Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango, so please don't sue me.
CHAPTER 11 - THE RIGHT GUY FOR ME
The next two days flew by and I welcomed the ton of work that kept me busy throughout. Friday night, I walked wearily to my apartment after a late dinner meeting with my boss, looking forward to a nice warm bath. My steps slowed when I saw a dark figure huddled by my doorstep. Fear gripped my heart as my imagination ran amuck. What if it was Junpei, coming to finish what he had started? I fished out my trusty old pepper spray from my bag and poised myself for an attack.
Seeing my approach, the person stood up. "You're home."
I heaved a sigh of relief when I heard Tsukasa's voice. He dusted the dirt off his pants and walked to me.
"You scared me. I thought you were Junpei!" I rummaged through my bag for my keys.
"Sorry." He followed me inside once I got the door open.
"Would you like some coffee?" I asked, for lack of something to say.
He nodded and sat down at the couch.
I busied myself for the next few minutes brewing a pot of coffee. I handed him a cup before sitting down at the armchair across him. I took a sip from my own cup before finally speaking. "Why are you here?" I tried to keep my voice devoid of emotion as I asked him.
"Why are you avoiding me?" he answered with his own question.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I looked into my coffee cup, refusing to look at his face.
"Aw, c'mon. You've been avoiding my calls, you've been ignoring all the messages I left on your answering machine and at your office, you haven't been to the gym, and I haven't seen nor talked to you since I saw you last week. I know you've been avoiding me so don't deny it."
"I've been busy with work, that's all. It happens."
"That's a load of crap and you know it." He paused. "Are you avoiding me because of your new boyfriend?"
For the first time that night, I allowed myself to look at his face. "What new boyfriend? I don't have a new boyfriend."
"I was walking outside Café Rio the other day. I saw you inside." When I continued to look at him uncomprehendingly, his voice held a hint of impatience. "Good-looking guy. I think I've seen him on TV before. I saw you hug him and he kissed you."
I let out a surprised guffaw. "You saw me with Koji? Koji's gay. He's my ex-boyfriend." At his look of confusion, I explained the circumstances of my relationship with Koji. "When you saw us, that had been the first time I'd seen him in months."
"Oh." He looked relieved and at the same time embarrassed for having jumped to the wrong conclusion. Then he looked me straight in the eye. "That still doesn't change the fact that you've been avoiding me."
I looked away, irritated that he wouldn't drop the subject. "I told you, I haven't been avoiding you. I've been busy with work."
"You're lying. You couldn't even look me in the eye."
I sighed in exasperation at his persistence. "Fine. I've been avoiding you. Happy now?"
His face fell. "Was it something I did?" he let out in a strangled voice.
I looked at him bleakly. "You thought I had a new boyfriend. I don't. But shouldn't I be asking you about your new girlfriend?"
"Huh?"
I decided to tell him. "I saw you kissing Umi at Ambrosia last week." I struggled to keep my voice even.
His eyes widened in surprise. "You were there? How come I didn't see you?"
"I left immediately. I didn't want to intrude on your date."
He took a deep breath. "It seems I'm not the only one guilty of jumping to conclusions."
I looked at him questioningly.
"First of all, Umi and I weren't on a date. When she called to invite me out for drinks, I assumed you were gonna come with us because we agreed to meet at your office. I didn't know that it was supposed to be a date, I thought it was just having drinks with friends. Secondly, I wasn't kissing Umi. She kissed me. One minute we were talking about work and the next thing I knew she was pushing her tongue down my throat. If you had stayed a second longer, you'd have seen me pull away from her kiss. I told her then and there that I liked her but not in that way."
I was really confused now. "But I thought you love her?"
He looked at me like I was five different kinds of stupid. "What ever gave you that idea?!"
"The night of Rui and Shizuka's engagement. You said you already found the right one for you. You met Umi the night before and I could see that you both hit it off well. It was obvious you were referring to her."
"How dense can you get?" His voice was raised up a notch. "Why'd you think I turned Umi down after the kiss?"
I shrugged.
Tsukasa stood up from the couch and strode over to me. He squatted in front of me and put his hands on mine. He looked at me tenderly with those beautiful eyes as he spoke. "I told her I couldn't love her because I'm already in love with you."
"Me?" I managed to squeak out. "You're in love with. . .me?"
"I love you, Tsukushi. I know you said you were swearing off guys but if you would only give me a chance. . . let me show you that I could be the right guy for you." His eyes were hopeful as he spoke ever so softly.
My heart was racing as I let his words sink in. "No. . ." I whispered.
"No?" he said in a pained voice as his face fell in disappointment.
"No." I said in a firm tone. "You don't need to show me that you could be the right guy for me. . . I think I knew that for a long time now. I just refused to admit it to myself. I've tried to deny it but now I know. . . I've fallen in love with you, Tsukasa."
