Daphne: First of all, I would like to thank you for your wonderful support
when my story was plagiarized. The author of the other story apologized, so
I am content. I would also like to thank everyone who has reviewed this
story. I can assure you, there will be several more chapters after this, so
hang tight! They are going to be the most exciting!
And lastly, (and completely off the subject), I have gotten an idea for a story, and would like to run it by all of you before I write it, just to make sure that it would be something you would like to read. The description is at the bottom of the chapter, and it will be copyrighted (I learned my lesson!). Please read the description and tell me what you think. It will probably be a while before I write it...but I have a good feeling about the story!
Anyway, on with this one!!!
~*~*~*~
JUST BREATHE ©
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 12.
~*~*~*~
"Hello, Miss Hilde!" Ying-fa exclaimed, after another long day of being stuck inside the schoolroom. Outside, the rain was pouring down in buckets, so the children had had no chance to play, and all were restless.
"Are you going to stay, Miss Hilde? Grandmother says that you simply must, because the storm's not letting up, and it is getting quite dangerous outside." Deluce stated, as she re-entered the room after her cousin, along with the other children. Hilde looked at her, alarmed.
"What do you mean?"
"She means, the streets are almost washed out. It is too dangerous for you to go out." Came a deep voice from the door. Hilde turned and her heart nearly stopped. Kojii leaned against the doorjamb, and smiled at her in his old, mischievous way.
"Looks like your stuck with us, Hiiragizawa. You know, this kind of reminds me of another time you were stuck in my house...except that time, you were sick." He chuckled, brushing a strand of his messy chestnut hair out of his eyes. Hilde caught her breath as the younger people laughed.
"Well, she will be sick if she goes out in that." Chang commented, pointing out the window. A strong gust of wind hit it at just that moment, and caused it to shake. Ying-fa stiffened and clutched to Hilde's legs, while Akito clung to his cousin's hand. Kojii smiled at the little boy and swung him up onto his shoulders.
"Come on, Aki. Let's go." He said, walking out of the room with the happy boy on his shoulders. Chang followed close behind them, with Xiaolong following slowly, his nose buried in a book. Deluce stayed close to Hilde as she led Ying-fa out.
"Where are we going?" Hilde asked softly. Kojii looked down at her with a smile that sent her heart pounding again.
"Somewhere more cozy. My grandmother's sitting room is just the place. Besides. She's waiting for you there." He murmured. Hilde nodded weakly, still unsure about staying a whole night at the Li home.
"Don't worry. Everyone will love to have you." He murmured, correctly reading her look. Hilde smiled and followed him into the room where Yelan sat, waiting for them.
"I insist that you stay." Yelan stated, as soon as the young people were settled into chairs with cups of hot tea to warm them. Hilde blushed and looked at her lap.
"But I have nothing to wear..."
"Darling, I have four daughters, all of whom have perfectly good clothes that would fit you fine. Fuutie is about your size, so I will have her loan some to you. And don't you worry. She will be tickled pink to do so." Yelan murmured. Kojii and Chang snorted into their tea, clearly knowing just how pleased Fuutie would be to share her clothes...perhaps a bit too pleased...
"And I will make sure my daughters behave around you." Yelan assured her, knowing how difficult it must have been for Hilde to meet the women when she had first come for her job interview. Hilde stifled her smile and took a sip of her tea.
"Meilei..."
"Knows. We called her to tell her." Yelan said shortly. Hilde smiled again and thanked the older woman.
All this time, she never noticed a pair of intense amber eyes staring at her unblinkingly.
~*~*~*~
Later that night, Hilde stood in the huge room that she had been given to stay in. It had a huge four-poster bed that was draped in amethyst curtains, and huge windows that were covered in sheer white curtains. The storm had escalated into a full-blown thunderstorm, and the power had gone out some time ago.
Hilde shivered and pulled the satin kimono that Fuutie had loaned her, tighter around her slim form. She stood close to one of the windows, staring out at the spectacular storm outside, and watching in wonder as lightning arced across the sky. Thunder was soon heard, booming loudly and shaking the windows as it went. Hilde watched all this with wide eyes.
"Hilde?"
Hilde gave a small shriek and turned, only to see a tall shadow standing in her doorway. The shadow moved, and a flickering candle came into view, revealing Kojii's worried handsome face. The two stood still for a moment, unable to find anything to say.
"I was just coming to check up on you..." Kojii finally explained. Hilde nodded.
"That is very kind, but I can't sleep. Thunderstorms have always had a way of keeping me awake." She murmured, turning back to the window as another lightning-bolt raced down from the sky. She didn't know, but it lit her whole lovely form up with it's light, and caused her hair to shine with an ethereal light, for just those few seconds.
