Tachibana Higuchi owns Gakuen Alice. Always has and always will.
You simply do not let go of the people you care about,
You hold onto them.
Hotaru sat at big dining table, plated with the most exuberantly made dishes, she had a glass of white wine which she had lightly wrapped her smooth,elegant fingers around.
Ruka walked down the large staircase in the anterior of the hall, he was in a pure white suite which had a rose in the breast pocket of the blazer."Where are you going?"She asked him, inquistorially.
"Meeting?"
"At 11 in the night?"
"A few American clients, we have a webcam meeting." He replied, skillfully.
Hotaru stared at him in utter disbelief before laughing sadistically, "You are a horrible liar."
Ruka clenched his perfect white teeth,"What's your problem?"
"How is Usami doing?"She shot back, her voice lined with malice.
"What do you want Imai?" Ruka snapped, annoyed with his wife's unlinked questioning, he wasn't supposed to be answerable to her in the first place.
"I was wondering..." She said with a cunning smirk,"..if you could be a man-whore and cheat on me, couldn't I be someone's slut and do the same?"
Ruka's striking blue eyes stared at her widely in a mix of both anger and shock, "Absolutely no."
"Funny, you didn't ask my permission for cheating." She took a small sip of her wine.
"You cannot make me look like a fool."
"And I suppose you could do that to me." Hotaru speculated with a sneer.
"This marriage was because it would bring both of our families profit, you must do your duty as an obedient-"
"-wife?"She guessed, incredulously."Can you hear yourself speak?"
Ruka treaded his steps closer to where Hotaru was seated, "Let me tell you this one thing, Imai? No one can ever love you."
The amythyst eyes of the pale white skinned shot up to Ruka's baby blue ones and the worst part? They beheld truth."Atleast I could marry Wakako but no man would ever wake up feeling happy next to you. Atleast Wakako is a person, you, on the other hand are unlovable, a rock ." He declared, cruelly.
Hotaru's amythyst orbs curled up in a type of hurt which was hidden well in the purple rays of her eyes.
"I would rather marry her than you anytime of the week." He spat as he shook her shoulders and stormed out leaving her to her own quiet.
One would expect her to cry but this was Hotaru Imai, a cold person with her vanity more prudent than she should really be credited for, she didn't 'do' crying, absolutely out of the question.
But that's what was worse for people like her, their emotions and capability to feel them starts fading away with time until they are simply void of it. The most tragic state of a person who could smile, laugh and live but spends their days on ends going on about things which don't matter.
She knew she was not a good wife, always with work and was extremely taciturn, she wondered if things between Ruka and her could get better but the rational side of hers estimated it only to be 3.57 % chance, and that would be only if she tried extremely hard.
But she was unlovable.
He told her so.
So just how could she ever love if she did not know how to be loved?
The next day she woke up in an empty bed, Ruka hadn't come home yet, she knew he wouldn't be coming either. Her head was in an untamed mess, everything was so monotonous in her life, the way she like it, maybe, Ruka was right, she was unlovable, she was robotic probably.
But then again if that was the case Hotaru Imai wondered...
If she was robotic, then what was this pain beating like a drum against her heart?
Did she even have a heart?
Her thoughts became more unclear as she sat in her bathtub, next to which there was a stand and a bottle of wine, the water was cold, like her, she might have been breathing but her servants who saw her knew that she was already dead, her spirit was so null, after an hour she got out of the water,and wrapped her ashen black silk bathrobe around her dripping wet skin.
As she entered her room, her eyes hit the calendar, today was a Sunday, she had a meeting today, around one or two pm, but suddenly she remembered Mikan, she had invited her to a brunch.
Mikan Sakura Serio. Well, she was odd person, because she made Hotaru feel warmth, a foreign concept to her, really. Hotaru grabbed her phone to call her personal secretary, Misaki Harada.
"Cancel all my meetings today." Hotaru ordered and the woman , though surprised did as her boss told her to. It was peculiar of her to abruptly do something like that impulsively, but she figured her company wouldn't burn up if she wasn't present for one day. Hopefully.
She didn't know what to wear, Hotaru hadn't really attended many brunches in her life so in the end she settled for a simple chiffon dusty purple dress which reached above her knee and a pair of black ankle strapped heels.
She supposed she looked fine, and why she was putting so much of effort into this was sort of beyond her, almost as id she wanted to make a good impression. The short raven haired woman stepped out of her snowy white Mercedes Benz and arrived at St. Marks church, she looked for the way to the backyard.
She took a deep breath before frowning, why was she nervous? She was invited to the brunch so just what was making her all jittery? Nonetheless, she walked into the back garden of the church.
"No, Rei, stay away from me..I'm warning you if you come any closer," Mikan alerted, smiling nervously at her husband.
"You mixed toothpaste in my Oreo milkshake,didn't you? you are gonna get it."
"Is 'it' a sandwich ? cause I'm hungry as fuck." Kit stated, laughing at the pair.
"I didn't do it!" Mikan protested, but it was evident she was lying, it was explicit.
"Oh really?" Rei asked as he chased his wife who had currently hiding behind Kit, "Then who did it?" He asked staring at her in annoyance.
"Kit." Mikan abruptly answered.
"Hey don't drag me into this." Kit complained as he tried to get rid of the woman behind him.
"Ask Youchi, he'll say the truth!" Mikan said sweetly while everyone stopped and looked at the ash haired boy who was licking a strawberry flavoured lollipop.
