"Have you two set a date yet?"
Mishima Fay looked up at her mother and gave her a weak smile. She lifted her wine glass and sipped it like a lady. She glanced at Atobe Keigo who was seated next to her and shook her head. "Mother. Keigo and I are not even officially engaged yet," she answered. "Don't scare him away."
Atobe smirked lightly next to her. "Fay and I decided to take things slow," he added, cutting small tender pieces of his gourmet meal.
"But…"
"Mother, please," Fay interrupted firmly. "I would appreciate if you don't make an issue out of this every time Keigo and I have lunch with you."
Her mother let out a sigh. "Fine, I give up, but Keigo you better tell me first before your mother," she said, making him chuckle.
Fay smiled as she ate her salad. She was having her weekly lunch with her mother and said boyfriend. The two of them had grown up together and being close family friends, their parents had wished to see them get married.
They were both rich from high class end so there was no reason not to be together. They both got along well and were exceptionally attractive to have beautiful children as well.
It was the perfect arrangement.
After lunch, the three of them walked out. Fay's mother bid them goodbye as she followed Atobe to his car. "Well, that went well," Fay said cheerfully.
"I don't know how many more of these lunches I can take," he muttered, sliding into his car seat. "We have the same conversation every week."
Fay just looked at him and was about to speak, but her cell phone rang. She looked at it and spoke for a few minutes. Finally, hanging up, she looked back at Atobe.
"Your boyfriend?"
"Yes, he wants to meet me," she said, putting her phone back in her bag. "Can you drop me off?"
Two rich people raised together and knew each other very well. It was the perfect setup, but did they want each other?
"No problem, I'll drop you off. I need to go to my own woman before she decides to dump me for neglecting her."
She giggled. 'And how is Sai treating you?"
"Good as always," Atobe replied, a small smile playing on his lips. "She's almost perfect."
"Almost perfect?" Fay inquired, eyebrow raised. "If she's almost perfect, then who would be considered perfect?"
"Me of course," Atobe replied haughtily as if it was the most obvious answer.
Fay shook her head in amusement. "Should have known," she muttered. And she really should have, knowing him for as long as she did.
"So where shall I drop you off?" Atobe asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
"Downtown is fine. I'm meeting him at a restaurant," Fay replied before turning her gaze out the window. She didn't want him to see the frown and sadness in her eyes that she knew would be there. Atobe would never know of it, but her relationship wasn't as nice as his.
"But we just ate with your mother," Atobe stated, a questioning look on his face.
"It's just a meeting spot. I'm not sure what he wants to do," Fay replied with a shrug of her shoulders but still not looking at him.
"I see."
It didn't take them long to reach the downtown area. Fay got out once they were at a reasonable distance from the restaurant. She turned to him when he called out to her. "What is it, Keigo?"
"Do you need a ride back?" He asked, before she could close the door.
"No, I'll get a ride from Tetsuya," Fay replied with a shake of her head. "Besides, didn't you say that you needed to spend more time with Sai?"
"That's true," Atobe said with a light chuckle. "Well, I'm just a phone call away if you need me. If anything, you could call one of your family's drivers to get you."
"Of course. I'll be seeing you later then." With that Fay shut the car door, waving as Atobe drove away. She took a second to ready herself before walking the short distance to the restaurant where she would meet her actual boyfriend.
As she turned a bit, a pair of arms encircled her waist making her scream lightly. She turned and found the devilish face of her boyfriend. "You scared me," she said, her hands on his chest.
He kissed her forehead and gave her a cheeky smile. "It's alright," he said, moving away. "Where were you?"
Fay hesitated. "I was having lunch with my mother and Keigo."
"I see," he said, taking her hand. He tugged it a bit too roughly and pulled her with him.
She winced a bit, but didn't say anything. "So, where are we going?" she asked, hugging his upper arm.
"Let's go to my apartment. I'll order takeout since you ate," he answered, looking at her.
Fay stopped a bit. "We can eat here, you know," she pointed out. "I'll keep you company."
He glared at her. "Do you want me to look like an idiot?" he demanded, hands on his hips. "I eat alone while my woman stares like she's on a freaking diet?"
Fay bit her lip.
He didn't say anything else. He just dragged her to his apartment and almost roughly threw her in. Fay held her bruised wrist gently and rubbed it as she walked to his living room. She just wished he could be a bit gentler with her, but she was a fool for thinking that.
Her boyfriend had a bad temper and she was the end result of it at most times.
She looked around when she felt his arms again. "Hey…" he said softly into her ears. "They said it will be here in half an hour, so we have some time alone," he murmured, burying his face into her hair.
Fay moved away a bit. "No, Tetsuya…" she said, turning around. "Let's just talk and…"
[SLAP]
Fay gasped, holding her bruised cheek. It was so sudden that she was frozen in her place. She knew she was getting a mark there. She looked up at his furious face and held in her breath.
"If you don't want to, just say so." He turned around. "Don't feed me the "talk' crap." He walked out of the room and into the kitchen.