"Are you frightened of them?" He asked, moving away from the door and closer to her. She shook her head.
"Not particularly. I just enjoy watching them too much. It has gotten me into trouble before, though. One night, I stayed up the whole night to watch a storm, and I had finals the next day." She laughed softly. Kojii simply stared at her form, illuminated against the lighted window in the dark room. He put his candle down on her bed-side table and then walked the rest of the way over to stand behind her.
"When I was young, I used to be terrified of these storms. I would hide in my parents bed until they were all through." He commented thoughtfully. Hilde smiled.
"I am sure your parents loved that." She teased as he grinned.
"Yes, I know that they simply *loved* it." He joked back, still gazing at the storm. They were silent for a few minutes, each one aware of the other's closeness.
"But we've grown up." Her voice was soft as she said this.
"We have. And changed." He murmured. She nodded. Both of them were aware that they were no longer talking about the storms.
"Are you mad at me?" She asked suddenly. He smiled slightly.
"No. I was never mad at *you*. I was mad at...Heidi, because she wasn't you. I was...hurt." He murmured, his breath teasing her hair. Hilde shivered.
"I know. You made that quite clear." She murmured. He looked down, ashamed.
"I should never have yelled at you like that. I had no right."
"And what you said hurt me." She whispered.
"It hurt both of us." Was his short answer. Hilde sighed and kept her eyes glued to the storm outside. Then, gentle arms were wrapped around her waist.
"I missed you." He whispered, burying his face in her shoulder. Hilde stiffened in surprise and then relaxed.
"You missed me?"
"I missed having you to talk to and be nice to. It really wasn't the same after you left." He murmured. Hilde smiled bitterly.
"I suppose beating the school-building up after every run-in with Heidi isn't normal." She murmured. He winced and his heart twisted.
"How did you know that?"
"Meilei told me. And Isaac told her." Hilde explained, getting used to the warm arms around her.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot Meilei told you about that." He murmured, his eyes glued to her face. There was a long silence, in which more lightning danced around the sky in it's bright show, and thunder boomed.
"I can still remember when you told me you never wanted to see me again." He stated slowly, pulling away slightly. Hilde looked ashamed.
"I should have never said that." She whispered. He shook his head.
"After what I did, you had every right." He muttered. Hilde looked down, the tears that had come so easily at the thought of him, now coming even faster.
"You were right, though. I pushed you down, and you took me with you." She admitted. Kojii looked at her in astonishment.
"I did?"
"Yes."
"You know...somehow I knew that you weren't the Heidi I knew. I couldn't see how it was possible for you to change, just like that. You weren't the Heidi that I..." He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening at what he was about to admit. Hilde turned away from the window for the first time and gazed into his beautiful amber eyes.
"That you what?" She asked slowly, urging him to answer. He blushed but made a decision right there.
"The real Heidi wasn't the girl I wanted take with me into all that depression." He murmured. Hilde's eyes widened as Kojii pulled her closer.
"It was you, Hilde. Heidi wasn't the one I loved. It was you. And it still is. It always has been." He stated. Hilde went weak from the shock and cocked her head cutely to the side, trying to piece together all the feelings that were rushing back into her body after so long.
All the emotion that she had felt the day she left him, flooded back. The guilt of betraying her sister, the guilt of lying to him. The pain of leaving him with harsh words, the sorrow of her heart breaking in two. But this time, the overwhelming happiness and love that was slowly mending her heart and putting it back together, was there, too.
"And I want to take you with me again, even if I have to drag you there, kicking and screaming. I lost you once, Hilde. I refuse to allow that to happen again, no matter who or what I have to face on the way." He murmured, his lips coming close to her ear, before laying tender kisses on her cheek. Hilde shuddered.
"But Heidi..."
"Heidi doesn't have anything to do with this anymore. It is you and me...only you and me." He stated, kissing the corner of her mouth. Hilde trembled more violently and her hands raised to clutch the front of his T- shirt.
Then, his lips found hers and crushed them into a passionate, needy embrace. His arms pulled her closer and she moaned as his hands ran the length of his back.
"But your...ex-fiancee." She murmured into his lips. He chuckled.
"No longer has anything to do with this. I love you, Hilde. I always have." He muttered, kissing slowly down her neck. Hilde gasped.
"Kojii." She whimpered. He smiled and pulled away, kissing her forehead in the process.
"I love you, Hilde Hiiragizawa. I love you more than anything."
"Especially old school buildings?" She teased. Kojii growled and pressed his lips to hers, something she enjoyed immensely.
"Even above my old sparring buddy, the brick wall of the school-building." He joked back, pulling her into yet another kiss, this one far more fervent than the rest.
