AN: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. Back to back exams are awful. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. It's longer than the last one cause I felt bad that took so long to post this
By the way, during the second dance, you might want to listen to the song "You Don't Know Me" by Michael Buble. I figured it would be the perfect song for them to dance to because it shows exactly how Yuuichirou has felt for years.
Disclaimer: I'm not Japanese, so please forgive any misuse on the honorifics and I do not own Sailor Moon, which this story is very loosely based.
Chapter 7
The Ball
The next few days came and went and Friday arrived much to everyone's excitement. Yuuichirou sat in his room that morning, fiddling with his vintage guitars. The girls had decided to go outside in the backyard. Rei had shown her friends, with Yuuichirou's permission, the garden and they loved it. They spent most of their days there, playing in the flowers and swinging. Yuuichirou didn't feel like going out there with them today. He picked up one of the guitars and he idly thought, Why do I have these? I don't like to play the guitar. His father had given them to Yuuichirou as a gift, in order to get him to learn to play an instrument and build some 'character.' I should sell them or something. It's not like anyone's using them. He picked up the one closest to him and put the strap over his head. He began to strum the few chords he knew and stopped. His fingers were already starting to hurt. He took it off and put it back gently in its spot. It'd be cool if I was a rock star, he thought. Then I could impress Rei with my singing and I'd write her a song to tell her how I feel. He brushed the idea away quickly. Yeah, like I'd ever be a rock star. That's stupid.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Yuuichirou, can I see you in the library?" Akira said as he pocked his head in the room.
"Sure," Yuuichirou replied. Akira shut the door behind him leaving Yuuichirou standing there befuddled. "I wonder what he wants to talk about," Yuuichirou asked aloud. Since his arrival, Akira had remained distant and quiet. He spent most of his time at work, which Yuuichirou had grown accustomed to, and today was the first day since he arrived that he wasn't at work. This in itself was peculiar. He left his room and walked over to the library.
"Here goes nothing," Yuuichirou whispered, reaching the library door and knocking.
"Come in," Akira said through the door.
As Yuuichirou walked in the room, he saw his father sitting at his desk in the corner of the room. He was rustling though some papers and indicated Yuuichirou to sit down on the big leather couch in the center of the room. Yuuichirou did as he was told, rustling his hair uneasily as he did. Man, I miss my long hair, he thought. His hair was his pride and joy, mainly because if he had his hair like that around his parents, they would have a heart attack. Yuuichirou continued his longing, not wanting to think about why his father had brought him here. These kinds of conversations were never good. This was the place his father loved most. He loved reading but also worked here when he was home. This was also the place his father would lecture Yuuichirou. Whenever Yuuichirou got into trouble with his friends or got bad grades, this was where he would get a talking to. This was the room Yuuichirou liked the least. Anytime he would see his father in this room, he would eventually get mad and they would argue. This was also the place he told his parents he was leaving. That was the last time he'd been in the library, until he showed Ami. He didn't set foot in the room when he showed her, he only stood in the doorway, but he knew she would like it and was willing to get near the place he loathed to make her happy. Right now, however, he'd rather be getting a root canal than be in this room.
Akira walked over to the arm chair across from the couch where Yuuichirou sat still holding some sheets of paper. He placed them on the side table and sat down. Akira looked his son in the eye, which made Yuuichirou's heart beat faster. Here it comes, Yuuichirou thought bracing himself.
"How have you been, Yuuichirou-chan?" Akira asked fingers laced, hands in his lap. This was not what Yuuichirou expected, but their conversations were always calm in the beginning.
"I've been fine," was all Yuuichirou could say back.
"How do you like it at the shrine? Honestly, I never thought that's where you'd end up." That sounded more like it.
"I really like it," Yuuichirou said. He wanted to defend the shrine. "It's so peaceful. Grandpa is training me to become a better person and to become a priest like him. It's a lot of work, but it has its rewards." He thought of Rei.
"I see. And is this something you want to be?"
