A/N: Sorry these chapters are so long, I really don't know where to stop sometimes! But, here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy :) and thanks for all the reviews! They really make my day.
Hikari had always considered herself a 'morning person.' While some people, namely her brother, loved sleeping into the afternoon, Hikari found pleasure in being the early bird. She never understood why anyone would like wasting their day sleeping. Hikari considered it the biggest waste of time.
But, for many obvious reasons, Hikari couldn't bring herself out of bed this particular morning. After a dramatic and heartbreaking weekend, this Monday morning was turning out to be quite a challenge. Hikari didn't know if she was sound enough to go to the elementary school; she didn't know if she was strong enough to go there with Daisuke.
Since the whole 'spin the bottle incident,' Hikari hadn't seen or talked to Daisuke at all. He had tried to resolve things yesterday, but Hikari avoided him as much as she could. For some reason, seeing Daisuke, after everything that had happened, was very awkward. She couldn't tell if it was because she was angry at him for being so obvious during spin the bottle, or because the truth was out in the open, and she had been thinking about their night together more than she should have been.
When Takeru told Hikari he wanted to take a break from their relationship, his main reason wasn't because she had kept her past fling with Daisuke a secret, but because he was convinced Hikari didn't know what she wanted. At first she thought Takeru was crazy...but the more she thought about it, she knew he was right.
Takeru was sure he wanted to be with Hikari for the rest of his life, and while Hikari thought she wanted the same, she wasn't so sure anymore. She was in love with Takeru, there was no doubt about it, but she didn't want her whole life figured out the way Takeru had planned it. This was a recurring problem in their relationship that just wouldn't get resloved. Maybe it was because she liked not knowing what was going to happen.
Hikari sighed to herself before glancing at Miyako on the other bed. Why couldn't she be more like her roommate and less like her brother? Maybe it was embedded in the Yagami genes to be scared of commitment.
Hikari closed her eyes tightly before pushing herself out of bed. She grabbed a pair of teacher-appropriate clothes and trudged her way over to the bathroom. Once she was finished brushing and showering, she combed her hair neatly and exited the room. It seemed that no one else was awake yet.
Hikari grabbed a bagel from the kitchen and sat down at the round dining table. One of Sora's fashion magazines was lying there, so she quickly grabbed it to occupy her thoughts, but it wasn't really helping. She couldn't decide whether she should leave early to avoid taking the bus with Daisuke, or muster up the courage to talk to him about everything that had happened.
Hikari's train of thought was interrupted when she heard someone leaving their bedroom. Hikari looked up and smiled sweetly at Sora as she exited her room.
"Good morning," Hikari stated quietly, keeping in mind that two of her other roommates were still sleeping. The younger girl noticed that Sora was dressed and ready for work. She was wearing a form fitting, scoop-neck dress imprinted with a red and black pattern. Hikari almost felt underdressed with her dress pants and pink blouse, "My my, someone's looking very nice today."
Sora looked at Hikari with a bit of shock, "Good morning, Hikari. I-I'm trying to get to work early...I have a lot of shipments to send out today, and I was hoping Kara would let help with some of her designs. What are you doing up so early?"
"I couldn't sleep."
Sora shot Hikari an apologetic look as she ran a few fingers through her auburn hair, which was pinned up on one side. Hikari smiled at how stylish Sora had become. When they were younger, the auburn-haired beauty was nothing more than a rugged tomboy. Sora walked over to the table and placed her folders down as she sat next to Hikari, smiling comfortingly.
"Scared to confront Daisuke?"
"That's an understatement. I'm thinking of just leaving early without him..." Hikari replied, resting her chin in her small hands.
"You're going to have to face him at some point, Hikari. It's better to just get it over with," Sora stated wisely as she placed her feet into her black pumps. Hikari absentmindedly started to scratch the wooden table with her fingernails out of apprehension.
"Why am I being so awkward with him, Sora? If there's anyone I should feel uncomfortable around, it's Takeru, but I'd have no problem spending time with him if he didn't think that we should give each other space..."
Sora shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and Hikari quickly took notice to her odd behavior. Sora was good at giving advice when it came to matters of the heart, but Hikari was getting the feeing that Sora didn't want to talk about all of this.
"Maybe it's because you and Daisuke have never properly talked about that night."
"Yeah..."
Sora sighed and placed a hand on Hikari's shoulder, smiling as reassuringly as she could.
"I have a feeling that once you fix things with Daisuke, everything with Takeru will fall into place-"
Sora was cut off by a soft knocking on the door. The two women gave each other confused looks until Sora walked up to the front door and looked through the peephole. The sight in front of her made Sora smirk, and she turned to Hikari with a smile.
