Okay, back again! :D I've actually got the rest of the story planned out, again. Haha, I forgot it after like a day but this time I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget. So hopefully these last six chapters will come quickly! :) Well here it is, again its picking up from the last scence of chapter 12. Here's chapter 13, enjoy! :3
Michiru's POV
After my mother filled both of us in on the details of the recent changes, she dismissed Tadashi. He hugged me tightly before heading for the door, acting as if we hadn't had that bitter argument the day before. I turned to leave but my mom grabbed my arm tightly, stopping me.
"I need to talk to you about something else." Even after I took a step back, she continued to grip my arm. "I know you're seeing him again, Michiru." My stomach dropped and the first thing that came to mind was to play dumb.
"What are you talking about?" My eyebrows furrowed as I spoke and I hoped I looked convincing. "Who's him?" She glared at me and tightened her grip quite noticeably.
"You know exactly who I'm talking about! That boy from high school, that piece of trash you called a boyfriend." I had to use all my strength not to glare back at her as she spoke.
"Hisagi? I'm not seeing him, I had lunch with him a few times but Rukia and Ichigo were there. His girlfriend was there too." I felt my confidence boost, I never thought Ryō would be an advantage of mine. My mother's eyes narrowed as she considered this new information.
"And who would that be?"
"Her name's Ryō Kunieda, she went to my old high school and goes to college with Hisagi." I continued to play dumb, as if Tadashi didn't tell her about my lunch alone with Hisagi.
"Well, I was informed by your fiancé that he found you having a personal lunch, just you and the boy." After swallowing the lump in my throat, I gathered the will to respond.
"We were just catching up, Hisagi knows that I'm engaged and I've met his girlfriend. It's nothing any of you should worry about." Lie.
"Well, to make sure there's not problems, I'll make sure that you wont be seeing him without your husband-to-be at your side." She grinned and I had the sudden urge to smack her. I masked my anger and gave her a look that showed no concern.
"Alright, if it'll make you feel better." My feet took a step back, putting some much needed distance between us. "Can I go now?" She nodded, that plotting grin still resting on her mouth.
"You may." With that, I turned and headed towards my room. Anger from our conversation started bubbling up and my footsteps became louder every step closer I got to my room. So much for hiding this from my mother.
The next few days were torture, every time I would make plans, my mother would catch me leaving. She ask me where I was going and when I answered, she'd suggest that I take Tadashi with me. As soon as the words would leave her mouth, I'd turn around and go back upstairs. I preferred to stay home then go out with him, let alone with Hisagi there. At least four text messages were sent canceling plans. After another failed attempt to leave, I stomped to my room and sulked. I quickly texted Rukia, telling her that I couldn't make it. She quickly replied and apologized.
I'm sorry, this really sucks. Have you ever thought of bringing Dashi along?
My head shook as soon as I read the text, I wouldn't take him, not after him catching me with Hisagi.
Psh, no. I don't want to be near him, let alone with you guys, ruining my only free time.
At least you'd get out of the house. Maybe you should just bring him, we all miss you.
I'd rather stay in my room, thanks but I think I'm gonna take a nap. Have fun! :)
I sat my phone down and when I heard it go off on my night stand, I ignored it. I curled up under my blanket and covered my eyes with my arm. My mind started thinking over my options but as soon as I considered taking Tadashi with me, I pushed all those thoughts away. I cleared my head and tried to relax. After laying there for a few moments, I started to drift off. I was so close to sleep but before I was completely unconscious, my phone went off again. The sound snapped me out of sleep so I sat up and reached over to grab the cell. Hisagi's name popped up on the screen and I felt my bad mood lift slightly. I opened the text he sent and smiled slightly.
Hey, what's going on? Why haven't you been able to hang out with us this week? Did I do something wrong? :(
I started answering right away and sat up in bed. After getting situated, I hit send.
What? No, it's just that Tadashi went to my mother and asked about you. So she knows about our lunch and wont let me go any where without suggesting that I take Tadashi with me, which I refuse to do.
I wondered if he'd react the same way Rukia did. Would he care if Tadashi were there? I wasn't sure and couldn't tell. I felt my nerves build up while waiting for his response. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I could tell him no if he asked me to bring him along. His message came after a small wait.
He went to Sayuri? Well, I don't want to ask you to do something you don't want to do but tomorrows our last day here. We're leaving Sunday morning. Renji and I already made plans with Rukia and I really want you to come.
Nope, I couldn't say no. If he was leaving, I had to see him before he was gone. If he wanted me to be there, I'd go, even if it meant bringing Tadashi.
Then I'll come and if I have to, I'll bring Tadashi. Is that what you want? :3
His response came faster than the last one.
I just want to see you again.
