The New Edition
Chapter Nine: Budding Romance
By: Winter Peacecraft-Yuy
With additional help from: Meilin Rae, Trowa'sgal2004, and MiMeQ
Disclaimer: Everyone: We are not going to copy and paste from other chapters any longer! We have been oppressed  long enough! Go to the other chapters for your @(#^$^% disclaimer! Oh yeah … we don't own Lord of the Rings. (*nervous laughter*)

-

Mia was the first of the girls to be gone. She had to beat Ryo home. She was supposed to have taken the car home and been in bed, waiting patiently for him to return. If he gets home before I do, he'll be worried sick. She had forgotten about her investigation of his "infidelity."

Mia jumped rooftops to get home quickly. She would make something up about the car. When she reached their home, she saw Ryo walking in the front door. Mia ducked for cover and jumped down to their balcony. She climbed into the window next to it, knowing that the door would be locked. When she finally got in and plopped down on the bed, she heard Ryo approaching.

"Mia? Mia, are you here? Mia?" His voice sounded frantic. He was worried.

Mia threw her clothes off and under the bed. She climbed under the covers and closed her eyes just as Ryo walked in. Her heart was beating quickly. She was having trouble keeping her eyes closed.

Ryo walked over to the bed and threw his arms around her. "Thank God you're okay, Mia," he whispered lovingly. Ryo kissed her on the forehead and held her close to him.

Mia was pretending to wake up. She moaned slightly and opened her eyes. "Ryo ... you're okay ..." she said in a sleepy voice. She put her arms around him and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Ryo smiled. "You don't have to worry about me, darling. You should know that I would never leave you." He wrapped his arms around her tighter and felt her flesh. Calmly, he took his shirt off, after lying her back down softly on the bed. "I was so worried about you when I didn't see the car, Mia." He kissed her lightly on the cheek as he unbuttoned his pants.

Mia helped him remove his clothes. He climbed under the covers next to her. "I was worried about you, Ryo. I hoped that you were okay." Mia hated to lie to him at a time like this, but she couldn't tell him about her guardian duties.

Ryo turned to face her, propping himself up on his left elbow. He smiled down at her. "I missed you, Mia." He lifted the covers just enough so that he could climb on top of her.

-

Hana was outside of the restaurant when Sage arrived. She looked a little beaten up. "Hana, what happened to you? Are you okay?" Sage rushed over to her and took her in his arms.

Hana was overtaken with surprise. She hadn't expected him to react like that. "I'm fine, really. Just, when the building collapsed, I got a little dirty. That's all. I promise. I'm okay." Sage was still holding her tightly as she explained. He let loose of her after her reassurance.

Sage grimaced. "Still, I feel horrible for leaving you here by yourself. Why don't you come back to my apartment, and I'll help you get a little cleaned up."

Hana smiled. "I don't have any clothes at your apartment, Sage. I would have to wear this dirty dress again. Then, what would the point be of getting cleaned up?" Hana was kicking herself inside. You don't need clothes, Hana. Hello! That's exactly what he's saying! Go for it!

Sage thought about this for a while. "I can fix that. While you're taking a shower, I can run to your apartment and get some clothes for you. I'm sure that won't be a problem." He smiled when Hana paused. "It's settled, Hana. Just come with me."

-

Amaya rushed to the movie theater, where Kento was waiting. She had taken a little more time than the others. She had at least tried to make herself presentable. When she walked up to the entrance of the theater,  Kento jumped up. "Thank goodness you're okay!" Kento ran to her and grasped her in a bear hug. After a few minutes, he realized what he was doing. "Oh ... sorry. I didn't mean to ... I mean ..."

Amaya smiled. "It's quite alright, Kento. I mean .. I was not offended by your actions, but rather touched that you care so deeply." She smiled at Kento after he released her. "I do believe that we were going to meet your parents."

That reminded Kento of her remarks earlier. She had said that she wasn't presentable. "You changed, Amaya. Wow. You look really pretty." Amaya had changed into a sea blue skirt and shirt set, looking much more put together than before.

"Thank you, Kento. Now, I am ready to meet your parents." She took his arm as he led her to his orange Jeep. "I will follow you in my vehicle. Drive slowly, and take care." Amaya kissed Kento on the cheek and walked away from his Jeep to her Mustang. She climbed in carefully and fired up the engine before shifting to drive and following Kento down the highway.

