Hallelujah, Part 2
Yolei let out a contented sigh as she felt the heat of the hot springs' water permeate her body. It was just what she needed to unwind and relax. She heard a similar sigh from just across the way and smirked, seeing Kari react the same to the water. For as much as Yolei needed this, Kari needed it even more.
"I told you this was a good idea." Yolei told her as she stretched out.
"Ooohhh.I could get used to this." Kari replied. "Too bad the boys couldn't come with us."
"Are you kidding me? I needed a break from Matt or I was going to start beating him in public." Sora added as she stretched her neck.
"Is that to say that."
"Don't even finish that sentence, Yolei."
"Heh, sorry Sora. But you kind asked for it."
"So anyhow, you know what I'm going to ask you next right?" Sora said, scooting over a bit closer to Yolei. Kari moved in likewise, but was unsure of what Sora meant.
"I should've known this would come up." Yolei said with a groan.
"Then fess up. How was it?"
"How was what?" Kari asked.
"Um.Sora, maybe we should have this conversation later?" Yolei asked nervously. "I mean, all things considering."
"You slept with TK, didn't you?" Kari blurted out, suddenly realizing what was going on. Yolei sighed and nodded to her. Kari felt her face turn bright red as a few different feelings and thoughts ran through her head.
"Kari, I."
"I'm okay, Yolei. Really." Kari said, shaking it off quickly. "Sometimes I still have a hard time accepting you and TK being together is all."
"You're just like your brother there, Kari, so don't worry too much." Sora told her.
"I'm not worried. Davis is there for me, after all."
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask about that." Yolei said, sitting up a bit. "How did you two manage to get back together?"
"First I have to ask, do you want the short version or the long version?" Kari asked.
"Try to find a happy medium, Kari." Sora told her. "As much as I like this hot spring, I don't want to end up a prune either."
"So noted." Kari giggled a bit at Sora's comment. "Well, let's see.you guys know that I pretty much isolated myself for about a week or so after what happened between TK and I. Actually, it was a week to the day."
_ _ _ _ _
Kari groaned audibly as she closed her bathrobe while approaching the door. The doorbell had been ringing for about 2 minutes now, and her annoyance level was reaching critical mass. She stepped down into the genkan and opened the door, putting on her best angry face.
"What?!" she yelled as she opened to door. Davis hopped back a bit, startled by her sudden appearance. She sighed inwardly as she saw it was him. 'Oh great. The next to last guy I wanted to see right now.'
"Man, Kari, you look terrible." Davis said, recovering. "Mind if I come in for a bit?"
"Yes."
"Umm.okay, then. I'll try again later."
"Wait, I'm. I'm sorry, Davis. Come on in." Kari said, smacking her forehead. Davis nodded and stepped past her quickly, removing his shoes at the genkan before proceeding further. Kari closed the door behind them and returned to the couch, flopping down onto it again.
"So.um, whatcha been up to?" Davis asked as he looked around the apartment.
"Not much more than this." Kari replied from the couch as she returned to channel surfing on the TV. "So are you here on your own, or did Tai send you?"
"Tai did ask me to come here, but at first I didn't want to." "Can't say I blame you. So why are you here, then? Did he threaten to beat you up, or are you here to try and profess your feelings for me again?"
"Kari, I."
Davis stopped himself and laughed a bit, shaking his head. Kari looked up at him curiously.
"You know what? Forget this." He said, turning for the door. "I came over here because I figured you needed a friend more than anything else right now. Someone you could just talk to who wouldn't try to be anything else than a friend. Obviously you're just content to wallow in your own self pity, so have it your way."
Davis began to reach for his shoes to put them back on, cursing himself for letting Tai talk him into coming over.
"Please.don't go." Kari said weakly. Davis looked over at her and saw her sitting up, her eyes red and swollen, yet tearful again. Seeing her that sad tore at him, more because he felt there wasn't a whole lot he could do to ease her sadness.