Fay held her tears in and shook her head. She touched her cheek again and winced. After a few minutes, she walked after him and found him sulking on the kitchen table. "Tetsuya…" she said softly, cupping his cheek. "I'm sorry," she said, leaning down and kissing his lips gently.
He didn't say anything.
Fay let out a shaky breath and moved away, but he grabbed her roughly and kissed her roughly. In a few minutes, he pushed her back. 'Don't you ever say no to me again, woman," he threatened, towering over her.
She looked down and nodded. As much as he hurt her, she still could never bring her heart to break up with him. She knew he loved her, but he had horrible ways of showing it. The physical abuse had been increasing recently and she didn't know how long she could keep pretending that she was too clumsy and it was an accident.
Atobe had twice remarked about her bruised cheek, but she had made up any silly excuse to drop it. She wondered how many more times she could lie like that? Knowing him for so long, she knew he was no idiot.
She let out a sigh and finally moved away. Picking up her bag, "I have an appointment," she announced, looking away. "Let's meet up later."
He just said okay. There was no invitation to drop her off and no inclination that he was sorry.
This was not the first time that just wanted to get away as soon as she could. She almost fled from his apartment and immediately pulled out her cell phone. She dialed a number she knew and waited for the 'other' to pick up.
"Hello."
Fay smiled. The voice of Niou Aya always made her smile. Although they had both met when older, they immediately became good friends. Fay had met the woman a year back when she went to pick one of her cousins from kindergarten.
Apparently she had been the principal of the school and was married to a well respected civil engineer. What surprised her was that she was a Sawada originally and Fay knew them very well since she went to the same school as Aya's step brother, Kanaye. She never knew that it was the same Sawada.
"Hi," she said finally.
"You need a lift, right?" Aya asked knowingly.
Fay's heart quickened. She almost cried, but nodded. When she realized nodding was futile because Aya couldn't see her, she finally said. "I'm sorry."
"Hey, don't apologize to me," she said sharply. "That ass should be the one apologizing."
Fay didn't say anything.
"How are you going to cover this one?" Aya asked as Fay dabbed concealer just below her eye.
Fay let out a sigh in the bathroom. "Just like how I always do," she answered, smoothing the liquid gently onto her skin. It hurt more than she had wanted to admit, but her pride just won't admit it.
"Do you realize that if that prick of yours knew about this then he would kill Tetsuya?"
Fay didn't answer. "That's why he shouldn't know about this and he won't," she said finally in a firm tone.
"Fay…"
"Please Aya," she pleaded. "I don't want to discuss this anymore. I am going to leave him…"
"I've already heard that a thousand times."
Fay bit her lip. She finally finished covering it and turned around in her makeup room. Aya had brought her straight to her penthouse where she lived. It was a massive building that Atobe owned. Each floor was exclusively yours and they each had a floor. "Aya…"
"Don't!" she said angrily. "How dare you take abuse like that?" she snapped. "Everyday you're covered with new scratches, are you happy like this?"
"He loves me," she said in an unconvinced voice.
She crossed her arms and stared at her dumbfound-ly. "If Masaharu told me he loved me one minute and then slapped me the next, then he'd be a divorced man by now."
"Not all men express their love the same way, Aya," Fay reasoned weakly.
"Then the way your boyfriend shows his affection isn't very positive, is it?" Aya pointed out. "If it were me, I would have left at the first sign of abuse."
"Well I'm not you!" Fay exclaimed.
Aya stared at her with surprise on her face at the sudden outburst. A second later, a smile emerged from her face. "I know you aren't and according to Masaharu, that's a good thing. One of me is enough. But I don't think taking some of my pride as a woman would be a bad thing for you."
"I'm just not as strong as you are," Fay muttered, eyes downcast.
"Well, then I'll give you lessons," Aya declared haughtily. "Pride 101. I'll even give you a discount."
Fay couldn't help but smile at that. Aya really was someone she could count on to help her out when she needed it. "Thanks Aya."
Aya grinned. "Hey, what are friends for?"
"You know, I envy you and Keigo," Fay admitted with a sad smile. "Both of you have good relationships."
"Yeah well if you remember, my relationship with Masaharu wasn't all strawberries and cream," Aya recalled, rolling her eyes.
"But in the end, you two got married. And it's still going strong," Fay said, an amused smile lighting her face. "Keigo's relationship is going good too."
"I'm surprised he hasn't realized what's been happening to you yet," Aya remarked. "I know he can't be that oblivious."
"He's been questioning, but somehow he's been buying my excuses," Fay muttered, worry tinged her voice. "I'm not sure how long they'll last though."
Aya didn't say anything. She simply picked up her stuff and hugged her. "I need to go," she said, "Will you be alright?"
Fay nodded. "Don't worry about me," she answered. "I need to get ready for tonight anyway."
"Tonight?"
Fay let out a sigh. "Yes, Keigo's mother now seems want to do something with us." She sat down. "I do get tired of this sometimes."
"Why don't you two just break up? Not like you're going out anyway."
