Wow, so many reviews in the past week! I was really honored to receive all the messages I recieved, especially those that said I was amazing and refreshing and great.

It really is great to get such...really kind reviews actually. I had stayed away from for a while becuase I had gotten a bad review on a story I had written and I lost my self-confidence. Thank you for every kind thing you have said to me and I hope to continue hearing from you all. So...read and review and enjoy!

A restless night's sleep, a dream with whirl-winding colors so fast I don't even remember the true premise of, and I awoke in my room with giant bags under my eyes and a grouch on my face. This was the ultimate sign that my life had reached an ultimate low. And it was all stupid Gokudera's fault.

I threw on my uniform and covered my pink face in a veil of makeup and bounded down the stairs to catch breakfast before my mother left for her jobs.

After my dad left, Mom fell apart. Our life went on a steady decline as she developed a sort of comatose state of depression that spanned even into her work life. After a few weeks of simply stumbling through her shift, her boss decided he was out of sympathy. And when she cost the company a really important job, he lost it and yelled "Haruko! For the last time, your husband left you a month ago! Can't you wake up, if not for this job, then at least for your daughter?"

Needless to say, Mom quit her job. Eventually, she did wake up from her reverie only to realize that she needed to pay our house bill or else we would be evicted for certain. She didn't want me to have to work, so instead she applied endlessly to every available place she could find. A meager waitress's tips weren't exactly enough to pay for our mortgage, but it was a start.

Every morning, my mom woke up at five thirty in the morning looking for new jobs in a pink and yellow bathrobe and blue fuzzy bunny slippers. Afterwards she stumbled into the kitchen and feebly attempted to make a breakfast before I would wake up and take the spoon from her. I combed her bobbed brown hair and kissed her pale cheek goodbye after putting together our lunches. She then headed off to our neighborhood grocery store and plucked bad heads of lettuce from the vegetable tray and got felt up by her greasy, slimy manager before stealing an hour to sit down and eat. After that, she traveled across town on a rickety old bus to the sleazy side of town and spent the rest of the day serving beers with deep fried appetizers and getting hit on by half-drunk bikers before waving a taxi home well after dark. She slugged herself to bed for three hours before waking up and doing it all over again.

Even though people say she was a nervous wreck, I liked to think that there were some remains of her upbeat, free spirited soul. I saw it sometimes when she stirred omelets in the frying pan on our tiny stove when I stepped off the staircase and creeped around the corner before she would see me. I even could catch a rare smile, and not the one she forced on her face when she sees me. I then could see the beautiful woman that my father fell in love with from high school, the girl that was voted "going to go places".

But then reality hit when we heard the sound of crinkling electric, water, and phone bills hitting the carpeted floor as it fell through the mail slot. And then we'd go back into our normal lives.

That day was one of her better days. She'd either gotten good news at one of her jobs or she managed to find another, better one down the road. She could barely summon enough energy to hold the spoon long enough to stir the frying egg around in the pan, but she still was smiling and humming when I came down to relieve her from her duty.

I bustled about, finishing the meal, invigorated by how happy she seemed. "There's something in the air Haru." She murmured at one point, tapping her finger against the table.

I placed a bowl of rice porridge in front of her. "How do you figure? Anything good to report?" I asked lightly, not willing to spoil her happy demeanor.

It seemed to work, because she giggled and said "Oh, I don't know. I just have a feeling." Her fork spiraled about in the eggy center.

"On a job?" I questioned again, handing her a cup of coffee. She lived on it these days.

"Possibly." She sipped it carefully, like the queenly woman I always knew her to be. "Mr. Yukino said there is a possibility for me to make manager sometime soon." She grinned widely over her mug. "I do hope so. I've been putting in a little more overtime than usual just for that purpose."

I held back a grimace. Even I knew that Mr. Yukino was more than just a pig. He was a lying pig. He would never give a person a job they so obviously deserve. His game was toying with other coworkers' feelings and dangling something like a promotion over their heads before yanking it away in a dramatic fashion. He was all too unwilling to let a plaything like my mother slip out under him into a position of higher power.

I forced a smile on my face. "Good for you." I lied, mentally reminding myself to snap up another job opportunity across town just in case everything went down in flames.

We ate the rest of the meal in silence, and I quickly scrubbed the dishes as she showered. When I was done bustling around getting ready for school, I snapped up my bag. I tried to ignore the smell of motor oil and oranges seeping from the insides, and readied myself for another day of school, including facing the person I was avoiding the most. I bounded toward the door when the clock struck 5:24 and grabbed my shoes.

"Haru?"

I stopped, unusual in my routine for Mom to call me like that. I turned back to face her in socked feet. "Yes?" I asked sweetly, nervous.

