This oneshot is brought to you by appletinis, Avril Lavigne, and forlornly wishing I could go out with friends again. Should I be working on my other pics? Yes. Should I stop drinking so many appletinis? Absolutely. Is it creeping up on one in the morning? For sure.

But we all need some RyuKaru in our lives, and I'm willing to help with that XD Uhhh side note, as I may not exactly be one hundred percent sober, I apologize for any stupid grammatical errors, but I think I caught most of them. Let me know if you like this/want more of these! Oh, and happy Mother's Day :D

I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.

"Come on, Hikaru!" Sophie trilled, throwing clothes onto her bed, adding to the already massive pile that refused to stop growing.

Hikaru sighed. "I don't know, Sophie. I'm really not in the mood for going out."

"It'll be fun!" Mei Mei argued, holding a red dress against her chest as she looked in the mirror hanging against the door. Hikaru shot her a glare for turning traitor so easily.

"Well, I mean it might be a good idea to go out for the night," her third best friend, Madoka Amano said apprehensively.

"Seriously?" Hikaru threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "I just broke up with my boyfriend. Do you really think I want to go out tonight?"

"Of course you want to go out; it's Friday," Sophie responded from deep within the closet.

Hikaru groaned. Sophie could say that because her relationship with her boyfriend Wales was damn near the most perfect relationship going these days. And because her loving boyfriend was busy tonight, Sophie naturally wanted to go out with her best friends even though this was far from the ideal situation Hikaru wanted.

Honestly, if Hikaru had her way, she'd be curled up on the couch eating a pint of ice cream watching a dumb comedy movie to forget her woes.

She'd broken up with her boyfriend last night around 11 when the awful truth finally came out. Since then, she'd barely slept and had only left the house when her friends quite literally dragged her out for breakfast- and in the middle of the afternoon at that- after making sure she'd showered and properly taken care of herself first.

"Guys, I just want to stay in," Hikaru grumbled. "Today sucks. Let's just stay here and eat popcorn or something."

Sophie crawled out of the closet with a scrap of black fabric in her hands and sat on the floor next to Hikaru. "That's precisely why you need to go out. Face it, your scumbag piece of trash ex-boyfriend cheated on you. While he deserves to rot for what he did to you, you cannot let a loser like that get to you. You're too good for him, and you always have been."

Sophie was harsh, but damn if she wasn't hitting the nail on the head. Hikaru needed it, too or she'd wallow in her own misery for hours. As much as it sucked, she was so glad her best friends wouldn't sugarcoat the gross reality she now found herself in. It'd make healing so much easier.

"It's totally normal to take a day for yourself in these situations," Hikaru argued regardless.

"That's why we're going out," Madoka informed her. "This is you taking a day for yourself." She was digging through Sophie's massive makeup collection.

Hikaru wanted to scream. Was this night out for her or them?

"Besides, we were already planning on going out tonight anyway," Mei Mei reminded her, as if she were hearing her thoughts, still eyeing the red dress that had come out of the black hole that was Sophie's closet. "This is a good excuse to stick to normal. You know it's not the same without you."

"Fine!" Hikaru threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "I'll go out. Happy?"

"As happy as I've been these last three months," Sophie said flippantly, and left the room, headed downstairs for who knew what reason.

"These last few months," as in since Hikaru had started dating her ex. From the start, Sophie had made it clear she didn't approve, but ultimately she had no say in her best friend's love life and supported her regardless. Hikaru was now regretting not listening, especially when Madoka and Mei Mei hadn't been one hundred percent behind it either, but was grateful Sophie and the others still had her back no matter what during that trainwreck of a relationship.

Madoka took a more subtle approach, which thankfully balanced out Sophie's hard dose of reality. "Weren't you considering ending things soon anyway? I know you weren't that happy."

"I guess," Hikaru sighed. True, her emotions for her ex had been waning lately. "This isn't exactly how I wanted things to end, though."

"It's not the way anyone wants," Mei Mei agreed. She finally put the red dress down. "But now's your chance to move on. Let's go out tonight, and tomorrow we can stay in and do whatever you want."

"We can leave whenever you want, too," Madoka added. "Just try."

Hikaru wanted to cry. She had the best friends and couldn't ask for anyone else to help her through a breakup like this. At least if she had to go out, she could maybe convince them to head back home by one if she wasn't enjoying herself. Maybe even earlier if she was lucky.