"Speak of the devil..." Sora whispered to her younger friend. Hikari's eyes widened and she quickly stood up from her seat. What should she do? Should she hide?
"You know, I heard heels clicking on the other side of the door. I know someone's awake!" Daisuke stated from the hallway. Sora blushed when she realized that her heels had given them away. She gave Hikari an apologetic look before opening the door to a grinning Daisuke.
"Damn, Sora, you look nice today," he stated. Sora's blush deepened and she shushed the younger boy as she invited him in.
"Miyako and Mimi are still sleeping, Dai, keep your voice down."
Daisuke looked at Sora hopefully, "Oh, so Hikari's awake-" He cut himself off when he noticed Hikari standing by the round dining table, dressed and ready for work. He grinned sheepishly.
There was a small silence in the room, and Sora took it as her cue to leave. She grabbed her folders and a light coat before saying goodbye, and leaving the apartment. Hikari bit the insides of her mouth before walking to the coat rack to get her peacoat.
"Guess we're gonna get to the school early today, huh?" Daisuke asked as he awkwardly looked around the apartment. Hikari sighed and glanced at him.
"How did you know I would be awake?"
"I didn't," he stated with a smile, "I figured you'd try to avoid me, so I wanted to catch you before you snuck out of here."
Hikari blushed and picked up her purse her room before coming out. Daisuke was already standing at the doorway, ready to leave. She noticed the awkward smile imprinted onto his face and quickly looked away.
She trudged out of the apartment and waited for Daisuke to exit, as well, so she could lock the door. Once the two made their way out of the apartment complex, Hikari realized how terribly silent it was. Her morning trek to the elementary school with Daisuke was one of the highlights of her day. She loved his taunting personality, and the way he could make her smile without even trying. This whole situation, however, felt too unfamiliar. She didn't like it.
"You know-...I'm sorry, Hikari."
She glanced at him before looking down at the sidewalk again as they walked towards the bus stop, "For what?"
"For letting the truth come out the way it did."
"It wasn't your fault...I should've known that it would come out eventually. This is all my fault."
Daisuke didn't argue with her. She pursed her lips and clasped her hands together tightly.
"I'm sorry about that night," she spoke softly.
It was Daisuke's turn to glance at her. Hikari noticed a smile forming on his lips as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts.
"I'm not."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"W-What?"
"I don't regret what happened, Kari, and you know that," he paused to look at her fully, "But, I've never been able to tell if you regretted it or not."
Tears prickled the corners of her eyes, and Hikari desperately tried to keep them in. All she kept picturing was the pained look on Takeru's face when he found out the truth. Why couldn't she just tell him? Why?
"Do you regret it, Hikari?"
Hikari stopped in her step. She turned to glare at his confused face.
"How can you ask me that?"
"Wha-"
"How can you ask me that, Daisuke? It happened years ago, and we didn't even sleep together. Why do you always ask me if I regret it? God, especially now that Takeru and I are on a break, how can you-"
"Hikari," Daisuke interjected as he put his hands on her shoulders. She paused as she gazed into his dark eyes, seeing the reflection of her face through his stare. The way he was looking at her reminded Hikari of that night; his touch reminded her of when he took her swiftly into his arms. It made her heart thump loudly in her chest.
"I'm not trying to get in between you and Takeru, I would never do that. I-I just need to know..."
Hikari tore her gaze away from his and continued walking. She heard Daisuke sigh and follow her lead until he was walking right beside her again. What was it about Daisuke that made Hikari want to run the other way? Up until the truth came out, she had never thought of that night, she had just repressed it to the back of her mind. Daisuke was nothing like Takeru. Daisuke was irresponsible and reckless...Takeru was sweet and tender.
Maybe Hikari didn't want sweetness or tenderness. Maybe she wanted reckless passion. Maybe she was tired-no, maybe she was bored of what she had with Takeru. But, Hikari wasn't that type of girl. She wasn't...
She didn't love Daisuke the way she loved Takeru..but at the same time Takeru didn't have what Daisuke had...
"I don't regret it."
Hikari could tell Daisuke was shocked when he nearly tripped on his feet. For some reason, she couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction. He never had to try to make her laugh. He never had to try to make her smile. It came so naturally to him.
"So...so, why did you do it? All of high school I made it obvious that I wanted to be with you, and then out of no where, on Taichi's birthday nonetheless, you decide you want to be with me too? For that one night?"
