Guys, guess what?
My big bro's getting married! Ahhh I'm so excited! His fiancee is so happy and I'm just sitting here wondering how he managed to get anyone to agree to marry him lol. Kidding, I love him really. Most of the time. But yeah, I love a good wedding, so I'm excited about wearing a pretty outfit and watching my eldest brother finally sign his life away... and the hen party... obviously :P
Ahem. Anywaaaays...
Sorry this chapter is a little late. It's been a busy couple of weeks, and I'm also trying to work on my new Michi fic :) Kinda excited about that. I apologise if this chapter seems a little rushed, I had a rather inconvenient bout of writer's block when I started it and I ended up writing the stupid chapter four times -.- Oh well. Thank you for you reviews and messages, they motivate me, and I love you guys for it :)
Now... On with the story! Enjoy ;)
CHAPTER NINE
A party was happening around her. People were livelier than they had been not thirty minutes before – probably thanks to the alcohol in their systems – and bodies moved fluently to the music coming from speakers in all corners of the room. Kari didn't feel much like joining them, though. Instead, she watched carefully with her arms folded in one of the darker parts of the living room. In hindsight, hitting Matt probably wasn't the wisest thing she'd ever done. It wasn't exactly brutal, more of a warning slap, but now as she stood by herself reliving the moment her relationship with the tall blonde changed, she wondered what the hell had gotten into her. She'd wanted it. In truth, she'd probably wanted him to kiss her when she first saw him after returning home from college, so why did she reject him when he finally did? It could have been the setting it had happened in – after all, not moments before his lips touched hers, he'd been shouting at her. The atmosphere had been pretty tense, and she'd been yelling too. She hadn't wanted to give in, hadn't wanted to let him know he'd won. She didn't want him to think she was a pushover.
Oh. That was it.
She was being stubborn.
Another unfortunate Kamiya trait.
'Oh lord,' she sighed under her breath.
She stood there, with the back of her head resting on the wall behind her exasperatedly, when she felt someone nudge her arm. She turned her head slightly to see Yolei carrying a tray of colourful shot glasses.
'Hey birthday girl, would you like a-'
'-Yes,' Kari replied before her friend had the chance to finish her question, picking two glasses from the tray and downing them one after the other.
'Easy, tiger,' Yolei laughed.
Easy tiger. Matt had said that to her before. Just after she'd come home. Damn it. Get out of my head! She groaned loudly and took another glass. She swallowed the luminous green liquid, revelling in the burning sensation it gave her as it flowed down her throat.
'Shit,' she said aloud.
Yolei frowned. 'Everything ok, Kar? You do like the party, don't you?'
Kari placed a hand on Yolei's shoulder and sighed. 'Yes. Of course, it's brilliant, thank you. You're brilliant,' she said, planting a kiss on the girl's cheek. 'Just a… um… family drama.'
'Oh,' replied Yolei, winking. 'That brother of yours can be a difficult one sometimes, can't he?'
The brunette nodded with a grin and rolled her eyes. Yolei left to hand out more shots, and Kari frowned. She didn't like lying to her friends. It just wasn't something she did. But then, it wasn't much of a lie. The only reason she had to keep her current predicament to herself was because there certainly would be a family drama if it happened to reach Tai's ears. Kari groaned. It was so ironic. Her brother had always told her not to bottle up her feelings, and to always talk about her problems, but he was the last person she wanted to talk to about her messed up emotions right then. She glanced at the guests in front of her, completely oblivious to the sulking girl in the corner, laughing and drinking and generally enjoying themselves. Each one of them must have had their own problems, but they didn't let it show. They weren't letting it affect their night. Why should she? Kari pursed her lips in determination and took a few steps forward, sneakily plucking another shot from the tray as Yolei bustled past her once more. She downed it quickly, wincing at the burn, and put the glass on a table, wandering around the room looking for someone to take her mind off things. It was then that she spotted Sora. Probably not the best option when she was trying to forget about Matt for a while, but Sora was drunk. Very drunk. She held her phone to her ear, chatting relatively quietly considering the music was pretty loud, but she had to lean on the wall to keep herself upright. Perfect. She'd get very drunk with her, and they talk about anything and everything except Matt, and then they'd probably pass out and not remember any of it in the morning. Better than sulking, thought Kari. She approached the redhead, who proceeded to turn her back to Kari, mumbling something into her phone and ending the call quickly, then turning back to her with a grin.
