Oop. This came a lot faster than anticipated. It took 3 days to write.

Thank you again to all my readers, reviewers, and followers!

Rated for language.

Nine

She was so quiet all the time. It had only been four days, yet everything had changed. They were on their way to his parents' house to celebrate New Year's Eve. They planned to get there early to help his mother with set up since his sister wasn't coming over yet and his father was at work. She couldn't wait to see his family, but she also was really dreading the night. She knew that she'd have to put on a happy face and pretend everything was okay. She didn't know if she could do it – just the idea of it exhausted her.

"You okay?" he asked

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. Tired," she replied. Always so quiet.

"You're drifting," he observed.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mind is going off somewhere, you're thinking things."

"Oh. Yeah, I suppose I am," she hummed noncommittally. She pulled her focus from her thoughts and attempted to engage in conversation with him. It was so hard.

They finally arrived at their destination and she struggled to get out of the car. She just felt so weak, like she was paper and would tear and fly away any moment. She moved so slow.

Not sleeping and not eating will do that to you, she mused.

The hours passed by painfully slow. In moments she had to herself she let the exhaustion take over before putting on a happy face again. She knew he was concerned, but she was too tired to care. She was happy to see his family though; they always welcomed her with open arms.

After dinner was when the drinks came out, and she felt much better then. She played card games with his cousins and sister, laughed and teased and felt more herself. After some time, he came inside to get her because his coworker and his girlfriend arrived. Reluctantly she pulled herself from the game to help play host outside with him.

God, was it cold. So cold that her buzz disappeared and she was back to that all too familiar misery that had been accompanying her the past few days. The countdown happened, she kissed him at midnight, took photos with the family. Oh, how her heart ached. Did it even ache anymore? She was too exhausted to feel anything.

God how she loved him. Loves him. She really could see a happy life with him here. If they could just get past this. If she could just get past this.

She wished the night would end. She was tired and cold and so, so tired. She just wanted to lay down and go to sleep, pass the time away.

It was 3 am and everyone was asleep, except her. They were in the TV room of his parents' house, him on one couch and she on the other. She just couldn't fall asleep, her mind and body ere awake and they were torturing her. She felt bad that she was so depressed and that it was making him depressed. She felt so bad. So guilty.

At 3:50 am his alarm went off. She waited a moment to see if he'd wake up – he didn't. With a sigh she crossed the short distance to where he was.

"Hey. Mamoru. Your alarm is going off."

"Mm. Mhm." He sat himself, lifted his shirt and scratched his belly.

"Mamoru, do you want me to get the alarm for you? Do you need help?"

"Yes, okay."

"I'm going into your pocket to get your phone. Is that okay?"

"Yes, baby."

She searched his pants, found his phone and shut off the alarm. And she wished now that she didn't. As soon as the alarm window was closed, their text messages popped up. You know, how you're doing something, then something else pops up to cover it? But when you close that second item, the first item was still there?

Thinking of you : ) , she said.

She scrolled up the screen and discovered that they were still texting each other. Granted, more things were coming from her than him, but they were still there nonetheless. She saw they were texting each other their morning workout shoes and socks. And as silly a thing it was, she found it too inappropriate, too intimate.

Fury. Cold, black rage consumed her. She threw his phone down on his exposed abdomen, waking him up very rudely.

"Ow! What the fuck?" He exclaimed.

"Good. It should hurt. I'm glad it hurt, you deserve it," she was cold, voice dangerously low.

He just stared at her then got up to use the restroom. When he came back, she was waiting for him on her couch. She had turned on the lamp on the table beside her. As he leaned in to give her a kiss, she drew her hand back and slapped him across his face as hard as she could muster. A loud "smack" resounded through the room, her heart hammering in her chest and hand stinging from the impact. His head was turned to the side from the force.

He stared at her in complete shock.

"It's over. We're done. I'm not doing this anymore."

"What? Babe, Usako, no don't say that." He sat down next to her, tried to hold her.

"Don't you fucking touch me. Don't you fucking call me 'babe,'" she scooted further down the couch. "We are done. I'm done with you."

His voice became panicked, sad, "What? No, please don't say that. Don't say that, please." He was begging. "Why are you saying these things?"

"I fucking saw your phone, Mamoru! You're still texting her! I can't believe you. I can't believe how STUPID I was. How stupid I am. I am so stupid. We are done."

"There is nothing going on with me and her. Usako," his voice broke. "I love YOU. I would crawl to the ends of the earth for you. I love only you."

She was turned away, silent and fuming. After how hurt she had been, how could he possibly still continue any kind of relationship with that girl? And if he was going to, why couldn't he just put it on hold until she was gone? She was only down there for a week, for God's sake! He had no care for her feelings. He was so stupid. Yes, maybe he loved her, but his actions kept on hurting her. He was so stupid.

"I was trying to let her down easy. She knows where we stand, she knows I'm with you and only you. I'm trying to be gentle with her feelings because I know this situation sucks for her." He tried once again to pull her into his arms.

Anger flared up inside her and she started hitting his hands, his arms, his torso, "Don't you fucking touch me, Mamoru."

He sighed heavily and rested his elbows on his knees, bowed his head. She realized with a start that his words were slurred. Ugh. I'm the stupid one to even bring any of this up now. She was so stupid to even bring any of this up when he wasn't completely sober. She wondered if he'd remember in the morning she was breaking up with him.

He kept talking, trying a different angle. He was frustrated and getting angry, "You told me yourself! As noble a gesture it is to end my friendship with her, it wasn't feasible because I see her at work all the time. You said that! I stopped saying inappropriate things with her, it is only platonic I swear to you. You read it yourself! What did you see?"

She still wouldn't answer him. She was so angry, and so hurt. She hated him. She was trembling with the onslaught of emotions. Oh, she hated him so much. And she hated herself for letting him do this to her.

When it was clear she wasn't talking, he stood up to go to his side of the couch. He looked over his text messages with her and ripped the battery out of his phone, threw it across the room. He lay down on the couch and turned on his side and, for once, dismissed her.

Yikes. What is going to happen? :(