p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;" align="center"Chapter Fourteen/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;" align="center"Mitsuki's Next Single?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Smoke seemed to hover just above everyone's heads as the late afternoon rays of sunlight spilled through the blinds and illuminated the room. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and stale pastries that sat in the far corner of the room. All around the heavy oak table, adult men, many of them heavy set and dabbing cigarettes in a overloaded ash tray, planned out the future of Full Moon./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""These are what our song writers were able to come up with." One of the men spoke up, pushing several sheets of papers across the table to little Mitsuki who sat on the other end, looking out of place in the whole scene./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto grabbed them first before Aoi or Mitsuki could get to them, thumbing through the songs before passing them to Mitsuki. "They suck." He said bluntly, catching many of the record executives off guard./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I don't think you are in any position to.." One of the executives began to reply, pushing his glasses further up his nose./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Okay, they really suck." Takuto added as Mitsuki passed the songs to Aoi who flipped through them just as quickly as Takuto did./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""He's right." Aoi agreed, tossing the papers across the table, sending them back to the executives. "If Mitsuki were to sing these it would destroy her career."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"A particularly overweight executive who must have smoked a pack of cigarette's already rose to challenge the two. "Listen, Full Moon's CD sells have been off the chart since the incident began.."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto curled his fists in anger, he hated how soulless these people were, how they saw Mitsuki's possible kidnapping and death in terms of how rich it would make them. Sometimes he wondered if this was what Aoi and Wakouji were protecting him from all those years ago. "But that won't continue for too much longer, we have to get a second single on the market while there is higher interest, if you do not like these songs, why don't you write one, you used to be Route L's song writer, weren't you Aoi?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""We might just do that." Takuto rose from the table, his anger getting the best of them as Mitsuki's eyes lit up and Aoi shook his head softly. "And we won't have to rely on you blood suckers." He added, storming out of the room in anger./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Two hours later Takuto found himself in one of the numerous sweet cafes they seemed to dot Tokyo, specializing in sugary treats, and a good hang out spot for many teenagers and children who had just gotten out of school. "So have you ever written a song before?" Mitsuki asked a large float in front of her, topped off with whip crème and cherries that seemed to rise as high as her head./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto stroked his chin for a moment thinking about his time back in Route L, and his original plans to go solo before he found out about his cancer. "When I was in Route L, your father would write all the songs, but I would help out from time to time."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Mitsuki's eyes widened as she heard about Route L's past, with Wakouji's death it wasn't something that Aoi apparently spoke about. "Some of the best songs come from your feelings and emotions, something you want to share with your audience, even things that have happened in your past." Takuto continued to explain as Mitsuki sipped the soda float./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto leaned back in the booth, allowing his head to fall back over the back of it, as he stared up at the ceiling. Mitsuki had spent most of her life following her parents, or being sheltered by them because of their busy schedule and her own brush with cancer a few years back, she really didn't have too many life experiences to write about./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto's eyes slowly scanned across the street, before coming to rest at a movie theater further down the street. "They can also come from inspiration as well, reading a book or watching a movie could spark a idea." He suggested as Mitsuki finished her float with only half of it still in the cup./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"A smile crossed Takuto's face as he paid for the bill, even though Aoi would probably write a song for his daughter, Mitsuki still insisted on trying, the attempts she had taken in the last few hours were mixed at best. "C'mon squirt, I have a idea." He grabbed her hand and took the lead, heading toward the movie theater./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Takuto! Wait!" Mitsuki grabbed the paper she had been using in her attempt to write her latest song before Takuto pulled her out of reach/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""A movie?" She asked inquisitively a few minutes later, her fingers curled around Takuto's. "It feels like we're on a date." She added, a slight blush creeping across her face./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Huh?" He replied, clueless to what she had said as he studied the different showings at the theater. There were several action movies from America listed, and while he was tempted to see those, he knew that it would not spark Mitsuki's creativity, there were a few anime movies but nothing she would have watched before, and one romance, the only problem with that one was the rating. "Maybe if I just cover her eyes." He sighed, feeling a bit demasculated as he paid for the tickets for the romance movie before heading inside./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"On the screen the two star crossed lovers seemed to look into each others eyes as they dined in front of the setting sun, on some beach in France, she was in a bikini, he was topless, and Takuto was in hell, already slumped into his seat as he watched the movie that seemed to go on and on forever. How many times could these two look into each others eyes, and hold hands, and skip along, there had to be a time limit to this movie./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"The scene shifted into the bedroom and Takuto quickly turned Mitsuki's face away, his hand cupping her cheek as he looked at her from across the arm rest. "Little too inappropriate for you squirt, your father would kill me if I let you see all of this."