Hikari blushed, "I was lonely, Daisuke. I felt out of place at that party. You felt like home."
He nodded his head as he stared at the sidewalk. Hikari knew that what she said wasn't what he wanted to hear, but it was the truth. They finally made it to the bus stop, and the two friends sat down on the bench as they waited for their bus to arrive.
"Are you and Takeru alright? I mean, from what I've been hearing from everyone, you guys aren't officially over. That's got to be a good sign, right?" he asked genuinely. Hikari sighed and sat back, placing her purse on her lap.
"It's complicated."
Daisuke let out a whistle and gazed up at the sky. Hikari stole a glance at him and quickly wished she hadn't. His arms were propped on the bench as he looked up at the clouds, and Hikari tried not to stare at his muscles. Daisuke was nicely built...any woman would notice that.
"He'll come around."
She brought herself to stare at her hands. Daisuke noticed this and smiled as he put a comforting arm around Hikari's shoulders. She quickly stiffened her posture and held her breath. Daisuke didn't notice.
"He'd be crazy to let you go. Actually, I don't think he ever would."
"You think so?" she asked softly, looking at him from the corner of her eye. Daisuke grinned and chuckled brightly.
"I know so."
Sometimes Sora wondered if she was cursed with bad luck the minute she was born. Okay, maybe not the minute she was born, but she was definitely cursed at some point in the past few years. First, Yamato left her. Then, after a boyfriend-less three years, she found out Yamato was getting married. After that, she somehow hooked up with her best friend (at her ex boyfriend's wedding), and developed feelings for him that she never thought she could for someone she used to consider a brother. Now, just when everything was going so well for the two of them, her case of bad luck struck again last night.
Taichi and Sora were having a rough weekend, there was no doubt about it. After that dumb spin the bottle game, and a quick moment of mutual jealousy for each other's past flings, Sora noticed that maybe she didn't think everything through when she decided she wanted to be with Taichi. She just dove headfirst into the whole thing because she went with her feelings.
Maybe that was the problem. Maybe she should learn to use her brain instead of using her heart so much. Maybe if she used her brain, she wouldn't be in the predicament that was created the night before...
"Sora, did you hear me?"
Sora snapped up and stared at Noriko, who was sitting right across from Sora at her respective desk. Noriko frowned and raised a brow at Sora's odd behavior.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm sorry, Noriko," Sora sighed, "I just have a few problems at home that I keep thinking about. But, what were you saying?"
Noriko gave Sora a sympathetic look before smiling.
"I said that Mrs. Nakamura just called and said she's running a little late, but she wants to speak with you as soon as she arrives."
Sora raised a brow, "Do you know what she wants to talk about?"
"No, but I think it's something good. She sounded pretty elated on the phone."
Sora's stomach started to churn. Maybe her bad luck only kicked in when it came to her love life. Sora desperately prayed that Kara Nakamura was bearing good news.
"So, do you want to talk about it?"
Sora looked up at Noriko again and sighed.
"Not really..."
"Is it about Taichi?"
Sora's eyes widened, and she swiftly stiffened in her chair, "W-What?"
Noriko laughed and she pointed an accusing finger in Sora's direction.
"I knew it! I knew there was something going on between you two. When he came to pick you up on Friday, it was so obvious."
"W-What are you talking about, Noriko, Taichi's just my best friend."
"Yeah, okay," the younger girl sniggered. Sora glared at her, and Noriko instantly shut her mouth as she tried to repress more giggles. Sora sighed and looked back down at the computer in front of her, trying to send out more orders.
"So, are you guys official?"
"Noriko," Sora groaned, "I don't want to talk about it, okay? Now, come on, we have a lot of work to do. I don't want to work after hours."
Noriko just smirked and looked back at her computer, as well, dropping the subject. Sora noticed that the teasing smirk never left Noriko's face, so she sighed exasperatedly and kicked Noriko from under her desk.
"Hey!"
"Wipe that smirk off your face."
"Okay, okay, sheesh."
They both remained quiet and typed away on their computers until Sora sighed and bit her lip, "Don't mention this to Iori."
Noriko looked up, and it took her a few seconds to realize what Sora was implying.
"So I was right? There is something going on between you and Taichi, right?" she asked with a grin.
"No! I-I mean yes, but maybe not anymore...I mean- ugh, Noriko! Just don't mention anything to Iori. Please?"
She smiled sweetly and nodded her head, "Of course I wont. Iori and I aren't even on terms like that anyway, don't worry."
"Thanks," Sora mumbled softly before looking back at her screen with a solemn look. Noriko noticed the distressed look on Sora's face and decides to stop teasing her coworker. If Sora wanted to talk about it, she would have by now.
