Forever
Step 03 - You call my name
A/N: Revision one of this chapter.
"Okay people, you know what time it is," the DJ said, speaking low and smooth. "Grab your favorite cat for one last jive on the dance floor." Ran, seeing her opportunity, grabbed Rei's arm and dragged him to the floor.
Rei grunted in protest, but still held her close
"I have work tomorrow," he replied, but still hugged her close in his arms.
Odd... As Ran danced with Rei, she felt protected, free from all the wrongs in the world. Was this... "It's only the music," she whispered, shaking her head. Rei glanced at her, eyes holding questions he wouldn't ask, arms becoming cautious in their touch.
"Hey, Rei, are you free for lunch tomorrow? Tatsuki and I were wondering if you'd like to eat with Miyu and Takeshi, you know, catch up on the old times?" He nodded, which was as good as an agreement Ran could pry from him at the moment.
It felt like high school all over again, except for the fact that there were no Kogals, no media, and no Aya. He frowned slightly, not knowing why he thought of her. True, she entered his thoughts now and then but... no, he couldn't like her. He liked Ran. Right?
Even though it was hard to admit, he was attracted to Ran in those days. Seeing her again was a risk - for both him and his career. He had seen more than one of his colleagues fall into a 'trap', and he didn't want the same.
Ran sighed in Rei's arms and glanced at all the other couples, some were the same as her and Rei, others were doing things that she considered improper, and most ended the song in a kiss.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tatsuki dancing with a girl, and settled on watching them for a moment. Rei didn't seem to notice, he was thinking of something or another. The woman in question was somewhat pretty, she had long curled red hair to her waist, and she wore golden pants with a brown top. Autumn colors, how clever of her.
Normally such things wouldn't have bothered her but Tatsuki bent down and kissed her.
"I thought I could fill that void," his sad voice floated back to her, and she held back her gasp. It hurt more than it should have. Even Rei's protective aura couldn't prevent the onslaught of love's pain.
"Oh great. I'm beginning to become 'weak'," she thought, looking away and focusing on the music. At least she was off tomorrow, that left her until lunch to sort out her feelings.
Tatsuki led Aki back to his apartment, ushering her in with a hand on the small of her back. Her eyes widened at the size; it had to be at least three times the norm. Tatsuki had money, lots of it, although he didn't flaunt it.
It was a lucky break for her as well. Who would've thought she'd meet a gold mine while searching for Takui? Well, at least she saw him; that counted as staying with her mission, right? Besides, this Tatsuki needed her. Apparently his girlfriend wasn't fulfilling her duties on the pleasurable side of things.
Just give him a good time, and he'll be wrapped around her finger. Although his eyes seemed sad when they kissed, his hands touched her gingerly, hesitant, as though it was his first time. When he entered her, he didn't go as hard or fast as Aki expected, but rather entered her slow, and steady, as though. . . it was her first.
He reminded her of Takui. Sure, his passion belonged to music, but while they were in bed, making love, he played her as tediously and gently as he did his guitar. He made sure she always sang loud, clear, piercing notes, and not once did he not pay attention to her while they were in bed.
Five years had passed since then, and even in that long period of time, Takui still held a part of her she couldn't let go.
Unfortunately for both, neither were under the influence of alcohol. The burning liquid could have dulled their senses, made the clear misplacement vanish, and make the whole matter a mistake. But after both reached their height in passion, guilt impacted them hard.
Aki came looking for her lover.
Tatsuki needed Ran.
Both somehow found each other on the dance floor, and let the music do its work.
The car ride to the apartment carried no conversation; the clear intention of both was to reach bliss, and leave without another word. However, in that tiny car, two distinct auras were felt - sex and sadness. Both had the common thread of being in love with someone without a returned feeling.
Tatsuki never meant to actually have sex with Aki - he didn't even know her last name, for heaven's sake! - but when he looked over, and saw Ran and Rei together, and saw them lock eyes in that instant, well, he felt betrayed.
Ran had known and been with him for ten years. Rei comes back and suddenly they seem 'couplely'. It was also in that instant he realized he couldn't fill her heart with love. It saddened him, because she filled his completely.
Sure, both had their shares of lovers in the past, although Ran was still a virgin, in the complete sense, and almost scary in her devotion to her beliefs. He could let out his sexual frustrations on Aki and it would be over with.
But while looking at her, touching her, he imagined Ran. He wanted more than anything to be her first - kiss, love, everything. Not because she had that damned 'Unattainable Queen' title, but because he truly loved her, and wanted to become one with her.
This shared feeling of sadness and regret drew them together, and kept them together after the sun had risen . . .
Ran glared at her alarm clock; the night before she had forgotten to turn the blasted alarm off. Luckily she didn't work today, because although she didn't drink a drop of alcohol, her body felt like a million hangovers accumulated that one morning.
