Two weeks later new year's eve was just around the corner and everyone was making plans to figure out which party they were going to. The gang had all decided to throw their own personal party at Fred's mansion, his parents were away on a vacation to the family island so they could be as loud as they wanted, and Tadashi had never been to his place so Fred was excited to have someone new to show around. As Honey Lemon packed her small, overnight bag and kissed her mom goodbye, the air around her seemed to suddenly feel less heavy. It had been a hard month without being able to interact with Tadashi the way she wanted to, without seeing him outside of school all the time, and sure this party wasn't going to magically make him a different person but it was a party, he had to be a little more laid back this time.

When she arrived at Fred's mansion, Heathcliff, Fred's butler, opened her car door for her, escorted her inside to the game room -which was probably the size of her house - and took her white, faux fur jacket to hang it up. All the boys were already there, crowded around one of Fred's many arcade machines, shouting and hollering, not even acknowledging her presence. She laughed at their foolishness, pressed to the machine, cheering on Wasabi at whatever game he was playing. Walking closer, she could somewhat see the action through the tangle of people, colors exploded off the screen in 8-bit magic, Wasabi's character danced around the opponent and the cacophony coming from their group sounded like nothing more than a bunch of button-mashing and screaming but she knew, to the finer eye, this was an expertise.

"Hey guys." She smiled trying to get their attention, hoping they'd at least take note of her arrival.

"Yeah hi." Fred gave her a wave of dismissal and she sighed, making her way over to a massive orange lounge chair nearby. When she sat in it, she immediately started to sink down into the plush folds, as it engulfed her thin, feather weight body in its suede claws. For a moment, she just soaked in the room around her, it lacked the same elegance that the rest of the mansion portrayed but it was still an incredible space. The ceilings were at least two stories high and from top to bottom, all the way around the walls, the room was lined with bookcases in which thousands of comic books lined the shelves and rows of action figures stood. There were also glass display cases all around the room holding some of friends most prized collectors items like limited edition comic books, action figures, and even life sized costumes. Unfortunately there was only so long that Honey could quietly look around the room in that cocoon of a chair before she got bored, so she resorted to playing games on her smartphone until Gogo showed up.

The boys only ceased their endless gaming when Gogo walked in, Honey groaned at the reaction she got out of them in comparison to her own.

"Whats up party people!" Gogo called while waltzing into the lounge. She was a real head-turner, getting the attention of all the boys.

"Hey Gogo!" Wasabi called and they all walked over to her.

"Oh hey Aiko." Tadashi patted her shoulder as he passed by, only now realizing she was even at the party. She rolled her eyes and groaned throwing her head back against the memory foam of the chair wanting nothing more than for it to just swallow her whole.

"Okay guys, so, spoiler alert - I'm just the absolute greatest person you'll ever know ever." Gogo shrugged jokingly as she pulled off her backpack. At this point, Honey Lemon had joined the small crowd around the dark haired girl.

"Yeah, we know." Honey laughed half heartedly and Gogo flashed her a playful glare.

"Alright, well, you're about to know it even more." And as she said this she pulled a thin, glass bottle out of her bag, no more than twenty ounces of alcohol. Honey wasn't too sure what kind of alcohol it was though, she had only ever gone to one or two parties and she wasn't exactly a seasoned drinker. The whole group sort of gawked at the substance and that's when Gogo laughed. "C'mon guys! Turn up? Let's make this party hella lit?" Honey cringed a bit when she said that, the words didn't really fit her. "Oh okay I get it, we're not your typical group of party animals but that's what will make this even more fun! It's the new year, we toast, take a couple shots and that's all! No one needs to get fall-off-their-ass drunk, we just need to learn to let loose sometimes!"

No one said anything, everyone was waiting for someone else to speak first.

"So..?" She laughed waving the bottle around a little. "What's it gonna be?"

"Okay." Honey Lemon was absolutely shocked at the voice that gave approval, everyone turned to face him. "Let's do it."

"That's the spirit, Tadashi!" Gogo nodded and started to open the bottle, everyone else soon hopped on the bandwagon.

They sat in a circle, passing the bottle around while playing a superhero edition of monopoly. Honey was the second person to take a sip and she was honestly pretty scared, she hadn't had anything to drink in a long while and she wasn't sure how she was going to react. No matter what happened, though, she wouldn't let it be displayed on her face. She lifted the glass bottle to her lips and took a swig, the bitter liquid tasted like window cleaner and it burned as it slithered all the way down into her stomach, making her body tingle. She scoffed a pitiful laugh and nodded before passing it over to Wasabi, then Fred, Then Tadashi.