"Uncle Kit did it." He pointed, siding with his mother who smiled in triumph while the slant eyed man's jaw dropped, "Yeah, he's definitely your son! Rei you can't possibly.."
Rei looked at Kit murderously, but rather effortlessly when Mikan tried to scoot away from her spot, he scooped her in his arms and she was lifted off ground without a warning.
"I'm pretty sure it's you, you lil' minx!"Mikan pouted, cutely. "Oh that ain't getting you nowhere, you're doing the dishes today."
Mikan groaned but complied anyways, she smiled at her husband as she kissed his nose as he put her down and left to where Youchi was, who she took in he'd arms and when her eyes lifted she saw Hotaru merely staring at her.
"Hotaru!" Mikan beamed a radiant smile, and waved vibrantly at the auberdine eyed woman who took notice of her, "Come over here."
Tentatively, she walked closer to Mikan who hugged her,and then caught her wrist without hesitation, an act that surprised Hotaru, "Come on I have to make you meet people." Mikan established, ecstatically.
"This is Kitsuneme, but we all call him Kit." She introduced the slant eyed man who saluted to Hotaru."Hotaru Imai, pleased to make your acquaintance" The short haired woman, addressed.
"Mikan, where is the- Oh." Rei looked at Hotaru surprised, but he later deduced that his better half must have invited her.
"Hello Rei."
"Hello to you too, Imai-"
"-Where the fuck is the cake?!" A voice bellowed, at which everyone present in backyard cringed and then Mikan looked towards Kit, "Did you leave Luna alone? Jeez Kit, didn't I tell you not to do that? She's cranky cause she's pregnant, go now quickly." Mikan ushered the blond haired man who went away to who Hotaru suspected was his wife.
A strawberry blond haired woman with a bump on her stomach, wearing a flowing maxi dress which reached just above her knee. She reached where all of them were standing and her forehead formed creases when she saw Hotaru.
"Luna this is my friend , the one I mentioned to you about..uh like last week or something...you remember her right?" Mikan looked at her expectantly while the woman blinked in recognition, "Hotaru Imai." She beamed, playfully, and lightly pulled Hotaru into a hug which she returned.
Did everyone here share the same warmth? Hotaru curiously wondered.
"I'm Luna Koizumi. "She introduced herself, sprightly. If Hotaru thought Mikan was nice to be around then Luna was much more than that, which was a hard feat to accomplish, she had an aura of cordiality and amiability surrounding her, Luna was basically someone who everyone respected and adored, they'd go to and through strenuous lengths to make sure she was alright especially now that she was pregnant.
"So how are you doing, Hotaru-san?" Luna grinned at her lightly.
"I'm absolutely great." Hotaru returned with a tight smile but Luna's smile only weakened at that, "And darlin', why are you lying?"
Hotaru's jaw didn't slacken but she didn't expect her little lie to be caught so easily, several years had passed and no one had truly seen right through it."It's alright, it will be alright." She smiled at her.
Small gestures go a long way, and it surely did for Hotaru, because her respect for Luna considerably heightened, soon, they were sitting down for eating and to Hitary's extreme delight, there were a numerous amount of crab cakes. But they weren't starting to eat.
"Damn. If he comes late today then Luna will kick his ass." Rei states, worriedly, while the rest on the table silently agreed.
The baby blue eyed woman was tapping her feet impatiently before a certain black haired man came into picture, Hotaru could swear she had seen him somewhere, but it failed to reach her just who he was.
"Akira! " Luna exclaimed as she hugged the man happily and who jovially returned it.
"Hey, Lu." He greeted, "How's the kid doing?"
"He's fine," She cheerfully smiled.
And then they prayed as they joint hands, a practice that was entirely alien to Hotaru, and that's when she realized that this was a family, they weren't necessarily blood related, but to eachother they meant the world, they loved eachother, fought fiercely but always came back together in the end of the day. Though, even in this entire ordeal, she couldn't recall just who this Akira chap was.
And that's when it hit her.
She had sacked his company, Hotaru controlled her astonishment, hopefully he wouldn't...uh..remember her. Oh who was she kidding? There was 96.5 % chance that he would definitely remember her.
Maybe for once she'd get lucky.
"You!" a voice pointed out, while Hotaru's hopes were dashed away, she closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself before staring at the man who she didn't notice how taller was to her.
"Yes?" She nonchalantly asked.
"You are Hotaru Imai, aren't you?"
Yup, he definitely remembered.
"Yes."
"You guys know eachother?" Mikan knitted her brows in puzzlement.
"You sacked my company!" He accused, ignoring Mikan for the time being.
"I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about." She lied through her teeth and she made sure he knew she was lying. A bitch, was she not?
"She sacked your company?" Kit chuckled, "That ridiculous toothpaste company?"
"That toothpaste company earned more than the worth of your existence, you asshole!" Akira snapped at Kit at who chortled a laugh.
"Not really, when I broke down your company, it sold hardly for a few hundred millions." Hotaru shrugged casually eating her crab cake while everyone on the table sweatdropped at how smoothly she took it.
"You bitch-"
"-No cussin' at the table, that's enough about business really." Luna deadpanned and everyone obeyed while Rei smirked at Akira who looked positively murderous.
"Mikan, aren't you going to divorce Rei anytime soon?" He asked, taking her hand and kissing it while Mikan looked at him fondly.
