.
i feel like reality filtered into
my vision by knowing love
near the meaning of life,
you squeeze my hand back tightly
i was in this rusting world grasping
at uncertainties but
the answer you give me
.
living dolls - ONE OK ROCK
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[LIFELINES]
chapter thirty-nine: sugar-coated
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"How have you been, Yamato?"
I recline back on the rigid chair. By now, I'm not surprised I haven't burned a hole in it by the amount of times I've sat on this same, old, chair. Most visits I've felt apprehensive and agitated sitting in this office. How many times my eyes would flicker towards the door, yearning to get out...to escape. I had hated this place because I was restricted, caged up. It's only post-rehab that I've noticed why I hated the place.
I hated thinking. I hated being cornered. I hated remembering and I absolutely hated feeling. I hated facing my thoughts and, for years, I've been pretending that I've been doing well. I've been doing fine.
How wrong I had been...
On the other hand, now when I'm in Makoto's office I'm less frantic. It's become a safe-house, a quiet sanctuary. It's what I make out of it. When I was younger I had abused the system, ignoring, acting out and - like I said earlier - pretending I was all right. Of course Makoto had other thoughts about my coping mechanisms and wellbeing. He knew I wasn't in the right mental state to take it seriously...until now.
Until I had to literally be admitted into rehab. Until I saw how badly I was coping, and the awful things I did to myself and everybody around me.
And now that I'm actually using therapy as a strategy to 'get better', it's been easing a lot of my inner thoughts.
Sometimes you need a different perspective to approach things, sometimes you need to get rid of the toxic things in your life - whether it be people, addictions, and bad physical health. I'm lucky that most of the people in my life haven't been too toxic. Sure, I've had issues with my mother and with Takashi...but generally the people who surround me have always been there for me - I just chose to ignore them.
"Yamato?"
"How have you been, Makoto-sensei?"
I fold my arms, shooting a small smile at Makoto-sensei. I counter back, "How have you been, Makoto-sensei?"
He's surveying me with twinkling eyes, psycho-analysing my next move, of what I'm going to do or say. He's known me too long that I'm certain he's memorised all my techniques, gestures and approaches to his questions. It's like a quiet chess match. I'm feeling kinda mischievous because I'm in a weird mood. Sora packed me curry-flavoured popcorn as a snack for work - that's got to be it.
"I'm well," Makoto-sensei replies. "Now, can you answer my question?"
"I'm doing well too. But, come on, Makoto-sensei. That question is such a broad one. I expected more from you," I say. "Bring in the interrogation you're withholding from me. Stop holding back. I know how excited you are about imparting your special words of wisdom."
He chuckles at me. "What I mean to say is that Satou-san told me about how the media has been bugging you."
I know where this is going. "Yeah, I kinda had a meltdown a week ago."
He angles his head, studying me. "For somebody who had a meltdown, it looks like you're doing fine - or are you ignoring the pressing situation-"
"I'm not," I cut in. "I'm actually ready to face it, Makoto-sensei. Sora has helped me out, and Satou-san, the members...we've devised a plan."
Makoto-sensei nods.
"Kaori…" my throat dries up. "Ah, we've found a way to keep them quiet about her. Sora though - she's going to take a bit of a hit instead. I don't want her too, but she's just as stubborn as me. She said that I can rely on her. I feel bad though."
"Do you feel like a burden?"
I bitterly chuckle. "When don't I?"
"Maybe that's the thing though, Yamato-kun," Makoto-sensei resorts to the old way he used to address me. I don't know because he's doing it intentionally, or because he still sees me as a teenager deep down. He explains, "It's alright to rely on people too. That's something that you're currently learning, what you're working on. You've been going solo for so long, and now you're adjusting to opening up to people. It's not easy, it'll take a while. For example, how long did it take for you to get used to me?"
"Centuries."
He laughs at my comment.
From our regular one-on-one sessions with him, he already knows about Sora. He doesn't talk or focus on her much, but I can tell he thinks highly of her whenever her name is spoken. I had filled in Makoto-sensei about everything. He knows what I did to her, and he also knows that she's still in my life.
"So how are you...really?"
"Well."
