Hello! This is the LONGEST one shot I've ever done of ANYTHING. Close to 5,000 words? Yup, longest thing I've ever written. I've actually been writing this for about a week now. It's probably the most orginal things I've ever thought of too... I hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE OCs... And the plot. NO STEALING MY PLOT!!
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"Alright guys, let's hit it from the top!" My back turned away from the group of dance students and I stared at my reflection in the wall-sized mirror. My jade green eyes met those of the same jade green. Quickly taking the time to actually look over my body before the music started over again, I noticed that my shoulder-length dark brown hair was beginning to come out of the clip that I had it in before the class began. I didn't have enough time to fix it, but I did have enough time to take it out and throw it to the side for when we finished. It'd been awhile since I had it down when I taught class.
Being pulled from my thoughts has the music started, my body quickly moved with the beat and rhythm as my students went along, trying to keep up. My mind was just lost in the lyrics and instruments, that I lost every complete thought of the world around me… It felt like I could have been floating… or even flying if I could imagine it! Although… my little day dream was soon interrupted by my younger sister.
"Loki!" Stopping suddenly to see my students leaning against the wall just watching as I went into my own world, they began to softly clap. Sheepishly, I smiled at them and gave a thanking nod to my sister. Seeing the time out of the corner of my eye, I sighed and ran a hand through my dark chocolate head; I smiled at them again and placed a hand on my hip.
"Alright guys, seems practice is over once again. I expect you all to be here tomorrow at the same time, and be ready to get into dancing quickly, you're a bit behind." They nodded and grabbed their bag that they had and went out of the room to climb down a long flight of stairs and leave in their own cars, or wait for their parents. Turning to my sister, who was leaning against the stairs that lead to our apartment, she only smirked and turned to go back up.
"That's the last time I'm kicking you out of your little dream world." I only smiled at her and crossed my arms over my chest.
"That's what you said the last time, Taku!" She stopped half way up the stairs and flipped me off with that look of annoyance on her face and stomped back up the metal stairs. I only laughed at her behavior and turned to lock up the room for the night and go on my usual night walk.
My night walk was always right after my last class for the day. If you can't tell, I'm a dance teacher that happily teaches those of Metro Tokyo who want to dance. From Ballet to Ballroom and Hip Hop to R&B are my specialties. There's not one person I've taught that can't learn the dance. Sure, I might have to pound the steps into their head, but at least it got the job done. Anyways, back to my night walk.
I'd walk through the cool nights of Tokyo with my arms wrapped around myself just thinking. My thoughts varied from day to day, sometimes it'd be about my students, and sometimes it'd be about my finances. I had to take care of my sister and I; I could barely feed my own mouth, let alone hers. How we got by, I would never know, for I don't ask; I take whatever I'm given.
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It seemed I had walked farther than I usually do. I only sighed at me for my dozing off-ness and kept walking. I'd grab a train to get closer to my apartment than walk all the way back. I had already taught six classes that day, each two hours long, I deserve to be lazy and grab a train.
Looking up from the cool gray pavement, a sudden crash caught my earshot. Trying to see what it was, I was surprised to see a car… crashed totaled looking like it would blow any second!
My legs seemed to move on their own as my arms pumped by my sides to see if I could get to the car faster. Someone, if not more than one person, had to be in that car! Holy shit… I couldn't face to see another death. I'd already seen my parents.
Only ten yards away the crashed car there was a sudden explosion of flames and car parts that practically knocked me off my feet. I knew no one could see me since I was wearing dark clothing, just one of those random days where I liked dressing darkly. Going back to the crisis at hand, I swear I saw something light up in the flicker of the flames…
IT WAS A GUY!
Hightailing it over to see the damage, I knew he was knocked out cold. The way blood was already seeping onto the pavement, and the fact that he wasn't moving… He's one lucky guy; must have an angel or something looking after him. Looking to see if anyone was coming, hopefully not a cop, I moved closer to get a better look. Of course I couldn't see all the features in this dark, but I could see a bit by the flames. Tanned skin more like my sister's than mine, and it had to be a bit shorter than shoulder length barely-kept jet black hair. His features held that of pain and agony; well duh! He just got into a car crash!
