Thank you for those who've had time to R&R 'The Scam' which was updated last week. XD

Here's another one for RukaRu! I have to say, I've been having a massive case of writer's block but good thing is I seemed to get through it this time.

xoxo Lexi1989

Previously:

"What are you waiting for Nogi? DRIVE!" Her voice was still calm but he could sense the urgency in her words.

He revved the engine before speeding off, just barely catching a glimpse of her mother and brother running out of the house after them. He wanted to ask but just looking at her tense expression, he was afraid that would push her away further. For the second time that day, he decided to just go with the flow and see where it takes him. One thing was for sure, getting to know Hotaru Imai bit by bit, no matter that she pushed him away and rejected him, his interest in her was reaching a record peak.

CHAPTER 4: Start of a Friendship

"So, where to?" He asked after half an hour of just driving around. His question seemed to bring her out of her funk. She sighed and looked at her phone.

37 missed calls – Okaa-san

25 missed calls – Onii-chan

Text message – Mikan Sakura – Hotaru, your mom's been calling my house for the past half hour. Where are you?

"Might as well do the project." She muttered as she held the power button to shut the phone off.

"O-okay, but the library is already closed at this time and it's still raining. Where do we go?" He asked her once again.

"Your house." She said.

"M-my house?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"That's what I said. Clearly, we can't go back to my house since we just left there. And I can't go to Mikan's since my mom will want to check there first. So the only logical place to go to would be your house." She deadpanned.

"Are you sure?" He asked tentatively.

"Does the sun set in the west, Nogi? Of course I'm sure." She rolled her eyes, annoyed at how he seemed to be hesitating to the idea and relieved that he clearly wasn't the type to take advantage of a situation like this, unlike most guys she knew.

"Alright then." He drove uptown where he was living with his mother in the upper class suburb. They were renting the mansion he had once lived in years back.

Hotaru gazed at the structure before her. It was massive. Three stories with a long winding driveway that led to the gate. The front yard was vast, filled with foliage, and the back (which she would later be shown) was at a little more than an acre, with a labyrinth made of hedges and bushes, a greenhouse and an Olympic sized pool.

Ruka led her inside, and she was surprised at how silent the large residence was. The interior was decorated mainly with French artifacts and furniture. Given that Ruka's mother is French, it wasn't all that surprising. They were standing in the foyer and through the dim lights, she could make out a grand staircase a little bit further on the inside of the house.

"It's so quiet." She didn't realize she had murmured her thoughts out loud.

"Yeah, well, it's mainly just me and my mom and she works late. A maid comes in during the daytime and a pool service crew comes once a week. Other than that, it's usually just me." He said going past the staircase. He opened a door that led to a library. She almost didn't catch herself from showing her shock. The view of the library breathtaking. It was filled with floor to ceiling shelves that were packed with books. There was also a Steinway Grand Piano in the corner, next to a stained glass window, and a small couch and armchairs in the opposite corner.

Ruka watched as she walked towards the piano and ran her fingers across the surface.

"Do you play?"

"I do, although I am a bit rusty." She said.

"Why don't you play something while I whip us something to drink. We can get started with the project after we get warmed up." He offered, he could somehow sense that she wanted to play.

"You don't mind?" She asked.

"Of course not. Be my guest." He exited the library and headed to the kitchen on the other side of the house.

A few minutes later, he could hear the soft melody of the piano wafting through the rooms of the usually silent house.

She sat down in front of the piano, lifting the cover off the keys, and gliding her fingers lightly over them. She thought of the conversation she had with her mother and brother as she sat in their living room just less than an hour ago.

"How is your father dear?" Hotaru's mother was calm, sipping from her cup of tea.

"He's fine." Subaru said solemnly.

"And how is Shizune?" Shizune was her brother's fiancée. They had met in pre-med and had been together since their freshman year in med school.

"She's fine. She wanted to come today so we could tell you the news but.."

"Why? What's happening?" Hotaru was quick to detect the hint of hesitance in her brother's words.

"We're getting married." She could feel a surge of anger course through her. Their parent's divorce was only finalized last week, and now here he was flaunting his engagement straight to their mother's face.

"I can't believe you!" She'd stood up, glaring at her brother who refused to look her in the eye. She felt her mother's hand gently grip her arm. She couldn't help but glance at her mother, sitting beside her. There was a wistful, bitter smile on her face that even Subaru had noticed.