His face lit up like a child's at Christmas. He pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me in a tender embrace. I could feel his heart beating against mine as we stood close together in that timeless moment. Happiness burst throughout my entire being when I saw his love for me shining in his eyes. I returned his loving gaze, before he lowered his head to claim my lips. Our kiss was sweeter than anything I could ever imagine. I would've collapsed in a heap at his feet if he hadn't been holding me tight, from the sheer pleasure of that first kiss.
"I love you," he whispered when we pulled away afterwards.
"I love you too." I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks to God. I had finally found the right guy for me.
THE END
*********************
A/N:. . . .or is it? Personally I would prefer to end it here (note the unity of my story title, chapter title, and ending words). But for those of you who prefer a happy, sappy ending (as if this chapter didn't have enough sap), I included a bonus chapter. Be warned though that it is really SAPPY! So. . . read at your own risk! LOL!
Since probably not all of you are going to read that bonus chapter, I'm going to say my thank you's on this page.
Skyla1: BLAG! That was the sound of me falling off my chair when I read your name on my reviews page! OMG! You have no idea how much it made my day when I received a favorable review from one of my favorite authors. It really means a lot to me 'cause I so admire your work. Thank you! Oh, and while I'm at it, please update "Last Resort" soon! ^_^
Sailor Angie: Thanks for always leaving an enthusiastic comment every time I updated. Couldn't have completed this without your support.
Haruka605 and jestina: I'm really glad you liked my story! I hope you like these last two chapters as well.
XxSwtDreamerxX1: Thank you for being a faithful reader and a consistent reviewer! As for my writing another fic, well, wish me luck 'cause I'm still not too sure on that one. I do hope to see your name again on the reviews page if and when I write another story.
Chi5: Well, this is as far as I can go (told you it was gonna be a really short fic). Thanks for the support and I hope the ending didn't turn out to be a dud for you!
fresh8: Even if you discovered this fic midway through its completion, I'm still glad you took the time to post your comments. I hope you like the ending.
leavemealone49: Thanks for checking out this fic even if the pairing was already a giveaway from the very start.
Toinks: How could I forget about you when you were my very first reviewer on this site?! Happy to see your name once more on the comments page. So, how'd you like my ending?
To everyone else who posted their comments as well as to the silent readers, THANK YOU VERY MUCH/MARAMING SALAMAT PO! Thank you for your overwhelming support of this fic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. I would still love to hear your feedback about these last two chapters, so please stop by the reviews page if you have time. If you have any questions or violent reactions, just post them there and I'll try my best to reply.
Bye for now!
CHAPTER 11 - THE RIGHT GUY FOR ME
The next two days flew by and I welcomed the ton of work that kept me busy throughout. Friday night, I walked wearily to my apartment after a late dinner meeting with my boss, looking forward to a nice warm bath. My steps slowed when I saw a dark figure huddled by my doorstep. Fear gripped my heart as my imagination ran amuck. What if it was Junpei, coming to finish what he had started? I fished out my trusty old pepper spray from my bag and poised myself for an attack.
Seeing my approach, the person stood up. "You're home."
I heaved a sigh of relief when I heard Tsukasa's voice. He dusted the dirt off his pants and walked to me.
"You scared me. I thought you were Junpei!" I rummaged through my bag for my keys.
"Sorry." He followed me inside once I got the door open.
"Would you like some coffee?" I asked, for lack of something to say.
He nodded and sat down at the couch.
I busied myself for the next few minutes brewing a pot of coffee. I handed him a cup before sitting down at the armchair across him. I took a sip from my own cup before finally speaking. "Why are you here?" I tried to keep my voice devoid of emotion as I asked him.
"Why are you avoiding me?" he answered with his own question.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I looked into my coffee cup, refusing to look at his face.
"Aw, c'mon. You've been avoiding my calls, you've been ignoring all the messages I left on your answering machine and at your office, you haven't been to the gym, and I haven't seen nor talked to you since I saw you last week. I know you've been avoiding me so don't deny it."
"I've been busy with work, that's all. It happens."
"That's a load of crap and you know it." He paused. "Are you avoiding me because of your new boyfriend?"
For the first time that night, I allowed myself to look at his face. "What new boyfriend? I don't have a new boyfriend."
"I was walking outside Café Rio the other day. I saw you inside." When I continued to look at him uncomprehendingly, his voice held a hint of impatience. "Good-looking guy. I think I've seen him on TV before. I saw you hug him and he kissed you."
I let out a surprised guffaw. "You saw me with Koji? Koji's gay. He's my ex-boyfriend." At his look of confusion, I explained the circumstances of my relationship with Koji. "When you saw us, that had been the first time I'd seen him in months."
"Oh." He looked relieved and at the same time embarrassed for having jumped to the wrong conclusion. Then he looked me straight in the eye. "That still doesn't change the fact that you've been avoiding me."
I looked away, irritated that he wouldn't drop the subject. "I told you, I haven't been avoiding you. I've been busy with work."
