Hullo darlings. It's been a while since I've updated but here I am again! I swear I didn't forget. Nope. Thanks for the reviews you guys! Come on Eileen…Sorry, I'll stop singing. You want the story and dammit, I'm gonna give it to you.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kare Kano. (It's only a matter of time before it ends up on Ebay and then I'll be there. Like a ninja wombat waiting in the shadows.)
Warnings: The return to angst baby.
Not Permitted
Chapter Eleven
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Tsubaki asked as she burst into Asaba's room. Asaba had propped up some pillows (including Arima's) and was sitting up in bed, looking like he was thinking. "You did not get into a fistfight with Tonami."
"Yeah I did." Asaba's brow furrowed in irritation. "Is that so hard to imagine?" And then he looked away, silence settling in. "He's controlling you."
Tsubaki's eyes widened and she bounced onto his bed in protest. "No way. He is not! Why'd you fight? It's just not like you. I'm the one who gets into the brawls." She had never seen Asaba get into a fistfight before. Until recently, she had never seen Asaba fight with Yukino but still.
It's like after all these years there's still things I don't know about Asaba.
It sounds impossible.
"Maybe I thought I was fighting for something." Asaba shrugged.
"What the fuck does that mean?" Tsubaki was bewildered and at the same time curious. Fighting for something?
"I'm not going to let him tie you down!" Asaba turned towards her and grabbed her shoulders. "It just…It feels like I'm losing you." Tsubaki just shook her head.
"What do you mean? We're best friends." Tsubaki smiled affectionately at the honey-haired boy. This was truth. She was not as close to anyone as she was to Asaba. They had always been together. She couldn't even imagine a world without Asaba. "We understand sex isn't love. And that sex doesn't have to result in some big relationship."
It was practically their mantra. Sex doesn't equal a relationship. It was what they always said to each other anytime they were confused about it. They were having the time of their lives and nothing could spoil that. Not with that being said. It was like they were magic words and as soon as Tsubaki said them, all their troubles would disappear.
See, Asaba will realize this is ridiculous.
He can't lose me.
What would he lose me to?
"Well, maybe we should."
There was a pause of complete disbelief as Tsubaki stared at him, her wide purple eyes stricken that Asaba of all people would say something like that.
The same guy we joke about not being to commit to a single gender???
When Tsubaki managed to stop gaping at him she tried to shake her herself. "Yeah, whatever don't say things like that. It's not funny."
That's right. It's a joke. It's just a stupid joke that Asaba is making.
He's not serious at all.
"I'm not joking." Asaba told her before leaning in to kiss her. Tsubaki reeled back in terror.
"What the hell? What the hell?!" Tsubaki pushed him away as much as she possibly could.
This isn't possible.
This just isn't possible.
This is a dream and when I'll wake up, Asaba will be normal!
Tsubaki fled from the room, only to be greeted by the sight of Yukino and Arima together on the couch. She was seized with anger at the couple who had just been being a cute half second earlier.
"This is all YOUR FAULT!" Tsubaki yelled at them before leaving the room and heading for her own.
When she got there, Tonami was sitting on her bed waiting for her. Tsubaki picked him up by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him out of her room, throwing him unceremoniously onto the floor in the living room before slamming her and Shibahime's bedroom door shut.
I don't want to think about what he just said.
I don't want to think about it.
Why does he want to change things?
"Tsubaki! What's wrong?" Tonami asked, knocking on her bedroom door. Tsubaki stomped over, threw it open and punched him in the jaw, which was very reminiscent of his day thus far.
"I'm never talking to you again!" Tsubaki yelled at him. "You ruined everything you stupid prick! Gah! It was just sex!" And then she slammed the door again.
Why does he want to change things?
* * *
"I'm so freaking glad its Friday I could cry." Aya told Rika while searching her pockets for her cigarettes. Ah, there they were. She took one out and then searched for a lighter. Thank the gods Rika was around and was always ready for such a time.
"Here." Rika lit Aya's cigarette with her lighter she carried around because Aya always forgot her own. "How did your story do in your creative writing class?"
"Eh, I got a B." Aya sighed miserably. "It was so A worthy! I thought it was brilliant."
"I thought it was very good too." Rika agreed truthfully. They were nearing the 'Party Room' when Shibahime and Kazuma came up to them.
As Aya and Rika had speculated, the two were obviously having sex and seemed to being somewhat exclusive about it. They wondered if the two were secretly having a relationship and just weren't telling the group about it.
"I heard about that too." Shibahime was talking to Kazuma about something. "I can't believe Asaba got into a fight. It must have been the coolest fight ever."
"Cooler then the fight that you and Yukino got in over that hair scrunchie last year?" Aya asked, winking at the honey-haired girl.
"It was mine." Shibahime insisted as though this was an argument that had been talked over many times. "So, did you guys hear about Asaba and Tonami's fight?"
"Yeah!" Rika and Aya said together.
"I wish I could have seen it." Rika clapped her hands together. "After all, Tonami has been a real jerk lately."
"He fucking deserved it I'm sure." Aya added on. "Oh well, come on, I need to find an ash tray." They all went into the 'Party Room'. The only thing they saw was Yukino and Arima looking worried while Asaba played Grand Theft Auto III and didn't look like he wanted to be disturbed.
"Hey you guys!" Shibahime bounced and hugged Yukino.
"Will you guys shut up?" Asaba asked snappishly.
"What's up with Asaba?" Aya inquired.
"Um, well, we aren't sure." Yukino frowned. "We're trying to find that out."
"There's nothing wrong." Asaba insisted in a no nonsense sort of tone. A very un-Asaba tone indeed.
