Kanou liked to consider himself ...imperturbable.

He didn't need to do things by going out of his way, causing chaos or going on adventures. His friends dragged him along for all of it anyway. Consent or not. He accompanied Hinata on all his eating expeditions and Kuuga on all his karaoke nights. He let Takumi crash on his bed whenever he came over, letting Tora practice at his Dojo without a prior appointment anytime. Together, the boys dragged him through all their escapades. He remembered the first time the boys had snuck out of their houses in highschool at midnight so they could illegally drink beer. He remembered Kuuga getting his first piercing on his 16th birthday and bawling his eyes out when his ear was pierced. He remembered the time Tora had snuck them all onto his private plane and taken them to Bali.

All in all, while Kanou was pretty supportive of everything his friends did, he was never directly involved in the planning, only the execution. Sometimes his friends left no room for that either.

It didn't bother him, he was content with the way things were. He had never enjoyed being in the spotlight either. He preferred staying in the shadow.

But, for once, for one excruciating moment he wanted that one person to notice him. Not overlook his presence, his opinions, his existence.

Unlike her friends, she preferred being in the shadows, like himself. She wasn't outgoing, wasn't an extrovert from any angle and Kanou had a strange feeling that she had gone along with the prospect of being friends with his group solely because her two closest friends had. She felt no personal obligation to extend that relationship any further from her side, she was content the way things were.

In a lot of ways, they were alike.

From his personal inspection of her (thanks to Tora always pairing them together whenever he interfered with the pairing), she hated sports as much as he did. Whenever they ate meals together, she ate salads on alternate days and the days in the middle ranged from fast food to healthy, fulfilling meals depending on the week. She liked to read in the morning while drinking a latte, skipped lunch if it was already 2PM but always drank tea after lunch.

Gods, it was like he had been stalking her.

He could've sworn he didn't remember how he knew all these things, didn't realize when he had registered all of her personal timetable, whatever he had seen firsthand of it anyway. All he remembered was noticing her run toward the cafeteria one morning, return empty-handed and sprint into the main building but not before stomping both her feet in frustration, her bag hanging off her arm and four different files in her hand. He had walked into the cafeteria a minute later, noticed that the line for coffee in all three places it was available was too long and decided to take a detour to another wing. Twenty minutes later when he had walked into class, he had spotted her familiar mop of hair on the desk and approached her.

"Here" He had said, placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

Shizuko had looked up, tired and baggy eyed, noticed him and then the coffee in front of her before sitting up straight in her chair "Why-"

"I saw your little show of frustration outside the building and like every student here who has assignments due, sympathize with you"

That broke her stiff character and brought a reluctant ghost of a smile on her lips as she reached forward and took the steaming cup between her fingers. She inhaled and it was as if the scent by itself had restored her spirits greatly "Thank you" She had graciously told him "I really appreciate the thought.." Kanou nodded and was about to leave when she said something that made him halt in his tracks "Although, I have to tell you.."

"Yeah?"

She made a show of squinting her eyes, pressing her palms to the corner of her jaw and pulling her mouth in a scowl "Black coffee is definitely not the one for me"

"Oh my Gods" Kanou snatched up the coffee mug and placed the other one he was holding in his hands in front of her "That was mine. I bought a Cappuccino for you"

She laughed then, clear and crisp but immensely joyous as she gazed into his eyes, her onyx orbs sparkling "So I figured"

Her entire face transformed, suddenly she didn't seem like the stoic and reserved girl he had assumed she was. Her smile reached her eyes and dusted her cheeks a light shade of pink as she chuckled a breezy laugh before accepting her mug of coffee from him.

He figured he'd been a wrong judge of character and it was possibly then that his silent assessment of the bespectacled girl began. And that's when Kanou realized-

They were not alike at all.

Unlike her, Kanou had not always been serenely detached from the spotlight. He had been such a split image of his Father, so haughty and full of himself that just remembering those days brought him under simultaneous bouts of embarrassment and shame. His Mother leaving them had a more drastic effect on his 5 year old self that it had on his Father who only ever taught him to consider women as his inferiors. Told him how weak and fragile they were and that they could never withstand the same pressures and hardships that men went through.

