Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango. :)

AN (5/27/07): I wrote the first draft of this short one-shot in January, right before the second season of the Hana Yori Dango Japanese drama began airing on Japanese television.

This story is based upon volume 36 of the Hana Yori Dango manga and was inspired by the commercials for season 2 of the Hana Yori Dango Japanese drama. As always, hope you enjoy!

--Maho-chan :)

Forever
A Hana Yori Dango Fanfiction
By Maho-chan
"Is this is what love looks like?
Because this is what love feels like to me…

"Happiness making my feet feel light
Anticipation making my nerves tingle
Running towards being with him."

It was a gray early morning outside the windows that flanked the empty corridor which stretched out before Tsukushi. Her high heels clicked loudly against the tiled floors as she hastened forward with quick steps. Holding her handbag tightly, Tsukushi resisted the urge to skip. She wasn't 17 anymore, although she had to admit she didn't feel that much different even though four years had passed.

Tsukushi felt she should keep her cool and be the adult she had become. But as she passed gate after gate her steps came faster and faster as she was unable to resist her excitement.

She wanted to see Tsukasa. The long, four years had finally ended and now that his homecoming moment was upon her she couldn't seem to contain herself.

Seeing the gate she was looking for, Tsukushi stared at the sign above it with wry amusement.

Only that idiot would have made the plan to arrive at gate "F4".

Two lone airport staff stood at the nearby counter and Tsukushi nodded at them when they looked up at her. Moving towards one of the huge windows, Tsukushi stared out at the horizon that was turning pink with the dawn and thought about the past four years.

She had seen Tsukasa only a few times since they had parted after his graduation from Eitoku. There had been that time in Paris, once in New York and a handful of times when he had made it back to Japan. She had lived for those moments in between all the video phone calls he had made to her. But in the last year that they had been apart, due to his work in New York and her university classes, they hadn't seen each other in person at all.

Tsukushi wondered what if he had changed. It was hard to tell through the video phone, to get a clear picture of how he truly was. Tsukushi began to feel a little uneasy. Checking her watch, she realized that she still had ten minutes until his plane arrived. Tsukushi took a deep breath to calm her now nervous stomach.

She had been excited a few moments ago, but now that she had started to think about it, meeting him made her nervous. Trying to convince herself that she was prepared, Tsukushi smoothed the skirt of the dress she wore and glanced into one of the mirrored pillars at her long hair. Her hair was similar to when they had first met so many years ago in the hallways of Eitoku high school Tsukushi realized as she brushed some of the long locks over her shoulder. Scrutinizing her face intently Tsukushi noted that she did look a little older.

Would Tsukasa be surprised that she had grown up? Had he grown up? She had to admit his voice was sounding deeper lately over the phone. Tsukushi blushed as she remembered how he had sounded the last time they had spoken. His voice had been so deep, it had made heat blossom all over her body.

Eyes widening at the memory of her reaction to him, Tsukushi shook her head to clear it and focused on her appearance again. Her make up was in place, her purse matched her carefully chosen high heeled shoes. She had arrived right on time and she was standing here at the gate ready to meet him.

She was ready…Wasn't she?

Feeling the butterflies in her stomach take flight; Tsukushi wished that the rest of the F4 or at least Yuki had come with her to meet Tsukasa. What was that stupid man thinking, telling her to come alone to this empty terminal to meet him? Wasn't this just a little too much pressure?

What was that guy planning to do? Starting to worry, Tsukushi began pacing back and forth. She was surely older and possibly wiser, but facing the prospect of finally reuniting with him after so many years apart and not knowing what to expect made her want to run laps around the terminal to calm her nerves.

Looking at the time again and noting she still had five more minutes until he arrived, Tsukushi tossed her purse on the floor and started doing some exercises. The airport staff didn't seem to be paying attention and since Tsukasa hadn't arrived yet, surely it wouldn't hurt. Rolling her shoulders back and then swinging her arms and marching in place, Tsukushi froze when a very familiar voice said in a laughing way

"Makino, what the hell are you doing exercising now?"

