Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango. This chapter is rated M to be safe. There will be romance and some citrus content. Please enjoy and review if you like!

Author's notes (6/8/06): Here is the final chapter of A Simple Misunderstanding. Please enjoy!
A Simple Misunderstanding
A Hana Yori Dango Fanfiction
By Maho-chan

Chapter 6

Tsukasa slammed the front door behind them, and proceeded to shrug off his long black jacket, tossing it on the floor of the foyer. He walked up the stairs to his wing of the house, tension apparent in his shoulders, leaving Tsukushi staring at the coat on the floor in confusion.

'What happened back there?' She wondered, still looking at the black puddle of cloth on the ground. He had been so cold and disdainful tonight, almost like in the beginning when she had first met him and he had placed the red tag upon her existence.

Every time Tsukushi had approached Tsukasa at the party, he had looked at her almost as if he didn't know her. Other boys had approached her, wanting to dance and get her drinks, which seemed to make Tsukasa angrier and colder towards her. Tsukushi had accepted their attentions, not knowing what was expected of her and not understanding what Tsukasa was doing towards her. In the end, she had just clung to Shizuka and Rui, talking to them and trying to ignore Tsukasa and the many boys who wanted to meet her.

Finally the night had ended and Tsukasa had led her with a firm, hard grip on her fingers out to the motorcycle. After making sure she had her helmet on and her arms wrapped around his waist, he had raced back to his home at a speed which had to have been illegal.

Looking up at the staircase, Tsukushi began walking, as she contemplated the situation.

Tsukasa had treated her like an enemy after she had taken so long to prepare for the party. And he was the reason she had agreed to come! Tsukushi thought, clenching her fists. And after he had seen her, he had become a completely different person, instead of laughing and joking; he ignored her and stared at her coldly. At one point during the party, when her dress had ridden up slightly as she crossed her legs, he had looked at her with disgust.

Feeling incredibly upset, Tsukushi marched up the stairs, intent on finding out why Tsukasa had treated her so strangely. The party had been a success. Everyone had agreed that she looked beautiful and she had felt beautiful too. So why had he treated her as though she were so undesirable?

Why was it that when she wore old clothes from discount stores did he look at her with light in his eyes, and then when she finally met his standard, met his match in appearance, did he suddenly lose interest? Was this all just a game to him? Was it some kind of charity towards her?

Feeling indignant and wanting very much to give Tsukasa a piece of her mind, Tsukushi stomped down the hallway looking for him. She had tried so hard. Of course she had wanted to look beautiful. He was always handsome and well dressed, while usually she felt…

Plain.

Looking into the gothic dining room, she found Tsukasa sitting at the head of the table in one of those odd high backed chairs. Angrily striding into the room, Tsukushi closed the door behind her then moved to stand next to him, placing her hands on her hips. Tsukasa stared ahead impassively, not acknowledging her.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Tsukushi took a breath and began.

"Domyoji, I don't know what is happening, but I spent a lot of time preparing for your party, and you spent the whole night ignoring me! I had hoped you would be impressed with me tonight, but as you have always said, I am poor, and that probably shows." Feeling betrayed, Tsukushi continued. "If you didn't want me to go, you could have said so."

Unexpectedly, tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm going home."

Turning to go, heart heavy with the idea that he didn't want her, she was surprised when Tsukasa's fingers closed around her wrist, preventing her from leaving. Frustrated, Tsukushi tried to tug her arm away, only to have him pull her back so that she was standing next to him again.

A moment passed that seemed like an eternity, Tsukasa staring ahead, holding Tsukushi's hand with a firm grip.

And then suddenly, Tsukasa pulled Tsukushi towards him and pressed his lips to hers.

Heat unfurled throughout Tsukushi's body as he devoured her, pulling her forward so that she was falling into a sitting position in his lap, his arms around her, cradling and keeping her there. Torn between wanting to argue and wanting to kiss him, she let out a little strangled cry, which turned into passionate moan as he slipped his fingers into one of the slits in her dress, brushing them against her bare leg.

Overwhelmed, Tsukushi kissed him back, forgetting her anger and losing awareness of their surroundings. She was caught up in the insistence of his lips and the sensation of his fingers stroking back and forth against her sensitive skin.

