Chapter Two: Daughter Of Mine

"I want your lips on me."

"Where?" Haru asks, kissing along the length of her neck.

"Everywhere," she moans. "But this is a good start."

A heavenly cloud of perfume and cologne join forces in draping over the room filling with heat. Silky, shapely thighs clamp around pale hips, dragging them forward with the intent of fulfillment. Haru lays scorching kisses over feverish skin that ignites under his attention and devotion. A timeless amount of passion floods her veins with the strength and power of a relentless river, rebelling against anything in its path. Sweat clings to their bodies as papers fall to the floor in the midst of it all, soon followed by clothes and accessories that lay forgotten for the sake of indulgence.

He retreats to look through his nightstand for something, though he moves quickly as desire grips his mind in an unforgivable vise that refuses to ease and make way for rationality.

Someina twirls a lock of her hair, laughing as Haru places a knee on the bed to stabilize himself. "Do you have a condom?"

In answer, Haru tears a golden wrapper with his teeth, tossing it aside before settling himself over her. "Yeah," he says, voice husky. "Are you...is this ok?"

"Mm. Yeah," she sighs, her hands latching onto her magenta sheets.

But that's all she remembers, other than dark colors and shades, the harmony of groans, and the harsh light that filtered into her bedroom the morning after.

...

Someina shakes her tank-top, fanning her body with its motions as sweat dribbles down the valley of her chest.

It had been hectic - even though she volunteered one of her rare days off - with Tohru and herself on deck to help Uo transition to her new place, moving under the oppressive heat of the sun. Hana was there too, but if it weren't for the veggie sandwich she ordered from where she sat lotus on the concrete of the sidewalk, she would remain silent as everyone else worked themselves to the bone. All the while Hana mostly monitored it as it was happening, like a Queen Ant commandeering her subjects.

"Are we almost done yet?" Someina pants, swiping at the perspiration along her eyebrows, trying not to squint. "Not that I'm complaining, but...I don't want to do anything ever again."

Uo picks up her nearby of copy of the lease document, fanning her friend with it. "You okay? You should probably stop to eat something, Meina. Don't want you passing out on us."

She offers a warm smile of thanks. "I think Hana might have had the right idea about takeout. I could honestly go for a sub, myself."

This gets everyone talking about all-you-can-eat buffets and just plain ordering in, volleying back and forth about what would really hit the spot.

Someina is swarmed by the excited buzz of conversation surrounding her, smiling softly to herself as a small breeze trickles through the area. If it picked up more, it would be kite-flying weather. Her absolute favorite time from when she was Kaiko's age.

She looks over a second before Uo uncaps her water bottle and dumps half of its contents on her head. Shaking out her blonde mane and breathing a long sigh of relief.

"Hey, Uo? Can I use yours?" Someina asks, gesturing at her partially crushed bottle.

"Sure," she says, tossing it and sending it spiraling into a flip that she fumbles to catch. "Oops. Sorry, Meina."

Someina simply shakes her head, proceeding to dump the last of the water all over to cool off more than the dying wind allowed. "And to think, I was going to tell you all about what happened just yesterday. What. A. Shame."

The beginnings of a content smile tugs at her lips when she immediately takes back their attention.

Uo's quickly closes the gap between them, grabbing her firmly by her uncovered shoulders. "What? Don't leave us hanging! Nothing exciting ever happens to you."

Ouch.

"That was rude."

Uo winces, letting her hands drop to her hips. "Oh, you know what I mean. You're Miss Prim and Proper."

Someina balks at this, caught off guard at how she looks through her friend's eyes. Sure, she shrugged off certain lessons of her upbringing. But she couldn't change everything ingrained and drilled into her from the time she could talk.

Someina hands her the plastic that doesn't really look like a bottle anymore, not even aware that she'd squeezed it as she listened to Uo. With a great amount of patience that only came with endless hours of her mother's dinner parties, she continues.

"As I was saying, something happened yesterday. And I have no clue what to do about it."

Tohru's eyes sparkle and twinkle as she claps her hands. "Does it have to do with Kaiko? Did she make a new friend at school? That's so cute!"

"That does sound precious," Hana concurs, delicately setting her hands on her knees. "But, it does appear to be something else. Something neither of us would guess or fathom."

Uo swivels towards her, hands tight around the beaten bottle. "Ok, now I wanna know. Is it Hatori related?" She pivots back to Someina. "Did you finally start getting all handsy? Aw, Meina. I'm so proud."

The girls start throwing around their speculations of what the big news was, until she finally decides to just blurt out-

"I saw Haru."

All conversations go dead, quiet enough to hear the sounds of the leaves rustling in the returning breeze, and the cacophony of insects buzzing around them.

Uo is the first to recover from the shock, her eyes bigger than she'd ever seen them and her eyebrows reaching for the heavens. "Whoa...that'll wake you up. Is he hot?"

Someina drops her head, kicking at the sidewalk with her muted green flats. "He's handsome, yes."

The blonde slings an arm around her shoulders, bringing a blushing Someina into a hug. "In your language, that means he's hot enough to melt a popsicle. So, you planning to get his digits?"

Before she can respond, Hana asks, "How did he react to you telling him he's Kaiko's father?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that," Uo muses, stroking her chin. "How did he take it? Did he run off?"

Someina pales, finding it harder to swallow than to beat the heat. "Do you think he would? I was always scared of that happening if I were to tell him. Do you really think that will happen?"

Tohru rapidly shakes her head. "He couldn't! He is too kind to do something like that. Kyo told me that he's too nice for his own good - though I don't really get it - and he also said that he has great manners."

Uo scoffs. "He actually said that? Didn't know Orangetop had it in him."

Tohru kneads her hands, smiling sheepishly. "He said that it annoys him. But I didn't want to add that part."

"He would make a backhanded compliment like that," Uo says, nodding. "If you haven't told him yet...are you planning to?"

Someina forces herself to grin, feigning confidence. "Eventually. I'm just not sure he wants to actually be in her life or if he wants to pretend we never happened."

"If that's the case, he's an irresponsible jerk, and will have a knuckle sandwich waiting for him right on his doorstep," Uo promises, a scary look crossing her face that sends a shiver down all their spines. Even Hana.