"Is this what love sickness feels like," she quipped, then shook her head at the poor excuse for a joke. How could you get love sickness if you weren't in love? Ran glanced at her clock, then decided to buy a new one later that day. The current one had been sitting on her dresser for a little over three months; she needed the change.
After all, if the time teller is the first thing you see when you wake up, might as well change it every once in awhile, right? Ran sat up and shook her head rapidly. Obsessing over minor things wasn't part of her personality. 'You get it done', was her motto toward life, as well as 'Live for the moment.'
Could love be tied down to mere words?
"Rei is new, and therefore interesting," she whispered, "My attraction to him stems from that fact. If I hadn't seen Tatsuki in ten years, I'd feel the same.
If Tatsuki had been missing from her life for ten years . . . her heart wrenched at the thought.
Miyu. She'd call Miyu. Maybe she could straighten out her muddled mind. Ran reached over to grab her blue phone that sat next to the simple alarm clock. She stared at the numbers for a moment, debating internally whether or not to call Miyu. After all, it had only been a day since she saw Rei again and the nightclub incident.
Gingerly she pushed the buttons, not bothering to think that at seven in the morning Miyu might be asleep.
Luckily Yamato had the early shift, so when Miyu answered, her voice retained its natural cheery and energetic tone. "Moshi moshi!"
"Hi, Miyu? It's Ran."
"Ran," Miyu replied, dumbfounded. She glanced at Yamato's cooking lunch (she still kept that aspect of her teenage years alive), decided it could be left alone for a bit, and took a seat at the kitchen table. "Are you okay Ran? Aren't you off?"
Ran laughed, although it seemed fake, "I forgot to turn off my alarm."
Miyu blinked in mild surprise again. Surely Ran could have fallen back asleep, after all, that's what Miyu did, therefore, could something be on her mind? Should she ask? Or let Ran spill it out? Miyu chuckled slightly, "Genki?"
"Eh, chotto. Rei's back in town, did Yamato tell you?"
"Yeah. You met him yesterday, right?"
"He took - err - I forced him to come with me to Tatsuki's club. Except . . . I saw Tatsuki kissing another girl there, and . . . I feel attracted to Rei."
That reply nearly caused Miyu to drop the receiver. Ran... and Rei!? That was like apples and oranges! "W-why Rei," she stuttered in her shock. Ram had no reply, and Miyu didn't want to press her.
Miyu checked on the takoyaki for her husband's lunch, then returned her mind to the situation. Of course Ran would feel strange discussing and thinking about issues like attraction. The poor girl had never been kissed, or allowed herself to fall in love.
"I'm an independent woman," she finally replied, a comment that seemed directed more at Ran than at Miyu. "I need no one," she reiterated, then paused for a beat before returning to her usual tone, "I called to ask if you wanted to come and eat lunch with us at Loco Panda today at twelve."
"Us?"
"Me, Rei, Tatsuki. You can bring Takeshi too, I'm sure Rei wants to see him."
"Are you sure you can handle the 'emotional onslaught'," she asked, knowing Ran's reply.
"What emotional onslaught? Miyu, you've been reading Aya's books again, haven't you?" Miyu laughed, emotional onslaught was a heavy backlash in her novels. Especially in her 'realism' pieces.
Aya's first book was indeed a romance, but her latter books showed range, from fantasy to serious dramas about everyday life. Of coarse, according to Aya, her favorites to write were romances. Not surprising, considering that she was a romantic at heart.
"No, no. I'm worried about you, that's all," Miyu replied while stirring the food one last time, and turning the burner off.
"Motherly Miyu. I'll never get used to that."
Miyu smiled warmly over the phone. "You'll understand when you have a child."
"I'd have to get kissed first. And I don't see that happening anytime soon."
Miyu grinned, then replied teasingly, "You know, it could happen the other way around too."
"Miyu," Ran yelped, then laughed. Pervert Miyu. That was worse than Motherly Miyu, because of its rarity. They two said their goodbyes, and Ran slowly hung up the phone after staring at it with an content smile on her face.
Miyu was always cheerful and knew how to transfer her energy to everyone when they were down. Sometimes she wondered if it was a mask to hide her real feelings. Then again, she was in no position to talk.
Besides, it was seven thirty and she had yet to take a shower and get ready for her morning jog.
Takui woke to the sound of a shower being turned on. He groaned, then rolled over to check the time. Seven thirty. "Ran," he groaned out, "Is that you?"
A second later the realism of the night before returned. "Shit," Tatsuki muttered, the sat up and pulled on a pair of underwear. Okay, so he meant to let out his sexual frustrations on her, but he hadn't counted on her staying the night. A one night stand, that's what he wanted.
"Don't panic Tatsuki," he muttered, then rose and walked to his kitchen. He poured a mixture of apple juice, orange juice and tad of lemon juice before gulping it down. Just as he finished the last of his concoction, the phone rang.