Her face was stoic. "…Misaki's mother called me just now…" She said slowly, almost watching my reaction for tell-alls. "…She said Misaki saw you talking to a boy."

I froze. I forgot that Misaki and her mom were the gossip queens of the stupid neighborhood.

"And then she said you got on a motorcycle with him-?"

"Mom, it's not what you think!" I interrupted, thinking fast. "I…I asked him for the ride! It was…it was raining…he was the only one…who was there…" I lied. I immediately felt guilty for it, seeing my mother's face fall like it did. Since Dad left, it was my sworn duty to make her happy and lies were never her favorite thing since their relationship was sorely based on one.

But it saved her from the alternative. Since having to deal with the divorce was trying enough, she didn't need to bear the weight of her daughter having a stalker too. I'll talk to him, I decided. I can't have him hanging around and scaring her like this.

Mom's face softened some. "Well…I guess I'm glad you made the alternative choice. But honey, next time, please just take the bus."

I laughed hollowly. "Trust me Mom, it won't happen again."

And I swear I meant it.

At least, for two or three more minutes until I had walked out the door and saw Hayato Gokudera waiting at the gate.

I screamed, jumping backwards again, not unlike the day before. My bag crashed to my feet with a loud thump, and my stalker picked it up slowly. He presented it to me on a bent crooked finger, swaying in the light cool air. "Gotta stop meeting like this." He joked, attempting a light atmosphere.

As usual, I didn't bite. I growled and snatched my bag from his grasp. "I didn't ask for your help. And what is with your obsession with giving me heart attacks?" I snarled, stomping my way down the path and out the gate.

He followed me. "I'm here to pick you up." He offered lightly, almost smug.

I puffed and groaned as I turned to face his stupid grin. "Are you kidding me? Was I not clear yesterday? I don't want to be friends with you. At all. Let alone be your stupid trophy girlfriend."

He frowned and slowly trudged forward with blue green converse sneakers with purpose. "…Who said anything about trophies? I just want the chance to take you to school. And maybe back because it will kill my conscience to let a girl walk all the way back and forth all the time."

I rolled my eyes. "Well the last thing I would want to do is kill your conscience." I mocked. "Save the pity. I'm fine."

As I turned away again, Gokudera rushed forward and blocked my path. He stuck his arm out and slammed it against a gray brick wall, determinedly looking me in the eye. "…All I'm asking is that you give me half a chance." He murmured, giving me another rare serious Gokudera look. And I don't mean the one that says 'bite me' to our homeroom teacher each day. "I just want to prove to you that I can be honestly serious about something. That's all."

I studied his face. I realized quickly that there was no trace of the same lingering shame that my father developed as he asked me to live with him and Yoite. Gokudera was looking at me with a face I had never seen before. Serious eyes and an honest stare that I sometimes saw when he fought a particularly hard battle.

I gulped. There was no hesitation. My conscience flew out the window in a matter of moments. "…Sure. I guess it wouldn't hurt…"

The moment the words left my mouth, I didn't regret them. His face lit up like a child getting his favorite toy and I caught a glimpse of a rare smile sprouting on his face. He bounded off toward his discarded messenger bag, digging through until he uncovered his favorite cherry red helmet. He presented it to me smugly before I snatched it out of his hands.

Well, I decided as he helped me slip it over my pink face, the worst thing that could happen now is a little bit of helmet hair.

This ride was smoother than the day before. I even managed to keep one eye open as we sped along the road that led to school. As I clutched onto him, I could hear Gokudera humming some unknown song under his breath. I could even almost hear the smile in his voice.

He was growing up, I realized. He wasn't just the reckless, quick to argue guy I knew in Middle School. Gokudera had matured. I couldn't help breathing in his husky scent. It was slightly different with the smell of overpriced, day-old convenience store sushi and gunpowder highlighting his wrinkled uniform, of course making my nose crumple, but the overall aroma remained the same. The one that I would never admit stuck with me even in my dreams the night before.

The school grounds were deserted as we drove up the gated path. I dismounted unceremoniously but with a better landing than yesterday. Gokudera grabbed my helmet at the same time I did, helping me out of it. His face was very close to mine and his eyes were saying something indescribable to me.

I got nervous and moved away quickly, snatching my bag from his hands and not looking straight into his face. I took off toward the school doors without a word.

"…That's it?"

Gokudera's voice drifted across the grounds, making me hesitate in my path. I turned around slowly, meeting his confused and hurt look.

He stepped forward. "…That's all? You're not even…going to thank me?" He asked lightly, almost like I had heartily offended him.