"It absolutely crushed me.how he said it." She continued, choking her tears back. "How he said, 'I can't do this.' For the first couple of days I didn't know who to be more angry with: TK, Yolei, or myself. I got over that part, but now I just can't stop crying. Every time I think of him, I see them together and how happy they must be.and knowing that I could never be the one that makes him happy.it's all too much to bear."
Kari had begun to sob again, and that was all Davis needed for a reason to stay. He walked back over to the couch and sat opposite Kari in a nearby chair, watching her and listening carefully.
"Do you have any idea what this feels like? Knowing that you could never be 'that special someone' to the person you care about most?" Kari asked after she stopped sobbing.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do." Davis said, his own expression darkening a bit. Kari almost smacked herself for forgetting about what she'd done to him weeks ago at the amusement park.
"Davis.I'm so sorry that happened. It's just at that time."
"No need to apologize, Kari. It was the wake up call I'd been needing for a while." Davis told her, managing a smile. "I mean, you put up with me for a long time. Nobody else would have. Heck, Jun can barely stand being around me for a few minutes before she starts yelling at me or hitting me, and she's my sister!"
"You take so much abuse, Davis.how do you manage it?"
"I dunno really. Jun says it's because I resemble one of those blow-up clown dolls. You know, the ones little kids are always trying to knock over, but keep flopping back up?"
Davis acted out just what he said by falling out of his chair to the floor, only to get right back up and sit in it again. Kari couldn't help but laugh at both his analogy and his antics.
"I've always been a glutton for punishment, I guess." He continued. "But I never let it keep me down for long. I can't."
"I wish I could be like that." Kari said after she stopped laughing.
"Why can't you be?"
"We Kamiyas have a bad history of keeping grudges."
"Yeah, you guys gotta work on that."
Davis stood back up and stepped over near the couch, looking down at Kari all the while.
"Look, I know you might not be ready to face them again yet, but you shouldn't shut yourself down completely Kari. Getting back on your feet can be rough sometimes, believe me I know. That's why I just wanted to let you know.I'm here whenever you need a hand to get back up. I always will be. And not because I'm trying to impress you, or any stupid macho reason, but because you're my friend, and I hate seeing you so sad and hurt."
Kari looked up at Davis again, taking in his words for a bit. He smiled back at her. It wasn't one of his usual, stupid grins, but a smile of genuine caring that almost seemed to warm her and lift her spirits in a way that only he seemed to be able to do.
"Well, enough preaching from me. I just wanted to stop by and see if you were okay. I'll, um, check in with you again soon."
Davis began to head for the door again, and that's when Kari made a decision: A decision to get up.
"Hang on, Davis." She said, standing up from the couch. "Can you hang around for a few minutes?"
"I guess. Why?"
"I'm going to go clean up and get dressed. Let's go do something."
"You sure about this?"
Kari just nodded, with a small smile, and headed back to her room. Several minutes later, she was dressed and cleaned up and left her apartment with Davis.
"Where should we go?"
"I don't care. Just somewhere we can go and be alone and talk. How about lunch and a walk around town?"
"I'm on board for anything!"
As the pair headed for a fast food restaurant, they started their conversation about everything that was on their minds and in their hearts. It would be a long talk, but one of healing, and more importantly, new beginnings.
_ _ _ _ _
"I knew Davis had to have a sweeter side to him." Yolei said thoughtfully. "I always figured he just hid it because he tried to be a tough guy."
"Knowing how his family is, I can't say I blame him. His sister can be kind of thoughtless sometimes." Kari added. "But when he's around me anymore, he's just nicer than words can describe. He listens to me, we talk, we share thoughts.he's more supportive of me than I ever realized before."
"Nice to hear it's working out, then." Sora added with a smile.
"Well, sometimes he can still be a bit too much, you know? But yeah, it's beginning to work."
"With that, I suggest we step on out and dry off a bit, and then let Yolei tell us all about her and TK's night of passion, just like she promised." Sora said, reaching for a towel as she stepped out of the spring.
"I couldn't agree more." Kari replied, doing likewise.
"Wait a sec, I promised nothing of the sort! Get back here!"
Yolei grabbed a towel and began to chase after the other two as they all ducked into the locker room, laughing their heads off.