"He should support you financially at minimum," Hana chips in, breaking nail polish out of nowhere to touch up her nails. "Even if its from afar, he shouldn't be exempt from paying child support."

Someina sticks her hands up, ready to defend someone she wasn't sure needed to be defended. "There's no guarantee he'll say no to anything or jump ship. We should all not make up conclusions and write him off as a horrible father when we don't even know how he feels."

"You mean a deadbeat," Uo suggests.

"That too," she replies, shrugging. "And if he doesn't want to be involved, then its better that we all move on. Besides, its been weird being around him."

It made her warm just thinking about him and his lack of school supplies.

"Weird how?" Uo questions, flopping down on the sidewalk, folding her hands behind her head.

Someina wears at her lower lip with her teeth, debating on letting them in on what she really thought. How he was beyond handsome. And he gave her chills with just his voice. And made her feel light despite what pressed down on her.

He made her want to dance ballet to just the way he spoke; slow and careful, a tone that serenaded your heartbeat in a tempo all his own.

He was more than handsome. But, he transcended something as simple as 'hot.'

She wasn't so sure there was a word in the history of language that could touch the beauty of his physical appearance.

Instead of voicing this, she changes subjects. "I don't know if you guys noticed, but I'm really out of shape. Mind hitting the gym with me a few days a week?"

Uo knows there's more, can feel there's more. But knows that once Someina has taken a vow of silence or sworn herself to secrecy, you weren't gonna know a thing.

"Fine," she says, shifting her gaze to the rolling clouds. "But I take hardcore bootcamp classes. Just know that it requires an oxygen tank on standby, and you have to have 119 on speed-dial. Oh! And you gotta sign something saying they're not liable if you collapse and die. Blah, blah, blah. By that point, I stopped listening."

Someina bursts out laughing. "Are you serious? So, how was it?"

"Deadly. I couldn't walk for weeks, and it took just as long to catch my breath." She jabs her finger in Someina's direction. "Make sure you carb up as much as you can. Especially with you being on your diet, I don't want you struggling. I care about you too much."

Someina smiles, though their sweet moment is cut short when Hana takes over. "Actually, Uo, carbs turn to sugar. She should ease into it and stick to fruits and vegetables. Also, I would join. But I do not sweat. Ever."

Tohru nearly falls over. "Eh? But, doesn't everybody? W-what about that day in gym when we-"

"-skipped," Uo helpfully chimes in, rolling her eyes. "She absolutely refuses to exert herself physically. Ever. Remember when she faked health issues so she could play cards with a bunch of boys and not run?"

"Ohhh, I remember. Poor Hana." Tohru spins towards us. "I'll join you both whenever I'm available."

"You sure Orangey isn't too busy wearing you out?" Uo jokes, smirking. "You should really take it easy, 'Ru."

Flabbergasted and quickly turning purple, she flaps her arms around as Hana patiently reminds her to breathe and Uo rolls on the floor in stitches. All the while Someina watches it unfold with amusement unmatched.

Well, at least things were normal.

...

Wednesday

Things end off peacefully, as it always was after the morning rush that marked the end of her work hours for the day. It was already Wednesday, so it meant that business was booming with college students studying, couples on dates, and best friends snapping selcas with their fro-caps. Someina was having a blast working new drink creations while completing patron's orders. It wasn't long before her favorite customer, just about to begin their morning rounds, arrived and asked for their usual. That translated to black coffee with a kiss on the side.

"Hello, Hatori," she says, pulling away just so she can ring up his purchase. "How are you?"

He nods in acknowledgment, dropping a large sum of yen in her tip jar, to which she grins in thanks. "Things are going well. I didn't stop by for casual conversation, though."

Her smile fades in 0.5.

Of course he didn't. She didn't feel right about considering him to be a stick in the mud. But she really hoped he would be more spontaneous and far less cerebral. Even when he drops by unannounced, its only to conduct business.

"Right...What do you need?"

He sticks one hand in the pocket of his slacks, moving back his doctor's coat in the process. "Dinner at our usual place. If you are available, that is."

She ponders this silently, tapping her nails on the counter. "Hmm. I should be if I can get someone to watch Kaiko. The last one quit on me."

He scowls at this. "How unprofessional."

"It wasn't because she was bad or anything. But she graduated and went to University. I understood that it might happen, I just didn't prepare."

"Aren't there people you know that could take up the position?"

Someina shrugs, tired from working on her feet and smiling until her cheeks hurt at cranky customers. "I have a short list of options. I just haven't had a need to use them, yet."

"But are you certain they'll be able?"

"I trust them. They're reliable and its only until I have enough time to get someone on the regular."

Hatori lifts an eyebrow, removing his hand from his pocket to wrap around his drink. "That's most unwise. Why would you not get someone else if you already expected all this? Use forethought?"

"I forgot, okay," Someina says through clenched teeth, inhaling sharply to regain her composure. "Regardless, I'm handling it."

She pulls out her flip phone, trying to keep it together. "What time should I meet you?"

He looks like he wants to lecture her some more, but smartly stops himself. "I'll pick you up at seven. See you, then."

With those detached parting words, he walks off with his bitter coffee. And Someina balls her hands into fists. Hating how she acted with Hatori.

But also hating how satisfying it felt all at the same time.

...

When Someina gets off her shift, she kicks off her shoes instead of lining them up by the door in an orderly fashion. She could just hear her mother berating her now. Not raising her voice, as that was far from ladylike. But still practically screaming at her anyway with the weight of her condescending rhetoric.

'If you're going to remove your shoes by kicking like a horse, I suggest you go stay in the barn right there with them. Get cozy with the help that clean up after those foul creatures.'

Imagine how scandalous it is on her mother's eyes to not live in a ritzy penthouse with regal decor, and add in how disorganized and messy it was. That was basically a heart attack waiting to happen should she ever slum it and darken Someina's doorstep.

Cleaning wasn't even a high priority in this moment, though.

For just a second, she wanted to rest. Prop her feet up and lounge on their falling apart couch. Just for a few seconds before she had to start on Kaiko's dinner.

She loved her daughter with more than her heart, and more than what her little body can withhold. But sometimes, she just wanted a sabbatical from doing the parent thing. And that thought made her scowl as guilt heavily filled her insides like cinderblocks.

