Hi everyone. I'm sorry this update took a little bit longer than the last few- I just came back to college and I had to move back in, start all my classes, all of that fun stuff. Since I'm back in school updates might take a liiiiitle bit longer but I promise you they're still coming! Thanks for reading, as always :)

I walked down the hall to Yui's bedroom, hardly able to contain myself. I knocked. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah!" she called back.

I slowly pried the door open and saw her sitting in her wheelchair in the middle of the sunlit room. She wore a light blue v neck dress with a long skirt that ended just above her ankles. It had long sleeves with a bit of lace detailing, and sparkly glitter scattered all around the skirt. Her shoes were blue flats to match her dress, and her long pink hair was curled. Parts of it were tied back away from her face, so half of it was up and half of her hair was down. I swore she even wore a tiny bit of makeup, but I wasn't too sure. Her eyelashes seemed a little longer and her lips were slightly darker pink.

She looked stunning.

"Wow… Yui you look beautiful," I said, walking towards her. She seemed to be admiring me just as much as I was admiring her. "You went all out! I've never seen your hair done like this before."

She looked at my bowtie. "Hinata you look adorable!," she squealed. "Your hair all combed back like that looks so cute I think I'm gonna cry."

I laughed and kneeled down so I was at her height. I looked in her eyes and felt my chest burning up. Now was not the time to get nervous. "You're so beautiful, Yui. I mean it."

Yui smiled with embarrassment and looked away. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Uhm… could you put my arms around you? I wanna give you a hug."

I did as she asked and held her for awhile. It felt peaceful and tranquil as we sat there without speaking, just being happy to be together. I wanted her to feel more comfortable around me since she had been acting so nervous since I started calling her my girlfriend. Maybe tonight would show her that I'm really serious about her.

I pulled back from our embrace. "You ready to go? Your mom wants to take our picture before we leave."

We went into the living room, which I realized I had never took time to explore before. It was warm and inviting, with a sofa and a low table for drinking tea and books scattered all over. I had never seen Yui spending time outside of her bedroom, and I wondered how often she was in here spending time with her mom. Miyoshi took a few pictures of us together, and as she smiled and beamed at us I realized how close I had grown to her. She almost felt like a second mom to me, like a mom I could talk to when my own mom wasn't around. It sounded silly in my head since I had only known her for a few months, but it was how I really viewed her.

After taking the pictures, Miyoshi offered to drive us to the dance so we didn't have to walk all the way there. I helped Yui into the car and collapsed her wheelchair to put in the trunk. I sat in the back seat next to her while Miyoshi drove, and noticed Yui's hands felt cold when I brushed my arm past them. I held her hands with both of mine, trying to warm them up for her. I wanted to look at her more, stare at her curly hair and her sparkling dress and her soft face, but I didn't want to be awkward. We exchanged a few smiles and a few laughs, but the car ride was mostly silent. Part of me wished I could have driven Yui myself; I probably would have seemed like a cooler boyfriend to her.

"You feeling alright?" I asked.

"Yeah," she swallowed. "Just a little nervous about everything. I've never been to a public school before."

When she said that, it felt odd to me even though I knew it was true. It was so easy for me to picture her in a classroom laughing and having fun with other students. I could almost see her in a uniform… why was it so clear to me? It felt more like a memory than a thought.

"Don't worry. I'll be with you the whole time okay? It's going to be fun I promise!" I said as we pulled up to the school. There were already a lot of people there taking pictures and talking, and I could tell from the look on Yui's face that she was tense. I really hoped to myself it wasn't a bad idea to bring her there.

Miyoshi parked and helped Yui out of the car as I got her wheelchair set up again. I heard one of my friends call to me from across the parking lot as soon as I got out of the car. "Hey Hinata! Over here!"

I turned and saw my friend Chiyo waving to me. I had known her for the past few years since I started high school, and we had a lot of classes together where we messed around and were always partners for projects. She grinned at me and her date waved at me too, even though I didn't know who he was.

"I'll meet you guys inside!" I called back, still helping Yui settle into her chair. Her dress got caught on one of the arms and I had to untangle it for her.

Miyoshi kissed Yui's cheek and gave me a hug. "Have fun you two! I'll be back around 9," she said, leaning closer to me to whisper in my ear, "If you need anything or if Yui seems off just call me."

I nodded and took the handles of Yui's chair. I looked down at her and saw the sparkles of her skirt reflecting everywhere in the dim moonlight. How was I supposed to not stare at her all night when she looked like that? Even when she was dressed normally I thought she was gorgeous, but this was a whole new level.

"Hey Yui," I said as we approached the school doors. "If you ever want to leave just tell me, okay?"