"Hotaru, it's okay. I'm happy for you son. Shizune is a very beautiful and bright girl. Congratulations! Did you tell your father?"

"I did. He…" Subaru took a huge gulp before continuing on, almost wishing he didn't have to say it. "..he wants to make it a double wedding. He's proposed to Chisaki."As soon as the words left his mouth, Hotaru snapped.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT! Why doesn't he have the balls to tell us in person? Why does he have to send you to do what he should be doing?! And why would you want to get married at a time like this? Just when mom gets divorced from dad? How can you be so insensitive nii-chan?"

"Hotaru, calm down. It's okay." Her mother held on to her arm firmly this time.

"No Mom. It's not okay and it never will be okay. I'm sorry nii-chan but don't expect me to go to your wedding." She brushed away her mother's arm, grabbed her coat and ran towards the door, despite her mother and brother's attempt to call her back. She saw Ruka's car as soon as she opened the door and without another thought, she ran towards it.

(A/N Listen to Fritz Kreisler's 'Love's Sorrow' for better feels [DISCLAIMED, not mine, never will be])

And now here she was in Ruka's house. Her fingers went on auto pilot and began to play a piece she'd known by heart since she was small. Her dainty fingers gracefully glided over the keys as the notes poured and filled the room with music. It had been awhile since she'd last played, since it was her father who insisted she learn to play the piano and paid for her lessons. The piano was a subtle reminder of the part of her childhood she wanted to forget. She hated her father. He ruined their lives by leaving them. It reinforced her loathing for love. She didn't care for it. She didn't want it. She didn't believe in it. And all her emotions surged through her and through the score she was playing on the piano.

She didn't notice Ruka who had slipped in quietly, bringing with him a tray with two cups of warm cocoa, to fend off the coldness brought about by the weather. As soon as he entered, he became entranced by her music. He was rooted to the spot, watching her as she became one with the piano. She was reaching a crescendo. He knew this piece, and had listened to it a number of times when his mother would bring him to recitals and concerts of the great masters and those who aspire to become like them. But this was the first time that he felt the music move him. Her emotions emanated with the music.

"Brava!" He said softly as she ended the piece. She jumped in her seat, one of the rare instances that she had been caught off guard.

"Th-thanks.." She said, feeling the heat of a blush creep up her neck.

"Kreisler, right?" He asked and she was faintly surprised that he knew of that piece but didn't bother to ask. With a mansion filled with so many cultural pieces and a piano to boot, she figured he was well off and well brought up.

"Yeah." She replaced the cover on the piano keys and sat next to him. He handed her the cup of cocoa which she gratefully accepted and they sat in silence, savoring the warmth of their drinks and lost in their own thoughts. They were both conscious of each other's presence, yet neither of them had the faintest idea on how to start a conversation given how Hotaru had established they were not 'friends'.

"Are you alright?" Ruka asked, and as she looked at him, she could see his concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine." She said curtly. She trusted he was one not to take advantage but she didn't trust him enough to divulge her personal dilemmas to yet.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it. But I want you to know that I'm here for you. Even if you don't think of me as a friend just yet."

They were once again wrapped in a charged silence. She wasn't used to this kind of conversation. It wasn't as if people were begging to be friends with her. She was contented to have just a few close friends and had no interest in adding any if it meant a disruption to her circle.

"Why are you doing this Nogi?" She asked him, her head was beginning to ache with her overanalyzing everything and she decided it be best to be forward about it to him. He took a deep breath before answering.

"Well I know we haven't had a good start with that incident at the café…" She rolled her eyes as he reminded her of the day they met. ".. I guess I don't know why exactly. I find you interesting. Most girls I've met are usually throwing themselves at me, and trust me, I've met a lot of girls. You're the first one, aside from Sakura-san who hasn't done that. You seem to loathe me, for some unknown reason, and apart from trying to find out the reason why, I think we'd actually be really good friends in the future, if not more. And besides, your my project partner. We have to start somewhere." He said with a charming smile.

"You're certainly a bit full of yourself aren't you?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she glared at him.

"I figured you're the kind of girl who doesn't like to beat around the bush. Why would I go through the pretense of something apart from the truth if it won't help my case?" He responded.

"It's good that you have your facts straight. I hate liars." She said, sipping the last few drops of cocoa from her cup.

"See? That's something we have in common. I don't like liars either." He grinned at her and she just stared at him unbelievingly.

