~Chapter Sixty~
When It Rains, It Pours
She won't make a sound,
Alone in this fight with herself
And the fears whispering.
She wants to be found;
The only way out is through everything
She's running from.
Stand in the rain.
Stand your ground.
Stand up when it's all crashing down.
You stand through the pain.
You won't drown...
~Stand in the Rain, by Superchick
Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.
Tamaki blurted, "What? You are still in town? Have you seen any signs of Haruhi-chan while in the shopping district? It is the busiest part of the town!"
"What?" I questioned him, face scrunched in confusion because, last I checked, Haruhi should have been with Tamaki. "Aren't you and Haruhi-chan supposed to be together? You did take her out for the first date, right?" I scowled into the phone. "You promised!"
"As I said, I keep my promises! We went to get ice cream, but w-well, uh, you s-see…" Tamaki trailed off but, hearing the silent fury at the other end of the line, cleared his throat and finished, "She and I argued – about something silly, too – and I returned to the Pension. Haruhi-chan is still out there somewhere…"
Eyes wide, I stared, horrified, out the big glass windows lining the front wall of the little café. Rain slithered likes snakes down the glass, weaving back and forth in little rivulets. It streaked the glass and made it hard to see. Outside, I could barely tell the difference between the men or women and children running around in search of shelter from the storm – the thunderstorm.
'Please don't take my sunshine away.'
"…in the rain?"
"Yes."
Sammy's P.O.V.
"HARUHI-CHAN…!"
Heart pounding wildly, I raced through the streets, sneakers slapping against the wet sidewalk like a mantra. Find Haruhi. Find Haruhi. Find Haruhi. I scanned all of the faces that passed by, desperately looking for her, for the girl that I considered family. Loved like family. People were vanishing left and right, leaving the stalls and busy streets of the shopping district to take shelter inside the little boutiques. It should have increased the chances of seeing her, but – no.
Maybe I should just try to find Waldo, instead! I grumbled. Thinking of the silly little comic and making the reference was an attempt to hide fear beneath irritation; it only made it worse, cancerous even.
"HARUHI-CHAN!" I called, though I wanted to cry or scream instead. Why couldn't I find her? My resolve shivered like silk, falling prey to doubt, and then hardened with each step. Breaking down in tears wouldn't help anyone.
"WHERE ARE YOU, HARUHI-CHAN?"
My best friend didn't answer me.
Find Haruhi.
Wild thoughts raced faster than my sneakers. I pulled somebody aside, shoving my cell phone at them, using the picture of the cute girl I had taken earlier in the day to get their attention. "Have you seen this girl?" I asked, practically begging her for information.
"Sorry, but I'm busy." A woman with nondescript hair and facial features walked off with her umbrella shielding her from the rain. She didn't bother looking back, leaving me angry and frustrated. Verdammt, Haruhi-chan doesn't have an umbrella…!
"Have you seen the girl in this picture?" I asked the next person, a stern businessman. Neatly stepping in his path and holding the phone high enough for him to see. He barely spared it a glance, grunted his no, and headed to the grocery store in search of his dinner.
"No."
"Sorry."
"I'm busy."
Everyone said it in some way or another. All of them denied seeing her, although some were much nicer about it than the first two people – coughbuttheadscough – that I had tried to ask for assistance. Three teenage girls, dressed like Kagome, Sango, and Rin from InuYasha, offered to help look and point Haruhi in this direction if they found her. A nice middle aged couple kindly suggested checking the local stores, and while I thanked them for their thoughts, I doubted that Haruhi would think to take refuge in the stores while panicking about the thunder. My best friend would be scared out of her wits. Like Neville talking to Professor Snape.
A girl suffering from a panic attack would probably stand out, too. If these people had noticed anybody panicking and screaming their lungs out in the stores, then I would know by now. I would have found her. …I have to find her.
Hands to knees, I paused at the street corner, eyes on my sneakers. I was cold, and soaked to the bone, and miserable. My tears, which had started to silently fall down my nose, splashed into the puddles of rainwater below and exploded like little grenades. Everything blurred; the building and street signs blended in with the greenery and the rain falling from the cold black skies, making it hard to see. I could only see my wet eyelashes, and the rain, and then –
No, I steadfastly refused, lifting both hands to furiously swipe at the tears and raindrops blurring my vision. No, I'm not giving up! I straightened, face set in stone. Haruhi-chan needs me now, and I'm going to be there for her, just like all of them – Hika and Ru-chan, Haruhi-chan, Takashi-kun, and all the others – have been there for me.