-

Rowen was quietly reading in the apartment that he shared with Sage. He heard a familiar sound that meant that Sage was home. Rowen smiled and put his book down. In the excitement, he failed to hear the other car door.

When Sage got to the door, Rowen threw it open. "Good, Sage. You're home. I wanted to talk to you." He was interrupted by Hana. She smiled at him. "Oh. You're here. I'll talk to you later, then, Sage." Rowen grabbed his jacket and pushed his way out of the door, leaving a confused Sage and Hana in the apartment alone.

-

Rekino arrived at the apartment that she shared with Hana with Josephine on her trails. They were trying to see if there was anything still on TV about Orlando Bloom. Rekino ran up the stairs and threw the door open. The TV was off, so she ran over to it and pushed the "power" button.

Josephine was staring over her shoulder. "NO! Another episode of a sexy guy missed due to interference. That sucks." Josephine and Rekino plopped down on the couch and pouted together.

Rekino sighed. "I think that I'll go for a walk to get my mind off of all of this. I'll be back in a little while. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen or anywhere else." Rekino grabbed her jacket off of the coat rack by the door and walked outside. She was suddenly chilly.

Rekino walked down the stairs and sighed again. She missed Hana. She needed someone to talk to, and Josephine didn't know what was going on. I could tell Josephine all about my problems. Not like she wouldn't understand. Why do I always go to Hana? Before she could shake her thoughts, someone walked right into her. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" Rekino said in an angry voice.

-

Cye was sitting at his apartment watching Food Network, trying to come up with new ideas on something to cook for Kento. "I hate this. I always have something to cook. I've already cooked my entire cookbook! I'm ready for a bloody change." Cye walked over to the couch and sat down. He flipped through the channels until he found a good movie: Lord of the Rings. He settled in for a long wait. It was a long movie, but well worth it.

-

Josephine walked into Rekino and Hana's kitchen. She opened the snack cabinet and pulled out a bag of popcorn. She placed it in the microwave and set the timer for two minutes, forty seconds; that was just enough time for it to pop perfectly.

"This sucks. I hate being alone," Josephine whined. She walked back into the living room and flipped through the channels. She skipped over quite a few channels before she found what she wanted. "Sweet! Lord of the Rings! Excellent." She went back into the kitchen just as the timer went off on the microwave. "I wouldn't want to miss a second of Legolas."

-

Ryo was lying beside her when she woke up. Mia looked over at him and smiled. For a moment, she forgot her accusations. She forgot how she had spied on him and saw him with Hana. She forgot everything. Mia looked at the clock. It was only about eleven at night. She smiled and laid her head back down on Ryo's chest.

Ryo was awake ... although he wasn't moving, because he didn't want to disturb Mia. He saw her lie her head down on his chest and smiled. Gently, he brushed her hair away from her face. She looked up at him and smiled. "I thought that you were asleep."

Ryo smiled back. "I was, but I thought that you were asleep, too. That's why I was so still." Ryo was still stroking her head gently. Mia was looking up at him lovingly. "I love you, Mia."

Mia smiled. "I love you, too, Ryo." Before she could move, Ryo had moved her. He moved her back to her pillow and started to kiss her again. Mia couldn't resist him. It was like she was overtaken with desire. She let him climb on top of her again and felt the rush of excitement as he lowered his body closer to hers.

-

Hana looked at Sage. "What's his problem?" Sage shook his head. "Oh, well. I'm sure that he'll get over it sooner or later." Hana smiled. "Well, are you going to show me where everything is, or am I supposed to find it myself?"

Sage took her arm. "Let me give you a quick tour." He led her into the living room, where Rowen formally sat. "This is the living room. When you came in, you were in the foyer, or as I like to call it, the hallway." This brought a small chuckle out of Hana. Sage led her away and into the kitchen, on the other side of the foyer. "This is the kitchen. If you get hungry while I'm gone, you can find just about anything in here. Cye keeps us pretty well-stocked."

Hana smiled. "Is this my grand tour? I thought that surely, you would have me upstairs by now. I hear that you are one hell of a ladies' man." Hana looked at Sage, who looked genuinely hurt by her remark. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sage. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's not that. I mean, I have been known to be a ladies' man, but I don't like that reputation." Sage frowned. "Well, let's continue with the tour. As you wish, upstairs it is." Sage took Hana's arm gently and led her back into the foyer and to the right, up the stairs.

Hana smiled at the manly decorations. There were no deer heads or dead fish, but it was nice, yet not feminine. "You boys sure do have a lot of style ... for men."

