Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango.
A/N: Please be informed that this fic will be on hiatus for the whole month of June. O-kay... now that I've gotten that little announcement out of the way, sit back, relax, and I hope you enjoy this chapter...
Chapter 27: Tsukushi's Birthday Date
That Sunday, Tsukushi wondered what to wear for her birthday dinner. The guys were picking her up at 7pm and she still had no idea where they were taking her that evening. They told her to wear something dressy, but she didn't want to wear something too formal. She didn't want to be underdressed either. Finding nothing suitable in her closet, she decided to make a quick trip to the mall to look for a dress. After a couple of hours, she found on an off-shoulder, champagne-colored dress which reached just below her knees. Its stretchy lace material hugged her figure lovingly, giving emphasis to the curves she usually kept hidden under the loose shirts and old jeans she ordinarily wore. It cost a lot more than she had originally planned on spending but she decided to splurge just this once. It was her birthday, after all. She found the perfect pair of strappy stillettos in matte gold to go with her new dress at one of the many shoe shops in the mall.
An hour before the appointed time, just as she was starting to get ready, Soujiro called to inform her that he couldn't make it that evening due to a bad case of stomach flu.
"Gee, Tsukushi, I'm really sorry I can't make it tonight for your birthday dinner. I really hope you have a good time with the rest of the guys though."
"Aw, Jiro, I'm sorry you won't be able to make it, but I understand. I hope you get well soon."
"Thanks, Tsukushi," he replied. "Oh, and before I forget, happy birthday sweetie."
"Thanks."
Thirty minutes later, just as she was putting on her make-up, it was Akira's turn.
"Hey, Tsukushi," he said as soon as he heard her pick up. "Happy birthday, girl!"
"Thank you," she couldn't help smiling even though she knew he couldn't see her expression over the phone. "Are you guys on your way here?"
"Ehrm... that's the reason I'm calling. Rui and I were supposed to be the ones to fetch you, but I'm afraid I won't be able to make it."
"You won't? But why?"
"I'm not feeling well. I think I might be coming down with something."
"Oh, no!" she cried out. "Not you too. Jiro just called earlier to tell me he won't make it tonight because he has the stomach flu."
"Yeah," Akira said. "There must be some kind of bug going around."
"Well, if two of you can't make it tonight, maybe we could just reschedule?" she suggested.
"No, no, we can't do that. Rui's already on his way to your house, and Tsukasa's probably on his way to the restaurant by now. Besides, it was so hard to get a reservation at the place, it would be a shame to let it go. You two... er, three... go on and have fun, okay?"
Tsukushi was still reluctant. "Oh, okay. But it won't be the same without you and Jiro."
After they'd hung up, Tsukushi went on to put the finishing touches on her make-up. She then swept her hair up in a loose chignon, and checked her reflection in the mirror. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Just then, her doorbell rang. She checked the clock on her night stand and saw that it was 7pm on the dot. Grabbing her purse, she dashed out of her bedroom and went to open her front door.
A visibly uncomfortable Rui was standing on her doorstep, clutching at his stomach. "Tsukushi, I hope you don't mind, but can I use your bathroom before we go?"
She hurriedly showed him to the bathroom, no questions asked. It was obvious from the grimace on his face that he needed to get to the toilet -- and fast. She decided to wait at her couch in the living room while he did his business.
Rui mussed up his hair and walked briskly back and forth inside the small bathroom while Tsukushi waited outside as he pretended to do his business. After what he deemed was enough time, he went out and saw her sitting at the couch, twiddling her thumbs. She looked up at him concernedly when she heard him come out. "Are you okay?"
"Not really," he lied as he loosened the tie around his collar. Thanks to all that walking he did while inside the bathroom, he was perspiring profusely, and he hoped he appeared as sick as he wanted Tsukushi to believe he was. "I think it may have been something I ate last night."
"Oh dear," she exclaimed as she fished out her cell phone from her purse. "I'm calling Tsukasa now, so we can cancel. Three of you are sick, and I don't think it's a good idea to go through with our plans tonight." As she said this, she started to punch in Tsukasa's number on her phone.