Makoto-sensei gives me a look.
"Don't you like my sugar-coated answer?"
"That's rhetoric."
Reaching across the desk, I grab an orange-flavoured candy. I unwind it from the wrapper, plopping it in my mouth. A burst of orange explodes in my mouth. The candies in Makoto-sensei's office have always been on the tasty side.
"I'm doing well for what's been going on," I say. "I think I would have crashed and burned if Sora hadn't been around. However, I do know that I'm in a better headspace then I was. The meds are helping. Exercise is helping. You, Sora...everybody - you're all great supporters."
"That's good to know, Yamato." His reply is genuine. This is why I've always liked Makoto-sensei. He genuinely means what he says. He wants the best for all his patients, and he's the only psychiatrist that I've built a strong rapport with.
"I also know I'm prone to fall down again - but that's OK. At least I know what to do now, who to speak to, who to go to," I say. "I've dealt with depression long enough to know that it won't forever disappear. It's just about finding ways to pick myself again - and not by myself, but with other people's help."
Makoto-sensei nods again. "I'm glad you finally are acknowledging this, Yamato. This is major progress and the biggest hurdle to overcoming anything is knowing what you have, and how you manage it."
"It's you too, Makoto-sensei," I tell him. "You've done so much for me over the years. And I…"
My chest tightens and I laugh as warm tears start to fall down. It's cathartic. It's relieving to actually reach this point. To know that things can turn up. Most of my life, I've felt that I've been continuously facing a dead end. Despite how successful I've been, my negative thoughts would weigh me down. And, you know what? I know they will still.
It's sugarcoating to say that everything will keep going how we want it to - because it won't. Life doesn't work that way.
And after the obstacles I've had to face, I can make some sort of sense out of the puzzle that keeps collecting pieces.
You've got to keep going because life can also surprise you. You can meet new people, get offered new opportunities - it's an endless story of pathways and courses.
It's upsetting that Kaori never got to experience this, never got to live for a better day. I hope she's looking at me from above, watching, and seeing that there's much more out there and that giving up is not the only way to solve everything. That, if she ever gets a second chance, that she won't commit suicide again. I hope the Gods will forgive her, that they give her another shot - another chance...like I had been given.
Like a kid, Makoto-sensei has grabbed a bundle of tissues and is pushing it towards my eyes, my nose. I'm a disgusting mess. Screw masculinity. I laugh through my tears and as he's about to sit on his side of the desk, I tug him back and give him a hug.
"Thank you, Makoto-sensei."
The moment I had stepped into Makoto-sensei's office as a broken teenager, all my flaws were already exposed. There's no point hiding my gratitude when he's done so much for me.
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We haven't just yet put our plan into action, but I'm already feeling distressed and complacent.
With all the negative things that have been flung at my direction, perhaps I've become numb to everything - desynthesized to every bad circumstance that I'm thrust in. I'm still alive though. Amongst all the crazy I've dealt with, I'm still here. I've gone through the worst so I feel like I can get through everything else...especially knowing that she's here with and for me.
I'm currently chilling out, lying across the bed, blanket half on and half off. For the past half hour, I haven't been doing anything but watching my girl get changed in and out of outfits.
Maybe this is what one calls goals? If I said this in front of Takeru, he'd probably shake his head and say that I'm too old to use the darn term.
But hey, I really do stand by it. Having your partner slip in and out of clothes is goals.
If I could, I'd be happy to watch this scene go on repeat over and over again - even nude would be nice. Alright, I'll stop being a sleaze...but I can't help but think dirty thoughts when Sora's got a good body. You can't blame me here. Because she keeps herself in shape, everything that she's tried on so far looks good on her. She can pull off any style.
Sora's now in the middle of turning her body, back and forth, checking herself out in the mirror. Her grey jeans are a tight fit, and her ass looks good. As for her top? Well...she isn't particularly wearing one. She's only got this pretty black lacy bra.
"What?" She peers at me through the mirror, eyebrows raised.
I smirk. "Nothing."
She hides a not-so-secret coy smile back.