"Sophie's doing my makeup, right?" she asked cautiously. Sophie's makeup skills were legendary and could hide the worst day on a girl's face. Which, unfortunately, Hikaru felt like she was living one of those, surely at her ugliest.

"Why do you think I'm digging through these drawers?" Madoka laughed. "Trust me, that was a given before you even got out of bed."

"Awesome," Hikaru said, feeling slightly more optimistic. A little extra confidence could only help.

Sophie came back upstairs, carrying four shot glasses carefully in her hands.

"Pregame," she sang.

"What is it?" Hikaru asked curiously, peering at the bright red shade of the liquor.

"Washington Apple shots!" Sophie grinned. "Crown Royal whiskey cause you're a queen, sour apple schnapps, and cranberry juice. A classic."

Hikaru took her shot, delicately handling the little glass. "Sounds good."

"On three! One, two-" The girls clinked their glasses together, and down the shot went.

The cranberry burst was welcome as it exploded in her mouth, but once that passed she felt the liquor hit her full force.

"That's deceptively strong," Hikaru told Sophie, an eyebrow raised.

Sophie shrugged. "Good though, no? It's a great drink to start the night."

"I guess," Hikaru murmured. She began looking at the mountain of clothing on Sophie's bed. "So what were you thinking?"

An hour and another shot later, they were ready to go.

Mei Mei was wearing the red halter dress she'd been all over earlier. With its plunging neckline and short fluted skirt, she was dressed to kill. She ran back to her own bedroom in the apartment to grab a pair of red heels to match.

Madoka had stuck to her own closet, and wore a pink sequined bodysuit and dark wash ripped denim shorts. She found a pair of gladiator sandals to match the look and dusted pink eyeshadow over her lids.

Sophie was her usual chic self, wearing a matching cheetah print off-the-shoulder crop top and skirt paired with heeled black ankle boots. She let her long blue hair roll off her shoulders in waves. Hikaru envied her ever-present self-assurance.

For the moment, she stared at the black dress in her hands. It was the same scrap of fabric Sophie had emerged from the closet with earlier- and "scrap" was being generous.

Hikaru slipped the dress on. It was a completely backless halter dress that rested on the small of her back before settling into a ruched pattern. The front of the dress was made of a crisscrossing satin and see-through lace fabric pattern. The ensemble dangerously walked the line between bedroom and nightclub.

Hikaru felt like a walking scandal. She understood why Sophie had picked the dress; it was a massive confidence booster, she had to give it that, but she didn't feel like she could pull it off, especially now.

…Was there such a thing as too sexy?

Hikaru walked back to Sophie's room, dreading whatever shoes her best friend had picked out. She suddenly wished she and Madoka were the same size instead.

Sophie was holding up a pair of thigh high black vinyl boots with tall heels.

"Absolutely not." Hikaru crossed her arms.

"That dress looks amazing," Mei Mei said softly. Sophie pushed the boots toward her.

"Are you trying to make me into some kind of sex symbol?" Hikaru asked, irritated.

"Well…" Sophie shrugged apologetically. "Might as well dress to kill and show him what he's missing, right?"

"Fine," Hikaru snapped, though she secretly felt elated as she slipped on the boots. There really was something to be said for the right pair of shoes. She glanced over at Sophie's jewelry box.

"Go ahead," Sophie smirked. Hikaru refused to give her the satisfaction of knowing she'd already won the battle.

Instead, she opened the box, selecting a red choker with a bow and dangly chandelier earrings with red stones.

"Ready to go?" Madoka asked, phone already out to call a cab.

"Whatever," Hikaru muttered. Sophie swiped eyeliner over her eyes in a winged fashion and applied mascara. Hikaru's stomached jumped in excitement, already excited about what was definitely going to be a better night than her imagined ice cream movie binge. A coat of red lipstick later, she was ready to go.

When they got to the club half an hour later, the party was already in full swing. It was just before eleven- 24 hours since the nasty breakup- but they beat the clock to get in for free and the four of them made an immediate beeline for the bar. Sophie ordered a Sex in the Driveway- a really tasty drink despite its fairly crass name and was immediately off to the dance floor with the expectation the others would follow. Mei Mei went for a margarita, and Madoka followed suit. Both of them followed Sophie into the sweaty, dancing crowd.

Hikaru frowned, glancing at the menu. She sat on a barstool. Her friends may have convinced her to go out, but she really didn't feel like dancing. Now that she was out, her excitement had started to fade and she was just tired.