"You don't have to like me right away. I like you the way you are and I want to get to know you better. I'm not the type to listen to rumors and would rather hear what you have to say for yourself instead of what other people say about you." She blushed. Most guys wouldn't even bother talking to her. Aside from the select few that she genuinely was close to like Yuu Tobita the class rep, or guys she had no choice but to tolerate like Natsume Hyuuga, Ruka it seems wasn't budging on his position.

"Why?" She finally asked.

"Why what?"

"Why of all people would you like to be friends with someone like me?"

"Well, do I really need a reason to become friends with you?" He asked and for once she was at a loss for words.

There really isn't a formula or reason for friendship, she reasoned out. And so she slowly conceded, by way of silence. Neither confirming nor denying her agreement to his statement. One couldn't have too many friends right? And it was just friendship. She was just overthinking it, she thought to herself.

"So I have this idea for the project…" She decided to change the topic before it became uncomfortable for either or both of them. Ruka brought his laptop down from his room and as soon as he fired it up, he got a skype call. It was from Natsume. He hesitated, looking briefly at Hotaru and she scooted over to the far side of the small couch, out of view from the laptop's webcam.

Ruka pressed the answer button and soon Natsume's face appeared on the screen.

"Where's your phone?" The raven haired teen asked. Ruka patted his pockets, realizing it was in his uniform which was upstairs in his room.

"Gomen. I left it in my room. I'm in the study doing some research." Ruka grinned sheepishly. He could feel Hotaru watching him but refrained from looking at her as Natsume might notice.

"Mikan's been calling me every ten minutes for the past hour. Hotaru's gone missing and she was last seen with you in your car." Natsume was one of the other few people that Ruka knew would never mince words. True to his words, instead of lying, Ruka opted to remain silent. He valiantly tried to remain poker faced and Natsume seemed suspicious of his friend's behavior.

"She's with you, isn't she?" Again, Ruka remained poker faced and silent and Natsume just sighed.

"Imai, if you're listening, Mikan's worried about you. Your mom is at her house." He appeared to be forcing himself to say the words. And then he looked straight at Ruka. "Get her home safe." And without another word, he clicked off the Skype call.

"Well it looks like I should get going." Hotaru stood up from where she sat and stretched her arms.

"I'll drive you home." Ruka closed his laptop, leaving it on the coffee table. "Let me just grab my phone and keys." He ran up the grand staircase and into his room while Hotaru waited in the foyer. She looked at the paintings and portraits that hung on the walls of the foyer. Most of the paintings were sceneries from different places. She had to admit that they were pretty good. She also saw a portrait of Ruka with a woman who looked like him albeit older. Even she had to admit, they looked like a striking couple. She was engrossed with the portrait that she didn't notice that a car had parked in the driveway and only turned when she heard the creak of the front door.

Standing in front of her was the woman in the portrait and she was looking at Hotaru startled. They both stared at each other, before the woman spoke.

"Hello young one. Are you Ruka's girlfriend?" Hotaru blushed, somewhat taken aback at the bluntness of the question. Before she could answer, Ruka reappeared in the foyer.

"MOM! That's rude." He said somewhat in a joking manner as he moved towards the giggling woman and she embraced him in a big hug. He gave Hotaru an apologetic smile as he introduced them.

"Hotaru, this is my mother. Okaa-san, this is Hotaru Imai, my classmate and history project partner." Hotaru bowed and the woman smiled warmly at her. She couldn't shake off the feeling that the woman looked very familiar, she just couldn't place where she saw her before.

"Hello Hotaru-chan. You can call me Celestine. My apologies for being so blunt, my dear. It's just that Ruka rarely brings home any friends to meet his dear old mother, much more girlfriends. You're the first girl he's ever brought home so I just assumed… " The heat crept up on both Hotaru and Ruka's faces as the latter scolded his mother in a soft tone.

"Mother.. stop that." He said and his mother pouted. "I'm going to drive Hotaru home. We were just discussing our project here since the library was closed. And I thought you weren't coming home till midnight."

"Well, shooting was cancelled since the rain disrupted our outdoor shoot, and you know these indie actors are so stuffy sometimes. I decided to come home early. Have you two had dinner?" The woman shrugged off her coat, hanging it on the coat rack near the door.

"Not yet. I was planning to grab a hamburger on my way back. Want me to buy takeout instead?" Ruka took his coat and handed Hotaru her own

"Chinese food is fine. You know what I like." Hotaru just watched the exchange happening between mother and son. She now had a firsthand view of what life was like for Ruka Nogi as his mother handed him a couple of bills to buy their dinner.

