazing person that he is," I responded softly.

"That's true," she agreed. Ryoko yawned, looking extremely tired and pale.

"I'll let you two rest," Kaida remarked. She nodded as we left the room.

"Thank you." He whispered, closing his eyes. I stroked his hair gently.

"For what? I haven't done anything yet." I smiled.

"Not only for saving me but also for understanding me. Thank you, Ayla. And thank you for showing me that my powers can be useful, even if I don't have an element," He paused, looking down.

"It's nothing. I would do the same for anyone who needed help," I replied as I continued rubbing his arm.

"Even your enemy?" He teased.

"Especially my enemy," I laughed, causing him to laugh along with me. I looked down, and I realized that our faces were close. Our noses almost touched as we looked at each other. We both looked away and chuckled nervously.

It had been a long time since I was so close to someone else. It seemed as if he was thinking the same thing. Suddenly, I felt something warm surround both of us. It was warm and familiar, and I relaxed slightly into it.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, I decided to speak up.

"Are you still upset with me?" I asked quietly.

"Yes. Yes, I am," He answered jokingly. He pulled himself out of the embrace, getting comfy under his blanket. I sighed.

"I promise I won't give up on you," I whispered.

"You know," Ryoko said after a while of silence, "this is probably the happiest I've ever seen you. You're being really sweet. It's not like you usually act like this," he giggled.

"Is this because of earlier?" He questioned.

"Yeah. I still feel bad about it," I mumbled.

"Don't worry about it. Well, I'm glad I finally made you happy." He replied. I chuckled lightly and lay next to him. Silence resumed, as the two of us just enjoyed each other's company. We lay in each other's arms enjoying one another's embrace.

At that moment, everything seemed perfect. Nothing had to be wrong, nothing needed to be changed. We were together, and that was what mattered most.

I was holding him close, enjoying every second of our contact. As my heart warmed up, I felt myself relax, and I began drifting off again, thinking of tomorrow. Tomorrow would be a whole new day and challenge, but I was ready.