And yeah, I'm not completely clueless here. She's doing this all on purpose to stir me up. With each day that I spend with her, her moves on me have been getting more bold, moves that easily could get me to sleep with her if that particular night hadn't happened. Although I haven't been following along with her motives, I have enjoyed her attempts to wind me up. I can't say that I haven't been flustered.
She's proving to get better at it, and there are times I've almost been tempted to hit third base. She's driving me insane. It's funny because stereotypically, it's the guy that gets impatient when waiting for their partner to 'put out' - but it's the reverse this time. I mean, we've already done the deed before...but this time it's different.
This is because I want us to work.
I have promised her that after the baseball game when we're 'official official', I'd cave into her seductive prowess. She had rolled her eyes at me and said she was getting impatient, horny and that I was too 'old school' for her. I had laughed so hard at that. I'm taking our relationship step by step. As frustrating as it may be for her, I'm not taking any chances to ruin what we have again.
Because she's always with me, I do admit...that sick feeling of guilt has been decreasing. Maybe because she always tells me, she always comforts me, she always says it's fine to let go. And, above all, she's expressed to me numerous times that I have to learn to forgive myself. Easier said than done, but I'm trying.
"So...what do you think?"
She's gotten rid of the jeans and is now wearing a simple halter, cream dress with a coral and purple floral print. Sora does a spin, and I see the neat bow behind her neck, and her toned shoulders and smooth back.
"You look great." I automatically reply.
Sora clicks her tongue and accuses me, "Yamato, you're not even looking at me."
"Oh, I've definitely been looking." I flash another smirk. It's wiped off my face when she throws her jeans at me. The jeans land on my face. Pushing the jeans off my face, I grumble, "Why are you getting all riled up about this anyway? We're only seeing my mother."
"Precisely!" she exclaims. "First impressions are a must!"
"Right."
She sighs. "Why am I even reasoning with you? As if you can understand this gruelling process! You're a guy - you put on pants and a dress shirt...and wa-lah, you're done!"
"What can I do?" I reply, stretching and rolling onto my back. "I'm living the best life."
She tosses a shoe at me. Luckily, this time, it doesn't hit me and lands at the edge of the bed before falling down onto the carpet.
"We're going for High Tea. It's not a cafe or anywhere casual. This is a very important day. Your mother will be wearing something fancy too, am I right?"
I tilt my head in thought. "She probably is...but that's how she's always been, so don't stress."
Rolling off the bed, I sit on the side of it, observing my girlfriend freak out.
"Don't stress?" Sora cries out incredulously. Her cheeks are puffed up and pink. "How can I not stress when-"
I'm behind her, arms wrapping around her thin waist. I rest my chin on the top of her head, staring at our reflection in the mirror. "There's no need to stress. You look fine, Sora."
She sighs. "But it's your mother."
"So what?" I tell her. "Just do you. Be you. That's all I ask for. She'll like you regardless. I know so."
"And if she doesn't?"
"It's not biggy," I laugh. She doesn't like my response because I see her shoulders freeze up. I take this opportunity to bring her closer into the embrace.
"My mother and I...we didn't get along for most of my life, and she knows that no matter what she says, I make my own choices. She's a tough cookie, but she also knows how much you've been here for me. She knows if she doesn't accept me, she'll lose me again. And, well, I don't think she's willing to take that risk now that her and I are good. Besides, I'll let you in on a secret…"
She angles her head at me, gazing at me curiously. "What?"
"My mother likes you more than Kaori and Jun. Granted, that I was teen when I was with Kaori and Jun...well, she knew we were just fooling around. She hated her." I smile. "Whereas you - she knows you're a working woman, you're not after my cash. She knows you've seen me at my worst, and wonders why you're even still with me."
"How come I feel like she knows more about me than I know about her?"
"Because of Takeru," I admit. "He's a bit of a goss."
She frowns. "Your brother is annoying."
"Tell me about it."
Sora sulks for a few more minutes. I stop myself from saying that she's cute when she sulks (because I know she'll get mad). And, after a lot of convincing from my end, she takes my hand and we leave the apartment.
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I don't know why Sora was worrying; my mother and her are getting along fine. It's scary.
In fact, they've been chattering non-stop.