"I think so," Yuuichirou replied. He had no idea where this conversation was going.
"I talked to Hino-san this morning. He told me that you are quite valuable to him. He told me that you are the most dedicated apprentice he's had and that he wouldn't know how to get by without you."
"Really?" Yuuichirou couldn't believe that his master would say something like that about him. It meant everything to him that Grandpa would feel that way about him.
"Yes," Akira smiled slightly at his son. "The reason I called you in here today is because I wanted to see if you've changed in the years since you left. The last time we talked you had no plans for your future and you had no goals. Now, you aspire to be a priest and to someday run the shrine. You also have a Shinto priest speaking very highly of you." Akira leaned forward putting his elbows on his knees. "I'm really proud of you, son. I know I've never told you that before, but I am. You've discovered what you want in life without any help and you're doing it on your own. It reminds me of myself when I was young."
Yuuichirou didn't know what to say. Yuuichirou was shocked. Utterly shocked. Yuuichirou's father was the hardest man he knew and here he was, talking about how proud he was of him. Akira smiled at Yuuichirou's gaping expression. He picked up the sheets of paper still lying on the table.
"I haven't changed my mind about you taking over the business, Yuuichirou," Akira said. "I don't want to give it to someone other than my own son. It's always been my intention to give it to you when I retire, and I'm still going to." Yuuichirou's head dropped to his hands. He didn't want the company! The happiness from his father's compliment now faded to dread. "Yuuichirou listen to me," Akira said, seeing his son's reaction. "I'm going to bequeath the company to you when I retire, but I'll hire someone else to run it as the president. You will have sole ownership but that is all. You won't control it like I want, but at least you'll have it. And if you decide you want to follow the family business, then you can, although I doubt you'll do that."
Yuuichirou stared at his father, stunned yet again. "Why are you still giving it to me?"
"Because I want on one other than my son to have something that I started. And I hope that one day, you'll give it to one of your children. I want it to be a family business. Besides, with the profit from the business, you'll have enough money to have a comfortable like and you can use it to take care of the shrine when you take over."
"I don't know what to say, father," Yuuichirou stammered. He still couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You don't have to say anything," Akira said. "I've already got it in writing. When I retire, it's yours." He handed Yuuichirou the piece of paper he held that Yuuichirou hadn't noticed till now. On it were instructions as to the fate of the company. Yuuichirou's name appeared at the top of the sheet next to the word "Owner." Yuuichirou looked up from the sheet.
"Thank you father," Yuuichirou said a little shakily. "It means so much to me that you're supporting me and my decision to be a priest." He handed his father the sheet.
"You're welcome," Akira said. "Your mother and I fully support your decision. But you have to do one thing though." Yuuichirou nodded his head. He was willing to do anything for his father's generosity. "You have to visit more often. Your mother and I have really missed you. Especially your mother."
"I will father," Yuuichirou said smiling. He felt a little guilty for causing his mother pain, but he was glad that he'd finally settled things with his parents. For the first time in years, Akira and Yuuichirou had a real conversation.
Preparations for the ball began late afternoon. The girls all gathered in Usagi's room to get ready together. They spent hours fixing each other's hair and makeup; however most of the time was spent laughing and gossiping.
At seven o'clock, the five girls stood in the room putting on the finishing touches to their outfits. Usagi stood in a cotton candy pink dress that looked similar to the dress Princess Serenity wore. "I feel just like a princess!" Usagi said.
"You should, considering you are one," Makoto laughed. She wore a long emerald green satin dress that had a strap on one side and draped over the rest of her, tunic style. It made her look taller in an elegant way. She still wore her hair in a ponytail but it showed the uniqueness of the dress.
"I'm so excited! This is going to be so much fun!" Minako squealed. She wore a strapless glittering gold dress that tightened around her waist then flared out slightly at the bottom. She abandoned her signature red bow for a gold one that matched her dress. She grabbed Ami's hands and pulled her off her seat. She began to twirl and spin with her all the while laughing. Ami laughed at Minako's eagerness. She wore a simple midnight blue dress that somehow looked better on her than a fancier one. The low cut in the font and slight hug of the material made her look more sophisticated than the rest of the group.