"No!" Rui cried out, a little too vehemently, as he grabbed the phone from her hand. "I mean," he spoke a little more evenly now, "look at you. You got all dressed up for tonight, it's your birthday, and you look really beautiful. And besides, Tsukasa's probably there by now." As if on cue, his cell phone beeped and the LCD read out an SMS from Tsukasa. "See, he's already there, waiting for us." He hastily composed a reply and pressed the 'send' button, after which he told Tsukushi, "Look. I'm well enough to be able to drive you to the place, but I'm afraid I won't be able to stay. I already texted Tsukasa to wait for us there, so there's no backing out now, okay?" Tsukushi looked at him hesitantly. Rui crooked his elbow and offered his arm to her. "Let's go, birthday girl. We don't want to keep Tsukasa waiting." With that, he led her out her front door and escorted her to his car.
Fifteen minutes later, they were inside one of the many skyscrapers in the heart of Tokyo. An express elevator took them directly to the topmost floor. The doors opened to the luxurious foyer of a fancy restaurant.
Tsukasa was getting bored waiting for Tsukushi and the guys as he sat slouched on one of the leather couches in the tastefully furnished vestibule of Sebastian's, the newest French restaurant in town. His eyes automatically turned towards the direction of the elevator as he heard the soft ping. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Tsukushi alight. She looked unsure as she clung onto Rui's arm, but her eyes lit up as she spotted him. "Tsukasa!" she called out. She and Rui walked towards where he was at, and he stood up and donned the dinner jacket he'd taken off earlier, as he watched them approach.
Rui quickly gave him a brief explanation for the absence of Soujiro and Akira, as well as his own reason for not being able to join them this evening. He left Tsukushi alone with Tsukasa afterwards to approach the maitre d' regarding their reservation.
"Um... Happy birthday," Tsukasa awkwardly greeted her once they were left alone by Rui. He didn't know whether to kiss her or shake her hand, so he ended up doing neither. All he could do was offer the lame greeting as he gaped at her. Even at their wedding gigs, he had never seen Tsukushi as elegantly dressed as she was now, and the sight of her tonight took his breath away. She was beautiful... truly beautiful.
"Thank you," she shyly answered while looking down at the carpet. The realization that the two of them were about to spend the whole night alone together just dawned on her, and once again, butterflies were wreaking havoc on her insides. It didn't help that he looked especially gorgeous tonight. He cut a dashing figure in his dark blue Armani suit and silk tie in a muted grey. The well-cut suit did little to hide his broad shoulders and only emphasized all the more his well-toned form.
Just as a pregnant pause threatened to consume them, Rui strode back to where they were standing. "I've already arranged with the maitre d' for your table." He patted Tsukasa on the back. "I'm really sorry I can't join you both. But I hope you'll do everything to make tonight special for our birthday girl, okay?"
Tsukasa could only nod in response. Rui turned to Tsukushi and gave her a buzz on the cheek. As he did, he whispered, "Happy birthday. Don't worry, you're in good hands. I'm sure you and Tsukasa will have a great time tonight." With that, he turned to walk towards the elevator. Just before the doors closed, he hollered, "Have fun, kiddies! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
The maitre d' approached the couple, who seemed rooted to the spot, and cleared his throat discreetly. "Mademoiselle, monsieur, welcome to Sebastian's. Let me show you to your table."
He ushered them into the chic restaurant and escorted them to a table beside one of the picture windows, which afforded them an unobstructed view of the city. As they settled into the well-appointed chairs, Tsukushi couldn't help but admire the fantastic view of the Tokyo skyline before her and the twinkling of the city lights below. While she was busy ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the sights outside the window, Tsukasa was busy admiring her. Her hair was swept up in a stylish twist tonight, exposing the creamy column of her neck. Loose tendrils hung to softly frame her small face.
A waiter came to take their orders, diverting his attention. Since Tsukushi wasn't familiar with the items on the menu, she allowed Tsukasa to order for her. She was impressed by the easy way the French words rolled off his tongue as he ordered them some soup and salad for starters, and veal and lamb for their entrées. He also ordered a bottle of the finest house wine.
When the waiter left, an awkward silence ensued. Tsukushi couldn't help squirming in her seat as she tried to think of something to break the ice.
"So," she began, but couldn't think of anything else to say afterwards.
"So," he echoed, just as awkwardly.
Damn it, Tsukushi, think of something to say. In her growing unease, she grasped at the first thing she could think of.
