A/N: Hello there, readers! It's almost midnight here. I'm so sleeeeepy but I wanted to make sure I uploaded this before tomorrow

I know it took a bit longer than I said it would but I just kept adding more onto it so it's kind of a long chapter lol! It might be a week or two until the next chapter upload since I have to work "Moonlight" for MLP :)

So I hope this will help to hold you over until then.

Hint: I bet you will all say "FINALLY!" after reading this XD

As always, I hope you enjoy! :3


Natsumi leaned back against the table, having finally finished wiping all of them and stacking all the chairs on top, getting ready to close for the evening. She wiped an arm across her forehead and let out a tired sigh. Although it wasn't completely out of the ordinary, she didn't really work on the weekends, especially when she had classes on Monday. The young woman chose not to think much of this though, seeing that at least two of her classes had been canceled. Well, that and she had missed two days the week before because of some…extenuating circumstances. So it was probably a good idea to make them up. That's what she had been calling it anyway, not wanting to think of creepy ass Ogawa and how he had attempted to assault her. Natsumi inwardly shivered in disgust, briefly recalling the events that had transpired that night, and she, along with all the other staff members were more than happy that they wouldn't have to see his greasy, creepy, and oversized mouth face again. In fact, no one even cared to ask where he had gone off to. The saying out of sight and out of mind must really be a real thing after all. Not to mention, it really helped that Hisayo was a pretty cool person to work with. The young woman smiled a bit, remembering that only a few days ago nearly everyone had burst out laughing when their new manager had come into the kitchen cursing under her breath about how some people were never quite satisfied with their food and only wanted to make complaints so that they could get a free meal, which was a real thing. The woman had gone on nearly a 15 minute rant about the whole thing and they were all laughing their guts out while still trying to work. But hey, Natsumi had to give her some credit because if it were her, there was a high likelihood that she would have chewed them out to their face.

Natsumi glanced to the right for a second and smiled again, seeing Hisayo carrying a few boxes into the back. She waved at the manager who smiled back with a nod and continued on her way. She couldn't help but feel that things were going to be more fun with her around. The atmosphere in the place had already gotten lighter since she came…but more specifically since she replaced such a disgusting pervert. Natsumi blinked once and put a hand over her mouth, yawning. The day had gone by so slow. It had been a long six hour shift and she was about ready to go home. Then again, she suddenly began to wonder if that was what she really wanted. Sure, she was feeling pretty beat, but couldn't deny that one of the reasons why she even decided to come into work today was because it was a pretty good distraction from everything. Running around all day and waiting on tables was a nice way to keep busy so she wouldn't have to think about everything that had happened last week. And no. It wasn't about Ogawa. That she could get past with only a twinge of nausea but every time she was alone at home, even when she tried her hardest not to, Natsumi always found the she was stabbing herself in the gut when she thought of Fuyuhiko and how she had tried to kiss him…how he had pushed her way, making his disinterest crystal clear. She sulked a bit, remembering what she had been trying to avoid thinking about all day. Amazing date. Having fun together. Being close. Wanting to kiss him. Trying to kiss him…rejection and failing miserably. Natsumi groaned out loud and pressed a hand firmly against her eyes. Damn. There she goes doing the same thing again.

She let out another sigh, this one being both aggravated and sad, before quickly pushing herself away from the table and grabbing the mop and bucket cart. The young woman harshly pushed any thoughts of Fuyuhiko to the back of her mind and almost angrily, dipped the mop into the soapy water, and began wiping the floors. With the way she was taking her frustration out on the hardwood floors, they'd be clean for days after she had finished. Natsumi dumbly thought that cleaning would be another way to keep herself from thinking of the older man but like so many other things lately, she was wrong about that. She winced and made a face, of course reminding herself that she had been wrong about Fuyuhiko liking her the way she liked him. She grit her teeth slightly, not wanting a sullen expression to make its way onto her face. But the more she tried not to think about him, the more she did, and the more she thought about him, the harder she mopped the floors. Before she even knew it, she was completely done with the cleaning. The young woman stopped for a moment to look at the still wet floors, already feeling her mind begin to wander to thoughts of the older man and how embarrassed she had felt after what had happened. She sighed once more before dipping the mop back into the water to start the process over again. If anything, the floors would be extra clean. And that was a good thing, right? Natsumi found that she was mumbling to no one for a few seconds but quickly caught herself and stopped. Even after all the thinking she had done over the past few days, how she said she wasn't going to bother herself with what happened, Natsumi still couldn't stop herself from thinking about how she had…well…been refused by Fuyuhiko after going gaga over him for weeks. She knew that people got hurt every day but still…it really sucked. No matter how much she told herself that it wasn't a big deal, coaxing herself into believing that she would get over it sooner or later, it didn't help. Her heart was still aching in pain from just thinking about how she had been rejected. Natsumi couldn't stop thinking about it…couldn't stop thinking about him. Fuyuhiko…she…really liked him. The young woman sucked in a breath and breathed out again, feeling her eyes watering. How could she have been so stupid? To actually think that an older man like him liked her. What was she thinking? What the hell was she thinking?