Fay huffed her hair out her eyes. "It's difficult," she mumbled. "It sounds silly, but it's difficult."
Aya didn't say anything. "Well, it's your decision and his." She put on her jacket. "However, you'll need more concealer for your eyes than that." She pointed out, leaving.
Fay turned back to look at her reflection, gently touching where the bruise was. She released a sigh before starting put on more concealer so that her discolored skin would not be seen.
After dropping Fay off, Atobe made his way to where his girlfriend lived. It didn't take him long since she lived nearby. Along the way, he had passed by a flower shop and decided to get a bouquet before heading to his girlfriend's house.
Once he got there, he didn't even need to knock on the door before it opened and something, or rather someone, launched them self at him. Luckily he was able to maintain balance while steadying the person in his arms. He looked down at the person with a gentle smile on his face.
"Keigo! What a surprise!"
"I thought I'd drop by," Atobe said with a grin. "How are you, Sai?"
"Perfect now that you're here," Sai replied with a bright smile. Noticing the bouquet of flowers, she beamed up at him. "Are these for me?"
"Of course," Atobe said, handing them over to her.
She inhaled the gentle smell that they gave off before leaning up and giving him a quick peck on his lips. "You're such a sweetheart." She took hold of his hand and pulled him inside. Once the door closed, she leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a proper kiss.
Atobe responded in kind, slipping his arms around her waist. It had been a while since he had been with his girlfriend, so he savored the feel of having her in his arms. When it became necessary, they broke apart for air but still remained in each other's embrace.
"Will you be staying the night?" Sai asked, hope edging in her voice.
"I can't. I'm having dinner with my mother and Fay tonight," Atobe replied as he rubbed her back.
At hearing that, she tightened her hold on him just the slightest bit before relaxing. She leaned up and kissed him again. However, before he could respond, she pulled away, letting her lips brush against his as she spoke. "Then, we should make good use of the time that we do have right now."
Fay paced around her living room, occasionally glancing at her watch on her wrist. Time was ticking away and she was getting worried. Just as she was about to take out her cell phone, a knock came from her door. Rushing over, she opened it and glared at the person on the other side.
"Keigo, if you had gotten here a minute later, we would be seriously late," she accused, poking his chest.
"Sorry. I lost track of time," Atobe responded with a boyish grin.
Fay could tell by the look on his face that he had a pleasant afternoon. Shaking her head in amusement, she grabbed his arm and dragged him to the elevator. "Come on before your mother thinks we ditched or something."
"She'd probably approve if we did," Atobe muttered, entering the elevator and pressing the button for the ground floor. "Anyway, how was your afternoon?"
Fay stiffened at the thought of her afternoon, her hand unconsciously ghosting over the bruise on her face. She played it off by fiddling with her earring before replying. "It was fine. We just walked around the city before he dropped me off here. Nothing too extravagant."
"I see," he said quietly. He watched her and noted something different about her. "Why do you have so much makeup on?"
Fay looked at him surprised and then gave an embarrassing smile. "I wanted a different look."
He lifted his hand and rubbed her cheeks lightly at a light smear that she had missed, to his surprise Fay winced and backed away. "Is something wrong?"
"That tickled," she lied, walking out of the elevator.
Atobe didn't say anything, he just followed suit.
"Was it love? It's so cute to grow up with someone and find love?"
Fay has the urge to grimace at the giggling fit of women around her. She wanted to kill Atobe's mother for inviting more than twenty people for a 'small' dinner.
Atobe stood next to her and sensing her irritation, he casually reached for her hand and held it in his. He squeezed it gently telling her to calm down.
However, Mishima Fay was not calm. She more depressed than calm. Although she had argued with Aya about Tetsuya a thousand times, today seemed somehow final.
Fay hugged his arm and looked at him. "I want to leave," she said quietly.
He looked at her surprised. Still, he was not someone who would say no to a request, especially coming from someone very dear to him. He nodded and took them both to his mother. They thanked her and excused themselves.
In his car, he noticed that she was too quiet. "Is everything alright?"
Fay gave him a weak smile. "It's alright," she answered. "I just wasn't in the mood for them."
"Really now…" He rolled his eyes. "Well then, shall we just go and get dinner by ourselves?"
Fay wanted to say no, but considering the crappy day she's had she decided to accept his invitation. "That's fine, I am hungry," she admitted.
During dinner, they were both quiet. They went to a casual place they normally went to and enjoyed the food and each other's company. Fay marveled at how at ease she was with him. He looked at her and smiled. "So, how is Tetsuya?"
Fay clutched her glass tightly and gave him a thin smile. "He's good," she answered swiftly.
"Did you guys have a fight?"
She looked up at him. "No," she said, looking away. "It was a small argument, nothing worth being depressed of."
He studied her answered profoundly and then asked another question. "Then why are you depressed?"
"I'm depressed because I'm hungry."
He chuckled quietly and took the hint that she wasn't going to answer him. They continued eating and enjoyed the evening.