'There's our birthday girl,' she called out loudly.
'Bit drunk?' asked Kari mischievously.
'Bit drunk? Sweetie, I am wasted,' she giggled.
'No shit, I'm surprised you managed to answer your phone,' said Kari with a wink. She looked around, half expecting to see Tai appear from nowhere and chastise her for swearing. He didn't.
Sora blushed. Why was she blushing? 'Oh, yeah. It was my mother. You know how parents are,' she replied hurriedly.
The younger girl frowned a little. 'I do,' she replied suspiciously. Sora was acting oddly, and it wasn't because she was drunk. But whatever. Kari was in no position to judge. She had her own demons. She grinned wickedly as Sora delved into her bag and emerged with a bottle of vodka.
'Between you and me?' she winked.
'Sure. I mean, who wants to share, right? No one has to know,' Kari whispered dramatically, and Sora giggled, handing her the bottle. She took it gratefully, taking comfort in the idea that she would be distracted by the time the bottle was empty. 'Cheers,' she said with a smile, and took a gulp, almost tearing up at the taste and sensation.
Happy fucking birthday to me.
'I fucked up, dude.'
'Ok, firstly, don't call me dude, I'm a fucking lady, treat me like one. Secondly, what the hell did you do?'
Had Matt not been so agitated, he would have smirked at Mimi's reference to herself as a lady following the curse word she had just used. As it happened, he was agitated, and he didn't feel much like offering any kind of smile when all he wanted to do was hit his head against the wall. He slumped against said wall and put his head in his hands, feeling the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed in an excessive quantity begin to wash over him. He hadn't planned on getting drunk, but then, he hadn't planned on being rejected for the first time in his life, either. He groaned.
'I kissed her.'
Mimi sighed. 'Should have known,' she said. 'She didn't take it too well, then?'
Matt looked up at her incredulously. 'She slapped me,' he said, pointing to the pink mark on his cheek. Mimi's eyes widened.
'Wow, she's a feisty one, isn't she?'
'That she is.'
'Did she not say anything?'
'No. Kind of. I dunno, this is what I'm confused about. She said she liked me, Meems. And she said that it was my fault that she liked me because I messed with her head or some shit, and we argued.' He looked up at Mimi, who sat next to him on the cold patio slabs of concrete, hugging her knees to her chest in the cool evening air. She glanced back at him over her knees and pursed her lips.
'Oh, Yama. I don't know what to tell you.'
'Makes a change.' Matt managed a small smile as his friend looked at him in what could only be described as pity. He sighed loudly. 'I love her, Meems.'
Mimi nodded sadly. 'I already knew that,' she said quietly. She held out an arm. 'Come here, sweetie.' He shuffled closer to her and leaned on her as she draped her arm around his shoulders. He was pretty sure that his masculinity should have come into question as he sat there, resting his head on his friend like a newly-dumped teenage girl, but he didn't care. Mimi stroked his hair as she rested her chin on his head and he relished in the warm sensation of having such a lovely, caring friend.
'Remember when you used to do this for me when I was sad?' she asked quietly.
'Yeah. And Tai would get all grumpy and jealous.'
Mimi giggled. 'He didn't mind really. He knew he was pretty useless in those kinds of situations,' she said. 'Still is, sometimes.'
'I dunno. He seems a little more sensitive these days. Looks like you've got him well trained.'
'So it would seem.' Mimi laughed once more. 'I do love him, Yama. I've got to admit, I'm a teeny tiny bit worried about how he'd react to your little predicament. I don't want to see him get hurt.'