"I'm sorry, darlin'. But that's kinda impossible. " Mikan giggled and then painfully sighed, "Unfortunately, I've fallen in love with him."
"Can the pair of you really not disregard the fact that I'm actually freakin' present here?!" At Rei's retort,the pair of them started laughing heartily while he just narrowed his gaze.
And that was how she met Akira Tonochi.
Like that Hotaru became a frequent person at the Sunday brunch, it was sort of a small retreat because those people could do what many couldn't, they could for an instance make you feel welcomed, needed, and after the brunch would follow a few chess matches, apparently , Rei was an excellent Chess player and Hotaru was a State level Champion, so that made them play more frequently than ever, sometimes he would win, andbut most of the times she won, following that would be a small programme held by the orphanage kids, courtesy to Mikan, she met quite a few of them.
Now , she was washing the dishes, odd, she'd never even knew how to do anything remotely to cleaning up but that made her feel like she was a part of them, and also, it made her more independent than she expected it to.
While she was washing the dishes, she heard a shuffle of footsteps entering the kitchen as she finished washing the last plate.
"So what do you do when you're not sacking companies?" Akira asked while tying his hair into a low pony as Hotaru smirked mirthfully at his choice of words.
But that was a hard question to answer.
What did she do apart from working all day long?
"You're silent." He commented, a brow raised.
"An excellent observation." She chuckled, dryly at which he looked at him in a manner of interest, "What do you when you're not a womanizer ?"
"Funny, you noticed."
"Well, when your flirting half the ladies here one can hardly deduce anything contrary." Hotaru promptly replied, noticing exactly how tall he really was.
"Pity, you're married then I can't test my charms on you."
Hotaru's head snapped up to look at Akira with an incredulous gaze, could anyone be so full of themselves ?
"But say..." Akira continued while he played with the hem of her floral apron which was Luna's but she borrowed it for cleaning the steelware. "If you're married that is, shouldn't your name be Hotaru Nogi?"
"Why?" Hotaru narrowed her eyes at the man " Isn't a woman allowed to retain her name after marriage as much as a man-"
"Ssshhh." He hissed softly, placing a finger on her velvet draped lips,"I meant, isn't that the tradition among the Elites? You know take in your husband's name." He lay a firm exaggeration on 'Elites'.
"Well.."She stared at him before realizing that his finger still rested, something about a touch as small as that was an opening for a connection to form between the pair of them, an oddity that she found herself giving dubious consent to.
She pushed his hand away and icily continued, "Well, I dislike being ruled over or touched, thank you very much."
If her tone of voice was supposed to hurt him, it didn't, if anything Akira merely moved closer to the woman in front of him who instinctively took one back, and this game of cat and mouse continued for quite some time until she was against the marble counter and him.
"What are you playing at, Akira?" She stared at him grimly while his cheerful amythyst eyes looked back at her with perfect ease. He leaned down to her and looked at her with an amused look, almost as if she was something really fascinating .
Hotaru,on the other hand, who was utterly flabbergasted though she didn't dare show it on her face which seemed like nothing was wrong but on inside she was having a mini panic attack, this was stupid.
"I've been noticing you." He whispered when he bent down and his lips were touching her ear lobe.
"Doing what?" She retorted almost immediately, and Hotaru realized that she seemed very much out of breath.
"Staring at me." He snickered and she could practically hear the narcissitically smug tone behind the edges of the words.
But what the coldly beautiful creature couldn't deny was that he was right, rather reluctantly she always caught her gaze wandering to him for the most strangest reasons,what was the magnetic pull that always made her gravitate towards him?
He was womanizer for fuck's sake, more unstable than a house of cards really, and She was MARRIED for crying out loud, she couldn't be disloyal to Ruka that would make her no different from him.
"You were probably hallucinating." The raven haired stoicly asserted while she put her hands on his chest and tried pushing back but if there was one thing Hotaru Imai was not then that was physically strong because Akira hardly seemed affected.
"Then why are you shivering and good lord, are you blushing Ms. Imai?" He asked, moving a strand of bangs away from her.
"Could you please-" He silenced her with his thumb resting on her lips again, the feel of his rough, rugged skin against her mellow like lips, wait...how could she let anyone silence her like that? She was Hotaru Imai for Pete's sake. Just what the hell was happening here?
"You wouldn't happen to fancy me, would you?" Akira asked, cupping her cheek rather gently while she was flaring up,she hadn't been this close to anyone, not even Ruka.
"Absolutely No." The idea was outrageously though she secretly, when I say secretly, I mean extremely secretly liked it.
"Akira!" A voice erupted outside the doors and that alerted Hotaru enough, she slipped past his arms and stood a respectful distance away from the man who grinned charmingly at her before patting her head, a gesture she happened to find herself liking.
"Coming Luna!" He yelled back, while Hotaru was left alone.
What just happened ?
No , no, better yet, how could she allow that to happen?
Whatever it was, it began a certain something between her and Akira because when she walked out of the kitchen, she found herself immediately staring at his eyes which were directly staring back at her, soundlessly, she tried, tried to look as calm as she could.
But honestly , when Mikan looked at her new found friend, she could swear on everything holy, that woman had a faint tint of red blush on her cheeks.
"What are you doing here?" Hotaru asked, stupefied, with her jaw hardly dropping its firmness.
"I have an appointment with you, Miss Imai." Akira stated as he sat on her desk, wearing his casual jeans and white t-shirt with a black blazer on it, looking amazing but eloquent at the same time.