~*~*~*~
Amethyst eyes opened to see dewy sunlight streaming into the room. Raindrops covered the windows, and shone like jewels against the bright light. A slight smile came to raspberry lips as the world became more in- focus.
Hilde could feel the silky satin sheets caressing her skin, and the warm, downy blankets covering her, but the thing that she felt most was the body next to her and the arms around her waist. Hilde turned slowly, as to not wake Kojii, and gazed into his face. He was ruggedly handsome while awake, but almost innocently cute while asleep. His messy chestnut colored hair fell into his eyes, making him seem like a little boy, and his cheeks were slightly flushed with sleep. Best of all, was the small smile on his lips.
Gently, Hilde pushed a strand of his hair out of his eyes, blushing as she remembered the events of the past night. If you had told her that she would be here with Kojii, about two weeks ago, she would have denied it fervently. But now, she wondered how she had ever lived without him.
"Enjoying the view?" Came a deep, laughing voice. Hilde jumped as her eyes flew back to his open amber ones, still laced with sleep. Hilde allowed herself to grin.
"Yes, in fact, I am." She murmured. He laughed and pulled her into a kiss. It was then that they heard the door of Hilde's room being opened, and by the time they managed to untangle themselves from each other, two small forms had jumped onto the bed with them.
"See, Ying! I told you he was here!" Akito laughed, jumping on his highly embarrassed cousin. Ying-fa climbed into the lap of the mortified Hilde and smiled up at her sweetly.
"I love Uncle Kojii, and I love you, Miss Hilde. Are you getting married?" The little girl asked bluntly. Hilde and Kojii blushed brilliant red and Kojii was quick to subdue his cousins...for a while.
"Now listen, you two. I don't want anyone but us to know that I was in this room with Hilde. This is our secret, all right?" He asked. The twins nodded readily, glad to have some sort of secret with their beloved cousin and teacher.
"Do you love each other?" Ying-fa asked softly. Hilde smiled.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Grandma and mommy talk about it all the time. They say if Uncle Kojii doesn't marry you, he's a fool." Akito stated.
"What's a fool?" Ying-fa added, tilting her head slightly. Both older people blushed again.
"I will be one if I don't ask Hilde to marry me, apparently." Kojii teased.
"Uncle Kojii, why were you in Miss Hilde's bed?" Ying-fa asked innocently. Kojii choked on his laughter, and Hilde threw him a glare.
"I got scared of the storm, and Kojii came in to protect me." She winked at the twins as she said this, and their eyes grew wide.
"You're a hero, Uncle Kojii!" Akito cried, jumping on his cousin's bare chest. Kojii was still laying down, and the boy had taken to sitting there, quite happily.
"I suppose I am." He grinned, looking at Hilde. She nodded mock-sternly.
"You are. You are my hero, now and forever."
This caused bright laughter to emit from both of the twins in their delight.
~*~*~*~
"YOU SLEPT WITH MY BROTHER?!?!" Meilei shrieked two days later, when Hilde got up enough courage to tell her what had happened. Hilde winced at her friend's tone and Akane giggled lightly.
"I...we...um...if I say no, will you stop yelling?"
"NO! Hill, that was so...wrong! And with my brother, for Kami-sama's sake! That is such a bad mental image!" Meilei cried, collapsing on the couch. Hilde hit her in the face with a pillow.
"Meilei, you have a funny mind. I thought you were 100 percent for this." Akane stated, calmly going back to reading her magazine.
"Mei, I love Kojii, yes, I'll admit it. And I don't regret anything." Hilde murmured, blushing.
"Does anyone but us and the twins know?" Mei asked suddenly. Hilde shook her head.
"Good. The Elders would have a field day if they found out...and don't even get me started on the gossip columns!" Mei groaned. Hilde flinched.
"She's right, you know. If the media found out about this, you'd be history, Hilde. And you hate attention, so you had best hope the twins know how to keep a secret." Akane murmured. Mei groaned and buried her face in her hands.
"We're ruined! The twins couldn't keep a secret even if they had a firing brigade of highly-armed men, ready to shoot missiles at them!" She groaned. Hilde laughed.
"They've kept it so far. Though the looks they send me while I'm teaching them *do* get a little annoying after a while." Hilde giggled.
"And Kojii? How's he taking it?"
"Oh, I stay after to correct papers and such. He just happens to loose something on that floor and comes to visit me. We talk..."
"Plus a lot more, eh?" Akane teased. Hilde blushed.
"Not usually." She admitted, turning even redder. The other two girls gave loud 'ohhhs!', and insisted that Hilde tell them everything. Hilde groaned as her friends closed in.
It was going to be a long evening!
~*~*~*~
"I'M GETTING MARRIED!"
"Hilde slept with Kojii!"
