-- Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango or any of its characters, they belong to Yoko Kamio. I do own all of the other characters I came up with. Also, I don't own "At last" which was performed by Etta James. --
The French doors that led to the balcony were open and a nice mixture of sun light and warm breeze swept through the room. Tsukasa was looking through a box of things he had brought back with him from New York. He pulled out a CD and smiled. Unlike the others in the box, this particular CD had helped him through many hard times.
He walked over to the stereo and popped it in before walking over to his desk. The sweet sound of the music filled the room and took him back to happier moments in his life.
At last, my love has come along,
He had his chuffer park the car two blocks away, just so that she would think he had walked, but when he reached the box office she wasn't there yet. He knew that she was coming straight from work, and he hoped that her boss wouldn't keep her late. As he stood there by the entrance he watched as every girl that walked past him giggled at making eye contact with him.
'Makino, hurry up.' He thought, annoyance slowly becoming anger. She always did this; she would agree to a time and then show up late. The thought of her blowing him off made his blood boil, but the thought of torturing her about it when she got there set his mind at ease.
Tsukasa stood staring at his watch, but looked up to see the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Makino stood smiling at him from the opposite street corner. She had on a blue sundress that Tsubaki at bought her. Her hair shined in the sunlight and her smile melted any anger that he might have felt.
my lonely days are over, and life is like a song.
Tsukasa sat in his room. He had called Makino, she was working late, Rui was sleeping, and Sojiro and Akira were out with their latest dates. So he was left to sit miserably in one of his many rooms, sulking at his loneliness, finishing a puzzle that he had had no interest in doing in the first place.
He had just about given up when the door to the room flung open. He looked up to yell at the intruder of his solitude to be greeted by Makino's smiling face.
"Can I join you?" She asked coyly, to which he replied, "Like I would refuse."
Oh yeah, yeah at last. The skies above are blue,
The rain that beat on the window pane of the prison he called an office sounded deafening in his ear. The mountains of reports and requests on his desk seemed to grow as he worked on them, and it was still early in the day.
He looked over at the picture of him and Makino dancing at the prom and a smile replaced the menacing scowl that had been painted on moments before.
The phone rang and before he could think, he was holding the receiver. He could hear his secretary answering the caller telling her to call back later, but he interrupted when he recognized the voice.
"I've got it, Rose." Tsukasa said and he waited for her to disconnect her line.
"Hey, I know you're busy, but I just got some great news I had to share with you."
Tsukasa was so happy to hear her voice he didn't want to cut short her animated banter, but when she didn't continue he offered, "So, what is it?"
"I just aced my last final and my boss told me that as a graduation gift she's giving me a week of paid vacation. So I'm going to spend the week at Rui's condo in New York."
"Really?" He asked breathlessly.
"Yeah, so how's the weather out there?" She asked.
"It just got better."
my heart was wrapped up in clovers, the night I looked at you.
Makino was sitting on a swing, in a park, in the dark of night, with her head hung and supporting herself on the chain. Her hair blew in the wind and the night air seemed to chill her because she was holding herself tightly. She wasn't crying, but you could tell she had been recently and the look of sheer loneliness left her face void of any other emotion. The sight broke Tsukasa's heart as he walked toward her.
"Why are you sitting in the dark?" He asked and she jumped at the sound of his voice.
Her head sunk deeper into her chest and she started to cry again. "Because I love this guy and he lives in New York and I don't, so I miss him."
He knelt down in front of her and wiped her face. "Then, why don't you marry him?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black velvet box. "Tsukushi, please stop making me miss you."
I found a dream that I could speak to, a dream that I can call my own.
Tsukasa looked over at Rui, who put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You look like you're going to be sick." He whispered smiling.
"That's not funny." Tsukasa replied, nervously watching the back doors of the church.
It wasn't until Yuuki made it to the altar that he believed in this moment. It wasn't until he saw Tsukushi in her white dress that he took a deep breath and knew that it wasn't a dream.
I found a thrill to press my cheek to, a thrill that I have never known.
He took the dance floor and she followed. His heart fluttered as they announced the couple as man and wife.
"I can't believe your mom sat through the whole service and didn't try to interrupt." Tsukushi whispered as they danced.
"She wouldn't have risked the embarrassment. She would rather die than look negative in the public eye."
"I can't believe I'm a Doumyouji now." She sighed and Tsukasa pulled her in tighter resting his cheek on hers. "I can't believe you're finally mine."
Oh, yeah, yeah, you smile, you smile oh and then the spell was cast,
The sheets beneath them rustled as they embraced. Tsukasa nestled his chin into her head and she pulled herself closer to his body. He smiled as she drew words into his chest with her fingers.
"I love you too." He laughed as she pinched him.
"I wasn't finish yet." She didn't think he could tell what she had been writing, and it made her smile.
He lowered himself until they were eye to eye and he couldn't help but kiss his wife's lips.
and here we are in heaven, for you are mine at last.
As the song ended Tsukasa sat up and turned off the stereo.
"What'cha doing, Dad?" A young boy, maybe eight years old, with curly black hair and deep dark chocolate eyes asked as he invaded his father's privacy.
"Not much, Thatch, just remembering something." Tsukasa watched as the boy walked over and leaned his back against the cherry oak desk.
"Was it important?" He asked looking over his father's smile with his wide and knowing eyes.
"Yes very, but not as important as you." Tsukasa looked over at the picture that sat on his desk, a snapshot of Tsukushi, Rui, himself and their two boys Thatcher and Rory.
"Mom's plane gets in soon, we should be leaving now." Thatcher offered softly.
"I know, I know." Tsukasa got up from the desk and started to the door.
"What where you thinking about any way?" His son asked timidly.
"Heaven."