Rei stood in front of the mirror staring at herself. She felt like there was something missing. She wore a beautiful ruby red satin dress. It tied in the back of her neck and the strings from the strap ran down her bare back. The dress hugged her body in all the right places. A slit ran up the side of her right leg that ended mid-thigh, showing off her legs. She glanced up at her hair. Half of it was pulled up and it cascaded down her back in loose curls. She suddenly knew what she was missing.
"I'll be right back!" she said, running out of the room as fast as she could in high heels, which was considerably fast considering she often ran across town in her sailor outfit during a youma attack. She ran into her room and rummaged through her luggage until she found what she was looking for. She walked back to Usagi's room, prize in hand. Standing in front of the mirror again, she added the final touch to her hair. When she finished, she smiled to herself. On the back of her head was a long red ribbon that seemed to mold itself in her loose curls and run its way through her hair.
"Wow, Rei! I love your hair! Where did you get that ribbon?" Minako asked, ending her dance with Ami and walking over to the mirror where Rei stood.
"It was a gift," Rei said with a smile.
"Who gave it to you?" Makoto asked, walking over too.
"No one." For some reason, she didn't want to tell her friends.
"No it's not. It's obviously someone if they got you something this pretty," Usagi said.
"Come on, tell us!" Even Ami was curious.
Much to Rei's delight Hana walked in, interrupting their conversation.
"Are you girls ready to go?" Hana asked. She took one look at the girls and smiled sweetly. "Don't you girls look just lovely?" She wore an elegant light purple dress perfect for that of an older woman but it also made her look young and vibrant. "We'd better hurry," she said, motioning for them to move. "We don't want to be late! My husband, Yuuichirou and Hino-san already left a while ago in the car. They needed to be there early to get everything situated and just in case anyone shows up early, they'll be there. But the guests will be arriving soon and we should be there when everyone else does."
The girls gathered their things and followed Hana out. The ride over was a short one and within minutes they arrived to their destination.
One by one, they entered the building, the sound of music filling the entrance hall. The girls followed Hanau up an elaborate staircase and through the ballroom entrance.
"Wow!" the girls gasped. Yuuichirou was right about describing it like a movie. People all around were dressed in the most amazing outfits; women in colorful dresses and men in sharp black tuxedoes filled the room. A small orchestra played rich music in the corner of the room while couples danced in circles around the dance floor.
"I have to go," Hana said walking over to a group of ladies calling her over. "I hope you have a wonderful time." She left them there still standing at the doorway.
"Oh food!" Usagi said after a moment, walking hurriedly over to the table stacked with towers of food. The rest followed.
"Usagi, if you keep eating, your dress is gonna rip," Rei said as Usagi stuffed a whole piece of cake in her mouth. Usagi retorted but no one could understand what she said and she managed to spit food everywhere.
"Hello girls, my all of you look beautiful," Grandpa said just as Usagi and Rei began to fight.
"Grandpa you look so cute in your tux!" Usagi cried, forgetting about Rei. Everyone laughed.
"Thank you, Usagi-chan," he said, positively beaming. "Wow, those chocolate bon bons look delicious."
"No way, Grandpa! Those are mine!" Usagi cried. They raced over to the large platter and began eating like starving bears. Their small audience sweat dropped.
The song ended and the dancers stopped and clapped at the orchestra. There was a short pause before the music picked up again and couples began to dance. The girls watched in awe as the couples began to waltz in giant circles around the room.
"They're all so gorgeous and elegant," Minako sighed.
"Isn't that Yuuichirou?" Ami pointed at the couple that glided past them.
"Oh my God, he looks amazing! Almost like my old boyfriend," Makoto said. Yuuichirou wore a sleek black tux and he was dancing with a beautiful blonde in a teal dress.