A short while later, the trio sat outside a small café down the road from the hot springs, enjoying some desserts. Sora had a piece of strawberry cheescake, Kari had a slice of apple pie and Yolei had some lemon sorbet.
"Please, guys, don't make me talk about it. Just thinking about it makes me all, well." Yolei said pleadingly.
"Embarassed?" Kari asked.
"Hot and bothered?" Sora asked.
"A little of both, really." Yolei replied, her face reddening. "I'm just not really comfortable about talking about things like that with anyone but Takeru."
"So then tell us how you guys started thinking about doing it, then." Sora said. "I totally understand that it's a big decision, but how did you two deal with it?"
"That I think I can handle." Yolei said, sitting up a bit again. "I think it was a few days before the Festival."
_ _ _ _ _
"I'm saying it again. Your mom has to be one of the coolest people I know." Yolei said as she set her things down in the living room. "She actually trusts us both enough to let me stay overnight while my family is away."
"Explain to me again how you got left out of your family's trip." TK said, carrying Yolei's other bag inside for her.'
"Because they're going to Disneyland for my younger siblings, and that's not exactly my speed anymore."
"Whatever you say. At least we get to spend more time together."
"Exactly."
Yolei moved over to TK, hugging him tightly as he set his bag down.
"And any time I spend with you is a vacation as far as I'm concerned, Takeru."
"Sorry your accommodations won't exactly be the most comfortable around, though."
"Eh, I've slept on worse than a couch. I hate sleeping bags, by the way."
"That explains why you never take Sora up on the offer to join her sleepovers."
"Well there's that, and there's the fact that sleepovers are pretty boring from my experience. Just a bunch of girls talking about fluff and nonsense."
"As always with such things, I defer to your experience." TK bowed melodramatically after his statement, eliciting a giggle from Yolei. "Make yourself at home. Want something to drink?"
"Please! It's way to hot today."
TK nodded in agreement and headed to the kitchen, returning with two glasses of ice water for them. The young couple did their best to relax and stay cool until Ms. Takaishi came home with dinner. Later that night, TK and Yolei sat on the couch watching TV after Ms. Takaishi had headed to bed.
"Your mom sure goes to bed early." Yolei commented.
"She does so much during the day that she gets worn out easily. This is actually normal for her."
Yolei nodded as she stretched out, fanning herself with a magazine she'd found.
"It's just crazy hot tonight. And humid for that matter."
"No kidding. Mind if I just take off my shirt?"
"Hmm, gee.no, I don't mind." Yolei said playfully. TK smirked at her and pulled his t-shirt off, using it to wipe off some of the sweat on him.
Yolei bit her lower lip a little at the sight. The last time she'd seen his bare torso was at the basketball game where the two of them had done quite a bit of flirting. This was a much more private setting than that had been.
"You're very attractive, you know Takeru?" Yolei said appreciatively.
"Thanks, I think."
"It was a compliment, you know."
"I know, I'm just.you know, not used to hearing stuff like that."
"Well it's true. The disparity between you and me is amazing."
"Don't put yourself down like that. You're an incredibly pretty girl, Yolei."
"I'm certainly no Sora or Mimi. Or."
"Or Kari?"
"Yeah."
"Yolei, you know how you tell me not to compare myself to my brother? Well, don't compare yourself to other girls. You're a fantastic young woman, who I find very attractive as well."
"Really?"
"Really really." TK grinned at her.
"Hmm.I'm not convinced." Yolei said, looking at TK slyly. "Maybe if we were on an even keel."
Yolei continued to smile at her somewhat clueless boyfriend as she reached for the bottom of her t-shirt. TK quickly caught on.
"Um, Yolei.are you sure that's."
"Relax, Takeru."
Yolei finished her motion, removing her t-shirt. To TK's relief, somewhat, Yolei was wearing a bra. He still felt suddenly rather uncomfortable, though. Yolei was enjoying his reaction.
"So how about now? Am I still attractive?" she asked, leaning forward towards TK.
"Y-yes." TK said, nervously.
"So you like what you see, then?"
"How could I not?"