"Um, I've been meaning to ask you for the recipe for those brownies you brought. I thought I'd try baking some myself... minus the peanuts, of course," she laughed lightly.
Tsukasa grinned. "I'm surprised you'd still want to try them, after what happened. But, yeah, sure. I'll ask my neighbor for the recipe, if you really want it."
Tsukushi's brows knitted in confusion. "Your neighbor? But I thought you baked those. Akira and Jiro even told me that those brownies were your specialty."
Tsukasa almost choked on the wine he'd been sipping. "They... they told you what?!" he sputtered.
"You mean you didn't bake those brownies?" she asked.
When he finally regained his wits and after making a mental note to himself to kill his two meddling, albeit well-meaning friends, Tsukasa explained that the brownies were a thank you gift from his new neighbor. "She was just thanking me for helping her when she moved in next door."
"Oh," was all she could say. She couldn't think why Jiro and Akira would want to play with her like that. But what was bothering her more now was Tsukasa's revelation of the source of the brownies. 'She?!' Great, she thought. 'She' was probably tall, sexy, and beautiful, like one of those model babes Akira and Jiro always dated. 'She' probably had big boobs, long legs, and an angelic face. And to top it all off, 'she' baked heavenly brownies. Bah! 'She' is probably a slut! In only a few seconds, Tsukushi already had a picture in her mind of what Tsukasa's friendly neighbor looked like, and had already decided that she didn't like her. Hmmph!
Seeing Tsukushi's face getting more contorted by the second, Tsukasa reached across the table to shake her gently by the arm. "Hey, don't be mad. Maybe Akira and Jiro were just playing with you to see how gullible you'd be," he tried to explain, although he knew very well the reason those two morons made her believe he'd baked the brownies was so she'd be impressed with him. "You should know better than to take those two retards seriously."
Tsukushi tried to relax when she realized he'd misinterpreted the reason why she suddenly got uptight. She veered the conversation away to more mundane topics, to put them back on neutral ground. By the time they finished their main course, they were conversing animatedly, their earlier awkwardness already forgotten.
Tsukushi leaned back on her chair with a contented sigh. "That was a delicious dinner."
"I'm glad you liked it," Tsukasa gave her a pleased smile.
This time, the silence between them was companionable, as their eyes glanced around and studied their surroundings. All of the tables in the room were occupied, mostly by couples like them. The dim lighting from the ceiling as well as the soft glow from the candles lit on each table added to the romantic ambience. In a corner, a string quartet played soothing classic tunes. There was a small space in front for couples who wanted to dance. Three couples were already dancing, their bodies locked together as they swayed to the slow tune being played.
"Would you like to dance?" Tsukasa asked her. He was looking at her across the table with earnest eyes.
She gave him a sweet smile and replied, "I would love to."
She took the hand he offered and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. When they got there, he took her left hand in his right and held it on his chest just beneath his shoulder, while his left hand encircled her waist as he pulled her close to him. They gazed warmly into each other's eyes as they started swaying to the music. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she laid her head on his broad chest as they continued to dance. Just as she did that, the string quartet, without missing a beat, segued into an instrumental version of the song, 'The Way You Look Tonight.'
Tsukushi felt his chest rumble as he sang the first few lyrics of the song in a low voice while he held her close. "Someday... when I'm awfully low... when the world is cold... I would feel aglow just thinking of you... and the way you look tonight..."
Neither saw the other couples dancing around them. Both felt like they were the only people in the room as they continued to sway softly to the music, their bodies moving together in perfect harmony.
Tsukasa inhaled deeply as he breathed in the scent of her hair. She smelled like strawberries, and he couldn't get enough of her scent, the heady sensation causing him to forget everyone and everything around them as he pulled her closer to him.
Tsukushi had a smile on her face as she closed her eyes and breathed in the clean, yet manly scent of his shirt. She snuggled closer to him as she felt him pull her even nearer to his body, reveling in the warmth she felt in his arms.
They weren't even aware that the song had come to an end. They would have continued on like that, just being content to be held in each other's arms, had they not heard the soft applause that followed. They both blinked and glanced around as they heard the intrusive sound, their faces instantly turning red as they realized that the song had ended, they were the only ones left on the dance floor, and every eye in the room was looking at them either in envy or amusement.
Giving a small embarassed bow to their instant audience, Tsukushi hurriedly pulled Tsukasa by the wrist towards their table. When they got there, he immediately signaled for a waiter to come over, and ordered coffee and dessert.