"This is my office, Akira, my place of worship, my work place, you can't just barge in like that!"She exclaimed, folding her hands in a manner which indicated she wasn't impressed, atleast she hoped it did.
"Have dinner with me tonight." He embarked, moving closer to her.
"Why?" She narrowed her eyes at him in absolute doubt and suspicion.
"I happen to realize something in the past one week." He ignored her and continued while his dark purple orbs trailed over her modest work clothes, " I like you, Miss. Imai."
That. That made her jaw drop. No...he could not be serious ...oh fuck ! Was he mad ? Or mental? Or dim-witted? Or all? She stared at him while a drop of perspiration glistened down the side of her jaw.
"In case you've forgotten, I am married-"
"-To a man who hardly loves you?"
She looked away, avoiding his burning gaze like the Bubonic Plague, "He ...how do you know?" She demanded, fierce and outrightly.
"Oh I banged his mistress two month back. She told I was better than the bloke himself and she wouldn't mind having me anytime of the day again." Akira shrugged casually as he stood in front of Hotaru, "I researched a little and guess who I found posing as his wife?"
Hotaru sweatdropped at his narration and craddled her face in hefty hands, this was the most ridiculous thing she had ever been in.
"C'mon, Hotaru." He muttered brushing his lips against the side of her neck, "You know you like me, admit it already,"
Over my deadbody, she internally screamed.
Yes, she liked him but Hotaru would be damned to hell and back if she admitted because if she did then she would most likely be disowned and whatnot.
"Also think about it, if your marriage was out of convenience for your family then wouldn't your parents be expecting you to give birth soon too? It's been quite a few years since you got married to him...do you really want to bring children to a world where their father has a mistress and mother is a workaholic?"
His words hit her like lightning, she hadn't thought about that at all, and the fact that it made perfect sense annoyed her and almost suffocated the life out of her temporarily.
"Either way, La Chateau, 9pm, I'll be waiting." He ruffled her perfectly bouffant hair and patted her head while walking out as smoothly as possible, leaving her unconditionally astounded once again.
And she went, Hotaru came in her work clothes, after all it was just a dinner, it was just a dinner, that's all nothing more, nothing less- but she stopped thinking and remained perfectly frigid even when she noticed that the entire restaurant was empty with only Akira standing at the centre dressed in a black tuxedo which honestly, made him ten times hotter than he already was.
He put his hand forward while she nonchalantly took it gracefully, he kissed it gently and the touch lingered around for quite a while. They sat down and talked, yes they did just that the entire night, she enjoyed her time , the man was an idiot to put it bluntly but regardless there were similarities to her and Akira than she originally estimated and he was such a polite and charming man, more charming than Ruka could ever be even if he put his heart and soul to it.
She wondered if this was one of his conquests, whether she was one of his conquests, whether he was doing this just to get back on her but that was okay, even if he left her, her stony heart would probably make it through.
"Yeah well, but people -" Hotaru began only to be interuppted before she completed.
"-Fuck what people say, Hotaru,it's only humane to feel and it's okay to feel scared. It's okay." He reassured her while she looked at him in amusement, "Is it really?"
"Yes." He replied without missing a heartbeat.
That put her in a thought, " Can a person be unlovable?" She inquired, innocently.
Akira looked at her before breaking into a laugh, "No, not really, even the most undeserving person is capable of being loved. Every person on earth can be loved, even the worst kind of people deserve it. It's the most basic thing in life."
Hotaru was clearly wonderstruck, was that right? Could she be loved better yet, could she love? Was that possible?
And as she withered deep in thought Akira stared at the woman in front of him, initially he was just annoyed with her existence for sacking his company but since her had a line of garages, something that he actually like, the annoyance was reduced to ashes, and then he began observing her, Funny, because it was usually the other way round, but there was something about this woman, she was nonchalant, cruel and her words cut sharper than glass, not to mention her sarcastic remarks always witted him out, he liked that about her, she was this fierce woman who actually in a long time was the first time to make him run behind her. She was married, he knew that, call him a violater or a sinner, he didn't care but this woman was not going to be married to that blond(who by the way cheats on her every waking day) for a long time.
He liked her. He really did, and he'd do anything to make sure she did to.
Turns out he didn't have to do much because by the end of Hotaru placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and thanked him for the night before running away to her car which drove away even before Akira could realize what was happening.
He slapped his forehead in a boyish manner and went home to Luna and Kit where Rei and Mikan was also present.
Akira grinned in a manner and before he knew it an apple was thrown at his face square.
"The hell is your problem?!" He asked Rei who looked at him blankly.
"You looked way too happy for my liking." Rei stated, truthfully, as Kit sniggered.
"Don't do that Rei-chan..." He said aloud for everyone to hear while the said person's face dropped and Luna practically choked on her orange juice while Kit rubbed her back gently as all of them stared in disbelief at the long black haired man.
"Rei..." Mikan looked at Akira,with a brow raised, "-chan?" Kit completed, ambiguously.
Akira hummed a tune and plopped himself on thwarting couch and held onto a pillow while snuggled into the cushion.
All of them stared at him.
"What's wrong with him?" Kit jabbed his thumb towards the sleeping figure.
"I have no clue."Luna replied, flabbergasted for once.
"Maybe he's in love." Mikan said with hearts propping in and about her eyes while her husband rolled her eyes, "Yeah sure he's in love."
"But if he has..." Kit measured carefully, "..then I wonder who the girl is." Luna continued with a smile.