Obviously, a couple years later Kanou had reached his own conclusions on that matter. For that, he also desperately wanted to detach himself from his Father which was why he chose to go to Miyabigaoka, the school hours covered a large portion of the day.

Hinata had been the first to befriend him, bringing him around to Tora who had politely if not wearily befriended him at first. That changed when he had gotten picked at and both; candy boy and student council president had gotten involved to the point of receiving detention for three weeks together. Detention was where he had first met Takumi who was present because he'd been caught cutting class and sleeping inside a store room. Kuuga had also been present but not because he had gotten detention but because he found the detention classroom peaceful and quiet to work on his song lyrics. If all the new acquaintances were not enough for one day, a half hour later, Chiyo had climbed in through the window and tossed a box of donuts to Hinata and a takeout bag of hamburgers to Takumi.

"You have got to stop making me do this. I climbed 2 floors and not on a staircase"

"It's good for working out," Kuuga had pointed out without looking up, accepting the donuts Hinata had offered.

"Yeah, right" She had scoffed, hitting the leg of his chair making the desk wobble along with it "Maybe help out next time, you who didn't get detention"

"That will result me getting an actual one and I can't get that on my record, sorry boys" Kuuga did a peace sign "I'm all up for 'one for all' but not this time"

"That's okay" Hinata, who had already offered one donut each to Tora and Takumi who had each taken one, offered the last one to Kanou "Your impeccable records are useless without the grades backing them up anyway"

Kuuga sweared eloquently under his breath just as Kanou had noticed that Chiyo wouldn't have any donuts left for her so he denied the offer. Chiyo, who had noticed him glancing at her before denying understood what he was doing and laughed "Please don't deny them on my accord. Hinata doesn't share food so him just offering is a big deal. Take it when you get the chance"

Kanou didn't understand what she meant by that but when he hesitantly accepted the glazed donut and took a bite, he realized everyone present was watching him "I-I..is something wrong?"

"Three..two..one" Kuuga counted down, waiting till Kanou had gulped his second bite before clapping him on the back "Now you're officially a part of our group!"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You have accepted our sacred sweet, we have proved our loyalty by getting detention with you and four is a weird number for a group of friends anyway"

Kanou looked around for some sort of help, for someone to laugh in his face and say 'Bazinga!' but Chiyo shook her head, a reluctant smile on her lips "It's legit" She confirmed "I had to go through much worse and I still don't think I'm a part of this group any more than being the errand girl"

"What did you go through?"

"They made me drink asparagus soup"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Which they had made themselves"

Kanou blinked.

"It was boiled asparagus in a pool of water they called it's "broth"'

"My condolences"

Chiyo laughed "So you see," Her eyes were twinkling "Take it while you can"

And he did. It was sudden, they had sprung it on him without warning and then accepted him in their circle. The only time they had been weary of him was when he had misplaced his spectacles and switched back to what his original persona had always been like. Neither of them understood the reason for it but they all tried to make peace with the arrogant bastard he'd been possessed by even if all he did was hurl insults. They stayed despite his faults and that's all that would matter to him.

Even after he had almost broken Kuuga's nose while Hinata and Tora restrained him as Takumi forced him to put on sunglasses.

The aftermath of that fiasco had been some of the most awkward moments in Kanou's life. He didn't think anything could surpass it.

He was wrong, naturally.

On his left side sat; Tora, Misaki and Sakura having an easy discussion about the upcoming semester. On his right sat; Chiyo and Takumi, supremely depressed and evoking equally depressing and gloomy vibes. Next to Chiyo, Kuuga sat along with Hinata and Shizuko who were explaining the common show they had watched to the former.

Kanou would have tried, no- he was trying not to look like he was uncomfortable but as Chiyo and Takumi sat in muted misery, he shot both of his friends a sharp glance and hissed under his breath "What is wrong with both of you?"

A lot of things were wrong in Takumi's opinion.