Mrs. Kara Nakamura rushed into the room quickly, brushing by Noriko and Sora as she went into her office and started preparing herself for the day. Sora leaned to the side of her desk to glance into her boss's office. Should she wait for Mrs. Nakamura to say something, or should she just walk in? Her stomach really started to churn, and Sora shakily got up. She marched herself over to Kara's office and knocked on the door.
"Y-You said you wanted to see me, Mrs. Nakamura?"
Kara Nakamura was well in her mid-forties, but she still had the strong aura of a fashionista. She was wearing a conservative A-line dress, and her long, dirty blonde hair was tied up elegantly in a bun. Kara turned to look at Sora and pushed up her thick framed glasses as she smiled stoutly.
"My, Sora, you look absolutely lovely today."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Sora blushed, straightening out her dress. Sora's whole reason for dressing up was to get Mrs. Nakamura's attention, but it seemed foolish now that Kara had bore news for Sora before even walking into the building.
"Did you make this dress?" Kara asked abruptly.
"Yes, I did. I made it months ago, though-"
"It's beautiful. See, this is the kind of vision I need for my line."
Sora's heart started to race, and she tried to calm her nerves. Mrs. Nakamura motioned for Sora to close the door and take a seat in front of her desk. She obliged.
"Now, I know you're job at the moment is to handle shipments and orders for my company, but I remember when I first hired you, you mentioned an interest in actual design," She paused to examine Sora with scrutiny, which made the red-head blush, "Well, I can't offer you much right now, but I'd love for you to be part of my design team for the fall line."
Sora's eyes widened, "R-Really? Me?"
Kara smiles warmly, "Yes, I realize you're young, but maybe we need someone with a fresh outlook for our fall line. Most of the pieces are already completed, but I wanted to add a few more garments for the runway show. Something about the line feels incomplete to me, and I have a feeling you might be of great help. So, what do you say?"
It took all Sora had not to jump out of her chair and crush her boss into an embrace right then and there, "Of course! Thank you so much, Mrs. Nakamura, you won't regret it, I promise-"
"Now, wait, before you get too excited. This isn't a promotion, I still need you here to help Noriko with shipments, but if I like what I see, maybe this can all lead to something more in the future," Kara stated. Sora grinned and shook her head.
"That is not a problem, ma'am, I'll do whatever you want me to."
This made Kara to chuckle, "Don't sell your soul to me just yet, honey, you have no idea how grueling this is going to be. Are you sure you can handle shipments and helping with the fall line?"
"Well, I'm not sure, Mrs. Nakamura, but I promise you I'll dedicate every minute I can."
She smiled proudly, "That's what I like to hear. Alright, I'll let you get back to sending out orders, I know you have a lot of work to do today. Starting next week, I'll let you know what hours I'll need you outside of this office."
Sora got up enthusiastically and smiled, "That sounds perfect, Mrs. Nakamura, thank you so much."
As she left Kara's office and closed the door behind her, Sora silently danced in her spot with glee. She couldn't believe this was all happening. She just couldn't fathom the idea of helping design the fall line. She was finally on her way to becoming a legitimate designer.
"What happened? Oh my god, stop leaving me in suspense!" Noriko squealed from her desk. Sora quickly walked over to her coworker, overly anxious to explain what Mrs. Nakamura had just offered. Just as she was about to speak, however, someone knocked on the entrance door to their room.
Both women turned to see Taichi standing at the doorway, smiling awkwardly.
"Sorry, I must be interrupting something...I-I'll just come back later-"
"Taichi? Wait," Sora called as Taichi was about to turn around and leave. They both looked at each other for a second before trying to stare at anything but each other. Noriko noticed the thick tension enveloping the room, and quickly cleared her throat before nudging Sora.
"W-Why aren't you at work? It's a little too early for a lunch break..." Sora asked lamely, glancing at him for only a second before catching his eye and looking down at her shoes. She was still standing near Noriko's desk, and she couldn't find the nerve to move closer to him. She wanted to stay far away.
"I, um, couldn't concentrate. Can we talk?" he asked cautiously, shoving his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. If this was any other day, and if everything that happened last night didn't occur, Sora would've found his whole look attractive, but at the moment, she just couldn't look at him.
"I have a lot of work to do..."
He nodded his head, keeping his expression stoic, "Alright, we'll talk later, I guess. Um...okay, bye."
With that, he turned on his heel and left the room. Sora stayed in her standing position for a moment longer before closing her eyes tightly. The elation she felt from what Mrs. Nakamura offered her had quickly subsided as soon as he came in.
