Disclaimer= I do not own Toradora.
A/N= Thank you to my Beta Reader for helping me out with this story, I appreciate it!
It was indeed the palm-sized tiger that Takasu Ryuuji was in love with all after all this time. Although it was obvious at first that Ryuuji coveted Minori, it became increasingly crystal that the tiger and the dragon would be together. Those two and their friends had some whirlwind adventures throughout their school year. Due to circumstances, Taiga went away to be with her mother. A year later, they were all graduates.
Ryuuji was walking around one day when he stopped dead in his tracks. Instincts kicked in and he raced up the stairs and into his––now––old classroom, where the window was opened, allowing the wind to come in. Ryuuji looked out the window to find his former classmates milling about. Having lapses as he did, he did not notice the storage closet that stood stationary against the wall. Ryuuji found Taiga in there with her arms folded.
"I thought you had jumped out the window."
"Only stupid dogs would think that their masters would do something like that." Ryuuji shrugged it off to continue staring at Taiga, who was not making eye contact with him.
"Taiga…I love you." This 'true' confession made her snap her head up in embarrassment. She was blushing so much that she grew agitated and as a result, head butted Ryuuji in the nose. "That freaking hurt!"
"Yeah? Well, don't say something like that at such an inappropriate time!" Ryuuji silently agreed. He figured that Taiga wanted to talk for a while before those things were said, maybe even go on a date or something. She wanted to converse, he thought to himself, well he can do such a thing.
"I'm sorry for that, um, premature declaration. I couldn't help myself from saying it because I hadn't seen you in 368 days. It was tough not being near you, not being able to hold you and make you dumplings-–"
"I hate dumplings." Taiga cut in.
"Dumplings? I meant pizza––"
"I hate pizza." She cut in again.
"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! You not being there so I can provide for you was tough, but now that's over and done with. I'm glad that you are here now…" He trailed off. "I love you Aisaka Taiga." He repeated.
"I love you too Takasu Ryuuji." Just as they were pressing each other's lips onto each other, Ryuuji was sucked away and found himself in another dimension.
There was just him and whiteness.
"What the hell is this? Who's the bastard responsible for taking me here?" A physical figure did not appear, but rather a voice that boomed loudly in the dimension.
"Takasu Ryuuji, do you wish your life was different?" Ryuuji looked for any sign of a person, but he was the only one there.
"I don't know who you are, but I would like to return to my school please."
"Answer the question young man––"
"What if I don't?" From out of nowhere, bullets started spraying towards Ryuuji who barely dodged them. He yelled that he'd answer the question.
"That's what I thought." The voice said, a hint of smugness tainting its words.
"You bastard…" Ryuuji snarled under his breath before answering. "My life is perfect right now. I'm going to go to college and I have my girl with me. Life could not be better for me. " The voice waited several minutes before replying; seems like Ryuuji's answer was satisfying.
"I brought you here because that one year while Aisaka Taiga was gone from your life, your heart grew restless. As you told Taiga at your school, you yearned to have her by your side to hold and caress. Those sleepless nights produced new desires and fantasies inside of you and I'm here to make them happen."
Ryuuji was dumbfounded, telling the voice that all he ever thought about was Taiga.
"You cannot lie about desires, young man. Think long and hard at what I'm about to tell you: you can either explore both desires that you dreamed about by living them out in reality OR you can go back to your current woman. Nothing will change if you choose the latter; but if you choose the former and decide after those desires are lived through that you still want to be with your current woman, then life could change." Ryuuji had thought about it for what seemed like an hour. "I have all of eternity to wait."
"No need, I've come to a decision."
"Oh? What have you decided Takasu Ryuuji?" Clutching his chest, Ryuuji told the voice that he'd explore his desires.
What desires had Ryuuji chosen to explore? Next chapter = Ryuuji's "new life" begins.