While they were waiting for their order to come, Tsukushi let out a soft giggle.
"What?" Tsukasa asked.
"Oh, nothing," she replied as she clamped a hand over her mouth, but still she couldn't contain the giggle that escaped her lips.
"What?" he asked again, getting more self-conscious. "Do I have something stuck in my teeth?" he questioned her as he ran his tongue across his front teeth.
"No, it's not that," by now the giggles had turned into full-blown laughter. "It's just that," she gasped, "while we were dancing, I couldn't help but notice how nice you smelled tonight. And then," she gasped again as she continued to laugh, "I remembered how when I borrowed your jacket last week at the club, it smelled like you had spilled a whole bottle of cologne on it."
Tsukasa paused for a while as he tried to recall, and then his eyes lit up as he remembered. "Oh, that!" he exclaimed. "Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that, why my jacket smelled overly fragrant after you had used it. I mean, you don't seem like the type to wear men's cologne."
"You mean you didn't have anything to do with that?!"
"Nope," he shook his head. "And you didn't either? Man, up to now, that jacket reeks of Jiro's col--..." his voice trailed off.
"Jiro!" they both cried out in unison.
"Now why the hell would he do that?" Tsukushi wondered.
Tsukasa shrugged, although he was starting to get an idea.
"It's funny 'cause earlier that day when I caught a whiff of that scent on Jiro, I told him I really liked it. And then that night, when I almost suffocated to death in the smell, I realized that I don't like it that much anymore..."
Tsukasa made another mental note to himself. In addition to killing Akira and Soujiro, he would make sure that Jiro died a slow and painful death.
"Jiro and Akira have sure been acting strange lately. First there was the brownies... and then, your jacket..." it seemed that Tsukushi was now talking to herself as she mused aloud. "Now why the heck would they do that?... unless... they were trying to make you look good to me..." Her eyes grew wide as realization dawned on her. Oh. My. God. They were doing that because Tsukasa likes me! Rui was right! Tsukasa really likes me! (A/N: applause, applause Hallelujah! She finally got it, folks!)
Tsukasa shifted uneasily in his seat as he watched the play of emotions on her face. When he saw the look that said she had finally figured it out, he took in a deep breath and came to a decision.
She knows. Thanks to my two idiot friends, she finally knows. And I'm gonna come clean about it now and admit it to her face. I'm gonna tell her how I feel for her.
"Yes. They did those things because they wanted ME to impress you. Although," he laughed deprecatingly, "they probably accomplished the opposite. I hope you believe me when I tell you that I didn't put them up to it... I'm just finding out about these things now... but please don't blame them. They just wanted to help me, 'cause they know I like you... and, well, now I guess you know, too."
Suddenly, Tsukushi found the pattern on the tablecloth extremely fascinating as she listened to Tsukasa.
"Tsukushi," he reached out across the table to lay a hand on one of hers. "I like you," he declared, looking straight into her eyes as she glanced up at him. "I really, really... really like you," he stated with conviction. "I know how you feel about relationships and stuff, and I hope you don't think I'm telling you this to pressure you into liking me back. I just wanted to tell you how I feel. And if someday, the time would come when you decide to give love another chance, I just wanted you to know that I'll be here, waiting. I would like to have that chance to show you that love doesn't have to always mean getting hurt. I just wanted you to know that."
She continued to be silent even after his impassioned declaration. Their coffee and crème brulee arrived then, and for a while, they consumed their dessert in silence.
As they were sipping from their cups, their eyes suddenly locked. Tsukushi slowly set down her cup on the table, then the hint of a smile tugged at her lips. Gradually it widened, until the smile brightened her face.
"So I'm guessing that the tulips you gave me weren't your idea either?" she asked.
Tsukasa thought his heart was gonna explode in relief when he saw her smile. He wasn't quite sure how she would react. He grinned back and said, "Nope. Not my idea at all. Credit for those flowers goes to Jiro and Akira, as usual."
She laughed. "Yeah, I sorta guessed that."
"Tulips are nice, but I've always preferred giving roses."
"I see..." she paused. "Tsukasa?"
"Hmm?"
"I appreciate your honesty. Other than that, I really don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. I understand. I'm just glad everything's out in the open now."
