Uh. No more flames about updating lol. I will when I can. I'm sorry. But this is a pretty long chapter for me, since my internet has been down for about a month now and i have nothing to do while on here but this. (:And I couldn't think of a title. So just read it haha.
AND REVIEW!

Just a little comment. I know some people say this story should be rated M.But kissing? C'mon. I'm not going to rate it M for a few make-out scenes.
Mature, in my opinion, means teens. Teens can deal with some tongue action. Right?
So theres a little hint for whats in this chapter again. Maybe not as intense though. (:

Um. Beginning? Yes.

"Yumi..?"

He stood there, staring at her. He wasn't sure whether to go to her or just leave. So he decided to ask an obvious question, "Is something.. wrong?"

The girl hid her face in her hands as her body shook with a hard sob. Ulrich guessed that meant he should go to her. "Ahh no I didn't mean to make you cry harder. Yumi, just calm down. Take a breath," he stepped towards her and dropped to his knees, lowering his forehead to touch hers and snaking an arm around her. "Hear me? I'm here. Just relax. Everything is going to be all right."

For a while they stayed, the boy shushing the crying girl. Ulrich glanced at the clock. One thirty... "Listen to me, I want you to tell me whats wrong. I can help you with it, okay? If you're in trouble, I'll get you out. All right? Just-"

"Nothing is all right Ulrich. Quit acting like you can control life. You're not God, and if you were," she looked up and glared, "I might just spit in your face right now," her voice in a surprisingly clear and dangerously low tone.
"I'm not saying that, I just.. don't like seeing you cry.."
"Then leave. Sorry to say, but I'm not your perfect little girl you would want anyway," her voice cracked as she pushed the boy away from her. "Maybe you should try looking for a normal, happy one."

He wasn't sure what this was all about. Was she crying over...him? "Yumi, I don't care if you're not perfect, but you're all I-"

"WHY does EVERYTHING always have to be about you?!" She was out of her seat now, screaming. Her hair clung to the wet patches on her flaming cheeks, "Do you see the fucking universe revolving around you Ulrich? Do you? No. Didn't think so." She grabbed her bag and turned her back on him as she headed for the back door. She stopped just before she opened it, "Stay away from me, stop following me, and...get out of my head Ulrich."

And with that she was gone with a slam of the door.

"..get out of my head Ulrich" Why the hell would she say that and expect him not to follow her? Get out of her head? He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of hope from those words, closely followed by guilt for feeling any type of good while she was crying.

He gave a few seconds for her to get far enough away so he wouldn't be noticed from the start. When he stepped out of the door she was clear across the back lawn of the school and crossing the street. He followed her, slowly and silently closing the gap between them; getting close enough so he was at least three buildings away from her and then slowing down. Then he stuck his hands into his khaki shorts and began to examine her.

Her hair was a complete mess; disheveled and sticking out and weird angles like she'd gotten out of bed then decided to tease it. He wanted to walk up and smooth it down for her.. The jean shorts she wore looked too big for her, and her dull orange shirt made her light skin look a strange hue. Overall he had to admit she looked like a stoner. Or drunk.

But all he wanted to do was kiss her.

For a second he could feel his mind spike with confusion. Why had he suddenly fallen for this girl? A few months ago they couldn't stand being within two feet of each other. Well... they hadn't..right? He thought back, trying to remember a time when he had truly hated the tiny girl before him.

Never.. He hadn't meant to spill that food on her. It had been an accident. She should have known that. Before he'd dropped his tray, she had to have known he liked her. It was obvious. Why else would he have given her that ridiculous Valentines card saying, "Roses are red, they have roots, guess what Yumi? I think you're cute."

He smiled, wondering if she still had the card, or even remembered it. That was definitely one of the dumbest pick-up lines I've ever used.. No wonder she hated him. But thinking back now, he must've always liked her. The only way he could ever stay in her life throughout the years, or even talk to her, was to play along in her little game of, "I hate you!", "I hate you more!". If he hadn't, she'd probably never have even talked to him.