To start with the least of his worries, Walker Corporation's 50th Anniversary party was coming up the next month. Gerard, his half-brother, had ordered- not asked, not invited- but ordered him to make an appearance even if it gave their Grandfather a stroke. Takumi knew Gerard was counting on it. If that was not bad news enough to last a whole year, he was also being forced by his agent to attend the 23rd birthday party of the woman who was trying her damnedest to have an extra-marital affair with him. The cherry on top of all that was the fact that Misaki was unperturbed about anything.

While he had been lying awake in bed, going over everything that had happened that night, showing up to University looking like a well-groomed zombie, Misaki looked full of life and unruffled. As if she hadn't kissed him, hadn't unleashed an explosion of fireworks in his heart in the span of those few seconds where her lips had brushed over his. Like she hadn't pulled away, patted him on the chest and smiled into his eyes just before the lights had come on and then walked back to their table.

At that exact moment, he caught her eye the third time in the last hour and she raised her eyebrows in a silent question. He could barely make himself shake his head. She smiled conspiratorially and subtly winked at him before turning her attention back to whatever Tora was telling Sakura and her.

Next to him, Chiyo sighed heavily before resting her head on his arm. He turned to her to notice that the navy-haired beauty was scrolling through her phone at the speed of lightning, pausing for a heartbeat if she thought something was worth a second of her attention and then resuming her scrolling "Nothing" She huffed, turning her attention to Kanou, fixing her pitiful look at the dark bunny boy.

Kanou raised his eyebrows in disbelief then leaned close to both of them as subtly as he could manage to "Your vibes combined with Takumi's could rival a graveyard's"

"Harsh, Kanou" Chiyo shot back "We all know Takumi looks like a zombie but no need to be this upfront about it"

"Sweetie" The bespectacled boy rolled his eyes, poking the Sakurai heiress in the arm "Hate to break it to you but you look like his twin in that aspect"

Chiyo looked up, shooting a glare toward her friend just as Ryusuke passed them, rounded the table and headed straight for Misaki. Takumi watched, trying his hardest to look aloof. Even as Ryusuke bent down and pressed his cheek to Misaki's in greeting and pulled her in for a side hug "Hey Gorgeous" He said in the way of greeting, using his free hand to wave at Sakura who smiled at him and Tora who finally shot a long look to Takumi before nodding back.

"Hey, why are you panting?" Misaki laughed, when Ryusuke pulled back and walked toward an empty table and pulled a chair from it. To Takumi's infinite relief and Misaki's surprise, he pulled the chair toward Kuuga and sat down before answering "Because I ran all the way here from the Art Department"

"Dude, that's a kilometer and a half away" The blond popstar pointed out, incredulous at the thought.

"I had walked there first but later realized it was an idiotic decision" The red-haired singer waved it off "I only have one hour so let's finish it today"

Chiyo, who had been quietly watching the exchange between both singers, asked "Finish what?"

Ryusuke then turned to all of them, looking a little excited, nervous- but excited as he revealed "I'm getting my first album produced in two months"

"No way!"

Laughing, Misaki got out of her chair and gave the beaming popstar a big hug as everyone around the table offered their congratulations. Ryusuke turned to Kuuga and announced "Kuuga is helping me with one of my B-tracks. I'm collaborating with the entire of the band for it but he and I writing the lyrics together"

"Can we see?" Sakura teased, knowing there's no way she could.

"Not now but you can receive a signed copy once it releases" Ryusuke winked at her and an inaudible scoff escaped Kuuga who quickly covered it up and smiled when the red-haired singer turned back to him.

"Don't worry, I'll sign it too" Kuuga wiggled his eyebrows making Chiyo groan "She didn't ask, Kuuga"

"So, wha-"

Chiyo smiled sweetly at Sakura who shot her a stern look before looping an arm around Misaki who was just returning to her seat "C'mon, we need to stop by the library"

"We do?" The ravenette asked, picking her bag up nonetheless.