Once at home, Fay sat on her bed reading lightly. Atobe had dropped her and then went back to Sai since their evening was young. She was depressed because she needed someone. Why don't I have someone that worships me like Sai and Aya? She thought sadly. However, she blushed suddenly at the thoughts.
Am I jealous of their relationships?
Fay looked around her apartment and let out a depressing sigh. She was playing a false façade and it was beginning to hurt her a bit because she was doing something she didn't want.
She was a woman in an untamed relation secretly and another woman in the 'perfect' relationship, which can't even be called her own.
She and Atobe had grown up together and their parents had always hinted that they wanted the two together. Out of their wishes, they decided to try but both realized after one date that they're better off as friends.
However, their mothers were demanding and they wanted no one less for their children so they pleaded that they give this a longer try and if they don't like in the time period they were given then they can break up.
They said yes, but they were so comfortable with each other that their parents had taken it as a sign that they're finally serious about each other and the hints of marriage was starting to come in.
Fay told Atobe that they should end this soon because the longer its taking, the harder it's going to be with their parents. Also, she didn't want to do any of this any longer. She wanted to leave Tetsuya and break it off with Atobe publicly so she could find someone special.
She loved Tetsuya, but lately…
Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by the ring tone of her cell phone. She moved to the side and picked it up. "Hello?"
"How is my angel?"
Fay laughed and shook her head, plopping onto the couch. "She is fine and how is her sweetie?"
"He is good as well."
Fay closed her eyes and stretched her legs. "Jirou, do you realize that we sound like a love sick couple?"
"Yup."
Fay chuckled and talked to him. Since she had grown up with Atobe, she had with Jirou as well. The three of them were all good friends and Jirou was like her elder brother, more than Atobe.
She knew that Atobe had a fondness for her and would always be there for him, but something about Jirou was different. Their relationship was more brother and sister than anything else.
"Tetsuya? He good?"
Fay paused for a second. Throughout her conversation with Jirou, she had forgotten about Tetsuya. She let out a sigh and sat up. "It's alright."
"Are you having problems?"
If you only knew, she thought wryly. "We just argued over something stupid," she lied. "And don't ask me to tell you because I'm not in the mood to repeat it."
"Fine. Fine."
Fay wanted to tell him so much, but she knew what the result would be. Jirou, who looked so cute and innocent would turn into a killing machine and murder Tetsuya. "I think I should go to bed."
"You do that and I'll see you soon."
Fay nodded. "Thank you."
"Good night."
She hung up and fell back onto the sofa. You're so kind to me…
"Ow…" Fay winced as Atobe held her upper arm.
"I'm sorry, did I hold too tight?" he asked, looking at her. "You were going to get lost."
Fay shook her head. "I just bruised it lightly earlier today."
He nodded and took her hand instead.
Fay looked at him and felt sad. The warm hand holding her own did not belong to her and she was feeling guilty. She wanted someone special. She wanted someone who would hold her hand tenderly and love ONLY her.
Tonight, it had been four weeks since she last had her interact with Tetsuya. However, she saw him today and he had wanted to kiss her, but she unconsciously moved away, which he didn't take too heartedly.
The result was her bruised arm.
Fay held it without thinking and let out a sigh.
The whole night, she quietly played as Atobe's girlfriend until they finally had to leave. In his car, he glimpsed at her and wondered what had her so quiet. However, he refrained from saying much. They both got out of the car and he walked her to her apartment.
"You're quiet tonight."
Fay looked up at him. "I was just thinking," she admitted. "Maybe, I don't want to do this anymore."
He looked taken aback.
Fay leaned against her door frame. "I'm having problems with Tetsuya, Keigo and I'm thinking of ending it." She looked to her side. "If people think I'm with you then I'll never find someone special."
"You have been thinking of this for a long time," he remarked.
"Huh?"
He rubbed his jaw and then crossed his arms. "I'm sure you didn't think of breaking up with him yesterday since you're already thinking of being with someone else."
Fay stayed quiet, but then chuckled bitterly. "How observant of you."
He brushed her cheek gently. "Anything I can help you with?"
She leaned into his hand and kissed it lightly. "I'm going to do this tonight, so maybe I'll give you a call once it's over."
He nodded and hugged her tightly. "I'm here for you." He kissed her forehead and let go. "I'll be in my apartment," he said, heading upstairs.
She nodded and pulled out her cell phone.
It was a good half an hour when Tetsuya finally arrived. "Hey…" he said, walking towards her. He pulled her into arms, wanting to kiss her, but she stopped him.
"I want to talk to you, so don't take this personally."
He tightened his hold on her waist and lifted her chin. "Just let me kiss you once…"
Fay moved her head away. "I want to break up."
He stiffened.
Fay moved away, but he pulled her back in tight. "What did you say?"
Fay had her hands on his chest. "I want to break up," she said quietly. "I don't think my body can handle your hits anymore."
"I love you."
Fay laid her head on his chest and felt her heart squeezing. "You don't hurt the people you love, Tetsuya."
He lifted her chin again. "I'm going to kiss you."
"No." She pushed him away, but he caught her.