I stepped down off the stairway. "W-well…" I murmured. "I-I thought it was kinda obvious."

He frowned. "…Maybe so, but…" He walked up closer until we were almost nose to nose. "…I still appreciate some sort of gratitude. All things considered."

I gulped, nervous at the sudden closeness. I stepped back to calm myself from the awkward moment that was about to occur. I sighed, resigning myself. "So…what do you want me to say?"

Gokudera leaned against the side of the brick building like the delinquent everyone knew he was. "A thank you will be a good start." He stated as blankly as the look on his face.

I bit my lip, guilty. He was right, as much as I hated admitting it. I figured it would be worth thanking him for everything despite my adverse attitude. "…Thank you." I mumbled, pink staining my face dutifully giving him the gratification he deserved, thinking it would be enough.

Instead, he scoffed and shook his head annoyed. I growled and grew angry with indignation. "Alright, what was that for?" I ground out, my face hot.

"Um, I don't know, maybe for the stupidest lie ever?" Gokudera snapped. He crossed his arms and glared at me in disdain. Now who said he had grown up again?

"I was being honest!" I protested.

"So was I!" He argued back. "I told you my real feelings! I told you I wasn't trying to trick you!"

My eyes narrowed, my own words being turned against me. I felt my eye twitching. Everything I thought I buried in the back of my mind suddenly came boiling to the surface, every word I never said to my father, my mother, Tsuna, everyone exploded from subconscious and I ground out, "…And I did too. You are the last person in the world that I would ever want to be associated with, let alone date. Ever. You are a lazy, lying jerk, and nothing you can say will convince me you're worth giving a chance!" I finished, panting heavily.

In an instant, I realized I hurt him. The pain registering on his face made my heart break in compassion and almost made me rush forward to comfort him. I held myself back, thinking that I was strong enough to say no to my caring instincts. But the truth was there, undisguised. Impenetrable, unapproachable, unsocial Hayato Gokudera was offended. By something I said. I felt guilty, and it gnawed at my insides in an unsettling fashion.

He sighed dolefully. "…Really? Nothing I can do huh?" He questioned, smiling wistfully.

I sighed. "Yes."

"…Not at all?" He probed.

"Yes."

His smile disappeared and he stepped back, as though giving up. "…Ahuh. I see then…" He murmured. "I'm uh…I'm sorry that…you feel…that way…" Gokudera stepped back again staring at the ground stoically. After a long silent moment of deliberating something within himself, he turned away with great difficulty.

For some reason, I felt that guilty feeling grow stronger and the moment his back turned against me I exploded. "…Wait!"

He stopped short.

I realized my sudden actions and choked on my words. Gokudera turned back around, expectant but my voice was swallowed. My mouth grew dry as I attempted to squeeze some words out. "I-I!...I didn't mean—"

Gokudera sighed and smiled forlornly. "I've been called worse things Miura." He turned back away from me. "Don't be afraid of hurting my feelings."

"I-I just…!" I sighed again. "…I don't…trust people very well. The last person I trusted—

"—was Boss. I know." Gokudera finished, still turned away.

I smiled in spite of myself. "…The thing is…I just imagined that my first boyfriend would be…different. And my first date would be something a little more romantic than eating a few bugs on a motorcycle to and from school day after day." He seemed interested at this and slowly spun around to watch me carefully as I spoke. "…Probably a romantic dinner, light, polite conversation without me wanting to strangle him, and something magical to prove the night was worth it. And…when we say goodnight, even just a simple 'Goodnight Haru' would be enough for me because…because he would honestly mean it. I-I just want…" I trailed off, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his heavy gaze and I forced myself to keep talking to ignore it. I smiled wistfully. "…I want…the perfect first impression of the guy I like."

The silence afterwards was deafening. I couldn't even look Gokudera in the eye, knowing that I shared the first piece of truly honest information about myself in a long time.

I winced when Gokudera moved suddenly. I braced myself for the worst: him hitting me or smacking me with his words, calling me Stupid Woman like he used to and taunting me about my feelings.

Until I realized his hand had landed on my head and patted it gently.

I couldn't resist looking up, looking into a solemnly smiling Gokudera staring down at me too. His hand ran over my cheek, and I couldn't help feeling calmer as I felt his calloused pad run over skin. "…I get it." His voice susurrated, uncharacteristically soft. My eyes slid closed and I felt immense relief with his warm hand on my face.

"…Then I'm just gonna have to press rewind."

My eyes flew open as the heat disappeared from my cheek. The image that my eyes then saw was Gokudera quickly jumping off the steps and running for his bike. Before I could open my mouth to say anything, he had hopped onto his motorbike and sped off down the road back the way we came.