Sakura, now speaking through her teeth, gritted out "Yes, Misaki. We do"

"Well, see you all later then. Chiyo.." Misaki made a U-gesture with her index and thumb finger and the turquoise-eyed girl laughed before nodding.

"I won't forget. Shizuko and I are going later"

The amber-eyed beauty nodded and with a wave toward everyone, let Sakura pull her toward the library. With the exception of Kuuga and Ryusuke who had already taken their notepads out, everyone watched them go before Hinata asked "Go where?"

Chiyo, who had caught Tora's eye when she was turning, almost didn't hear her friend "Go where…oh. We're-" She caught herself "It's a secret"

Hinata put a hand on his chest to show his hurt "You would keep a secret from us? Your bestfriends?"

"Yep" Chiyo nodded, plopping her head on the table directly and choosing to nod off right there.

Kanou put the jacket he had taken off over her shoulders "Where is your coat? You have goosebumps all over your arms"

"I forgot" Chiyo mumbled.

"Along with a sweater?"

"Yes, Mommy. It won't happen again" Chiyo drawled but pulled his jacket closer before jutting a hand out from beneath it and pinching the bunny boy as thanks.

Kanou scooted away from her before swatting her hand away. He caught Tora looking at Chiyo, concern etched into his brows before he noticed Kanou looking at him and his expression cleared "Playstation?" He asked, pushing his chair back and standing up.

"I thought you'd never ask" Hinata interjected before turning to Shizuko "Would you like to join us?"

Shizuko glanced at Chiyo who was breathing steadily before shrugging "Yeah, I'm free"

"Alrighty then. Takumi, wake the Snorlax up"

The blond model snorted before nudging Chiyo "Go home if you want to sleep"

"If I could sleep.." Chiyo grunted, putting her arms on the table and pushing herself off the chair "..I wouldn't be here" She linked her arms through Kanou and Shizuko, who had come around to steady the Sakurai heiress if she swayed "Let's go!"

Tora waited till Kanou and Shizuko had led the navy-haired girl out of hearing before he asked Takumi "Is she having trouble sleeping?"

Hinata and Takumi shot collective looks of surprise at the Student Council President before the chocolate-haired boy shrugged "She went to get drinks with the girls last night"

The Igarashi heir nodded and followed in the wake of his friends, his phone pressed to his ear. Takumi held Hinata back by the shoulder and waited till Tora had walked a suitable distance out of earshot before he resumed walking and turned to the candy boy "She wasn't out drinking with the girls last night"

"I know" Hinata's eyes clouded "She went drinking by herself"

Blond eyebrows shot up at the revelation "Why?"

"Tora was out with Takoya Orei yesterday. You complete that equation" When Takumi sighed, Hinata offered him a lollipop which the former declined "I know it's been complicated between them for years but it's not because two strangers are being forced to marry each other"

"They are no strangers" Takumi scoffed "You and I both know that"

Hinata nodded his affirmation "I'm tired of pretending we don't see both of them hurting"

Takumi clicked his tongue "And I'm tired of pretending that either of them are not in love with the other"

Hinata laughed at that "I will never forget the look on Tora's face when Chiyo told Maki to sign her up for sailing with Nakamura. He wanted to burn the entire fleet of sailboats down"

"Please. Did you see his face when Kanou dared Chiyo to sit on his lap?"

"He enjoyed it. The son of a bitch looked like he was used to it" Another laugh before Hinata sobered up and said "She was really drunk when I got there yesterday"

Takumi tried not to look like he wanted to strangle one of his friends for the sake of the other "Did she call you? Where was her Driver?"

"She drove herself" The candy boy shook his head as they turned a corner. He waited a moment before responding "My parents saw her"

That made Takumi halt "My God"

"Thankfully she wasn't causing a commotion, just sitting by herself at a corner table and drinking herself into a stupor. Usually, they would have greeted her but seeing how she was alone they figured they probably shouldn't catch her off guard" Another pause "They gave the bartender my number and told him to call me if the "young lady by the corner table has had too much to drink"" Hinata scoffed "He called me in the next ten minutes"

Takumi winced but Hinata went on "She was crying, Takumi. Full bouts of waterfall tears. I had to carry her out to my car like a sack over my shoulder"

The blond gentleman was quiet before he glanced toward Tora who was now entering the Student Council room after Kanou and the girls, still talking on the phone "Why would they suffer this much staying apart if they could just get together and comfort the other?"

