I don't own Kayashima, or Hana Kimi. Epic sadness.

However, I'm thinking of making a oneshot or starting another series with a different OC with Taiki when this is over. What do you think? One shot, New series, or a second series that continues after this one? Mhmmp.

REVIEWS!!!!!!

I LOVE YOOOOU!

(plz?)

Unfortunately for us, we had hit an absolutely horrid dead end. We had followed the directions Beth had presented to us, walking into a wide range of problems. Beth had pointed us in the direction of a deserted fairground. It was nearing the end of winter; The location we had arrived in had not been used for months. New York didn't exactly thaw very quickly either. The bistros dimmed as a fury of snow began whirling from the sky again. Our quartet collapsed on an icy public bench, completely defeated. The metal beneath us rejected our warmth, pushing it aside and replacing it with an iciness that chilled us to the bone. None of us felt particularly garrulous and instead huddled together in a desperate and feeble attempt to retain our heat.

Regardless of whether or not I had a guardian angel, or an impatient ghost pushing me was beyond my concern. At the time, I was simply overjoyed to find that an obliging flyer had fluttered past to batter into my knee. Reaching down to view the advertisement, I grinned to realize it was a schedule for what events would be performed during every month this year. Bouncing off the bench and nearly knocking over my comrades, I spun gleefully on my toes, smiling my wildest. Practically prancing, I bounded back to the bench once again, causing my companions to stare with confusion.

"You see this Gabriel! You have to wait until June! Ha!" I bellowed.

The wind howled and whipped at my form, lashing out at my body. It felt like Gabriel was throwing a temper tantrum.

***

The first performance of the Crazed Companions Circus would be in May, but my school's summer break didn't begin until June. I found it particularly ironic that my uncle would join a circus after forbidding my aunt to become a tightrope walker.

Our flight back to the bustling American city would be tomorrow. Forever the procrastinator, my mother had waited until the night before to finish, (begin), packing. I had spent the entire day searching for numerous items she wished to pack for the trip. We would only be staying for a few weeks, but despite this, all the months leading up to this point had been completely focused on the short time we would be spending there. The bait, the guardian, the psychic, and… Rio… All of us had been anticipating the sweet summer break.

We had arrived back in Japan at the end of January, unhappy to resume our role in our daily lives. Taiki's dittoing of the protectiveness my brother had shielded me with didn't waver even in the slightest. Rio and I returned to school, less than eager to absorb the information we were expected to begin learning. My mother was… less than cordial about returning to work. If anything, her upsetting behavior caused by returning from the trip almost empty handed caused more turmoil for her co-workers than peace. They were more eager for her vacation in June than she was. The knowledge that her ex-husband was living the life she had longed for added the frosting to the cantankerous cake.

February was the absolute worst. On the eve of St. Valentine's Day, Taiki had been invited over for dinner. My mentally unbalanced mother tossed a condom almost casually into his lap. His eyes grew large and shifted towards me, expecting me to inform him of the correct response. Ginny had pranced and giggled around the house, proud of the discomfort she had inserted into her environment. Taiki eventually removed the unwelcome object from his lap, sliding it across our cluttered table and placing it gently underneath an envelope filled with junk mail.

By April, I had gotten into the habit of referring to my aunt/mother/recidivist as simply Ginny. She had resisted at first, but it was much simpler to remove the titles and use only her first name. However, she quickly decided that if I could add or remove titles before her name, she could do the same when addressing me. Sometimes I'm the Impressive Iz, other times I'm The Brilliant Bella. My default name, however, lacks such ridiculous adjectives. Usually, she just calls me Pigeon, or Pidge, for short. Whenever I scold or reprimand her in any way, she grins and tells me to cease 'squawking'. I told her pigeons coo.

Since the beginning of May, I had become particularly obsessed with studying marine biology, especially that of swamps. My fondness for alligators increased with this obsession. Taiki had bought me several books loaded with factual information on the Florida Everglades. They were snuggled comfortably in my carry-on bag. I was saving them for the plane ride to America.