"*WHAT?!?!?!*"
Meilei grinned as Heidi's scream echoed over the line.
"So...what were you saying about getting married?" Meilei asked offhandedly. Heidi whimpered angrily, as if she was wishing she could kill something.
"My sister did what, Meilei?" Heidi asked in a dangerous voice. Meilei winced and immediately wished she could take back what she had said.
"Um...Hilde and Kojii..."
"I know! I heard! But...why? My sister...with that...that...with your brother!" Heidi gasped breathlessly. Meilei heard a thump and guessed that Heidi had collapsed into a chair.
"Hilde tried to hide the fact...for your sake. But they have had this off- and-on, love-hate thing going on since you two switched places."
"Tell me everything." Heidi murmured weakly. Meilei smiled.
"Kojii gained strong feelings for Hilde while she was pretending to be you. She didn't know. She thought he was just being overly friendly. But she realized that she couldn't leave Japan, unless she broke off all pleasant ties to him. So she rejected Kojii on the day before she came home. But Heidi...she was in love with him then, I'm almost sure of it."
"And?" Heidi's voice was pleading.
"It nearly killed them both."
"No! How could Hilde not tell me this? How could she let that eat away at her?" Heidi whimpered.
"She didn't want you angry with her. She also didn't think she would ever see him again. But that all changed when she was offered the job at the Li home. She and Kojii bashed heads for a while...but then they started becoming...friendlier...after Kojii broke off his engagement."
"And it escalated, I take it?"
"Oh, yes. There was a huge storm last week, and Hilde was forced to stay with them. From what I can get out of Hilde, she was watching the storm, he came in to check on her and then..."
"Stop! No more. Next topic. I am going to have a long chat with my sister, as soon as she gets home." Heidi sighed. Meilei smiled.
"So what is this about you getting married?" She asked. Heidi gave a squeal.
"Hiro proposed! He came down to visit yesterday, took me out to dinner, and then he proposed!"
"How?" Meilei asked eagerly. Heidi laughed happily.
"He slipped the ring around the stem of a flower on my cake, and then gave it to me. And then he took me to the hotel he was staying at and..." Heidi trailed off, and Meilei realized what she had almost said.
"Oh! And you lecture Hilde about sleeping with my brother. I am going to tell her!" Meilei laughed.
"She already knows. I called her on her cell-phone before I called you. But I must say, this call was much more interesting." Heidi admitted. Meilei had to agree.
~*~*~*~
"Heidi spent all of last night lecturing me about...us." Hilde sighed, burying her head in her hands. Kojii, who was sitting next to her, smiled and placed a comforting arm around her waist. They were in the school room, and Kojii had taken another opportunity to visit her.
"She has no room to talk. Hiro called me last night and told me...everything." He chuckled. Hilde smiled.
"They are happy, I can tell. And I am so happy for her." Hilde commented, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Did you hear? Isaac is coming down here next week to surprise Meilei. He is dragging Luke along with him." Kojii informed her. Hilde's eyes began to sparkle.
"He and Akane would make a great couple."
"You know, I think you're right." He laughed.
"Heidi told me that Bailey is in love." Hilde said hesitantly, after a while.
"Oh? With whom?"
"Seamus."
"SEAMUS? AS IN MY COUSIN, SEAMUS?" Kojii shouted, causing her to jump. She giggled and nodded.
"That would be the one. Yuki has been dating Seamus's younger sister, Mirah for a while, so I suppose it is all right."
"But he's...four years older than her!"
"And you are two years older than me. It is not that much of a difference." Hilde reminded him. Kojii sighed and then pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair.
"We have weird families."
"You've got that right!" Hilde laughed, as he growled and lowered his lips for a kiss.
~*~*~*~
And now for the description of my 'idea' story, as I will call it for now. It doesn't have a name yet, but it is copyrighted, as you will see below.
***It starts out with Kinomoto Sakura's family finding out that she is fully deaf, soon after she is born. A few years later, her older brother, Touya, becomes friends with three foreign boys, Yukito, Hiiragizawa Eriol, and Li Syaoran (yeah, I know it's a little out of character, but it will eventually work out). At first, Touya is horribly embarrassed about having Sakura 'hang' around with him and his friends. While Eriol could care less, Yukito takes pity on her and allows her to tag along with him. Syaoran, too, doesn't seem to have any problems with her hanging around. Touya eventually becomes used to it, though.
While she is still small, Sakura finds herself a best friend in Daidouji Tomoyo. But as they grow older, Tomoyo becomes humiliated by Sakura's strange ways, and eventually strays away and avoids Sakura to the best of her ability.
