Hey you guys! Back again to update! Updating is good. Updating is fun. (Omigod, I sound just like my weird novel that I've been writing for the past two days.) So…instead of wondering if it's effecting my psyche, I'm just gonna give you this chapter. It's a really good chapter. In fact, it's the last chapter.
Thank You's: Oh my god, where to begin. Teresa. Teresa, I hope you know that while I'm typing this chapter I'll be looking at the notes that you wrote out almost a year ago for this story. Some of them are quite funny. ("à After, Arima's all conflicted, withdrawn, can't handle the whole casual sex thing, all depressed, thinks he's a ho.") Thank you for helping me figure out everything else. This was originally a dedication to the fact that I came out as a bisexual, but considering that happened almost a year ago, it seems kind of weird to still be dedicating it to that. So, bisexuals everywhere, we rule. ^_^. I have to thank Kare Kano for having a character like Asaba who is so flamboyant that it was quite easy to picture him sleeping with guys. (I know he's kidding and all that but sometimes…don't you just get this feeling he might not be?) That way everyone else could just fall in line for the story. I want to thank the reviewers who seemed to love this story. I'm glad it was fun for you guys. I do have another Kare Kano AU on my hard drive which is not nearly as risqué. It's pretty cute and funny but it won't be up for awhile because I am SO backed up on my stories. But eventually. So you'll just have to satisfy yourself by reading others. (If you haven't yet, please try Josephine, my song fic about Arima that I'm proud of.) Thanks for your reviews. The title of this story comes from a translation to the ending theme of Kare Kano. And if I could find that translation I would give you the line. Heehee.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kare Kano.
Warnings: The usual. Here we go into the night!
Not Permitted
Chapter Twelve
Yukino and Arima were getting breakfast the next day when Asaba came out of his bedroom.
He was wearing pajamas but over his pajamas, he was wearing this pink robe. Not bright pink but still pink. Immediately, Yukino knew there was something familiar about that robe. Like she had seen it before…somewhere…
Asaba didn't seem to notice them as he grabbed the Fruit Loops, which as Yukino recalled were Tsubaki's.
"He doesn't look so good…" Arima whispered hesitantly as Asaba got a bowl and the carton of milk and went to sit in front of the TV.
"I've seen that robe before…" Yukino tried to remember. Pink robe. Who owned a pink robe? Maybe Asaba had had sex with someone—
Ah ha!
"It's Tsubaki's sex robe!" Yukino quietly exclaimed. "I wonder when she left that here…"
"What is Asaba doing?" Arima asked as he watched the honey-haired boy put in a DVD and begin to watch it, eating a bowl of Fruit Loops, and grabbing a box of Kleenex.
"Um…I don't know." Yukino shook her head. "What is he watching?" She walked over behind the couch and then came back quickly. "Okay, he's watching A League of Their Own. That's like Tsubaki's favorite movie of all time."
"He's obviously really upset about it." Arima watched Asaba burst into tears as soon as the movie started.
"This isn't good…" Yukino was looking really uneasy. "Maybe we should just leave him alone?"
And so they did. They went into Yukino's room and ended up playing cards with Maho for awhile. When they finally did leave the room, they found that Asaba was still watching the movie and crying his eyes around.
So they went down to the library. They returned some books and checked some more out. They hung around for a little bit, before going back up.
Asaba was still watching the movie.
"Wait a second…" Yukino looked at the screen suspiciously. "He started the movie over!"
"I think he ate of Tsubaki's Fruit Loops." Arima peered curiously at the now empty box and an empty bowl.
"I think I'm going to try and talk to him." Yukino took a deep resolute breath. She thought of how her sisters would talk to her back at home. They usually brought cocoa to her. Cocoa was calming.
So Yukino made a cup of hot cocoa for both herself and Asaba. Then she approached the couch.
"Hey Asaba." Yukino smiled at him.
"Hello." Asaba sniffled. He blew his nose in a Kleenex and then tossed it into the pile he had going of used ones.