"It was nice to meet you Hotaru-chan. Please come visit us again soon." Ruka's mother bade them goodbye as she went up to her room to freshen up. It was only when they were in the car that it clicked. She had heard rumors that a celebrity would be moving in to town. She then realized that they were all referring to Ruka's mom. Celestine Nogi. Award winning actress turned director. She had seen a couple of films that had Ruka's mom in it which was why she looked familiar. She wasn't what Hotaru expected in an award winning actress. She dressed modestly, and didn't think too highly of herself (in a good way) unlike most actors and actresses nowadays that seemed to expect royal treatment from the common people.

"I'm sorry about how my mom acted earlier." He said and she blushed once again to being referred to as Ruka's girlfriend.

"It must be tough to be the son of a well-known actress." She said , unable to think of anything else to say.

"Yeah, well. It certainly took some getting used to. And I've had my fair share of people cozying up to me just to be in the spotlight. Not that I get noticed very often. But in some of the busier places we've been to, like Tokyo or Los Angeles, it's been a struggle. Which is why I prefer to keep myself on the down low. Out of the spotlight and the tabloids. It's easier to live a normal life that way." He had his eyes on the road as he spoke.

"I didn't even realize it until we were in the car. She's nice though." Hotaru responded and he smiled as he glanced at her.

"Yeah, she does her best to spend time with me. She's always complaining I don't bring home any friends that much. She's only met Natsume and now you. The less people that know about her identity and status, the better." He said.

"I see. Where's your dad?" She asked.

"He passed away three years ago. I used to live with him while mom's job took her around the globe. But when he died, mom wouldn't let me live on my own. So she took me along wherever she was assigned. It would end up with me transferring schools even if it was in the middle of the year. Eventually she decided to stop acting and start producing/directing films so we get to stay in a different place for longer."

"I'm sorry about your dad."

"It's fine. He's in a better place now. How about you? Where's your dad?" As soon as he asked, he sensed the change in Hotaru's demeanor. She clenched her fist and looked outside the passenger seat window.

"I really don't want to talk about him." She responded almost in a whisper and he nodded.

"Oh. Sorry for asking, I didn't mean to pry. But if you need a sounding board, you can talk to me ayt?" She merely nodded and the rest of the ride continued in silence.

"We're getting close to your place. Should I drive you home? Natsume said your mom is at Sakura-san's house." He asked and she decided to go to Mikan's. That way if she got into an argument with her mom, she could stay there instead. He turned towards Mikan's house, passing by Hotaru's and parking at the sidewalk in front of Mikan's house. As soon as they got out of the car, Subaru came barging out the front door followed by Mikan.

The next thing Ruka knew, he was being pinned to the side of his car by Subaru.

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY SISTER?" Subaru had him by the collar which was making it difficult to breathe. Hotaru was quick to pull on Subaru but he had a firm grip on Ruka.

"I – I – didn—"

"Subaru-nii-chan! Please stop!" Mikan was screaming.

"STOP IT SUBARU! He didn't do anything to me! LET HIM GO!" When Subaru didn't let up Hotaru forcefully pulled him so he could let go of Ruka. He fell butt first into a puddle that had formed in the sidewalk due to the rain getting his pants wet.

"I said STOP! I got in his car and told him to drive. So don't blame my friend!" She pushed Subaru away and stood in between the two guys.

"YOU! How dare you walk out on us like that. How disrespectful and dishonorable of you!" Subaru then turned on her immediately.

"I meant what I said earlier. Don't expect me to attend much more be a part of that double wedding that you and dad will be having. I don't even think either of you know what love is seeing as you don't seem to understand what it is about. You clearly have no sensitivity towards how mom and I feel." Her words were broken from the deep breaths she had to take. She didn't realize that she was already crying. Her cheeks were wet and her vision was muddled by the tears in her eyes. She watched as Subaru stormed away from the Sakura household towards their house.

She wiped the tears away from her eyes and held out a hand for Ruka to help him up. He accepted it gratefully and stood, wincing more at the feeling of having wet pants rather than the slight pain he got when he fell down.

"Why don't you guys come in?" Mikan said behind them. She was dialing a number on her cell. "I'm calling Natsume so he can bring you a change of clothes."