It is mostly a story about Sakura's struggles, and her overcoming her them, only to fall helplessly in love with one of her brother's best friends, and have Tomoyo 'steal' him away. But is it really too late for them? And is there also hope in the distance for the one thing Sakura has ever wished for? Her hearing?*** ©
~*~*~*~
And lastly, (and completely off the subject), I have gotten an idea for a story, and would like to run it by all of you before I write it, just to make sure that it would be something you would like to read. The description is at the bottom of the chapter, and it will be copyrighted (I learned my lesson!). Please read the description and tell me what you think. It will probably be a while before I write it...but I have a good feeling about the story!
Anyway, on with this one!!!
~*~*~*~
JUST BREATHE ©
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 12.
~*~*~*~
"Hello, Miss Hilde!" Ying-fa exclaimed, after another long day of being stuck inside the schoolroom. Outside, the rain was pouring down in buckets, so the children had had no chance to play, and all were restless.
"Are you going to stay, Miss Hilde? Grandmother says that you simply must, because the storm's not letting up, and it is getting quite dangerous outside." Deluce stated, as she re-entered the room after her cousin, along with the other children. Hilde looked at her, alarmed.
"What do you mean?"
"She means, the streets are almost washed out. It is too dangerous for you to go out." Came a deep voice from the door. Hilde turned and her heart nearly stopped. Kojii leaned against the doorjamb, and smiled at her in his old, mischievous way.
"Looks like your stuck with us, Hiiragizawa. You know, this kind of reminds me of another time you were stuck in my house...except that time, you were sick." He chuckled, brushing a strand of his messy chestnut hair out of his eyes. Hilde caught her breath as the younger people laughed.
"Well, she will be sick if she goes out in that." Chang commented, pointing out the window. A strong gust of wind hit it at just that moment, and caused it to shake. Ying-fa stiffened and clutched to Hilde's legs, while Akito clung to his cousin's hand. Kojii smiled at the little boy and swung him up onto his shoulders.
"Come on, Aki. Let's go." He said, walking out of the room with the happy boy on his shoulders. Chang followed close behind them, with Xiaolong following slowly, his nose buried in a book. Deluce stayed close to Hilde as she led Ying-fa out.
"Where are we going?" Hilde asked softly. Kojii looked down at her with a smile that sent her heart pounding again.
"Somewhere more cozy. My grandmother's sitting room is just the place. Besides. She's waiting for you there." He murmured. Hilde nodded weakly, still unsure about staying a whole night at the Li home.
"Don't worry. Everyone will love to have you." He murmured, correctly reading her look. Hilde smiled and followed him into the room where Yelan sat, waiting for them.
"I insist that you stay." Yelan stated, as soon as the young people were settled into chairs with cups of hot tea to warm them. Hilde blushed and looked at her lap.
"But I have nothing to wear..."
"Darling, I have four daughters, all of whom have perfectly good clothes that would fit you fine. Fuutie is about your size, so I will have her loan some to you. And don't you worry. She will be tickled pink to do so." Yelan murmured. Kojii and Chang snorted into their tea, clearly knowing just how pleased Fuutie would be to share her clothes...perhaps a bit too pleased...
"And I will make sure my daughters behave around you." Yelan assured her, knowing how difficult it must have been for Hilde to meet the women when she had first come for her job interview. Hilde stifled her smile and took a sip of her tea.
"Meilei..."
"Knows. We called her to tell her." Yelan said shortly. Hilde smiled again and thanked the older woman.
All this time, she never noticed a pair of intense amber eyes staring at her unblinkingly.
~*~*~*~
Later that night, Hilde stood in the huge room that she had been given to stay in. It had a huge four-poster bed that was draped in amethyst curtains, and huge windows that were covered in sheer white curtains. The storm had escalated into a full-blown thunderstorm, and the power had gone out some time ago.
Hilde shivered and pulled the satin kimono that Fuutie had loaned her, tighter around her slim form. She stood close to one of the windows, staring out at the spectacular storm outside, and watching in wonder as lightning arced across the sky. Thunder was soon heard, booming loudly and shaking the windows as it went. Hilde watched all this with wide eyes.
"Hilde?"
Hilde gave a small shriek and turned, only to see a tall shadow standing in her doorway. The shadow moved, and a flickering candle came into view, revealing Kojii's worried handsome face. The two stood still for a moment, unable to find anything to say.
"I was just coming to check up on you..." Kojii finally explained. Hilde nodded.
"That is very kind, but I can't sleep. Thunderstorms have always had a way of keeping me awake." She murmured, turning back to the window as another lightning-bolt raced down from the sky. She didn't know, but it lit her whole lovely form up with it's light, and caused her hair to shine with an ethereal light, for just those few seconds.
"Are you frightened of them?" He asked, moving away from the door and closer to her. She shook her head.
