Before I knew it, the day had finally come. I didn't really care about my birthday. It was never a high priority item on my list. Although, this one was special. This was the only one Mama wanted to plan for me. I was finally sixteen and I could get the big ass birthday party of my dreams. Fortunately, Daddy knew me well enough to plan it without me. With the exception of getting my dress. That was all Abuelita and I was cool with that. As was he. But despite the giant fucking party that would ensue later tonight, all I wanted was to stay right where I was.
I had my bed and my Ritsu. What more could I want? Sure, I wouldn't have minded if he would've moved his big ass head off my boob, but there's not much there to squish. Still, it hurts! Without even opening my eyes, I slid him down to my ribs, where we'd both be a little more comfortable. And now, I could go back to sleep without any problem. There. Now, all I wanted to do was stay just like this. At least until noon. However, I knew better. There was no fucking way that would happen. Someone's going to come in here and ruin the sweet serenity we had going on. But for now…We had this.
Creeeak…
God. Dammit.
"Reila…" a gentle voice called out from the doorway. Ok. A little less pissed off, "Despierta, niñita."
"Mmm…" I groaned, moving a little closer to Ritsu. Why did he have to be the little spoon? I mean, I'm not complaining, but it'd be nice to have somewhere to hide here.
"Reila…" Abuelita's voice spoke a little firmer this time, "Despierta…"
"Alright, alright," I whined, not bothering to open my eyes. Maybe if I'm lucky, after she leaves my room, I can clock back out for another half hour, "Buenos dias, Abuelita."
"Buenos dias," she took a seat at the edge of my side of the bed. Fuck. So much for going back to sleep. But then, she gave me a strange look. More specifically, my bedmate, "Reila…Is that Ritsu?"
"Si, Abuelita," I tried not to roll my eyes. She really should know better. If Daddy had a problem with this, Ritsu would've had the guest room since day one.
"Despierta, Reila," Abuelita let Ritsu sleep right where he was, "Es fiesta tiempo…"
"That's not until tonight," I rubbed my eyes, "Why can't I sleep for a little longer?"
"Because," she ordered, "You still need to get ready."
"Abuelita," I pouted, "I'm still tired. Jetlag is a cruel mistress. And there's thirteen hours difference between here and Tokyo."
"You're telling me about jetlag?" Abuelita scoffed, "Really? As if I'm not dealing with it, too? Reila…"
"But mine's more than yours," I buried my face in my pillows.
"Quieres café, niñita?"
"Si, por favor."
"Alright," Abuelita got up from my bed, kissing my forehead, "Happy birthday, Reila. Te amo."
"Te amo tambien," I melted inside, "Muchas gracias."
"Rei…?" Way to go, Abuelita. You woke the baby.
"Shh…" I cradled Ritsu against my chest (still in a much more comfortable position), "Vuelve a dormir, cariño. Es bien…"
"If you say so…" Granted, Ritsu didn't have a fucking clue as to what I just said, but he rolled with it. Unfortunately, I still had to get up and get ready for tonight, so I probably won't be seeing much of him today. Until tonight anyway. I wish we could go over his footwork one last time, but I think he's got it. And Ritsu on little to no sleep isn't pretty.
Carefully, I pushed him off me and got out of bed. As much as every fiber of my being was telling me otherwise. No, Rei. Stay in bed. Go back to sleep. You're fighting jetlag and your willpower. It's your birthday and you can do whatever you damn well please. Or I could listen to what Abuelita says. Daddy's word may be law around here, but Abuelita's word is the fucking commandments. I was looking forward to the poking and prodding for today like a hole in the head, but I'll be fine. I'm sure. I hope anyway.
Lucky for me, the same woman that chopped all my hair off when I was nine was kind enough to come to me. Thank God. I had coffee on the way. I didn't have to do my hair and makeup today. And I knew exactly where my boyfriend was. I didn't have a single care in the world. Although, as I sat in the salon chair with half my hair covered in tin foil (because I was feeling spicy and highlights seemed to be the way to go), my phone started going off. Not that I was complaining.
"Yeah?" I answered my phone.
"Hey, Rei," Haruhi chimed, "Happy birthday."
"Thank you, Haruhi," I awed, my insides turning to mush, "I wasn't expecting any of you to know."