She should be thankful. Neither of them was completely up the creek without a paddle. They had a spice jar set aside for rainy day savings. Though...it was dried up by repaying whatever college loans she couldn't defer. At least things were finally looking up. And even when it was impossible to smile, she knew that Kaiko would smile enough for the both of them.

She hears a light knocking on their front door, dropping her keys on the counter before approaching the peephole.

The vision of her daughter paints mirth in her eyes, as she removes the deadbolt and unlocks the door, barely getting it open before she barrels into her.

"Mama! I had so much fun and my teacher Miss Kyota was so nice! And we got to color and I had a green card for being good the whole day. And I met a new girl in class. Only, she isn't called a flower."

Someina shuts the door behind them, catching her contagious joy and running with it. "Wow, sounds like you had a big day. What was her name?"

"Miss Kyota."

She laughs. "No, sweetie. Your new friend."

"Oh. Her name is Rain. I didn't believe her at first, because no one is named rain drops."

She smiles, slyly. "But people are named after the seasons and the sunshine."

People like Haru.

Kaiko breaks the embrace long enough to toss her backpack on the couch, and bring her lunch bag into the kitchen. "People are named Sun? Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah, huh."

She blows a raspberry at this information, hopping up on the only barstool that wasn't wobbly. "Can I have some goldfish?"

Someina cocks her head, thoughtfully. "I don't know. That might spoil your supper. Don't you want to eat the chili and crackers I'm making?"

Kaiko flattens her body over the counter as she stretches her arms out in front of her. "But that takes a mazillion years. I'm hungry!"

Her mother stares her down, narrowing her eyes as Kaiko stares right back. They always had these matches whenever it came to their equal stubbornness. Taking a bath, getting to bed on time, trying to get her to sit still long enough to get dressed each morning.

A minute, two minutes pass before Someina sighs. Crumbling as her daughter's lip trembles and her deep, dark eyes rip through her resolve.

"Fine, you can have a cup of pizza goldfish. But only if you still eat dinner when the big hand is on the five. Okay?"

"Okay!"

...

Once dinner is complete, Someina asks Keiko to wash her hands after checking that she didn't have any homework.

"Alright, sweetie. I drew your bath and laid out your bunny pajamas. Make sure you clean your face and behind your ears, this time."

She groans aloud. "But I don't even get to play in the tub."

"You can play while I start getting ready. But when I check on you, its time to get out." She tickles her, making her squirm and lose her frowny face. "Wouldn't want you to get pruny, wrinkly fingers."

Kaiko scrunches her nose. "That's nasty, mama."

Someina laughs, patting her on the bottom and sending her on her way. "But its true."

...

There's a really pretty chandelier that hung from her family's dining room. It sparkled rainbows and cast wild patterns all over the walls and the carpet. It was something spectacular, and the least Fujimoto thing they owned. When she stood beneath it or spun in circles as her eyes remained transfixed by the captivating light fixture, it made her feel...different.

Like maybe she didn't have to always live a plain, vanilla life where you only did things in a certain order and never strayed from weighted expectations.

But, something far more freeing.

Spectacular.

Someina scoops an armful of dresses out of her closet, laying them out on the bed in a disorganized heap. Her hair was up in soft blue rollers, allowing a few minutes to bake her concealer, while done up in nothing more than a robe and her nails freshly painted. They were a nice and neat hot pink, her favorite color.

She starts detangling hangers and outfits from one another, feeling a tad frustrated and unsatisfied with her choices of slim pickings. She and Hatori have been an item for over a month, and he'd already seen everything that she owned. He might as well have taken up residence in her closet with how familiar he was with her wardrobe. It left her feeling blue about how close it was to rent time being the end of October, and having nothing left over to go on a shopping spree.

In times like these, she desperately wished she hadn't burned that bridge with her family five years ago. Even though it was an exhausting existence, she always had her allowance to count on. Unfortunately, the reality was if she hadn't been a teen mom, she still would have snapped at some point and been hauled away from her home in five seconds flat.

Someina yanks her rollers loose, sending them tumbling to the floor as she finger combs her hair until its in black waves. Like the ocean at dark when only the moon was out to create the tide.

She considers taking a makeup wipe to her face and scrubbing off every last trace, starting the whole thing over when she catches a glimpse in the mirror. There was two voices she always carried around with her.

Her own voice.

And her mother's.

Hers said to go barefaced and natural.

Her mother's said there wasn't enough, and that she didn't even want to recognize her beneath it all.

Back and forth and back and forth it went until she wasn't sure what worked and what didn't.

That was the problem with her life, old and new.

It was the pressure of perfection, keeping up appearances, and surface relationships that would have eventually done her in had she stayed. And it still posed a threat to her sanity everyday.

Maybe that's why she liked Kaiko's different tastes in filling out coloring books. If only she had the courage to color out of the lines, too.

"Mama? What are you- ooh!" Kaiko coos, bouncing over to grab onto one of many cocktail dresses. "Are you playing dress up? Can I play?"

Someina smiles, her daughter unknowingly saving her from a pity party with her catching wonder and energy. "Sort of. I'm going to eat dinner with Hatori. Want to help me pick something to dress up in?"

Kaiko taps her chin, narrowing her eyes. "Hmm...on one conditioner."

Someina plucks one glittery, tight dress, turning it to examine the back. "What conditioner is that?"

Kaiko grins mischievously, clasping her hands behind her back. "I get to put on your bestest lipstick."

"Cherry lipstick, huh? That's all?"

She nods excitedly, struggling to keep still. "Please? I will put it back."

Someina sets down the dress, unable to smother another smile. "Sure. Only after you help me out, okay? I need to leave after your babysitter gets here."

"Okay, mama."

Someina nods determinedly, beyond proud of her baby girl's glowing spirit. Because it was all in good fun and innocence. Whenever she did put on her 'bestest lipstick', she felt grownup. And she went around kissing everything in sight, just to see her imprint on something else. Whether it be a stuffed teddy bear, a pillow, a napkin. There was no stopping her once she got started.

But it made her happy. And Someina refused to not give her that. With the strict childhood of ballet, flute lessons, fittings, gourmet cooking, and being groomed to always appear presentable...she wanted the exact opposite for the two of them. So long as it was just them. If her parents or sister ever visited-

-Move over color, and hello monochrome.