"You tell me" Something about Hinata's tone indicated that he was implying something else entirely but before he could go on, Takumi cut in.

"Tora wasn't out with Orei. She interjected him when he left and he dropped her home, nothing else"

"Clearly, that's not what the paparazzi sees"

"No, they only see what they want," Takumi scoffed, opening the door and letting Hinata pass first.

"'Two idiots clearly in love but afraid of circumstances' is not a catchy headline anyway"

"What did I tell you about not barging into my office at your leisure?"

The beauty sitting in his chair slowly turned, a graceful but equally malicious smile making its way on her lips as she sized him up and down. She didn't bother standing as he made his way around the desk and sat down in his seat. Ignoring her completely, he placed his briefcase on the glass surface before leaning back in his chair and picking up the first document lying atop the desk.

"If that was your way of saying hello, you need to work on your social skills"

Loosening his tie around the neck to ease the breath into his lungs, he tossed the documents on the small bureau behind his chair before turning to the exotic beauty sitting in front of him "Charmed your way through the palace like always?"

"Oh pish posh" She waved off, finally letting herself relax in her own chair "They let me in on their own"

"Now is a good time as any to fire the entire staff and hire new help"

"Overreacting a little bit, are we, Gerard?"

"You certainly aren't here for a cup of tea and a discussion about the weather either, are you, Rhea?"

He said her name with enough contempt to make the brunette smile as she crossed her arms "No, indeed, I am not"

"Well then, stop wasting my time and get to the point"

She did "I need your help"

"What gives you the impression that I'll help you with anything?" No, he had not forgotten what she'd done to his younger brother. He doubted he would ever.

"The fact that you did so in the past?"

"And I have regretted it enough for one lifetime" Gerard could feel his throat choking up but he pushed the feeling down "Now, if there's nothing more, get out"

"Takumi still doesn't know, does he?" Her chuckle was like a siren's song, sweet laced with the intent of violence.

Gerard refused to take her bait as he stared at her. Dispassionate and uninterested, waiting for her to see herself out.

Rhea went on, unfazed "What his Mother looks like, what his brother-" She said it with enough irony that Gerard almost cringed "-is going through and what might be happening to his Grandfather"

"In sincere hopes that you will get the message the first time I say it" Gerard started, feeling the headache in the back of his head "Mind your own fucking business"

"I am, actually" The brunette uncrossed her arms and reached into her purse. She pulled out a photograph and tossed it onto the glass surface where it slid right in front of Gerard "If you don't handle your business well enough, how am I going to be able to concentrate on my own?"

The dark-haired man slid a fleeting glance at the picture before lifting his eyes to the cunning brunette in front of him "What exactly is your point?"

"Takumi Walker is distracted"

Gerard was not deterred in the slightest "Stop pretending like it's Takumi you care about"

"Who else would it be?"

Gerard scoffed, unable to believe the audacity of the woman sitting in front of him "Enough with the bullshit, what do you want?"

"We both know that, don't we?" Her red-painted lips stretched, too wide for a smile and just a little lesser for a sneer "But, to be more direct, I need you to write me a recommendation"

"For Rehab? Gladly"

Rhea tilted her head and watched the older brother of the Walker siblings with ill-concealed disgust "I'll thank you for treating me with a little more respect than that, Gerard"

"Then I'll take that thank you now because this is the farthest I'll extend any courtesy to you, Rhea" Picking up the paperweight, Gerard started twirling the marble around his fingers.

"Is that what you'll think after you see these?"