Yolei smiled at him, seeing how nervous he was acting. She found it rather cute. Her smile slowly faded, though, as she looked down and began appreciating TK's form as well. TK hesitantly reached his hand up to Yolei's exposed stomach, touching her skin gently.
"Do you remember.that last time we were like this?" he asked, his voice hushed.
"It was another hot day, and we were soaking wet from the rain." Yolei replied as she traced around his chest with one finger lightly.
"It was a very tempting situation.just like this."
"Your mom is asleep, you know."
"I know."
"How quiet can you be?"
"Pretty quiet. You?"
"Dunno. Let's find out."
The young couple first kissed, and then shifted on the couch so that Yolei lay on top of TK. As things intensified into a full make out session, each of them did their best to stay quiet while enjoying their situation immensely. Their hands roamed all over each other's bodies as they kissed, losing all track of time. When they finally stopped for a quick breather, they realized they had been at it for almost half an hour.
Yolei sat up a bit, looking down at TK as she tried to catch her breath. She was almost beyond rational thought, as her mind was focused on her desire for him. TK, likewise, looked almost overcome with desire as well. Slowly, Yolei began to reach up behind her back to her bra clasp. In a moment of clarity, TK snapped out of his trance and snatched her hands before she could finish her motion.
"Wh-why?" she asked, a bit surprised and hurt.
"Not.not now, Yolei. Not like this." He breathed.
"But Takeru."
"Yolei, I love you.and believe me if I thought I was prepared for it I'd see no reason why we shouldn't.have."
".have sex."
"Yes. But.I don't have any kind of protection."
"Neither do I, and I'm not on the pill yet either."
"I love you too much to take that kind of chance."
"I know. I love you too, Takeru, just as much. But when will be right?"
"Just give me a little more time, love. I promise I won't make you wait long."
"Okay. You sure you wouldn't still like a little show, though?" Yolei teased him a bit as she reached back behind her back with one arm.
"Not this time, Yolei."
Yolei sighed inwardly and let her hands fall back to her sides. She had to smile at him, though. Most guys wouldn't be as sweet or thoughtful as TK was in such a situation. It made her appreciate him even more.
"If ever you needed proof that you're not Matt, I think you got it tonight Takeru." She said quietly as she lay back down on him, resting her head on his chest. "Is this okay?"
"This is always okay." He replied, stroking her hair gently. Yolei closed her eyes, as the touch of his hand relaxed her completely. She could feel consciousness slipping away as she lay there, but managed one last comment before she fell asleep.
"I love you so much, Takeru."
_ _ _ _ _
"Looking back on it all, I'm glad we waited a bit longer." Yolei said, finishing her sorbet. "And believe me, it was all worth the wait."
"I can only imagine. TK being Matt's brother, I can only assume it was enjoyable." Sora said, a bit of a smile on her face.
"Oh you got that right."
"Only one thing bothers me about it, though." Kari said. Yolei looked over at her, to see that she was visibly embarrassed by the topic. "You and TK were together for what? 2 months? Isn't that moving kind of fast?"
"Maybe it is, but on the other hand we knew each other well ahead of time. I mean, we were friends long before he and I started going out. And even discounting that, I love him deeply, Kari. When we both made up our minds that there was nobody else we'd rather be with, all that was left was for an opportunity to present itself. And it did."
"But when did you decide the time was right? When did you both realize you wanted to take that step?" Kari asked, pressing the conversation even further.
"You ask like you're wondering yourself, Kari." Sora interjected. "Could it be you're beginning to have some stronger feelings for Davis?"
"Umm.this is about Yolei, not me!" Kari said defensively. Sora and Yolei both snickered a bit at Kari's defensiveness.
"It didn't happen overnight, Kari." Yolei said, returning to the question. "Nor did we just both wake up one day and admit that we wanted to do it. It was kind of a silent realization for both of us."
"So when did you realize that he was your one and only?" Sora asked, leaning across the table. Yolei sat back and sighed happily as she thought back to when it all came together. She looked across the table and told Sora and Kari the answer, with a contented smile on her face.