'And you think I do?' Matt asked, still resting on his friend. 'I love that guy, Meems. I've known him pretty much all my life. I certainly didn't plan on falling in love with his sister. It's so fucked up. It's like, just a few weeks ago she was a friend. And now I can barely breathe when I see her because my heart's thumping so damn hard, and all I wanna do is kiss her and share everything with her. She's different from every other girl I've been with; she's long-term. The kinda girl I'd be more than willing to share my life with, and believe me, I never thought I'd say that. She's sweet and loyal and warm and funny, and never in my life have I been as caught up with anyone as I am with her. She's a good girl. And I'm just… bad. Bad for her, bad for even thinking all this stuff. I know she deserves better than someone who's fucked half of fucking Odaiba, but I swear, she'll never find anyone who loves her the way I do.'
There was a long silence before he flinched at the feel of Mimi nudging him softly, and he lifted his head, returning to an upright sitting position.
Mimi looked at him sternly. 'You're serious about her, aren't you?'
Matt sighed. 'More serious than I've ever been in my life.'
She nodded. 'You wanna know what I think?'
'Sure.'
'I think that Kari freaked out because you caught her off-guard while she was trying to stand her ground. Tai's exactly the same, if we fight and I try and make it up to him, he'll still sulk because he's stubborn like that. If we're being honest, I can't say I'm much different, but I usually get flowers or chocolate by being sulky,' she winked. 'If you want her to hear you out so badly, I think you're gonna have to sweeten her up a little.'
Matt snorted. 'Are you telling me I have to beg? Because believe me baby, Yamato Ishida does not beg.'
Mimi giggled. 'Can you hear yourself right now? I'm not telling you to beg. I'm just saying, grovel a little. Apologise for freaking her out and ask nicely if she'll listen to you explain. Don't tell her to listen to you. Ask her.'
'And if she agrees to talk to me? Then what? What do I tell her?'
Mimi smiled. 'Everything you just told me.'
'But… Tai-'
'-Tai doesn't have to know yet. No one does. You guys need to sort yourselves out before anyone else can get involved. I'm not going to tell him. It's not my place. I'll leave that to you guys if you decide to… you know. And if you don't… well then, we'll just move on and pretend it never happened. That way no one ever has to find out.'
Matt rolled his eyes. 'Easier said than done.'
'I know, sweetie. But what would be the point in getting Tai all riled up over something that isn't happening?'
'I guess.'
'Look,' said Mimi as she stood up, placing one hand on her hip and another on her small bump. 'If Kari is anything like Tai, she'll be drinking herself into oblivion to forget what just happened, so if you don't go get her now, you'll have missed your chance and you'll have to wait until her raging hangover passes to even approach her. So get your ass up and go find her. I'll keep Tai distracted.' She reached for his hand and pulled him upright. He looked at her as she cradled her swollen tummy. His beautiful childhood friend, all grown up and bringing life into the world. It wasn't something he'd ever wanted, but as he took in the small smile on her face and the contentment she'd exuded over the past few weeks (not including the times she was being violently sick), he felt his heart swell with happiness for her. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her gently.
'Love you,' he said.
'Love you too. Now do as you're told.'
'She bossing you around too, Ishida?' Tai's voice caused them both to jump and they looked at him sharply.
'Christ, you almost gave me a heart attack,' said Matt.
'Cry me a river Ishida, I think I just went into labour,' Mimi added. She turned to Tai and pointed at him, frowning. 'Wait, how long have you been there?'
'Long enough to know my best friend's trying it on with my missus,' smirked Tai.
Mimi giggled uncertainly.
Matt snorted. 'Well, I have to go… to the bathroom,' he said.
'Alright dude. You wanna stay at ours tonight? It'll save you paying for a cab.'
It wasn't a bad idea. He was already feeling a little drunk, and he had a feeling he was going to be drinking more as the night went on, so crashing at Tai's sounded reasonable, especially since the Kamiyas' apartment was only a short walk away from Yolei's place.
'Sure, thanks man.'
Mimi brushed his wrist with her hand as he made to leave, and he glanced back briefly to see her shoot him a 'good luck' expression. He gave a subtle nod, squeezed Tai's shoulder as he passed, and left the couple to their own devices.