In one night, she had managed to screw everything beyond repair. That could be one for the books. What made it even worse was that Fuyuhiko had been calling her but she could never bring herself to actually pick up. The last thing she wanted to hear was a detailed account of all the reasons why he had didn't like her. She felt extremely guilty about doing this. Even with all that had happened, the intense longing to hear the man's voice still remained but still…she just couldn't do it. She was already living enough in the reality of what had happened. Natsumi could already hear what he would say to her. How he thought she was a very nice girl but didn't feel that way about her. She got that message loud and clear the other night. There was no need to rub salt in her wound by having him say it out loud. She was probably a weakling for not wanting to hear it directly from him, but she wasn't dense enough to not see it. Natsumi winced, gripping the mop handle tightly in both hands. She gently bit the inside of her bottom lip, her eyes getting that same tingling sensation, and pushed the mop a few more times on the already spotless floor. She glanced towards the window and immediately could tell that it was around 7pm from the darkened shades of yellow and orange cast throughout the sky. Saturday meant early time for clocking out. She was free to go home and be alone with her thoughts…how lovely. Natsumi shrugged to herself and wheeled the bucket to another end of the dining room, beginning to wipe it a few times as well. Maybe she could just stand here for the rest of her life wiping the floors. The young woman was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice someone creeping up behind her with a grin on their face.

"Gah!", she yelped in surprise, feeling two knees ram into her legs from behind, making her lose balance for a moment. Natsumi then rolled her eyes, hearing the familiar sound of Meiko on the verge of laughing her ass off. Her friend giggled a few more times and poked her forehead once, where her brows were undoubtedly furrowed in silent annoyance.

"Oh you are so funny", Natsumi said in a sarcastic tone.

"I know, right? I should be a comedian", Meiko said, winking at her and laughing again.

"Please reconsider", Natsumi said, but couldn't stop her lips from curving into a smile.

"Sorry. Couldn't help it", Meiko said, shrugging.

"Really", the chestnut haired woman said, swishing the mop in the water.

"Well, yeah. I was standing behind you for like ten minutes. You didn't even see", Meiko pointed out.

"Oh…um…sorry. Guess I wasn't really paying attention", Natsumi said, gripping the handle of the mop again.

"Yeah. I know that", Meiko said, stretching her arms over her head.

"You about ready to go home? We're all done putting stuff away in back.", she said, waving to a few of the staff members who were leaving. Natsumi wrinkled her nose slightly in worry, not ready to lose the much needed distraction of a workday.

"Almost. I…just need to finish the floors", she said, quickly wiping another spot.

Meiko raised a brow and gave her a strange look.

"You know, if you keep mopping like that, I think you'll actually break the floor", she said.

"Hey, just trying to be thorough", Natsumi said.

"Mmm hmm. So your sudden need to clean the floors to their breaking point has nothing to do with whatever you were…or have been thinking about all day", Meiko said.

"I haven't been really thinking of anything in particular", Natsumi said.

"Oh yes you have", Meiko said.

"Was not", Natsumi said, almost pouting.

"Don't be a brat", her friend said, letting out a giggle.

Natsumi sighed but didn't say anything back to her.

"So come on. A penny for your thoughts.", Meiko said, taking the mop from her and placing it back into the bucket.

"It's nothing really", Natsumi lied, averting her eyes for a moment.

"You do know that I was watching you for a while. It didn't look like you were thinking about nothing", Meiko said.

"In fact, it looks like you had a lot on your mind" she added.

Natsumi opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. Who was she kidding? There wasn't even a lie she could say that would deceive what was probably written all over her face. Besides that, the look Meiko was giving her made her feel like she already knew the obvious. Natsumi put a hand to her forehead and sighed.

"Well…I was actually uh…thinking about Fuyuhiko", she said, embarrassedly rubbing the back of her neck.

"Aren't you always", Meiko said, moving to stand behind her. They both leaned against a table and relaxed.

"I just feel so stupid…I mean…I shouldn't be so caught up in some man I met a few weeks ago but-", Natsumi said.

"You can't stop thinking about him", Meiko finished.

Natsumi pressed her hands to her face and groaned, nodding.

"Well…it's like I said. If you like someone that much. It's pretty normal.", Meiko said.

"I saw how close you guys were both were when he came to the store", she said.

"I thought we were getting close too…", Natsumi said.

"I guess looks really can be deceiving", she added, pushing hair behind her ear.

Natsumi sighed again.

"I just…I really hope I get over it soon", she said.

"I know you do, sweetie", Meiko said, lighting touching her shoulder and offering a small smile.

"It'll get better. Trust me", she said, linking arms with Natsumi.

"Really? Are you speaking from experience or are you just saying that to make me feel better?", Natsumi asked, raising a brow.

"Well, not every guy can handle my kind of lovin' ", Meiko said, sassily flipping her bang.

"I'm surprised Ken actually lived through the first month of dating you", Natsumi said, rolling her eyes.

"He was a special case. No one can take my crazy like he can", Meiko said.

"You'll find someone to handle your crazy too. Just watch", she said.

"Wait. What?", Natsumi said., giving her a look.

"Nothing. Nothing", Meiko said, waving it off.