Now, I was going to have to pray to my fifteen years of dancing, and hopefully be able to pull him away from the car before it exploded again. Placing my arms under his and taking a deep breath, I began to pull him back slowly, yet surely, toward the pavement; hopefully I wasn't hurting him anymore.
Sigh, man this guy was heavy, but at least I got him to the pavement and away from that stupid car-fire. Still no cops had showed up… weird.
Taking the phone from my pocket I dialed only one number and placed the phone to my ear. After about three or four rings, I heard a sudden face.
"Yeah? What you need Loki?"
Yes! She actually answered!
"Get your ass in one of your stupid cars and get down here about a block west of the Shibuya center. I have a knocked out guy, a flaming car about five yards way, and I don't want to take him to the hospital because there has to be a reason why his car was crashed and now burning."
Taking a deep breath, I could already hear the sound of her engine going off in the background of the phone.
"I'll be there in five…"
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"Hand me the gauze, Taku!" My hand was stretched out behind me as I held down a patch that would cover one of the many gashes on my mysterious patient's arms and chest. Even though my mother was a doctor and I barely saw her, I still learned my fair share of medical bandaging. Feeling the white cotton cloth touch my hand, I quickly placed it on the patch and wrapped it tight, but loose enough for circulation. After that one I went to the next couple and that's how I pretty much spent my night…
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I know I could hear voices, and I know I could already see the bright sun beating down on my eyelids to wake me up… but why was I not awake in the first place?
After actually opening my eyes to look around, my gaze turned to the clock sitting on my bed-side table, my mysterious patient still lying knocked out on it, and I jumped up from my sleeping spot on my window's seating place. Running out of the room quietly and toward my sister's and I little kitchen, I saw her eating what couldn't be breakfast… definitely not.
Who would eat a PB and J sandwich for breakfast? Oh wait… Taku would do that actually…
"Why didn't you wake me up?!" I had already missed one of my classes, and the other was half over…
"You stayed up till about four just making sure the guy was okay… you deserved to sleep in, so I let you. I called all your students' parents, or themselves, and told them class was cancelled for today; you weren't feeling good." Taku shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. She had a point…
Sighing at the fact that I had nothing else to do for the day, I sat on the counter and looked over the apartment before me. It was small, sure, but homey too. I just hoped that soon we could be able to pay it off and not have to worry about the payment of the dance studio (part of the apartment) and the two small rooms with a kitchen and resting area known as my home.
My chin was propped up on my palm, with my elbow resting on my knee, as my feet swung- barely touching the wood floor below me –and my mind began to wonder over many things. Soon it'd be the fifth anniversary of my parents' death, and Taku's eighteenth birthday. She'd then be able to leave my apartment and go off into the world on her own. But why give up a good chance at having free board and room from our sister instead of going to work every day like all adults and working to get paid two weeks later and pay bills to only have a bit left for food? Oh yeah, why go do all that when you have an older sister that baby's you?
"I'm going out with a few friends." Oh hell now… She wouldn't dare… Taku was leaving me in an apartment four stories off the ground with a guy that could wake up any minute, and we have no idea who he was! He could be working for the Yakuza for all we know! "I'll be back later; cya sis." And she was gone like that. Great, thanks a lot Taku. You'll been a great help! First, I have nothing to do today, and now you're leaving me with a guy that's knocked out. Oh why didn't I take him to the hospital?
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Three days. Three long days. Three long eventful days.
Day One-
Taku brought home a guy that seemed to be her boyfriend. To me, he was a hustler. Sure, what do you expect out of a black guy? I'm not racist, like I have room to talk, but guess what his name was? Twinkie; you know, like the little cakes? Yeah, exactly. And I thought my ex-boyfriend had a weird name.
Moving on.
Day Two-
Taku didn't come home after going out with some 'friends' oh no… I spent most my time calling her ass to see if she was okay; still no answer even at eleven. Oh! And my mysterious patient woke up a bit when I was on my lunch break. He passed out only a few seconds after; probably from the pain. Damn, didn't get a chance to ask his name…
Going on…
Day Three-
My mysterious patient woke up again… This time he stayed away, too…
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Being the bored person I was, it was Sunday and I didn't have classes that day, I decided to sit down in the nice silence, Taku was gone once again, and read one of the many books that I had imported from America to read. I hadn't read many of that language, but I was getting better and better. I don't remember the title, for I'm too interested in the book to actually care. It's basically about this boy who finds out he was some weird magic-stuff and goes on adventures. There, that's it in a nutshell.