Outside the door I heard feet shuffling and felt my body stiffen. If it was Tadashi, I was going to go off on him. I was sure someone would enter because people rarely came to through my hall without popping in. Instead of intruding, the person continued walking down the hall and I finally able to relax again. My attention turned back to the phone as I began spelling out my text.
Well, I'll be there. When is it?
After a few more minutes of texting, he told me that they planned on seeing a movie and going back to Mina's parents house so Hisagi could make us dinner. Once I was done teasing him for his cooking skills, we indulged in conversation not focusing on our problems. We just talked to each other about anything, we reminisced about our short time together in high school. Our chat lasted for a good hour and a half.
After dismissing myself, I felt better about taking Tadashi along. If that's what I had to do to see Hisagi before he was leaving, I was willing to do it. Excitement took the place of my earlier anger and irritation. I just couldn't wait for the next day, I was so anxious, I fell asleep at seven-thirty.
The next day I woke early and headed down stairs. I had breakfast with Mei-Mei, something I hadn't done in a long time. We sat at the table catching up and I finally told her about Hisagi. She asked tons of questions and after a good hour of chatting about him, she was satisfied. Once we had the table cleared of our dishes, we went to my room and Mei-Mei helped me pick out the clothes I would wear. I decided that before getting ready for the evening, I would head to the hairdressers and get my hair cut. Mei-Mei tagged along and we were finished and on our way home in less than an hour. Once home, I took a quick shower and got dressed. I decided to wait to fix my hair so Mei-Mei departed to get some work done. I sat in my room and put all the focus I could into reading the book that had been sitting on my night stand. When I glanced at the clock, I was shocked to see that two hours had passed, it was two o'clock. Only two more hours until I can leave, I thought happily.
I started reading again but this time my concentration was broken when footsteps approached my door. This time I wasn't as lucky enough to have the person walk away. Tadashi quickly stepped in, a smile on his face. He walked over to my bed and leaned over to kiss the top of my head. His hand lingered on my hair.
"You cut your hair, it looks great." His smile widened. I thought about how to react, I wasn't sure if I should hide my anger or not.
"Thanks," I said, settling with a neutral answer. He nodded and grabbed my hand, his face growing more serious.
"Look, I know you're still mad about...what I did. I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have followed you. I just want you to know that...I only did it because I love you and I was really worried. I'm sorry, Michiru." A frown found it's way to his mouth as he waited for me to respond.
"Uh...I know. I mean, I understand why you did it, but you really had no right, Tadashi."
"I know, I'm sorry. I won't do it again, really." He's face held a sincere expression and I knew I had no other choice but to forgive him. It was the right thing to do so I nodded and smiled.
"I forgive you, Tadashi." He smiled back and picked me up off the bed in a hug.
"I love you, Michiru." He placed me on the ground, his arms wrapped around my waist, waiting for an answer that never came.
For the next two hours Tadashi hung around at the house. He stayed in my room, flipping through one of my old books while I finished reading. When I got up to get something for lunch, he followed me downstairs and ate with me. He even followed me back upstairs until he realized I was going into the bathroom. I had him send Mei-Mei up and she helped me fix my hair. After about ten minutes deciding how to wear it, she helped me get it wet again. Then we each poured mousse into our palms and began working with the dripping mop on my head. When we were finished, my hair sat in even loose curls. Instead of pinning my bangs to the side like I usually did, Mei-Mei pulled them back and pinned them down. After another glance in the mirror and a check of the clock, I decided that it was time to go. I thanked Mei-Mei for her help, grabbed my bag and headed downstairs. When I reached the bottom of the stairs I dug in my purse and pulled out my keys. Footsteps approached me from behind and I figured it was Tadashi but to my surprise it was my mother.
"Going somewhere?" A knowing smile rested on her face.
"Yeah, I'm going to go see a movie with Rukia and some other friends." I returned the gesture, aware of the question that she was about to ask.
"Oh really? Is Tadashi going with you?" Her grin widened as her eyes turned to Tadashi who was now standing behind me.
"If he wants to, sure." I shrugged and felt laughter build up in my chest as her expression turned to one of surprise.
"Go where?" Tadashi asked behind me. I turned my head towards him and smiled.
"I'm going to the movies with some of my friends, do you want to come?" His face brightened and he nodded. As much as I didn't want him to come, it was worth it to see my mother's face.
"Sure."
"Okay, afterwards we're going to their house to eat dinner. You still want to come?" Again he nodded and took a step closer to me. "Okay, we'll be back later. Bye, Mother." She stared at us as we left with shock and anger on her face. After reaching the car, I started it and buckled up. Before heading towards the road, I turned to Tadashi. "I guess I should tell you that Hisagi's going to be there." He blinked.