"Not particularly. I just enjoy watching them too much. It has gotten me into trouble before, though. One night, I stayed up the whole night to watch a storm, and I had finals the next day." She laughed softly. Kojii simply stared at her form, illuminated against the lighted window in the dark room. He put his candle down on her bed-side table and then walked the rest of the way over to stand behind her.
"When I was young, I used to be terrified of these storms. I would hide in my parents bed until they were all through." He commented thoughtfully. Hilde smiled.
"I am sure your parents loved that." She teased as he grinned.
"Yes, I know that they simply *loved* it." He joked back, still gazing at the storm. They were silent for a few minutes, each one aware of the other's closeness.
"But we've grown up." Her voice was soft as she said this.
"We have. And changed." He murmured. She nodded. Both of them were aware that they were no longer talking about the storms.
"Are you mad at me?" She asked suddenly. He smiled slightly.
"No. I was never mad at *you*. I was mad at...Heidi, because she wasn't you. I was...hurt." He murmured, his breath teasing her hair. Hilde shivered.
"I know. You made that quite clear." She murmured. He looked down, ashamed.
"I should never have yelled at you like that. I had no right."
"And what you said hurt me." She whispered.
"It hurt both of us." Was his short answer. Hilde sighed and kept her eyes glued to the storm outside. Then, gentle arms were wrapped around her waist.
"I missed you." He whispered, burying his face in her shoulder. Hilde stiffened in surprise and then relaxed.
"You missed me?"
"I missed having you to talk to and be nice to. It really wasn't the same after you left." He murmured. Hilde smiled bitterly.
"I suppose beating the school-building up after every run-in with Heidi isn't normal." She murmured. He winced and his heart twisted.
"How did you know that?"
"Meilei told me. And Isaac told her." Hilde explained, getting used to the warm arms around her.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot Meilei told you about that." He murmured, his eyes glued to her face. There was a long silence, in which more lightning danced around the sky in it's bright show, and thunder boomed.
"I can still remember when you told me you never wanted to see me again." He stated slowly, pulling away slightly. Hilde looked ashamed.
"I should have never said that." She whispered. He shook his head.
"After what I did, you had every right." He muttered. Hilde looked down, the tears that had come so easily at the thought of him, now coming even faster.
"You were right, though. I pushed you down, and you took me with you." She admitted. Kojii looked at her in astonishment.
"I did?"
"Yes."
"You know...somehow I knew that you weren't the Heidi I knew. I couldn't see how it was possible for you to change, just like that. You weren't the Heidi that I..." He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening at what he was about to admit. Hilde turned away from the window for the first time and gazed into his beautiful amber eyes.
"That you what?" She asked slowly, urging him to answer. He blushed but made a decision right there.
"The real Heidi wasn't the girl I wanted take with me into all that depression." He murmured. Hilde's eyes widened as Kojii pulled her closer.
"It was you, Hilde. Heidi wasn't the one I loved. It was you. And it still is. It always has been." He stated. Hilde went weak from the shock and cocked her head cutely to the side, trying to piece together all the feelings that were rushing back into her body after so long.
All the emotion that she had felt the day she left him, flooded back. The guilt of betraying her sister, the guilt of lying to him. The pain of leaving him with harsh words, the sorrow of her heart breaking in two. But this time, the overwhelming happiness and love that was slowly mending her heart and putting it back together, was there, too.
"And I want to take you with me again, even if I have to drag you there, kicking and screaming. I lost you once, Hilde. I refuse to allow that to happen again, no matter who or what I have to face on the way." He murmured, his lips coming close to her ear, before laying tender kisses on her cheek. Hilde shuddered.
"But Heidi..."
"Heidi doesn't have anything to do with this anymore. It is you and me...only you and me." He stated, kissing the corner of her mouth. Hilde trembled more violently and her hands raised to clutch the front of his T- shirt.
Then, his lips found hers and crushed them into a passionate, needy embrace. His arms pulled her closer and she moaned as his hands ran the length of his back.
"But your...ex-fiancee." She murmured into his lips. He chuckled.
"No longer has anything to do with this. I love you, Hilde. I always have." He muttered, kissing slowly down her neck. Hilde gasped.
"Kojii." She whimpered. He smiled and pulled away, kissing her forehead in the process.
"I love you, Hilde Hiiragizawa. I love you more than anything."
"Especially old school buildings?" She teased. Kojii growled and pressed his lips to hers, something she enjoyed immensely.
"Even above my old sparring buddy, the brick wall of the school-building." He joked back, pulling her into yet another kiss, this one far more fervent than the rest.
~*~*~*~
Amethyst eyes opened to see dewy sunlight streaming into the room. Raindrops covered the windows, and shone like jewels against the bright light. A slight smile came to raspberry lips as the world became more in- focus.
