AN: So far this is my second fic'. But actually, I'm not yet finished with my first one. The plot is kind of complicated and I'm having a hard time coming up with its following chapters. Maybe I'll be able to work on it after I finish this fic'.

Ideas and different plots keep popping out from my imagination. I think it's going to be such a waste of those ideas. It's disturbing, believe me, if I'm not going to make something out of it and not be able to share it. The problem is it's not my cup of tea. It's not my forte. But still, there's no stopping me from trying.

So please, fellow readers and writers, bear with me.

Chapter One: Marry me, Tamahome

"WILL you stop crying, Nuriko!" eight-year-old Miaka said irritatingly to her playmate. Nuriko has been crying hard for almost ten minutes straight and it seems there is no stopping. "C'mon, we'll tell your big brother 'bout that brats," hushing him while looking for Nuriko's brother.

"I don't want to. Don't tell him, please. He'll just ask me why I didn't fight back." Nuriko answered, still sobbing.

"That's it! Why didn't you fight back to that bullies?" Like her, Nuriko is also an eight-year-old but unlike him she's more of a fighter. It pisses her off when Nuriko always ends up crying after being bullied.

Nuriko didn't answer and just continued crying. She just sat beside him and continued to look for his brother. They were now sitting near a bean-shaped swimming pool to get away from the other kids. But up to there they could still hear the nasty teasing of the boys.

"Nuriko is gay! Nuriko is gay!" The boys taunted, poking fun at Nuriko.

"Miaka!"

She looked up from Nuriko and saw their other friend Yui walking towards them. "Mom's looking for us," Yui said merrily. That day is Yui's eighth birthday, having her birthday party celebrated in their manor.

"We asked her to take our pictures last week, right? She said she'll take our pictures now instead. We can even have pictures with the clown and--," Yui stopped in mid-sentence when she noticed Nuriko.

"Why are you crying, Nuriko?" Yui asked with concern when she saw Nuriko's swollen eyes from his non-stop crying.

"Those boys keep on teasing him," Miaka answered in behalf of poor Nuriko.

Yui and Nuriko are her best of friends. The three of them lives in an elite part of Tokyo for those in the upper class. They have known each other since they were able to get out of their cribs on their own, given that their families are associates and friends. From then on, they we're always together and inseparable.

"You know what, Nuriko, you should find someone to protect you," Yui said after sitting beside him.

"I already told him to tell his brother but he doesn't want to!" Miaka burst out.

"No, Miaka. What I mean is Nuriko should get married already."

That got Nuriko's attention and stopped crying, looking at Yui with curious eyes. "Huh? W-why did you say so?" he said, wondering what made Yui say it.

"I heard one of my cousins while talking to her friends yesterday. She said she already found her perfect man." Yui stopped for the mean time, trying to recall more. "He will take care and protect her so she decided to marry him." Yui stood up and took hold of their hands. "Let's look for our perfect man, too!"

"No," Miaka disagreed. "My daddy told me that I'm his baby. It's still a long time for me to get married, he says."

"Miaka's right. We're still young." Nuriko said.

"Yeah, right. But we're just going to look for!" Yui defended herself.

"Maybe--" Miaka was about to answer back when their attention was caught by the clown they're waiting for.

"There's the clown!" she said happily. She ran near the pool to get as fast as she could to the clown when she accidentally slipped and landed on the pool. Worse, she didn't even know how to swim. She cried and yelled for help.

She was flailing her arms helplessly then felt someone pull her up and laid her at the side of the pool. After opening her eyes, angry blue eyes greeted her.

"Stupid girl! Didn't your nanny tell you not to run beside a pool?"

No words came out of her mouth.

The young man stood up and walked into the house.

"Miaka!" Yui and Nuriko called while running towards her, both crying because of fear.

"Are you okay?" Yui asked worriedly.

"Don't ever do that again!" Nuriko said like a big brother to her younger sister. "It's a good thing Yui's brother saw you."

"Stepbrother!" Yui said correcting Nuriko then looked at her. "I was even surprised that snob saved you!"

She slowly stood up looking at where Yui's stepbrother entered then fell into her deep thoughts for a while.

"Yui. Nuriko."

"Yes?" both asked in unison.

She looked straight at her two friends and smiled.

"Someday, I will marry him."

"What?"

"THE answer is 'no'! Miaka, Tamahome will kill me. I can't let you ruin his birthday party." She's been asking for Yui's help to see Tamahome.

"Please stop and forget your obsession with Tamahome, for Pete's sake, Miaka. It's almost four years!" Nuriko said.

"But all I want is to greet him a happy birthday. There's nothing wrong with it." she said, feeling disappointed.