After a couple rounds around the group and a couple more rounds around the board, the bottle was finished and she had forgotten to keep track of how many shots she had taken. Some people had chosen to drink more than others - specifically Fred and Gogo - but she was sure she hadn't had too much and that was the most important thing to her. However, whatever increment of alcohol she did consume was definitely starting to get to her, and the rest of the group too.

Roll of the dice.

"Doubles!"

Roll again.

"..Four, Five, Six."

"I'll buy Gotham City Ave. for $500."

"You're an ass, how dare you."

"Don't hate the player, hate the game!"

She wasn't really paying attention to who was saying what anymore, her thoughts were clouded and she kept dazing off. Only when it was her turn would she fully engage herself in what was around her, yelling along with the rest of them.

"What! No you definitely cheated, you rolled a three not a four!"

"Yeah, I know - Look! One, Two, Three!"

"No, no, no, see, 'cause you skipped a space!"

"No way I would never cheat!"

"Guys, guys!" Wasabi interjected in the debate that Honey was having with Fred. "Lets try to finish this game before the end of the year and just agree that Honey can stay where she is?"

"What?!" Fred threw his hands up in the air like this was the biggest disgrace he had ever heard.

All the while, Tadashi was laying back on the ground laughing his head off at the whole ordeal. That bubbly sound of his sweet laughter filled the air around her, it seemed to echo in her mind louder than any other sound in the room. She focused on it, closing her eyes and taking in every bit of the moment. All she could hear was his happy, drunken chuckle.

"Does that sound good?" A distant voice brought her back to the scene in front of her, Wasabi was tapping her on the shoulder, asking her about the conclusion of the argument. She had no clue what he had said but she simply nodded and the game went on, although not as smoothly for her now.

"Tadashi your turn!" Fred passed the dark haired boy the dice and he thoughtfully shook them up in his clasp before letting them clatter to the table. Even a task so minuscule was made so beautiful by him.

His eyebrows scrunched together, a thoughtful crinkle in his skin, his eyes squinted with determination as they scoured the board. For the entirety of the game she never took her eyes off him, it started out very pleasant as she watched him in admiration, but soon that smile left her lips. If alcohol did one thing right, it made her realize how much she adored him. In all the foggy haze of thoughts that swirled through her intoxicated mind, one thing was clear as day, she needed him in her life; and not just as friends or 'whatever.' She needed him as a partner. Even though she had promised to wait until he was ready, she wasn't sure she could put up with it any longer. She needed him now, and the alcohol was definitely not helping her resist the temptation.

"I have to pee." She said the words mechanically, getting up to leave the room. Stepping out of the room was like stepping into another universe, the scenery went from a well lighted, brightly-colored, overrated kids room to the far stretching reach of elegant, low lit halls. The wall paper was white with little golden decals swirling in beautiful patterns, all the doors were dark oak and mahogany with all their own unique carvings in them. Everything seemed to have a shine, she realized that even after all the times she had been to Fred's house, she had never really taken the time to appreciate how beautiful it was. She walked down the hall, following along the gorgeous carpet to a dead end that led to a balcony. Opening the glass, double doors let in the frigid night air and it made her more aware the second it hit her. Fresh air filled her lungs and cooled the inside of her body that was hot with liquor. It was a beautiful winter's night and the view from Fred's hillside mansion was beyond incredible. It overlooked all of Sanfransokyo, the city that never sleeps was even more alive tonight with everyone excited for the new year.

Honey Lemon sighed as she made her way to the balcony, placing her hands on the smooth, stone surface before using this leverage to push herself up on the ledge. She swung her legs over the edge so she was sitting facing the city. The fresh air helped her to sober up enough that she was much more sturdier and could keep her balance where she was perched.

There were only a couple visible stars in the sky, too much artificial light made stargazing difficult, but the few present stars winked and danced with pride. She admired the stars, wishing that she could shine as bright and be as confident as the lonely stars, instead of depending so tremendously on others.

"The fresh air really helps clear the mind doesn't it?" The glass doors opened silently allowing Tadashi's voice to ring in her ears, he sounded miles away but also so close. "You'll catch a cold out here." He chastised her, the doors clicked shut behind him as he moved from the doorway to her, draping a blanket around her shoulders before jumping up to take a seat next to her on the balcony. "Are you alright? Like, really?" He asked after a moment.

