Hey guys! Yes I'm still here, I told you I was going out of town. Of course I forgive you maggie. I know XxNoAnGeLxX that I was very mean to Psymon, don't get me wrong! Psymon is in my top 3 favorite characters but it's fun to have him act on his psycho intentions ya know? And anonymous, I appreciate your constructive criticism but this is a romance fluff story and I don't want to have lasting conflict in it. There are only 2 more chapters for me to write... I know! *ducks flying shoes* I wasn't planning on making this very long, it's going to be 10 chapters so enjoy the last 2! I'll have the last one/epilogue up soon. Thanks for your reviews!
For the next week, Kaori and Mac avoided Psymon like a rabid dog. Most of the tour were walking on eggshells around said boarder, except Zoe and Moby of course. Kaori kept busy with arrangements for the costume party on New Year's Eve, and Mac helped her as much as he dared.
Soon it was New Year's Eve and everyone was excited about the party that night. Kaori was keeping her costume a secret from everyone, and Mac was pestering her trying to get her to spill it.
"I'm not telling Mac." she told him matter-of-factly as the two were hanging banners around the main lobby where the party was going to be held, just like the Christmas Party.
Kaori was standing on a chair and Mac was handing her pushpins from below. Mac had told her it was silly for her to be the one hanging them up as she was much shorter than him, but Kaori had a stubborn streak in her and insisted on decorating the room herself, since it was her idea.
Mac put a mock-hurt look on his face.
"I'll tell you what I am if you tell me what you are." Kaori said, for he wasn't telling either.
"No! It's a surprise Kitty. I already told you that." he said and put another pushpin in his girlfriend's impatient hand.
"Very well, we'll just have to find out together. Tonight." the discussion was clearly over. Mac pouted for a moment but then saw Moby enter the room with Zoe and shut up.
"Need any help Kaori?" Zoe asked. The Japanese woman shook her head vigorously.
"It's okay, I can do it." she answered.
"Nice of your boyfriend there to make you do all the work." Moby snorted at Mac.
"Oh, he offered." she responded.
"So what's your costume Kaori?" Zoe broke in before the two men could start arguing.
"She won't say." Mac informed her dryly.
"You'll see tonight Mac for crying out loud!" Kaori snapped at him turning around suddenly, he kept distracting her! The quick movement caused the petite woman to lose her balance on top of the chair and with a squeak she toppled off. Mac, like every snowboarder, had fast reflexes and caught her before she hit the floor. Kaori blushed furiously at having lost her balance and righted herself hastily.
"I told you I should be the one on the chair." Mac told her sternly. A grin flitted across her face.
"If you insist."
"We'll leave you to it then." Zoe said after making sure her friend was alright. "Come one Mobes."
A little while later, Mac and Kaori had finished all the decorations for the upcoming party and had collapsed on one of the various couches. Kaori stretched languidly and made herself comfortable on Mac's lap.
"So, what do you want to do till the party?" Mac asked after a few minutes, it was only two o'clock after all.
"We could go practice on the Peak." Kaori suggested. Mac hesitated for about a second.
"Yeah! Let's go." They got up to collect their boards.
For the rest of the afternoon the couple enjoyed themselves engaged in their favorite sport. They would race each other, showoff against each other, and spend time just boarding down the slope of the mountain taking pleasure in the other's company.
After hours out in the cold snow they decided to head back to the lodge and chill for a little while before the party, which started at 10 and went well through midnight. Kaori and Mac found Zoe, Moby, Elise, and Viggo hanging out in the pool and joined them in splashing and dunking for a few more hours.
Finally, at about 8:30 the women went to get ready for the party, while the guys pretended to be in no hurry in changing into their costumes. Since Elise, Zoe and Kaori were friends they helped each other get into their costumes; Allegra wasn't really a part of their group so she went by herself.
Elise had chosen to be a playboy bunny, much to the amusement of Zoe and the disapproval of Kaori who was a bit more modest than that. She even had the bunny ears and the tail, complete with short shorts a tight tank top, black fish nets and white spikes. Zoe insisted on doing Elise's makeup and perfected the outfit with deep blood-red lipstick, fairly dark blush and black eyeliner with mascara.
"Elise you look just fine." Zoe complimented. Kaori just kept shaking her head.
"It is a costume party Kaori." Elise said with her ever present confident air, made quite humorous by the hooker outfit she was wearing.
Zoe had chosen something along similar lines, as a naughty-nurse only dark. She had a black leather body-hugging one piece that barely covered anything. Leg-long black lace up boots with red fish nets and red and black makeup.
"I think you two should come as a double package or something." Kaori said embarrassed. This caused hysterical laughter for a good five minutes.
Kaori, of course, was dressed in something less suggestive. She had found a water-fairy costume at the costume shop in town. She had a short sleeve blue mini dress on that was modest but attractive. Pale blue tights, with short heels of the same color and of course wings with various shades of blue mixed throughout it. She had her hair in her trademark pigtails with dark blue ribbons that fell to her shoulders. Zoe had put lots of glitter around her eyes and mascara that showed off her light brown orbs prettily.
"It's two past ten. Let's go." Elise said. They made their way downstairs and heard soft music playing.
"Once again, it's lovely Kaori." Elise complimented her decorations.
"Thanks."
"There you are! I was begi-" Moby cut off his sentence with a sharp intake of breath. Zoe winked at him and sauntered up to her boyfriend seductively.
"Do you like my costume?" she asked softly. Moby could not answer with a coherent sentence and sounded like a fish out of water. Elise rolled her eyes and made her way into the dancing crowd. Kaori chuckled at her friends' actions.
Moby finally snapped his jaw closed and said, "I think you should wear that on a regular basis love." Zoe laughed and kissed him on the lips.