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I don't mind." Mitsuki blushed as the two remained ever so close, both of them thinking about the kiss that happened./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Mitsuki looked down at the arm rest, unsure of what to say, she couldn't ask for a kiss, and she could never force it, she didn't have the self confidence for that. Takuto took a quick glance at the screen, his cheeks warming at the sight before he turned back to Mitsuki. She had never really recovered yet from the ordeal several weeks ago, he didn't know if she ever would./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"He gazed at her looking down at the arm rest and wondered about the incredible amount of strength she had, to survive such a thing and come out so unscathed, without thinking he cupped her chin, and lifted her face. This time it wasn't by sheer chance, or a rush of adrenaline, this time he truly wanted to kiss her./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"He leaned in, their tender lips brushing and then finally meeting. Mitsuki's eyes slowly drifting closed as she wrapped her arms instinctively around Takuto, and he did the same for her. When they finally broke the kiss the credits were already rolling, both of them having turned deep shades of red from the romantic event./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""You really shouldn't tell your father about this." Takuto spoke up as the two of them walked back home, both of them holding hands like a couple instead of just Takuto leading her. His heart swelled at her touch, and continued to beat in joy from the kiss, it was like a weight finally being lifted from his heart./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I do have a idea for your song." Takuto said as they reached the gate and Mitsuki keyed in the entry code to let them into the courtyard. "It's a song that your father was working on before Route L broke up." He explained heading to the storage house located at the far end of the garden./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"The two had stopped holding hands the moment the house was insight out of fear someone had seen them. He didn't know what he felt, if it was love, or just a crush, he hadn't felt love for years and when Hikari left he thought he wouldn't feel it for years to come. But he knew Aoi wouldn't understand even though Mitsuki was just a few years younger than Hazuki when she fell in love with Aoi, so for now the holding hands and the kisses would have to remain secret./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Aoi was writing this for your mother, I think he was going to use it to propose." Takuto continued, fumbling with the lock to the storage house until he finally got it off and swung the door open. "But Wakouji died and the band broke up, so we never used the song on stage."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Mitsuki paused as Takuto began to shift through boxes of old Route L material. "This was a love song for mom?" She asked, her face turning bright red as Takuto pulled out a old note book, the cover slightly torn and bent./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Here it..." Takuto's voice fell off as a figure stepped into the doorway./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""What are you two doing?" Aoi asked firmly, his eyes locked on the notebook in Takuto's hands./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;" align="center"Mitsuki's Next Single?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Smoke seemed to hover just above everyone's heads as the late afternoon rays of sunlight spilled through the blinds and illuminated the room. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and stale pastries that sat in the far corner of the room. All around the heavy oak table, adult men, many of them heavy set and dabbing cigarettes in a overloaded ash tray, planned out the future of Full Moon./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""These are what our song writers were able to come up with." One of the men spoke up, pushing several sheets of papers across the table to little Mitsuki who sat on the other end, looking out of place in the whole scene./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto grabbed them first before Aoi or Mitsuki could get to them, thumbing through the songs before passing them to Mitsuki. "They suck." He said bluntly, catching many of the record executives off guard./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I don't think you are in any position to.." One of the executives began to reply, pushing his glasses further up his nose./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Okay, they really suck." Takuto added as Mitsuki passed the songs to Aoi who flipped through them just as quickly as Takuto did./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""He's right." Aoi agreed, tossing the papers across the table, sending them back to the executives. "If Mitsuki were to sing these it would destroy her career."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"A particularly overweight executive who must have smoked a pack of cigarette's already rose to challenge the two. "Listen, Full Moon's CD sells have been off the chart since the incident began.."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto curled his fists in anger, he hated how soulless these people were, how they saw Mitsuki's possible kidnapping and death in terms of how rich it would make them. Sometimes he wondered if this was what Aoi and Wakouji were protecting him from all those years ago. "But that won't continue for too much longer, we have to get a second single on the market while there is higher interest, if you do not like these songs, why don't you write one, you used to be Route L's song writer, weren't you Aoi?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""We might just do that." Takuto rose from the table, his anger getting the best of them as Mitsuki's eyes lit up and Aoi shook his head softly. "And we won't have to rely on you blood suckers." He added, storming out of the room in anger./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Two hours later Takuto found himself in one of the numerous sweet cafes they seemed to dot Tokyo, specializing in sugary treats, and a good hang out spot for many teenagers and children who had just gotten out of school. "So have you ever written a song before?" Mitsuki asked a large float in front of her, topped off with whip crème and cherries that seemed to rise as high as her head./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto stroked his chin for a moment thinking about his time back in Route L, and his original plans to go solo before he found out about his cancer. "When I was in Route L, your father would write all the songs, but I would help out from time to time."