Hilde could feel the silky satin sheets caressing her skin, and the warm, downy blankets covering her, but the thing that she felt most was the body next to her and the arms around her waist. Hilde turned slowly, as to not wake Kojii, and gazed into his face. He was ruggedly handsome while awake, but almost innocently cute while asleep. His messy chestnut colored hair fell into his eyes, making him seem like a little boy, and his cheeks were slightly flushed with sleep. Best of all, was the small smile on his lips.
Gently, Hilde pushed a strand of his hair out of his eyes, blushing as she remembered the events of the past night. If you had told her that she would be here with Kojii, about two weeks ago, she would have denied it fervently. But now, she wondered how she had ever lived without him.
"Enjoying the view?" Came a deep, laughing voice. Hilde jumped as her eyes flew back to his open amber ones, still laced with sleep. Hilde allowed herself to grin.
"Yes, in fact, I am." She murmured. He laughed and pulled her into a kiss. It was then that they heard the door of Hilde's room being opened, and by the time they managed to untangle themselves from each other, two small forms had jumped onto the bed with them.
"See, Ying! I told you he was here!" Akito laughed, jumping on his highly embarrassed cousin. Ying-fa climbed into the lap of the mortified Hilde and smiled up at her sweetly.
"I love Uncle Kojii, and I love you, Miss Hilde. Are you getting married?" The little girl asked bluntly. Hilde and Kojii blushed brilliant red and Kojii was quick to subdue his cousins...for a while.
"Now listen, you two. I don't want anyone but us to know that I was in this room with Hilde. This is our secret, all right?" He asked. The twins nodded readily, glad to have some sort of secret with their beloved cousin and teacher.
"Do you love each other?" Ying-fa asked softly. Hilde smiled.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Grandma and mommy talk about it all the time. They say if Uncle Kojii doesn't marry you, he's a fool." Akito stated.
"What's a fool?" Ying-fa added, tilting her head slightly. Both older people blushed again.
"I will be one if I don't ask Hilde to marry me, apparently." Kojii teased.
"Uncle Kojii, why were you in Miss Hilde's bed?" Ying-fa asked innocently. Kojii choked on his laughter, and Hilde threw him a glare.
"I got scared of the storm, and Kojii came in to protect me." She winked at the twins as she said this, and their eyes grew wide.
"You're a hero, Uncle Kojii!" Akito cried, jumping on his cousin's bare chest. Kojii was still laying down, and the boy had taken to sitting there, quite happily.
"I suppose I am." He grinned, looking at Hilde. She nodded mock-sternly.
"You are. You are my hero, now and forever."
This caused bright laughter to emit from both of the twins in their delight.
~*~*~*~
"YOU SLEPT WITH MY BROTHER?!?!" Meilei shrieked two days later, when Hilde got up enough courage to tell her what had happened. Hilde winced at her friend's tone and Akane giggled lightly.
"I...we...um...if I say no, will you stop yelling?"
"NO! Hill, that was so...wrong! And with my brother, for Kami-sama's sake! That is such a bad mental image!" Meilei cried, collapsing on the couch. Hilde hit her in the face with a pillow.
"Meilei, you have a funny mind. I thought you were 100 percent for this." Akane stated, calmly going back to reading her magazine.
"Mei, I love Kojii, yes, I'll admit it. And I don't regret anything." Hilde murmured, blushing.
"Does anyone but us and the twins know?" Mei asked suddenly. Hilde shook her head.
"Good. The Elders would have a field day if they found out...and don't even get me started on the gossip columns!" Mei groaned. Hilde flinched.
"She's right, you know. If the media found out about this, you'd be history, Hilde. And you hate attention, so you had best hope the twins know how to keep a secret." Akane murmured. Mei groaned and buried her face in her hands.
"We're ruined! The twins couldn't keep a secret even if they had a firing brigade of highly-armed men, ready to shoot missiles at them!" She groaned. Hilde laughed.
"They've kept it so far. Though the looks they send me while I'm teaching them *do* get a little annoying after a while." Hilde giggled.
"And Kojii? How's he taking it?"
"Oh, I stay after to correct papers and such. He just happens to loose something on that floor and comes to visit me. We talk..."
"Plus a lot more, eh?" Akane teased. Hilde blushed.
"Not usually." She admitted, turning even redder. The other two girls gave loud 'ohhhs!', and insisted that Hilde tell them everything. Hilde groaned as her friends closed in.
It was going to be a long evening!
~*~*~*~
"I'M GETTING MARRIED!"
"Hilde slept with Kojii!"
"*WHAT?!?!?!*"
Meilei grinned as Heidi's scream echoed over the line.
"So...what were you saying about getting married?" Meilei asked offhandedly. Heidi whimpered angrily, as if she was wishing she could kill something.