"3...2...1," Someina says, uncovering her bright and bubbly blue eyes, rich as a sapphire. "Ready or not, here I come!"

Her sister's laughter rings in her newly pierced ears, even though there were a gazillion, billion rooms between them. But that's what her laughter does. It never has time to settle before it starts back up again, staining your memory with its unique frequency.

Someina throws open a door, revealing a study that had light from the hallway leave a boxed shadow from its threshold. She huffs, shutting it the instance she realizes its vacant.

She opens another, and another, and one more until she's so tired of chasing her eternally laughing sister that her arms and legs go heavy, wishing she was having lemonade in bed instead of running up and down the hallways.

Just as she's about to forfeit their tie-breaking hide and go seek, she tries the door at the end of the hallway that held her favorite things. Her mama's fancy, fur coats, and her daddy's big shoes that she loved to step in. They made a funny clopping noise that sounded like their horses galloping. And it made her nanny chase her round and round, when her sister wasn't around to be chased.

When she opens it this time, she squeezes her tiny body through the gap between the door and a stack of boxes. Boxes that hadn't been there yesterday when she played pretend movie star.

The light fades into the hallway after the door closes behind her, and she forces her teeth not to chatter as she feels around for the light. Tugging the beaded cord like a rope dangling over a cliff that she almost fell off into the dark unknown.

Big girls weren't scared of the dark, she found. So she shouldn't be afraid of anything. Except disappointing her parents. She vowed she never would to all the coats and horse shoes in this closet.

She'd rather run away before doing such a thing.

Someina squints her eyes at the boxes, momentarily forgetting about the pretend clothes for the boxes stacked high. They were about five of her in how much taller it came to, and they all seemed to be crisp and new. Only...they were labeled in her mother's handwriting.

She wonders what's in them, since she's too short to reach and she doesn't know how to read, yet. But she decides to maybe ask her nanny about it later, drifting out of her favorite place in search of her always-laughing sister.

She didn't expect that box to hold journals that her mother had written about the days before she met her father. And how it shaped her from wild, risk-taking college student that lived to rock climb to a lady-in waiting that turned away her own flesh and blood because they did something wild, too.

"Mama?" The soft voice makes her flinch in surprise, turning to face it. "Why you look so sad?"

She forces a wavy smile, bringing her in for the world's tightest hug.

"Promise me you'll tell me if you're ever unhappy. No secrets."

Kaiko bobs her head against her chest, squeezing her mother back with all her might.

"I promise. But I want you happy, too."

With those insightful words that marked a girl wise beyond her years, she lifts a hand to wipe tears from her eyes. Having to redo her makeup suddenly not all that important.

"You should put on sparkly earrings," Kaiko says, her sage wisdom ever-flowing. "They make you look like a princess."

Someina gasps. "Kaiko! You're such a genius. Thank you!" She spins her around, over the moon about the solution to changing up her look.

To make the old new again, accessorize.

"Now can I get your lipstick?"

Someina bubbles over with laughter, setting her back down on the floor. "Yes, silly. You can."

...

The restaurant they were in was fancy. Elbow patches, minstrels, and candlelight fancy. It was where the stuffy rich flaunted their 'superior' status around, and always had an open seat where others had to make reservations six months in advance for the very same. It came as a shock that the walls and table cloth weren't made of money themselves with the upscale service the place promised.

"Elbows off the table. Sit up straight for posture's sake," Rin's mom snarls under her breath, jabbing her own bony elbow into her daughter's side. "And what did I tell you about chewing gum in a public setting? Lose it as soon as they take our orders."

Rin makes a big show of slowly dragging her elbows off the table, making the silk cloth bunch and wrinkle as she finally brought her hands into her lap. "Maybe I'll lose the gum the instance you invest in a pack, mother. Your breath smells like rank green tea."

Haru chuckles, sucking his lip between his teeth to stifle it as her mother shields her mouth with a gloved hand.

"Hold your tongue, Isuzu."

At the use of her real name, Rin narrows her eyes into hateful, defiant slits. If there was one thing that she loathed above all about her mother, it was the name she gave and how she used it just for the purpose of getting under her skin. It was why she was dragging Haru to this dinner in the first place. For the sake of hitting her back just as hard, and having someone with her to help her survive this grueling dinner.

Telling him that her mother invited him was a lie.

But it worked, didn't it?

"You have an eye for beautiful restaurants, Sakae-sama," Haru says, his features polite again once he's calmed his laughter.

But it must not earn him any points, because the middle-aged woman's scowl deepens. So deep in fact, that it looks like it'll splat on the floor at any moment with how low and down-turned her lips have become as he tried and failed to defuse the tension.

"I know that, boy." She sniffs, running her perfectly kept nails through her flawless half-down, half-up do. "I'm not like you and your...kind. I have enough self-respect and dignity to eat at a place that is to my standards. A mechanic like you that's squandered and wasted his family's fortune is only fit to look in this establishment. You should be thankful that your association with my daughter has even allowed you entrance."

Haru's flat gaze shifts to the laminated menu in front of him, giving him a focal point to keep his temper in check. Filling his head with useless information of appetizers he had no interest in just to hold his ground for the next half hour or so.

What was he doing here again?

We're here for your hot girlfriend and her nightmare of a mother. At least we're getting laid for it.

Haru rolls his eyes at the input of his black side, in no mood for any of it.

That's no reason.

Like you have something else better to do. Quit moping already, you're killing my libido.

But instead of the 'pep talk' bringing him to his senses, its light and feminine laughter that pulls his attention up and keeps him from sinking lower, bringing light back to his steadily darkening eyes.

Someina just arrived at the restaurant with a dashing, much taller gentleman on her arm, their backs to his table. There was something vaguely familiar about her date, but he didn't care to analyze it all that much when she was there. A complete 360 from how she looked on Monday three days ago.

The way her form-fitting dress - in his favorite color, black - hugged her curves and her impressive backside to end off at just above her knees. Classy enough for a bistro of this caliber, but a sexy finger-tip length that begged to have a man's hands there.

'Her date's hands,' he recalls sharply, coming back to himself and the glaring women that sat around his table.

This...was crazy.