"Obviously there is." Shibahime flicked him on the back of the head. "So what is it?"
"None of your business!" Asaba threw down the controller. "Why don't you guys just leave me alone?"
"'Cause something's wrong." Yukino told him hesitantly. "It might help to talk about it."
"Shut up!" Asaba jumped up. "I really don't need to hear this from the two of you." Asaba pointed at Yukino and Arima who shot each other confused looks.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Arima asked him defensively.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Asaba stomped his foot and then turned, stalking into his room and slamming the door behind him.
"Maybe…we should…go ask Tsubaki?" Kazuma suggested slowly. "Maybe she knows what's going on."
"She seemed pretty pissed the last time she saw us." Yukino supplied with a wry look. "What did we do?"
"Let's just go ask Tsubaki." Rika agreed with Kazuma's suggestion. They all agreed to this and went into the other room to go bang on Tsubaki's door.
This turned out as fruitless as asking Asaba.
"Leave me alone, Asaba's being stupid!" Tsubaki yelled through the door. Then she went silent and Maho suggested that Tsubaki probably put on her headphones and probably couldn't hear them anyways.
"So…what does this mean?" Shibahime asked the others.
"I'm afraid…" Yukino bit her lip. "This means no party today."
"Omigod, this is a first for this group." Aya shook her head.
"Tell me about it." Maho said dryly.
"Well, then…" Yukino shrugged. "I guess…you know…go back to your rooms." Everyone departed except those who lived in that particular room, looking at each other strangely. It just wasn't right. They could all feel that.
It was so strange that Asaba and Tsubaki were being this way that Yukino and Arima found themselves on the couch, trying to watch TV but finding themselves paying less attention to the game show then to discussing the problem and other things.
"Popcorn?" Yukino came back to sit on the couch with the bowl.
"Sure." Arima smiled at her before waiting for her to sit down so he could wrap an arm around her shoulders and they could cuddle up and eat popcorn.
"This whole thing…" Yukino sighed. "It's just weird."
"Yeah it is." Arima agreed.
"Tsubaki and Asaba never fight." Yukino shook her head in pure disbelief. "Seriously, those two will get into arguments but nothing that's ever been like this. It's like, everything's changing."
And what was with Tsubaki?
"This is all YOUR FAULT!"
What did that mean?
What did we do?
And Asaba made it sound like we had done something as well…
But they seem to be madder at each other then Arima and me.
"Maybe everything is changing for them." Arima suggested in a thoughtful tone. Yukino looked at him curiously. "Well, I was just thinking that those two have always treated life like a never ending amusement park. Maybe…maybe they realized it isn't always like that."
"Those two can always think of ways to amuse themselves. That's one of those things. They're always where the fun's at." Yukino snuggled closer to Arima; it made her feel so much better when he wrapped his arms around her.
"And now everything isn't fun for them." Arima speculated. "Something must have happened."
"You don't think it has anything to do with Tonami?" Yukino suddenly asked as the thought popped into her head. "I mean if you think about it, they had problems right around the time that Tsubaki started sleeping with Tonami all the time."
"That's a good point." Arima told her. "After all, Tonami and Asaba got into a fight and then Tsubaki and him argued."
"Ugh, I hope Tsubaki didn't stick up for dork boy." Yukino made a face.
"I don't think she did." Arima seemed to be thinking very hard.
"Then what did they argue about? And what does it have to do with us?" Yukino questioned him. "Remember? She came out and told us that it was all our faults."
"She just could have been looking for someone to blame…" Arima squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them. "Maybe…maybe, well you know, what makes us different from everyone else in the group?"
"Um…?" Yukino couldn't think of anything and just sat there looking puzzled.
"We're an exclusive couple." Arima reminded her.
"Oh yeah." Yukino grinned. "Didn't think of that."
"That's real reassuring." Arima rolled his eyes.
"What? It's not like I'm sleeping with other people." Yukino pretended to get offended. "I was just—"
"It's okay; I understand what you were getting at." Arima rested his chin on top of Yukino's head. "I was just teasing you."
"You always do that." Yukino's eyelids started to feel sort of heavy.
"It's fun." Arima explained. "Anyways, what if you know, they argued about maybe…being an exclusive couple?"
Yukino began to laugh so hard there were tears in her eyes before she could stop herself.
"Omigod!" Yukino finally finished up her laughter. "Tsubaki and Asaba arguing about being in a relationship. That's just funny."
"You don't think it's possible?" Arima raised an eyebrow.
"Well…" Yukino thought about it. "Well maybe. I guess it's a possibility but man, those two aren't exactly preaching marriage you know?"
"Neither were you." Arima reminded her.
"I was being stupid." Yukino tapped a finger on his nose. "'Cause now I get full Arima rights. All for me! None for other people!"
"I like it when you're possessive." Arima bent down to kiss her head. He was starting to get sleepy. "Obviously Asaba's not going to open the door for me. Wanna sleep out here tonight?"
"Okay!" Yukino ran to go get some blankets and a pillow. They made up a bed on the couch and curled up together. Arima glanced down at Yukino when she had finally fallen asleep.
Maybe Asaba realized what he was missing out on.
It's strange to think about but maybe…maybe those two are growing.
* * *
I'm so done, it's not even funny. Now I just have to go update everything else. ^_^. Woo. So hopefully I'll get another Somewhere Out There update and I already have my Close Your Eyes update. Super cool, n'est-ce pas? (Translation for Those of you who don't speak French: Super cool, is it not so?) French lesson of the day brought to you by Jade who does a pretty decent job in her French class. Sometimes. It's amazing what you can learn when you aren't reading in your language lab. Ohohohohoho. Don't follow Jade's bad bad example. But do review!!!