I spotted the last item Ginny was searching for: the matching twin to her lime green flip flops. I struggled to remove it from the niche between the wall and her mattress. Ginny had entered a buying frenzy, zealous to purchase summer attire. Her lack of a tan was beginning to depress her though. I sympathized for her; I was absent of the ability to produce a lasting tan as well. Taiki didn't seem to mind though; He liked being in the company of ghosts.

I heard a knock on the front door, and assumed it to be either Taiki-kun or Rio. I rolled across my bed, flip flop in hand, raced towards the door. Upon opening I realized it was Taiki and practically pulled him inside. I frowned at his attire.

"All black?" I grimaced. "You're going to burn up." I scolded.

"I won't complain." He said smoothly, gracefully sitting on our cluttered couch. "I see you haven't finished packing yet…" He motioned to the array of clutter scattered around the room. I grinned.

"Ginny went to the store to pick up a few things. I'm finishing her packing for her so she doesn't forget." I smiled, placing the flip flop next to it's matching companion.

"Has Rio arrived yet?" He asked curiously. "What are the sleeping arrangements?" He added.

"Rio isn't here yet- She's stopping to pick up dinner at a fast food restaurant. She'll be a little late." I frowned. "I don't exactly know the sleeping arrangements… Either you or Rio will be sleeping on the couch, the other…" I blushed furiously.

"The other?" He inquired.

"The other can share my king-sized bed with me…" I looked back down at the flip flops, avoiding his gaze.

"Ah. I'll take the couch." He said decisively.

His decision startled me, and out of reflex I looked back up again towards his face. Unfortunately, his eyes caught me in their clutches, locking me away and forcing me into a stupefied stare complete with trembling lips. He raised an eyebrow.

"That is, unless you want me to sleep next to you." He didn't smile; He just stared probingly. I felt helpless under his gaze. Rio saved me by bursting through my front door. She never knocked.

"Ah, I see Tammy arrived here okay." Taiki said nothing, and Rio rolled her eyes.

Rio had several large packages in her hands. I wondered how much she thought we actually ate until I spotted bags from several stores. They weren't shops that sold food. She had purchased last minute items? I wondered why, considering she had informed me that she had finished packing several days ago. I gave her a questioning glance, only to witness her blush and look away. I frowned. She only did this when she had done something wrong and didn't want to tell me. She had bought gifts so that she could butter me up first.

"Rio…" I started towards her, squinting my eyes suspiciously. "What did you do?" I demanded. She sighed and looked down.

"Eh, Taiki-" She used his actual name. This meant that it would annoy him too. "Nanba, my imp of a nephew, told Nakatsu that I was going on the same trip you were over the summer break-"

"I never told Nakatsu I was going on a trip. He'd want to come, and that's simply not permissible." Taiki interjected. Rio gulped.

"I know. Mizuki apparently asked Nanba if I was doing anything over the break. He told her, and Nakatsu asked why we would be going on a trip together, and Nanba said I was with Izzy-" She looked down, apparently unhappy with having to inform us of the next part of her confession. "-Nakatsu cornered me, wanting to know where we were going. I told him the States, and he couldn't fathom why. He forced out of me that Izzy was in trouble and Taiki was helping to save you and your family and…" She trailed off, looking at her toes. "He said that he wouldn't be a true friend if he didn't help you save the one you love!" She blurted out.

I vaguely remembered Taiki's roommate. I remember him being relatively dim…

"Nakatsu can't help. He doesn't have tickets to the U.S." Taiki resolved. "Besides, it's probably too late now-"

"…this was a week ago. The day before school let out…" Rio confessed. Taiki radiated irritation.

"How did he afford tickets?" Taiki demanded.

"Well…" Rio began again. I couldn't handle anymore surprises. "He told Mizuki. Mizuki wanted to help too, and her parents would be in New York for performances her mother agreed to choreograph. She called her parents and they immediately express mailed three plane tickets to her-"

"Three?" I asked, dumbfounded at this series of events.

"…Sano didn't want Mizuki going on some dangerous quest without him. They'll be on the same plane as us." Taiki, normally calm, oozed annoyance and surprisingly fury. Rio turned to me, desperate for some support against Taiki's wrath.

"You'll love Mizuki, she- er- he-" Rio stumbled over her words. I was confused.