'Is he ok? He heard Tai ask Mimi.
'Yeah, he's just stressed out with TK,' she lied.
He smiled to himself. She was such a good friend. He made a mental note to buy her something pretty in return for being awesome. But first, he needed to sort out his mess of a love life. And he still didn't exactly know how.
Kari giggled tipsily as she held tightly onto Sora's hand. The two were at entirely different levels of inebriation – Kari was just drunk enough to dance and sing loudly without worrying about people watching, and Sora was another story completely. She swayed dangerously, her face was pink, and had Kari not been drinking, she would have worried about her friend throwing up on her. Her worries, guilt and annoyance were slowly beginning to fade, and she found that the more she drank, the more comfortable she felt being so friendly with Sora, even though she had just shared a moment with her ex. The pair's antics were disrupted when the music started skipping and everyone groaned.
'Relax guys, I'll sort it!' Izzy's voice sounded from somewhere in the room, and Kari smirked. That man new how to fix everything.
'Hey, come with me, there's something I wanna tell you.' Sora grabbed Kari's hand once more and dragged her to the stairs, where they perched on the bottom step. Kari reached for Sora's arm when the redhead drunkenly slipped off the step and landed on her behind, a mixture of laughter and grumbles falling from her lips as she abandoned her attempts to get back up. Kari snorted loudly.
'You're such an idiot,' she giggled in a drunken haze.
'It's the best way to be, baby,' she replied with a sarcastic 'matter-of-fact' expression.
'What did you wanna tell me?'
Sora glanced up at the girl still perched on the step and frowned. 'I can't remember,' she said.
Kari's jaw dropped. 'Don't play me like that, bitch! Think!'
A loud laugh escaped Sora as she fumbled in her pocket for something. Her manicured hand emerged with her phone, which was vibrating and flashing. Kari couldn't see the name on the screen, but whoever it was found themselves ignored as Sora rejected the call and replaced her phone. 'Now I remember,' she slurred.
Kari edged closer to her, eager to hear what she had to say. 'Ooh, what, what?'
'Well,' said Sora, putting a hand on the curious girl's knee. 'I just wanted to say that I've been thinking about what TK said that night at mine.'
The younger girl froze. 'Oh?'
'Yeah. And sure, the idea of you and Matt is fucking crazy, right?'
Kari narrowed her eyes, partly in annoyance and partly in suspicion. 'Yes.'
'But,' Sora continued, 'you know… if it were to happen… I'd be ok with that.'
A silence fell upon the pair as Kari stared in shock at her friend. Confusion clouded her mind. Alcohol made people speak with honesty, not give them changes of heart.
'Oh? So, um… what's with the change in attitude?' she stuttered.
'Like I said, I've just been thinking about it a lot. Stuff has happened. And I just… I dunno, I just think you can't help who you fall for, right?'
'I haven't fallen for him, Sor.' A lie. 'And anyway, what's happened? What makes you say all this?'
Sora giggled and lowered her voice, leaning closer to Kari. 'I have a secret,' she whispered. 'Wanna hear it?'
Curious as Kari was, she wasn't the type of girl to go delving into people's personal secrets and she certainly wasn't the type to take advantage of someone as drunk as Sora. 'Not much of a secret if you're telling me, is it?' She silently cursed herself for her decency. Something about the expression on Sora's face told her that it was big, the kind of thing she'd regret saying in the morning. But Kari was in no position to get it out of her, and allowing her to spill her guts would be irresponsible of the more (but not entirely) sober friend.
'It's ok, I trust you. That's what's so great about, you Kar. You're so honest and trustworthy, and we love you for it,' Sora gushed. Kari frowned a little. She wasn't being entirely honest, and it bothered her to know that people thought she was. Sora continued. 'So I can totally tell you. I know you won't tell anyone.' Kari sighed. She wasn't going to be able to stop her friend, so she simply rolled her eyes and waited for the burden to be loaded onto her. 'I've been-'
A deep rumble interrupted Sora, much to the relief of Kari, and the speakers thumped into life once more, making both girls jump and smile as they heard the gleeful cheers of the other guests.