"Okay," he said, surprisingly there was no anger on his face.
"Okay, I was just letting you know."
The car ride there was pretty silent so after a few minutes I flipped on the radio. I pushed the car faster and we made it to the theater in no time. I pulled into a parking spot close to the entrance and made my way out of the car. Tadashi got out and waited for me before entering. He opened the door and held it open for me.
"Thanks," I said as we headed towards the lobby. Immediately I saw Ichigo leaning against a wall and approached him. "Hey, where's Rukia?" He turned his head towards us and his eyes slightly widened.
"Hey, uh, everyone's waiting in the theater."
"They made you wait out here for us?" He shook his head and smiled down at me.
"I told them I would." His gaze went to Tadashi and he nodded a greeting. "Hey Tadashi, it's been a long time. How have you been?" I felt Dashi take a step closer to me and he greeted Ichigo.
"Good, you?" I pulled away from them and stepped up to the food counter. I bought two small pops and while the cashier was handing me my change, both Tadashi and Ichigo approached. After purchasing out tickets, we followed Ichigo into the theater. With a quick glance I found Renji and Mina. I smiled at them and greeted them. Introductions were made and the three of us took a seat. I quickly sat on Hisagi's free side and ignored Ryō's angry glare. Tadashi sat on my other side and didn't show any sign of discomfort. A chair squeaked quietly and when I glanced over I saw Mina looking over everyone to speak to me.
"You're haircut is so cute, Michiru." She smiled pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Thank you." A smile found its way to my mouth and I noticed everyone turn to me. They all commented, even Ryō complimented it, and I thanked them all. After that everyone broke up into several conversations. Hisagi turned to me and smiled, not seeming to care that both Tadashi and Ryō were watching.
"You don't look that much like a child."
"Thanks," I said sarcastically. Ryō leaned forward and gave Hisagi a funny look.
"Oh, shut up, you don't tease girls about their hair. It looks really cute, ignore him, he's an ass." She smiled slightly and I realized that she was finally warming up to me. I grinned back, happy that she was finally acknowledging me.
"I know." She laughed and glanced up at an obviously surprised Hisagi.
"I should've figured, though, he was probably worse in high school. Poor you." She opened her mouth to speak but a loud movie trailor cut her off and she simply smiled before leaning back in her chair.
The movie was luckily, not scary. It turned out to be a comedy and I was thankful for that. Throughout the entire movie, Tadashi was quiet the whole time, he hardly reacted. I don't think he found it very interesting but everytime our eyes met, he'd smile happily at me. During the film, Hisagi decided that we'd be sharing a drink and kept picking up my soda. It really didn't bother me and he didn't seem to think much of it. At one point, it was empty and he willingly left for a refill. When he got back he smiled at me, giving me a funny look. I cocked an eyebrow at him but when he leaned closer to whisper something to me, Ryō absently nudged him and asked him a drink.
After the movie, we all made it quickly to the lobby and huddled together. Since Mina, Ryō, and Renji were the only ones who could get to her parents house, we decided to split them up. Renji was assigned to Mina's car with Hisagi riding along. Mina agreed to ride with me and Tadashi which left Ryō for Rukia and Ichigo. We all headed to the three separate vehicles and made our way to the Aburamai residence. It wasn't far away and within ten minutes, we were all deposited our cars in the large parking lot. After regrouping, we all made our way to the house. It was a beautiful home, smaller than my parents but more homey. It didn't feel cold like my house and we were even greeted in the living room by her parents. We were all introduced and welcomed warmly by Mina's family.
Mrs. Aburamai and her husband chatted for a few minutes with everyone before excusing themselves. They had made plans and left us alone in the house. Once they were gone, Mina led us to the kitchen and helped Hisagi get everything he needed out and ready. There was a seating area for us to wait but most of us decided to gather around the island in the middle of the room to watch Hisagi cook. He surprisingly looked like he knew what he was doing. He didn't seem to mind us watching him either. Every once and a while he'd look up and roll his eyes at us.
Once dinner was done and after we all marveled that it looked not only edible but delicious, Rukia and I set the table and everyone took a seat. I sat at one of the ends and Tadashi took the spot to my right while Hisagi sat on my other side. The food was distributed and after I scooped some on my plate I bowed my head and said a silent prayer.
God, thank you for this food and for my friends. Please help guide me in the right direction and show me what to do about Hisagi. Amen.
When I sat my head up, seven set of eyes were on me. Everyone was smiling but the attention wasn't appreciated. I ignored them, even though they continued to watch me and started eating. A few of them didn't turn their gazes from me and I finally got frustrated with it. I looked at them and sighed.
"What?"
"I always knew you were a good person but that was just too cute." Renji stated, an amused look on his face.
"Praying is not cute," I said, trying to ignore them.