"Oh stop it I know. I can read Mizuki's aura." Taiki snapped at Rio. "I won't tell I know. Bigger problems here." Taiki rubbed his temple, calming down.

"Mizuki pretended to be a boy to get into an all boy's school. She did it to be near her love, Sano." Rio swooned.

"How romantic!" I giggled.

"I know!" Rio smiled back.

"Are they meeting us at the airport tomorrow morning?" Taiki cut through our glee to forcibly drag us back into reality. Rio hesitated.

"Actually…" Rio began.

Surprising how a simple knock on the door can drive a normally completely calm young male such as Taiki completely berserk.

"You sent them HERE?" He hissed at Rio.

"…I also brought food…" She whispered.

I sighed and answered the door. A gush of wind and strong arms knocked me off my feet. I opened my weary eyes to see bleached hair and exuberant eyes in my face. I received a fierce hug and an apology before being pulled back to my feet.

"Kayashima's little woman! You're tinier than I remember… We're here to help! I can't wait to go to America with you! We'll be best friends, just like Kayashima and me!" Nakatsu beamed.

A timid but friendly looking young person stood behind him. I assumed her to be Mizuki and the taller one to be Sano. I rushed forward to greet them.

"Hi! Welcome to my home! Ginny will be home shortly." I smiled. I was actually excited to have more companions on this trip; It gave me a break from Ginny's antics and Rio and Taiki's bickering.

"I'm Mizuki." She introduced herself. "And this is Sano!" She motioned to him.

"You guys don't have to help me." Taiki said bluntly behind me.

"Nonsense!" Shouted Nakatsu. "If there's some ghost out to get you and your brother, we're aching to help!" Taiki frowned.

"We don't have sleeping arrangements for you… I'm already on the couch. The house is quite small." Taiki informed.

"I'll sleep on the floor." I chimed. Taiki looked appalled.

"This is your house." Taiki slipped his hand over my own. "And they showed up without your invitation. They can sleep on the floor." Taiki was still sore.

"…how about Rio, Mizuki, my aunt, and I sleep in my bed? It won't be that crowded. We're all small. And it's king-sized! And then Sano and Nakatsu can sleep in Ginny's bed, and Taiki can sleep on the couch. It'll be a little crowded, but I don't want anyone on the floor."

"…I'm really sorry." Rio whispered glumly. She looked miserable.

"It's okay Rio! Really." I smiled reassuringly. I hugged her and showed everyone where to put their things. I hoped Ginny was in a good mood.

"You're an exceptional optimist." Taiki said when we were alone. "You weren't even faking being okay with everything. You were genuinely happy…" Taiki said softly.

"I like them. Your friends are so nice. They care about you a lot, you know." I smiled at him. He smiled back.

I was about to turn away, but spidery fingers grasped my face. His soft hands held me in place, brushing a stray hair out of my eyes. My hair had grown quite long. Taiki brushed his fingertips against my cheek, and slowly he pulled me closer. His face was so calm- focused. I couldn't help but to marvel at the soft pools of ink that were his eyes as they drew closer.

Taiki's lips were soft.

His hand still kept my face in place, but it's partner had traveled down to wrap around my waist. He was always concentrating on the task at hand, which made him into a very focused kisser. He was exceptionally gentle, and every time he kissed me he seemed to make everything travel in slow motion: Slow moving kisses, slow moving caresses, and the slowing of thoughts in my head. He dizzied me up, dazzling me with his patience and focus. He pulled me closer, only to push me slowly down onto my bed. I was thankful everyone else was in the kitchen; As much as I valued them, I didn't want them interrupting this moment. Taiki's hand played with my hair. He stopped kissing my lips, causing me to give off a disappointed mew. He brushed all the hair out of my face in order to properly kiss my forehead. I smiled up at him. He slipped off his shoes.

"You're beautiful." He said matter-of-factly before pecking me on the lips.

He nuzzled his nose into my neck. I wrapped my arms around him as he began kissing and nibbling at my collarbone. He softly caressed my sides, making me purr. I felt his teeth against my neck, nibbling before finally leaving his mark. It would show vibrantly against my pale skin later, but I was happy to bear his mark. He kissed me on the lips once more before rolling onto his side.