"I said I was going to kiss you…"
Morning
"I don't know what to say," Aya said softly.
Fay covered the side of her face and looked away. It was over. She knew it. She wanted it to be over, but not like this. He had hit her so bad when she refused him that she had fallen unconscious.
However, she was still in pain. It was more emotional than physical. Although her stomach hurt so much because that's where he had punched her, her heart ached more.
Tetsuya had been so angry after beating her that he had just left without even closing her apartment door. Thankfully, the security guard downstairs saw her open door through the security cameras and helped her out.
'Fay?"
She clutched the hospital bed sheets and kept her eyes glued to the floor. "I want to be alone," she said quietly.
Aya went to her to hold her hand, but Fay slapped it away.
"Please leave me alone."
Aya looked grim. She should've been hurt but she could understand Fay's pain. "Fay, Atobe knows," she added. "The security guard called him first."
Fay's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.
Aya put her hand on her head and rubbed it through her hair gently. "You haven't cried at all," she said soothingly. "Your parents don't know and I'm sure Atobe went to see Tetsuya first."
Fay moved away. "Aya, please leave," she repeated. "I… I just want to be alone."
Aya let out a sigh and finally nodded. "I will be back tomorrow," she said, kissing her cheek. "Please get some rest."
Fay didn't say anything. The minute Aya left, she shifted and lay down on the bed on her side. Her cheek resting against her pillow and she closed her eyes. She couldn't lie down on her other side because it hurt too much.
She didn't know how long she stayed like that, but she did open her eyes when she felt something brush against her cheek. The first thing she saw was dark steely eyes. "How's my princess?"
Her heart ached at that comment. She hated this. She hated pretending, but the warmth of his hand was all she was going to get now. However, she didn't want to get hurt anymore so she pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me."
Atobe looked staggered, but it quickly turned to something more serious. "How could you not tell me?"
Fay kept quiet, hugging the bed sheets securely around her.
"Damnit, Fay! I am talking to you!" he snapped angrily. "How could you not tell me that you were being physically abused?" he demanded. "You told me you want to break up with him, but you didn't tell me that he used to hit you. Why didn't you ask me to stay with you when you were planning on telling him last night?"
"Because I'm pathetic," she finally answered.
'And you covered his tracks?"
She laughed. "I was good, wasn't I? Even the great Atobe Keigo failed to see my bruises." She continued laughing hysterically.
"Fay…"
"I was afraid. I am afraid of being alone." She sat up. "You go back to Sai. Who do I have?" she asked quietly. "Who do I have, Keigo?" she said, looking down. "I loved him, but I couldn't take it anymore, so I wanted to move away from him and find that someone unique."
"That's a load of crap," he said standing up. "You always have people who love you around you."
"But I want an Atobe Keigo who adores his girlfriend?!" she snapped. "I want someone who can adore and love me like how you worship your girlfriend!" She started crying softly. "I am officially pathetic," she added softly.
"That you are, Mishima," he added.
Fay glared at him with tear streaked eyes.
Atobe didn't offer her any comfort or a hug. He just watched her as she cried. Finally when she was done, he handed her the box of tissue and she took it. "You needed that."
"Yes," she said, dabbing it at her eyes.
He crossed his leg and leaned his elbow over it. "Tetsuya has been given a court order." He looked at her seriously. "That goes for you too; you're not to go near him at all.'
She looked up through the tissue.
"He will pay money for emotional damage that he has caused you and will not come near you within ten feet or he will be jailed immediately."
Fay's expression changed. "That was fast."
"Jirou did it."
Fay looked up and accused him with her eyes. "You told?" she asked hurt. "Why did you tell Jirou?" She cried. "He'll be so disappointed in me and…" She covered her face with her hands.
"Jirou's not disappointed," Jirou said seriously, walking in. "He is very irritated!"
Fay wiped her tears with her bed sheet. "I'm sorry."
"You should be," Jirou said angrily. "How could you allow such a thing to happen?! I mean what were you thinking?" he demanded.
Atobe held Jirou's upper arm, "calm down. You can see that she's already feeling crap about it."
Fay didn't say anything more.
A while Later Outside Fay's Room
"So what now?" Jirou asked.
Atobe rubbed his hand through his hair wearily. "I don't even know where to start," he admitted, "but, at least this is over."
"True, but did you see her face? She is devastated."
"Serves her right!" he snapped, "she shouldn't have kept this."
"Atobe."
"Forget it. I've called her friend, Aya and asked her to pick her up in the afternoon when she will be released. The first thing they will do is get rid of everything belonging to Tetsuya."
"What about her parents? Her mother meets her once a week. How will you hide her bruises from her?' Jirou asked. "We can tell her that Fay is overseas on a shopping trip."
"You think her mother will not visit her and go shopping with her?!" Atobe snapped. He knew fully well that Fay's mother will use any opportunity to shop.
"Hey, why are you in a foul mood?! It's over and done with. Fay is safe now."
"You handle this," Atobe said, walking back inside.
Jirou followed.
Fay looked up, "are you guys okay?"