'Hey, Sora!' Tai's loud voice sounded from a few feet away, and the girls looked up at him. 'Come over here, you need to hear this joke, it's fucking hilarious. Davis! Davis, get your ass back over here and tell it again.'
Sora stood up warily, still swaying slightly and needing to hold onto the wall support. She turned back to Kari. 'Another time,' she said simply.
Kari nodded, knowing full well that Sora would not bring up the topic until the next time she was drunk, by which time Kari would probably be back in college. Oh shit. College. She'd forgotten about that. So that settled it. Nothing could happen with Matt anyway, because she wouldn't even be home for long enough to make it work. She groaned loudly and put her head in her hands. Back to thinking about him, then. As though a sign was trying to present itself to her, she glanced up to see a tall figure in the doorway, looking down at her with hands firmly in pockets.
'Oh,' she said, trying to sound as irritated as possible. 'It's you.'
'Can I talk to you?' asked Matt. 'Please?'
Kari found herself annoyed at herself to no end when just the sound of his voice made her knees weak. She told herself that it would only be right to refuse, to not let it go any further, but oh, he was so handsome, and the memory of his hands on her skin made her shiver. She rolled her eyes at her own weakness. 'You have five minutes,' she said, heading up the stairs and back to the bathroom that held a guilty secret. Kari strode into the bathroom, allowing Matt to enter before shutting the door behind her. 'Five minutes,' she reminded him. 'Go.'
Matt took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry that I caught you off guard, Kari. And I'm sorry if you thought I was out of line. To be honest, I probably was. But it's hard to control myself around you, and I just couldn't let you leave without telling you how I felt. The truth is, I've never felt like this before and it freaks me the fuck out.'
'Charming,' she said, folding her arms.
'I'm serious, Kar. I'm confused by it to no end, so I don't know how to act around you. I just… I freaked out when I thought you were going to walk out on me and I just did the thing my gut told me to. And I'm sorry.'
Kari sighed quietly and her stance softened. Why am I being so damn stubborn? She asked herself. She groaned a little and sat on the side of the bathtub.
'No,' she said after what seemed like an age. 'I'm sorry.'
Matt frowned. 'You? What for?'
'For… that.' She gestured to his cheek, which her palm had collided with previously. 'I freaked out too,' she admitted.
'No shit.'
She glared at him. 'Less of the sarcasm.' Another sigh escaped her lips and she chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she attempted to plan her next words, to no avail. She was just a little too drunk to think straight. Honesty really was the only option. 'I wanted you to do that,' she whispered, staring at her hands, which lay clasped in her lap. 'But it's… you. It's not supposed to be you. Every time I think about you, it's like Tai is just chilling on a couch in the back of my fucking mind, watching me and judging my thoughts.'
Matt tried his hardest to hide his smirk, but failed spectacularly. He dipped his head and hoped she couldn't see it. 'So, that's it?' he asked, attempting to mask his amusement. 'You're worried about what Tai will think?'
'That, and the fact that it's so sudden. Look at your history with girls, Matt. You must see why I'm a little wary of you.'
'Yeah, I understand that,' he agreed, nodding. 'But what you have to understand is that I've never told anyone what I told you.'
Kari thought back to his words, the memory making her heart clench. He'd blurted it suddenly, his voice loud in his anger or frustration, or whatever it had been. It had sounded so serious, so powerful, so… honest. It had made her knees weak in the second before he'd claimed her lips. It had been like music, a song she couldn't get enough of.
'Say it again,' she said quietly.
Matt sighed and reached for one of her hands, pulling her to stand in front of him. She was fairly tall, like her brother and father, and he didn't have to bend his head too far to look at her. He liked that. He kept a hold on her hand and placed his free hand under her chin, brushing her jawline with his thumb.
'I love you,' he said. 'And I have to have you in my life, whether you feel the same or not. I know it's gonna be hard to go back to the way things were, but I have to try. I need you, Kari.'