The two talked for a few more minutes, with Natsumi steering the conversation more towards Meiko and Ken and trying to keep the topic away from Fuyuhiko. This was harder than she thought it would be, since her friend seemed to be edging towards that, especially with the looks that she was throwing in her direction. She was lucky enough that Meiko didn't actually ask if she wanted to talk about him, which she didn't…and did. The young woman felt that she would feel like crap for longer than most people did. Both of them looked up a moment later, hearing the sound of keys jingling nearby. A few minutes later Hisayo walked in, twirling the keys around her finger and smiling at both of them.

"Alright, guys. Time to lock up.", she said.

"Already? And here we were having so much fun", Meiko joked.

"Well, in that case. You can stay and lock up yourself. Really nice sleeping cot in that back too. Just in case you're having so much fun you don't want to leave", Hisayo said.

"I'm about ready", Natsumi said, standing up.

"Meiko won't mind locking up", she added, gesturing to her.

"No thanks", Meiko said, pushing herself off the table, and walking into the back. She returned less than a minute later with both of their bags in hand. She pushed Natsumi's into her hands before throwing hers over her shoulder.

"Enjoy your day off, girls", Hisako said, setting the alarm on the system.

"We'll see you next week", Natsumi said. They waved at her one more time and then walked through the doors. When they were on the other side of the sidewalk, they could see the woman already getting into her car and driving away for the night. She was in as much as a hurry to get home as they were. The weekend for them had officially begun. When Hisayo was up the street, Meiko turned to look at her opening her mouth to say something. She didn't get the chance to, because their attention turned to the sound of four quick beeps a few feet away, which was then followed by two more. Meiko rolled her eyes, and the two turned to see Ken's familiar old silver car. The window rolled down, and a long arm reached out, waving in their direction. Natsumi smiled, while Meiko laughed, seeing the dorky hand signals he had begun doing, already growing impatient.

"Well, my ride's here", Meiko said.

"I can see that", Natsumi said, letting out a laugh.

"Hitting the town again?", she asked.

"Nope. It was Ken's turn to choose so we're doing a movie marathon. I'll probably fall asleep during the first one", Meiko said.

"Wanna come with? It'd increase my chances of staying away for a full movie. Ken won't mind", she said.

"You must love making me the third wheel, huh?", Natsumi said.

"We can at least drop you off then", Meiko said.

"No, that's ok. I could use the train ride to…you know…think", Natsumi said.

"Oh", Meiko said.

"OH, she said again, remembering who she would be thinking about.

"It's not about him though", Natsumi lied quickly.

"Ok…but seriously. If when you get home and you feel like talking…just call me. Ken knows I love you more, you know", Meiko said.

Natsumi giggled and then turned to look back at the car waiting. Ken was still doing his hand gestures.

"You better get going before he starts honking songs", Natsumi said.

"Talk to you later then", Meiko said and trotted over to the vehicle. She quickly got in and Natsumi couldn't stop herself from grinning, seeing Meiko plant a kiss on Ken's cheek and then lips. It must be nice to be so lovey dovey with someone you care about. The young woman smiled when her friend then blew a kiss her way as well. Such a sweetheart. Natsumi waved one more time to both of them before the car pulled onto the street and was up the road. Once it was out of her sight, Natsumi turned in the direction of the train station and started walking. It was always a pretty fast trip on foot to get there but she already knew that she would be thinking of Fuyuhiko all the way there, once again replaying and cursing herself for everything that happened. But, whatever. She had already grown so used to it this last couple of weeks. Now, the only thing she had to do was count the days…or at least hope for the day she would stop caring about it.


The sun gradually dipped behind the long clouds in the sky, casting dark orange shadows across everything below. As high as the clouds in the sky, the Usami Corporation stood tall and untouched by anything else in the area. Through the glass windows of the massive and tall windows of the very top floor of the building, the final rays of sunlight beamed into the large office of Usami Fuyuhiko, where the elderly Usami sat quietly in his chair in front of a mound of paperwork that he had not even touched in the last three hours it was brought to him, which was something very out of character for the man. Usually, he would be have gotten straight to it the second it was brought to him but he could only look at the paperwork with a blank expression on his face and no energy to do anything with it. Fuyuhiko picked up a few of the papers in his hand, and could only manage to run his eyes over two lines of one page before putting it down once more. The older man sighed and finally pushed it to the side in defeat. He would simply have to bring it home with him. It couldn't be helped, however. He just didn't have the appropriate mindset for properly completing his work right now…not when something else was weighing heavily on it. The man's face tensed, remembering how things had ended between him and Natsumi. Having the most wonderful time he'd had in years with her…how she had tried to kiss him…and how he had very foolishly pushed her away. Fuyuhiko couldn't forget the look on the young woman's face when he'd done it. She looked more than hurt and that only made him feel worse.

He couldn't stop replaying everything that had happened that night in his mind and every time he did, he'd feel even more furious towards himself. Rejecting Natsumi in such a manner…making her be on the verge of tears…it was without a doubt, the most idiotic thing he had done. He had been trying to call her since their outing but she never picked up…and Fuyuhiko couldn't blame her. She had to so upset about what happened. Not only had he done that to Natsumi but he had also deprived himself of finally feeling her lips on his. He had wanted to kiss her…more than anything…but when it was finally going to happen…there was something…a small nagging voice in the back of his mind…telling him that he shouldn't. He couldn't blame it on any negative preconceived notions he had about women based on his own experiences because she was like no other woman he'd met. No…this was all on him. All the women he'd been with in the past…using them…being used...a never-ending loop of unhealthy and pointless relationships…he have never properly pursued a woman he had feelings for, even more so when they were so strong. For the first time ever…he was worried…scared even…that he could hurt her way he had so many others. Etsuko…Kaede…a number of others…some of them whose names he couldn't even remember...all of them had ended in bitterness. If that same thing happened between with Natsumi…if she ever grew to despise him like other women had…he didn't think he'd be able to take it.

