A/N: Okay, so far, Dark's eyes are purple. I'm still not sure so I won't mention it. I'm sorry that this is shorter than usual, but I really thought it should end where it does. Thank you for reading and please, REVIEW!
Yipster54- I don't know, things always get a lot sticker before you get your hand out of the honey jar... (god that was a weird way to put it...) Vonulle? God I think I've done that too, lol. Glad to know it's not just me!
Clarence Hikari- Maaaaaaaaaaaauybe lol. Wait a minute, your manga is in color?! Why aren't mine? feels very deprived
Lil-saturn-goddess- Thanks! Hope you'll stay with it til then end... when everything will make sense lol.
Redrose Moon- It means "Forsaken" in Japanese. Okay that's it, how come you guys get color manga's, and I get black and white, I feel so jipped!
Disclaimer: Don't sue, you won't get anything, I just blew what was left of my cash on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, YOU CAN PICK YOUR LIGHT SABER COLOR!
"We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world," –Helen Keller
Riku grinned, as Aeris looked down at the beautiful white dress on her. "You're a total knockout Aeris, Satoshi will go blind."
Disaster had struck only hours before when the realization hit Aeris like a bucket of ice water. The dance was only hours away and she had nothing to wear!
She didn't mean like when the really preppy girls say it and they have thousands of dresses, she literally had no dresses at all.
Riku had come to her rescue, taking her to a little dress shop just moments before where she had insisted that she put on the dress.
It was pure white, made of the finest silk that glided over her body like a glove. Tight at the top that loosened out at the bottom just a bit until it reached her ankles. It was a spaghetti strap that showed quite a bit of cleavage.
"Just leave your hair down and he'll have a heart attack." Riku said with a sly grin while Aeris blushed.
"Your quite a knockout yourself, Riku." She giggled, Riku was wearing a dress almost identical to Aeris except that it was black and was a halter-top and stopped just past her knees.
"Daisuke will have a hot flash!"
Carefully putting down the box containing her dress, she picked up the folded note that was on the coffee table.
I have something to take care of, shouldn't take too long. I'll pick you up at seven. –Satoshi
Smiling to herself she walked up the steps, ready to take a nice long shower.
Satoshi cracked his neck. He'd been waiting for a while now, but still his adopted father had said nothing.
"You care for her, more than you let on."
Satoshi's head snapped up to look Hiwatari in the eyes.
"Don't deny it."
Satoshi didn't even breathe. "I wasn't planning on it."
Hiwatari eyed him evenly. "Then take care to watch over her, she's in more trouble than she knows."
Satoshi's eyes widened. "Father..."
"I don't have the answers Satoshi, now go."
The rain fell down, soaking Satoshi to the bone, but he didn't feel it. Hiwatari's words just kept reverberating in his head.
'More trouble than she knows... what kind of trouble is she in? Is it related to why she can't sleep at night?'
He shook his head to clear it.
Just more reason to stay close to her.
Satoshi's eyes widened. Aeris was... beautiful.
She descended the stairs and he thought for an instant that when she stepped off the last step she'd float.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Aeris smiled at him and he struggled to regain his composure.
"It was worth it." He answered without thinking causing her to beam at him before taking the arm he extended.
The dance was decorated with all different kinds of color lights and streamers thrown everywhere.
Everyone was dressed up and having a great time on the dance floor. Riku was having a great time with Masahiro while shooting Daisuke fleeting looks.
Takeshi was running around, snapping pictures while eating most of the refreshments.
And Aeris and Satoshi?
He'd tugged her onto the dance floor the minute a slow song had started and pulled her close.
"Whew, ready to get a drink?" Before Masahiro could even respond Riku had tugged him over to the refreshment table (what was left of it anyway, hurricane Takeshi had struck) where Daisuke and Takeshi himself stood.
"So what's the deal," Takeshi asked Riku as she sipped her punch.
"What?"
"With Aeris and Satoshi!" He whispered fiercely, "He hasn't let anyone cut in all night!"
Riku beamed while Daisuke excused himself and made his way over to the couple. "Mind if I cut in?"