"You're lying. You couldn't even look me in the eye."
I sighed in exasperation at his persistence. "Fine. I've been avoiding you. Happy now?"
His face fell. "Was it something I did?" he let out in a strangled voice.
I looked at him bleakly. "You thought I had a new boyfriend. I don't. But shouldn't I be asking you about your new girlfriend?"
"Huh?"
I decided to tell him. "I saw you kissing Umi at Ambrosia last week." I struggled to keep my voice even.
His eyes widened in surprise. "You were there? How come I didn't see you?"
"I left immediately. I didn't want to intrude on your date."
He took a deep breath. "It seems I'm not the only one guilty of jumping to conclusions."
I looked at him questioningly.
"First of all, Umi and I weren't on a date. When she called to invite me out for drinks, I assumed you were gonna come with us because we agreed to meet at your office. I didn't know that it was supposed to be a date, I thought it was just having drinks with friends. Secondly, I wasn't kissing Umi. She kissed me. One minute we were talking about work and the next thing I knew she was pushing her tongue down my throat. If you had stayed a second longer, you'd have seen me pull away from her kiss. I told her then and there that I liked her but not in that way."
I was really confused now. "But I thought you love her?"
He looked at me like I was five different kinds of stupid. "What ever gave you that idea?!"
"The night of Rui and Shizuka's engagement. You said you already found the right one for you. You met Umi the night before and I could see that you both hit it off well. It was obvious you were referring to her."
"How dense can you get?" His voice was raised up a notch. "Why'd you think I turned Umi down after the kiss?"
I shrugged.
Tsukasa stood up from the couch and strode over to me. He squatted in front of me and put his hands on mine. He looked at me tenderly with those beautiful eyes as he spoke. "I told her I couldn't love her because I'm already in love with you."
"Me?" I managed to squeak out. "You're in love with. . .me?"
"I love you, Tsukushi. I know you said you were swearing off guys but if you would only give me a chance. . . let me show you that I could be the right guy for you." His eyes were hopeful as he spoke ever so softly.
My heart was racing as I let his words sink in. "No. . ." I whispered.
"No?" he said in a pained voice as his face fell in disappointment.
"No." I said in a firm tone. "You don't need to show me that you could be the right guy for me. . . I think I knew that for a long time now. I just refused to admit it to myself. I've tried to deny it but now I know. . . I've fallen in love with you, Tsukasa."
His face lit up like a child's at Christmas. He pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me in a tender embrace. I could feel his heart beating against mine as we stood close together in that timeless moment. Happiness burst throughout my entire being when I saw his love for me shining in his eyes. I returned his loving gaze, before he lowered his head to claim my lips. Our kiss was sweeter than anything I could ever imagine. I would've collapsed in a heap at his feet if he hadn't been holding me tight, from the sheer pleasure of that first kiss.
"I love you," he whispered when we pulled away afterwards.
"I love you too." I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks to God. I had finally found the right guy for me.
THE END
*********************
A/N:. . . .or is it? Personally I would prefer to end it here (note the unity of my story title, chapter title, and ending words). But for those of you who prefer a happy, sappy ending (as if this chapter didn't have enough sap), I included a bonus chapter. Be warned though that it is really SAPPY! So. . . read at your own risk! LOL!
Since probably not all of you are going to read that bonus chapter, I'm going to say my thank you's on this page.
Skyla1: BLAG! That was the sound of me falling off my chair when I read your name on my reviews page! OMG! You have no idea how much it made my day when I received a favorable review from one of my favorite authors. It really means a lot to me 'cause I so admire your work. Thank you! Oh, and while I'm at it, please update "Last Resort" soon! ^_^
Sailor Angie: Thanks for always leaving an enthusiastic comment every time I updated. Couldn't have completed this without your support.
Haruka605 and jestina: I'm really glad you liked my story! I hope you like these last two chapters as well.
XxSwtDreamerxX1: Thank you for being a faithful reader and a consistent reviewer! As for my writing another fic, well, wish me luck 'cause I'm still not too sure on that one. I do hope to see your name again on the reviews page if and when I write another story.
Chi5: Well, this is as far as I can go (told you it was gonna be a really short fic). Thanks for the support and I hope the ending didn't turn out to be a dud for you!
fresh8: Even if you discovered this fic midway through its completion, I'm still glad you took the time to post your comments. I hope you like the ending.
leavemealone49: Thanks for checking out this fic even if the pairing was already a giveaway from the very start.
Toinks: How could I forget about you when you were my very first reviewer on this site?! Happy to see your name once more on the comments page. So, how'd you like my ending?
To everyone else who posted their comments as well as to the silent readers, THANK YOU VERY MUCH/MARAMING SALAMAT PO! Thank you for your overwhelming support of this fic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. I would still love to hear your feedback about these last two chapters, so please stop by the reviews page if you have time. If you have any questions or violent reactions, just post them there and I'll try my best to reply.
Bye for now!