A/N: That much reviews really pulled me out of my 'writing non-stop' mode to check on what I have for chapter 20 and then post it if it's ready. Really, folks, thanks a lot for the warm reception to the chapters I posted!

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Chapter 20. Television

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"Television, a system of sending and receiving pictures and sound by means of electronic signals transmitted through wires and optical fibers or by electromagnetic radiation. These signals are usually broadcast from a central source, a television station, to reception devices such as television sets in homes or relay stations such as those used by cable television service providers. Television is the most widespread form of communication in the world,"(18) he droned as she gaped at him stupidly. She twitched, before she finally got fed up.

"Shut up, idiot! Stop treating me like an idiot, idiot. I know what a television is!" She snapped.

"That was too many idiots, Misa-chan. And because I'm an idiot, that's why," he answered with a stupid look in his face.

Her eyes narrowed at his response.

"You're just using that as an excuse to do perverted things," she snapped, her cheeks tinged in pink as her mind remembered all the times that he was acting like this. Most of the time, it ended with...

"Ah, that's where you're wrong, Misa-chan," he refuted, moving towards her until she was backed at the corner of the couch. He followed her face when she leaned back after getting trapped. He leaned to her until their noses were almost touching. He was momentarily distracted as he watched the redness crept to her nose. He was brought to reality when she gave an impatient sigh. He was delightedly surprised to find her eyes closed and her lips parted. Not one to pass up an opportunity, he crossed the gap between their lips and indulged in her soft lips.

After one heated kiss and few chaste kisses later, he pulled away and regarded her thoughtfully. He waited until she opened her eyes to look at him dazedly.

"I do that kind of things not because I'm an idiot but because..."

"Because y-you're a pervert," she cut-off with mild sarcasm, still trying to breath normally.

He chuckled, dropping a brief kiss to her nose before he straightened, pulling her flushed against his side.

"Why don't we check out if this thing works," he said, picking the remote from the table.

"What do you mean check it out? You haven't turned that on yet since you bought it? When did you bought that and why?" She fired question after question, gazing at the huge flat screen television with incredulity. For the last years that he was living here, he didn't find it necessary to buy one, even a bed. Lately though, he was filling his apartment with things. She wondered how much money wasted to buy the glaring television in front of them, before she caught herself and shook her head. She didn't want to know just how much money he wasted for this. She'd probably have a heart attack.

"I want to see it together with Misa-chan," he whined. "I have this since last week."

Her eyes widened. She looked at him with surprised eyes.

"You mean to say, that the reason you have been nagging me for an entire week was because of this?" She asked, remembering him whining for days until she finally gave in earlier. Really. It wasn't like she didn't like to come here. However, she was busy. And besides, she was still a bit apprehensive on what might happen with them here together after what happened at the rooftop not so long ago, not to mention what happened when they had fought over her photograph. The last time that she was at this place, he didn't tease her to go to his room nor mentioned the bed to her, no doubt what happened last time still fresh to the both of them. They had quiet dinner at that time. But after the scene at the rooftop, she didn't know what to expect at being with him in the privacy of his apartment.

'I can't believe that a stupid photo could lead to such things.'

"You're not listening, Misa-chan."

She was brought out of her musing by his whining voice.

"Do I want to know why these are red?" He asked, shifting from whining to an amused voice as he cupped one of her red cheeks.

"No!" she answered defensively, pulling his hand from her face and settling it at her lap, much to his delight. "W-what were you saying again?"

"I'll repeat it if Misa-chan will give me a kiss," he answered, leaning close to her. She raised a closed fist and touched it to his lips.

"There. Satisfied?"

He chuckled at her action. Facing the television, he answered her question.

"So that we can watch p..." he stopped talking when he heard a growl beside her.

"Usui Takumi, don't you dare finish that sentence. And if I ever caught you watching things, you'll be sorry," she threatened, her eyes in slits, her face red.

"Like I would want to watch anyone but my Misa-chan," he immediately answered, tightening his one arm hug to her. He had the satisfaction to see her face changed from threatening to embarrassment. "I thought I'd have something you can use when I prepare food in the kitchen. At least you'll be entertained by the TV before I take over," he said teasingly.

She looked at his eyes searchingly, before she sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt her heart swelled with emotion for this perverted but thoughtful person beside her. First, he bought a bed, no doubt for her benefit, and probably had his other motives, too. And then, this television. He always did things for her, even if he annoyed her most of the time.

"Fine. Let's watch," she said with resignation.

No more words were exchanged between them as they turned their gazes to the television. There was silence between them, the only sounds were coming from the television. That was, until she shifted her head, and came face to face to his strong neck. Her breathing quickened, and she quickly moved her eyes back to the television. She tried to concentrate again on the show they were watching, but the memory of the sight of his neck wouldn't leave her mind. She remembered how he had reacted when she kissed his neck when they were at the rooftop that time, when their bodies were as closed as they had allowed themselves to be. She wondered if he would react the same way he did last time.

'Gah! You've become such a pervert, Misaki! Stop it!'