That's what he had been thinking that night and like a coward, he ran away…from his own feelings…from her. In that second, he was a fool who had thought that rather than risk hurting her, it was better to ignore what he knew existed between both of them…or at least try to. He still wanted her…he had since the first time she spoke to him. That same craving was quickly overpowering the voice in the back of his head that reminded him of how badly all his other relationships had ended. Not only that, but Fuyuhiko couldn't help but think of all the qualities that young woman possessed, not simply her beauty, which others obviously took notice of. He had seen that for himself when he had gone out with her. Surely…if she wanted to put her attention elsewhere she could have any man she wanted…yet, here he was tossing her feelings…and his own aside out of fear. Fuyuhiko clenched his jaw. He must be a selfish man. Even with him running away from things like this…the thought of Natsumi being with someone else…made him angry and sick to his stomach at the same time. The older man leaned back into his seat, rubbing a hand down his face, wondering why he couldn't do things right for once when he came across a woman he was interested in. It must be this difficult because he was more interested in her than he had been in anyone else. He could remember the hours leading up to their date, he was daydreaming about taking her to different places…to restaurants…on trips…spending as much time as they could together…making her happy. All of these things…these emotions…but he had chosen to create this gap between them. Feeling exasperated with everything, the older man pressed a hand to his forehead, thinking. The pain he saw on Natsumi's face when he pulled away from her should have been reason enough to leave it alone but he couldn't ignore the way his chest ached whenever he thought of her, something he had never experienced until they met.

Maybe I should just let things go…but Natsumi…she's…, Fuyuhiko began thinking to himself. The older man's eyes snapped open back to reality, hearing the sound of his pager going off. Fuyuhiko didn't need to look at it to know it was his driver, which meant that it was exactly a quarter past the hour, the time he requested to be picked up. The older man sat for another moment or two, before standing and grabbing his briefcase. He quickly straightened the papers and placed them inside. Fuyuhiko took one last glance out the window, in which the sun had almost disappeared from and then walked out the door. Walking down the hall, he heard the click of his office's automatic lock, which for him, meant the end of the work day. He stood in silence on the elevator, still not able to shake thoughts of Natsumi from his mind. He was in such deep thought that he barely realized that he had reached the ground floor of the building. As the elevator was about to close with him still on it, he reached his arm out to stop it so that he could get off. That was something new for him. He stayed there for a moment, grimacing slightly as he once again began to think about the way he had hesitated with his feelings. In those few minutes, he had done so much wrong and he didn't know if he could make up for that mistake. He had been telling himself that he didn't want to hurt her in any way but he had done that already. In addition to that, that he didn't know if it was worth it, seeing that Natsumi may not speak to him again because of what happened. People who felt that they were made fools of had the tendency to act such a way, although making her feel that was definitely never his intention.

After another minute, the man finally got off, the steel doors closing behind him and began walking down the long corridor towards the exit. The last of the few staff that was still there bowed at him as he passed, but he could only manage to nod at them solemnly. He wasn't in the mood for polite smiles at the today. Fuyuhiko gripped his briefcase in his hand once he reached the door. He pushed past the heavy revolving structure and found himself out in the brisk, refreshing evening air. The dark haired man paused for a moment, wincing at the setting sun that seemed to be directing its strong light directly into his eyes. They were always easily irritated. He reached into his front pocket, pulling out his shades and put them on to shield his retinas from the setting light. His reached a hand up and ran his finger along them for a few seconds. He couldn't help but be reminded of the first time he met Natsumi…when she had…or he had bumped into her and she ended up falling on and breaking a pair of shades worth 562,000 yen. It was one of the best moments of his life.

Fuyuhiko only had to walk a few feet before he reached the familiar black car that was a dime in a dozen. What was he to do? He loved the color black. The older man hadn't reached the rear seats before, a man who was roughly the same height as him got out from the driver's side and opened the door for him. Fuyuhiko got pressed his bag against his leg and slid inside. The car door closed behind him, followed by the sound of the driver entering himself. The car started a second later and was up the street, heading towards home. They drove in silence for a few minutes in the late afternoon traffic. A silent sigh escaped older Usami's lips, one that only he could hear. In truth, he somewhat disliked being driven by these young muscles in suits. Of course, they were good workers and always made sure that not even a fly got within a hundred feet of him, but they were just so stiff and serious all the time. They reminded him too much of Haruhiko, which made him think of all the wrong he had done when raising him.