"Sora...? Are you alright?"
Sora looked to her left at Noriko's face and quickly shook her head, "He...he told me that he loves me."
Noriko raised a brow, confused as to what Sora was saying. The older girl sighed as she walked back to her desk and sat down in her chair, trying to calm her shaking knees.
"Last night, I decided to walk over to Taichi's apartment while everyone was sleeping. No one knows about us, so we do everything in secret. This night was supposed to be like every other night. I was supposed to go into his room, we'd both-" Sora paused to blush and Noriko nodded, understanding what Sora was implying, "yeah, and then after all that I'd sleep in his bed with him until the sun came up, and sneak out of his apartment and back into mine before anyone woke up."
Sora leaned back in her chair and rubbed her forehead before continuing, "That's not what happened last night, though. At one point, in the throes of passion, Taichi mumbled that he loves me. He distinctly said, 'God, Sora, I love you.' I guess it scared me to the point where I had to stop what we were doing. He got off of me and we both just laid in his bed for a few minutes, not saying anything. He was about to say something to explain himself, but before he could, I put on my clothes and left the room. We haven't talked to each other since-well, until now, I guess."
Noriko stayed quiet for a few seconds before looking at Sora sympathetically, "So...do you love him?"
"I don't know..." Sora muttered back, closing her eyes tightly, "Ugh, I'm sorry Noriko. I was supposed to be telling you about what Kara had just offered me, not about my complicated love life."
Noriko laughed and waved it off, "No, I like talking about this stuff. Besides, I hate seeing you bummed out. I have to work with you all day, and I'd rather be sitting across from you when you're in a pleasant mood."
This made Sora laugh. She liked having Noriko at work. She felt that she could tell Noriko everything, and not have to worry about someone from back home finding out. Well...with the exception of Iori, but Sora had a lot of trust in her coworker.
"Hey, didn't you tell me a while back that you're friend Mimi was, like, in love with Taichi or something?"
Sora groaned, "Oh, trust me, you don't even want me to get into that...I've been killing myself over that situation for weeks now."
"Man," Noriko paused to grin, "Your life is like a soap opera."
"Tell me about it..."
"Well, let's change the topic before you get even more depressed. So, what did Kara offer you?"
Sora's mood instantly lifted again, and she grinned as she went to explain what their boss had mentioned moments before.
Koushiro glanced at the time on his laptop again before sighing anxiously. There was only one hour left before he could leave work, but he wasn't sure if he wanted time to fly by quickly or not.
See, today was Koushiro and Keiko's one month anniversary (which was weird because exactly a month ago, Takeru and Hikari told the whole gang about their relationship, yet at this very moment, they're on a break...nothing seems to last anymore, does it?). Koushiro wasn't sure how he felt, but he was positive that his stomach was doing cartwheels all day.
He was nervous. About what? Koushiro had no idea. He wasn't sure if it was because he was apprehensive that he and Keiko might actually 'do the deed'-as Taichi would put it-or because he was shocked that he'd lasted in a relationship for this long without the girl running away.
Koushiro instantly cleared his throat and decided he wasn't going to think about all this until the time came. He continued to work and push away is impending thoughts until he realized that it was time to leave. A knock on his door confirmed his thought.
Keiko smiled shyly from the door and leaned against the door frame. She was wearing tweed dress pants with a dark brown, ruffled blouse. Her light brown hair was styled as usual, right above her shoulders with the ends curling out. Her eyes glanced at him before blushing and looking at the floor, her long eyelashes hiding the look in her eyes.
Koushiro couldn't help but smile warmly at this. Thankfully, she was more nervous than he was.
"So, I was thinking for dinner...instead of going out, maybe I could cook you something at my place," she offered apprehensively, fidgeting with her fingers. Koushiro stood up after he packed his laptop and smiled nervously.
"Uh, yeah, that sounds great."
She smiled as they both left his private cubicle and walked towards the exit of the building. Koushiro glanced at Keiko's face and saw how flushed it was behind her freckles. He found it somewhat adorable, and cautiously reached for her hand as they walked. Keiko glanced as their fingers intertwined and then at him. He noticed her fond smile.
"So, how was your day?" she asked sweetly, causing Koushiro to smile yet again.
"It was alright," he couldn't tell her that he was sitting around, apprehensively waiting for the hours to lull by, even though she probably did the same.