"I've got some cocoa for you." Yukino offered him the cup and Asaba took it gratefully. He blew on it a few times before taking a small drink.
"Tsubaki really likes hot cocoa." Asaba told her tearfully.
"I know." Yukino patted his arm. There was some silence as he took another drink.
"Is monogamy…is it good?" Asaba asked her hesitantly. Yukino almost started laughing at him. She knew she shouldn't so she smothered all urges to giggle.
"Well, it's really nice." Yukino wondered where this question was even coming from. "I remember thinking it would be boring and annoying but its nice knowing there's someone that loves you exclusively."
"That's good." Asaba sniffled once more. "That sounds really nice."
"Is something wrong Asaba?" Yukino attempted to ask. Asaba set down his hot chocolate and threw his arms around Yukino and began to sob.
"I'm in love with Tsubaki!" Asaba wailed into her shoulder.
"Oh Asaba." Yukino hugged him. "It's okay. Did you tell her?"
"I tried to but…she doesn't care…" Asaba kept sobbing into her shoulder. "She'll never want me…"
"It'll be okay." Yukino told him. "I'm gonna go talk to Tsubaki, okay?"
"Not like it'll help." Asaba pulled away from her. "I'm just gonna watch this movie."
"I bet it will." Yukino quickly hugged him one last time and ran to get Arima, who was sitting off by himself, waiting for news.
"So…what's the deal?" Arima asked.
"He's in love with Tsubaki." Yukino's face fell a little.
"I thought so!" Arima his hit fist on his hand in a sort of 'ah ha' movement.
"Um…you did?" Yukino raised her eyebrows.
"It takes a brooding man to know another brooding man." Arima answered easily. "I guess we're going to talk to Tsubaki, right?" Yukino nodded and the couple made their way to Tsubaki's room.
Tsubaki was making herself something to eat and was slamming everything around when they got in there.
"We need to talk to you." Yukino told her importantly.
"No you don't." Tsubaki snapped.
"Yes we do." Arima stopped Tsubaki with a hand on her arm. "Asaba's in love with you."
"Is not!" Tsubaki denied immediately. "He just isn't."
"Well he is, and you're going to have to deal with it." Yukino countered. "He's sitting there on the couch eating Fruit Loops, wearing your sex robe, and watching a League of Their Own over and over again."
"He…is?" Tsubaki stopped for a moment. Yukino and Arima looked at each other and half a second later were dragging a kicking and yelling Tsubaki back towards their room.
It took their combined strengths but they threw Tsubaki into the room and then shut the door.
"We aren't letting you out until its better!" Yukino yelled through the door.
Tsubaki turned around only to see Asaba sitting on the couch wearing her sex robe, looking at her with big red eyes.
"Look at you." Tsubaki joked weakly. "When's the last time you got laid?"
"Not for awhile." Asaba admitted. Tsubaki approached and sat down on the couch, wondering how this was going to go. "After Arima, I wouldn't sleep with anyone but you."
"What?" Tsubaki looked amazed. "You weren't sleeping with anyone else?"
"Nope." Asaba shook his head. "I realized something when you were spending all that time with Tonami."
"That stupid prick." Tsubaki interjected.
"I realized I wanted to be just with you and I wanted you to just be with me. I don't see monogamy would be no fun, we sleep together all the time." Asaba sounded like he had been weighing the pros and cons for some time. "Yukino and Arima like it."
"But…we've always slept with other people…" Tsubaki looked down at her hands. "Wouldn't it be weird?"
"I don't want the rest of my life to be one cheap fuck after another." Asaba told her seriously. "We both deserve better."
"But what if it ruins our friendship?" Tsubaki asked, looking up at his dark brown eyes.
"Sometimes risks are worth taking." Asaba looked very mature at that moment. Like he had grown up inside. Why hadn't Tsubaki noticed before? "We tell everyone to live to the fullest and never be afraid of the future. That's what I'm trying to do."
He's right…
He's so right…
But I don't know…I don't know what might happen…
"It's already hurting us if you won't give it a change to work." Asaba pointed out. Tsubaki stared at him.