Fuyuhiko's eyes widened slightly, seeing the train station in the distance. He felt a small knot in his stomach and turned to look through his window at the environment to see where they were but already had an inkling about it. He had been here before. How could he have noticed before? This was the same neighborhood where Natsumi worked. The same place he'd come to eat because he wanted to be around her as much as possible. The same area where he had told Tanaka to drive him the second he found out the young woman was in danger. The dark-haired man glanced out the opposite window and saw that they were now passing the restaurant she served at. Just passing it by…like he was doing with so many other things in his life. The car drew closer to the metro and the older man could feel everything eating away at him. He came to the realization that what he had done...what he was doing was completely wrong. What was he doing? There was a beautiful woman that he could actually see a future with and he was running in the opposite direction. But no more. He looked down at his watch. It was 7:30. It couldn't be more than a ten minute walk to the station from the eatery and she always walked. It was more than a long shot but…if he was lucky he'd be able to catch her at the station and explain everything to her…tell her how he felt. That first meeting out of nowhere…and then again at the same place…how they had spontaneously met at the chocolate shop, even when it was her first time being there…Fuyuhiko felt like they could find their way to each other under any circumstances. If he wasn't lucky enough for it to happen then he would make his own luck. It was time he stopped running. He wasn't going to let things end this way between them when they hadn't even begun. Fuyuhiko unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed the back of the driver's headrest, startling the man.

"Drop me off here", Fuyuhiko said.

The driver quickly glanced at him, confused and slowed the speed of the car but didn't completely stop.

"Aren't you returning home, sir?", The man asked.

"Change of plans. I have something to take care of", the older man said.

"Park at the station", he said. Fuyuhiko furrowed his brow, seeing the worried look on the man's face, even when he was also wearing dark shades. Clearly, his incompetence at using public transportation had reached a few ears. But he didn't have time for this right now. The older Usami took his glasses off for a moment and looked at the driver, his eyes serious.

"Juro. Let me off here", he said, making sure to use the man's name. Juro looked forward again and steered the car into a parking space. Fuyuhiko reached felt his pocket, making sure that he at least had his wallet and pushed his bags to the other of the car. He wouldn't need them. He reached for the door handle and saw Juro do the same.

"No need for that. I'll be sure to call", Fuyuhiko said. He got out of the car stood amongst the traffic of people walking.

"Are you sure you'll be alright, sir?", Juro asked, rolling down the window.

Fuyuhiko nodded.

"Yes. Hopefully, I won't be too long", he said and then turned to face the entrance. Behind him, he could hear the car finally driving away, leaving him alone on the busy sidewalk. He stood still for a moment, almost feeling intimidated by the large crowds of people walking in and out of the terminals. It would take him something out of a miracle to find her here. But he'd make it happen one way or another. He didn't know why he felt a pull to come to this spot and not just drop by her apartment. Maybe it was because they had met at a train station. Not to mention, if he had happened to stop by her place, she might not want to let him in. None of that mattered though. He couldn't risk it…couldn't wait another second. Without another thought, he too became part of the mass of people, and walked into the station, ready to go and find his woman.


Natsumi stood on the overly crowded train as it speedily glided along the tracks. It was a wonder how she was able not to fall over someone when it was moving and jerking all over the damn place. The fact that the young woman hated crowded trains or crowded anything was no secret. And here she was unhappily pressed up against in what was only the beginning of rush hour of the train. She could only wish that there would be no unplanned stops while she was on there. There was no way in hell she would be able to stand the claustrophobia for any longer than she had to. The young woman sighed. Last week it was what happened with Fuyuhiko and then today she was still feeling miserable thinking of it and now she was in on train where everyone was packed together like a school of sardines. What a way to end the day. Going home and mulling over the older man seemed like a nice option right about now. Anything had to be better than this. Natsumi bit down on her lip, feeling someone's leg brush against her own. Without skipping a beat, she "accidentally" raised her own leg, kneeing the limb harshly. She felt the person's leg move a few inches further away a moment later. Natsumi was only happy for a second before she felt her body jerk to the right as the train came to a sudden stop. She brushed the hair back from her face and saw the doors ding open, letting of few people off. Natsumi hoped that it would be less packed once they started moving again. It looked like that would be the case, seeing how a lot of people got off at the stop. She only had five more to go herself. But it's not like it could get any worse before then, right? Well as her lack of luck would have it, she was about to be proven wrong. As soon as the passengers exited, nearly three times as many people pushed and crammed their way inside. Natsumi bit down on her lip, feeling a number of backs, arms, and legs touching and moving past her. Her eyes searched the packed train car for a spot that could offer some kind of relief from the rush hour madness, but couldn't see any. She fought to turn her body to look somewhere behind her and saw just the smallest of spaces that were free. Sure, it would be a tight fit but at least she wouldn't have to have to feel other people behind her as much. The young woman strategically slid past and maneuvered her way into the spot, sucking in her shoulders so that she would touch the people beside her as little as possible. Natsumi had thought she had been smart in doing so but now that she was here...it didn't seem like such a good idea, especially when she found herself being pressed up even more against the wall, as a few more people piled on. Didn't these people know the concept of another train coming in five minutes? She would have gotten off, but she literally could not move…at all. The doors closed and continued along its way with every person on that damn train invading her personal space. She hated this. It was so freaking stifling. This damn subway! Natsumi chewed her bottom lip, feeling multiple people's bodies pressing us against here.

