Is Forever Enough?
Deus Ex Procella
Author's Note: This has quickly become my new favorite pairing for Powerpuff Girls Z, so I apologize but you're probably going to be seeing a lot of this shipping between installments of Powerpunk Girls Z
She'd only been home for a day, and already the novelty had worn off and she desperately desired to leave again. She hated being home. She hated Tokyo City, she hated the people she was obligated to associate with, and while she loved her parents and the attention they gave her, that too lost its novelty far too quickly. But most of all, she hated Tokyo City because a visit home always meant she could possibly run into him, again.
Who—you might ask—could possibly be so awful, so terrible, so entirely despicable that someone so talented and beautiful like Shirogane Miko would dread encountering?
'Keredemo…' Miko thought softly, 'he's none of those things…he's sugoi, kakkoi, soshite…medetashi,' Wonderful beyond belief, she more ashamedly added. He was handsome, beautiful even, strong, athletic, everything a girl like her could ever desire in another living being, but the prospect of seeing him was beyond hellish in its torments. He was everything she wanted, but he was also anything but what her parents would expect in a boy for her.
Honestly, how could they speak so fondly of their oldest daughter at parties if her relationship with him ever came up? How could they be proud to tout that their daughter was seeing the son of a masked wrestler? The social barrier…that was the only thing keeping them apart. That and her unquenchable desire to always be in her parents' good favor.
'I need to get out of here…' she thought miserably. Her home felt more like a prison with every minute she spent stuck inside. Inwardly, Miko would have given anything to just hop in her jet and blast off without even saying goodbye, but she currently had nowhere to fly away to. Her college classes didn't start up again for at least a week, leaving her trapped, feeling like a slave in her own home.
Without a word to anyone who would have cared to know—which frankly consisted of the entire occupancy off the mansion—Miko quickly changed from her more formal dress into far more comfortable outfit. An expensive lavender skirt, ending about three inches above her knees completed by an equally expensive white blouse. Slipping on her leather sandals she made her way discreetly to the window, and opening it she slipped out and down to the mansion lawn as she had many times before. When she'd still been attending high school, this had been the only way for her to get away from her parents' overbearing nurturing. Thank God for cheerleading among her other athletics to keep her in shape.
Escaping from the courtyard had been as easy as she remembered, and before long she was strolling down the sidewalk heading into the city—she'd opted to walk over driving for the sheer sake of avoiding detection. While strolling along, her mind wandered back to the boy of her dreams who made her visits home an exercise in frustration.
Matsubara Dai, the eldest son of Matsubara Tokio, the world renowned wrestler. For his father's fame, Dai was bathed astoundingly in the light of his own success, having almost never lived in his father's shadow. Miko smiled recalling how she'd used to escape from home to go watch Dai's soccer games. He always drew attention to himself, not because of superficial reasons such as fame or popularity, but just by simply being himself. Miko shook her head, her smile saddening remembering how after a certain game, Dai had been practically a walking mud ball. Then the baka had the audacity to hug her!
"The stains never washed out of that dress…" She mused, unable to resist cracking a grin. The look on Dai's face had been priceless to say the least when he suddenly scooped her into a giant bear-hug, smearing dirty, smelly mud all over her clean, white dress. She'd yelled at him, but all the while had been laughing, despite the guilty knowledge that her dress would never look right again.
Miko's mood quieted and she became quite solemn traversing from that train of thought to another…more painful moment: their graduation. Shortly after the graduation ceremony, Dai and Miko had taken a walk around the school, for a final time likely. They'd stopped by the soccer field and true to form Dai had begun shooting penalty shots with a ball someone had forgotten from a previous practice or game…
"Daikun?" Dai glanced over at Miko, flashing her his intoxicating smirk and lifting an eyebrow in a devilishly handsome manner.
"Hai, Mikochan?" Miko looked away guiltily. Even the tone of her voice couldn't sedate his seemingly limitless charm. Shimatta, this was only going to make things twice as hard.
"Atashi wa…omae wo…I'm…my classes start in a week." Dai was impressed to say the least, cocking his head. Mentally Miko admonished herself for finding this simple act of curiosity so endearing.
"Nani? Already? Wow you really got everything planned out, huh Koishiichan?" Dai grinned and left the soccer ball to throw an arm around Miko's shoulders, which only seemed to intensify the guilt she felt. In a burst of emotion Miko shoved—well shove is a relative term. More accurately she pushed herself back a few steps, as Dai hardly budged at her angry action—Dai and stumbled back, glaring at him hurt and angry.
"Baka! My classes are in England! I'm going to be gone and I don't know when I'm coming back…" Dai finally seemed to understand her frustration and shrugged, pulling Miko into a comforting embrace, nuzzling her neck and whispering gently into her ear.
"Ah…I see, well…I hope you do well. Who am I kidding? I know you will, you'll be the top of your class, at the very least. Try not to make too many people envious," Miko blinked, then slumped weakly against him, sobbing while Dai only smiled sadly and held her tighter.