"Yeah, it was a pretty long day..." she stated with a sigh. Koushiro nodded in agreement as they continued to walk towards her apartment. Keiko lived much closer to their work building than Koushiro did, so they'd usually go to her place after work to hang out for an few hours. They wouldn't do much, though. Usually they'd sit and talk about life, or pop in a movie before Koushiro had to leave to go back home.
Physically, the farthest they'd ever gone was one heated make-out session. Just one. They were interrupted by Koushiro's cell phone, and of course, the caller was none other than Daisuke calling to ask what Koushiro wanted for dinner. Daisuke had noticed the flustered tone of Koushiro's voice and instantly knew that he and Keiko were busy, and as expected, Daisuke started teasing Koushiro which ultimately led the red-head to hang up abruptly.
As for today, Koushiro didn't know what was going to happen, but he was definitely going to turn his phone off. As they neared Keiko's apartment complex, Koushiro's heart started to beat loudly. He wished he wouldn't be so nervous. He tried to hide it as best as he could from Keiko.
"So, what do you want for dinner?" she asked as she opened the door to her apartment and hung her coat on the rack. Koushiro closed the door behind him and also hung his coat before following Keiko into her small kitchen.
"Hm, anything is fine with me," he explained with a smile. Keiko glared playfully. She wasn't good at glaring. It wasn't in her nature to ever be angry. Keiko was probably one of the most timid girls Koushiro had ever met, but he liked that.
"You better decide quick, or I'm just going to cook something random, and I don't want any complaints."
"You won't get any complaints from me. Anything you make will probably be amazing," he explained with a smile as he sat down on a chair by the small dining table. Keiko blushed at his comment before clearing her throat and looking through her cabinets.
Koushiro watched her and blushed. It was so funny. A little over a month ago, Koushiro had still been pining for Mimi, but now he felt as if the cinnamon haired girl was a far off memory. Keiko was amazing. She got along with his friends easily, she had a sweet personality, and she wasn't bad on the eyes either. Keiko was smart, charming, caring, and...and beautiful. Koushiro didn't feel invisible when he was with her. He didn't feel insecure. It had been a long time since he felt so comfortable in his own skin.
Something compelled Koushiro to get up from his seat and make his way towards his girlfriend. She was reaching up to pull out a box of dried ingredients, but Koushiro twirled her around before she had any idea what was going on, and kissed her perfectly on the lips.
Keiko stood there blushing for a few seconds before her eyes fluttered shut, and she kissed him back softly. As Koushiro pulled away, he brought a hand to her cheek as his own started to turn pink.
"Sorry, I-I don't know why I did that. It just felt...like the right moment."
Keiko chuckled shyly, "Watching me reach into cabinets felt like the right moment for a kiss?"
"Thank you," he spoke softly, ignoring her remark. She raised a brow.
"For what?"
"For asking me out on a date all those weeks ago," Koushiro paused to chuckle and moved in closer, "My life would be so different right now if you hadn't come knocking on my cubicle door," he joked.
Keiko gazed into his dark eyes and smiled. It was her turn to pull him in for a kiss, but this one was much deeper. As he brought his hands to her hips, and Keiko wrapped her arms around his neck, Koushiro glanced at his cell phone by his laptop case and smiled to himself. There would be no interruptions tonight. Thank god he turned it off.
Today was a roller-coaster of emotions, indeed. First, Taichi tells her he loves her, and she has no idea what to say. Then, she gets an offer from Mrs. Nakamura to help with the fall line which leaves her exuberant. And now, the abominable Willis was standing at the entrance of the room.
Sora couldn't take this. She felt as if she was going to have a mental breakdown after all the events of this day. Just when her day couldn't get worse, or any better for that matter, she turns at the sound of someone knocking on the door, just to have piercing blue eyes staring back at her. He looked just like she remembered: he was wearing light jeans with a long-sleeved blue sweater. His sweet blue eyes looked eager, just like she remembered them.
"May I help you?" Noriko asked politely from her desk, not noticing anything. Willis smiled awkwardly before staring back at Sora.
"I'm here to speak to Sora, actually," he stated, looking at the auburn haired girl hopefully. Sora was speechless. She had no idea what to say. There was silence, and Willis continued to stand by the door, waiting for Sora to speak.
"H-How did you find out where I work?"
"Mimi told me I'd find you here...I was just at the cafe with her, actually."
Sora swore that she'd tackle Mimi for this. How could she tell Willis where she worked?
Then a sudden thought came to Sora. It was Sora who told Mimi that she'd give Willis a chance just to make Taichi angry last friday. Crap, she didn't think that Mimi would have contacted him so quickly! It was two days ago. Mimi also failed to mention that Willis was coming so soon.