The bartender gave her a sympathetic look. "Everything okay?"

"Just a bad breakup," Hikaru explained. It felt awkward, but the bartender seemed to understand all too well. He wore more makeup than she did, and his hair was long and hot pink in color. Hikaru supposed that her condition was probably something the poor man was used to dealing with on a regular basis.

"Any alcohol preference?" he asked, then eyed Hikaru. "Can I see your ID quick, hun?"

Hikaru pulled it out and handed it over. The bartender glanced at it quick, then handed it back in satisfaction.

"No preference," Hikaru muttered.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I've got you." The bartender disappeared, presumably headed off to the next customers. Hikaru couldn't blame him. There were so many other people to make money off of, and she wasn't one of them as she sulked discontentedly in her seat. She wouldn't have been surprised if her bad mood was radiating off her, turning everyone away. Even with three of them behind the bar, the club's bartenders were swamped with drunk customers tossing bills over the counter.

With the loud thumping music and her friends lost in it, Hikaru was wishing she hadn't come. Maybe ice cream would've been the better option. She'd even settle for a stupid, feel-good romance movie at this point.

A guy sat down next to her, but she hardly paid him any attention, wanting nothing more than to rest her head on the bar and have the night be over with.

…Maybe the bartender wouldn't mind if she passed out on the counter? He seemed pretty sweet and understanding.

She felt a pair of eyes on her and knew it was the guy next to her. Hikaru suddenly hated the gauzy lace stretching across her stomach. She never should've gone with such an eye-catching, showy dress.

"Can I help you?" she snapped. Might as well go full offensive. Maybe if she made a scene her friends would accept that they definitely needed to take her home ASAP.

She finally looked at him and away from the neatly arranged liquor bottles across the bar and cursed inwardly. He was cute, so cute, and probably far, far out of her league.

His spiky white hair had an adorable red splotch on the left side and his body was muscular as evidenced by the black tank top that he wore, but his eyes were what really drew her in. They were the most beautiful shade of liquidy gold she'd ever seen.

He just gave her an amused smile. For some reason, it infuriated her. It felt like those damn eyes were seeing straight through to her soul.

The bartender came back to her, much to Hikaru's surprise. She noticed his nametag read Jack. The drink was in a cute martini glass, garnished with a cherry. It was a pretty blue shade.

"It's on the house," Jack winked. "Tequila, blue curacao, and pineapple juice. Enjoy." He vanished again, off to make his cut for the night.

Hikaru took a cautious sip, and was delighted by the tropical taste as the pineapple and the orange flavor of the blue curacao mixed together. She could barely taste the tequila.

Gold Eyes raised an eyebrow. "That good, huh?"

Hikaru rolled her eyes and took a long swig. "Can't complain."

"Sounds like you've had a day."

"Uh yeah," Hikaru rolled her eyes again. "It's Friday." When most people would've been finishing up a long, tiring workweek. Gold Eyes didn't need to know she'd taken the day off to wallow in her misery over being cheated on by a guy that her friends insisted over and over didn't deserve her. That thought alone warranted another gulp of her drink.

Granted, her she knew her besties were right, but believing that was easier said than done at the moment.

"What's your deal anyway?" Hikaru asked, unnerved that he kept looking at her. He glanced at her dismissively and took a swig of his own drink in response. "What is that anyway?"

Gold Eyes smirked. "Just a Dark 'n' Stormy. Dark rum with a little ginger beer."

Hikaru wrinkled her noise. "I can smell the rum from over here."

"Better than your fruity little drink, isn't it?"

"As if. You wish you had my fruity drink." Hikaru looked back at the counter. With that much rum, she doubted there was actually ginger beer in it at all and she wasn't afraid to call him out on it if he kept pushing.

Gold Eyes was still looking at her with amusement dancing in his eyes. She wished he wasn't so cute. Actually, she wished she'd just foregone the drink entirely and followed her friends into the throng of people. She would've hated it, but now she couldn't even see them for the crowd, and that kind of seemed like a problem as she sat on her barstool wearing Sophie's lingerie-turned-clubwear.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but with her back completely exposed and her front mostly covered in lace, she was starting to feel kind of naked.

Fortunately, Jack came over at that point, and she ordered another one of the drinks he had made just for her. A little more tequila was just what she needed, though she was barely halfway through the first drink. Whatever got her out of her own head.

"I take it you're not a rum fan?"