"My sister did what, Meilei?" Heidi asked in a dangerous voice. Meilei winced and immediately wished she could take back what she had said.
"Um...Hilde and Kojii..."
"I know! I heard! But...why? My sister...with that...that...with your brother!" Heidi gasped breathlessly. Meilei heard a thump and guessed that Heidi had collapsed into a chair.
"Hilde tried to hide the fact...for your sake. But they have had this off- and-on, love-hate thing going on since you two switched places."
"Tell me everything." Heidi murmured weakly. Meilei smiled.
"Kojii gained strong feelings for Hilde while she was pretending to be you. She didn't know. She thought he was just being overly friendly. But she realized that she couldn't leave Japan, unless she broke off all pleasant ties to him. So she rejected Kojii on the day before she came home. But Heidi...she was in love with him then, I'm almost sure of it."
"And?" Heidi's voice was pleading.
"It nearly killed them both."
"No! How could Hilde not tell me this? How could she let that eat away at her?" Heidi whimpered.
"She didn't want you angry with her. She also didn't think she would ever see him again. But that all changed when she was offered the job at the Li home. She and Kojii bashed heads for a while...but then they started becoming...friendlier...after Kojii broke off his engagement."
"And it escalated, I take it?"
"Oh, yes. There was a huge storm last week, and Hilde was forced to stay with them. From what I can get out of Hilde, she was watching the storm, he came in to check on her and then..."
"Stop! No more. Next topic. I am going to have a long chat with my sister, as soon as she gets home." Heidi sighed. Meilei smiled.
"So what is this about you getting married?" She asked. Heidi gave a squeal.
"Hiro proposed! He came down to visit yesterday, took me out to dinner, and then he proposed!"
"How?" Meilei asked eagerly. Heidi laughed happily.
"He slipped the ring around the stem of a flower on my cake, and then gave it to me. And then he took me to the hotel he was staying at and..." Heidi trailed off, and Meilei realized what she had almost said.
"Oh! And you lecture Hilde about sleeping with my brother. I am going to tell her!" Meilei laughed.
"She already knows. I called her on her cell-phone before I called you. But I must say, this call was much more interesting." Heidi admitted. Meilei had to agree.
~*~*~*~
"Heidi spent all of last night lecturing me about...us." Hilde sighed, burying her head in her hands. Kojii, who was sitting next to her, smiled and placed a comforting arm around her waist. They were in the school room, and Kojii had taken another opportunity to visit her.
"She has no room to talk. Hiro called me last night and told me...everything." He chuckled. Hilde smiled.
"They are happy, I can tell. And I am so happy for her." Hilde commented, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Did you hear? Isaac is coming down here next week to surprise Meilei. He is dragging Luke along with him." Kojii informed her. Hilde's eyes began to sparkle.
"He and Akane would make a great couple."
"You know, I think you're right." He laughed.
"Heidi told me that Bailey is in love." Hilde said hesitantly, after a while.
"Oh? With whom?"
"Seamus."
"SEAMUS? AS IN MY COUSIN, SEAMUS?" Kojii shouted, causing her to jump. She giggled and nodded.
"That would be the one. Yuki has been dating Seamus's younger sister, Mirah for a while, so I suppose it is all right."
"But he's...four years older than her!"
"And you are two years older than me. It is not that much of a difference." Hilde reminded him. Kojii sighed and then pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair.
"We have weird families."
"You've got that right!" Hilde laughed, as he growled and lowered his lips for a kiss.
~*~*~*~
And now for the description of my 'idea' story, as I will call it for now. It doesn't have a name yet, but it is copyrighted, as you will see below.
***It starts out with Kinomoto Sakura's family finding out that she is fully deaf, soon after she is born. A few years later, her older brother, Touya, becomes friends with three foreign boys, Yukito, Hiiragizawa Eriol, and Li Syaoran (yeah, I know it's a little out of character, but it will eventually work out). At first, Touya is horribly embarrassed about having Sakura 'hang' around with him and his friends. While Eriol could care less, Yukito takes pity on her and allows her to tag along with him. Syaoran, too, doesn't seem to have any problems with her hanging around. Touya eventually becomes used to it, though.
While she is still small, Sakura finds herself a best friend in Daidouji Tomoyo. But as they grow older, Tomoyo becomes humiliated by Sakura's strange ways, and eventually strays away and avoids Sakura to the best of her ability.
It is mostly a story about Sakura's struggles, and her overcoming her them, only to fall helplessly in love with one of her brother's best friends, and have Tomoyo 'steal' him away. But is it really too late for them? And is there also hope in the distance for the one thing Sakura has ever wished for? Her hearing?*** ©
~*~*~*~