Minus the first ten minutes of awkward introductions, between egg sandwiches and raspberry scones they found that they clicked and they've been speaking to each other like no tomorrow. I wonder if they're even breathing? I can't keep up with how fast they've been speaking. I've been zoning out a lot.
Throughout the whole fiasco, Yutaka has sent me reassuring smiles from behind the piano. And yeah, of course my mother picked the hotel that my friend worked at for High Tea. This place brings back quite some memories. Asides from KOD members owning the penthouse, this hotel was where Sora and I had gone after that one time we played baseball with Taichi and Mimi.
My cheeks feel warm as I begin to remember it all. We had slept together that night.
Gazing across the table, I watch Sora nod to whatever my mother says. Her brown eyes are bright, and there's a gentle smile on her lips as she replies to my mother. She takes a glass of rose to her lips. As she does it, she catches my eyes. She gives me a questioning stare. I smile at her because I don't know what else to do. There's no way I'll contribute to their posh conversation-
"Sora has good taste, don't you think?" My mother says. She gestures to the dress Sora's wearing, like I haven't seen it before...like I hadn't seen her put it on in the first place. "The fabric is marvellous and you can tell it's top quality."
Yes, my mother always goes for things 'top quality'. Sometimes I can't help but think how our parents afforded to send us to school when she had such expensive taste.
Sora, thankfully, interjects before I can think of what to say. "Maybe just this dress. I usually go for half price clothing. After a few adjustments and alterations, clothing can transform into something that can look more trendy and expensive."
Really? I inwardly groan to myself by how boring and mundane their topic of conversation is. I dig my spoon into the chocolate moose - even though I hate chocolate moose.
"I love your heels too."
"Thanks," Sora blushes.
My mother really is full of compliments today. I haven't heard her once say a bad thing to Sora. Then again, me on the hand...although we're both good with each other, she can't seem to hold back her opinions of how my skin looks horrible, how I should have polished my shoes. Basically, spouting out miniscule things to get under my skin. And it's ironic because it's only lately I've come to the realisation that she's only being a mother.
"I heard from Taeko-san how you helped out with the interior for my daughter-in-law's childcare. I've dropped by a few times, and I have to say...you've done a great job." My mother, yet again, praises Sora. "It's refurbished well. The colours are harmonious and the lighting is much better with the new paint job."
It's a good thing that Sora doesn't possess a large ego, because if she did she would have exploded from all the compliments my mother has been dishing out.
"When Taeko-san described Sora, I knew you'd match well. See? I know your type!" My mother boasts to me. She forks into the passionfruit cheesecake. "I only want the best for you."
I don't know if I'm feeling sick from all the desserts we've been devouring, or by how lame my mother is acting around us. Then again, I've never really been much of a sweet tooth. I'd trade this whole High Tea process for a bowl of popcorn any day.
Sora kicks me under the table. Both women are staring at me from across the table. They must have asked me something, and I obviously hadn't paid attention.
"Yamato, your mother said that she deserves the credit for getting us together."
"God," I grumble. "I already knew Sora before you set us up, mother."
My mother dabs the edges of her mouth with a white napkin. "So you already liked her then…?"
I look at my mother in complete, utter aghast. And it's then that I notice that as soon as my mother places the napkin onto the table, I watch the corners of her lips quirk upwards. She's fucking with me? Has the world come to an end? Is my mother actually joking and trying to be funny?
Maybe because I'm feeling ambushed and (again) both women are eyeing me, I mutter. "Well, I wouldn't be introducing you to her if I didn't like her."
My mother beams at me.
It's after that I've spoken I realised that she's baited me into saying my light confession out loud. Although I shouldn't be embarrassed, I can't fight the wave of heat that radiates throughout my body. All I want to do is melt into my chair and disappear from this chaos.
Sora lightly giggles. I send her a look.
Really? I don't know why Sora had been worrying so much about my mother not liking her. If anything, I'm the one suffering the most here. Maybe I should just ditch the women and head back home? They seem to be getting along if they're discussing fashion and design - obviously a topic that I can't contribute to anyway. Don't get me wrong...I do love that Sora's passionate about what she does, but that doesn't mean I'm obliged to sit through another hour of this.