"Stop pushing…stop….", Natsumi thought tiredly. She blinked one in surprise, feeling a single firm body press up against her, completely boxing her in. Feeling drained, she opened her mouth to say something but stopped short when she caught wind of the very familiar smell of expensive cologne. Natsumi could never forget it. No way this was happening right now. The young woman barely wanted to look up to see who she already knew was there. Not that she needed to. Along with the scent were the goosebumps she could feel along her skin. There was only one person who could make her feel that way. Natsumi brought her eyes upwards to see Fuyuhiko looking down at her. She could feel her breath catch in her throat, completely caught off guard by the man being here. How he even managed to get on? What did he want? She hadn't seen him get on. The young woman flinched slightly, feeling his body move in even closer to her. Similar to last time, her legs were intertwined with his long ones and his body was completely against hers. He was so close but she didn't know how to feel about it this time, not after how she had run away that night. Natsumi felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, remembering. This was more than mortifying and awkward for her. She could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest from him being so near. What was she going to say? What could she say? Natsumi mustered the courage to look his way for a second but couldn't read any kind of expression through his dark glasses.

The chestnut haired woman was suddenly pulled from her thoughts as she felt another man's shoulder leaning against her. She was so focused on Fuyuhiko that she didn't even say anything to him, like she usually would. There wasn't any need to though, because a second later Fuyuhiko planted his hand on that side of her head, nudging the man off to a safe distance. Natsumi saw him glance in their direction on the crowded train to say something but clearly decided against it, seeing the serious look Fuyuhiko was giving him. It was obvious that he was purposely staying close to her like this now. Was he…protecting her? She didn't know if she should feel happy or guilty. Feeling nowhere near ready to look him in the eyes, Natsumi cast her own downwards and aside from the feeling of the older man's body, could only feel how uncontrollably her heart was beating. Natsumi was paying so much attention to the internal sound that he did that she didn't realize that they were getting closer to where she had to get off. The train came to a stop two stations away from hers and like last time, a large number of people exited. Seeing the car empty, Natsumi opened her mouth to say something but stopped, slightly startled from feeling the older man's large warm hand grasp her own. Natsumi felt her cheeks turn pink at the sudden contact and was barely able to move her lips to form any words before Fuyuhiko led them both past the crowd of people getting on and off the train. The young woman was so surprised that she couldn't manage to say anything. They walked in silence for a few moments, both of them having to feel the thickness in the air. It was a very strained and awkward silence. It didn't help that the older man was walking so fast. She had to half-jog just to keep up with him. They had walked halfway down the platform, where the escalators had come into view, and It was then that Natsumi was finally able to find her voice again.

"Uh…I…Fuyuhiko….this…this isn't my stop", she said, still walking with him. She couldn't tell if he was ignoring her if he just didn't hear. He didn't stop to even give her an answer. The young woman could still feel her heart thumping rapidly in her chest from just holding his hand. She had probably dreamed of doing something like this a dozen times but now…she felt so nervous that she didn't know what to do. Natsumi had already begun to worry about why he had made the decision to come on the train looking for her. She felt a pang in her gut, remembering the way the older man had tried to talk to her after what happened that night…how he wanted to explain something to her. Natsumi grit her teeth slightly. Is that what this was? Was he going to clearly lay out the exact reasons why he had rejected her? She was a real sissy for not being ready to hear it. Natsumi wanted to say something to get his attention but instead slowed her matching lace slightly and began to pull away from Fuyuhiko's hand. As soon as she did, with his back still towards her, the man pulled her hand back towards him and only grabbed it tighter. Now, this was new. What was he trying to pull? She wanted to know but didn't even have the backbone to ask.

"Don't…don't think I'm going to let you go so easily a second time…", Fuyuhiko said, still not looking at her. Natsumi's eyes widened in surprise. Even with all the people around, she definitely heard what he had said just then. The young woman didn't say anything after that but just let him take her wherever he wanted to. She had a feeling he wouldn't listen anyway. So they made their way down the escalators and out the station in thick silence. Fuyuhiko never once loosened his grip on her hand, almost as if he was worried she would disappear in the crowd if he let her go. They walked another block or two on the sidewalk before the older man finally slowed down, walking at her side now, letting her catch her breath. Natsumi breathed in and out a few times, actually feeling winded. Either he was in good shape or she needed to work out more. The woman blushed again, glancing down at them holding hands. It was both embarrassing and uncalled for but she couldn't say that she hated it at all. His hands were incredibly warm and inviting to touch. She probably wouldn't have minded walking for hours like this if she hadn't recalled that he might not be with her right now for the most ideal of reasons. It took a minute but Natsumi finally found it in her to speak.

"Fuyuhiko….where…are we going?", she asked, still blushing slightly from touching him.

"I don't know", the older man replied.

"Do you even know where we are?", Natsumi asked quietly.

"I have no idea", the older man said, looking at her for a moment and then forward again. Well, that makes two of them.

"I…what are you doing?", Natsumi asked.

"Walking", Fuyuhiko said. The young woman looked at him for, confused by the vague answer that he had given her.

"No…I…", Natsumi began, stopping them both in their tracks.

"Why…what are you here…what were you even doing on the train?", she asked. They were a few feet away from the fountain at the entrance of a city park. The lanterns on the walls of the opening lit up with an almost luminescent light. Instead of answering, Fuyuhiko grabbed her hand again and led them both in that direction, once again ignoring her questions of what he was doing. In the beginning of night, most of the visitors had gone home and only a few lingered. Fuyuhiko walked past them and led them both deeper into the public greenway.