"That's what you think, Mi-chan. There's a lot of it. Mind if I enumerate them to you?" Nuriko said, pacing in front of her like a General giving his commands to his army. "Number one, you're not invited. Number two, every time Tamahome sees you, he transforms into those monsters Go-Go-Power-Rangers hang out with. And last but not the least is number three," he paused, catching his breath from his long litany. "…he might kill us! Let's go before he sees us, please. I don't want to be involved again with your ambush on Tamahome." Nuriko begged.

A smile slowly formed on her lips. Nuriko was referring to the recent incident she approached Tamahome. She asked her nanny to buy three red roses for him. They followed Tamahome to the basketball court, not knowing that Tamahome already noticed them. He angrily walked towards them, a scary scowl on his face, and grabbed them, pulling them towards their house. Because he's older and a lot bigger and stronger than they are, he was able to lock them in the attic. If not for Yui, they may have been locked for several hours.

"Okay, you win," she said. "But first, you have to give this to him," Miaka said while trying to get her gift from Nuriko's tight hold on it.

Yui instantly didn't approve with her condition. "Miaka, you know he's still going to be mad. Worst, he might just throw it in the garbage."

"You're so drastic. And besides, you'll just give it to him. I want to let him know that I remembered his birthday," Miaka said annoyingly, still unconvinced.

"Mi-chan, he knows that you know it's his birthday today. This scenario keeps on repeating for four years! I'm even surprised there are no bodyguards to protect him from you," Nuriko said while giggling.

"That's very funny. Should I laugh now, too?" Miaka said while casting an "I-might-kick-your-ass-so-hard-if-you-don't-stop" look. Nuriko instantly looked aback and tried to control his laughter. She looked back at Yui and continued persuading her. "Please, Yui, please."

"We're only about to graduate in Junior High and Tamahome's already in College. He's already seventeen, right, Yui?" Nuriko interrupted again.

"Right. Mi-chan, he only sees you as a kid. And another thing, we're already big enough to outgrow the idea of finding our future husband, right?" Yui explained further more.

"I don't care. I will marry him. Yui, I will not leave. Not until you give this to him." Yui and Nuriko hopelessly looked at each other.

"Alright. It's hopeless to argue with you whenever it's about Tamahome. But for the mean time, stay by the pool. Tamahome might come out and see you."

Miaka gladly pulled Nuriko to go to the pool, walking through the landscape beside it. They're almost there when they heard something or rather someone moaning. They looked at each other and then slowly went nearer to the shed next to the pool.

A gasp came out of her, her jaw almost fell to the ground when she saw where the moaning sounds are coming from. Her eyes were so wide while looking at Tamahome—making out with a beautiful girl, both are almost half naked while kissing!

"Miaka--" Nuriko whispered.

Tamahome heard them and looked up. "Shit!" He stood up and buttoned up his shirt. The girl irritatingly sat up on the small bench inside and fixed herself.

"Don't you children have something else to do?" The girl shouted at them.

Miaka just stood and stared at them. The girl is Soi, daughter of a business tycoon. As far as she knows, she also studies in the same college Tamahome goes to.

"I don't think your father knows of your filthy exploits," Nuriko answered back. "What if I tell my father?"

Soi stood up and went face to face with them. "You little rugrat!" she yelled angrily.

Tamahome stopped Soi, holding her arm. "Let me handle this." Then, he looked at Miaka, his eyes knife-like. "Miaka, how many times do you want me to tell you to stop following me? Look, Soi is my girlfriend. She's the one I want and not someone like you. Look at you. You're barely out of your diapers."

Miaka only stared at him, tears springing up. That very moment was her first time she felt great sympathy and embarrassment for herself.

Soi mockingly laughed upon seeing her face. "Don't be too harsh, sweetheart. The little girl is already crying."

"This has to end right now, Miaka. You're still young and I don't like you. So please stop asking me to marry you," Tamahome said with finality then lead Soi out, walking pass by them. She was left crying, pale and still in shock.

"Mi-chan…" Nuriko said sympathetically.

Her tears started to fall again. She didn't expect Tamahome to hurt her like that, the guy she adored and loved for four years.

"I hate him!" Miaka said sternly then continuously cried her heart out.

AFTER what happened on the day of Tamahome's birthday, Miaka never gave herself a chance to see Tamahome.

Two months later, Tamahome went to U.S.A. to finish his studies. Her emotions were mixed happiness and loneliness when she heard about it. Happy because she'll be free to move again, with no pretensions and no more worrying that she might see Tamahome. On the other hand, he's already hundreds of miles away from her and that made her undeniably lonely.

And many years passed…

AN: Chapter Re-edited: May 19, 2010

I checked some of my typographical errors, added some words and corrections with my grammar, and etcetera.

I remembered this episode wherein Soi pretended as Miaka to be able to lure Tamahome into…into…and I just didn't like it so I used her for this chapter.

Please leave a review. =3