During moments like these, I wish dad was alive. If he was, I wouldn't be the only one suffering here. Actually, that wouldn't have worked regardless if he was alive. I don't remember the last time my parents had ever sat on the same table after their divorce. Even at Takeru's wedding my parents had been assigned different tables.
God, why am I thinking about this now? I frown. Because you wish you could have introduced her to dad too...
Guilt twists in the pit of my stomach as I think of my father. It's been a long time since I've thought about him, and I probably do need to visit his tombstone and pay my respects to him again soon. It's a shame because I know...I know that Dad would have loved Sora. Why do I know this? Well, it's because dad's the only male in our family who loves soccer. I can see them easily getting along and it kind of hurts that I'll never have that opportunity to introduce him to her. I note that in the future, I want to take Sora to the cemetery.
My mind is still occupied with thoughts about my dad as we leave the High Tea. Sora's small hand is in mine as we walk down the pavement.
"Yamato? Are you upset?" Her eyes are gazing at me, searching, attempting to read my thoughts.
I decide to bring up dad to her another time.
"I'm just thinking about how you've been lying through your teeth about meeting my mother." I comment, "You weren't nervous at all."
She squeezes my hand. "Did you expect me to put up a fight? Is that what you wanted?"
"No." I squeeze her hand back, turning to smile at her. "I'm amazed how strong you are. Getting on my mother's good side is incredible - even I haven't mastered that."
"You want me to teach you?" She arches an eyebrow.
I drawl. "I'd like you to teach me many things."
"Maybe after you meet my parents."
My stomach swirls from a different type of anxiety. Can I get through this? Meeting Sora's parents next week will be another mission. It's the last task left before we go public about our relationship. Although we don't mind that the rest of our friends will be finding out about us through the media, Sora and I had come to a conclusion that we had to tell our parents first before the news breaks out.
Because I haven't replied to her, Sora pivots her whole body to face me. She reads my despondent expression, which causes her to tiptoe on her heels to kiss me on the cheek. "They're nothing compared to what we've already been to. I know you'll be fine."
"I surely hope so."
.
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The embarrassing thing is out of the way - Project Baseball has been a success. And, what I've also learnt today, is that sports fanatics are crazy.
Oh, and did you know that Sora is one of them too?
She's been fangirling the whole baseball game. I had thought that soccer was her thing, but apparently baseball spectating is too. She's been frothing over a Hanshin Tigers player - not that I'm jealous; I'm just annoyed. There's a difference, OK?
As discussed between the media company, and myself, when the camera is to zoom in on us mid game, I'm meant to kiss her. Let's just say the media got more than a simple peck on the lips. I did more than kiss Sora - I dove in. Although she was all fangirl-y, she looked adorable in her short shorts and baggy hoodie. I had been wanting my mouth to cover hers as soon as I had dropped by to pick her up from her parents'.
Anyway, the media got more than they asked for. I had gone all in - and I remember how she had gasped when I had caught her off guard by how intensely I had kissed her. I indulged in it. If we kept going further, our kissing session could have landed us on a porno site. I'm usually one for privacy, but since we had no choice...I really didn't give a fuck anymore.
I'm happy it's finally out in the open. I was getting sick of all the secrecy. I wanted people to know that I was with her, even prior to the media attempting to blackmail us. I wanted those baseball men, yesterday, to know that too. (So maybe I was a bit jealous…).
The same goes for our friends. They all would know by now. I've assumed that the girls might not approve of Sora and I being together. However, at the end of the day, Sora chose to be with me. And, trust me, I've tried to talk Sora out of dating me many times. But has she left me? No.
If Sora believes in me, I have to believe in us too. I need to give my all as well. I want to create new memories with her, and I'm excited to also face new challenges with her by my side too. Being with her makes me want to grow.
I flip the pancake over on the frying pan. It's this nice golden brown.
Sitting next to the stove is a glass teapot. It's brewing the Orange Blossom Oolong - the tea that I had finally gifted to her yesterday (much to her non-surprise). She apparently already knew I had bought it for her ages ago. I guess it doesn't help when she's practically living with me.