"Thank you," she gave him a grateful nod.
After coffee and dessert, plus another round at the dance floor, Tsukasa brought her home. As they stood in her doorstep, he reached into one of his suit pockets and took out a small rectangular box bound by a satin ribbon. "I wasn't sure I'd work up the nerve to give you this tonight, but now that you know how I feel, I'm a little more relaxed about giving it to you," he said as he handed the gift to her.
"I... um..." she stammered. "Thank you."
He looked down to the ground as he stuck both his hands into his coat pockets and shuffled his feet. "Um, yeah, you're welcome. Well... it's late and you need to rest. Go on, get inside." With that, he turned around and started walking towards his car.
"Tsukasa, wait!" she called out and ran towards his retreating form.
"Yeah?" he turned to face her.
She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "I had a great time tonight. Thank you for making my birthday special."
"You're welcome," his voice came out in a whisper. "Good night." But Tsukushi didn't hear him, because by then she was already running back up to her apartment and closing the door behind her. Neither did she see the idiotic smile he had on his face as his hand went up to touch the spot she kissed.
Tsukushi leaned back against the door after she had gotten in, her heart racing and her knees weak. She wasn't aware that she wore a silly grin on her face as she slid slowly to the floor, still clutching Tsukasa's gift tightly in her hand.
With trembling hands, she undid the satin ribbon tied around the box. Her breath hitched when she opened it. Inside, nestled against a bed of black velvet, was a pendant shaped like a music note, encrusted with tiny diamonds, and strung on a delicate chain made of fine white gold.
A card which was enclosed fluttered to the floor when she opened the box. Picking it up, she brought it to the light and read it. Written in Tsukasa's distinctive masculine scrawl, were the following words:
Tsukushi,
Thank you for adding new life to our music, and for bringing new music to my life. Happy birthday.
Love, Tsukasa
She replayed in her mind everything that happened that night on what turned out to be their first real date just before she allowed sleep to claim her. As she fell into a pleasant slumber, she wore Tsukasa's gift on her neck and a sweet smile on her face.
A/N: There you go, a nice long chapter with lotsa TxT and no cliffie to leave you hanging. I hope you liked the way I ended this installment. The ending was my favorite part, and I got all giddy when I first thought it up. Please let me know what you think of this chapter by leaving me your comments, if you have time.
About the month-long hiatus, if you've read my A/N in chapter 19, then you knew this was coming. I will still TRY to put out a chapter before month's end, but if you don't hear from me by then, I'll be back in July. Hope you guys won't forget me and abandon this story.
abyss: Girl! I got so guilty after reading your comment. I do read RxT fics sometimes, but I rarely leave reviews 'cause I'd just end up badgering the author to change the pairing, lol! I have, in fact, seen your fic on Winglin long before (I think it was when I was still writing my first fic), and I started to read it. Unfortunately, I took your warning in the forewords to heart, that if the reader doesn't like the pairing then they'd be better off not reading it at all. So I didn't even make it to the first chapter. sheepish grin Sometimes I'm close-minded when it comes to my favorite couple (TxT). Anyways, thank you very much for your continued support of this story, even if the pairing is not your preferred couple.
XxSwtDreamerxX1: Read it three times? LOL. I'm glad you really liked it. How 'bout this one? Lotsa TxT moments, hehehe.
Tinhamodic: Well, now Tsukasa did find out what they did. I'm really hoping I could come up with a short chap wherein he exacts revenge on the two clowns. Wish me luck.
Lian: I hope you liked Tsukushi's birthday dinner.
ToinKs: Nah, you weren't too blunt. I appreciate your honesty. And I did feel the same way, which was why I included that caveat in my A/N. Thanks for the review and the constructive criticism.
Syvonair: Well, this chapter was loaded with TxT moments, so I hope you liked it!
cherub girl: Hey, how'd your job interview go? I hope you liked this chapter. Well, they're not together yet, but we're inching towards that, little by little. winks
Sailor Angie: LOL, Angie, you crack me up! Tsukasa doing a strip tease?! LMFAO! Sorry I couldn't put in your suggestion in this chapter, but I did pump it up with lots of TxT fluff, so I hope you liked it!
kamiangel: There you go girl, I made Tsukasa tell her already, lol. Don't worry, I'm an avid TxT fan so you can be sure this is a TxT fic.