"Yes, we're fine," Jirou answered. "We're just wondering what to tell your mother."
"Oh, rubbish. Just tell her I fell down the stairs," Fay said uncaringly.
"Stop pretending that this is not a serious matter, Fay." Atobe looked at her sternly. "Look at yourself. You're all black, blue and purple! Are you happy? Are you happy?"
"You know what?! This is none of your damn business!" she said heatedly.
"Don't act irrational," he said heatedly, "You don't even realize the…"
"Get out now!" she interrupted.
Jirou held Atobe's arm again and led him outside, "let's not upset her more. Just go away for now and let her be."
"But…"
"Just go for now."
He swore softly and walked out without turning back.
Jirou walked back in, "are you happy?"
Fay lay down and closed her eyes, "just leave please. I just want to sleep."
Jirou knew better than to argue with her.
3 weeks later
Aya strutted into Fay's apartment and actually stopped to look in surprise at her surroundings. There were boxes everywhere and she wondered what was going on. "Fay?"
Fay walked out, wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. "Hi, girlfriend."
Aya frowned. "Are you supposed to be walking around?" she asked, sitting on the dining table chair, which was the safest place for her to sit on since there were boxes scattered everywhere.
"I'm fine," Fay said, dumping a pile of clothes into a box.
Aya yet again frowned, looking around her. "Are you moving out?"
"No," Fay answered, taking the duct tape from the floor and closing the box with it. "I never realized how much of Tetsuya's crap I kept until now."
"Oh." Aya stood up. "Can I help?"
"No need to," Fay said, bending down to push the cart to the side. "Jirou was here earlier and Keigo's maids came over and did the rest."
Aya crossed her arms and spoke without thinking. "Why didn't you get your own maids from the main house?"
Fay pushed the last box with a huff and sat on it. "My parents will wonder what I'm doing with all this stuff." She reminded her. "At the end of the day, I'm still supposed to be Keigo's girlfriend."
"so, he apologized?" Aya asked?
"No," Fay replied lifting a box, "I did."
Aya let out a sigh of relief. "How are you feeling?"
"Like crap," she answered automatically.
"Fay!" Aya scolded.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she muttered. "It's just…" it's just that I'm so lonely, she wanted to say, but shook her head. "I'm just a bit relieved that it's all over," she lied. "I can't imagine going through that any longer."
Before Aya could say anything, she heard another set of footsteps. "Hello!"
They both looked up and found that it was Sai who had cheerfully greeted them as she walked in with Atobe. She was holding onto his upper arm as they walked in. "Are you moving?" Sai asked, confused.
Fay rolled her eyes and stood up. "Nope, I'm just getting rid of Tetsuya's stuff."
"Oh," Sai said softly. "I didn't know that you guys broke up." She gave Atobe an accusing look of why didn't you tell me.
Fay shrugged. "It's not important," she said, picking up her phone. She quickly dialed the guard's number downstairs and asked him if the delivery men could pick up all the boxes. Finally, settling the phone down, she looked at her guests. "Can I offer you guys anything to drink?"
Aya stood up, lifting her bag. "Not me, Fay. I need to pick up my step daughter," she said with a smile. "I just came to see if you needed any help."
"Thank you."
Aya hugged her and walked out, which left only the three of them in the apartment. "What about you two?" Fay asked, looking at Atobe and Sai.
Sai smiled. "We were actually heading to the movies; I wanted to ask if you and Tetsuya would join us, but…"
"It's alright," Fay said, pouring some orange juice into glasses. "I am not in a movie mood."
Sai nodded in understanding. "Shall we go then, Keigo?" she asked, sipping the juice that Fay offered her.
He nodded, but Fay stopped him for a second. "Can I… Can I talk to you for a second, Keigo?"
He nodded and wondered why the sudden serious tone. She excused them and led him to a guest room for some privacy. "What is it?" he asked.
She looked down for a second at her folded hands. Finally, she looked up and faced him. "I want us to break up.'
He looked taken aback.
"Don't look so surprised," she said quietly. "I've been thinking of this for a very long time," she admitted, sitting on the bed. "I am alone now, Keigo and I can't find someone if I'm in a fake relationship with you."
He studied her. "Why are you so caught up in the being alone part?"
She looked up at him with a frown. "Excuse me?"
"You keep saying, I don't want to be alone or I'm alone now! Alone! Alone! Alone!" he said sharply. "You are not alone, Mishima! You have people that care about you!"
You don't understand, you idiot! She thought angrily, clutching her shorts with her hands. You have someone to hold! You have someone who cherishes you! You have someone who's always there for you when needed! You have someone to make love to! You have someone to call your own. She looked up at him with glaring eyes. "You will never understand," she said quietly, looking away.
"Then make me understand."
"Forget it," Fay said, standing up. 'Please, just leave."
He caught her upper arm. "Don't be like this."
She pushed him away gently and fought back tears. "I am going to tell my mother that we broke up tonight," she said, looking at him. "I hope you will do the same. If they ask us why, then I'll tell them that I love someone else."