Quicker than lightning, I zipped through the remainder of the shopping district, listening to my gut. If I were in her shoes, I would have left the populated part of town as soon as possible. I would've headed for somewhere quiet, and secluded, where nobody would think to search for me. I would have wanted to hide, to be alone.
Like Haruhi, however, I often tried to hide and wallow in my misery while secretly wishing for somebody – anybody – to stumble across me. Listen close, as the rain falls down to the ground, I quietly recited the lyrics while stopping for breath by another sign. Misery loves its company. Hair dropped into my eyes, wet and clinging like second skin, but I smiled. Let light shine through me.
When I was a small girl, I went to church – to pray, and think, and be alone.
I believed in God.
Another set of lyrics burst into my ears as my cell phone started playing the familiar ringtone – Safety Dance – for Suoh Tamaki. I unlocked it and put the phone to my ear, a small flame of hope burning inside of me. "Hello?" I asked, sounding out of breath but hopeful.
"Any sign of her yet, Sammy-chan?" Tamaki worriedly asked without returning the greeting, and thoroughly dashing all hopes that the Host Club had found their Natural Type. He mumbled something to Kyoya, though I couldn't understand his words.
"No," I tersely replied while listening to the background noise of Kyoya telling him that his men were on vacation. The Black Onion Squad, the part that "belonged" to him, would not be able to help them right now. Figures…
A soft scraping noise of metal against metal clicked through the phone; Tamaki had peeked out through the curtains. The Frenchman was quiet, staring out the window in worry, and then observed, "It is raining much harder now…"
Annoyed at his persistence, and his unusual pessimism, I meanly snapped, "Thanks for stating the obvious, Mister Weatherman! Anything else in the forecast you wanna share?"
Silence hung heavy between us, and then Tamaki quietly said, "My apologies, Sammy-chan. I merely called to check in. I did not want to add to your concerns…" A soft sigh escaped from his end of the line, whistling through his teeth and into my ears.
My frustration fizzled out like flat soda, bubbling furiously and then going stale without warning. Tugging at my cross earrings, I sighed, too. "No, Tama-chan, I'm sorry," I mumbled, feeling ashamed, "because I know you're only worried about her."
"So are you," Tamaki kindly pointed out while letting the curtains fall again and chuckling, but without humor. "Look at us. We used to annoy each other all the time. We're getting along much better now, mon ami."
"Thanks to me acting eighteen and not eight," I dryly responded. Fingers over my eyes to shield them from the rain, I glanced left and right, and then left again, before quickly crossing the street amidst the downpour.
"What do Americans always say?" Tamaki asked the question, sounding puzzled, and then snapped his fingers in recollection – "It takes two to…tangle!"
Chibi Sammy lifted her scoreboard of 7.9 out of 10.0.
…Close enough.
"Tango," I corrected him amidst laughter, which had escaped in my surprise. I could not help but smile at his accidental butchering of the infamous idiom. It made me think of Ziva David from NCIS. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"
"I am always right," Tamaki declared in his kingly voice, though that quickly vanished to be replaced by hesitation. My hyperactive friend wasn't usually this timid, and hearing him so nervous was weird. "…Sammy-chan? May I ask you something – well, personal?"
"What is it, Tamaki-kun?" I hummed absently, trying to make the connection between all of the little signs. I had not thought of going to church in years, and I rarely wore my cross earrings because Daddy had bought them for wearing to church, and –
"When were you aware of falling in love with Mori-senpai?" Tamaki asked quietly, his voice soft and confused and hopeful, all in one.
Frozen, I paused to consider his question, mind drifting away. I glanced to the side and, seeing my reflection in the nearest shop window, smiled softly in wonder. Out of all of the stores here, I had stopped in front of the second to last one. Reflection Sammy was now in a white kimono with little blue, pink, and yellow flowers at the hems of the long, flowing sleeves. Next to the beautiful kimono was one in white, black, and blue, and clearly intended for a man. My heart skipped several beats.
Unknowingly, I had stopped next to a wedding shop, filled with mannequins wearing beautiful kimonos, suits, and dresses. Takashi and I would be wearing something similar at our wedding. "May I claim the honor of becoming your cherished husband? May I refer to you as my cherished wife?"