"He's a good dancer," Minako said in awe. They watched as the pair spun and twirled across the dance floor and Rei noticed she was clenching her fists. She watched as the blonde moved gracefully on the floor, laughing as Yuuichirou spun the two of them in circles, making Yuuichirou smile too. Fire ignited in Rei's chest. Who's that girl? she thought almost seething.
"Rei-chan, are you alright?" Ami asked, noticing Rei's teeth clenching.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered tartly. She had to force herself to calm down. Why am I acting this way? She thought. Why do I care who that baka dances with?
Just then, Kane and Yukio walked over. Both looked dashing in their tuxedoes. "Good evening, ladies," Yukio said, his award-winning smile on his face.
"Good evening," the girls replied, except Usagi, who was still stuffing her face with Grandpa. Although they were attracted to them, Rei had told her friends about their past with Yuuichirou and it made them a little uneasy. Standing here now, they didn't know how to act around them.
"How are you all enjoying this evening?" Kane asked, smiling too.
"It's lovely here," Ami replied. "The room is absolutely beautiful."
"Yes it is," the other girls agreed.
"We're glad," Kane said. "You all look great by the way. All the girls blushed. Although they knew not to trust the two, they weren't completely immune to flattery.
Across the room, Yuuichirou laughed as his partner spun around and nearly hit an elderly couple. She laughed, too, as she got angry looks from the couple. They continued to dance in their relatively fast pave when a blaze of red caught Yuuichirou's eye. Yuuichirou was captivated by the intense color. He stopped looking at his partner and tried to find where the source of red came from. After going halfway around the dance floor, he found it. A raven-haired beauty stood across the room and time stopped for Yuuichirou. Everyone else faded from the room and only she existed. Yuuichirou stopped dead in his tracks, completely forgetting everything: Rei was the only thing on his mind. To him, she looked like an angel, a vision of beauty. He could have stayed there and watched her from across the room for an eternity. Reality, however, had different plans and smacked Yuuichirou in the face in the form of a body crashing right into him.
"Yuuichirou-chan are you alright?" his partner asked after she got her balance back.
"Huh? What?" Yuuichirou stammered, taking his eyes off perfection incarnated and looked at the girl in front of him.
"Are you okay?" she repeated. "You just stopped dancing all of a sudden."
"Oh I'm sorry. I got a little distracted," Yuuichirou smiled sheepishly.
"I'll say." Just then, the music ended and the dancers stopped dancing to applause.
"Come on," Yuuichirou said walking over to the vision of red. She followed a bit perturbed. Yuuichirou noticed that Kane and Yukio were standing over with Rei and everyone and that they were blushing. He quickened his pace.
"Hey guys!" Yuuichirou said breathlessly when he finally reached his destination. He glanced quickly at Kane and Yukio, then all the girls, saving Rei for last. When he finally laid eyes on her up close, she nearly took his breath away. She smiled at him sweetly and he thought he was in heaven.
"Nice of you to join us Yuu," Yukio said.
"My apologies. I was dancing," Yuuichirou said still looking at Rei. Rei turned pink from the way Yuuichirou was looking at her. She had often gotten looks like this when he thought she wasn't looking, but it was never as intense as it was now. God she's even more beautiful up close, he thought. "This is Akiko," Yuuichirou said finally remembering his manners and introducing his dance partner to the group. Usagi had walked over a few minutes ago, being more interested in what was happening here than her stomach.
"It's such a pleasure to meet all of you," Akiko said. "It's nice to see you two again." She looked at Kane and Yukio.
"It's been a while, Akiko-chan," Yukio said. She nodded.
"Akiko-chan and I were good friends in high school," Yuuichirou explained to the clueless girls. "She's been away at med school and it just so happens that she came back when I did." Yuuichirou gave a proud smile at Akiko. She just laughed at him.
"Yuu-chan, don't flatter yourself. I'm only here to please my parents," she said.