"We're best friends," she pointed out, "Of course I'm going to…"
"Kyoya?" I assumed, cutting her off.
"Expect about five more of these calls to come in before the end of today."
"Your today or my today?" I wondered.
"Probably your today," Haruhi assumed, "But did you have anything planned for today?"
"I do," I nodded, "I'm actually in the middle of getting ready for that as we speak. My birthday party's tonight if you want to catch a red eye."
"Don't tell the others that," she teased, "Because if you're not careful, they will. And we all know how that would go."
"I'm sure my uncles would stop them at the door," I figured, "Anyone I say no to doesn't get in. Only a choice few would be ok."
"In other words, leave Tamaki-senpai outside."
"In the New York winter," I giggled, feeling a tad sadistic, "I couldn't do that. I'm not that heartless. Granted, I can be a cold bitch, but I'm not leaving anyone outside to freeze. I know better than that."
"At least you have a moral compass," Haruhi giggled on the other end, "When are you coming back? We miss you."
"After New Year's," I promised, "I'll be back before you know it. Don't worry. Are the boys really wearing you down that much?"
"No," she reported, "The biggest of my headaches isn't even in the country right now."
"Excuse me?" I wondered, "Haruhi, I'm hurt. What did Ritsu and I ever do to you?"
"It's not you," she clarified, "It's Tamaki-senpai. He left the country, too. He's in France for the week."
"That's nice," I let it go, "Look, Haruhi, I'd love to sit and bullshit some more, but I'm in the middle of something time sensitive right now. I'll call you back later."
"Ok" Haruhi chirped, "That's fine."
"Neat," I could feel the glare from my stylist burn a hole in my skull, "I'll send pictures, too."
"Got it," she approved, "I'll talk to you soon."
"Bye." I missed Haruhi. Yeah, Ritsu's great, but it'd be nice to have a girl friend here, too. Oh, well. I sat and waited for my hair to finish lifting the wickedly dark color out of itself. Then, I could put something fun in it. Might as well match my dress, right?
I just hope Ouran dress codes don't get all pissed off about it. If they do, then that's their problem, not mine. Besides, black and purple just go together. After a few rounds of bleaching, the highlights finally didn't look orange anymore. In all seriousness, I look fucking cute. It was only in a few spots, but I'm kind of feeling the blonde. However, that's not what I was here for. Abuelita said it herself. I need more color in my life.
"Look at you, princess," Daddy walked in just before the good part in complete awe, "You're adorable!"
"Hi, Daddy," I smiled, my feet swinging over the chair.
"Happy birthday, baby girl," he kissed my cheek, "Is this as far as you're taking this?"
"Nope," I shook my head, "I still have one last thing to do. But I'm a little worried."
"Why?" Daddy sat next to me, "What's eating you, Rei?"
"Well," I chewed on my bottom lip, "Ritsu, we know him, we love him."
"Go on."
"Whenever the occasion comes up," I told him, "And I'm kind of a babe like this, he gets the most torrential nosebleeds. Personally, I take them as a compliment, but he loses a shit ton of blood."
"Should I be worried?" Daddy laughed a bit.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," I hoped. Just in case, though, I kept a couple packs of tissues in my bag. A recent habit I've picked up, "Speaking of Ritsu, where is he?"
"At home, last I checked," he reported, "He's keeping watch over the place."
"Now would be a bad time to tell you Ritsu's a pyro, wouldn't it?"
"Excuse me?!"
"Joking, Daddy," I giggled, "Ritsu's not a pyro."
I should give him a call, though. Just to check in. He's in a foreign country by himself. I'd hate for him to get into trouble. Without me anyway. Daddy wiped the sweat from his forehead, "You're a little shit, Reila."
"I try," I laid my head on his shoulder, hoping to lessen the blow, "I do get it from you. That's not my fault. Blame genetics."
"I'm sure Abuelita would say the same thing," he draped an arm around me, "But I need to go make sure our building's still standing. Are you going to be ok here by yourself?"
"I'll be fine," I promised, "You don't need to worry about me, Daddy. I got this. If all else fails, I'll cut a bitch."
