Conversations Between Him and Her

One-shot (?) by Aridom

Disclaimer: I do not own these two wonderful characters, just the plot. ;)

"Harada-san, you've barely touched your tea." A deep, icy tone filled the air between them. She looked up and locked eyes with Satoshi's deep blue orbs.

"Oh," she gasped, surprised. She looked away, almost afraid of this connection. This vulnerability of letting someone look within her soul. She could still feel his eyes on her, his heavy stare bore holes into her skin. She took a sip of her herbal tea, hoping that he would stop looking at her, but he still seemed unsatisfied. Don't look at me like that Hiwatari-kun, Risa cried in her thoughts. Not like that. Not like how he did that night.

Right when she was about to say something, a waitress stopped in front of their booth, greeting them with a charming smile.

"Is everything alright over here?" She smiled, holding a tray of coffee mugs. Risa remembered when she was able to smile so effortlessly like that. The feeling lingered within her skin, how she wished she could open up herself again. Let her soul be free and weightless. She envied her, but she didn't show it.

Risa nodded her head. The waitress smiled, giving her another friendly glance. "It's nice to see you here with company today, Miss Harada-san. Other times you come alone. It's refreshing to see you accompanied by a friend, a handsome one at that." She giggled and placed more napkins on the table. "Did you two come here together?" Risa stole a glance at Satoshi, who smiled curtly at the waitress and looked across the table to witness Risa stealing a look at him.

She turned away quickly.

"No, we happened to cross each others paths today by coincidence." Risa said, looking up at the waitress. "He's a friend from school."

"Oh, that's great." She adjusted her apron with her free hand, placing her notepad into one of her pockets. "Well, enjoy your time here. You're always welcome back anytime." She winked at the both of them and hurried along, disappearing behind the counter.

"I'm a friend?" Satoshi asked, his voice brisk as ice. He looked up at her but realized if he stared at her for too long, she'd feel uncomfortable. He shot his eyes a different direction, towards a pair of couples cuddling at the back of the cafe shop. He didn't want to look, and he tried not to, but there was nothing else in his line of view.

"What?" Risa was thrown off guard. She had thought they would continue their streak of the quiet game of stare-down after the waitress left but looking up, she found him looking somewhere else.

"You said I was your friend." He repeated himself. "I didn't know you regarded me as one until now."

"It's hard not to after everything we've been through, Hiwatari-kun." She stated, taking another sip of her tea. "You've helped me through a lot."

"I don't recall doing much, Harada-san." Satoshi shifted into his seat, placing his elbows onto the table. "But I have noticed that you've changed dramatically since then." He didn't know why he was bringing up this topic. What right did he have to pry into her business? This was crossing his invisible line that he had set himself up so long ago. Showing concern for a girl? Risa Harada, at that. It was obscene.

"Yes, I have." She admitted. He looked at her, his eyes resting on her figure. "I've come to realize how foolish I've been back then. After all that has happened, I believe this change has been for the better. It's made me grow up."

He fixated his eyes on her, studying her body language. She was hiding something. He could literally feel a brick wall building up between them, as if she didn't want to be figured out. As if she didn't want to be saved, saved from this dream-like state she was in. Where was the pestering girl he remembered a few months ago? The one that dawned a dark outfit and attempted to climb walls of the Cathedral?

Why was she suppressing herself?

"Harada-san," he began. Before he could continue to what he was about to say, she got up from the booth. Grabbing her purse, she placed slips of money on the table.

"It was very nice seeing you today Hiwatari-kun but I think it's time for me to leave. I'll see you another time." She didn't bother looking at him, from where this conversation was heading, she felt like she was about to break. She didn't want him to see her in such a vulnerable state. She didn't want him, of all people, to see her crying over a simple boy.

He reached out to grab her arm, making her halt to a stop. She gasped, almost surprised that he was touching her. A firm grip was placed on her arm and she tried to pry away, but he kept a strong hold on her.

"Let me go." She demanded, trying hard to yank away her arm. "What are you doing?"

"Why are you running away?" He asked simply, keeping his strong grip. "This isn't you."

"What are you talking about? Let me go!" She raised her voice slightly higher, catching the attention of the couple in the back. Satoshi shot a glare at them and they looked away.

"I have to admit something." He continued, his tone was sharp, almost demanding. "Today's meeting wasn't a coincidence."

"What?" Risa was flabbergasted. Where was all this coming from? She didn't understand. Why wasn't he letting her go? What is he trying to say? She just wanted to get out of here, away from this. Away from her memories.

"Today, when I walked in. I knew you'd be here." He looked across the table at her tea cup. "You're here every Sunday at exactly the same time, 5 minutes before 12." He pointed at the front of the store. "And that waitress? I know she's your favorite, you don't let anyone wait your booth except her." He stole a glance at her, but all she did was stand still, her back facing him. Not a move, not a sound.