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Mitsuki's eyes widened as she heard about Route L's past, with Wakouji's death it wasn't something that Aoi apparently spoke about. "Some of the best songs come from your feelings and emotions, something you want to share with your audience, even things that have happened in your past." Takuto continued to explain as Mitsuki sipped the soda float./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto leaned back in the booth, allowing his head to fall back over the back of it, as he stared up at the ceiling. Mitsuki had spent most of her life following her parents, or being sheltered by them because of their busy schedule and her own brush with cancer a few years back, she really didn't have too many life experiences to write about./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Takuto's eyes slowly scanned across the street, before coming to rest at a movie theater further down the street. "They can also come from inspiration as well, reading a book or watching a movie could spark a idea." He suggested as Mitsuki finished her float with only half of it still in the cup./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"A smile crossed Takuto's face as he paid for the bill, even though Aoi would probably write a song for his daughter, Mitsuki still insisted on trying, the attempts she had taken in the last few hours were mixed at best. "C'mon squirt, I have a idea." He grabbed her hand and took the lead, heading toward the movie theater./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Takuto! Wait!" Mitsuki grabbed the paper she had been using in her attempt to write her latest song before Takuto pulled her out of reach/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""A movie?" She asked inquisitively a few minutes later, her fingers curled around Takuto's. "It feels like we're on a date." She added, a slight blush creeping across her face./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Huh?" He replied, clueless to what she had said as he studied the different showings at the theater. There were several action movies from America listed, and while he was tempted to see those, he knew that it would not spark Mitsuki's creativity, there were a few anime movies but nothing she would have watched before, and one romance, the only problem with that one was the rating. "Maybe if I just cover her eyes." He sighed, feeling a bit demasculated as he paid for the tickets for the romance movie before heading inside./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"On the screen the two star crossed lovers seemed to look into each others eyes as they dined in front of the setting sun, on some beach in France, she was in a bikini, he was topless, and Takuto was in hell, already slumped into his seat as he watched the movie that seemed to go on and on forever. How many times could these two look into each others eyes, and hold hands, and skip along, there had to be a time limit to this movie./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"The scene shifted into the bedroom and Takuto quickly turned Mitsuki's face away, his hand cupping her cheek as he looked at her from across the arm rest. "Little too inappropriate for you squirt, your father would kill me if I let you see all of this."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I don't mind." Mitsuki blushed as the two remained ever so close, both of them thinking about the kiss that happened./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Mitsuki looked down at the arm rest, unsure of what to say, she couldn't ask for a kiss, and she could never force it, she didn't have the self confidence for that. Takuto took a quick glance at the screen, his cheeks warming at the sight before he turned back to Mitsuki. She had never really recovered yet from the ordeal several weeks ago, he didn't know if she ever would./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"He gazed at her looking down at the arm rest and wondered about the incredible amount of strength she had, to survive such a thing and come out so unscathed, without thinking he cupped her chin, and lifted her face. This time it wasn't by sheer chance, or a rush of adrenaline, this time he truly wanted to kiss her./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"He leaned in, their tender lips brushing and then finally meeting. Mitsuki's eyes slowly drifting closed as she wrapped her arms instinctively around Takuto, and he did the same for her. When they finally broke the kiss the credits were already rolling, both of them having turned deep shades of red from the romantic event./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""You really shouldn't tell your father about this." Takuto spoke up as the two of them walked back home, both of them holding hands like a couple instead of just Takuto leading her. His heart swelled at her touch, and continued to beat in joy from the kiss, it was like a weight finally being lifted from his heart./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""I do have a idea for your song." Takuto said as they reached the gate and Mitsuki keyed in the entry code to let them into the courtyard. "It's a song that your father was working on before Route L broke up." He explained heading to the storage house located at the far end of the garden./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"The two had stopped holding hands the moment the house was insight out of fear someone had seen them. He didn't know what he felt, if it was love, or just a crush, he hadn't felt love for years and when Hikari left he thought he wouldn't feel it for years to come. But he knew Aoi wouldn't understand even though Mitsuki was just a few years younger than Hazuki when she fell in love with Aoi, so for now the holding hands and the kisses would have to remain secret./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Aoi was writing this for your mother, I think he was going to use it to propose." Takuto continued, fumbling with the lock to the storage house until he finally got it off and swung the door open. "But Wakouji died and the band broke up, so we never used the song on stage."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;"Mitsuki paused as Takuto began to shift through boxes of old Route L material. "This was a love song for mom?" She asked, her face turning bright red as Takuto pulled out a old note book, the cover slightly torn and bent./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""Here it..." Takuto's voice fell off as a figure stepped into the doorway./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 115%;""What are you two doing?" Aoi asked firmly, his eyes locked on the notebook in Takuto's hands./p