Another thing I gifted yesterday was a bouquet of sunflowers for Sora's mother. I felt stupid it handing to Mrs. Takenouchi because...what are the chances? Sora's mother was the one who had suggested that I buy them. I had, idiotically, forgotten that her family owned a florist in Odaiba.
I don't believe in fate, but fate was teasing us yesterday. Scratch that - perhaps fate has been teasing us from the beginning? Instead of having Sora and I meet earlier, we had a delayed meeting compared to the rest of our mutual friends. Fate caused Sora to scramble onto the road, in the middle of the night, waving her hands frantically at an upcoming motorcyclist.
Digging the spatula under the cooked pancake, I lift it up and stack it onto the plate of pancakes.
Now that I think about it, Sora and I hadn't had dinner last night because uh, we had other things on mind…
It's no wonder why I'm starving. The last time I had something edible was the strawberry and matcha mochi from Sora's parents house.
Her parents are pretty cool. I can understand where Sora's quirkiness comes from. They're both warm people. Her father knows a thing or two about music, and he wasn't as scary as I thought he'd be. Sora's mother is adorable and I found out, much to Sora's abhor, that Mrs. Takenouchi is apparently a KOD fan. It was karma watching Sora squirm because she had made me equally flustered when I had rocked up at her parents' house 'unannounced'.
Enough that I had bought flowers from their parents' florist, but Sora had cheekily failed to inform them that I was going to meet them. When I had snuck a glance at Sora, I knew that she had done it on purpose.
That's the thing about Sora...sometimes I really don't know what to expect from her. She can be kind, gentle, caring - then all of a sudden spontaneous and sporadic. It's like she enjoys keeping me on my toes - not that I mind it. She had kept me on my toes all night, after all.
I let out a groan. I do not want to go hard again.
Because I had been stopping myself from sleeping with her, last night had been a spectacle. I lost count how many times we did it. All that pent up sexual frustration, from both myself and her, had brought us to the brink of insanity.
I pour another circle of pancake mix onto the frying pan, humming a non-sequential tune to myself.
Yes, at least the hard part is done. We're official to everybody, both the people around us and the public. Sora's taking it well. Then again, she's a tough cookie. She's stronger than I am, that's for sure.
Today marks the first day post our debut as a couple. We'll be keeping low. We don't even need to go out to do the interview with the media company, because I already had pre-recorded it. Sora's conveniently arranged this week to be her annual leave. During this week, asides from spending more time together, our aim is to go apartment hunting. Considering the location of my apartment is leaked to the press, moving out is a priority. And, since Sora stays at my apartment most nights now, we both agreed finding a place together made sense.
She was adamant that if I have a music room, she gets a study/art room. Additionally, we'd share a gym room. Aside from our bedroom, we also wanted a spare room in case any of our friends crash over, or if we get into an argument and can't stand each other. It seems like a lot of space for the two of us, but we can afford it. Although that extra room could potentially be for our friends, or even us if we were to fight...there was a quiet thing that we seemed both not comfortable to bring up. I guess, Mimi being pregnant and Miyako having a baby, it did occur to us that we could want a kid in the future. I mean, we haven't dared to touch the subject yet - but a possibility is a possibility. For now, I'm happy to see how things go between us.
"Mm...what smells good?"
I freeze when she materialises behind me, bringing the aroma of water lilies and vanilla with her. She nibbles my neck, and I let out a small groan. This time she's returning the back hug, only this time she's not wearing any clothes. Actually, she does have a bathrobe on, but she hasn't made the effort to tie it up. Her chest, her bare skin is grinding against my back.
"I guess your shower went well?" I choke out.
She lets out a glittery laugh. "I did ask you if you wanted to join me."
"I'm already satisfied," I huskily reply. "But sometimes I have to cater to a different hunger…"
"And what's that?"
"Pancakes."
She laughs again.
I swing around and she gives me a sultry look. My gaze drops and I see what I predicted. Yeah, she's only wearing a fluffy white bathrobe. The rest of her is naked. She bites her bottom lip and it's then that I know I can't take it anymore.