Needless to say the day had gone exceedingly well for the pair of them.
Today was Luna's baby shower, the blonde decided to merge it with the Gender revealing party which was sensible according to Hotaru.
She slid into a backless,grey lace dress, draped her lips in a sexy shade of matte red which was in contrast to her alabaster white skin and applied slight kohl to her eyes, she looked tall in her Monolo grey seudes, to put it simply, she looked very fine.
"Where are you going dressed like that?" Ruka rose an eyebrow as his cerulean blue eyes scanned his wife.
"Baby shower." She simply replied and left quickly. If she was late Luna and Mikan would kill her, not really, but that was above the point.
She reached the Venue which was a small hall,decorated prettily in white, obviously done by Mikan and Kit because she honestly couldn't imagine Rei or herself doing that, they were more of the...delegators, but Mikan strongly insisted that they were just lazy which..might have been true too.
No one knew the Gender of the baby, except for Luna and she found what Hotaru would say a creative way to break it down to everyone, the pregnant woman had made chocolate muffins for everyone but she was particularly strict on Kit eating the first one.
As he took a bite of it pink lava flowed out,"Are you serious? It's a girl?!" He asked, deliriously happy. Kit always wanted a girl, he was seen prancing about it often with Mikan who made a bet with him that it would be a boy. Looks like Mikan would have to pay him that hundred dollars which she wagered.
But the muffin idea,
Now, that really was innovative.
Everyone congratulated the couple including herself but strangely she couldn't find Akira anywhere near, a sight that made her heart drop in disappointment.
"Luna,congratulations." Hotaru hugged the woman.
"I should say the same for you. Don't think no one knows about Akira and you." She teased Hotaru who had a faint blush creeping up her cheek.
"But I'm married,Luna." She reminded while grimacing.
"Are you really happy with your marriage sweets?" Luna comforted while she held Hotaru's hands affectionately in her own.
"Hotaru in life, it's the little things that matter, hold on to the people you love and care for,besides.." Luna gave a sly smile, "Just because you own a gown doesn't mean you can't own a dress."
Hotaru sweatdropped at the comparison, the gown being her marriage and the dress being Akira, honestly sometimes, she really wondered if Akira and Luna were related, both of them seemed so...similar.
She was on her way to washroom, to clean the tiny speck of lava on her dress before a hand grabbed her wrist and without warning pulled her inside the room, she was going to retaliate before she recognized whose touch it was, Akira's touch, it always felt that way.
"Akira!"She scolded harshly,"Someone might see us!"
"And if someone doesn't then you have absolutely no problem with me doing whatever I'm going to do with you right?" He asked, answer she could see the mischievous glint in his eyes. At his statement her eyebrow twitched. The nerve of this man.
"No, mmph-"
Hotaru felt a pair of lips resting on hers, a tongue tracing her lower lip for an entrance which she gave no later than a moment later,for a minute the only sound heard were the wet smacks of their tongues dancing together as she put her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist.
They spent the night in a nearby hotel room, and when morning came, Hotaru was dreadful, she was a mess of insecurities, and she had a total nerve breakdown as soon as she realized exactly what had happened to her.
The half-naked man who was peacefully sleeping next to her on his stomach with his silky long black hair sprawled around him somehow making him look absolutely delectable.
Oh god what had she done?
In a panic she got dressed and left him alone, she was married and she had cheated on Ruka, and...and the sex was amazing though but how could she? It almost felt like she had been herself for a night without her walls high up, but...the responsibilities and consequence of this little endeavour was beginning to catch up with Hotaru.
She didn't want to be disowned, neither did she want her company to be taken away from her because she had really worked hard on it and the fact that her reputation might be down the drains if this, well, whatever this was, caught upto her and it made her feel something which she had never truly felt in many years.
Fear.
It was an old saying that fear makes us do things which are polar opposites to the things you're supposed to do. And Hotaru Imai proved to be an example, she left Akira alone though it hurt her like hell, but still she couldn't let go of her pride and admit the fact that she had fallen in love with him. So very deeply. Probably the only person who'd understand her.
She still went to the brunches only the fact was that she effectively ignored him, and surprisingly, Akira wasn't the only one who noticed this, even though everyone including little Youchi felt that there was something going on between the two of them. Akira, on the other hand, had tried, he had honestly,sincerely tried to talk to the woman he with his whole heart, for the record, adored, but seeing as arrogant she was, he was hurt that she just left him like that, without qualms, didn't even bother explaining why she left, which is why he stormed off in anger. Mikan who merely knew what was happening, tried to talk to Hotaru about the matter as did Luna with Akira but both being as stubborn as mules, refuse to shed even a ray of light on the topic.
Hotaru was back to her nonchalant self, it was almost someone had taken the light out of her, the brightness she had in her in the past few months had reduced significantly.
It's funny how your mind is invaded only at the time when your complete attention is required, Hotaru was sitting in a board meeting with a few of her most important investors, who were being shown a strategy which the team had come up with.
Hotaru blankly stared at the presentation, not really having any mind on it. She knew it was wrong of her to just leave and she also knew that Akira was right in being angry with her, but it was only humane to feel scared. That's what Akira had told her.
And that's when her thought process began, she started to think about the life She had way before him, cold, void and bland. But now her thoughts were different, No, she corrected these were the thoughts Akira planted in her.
Akira.
The man who single-handedly compelled her to feel, who didn't treat her like a non-living object, he cared for her.