Satoshi didn't look too happy at the prospect but Aeris smiled at Daisuke and let her arms fall from Satoshi's neck.
Daisuke put his arms loosely around her waist and they started to dance.
"You enjoying your date?" He teased and she laughed quietly.
"Very much, and yourself?"
Daisuke's smile faded. "Risa hasn't spent a lot of time with me, she's been talking to some of her friends."
Aeris bit her lip. That was a lie, Risa hadn't even danced with Daisuke and the dance was almost over. He'd finally gotten up the courage to ask her and she agreed, after quickly adding that they would go as just friends.
It wasn't fair for him to like her when Riku was perfect for him and liked him. But that just wasn't the way it worked. Hopefully Daisuke would come to his senses sooner or later. "What about Riku, have you danced with her?"
Daisuke turned his head to watch as Masahiro and Riku danced up a storm, both of them incredibly good. "No... I'm not that good, I'd just slow her down."
Was it her imagination, or did he just blush? "You dance just fine Daisuke, ask Riku, I know she'll say yes."
He looked at Riku, "You think so?"
"Trust me, now go." The song ended and he smiled sheepishly at her before going to Riku.
Satoshi appeared behind her, holding two drinks. "You playing match maker again?" She smiled at him and took a sip of her drink.
They had all kinds of different varieties, Sprite, Pepsi, Sunkist, Coke, you name it they had it.
The drinks and food were all lined up on the table, already set out by the dance committee hours before.
Satoshi and Aeris both had Sprite. They decided to make their way to one of the tables so they could rest a bit.
They sat down and waited for Riku and Daisuke to finish dancing. Masahiro made his way over to them just as someone bumped into Satoshi's chair, spilling his drink all over Masahiro's jacket.
"Man I just bought this!" He yelled angrily, looking around for the guy who'd bumped into Satoshi, but it was too late, he'd already disappeared into the crowd.
"That was rude." Aeris frowned, sipping her Sprite.
"Maybe he saw his date dancing with someone else." Satoshi grinned.
Jin checked his watch, "Damn, I'm too late to see her in her dress..." He heaved a sigh before he almost tripped over something on the doorstep. "What the-"
Roses?
Black roses? Roses come in black? Jin scratched his head, picking them up and bringing them inside Aeris's apartment. He put them in a vase on the table before he left.
"Wonder who left them...?"
Satoshi and Aeris walked home slowly, laughing as they recalled some of the things that had happened at the dance.
Tired of his grumbling about him stealing Aeris from right under his nose, Satoshi dunked Takeshi's head in the punch bowl.
Laughing, Aeris had agreed to dance with him, while his hair was sopping wet and dripping all over his clothes.
Halfway home Satoshi had grabbed her hand and held it in his own.
Hiwatari grumbled as he shifted through endless papers and records. There was nothing.
He'd taken care of it personally, there would be no news coverage, the report would not be factual... he'd be going on memory alone.
It was hopeless; he couldn't hope to even find out the real murderer.
He couldn't believe how easy they had made it for the real murderer to get away.
Daisuke, Takeshi, and Riku had agreed to be on the dance committee, but they wouldn't have if they'd known they'd be on cleanup duty.
While Takeshi rode the floor buffer, Riku and Daisuke cleanup all the trash, taking everything out to the dumpsters and sweeping up.
"Once again we're doing all the work while he goofs off." Riku grumbled before taking a swing at him with the swifter.
"He'll never change." Daisuke sighed.
At Aeris's doorstep, Satoshi and Aeris stood, both waiting for the other to say something, hell anything.
"I'm glad you agreed to come with me." He whispered, (for some odd reason he's whispering, HEY, C'MON, IT'S LATE)
"I'm glad you asked."
The silence was deafening. You could hear a raindrop hit the pavement four streets over.
"Good night." Before he lost his nerve, Satoshi kissed her gently on the lips.
"Night." Aeris whispered in awe, before stepping inside and gently touching her lips.
Smiling she slipped out of her shoes and stopped in the living room, starring at the vase on the table.
Her head felt light as she moved towards it, smelling the black roses.
She reached out to touch one when the room spun, and she fell to the floor, unconscious.