Author's note: Yeeesh... couldn't even READ that last chapter! Writing fluff is not like me!! I had to skim it over, pretending it was someone ELSE's work! Sorry, I'm not a very emotional person, but I know that of course, with love comes a variety of intense emotions, so I'm gonna try to get over my embarrassment and do things right!

Oh yeah, I don't own Kare Kano.

Chapter 2: Awkward Silence

Yukino opened her eyes. The morning had that strange silence that winter always told one's mind that there was snow outside. And sure enough, the white reflection of fresh powder on the ground shone through Yukino's window.

Yukino sat up in bed, the wrinkled white sheets running off of her waist. She stretched her arms up above her head and yawned widely. It was so quiet. A perfect, peaceful morning. Yukino smiled, got out of bed, and ran into the kitchen.

She grabbed a cold can of tomato juice out of the refrigerator, opened it, and gulped it down, a streak of red running from the corner of her mouth to her chin, contrasting with the whiteness of her smooth skin. She exhaled, ran back to her room, pulled on a pair of gym shorts and sneakers, and jogged out of the front door. She had been performing this routine for as long as she could remember, drinking her red juice and circling the block with a few sprints and jogs. With each step she pounded against the pavement, and each burst of air she inhaled through her nostrils, her mind became clearer and clearer. Her short red bob of hair bounced up and down, swishing through the winter air. Though the ground was covered with a light snow, it was one of their warmer winter days. Yukino looked around and wondered where most of the snow had gone. Today there was only enough to scrape up a few meatball-sized snowballs. Snowballs? Yukino thought back to the snow fight she and Arima had shared the day before. Her cheeks flushed with more than the heat her muscles and pumping heart were producing. There was so much snow that day, yet, all she felt was heat. She stared at her moving feet shyly. The powdered ground was sparkling in the season's sun. She decided to change the subject in her mind and concentrated on her running.

"Roll your feet from heel to toe, heel to toe," she told herself. "Heel to toe, heel to toe," she breathed heavily.

She soon slowed to a brisk walk and exhaled evenly through her lips. When she came back to her house, she ran up the steps, took her key out of her pocket, and entered. She power-walked to the bathroom, peeled off her sweaty shirt and shorts, turned the hot tap on in the bathtub, waited for the tub to fill, and tapped her chin. She wanted something special this morning. She grabbed a bottle of strawberry-scented bubble bath, unscrewed the top, and watched the pink liquid pour slowly into the water, producing a flurry of rose-tinted bubbles.

Yukino closed her eyes and let the parfum of fresh strawberries fill her senses. She lifted a thin, shapely leg and eased it into the tub. Next came the other leg, and then her torso. With her hands latched onto both sides of the tub, she sighed and slid herself into the warm, rosy clouds. "Ahhhhh." she breathed.

*This morning is so relaxing!* She thought blissfully. *I love days like this.So relaxed.*

Yukino played with the bubbles for a while and almost forgot to scrub herself. She smoothed soap against her leg and rubbed her ankles, ridding herself of the useless dried skin. The feeling was so great! Yukino glanced up at the bar above the bathtub, where she usually hung her clean clothes after taking a bath or a shower.

"Drat it!" She had forgotten to hang her newly washed clothes up for herself!

Yukino quickly scrubbed the rest of her body, pulled the rubber plug out of the drain, and hastily stepped out of the tub.

"Whoa!" She almost slipped. "That was a close one," she breathed.

She ripped a blue terry cloth towel off of the metal bar, wrapped it around herself, secured it a few inches below her collarbone, and looked around before stepping out of the bathroom. She didn't know why she was so nervous. It was her house, after all. It was just that she usually dressed herself in the bathroom before venturing out to the rest of the house.

"I'll just have to go to the linen closet, and pick out a t-shirt and pants or something," she murmured to herself.

Her analytical mind went to work as she formed a floor plan in her head and imagined an arrow, representing herself, traveling from the bathroom to the linen closet in the hallway.

"Besides, everyone in the house is still asleep," she reassured herself.

She tiptoed out of the door, and slipping and sliding. "Darn it," she muttered. "This bubble bath stuff is slimy! Yuck."

She made it halfway to her destination when the doorbell rang. Yukino stopped dead in her tracks. Or at least tried to; she slid a couple inches forward before halting. She squatted down and crossed her arms over her torso, securing herself, even though her blue towel was still tied at her collarbone.

" Who could be coming here at this hour?" She whispered to herself.

"I'll get it," she heard a voice call from inside the kitchen. What was her dad doing awake? And why did he choose this morning to wake up so early?!

She heard the doorknob turn and her dad greeted...Arima!? "Why hello there, Arima!" Her dad chirped pleasantly.

"Hello Mr. Miyazawa," Arima returned politely. "Is Yukino awake?"

Mr. Miyazawa tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm.I believe she is still on her morning jog. Would you like to come and sit down and wait for her?"

Yukino closed her eyes tightly and shook her head violently, praying to God that Soichiro would refuse.

"Yes, I would. Thank you, Mr. Miyazawa."

A million curses ran through Yukino's mind! *I'll just have to hurry up, grab my clothes, and run back to the bathroom. Then I'll be safe,* she thought desperately.

"Would you like me to fix you something to drink?" Her dad asked Soichiro. Soichiro waved his hand politely.

"Oh, no Thank you, sir."

Mr. Miyazawa smiled and marveled at the boy. His son-in-law was so polite! Oop, there he went again, thinking too far ahead!

"Nonsense, Arima! I'll fix you some tea! Is Earl Grey alright?"

Before he could answer, Yukino's father had already disappeared. Arima sighed and fell back on the couch.

*Now's my chance!* Yukino quckly stood upright, reached far over her head, and swiftly grabbed a random garment from the top shelf of the linen closet. As she lowered her hand, her left foot slipped out from under her and she fell flat on her back. She quckly tried to stand up but failed, fell back down on her back, and yelped when she slid all the way down the hall and into the living room, stopping directly under Arima's feet. He stared at her quizzically, his cheeks a bright red at viewing her in a tiny blue towel. Yukino groaned, sat up, and waved nervously.

"H-hi" Arima clasped a hand over his eyes and handed Yukino a small paper bag.

"H-here.You left your uniform at my house yesterday."

Yukino's father strolled out of the kitchen with a tray of Earl Grey.

"Ok, here you go, Arima.." He looked up from the tray to see his daughter on the floor, practically naked, at her boyfriend's feet. The tray fell to the floor, splattering Earl Grey all over the carpet.

"Oh, my."

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Author's Note: Tah hahaha! So that was Chapter 2! What a cliché moment that was! LOL, bound to happen! Chapter 3 coming soon! Thank you Kaya1 for your kind, kind review! I really appreciate it!