"I'm not sure that I can take that as a compliment or not, Hana." Sage smiled down at her. She was a good two or three inches shorter than him. "To the right is Rowen's room. To the left is mine. The bathroom is the last door on the right. The other door on the left is the laundry room that we had installed. I also have a bathroom in my room, if you would feel more comfortable using that one."

Hana nodded. Sage led her into his room, which was perfectly clean. "Wow. This is the cleanest room that I've ever seen a man have. Are you sure that you guys live here?" She put her purse down on Sage's neatly made bed.

"Yeah. Rowen's a sort of neat-freak. He likes everything to be a certain way. Well, I'm sure that you'll find everything okay. I hope that I'll find your apartment okay. I'm a little rusty on the exact location. After all, you insisted that we meet at the restaurant instead tonight when you called me."

Hana smiled. She didn't want to reveal that she was with Ryo. "I was running a little late. It's not hard to find. I promise. If you just ask my roommate, I'm sure that she can find something for me to wear. If she's not there, here's my key." Hana reached into her purse and pulled out her keys. After pointing out which key it was and explaining exactly where her room was, Hana kissed Sage on the cheek. "If you don't mind, get my pajamas, too. They're on my bed. I think that I'll stay with you tonight ... that is, if you don't mind."

Sage shook his head. "Not at all. Don't worry about a thing. I'll find something for you to wear ... tonight and tomorrow." Sage left Hana alone after a short, yet romantic kiss.

-

Rekino looked up at the man that had bumped into her. "What the hell is your problem? Didn't you see me standing there?" She stood to her full height, which wasn't much. When she looked at the man, she grimaced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude. I was just..."

The man smiled at her. "No problem. It was my fault anyways." He had a Brooklyn accent that Rekino just couldn't resist. He offered his arm, and Rekino took it. "I should apologize thoroughly. How about an ice cream cone?"

Rekino smiled. "That might be nice. I have been on edge a little. You know, I don't normally talk to strangers, much less go on a date with them after bumping into them on the street, but what harm could come? It's just ice cream, after all." If he tries anything, I'll kill him. I swear I will. But he's so cute and loveable and everything. He wouldn't hurt me, now would he?

The man looked at her. "My name is Rowen. What's yours? I can't take you on an ice cream date if I don't know your name."

Rekino panicked. I can't tell him my real name. He knows Ryo. What to do … what to do … "My name is Rekka." Oh, like that isn't a dead giveaway. Like he won't know now … "Or at least, that's what my friends call me. My real name is …"

"Rekino. Your real name is Rekino." The man's Brooklyn accent had now disappeared. He no longer had blue hair and those beautiful dark blue eyes. His eyes had changed into a bluish whitish color. He had long white hair.

"Shit. You ass." Rekino turned away from the man. It wasn't Rowen after all. It was The Balance.

"You know, you should be working on your paper, not going on ice cream dates with guys that you just happen to meet on street corners. What are you, some kind of ice cream whore?" He laughed. It was an evil laugh, and it kind of gave Rekino chills.

"That isn't funny. Besides, he was cute, and I needed someone to talk to." Rekino sulked. She hated to have tricks played on her. Normally, she would throw a raging bitch fit, but she didn't feel like it, so she kept her mouth shut. "How did you do that?"

"What? Make myself look like Rowen?" Rekino nodded. "That was simple. Remember … you said it … I have God-like powers. I can pretty much do anything. Oh, yes. I was going to tell you that this Rowen person might have taken a liking to you."

Rekino flushed. "You shouldn't mess with peoples' love lives. That isn't right." Come to think of it, Rowen looks exactly like the guy from my dreams. Wouldn't that be something special …

The Balance stared at her. "Yes, it would. And yes, he is. Are you happy now? You know who the man is from your dreams. Isn't that just special?" He smiled at Rekino. "Well, I think that's all. Really, get back to your paper. You need to finish. I have to be off now. I do have a job to do."

Rekino scowled at the mist that surrounded her. "I hate that." She turned around after the mist had gone and headed back to the apartment that she shared with Hana. Maybe I should get back to my paper. She stopped suddenly and stared in front of her with a frown on her face. There, floating in mid air was a vanilla ice cream cone.

She grabbed the cone and stared at it. She noted the mist still in the air. Smiling, she shook her head and started eating the desert, "Asshole." Rekino knew he had heard her by the laugh the followed shortly after.

