A/N: Thanks to Wolfissac for reviewing! I actually have more ideas for this story than my Kimi no Iru Machi story. Anyway, this chapter should be fun now that I'm in the AU realm with Tina confessing to Kaoru and Kaoru accepting. Please enjoy and REVIEW! Thanks!

Disclaimer: Ai Yori Aoshi is the intellectual property of Fumizuki Kou-sensei, and I hope that my little tale is taken in the spirit of admiration that I have for him.

Taking a Chance

Chapter 3: Complications

Kaoru – after the beach trip

After spending several minutes awkwardly saying goodbye to his senpais and his new girlfriend, Hanabishi Kaoru made his way into his second floor apartment. He looked around the room for what had to have been the one hundredth time and noted to himself how the room was as nondescript as he felt he was after he left the Hanabishi.

Life in the Hanabishi compound was one of rigid discipline, enforced harshly. The littlest of offenses would earn Kaoru a thrashing. 'Oh, how that evil old man love to beat me,' Kaoru thought bitterly. He felt himself going back down to that place of despair, his home since the death of his mother when he was a child. The sense of worthlessness continued to engulf him until the telephone interrupted the descent into his private hell.

He jumped up to answer the phone, "Hello, Hanabishi residence." He heard a slight pause and then he heard Tina reply. "Um, Kaoru," she began tentatively, "are you busy right now?" Kaoru smiled, "No Tina-chan, not at the moment. I was just thinking about what kind of cup noodles that I was going to eat for dinner. I need to be at my part-time job at 7." Kaoru worked as a waiter in a little bar in the neighborhood. It didn't pay a lot, but it helped pay for his apartment and for food. His mother's life insurance settlement helped with the rest. "Is there anything wrong, Tina-chan?"

Tina responded, "No, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't dreaming this afternoon. You really are my boyfriend, right?" Kaoru laughed, "Of course, I am, Tina-chan, don't be silly."

"I can't help it," Tina huffed. "I can't believe that something so great would happen to me. I've never been in this situation before, and I'm a little scared." Kaoru could hear the blonde start to cry. "Damn it, why have I become such a crybaby in the last few days?"

Kaoru laughed, "I don't mind you being that way, it's so cute." He paused and then asked, "Ne, Tina-chan, do you have some time to meet me tonight? I get off work at 11 and I thought that maybe we could get some coffee until it's time for the last train. I just realized that I really want to see you. I work at the YA bar in Izumigaoka. It's right next to the station." He paused. 'Oops,' he thought, 'I should wait for her to respond.'

Tina laughed, and in English said, "Whoa, Pardner!" They both laughed. After their giggles subsided, Tina responded, "Sure, I'd like to meet you tonight. I'll be there around 10, is that okay?"

Kaoru answered, "That's perfect. Maybe I can get off early. I gotta go, my water's hot and I'm a little hungry. I'll see you in a bit." Tina replied, "Okay, see you in a bit." After he hung up, Kaoru noticed that the light on the answering machine was blinking. As he pressed the button, he had the feeling that it wasn't going to be good news. He went into the kitchen to prepare his dinner as the machine played. The first message was from Satou-senpai, reminding him about the meeting this morning. The second message stopped him cold.

"Kaoru-obocchama, Genichirou-sama needs to you to call him as soon as possible. Bocchama, Danna-sama is quite ill. He is willing to forgive everything if you return." Kaoru swore, "There's no way in hell that I am calling that old monster." He ate his cup noodles and went to work, looking forward to seeing Tina later.

Tina – after the beach trip

Tina Foster wasn't sure how she made it back to her apartment that afternoon. She had confessed to Kaoru and he had accepted. She was so happy that she couldn't stand it. While the blue-eyed American usually had a smile on her face, it was never with the joy that she felt at that moment.

She looked around her apartment for what had to have been the one hundredth time, and she noted that it matched who she was perfectly, a chaotic mix of Japanese and American pop culture. She had a HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR poster next to her Carrie Underwood poster. On her bookshelf were books in English and Japanese. Her movie collection was an even mix of Japanese and American movies. Seeing this, she started to go back to that lonely place in which she felt that she really didn't belong here or in the United States.