"When did I realize I'd fallen in love with him?" I softly repeated, reaching out with one palm to touch the glass. My reflection, though sopping wet like me, was smiling back from behind the translucent image of the wedding kimono.
She looked happy…
"I loved him at first sight, Tamaki-kun," I whispered, finally admitting to the secret I had yet to share with anybody – not Haruhi, not Hikaru and Kaoru, and not Takashi. "I didn't realize it until right after Nekozawa apologized for trying to kiss me." My thumb caressed the engagement ring on my ring finger. "…and I've been with him ever since."
"That's beautiful," Tamaki softly responded. If it were anything else, I think Tamaki might have started bouncing around like a moron. But Tamaki could be serious….sometimes. "I hope that Haruhi-chan and I find something pure and true, like the love you've found with Mori-senpai…"
"You already have it, Tama-chan," I assured, leaving him to his stunned silence and hanging up as my mind finally made the connection. All day, I had been thinking of churches, crosses, and weddings. Why I had thought of those religious icons had been a mystery. Until now…
In a quick flash of lightning, I had been drawn to the gigantic metal cross, and then I noticed that the solid oak doors to the church were open. Doors that heavy would not have blown open in the wind. Somebody had to have opened them. I hesitantly went inside, searching for signs of life while praying I hadn't walked into something from those horror movies that Satoshi loved to death. Pun intended.
Still, I could not find Haruhi seated in the pews. I could not find her hiding in between them, either. So I moved to the front of the temple, to the altar, and there, I found her…
"I miss her, Sammy-chan," Haruhi had logically explained while paying her respects to the little shrine her father had made in honor of her mother, "but I know Okaa-san is watching over me…always."
"Haruhi-chan," I whispered. I launched myself at her and pulled the smaller girl into my arms, nearly scaring her half out of her wits. Part of me was apologetic, but the other half wanted to shake her like a salt shaker.
Haruhi balked, blinking around the nearly pitch black church with her wide chocolate stare, but settled again after recognizing my voice and face in the light shining in through the colored glass. My friend sluggishly curled into my arms and murmured, "Hi, Sammy-chan…"
Emotions that I had been suppressing for too long – fear, panic, anger – suddenly emerged from wherever I had hidden them away. They snapped like rubber bands and then locked back in place, to be replaced with overwhelming relief. Thank God…
Clinging to her, I burrowed into her damp hair, my eyes and cheeks wet with tears. "Hi? You run off, and get lost, and that is how I'm greeted – with 'hi'?! Never do that to me again! I thought I lost you! Like…like…" I sniffled, pulling her closer.
"Like Sarah-chan, I know, and I'm so sorry," She whispered back, holding tightly to me and finally letting the tears in her eyelashes fall down her cheeks. Touched the tip of my cross earrings. Breathed, "Sorry for worrying you…"
"Damn straight I was worried," I said, straining to speak at normal volume, and flicked her nose. "You mean so much to me! You're my crazy, sane, clueless, observant, stupid, smart best friend! What would I do without you?"
Haruhi said nothing, but her fingers tightened in the wrinkles on my red shirt, the back of which had been clutched in both of her hands for the length of the hug. She sniffled, before jumping again at another flash of lightning and the following boom of loud thunder. My heart went to her. I was still afraid of water after all this time, but Haruhi had listened and tried to make it better. She was afraid of thunder, but I could help by staying with her and –
"Here," I mumbled, hand dipping into my purse and pressing the tiny electronic device into her hands. I had already unlocked it and tapped the little musical note icon for the library of music.
Per our usual routine, Haruhi scrolled down the seemingly endless list of music, and picked something calming but loud enough to drown out the sound of the raging storm. Haruhi listened to the music, humming along with certain parts, and curled into herself. She silently offered the other earbud, and I pulled it into my ear as a chorus of Sanctuary, by Utada Hikaru, finished. I relaxed, holding her close and sharing body heat with her to warm up a cold face and frozen fingers and toes. Our music changed. And I smiled.
"'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,'" I sang, my eyes closed, lips moving almost silently with the next song. "'You make me happy when skies are gray. Dear, how much I love you –'"
"…Why does love hurt so much?" Haruhi whispered then, the ache in her heart not going away, even as a small palm moved to clutch at the cloth above her chest. She sniffed. "It isn't fair. I didn't want to like him, but I did, and all I have to show for it is…pain."