"Fuyuhiko…come on. Just stop, would you?", Natsumi said, gently gripping his arm now to make him stand still.

"I…what did you want?", she asked, wrapping her arms around herself and looking away from him. She knew that she was teetering into the territory of properly being rejected. Natsumi still wasn't ready but at the same time, she wanted to get it over with. It was silent for a moment before the older man took his shades off and finally answered her question directly.

"I wanted to see you", Fuyuhiko said, looking at her.

"Why?", Natsumi asked, feeling tense, lowering her arms a bit.

"Isn't it obvious?", Fuyuhiko asked, gently taking hold of her hand.

"No…it's not", Natsumi said.

"Then let me explain like I wanted to", Fuyuhiko said.

"You don't have to", Natsumi said quickly.

"I…really…don't. I get it, alright? You don't owe me any explanation", she said.

"Yes…I do", Fuyuhiko said, touching her arm.

"Natsumi…that night…when you wanted to kiss me…", he trailed off in thought.

"You didn't want to…", Natsumi said in a quiet voice and rubbed her arm awkwardly.

"No…the opposite…I did…badly…but I…I began thinking of foolish things...things that didn't matter and I ended up acting like the biggest fool I could think of", Fuyuhiko said.

"I was a coward…less than that even for running away from the thing I want most", he said.

"What…you want?", Natsumi asked, no longer able to look away from him. There was no way he was going to say what she was thinking he was going to. She could only dream that he would.

"You", Fuyuhiko said

"I…what?", the young woman let out, beginning to feel a tingling sensation on her skin.

"I want you, Natsumi", Fuyuhiko said again.

"And I want to be very clear, unlike I was last time…I want you…but not as an acquaintance or as a friend. I want…to be with you." he said.

"Right…sure you do", Natsumi let out, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Natsumi-", Fuyuhiko began.

"Look, you don't have to try to make me feel better by saying all this", the young woman said, looking away for a moment.

"I'm being complexly serious", Fuyuhiko said.

"And so am I", Natsumi said, rubbing her hands together.

"I know you…might think it's weird that I like you so much, but I can't help it, ok? And I told you as much…and you gave me your answer so I…I'll drop it", she said.

"I haven't given you my answer yet", Fuyuhiko said.

Natsumi looked at him, feeling her chest pang as he spoke. Here they both were together in a nice setting but she couldn't enjoy it all. Not when she kept thinking of how she had been pushed away like that. She wasn't so thick headed to not understand what that meant. The young woman clenched her jaw slightly, to keep her eyes dry. Fuyuhiko…he had come all this way because he felt sorry for her…making her feel better by lying about feeling that same way…the same way you would treat a whiney baby. Well, the hell with that. She had more pride than to want to be placated like that. She didn't want to be with him like that. Natsumi sucked in a hitched breath, pushing the older man away from her and turning her face away from him. She didn't need to be this close to him again.

"For making things so weird between us…I…sorry", she said.

"I won't come looking for you anymore and I won't call. You don't need to lie about things like this. I'll be fine. You don't have to feel bad. I-", Natsumi said, beginning her lying. She didn't know how long it would take to feel that away.

"Natsumi…", Fuyuhiko said, gently gripping her arm. She bit down on her lip, feeling the electric sensation from his touch. Why was she always like this? Why did he always make her entire body feel like this from any simple form of contact? She felt happy and sad at the same time. How could she let him touch her and feel fine with it after he had rejected her? Feeling her eyes burn, Natsumi looked away again and blinked one time. This may have been a bad idea. The second she opened them again, a single tear rolled down both of her cheeks. She couldn't wipe them away since she was trying her best to ignore her body's urge to drop the arms that were feebly holding the man at a distance. This was even worse than before. Why was she always like this? Holding in everything until the last damn minute. She should have cried all she wanted last week, not in front of Fuyuhiko. Natsumi didn't think she could be any dumber. The young woman opened her mouth to say something but found she couldn't speak…couldn't even look at the man. She…why did she liked his so much? Natsumi was so preoccupied with minimizing the amount of liquid emotion she was letting stream down her face and not making eye contact that she didn't see the way Fuyuhiko was looking at…damn she didn't think she could handle any look her threw her way right now. Maybe this was a good thing, though. She definitely didn't see what was about to come next. In what seemed like a flash, she was completely caught off guard by the older man turning her face back towards him and cupping her face in his large hands.

Natsumi didn't have time to feel aggravated and embarrassed at him seeing her still wet cheeks, didn't have time to try to push him away again because she didn't want to be held out of pity, didn't have time to tell him to stop playing around with her. She didn't even have enough time to move her lips to say anything to him at all. Natsumi didn't have enough time to do any of this or react in any way because his lips were suddenly pressed up against hers in what had to be the warmest and passionate kiss that she would ever experience. Of course, the young woman was more than surprised, but that lasted for only a moment and then the fluttering of happiness in her heart quickly took over. And that was something else that seemed to be completely out of her control. Her eyes, which had been opened in shock soon closed as she became completely wrapped up in that single moment and it was the only thing that made sense. Fuyuhiko pulled her closer and again, she didn't put up a fight. All the things she had been thinking of about what happened had gone out the window. Fuyuhiko stopped the kiss for less than a second before continuing, pulling her in even nearer. Natsumi finally relaxed her hands and raised them, pressing them against his chest, just to feel that he was there. He was. He was here. With her. The kiss lasted for a few more amazing moments before he finally pulled away. His hands lingered on a body for a minute and the two looked at each other in silence. Fuyuhiko seemed like he was waiting for a reaction while Natsumi was…well, she…she couldn't even speak. Lucky for her, the dark-haired man was the first one to say something.