Gold Eyes was relentless. Secretly, Hikaru was kind of thrilled with the attention, but she wasn't about to let him know that.

"I like rum," she said. "But today I'm letting the bartender take charge." Jack came back then with her second drink and she didn't bother hiding the fact that she was giving him a large tip as she tossed her money on the counter. While she was at it, she ordered a third with instructions for him to bring it over in a little while. She'd pay for that one when the time came.

It was going to be a long night.

"Any reason why?" Those liquid gold eyes bore into her.

"Ugly breakup," Hikaru breathed. "You know how it is."

Maybe the drink was stronger than she realized, or maybe it was the combination of those Washington Apples from earlier. She never felt this confident.

Then again, she'd never had someone this cute show such obvious interest in her. A little sass never hurt anyone.

"I can't imagine why someone would break up with you."

Hikaru downed the rest of her first drink, butterflies starting to awake in her stomach. "I broke up with him."

Gold Eyes tilted his head. "Not good enough for you?"

Hikaru snorted. "As if. Try he found someone else's throat to jam his tongue down." It hurt to say it, but after she did, it felt good.

Both eyebrows shot up this time. "He's an idiot."

Hikaru laughed, already starting on the second drink. "Maybe. I'm Hikaru. If we're gonna be drinking together we should probably know each other's name, right?"

"Ryuga," he smirked. "I must say, your ex is an absolute idiot if he couldn't see what he had."

"He doesn't seem to think the same."

Ryuga placed his hand on top of her left, the arm she had lying across the bar. She could've moved her hand, but she loved the feeling of excited electricity as it zinged through her.

"So I take it that's what brings you here tonight?"

Hikaru rolled her eyes playfully. "Kind of. My friends are convinced this is the therapy I need to feel better." Sober, she never would've admitted that, especially to a total stranger, but her buzz made it feel totally normal.

"So I take it you don't want to be here?"

"Hardly," Hikaru scoffed, wondering where he was going.

A cheerful redhead bounded up to them. "Ryuga! Aren't you going to join us?"

It took a second, but Hikaru recognized him as Gingka, AKA the guy Madoka was currently nursing a serious crush on. She'd never heard the name Ryuga mentioned before, but he seemed to be one of Gingka's friends.

Somewhere deep inside amidst the drunk tingle, the rational side of her suddenly felt much safer.

"Go away, Gingka," Ryuga hissed in obvious irritation.

"Hey, Gingka," Hikaru smiled.

"Oh, hey Hikaru! What're you doing here?" Gingka asked, ignoring Ryuga's displeasure.

"Girls' night. The usual."

"Is Madoka around?"

Hikaru couldn't help grinning. "She's out on the dance floor with Sophie and Mei Mei. Probably somewhere in the middle."

Gingka's face broke out in an equally, if not more excited grin. "Awesome! Catch you soon." He slipped into the crowd without another word.

"I take it you know him?" Ryuga asked before the last glimpse of Gingka's red hair faded from sight.

"You're the one who seems to be friends with him," Hikaru answered in amusement.

"Finish that," Ryuga pointed towards her half-full drink.

Hikaru took a sip. "Why?"

Ryuga looked up from under his eyelashes. They were too long to be natural and she suddenly felt envious. "You don't want to be here, I don't want to be here. Let's just say I know the town well."

…She'd blame this on the tequila in the morning.

Ryuga waved Jack over. Two big plastic cups of water appeared beside them seconds later, along with a water bottle.

"Drink the water," Ryuga instructed, downing his own. Hikaru followed suit, more curious than anything as to where this could possibly be going. She polished off her alcohol a moment later. Ryuga might've been a bit pushy, but she felt like he just might have a good reason for it.

Ryuga handed her the water bottle and stood up from his seat.

"Ready to go?"

Hikaru joined, feeling unsteady, though she was unsure of whether that was due to the liquor in her system or the nerves in her stomach. She took his hand. Her stomach lurched in excited anticipation.

They stopped by the bouncer and got stamps on their hand so they could get back in later. The moment they stepped outside, cool air slapped her in the face.

"Why are we out here?" Hikaru asked, teeth chattering.

"Because the club scene is lame and we both know it." Hikaru giggled, and imagined her three best friends dancing against the throbbing music and flashing lights. She gripped her small black clutch close, wanting her phone close by in case things got out of hand.

They'd barely walked a block before Hikaru broke the silence.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Ryuga was too cryptic. She couldn't stop looking at him though. Those lips were starting to look a little too kissable.