She extracted a few more papers from her purse and tossed them with more ardor than she had planned on, right in front of Gerard. Gerard hadn't planned on looking at them, not caring if he had to call the cops to remove the woman from the estate but the name of the institution on the topmost sheet caught his attention making him snatch the documents and go through them. Once he saw that Rhea had left no stone unturned, he hurled the document back at her "Still making your brothers do your bidding, huh?"

"You wouldn't understand sibling sacrifice or even sibling love for that matter, you got neither of those from your own"

In the span of the next three seconds, Rhea could see her words had hit their mark so she went on "We wouldn't want Takumi to know of this, would we? I mean, he would hate you and that is saying something because he already despises you enough"

"What do you need a recommendation for?"

Rhea's silver eyes twinkled as she purred "Now we're talking like the old acquaintances we are"

Ten minutes later, when the footsteps of the youngest Castillo had finally faded from outside his office, Gerard finally picked up the picture of the girl Rhea had given him. With dreary eyes he noted how brightly her amber eyes shone, how dark her hair was and how bright her smile. With a dull ache beginning in his chest, Gerard put her photo inside his desk and locked it.

Outside the Raven Castle, now eagerly getting into her car was Rhea Castillo, giddy beyond question as she took out another photograph from her purse. As her Driver drove past the humongous gates of the chateau, she traced her fingernail over the face of the blond man in the picture as if she were caressing his cheek in person. Her silver gaze then slid to the dark-haired woman standing next to him and her gaze sharpened, a muscle starting to tick in her jaw.

Holding the picture between both hands, she delicately tore it before sliding her window down and tossing one half of the picture out. She looked at the other half, her heart in her eyes as she bit her lip, tracing her thumb over the blond's face.

"Never again, will anyone ever come between you and me"

The entire drive home, Takumi had chanted only one thing to himself.

He would talk to Misaki and ask her out on a proper date.

What he didn't expect was that he'd run into her in the parking lot, in that same hour. She was getting out of her car and a smile broke out on her face when she noticed him and beckoned him over. She was taking out what looked like parcels and boxes from the backseat and he came around her side to help her.

"What is all this?" He laughed when he noticed the food in it.

"Food I possibly cannot eat on my own" She plopped a box into his hands before he could respond and proceeded to ask him a question of her own "Do you think Hinata would be willing to help me finish this?"

"More than willing" Takumi agreed, silently marvelling at the raven-haired beauty's grace. She picked the other two boxes and kicked the door to her car closed.

"Thanks for this" She gestured at the box he was holding for her with the jut of her chin "Two hands only, what a pity. I'd have just left it in there instead of making two trips"

They entered the elevator together and Takumi pressed the topmost button. They stood next to each other, neither making conversation for completely different reasons. Takumi didn't know how to broach the subject he wanted to and in the mindless clutter of scattered thoughts, he could not think of a single conversation starter.

Misaki could feel her palms sweating under the boxes she was holding and she tried to scoot away and make as much place between Takumi and herself as was possible all the while being subtle about it. Her foot was tapping a rhythm of their own, completely not in the coordination with the elevator music. She was trying not to think of how hard it was not to think of the kiss she had shared in Takumi in those span of a few seconds when it had been perfect, an abandonment only filled with happiness.

She was jarred from her thoughts when the elevator shook a little and she stumbled. That feeling of being tossed about with nothing to steady her was so similar to being thrown into the back of a car, half unconscious and tied up, hitting the doors with nothing to block the impact. Misaki gulped, pushing the dread down her stomach. Asahi was gone, there was no harm, there was no harm, this was broad daylight, she was safe, nothing was wrong, there was no harm-

The elevator swayed and Misaki fought down the nausea as she swayed. She flinched when Takumi's arm wrapped around her elbow and he steadied her "Misaki? Are you-"

"I'm fine," She grinned, "The ride up is way too long, don't you think?"

"Yeah" Emerald eyes studied her skeptically, not convinced in the slightest but he chose not to question it as he let go of her elbow slowly "Do you want me to carry those for you?"

"Don't worry, I won't feed Hinata dropped food"

Takumi shot her a smile but he was not reassured in the slightest. In the span of a few seconds, he had seen the color drain from her face and the way she had covered it up. He wondered if she was claustrophobic as they finally stepped out of the elevator.