"Do you wish you were still like her?" He asked, his tone making a sudden drop. "Do you wish you were happy?"

"Stop." She said, her voice shaking.

"You can't keep running away from the past, Harada-san."

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice dropped in sudden defeat. She wanted to collapse to the floor. Why was he saying things that she already knew?

"You said I was your friend. Isn't this what friends do?"

She felt tears build up in her eyes, her body began shaking. It felt like the world had suddenly stopped, halted right in front of her eyes. She glanced around, trying to find an escape. She didn't want to deal with this, especially not with Satoshi. But she knew deep down, he was right. She wanted to be happy again. She wanted to be carefree, escape from this prison she kept herself in.

She felt like she had nothing else to live for. She felt purposeless. In a world that was moving so fast, she felt like she was centuries behind. Repeating the same routine, every single day. The only reason why she came to this shop was to reminisce and be accompanied by a waitress that she resembled not so long ago. An image of herself that she missed dearly.

"I know Dark hurt you." He said quietly. "But believe me when I say that it was for the best."

She flipped her head around to meet his eyes. Tears were strolling down her face, her cheeks flushed. Shaking her head she said, "How can you say that?" She wanted to slap him across the face. He didn't understand anything. He didn't understand the pain he put her through, how he trampled all over her emotions in one fellow swoop. He didn't understand anything.

She yanked her arm away from him and surprisingly, Satoshi didn't put up a fight. She stood with her back still facing him, her figure tall.

"You don't know anything." Was all she said before making her way out of the cafe.

She hurried through the crowds on the street. Her shoulder collided against their chest, her breath coming out fast. I need to go somewhere, she thought. I need to go somewhere far. She could feel her eyes getting heavy and she knew she was about to burst into tears again. No, Risa. She scolded herself. Be strong.

When she wasn't looking, a tall man collided against her, making her fall backwards, her hands flailing in the air. But she didn't feel herself hit the ground with a sudden 'thump' like she thought she would. She looked behind her to see Satoshi holding her, arms placed around her shoulders. Surprised, she quickly lifted herself away from him, pushing him away from her.

"Are you alright, Harada-san?" He asked, his eyes lit with a light blue hue.

She didn't bother saying anything. She knew if she did, she wouldn't be able to control herself. All she did was nod her head, brushing her sleeve. Just bow and leave, Risa. You don't need to talk to him. She did just that. Bow and leave.

But when she turned around, she gasped. An overwhelming large pine tree stood in her way, but that wasn't how she remembered it. An image of it dawned in lights and ornaments entered her memories, candles lit up all around the tree. She could still feel the brisk cold air lingering around her nostrils that day. And when she looked up, she would see Dark next to her, giving her one of his charming smiles.

She could still feel how his lips felt against hers, his hand brushing her cheek. The touch of his hands grasped within hers, the smile he had given her, light and charming. It was all too much. Within seconds, Risa Harada started crying.

Satoshi stood beside her, witnessing her silent bawl. She didn't bother wiping any of her tears away, she let them run free, traveling down her face in a steady stream. She tilted her head downwards and faced the ground, watching as her tears hit the street.

When he thought her tears suddenly began to decrease in speed, he handed her a napkin. She contemplated whether or not to take it, analyzing it as if it were contaminated. In one swift transaction, she took the napkin and started dabbing at her last few tears.

"Thank you," she said. "This is where..."

"You don't have to tell me, Harada-san." His voice was flat. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to tell me."

She looked at him, her eyes still glossy. She closed her mouth, not bothering to tell him about what happened here only a few months ago. She kept clutching onto her napkin as if it suddenly kept her safe.

"You said you've grown up," he continued. His voice wasn't so strict this time, but calm. "But running away isn't growing up. You can try to forget about the past, but don't forget what it has taught you."

Something struck her that day, as if suddenly all the things that she was running away from seemed childish and incompetent. This whole time she was trying to forget Dark, trying to forget what he had done to her, what she had done to herself.

But what she needed to do was realize that everything happens for a reason. Satoshi was right, what Dark did to her was for the best. If he hadn't done so, she wouldn't have known what true heartbreak was. Thus not knowing what it felt like to be truly happy.

She stood for a long while looking at him. Satoshi couldn't help but witness something lifting off of her, a light beaming onto her presence. He smiled. She has finally grown up.

"Allow me to walk you home, Harada-san?" He asked politely.

She nodded her head, allowing him to walk in step beside her. She had finally closed one door in her life, and without hesitation, gladly opened up another one.

Should I or should I not continue this? :D

C/C's are appreciated!