"Love," I paused, thinking from the heart and not the mind, "is our soul and heart giving their all in trying to find their other half. We want to show that person just how much love is in us. Sometimes, though, the brain gets in the way." I smiled faintly. "Mine certainly has…"
"You and Mori-senpai seem so put together, though," Haruhi argued, clearly thinking back to all of the times I had hidden her homework to gush about my dates with Takashi with Haruhi. My BFF.
Snorting in laughter, I waved her opinion away and drawled, "Trust me. We've had the fair share of arguments and disagreements and worries, too. In fact, I spent the whole first date worrying about him hating me!"
"Yours went so much better than mine," Haruhi sighed mournfully, thinking about her first date. She and Tamaki had argued, too. They, however, were always arguing, whereas Takashi and I usually meshed together like puzzle pieces. Opposites seemed to attract in their case.
Another snort escaped without permission, but really, I couldn't help it. "Takashi-kun saw my panties because of that stupidly short dress Hika-chan and Ru-chan made me wear. He nearly died from blushing."
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
Haruhi gaped at me.
"…I kinda wanted to die, too," I confessed.
Lightning flashed again, but Haruhi did not flinch, instead leaning her head against my shoulder and staring into my eyes. We stared at each other for another minute, before suddenly bursting into giggles. She snickered, "Sometimes, I really wonder about your sanity!"
"Thanks, Haruhi-chan, I really feel the love," I sarcastically said to her and poked the younger girl in the side. We chuckled and quietly stayed there, hugging and listening to music while watching the rain fall from within the warmth of the church.
After awhile, Haruhi turned to face me, a curious frown pulling at her lips, asked, "Have you and Mori-senpai…?" My blank expression clearly showed that I did not follow, and Haruhi awkwardly continued, "Have you ever…made love?"
Sweatdropping, I thought: Well, I always tell her that I'm like her big sister and to feel free to ask 'girl questions,' if need be. I think it kinda backfired this time, though…
Ever observant, Haruhi had noticed the flush that painted pale cheeks and the teeth biting at my mouth. If I had been standing, I probably would've been rocking back and forth in nervousness, too. My best friend quietly promised, "I won't tell anybody, Sammy-chan."
"No, Takashi-kun and I haven't made l-love, but…we want to…" I shamefully admitted to her. Teenagers in our school – at Ouran – would think it disgraceful to sleep with somebody before marriage. But I trusted Haruhi.
"What's wrong with wanting to do that with him?" Haruhi demanded, shocking me. I had expected her to be serious and logically explain the consequences. Instead, Haruhi was…supporting me. "You're both in love! You're both getting married!"
Opening my mouth to retort, I paused, little sound coming out. My inner Ravenclaw tried, and failed, to find fault with her logic. I couldn't believe it. Yet again, I had been stupidly worried about what other people would think about me. What others thought of Takashi and I did not matter, though – it hadn't mattered when Takashi and I started dating, and it hadn't mattered when Takashi and I became engaged. Why should it matter now?
"Y-You're right…" I blurted, stunned with the reminder that I could do what I wanted because, in the end, this life belonged to me. Not Hiro and Jun. Not the Gorgons. Not the Host Club. Me.
"I usually am," Haruhi sleepily pointed out from her spot between my cheek and shoulder.
I sweatdropped, "Modest, too…"
That's Haruhi for you!
Smiling down at the sleeping girl, I glanced down at my ring finger, where the beautiful engagement ring sparkled merrily in the light flickering in from the stained glass windows. I warmed at the thought of going home, to Takashi, and started searching for my phone. With Haruhi in my arms and the phone balanced against my other shoulder, I called Takashi. My fiancé immediately answered the call, his deep voice filled with concern. For us…
"Takashi-kun," I breathed, hearing his breathing match mine, breath for breath, and softly whispered, "I found her. We're both safe, just waiting the storm out in the local church."
"Thank Kami," Takashi sighed, letting all of his pent up anxiety loose with that sharp exhale of breath. "I was so worried – about both of you. I shouldn't have let you go alone. If I had just walked with you…"
"You won't always be there, Honey," I reminded him gently but in all seriousness. I was pretty clingy because I loved him and didn't want to lose him, but at the end of the day, I understood that I would have to be let him go sometimes. "I have to stand tall and strong on my own eventually."