He helped her put the boxes down in the kitchen and went along as she chatted amiably about her parents who she had visited last weekend and how her sister was a lottery star. Takumi heard it all but registered nothing. What he did register was something he'd overlooked the first time he had walked past it.

The kitchen was off to the left from the entrance and cut a direct path toward it, a mirrored replica of his own house. The living room was to the right, partially covered by the wall that led up to an open terrace that both the penthouses shared. Takumi had been to Misaki's penthouse on more than one occasion, he knew she hadn't added any of her personal touches to the furniture and occupied one of the 5 bedrooms like she was a guest here.

He had already reached the door, his hand wrapping around the doorknob when the clawing feeling at the back of his mind finally took form and he turned a swift three-sixty and almost collided into a startled Misaki who had been walking him to the door. He walked past her, down the two steps to the living room and finally noticed what was amiss. A blanket was draped artistically over the couch and there were too many throw pillows around the arms as if someone was ready to build a fortress with them or ...used them to reassure themselves of their safety. Two empty jugs were on the side table next to a tray of medicines. Strips of tablets over which lay upturned bottles of syrups and pills. Takumi snatched the first one he could get his hands on and read the label before he whirled on the ravenette "You're taking sleeping pills?"

Misaki pulled the bottle from his hand "They're Mom's. She forgot them here"

"The bottle is half empty! Also, the label of this drugstore shows that its two blocks from here"

"I took a few, a couple days back. They don't even work that well"

Takumi was incredulous, the panic in him rising "I see another empty bottle here! How many have you been taking?!"

Misaki firmly set the mud-colored bottle down and turned to Takumi "So, I've been having trouble sleeping. What exactly is the issue?"

"Medication? How bad is it that you have retorted to medicatio-" He faltered before he took another sweeping glance of the living room "Have you been sleeping in the living room?"

"I fell asleep while watching a movie yesterday" Misaki lamented, crossing her arms protectively in front of her chest.

"It doesn't look like-"

"I don't care what it looks like to you" The raven-haired beauty bit out "I do not need to explain myself to you"

Takumi was unfazed "Is it because the bedroom is too-"

"Leave" She didn't even try to be polite "Leave while I'm being cordial enough to show you out"

"Misaki" He took a step closer to her, every line on his face etched with worry and concern, his voice practically dripping with it "What's wrong?" He moved his hand to touch her arm but she stepped out of his reach.

"You're jumping to conclusions over a bottle of sleeping pills"

"And over what I see are half or fully empty strips of tablets prescribed for nausea, upset stomach and migraines. The PTSD one stands out an awful lot too and it's completely empty"

Misaki didn't bother denying anything or looking like she had been accused wrongly. If the realization that Misaki needed pills to cope was not shocking enough, Takumi was suddenly too aware of the protruding cheekbones and the slimness of the arm he had held in the elevator before "If.." He took a breath when Misaki didn't say anything, just watched him in the same impassive manner people watched advertisements before the movie in theaters "If you were having.." He refrained from saying problems "..any trouble, you shouldn't have forced Minako-san to leave so early. You clearly need someone to stay with you right now"

As he said it and saw her expression shift, Takumi knew he hadn't chosen the most correct words to voice out what he had hoped was a request "I do not need your pity, Walker"

"I'm just saying-"

"How did you know Mom offered to stay with me?"

The question caught him off guard "Chiyo told me"

"Oh? So the entire friend circle is actually your personal league of investigators who report to you about me?" She moved another step away, her arms uncrossing and fisting on her sides.

"That's not what it is-"

"Oh yeah, I am so sorry. I forgot that Mr. Walker needs to know everything, don't you? Why don't you insert a tracking chip so you'd be able to keep tabs on me all the time huh-"

Takumi caught her arms and jerked her to meet his gaze "Why are you so angry?" His tone was gentle, soothing as he rubbed her arms "I was away and I was worried about you. Chiyo told me when I asked her-"

"Why-" Takumi blinked at the hoarse voice, the crack he was sure he had heard in it "Why would you leave me when I needed your presence the most?"