Confused as I was, I couldn't help the awe bubbling up from inside me. To wake me up from my reverie, I smacked my cheeks and quickly stormed inside the building.

After all, despite his hands being so warm I couldn't help but think about the numerous other girls that may have touched those fingers before he reached for me.

It was unusual for me to arrive at school about an hour early, considering I usually walked to school for forty five minutes. So I instead sat down in my desk, watching the other students slowly trickle into the classroom while attempting to scratch out the homework I hadn't dented the night before. But like before, my head swirled not with algebraic equations but with Gokudera.

I felt so stupid. Every time I tried to convey my true feelings, all I did was push him over the edge. I felt sick to my stomach. When did I become such a person who knowingly hurt someone like that? When I was younger, I used to look at others and say to myself that if anyone ever confessed to me I would give them a fair chance at love. How did I become so cold and unfeeling that I forgot that promise and considered every man who moved an enemy to me?

Before I could answer my own rhetorical question, one of my old girlfriends Nami strode up to me with that gleaming gossiper look in her blue eye. She had been a good friend of mine in middle school, and when she discovered that her best friend was enrolling in a normal public high school she followed along behind like the puppy she was…and to figure out the secret of the cute guy that I was obviously crushing on.

She bounded along the path to my desk with curly brown locks died honey nut blonde that swayed just below her earlobes. Her hands clapped onto my desktop with a thunder that would make even Zeus wince.

"Where'd you go yesterday?" She asked excitedly, practically bouncing up and down where she stood.

I shrugged and turned back to my work. "Nowhere."

"Ohhh, you little joker!" She exclaimed, now bouncing on her toes. "I heard some girls say that they saw you drive off with Mr. Gokudera on his bike! Tell me all the dirty details!"

I laughed nervously and closed my book. "Y-yeah…I…guess…" I mumbled, wishing I hadn't seen Tsuna and Kyoko walk through the door out the corner of my eye (hand in hand of course).

My words suddenly became a floodgate. Nami was now surrounded by a bunch of Gokudera's known fans and admirers all yelling at me at the same time for information.

"No way!"

"Where'd he take you?"

"Did you two go on a date?"

"Are you two dating?"

"Does he have a brother?"

"No, no!" I stammered, trying to stop the commotion. "He, uh…he just gave me a ride home yesterday…I swear that's all!"

Every girl's face frowned, though some still looked slightly happy. They grumbled about how lucky I was and how they wished he would give them a second glance. Fortunately, the teacher entered before I had to explain myself to a crestfallen Nami.

Half an hour into the lesson was all it took for me to completely give up on focusing on the subject. My mind shifted to every move Gokudera made, bringing a heavy blush to my cheeks.

I was lucky, I realized. Every girl that normally gave Gokudera a confession was shot down instantly. As far as anyone knew, he hadn't been interested in anyone. There was even talk of him being 'unapproachable' in the different sense.

And then I had to come along and dash his hopes. I felt dirty.

I vowed I'd hate my dad forever for walking out on my mom and me. And that she and I were convinced every other man on the planet was just like him. What was the point of bothering if someone was going to get the same result? At least my mom didn't come home with pigs from work, as I heard horror stories from girls in similar situations. I would shudder every time I heard talk of what those men would do.

And yet, whenever I tried to push Gokudera away he was stubborn. He would never listen to me in the way I wanted him to, but he did listen. He did what he thought was best for me (though I tried to convince myself otherwise) even if I didn't want it at the time. I mean, I had thought motorbikes were deathtraps on slippery roads. Now I wasn't so afraid of them. In fact, I kind of liked them now.

I'd never to tell my mom that. She would freak.

Nevertheless, Gokudera stayed which was more than what my own dad did or any other guy I tried to rely on.

I'll apologize later, I decided. It was the least I can do.

A bang from the entryway woke me up from my reverie, scaring me half to death. I quickly recognized my heart attack and its cause. I turned to see the same Gokudera standing in the wooden doorway, drenched in sweat and red and panting heavily with his school jacket hanging loosely off his form. Some of the girls giggled in delight while most of the boys rolled their eyes in annoyance and awe.

The teacher grinned and slowly turned to face him, days of dealing with teenage rebellion about to be dealt back tenfold. "Ahh, Mr. Gokudera. Late to class as usual I see." The man sneered. He shrugged slowly with a laugh. "Well, if you apologize for your previous actions and take back all your insults to me I may allow you to skip the detention—"

"I'm not here for your lousy class, No Brain." Gokudera spat, leaving the teacher open-mouthed in shock. He faced the class, specifically me, and his eyes softened but his voice remained the same. "…I'm here for Miura."