"The Summer Festival."
Yolei let out a contented sigh as she felt the heat of the hot springs' water permeate her body. It was just what she needed to unwind and relax. She heard a similar sigh from just across the way and smirked, seeing Kari react the same to the water. For as much as Yolei needed this, Kari needed it even more.
"I told you this was a good idea." Yolei told her as she stretched out.
"Ooohhh.I could get used to this." Kari replied. "Too bad the boys couldn't come with us."
"Are you kidding me? I needed a break from Matt or I was going to start beating him in public." Sora added as she stretched her neck.
"Is that to say that."
"Don't even finish that sentence, Yolei."
"Heh, sorry Sora. But you kind asked for it."
"So anyhow, you know what I'm going to ask you next right?" Sora said, scooting over a bit closer to Yolei. Kari moved in likewise, but was unsure of what Sora meant.
"I should've known this would come up." Yolei said with a groan.
"Then fess up. How was it?"
"How was what?" Kari asked.
"Um.Sora, maybe we should have this conversation later?" Yolei asked nervously. "I mean, all things considering."
"You slept with TK, didn't you?" Kari blurted out, suddenly realizing what was going on. Yolei sighed and nodded to her. Kari felt her face turn bright red as a few different feelings and thoughts ran through her head.
"Kari, I."
"I'm okay, Yolei. Really." Kari said, shaking it off quickly. "Sometimes I still have a hard time accepting you and TK being together is all."
"You're just like your brother there, Kari, so don't worry too much." Sora told her.
"I'm not worried. Davis is there for me, after all."
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask about that." Yolei said, sitting up a bit. "How did you two manage to get back together?"
"First I have to ask, do you want the short version or the long version?" Kari asked.
"Try to find a happy medium, Kari." Sora told her. "As much as I like this hot spring, I don't want to end up a prune either."
"So noted." Kari giggled a bit at Sora's comment. "Well, let's see.you guys know that I pretty much isolated myself for about a week or so after what happened between TK and I. Actually, it was a week to the day."
_ _ _ _ _
Kari groaned audibly as she closed her bathrobe while approaching the door. The doorbell had been ringing for about 2 minutes now, and her annoyance level was reaching critical mass. She stepped down into the genkan and opened the door, putting on her best angry face.
"What?!" she yelled as she opened to door. Davis hopped back a bit, startled by her sudden appearance. She sighed inwardly as she saw it was him. 'Oh great. The next to last guy I wanted to see right now.'
"Man, Kari, you look terrible." Davis said, recovering. "Mind if I come in for a bit?"
"Yes."
"Umm.okay, then. I'll try again later."
"Wait, I'm. I'm sorry, Davis. Come on in." Kari said, smacking her forehead. Davis nodded and stepped past her quickly, removing his shoes at the genkan before proceeding further. Kari closed the door behind them and returned to the couch, flopping down onto it again.
"So.um, whatcha been up to?" Davis asked as he looked around the apartment.
"Not much more than this." Kari replied from the couch as she returned to channel surfing on the TV. "So are you here on your own, or did Tai send you?"
"Tai did ask me to come here, but at first I didn't want to." "Can't say I blame you. So why are you here, then? Did he threaten to beat you up, or are you here to try and profess your feelings for me again?"
"Kari, I."
Davis stopped himself and laughed a bit, shaking his head. Kari looked up at him curiously.
"You know what? Forget this." He said, turning for the door. "I came over here because I figured you needed a friend more than anything else right now. Someone you could just talk to who wouldn't try to be anything else than a friend. Obviously you're just content to wallow in your own self pity, so have it your way."
Davis began to reach for his shoes to put them back on, cursing himself for letting Tai talk him into coming over.
"Please.don't go." Kari said weakly. Davis looked over at her and saw her sitting up, her eyes red and swollen, yet tearful again. Seeing her that sad tore at him, more because he felt there wasn't a whole lot he could do to ease her sadness.