Moments passed, as Tsukasa deepened the kiss and Tsukushi whimpered in pleasure. Suddenly Tsukasa broke away to look Tsukushi squarely in the eye.

"Take these off." Tsukasa muttered, starting to paw at her.

"Stop!" Tsukushi cried, waving his hands away. "What are you doing? Take what off? You are being perverted again! And how dare you kiss me after you acted the way you did tonight!"

Instead of replying, Tsukasa kissed her deeply again, his fingers pressing insistently into the back of her head, his other hand now untying the ribbon at her neck, and then reaching upwards to take the pins and ribbons out of her hair.

Confused, incensed, aroused, and utterly frustrated, Tsukushi pushed against his chest with her fists and simultaneously kissed him back. They broke off again, both breathing heavily, as Tsukasa tossed the handful of ribbons onto the floor and Tsukushi continued to press resistance into his chest.

"And you didn't give me a chance to finish." Blushing furiously, Tsukushi glared at Tsukasa, even as she wanted to pull him close for another kiss.

"So finish." Tsukasa mumbled, now trailing one finger slowly up and down her neck, staring absently at her lips.

"Domyoji." Tsukushi said, trying to be angry but becoming increasingly muddled by the movement of his finger which dipped lower, and lower with every stroke. "DOMYOJI." She said louder, grabbing his head and bringing his eyes in range of hers.

His finger stilled.

Another stare down ensued, in which they both breathed heavily, their bodies pressed against each other. Tsukushi realized that somewhere in the course of their kissing they had changed positions and…

: Oh God:

She was now straddling him; and his face was so dangerously close to hers. Blushing, Tsukushi tried to look away, at Tsukasa's forehead, his chin, his hair, anywhere but his eyes. While attempting to gain some sense of control, Tsukushi jumped a little when Tsukasa broke the silence and said calmly.

"I'm really mad at you Makino."

"WHAT?" Tsukushi shouted, as Tsukasa winced at the resulting pain in his ears.

"You are mad at me? I am mad at you, you idiot." Her face flushed and her body betraying her with the awareness of him, Tsukushi did her best to defiantly avoid his gaze. Tsukasa cupped her cheek and applied pressure to bring her face towards his again.

"I hate these ribbons." He said, gesturing with his other hand at the pile of ribbons that he had tossed away from them during their kissing. "I hate this make up." Tsukasa reached into his pocket for a handkerchief, and after dipping it into the pitcher of water that was sitting on the table, began slowly wiping Tsukushi's face.

"Why did you do this Makino?" Tsukasa demanded.

Tsukushi closed her eyes, as he slowly brought the handkerchief against her face and removed Shizuka's handiwork.

She was so confused. She wanted him, she loved him.

And, wait a second, she was mad at him. Mad! Not stirred by his touch, not seduced by his voice and certainly not affected by the hardness of his body against hers.

Mad!

"Domyoji, you asked me to do this, remember? You and Shizuka asked me to." She glared at him, feeling warmth like honey in her limbs and trying desperately to ignore it.

"I didn't ask you to do this." He said evenly again, motioning with the handkerchief, then tossing it aside and reaching up to pull more pins out of her hair. "Makino, tell me why."

"You asked me to." Tsukushi said again defensively, as tears welled up unbidden. Her hair fell around her face and she pushed it away in frustration, realizing that he had ruined her hairstyle. It hurt to sit there with her hair in shambles, while he interrogated her.

Rubbing at her eyes furiously, Tsukushi took a deep breath and then tried her best to look composed. "Your father asked you to go to this party, Shizuka called me. You both explained the situation to me and we decided to go together. This is what we were supposed to wear."

"Is that the only reason?" Tsukasa said; his eyes softening as he contemplated her. "Is it?" he asked in a low voice, leaning his head against the back of the chair and sighing, his hands still around her waist.

"Yes. No. You are an idiot!" Tsukushi gripped his collar, and shook him a little, more tears falling. "I did my best to and you...you..." Bursting into furious tears, she sobbed against the back of her hand. "You never notice and even if I looked like a boy you wouldn't care. I didn't want to look like that just once."