The whole back and forth ping-pong match of what he truly made of Someina, the woman that waltzed into his life after he stayed in her bed, making him feel the happiest he had been in those times. Maybe...even...now?

No.

He bites the inside of his cheek, steeling himself and his wonky feelings that came out of hiding whenever she was around him.

Just to make a point to himself and anyone that thought differently, he takes Rin's hand in his own from beneath the table, and forces his attention on the heated conversation taking place. Not on how stunning Someina looked as she threw her head back in laughter that contrasted the dull atmosphere of this world he never belonged in. Not on the way the man he somehow knew but couldn't place, put his hand on the small of her back and lead them to a table that allowed him to see her face but not the male she sat across from. He absolutely wouldn't dare observe how much makeup she wore with him, and made the normally sultry smoky eyes look strikingly cute.

Maybe it was the freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks.

Or the small flame of childlike wonder that blazed in eyes that would look cold as ice on anyone else.

Though it could have been-

"Haru!" Rin whispers loudly, squeezing his hand with nearly all her strength. "Eyes on your date. The waitress is almost at our table. Are you planning to stare at her too?"

He blinks in mild surprise, only now registering that he somehow angled himself towards Someina despite his efforts not to. He quickly turns back around in time for the waitress to collect their orders. Throughout the entire exchange, and the veiled insults that resumed right after the woman left, Haru was completely spaced out. This time blocking out everything else as he waited on whatever the heck he ordered, and to keep his thoughts from going astray again.

And when their meals finally arrive, he expels a breath he'd been holding onto for dear life. Turns out...it was enough distraction.

Wasting no time sawing into his steak and potatoes, he takes a few hearty bites. He almost manages to revert back to normal when the magnet of attraction - that was on the fritz lately - commands him to look up.

And their eyes catch.

His hand stills in bringing the fork up to his mouth, and the mashed potatoes with chives fall to the plate in a tepid, sloppy pile. But it lays forgotten when her rouge painted lips form a soft and gentle smile. Like when your clothes are put through the wash and dryer and come out smelling like detergent. Its warm and tender and puts you at ease.

He finds himself smiling right back, both daring the other to look away, first. Pouring conversation into the other from across the gap that didn't feel distant all of a sudden.

And maybe its the relief he finds in her presence after the grilling session he suffered the limo ride over, the look of pity their driver shot him, and the insults he had before dinner. Or maybe its how intense and fast time was traveling now that they crossed paths again, when everything before Monday was going slow enough to fall backwards.

Whatever it was...

Made this night eons better.

Then it dies out just as fast as lips pass over his, fingertips dancing over his jaw like piano keys. And he feels a surge of annoyance when Someina looks away embarrassedly, her cheeks pink as she burned holes into her menu with baby blues he didn't expect he'd miss.

Rin.

She releases the hold she has on his mouth, stunning her mother into flapping her lips like a fish as she tries to voice her shock.

"Haru," Rin purrs, her voice low as she spoke into his ear. "Tonight, I'm gonna make you forget all about my horrible mother and that chick you can't seem to take your eyes off of. But tomorrow..."

She leans back, her eyes voracious and vicious. "You're gonna tell me when and why you lost your mind, and thought that would ever be okay."

Take the deal. Take the deal! Before she changes her mind! Bang her tonight, and grovel tomorrow.

Haru toys with his bracelet, trying to avoid making a scene. "She's just someone I know. And we happened to look at each other at the same time. What's the problem?"

She scoffs. "What's the problem? This isn't some cheesy drama that you veg out on with your pants unbuttoned. That kind of crap doesn't just 'happen,'" she mocks, putting her fingers in air quotes. "She's probably the reason you're even leaving the house during the day. School? Yeah, right. School my a-"

"We're not talking about this right now," Haru says, leaving no room for argument with his hardened expression. "Especially when I know its always a dead end with you."

Rin throws down a napkin he hadn't even noticed she grabbed. "That's a load of bull. I listen to you."

"Only when I'm moaning on top of you."

Her eyes widen to the size of two planets, though it has nothing on her mother's reaction. She looks like she's about to faint.

"Whatever," Rin growls, snatching up her purse. "I'm bouncing. You can figure out how to pay for this stupid meal yourself. Have fun alone in bed tonight."

I hate you, his black side hisses. Only quieted by the departing footsteps and the effects of his medicine.

She storms off, her boots clacking angrily as her mother follows behind her, calling her by Isuzu as loudly as she dares.

Both footing him with the bill.

Strike one.

Haru digs his nails into his palms, staring at the abandoned plates for what feels like dragging minutes. Only to snap out of it fifteen minutes later. Looking up to see that not only Rin and her mother were gone, but so was Someina.

He tosses wrinkled bills on the table, about to stand when he finds a napkin on the table with a pen attached. He picks it up to read its cursive, finding it within himself to smile as his night ends on a high note.

Meet me at the Ice Cream Parlor on Hashima district, Friday at three in the afternoon. I have something to tell you.

Sincerely,

Someina

P.S. You won't have to worry about needing to borrow anything. I just included the pen in case I underestimated your need for supplies. Though there's always a yellow highlighter with your name on it during Physics if ever in need. Just ask.

Sincerely and for real this time,

Someina

...

Something Someina did love about late nights with Hatori and studying was taking walks. To be romantic and to clear her head and the heavy insides of her heart. But the one thing she was over the moon about, was watching the sky go grow lighter. How fascinating it was to watch each blip in the sky flicker away for the sun to take over. Like rolling a sky blue carpet for the grandiose entrance of a star that burned just brighter than the others that preceded it.

Tonight was only different with in timing. Both full of expensive foods that Someina could name in her sleep, walking off their full stomachs under the company of moonlight.

They were peaceably swapping stories about the day's affairs, walking arm in arm and side by side. Like how Hatori had something completely catastrophic happen with a cat and a very confused little girl that thought he was a veterinarian. He ended up treating a siamese for getting into a bush of berries that made it sick, on the way to his day job of caring for humans that were almost just as catty and difficult. Pun intended.

But even that couldn't top the news she was about to drop on her unsuspecting beau.

She tugs lightly on his arm, earning the one green eye visible from beneath his beautiful and debonair locks. Though it did make her laugh a little at seeing him this way. You can take the girl out of the manor, but you can't take the manners out of the girl.