Hold on to the people you love and care for.
Luna's voice rang in her head in resonance. And at that moment nothing made sense to the pale skinned genius, why was she living a life which she didn't want to live? Why was she married to a person she didn't love? Why was she with people who she didn't want to be with?
What exactly was stopping her from being with the only person who made her happy?
Money? Pride? Reputation? Above all , fear? Was it worth it? Was leaving Akira worth the pain she felt parting with him? No, it wasn't. Why was she doing this then? Why wasn't she, wherever the hell, he was? Just what the fuck was stopping her? Her insecurities ? Maybe he'd never forgive her for running away like that, but she had to try, just once to make sure he knew she was sorry for what she had done and what she failed to do.
Because, honestly, why would you leave the only person who accepted you just as you are and loved every bit of it?
Fuck all, she inwardly cussed and literally walked out of the meeting, everything be damned to hell.
"Uh Ma'am is the meeting over-
"-Misaki." Hotaru interrupted and the pinkette stood still because Hotaru never ever, called her subordinates or anyone for that matter with their first name.
"I need your bike keys."
"Eh?" Misaki unintelligibly asked.
"My chauffeur will drop you to your home today, that is everything works well and if I'm not disowned. Now, the bike keys please?"
"Yes, Ma'am." although peeved by her behavior, the woman fumbled her keys out of her purse and gave it the amythyst eyed woman.
"Oh and I might not be able say this again..." Hotaru turned toward her secretary when she was about to exit the office, "...but you're the most capable secretary I've had so far."
Misaki's jaw dropped lower than the beat, was she dreaming or did her boss, her cold-hearted, headstrong boss just complement her?
Hotaru drove the bike at the most abnormal speed to where Akira now worked, he owned a chain of garages, something which had made her smile a few weeks back, he went for the most oddest jobs, that man.
She better find him soon before it's a bit too late.
Hotaru stopped outside the garage and as soon as she did , God! She'd end up crying if she'd lose him, which was a big thing to say the least.
And as soon as the short haired woman walked in she found Akira working on the engine of what seemed to be a sport car.
"You!" She pointed fiercely at him, that caught his attention and he just blinked at the sight of her to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
"Hota-"
She pulled him by the collar while the rest of the workers in the garage watched with excitement dancing on their face, it was hardly on a few occasions did they see a woman literally dragging their boss out of his work because he really loved fixing cars, and trying to take him away from one was a task which only God could do or so they had thought, makes one wonder just how in the blue heck did he end up owning that toothpaste factory.
She had successfully dragged him to a secluded place behind the garage.
"Now just what-" Akira started only to be cut of in between.
"I'm sorry." Hotaru apologized.
"About Tim-"
"Shut up, I'm not done yet." She snapped, annoyed. "The past few weeks have been in agony for me, and the fact that I think of you all of my waking moments is a plain form of vexation to me and the fact that it disrupts my peace, work and career which you have no right over is absolutely outrageous! Against my better discernment, my responsibility as a wife, the inferiority of your class to mine-"
"Hey, who do you think your callin' inferior-"
"-the fact that I might be disowned and my company might be down the drains and my reputation might be tarnished.I still ask of you to listen to me when I say that it's hard for me to go on like this."
Akira looked positively confounded and comical since his jaw was slackened and eyes widened."I don't understand what you mean-"
"-I love you." She cried out with terse rolling down her pallid jaw, "I have unconditionally fallen for you,Akira Tonochi, and I can do absolutely nothing to stop it." She bit her lip hard as another globule of water dripped from her eyelashes.
Hotaru was at her most vulnerable state right now, and if Akira would leave her then she'd probably just find death better.
Hotaru heard him chuckle, maybe he was laughing at how pathetic she had become, she would too you know but seeing as she was on the other end of the stick, she understood the pain.
A warm palm held her face tenderly while wiping her tears,"You sure do talk a lot." He smiled at her, taking Hotaru in his arms, hugging her securely as she felt safe with him.
"You're an idiot."
"That part was unnecessary." He ran a hand through her raven black hair and he pulled her chin up and kissed her as fervently as he could but then she realized something and immediately pulled out.
"Good Lord! I almost forgot." Hotaru said, pulling out immediately, "What?" Akira frowned at his woman.
"I need to divorce Ruka. I'll see you in a while." She stood on her toes and pecked him on the lips, and left hurriedly. Ofcourse, it took a while for Akira to properly comprehend what just happened but when he did,he couldn't help but feel ecstatic.
Hotaru soon reached the mansion, she had already prepared the lawyer and everything with the paperwork, everything was done. When she reached the hall of the Mansion, she noticed there was a party going on.
What the hell?
Ruka was with Wakako in his arms but she couldn't help but feel nothing towards the man, not a pang of jealousy or hurt, nothing, which was fine by her.
"Oh look your wife's here." Usami snickered, cruelly but that didn't have an effect on Hotaru, she was way past that line.
Hotaru rolled her eyes, she really wanted to get back to Akira as quick as possible but this might as well take a while.
"I need to talk to you." She said, emptily, he looked at her and rolled his eyes before discarding the woman he had wrapped around his arm.
"What?"
"Sign this."
"What's it?"
"You have eyes and a Brain, don't you? Read it."
He flinched but read it anyways with his brows raising up to disappear into his blond bangs.
"Divorce papers?"
"Yes. Sign it. I don't have all the time in the world." She demanded.