"You got your knife on you?" Daddy wondered. He should've known better. I pulled up the leg of my jeans and showed him the beautiful piece of hardware tucked away in my boot. Don't get me wrong. I loved my new one, but there's no going wrong with an old classic. Besides, I couldn't take my new one with me. Getting it past TSA would've been hell. Daddy kissed my forehead, "That's my girl. How much longer until you're done here?"
"Probably an hour or so," I figured, "Give or take."
"You want me send Ritsu to get you?"
"That's ok," I brushed him off, "I can manage the subway on my own. I haven't forgotten how the subway system worked. It's not much different from taking the bullet train."
"That's because you were born and raised right here," Daddy smiled, "The subway system is practically engrained in your brain. Between Mama and me, if it wasn't, she ran off with one of those stuck up pricks from the country club Victoria wanted to set her up with."
"Daddy…"
"Got it," he apologized, "I'll see you later, Rei. I love you, princess."
"I love you, too," I sent him off to presumably check on Ritsu. It's nice that they genuinely enjoy each other's company. Daddy's usually incredibly protective of me. Mostly out of necessity. But…He just doesn't want me getting caught up with a bad crowd. And he couldn't say Ritsu was falling into a bad crowd. That'd make him a hypocrite. And if there was one thing Daddy hated in this world more than a snitch, it was a hypocrite.
As I sat in the chair a little while longer, waiting for my purple color to process, I needed a way to kill time. And what better way than a little phone call with my favorite bad influence? That isn't Daddy. After a couple rings, I heard the other end click and a grumbly voice answer, "Yeah…?"
"Hey, baby," I bit my lip, holding back a smile.
"Hi," Ritsu softened up, "You doing ok, Rei?"
"I mean," I shrugged, "It's been nothing but hair pulling and the occasional bursting into tears for the last couple hours, but I think I'll be ok."
"You need me to come down there?" I love this boy.
"No," I settled him, "I'm fine, Ritsu. Really. I'm good."
"That's good," Ritsu suddenly turned shy, "Because…Well…I kind of miss you."
"I miss you, too," I melted inside, "I'll be back soon enough. Then, you'll have me all night."
"Promise…?" I wanted to keep him in my pocket. For whatever reason, Ritsu seemed extra cute today.
"I promise." And I don't understand why. To be honest, it had me nervous. Because this level of sweetness usually meant someone was kissing ass because they fucked up. I've had a few of my guys in the narrows pull that shit on me and it led to them meeting the business end of my bat. However, that was them. This was Ritsu. Ritsu's not going to fuck me over. He's seen what I'm capable of. He knows better.
"Ok," Ritsu let out a heavy sigh, "And you're sure I don't need to come down there? Hold your hand through the pain?"
"I'm positive," I giggled a little, "Honestly, Ritsu. I have a better pain tolerance than you think. I can handle a little hair pulling for the sake of vanity. But I appreciate the sentiment."
"You're welcome," he laughed with me, "Look, I got a thing or two in town I need to do. You want anything while I'm out?"
"I'm out and about, too," I pointed out, "I got it handled. Are you sticking in Williamsburg?"
"No," Ritsu told me, "I'm going somewhere in…Green…Witch…Village."
Aww…He's not local. But that was fucking adorable, "You mean, you're going to Greenwich Village?"
"Did I fuck that up?"
"A little."
"But yeah," Ritsu shook it off, "I'm going to Greenwich Village. You need anything while I'm there?"
"Not that I can think of," I ran through my list in my head. Most of it, I could get within a ten block radius of where I was now, "But thank you. Be careful."
"What?" he worried, "Is Greenwich Village not in your territory?"
"We're on good terms with the family that runs most of Greenwich Village," I assured, "If shit goes down, let me know. I got you."
"Thanks, baby," Ritsu awed, "I love you."
"Love you, too."
Click.
Can I keep him? I'm keeping him. If I'm not careful, I might fly back to Japan with him…At this point, I didn't even care if we fucked up tonight. If we did good, that's great. If we don't, then we don't. I didn't care. I knew he was trying his damnedest. Bless him. However, I couldn't help but be a little curious. What the fuck would he have to do in Greenwich Village? He's been here for all of about a week and we've been together for most of that. I don't ever remember him getting into anything that would require him going to Greenwich Village. Whatever floats his boat, I guess. But for now, I needed to rinse my hair out and (from what I understand) have my bathtub be purple for the next week.