As I flipped from page to page, I swore I heard something like the rustling of fabric… It was probably just the wind outside my wind, nothing I should worry about. So I didn't.
After a couple more sentences read as my jade green eyes scanned over the words, I just had to look up at the next sound I heard. Of course it sounded like something like a person in pain… a groan, maybe?
Glancing over at my bed, for I was sitting on my window sill reading, I noticed my mysterious patient had awoken from his beauty sleep. Finally I can sleep in my own bed now, instead of the couch…
I marked the page in my book and stood, my feet plopping down on the thin tan carpet. His dark eyes suddenly turned to me as I neared the bed and pulled up a chair beside it. Placing the book on my nightstand, I turned my green gaze back to his dark brown.
"Name: Loki, age: 20, height: 167 cm, weight: 46 kg, occupation: dance teacher. You turn." I know, I'm the type of girl that likes to get to the point. Look, I just told my weight to the guy! I expect something to come out of that mouth of his. I leaned back in the chair and eyed the guy as he sighed and turned to face me.
"I had a feeling you were going to want to know something about me…" A thin eyebrow rose on my head as I listened on his answers. "Han, 22, 185 cm, like 170 kg, occupation: none/former racer. I hope that helps answer your questions you want to ask me…" My eyes narrow quite quickly. This guy had guts. After being in a car crash and almost dying he still had guts… I'm starting to actually like him. He's got attitude; potential too.
I grinned smugly at him and leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees. "Not even close to the questions I got, buddy-boy."
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So far since my mysterious patient, known as Han, awaken, even though I tired, I didn't get much out of him. The reason why he almost died in that car was because something about 'double crossing' a business partner, or something like that crap. And so far, I haven't seen Taku since a few days after Han actually woke up. No phone call, no coming by, no email. Good reddens!
Classes were going smoothly, and I was actually looking forward to my classes' everyday; I wanted to get away from that cocky flirt as much as I could. Although there were moments were I couldn't help but blush at the words he said. Hey, what can I say? I'm a sucker for compliments.
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"Okay guys, today I'm going to be giving you to basic run down of how to do the Argentine Tango." Queue the moans and groans. "Oh shut it! You want be actually learning the steps till tomorrow; I'm just gonna give you the basic run down of what it looks like. Now-"
"Don't you need a partner for the tango, Loki?" Turning with a groan of my own, I faced the ex-racer that stood leaning against the railing to the stairs that led to my apartment and narrowed my eyes. Oh he had guts.
"Don't tell me. You know how to tango?" My hands went straight to my hips, and I raised a thin eyebrow. There went that smirk again… Oh if only I could slap it right off.
"I know my fair share. So what do you say? Want me to be your dancing doll till you find someone better?" Kami! He was so annoying… but he did have a point. I really needed someone who could dance too, but I didn't have the money to pay... Damn.
"Alright, guys; looks like Han's going to be my partner. Just go get out of the way, lean on the wall for all I care, and let me… us show you how to do it." Turning to find my partner only a few inches away, I noticed I barely even came to his shoulder. Great, this was going to be harder than I thought.
Placing my left hand in his right, and gently lowering my right onto his left shoulder, the music began. As soon as it did, our bodies were off into the world of the tango. Skin was pressed on skin, damn him for wearing one of the few button-up shirts I had left of my dad not fully buttoned, and the sleeves rolled as far as they would go; and damn myself for wearing a tank top and some loose shorts that feel just above my knees. My mysterious patient was wearing the same pair of jeans he had on when I first found him knocked out. Even though they were clean of any blood, they still had a few holes in them.
Why am I rambling about clothing, again?
Focusing back on the task before me, the steps began to fasten a bit with the music of the instruments and I just noticed how close I actually was to the ex-racer. Chest pressed to chest, hands gripping tightly to each other, my had had to be gripping the back of his shoulder, and his was wrapped snuggly around my waist, oh yeah; damn him.