"It absolutely crushed me.how he said it." She continued, choking her tears back. "How he said, 'I can't do this.' For the first couple of days I didn't know who to be more angry with: TK, Yolei, or myself. I got over that part, but now I just can't stop crying. Every time I think of him, I see them together and how happy they must be.and knowing that I could never be the one that makes him happy.it's all too much to bear."
Kari had begun to sob again, and that was all Davis needed for a reason to stay. He walked back over to the couch and sat opposite Kari in a nearby chair, watching her and listening carefully.
"Do you have any idea what this feels like? Knowing that you could never be 'that special someone' to the person you care about most?" Kari asked after she stopped sobbing.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do." Davis said, his own expression darkening a bit. Kari almost smacked herself for forgetting about what she'd done to him weeks ago at the amusement park.
"Davis.I'm so sorry that happened. It's just at that time."
"No need to apologize, Kari. It was the wake up call I'd been needing for a while." Davis told her, managing a smile. "I mean, you put up with me for a long time. Nobody else would have. Heck, Jun can barely stand being around me for a few minutes before she starts yelling at me or hitting me, and she's my sister!"
"You take so much abuse, Davis.how do you manage it?"
"I dunno really. Jun says it's because I resemble one of those blow-up clown dolls. You know, the ones little kids are always trying to knock over, but keep flopping back up?"
Davis acted out just what he said by falling out of his chair to the floor, only to get right back up and sit in it again. Kari couldn't help but laugh at both his analogy and his antics.
"I've always been a glutton for punishment, I guess." He continued. "But I never let it keep me down for long. I can't."
"I wish I could be like that." Kari said after she stopped laughing.
"Why can't you be?"
"We Kamiyas have a bad history of keeping grudges."
"Yeah, you guys gotta work on that."
Davis stood back up and stepped over near the couch, looking down at Kari all the while.
"Look, I know you might not be ready to face them again yet, but you shouldn't shut yourself down completely Kari. Getting back on your feet can be rough sometimes, believe me I know. That's why I just wanted to let you know.I'm here whenever you need a hand to get back up. I always will be. And not because I'm trying to impress you, or any stupid macho reason, but because you're my friend, and I hate seeing you so sad and hurt."
Kari looked up at Davis again, taking in his words for a bit. He smiled back at her. It wasn't one of his usual, stupid grins, but a smile of genuine caring that almost seemed to warm her and lift her spirits in a way that only he seemed to be able to do.
"Well, enough preaching from me. I just wanted to stop by and see if you were okay. I'll, um, check in with you again soon."
Davis began to head for the door again, and that's when Kari made a decision: A decision to get up.
"Hang on, Davis." She said, standing up from the couch. "Can you hang around for a few minutes?"
"I guess. Why?"
"I'm going to go clean up and get dressed. Let's go do something."
"You sure about this?"
Kari just nodded, with a small smile, and headed back to her room. Several minutes later, she was dressed and cleaned up and left her apartment with Davis.
"Where should we go?"
"I don't care. Just somewhere we can go and be alone and talk. How about lunch and a walk around town?"
"I'm on board for anything!"
As the pair headed for a fast food restaurant, they started their conversation about everything that was on their minds and in their hearts. It would be a long talk, but one of healing, and more importantly, new beginnings.
_ _ _ _ _
"I knew Davis had to have a sweeter side to him." Yolei said thoughtfully. "I always figured he just hid it because he tried to be a tough guy."
"Knowing how his family is, I can't say I blame him. His sister can be kind of thoughtless sometimes." Kari added. "But when he's around me anymore, he's just nicer than words can describe. He listens to me, we talk, we share thoughts.he's more supportive of me than I ever realized before."
"Nice to hear it's working out, then." Sora added with a smile.
"Well, sometimes he can still be a bit too much, you know? But yeah, it's beginning to work."
"With that, I suggest we step on out and dry off a bit, and then let Yolei tell us all about her and TK's night of passion, just like she promised." Sora said, reaching for a towel as she stepped out of the spring.
"I couldn't agree more." Kari replied, doing likewise.
"Wait a sec, I promised nothing of the sort! Get back here!"
Yolei grabbed a towel and began to chase after the other two as they all ducked into the locker room, laughing their heads off.