Everyone jolted around in their seats to look at me in shock. I was dropped back into my body suddenly as his eyes dug into mine. Then, reality clicked. "…Wait, what?"

Gokudera strode past the teacher, weaving through the aisles until he reached my desk. He grabbed my arm suddenly. "Come with me." He ordered, yanking me up to my feet.

"What? What?" I yelped confusingly. He snatched my bag hanging off my tiny desk and gave everyone a 'what're you lookin' at?' look. "What—What's going on?"

"Just come on." He snapped back. Twisting my arm again, Gokudera lead me back through the maze of desks to the splintered door. My face burned as all eyes were trained on me, even the pale teacher open-mouthed in shock and disbelief. I felt even guiltier when I noticed Kyoko and Tsuna staring at me with concern and surprise burning in their eyes. Gokudera slammed the door shut behind us with a loud smack.

I bit my lip, determined to not embarrass myself further. "Wh-what are doing to me?" I hollered, dragging my heels to slow him down further. "Let go already!"

"No." He replied simply, as if he had expected me to argue.

"I said let me go!"

"I don't answer stupid questions."

"It wasn't a question!"

Gokudera led me down the staircase and through the long hallways to the entrance of the building. He pushed through the double doors impressively with one outstretched hand. Somewhat awed by this, I didn't even notice Gokudera dragging me once again toward his bike determinedly. He finally let me go (I like to think I finally wrenched myself free) and went towards the helmet sitting on the seat.

He turned back to me. "Get on." He tossed me the cherry red helmet.

I caught it. "Did you lose your hearing again? What is this, kidnapping?"

"…Just get on already."

"No! Not until you tell me what's going on!"

He groaned and kicked the ground in annoyance. He fisted his hands in his pockets. "…I don't even know myself…" He admitted softly. A long minute passed as he took the opportunity to lean up against the bike, staring into space. Finally, he stood up again looking at me determinedly. He slowly walked up to me until we were almost touching noses. "…You told me…you wanted something romantic and spontaneous right? Well, this is me, trying to be spontaneous. And…I know, I'm screwing up. But all I'm asking is that you give me half a chance to…to wipe the slate. To give you…what you honestly deserve." His head tilted to the side, looking like the adorable pug from next door that I loved tossing treats to. "…Can you give me that?" He asked, almost in that same begging tone.

I watched him. His eyes never left mine. The thought seemed genuine, and while I liked being out of that boring class I spent that whole minute analyzing myself. Had I not spent the hour before determinedly telling myself to beg for his forgiveness and give him a chance? I thought I prided myself on being honest with people. Who said anything about being judgmental?

It was probably the hardest decision I had to make.

And I'm glad I made it.

Before I knew what my arms were doing, I closed my eyes and felt the helmet caressing my head as I slipped it on. I opened my eyes in time to see Gokudera grinning widely, once again like the pug next door whenever he got a particularly juicy bone in his jowls.

He got on, and I managed to slip on behind him better than I ever had before. I growled as my hands instinctively wrapped around his middle like usual. Mind over matter, hah!

"You're getting better at this." I heard him say.

I growled. "Shut up."

Our next words were drowned out by the sound of the bike starting up and hitting the pavement suddenly. I bit back an eep and quickly flipped down the shielding. If I was being kidnapped for a romantic reason, I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be taken anywhere that seemed unromantic in the slightest.

Gokudera stopped at a convenience store, coming out with two bags of something that jostled as it moved and had a funky smell with actual waves of stink rising from the depths. When I asked, he only put a finger to his lips, thoroughly annoying me. He started the bike again and headed across town.

I hate to say it, but he's a very good driver. I had never thought to get a license because I had always believed I would be living either at home in Namimori or having a driver take me places. Gokudera was always muttering under his breath to what sounded like mathematical equations, taking into account every possible accident or occurrence he could think of. I think one teacher called that 'instinctive driving'.

Either that or 'obsessive'.

Before I knew it, we were almost back to my house. Just as I got thoroughly disgruntled with him, Gokudera halted at the bridge crossing my home into Namimori. I was confused, knowing the riverbank was not exactly the hot spot for dates.

I leaned over, talking to his ear. "…Where in the world did you bring me?" I asked.

Gokudera chuckled and shut off the engine. He turned to me on the bike, a large grin on his face. "You mean you don't remember? This…is the place you and I first met."

I blinked furiously. "What?"

"That day, I was walking over to Boss's house and I saw you trying to beat him up on that bridge over there." He lazily pointed at the bridge, making me turn and look. Slowly, the memory came back to me as he spoke. "I didn't know it was you at the time though. And Boss was still a bit cowardly back then. You were swinging a hockey stick at him and you were covered head to toe in armor. I rushed over there to protect him and blew you up."