-

Hana was enjoying her shower. She had the water almost completely on hot, just the way she liked it. Sage had the softest washcloths that she had ever seen, and the greatest-smelling soap that she had ever encountered. Everything was going great … that is, until she heard the front door open.

"Damn," Hana muttered to herself as she turned the water off. "Just when I was getting used to it." She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, after drying off. Her hair was soaked, so she grabbed another towel to wrap her hair in. "Oh, well. The water would have been cold soon anyway."

Hana thought that she should make the best of the situation, so she calmly went downstairs … still in nothing but the towels. She was halfway downstairs when she heard him in the kitchen. Isn't that sweet? He must be fixing something for us to eat. Hana quickly finished her descent downstairs and turned the corner into the kitchen.

Rowen was looking straight at her. Hana rushed to cover herself a little more. "What the hell are you still doing here? I thought that you left," Rowen said in a cruel voice. "Why did Sage leave you here alone?"

Hana was blushing from head to toe by now. "I … I … I got a little dirty when the restaurant collapsed, so … Sage told me that I could shower here. He went to my apartment to get some clothes."

Rowen sighed as he stirred the coffee that he had poured for himself. "You need some. Oh, by the way," Rowen said as he walked past Hana and into the living room, "your towel is coming down."

Oh my God. Now Rowen has seen my boobs. Gross. "Thanks," Hana muttered as she pulled up her towel and ran back up the stairs. She walked into Sage's room and sat down on the bed. What is his problem? I haven't even done anything to him.  Sage said that he was a neat freak, not just a freak. Oh, well. I guess that I'll just sit here and wait for Sage.

-

Kento drove a little slower than he would have normally liked, due to the fact that, as soon as he sped up, Amaya would get lost. Man, I don't like to drive slow. It stinks. But, I guess that it's worth it.

Amaya followed Kento into Chinatown, where she assumed Kento's family lived. However, when Kento pulled into a restaurant, she was confused. She parked next to him and got out. After she had walked over to him, Amaya looked at Kento quizzically. "I thought that we were going to your family's home. I did not know that we were going out to eat."

Kento laughed. "No. My parents own this restaurant. I told them that it would be a lot easier if we met here. It's a lot closer. Besides, we could eat here, too, if you don't mind." Kento smiled as Amaya nodded. Kento took Amaya's arm and led her into the restaurant.

When the two walked in, it was like time stood still. Everyone looked up to see who had come in the door. When the man behind the counter saw them, he ran out to the lobby and grabbed Kento in a bear hug. Kento smiled at Amaya and patted the man on the back.

"Kento! It's been so long since you stopped in! What has kept you away?" The man didn't wait for a response. He looked at Amaya. "Oh! This must be Amaya! She is beautiful, Kento! I thought that you may have over-exaggerated, but you under-exaggerated!" The man then took Amaya in a bear hug.

Kento sighed as Amaya hugged the man back. "Dad, I don't think that she's accustomed to all of the hugging and stuff yet. Could you not do that?" Kento grimaced as his father let her go.

"Of course. My apologies, Amaya. I didn't mean to offend you. I am Kento's father. It is a pleasure to meet you." He took Amaya's hand and kissed it. After he released her hand, he pointed to the back. There was a pretty woman back there. "That is Kento's mother. Don't be fooled by her looks. She's meaner than a wet hen." He laughed when the woman shot him an evil glare.

"That's not true, darling," she said from the kitchen. "Why don't you have a seat, and Kento's father and I will fix you something special for your first date." She paused. "This is your first date with our son, isn't it?" She studied Amaya for a moment.

Amaya smiled. "Yes, ma'am. This is our first date. However, it was interrupted earlier when Kento had to go for a brief moment." She immediately regretted saying that. Kento's head drooped. He looked ashamed of himself … well, a little more angry with himself than ashamed. "It was quite alright, though. I got a call from my friend and had to go somewhere as well. It was no problem. I was just happy that he got back okay, after the ruckus that was happening in the city." Amaya was babbling on and on about the city and everything before she noticed that Kento's mother had fainted and his father was in the back helping her. "Oh, dear."

Kento jumped up. "It's okay, Amaya. She just gets a little nervous when she hears about me being near danger. That's all." He ran to the kitchen and helped his mother up. "Are you okay, Mom? Look, I was nowhere near anything dangerous. It's okay, Mom." He looked at Amaya and mouthed the words, "I'm sorry."