"Do you know the consequ-"
"Can you fucking sign it Nogi?!"
"This is fun, didn't think you had it in you, Imai." another voice interrupted with a chortle.
"Shut up, Hyuuga!" Hotaru silenced the crimson eyed man who had a smirk plastered to his face," Now are you going to sign it or should I forge your signature? I have done it many times before, I'm pretty sure I have mastered perfectly."
Ruka stared at her in absolute disbelief before taking the pen and signing it, he didn't see a reason not to, both of them hated the marriage, thank goodness, she called quits first but the fact that she did it so impulsively was so unlike her(Yeah, love had a way of doing that to people, not like he knew), he wondered what brought this change.
She snatched the papers and walked out but before doing so Hotaru stopped where Natsume was standing. Even though her life before Akira was bad, it was Natsume who made it atleast bearable, because he suffered the same, and a thought came to her mind.
"What?" Natsume questioned, staring at the woman.
"In a few months or maybe next year, you'll get an invitation to my wedding, I hope you come for it." And without waiting for his reply she walked out.
Also she threw her phone in the dustbin nearby, no doubt her parents, family, people she didn't even know would lecture her, but that could hang on until tomorrow and neither did she forget to send a car for Misaki along with the bike keys with a message to pick it up from he'd mansion, she hailed a cab(Mikan thought her how to) and went back to Akira.
"I'm currently homeless and jobless, hope you don't mind that." She said snuggling against his chest while he laughed lightly, she felt his chest vibrate and Hotaru liked the fuzzy feeling it gave away." Nah, I don't. But I think there is a way out to that."
Her head perked up to see her lover, "There is?"
"Yeah, well, I own a chain of Garages, and I hate the paperwork,why don't you take over? You'd probably give the investors a run for their money and I would be left in peace."
"Really? I doubt it."
"Puhh-lease, you're Hotaru Imai, you can do whatever the fuck you want to." At that She smirked vainly, she absolutely adored the way he was so confident about her.
And then he thoughtfully added, "Who knows? You might be able to sack your ex-husband and family's companies."
Now, that was a nice thought.
But presently, she just wanted Akira against her suddenly she looked up to him and he was already asleep.
Looking at him she quietly but firmly admissioned to herself,
Yep, definitely worth it.
8 months later,
"Nooooo! We still don't have something blue," Mikan pointed out, dressed beautifully in a soft blushing pink, tea length satin dress and her hair was in a loose updo and was decorated in light pink and white flowers.
"Damn. I think we can just find something blue somewhere here or I'll just find Kit and ask him to bring a ribbon or a something." Luna said who was dressed in the same as Mikan was, apart from the fact that her hair was plaited in a waterfall braid,making her look attractive instantly, while carrying a baby dressed in a white tutu dress which made her look adorable.
"Hey, Mikan and Luna I think you better attend to Hotaru, she might be crackin' due to the jitters." Kit said, dressed in white tuxedo.
"Crackin' due to the jitters ? Are you sure we're talkin' about the same person? As far as I know Hotaru, she is probably annoyed with no crab cakes around her if anything, get her that crab first." Rei snickered, sneakily.
"He has a good point."
"Yes but what about the something blu-"
"-the hell are they doing here?" Rei scowled while the rest of them looked at the direction,standing there was Ruka with his mistress/whore/whatever the hell Rei thought of her and Natsume with Nobara along with their daughter, Aoi Hyuuga.
"Hotaru-san must have invited Hyuuga. Nobara and Ruka must have tagged along." Mikan guessed and she was probably right.
"Huh? So he's Natsume Hyuuga?" Luna asked, curiously as both Mikan and Rei nodded.
"Where's Youchi-"
"It's you!" A loud, childish voice pointed at a certain grey haired kid who was eating a strawberry flavoured waffle.
Youchi rose an eyebrow at the crimson eyed girl, "Oh it's you." He nonchalantly said while Mikan picked him up as he willing came into her arms.
"Daddy, he is the boy who made me cry that day." Aoi tugged on her father's hand, Natsume rose an eyebrow at the woman in front of him.
Oh boy. Mikan thought uncomfortably, don't tell me it was his kid Youchi insulted on the Reunion day, but she had to give credit to Aoi for remembering Youchi because the Reunion was a long time ago.
"Umm...I'm sorry on Youchi's behalf." She sheepishly bowed her head while rubbing the back of her neck simultaneously."He didn't mean what he said to your daughter-"
"-I meant it." Youchi instantly stated while Mikan sweatdropped and mentally facepalmed. "She is ugly, therefore, I called her ugly." He explained like it was the most normal thing in the world and Natsume smirked at her striving attempt which was literally done in vain.
Mikan almost felt like a puddle of shame before Rei came to her rescue and took little Youchi away, but Mikan swore she could hear him tell 'That's exactly how you should be to people, son.' and did a 'boom' with him, her lip twitched but she looked down at Aoi, the girl wasn't ugly, far from it, she was really pretty then why would Youchi...
And then it hit her, her son might have developed a small crush on the girl, that could be a possibility, she'd just have to ask him later.
But little Aoi looked sad, Mikan bent down to the girl's height while Natsume looked at her in wonder as to what she was going to do.
"Hey there." She smiled at Aoi who looked at her, " You look really pretty."
"But Youchi said-"
"Darlin', what boys say don't really matter, but I think you are looking absolutely pretty."
"Really?" Aoi's crimson eyes were so much filled with emotion,unlike her father's, "Like a fairy?"