"I won't want to leave," she replied. "I want to be like a normal teenager for once in my life."

I wanted to say something to make her feel better about everything, but I couldn't find the words to express it. Sometimes words can help people, but sometimes there's just nothing anyone can say that will make a situation better. I could have told her that it was okay to not be like a normal teenager, or that going to public school wasn't a whole lot to be excited about anyway, or that she shouldn't dwell on something she can't change, but instead I just silently pushed her wheelchair into the building.

The hallway was decorated with colorful streamers and confetti on the floor, students bustling everywhere. I felt really excited to finally go to a school dance, but I was worried about people staring at us. I knew the people in my grade fairly well, and I knew nobody was rude enough to bully me or Yui about anything, but I had the feeling people would stare out of curiosity.

I looked down at Yui and was surprised to see her smiling as we approached the gymnasium. "Everything looks so pretty! It's just like in all those high school movies I watch."

"Yeah they did a good job, didn't they?" I said. "Believe it or not, this is my first dance too."

She turned her head and tried to look at me. "Really? No way! You've had to have gone to one before, I don't believe you."

I made a cross over my heart. "I swear Yui. You're my first date ever to a school dance."

She glared at me suspiciously. "Didn't you say the food was really good? How would you know if you've never been to one?"

I was surprised that she remembered what I said. "That was just me trying to get you to come. I don't know if the food's good or not. It could be absolute trash."

Yui sighed. I heard the muffled music get louder as we entered the gym. Just like the hallway, the large open room had streamers and balloons and confetti everywhere. There was a DJ at the end of the room, looking kind of bored as he pressed a button every once in awhile to change the lights. There was a large table of food on the other end of the room, with a lot more options than I thought there would be. Towards the food table, I saw most of my friends gathered around talking while eating sandwiches. Yui was still admiring all the decorations as I wheeled her over to them.

"Hey guys," I said, giving a small wave to everyone. I introduced them to Yui and she shyly smiled at them.

"You're dress is so cute!" Chiyo gushed. "We have to get a picture together!"

Yui flushed red. "Okay!"

The girls surrounded Yui as they all complimented each other on their dresses. Okito pulled me aside, looking eager to talk to me.

"Hey, what's up?"

He took a sip of his drink. "Yui looks like she's having fun already."

"Yeah," I replied. "I was kind of nervous about bringing her, but I thought it'd be a fun way to get her out of the house, you know?"

Okito leaned in closer as he talked over the loud music. "I agree. It's nice to see her smiling again. It's nice to see you smiling again too."

We were quiet for a moment. "You don't hate us together, do you?" I asked awkwardly.

He chucked. "No, I don't. I'm sorry for making such a big deal about it before. What I said was true, about baseball and the playoffs and everything. But I also missed having my best friend around. Ever since you met her, we haven't really hung out. All of the guys talk about how you're never there with us anymore, and I thought it was selfish of you to abandon your friends and teammates like that for her," he said. "I understand it more now though. I know she needs you, and I know you really like her. It just sucks not having your best friend around anymore."

Hearing him talk made me feel bad about everything I had put him and the team through. I shouldn't have ditched them all the time like I did, and I understood why he was upset with me. "Hey man I'm really sorry. I mean it."

He shook his head. "Nah, it's alright. I'm sorry for putting pressure on you."

I glanced over at Yui who was still talking with the girls. "I'll try and hang out with you guys more. I just got so caught up in helping Yui that I put you and the team on the back burner for awhile." I paused. "You think I could bring her with me?"

"Yeah, of course man."

I grinned and saw Yui glance at me nervously as she seemed to be having her first social conversation with someone other than me. I gave her a thumbs up.

"Could I ask you one thing though, Okito?"

His eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What's up?"

I look at him seriously. "Yui's your neighbor, right? She has been since you were kids… why did you never play with her or become her friend? She's always been telling me about how lonely she is and how she's never really had any friends. Surely you knew she was there the whole time."

Okito sighed and took another sip of his drink. "I know you want some detailed or compelling answer to that, but I don't really have one. Yes, she's been my neighbor basically our whole lives. We both grew up in those houses, but I never knew she lived there until I started elementary school. She was never outside with all the other kids, so I just never really thought to ask her."

I didn't know how to respond. I felt like I should have been a little angry at him, but I didn't want to cause drama or arguments over nothing.

He continued. "I mean, as a kid you don't think about that sort of stuff. I was just a little six year old, playing soccer and tag with the neighborhood kids, minding my own business and not thinking about anyone but myself. That's how kids are. I knew Yui lived next door, and I knew she was paralyzed, but as a kid I never gave her a second thought. And honestly, I regret it. If I could go back I would have been her friend, I swear on my life."