She wasn't sure how to answer that question. It seemed simple enough, the answer should've been an easy yes but - then again, she didn't really know. At times she felt alright, others not so much. She lived a comfortable life with people who loved her all around, she was well taken care of and sheltered enough that nothing had ever really had the chance to get to her. So no one ever asked her how she was doing, everyone always assumed that she was great because she always acted as such, she never really thought about it and so she didn't have a correct answer to give. It wasn't until someone finally asked how she was doing, that she realized maybe she wasn't doing so great after all. Instead of getting into that mess of feelings though, she chose silence as her response, continuing to gaze out at the twinkling lights of the city with her glossy eyes.

Her body felt numb, alcohol had that effect on her. It wasn't a bad numb, just a tingling and a sense that every part of her body was so much heavier than normal. Her eyelids felt droopy and she was no longer the bubbly and laughing person who was playing monopoly with her friends just fifteen minutes earlier. Tadashi took one of those limp hands in his own, warming her cool, pale fingers in his large calloused palms.

"Aiko..-"

"I'm tired of being patient." The words came out hushed, as though she was scared that if she said them any louder Tadashi might snap under their weight.

He tilted his head slightly liked a confused puppy dog. "I don't understand wh-"

"Everyone says that I need to be patient, that patience is key with you and if I want to get anywhere I need to make sure I give you time. Well, I'm sick and tired of always waiting for you, Tadashi."

She turned to face him now, life returning to her eyes that had previously been so emotionless.

"I need you now. Not tomorrow, or next week, or in a month, but now; right now."

He still watched her expression with that dumbfounded look on his face, the cold making both their cheeks burn a bright red into pale skin.

"I know that these things are uphill battles that take time and we have to make sacrifices, but I'm so tired of being the only one to lose anything." She blinked her watering eyes away before continuing. "Remember a couple weeks ago when you asked me to wait for you to be ready?" She cleared her throat. "Well this is me, here, now, begging you to try, try for me. Please? Can we just try to make this work even for a little while, I want to know what perfection feels like."

There was a long, nerve wracking pause before a small hint of a smile spread across his lips and he started to nod. "I can't promise you perfection, but I can promise I will try."

She smiled such a big smile and he caught her contagious joy, lifting his hand to hold her chin, brushing his thumb along her cool cheek. She watched his cocoa eyes scan her face and she wondered what he thought of her. Any doubt she had of his feelings for her left as he started to lean in, closing the gap of space between them. She was so excited to feel his lips on hers once again, it had been too long since their first kiss and the cravings for him were driving her insane. And just as all her dreams were about to come true, her perfect moment was shattered.

"Hey are you two sexually confused weirdos going to come out back long enough for the countdown or does this have to happen right now?" Fred hollered at them despite being of very close proximity.

Honey Lemon felt a pull on her heart strings as Tadashi's lips ever so slightly brushed against her own before sighing and pulling away, only making her want him more.

"Yeah we'll be out in a sec." Tadashi lifted his hand in a casual wave then turned back towards Honey Lemon. "I promise I will try." He looked her directly in the eyes while he brushed her hair back then pulled her into a hug.

In his warm embrace she sighed, not moving to lock her arms around him, just taking in the moment. She listened to his heart beat steady in his chest and closed her eyes.

"C'mon, let's not keep them waiting." He patted her back then hopped down from the ledge, leaving her sitting there alone. She looked back up at the stars longingly. One day, she would shine like no one was watching just like those lonely stars.

"There's my girl!" A still tipsy Gogo called over to Honey once she found her way to Fred's backyard which was comparable to a very ornate football field.

"Heathcliff found us some fireworks that we are totally going to rocket off into the sky!" Fred threw his fist in the air enthusiastically.

"Wait shut up, shut up it's almost time for the countdown, we can't miss this!" Gogo had her gaze glued to her phone screen that had a timer she found online counting down the seconds. It had been monitoring the time left in the year all night but now it was about to run out. "Okay, Okay, Ready?" There was a short pause before the girl started counting. "Ten, nine, eight..'

"..Seven, six.." The group started to join in.

"..Five, four, three, two.."

"..one." Honey whispered and while everyone cheered and jumped around, She watched them, thinking about what the new year meant. Her thoughts were cut short by the explosion of colors that showered overhead and a strong arm that snaked around her thin waist. He pulled her into him without hesitation, pressing his lips against her own. She immediately smiled through the kiss, lifting her slim fingers to caress his jaw. Her hand molded perfectly along the curves of his face like it was meant to rest there and as their lips met again she knew it was true. Call it fate, destiny, whatever. She knew that she was meant to be with Tadashi. He pulled away and just watched her face for a moment after, before giving her a strong squeeze.

Honey Lemon smiled in his embrace, watching fireworks stretch across the sky all over the city as she greeted the new year with an open mind and a warm heart.