We Will Meet Again

Chapter Thirteen: Running out of Title Ideas…..

Yumiko Kaze:

AN: Okay. This might flow a little funny at first, but I've rewritten it several times and it doesn't get any better. I finally figured out the problem goes back to when I had to rewrite the whole outline for the story. Something got messed up and so now some details are screwed over. There're only a few chapters left, so after I finish this I plan to do some major revising and to fix everything—because if I try to do it now I'll just keep fixing and fixing and never finish it.


Taka stared silently at the sight that greeted him when he'd opened the door. He wasn't sure, but could that faint crashing sound have been that of his heart breaking? Looking down he realized that he had just dropped the gift he had gotten Miaka. He blinked slowly as he looked at the sweets that had spilled out of the basket and onto the floor. The bottle of red wine he had bought had broken when it hit the floor and now pooled on the beige carpet, staining it as well as the white teddy he had gotten Miaka. He thought briefly that it looked like a miniature murder scene.

Looking back up, he saw Miaka had risen from her seat next to Andy and was coming toward him. Taka blinked again before turning on his heel and sprinting back down the stairs, hoping to make it to his car before Miaka caught up to him.

How could she… Why… How… What did I… Thoughts rattled around in his head incoherently. He'd known that Miaka had been 'spending time with Andy' and that he was very much in danger of losing the only girl he'd ever loved. He'd known.

But to actually see it, even if all they were doing was sitting there (that he could see) made him as jealous as he could ever remember being. He'd had to get out of there before he did something stupid, like try to hit Andy, because he knew that Miaka would get right in the middle of it and he didn't want to take the chance of her getting hurt.

"Taka!" Miaka's voice followed him down the stairwell as well as the sound of pounding feet.

Taka closed his eyes for a second as he continued to run, his heart thudded in his chest and then, his foot slipped and he went skidding down the last few stairs before coming to a stop on the landing to the second floor.

He was up again in seconds, but when he felt that small hand close on his arm he knew that the fight was over. He was going to have to face her.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and ran a hand across his face—had he been crying?—and forced a ragged, "What do you want?" through his constricted vocal cords. He felt Miaka flinch at his tone and he realized that he'd likely sounded harsher than he really wanted to. Slowly he turned to look at her.

Miaka swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat and looked down at the floor. Now that she'd finally caught up to him she was unsure of what to say. It was then that her brain put two and two together.

He must have let himself in with his key. Miaka had felt her heart plummet when she saw what he had left. Twelve long-stemmed roses and a teddy bear had fallen out of their basket along with a slew of scattered chocolates. He was going to try and make up with me…

The man sure knew how to make her feel like a complete cad.

Miaka groaned and covered her face with her hands wishing that she could just curl up and disappear and not have to wake up in the morning and deal with everything that had just happened. As it was, her brain was in gridlock. She couldn't have formed a sentence if her life depended on it.

When she let go of his arm and didn't say anything, Taka opened his mouth as though to say something but the creak of the stairs made him look up. Andy was standing there, just looking at him as though he was sorry that he had caused the both of them such pain.

"I'm sorry." Miaka whispered through her fingers. Trying to hold the tears in and talk normally.

Taka glanced down and took a deep breath; he wanted to say too many things to settle on one. He wanted to insult Miaka, he wanted to forgive her, he wanted to cry with her. Finally he settled on not doing any of the above. He sighed and put his hand on Miaka's head, rubbing his thumb through her silky hair. "Just… forget it, okay?" with that, he dropped his hand and turned to walk down the stairs with his hands in his pockets.

As Miaka watched him go, she felt her knee's give out as the horrible sinking feeling that she had just hurt someone so badly settled in her stomach. She collapsed on the landing and leaned against the railing. She rubbed her eyes, trying desperately to stop the infernal tears and jumped slightly when Andy knelt behind her to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You must think I'm such a horrible person."

Andy's eyes widened in shock, "What? Why on Earth would I ever think such a thing?"

"Because," she sniffed, "I'm such a two-timing bitch."