Tsukasa frowned. Somewhere in that incoherent jumble, he had managed to pick out a few reasons. They were odd reasons and wanting to resolve the situation, Tsukasa pressed on.

"You think I think you look like a boy." He said, laughing in spite of himself.

He was rewarded with another furious shake to his collar.

"NO! I was saying that if I looked like a boy, you wouldn't care."

"Makino, if you looked like a boy, I would care. Believe me."

"You never notice."

"That you are a boy?" Tsukasa said helpfully, laughing again.

"Domyoji!" Tsukushi grumbled then continued "Most days I look like a..." More heated sobs. "Most of the time and those girls…"

"What girls?" Tsukasa questioned, confused again. "Are you trying to tell me that…" and here his grip on her waist tightened as his eyes lit up with anger.

"Did some girls threaten you again? I'll kill them!"

"No, no. I wanted to look like Shizuka and then you…look...like…a girl." Tsukushi mumbled, still rubbing her eyes.

"What?" Tsukasa said incredulously. Did she just say he looked like a girl?

"What the hell are you talking about? Now I look like a girl?" Tsukasa yelled, now completely befuddled.

"WHAT? No! What I am trying to say is, you said once…" and here she stopped to take a deep breath before continuing "You always look good and I..." Tsukushi paused again, feeling bewildered and distressed.

Tsukasa stared at her for a moment and then replied.

"I usually do look good." He said thoughtfully, running his fingers through his curly hair and smiling a bit, then blinking as he was barraged by Tsukushi's small fists hitting his chest.

"What? That's what you said."

Tsukushi groaned "You idiot, I was saying that I want to look good too."

"Finally! That's the reason?" Tsukasa chuckled. "Why do you think you don't look good?"

Tsukushi gaped at him. He was so infuriatingly straightforward! Unsure of how to explain it, she simply sat there stonily as Tsukasa watched at her expectantly. When she didn't say anything after a few moments, he spoke.

"You're beautiful." Tsukasa said bluntly, the seriousness of his tone changing the tension in the room. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers "And if you don't believe me, then you are the biggest moron in the world."

Tsukushi's mouth dropped open. Tsukasa laughed at her funny expression, and then lovingly kissed her forehead. Tsukushi frowned at him, preparing another retort. Sensing that she was about to say something contrary to what he had just told her, Tsukasa made up his mind to try and convince her once and for all.

Pressing his fingers to her mouth, Tsukasa said

"Now listen to me. I am not interested in fashion. I hate make up. I hate when you aren't as you are now, completely natural. I hate it because I love you and anytime you aren't yourself it makes me mad."

Tsukushi whimpered, her eyes filling with tears again.

Tsukasa stared at her in disbelief "Why are you crying again? I just told you that you are beautiful!"

"You are just saying that. You don't really see me as a woman."

Exasperated, Tsukasa rested his head against the back of the chair again and stared at the ceiling.

"This again? I don't think you look like a man. I don't even understand why you think I think you look like a man."

Looking back at her and reaching out to grip her shoulders, Tsukasa shook her a bit and said in a clear, decisive tone

"Makino, you are a girl. A girl."

Tsukushi shook her head, rubbing her eyes again.

Irritated, Tsukasa pushed away the urge to yell and instead asked in a somewhat controlled albeit loud voice.

"What is wrong now? Makino! Spit it out! I can't stand it anymore, you are driving me crazy! Just say it."

"I want you to see me as a woman! Not a girl, but a woman who is poised and in control. Womanly." Tsukushi finally said; waving her hands about awkwardly, feeling completely and utterly embarrassed.

Turning red, she looked down, contemplating the buttons on Tsukasa's shirt and waiting for his response. It came in the form of a low laugh as he pulled her closer and kissed her again, running his fingers down the length of her back.

"A beautiful woman." Tsukasa mumbled, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. Moving the strap of her dress slightly with a nudge of his nose, he placed an ardent kiss on her soft skin. Tsukushi gasped, feeling surprised and aroused again as he brushed his lips against her shoulder, and playfully eased the strap of her gown lower and lower.