A short while later, the trio sat outside a small café down the road from the hot springs, enjoying some desserts. Sora had a piece of strawberry cheescake, Kari had a slice of apple pie and Yolei had some lemon sorbet.
"Please, guys, don't make me talk about it. Just thinking about it makes me all, well." Yolei said pleadingly.
"Embarassed?" Kari asked.
"Hot and bothered?" Sora asked.
"A little of both, really." Yolei replied, her face reddening. "I'm just not really comfortable about talking about things like that with anyone but Takeru."
"So then tell us how you guys started thinking about doing it, then." Sora said. "I totally understand that it's a big decision, but how did you two deal with it?"
"That I think I can handle." Yolei said, sitting up a bit again. "I think it was a few days before the Festival."
_ _ _ _ _
"I'm saying it again. Your mom has to be one of the coolest people I know." Yolei said as she set her things down in the living room. "She actually trusts us both enough to let me stay overnight while my family is away."
"Explain to me again how you got left out of your family's trip." TK said, carrying Yolei's other bag inside for her.'
"Because they're going to Disneyland for my younger siblings, and that's not exactly my speed anymore."
"Whatever you say. At least we get to spend more time together."
"Exactly."
Yolei moved over to TK, hugging him tightly as he set his bag down.
"And any time I spend with you is a vacation as far as I'm concerned, Takeru."
"Sorry your accommodations won't exactly be the most comfortable around, though."
"Eh, I've slept on worse than a couch. I hate sleeping bags, by the way."
"That explains why you never take Sora up on the offer to join her sleepovers."
"Well there's that, and there's the fact that sleepovers are pretty boring from my experience. Just a bunch of girls talking about fluff and nonsense."
"As always with such things, I defer to your experience." TK bowed melodramatically after his statement, eliciting a giggle from Yolei. "Make yourself at home. Want something to drink?"
"Please! It's way to hot today."
TK nodded in agreement and headed to the kitchen, returning with two glasses of ice water for them. The young couple did their best to relax and stay cool until Ms. Takaishi came home with dinner. Later that night, TK and Yolei sat on the couch watching TV after Ms. Takaishi had headed to bed.
"Your mom sure goes to bed early." Yolei commented.
"She does so much during the day that she gets worn out easily. This is actually normal for her."
Yolei nodded as she stretched out, fanning herself with a magazine she'd found.
"It's just crazy hot tonight. And humid for that matter."
"No kidding. Mind if I just take off my shirt?"
"Hmm, gee.no, I don't mind." Yolei said playfully. TK smirked at her and pulled his t-shirt off, using it to wipe off some of the sweat on him.
Yolei bit her lower lip a little at the sight. The last time she'd seen his bare torso was at the basketball game where the two of them had done quite a bit of flirting. This was a much more private setting than that had been.
"You're very attractive, you know Takeru?" Yolei said appreciatively.
"Thanks, I think."
"It was a compliment, you know."
"I know, I'm just.you know, not used to hearing stuff like that."
"Well it's true. The disparity between you and me is amazing."
"Don't put yourself down like that. You're an incredibly pretty girl, Yolei."
"I'm certainly no Sora or Mimi. Or."
"Or Kari?"
"Yeah."
"Yolei, you know how you tell me not to compare myself to my brother? Well, don't compare yourself to other girls. You're a fantastic young woman, who I find very attractive as well."
"Really?"
"Really really." TK grinned at her.
"Hmm.I'm not convinced." Yolei said, looking at TK slyly. "Maybe if we were on an even keel."
Yolei continued to smile at her somewhat clueless boyfriend as she reached for the bottom of her t-shirt. TK quickly caught on.
"Um, Yolei.are you sure that's."
"Relax, Takeru."
Yolei finished her motion, removing her t-shirt. To TK's relief, somewhat, Yolei was wearing a bra. He still felt suddenly rather uncomfortable, though. Yolei was enjoying his reaction.
"So how about now? Am I still attractive?" she asked, leaning forward towards TK.
"Y-yes." TK said, nervously.
"So you like what you see, then?"
"How could I not?"