"You too." Moby was dressed as a pirate, a very sexy pirate in fact.
"Kaori?" asked a shocked voice to her right. Kaori turned to see a figure dressed in a whass-up?-scream costume with the humorous white mask in a happy facial expression.
"Mac?" she asked in the same voice. He pulled off the mask covering his face and came over to her.
"You're gorgeous." he breathed, taking in her fantastical costume with awe. Kaori smiled, then got a funny look on her face.
"I wish I could say the same for you." Mac sniggered.
"Yeah, sorry." he said gesturing to his own costume.
"We make an interesting pair at least." Kaori said wrapping an arm around his waist. Mac obliged with the same movement as he laughed.
"That's for sure, the pretty fairy and the deranged killer." they laughed and approached the dance floor.
"Let's see what everyone else is." Kaori said. Mac took hold of her and they twirled across the floor looking for their fellow boarders.
"Did you see Elise and Zoe? and Moby?" Kaori asked him. Mac nodded.
"Hell yeah I saw Zoe and Elise!" he said enthusiastically. Kaori glared at him icily. "Uh, I-I mean... their costumes were cool." he tried to fix his answer. Kaori giggled.
"It's okay, Moby was a devilish pirate." Mac look tortured. She laughed again.
"Hey! Is that Nate?" Mac turned to look.
Indeed the tall boarder was there and was dressed up like the Toy Story character 'Woody' while Griff was 'Buzz Light-year'. Kaori had to hide her face in Mac's shoulder to conceal her laughter, Mac was not so tactful and laughed out loud. Luckily, they did not hear him over the music.
Nearby they saw Viggo dressed up like a vampire and trying to bite Elise's neck, who he was dancing with.
"Nice teeth!" Mac called to him with humor. Viggo smirked deviously at Kaori.
"Wanna dance?" he asked as they moved by him.
"Okay." she said. Mac shrugged and grabbed Elise.
"Hey!" she said indignantly. Mac ignored her and said to Viggo.
"But, keep your mouth to yourself!" Viggo smirked and whisked Kaori off.
"I like your costume." Kaori told the blond.
"Same here." he answered the fairy in his arms.
Kaori danced with Viggo for two songs then her 'deranged killer' cut in and left the blond to find someone else.
"Isn't that Allegra?" Mac asked a few songs later. He turned a 180 so she could see the other female boarder. Allegra was dressed like a belly dancer with lots of clinking jewels and coins. She was talking to a Shakespearian-looking character who looked suspiciously like DJ Atomika.
"Kaori!" called a voice over her shoulder. She looked to see Zack sporting a football player outfit with a woman in a cheerleading costume in his arms. Mac steered them towards their tour manager.
"This is Veronica." Zack introduced them to his 'cheerleader'. She smiled at them.
"Nice to meet you."
"I didn't know you had a girlfriend." Mac taunted. Zack fidgeted.
"Well know you know, we have to be going." he led his girlfriend off through the other people in costumes.
After a while they felt thirsty and went to the refreshment table. It was nearly 11:30 by this point. They spotted Zoe and Moby down by the punch, unfortunately they were by their other friend, Psymon.
"Hey guys!" Zoe shouted to get their attention. They reluctantly made their way over.
"Thirsty?" Psymon asked handing a cup out to Kaori. Psymon was wearing a chainsaw-maniac costume. Very original thought Mac.
"Don't mate." Moby warned.
"Psymon's spiking the punch." Zoe told them. Mac raised an eyebrow.
"Is that a wise thing to do?" Psymon cackled.
"Doubtful punk."
Kaori tugged on Mac's arm which was still around her shoulders protectively.
"Come on, let's go dance." Mac grabbed a cup of punch that Psymon hadn't spiked yet and they left. Kaori and Mac sipped the juice in a corner away from where the music was playing.
Suddenly "My Heart Will Go On" came on over the speakers and Kaori jumped up and down smiling like crazy.
"Oh no." Mac muttered.
"I love this song!" Kaori squealed. "Oh please Mac? Will you? Pleeeeeeease?" she begged while giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. Mac sighed heavily.
"Okay." Kaori giggled again and tugged him on the dance floor yet again. Mac at first was hugely embarrassed that he had to dance to such a cheesy song. but after a minute gave in and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and they swayed to the slow beat of the song.
Before they knew it, it was half an hour later and the music stopped suddenly and Zack grabbed a microphone.
"Okay everyone! It's almost time!" He had bought a big timer and placed it on the dais by the stereo. The gathered group of people in their array of costumes paused dramatically to watch as the timer counted down.
"TEN. NINE. EIGHT. SEVEN. SIX. FIVE. FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!" They all screamed in unison.
Mac picked Kaori up and twirled her around in traditional fashion.
"Happy New Year!" they both shouted again. Mac set Kaori but didn't let go of her. Mac nuzzled her neck affectionately and gave her a few kisses.
"I love you." he whispered in her ear quietly. Kaori breath caught in her throat. Had she heard him right? Of course she did but... she couldn't believe he had said it. Mac had never confessed that he loved her before.
"I love you." She answered him just as quietly and kissed him. Mac hugged her tightly then picked her up again and spun around with a loud whoop. Kaori was giggling like mad by the time he set her down, for almost everyone was staring at them.
The music picked up again and Kaori and Mac smiled at each other.
"Want to dance some more Kitty?" Mac asked gallantly.
"Of course." Kaori answered.
The rest of the night they spent in the bliss of each other's arms swaying to the music and enjoying the New Year.
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Not a bad New Years if I may say so. How did you guys like it? Let me know! Please review! I'll have the final chapter up soon! Did you all have good Christmas's and New Years? I did! Love you guys! Till next time.
elvenangel