"I'm told my life isn't anything to rave about. Well, its usually just chaotic to wrangle Kaiko into a dress, or get her to go to bed when she's fussy and bouncing off the walls with energy." She pauses, realizing that Kaiko and work was really all she had. "Until Monday changed that."

Hatori tilts his head imperceptibly, never one to share too many emotions at once. "Monday? Chaotic? How so?"

She laughs sheepishly, parking herself at a bench she was all too happy to find. And is able to breathe a little easier when he joins her.

"Well," she drawls, dragging out the one syllable to stall for time. "You know how I had a fling back in high school, and how it was a one time thing that...gave me Kaiko?"

He narrows his eyes in thought, his lips flattening into a neutral expression. "That sounds vaguely familiar. Why?"

She clasps her hands together, coyly leaning into Hatori's side. "I maybe-sorta-kinda found out her father is in my physics class. And, he's agreed to work on my car this weekend."

There's nothing but thoughtful silence in the wake of her gravity-altering announcement. Hatori was unsure of how to voice the many things resting on the tip of his tongue as the world they had been building together began to sag a little. Deflated by all the unspoken prospects of the only man she ever got that intimate with entering the picture when their relationship was still hot off the presses.

He glances at his watch, then at the sky, the nearly empty park and playground. Then he sighs through his nose, secretly craving a cigarette.

"I see. Are you planning to explore your old feelings for him?"

Someina startles at this, her blue eyes big and wide as they meet his. "What old feelings? We didn't- it was never anything beyond a one-night stand."

Okay, maybe that's not completely honest.

"Sure, we had coffee together. But it was strictly, absolutely, 100% platonic. Hatori, he's Kaiko's dad. I don't want to keep them apart. I never did. We should be able to handle this like mature adults and work out an arrangement that accommodates everyone in a way that we can all be comfortable."

"Someina," he says, and she fights off the urge to sigh at how Hatori saying her name doesn't nearly move her like Haru's presence. "I think that you should do what you please. Yes, I want you to choose me. And I'm aware that a part of you will always belong to him because Kaiko. But, I can't intervene and stop you from sharing her with him. Even when I already have to. I just want to make sure you want to be with me. And that we're not wasting each other's time."

"I do, Hatori," she says, her baby blues pleading and needing mercy to quench them. "I like you, and I enjoy your company. You make me feel..."

Like what, exactly?

There was no romance that had her waking up singing, beckoning her to dance around her bedroom as she made toast or sang into her hair brush.

There were no hot, gripping, passionate moments between the sheets that left her blissfully sore and happy.

There was mostly just friendship as the main course with a few kisses and dates for dessert.

And the sadness of that alone made her heart hurt, scraping out the insides like a pumpkin.

"You make me feel, like my old self." She bites her lip, rewinding that in her head to check that it sounds like a promising thing instead of the epitaph of a dead thing. "So there's no need to worry about me and anything I felt or didn't feel when I saw him again. I mean, if it were your ex, how would you deal?"

Hatori closes his eyes, automatically breathing in the lingering wisps of Kana's scent of honey and rain. Remembering how she was a terrible cook, but a master at baking. How she always left the bed's fitted sheet half-on and half-off, and the frustrated pout she'd wear when it fought her every step of the way. How it felt for her feet to be in his lap - the nails painted tangerine as always - as they watched a Hitchcock marathon every Thursday night.

The ache in his heart never let up or went away. It never dulled or dimmed to a lower volume than a roar, always loud and in his face three years after their split. It was something that threw him completely when she left him and chose someone else. Someone blonde, younger, and more carefree. He was always dark, jaded, and uptight. In other words, she found herself lonely and lost in his sadness, and he couldn't hang with her sunny outlook.

He was heartbroken and merely getting by trying to nurse it back to health with each smile and personalized cup of coffee from the girl beside him. Looking expectantly at him longer than his eyes had been focused on her, trying to respectfully look her over as he held back on answering. She was a petite little thing, dressed in a way that made him proud to be seen with her and mildly aroused all with one outfit. While she wasn't voluptuous or remotely sultry, her freckles were endearing, and her snowflake blue eyes convinced you to stare into them always. Something he had to not do when he wanted to concentrate on more than what it might feel like to hold hands or to take their kisses beyond the chaste pecks.

"I wouldn't be so sure that I was over them. But, I wouldn't want to be alone with them in case I find out the hard way that I'm not."

Before she can argue that it would be why you should find out, he stands and stretches his arms above his head. Delighting in each pop of his back and arms, thankful for the way out of staying up too late he'd secured for himself.

"Its getting close to ten, and I know you need to see off the babysitter and get up for work in the morning."

She nods reluctantly, standing up herself and dusting off the skirt of her dress. Gaining watchful eyes once more.

He wasn't perverted like his friends, no. But he could admit to liking what he saw when he liked what he saw. Even though he was attracted to her caring nature and her physicality, he couldn't bring himself to give into being emotionally present when he couldn't even do it for Kana. He just showed up, hoping things would be different, and left disappointed.

She flashes him a bright smile that shines like a lighthouse, piercing the dark allure of his heavier thoughts. Holding her hand out behind her for him to take, smoothly sliding their palms together to interlace their fingers as they started back to her building.

And both hoped that this would all eventually mean something.

...

Friday

Nervous.

Apprehensive.

Tentative.

There were so many words that all could only describe one thing.

Someina was terrified of what was next. Though she hid it well as she walked through the doors of a local ice cream parlor, her hand in Kaiko's.

It was mint green and soft blues, retro booths and a juke box. Even the employees blew by on roller skates, balancing trays of milkshakes, floats, and malts alike as 50s music draped the room. She heard nothing but good things about this place when she first arrived from Tokyo, nothing but the clothes on her back and her broken spirit during a rainy day of her second trimester. They'd all been welcoming and filled with irreplaceable warmth, feeding her baked goods when she couldn't afford Italian ice in her diet. It was one of the things that brought her here today. She wanted to be enveloped in that same inviting kindness, lean on it as she broke news as big as this to Haru.

It was all coming full circle.