"I thought I told you to stop following me."
He jumped out of his inner revelation at her voice and chuckled, "How'd you even know I was here?"
She turned and sighed, crossing her arms across her chest, "I've been walking straight for three blocks and I've been hearing the same footsteps the whole way. Anyone else would've turned by now. And anyway," she waved her arms across the street, "I can see you in the windows on the other side of the street."

"Oh." Now he felt like an idiot. How long had she known her was there? Did she know he was looking her over? Thinking about her? "Well, I was just making sure you weren't going to do anything stupid."

She shook her head and smiled a little, "I'm old enough and you're not my dad Ulrich."
"But I love you."
"HA! We've got a comedian over here!"
"Still, that doesn't mean I can't care about you."
"Oh really?"
"Plus you look like a drunken stoner. I didn't want to police to come by and pick you up."
She giggled and lifted her shirt to wipe off her face. "Just when I think you're starting to be nice.."

He walked up to her and linked his arm with hers, "Shall we go, my Juliet?" He turned her back to walking again.
"Shall we go where, dear Romeo?"

But he didn't answer. He walked to the next light, then turned off onto a tiny, colorful alleyway. Three stores down there was a tiny, plain brick building with a sign on top that was so weathered all Yumi could read was "Th", which she made an educated guess was the beginning of "The". The boy stepped in front of her and opened the door, bowing and letting her in.

The store smelled of cinnamon. It was small, with a few booths and an old man at its tiny counter. The walls were painted light brown and filled with ripped posters and pictures, the lights were dimmed to a hazy glow. Behind the man, a huge chalkboard was filled with different coffees, muffins, sandwiches and an assortment of random things.

"What is this place?"
"It's called The Eatery."
"My, isn't that original?"
"Yeah.. It's a pretty old place. They make the best food around," he walked towards the counter and smiled at the man behind at the cash register, "Hey Gem. How's it going?"

"Ulrich ma boy! 'Aven't seen ya in a while. 'Ow ya been? Goo'?" Gem smiled a less-than-toothy smile.
"Yeah, I've been pretty busy at school. This is my friend, Yumi." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up to the counter.
"Innit she a perty one! That'a catch right ther', ma boy."

"Oh no, sir, we aren't.. I'm not.. He hasn't caught me. Well I mean-" She blushed at the loss of explanation and at being called pretty while black marks probably still streaked across her face and her hair lacking a common direction. Usually that meant people just felt bad for you in that situation, and pretty was something they used to make you feel better about yourself. But mostly at the assumption they were together.
"Don' trouble yerself too much lil' lady, I don' mind ya two bein' in her' an-and kissin and wha'not, ya kn'."

Cough.
Blink.
Scratch.

Yumi hated awkward silences.

"Well, uh, we won't be doing that, Gem, but thanks for the heads up. Can I just have some black coffee and an egg bagel? And what do you want Yumi?"
She looked over at him then up the the board, "Uh, some green tea and a chocolate chip muffin. Please."

Gem smiled and walked into the back. He returned a minute later and handed them both their orders, and before he could converse with them anymore two more people walked in. Yumi silently jumped for joy. She followed Ulrich towards the back without looking at the newcomers, and found herself in a booth in the corner turned so Gem couldn't see them. She sat opposite of Ulrich.

"Well. He's..odd."
Ulrich grinned, "Yeah. Out there.. But he's always been like a dad to me. I lived with him for a few months one time."
"Oh, I see."
"He's a nice guy."
"Mmmmhm.. You must think I'm bipolar or something," she laughed. It was always like this; she'd have a break down and find herself peacefully calm and tired afterwards. Too tired to be anything but nice.

He laughed as well, "Maybe just a little."

The two of them sat for a while in silence, drinking and eating what they'd gotten. Yumi had been silently preparing herself for Ulrich's question, and before he could finish asking, "So about at school.." Yumi was quickly saying, "Don't worry about it. It was just a little break down. You know, PMS can do that to you."