Her hand flew up to her mouth in response to the intruding thought. Thankfully, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. And anyway, she definitely, definitely was not thinking about kissing Ryuga.

Even if those gold eyes made her want to melt on the spot.

A few more minutes of walking later, they were in front of the mall.

"You know, I'm really not in the mood for shopping either," Hikaru said through rattling teeth, despite the fact that the mall had been closed for hours now. She didn't check her phone, but she was pretty sure it was past midnight.

Ryuga didn't acknowledge the statement, however he did shrug off his leather jacket and hand it to Hikaru.

Her stomach was fluttering from much more than just nerves as she slid it on.

She followed Ryuga around the side of the mall, then down the stairs that led to a subway. They came across a closed red door in the concrete walls.

Command central for the subways? She'd always assumed as much.

Ryuga knocked three time, leaving a second between each motion.

A minute later, the door opened and Ryuga quickly ushered her inside.

The room was huge, and filled with no more than twenty people, if that. A massive bar was directly in front of them, with even more liquor bottles displayed than she'd seen at the club.

"What is this?" Hikaru marveled.

Ryuga gave her a smile. "This is one of the best kept secrets in Metal City. This is a speakeasy. If you know, you know." He led her over to two empty stools.

Hikaru was still taking in the sights when the bartender came over. She almost did a double take; despite the red being on the opposite side of his white hair, the young bartender looked almost exactly like Ryuga. She glanced at him in confusion.

"This is Ryuto," Ryuga explained. "My brother."

Ryuto eyed her with interest. "Ryuga's never brought anyone here before." Her heart squirmed, pleased.

Ryuga had turned away so she couldn't see his expression. "She's been drinking tequila, Ryuto. Better stick with that. Rum for me."

Ryuto smirked, but started pulling bottles down from their shelves. "On it."

"So how do you know Gingka?" Hikaru asked, drinking from the water bottle.

Ryuga groaned. "We've been friends for too long. If you can call it that."

Hikaru pushed her stool closer to Ryuga so there was barely an inch between them. "Sounds interesting."

"It's really not," Ryuga said, leaning closer.

She felt a tingling deep in her stomach. Her friends wanted her to have fun tonight, right? That was the whole point of going out.

She leaned in, and kissed him hard on the lips, tasting the rum he'd been drinking all night. He kissed her back and she didn't want it to end.

"Gross."

Hikaru broke away. Ryuto was back with their drinks, but he looked more entertained than anything. He shook his head, then wandered to the other end of the bar where he was being flagged down.

Hikaru took a sip of her newest drink. She couldn't tell what the flavors were this time, but it was still good. Ryuga never took his eyes off her as he picked up his own drink.

A minute later, he was kissing her again. They picked up their glasses and walked over to one of the empty tables at the back of the room, where it was a little more private. At least, she couldn't see Ryuto from where she sat, so presumably, he couldn't see them either. She squeezed onto the bench next to him. His hand found hers, and even as they drank in silence, she found she wanted more.

Her phone buzzed, Sophie asking where she was, if she'd gone to the bathroom. Hikaru ignored it. She'd explain everything in the morning, even if her friends were mad. They were the ones who'd dragged her into this in the first place; they had to understand.

Hikaru could barely pay attention to her drink, though. Ryuga kept looking at her, like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen with such wonder, and that thought alone was leaving her absolutely breathless.

She'd barely finished her drink before they were leaving the speakeasy and Ryuto behind them, this time with two water bottles in hand, one for each of them.

Now, their destination was the park. At one in the morning, it was completely deserted, their only company the glowing, silvery light of the near full moon. A fountain was directly in front of them, flowing water creating a beautiful, soft symphony in the quiet of the night.

Hikaru turned to face Ryuga and cupped his face with both her hands. She pulled him in close for another kiss and his arms wrapped around her waist. She felt like she could stay there forever.

He broke the kiss first, taking her hand.

"Come on," he urged, pulling her along.

Ryuga led her to the middle of the field in the center of the park, where even in the city they could see high above in the dark sky the stars above.

He motioned for her to sit down, but Hikaru couldn't help it- she kissed him again. Something about Ryuga was just intoxicating. It was hard to focus on anything other than him.

Her hand slid down his well-defined chest. She still couldn't believe this was happening, but her fuzzy brain gave her more confidence than she'd ever thought possible.