Lifting her up from the ground, I sit her onto the marble, kitchen bench top. Her back curves, leaning back against the splash-back. I push my body between her legs, her ankles hovering then resting on my shoulders. She's shuddering under me, her eyes burning, scalding as my lips cover her mounds. As I'm about to descend lower, I hear a gasp.
Unfortunately, it's a gasp that doesn't belong to Sora.
I growl as I watch Sora hastily cover herself up in the half-removed bathrobe. Her cheeks are a fierce red when she sits up. I don't even want to look back and see who has interrupted us.
How many times have we been interrupted already? Yes, this is exactly why Sora and I need to invest or rent out a new place. Does every-Goddamn-body have a spare key to my apartment?
I close my eyes tightly, exhaling out. I open them up again, harbouring my minuscule patience I have left as I pivot around to see who it is.
Fucking hell.
Taichi's pointing a quivering finger at me, mouth gaping. Mimi's next to him, covering her eyes with her hands, but it's a fake tactic because she is peeking through her fingers to look at us.
I glare at them. "What?"
"Is that all you're going to say?" Taichi shouts.
"Keep it down, will you?" Sora grumbles. At least Sora's just about as irritated as me for being interrupted. "This is nothing to get shocked about, Tai. Think of all the times I've walked in on you and Mimi at it? And do you remember when Yamato and I caught you-"
Mimi cries out, "That's besides the point! You hid that you were together from us."
"Not really," I reply. "Taichi's dropped by a few times. The extra toothbrush in the bathroom was a dead giveaway. I don't know why he didn't bring it up sooner. Most of Sora's belongings are spread out throughout my apartment. "
"That's not all that's being spread out." Taichi, of course, has to remark.
"TAICHI!" Sora yells at him before I can react.
Her cheeks are somehow redder now. She fumbles for the knife rack besides the teapot. I hold onto her, preventing a knife from being thrown at my best friend - even though I kinda want to throw one at him as well.
Sora and I should have expected this, really. We had made our grand escape via my motorcycle yesterday, driving off with Taichi and Mimi yelling after us. Our best friends had been at the game...so the news was delivered live to them from the spectating booths. I swear, Jun must have given them baseball tickets as a joke because I don't think they would have been at the game otherwise.
"Why are you here?" I question them, quite exasperated.
Mimi says, "Because we wanted to see that it was true for ourselves."
"And have you seen enough?" Sora snaps.
Taichi is cackling. For fuck's sake. That smirk on his face is not disappearing any time soon. The idiot is now sitting on a bar stool, anticipating everything unfold before him.
Eventually, our best friends stay for breakfast and eat most of the pancakes. Over breakfast, Sora and I fill them in about us, and other misc stuff of what they've missed out on. They're initially butthurt, but they let it slide. With that being said, the only reason they probably let it slide is because Sora and I had continuously brought up how they had eloped without telling us. This makes us even.
They then tell us that Mimi's pregnant with not one kid - but two. She'll be having twins. Taichi and her want Sora and I to be their children's' godparents. It's a no brainer what Sora's and my answer is. Takeru does call me a pro babysitter, and welcoming another two kids in our lives is a blessing.
After quite the amount of pushing on my end, I somehow get Taichi and Mimi to leave. When they're gone it's already late afternoon.
Sora and I are slumped on the sofa. She's as exhausted as I am. Eyes half-closed, her thin arms wrap around my torso. I pull her in closer, letting her snuggle against my chest.
She whispers, "I was dreading them finding out, but they took it better than I thought. At least that's over."
"For now," I murmur, kissing the top of her head. "I think we've got a lot more awkward situations to come."
She looks up at me, smiling. "At least you'll have me."
"True," I say. "I'm a very lucky man."
"You are."
I laugh, this time kissing her on the lips.
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(a/n) This is the last chapter - the Epilogue is to come next!
From the content in the epilogue, I estimate it won't be a short one. Therefore, don't take this chapter as it being the 'end end' yet. Haha. I can't believe this is almost over.
THANK YOU FOR READING :)
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Oh, and I also procrastinated and posted the Lifelines Music Playlist on my tumblr.
Link: patamon-ears . tumblr post / 648794698591404033 / lifelines-music-playlist (minus the spaces)
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(Will reply to reviews later today or tomorrow. thank you for reading!)