Tina opened her cell phone, a present from her parents that insured that she would call them at least once a week, and was about to call Kaoru when it rang. She looked at the caller ID, it was her mother. "Hi Mom, I was going to call you tomorrow. Isn't it really early in the morning there?" She asked noticing that it was about 6 PM Tokyo time, so it had to be to about 3:00 AM in Houston, where her parents lived, a 15 hour time difference.

Her mom replied, "It is, but I wanted to catch you before I went to bed." She paused and then asked, "Do you remember a man named Mick Rivers? He is a customer of your father's company. He called us to discuss the offer that he made to you."

Tina tried to be noncommittal, "So what did you say? I asked him for some time to think about it." Her mother, noticing the edge in Tina's voice, asked, "Is there anything wrong, Tina?" She waited for Tina to answer and continued, "Your father and I told Mr. Rivers that it was your decision. He agreed and said that your choice would not affect their business relationship."

"That's good," Tina sighed in relief. "I'm not sure that I want to take a year off from my studies after I just started. Besides, I want to stay in Japan for a while." Her mother chuckled, "I wonder, does your reluctance has anything to do with Hanabishi Kaoru?" Tina sputtered, "What do you mean, Mom? Kaoru has nothing to do with this."

This caused Tina's mother to laugh even louder. "So it's Kaoru with no honorific, huh? I guess that I got it in one try." Tina continued to sputter, but her mother cut her off, suddenly serious, "Tina, I am telling you this as a woman and not as your mother. Do not give up on your ambitions and dreams for a man. You will regret it later. If you want to start your career now, then do it. If Hanabishi-san makes you choose between him and your dreams, then he isn't worth it. Your father understood that I wanted to teach more than anything, and he never made me choose, even when you were born. I hope Hanabishi-san is like your father."

Blushing furiously, though her mother couldn't see it, Tina retorted, "Mom, we just started going out today. We are no where near thinking about marriage yet. Besides, Kaoru has always supported my ideas."

"I hope that you'll forgive me, but I have to say bullshit to that, Tina," Mom argued. "You have been talking about that Hanabishi boy for so long that I knew that you were in love with him for at least two months now. If you have been thinking about him that long, I'm sure that you've thought at least once or twice about marrying him." She paused, "I have no intention of arguing with you about this. I just want you to think this through. Your dad and I love you and we trust you to do what you think is the best. Please call us this weekend, okay."

Tina sighed, "I love you too, Mom. I'll call you later, bye." Tina wanted to scream, but immediately doubts started to cloud her mind. Was confessing to Kaoru the right thing to do? Should she take the job and leave him for a year? She said to herself, "I need to talk to him before I drive myself crazy."

After talking to Kaoru, two things happened. The first was that she felt more sure that being with him was what she needed more than anything, and second, she was going to see him again tonight. She hummed happily to herself as she prepared her own dinner of cup noodles. She thought, 'Maybe I ought to check around to see if I can find a photographer's assistant job. It'll kill two birds with one stone. I'll get to learn from a real pro, plus I would be making money so I can eat better. I hate to cook though. Oh well'

Tina went through her clothes to pick the most flattering outfit and then took a quick shower. After drying off, she brushed her blonde hair and lightly put on makeup. She wanted Kaoru to think that she was pretty, not trashy. She brushed her teeth, checked her appearance one last time, and then departed for her first evening with Kaoru as his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, an aristocratic young woman was waiting in London's Heathrow Airport for her flight back to Japan. She noticed that her guardian wasn't with her, and called imperiously, "Saionji, where are you?" He appeared suddenly at her elbow, "What do you need Ojou-sama?" Impatiently, she asked, "Can you ask the airline to let me board? I don't want to wait one moment longer to see Hanabishi-sama!"

To be continued…

A/N: Wow, was this a long chapter! I experimented with showing half of the chapter from Kaoru's perspective. I hope that it worked. Even though I did that, this is still Tina's story. Please review and let me know what you all thought.

Ojou-sama: a title of respect generally reserved for young women of wealth.