"It's Ran," he thought, and picked it up. "Hey you."
"Hey yourself. You're up early."
Tatsuki grimaced. "Yeah. Though I'm sad I missed your voice waking me up."
"Sweet-talker. Listen, you free at twelve?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Good," Ran said, "We're going to eat lunch at the Loco Panda with Rei, Miyu, and Takeshi. Be there?"
"Of course."
The line went silent.
"Should I ask him about last night," Ran thought, and bit her lip. What would he say? 'I'm sorry Ran, but we aren't together. I thought you know that?' Would she sound like a hypocrit? After all, the night before she had brushed off his confession, if you could call it that...
Suddenly, a female's voice came on the other line.
Was it . . . the girl from last night?
"Sorry, Ran, I gotta go. See you at twelve."
He slept with that girl he kissed last night. Ran swallowed and blinked back tears. Not only did he kiss her, but he had sex with her and probably didn't know the girl! How could his morals be so lax?
Furthermore, why did it take him less than a day to get over their relationship? She took a deep breath and tied her running shoes tight. Looks like the jog would do her some good.
Surprisingly, Tatsuki was already at the place when Ran arrived. She stopped out of his line of sight, and debated asking about the morning call. She decided on forgetting it, then yelled "Tatsuki!" He turned to her, displaying one of his great smiles.
"Ran!" Ran grinned back, and took a seat across from him.
"You're early," she commented. "Woke up early too. Are you getting enough sleep?"
"Y-yeah. You're early too. What happened to being fashionably late?"
"I wanted to impress you with my punctual skills," she replied with a wink. Tatsuki shook his head, knowing her real reason.
"You couldn't wait to see me, couldn't you?"
Ran blushed slightly, then ate herself inside with anger. She was never like this with men. Why did he and Rei turn her into a blushing and rambling idiot? And why did Tatsuki effect her so, even after the morning's realization? Instead she smirked, then remarked, "I see your ugly face everyday. Why would I be in a hurry to see it?" Not exactly the best comeback in the world, and Tatsuki lifted an eyebrow.
"You're not yourself."
"W-what makes you think that," she stuttered, getting a 'you-know-what-I'm-talking-about' look from Tatsuki.
"Is this about last night," he asked casually.
"You mean the kiss with that girl," Ran replied, then shut her mouth.
"You saw that?! Look Ran, I'm so-"
"No need to apologize."
"Wait a sec - Weren't you dancing with Rei?"
"Yeah, why?"
"How did you see us," he asked, curious and mildly happy from her notice. But that also meant. . . she knew he slept with Aki. So she was pretending not to know and forget, eh? Like her. She didn't want to create a scene and ruin the reunion of Rei and Miyu.
Though she seemed selfish on the outside, she always thought of other people. An admirable trait, and one that he respected her for. Although, he had a feeling that last night tore a bond between them.
A night of pleasure destroys years of friendship. Sounds like something that would happen in Aya's books. The thought almost made him laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation. Maybe Aya would write a book based on all of them?
Ran frowned and bit her lip. Great. How could she reply to that? 'Oh, I was curious and saw you dancing, so I thought I'd watch?'
"Rei twirled me around and I saw you out of the corner of my eye."
"So you weren't looking at Rei," Tatsuki replied softly, thoughtfully, something Ran wasn't meant to hear. Of coarse, he forgot that her hearing was above par due to many years of training to be a police officer.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean," she asked, slightly confused. Tatsuki grinned and pointed to his shake and asked if she wanted some. "What's in it," she asked, knowing how he liked to mix up wacky flavors. Some ended up surprisingly good, like apple and orange juice mixed together. But just as many were nasty.
"Kiwi, mango, and strawberry." This was one of his mild concoctions. Ran nodded and took a sip out of his straw. It was good. Not extremely yummy good, but still nice. "Oishii," he asked.
"Oishii. Needs a bit more mango though." Tatsuki nodded thoughtfully and smiled flirtatiously. "Hn?"
"If I make this a drink at the bar, can I call it the 'Unattainable Queen'?" Ran smiled and shook her head.
"I don't think the department would like people getting drunk off a drink named after me."
"We can make it virgin."
"Double insult there Tatsuki," she replied, still keeping the playfulness in her eyes to show that she was joking.
"I admire that about you, you know that," he replied, turning serious, "After all these years, you're still adhering to your beliefs." Although sometimes, it scares me.
"Tatsuki...."
"Ran-bi! Tat-chi," a three year old Takeshi cried out from across the resturaunt. The two friends smiled at each other. Takeshi called Ran 'Ran-bi' because when he was smaller he saw the Disney movie bambi, and, decided that 'Ranbi sounded like 'Banbi.' Tatsuki earned his nickname because when Takeshi was a child and they played games, Tatsuki would respond with a 'Chi?' to all his questions.