Tsukushi froze, her eyes closing.

: Say that again so that I know this is really happening:

Turning slowly, Tsukushi kept her eyes closed. She….she wasn't ready to see him yet!

"Oi, Makino, are you okay? Your eyes are closed." Tsukasa sounded perturbed. Tsukushi knew should open her eyes, but she desperately needed a moment to think. She had to keep her thoughts straight and not get caught up in the thundering of her heart in her chest and the flush that had arisen all over her body. Her legs were trembling. Her whole mind seemed to be shutting down. She wanted to say something in reply to Tsukasa's question but as emotions welled up inside of her; Tsukushi took another deep breath and didn't speak.

She felt as if she might laugh. No, she felt as if she might cry. What if she fainted?

Her head was feeling very strange and she was blushing furiously. Was she losing her mind? Maybe they could start over again. Was it possible to turn back the clock and meet again without the silly marching in place?

But as Tsukasa repeated her name, Tsukushi realized there was no going back. Tsukasa was here and he was home. The moment he set foot in Japan on this day everything had changed.

Tsukushi's breath caught as she comprehended this. She was older now. He was older too. Her stupid hair was long and she was wearing high heeled shoes. Why hadn't she realized it before?

Everything had changed!

Clenching her fists, Tsukushi fought the urge to cry. She wasn't prepared for this! What should she do? What should she say?

:Welcome home! How is your airplane? Still big?:

Or

:Yo! Was New York cold? Did you eat a lot of pizza?:

Both of those approaches sounded odd. This wasn't just any everyday conversation, this was IT.

The moment where she fulfilled that promise she made four years ago on the night of their Eitoku prom when she had pointed at him and declared "When you come back I will make you happy."

How in the world was she supposed to make Tsukasa happy in this moment? Should she just tell him her true feelings?

:I missed you everyday, so much that it hurt. I'm really happy that you are finally home for good:

:GEH:

No, she couldn't say that, it was too much to say! There was no precedent for saying that. It didn't matter if that was what she felt, there was no way she could say something so straightforwardly to him.

She couldn't just blurt out such deeply honest words. If she did, he might do something. She didn't know what but surely, it would be something extreme. He was still Domyoji Tsukasa after all. Tsukushi was still panicking and standing stock still when unbeknownst to her, Tsukasa abruptly dropped the bouquet of red roses he was holding and hastened towards her. He embraced her, pressing her face firmly against his chest.

As the familiar feeling of his arms around her and the scent of his cologne invaded her senses, Tsukushi's eyes started to tear up.

:The four years are really over. I don't have to wait anymore:

After embracing Tsukushi for a few moments, Tsukasa gently pushed her away so that he could take a look at her face. Cupping her cheek in his palm, Tsukasa said worriedly

"What happened? Did something happen?" Hearing his voice catch, Tsukushi opened her eyes. Her tears spilled over. "I-I'm fine." Tsukushi sniffled as she stared into Tsukasa's eyes.

In the past, had the love Tsukasa had for her always been so apparent in his gaze?

As he brushed some of her tears away with his thumb, Tsukushi held her breath.

He was still so gentle.

:Domyoji:

"Stupid, don't scare me like that!" Tsukasa said agitatedly. "Why the hell are you crying? I thought you'd be glad to see me!" Tsukasa frowned then asked. "What is wrong?"

:Nothing is wrong. I just…you are…:

Tsukushi hiccupped and tried to get the words out but failed. She opened her mouth to tell him but the emotions were too much. So instead Tsukushi leaned into his chest and sobbed.

Tsukasa started to panic as he enfolded her in his arms again.

"You're lying to me aren't you? Something is wrong, isn't it? Did someone come after you again? Who was it?" Tsukasa interrogated Tsukushi as he held her. He rested his chin on the top of her head and scanned the terminal. Inwardly, he cursed himself for thinking that meeting alone would have been romantic instead of dangerous. If someone had hurt Tsukushi he would kill them.

Noticing the terminal staff by the gate Tsukasa shouted "Hey you people!" He shook an angry fist at them. "What did you do to my girlfriend?"