As I watched him talk, I believed him. "I know you would."

"Hey, Hinata!" Chiyo called. "Yui says we should all get our picture together!"

I gave Okito a small nod, both of us finally having a mutual understanding of each other, and he left to go find Atsune.

I took the handles of Yui's wheelchair and followed the group to the photobooth. Yui made sure we were far back enough that they couldn't hear her before she spoke. "That was so… scary and also so exciting!"

"What was?" I asked.

"Talking to them! All of the girls are so nice… they kept telling me how pretty I looked and I never felt more embarrassed or felt more accepted in my life."

"I told you they'd love you."

We got to the photobooth where they had a large glittering backdrop with balloons surrounding it on both sides. The photographer instructed us where to stand as he got the camera ready. I bent down over Yui's wheelchair and made a funny face while Yui grinned for the picture. I knew as soon as Yui got her picture, she would frame it or display it in her room, because she seemed like the type of person to cherish a memory like that.

After taking photos, most of my friends went off to dance or get food, so I thought it was my chance to spend time alone with Yui. I wheeled her to the corner of the gym, next to where they had the bleachers pulled out normally for basketball games. I sat on the bottom bleacher, eating a sandwich with Yui in her chair next to me.

We watched people dancing for a while under the lights, laughing occasionally at someone who was partying way too hard. I didn't feel a particular need to dance, just watching everyone was entertaining enough for me. I wasn't sure how Yui felt though. Everytime I looked at her she was watching everyone dance with a look in her eyes that I couldn't really explain. It was a mixture of sadness and wonder.

I offered her a bite of my sandwich and she shook her head. I tried making conversation with her but she was only giving short answers in return.

"Is something wrong?"

She broke from her trance. "Oh… no I'm fine."

I looked at her in disbelief. "Hey… Yui," I turned her head with my hand to look at me. "You can talk to me."

She hesitated. "No… It's okay I'm fine."

I took her small hand in mine. We watched everyone dance some more and nodded our heads along to some of the songs. I got her to laugh a few times at some jokes I made but she still didn't seem herself.

And then the slow song came on.

As soon as I heard it, I felt my chest sink a little. The music slowed down, and people started to couple together and slow dance under the lights. Before this, I didn't have any urge to dance, but watching everyone together on the dance floor while Yui and I sat on the side away from the crowd felt a little empty.

Yui's face fell a bit and she focused her eyes on her shoes.

"I'm sorry, Yui. I had a feeling this might be a bad idea."

She didn't look at me. "No, don't be sorry. I'm having fun, I just wish we could be like everyone else. I feel like I'm making you miss out."

"It's not that. I don't want you to be upset."

"It's alright," she said. "I'll be okay."

I sat for a moment, thinking to myself about an idea that came into my head. All I wanted was to make her feel like a normal teenage girl and have her feel like she wasn't so different from everyone after all.

I stood up and put one arm behind her back and the other under her legs.

"Hinata, what are you-"

I lifted her up out of her wheelchair and held her, putting her arms around my neck. I had almost forgotten about how light she was.

"Hinata…" she said quietly with a bit of annoyance. "Everyone will see us…"

"No they won't. Everyone's out dancing nobody's looking at us over here in the corner."

I swayed with her gently in my arms, not really dancing but still moving together. Her face was blushing profusely as I made sure she was sitting comfortably in my arms. The song was sweet and soft, and I made a mental note to remember what it sounded like because I didn't want to forget the first song we danced to.

"I'm sorry, is this embarrassing for you?" I asked.

She met my gaze. "A little."

"I can put you down if you want."

"No no! You're so sweet… it almost feels like we're really dancing," she smiled.

I returned her smile. "That's what I was going for."

Yui's dress flowed out of my arms and hung loose as I spun her a few times. I was glad to see her happy again. While this was going through my head, I didn't realize her staring at me until I snapped out of my thoughts. Her eyes were fixated on mine and I suddenly was caught up in her.

Before I could stop myself I pressed my lips to hers. We hadn't kissed since she was in the hospital, which I guess saying out loud was embarrassing, but I never wanted to rush things with her. But god, kissing her was something I didn't know if I could get used to. Yui couldn't squeeze my hand, or give me a hug, or touch me with her own hands without her telling me to, but the one thing she could do was kiss me back, and it felt so freeing. The kiss was soft and loving, just like her.

When our kiss broke I looked in her eyes again and she let out a small laugh. I started laughing too, and hugged her closer to me so her face was in my neck. My heart felt as light as air.