My eyes narrowed. "If I remember correctly, you never apologized for doing that."

He chuckled. "Consider this my apology then." He said, lifting up the plastic bags from before. He hopped off the bike and slid onto the ground. He helped me off then carefully led me down the sloped grass over to a flat, bare patch of earth almost touching the crystal blue water.

He stopped short and turned to me. "Wait here." Gokudera then whirled back to the ground, carefully unfolding some red picnic blanket I hadn't realized he had and laying it out over the soil. He reached into the bags and piled various bentos and containers out on one corner of the blanket and pulled out two long wax candles. He quickly stuck them in the loose dirt and pulled out his silver lighter. I hadn't even noticed he didn't have a cigarette in his mouth. After lighting them, he stood.

He turned back to me and grinned. "Happy birthday!" he joked, waving his arms over the spot with pride.

I couldn't hold back a chuckle or a laugh. I giggled and shook my head. "It's not my birthday!" I protested.

"Yeah, well, next time it'll probably be a lot nicer than this. But I can't cook, so don't expect something too fancy." Gokudera walked toward me, bowing lowly and stuck out his hand. "May I escort the lady to her seat?" He joked, putting on a funny French accent.

I giggled again. "Sure you may." I replied, playing along.

He took my arm and tucked it carefully into his elbow. "I'll show you the best table in the house. It has a lovely view of both me and the city." As I laughed again, Gokudera led me around the blanket to my place. He then sat down across from me, grinning.

Gokudera waved his arms like Vanna White over the various things of food. "Our specials today feature a delightful fried chicken dinner cooked three days ago with watery rice and slimy omelets and a soba dinner with…well, soba. Which would the lady prefer?"

"Oh well they both sound so delightful. I don't know which to choose."

Gokudera grinned and held up two cylinders and shook them enticingly. "How about cup ramen instead then?"

"Perfect!"

Gokudera chuckled and pulled out a long thermos from his bag, pouring boiling hot water into each cup for three minutes. After a while, Gokudera handed me one and some chopsticks. We ate in silence; the only sounds heard were the occasional slurping and clicking of the sticks together. I finished first, swallowing the remaining dregs of broth noisily to fill the awkward silence that was about to occur.

He didn't finish too far behind, swallowing his remains with a flourish. "…Care for dessert?"

My nose wrinkled as I bent over the lunches to gage my options. "…Not if it's gonna be the moldy old cookie there in the bottom of the soba."

He laughed. "How about from your favorite bakery instead?"

I looked at him, suspicious. "…How did you know?"

"Because you went on and on about how it was your favorite bakery."

"Oh…I see…"

Gokudera shook his head amused as he slowly unfolded a large ornate box, decorated with bands of white and pink. Laying inside was one of my favorite fruit tarts. How he knew, I couldn't guess. Probably had to do with me standing over the refrigeration case going "Oh, that's my favorite fruit tart!"

Anyway, Gokudera picked up a knife from seemingly nowhere and gently sliced the tart down the middle, making two neat halves. He plucked the slice with the most cream and various fruits piled on top and laid it on a paper napkin and handed it to me. I looked around, seeing only my chopsticks and nothing else to eat it with. I shrugged and began attempting to eat it with my fingers.

"Ahem."

I looked up, cream decorating my mouth, to see an outstretched fork in my face. I took it, face red with embarrassment. I ate quietly, savoring every bite and trying not to overanalyze everything that Gokudera had done for me in one afternoon.

I soon realized that Gokudera was staring at me, and I looked up in confusion. "…What?"

"Nothing," He murmured, looking away quickly. His gaze shifted off into the sunset, making his eyes widen. He checked his watch and began tapping his fingers impatiently.

I swallowed a blueberry, slightly amused and concerned by his actions. "…Are you okay?"
"Fine." He mumbled, still trained on his watch.

I sighed and ignored the obvious worry still on Gokudera's face. I quickly finished off the flaky biscuit and wiped my face on the edge of the napkin. "…That was really good I'll admit," I said, grinning widely. I glanced down at Gokudera's watch, my eyebrows rising at the time. "Wow, it's getting late. Can you take me back home now? I'll need to get a head start on the work I've now missed because of you." I teased.

Gokudera nodded distracted. "Y-yeah sure…" He mumbled, staring off into space.

I leaned in closer. "…You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, totally."

I frowned. "Really?"
Gokudera looked up to the sky and grinned. He looked back at me with a devious look in his eye. "…You said you wanted something magical, right?"