Part of Miko had wanted Dai to take what she was saying as a hint that they couldn't be together. Another part of her was infinitely relieved he took it the way he did. The conflict, the clash between the reaction her brain had prayed for and the reaction her heart had begged for was why she hated this miserable city. They hadn't broken up…at least never out loud. In her heart, Miko had never stopped feeling for Dai, wanting to be his "Koishiichan" again. But again her brain shut her heart down and never forgot to remind her that her parents disapproval was only the least of her worries.
Looking up, Miko shook her head and sighed in defeat. She was, needless to say, not shocked in the least to find herself standing alone in the soccer field of Tokyo City High School. Sighing and taking in the scent of the fresh breeze blowing by, she felt her heart ache and her eyes begin to fog up. Fighting to remain in control of her emotions, a sudden scent attacked her memory. Miko sniffed tentatively, fearing and quaking at the all too familiar smell of aftershave.
The bright sun above shone down with a warm, comforting presence, as the mischievous wind whipped around the distinct scent of cologne Miko had hoped she'd never experience again. Turning cautiously against the wind, Miko saw she was, in fact, not alone in the soccer fields. Another had strayed into what had appeared to be a safe place, devoid of any harm—physical or otherwise. Cursing her instincts Miko stared at him, and all of the suppressed feeling surfaced like a reckless torrent.
He was taller than she, handsomely so without coming across as intimidating. His genetics were bound to his form, his toned body seeming to shine through his favorite outfit—his usual gray sweatpants and skintight, long sleeved gray shirt worn underneath his maroon jacket, the sleeves of which ended at his elbows. Messy green hair blew carelessly in the wind while he repeatedly bounced the soccer ball on the end of his foot. Growing tired of this game, he finally bounced the ball into the air and gave it a swift kick, sending it neatly into the net a good number of yards before him. Feeling giddy, Miko applauded his goal.
He jumped a bit and turned, his head cocked in the same endearing fashion she remembered. His green eyes widened and almost sparkled as an amazing smile spread across his lips. Miko stared in a stupor, a feeble smile spread across her own visage which had heated and flushed to about five different shades of pink. Seeing that Miko had fallen into an embarrassed paralysis, Dai made the first move, clearing the distance between them in what seemed like years to him and moments to Miko.
"Ooi, Mikochan," Miko finally found her voice, and with it lost her nerve. Her gaze shifted down to her feet, unable to look Dai in the eyes.
"Konichiwa, Daikun," Dai didn't reply, he only slipped his hands into his pockets all the while smiling down at Miko who found few things in the world more interesting than her feet and the ground at that moment. After a moment of silence, both realized they'd probably end up standing like this forever if someone didn't break the tension soon.
"Daijoubu, Mikochan?" Miko finally found her spine and looked up at Dai, who smiled back warmly. Miko smiled as well, her cheeks still flushed bright pink.
"I'm fine…Daikun, daijoubu?" Dai shrugged and glanced away, shifting a bit, finally becoming a bit uncomfortable with the situation.
"I'm doin' fine…it's great to see you again, Mikochan," Miko's smile grew in size and brilliance, and her confidence magnified several fold knowing that Dai wasn't angry. Miko prepared to say something else, but gasped in shock when a pair of powerful arms suddenly wrapped around her waist and warm, delicious lips pressed longingly against her own. A split second was all it took for her to fall back into habit. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Miko deepened the kiss immensely, moaning in contentment. Dai uttered his own groan of bliss, his hands roaming Miko's back, almost looking for a way to hold on so that she couldn't leave again.
Against either's wishes, they finally parted to regain their breath. Dai held Miko closely, his face buried in her hair taking in the luxurious scent of her French vanilla shampoo. Miko held him tighter still, before leaning up and kissing him yet again. Dai didn't disappoint, eagerly diving back into her, for what seemed like another drop of eternity amidst the whistling sound of the wind scampering about and the soothing fingers of the sun's rays reaching down and caressing the earth beneath their feet. All too soon, they were forced to part yet again.
"How long do you think you'll be gone again?" Dai asked, almost out of nowhere. At first his question came so abruptly that it caught Miko off guard, catching her breath in her throat and making her heart stop. Slowly and carefully she began to flesh out the meaning behind his words.
"…How long will you wait for me?" She asked nervously. Worries piled upon worries accumulated into this question. Depending on how Dai answered would determine if, even after all this time they could last. Miko's heart began to race when she realized that Dai had stopped breathing. He took in a deep breath—his face turned once more in her hair—then finally let it out slowly. Unbeknownst to Miko, he smiled as if he'd anticipated this question all these years.
"Is forever enough, Koishiichan?" Miko swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, then buried her face in his chest, nodding and mumbling a very quiet whimper of confirmation. Dai grinned and nodded, holding Miko tightly as her shoulders began to shake, this time not because of an unbearable feeling of guilty resting on her shoulders. No this time, she became wracked with emotion because that burden had finally been lifted. Dai could only smile gratefully as he held her tightly.