The two men cowered nervously. One of them stammered in reply "Sir…we didn't…"

"If you did something to her I'm going to kill you!" Tsukasa threatened as he glowered at them.

Tsukushi raised her head from Tsukasa's chest and looked over in horror at the two very frightened men.

:He still gets angry and violent so quickly:

She gazed up at Tsukasa's angry face and gripped his jacket, tugging on it so that his attention was diverted back to her.

:I have to stop him from going crazy.:

Tsukushi looked at Tsukasa entreatingly, desperately trying to tell him with her expression what she couldn't seem to say in her overemotional state. Tsukasa looked down at her and continued to be ill at ease.

"Were those men the ones who bothered you? Makino, tell me!" Tsukasa demanded as he wiped more of her tears away with his fingers. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head in reply. Tsukasa felt only slightly relieved.

"Then what happened to you? You keep crying!" Tsukasa exclaimed. Maybe she wasn't happy to see him. No, that couldn't be right, she was gripping his jacket tightly as though she would never let go. Maybe she was too happy to see him? But did girls cry when they were happy? That seemed so stupid!

Tsukasa peered at Tsukushi's face as he wondered about this. Tsukushi stared at Tsukasa with wide eyes. She sobbed as she smoothed an errant curl away from his forehead. And then she cried

"Your hair is still really curly."

"HAH?" Tsukasa said confusedly, watching the tears roll down her cheeks as she hiccupped once more. Finally reunited after four years of being apart and her first real words to him were "Your hair is still curly"? What about "I love you", or "I missed you" or something to that effect? What was she doing?

Staring incredulously at Tsukushi, Tsukasa felt even more perplexed when she whimpered "Your face is still kind of pointy."

Pointy? His face? Tsukasa scowled as he tried to figure this out. Since when was his face pointy? And was that bad or good? Furrowing his brow, Tsukasa wondered if pointy meant handsome. He certainly hoped it meant that, because if there was one thing that was certain, it was that he was handsome! He continued to hold Tsukushi close as she cried, all the while trying to unravel the meaning of her odd comments.

"Hey Makino." Tsukasa began, intending to ask her if she meant handsome instead of pointy.

Tsukushi sniffled and continued "I mean, your eyebrows are still pointy."

So she didn't mean his face, she meant his eyebrows…Tsukasa still had no idea what she was talking about. And it he was starting to feel annoyed!

Tsukasa took a deep breath and tried not to lose his patience. Surely there was a point to her strange diatribe. Although he had to admit trying to figure this out was worse than learning English the first year he had lived in New York.

"Makino, I don't really understand what you are talking about." Tsukasa began slowly.

"And you are still really dumb!" Tsukushi burst out, laughing while she cried.

Tsukasa started to get angry. "Hey!" he protested as she cried harder. As Tsukushi stood on tiptoe, she pressed her cheek to his and sobbed "And still so tall, you are even taller now." Tsukushi buried her face in Tsukasa's neck and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I can't believe…you are…" Tsukushi softly whimpered the end of that incoherent sentence into his neck and Tsukasa finally understood what she was trying to say.

"Yeah." He said quietly, holding her close and pressing a kiss against her hair as she cried happily. "I grew a little taller and my hair is still curly. Your hair is longer but it is still brown. And you are still really short and weird." Tsukasa said wryly. Tsukushi rubbed her eyes then stepped on his foot intentionally after she heard the word "weird".

Smiling as he leaned back so that he could look into her eyes Tsukasa said in a low voice "And I'm still crazy in love with you, Tsukushi." As Tsukushi sniffled again, Tsukasa bent his head and kissed her lovingly. The sun rose over the horizon and as the dawn light shone through the windows and surrounded them, Tsukushi thought as she kissed Tsukasa back with all of her heart.

"This moment is one I'll never forget
His smile makes my heart race
His kisses make me happy beyond words."

"I never want to leave this embrace
Because this man is the one that I've dreamed of
And my love for him will last forever…"

--Maho-chan (5/27/07)