"Place that hand of yours any lower, and you better learn to sleep with one eyes closed by tonight…" My voice was in a harsh low whisper as I felt his hand slip a bit down my back. I didn't even have to look to know he was smirking. That stupid hand of his went lower. As my own feet stepped lightly over the wooden dance floor, I caught a few glances at my students, they seemed to be interested. I knew deep down their parents made them take this class and they were really bored. Oh lucky me, I'm the babysitter. Moving on now, and finally…
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Three weeks had passed since I had saved Han from bleeding to death on the pavement and begun calling him my 'Mysterious Patient'. He might have not liked the name, but I didn't care. Taku still hadn't shown, so I just gave up on her and slept in her room while Han stayed in mine. He hadn't talked any about if he was ever going to go back to his friends or anything. He was probably hiding out just until it was safe to come back into the light…
And he just had to hide out in MY apartment.
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It was one of those days where I wasn't going to have dance classes, because it was Christmas Eve. Yeah, yeah, I know. 'It's already Christmas?!' Well, yup. The time Han was spending at my apartment was mainly so he could fully recover from that large gash on his head, and the few dislocated bones he had. Why didn't I take him to the hospital?
"So, no practice today?" I jumped at the sudden voice behind me and looked to see someone I hadn't seen in almost a month. Walking up in front of her, she didn't have time to react for my hand hit her cheek at full force.
"You baka! How dare you up and leave like you did! I was worried sick for almost two weeks! After that I gave up and let you live on. But no, you just have to come back and get in my way and…" I stopped suddenly when an arm wrapped around my shoulders from the back and my back was pressed into a fabric covered warm chest.
My idiot of a sister just stood there with her head hung as tears slipped down my cheeks. The arm tightened around me to hold me back, and a cheek nuzzled itself into my shoulder-length hair. "Calm down, Loki. Let her talk." And there went that annoying sound of Han's voice. Sometimes he really got on my nerves and went into things he wasn't needed in.
"I'm sorry, sis… I don't know why I left, I just did… I've been staying with a friend really; he's been trying to get over a death of someone close. He was really just a guy that I'd met at school… I guess he finally got tired of me or something…" I pulled myself from the ex-racer and pulled my baby sister into a hug that I wasn't going to let her get out of for a long time. Everything seemed fine until…
"I'm going to sleep. I'll see you two in the morning." I didn't turn to look as Han left for my bedroom to sleep; I only nodded slightly and kept holding my crying sister. My tears had dried up, but a few would slip here and there…
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Christmas morning seemed to have come by faster than I expected. I'd slept in the bed with my sister since we had a lot to talk about, and we feel asleep talking. Although when I awoke it wasn't from the sun shining in to show a bright snowy morning, but the yell of my sister saying my mysterious patient had disappeared…
Jumping from the bed and running out her room to the one only a few feet away I saw her sitting on my bed reading something scribbled onto a piece of paper. Sitting beside her nestled into my deep green comforter… was a whole wad of yen bills. Stepping slowly, still trying to take in the fact that my patient had up and left in the morning, my hand hovered over the folded bills and I picked it up carefully.
"A hundred-thousand…" Looking over at Taku with a questioning look, the next part of her answer made more sense. "A hundred-thousand yen… He gave it to us…" The note was quickly snatched from her hand and I skimmed over the words.
Merry Christmas, hope the money helps cover my expense. Thanks for saving me and taking me in, Loki. Good luck with the boy problems, Taku. Who knows, I might see you two again someday…
-Han
My mysterious patient was gone… but in return he had given us something so useful that I couldn't believe we had it. "We have enough to pay off for the apartment and dance studio with still around half of it left!" My lips moved with the sound that left my mouth, but my heart was thinking otherwise. For the month that Han had actually been here, he'd grown on me; and that's saying a lot.
Maybe… no, not a maybe… I had fallen for the guy. I'd fallen hard.
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Dancing is a way to express life in the eyes of a person.
Racing is a way to get away from that life that you are expressing.
So, you can pretty much say, that Drifting is the Tango of racing…
Right?
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"Good luck!" I called to my students as they left for their ride on a plane to the Americas for a dance competition that I'd entered them in. With a bit of hard work, sweat, and maybe a bit of bloody feet, they were ready to go out there and show what Loki Jutake had to show the world about what it really means to dance.