He could feel his heart breaking, his mouth running dry at the tears he'd already detected in her tone before he saw them as two treacherous drops slid down her cheek making her press her face into his shoulder to avoid letting him see it. She wasn't crying, she was merely disoriented, needed a minute to collect herself and the moment she pushed against his body, he knew she was done.

Yet, she repeated "Why?"

His throat closed up and he watched in muted misery as the words escaped him on a tortured breath "I..had my reasons"

Misaki's eyes betrayed her disbelief and she stalked past him, making Takumi follow her in a frenzy "Misaki- wait!"

It was only when she had opened the door to her house that he realized she was asking him to get out "I- I want to explain-"

"Then do it"

"I-" He opened his mouth but there was no easy way to explain "I can't"

Misaki was watching every change of emotion on his face but this time, she was unrelenting

"Then I think that this is it"

Before Takumi could ask any further, Misaki was already talking "I don't know what this is between us, what it could be. But I cannot let it go on over blind faith. Now, now is when I need reassurance, Takumi. I need it the most and I want it from you"

She didn't ask if he was willing to give it to her, no. She waited for him to offer. When Takumi stepped past the threshold, Misaki willed every nerve in her body to focus on not letting it break her apart right there and beg for him to comfort her.

"One day" He took her hand, rubbing his palm over the back of her hand "I want to tell you everything"

"Crumbs. You can't leave me hot and cold and everything in between. I don't like feeling bipolar, Takumi. I would like some semblance"

"How can I help?"

"By staying away if you don't plan on coming any closer"

There it was, the verdict.

"What-"

"If," Misaki bit out, with heart-wrenching tenderness but shook her head as if to clear it, phrase it right "This-" She gestured to the space between them "-cannot go any further than what it is, if you won't choose to let me in and let me understand, then you're just tossing me in the wind"

Takumi stared at her, unable to form the words but even as he attempted to speak, Misaki held up a hand "I owe my life to you. To your friends" Your friends, not ours. "For what you did for me. And because it does not look like it can go any further, let's call it quits"

"Misaki-"

But she wasn't done "I cannot hang by a thread, Takumi. I'm not your personal toy that you bother with whenever you're bored, playing and teasing at your convenience. You make me happy and I want to cherish that but you also make me very, very sad"

There, the cause.

Unable to overcome the blockage in his throat, to restore his thought process, Takumi watched in mute horror as Misaki resumed speaking, pulling her hand from his grip "I let you see through it all. All my scars, all my nightmares. What would it take to make you trust me enough to see yours?"

He said nothing.

"Will I ever be able to see yours?"

Nothing.

"Do you trust me?"

Through the deep emerald pools, Misaki watched the flecks of golden shimmer, his pupil dilating, his struggle. But she was done playing games solely based on signs, signs she kept assuming, pretending and wishing were there. She needed him to say something, anything that would make her want to stay, make her feel secure as she moved forward. She didn't know when Takumi's someday was, if it would ever come. If he wanted to move forward with her or if he was content right here, in the middle, hanging.

Takumi didn't say anything, just stared at her. Stared until Misaki got her answer. Stared until she pleaded with her eyes for him to give her a chance. Stared as she clutched her doorknob tightly enough to turn her knuckles white.

Misaki didn't notice his fists curling at the sides as she slammed the door to her house.

Hello my louves! It's been sooooooo long!

Lots of catching up to do and we'll all do it soon! Chapter's not really on the short side but not really on one of my longer one's either.

Thank you, like always, allllllllll of you for being the patient cupcakes you are! *hands out brownies*

I love all of you for your support and love! You guys are my superstars! 33.9K? SOMEONE PINCH ME SO I KNOW I AM NOT DREAMING!

3 minutes to my babie's birthday, Happy Birthday to our King - insert hearts - and happy 4th anniversary to this story! It's been an amazing 4 years will all of you! You are, all of you, absolutely amazing!

Tons of love!