"Gokudera, I just said that to—"

"Didn't you?" He asked me hurriedly. He kept looking up at the sky in concern as the seconds ticked by.

"W-well, yeah I guess but—"

Gokudera grabbed my arm and jolted me up from the blanket in a flurry. I was so surprised, I let out a little yelp as he swept up the bags from the ground. He then rushed me under the bridge, confusing me further.

"Wh-wha-what?"

"Just watch. Three and a half, two and six eighths…" He murmured. "Aaaaand…now!"

Suddenly, it was as if the heavens opened up. Without warning or predictions from dependable weathermen, sheets of rain fell from the clouds like someone had turned on the lawn sprinkler. Thunder rumbled menacingly but instead brought a large grin to my face. Sticking out my hand, warm raindrops fell onto my palm and easily slid off my fingers. The sun still shone, shining on each drop like a million prisms falling to the earth. A million tiny rainbows formed in each bead of water and exploded against the ground.

It was beautiful. So much more beautiful than I had ever dreamed of. I had always thought beautiful was a sad word to describe something lovely, but it was true.

I started laughing. I don't know why. But all of a sudden I found myself dancing around in the rain like it was a disco hall. Rain ran through my hair and I began singing to my unknown shower head. I swirled around in the wet grass and made droplet tornadoes like a four year old.

Then, I began dancing slowly to the song in my head that my dad used to teach me to waltz. I giggled like a madman to every joke my imaginary partner told and shivered in delight whenever my bare feet touched the muddy ground. Then, suddenly my partner's warmth was real, as Gokudera cut in and took over leading us around the muddy field.

We spun around several times and I'll admit, I giggled happily whenever he joked about whatever crossed our minds. His hand was wrapped strongly around mine and I could smell the nicotine rolling off his torso. His hand never strayed from its position on my waist and his eyes never shifted from mine. It was warmth I had never experienced before. Perfect.

The rain slowed considerably as we finished our last twirl. We stopped dancing, facing each other, dripping wet. I chuckled. "…Thanks."

Gokudera grinned and shook his hand through his wet hair, splattering me with more beads of water. "Sorry to disappoint, but that wasn't the magic."

I frowned and shifted my head to the side. "…Then, what is?"

Gokudera chuckled and grasped my shoulders. He looked down at the ground, biting back a laugh. He mumbled something about my muddy feet and then began shuffling me around in a circle. "…Facing due East Northeast, needs North Northeast…needs 4.78 centimeters…" He stopped quickly, staring at his feet. He looked up into my face and grinned. "Okay…enjoy your present."

He stepped aside, giving me a perfect view of the Namimori cityscape. Except, now before we had known it, the sky had darkened and dazzling stars had emerged from space as day turned into evening. The lights illuminated brightly in various patterns and designs and I couldn't help but gasp.

"Omigosh, oh my…" I stammered. "…I-I mean this…it's so…" I couldn't finish any of thoughts that attempted to breach my mind and exit my mouth. When nothing came out, I began to cry.

Gokudera rushed to my side, placing his hand on my back. "Sorry, is it bad?"

I shook my head, tears running down my cheeks. "…It's beautiful." That word again. But this time I didn't mind. Gokudera then slung his jacket off his shoulders and onto mine, rubbing onto goose bumped arms to stave off the chill.

When he wasn't looking, I deeply inhaled the smell of Gokudera's sleeve pressed against my nose in secret delight. I was drowning in orange spice and nicotine.

"…And that's the Horn, SuBoshi…and see that far one at the end there? That's the Basket, MiBoshi. Those, along with that long line of stars there make up the Azure Dragon of the East. It's there because spring's almost here."

We were lying on a spare blanket Gokudera brought (seriously, did he think of everything?), bodies turned toward each other but keeping the not touching rule. Our focus was on the starry sky above, the lights twinkling down on us against a murky navy blue skyline. I was drunk on everything good that had happened this day.

My head rolled on the dry checkered blanket to meet Gokudera's eyes, making more wrinkles in the already messed up cover. "Where's HatsuBoshi?"

An arm stretched up and nearly touched one of the stars directly above my head. "That's where it usually is…during the winter. It's probably gone now though."

I shivered as a wisp of cool air hit me suddenly, instinctually cuddling into the arm for warmth. We both froze at the awkward moment created. I was nervous at first but I eventually allowed myself to relax against him. He seemed to get the hint, because his arm covered my small shoulders protecting them from further chill. "…So yeah…those are all the ones I can think of now…"

"…I didn't realize you were into astronomy."

"Well, my sister was obsessed with astrology. She would spend hours well into the night, trying to interpret the stars' meaning for her love life. Eventually, she just realized that she was in love with the stars themselves. She taught me. It was one of the few things we did together."