The boy across from her shook his head and frowned, "Yumi, I want to know."
"Well I don't want to tell."
"So it is something." He was talking in a hushed voice, which made Yumi drop hers. But she wasn't sure why they were whispering..
"I didn't say that."
"Then what don't you want to tell?"
"Anything."
"You don't want to tell anything? That doesn't exactly make sense."
"I don't want to tell you anything, because who says I even like you?"
"Who says I even like you? I'm trying to be nice."
"See, you don't like me. I don't like you. We've never liked each other. Why should I tell you?"

"You're impossible!" Ulrich stood up and quicker than she could follow he was next to her, "You should tell me," he whispered huskily into her ear, nipping it once, "Because I want to know."

Yumi pushed herself to the right and away from him so she was against the wall, "Well, we don't get everything we want."

Then his lips were on hers. His hand reached back into her hair, pushing her closer as the other slid across her back and his fingertips hooked underneath her shirt. She struggled to back away, but the wall was there and she was slowly giving into it. He was too strong, smelled too good, tasted too perfect. She felt his tongue running across her lower lip before he gave it a tiny bite, and finally she gave up resisting and gave him entrance.

She felt him smile against her lips as his tongue explored tantalizing slow. She pushed a little against him, trying to speed it up. He pulled away and trailed kisses across her cheek to her neck, just below her ear, "Tell me."

One of his hands played with her hair as the other slowly pushed its way farther up her shirt before lowering and moving a little to the side and starting again. "I-I..ca-can't.." even talk! Why does this keep happening? The girl couldn't help but love what he was doing. But I don't like him...

"You can. Trust me, baby. Tell me everything. I'm your diary," He kissed her neck again.

Yumi thought calling her "baby" was a little too much. But she needed to tell someone.. And Ulrich was here.. She started crying again. Thinking about it, having this boy here doing this, she felt too much. He took his hand off her back and wiped away some falling tears. She needed to change the subject.

..Right?

"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not your baby," he lower lip was quivering with the effort of holding in tears.
"Aren't you? Hm.. Well I wasn't saying that then. You're crying, and not telling, which seems baby-ish to me," he kissed her softly again.
"Why do we always end up kissing?"

Another tear fell out.

"Say it..."

His deep, whispering voice had a commanding tone in it now. His hot breath tickled her ear and neck, and suddenly Yumi felt safer than she had in years. She could feel her heart open up, spread up to her lips and push against them, trying to get them to open and tell everything. She'd been holding it in for too long. It felt like everything inside her had slowly been breaking all these years, and her last connection was starting to crack. Years of secrecy and fear of not being understood was the only thing left from it spilling out.

"Just tell me Yumi."

She weakly shook her head. But silently, she was begging him to make her tell. She needed this. It was killing her.

He put his hands on either side of her face, pulling her into a kiss. Yumi felt every emotion he was suppressing, she could feel how thin his self control was, how it was brimming over its walls. She felt how hot his lips were, how hungrily they moved and yet stayed soft as a feather on hers. He was waiting for her to make a move; and he wouldn't do anything without her consent. She could taste his sorrow in her tears, his protective hands running across her cheeks assuring everything would be fine. How he was on his knees in front of her, begging to be let in. And for less than a second she saw a flicker of something that filled her with such joy she could barely keep herself from crying again. It sent confusion through her body, for joy wasn't something she should get from Ulrich Stern. But for an instant, so quick she almost didn't catch it, she heard his voice clearly in her head with all its husky, arrogant, smooth and dangerously sweet tones. "I love you."

Then it broke.
He pulled away.
She closed her eyes...

And she was racing towards her uncle's car in front of her brother.

There. I'll try to update, but vacation is..NOW! ha. And I have a freakin busy summer. But I'll get that update eventually. You know me. :P

Review if you read pleaseee. I'd love to know what you're thinking (:

If you don't I'll hunt you down and have you for supper. :o

Starry.