"Kaiko-cake, what do you want to eat?" Someina asks, bending down to her height and pointing with her free hand. "Look at all those flavors. They have neapolitan, cookies and cream, cookie dough, coffee..."

Kaiko hums, bouncing on her tip toes. "Do they have ba-na-na?"

She smiles, nodding. "Yup! You want that?"

Kaiko giggles and clings to Someina's leg, tighter than a starfish as she exudes with excitement. "Ba-na-na! Banana!"

"So, this is the daughter I heard so much about."

Someina jumps like she's been thrown in with a vat of eels on fire with electricity. His voice alone was chilling in how far it reached inside her and vibrated through every inch of her. She pauses, unsure if she can bring herself to face him and unsure of how to avoid furthering awkward silence.

"Mama! He looks like a moo cow from my farm book," Kaiko squeals, turning around the best she can while still holding onto Someina's legs. "Are you a cow?"

Haru smirks, crouching to his haunches so that they're eye-level. "I might be. Do you like cows?"

She nods, shyly rocking on her mom's feet. "Uh-huh. Do you really jump over the moon?"

He chuckles at this. Not unlike someone approaching a mall Santa Clause and asking if they really have a naughty and nice list. "Yup. And the dish ran away with the spoon."

Someina laughs, and ignores the nerves that try to commit homicide on her stomach, relieved of the break from his eyes being on her. His eyes were beautifully destructive tornadoes, dangerous in the way they fascinated you before sucking you in. With no way to take cover. And it threatened to cut her conviction and senses to ribbons if the lady at the counter didn't hurry and take their orders.

"Ready whenever you are," she chirps, her brunette ponytail swinging as she adds coins to the register.

At this, Haru looks at Someina, and she faces front. Pretending not to feel his stare or everything it tries to do to her.

Yup. Definitely an F5, and all consuming as ever.

"Yes, can I get a banana flavored ice cream bowl. And-"

"Psst," Kaiko butts in, tugging on the pants leg of her jeans. "With extra sprinkles. Pretty please?"

"Sure, Kaiko-cake." She looks back up at the woman. "With extra sprinkles, please?"

She punches in the information, before giving me her attention once more. "Will that be all?"

"Uh...I guess a sugar-free rainbow popsicle will do fine. Thank you." As she goes to enter this information, Someina summons all the courage she can to swivel around towards Haru. "You want anything? I might be a little short, today."

He half-shrugs, blankly skimming the menu posted on the wall behind the counter. "I'll pay."

She shakes her head so fast her bluebird earrings smack her in the face. "Not for everything. That wouldn't be fair."

He glances back at Someina, mischief in his stormy eyes. And she finds them somehow intense and inviting all under one amicable shade. "Its fine, Som. Money's no object when I'm treating a friend."

Som.

Friend.

Those two names. Those two labels.

They struck her dumb.

"Ok! That'll come to five yen," the cashier, Blue, says. Her name-tag barely readable with how faded the letters were.

Someina sways back and forth between her two natures; the lady that had to let the gentleman pay for things, and the side she was discovering that was independent and unruly. She wasn't sure who she should let win out.

Thankfully, Haru was quicker to the draw, and made the decision for her by whipping out his wallet. Forking over the amount, plus tip. And offering words of thanks when she points them to their table and Someina's words fail her.

She was acting like a bumbling idiot, scared of the shadows and creaks of a haunted house. It was ridiculous.

So what if they had a one-night stand? That was five years ago. They're in the same class, he's working on her car, and-

They're friends.

Yup. He said so himself.

It was fine.

After peeling her daughter off her jeans, the three of them take seats beside a large window where they could see the full stretch of the parking lot. People stepping out of cars, taking off in whips too souped up for the neighborhood they were in. An older man leaning against a coupe, finishing off a cigarette that looked to have already dwindled in its entirety.

It was good, though. The hustle and bustle was a lifesaver when it came to her forgetting that she was sitting directly across from the man that first had her. He'd only sampled what she was capable of expressing physically. But it somehow felt like she offered up so much more than she could grasp.

And she had one more thing to give him.

Maybe that's why she was so skittish.

She pats her hair, hoping it was neat and tidy after air-drying the past hour. She completely forgot to blow dry before leaving the house.

"There's some things we need to discuss," she says, making her back pin straight. "It regards our night together five years prior."

Formal was good. Formal was safe and revealed nothing.

Haru leans over to cover Kaiko's ears, to which she giggles and places her tiny hands over his.

"Som...in front of your daughter? I don't know if I have the balls to do that."

She claps her hands over her cheeks to hide their blush, nearly rendered speechless by him as he completely stole away her thoughts.

"Not that! I'm talking about something that followed..." Haru lowers his hands, Kaiko pouting at whatever game she thought was happening coming to an abrupt end.

Someina bounces her leg, clasps her hands, smooths them over her jeans. She crosses her legs and then uncrosses them.

Stupid nervous habits. Stupid anxiety.

"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you about that."

Someina's mouth drops open, blinking dumbly. "Say what? You know?"

Haru rests his chin in the palm of his hand, fingering pages of the menu on their round table.

"How could I not know? Your disappearance wasn't exactly discreet. I just...didn't get why you up and left a week later. I thought it was crazy at first. But, was it because of me?"

"Here you are," a geeky waiter sings, rolling up in the nick of time. "A Banana Blast with extra sprinkles, a Promise Popsicle, and a Butter Pecan Punch. Is that correct?"

"Y-yes," Someina stutters out, reaching over to grab their treats from the tray, and set it down in front of each person. When she grabs Haru's and prepares to put it in front of him, he accepts it right from her hands. Purposefully brushing their fingertips together as he takes it. Or, at least that's how she saw it.

She quickly yanks her hands back, and breaks open the plasticware to keep from analyzing why she felt so out of sorts.

The waiter does a little spin, one arm high as the other balances the silver tray with perfection. "Enjoy," he calls, skating off to a family of three not too far from them.

"You got it?" Someina asks her daughter, ever the doting mother, handing her the spoon.

"Yeah! Ba-na-na! Banana!" Kaiko kicks her feet furiously as she digs into her cold treat. Barely making a dent in the dessert too big for her body.

Someina turns in her seat to try her own when she notices Haru observing Kaiko silently. His eyes a gentle grey that cradled the one he looked at. It was sweet, and she'd witnessed it only once before. Which brought her back to their conversation.