"…I see…"

"If I had had the chance, I would've shown you a meteor shower. Those are the coolest things to see. But that's a few months away."

My breath hitched in my throat at the thought of something so intimate. But, not in the scary way I was expecting myself to react. Before I knew it, the words were rolling out. "…Maybe we can."

Gokudera's head rolled over to face mine. "Yeah. Maybe." He agreed, a grin on his face.

We rolled back to the sky, watching them twinkle above our heads for a long silence. Finally, I spoke again. "…Which one's your favorite?"

"Uh…I'd say…that one, just below Ophiuchus. You see it?"

"I think so. What's its name?"

He smiled, his face trained on the sky. "The Heart. NakagoBoshi."

"…It's pretty."

"…I thought so too."

We lay there in silence some more. My fingers gently touched his hand and they soon wrapped around mine protectively. "…I like the Horn more though."

"Well then, we'll call it Haru's star."

I grinned. "Then we'll call the one next to it Hayato's star."

"…Miura?"

"Yes?"

"…That's actually Virgo."

It was a quiet ride back home. Gokudera drove as quietly as he could because suddenly we both had stayed out for as long as four hours just staring into space. Literally.

I made Gokudera park himself farther down the road on the condition that he was allowed to walk me to the door without a fuss. It was a slow walk and it was somewhat chilly after the brief storm from before. Gokudera insisted on me wearing his jacket regardless and kept my hand warm in his pants pocket.

I was grinning like a madman, reliving every moment in vivid detail. My head was light and spinning. This was almost better than any other date I had pictured with any of my past loves. I breathed in tangerines and smoke and breathed out a tingling sensation in my lungs.

I tried to make the trek as long as possible, but before we could even blink we were right at the gate. We shuffled uncomfortably, the silence deafening.

"…So…" I murmured.

"So…" He murmured back.

We spent another minute in silence before I managed to find the courage to speak up again. "…Thank you for today. Really. I really…really enjoyed it."

Gokudera smiled. "I'm glad you did…Go on, your family's waiting."

I nodded. "Thanks." I turned to go through the gate, my hand on the latch. I slowly creaked the rusted metal open.

"…Wait!"

I froze, spinning around instantly. "Yes?" My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to pop out of my chest at any moment. What was I expecting?

He inhaled quickly, pink staining his cheeks again. "…Goodnight Haru. Thank you for spending the day with me. And…even though it was just for today, I'll never forget it. So…thanks…" He murmured, leaning in.

For the smallest fraction of a second, every fiber of my being waited for him to kiss me breathless.

But it didn't come.

He lingered over my face for a long moment, breathing rolls of nicotine gum and orange mints over my hot skin. He seemed to rethink the idea and slowly (if regrettably) pulled away. I missed it instantly.

"…So…that's all I had to say…" He mumbled, his face getting pinker. "So…I guess I'll just lea—"

"Okay." I sputtered, unable to keep it in any longer. I wanted him, and now I knew it for certain. Nothing would be able to change my mind now. Not my dad, not Tsuna, not even my mother. Especially now not my mother.

"…I'm sorry?"

I inhaled nervously. "…I said okay. I'll…go out with you."

Gokudera's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Gokudera grinned widely and enveloped me in a tight hug. It caught me by surprise, but I slowly found myself relaxing into his warm hold. My eyes slid closed when I felt his ringed fingers combing through my hair lovingly. I shivered when I felt his soft lips kiss my temples.

I squirmed nervously. "O-okay none of that just yet!" I protested, jumping back out of his hold. I swiped my fist over the affected area, rubbing off Goku-germs. The heat lingered.

Gokudera chuckled, amused. "Sorry."

I sighed. "But I'm serious you know! No funny business."

"Absolutely."

"No touching inappropriately."

"As you wish."

"No pet names."

"Not a problem."

"No flirting with other girls."

"Done."

I smirked and shuffled uncomfortably under his gaze. "…And…"

"And?"

"…And I don't want you to revert back to being a jerk to me. Ever." I stepped up, until we were nose to nose. "…Deal?" I questioned, pressing a long finger into his muscled chest.

Gokudera stepped up as well until our noses were almost touching. "Deal."

We smiled and he stuck out his hand. I took it, and we shook. But then, Gokudera pulled my arm closer to his and bent down over my palm. I flushed wildly when I felt his feather soft lips caress my hand like a knight from a fairytale. The heat returned as I felt his lips kiss my palm gently like a lover that I had only dreamed of having.

…Okay, time for reality wake up call.

I blushed madly and snatched my hand back. "St-stop that already!"

SMACK!

"OW!"