When I got home, the house was empty. That's weird. I didn't think I'd be all by myself. No Daddy. No uncles. No Abuelita. Ritsu had run off to Greenwich Village for whatever reason. It's just me. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was back in my penthouse in Tokyo. But then, I looked out my window and saw the beautiful view of Williamsburg out the living room window. Yeah…I'm not in Tokyo anymore.
Well, while I'm here, I might as well get dressed, too. It's not like I needed any help with it. I could manage. Although, I could still smell the bleach in my hair and it drove me nuts. Candles? I'm thinking candles. Granted, Daddy didn't like when I burned candles while I was home alone (on the off chance I decided to take a nap and forget about them. Fire hazard and such), but I'm all kinds of full of piss and vinegar. The chances of me forgetting about them is slim to none. I had a couple that smelled like churros and magic. That'll do.
When I finished getting dressed, I looked myself over in the mirror. Holy shit, Rei. Dare I say you're fucking hot? Because goddamn, girlfriend. I did promise Haruhi some pictures. And because I was feeling spicy, I thought why not send them to the rest of the host club, too? Let them see what they're missing. Fuck it. Let them blow up my phone. It's totally worth it. Because quite frankly, I'm damn near giving myself a nosebleed. Ritsu, on the other hand? Ritsu may need to go to the emergency room tonight.
"Hi…" Speak of the devil.
"Hi," I didn't even turn around. I didn't have to. I knew exactly what was happening. For Ritsu's sake, I just hope he's not wearing white.
"So?" Ritsu threw himself on the bed, staring directly up at my ceiling, "How was your day?"
"Well," I sat next to him, looking like a hot ass bitch according to my mirror, "So far, I'd say it's gone pretty well. What do you think?"
"Well," he sat up, caught completely off guard. Although, I'm a little disappointed in the lack of nosebleed. That's really what I was aiming for, "My God, Rei…"
"What?" I cocked my head, only adding fuel to the fire.
"You're really cute," Ritsu pulled me into his arms, holding me tight, "How did I ever mistake you for a dude?"
"Because," I pointed out, "I wore a boy's uniform and have no boobs. Common misconception. But I also have legs that don't quit and don't get to see much in an Ouran uniform and some thick thighs that save lives, so…Hindsight."
"But still," he cradled my cheek in his hand, "You're so beautiful, Rei."
"Would you look at that?" I teased him a bit, an absolute puddle on the inside, "I've made you go soft, Ritsu."
"Worth it," Ritsu didn't even hesitate, "Totally worth it. You ready to go yet, baby?"
"Yeah," I nodded, "I'm ready whenever you are."
"But before I go do that," he rolled over to the other side of the bed, "I want to show you what I got in Greenwich Village."
"Very good," I praised, giving him a pat on the head, "You're learning. Now, manage through the subway system on your own and I'll be impressed."
"Shut up," Ritsu giggled a little, "I've been here for a week without ever being here before. Sue me. Anyway, I want to show you what I got."
"Alright," I let it go, "What'd you get?"
"Well," he dug in the little, dark blue bag, "I figured the queen should be dripping in diamonds, so…"
Ritsu opened the box and draped a silver chain around my neck. I could feel the little diamond pendent fall on my skin. Now, I felt like a bitch for making fun of him, "Ritsu…This was so sweet."
"Your dad told me about a place in Greenwich Village," Ritsu confessed, "I might have made an order yesterday while you were out with Abuelita."
"Ritsu," I awed, giving him a well-earned kiss, "Thank you. You didn't have to do this."
"It's my girlfriend's birthday," he scoffed, "If I didn't, what kind of piece of shit am I?
"You're not," I cuddled into him, showing off my wrist, "It matches my bracelet nicely, too."
"Yes, it does," Ritsu held back a smile, "I'm glad you like it, Rei."
"Of course I do," I looked it over a little closer. The teardrop shape worked with my dress nicely, too, "Now, if it's alright with you, we have a party to attend."
"I don't take long," he promised, giving me one last kiss, "You and me, baby."
"You and me," I sent him off. Tonight's going to be a good night. I could feel it.
Beep…
Beepbeepbeep…
Beepbeep…
"Rei!" Ritsu wondered, "What's got your phone all excited?"
Mistakes…Mistakes were made.