Yolei smiled at him, seeing how nervous he was acting. She found it rather cute. Her smile slowly faded, though, as she looked down and began appreciating TK's form as well. TK hesitantly reached his hand up to Yolei's exposed stomach, touching her skin gently.
"Do you remember.that last time we were like this?" he asked, his voice hushed.
"It was another hot day, and we were soaking wet from the rain." Yolei replied as she traced around his chest with one finger lightly.
"It was a very tempting situation.just like this."
"Your mom is asleep, you know."
"I know."
"How quiet can you be?"
"Pretty quiet. You?"
"Dunno. Let's find out."
The young couple first kissed, and then shifted on the couch so that Yolei lay on top of TK. As things intensified into a full make out session, each of them did their best to stay quiet while enjoying their situation immensely. Their hands roamed all over each other's bodies as they kissed, losing all track of time. When they finally stopped for a quick breather, they realized they had been at it for almost half an hour.
Yolei sat up a bit, looking down at TK as she tried to catch her breath. She was almost beyond rational thought, as her mind was focused on her desire for him. TK, likewise, looked almost overcome with desire as well. Slowly, Yolei began to reach up behind her back to her bra clasp. In a moment of clarity, TK snapped out of his trance and snatched her hands before she could finish her motion.
"Wh-why?" she asked, a bit surprised and hurt.
"Not.not now, Yolei. Not like this." He breathed.
"But Takeru."
"Yolei, I love you.and believe me if I thought I was prepared for it I'd see no reason why we shouldn't.have."
".have sex."
"Yes. But.I don't have any kind of protection."
"Neither do I, and I'm not on the pill yet either."
"I love you too much to take that kind of chance."
"I know. I love you too, Takeru, just as much. But when will be right?"
"Just give me a little more time, love. I promise I won't make you wait long."
"Okay. You sure you wouldn't still like a little show, though?" Yolei teased him a bit as she reached back behind her back with one arm.
"Not this time, Yolei."
Yolei sighed inwardly and let her hands fall back to her sides. She had to smile at him, though. Most guys wouldn't be as sweet or thoughtful as TK was in such a situation. It made her appreciate him even more.
"If ever you needed proof that you're not Matt, I think you got it tonight Takeru." She said quietly as she lay back down on him, resting her head on his chest. "Is this okay?"
"This is always okay." He replied, stroking her hair gently. Yolei closed her eyes, as the touch of his hand relaxed her completely. She could feel consciousness slipping away as she lay there, but managed one last comment before she fell asleep.
"I love you so much, Takeru."
_ _ _ _ _
"Looking back on it all, I'm glad we waited a bit longer." Yolei said, finishing her sorbet. "And believe me, it was all worth the wait."
"I can only imagine. TK being Matt's brother, I can only assume it was enjoyable." Sora said, a bit of a smile on her face.
"Oh you got that right."
"Only one thing bothers me about it, though." Kari said. Yolei looked over at her, to see that she was visibly embarrassed by the topic. "You and TK were together for what? 2 months? Isn't that moving kind of fast?"
"Maybe it is, but on the other hand we knew each other well ahead of time. I mean, we were friends long before he and I started going out. And even discounting that, I love him deeply, Kari. When we both made up our minds that there was nobody else we'd rather be with, all that was left was for an opportunity to present itself. And it did."
"But when did you decide the time was right? When did you both realize you wanted to take that step?" Kari asked, pressing the conversation even further.
"You ask like you're wondering yourself, Kari." Sora interjected. "Could it be you're beginning to have some stronger feelings for Davis?"
"Umm.this is about Yolei, not me!" Kari said defensively. Sora and Yolei both snickered a bit at Kari's defensiveness.
"It didn't happen overnight, Kari." Yolei said, returning to the question. "Nor did we just both wake up one day and admit that we wanted to do it. It was kind of a silent realization for both of us."
"So when did you realize that he was your one and only?" Sora asked, leaning across the table. Yolei sat back and sighed happily as she thought back to when it all came together. She looked across the table and told Sora and Kari the answer, with a contented smile on her face.
"The Summer Festival."