"Don't you ever say that again." Andy's voice whip cracked through the silent stairwell and Miaka flinched at the raw anger in it.

"But it's true."

"No it is not." Andy growled and pulled her backwards into a fierce hug that sent both of them tumbling backwards. "First of all, you are not a bitch. You are one of the nicest most caring people that I have ever met and I consider myself lucky to even have you as a friend." Andy lowered his head until his chin was resting on her shoulder and he was speaking directly into her ear, "And I don't consider you a two timer, because you were not trying to date both Taka and I at the same time and keep each of us a secret from the other. You even told Taka that you needed time to sort out your feelings. You told me that. You have been trying to look after the best interests of everyone involved except for your own." He hugged her tighter and planted a light kiss in her cheek, noting that it was still salty with tears.

"Bu-" she began only to be cut off by Andy.

"Shh," he soothed her, "It's okay." I love you, his mind whispered. "Look, Miaka. I knew what I was getting into and I felt that you were worth it."

Miaka sniffed, her tears subsiding, and placed a hand over one of Andy's. "But why?" she asked, "Why am I worth it?"

Andy opened his mouth to try and explain it and then realized that he really had no idea why he loved her so much. It was just some sort of feeling that he got when he was around her; she made him feel like he could fly. And… he just couldn't seem to put the feeling into words. Every time he saw her he felt a pang, a throb that was almost painful. Even so, it was that throb and that feeling that made him feel like he was whole again.

But he couldn't tell her that. Not yet. So he settled on hugging her again, "Just…because." He whispered, closing his eyes and sighing. Does love need a reason?


Taka opened the Coffee House door and then slammed with what was perhaps a little too much force. Everyone already in the shop looked up and then averted their eyes when they saw the irate young man.

Taka ordered some coffee and a bagel and then sat down in a booth and idly watched the television that was placed in the far corner of the shop. He sighed. His brain felt like it was a balloon that someone had let all of the air out of. He couldn't think, and to top it all off, his arms and legs felt like they were made of lead. Was he getting depressed?

Since the Coffee House was already pretty full, Taka wasn't really all that surprised when a dark haired woman came over and asked if he'd mind if she sat with him. Since he was beyond caring about much anyway, he said yes. The woman sat down and quietly ate her soup and sipped her coffee while Taka tried to figure out why he hadn't been able to say anything earlier. Usually his mouth was so loose that anything he thought just came flying out, so what had happened?

He sighed. He was starting to hate life.

"Sir."

Taka blinked, "Huh?"

"Your coffee's getting cold." The woman smiled at him and Taka noticed for the first time how incredibly beautiful she was.

"Oh." He blushed, "Thank you Miss, um…" he smiled a bit in aplogy for not knowing her name.

"Shiko." The woman smiled again before propping her head up on a fist, "Had a bad day?"

"How could you tell?" he grumbled.

"Because you looked like you wanted to kill someone." She smirked a little, twirling a lock of raven hair around a finger.

"Its that obvious, huh?" Taka chuckled a bit at how transparent he was.

"So if you don't mind me asking, what's on your mind?" Shiko cocked her head in interest. Taka looked at her for a moment, trying to decide if he really wanted to tell a perfect stranger about his problems.

"I bet it's a girl. Am I right?"

"How did you know?" Taka asked, flabbergasted that she had figured it out.

She smiled mysteriously, "A man only gets that look when he has had his heart broken by the woman he loves. Believe me. I know. I myself have left a long trail of shattered hearts. I know what I am talking about." Shiko blew on her coffee before talking a small sip, "So tell me about this girl."

Taka looked at her with an expression that clearly said, 'no way you psycho' to which Shiko rolled her eyes and leaned forward, exposing a bit of cleavage as she did so, "Remember this. Just because I have broken the hearts of others doesn't mean I won't understand. I have had my fair share of heartbreak."