They went inside the house and Natsume arrived ten minutes later, bringing Ruka a shirt and pants to change into. Ruka had called his mom and told her something came up, apologizing profusely that dinner would be late to which she'd responded that she didn't mind.

"I called your mom and she agreed that you should just stay over." Mikan said to a glum looking Hotaru who just nodded. They were now gathered in the living room, waiting for Ruka's clothes to dry.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Nogi." Hotaru said and surprisingly Ruka was smiling back at her.

"If that's what it takes to have you say that we're friends, then it's cool."

"When did I say that?" Hotaru was on the defensive now. She vaguely recalled her words during the heat of the moment with Subaru.

"Well, you did say it earlier, right Sakura-san?" He looked towards Mikan who was sitting in between them. She was like a deer caught in the headlights with Ruka looking expectantly at her confirmation and Hotaru glaring at her.

"Uhmm.. Well, you did say it Hotaru. You said, and I quote 'I got in his car and told him to drive. So don't blame my friend!' end quote." Mikan gestured with her fingers to emphasize that those were Hotaru's words and not hers.

"See? So that means we're friends now, right?" Ruka was beaming at Hotaru and she fought back the urge to roll her eyes. She thought about it, he was more than willing to take a beating from Subaru even if he didn't do anything wrong (good thing it didn't come to that though). He didn't pry when she told him she didn't want to talk about her father. He more or less fit the definition of a friend.

"Whatever makes you sleep better at night, Nogi." She said as Mikan's mom brought out Ruka's clothes.

"You can call me Ruka." He smiled at her and she shook her head. She didn't want to go that far just yet, seeing as how he insisted on her calling him his friend.

Natsume bid Mikan a chaste kiss goodbye on her cheek (since her mom was there) and Ruka stood up to leave after retrieving his clothes.

"I have to go, my mother is waiting for me to bring dinner home. Sakura-sama thank you so much for your hospitality." He said as he bowed in front of Mikan's mom.

"Mikan-chan, Hotaru, I'll see you guys tomorrow." He said with a smile and a wave before heading off to his car.

"Natsume could take a few lessons from that guy, Mikan. He's very nice and polite." Mikan rolled her eyes at her mom's comment. Ruka was nice and all but he wasn't really Mikan's type. Hotaru stood silent beside them. She realized she hadn't properly thanked Ruka for earlier today when she got caught in the rain and for following her directions (no questions asked) when she ran out from her house after. She called out to him as he was getting in his car.

"RUKA!" His name felt and sounded weird coming from her own lips. He popped his head out of the window.

"Arigatou." She turned her back to him, pretending to go inside the house without waiting for his reply, to hide her embarrassment at the situation. She could feel Mikan giggling next to her and elbowed her in the ribs.

She didn't see the huge smile that lit up Ruka's face when he heard her call her name. He felt that regardless of the drama that ensued, today was a good day because Hotaru Imai finally called him her friend.

END OF CHAPTER 4

So, I don't really know Ruka's mom's name so I made one up. If anyone knows what it is exactly although it isn't specified in the wiki nor the manga, please hit me up via review or PM so I can correct it. I just like Celestine so.. XD

N Risa – Well, you got it right, not only is the father marrying the half his age bimbo (whom I decided to name Chisaki) but he wants to have a double wedding with Subaru who's marrying Shizune! What a guy! And it's alright about the log in thing,. As long as you let me know it's you then I can identify who's reviewing ;) I miss you. You haven't reviewed my 2 part update on The Scam yet which I know you always look forward to. Hope you're okay wherever you are!

KawaiiGirl1215 – Well, I love this pairing even if that wasn't really in the manga. I just feel like they could have gone this route, if only they continued the manga to find Hotaru. (Highly unlikely since the epilogue pictures sorta have that locked down) But hey, that's where ff comes in. ;) and yes I've heard of that song! Thank you for the review!

Derp1Derp2 – Well it looks like for the most part you have given me the inspiration for this chapter. ;) As for the devilish smile, we'll save that for a later chapter shall we? Hahaha

Anilissa – He became "worst dad of the year" after deciding to marry the girl half his age just weeks after divorcing Hotaru's mom. And Natsume is cute, isn't he? LoL.

Guest – Thank you! Please let me know who you are so I can address your review properly next time! I hope I live up to your expectation in the story!

Story cycle:

Secrets - Fairie Tales - Starting Over Again - The Scam - Philophobia

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Ja Ne!

xoxo Lexi1989