He felt that she was serious. However, she looked upset at the same time. "I will pick you up tomorrow evening and we will go together," he said. "You sound serious about this Fay."
Fay nodded. "I am and… thank you, Keigo."
He kissed her forehead and left the room.
Next Evening
"Oh, you're… Without any notice, but…" Fay looked at her mother dumbfounded.
Fay's mother looked at her and smiled, "I'm sorry if this was impromptu, but my sister needs to undergo a back surgery so I have to stay a while with her. She got into a really bad accident.'
Fay looked at her mother, then at Atobe who stood next to her. "When will you return from France, mother?"
"A month or two most likely. Your father is in Italy on a business trip, he should be back next week," her mother answered. A few seconds later she looked up. "You two look really serious and it's rare for a visit during this time of the evening, is everything alright?"
Fay bit her lip and then sighed. Shaking her head, she looked at her mother with a smile, "It's nothing, mother. I missed you and asked Keigo to drop me since my car is still being repaired."
"And I had to say hi," Atobe added automatically.
The older woman blinked, "well, that's nice," she said sincerely, "it's always good to have you both around."
They both nodded.
Atobe and Fay spent two hours there and finally left. The minute they stepped out, Atobe leaned close to her ear, "coward," he whispered with a smirk.
"It's not funny," she snapped, getting into the car furiously. "It's not! I wanted to end this." She slammed the door shut and crossed her arms, trying to calm her nerves.
He got into the driver's seat and turned it on, "take it easy on my car, she didn't do anything wrong," he mumbled, reversing the car to get out. "Is pretending to be in a relationship with me that bad?"
"YES!"
He scowled, speeding onto the roads. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and got on the road. He turned to her and saw that she didn't look the least bit happy, "care to make me understand why?"
"No."
He rubbed a tired hand through his hair messing it up a bit and kept his gaze on the road. "Fay, I cannot handle your tantrums now."
She pursed her lips trying to think and finally exhaled deeply. "I just want someone to understand me. I love being in a relationship… It felt nice with Tetsuya… He did hit me, but… He did care for me and I want that kind of attention."
"I don't want to hear you say 'he cared for me'. Nobody beats up someone they love! Nobody." He looked at her angrily.
"Well, his love felt nice!" she snapped back as angrily as he had. Finally, she looked away and stared outside the window.
The rest of the drive was left in silence. Atobe was trying to figure out what happened to have her suddenly change her mind about things while Fay was frustrated because she still hasn't told her parents. Finally when they reached, they both got out of the car and bid each other a good night only as each departed towards their own apartments.
As days progressed, Fay was feeling worse. She hated this feeling. She hated this feeling of emptiness. I guess I used to take Tetsuya for granted because he was always around… she thought, walking around the mall. Jirou and Keigo are always around but I believe I monopolize enough of their time… Their girlfriends will hate me.
Girlfriends… How nice… Is my answer really a boyfriend? Or do I just need to get a new hobby?
She was thinking out loud when her phone rang. She picked it up as she walked around the mall, "hello?"
"Free for me?" Aya asked.
Fay smiled, wanting to say yes, but then decided not to accept her invitation. "I'm sorry, but I'm running errands," she answered. It's not like I'm lying… she thought to herself. I don't think I can handle Aya now… She's so happy and I'm… ARGH. I'm jealous of everyone around me.
She walked into a small café and decided to just stay and read a book that she was carrying around with her. She was so absorbed in her book that she didn't feel someone hover over her, "Hi."
Fay looked up and saw Jirou, "hey…"
He took a seat across her, "How are you?"
"I'm good," she answered automatically, then crinkled her nose. "Were you following me?"
"Yes, I saw you at Tiffany's then followed you here."
"and what were you doing there?" she asked curiously.
His hand went into his jacket pocket and pulled out a box, "I'm going to propose to my girlfriend." He showed her the ring, "what do you think?"
"Oh," Fay said, eyeing the ring, "how nice… It's beautiful," and 'I'm even more jealous now!
He saw a tingly of sadness in her eyes. He took it back from her and put it back in his pocket, "and how are you? You know… I can' help thinking that Atobe is in a bad mood because of you these days.
"I'm just being difficult and I'm also jealous of all of you. All my friends are in a stable relationship while I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself." She looked outside the window. "I'm just feeling pathetic."
He studied her features and sighed, "Want me to set you up with someone? I know a lot of eligible bachelors…"
Fay looked up at Jirou and shrugged as she stirred her frappuccino with her straw. "No, it's alright," she said in an apologetic tone. "They were all boring."
"What are your standards?"
She looked up at him. "Standards?"
He poked her forehead playfully. "What type of guy do you see yourself with?"
Fay looked into her juice and smiled sadly. "That is interesting…" she murmured, sipping her juice. She thought for a minute and then shook her thoughts away, did I just compare them to...
He waited for her to continue.
"This is freaky… I just thought of Keigo," she admitted quietly. "I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing …" She buried her face in her hand.