Taka chewed on his lip in thought before deciding that spilling his guts to this woman wouldn't hurt anything. "Well first of all, you have to understand that I've known this girl for years. We fell in love when she was only fifteen and I was seventeen. We…" his voice broke, "We went through hell to be together. Ever since then I've devoted my life to trying to make a life for us. Unfortunately doing so has put me in the position that I haven't been able to pay as much attention to her as I should have." He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. Gods he felt like such an idiot.

Shiko listened attentively as Taka told her about everything that had happened in the past week. By the time he'd ranted until he was out of breath, Shiko knew the basic rundown of everything that had happened.

Looking at Taka with true sympathy, Shiko tilted her head, "Have you tried telling her what you told me?"

Taka looked surprised for a moment before shaking his head slowly, "No. Every time I want to talk to her it seems like I just can't say what I want or what I mean. It's like my tongue is made of clay or something."

Shiko tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully, "Well then, why not write her a letter and then read it to her? It'll give you more time to plan your words out and you won't have to grope for what to say."

Taka was speechless for a good twenty seconds, "That's perfect! Why didn't I think of that?!"

"Maybe because you're a typical male that has been conditioned since birth against showing his emotions?" When Taka looked at her funny Shiko looked away, "Pysch 101. Very interesting stuff." She coughed delicately and changed the subject, "So what are you going to do about the other guy?"

Taka looked down, "Part of me wants to kill him. The problem is that if I did my girlfriend would never speak to me again. Besides, the guys my friend and he's one of those all around nice guys, you know? I guess if," Taka swallowed, "If she doesn't want to be with me, then I'm glad it's him."

Shiko looked surprised at that, "Well. It sounds like either way this turns out people are going to get hurt. She picks one of you, she hurts the other. Not to mention that this probably isn't easy on her you know." She sighed, "It's kind of a shame though. You're such a nice guy, your friend sounds like a nice guy, and this girl doesn't sound like she's anyone to sniff at either. Well. I wish all of you good luck."

Taka grinned as they stood, "Thanks."

"No problem. Hey, you think you could fix me up with this friend of yours? What's his name?" Shiko slung her purse over her shoulder as she asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Taka said with a laugh as he threw away his trash, "His name is Andy Wong."

Shiko's smile instantly fell, "Andy Wong?" her eyes narrowed, "Your girlfriends name wouldn't happen to be Miaka would it?"

Taka blinked, "How'd you know?"

Shiko glanced out the window, "Lucky guess."

Taka was about to ask her where she knew Miaka when he was nearly knocked over by someone darting towards the door. As it was, he spilled his leftover coffee on his shirt. "Hey!" he called after his fleeing assailant. "That was rude!"

"What was their problem?" Shiko wondered aloud as she helped Taka try and mop up the spilled coffee with a napkin.

"No idea. Hey, so how do you know Miaka?"


Miaka pressed her face into her pillow. Andy had held her and comforted her until she'd run out of tears. Shortly after Miaka had gained her composure Andy had decided that he should leave. Miaka hadn't wanted him to go, and she could sense that he really didn't want to leave either, but in the end she let him go, not having the energy left to argue anymore.

A light panting in her ear made her look over and smile. Large black eyes met hers and she was instantly greeted with a lick on the cheek. She scratched Tasuki behind the ear and closed her eyes.

"You're such a lucky dog." She told Tasuki, "In fact, any dog that has a good home is lucky." Miaka remembered watching one of those TV shows with Keisuke once about celebrities and their pets. One of the supermodels had six or seven dogs of various sizes and they all slept with her in a Queen sized bed.

"Yeah. You get to sleep in the bed and cuddle with me." She kissed Tasuki on the nose, "Heh. I bet Andy's jealous."

In answer to that, Tasuki perched himself on her stomach and lay down with his head on her chest. The last thing Miaka saw as she drifted off into sleep was the gleam of Tasuki's fangs as he grinned.

To be continued…

AN: This is why I thought it'd be funny to have Tasuki reincarnated as a dog. I mean, how lucky could he get? Kisses, cuddles, and sleeping with Miaka! That man would be luckier than Andy at this point in the story! –Although it would be funny, the dog isn't really Tasuki.