Chastised by her own thoughts, she forced her eyes to stay on the TV. After a few moments, though, she shifted again and her eyes drifted back to his neck. She was a little surprised that he hadn't done anything yet with all her fidgeting, except tightening his hold on her. She lifted her eyes to meet his eyes, but he was looking straight ahead at the television. She glanced back at his neck, and licked her suddenly dry lips. Unconsciously, she moved closer to him and touched her lips to his neck, shocking the both of them. She tensed, and momentarily got confused on what she should do next. However, a sense of courage took her as she noticed him frozen, too. Taking responsibility for her action, she repeated what she had done, purposeful this time. She had the satisfaction of hearing his sharp intake of breath. Emboldened, she peppered kisses on the smooth skin of his neck, shyly at first, then gaining confidence as seconds ticked by. His hold on her was almost suffocating, but she paid no heed. She was more concerned with what she was currently doing. She paused for a heartbeat when a thought crossed her mind.

'I wonder if he would feel what I felt when he do this.'

Having decided, she parted her lips and nipped at his neck. She was pleasantly surprised when he groaned her name.

"Misaki…"

She repeated the gesture, moving towards his jaw then back to the base of his neck. She was glad that for once, he wasn't taking over yet, allowing her to shyly explore. But she knew that it was only a matter of time before he did.

A particularly hard bite had him finally making an action and she found herself pinned at the couch. She gasped, the pleasant shivers in her body intensifying at the sight of his darkened green eyes. He was breathing heavily as he gazed at her, trapping her eyes in his. She swallowed nervously, and his eyes left hers to look at the movement of her throat. And then his lips broke into a seductive grin, before he leaned down and did what she had done. He took her breath away as he rained kisses in her smooth neck. When her lungs cried for air, she inhaled sharply, and her hands fisted on his soft hair, grabbing and pushing his head closer. Her lips parted in a moan.

"Takumi..."

He continued to rain her neck with kisses. And when she thought she couldn't take the pleasant torture anymore, she tugged at his hair, and he immediately complied and kissed her waiting lips. The television was forgotten as they kissed. They kissed until both of their lips were swollen. They only broke apart when a particularly loud sound startled them. They were confused at first on where the sound came from, then became annoyed at the interruption. They both glared at the culprit – the innocent television. Sensing their similar reaction, their lips quirked in a hint of a smile, before he pulled away from where he had covered her body with his without them noticing. They returned to their original position, sitting together with her head on his shoulders.

"Maybe I should return the TV," he said after they had returned to normal breathing.

Understanding what he was trying to say about the disturbance caused by the TV, the corner of her lips lifted in a smile.

"Maybe you should."

"Nah. I don't think what happened would have happened if we're not watching the television, even if it also interrupted it," he answered, dropping a kiss on her hair.

She blushed, remembering that she was the one who had initiated the kiss moments ago.

"You wouldn't have done it if, say, we're at the theatre," he continued.

"Damn right," she muttered, imagining doing what they had done earlier in a theatre.

'Definitely not!'

She didn't think she could do that.

'And how is it different from the rooftop?'

She tried to come up with an explanation to her own accusation, but dropped it when she heard him chuckling. She met his eyes as she blushed. He probably knew what was going on in her mind.

"Stop reading my mind, perverted outer-space alien!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down, naughty Misaki."

He burst out laughing and caught her fists when she tried to punch him. Huffing at her failure to inflect pain to him and to wipe out the knowing grin in his lips, she turned to the television and braced herself for ignoring him for the rest of the night until he stopped teasing her.

"I should have known," she murmured to herself when she soon found herself once again leaning on him with his arm around her as they continued to watch the television. She really couldn't resist him, especially if he cheated with his puppy dog eyes. He knew it and took advantage of it every time his usual tactics failed.

'Stupid outer-space alien.'

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(18) Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.

A/N: There you have it! Hope that's worth of your time ;) It is, for me ;) Because my mind isn't really into it, chapters Y and Z are still hanging. No drafts whatsoever because of my decision to change the entire thing. I'd probably write them once they are the next ones to be posted. As I've said, I'm being consumed by the sequels that I couldn't concentrate on other things. I get absorb on things easily. So if I feel like writing and I have time, I would write and write and write haha. And if I don't feel like writing, even if I have time, I would never write.

On the sequels, should I give you some teasers? As One currently has 36 pages, which is still tentative. The length of the story is liable to change once I re-read it. Here are some excerpts from the story. The wordings/sentences might change in the final version, but the ideas would stay the same ;)

"We will get through it!"

"If that's how...you act when...we're apart for only a few days...I'm worried how you will after several years."

"P-please..."

"Only over a week is left..."

"Make sure not to leave any regrets."

"Stop me..."

"Why...would I...do that? What if I want it?"

"Tomorrow your name and mine will be the same."

So folks, how about that? These are from the different chapters of As One. You get the idea what will happen there? Gosh, I'm grinning like an idiot haha ;) I'm excited, that's why! ;)

Now then, since I've been sidetracked from writing, I guess I'm going to read stuffs that I've postponed when studies robbed me all of my free time. I have books I've bought months before which need my attention! And yeah, I checked the bookstores and unfortunately, KWMS volumes are out-of-stock. I ordered the 8 volumes instead, and I hope it would arrive before enrolment comes so that my bank account won't be drained haha ;)

So folks, starting this time, I will get some rest from writing. I don't want to think about what I want to happen in the stories I have now. The adrenaline rush of writing has faded. I'm more into vacation mode and reading-my-books mode. I believe I deserve it before classes start again ;) Beware. Once I start reading, it consumes me, too haha ;)

-Arvendell-

04 April 2011

3:50 PM