They waved one last time before disappearing into the crowd to board their flight. Turning away and walking out into the chilly night of Metro Tokyo, I stepped beside a certain sleek black car and climbed into the passenger side seat, then looked at the driver. "Where are you taking me, Taku?" My young sister only smiled widely at me and took off down the road. We passed many bright neon signs and heard much chatter from outside our windows, but the silence was thick in Taku's car. Why was she so quiet?
"It's a surprise, nii-chan. You'll just have to wait and see." I'd never liked surprises. Too many bad things happen from them. Or at least, too many bad things happened to me from them.
"You know I hate surprises, so why are you giving me one?" Her grin only widened and I groaned. Tonight was not going to have some good turn-outs. My jade eyes flashed back to look out the window and I noticed the bright lights were no more and we were in a much quieter part of the city. She turned into what looked to be a raised parking lot, and I could already hear the loud thumping of music playing.
"You didn't." My head snapped to my sister with a growl as she only smiled at me and kept driving. "You did!" My hands flailed up into the small space between me and the ceiling of the car as I sunk deeper into the leather seat I was sitting on. "You could have at least given me a chance to change!" I was definitely not dressed to come one of these stupid underground races that Taku disappeared to every weekend.
Just looking around at the other girls there I could tell I was nowhere near dressed properly for this thing. "Oh don't be such a party-pooper, Loki. I just want you to meet someone. After that, then we can leave. Deal?" I only grumbled in response and kept looking out the window into the flashing lights of the dancing bodies and those of people sitting on the hoods of their cars.
Oh yeah, definitely not dressed to be at this thing.
Finally, sister such wonderful and loving sister parked and stepped from her car in her leather clad-self with me not far behind. I was wearing a barely-covering skirt like all the other girls there, oh no. I hated skirts to tell you the truth, plus I had no idea we were going here. I wore a pair of old faded jeans that were covered in splotches of paint from back when Taku and I had painted our rooms when we first moved into our apartment. I also wore my favorite dark green tank top that I only wore around the house, or if I was going to have a long day teaching. My feet were clad in an old pair of converses that had begun to be worn of its bright green into a light pear color. I still had my shoulder-length dark brown hair in its usual clip as my arms hugged myself and I glanced around hoping no one noticed me and what I was wearing.
"Hurry up slow poke!" I looked forward and tried catching up with my sister, but lost her in the crowd. Great, just fuckin' great.
"Looks like your lost; mind if I help?" Oh hell no… It couldn't be! I spun on heal, literally, and faced the same shaggy black haired racer I hadn't seen in almost two fucking years.
"You..." My jade green eyes narrowed as Han smirked down at me.
"Me? What's so great about me?"
"You… you bastard! First you stay in my apartment for over a month 'healing', then up in leave in the middle of Christmas night and leave a wad of cash that I don't want to know how or where you got it, and now you show up two years later in a place like this and act as if nothing ever happened?!" I practically yelled out with frustration and took a punch at his bicep. Damn he has some muscle…
A chuckle only left his smirking lips as Han rubbed the spot where I took a hit at. "Love you too, Loki." I huffed-slash-squealed in angry and pounced on him. My arms wrapped around his neck and legs tightly holding his waist. Oh yeah.
I'd fallen HARD for that bastard.
"You're so damn lucky that I love you, you asshole." I mumbled into his shoulder as I heard a familiar giggle from behind me. I didn't have to look at her to know it was my sister. I could only sigh and hold onto the racer tighter as I wished I would never have to let go.
"Well, it seems you two have already met…" WHAT?! So Taku had planned this… Fuck it; I love the fact that I have a sister…
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I was drifting away from life, and into the arms of that I loved.
I was dancing on the floor of life and holding on tight to my partner's hand.
I had already fallen, and I fell so hard that it almost broke my heart when he disappeared and wasn't able to pick up the pieces till two years later.
I'm so glad I loved the art of dance, and he loved the way of racing.
Because Drifting was the one thing that brought us together…
Drifting shall forever and always be the Tango in Racing…
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A/N: So what did you think? Did it suck? Did it make no sense? Was it too cheesy? Did it not have enough cheese? Should I delete it and forget about writing ever again?!
I need opinions here! T.T
BUT ABSOLUTELY NO FLAMES!!
If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.