My fiancé was very quiet, but in his silence, I could hear his sadness – and his approval. Takashi finally cleared his throat, addressed the others, and simply said, "She found Haruhi-chan."
Cheering could be heard like little explosions. I could hear Tamaki yelping and bouncing around in his happiness, cheering loudly in French. My little brothers could also be heard swinging each other around by the arms and chanting, "We've got Haruhi! We've got Haruhi!" Mitsukuni was chattering to Usa-chan. Although quiet, Kyoya had also expressed his relief and then retrieved his phone out to call his driver, ordering him to pick us up.
"Kyoya said the driver will be there in five minutes," Takashi said, his voice thundering to be heard above the cheering of the Hosts. It went quiet suddenly, and then I heard the door slam shut. And Takashi promised, "I will be there shortly, Koi."
"Thank you," I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes. I was so relieved, happy, and grateful to be loved by someone so sweet and strong, with enough affection in his heart to love so many. My Takashi…
"You're welcome," Takashi gruffly replied, and if I had been seated beside him, I could probably have seen a small, pink blush coloring his olive skin. "Please just…stay there and wait for me, okay?"
After promising to stay put, I returned the phone to my pocket and turned to the side, face to face with the sleeping Haruhi. My face relaxed into a soft expression, and I brushed the bangs from her face, pulling them back to show the little lines between her eyes. She was a worrywart, for certain. But I was strong enough to protect her – at least until her Prince Charming arrived to give her fairytale its happy ending. She deserved it. They both did…
"Where are you and Haruhi-chan, Koi?"
Blinking, I listened to the familiar voice and lifted four fingers in the air to capture his attention. My soft hello, coupled with the glittering of the engagement ring on one of those fingers, urged him forward. I had barely blinked again when the material covering the altar was pushed aside to reveal dark gray eyes, spiky black hair, and another engagement ring, though this one was around his finger. I closed both eyes and smiled brightly at him, feeling the tears beneath shuttered eyelids trickling out and down my cheeks. A soft thumb brushed them away.
My Takashi crouched down in front of the altar, curling his legs beneath him, and leaned forward to brace himself against the floor with both hands – and pressed his mouth to mine. I eagerly kissed him back, desperate for the contact and the comfort. My lover finally pulled back to frown down at me, a warm concern in his stormy gray eyes. He could tell that I was close, painfully close, to breaking down. I probably would, but first…
I glanced down at Haruhi.
My little sister…
"Let's go," Takashi suggested, already reaching down for the girl in my arms. I obliged, handing her to him without much difficulty because of her smaller stature, and Takashi picked her up. He opened the door and his umbrella, holding it above the both of us.
My hands closed around his left arm, and I hugged him tightly, soft breasts brushing against his arm and his side. He sucked in a startled breath, the feeling catching him off guard and making him stumble. I apologized quietly but refused to release him until I had climbed into the limo and Takashi had ducked in with Haruhi. Even then, I quickly curled into his side and, to his amusement, started to fall asleep, with his arm over me.
"…Time to head inside, Sleeping Beauty," Takashi teased, his lips curled in a crooked smile.
I burrowed further into his side, hiding from the light, and grumbled, "Shut it, Maleficent."
Chuckling, Takashi gently pushed his large hand against my arm and prodded until I listened to his silent command to climb through the opposite door first. I eyed him, and then the rain, and glared at him. My fiancé only raised his left eyebrow at me, amused with this stubbornness. I reluctantly listened to him – and immediately regretted it, having stepped out into a puddle. Curses escaped without restraint, and lips turned down into a scowl. I glared darkly at his amused smirk, but Takashi merely nudged his hip against mine to get us moving again. Eventually, I would get him back, and I grumpily told him so.
BELIEVE IT!
Everyone gaped at us.
"…Why is Sammy-chan pointing at Mori-senpai and talking about noisy ninjas?" Tamaki slowly asked, but in the following confusion, the Frenchman sighed softly and then lifted his face to smile kindly at me. "Never mind…"
"Welcome back, Senpais," Kyoya politely greeted and smiled, the light flashing in his eyes and hiding the kind expression in the next instant. I smiled back, though, and murmured, "Good to be back, Kyo-kun."