"Taiki?" I began nervously. I was afraid of the answer to the question I was about to ask.

"Yes?" He answered, smiling at my skittishness.

"How is it that you can be so intimate towards me while it took you ages to become comfortable around your friends? What's so weird about me?" I asked, looking away. He chuckled and pulled me into him. Taiki had a slim build and wasn't very tall, but I was even tinier. I was short and admittedly slim, but my body fit perfectly into him. He felt warm.

"There is nothing strange about you other than your relation to your aunt. I'm intimate with you because you are the first woman to ever believe me to be more that a spirit weaver. When you originally met me, your reasons for concerning yourself with me weren't my powers, but your desires to get to know me. I get ridiculed often by my peers. They believe me to be some demonic curse caster. You… talked to me. And you exhibited that you enjoyed my company. I grew to enjoy yours, only before I realized what was in front of me. Never before had I felt such an overwhelming desire to make something belong to me. I became greedy. I wanted you to like me as much as I liked you. I realized I had to give myself away to get more of you. I'd never opened up to someone as much as you before. However, keeping you with me was always the top priority, so I refused to risk it by being my normal closed-off self. I wanted you to open up for me, so I opened up to you." He looked at me before adding one last piece to his speech. "Also, you were incredibly attractive. I am only human."

I smiled before pecking him on the lips. He gave me the warmest smile I had ever seen from him before gingerly pulling me closer.

"You were the most attractive male I had ever seen." I wrinkled my nose at him. He looked surprised at my comment. "I saw you at the fair, mesmerized by your talent. When you had helped me into the health room, I was almost glad I had the wind knocked out of me. It gave me an excuse to speak to you. You had such a serene face, with eyes I frequently get trapped in. You were perfect. I was overjoyed to know that I got to spend time with you. Rio was even happy for me too, (of course this was before you two started fighting)."

I crawled on top of him, wrapping my arms around him and playing with his hair. His breathing hitched as I nibbled on his ear.

"I like you more than you liked me. I love you Taiki Kayashima." I whispered in his ear. I watched as a fierce blush appeared on his cheeks and his normally calm face exhibited shock. "Don't act like this was a surprise." I said after watching his expression. He relaxed again after I laid my head down on his rising and falling chest. I closed my eyes as we peacefully remained in that position.

Until Nakatsu popped his head in the doorway.

"Oi! Kayashima. Sorry to interrupt- I can see you're sorta busy- but someone's car is pulling up by the house…"

I shot off of the bed, beckoning Taiki to go greet Ginny with Rio and prepare her before she found the three new visitors in her house. Nakatsu, Mizuki and Sano were to wait in the living room until being introduced. I peeked out a hallway window to view outside, noticing several bags of clothing and accessories. Good. She was surrounded by frivolous material possessions. That always made her happy. I scurried back to my bedroom.

I listened as Taiki and Rio explained to her as she was walking into the house. She seemed to be taking it surprisingly well. Taiki and Rio introduced her to the three new traveling companions- I could mentally picture her swoon after meeting Sano, (perverted old biddy)- and question my whereabouts. I sighed and slipped out of my room.

"Hi." I said awkwardly. I winced, hoping she wouldn't notice anything strange.

"Hi Pidge. I see we got some new arrivals. I'm sort of happy. Means you have more friends than just the Ghostbuster and the Firecracker. I need help unloading the car, can you- Why the hell are you wearing a fleece turtleneck in early June?" She questioned. I squirmed under her gaze.

"No reason." I laughed nervously.

Taiki grinned proudly behind her.

My sister Danni is trying to talk me into a Bleach fanfic. I wanna do Ulquoirra. :D

He be cute.

Ichigo fanfic maybe with Orihime slight Rukia/Renji.

Or Urahara? :D With an OC or maybe Yorruichi, (spelling? I'm too lazy to look it up). (Cat lady. There. Blah.)

I dunno. I wanna monopolize myself and do multiple fics over the summer. I gots lotsa spare time. :D

Wooh! Off to drink energy drinks and wreak havoc!

Share your thoughts on this story and possible story requests!

Byyyyyyyeeee ;D