She looked into his blue eyes and saw the honesty swimming in them. Thoughts of Tai left her head, followed by thoughts of college, TK, Sora, and what her parents would think. It was just the two of them, standing in front of each other, like no one else existed.
'I love you, too,' she whispered. She watched as he bent his head closer to her face, and she knew that he was nervously waiting for her permission. She granted it, taking her hand from him and wrapping her arms around his neck, placing her lips on his and kissing him with all the frustration, all the fiery passion, and all the desperate need that had built up in such a short amount of time. His arms snaked around her, pulling her closer to him and keeping one hand on the small of her back and letting his other wander further up to rest on her falling strands of dark hair. Kari let her head fall back as he trailed kisses down her neck and along her collarbone before moving back to her lips, biting her neck lightly on the way. She sighed softly before feeling his lips press against hers again, more roughly this time, and she moaned into his mouth. A low groan rumbled in Matt's throat and she pressed herself even harder against him. She didn't know if it was the alcohol in her system that had her wound up so tightly, but the only thing on her mind was him, and how much she needed him, in every sense of the word. She probably would have allowed him to take her too, right there and then, had it not been for the knock on the door.
'Yama? Kar?'
Kari's eyes widened at the sound of Mimi's voice. She glared at Matt, her fingers still entwined in his thick blonde hair. 'How did she know we were up here?'
'Quit trying to whisper, your voice is like a foghorn when you're drunk, baby girl,' chortled Mimi.
'Damn it,' Kari hissed through gritted teeth.
Matt chuckled quietly. 'She's ok, Kar.'
'Are you telling me she knows?'
'She knew even before I did,' he said with an amused smirk.
'Shit.'
'Don't freak out, she totally gets it. And trust me, she's not telling anyone.'
The pair heard a loud sigh as Mimi began to tap her foot impatiently. 'Are you guys gonna open the door or what, because I'm getting pretty bored. And Tai's gonna start wondering where I am.'
Matt rolled his eyes and wandered over to the door, opening it and looking around to see if anyone was around. Just Mimi. She sighed as her eyes landed on Kari, who stared at the floor guiltily.
'I'm sorry I interrupted your little session, or whatever this was,' she said casually waving her hand at the two. 'But being knocked up has taken it out of me a little and I'm tired as fuck so me and Tai are going home. You guys coming? You're still staying at ours, right Ishida?'
'Uh, yeah. Sure. Just give us a moment, Meems.'
'Alright. Don't worry about leaving your own party, Kar. Yolei says everyone's too drunk to notice anyway. Tai just had to lift Sora out of the bin.' She looked at Kari and Matt with their raised eyebrows. 'She fell,' Mimi explained. 'Head first. It was tragic.'
Matt shook his head with a snort, and Kari stood still. She still couldn't quite get her head around the fact that Mimi was being so casual, knowing what was going on. She was still confused when Mimi left, shutting the door behind her and giving the couple some privacy. Matt turned to her and took both of her hands in his.
'Before we leave this room, I need to know what this is,' he said hurriedly.
'What do you mean?'
'This. What do you want out of this, Kari? Because I want to be with you, but I don't want to push you into anything you're not sure about.'
Kari thought as hard as her tipsy mind would allow her to. 'It'll just be between me and you, right?'
'Right,' he said. 'With the exception of Mimi, but she won't tell anyway. I swear, Kari, this can stay a secret for as long as you want. I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't want to.'
She looked at him and saw the urgency in his eyes. 'Ok.'
'Ok?'
'Yeah.'
Matt raised an eyebrow. 'You really wanna do this?'
Kari stared hard at him. 'I really, really wanna do this.'
He bent his head slightly and planted a soft kiss on the girl's lips. She closed her eyes and relished in the feel of his warm lips on hers. The only thing on her mind was him, and how strong her feelings for him had grown in such a short time. Nothing else mattered. Her worries could wait, she decided. Tai, Sora, her friends and family, they could all wait.
As for college…
Well, she'd just have to cross that bridge when she came to it.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Right, I'm off to start the next chapter. Til next week, ciao :P