"Is this seat taken?" A ten year old Asaba asked her when she was the same age as they settled down for their first class together.
"No." Tsubaki smiled at him. "I'm Tsubaki."
"I'm Asaba." Asaba shook her hand.
"HEY! ASABA!" A twelve year old Tsubaki leapt onto the honey-haired boy's back.
"Ow, Tsubaki…you're kind of heavy." Asaba joked and she hit him on the head.
"How do we know if we're doing this right?" A thirteen year old Tsubaki asked Asaba as they got under the covers together.
"I don't know, it feels right." Asaba scratched his head. "We'll figure it out."
Tsubaki was staring at him in shock.
I think…
I think I'm in love with Asaba…
He's always been there…
No matter what…
I won't be afraid of the future. Anything could happen to ruin our friendship. But I'm not going to be one of those things.
"You're too damn manipulative." Tsubaki grinned before leaning in to kiss him.
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"Why do you have so much luggage?" Maho asked in exasperation as she helped Yukino carry her suitcases. "Are you taking Arima home with you?"
"Nah, he wouldn't fit in any of my suitcases." Yukino snuggled closer to Arima as they walked out of the school building. "But he lives in Tokyo too so…"
"You guys are going to be revolting all summer?" Maho sighed. "Whatever."
"We'll see how mum and dad are getting along when we get back!" Shibahime poked Kazuma.
"Summer vacation!" Aya stretched. "Pretty soon that idiot my mother will be here, I need to smoke as many cigarettes as I can before hand." She lit one up.
"Don't smoke them like that. What do you want cancer by the time you're twenty?" Yukino rolled her eyes.
"If Aya wants to smoke, let her smoke." Tsubaki shrugged.
"Well, Tsubaki, I think we're due for one last quickie before our parents come." Asaba put an arm around Tsubaki's shoulders.
"Again?" Tsubaki pretended to sound annoyed.
"Yeah, what's that bring the total up to, five?" Yukino joked.
"Shut up, you're not going to be separated from your significant other for a whole summer." Asaba latched onto Tsubaki.
"Oh, your mom's coming Aya." Rika was standing on her tiptoes and shielding her eyes from the sun. "She doesn't look very happy."
"Shit." Aya threw her cigarette down and ground it out with her shoe. "Stall for time while I freshen up in the bathroom, okay Rika?"
"Right." Rika nodded.
"It's weird to think that you know…" Arima looked at the school building. "That the year is already over."
"And that Asaba passed. What did you do Tsubaki; swear to hold up on him unless he studied?" Yukino nudged the purple-eyed girl.
"Psh, I would never have followed through on that. Asaba may be stupid but he can see an empty threat from a mile away." Tsubaki ruffled the honey-haired young man's hair.
"I'm not stupid!" Asaba protested.
"We know." Tsubaki told him in a comforting voice. Yukino laughed.
"I guess we'll all see each other next year." Arima looked around the group.
"Yeah." Yukino hugged him. "Except you'll see me and Maho all summer."
"But it won't be the same without all of you." Arima gave her a tight and quick hug. "I thought you guys were really odd when I first met you."
"And then you discovered the joys of Asaba sex." Tsubaki interrupted his little speech.
"And the joys of Yukino sex." Asaba added.
"Or the joys of sex in general." Shibahime giggled.
"Then I realized you guys were really odd." Arima shook his head. "But then I realized I was a lot like you guys."
"Arima's a weirdo!" Asaba cheered. "But we still love him."
"No Arima loving for you." Yukino stuck out her tongue. "Only for me."
"So I'll see you guys next year." Arima told the group and they quickly broke into squabbles about equally unimportant and silly things while there was still time to do so.
This was probably the most educational year of schooling I've ever had.
Wouldn't have traded it for the world.
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Woo! I'm done! No more! Love this story to death and all that but when you finish something you're like all excited that you did. Or maybe that's just me. Thanks for reading everybody! Please check out my other fanfics if you want to read more of my stuff. I really don't think there's ever gonna be a sequel to this story. ^_^. See you space cowboy!