The Host Club remained quiet, simply staring from Takashi, to the girl sleeping in his arms, and then to me. I huffed in amusement because the idiots had managed to stay quiet for longer than two minutes. (New record!) Before anybody could start screaming and cheering again, I lifted both hands and explained, "Haruhi-chan had it rough but finally fell asleep, so –"
"Yay, Haru-chan is safe and sound!" Mitsukuni blurted in excitement, his happiness bubbling out like lava from an erupting volcano. The Ninja bounced around beneath her sleeping form with glee. "Let's have a sleepover! It'll be fun! Ne, ne?"
"DO…NOT…WAKE…HER…UP!" I hissed between through clenched teeth, speedily shaking Mitsukuni back and forth, before glaring at the Twins. I would probably regret it later, but the little loudmouth just seemed to be messing with me again, anyway. Served him right if I scrambled his brains!
"Yes, Okaa-san," Mitsukuni, Hikaru, and Kaoru sarcastically replied before childishly sticking their tongues out at me. I huffed at them, attempting to be the more responsible and mature sibling – and then stuck my own out. They smirked at me.
"Where is everyone going to sleep in this little sleepover of yours?" I asked Mitsukuni, but the Super Ninja had already bounced out through the front door, followed by Kyoya. My face scrunched in confusion because, not long after, Tamaki trotted behind the Shadow King.
"Goodnight, Onee-chan!" Hikaru and Kaoru called while carefully lifting Haruhi between them and toting her upstairs, down the hall, and into the bedroom that all of the boys had been competing for earlier.
"…Goodnight?" I stupidly responded with wide eyes.
What the Hell just happened here?
My fiancé answered for his cousin. "Tamaki-kun is staying with Kyoya-kun, and Mitsukuni-kun is visiting with Kotoko-chan. Your brothers have asked to stay here, with Haruhi-chan," Takashi trailed off almost warily.
"They'll take care of her," I calmly reassured him and watched the two redheaded boys carry our younger classmate upstairs to their shared bedroom. "They did with me." I smiled at him and tugged at his hand. "Besides, Tama-chan wouldn't have let them go with her otherwise."
"Ah," Takashi murmured, finally reassured enough to leave the foot of the staircase. I smiled at him, and when asked why, I simply kissed him. He sweetly kissed back, smiling at my murmured I love you, which I breathed into his mouth.
Unusually stiff, Takashi tugged at the fingers I had curled into his own and started to walk to the front entrance. I blinked at his fingers, and then at his face, and curiously asked, "Where are we going?"
"The Morinozuka Clan has a summer cottage down beside the beach," Takashi grunted his short explanation which, while said quietly and calmly, still made the hairs on my arms stand straight for some reason. We climbed into the limousine and made for the Morinozuka Villa.
Confused, I blinked at him and attempted to read between the lines. We were nearly to the villa when I slowly said, "I'm confused. You usually stick like glue to your cousin, but Mitsukuni-kun is going to visit with Kotoko-chan, so…"
"Exactly," Takashi huskily whispered, lifting his hand and mine to kiss the back of it. He slowly pulled the two of us up a set of dark stairs, through the hallway, and into a warm room with only one a single bed in the middle of it.
A shiver crawled down my spine as my eyes moved from the bed, to his hand, and then to his face. Stormy gray eyes were gleaming with affection, and something else, something much more primal. I shivered at the look in his eyes and whispered, "Oh…"
"First, however…" Takashi murmured while rifling through the dresser drawer and carefully placing two towels beside us. My lover stared down at me and then, slowly, Takashi leaned down, his lips nearing mine. "We need to warm you up."
"How do you suggest warming up?" I breathlessly asked while watching his lips getting closer and closer, nearly brushing mine. Hot breath washed against my open mouth and merged with my own.
"A hot shower," Takashi murmured into my mouth, his lips touching mine, "and then bed."
"…together?"
"Together."
***Author's Note***
Hey, hey! I'm back! As readers of my other stories know, I finished student teaching and have been catching up on my stories. Thank you all for the support and understanding while I was gone! It means so much to have people still reading this story and loving it so much. :)
Here, I have yet another chapter filled with fluff for you. It also ended with, basically, Takashi and Sammy taking the next step in their relationship. If you all want that to be written out in a small lemon for Keys To My Heart, please review with your answer - yes or no. (It will probably be the last chapter in that little mini-story, unless I add the wedding one...) Anyway!Angst is coming your way, although it will be resolved pretty quickly. Any guesses? ;)
It would be awesome to reach 1,000 reviews by the end of Picking Up the Pieces, so...
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
Update = 840ish Reviews