Miyu followed behind, smiling and waving. Both waved at her, then quickly focused their attention on Takeshi, who jumped up in Tatsuki's lap. "Hey, Tat-chi, tell me a story!"
"But it's not your bedtime," he replied, a bit surprised by the sudden outburst of the child.
"But Tat-chi always tells funny stories!" All three laughed at that remark, much to Takeshi's chagrin. Tatsuki's stories weren't just funny - they were horribly unbelievable. And Takeshi ate them up with wonder and amazement.
"Maybe later," he replied, "Hey Miyu. Genki?"
"Un! Hey... Where's Otohata? I wanted to see how much he's changed."
Ran and Tatsuki shrugged their shoulders. "He said he worked at a doctor's office, so you know how that goes."
Miyu nodded, then her eyes lit up brightly, "Did you hear? Aya is coming over for a visit!" Ran and Tatsuki's eyes widened with shock. They glanced at each other, asking the same 'Did she tell you' expression. Miyu wore a look of puzzlement as sh asked, "She didn't call you?"
"I was busy this morning," both replied in unison, much to Takeshi's delightment. He laughed gleefully, then jumped off of Tatsuki's lap and moved onto his Mom's.
"Were Ran-bi and Tat-chi together?"
"No," they replied again, reminding Miyu of awkward teenagers and Takeshi of his children's anime.
"Ran-bi and Tat-chi need to be together so Takeshi can have a playmate." Tatsuki, who had been taking a drink out of his shake choked, while Ran laughed nervously. Miyu laughed at her son's blunt honesty. A silence followed, until Takeshi, with a child's short attention span, asked, "Kaa-san, who's Aya?" Both Ran and Tatsuki exhaled with relief. Marriage was the last thing on either of their minds.
"An old friend, back when Mommy was in high school." The youngster's eyes widened, and then widened further when he saw a man standing behind Mommy that he didn't know. Ran smiled, Tatsuki nodded, and Miyu turned to see Rei. "Otohata!"
"Miyu," he replied quizzically. Miyu had let her hair grow out to her shoulders, but she had still kept her sporty style, she was wearing those new black 'sweat' pants with the strip with a matching tee.
"You know Mommy," Takeshi cried out with surprise. In one day, he had heard of two new people. Miyu nodded, and nodded toward her son,
"This is my son, Takeshi." Rei nodded to the child, and took the only available seat next to Ran. "Takeshi, this is Mommy's old friend, Rei."
"Rei," he said, trying out the name. "Can I call you Rei-pi?"
Rei smiled at the boy's innocence. "Yeah."
"Yay! Rei-pi, Ran-bi, and Tat-chi! Now I have three people who will tell me stories!" The four adults laughed, then gave the waitress their orders.
"Sorry for being late. We got behind this morning and I couldn't leave until now," he apologized.
Ran shrugged. "It's cool."
"Hey Rei, what have you been up to all these years," Miyu asked, and they spent the rest of the lunch hour laughing about 'old times', Takeshi's comments, and things of present. Time flowed by quickly, and after agreeing to meet again Friday for dinner at Miyu's home, Rei, Miyu and Takeshi left, leaving Ran and Tatsuki.
"That kid's an earful, isn't he," Tatsuki said, and Ran nodded.
"I wonder why he wanted to call Rei 'Rei-pi'."
"I want to know why he thinks we're together."
Silence followed again when they were reminded of his outburst. "He would make a good father," Ran thought, remembering the ways he entertained and played with the child. But what was she doing, thinking of him like that!
Besides, he gave himself away so easily...
"Hey, you coming to the club tonight," Tatsuki asked after another awkward silence. Ran was trying her best to act like she didn't care about the morning incident, but the effect and her acting were slowly dying down.
He betrayed her trust and morals, and there was no way to erase it. Still, he hoped - longed - for her forgiveness, and only seeing her often and rebuilding their trust would work.
"Can't, I have to work tomorrow."
"When's your next day off?"
"This Monday." Tatsuki nodded, that was a few days away. "Why?"
"So when you come, I can unveil your drink!"
"Tatsuki," Ran replied, and then they laughed.
"Seriously, do you want to go out Saturday night?"
"A date," she asked, wave of nervousness and heart quickening. Another reason to bash herself when she got home. She never got feelings when he asked her out before...
"Umm. Yeah, if you want to get technical."
"What about the girl last night?"
"She's nothing. I just got caught up in the music, that's all."
Nothing? Was he trying to act like she didn't know he had sex with her? Sure, Tatsuki's impulsiveness paralleled hers, but music? Music was the reason he slept with someone he barely knew? Why couldn't he tell her the real reason? Ran couldn't understand this aspect of him, how sex could be casual and mean nothing. Nevertheless, she agreed, "What time?"