"That…is how I feel…it's how I've always felt", he said, touching her arm.

"But you…I mean…when I…", Natsumi trailed off to herself, still confused. Fuyuhiko closed the distance between them and gently gripped her shoulders.

"Like I said…I was a fool. Instead of trying to make a stupid sacrifice like that…I should have just been honest with you…and myself.", the older man said, placing a finger under her chin and making her meet his gaze. Natsumi wasn't able to speak. It seemed that she had been waiting forever to hear him say something like this but she didn't know how to react. She was happy, yes, but a small part of her was still worried that he could be saying something like this out of pity. She wasn't dreaming, was she? Natsumi squeezed his jacket to make sure this was real. It was. Fuyuhiko was here with her…saying that he felt the same way. This was…being here…hearing that…it was almost surreal.

"I…I'm not sure if I know how to properly be in a relationship but I'd still like to…with you. I kept hesitating because things could turn out any way. You don't know this but all the things I said to you that night…about how the people in my life leave…it's all true. In the past, there were times I'd be thoughtless and selfish…I…don't want to hurt you", Fuyuhiko said. He opened his mouth to say something but Natsumi placed two fingers against his lips to hold in whatever words he wanted to say out loud.

"Don't give me excuses, old man", she said.

Fuyuhiko raised a brow, looking visibly bothered by her choice of words. Not that Natsumi really cared. Call it payback for all the torment she had to go through for the last week.

"Fuyuhiko, you keep talking about all the things you did before but…I mean…honestly…I really don't care about that right now. And the fact that you're so worried about it even now…doesn't it just show how much you learned? It's only been a few weeks but I can't see you doing all the things you said you have. You're…I don't know…you're just…you", the young woman said.

"I'm couldn't care less about all the people who've come and gone from your life…because I'm not going to be one of them. If you're serious about wanting to have this between us…if it's really not because you feel bad and you're not playing around with me…which you'd better not be…", Natsumi said, making sure to cast him a very quick glare, just to let him know that she wasn't going to let him off the hook after this so easily.

"Then why not?", she said, feeling light and letting out a small laugh.

"Why not be together…if nothing's stopping us? Since…it is what we both want and all", Natsumi said, smiling.

"Why not indeed", Fuyuhiko said, pulling her back towards him. However, she could still see the look of doubt on the older man's handsome face. Doubt that was directed towards himself. In the last half an hour, they had come so far and she wasn't going to let it all go to waste. Just like Fuyuhiko, she was more than tired of waiting. Natsumi saw him moving his lips to say something else but she stopped him again, squeezing his coat as if already knowing what he was thinking.

"You won't", Natsumi said, holding onto his arm. The older man looked at her for a moment before a gentle smile crossed his face.

"You won't hurt me", she said.

"I won't", Fuyuhiko said, suddenly feeling sure of it and promising her.

"Now…", he said, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"If you'll allow it, my lady…I'd like to make up for all the lost time. If I'm correct, it has been longer than a week since…I behaved like a complete moron. I wonder how many times I could have kissed you if I told you how I felt right away", the older man said, giving her an alluring look that made Natsumi experience her heart jumping and legs wobbling at the same time. God damn…he was too fucking perfect.

"I…I don't…know", she said, her entire face flushing red.

"How about we find out then?", Fuyuhiko said, lowering his face to hers. Natsumi would have met his lips without a second thought if not for the emotional roller coaster ride she had been on for days because of him. All the self-pitying and ice cream she had eaten to get her mind off him because she thought she had messed everything up between them. This is why without even giving it any thought, Natsumi reached clenched her fist and planted a retrained yet firm jab in the older man's gut. She had to. At least she held back though. The hit was met with a surprised and pained "oof" from the man, who clearly wasn't expecting to get hit, of all things right when they were about to be engaged in a lip lock. He winced a bit but didn't let go of her. A real keeper.

"That was for making me wait and worry so damn much", Natsumi said, pouting slightly.

"I guess I deserve that…but don't worry. I'll spend forever making it up to you", Fuyuhiko said. At the word "forever", Natsumi felt her cheeks turn pink. It sounded so definite and…eternal…like he knew they would always be together. She could only dream that he was thinking that because that's exactly what she wanted right now. The older man cast her a gentle but knowing smile, letting out a small laugh.

"I should have done this a long time ago", Fuyuhiko said, smiling at her.

"Yeah. No kidding", Natsumi replied, wrapping her arms around his neck, leaving no space between them.

And then the next second, their lips were against one another's again warmly…affectionately…perfectly, conveying to each other all that they had held back before. Everything else seemed to fall away and it was only the two of them that existed…being there together was all that mattered. Kisses and embraces rained down on the like an endless sea…and Natsumi knew she wouldn't mind if she drowned in it one bit.


A/N: Please rate and comment! ^0^