"Haru," she says, causing him to train his eyes on her. "Have you ever entertained the thought of what your future looks like?"

He snorts, spooning up a lot more pecans than ice cream. "Its all I think about. I grew up wanting to fix cars or be a train engineer. I always thought it was cool to see the way everything worked. How intricate small, oddly shaped parts are exactly how they are for a purpose. That, they don't give a crap about being different with different abilities. But they all work under the same goal."

"Wow," she says, taking a small lick of her Popsicle. "That's pretty similar to the human mind."

He nods, giving her a pleased smile. "Exactly. But..." he sighs, stabbing at his already melting ice cream. "I haven't been so sure that its a job I'll always do. Yeah, cars will get busted and someone can fix them or just do maintenance work. But I want to see what else is out there. And look beyond childish aspirations. Its all I knew, but there's more that I don't."

She smiles sadly. "I know the feeling."

Boy did she.

He looks up at her curiously, bringing another bite to his mouth. And for the first time, she notices the handmade brownish-black bracelet around his wrist.

"Take you for instance," he adds. "Psychology is something that's never once crossed my mind before meeting you. But I feel like its something I vibe with. Even watching you work at a cafe piqued my interest in a way customer service never had."

Now its her turn to laugh. "Its not all glitz and glamour. Uncaffeinated people are deadly. You do not want to meet one. Trust me."

Haru smirks, unable to help his blunt way. "Maybe its because its you that its interesting me."

She chokes, hurriedly drinking water she didn't even know she had, while Kaiko lightly pats her on the back.

"Mama! You gotta chew your food so you don't choke." She frowns in Haru's direction, her eyebrows pinched. "You can kiss her, right? That's what you do to choking people."

Someina gasps for air, unable to process all this embarrassment at once. And even more so that Haru's grinning at the mere suggestion.

Someone just put her out of her misery, and do it quick.

He looks to Kaiko, assuming an innocent countenance at the drop of a hat. "Thankfully, your mom's gonna be ok. Where did you even hear about kissing choking people?"

"From Daisy," she says, though her scowl deepens. "She's such a meanie. She told a boy that I wanted to kiss him because he looked liked a frog. And you're supposed to so you can find a prince. But she lied."

Okay, this whole thing was so off track, she didn't even know where to begin.

"Kaiko, I see a lot of sprinkles left. You wouldn't want me to eat them, would you?" She teases, immediately causing her to snap her head towards her mother.

"No!" She cries, shoveling a bite in before scooting the bowl further over on her side. "Mine!"

She and Haru share a laugh, and it dissolves the anxious atmosphere like a cold tablet in a glass of water.

With a more collected outlook, Someina crosses her legs once more. And tries not to make a big deal out of the fact he was sitting differently, and his leg now touched her foot.

"There's something I need to address, which is why I asked you about your future. I'm happy about what you told me. But...I was really wondering how you saw your personal life. Family, relationships...children?"

He leans back and crosses his arms, this movement bringing her foot more firmly against his shin. "Family is not the best. But not the worst. I have a girlfriend, but I don't really care about settling down with a wife right now."

So there was a woman in his life. Well, it didn't have to be the end. Maybe she'd be cool with it - as cool as you can be, anyway - and understand that he should be able to spend time with his daughter. She just hoped it didn't drive a wedge between him and his girl.

"As for children-"

She leans in, gnawing on her lip and fighting the urge to fidget.

"-someday. With a person that actually loves me. Not the nonsense of just warming each other's beds or the remedy to their boredom on Friday nights. I want someone that can have another opinion, be different, and still respect mine and my personality. Someone loyal and understanding of how I live my life, no matter how far from normal it can be. I would want a son or daughter, then."

How is that so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time?

She admired and agreed with his sentiments. It was what she looked for in Hatori. Was still looking for in Hatori.

But, how would he react to knowing he had a daughter in the now? With someone that wasn't committed to him or loved him that way.

"Haru-"

"-I was surprised when you told me you have a daughter," he says, causing her mouth to snap shut instantly.

He lets his paper bowl of ice cream sit half-eaten on the table, distantly staring out the parking lot. The man she'd been people watching had stamped out his cig, and was trying to bum another.

"I was confused. But I understood when I saw you out to dinner with that older guy. I just kind of connected the dots."

"Haru, that's not what you think." She earns his intense gaze again, and she rolls her shoulders back. Knowing she'd prolonged this long enough. "He is my boyfriend. But, only for the past month. I haven't known him long enough to have Kaiko with him. She's five."

Haru nods slowly, but then he halts. And his eyes light up as everything that bridged these lost years between them, dawns on him at last.

"Kaiko's..." he mumbles, afraid of continuing in case he got the answer wrong. "Kaiko's mine?"

Someina's crosses her heart and hopes it doesn't give out, watching the thousands of days worth of questions flash across his every feature.

"Ours."


Woo! This chapter was a doozy! X.X

Now that the intro is out of the way, I can finally start getting into the good stuff in the coming chapters. It should get a lot less verbose and more action-oriented. So be ready. ;)


My Answer To Last Chapter's Question: The Fellowship of The Ring (Lord Of The Rings) and Battle of The Five Armies (The Hobbit)


Chapter Question: What is a food you've never had that you'd like to try?


The Bloody Red Queen Of Angst: I'll respond to this twice over when you respond to the lengthy message I sent ;) Mwahahaha! But thank you a 'mazillion' times! XD


No Sleep November: Thank you for your words of encouragement! It made me smile and breathe a sigh of relief. As the first chapters can be the most nerve-wracking and daunting outside of the ending. I'm really happy you're liking it so far, and I hope you're fine with a slower chapter to set-up what's to come. As for why I chose Haru...I just love him haha. No other reason. Its kind of nice to take a break from the outright steamy, and won't go beyond the insinuations and hints of the event in the first segment. And I want this to really be the relationship-centric, and highlight the good and the bad of them. Especially in their situation. Its kind of crazy that I can't stand poor grammar when I've made my fair share of the same mistakes lol Oh well. Thank you for your ideas! One of them was already on my mind to tackle. I hope you stick around to found out which (shameless plug or not, you decide). ^_^


See you all next chapter! :)