Disclaimer: I do not own, or even pretend to own, the characters of Daa! Daa! Daa! So please do not sue me. That would be very bad. Much obliged. :D


Return of Regret

"You know, Kanata... I used to have the biggest crush on you when we were younger." Miyu's tinkling laughter echoed through the room, making it stab his heart only that many more times.

"Really, now?" Kanata shifted uncomfortably. It had been so long since he had seen her. God, she looked great. Even after ten years, she still had her long beautiful blonde hair that contrasted perfectly with her emerald colored eyes. Her eyelashes still brushed her cheek every time she blinked. Her cheeks were still the lively pink that he had always known. Her lips still tempted him into insanity. Right as Kanata's focus turned to her lips, a slight smile curved them delectably.

"Yeah, all through high school. And it was the weirdest thing. I mean, you were so out of my league! But you knew all that already, didn't you?" She smiled prettily as she smacked the side of his arm. He could swear that the place she touched had spontaneously combusted. He gave it a quick glance, just to make sure there was no fire. "But that's old news. How have you been? I mean, it's been forever!"

Kanata's brain vaguely comprehended the words that were coming out of her lips. All he could think about was the last time they had spoken. When was that exactly? He couldn't even begin to remember. Sighing, he took a swig of his beer before looking at the woman who was dangling him over the cliff of mental instability. "I'm good. Great, even. I started a business a few years back and we're doing really well." Insanely well, really. But there wasn't any point in bragging at this point.
Miyu looked at him, surprise widening her already expressive eyes. The last time he had seen them, they had been shining for a completely different reason. Shaking his head softly, he attempted to keep his thoughts on the present conversation. "That's awesome. That's really something. I always knew that you were going to make something of yourself." As she looked into her drink, her eyes got a glassy look. Her smile faded into a small frown and she looked back over to him; her eyes giving off a determined vibe, almost as if the glassy look had been imagined. "You know what? There was something I always wanted to ask you if I ever had the chance to see you again. I wasn't going to ask it now – considering the circumstances – but I feel as if I have the right to know." Turning her entire body to face him, she crossed her long, shapely legs and leaned onto the bar, tilting her head slightly.

"Well, go ahead. I'll try my very best—"

"Why didn't you ever reply to my confession?" There was no waver in the sound of her voice, which made it that much harder for Kanata to hear. Pangs of regret and disappointment still tortured his heart on a regular basis, asking the same exact question. Shifting his chocolate colored eyes to a dark corner of the room, he scratched his head and forced a fake smile onto his face.

"What was there to say? I was going away to America for college in a few months. I didn't think getting you involved with me was a very good idea." Kanata shrugged his shoulders sheepishly, hoping that she would buy that excuse for now. The bar of his hotel was probably not the best place for them to talk about the biggest regret of his life. It would just be anti-climactic.

"Hmm…" The woman next to him shifted her seat back towards the barman. "If that was the case, then I would have gone with you. I honestly thought that I didn't need anything but you back then." Her index finger lightly ran over the rim of her glass. Sighing, she smiled sadly as her emerald eyes locked with his.

Staring into her eyes, all Kanata could do was sit there, mouth opening and closing, searching for one of the thousands of things of things he had thought of before to say in this situation. He had dreamed of it enough times that he thought that he wouldn't have had to even think. He had thought it would just come to him naturally. Squeezing his hands into tight fists, he crossed his arms and placed them on the bar. Dropping his head, he finally looked away from the eyes that had always enchanted him with their strength. "That wasn't an option that I was willing to consider." He couldn't have just taken her. Back then, he didn't even know if he was going to be successful. He had always planned on coming back for her. As a matter of fact, that was still the plan. She had always been in the future he had imagined for himself. He could feel his fingernails pushing through the skin on the palm of his hand.

A small laugh pulled him from the pit he had made himself. There it was again. The stabbing sensation that Kanata was becoming increasingly familiar with. "That's kind of obvious." Resting her chin on her fisted hand, she smiled friendlily. Taking a sip of her drink, she pushed it away and looked at her watch. A moment of silence past before she returned her attention to Kanata. At the realization that all of his attention was focused on her movements, she smiled again, wider this time. "Don't worry; I still have a bit of time. We don't have to separate on that sour note." Shifting over to her other hip, Kanata caught a glimpse of her thigh as her dress rose incrementally. He quickly changed the object of his attention to something less thought provoking.

