Secret Friendship!
They were stuck at a booth in the middle of a restaurant; he was sitting across from her. Both only there because their parents dragged them along for their date. She couldn't help but wonder why it had to be his mom that her dad decided to date. Don't get her wrong, he was a real close friend of hers, but neither wanted people to know that. So when her dad invited her to meet his girlfriend she was shocked to see it was her best friend's mom. He was just as shocked to see her as she was him. They had a code, to keep each other's reputation that they were only friends on the soccer field. Yeah, they would get together and hang out outside of school and soccer but they were rarely seen not on a field. They met up and hung out all the time, but they did so in a way that no one noticed. So when his mom started to introduce him to her and her dad it was obvious that they kept their friendship hidden, even from their parents. Neither talked to the other during the dinner except at the beginning to say hello when their parents told them to. They both sat there picking at their food, both lost in thought, occasionally glancing at each other. When they caught the others glance they both quickly looked away, both trying to stop a blush from forming. Neither called each other by their name or registered most of their parents' conversation. So when the waiter asked if they would be getting dessert, no one expected anything different.
"Yes please, we'll get four of the best dessert dish." he father said while smiling at the waiter.
"Make that three, I'm done." She said before abruptly standing, putting her napkin on the table, and turning to leave.
"Make that two. Now if you would excuse me," he then excused himself from the table before leaving to catch up with her. Catching her as she was crossing the street, he quickly ran across and caught her arm.
"Something wrong?" He asked her with a emotionless mask. She yanked her arm out of his grasp before turning towards him completely.
"Yeah, this whole thing is wrong." She snapped at him quietly with a glare. Neither noticing their parents exiting the restaurant across the street, having decided to skip dessert and just pay before going after their kids.
"You think I don't know that, I was asking why you left so abruptly." He said gruffly before motioning her to walk with him, which she complied to. Neither noticing their parents following behind them, quietly listening in on their conversation.
"I left because I was getting annoyed. Why should I have stayed, it's not like I had a reason to." She replied with her own gruffness.
"I know but it's not like it wasn't almost over," he looks over at her with a smirk, "besides, he ordered one of your favorite desserts."
"I know, but I couldn't stand watching those two anymore..." She replied in an annoyed tone.
"I'm actually surprised that you lasted through dinner."
"Oh, thanks" She glared sarcastically.
The conversation between the two confused the parents, who gave curious looks at each other before focusing back on their kids.
"I don't mean to sound rude. I just know you, and it surprised me that you kept your cool and waited until after dinner. Even then you surprised me again by just leaving instead of blowing up on them." He admitted honestly.
"Yeah, well I don't want to talk about them anymore," She glances at him with a look he knew too well, "Wanna hit the field for a game of one on one?"
He glances at her and rolls his eyes as a small smile graces his lips, "We don't have a ball."
"Right... Damn." She crosses her arms in thought, stopping for a second. He stops and looks at her with a bemused look.
"How about we just go to the railing." He suggests, breaking her out of her thoughts.
Her face lights up, "Great idea!"
With that said they head in the direction of the railing where they first met years ago. Still oblivious to the tailing parents behind them.
"So why did you leave your hair down today?" He questioned at they neared their spot.
"I broke my last pony last night..." She said in embarrassment.
"What and no hat in place of it?" he teased.
"Dad said it would give off a bad impression, then he took it away." She replied, annoyed at the thought.
"I think it looks good"
"What, the hat?" She asked confused as they stopped and leaned on the railing. He turns his head to her with a light laugh.
"No, I mean you wearing your hair down without your hat. It looks nice."
"Psh , yeah right." She rolled her eyes at him in response.
"I mean it"
"No you don't. Why would you, there is nothing nice about me."
He turns to her again, this time with a stern look, "Don't say that. You are a beautiful young woman."
She just rolls her eyes at him, "Your just saying that."
He turns and grabs her by the shoulders making her face him, "I'm not just saying that, you are beautiful whether you believe it or not. You're also very smart and talented. You're one of the best soccer players I know, your skilled with a sword, and one of the best martial artists I know. Why would you think otherwise, just because a couple bitchy girls at school say so? They only say those things to hurt you. You are beautiful no matter what anyone says, got that?"
Her eyes widen at his sudden gruffness, and a blush stains her cheeks at his words, "I-I-I- I don't know what to say... You don't actually believe that." She stuttered.
"I do"
"Why? I'm always getting into fights and covered with dirt. How could you think that's beautiful?"
"You don't get it, you have the courage to stick up for yourself and the guts to tell people off if they are doing wrong. Not very many girls could do that. You have the respect of almost every guy at school and an envious glare from almost every girl at school. You are more popular than you think, and almost every guy that goes up to you, that try to ask you out, are not just messing with you. They truly mean it." A blush formed over his cheeks as he talked but he tried to ignore it.
"What do you mean? Stop saying this stuff, you're my best friend, not my councilor."
"Yes, and your mine." He confirmed with a nod before continuing. "but as your best friend or even as a friend, I have never lied to you have I?"
"No, but-" She began before he cut her off.
"Exactly, I haven't, so why do you think I'm lying to you now?"
"Because..."
"I'm not lying to you, nor will I ever lie to you."
"But I'm not-"
"Yes you are, you are beautiful. At least to me you are."
His statement getting g a bright blush to form on her face.
"You are everything to me, I hate that we pretend not to be friends. You are my best friends, yes, but I don't want that." He continued.
She lowered her and looked away, "Oh..."
He puts his hand under her chin and lifts her face to look at him, "You don't get it, I don't want to have to hide our relationship, I want it to grow stronger than it is now. I want us to be more than just friends." and without waiting for a response he leaned down and kissed her. Her eyes widened in shock, as did their parents who had still been watching them. She slowly gave into the kiss before realizing who it was and what she was doing and pushed him off.
"Why did you...?" She trailed off when she saw that look of hurt, covered by annoyance on his face.
"Because, I love you."
This shocked her again and she shook her head in denial, "Your lying, this is just a joke, just a sick joke your pulling to play with my heart."
"I'm not; I'm being completely honest with you."
She stops and looks up at him, "Why me?"
"Because nobody is better at being you than you are. And you're the only person who can make me truly smile."
She lets this sink in before a smile breaks across her face as something occurs to her, "So it looks like I got you to fall for me after all. I told you when we met that I would get you to fall for me one day. That was just a joke though; I never thought it would actually happen."
"But you did." He laughs at her change of mood, and from remembering her saying that as she ran from this railing that day.
She leans up and gives him a quick peck on the lips before nuzzling into his side, which he returns by wrapping his arms around her waist, both looking out over the railing at the setting sun.
"I love you Toshiro."
"I love you too Karin."
With that the parents knew to leave them be and left. The two sat at the railing where they first met and watched the sunset. Their parents broke up a couple days later, realizing it just wasn't going to happen. And Karin and Toshiro would go to their spot at the railing and watch the sunset whenever they could, always making it so they watched it set together, at the railing, at least once a week.