Too many kisses to count later, they settled down on the grass, Hikaru curling in close to him. Ryuga had his arm around her shoulders.

"Any shooting stars tonight?" Hikaru asked. She hadn't felt this good in a long time.

"Not now," Ryuga said. "But if you look close, you can see the Milky Way." He pointed it out to her, and she stared in awe. The stars created a concentrated line just off to the right of where they lay. Hard to see, sure, but once she looked hard enough and picked it out, it was worth it.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered.

"It's even better in the warmer months. It's much easier to see then," Ryuga said, and before she could respond he stopped her with another kiss.

They stayed on the cool dewy grass for what felt like hours, away from the rest of the world with nothing but stolen kisses and the stars above.

Somewhere in the back of her mind it occurred to her that Sophie was going to kill her for getting the dress wet, but that seemed like a minor concern.

"What's that one?" Hikaru whispered, pointing up at one of the brightest stars.

"Polaris," Ryuga whispered. "The North Star."

"Isn't that the one that'll lead you home when you're lost?"

Ryuga shrugged. "I've never been much for believing that."

Under the bright stars, she wished they had all the time in the world. Ryuga was unlike anyone she'd ever met before. Forgetting his amazing kisses, all she wanted to know was more about him.

She hoped she'd get a chance after this. He knew Gingka. Maybe Madoka could help her with the connection. She wrapped her arm around his, wishing the touch could last forever.

Above them, the stars glinted, flashing over and over in the night sky, allowing themselves to be seen by only those who took the opportunity to simply look up. They shimmered against the backdrop of the darkening blue-black sky.

Between Ryuga's touch and the mystery of the night, Hikaru found herself completely lost and found in a world she'd never imagined.

Ryuga tugged on her arm. "Hikaru, we have to go back."

How much time had passed? It felt like an eternity and barely a minute all wrapped into one. She glanced at her phone. It was nearly three in the morning, and she had amassed quite the multitude of ignored texts from her friends trying to find her.

Hikaru stood up, kissing Ryuga again, feeling him pressed against her as she looked up at the stars one last time. It seemed their time was finally up as they walked through the dark, deserted city back to their friends, unable to keep their hands off each other.

Hikaru could barely walk five steps without wanting to kiss him and she gave into the urge every time. Ryuga was more than willing to oblige.

She'd never felt anything so perfect. They burst back into the club in a flurry of giggles.

Madoka was in the corner dancing with Gingka. Sophie was nearby, and Hikaru could see Mei Mei talking with Chao Xin, her latest crush. Chao Xin may have been a notorious womanizer, but that hadn't stopped Mei Mei from falling for him. Hikaru was certain that if anyone could break him out of his ways, it was Mei Mei.

Hikaru leaned against the bar. In less than ten minutes, the club would be closing. They'd just barely made it back. The room was already fast emptying.

"Hey hun, here's your check." Hikaru whirled around. Jack handed her a receipt.

"Oh!" It'd been hours since they'd even been in the club, but Hikaru had completely forgotten about the drink she'd ordered, and then never even partaken in.

"I'll take care of it," Ryuga murmured, whipping out a credit card. His other hand was still around her waist, and she wished it never had to leave.

Jack came back with the card and a pen seconds later. The club was almost empty now as everyone filed out for closing.

"Come on, Hikaru!" Mei Mei called, waving her over.

"I have to go," Hikaru whispered, standing up and finally breaking their connection for the first time all night. She looked into his eyes one last time, loving that hypnotizing shade of gold.

"Wait!" He grabbed her hand frantically and took her hand, then scribbled something on it with the pen he'd been signing the check with. He kissed her hand, and finally she stepped away, and back to her friends who were responsible for dragging her into this mess in the first place.

Hikaru cracked open her eyes, then burrowed her face into the couch pillows, already feeling the ache coming on in her head as sunlight filtered in from the window across the room. She could hear Sophie moaning from the kitchen. Mei Mei was passed out on the floor and Madoka was curled up in the recliner. Obviously, none of them had been interested in actually sleeping in their own rooms. The minute they'd gotten out of the taxi, it'd been a race to see who could find the most comfortable surface to pass out on.

Hikaru had been lucky enough to nab the couch, and spent the early morning hours dreaming of liquid gold eyes in a misty haze.

Hikaru opened her sleep-encrusted eyes again just enough to glance at her hand.

The hastily scrawled number was still there in black ink, easy to make out.

She grinned.