Clearing his throat, he gave her one last cutting glance before changing the direction of the conversation. "How about you? How have you faired?" He smiled to the best of his abilities, praying that she wouldn't bring up the one thing that could probably be the end of him.

A smile lightened her appearance drastically, and for the first time that evening, Kanata realized that she hadn't really been smiling while she had been with him. What did that mean? Did she not want to see him? Just because he had desperately needed to see her, that didn't mean the feeling was mutual. After all, she had probably moved on. He was no longer a necessary existence in her world. The thought shook him much more than he thought it would have. Closing his eyes tightly, he willed himself to listen to her words without physically trembling. "-since then… Kanata?" He felt the warmth of her hand on his arm and quickly opened his eyes. Worry masked her pretty face; her eyebrows scrunched so tightly that a familiar crease appeared between her eyes. What was he supposed to do without her?

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just a little tired. Jet lag and all. I guess your voice was a little too familiar." Rubbing his eyes in an attempt to prove his fib, he yawned for emphasis.

Another fake smile replaced the worry. Now that he had seen a real one, the fake were just so obvious. Still, they were enough for him. The fake smile was better than not having her there with him. But even that would have to end soon. He was about to reach his limit. Being around her for much longer would definitely make him do something that he would regret in the morning. Thankfully, he didn't have much time to dwell on it. After a moment, a loud ringing sound came from her purse hanging on the back of her chair.

"Oh, well. That'll be my husband." Miyu bowed slightly as she stood, already gathering all of her things. "You know, you really shouldn't be a stranger. I mean, we were so close when we were younger. I'm sure my daughter would absolutely love you. Though, she's such a daddy's girl! Maybe you can convince her that marrying her father isn't the best choice for her future." The blonde waved from the door, laughing in obvious affection. Kanata got one last look at her gleaming wedding band before she walked out the door. Slamming his fist on the bar, he cursed himself and all that he had become before placing his head in his hands and crying for the love he knew would never return.

~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox~

Kanata threw off his covers in a flurry of arms and legs. The brunet took a few long calming breaths before he looked over at the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand on his left. Pulling his right knee up and running his fingers through his disheveled hair, he relaxed. It had been a dream. It was still seven o'clock in the morning. He rose from his bed and walked vacantly through the room. Coming to a stop in front of his dresser, he fingered the ring that sat on top. Flicking it up into the air, he swiftly caught it before it hit the hard wood. Turning towards his bedroom door, he clenched his jaw. Posted on the door, marked with big red sharpie marker, was a calendar. Miyu's birthday. Shoving the ring into the pocket of his jeans, Kanata glared at the door, gathering the courage to open it.

"Kanata! Hurry up! I made breakfast! You have to say you like it today!" Miyu's voice wafted through the floor, telling Kanata that she was in the kitchen. Closing his eyes, Kanata imagined her in that same kitchen, ten years from now. A son or daughter would be nice. Shoving the bedroom door open, he sprinted down the stairs. "Miyu! Miyu! I have something that I need to ask you..."


Author's Note: Hiya! Long time, no write, huh? Anywho, this one came to me in the middle of the night and I thought it would make a lovely one-shot to give to the amazing people on the Daa!Daa!Daa! fanfiction page. If you're sitting there thinking, 'What the heck? I didn't want this,' then tough cookies. That's what you're getting. It's a little shortie, but I figure that's okay for one-shots. I really do hope you enjoy it! I actually had a lot of fun writing this one. I don't get a lot of chances to write things from a guy's point of view, so it's always kind of entertaining. Hopefully I did it SOMEWHAT realistically. But since I cannot claim to be a male, I don't have much insight on the whole thought process. XP

Now, please be darlings and click the little button down there that will let you write words and send them to me. I love hearing from you guys and it feels a bit like Christmas when I get reviews. _

Best Wishes and Happy Reading!