Just as Amaya was about to laugh, her cell phone rang. Her heart skipped a beat. I didn't sense anything evil. What could this be about? The entire restaurant looked at her. She smiled nervously. "I'm so sorry. I will be right back." Amaya got up and walked outside. She answered the phone politely. "Hello?"

It was Josephine on the other end of the line. "What time are you going to be home, Amaya? I know that you can't be having too much fun with my ditzy cousin." Josephine laughed, as if she had made a joke. "Oh, sorry. Lord of the Rings is on. That Gimli … he's so funny."

Amaya sighed. "Josephine, I do not know what time I will be home. I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'm having dinner with Kento and his family right now." Amaya waved back inside to Kento, who was waiting in their booth.

Josephine yelped. "You're already meeting the family?! Oh, Amaya, I am so sorry. Look, I really don't claim that side of the family … I promise. Okay, sorry to bother you. I'll let you go then. Bye." Josephine hung up without letting Amaya say another word.

-

Sage arrived at Hana's apartment with no problem. He could hear Josephine's laughter on the other side of the door. He knocked on the door softly but loudly. Rekino came to the door. She opened it after a brief pause. When she looked at Sage's face, hers went white.

"Hana isn't here. Why are you--I thought that she was with you! Where is Hana?!" Rekino didn't give Sage an opportunity to answer. She pulled him inside. "What happened to her?! Get in here before someone sees me!" Rekino was frantic.

Sage grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Rekina! Listen, Hana is at my apartment …"

Rekino looked at Sage and growled. "It's REKINO! My name is Rekino! Did you say that Hana is at your apartment?! What in the hell did you do to her?! You sick-o! I am not giving you anything but an ass-whooping, unless you tell me what is going on!"

Sage let out a laugh. "Rekino, calm down. She's fine. I haven't done anything to her. Her dress was a little dirty, so I told her that she could shower at my apartment. She asked me to come and get some of her clothes for her. She's also spending the night."

Rekino let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I was going to kick your ass for a minute there. Damn the bad luck. Her bedroom is upstairs." Sage nodded to her and went upstairs. Rekino smiled at Josephine. "I could be an actress, don't you think?"

Josephine smiled. "There's no way you were faking that." She returned to her movie.

-

Amaya just shrugged and hung her phone up before walking back inside the restaurant. "I am so sorry. That was my friend, Josephine. She says to tell everyone hello." Amaya smiled as she took her seat. You have to pray for forgiveness tonight. That was a very bad thing … lying like that.

This comment brought up another wave of conversation from the restaurant about how Josephine didn't come around enough and how she and Kento used to dress alike as children. Many of the comments made Kento go red in the face, and he looked at Amaya miserably as they ate their meal. When they had finished, Kento and Amaya drove to the park that wasn't far from there and said goodbye in private.

Amaya smiled as they sat on one of the picnic tables. "I had a very nice time tonight, Kento. I look forward to our next date." Amaya leaned over and kissed Kento lightly on the lips. It was short, but sweet, and it gave Kento a slightly pink tint. "You have my phone number, yes?"

Kento nodded. "Yes, I have it. I'll call you as soon as I wake up tomorrow. I promise." Kento smiled. He was excited. It had been a long time since he had a girlfriend … well, to be honest, Amaya would be his first real girlfriend.

Amaya smiled again. "Good. I will talk to you then. Thank you again for the wonderful time." Amaya stood beside Kento and gave him another quick kiss. She walked away to her Mustang and got in. After one last look at Kento, she pulled away and headed back to the apartment that she shared with her boyfriend's cousin. I like him very much indeed. I am so happy that I have found someone so wonderful as Kento Rei Faun.

-

Rekino was sitting at the computer, working on her paper, when Sage came back downstairs. "You were up there long enough. Did you go through her drawers and everything?" Rekino smiled at Sage's scowl.

"I did nothing of the sort. You know, you could have helped me instead of sitting there making nasty comments, Rekina. And don't start. I know that it's Rekino. If you weren't such a bitch, then maybe people would remember your name a little better." Sage didn't wait for a reply. He walked out the door and slammed it behind him.

Sage and Rekino were both staring toward one another. At the moment, neither liked the other. Sage shook his head and walked down the stairs. He climbed into his car and drove off toward his apartment, secretly wishing that he could tell Ryo about his sister. I promised Hana that I wouldn't, so I can't. If I did, Hana would hate me forever. Still, it is a tempting decision.