"Calm down, we're not mocking you." He continued.
"He's right, it was cute. It shows how humble you are." Mina chimed in, smiling warmly at me. All I could think to do was shrug it off. Finally they all started eating and left me alone. Conversations started around the table and after taking a few bites Ryō turned to me.
"So, have you guys set a date for your wedding?" She grinned curiously and her earlier anger was gone. Oh God, wedding questions, I thought bitterly.
"Uh, no. We were supposed to get married in February but my mother changed it. It's going to take place in early November." In my peripheral vision I could see Hisagi's hand nearly drop his fork when her heard the news. I did my best not to meet his gaze and focused on Ryō.
"You two must be so excited." Next to me, Tadashi smiled and nodded before grabbing my hand. I didn't waste my energy with lying to her, I didn't respond. Others turned towards us and joined the conversation. My eyes met Rukia's and she spoke up after noticing how uncomfortable I was.
"Are you excited, Michiru?" I was shocked she'd ask such a question with Tadashi here. She knew the answer, why was she making me hurt him? I can't lie.
"No," I stated simply, giving her a cold look. I felt Tadashi's hand stiffen on mine but knew he was already aware of my lack of enthusiasm.
"So, you're okay marrying someone who doesn't want to marry you?" Hisagi's question was directed to Tadashi and he spoke in a friendly manner but they were all over the line. Tadashi glared back at him and his grip on my hand tightened.
"It was arranged, what do you expect me to do about it?"
"Nothing, that wasn't my question."
"So I'm the bad guy because her mother's making her do this? I can't help the fact that I love her and that I'm excited about marrying her." Dashi's voice was rising and I was shocked to find myself on his side.
"No, I was just wondering-" I cut Hisagi off before he could ask anything more.
"Stop." I glared up at him. "Leave him alone, Hisagi." When he turned to me, his eyes gave away his surprise. "It's not Tadashi's fault that our parents did this and he's right, he's not at fault because he wants to get married. Now everyone shut up and talk about something else." They all blinked at me and I felt bad for being so rude. "Please," I added quickly and got a few smiles.
The conversation shifted to something else with a little effort and everyone seemed to calm down except for Tadashi. Everytime Hisagi would talk to me, he'd grab my hand or start talking to me the first time there was a lull in conversation. I found myself getting sick of his whole protective jealous act but he continued throughout the whole night. Once everyone was done with dinner we all moved to the living room to eat dessert and Tadashi refused to let go of my hand. When Hisagi took a seat next to me on the couch, he pulled me closer to him by the wrist. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to argue with everyone around but I was ready to explode.
When it started getting late, I felt my eyelids grow heavy and rested my head against the back of the couch. I felt an arm under my head and figured it was Tadashi's. I didn't think much about it but before I knew it, I was being yanked up and lifted off the couch. My eyes opened wide and I looked up at Dashi for an answer.
"It's getting late, we should be heading home." His voice was serious and I could still hear the anger from before. I was more than happy to get away from him so I simply nodded. Everyone started to stand and headed towards the door with us. After I had my jacket and shoes on I started saying goodbye to everyone. I started with Ryō and was surprised to get a hug.
"It was nice to meet you, Ryō. Hopefully we can stay in touch." She smiled and nodded.
"Sounds great. I'm sorry if I came off as a bitch. I was really rude to you for no reason and I'm sorry." I shook my head, brushing it off and moved on to Mina. I just wrapped an arm around her in a half hug because she was too pregnant to put both arms around her.
"Good luck with you're baby, I'll keep you guys in my prayers. God knows Renji'll need them." I smiled up at him before hugging him tightly. His chest rumbled as he laughed and his arms wrapped me up in a hug. Tears stung my eyes and I realized how much I was going to miss him. Finally I pulled away and grinned up at him. "You better be a good dad and send me lots of baby pictures."
"Will do." As Renji spoke, I felt Tadashi's hand find mine again. He was ready to leave but I turned to Hisagi instead of the door. Without thinking I wrapped my arms around him. I didn't know what to say to him, I had no idea what I could say without breaking down so I didn't speak at all. I pulled back but before I could get very far he hugged onto my waist and lifted me up in a hug. My arms wrapped around his neck and I buried my face in his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to my head and hesitantly set me down.
"Bye." His voice was quiet and more uncertain than I'd heard it before. I felt a hand tightly grip my arm and drag me towards the door.
"Bye," I said as I frowned up at him. A feeling of déja vu came over me and the memory of driving away from Hisagi three years ago came back to me. Again I wasn't sure when I'd see him again or if I'd see him again. My chest tightened as I got my last glance of him before being dragged out of the house.
Okay here it is! ;D Hope you all enjoyed! :P Please read and review! :)