"Look, just hear me out. How about I take you to dinner? My treat," he offered sweetly. Sora opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't thing of anything to say. What the hell was she supposed to do?
"Um...Sora?"
Sora's gaze snapped back to his when he called her name, and she sighed as she rubbed her eyes. She could already feel a migraine forming in the back of her head. Why was this happening to her? It must have been that string of bad luck kicking in...
Sora excused herself to Noriko, who was giving Sora curious look. Poor Noriko probably thought Sora was a lunatic after all this. Sora stood up and straightened her dress awkwardly when she felt Willis watching her, and quickly motioned for Willis to follow her out of the room.
As the door closed behind them, Sora turned to Willis in the hallway and flushed. She didn't like seeing him. She didn't like remembering what had happened between them. He seemed unfazed, however. Sora could tell how happy he was to see her...if only she could feel the same.
"Look, I know you're probably wondering why I came back to see you...it's just that, I don't know. This might sound crazy, but, I think I really like you, Sora. I don't know if it's the fact that you're so repulsed by me and I want to prove you wrong, or if it's because I actually felt a connection that night at the bar...I don't know. Just give me chance to make it up to you. I feel terrible about everything, and I want to make this right."
Sora looked into his blue eyes and pursed her lips. The notion was very sweet, but Sora couldn't help but feel a little freaked out. This guy came all the way back from America just because he wanted to see her? He barely knew Sora.
"L-Look, Willis, this is very sweet, but-"
"But what? What do you got to lose?"
Sora's heart suddenly sunk in her chest, "What?" she whispered.
"I said, what do you got to lose?" he reiterated with another hopeful look.
But, that was just it. Sora had so much to lose. Sora would lose Taichi.
"I know you're probably really creeped out right now, but just hear me out. Just give me one date. I'll prove to you that I'm not the guy you think I am."
Sora sighed, "I believe you. You don't have to prove anything to me-"
"I don't get it," Willis chuckled as he looked down at his shoes, "What are you so scared of? Are you scared that I'll hurt you like you're ex did? The one you mentioned that night at the bar?"
Sora pushed some of her auburn hair behind her ear and looked down at her shoes as well. Maybe that was it. Maybe she was scared to get hurt again. Was that why she was running away from what she had with Taichi?
"Yeah, I guess I am scared..."
Willis walked closer to her and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. Sora gazed back uncomfortably, not knowing what to do.
"Not every guy's gonna hurt you like he did, Sora. You just gotta give some people a chance. The more you push people away, the more you're gonna regret it. Do you want to live you're life asking 'what if?' after every guy who's tried to win your heart leaves? You won't find the right guy if you don't let anyone in."
His words hit her hard. He was right. This random guy from America who she had a one night stand with was telling her everything she needed to hear. Sora was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice Willis leaning down. When his lips pressed against hers, for a second she stood there in shock, but then she quickly pulled away and took a step back once she realized what was happening...and how wrong his lips felt against hers. They didn't feel like Taichi's.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"No, Willis, I'm sorry. I just- I really admire your determination, but-," Sora stopped to shake her head, and think of what she wanted to say. The only thing she could think of was, "Thank you."
He looked at her bewildered, "F-For what?"
"You made me realize something that I probably wouldn't have realized if you didn't come all the way to Japan," Sora placed a hand on his cheek apprehensively, "You're going to make some girl out there the happiest girl ever...but, I'm sorry, that girl's not me. I'm sorry you came all the way here...I'm sorry for all the trouble."
Willis sighed, obviously hurt by the whole scenario, "Well, seems like this trip was bust," he explained with a forced laugh, trying to ease the mood. Sora looked down with guilt, not really knowing what else to say.
"He's a lucky guy, you know."
Sora looked back up into his sweet blue eyes with a raised brow. He only laughed.
"I'm too late. Someone's already won your heart," he explained with a small smile. Sora blushed and tried to say something, but everything came out as a stutter.
"So, if he hadn't come around before me and swept you off your feet, would you have given me a chance?" he asked with eagerness, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Sora chuckled.
"Goodbye, Willis."
He grinned, "I'm gonna take that as a 'yes.'"
Sora shook her head with a smile before heading back into her office. Willis grabbed onto her hand quickly before she could walk back into the room, and she turned to look at him again.
"Can I at least take you out to dinner one day as a friend? I'm gonna be in Japan for a couple of months because I signed up for a job here anyway, so the least you could do, since you busted my trip, is let me take you out."
Sora smiled, "I'd like that."
"Awesome," he laughed, "I'll see you around, Sora Takenouchi."