"Prettier!" Mikan beamed a smile at the young girl. "But wait..something's missing." Her hand went to the back of her head and she took out a flower and carefully clipped it to Aoi's raven hair, it only added to beauty to the charm of the little one.
"There you go." She affectionately grinned as Aoi smiled,"See you around, Aoi-chan." She winked before standing up.
"Hotaru was asking for you, Hyuuga." Mikan informed the man who was in a daze," Would you stay with her?" He requested gently, their last meeting had left quite an impact on both of them, she nodded silently, not meeting his gaze, and took Aoi in her arms.
Ruka rose an eyebrow at this exchange but Nobara and Wakako didn't pay heed to any of it, they were...checking out the men present in the wedding.
Natsume proceeded to the room where the bride-to-be was in, Hotaru Imai was a nerve wreck but she couldn't show it on her face which remained nonchalant as ever.
"Well, you look troubled." He observed.
"Hyuuga." She breathe a sigh of relief, "You have no clue."
"You look considerably good. That isn't a designer wear though."
Hotaru looked at what she was wearing, which was an intricately designed ivory white flowing bohemian gown with tiny stones trailing at the chiffon end of her gown while her veil tucked at the back of her head was even longer. She looked elegant and graceful but above all she looked happy, in fact Hotaru was glowing.
"Hyuuga, I've been disowned." She reminded, frigidly. "Also, this was made by Luna, a close friend, and I happened to like if."
"Either way, Congratulations." He smiled at her, and she knew he meant it. Their friendship was an old one, they understood eachother and were extremely similar.
"Thanks, Hyuuga."
"That's a great wedding by the way," He complemented, cocking his head to the side.
"Yeah, well tell Mikan that she..." Hotaru stopped herself from completing the sentence before noticing Natsume turn his face to the side."..Hyuuga." She looked at him worried.
"Sakura..I don't know what to think about her anymore." Natsume's crimson eyes fixed on the floor."There's these spaces between us also, she probably feels the same, it's odd really Imai. It's not that I'm envious of Rei." (at that Hotaru coughed twice or thrice and he rolled his eyes at her actions.)
"There are some things we cannot mend, I had broken her soul beyond repair, so I guess this is the price I pay." He remarked, bitterly, "But I would rather stay put then come anywhere close to her, I may end up jeopardizing her family life."
"Still the conceited brat, aren't you Hyuuga?"
"Always." He sneered.
Unknown to them, at the door Luna quietly eavesdropped on their conversation, she felt a tear slip from her eyes as she suppressed the sadness in her heart, Luna was an empath by nature, and Natsume's voice sounded so ...so..broken that even her soul howled in pain.
Was it true? Was there some sort of connection between them? Bitterly broken but she was sure there was.
"Luna," A voice called out." What are you doing there?" Mikan walked elegantly to the strawberry blond woman.
"Oh yeah...I had to ask Hotaru about the.." Mikan didn't bother to complete while she barged in, "Mikan wait.."
"Hotaru , we still didn't find something blue and-Oh." Mikan finally noticed Natsume who was standing at a distance along with Hotaru.
"Something blue?" He inquired with a brow raised.
"Uhh yeah that tradition, the one which a bride has room wear at her wedding for goods luck : Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and also a silver six pence in her shoe." She elaborated. " But unfortunately, we still don't have something blue."
Natsume looked at the brunette who looked troubled, without much thinking he removed the sapphire blue rosary and put it around Hotaru's neck and he traded it with a look saying, 'You know exactly who to give it to.'
She nodded while Mikan clapped her hands enthusiastically, "By the way, who's walking you down the aisle?" Natsume asked the ravenette who looked at him expectantly as a reply.
He blinked in stupefaction.
"Are you kidding me?"
"No." Hotaru shrugged, "I want you to walk me down the aisle."
That made both Luna and Mikan snap their heads towards the bride in surprise but they respected her decision, nonetheless. Hotaru took deep breath while she took Natsume's firm arm.
She pushed aside every thought in her mind and concentrated on Akira who would be waiting for her.
Slowly, they were walking towards the Altar where the tall man stood with a mischievous grin on his face, damn, he really knew how to pull off that suit, so enchanted was she that she didn't even notice Ruka was just there, staring at her like no tomorrow, but she couldn't really remove her eyes from the amythyst eyed man standing, waiting for her.
Finally, as she reached the Altar, it was surprising that Natsume was the one standing next to an overwhelmed Mikan, this fact didn't go unnoticed by Natsume or Rei who was Akira's best man.
And then Hotaru wondered the most strangest occurrence, what if Natsume hadn't bullied Mikan in highschool ? What if they were together? What if he had held onto the brunette like she had with Akira? What if Mikan would have been befriended by Hotaru since she would have been Natsume's? And what if due to that, Ruka and her marriage would have been saved? What if...she hesitated at the last one...she had never met Akira?
They were really tricky, the what 'if's', the kinda made you wish you had them instead. Shaking her head ever so slightly out of her daze and looked at the Akira who looked at her expectantly.
And that's when she said, "I do."
The End.
This is the most heart wrenching thing I've ever written, but the fact that Natsume had bullied Mikan quite horrendously is the reason why it's all coming back to him.
What goes around comes around.
But my main motive is that I hope the you my readers understand, what it means to hold on to people, here it is just a story, but honestly, it's the little things in life that make up the big ones.
And guess what you do with them?
You hold on to them.