"Maybe it's a good thing. You've always been comfortable around him…"
"True, but he's not mine, Jirou. He already belongs to someone else." It would be nice though, and easy. I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of explaining things to my parents or anyone else… It would be natural.
'You're thinking about it, aren't you?"
"It would be easy," she said softly, leaning her head on the table.
Jirou actually looked surprised. He wanted to say something, but they were both interrupted when Atobe joined them. "Jirou," he said, shaking his hand. "And my angel." He bent down and kissed her cheek.
Jirou caught Fay's blush and realized that she might seriously been thinking about it. He watched as Atobe slid next to her and felt Fay scoot further away.
"What brings you here?"
Atobe shrugged. "I spotted you," he answered. "Was shopping at Tiffany's."
Jirou chuckled while Fay smiled.
"And you…" Atobe looked at Fay seriously. "Are you still rejecting everyone we're setting you up with?"
Fay watched him and then looked away. "Yes."
'How would you know if you don't try?"
Something flickered in her eyes, but she looked away. "Don't insist," she said softly.
He felt that there was something serious in her tone. "Is everything alright?" he asked, touching her arm, but to his surprise she slapped it away.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly when she realized what she did. "You just took me by surprise."
He studied her carefully and spoke. "What' wrong?"
She glanced at him and then back at her knees. "It's alright."
'Apparently, it's not alright," he said. "You're acting weird."
Jirou hesitated. "Fay, maybe you should tell him what you just shared with me."
She glared at him, but then shook her head. "No."
Atobe waited, but Fay didn't move a budge.
Fay finally let out a sigh and looked at him. "Would you laugh at me if I told you that I keep comparing them to you."
Atobe chuckled, "I'm not comparable," he said haughtily.
She rolled her eyes, "thanks a lot," she muttered. "I want someone like you."
"You can't have me," he said jokingly.
"I don't want you," she retorted. In a minute, she looked at her watch and sighed, "anyway, I have a hair appointment that I need to catch," she said, standing up. "I'll catch you guys sometime this week."
"Bye," the both bid.
Jirou turned to Atobe, "do you realize that she was serious?"
"Yes," he said. I hope that this doesn't cause problems.
A month later
Atobe was working in his office busy as usual when his cell phone rang. "Hello?"
"Hey,"
"Jirou. Anything important? I'm quite busy," he said quickly.
"Yes, have you seen Fay? Last I saw her was when we were at the mall a month ago."
'Yes, I…" wait a minute, I haven't seen her in a month as well, "actually no, I haven't seen her. We have spoken, but not met."
"This is very weird,' Jirou mumbled, but loud enough for Atobe to hear.
"Don't worry. She lives in the same building as I, so I'll check on her later tonight," he assured him.
"I'll come with you."
Later that evening, Atobe reached home same time that Jirou reached as well. They both walked to Fay's apartment. After several rings, she finally opened the door. "Oh, hello."
They both blinked.
"Your hair…" Jirou said.
"Yup. I cut it short," she said, letting them in. "Like it?" she said showing off her new messy short hair cut.
"You had beautiful long hair," Jirou said, patting her head.
"Now, I have a beautiful short hair," she said, pouring some juice into glasses for them. "Why are you guys here?"
"We were worried about you. You just disappeared."
"I'm here. I've just been hanging around new people," she answered, serving them their drinks.
"How come?" Jirou asked while Atobe sat silent.
"Because I'm in love with Keigo," she said bluntly.
Atobe almost choked on his drink while Jirou dropped his.
Fay sat down casually. "I decided that I shouldn't be hanging around you guys a lot. You already have a girlfriend, so it's pointless of me."
"What nonsense is this," Atobe snapped.
"What part of me being in love with you is nonsense?" she asked back coldly. "I have feelings you know and the last thing I want is to be hurt again when you flaunt your girlfriend in front of me."
Atobe watched her in amazement, "you're dead serious?"
"Yes," she said, "now, please leave. I only want to see you when I can have you."
Atobe had never been put in such a situation before… she's gone insane, he thought. "I will leave," he said, "but only to give you time to clear that mind of yours." He stood up and walked out, leaving Jirou by himself there.
Jioru looked at her, "You're serious, aren't you?"
Fay nodded.
Jirou frowned, "I think you've lost your mind?"
Fay scowled at him as she sat down, "and why would you say that? You're all in a loving relationship, and settled down. Why can't I have that?"
"You can have that! But be patient…" he said, almost angrily. "and you totally freaked Atobe out."
"I am being honest with my feelings?!" she exclaimed. "That's why I'm staying away. Why should I make things more difficult?!" she demanded. "I am giving him the space he needs so he doesn't feel like he has a stalker."
"Are you even listening to yourself?!" he shouted.
"Stop shouting, Jirou. If you can't help me then please leave for now," she said, opening the door.
"Fay…"
"Just for now, Jirou. I really need to sort some things out," she said softly. "I haven't lost my mind. In fact my mind has never been so clear. I really am in love with him, and it'll take some time of time to get over him."
He didn't say anything. He just walked out and sighed after she closed the door. She really has gone mad…