Everything after that was a rushed blur. All Sora remembered was apologizing to Noriko before grabbing her coat and leaving the office. She briskly walked to her car and turned on the engine, driving away subconsciously as she thought about everything.
God, why was she so stupid? Yes, she and Taichi had only been fooling around for almost one month, and his sudden confession seemed way too early, but now it all made sense. Taichi was her best friend before they got together, and he already loved her as a best friend. Maybe falling in love wasn't as drastic of a step as she initially thought. They already loved each other, and now they were exploring a deeper part of their relationship; a deeper part of their love.
Sora thought about his cheeky, lop-sided grin, and the way he taunted endlessly about everything. She thought about the way he looked at her when no one else was around, and the way he'd smile at her when everyone was bustling around them. She thought about their first night together at Yamato's wedding... how it felt so right to be in his arms, and how perfect it felt to wake up next to him that morning.
All this time, she'd never realized that the best friend who was always right beside her was what she needed all along. All she ever wanted was someone who she could feel comfortable with, laugh with, joke around with; someone who would love her and be there forever...And he was always right there, right in front of her eyes, and she'd never realized him.
Willis was right. He was right about everything. She couldn't let her fears ruin what she had with Taichi. She just couldn't.
Sora parked her car and quickly ran out of towards the twenty-floor high building, locking her car automatically as she quickened her pace. Once she entered, she quickly paced into the elevator, pressing Taichi's floor. It seemed like forever until she finally reached her destination. With sweaty palms, Sora exited the elevator and made her way in front of Taichi's door. Now that she was there, it took her a couple of seconds to regain her composure. Her heart was beating wildly, especially since she rushed her way in front of his door. She closed her eyes to calm the churning in her stomach.
Finally, she turned the nob and walked into the room.
Taichi was sitting at his desk, on the phone with someone, until Sora stepped into his room. For a second, he just stared at her in shock, and then he quickly apologized to the person on the phone before hanging up.
All of a sudden, Sora stopped in her tracks. She couldn't move. She just looked at him and bit her lip anxiously. There he was. Right there. Like he always was, all this time.
"Sora?" he called, standing up from his chair, "What're you doing here?"
She didn't answer, she just gazed at him. Taichi furrowed his brows, and walked in front of his desk. He wanted to get closer to her, but also didn't want to scare her away. And, boy, did he knew how good he was at doing that, especially after last night.
"Sor...?" he called again, and this time he got a reaction. Sora looked down at her shoes, but still didn't say anything. This was weird...Taichi didn't know what to do. The only thing he could think of was to explain himself for his actions last night, so he took a deep breath and sighed.
"Look, Sor, about last night...I didn't mean 'I love you' as in 'I'm in love with you,'...I just meant it more like, 'Hey, wow, we're best friends and we're doing this. Man, I love you...as a best friend only.'" Taichi rambled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "I'm sorry if I scared you, I didn't mean it like that, really! I mean, who would ever say that to someone they've been hooking up with for only a month? That's just creepy-"
Sora chuckled at his effort cover it all up, and it only made her love him so much more. She quickly walked up to him and pressed her lips passionately against his. Taichi stood there in complete shock. He was so surprised, he couldn't even kiss her back.
"I love you, too."
This snapped Taichi out of his trance and he quickly gazed into Sora's vibrant auburn eyes. The only thing he could choke out was a pathetic, "What?"
Sora laughed, "I love you, stupid. I'm in love with you too, at least I'm pretty sure I am," she stated with a laugh. Taichi raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat.
"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, Ms. Takenouchi, but I didn't mean it like that-"
"Oh, shut it," she stated before pressing her lips against his again. This time, Taichi obliged happily, bringing her thin body closer to his. Sora sighed into his mouth. This felt right. This felt perfect.
As she pulled away, she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.
"I'm ready," she stated abruptly.
Taichi raised a brow, "Sora, we've already slept together...and that's the only thing I can think of when a woman says, 'I'm ready.'"
She laughed and shoved him a little, only to kiss him on the lips again.
"No, I'm ready to tell everyone...I think I'm ready to tell Mimi."
Taichi's eyes widened, and he quickly straightened out his suit out of habit, "Are you sure?"
Sora bit her lip and looked down at the ground, already feeling the pressure of what she was going to do; what she had to do. Mimi deserved to finally know the truth.
"I'm positive."
A/N: Okay, so I just wanna say I'm sorry for putting so much of Sora's perspective! It was necessary to lead up to what's happening next, which I hope you're all anxious for because I've been building it up (fml, too much pressure!)