-

Hana was sitting in Sage's room, drying her hair, when Sage walked in. She had slipped on a pair of his boxers and a white shirt, and Sage thought that she looked pretty sexy in his oversized clothes.

"Here you are, Hana. Fresh, clean clothes. I hope that you don't mind me picking out your undergarments, too. I saw some that I just couldn't resist. But … if you don't want to change, you definitely don't have to." Sage smiled and walked over to Hana.

Hana grinned. "Now, just what do you think you're doing?" Hana asked playfully.

"Trying to get to know you a little better." Sage smiled and grabbed Hana, who had stopped drying her hair and turned the hair dryer off. He carried her out of his bathroom and over to his bed. Carefully, he laid her down and smiled. "I've always wondered, are you ticklish?" He smiled when Hana's eyes widened and she shook her head violently.

Sage started to tickle her sides and stomach. Hana couldn't help but laugh. She was extremely ticklish. "Sage! Stop! Please! I … can't … breathe! Oh my gosh! Quit! Oh … Sage!" Hana squirmed and tried to escape, but Sage had climbed on top of her and was pinning her arms down gently with his knees.

Sage smiled when he stopped. "So you are ticklish." Hana nodded, and Sage laughed. "Good. That's something that I'll have on you." Sage leaned down, still on top of Hana, and kissed her passionately.

Hana didn't resist. She allowed Sage to explore her, and before she knew it, she was undressed. Hana smiled beneath Sage's kiss. "Talented, aren't you," she whispered. She felt Sage nod, and then she let herself go for him.

-

Cye sat patiently waiting for Kento to get home. He had just called to say that the date with Amaya had gone wonderfully, and that he was on his way. Cye smiled as he continued to watch Lord of the Rings. I'm glad that he's found someone who loves the same things that he does … eating with his parents, going to the movies; none of those things interest anyone else but Kento and Amaya. I'm glad that they're happy together. Cye smiled to himself again. I also hear that she's a good cook. It must be that she's foreign. I believe that's where I get it. That's a good thing, too. I can't cook for Kento for his entire life.

Cye got more comfortable on the couch. It wouldn't be long before Kento came speeding up the driveway and parked in his spot. Before Cye knew it, he had drifted off to sleep. He awoke sometime later to Kento shaking him.

"Hey, man. What happened? I thought that you were waiting up for me. Guess not. You must be hella tired. Sorry to wake you. I'll talk to you tomorrow about my date." Kento left Cye on the couch and went into his room. He sat down on his bed and took off his shoes. Before he could stop himself, he ran back into the living room and smiled. "Cye, I think that I'm in love with her, man."

-

Amaya stayed outside the door of Rekino's apartment for a while before entering. They were expecting her; otherwise, she would have knocked. Amaya bounded into the living room, where Josephine was watching Lord of the Rings. She sighed deeply and plopped down on the couch.

Rekino and Josephine both looked at her with confusion in their gaze. Josephine cleared her throat and picked up her coffee cup from the side table. I'll be the brave one. I know that Rekino doesn't really want to open her mouth. "So," Josephine began, "how did the date with my … cousin … go?" She gripped her coffee cup tighter. I should have never opened my mouth.

Amaya was glowing. "I loved it! I had such a wonderful time! It was romantic! I met your family, Josephine. I've never known such wonderful people! They are all so loving and close! I wish that I could be around them all of the time!" Amaya paused for a breath.

Amaya's pause gave Rekino a chance to jump in. "You actually had fun with Kento?" I can't believe what my ears are letting me hear. Damn them. Now I have to ask questions. No! I am an idiot!

Josephine chimed in. "Yeah. You actually had fun with Kento?" She grimaced and waited for the worst.

Amaya was ecstatic. "Of course I did! He is so romantic and gentleman-like. I think that I may be falling in love with him!"

Josephine and Rekino thought the exact same thing … and they both said it at the same time. "WHAT?!"

-

Mia and Ryo were sitting up in their room with a fire going in the fireplace. Mia turned to Ryo and smiled. "You know, I don't think that I've ever had so much fun in one night." Mia giggled.

Ryo let out a sly smile. "You know, the night isn't over yet." He playfully tackled her, and she fell back onto her pillow. "I don't know what's come over me, but I think that the moon may have some effect on my behavior tonight." Ryo leaned down and kissed her passionately. "Maybe it will be like this all night. We haven't gone all night since we first met." He laughed with Mia as he climbed back on top of her. "Let's go for it."