This has to stop, Tsukushi thought, even as she gripped his arms in pleasure. We aren't done talking yet.

"Wait. Not yet. I'm not finished."

Lost in the softness of her skin and the idea of showing her exactly how much of a woman he thought she was, Tsukasa was shocked when cold water suddenly splashed down upon him from above.

Moving away from her in surprise, Tsukasa found Tsukushi staring at him and holding the now empty pitcher high above their heads.

"Makino! What was that for?" Tsukasa roared, running his fingers through his now straight hair, and glowering at her.

"Baka, we haven't settled this yet!" Tsukushi retorted, placing the pitcher back on the table. She shivered a bit as the water soaked into the thin material of her dress.

Pulling her closer, Tsukasa said in a low voice "I love you. You are beautiful. I am about to show you that I see you as a woman. Do you have objections to this?"

"I…"

"Makino, I see you as a beautiful woman. I always have. Remember, you are the only girl I approve of. You are the best. The best woman, the best girl. The best."

"I don't..."

"Makino."

"Do you really?"

"Yes."

"Still…"

"Makino."

"What?"

"That's enough."

Gripping the sides of her face with his warm hands, Tsukasa kissed her deeply, pulling her closer until she was plastered against him. Overwhelmed, Tsukushi threw her arms around his neck, her fingers gripping the back of his head.

She must have gripped a little too hard, because Tsukasa let out a little cry of pain and guided her nervous fingers to the top of the chair. Tsukushi's nails bit into the wood as she savored each brush of his lips against hers.

Tsukasa's fingers wandered down to her leg as he nuzzled a trail down her chest, muttering words in between kisses.

"You are maddening."

He shifted their bodies a little causing Tsukushi to cry out in pleasure. Realizing that she was now pressing her face against his damp hair, Tsukasa smiled against her skin. Nudging his head away from her and enjoying how she whimpered in protest, Tsukasa chuckled.

Meeting her eyes, Tsukasa looked at her playfully then moved the chair out from the table. He then pulled Tsukushi into his arms and said bluntly.

"It's time for a bath."

Tsukushi shook her head to clear it, her mouth opening in shock.

"What do you mean its time for a bath?"

"I mean it's time for a bath. You and me."

"I am not taking a bath with you!" Tsukushi said shrilly.

"Why not?" Tsukasa asked, looking down at her, his straight hair falling forward a little.

Cradling her in his arms, he explained "You poured a pitcher of water on me. It's cold. We need a bath." Bursting into laughter, Tsukasa said in an amused tone. "Plus, I need to make sure you are a woman. After this conversation, I am not so sure that you are."

"That's not the point! I don't want to take a bath. I don't want to go."

"So you want to stay here? It's cold. And all we have is the table." Tsukasa stared at the table thoughtfully, as Tsukushi gazed up at him.

He was not considering the table.

Tsukasa looked back down at her then, asking the silent question. Bath or table, his eyes questioned, as well as promised much, much more. Tsukushi struggled then, not knowing what she wanted. Her mind boggled with the idea of the bath, the table, the chair or anywhere else Tsukasa might think of. And wait, she wasn't even sure the whole issue was resolved yet!

Lost in her thoughts, Tsukushi was surprised when she felt the cold wood of the table against her back, and the feel of his body over hers. Apparently, during her confusion, Tsukasa had decided for her.

Wanting to protest, but not really knowing why anymore, Tsukushi made another feeble attempt to push him away. Tsukasa gently sucked her earlobe and Tsukushi felt him smile against the curve of her ear.

"Tsukushi."

His voice rumbled

"I love you."

Tsukasa murmured, followed by his teeth gently biting her earlobe.

"So let it go."

He kissed her deeply then, his fingers caressing her. Overwhelmed by his kisses and his touch, Tsukushi whimpered and wrapped her arms around Tsukasa's neck, kissing him back. And as their lips met again and again; Tsukushi lost herself in the awareness of him and finally did as he asked.

AN: Stay tuned for the Epilogue!

The dialogue "Remember, you are the only girl I approve of. You are the best." is based upon Tsukasa's dialogue from the Hana Yori Dango Japanese Drama.