The music began to pick up again. Two gentlemen came over and asked Akiko and Ami to dance, both accepted. Kane asked Minako and Yukio asked Minako. Even Grandpa asked Usagi, which she excitedly accepted and dragged the poor old man to the dance floor, leaving Rei and Yuuichirou standing alone.
Yuuichirou had barely taken his eyes off Rei since he'd seen her across the room. Rei looked at him a bit uneasily. He only smiled, raising his hand up to her.
"Would you like to dance, Rei-chan?" Yuuichirou asked as the music grew louder.
"I don't know how to waltz," Rei replied sheepishly.
"That's okay. With a good partner, anyone can waltz. I'll teach you." Rei hesitated, and then took his hand. Yuuichirou's smile grew wider. He walked her over to the center of the dance floor and faced her.
"Alright, here's a quick lesion on waltzing," Yuuichirou said. "There are only six steps and if you can count, you can dance. Are you ready?" Rei nodded. "Okay!" He showed her the basic steps, which were actually easier than she would have imagined. Yuuichirou watched Rei's feet as she learned the steps. He noticed that her slit in her dress would open up exposing her leg whenever she took a step. He had to force himself to keep his eyes on her feet instead of her dress which left much to the imagination.
"Alright, are you ready to dance with a partner?" Yuuichirou asked as Rei got her footwork down.
"I think so," Rei said, watching her feet.
"Okay." He took a step closer to her, which she did not expect. He reached for her hand and he gently but firmly put his right hand on her shoulder blade. Rei awkwardly put her hand on Yuuichirou's bicep in return. Yuuichirou had to restrain his excitement at being able to touch her bare back: he had to worry about his feet, not his hands. They began to move forward.
"Don't look down, Rei-chan," Yuuichirou said. Rei had been watching her feet, trying to get the right steps and making sure she wouldn't get stepped on.
"I can't help it," she whined. "I'm afraid you're gonna step on me." Yuuichirou stopped dancing and let her go.
"The point of this dance is to let the man lead," Yuuichirou said. "You have to just trust that I won't step on you or run you in to another couple or something. I won't hurt you, I promise." Yuuichirou smiled and offered his hand again. "Do you trust me?"
She hesitated for a moment, and then took his hand again. "Yes."
Yuuichirou pulled her back into dance position and began to move them slowly forward. Every now and then, Rei would look down at her feet. She didn't mean to do it, but it just happened. Yuuichirou got so tired of telling her to not look down, that he ended up using his left hand to lift her chin up so that she'd look at him instead of her feet. This always caused her to blush. Soon, they started to dance faster and faster, spinning and weaving through other couples. Rei began to smile. She'd always wanted to be able to dance like Makoto or Ami.
Yuuichirou smiled down at her. He could see the joy coming out of her eyes as they soared across the room and he imagined that his was because of him. The song came to an end much to Yuuichirou's chagrin.
"That was so much fun, Yuuichirou-kun!" Rei elated. She'd never felt more graceful in her entire life, like she was walking on a cloud. "Where did you learn to dance?"
"My mom taught me when I was a kid," Yuuichirou said, letting her go. "My parents met at a ball like this. My father asked my mother for a dance and she said that that was when she fell in love. My mom wanted me to be able to woo a girl on the dance floor like my father, so she taught me."
"That's so sweet!" Rei whispered. That was just about the cutest story she'd ever heard, including Usagi and Darien finding love after 25,000 years.
A slow song came on next and Yuuichirou couldn't resist asking for another dance. Rei happily accepted. This time, they did not glide across the room, but remained in the center of the dance floor.
Yuuichirou held Rei in the appropriate dance position and gently rocked them in a small circle. They remained quiet. Yuuichirou's better judgment told him to remain this way, but he didn't listen to them. He began to inch his way closer to her, closing the gap between them. Rei didn't seem to notice this advance, which Yuuichirou took to be a good thing. He continued to get closer to her and in doing so, his right hand began to move down her back. Yuuichirou finally closed the gap between them, their bodies touching for the first time. His right hand had traveled down the length of her spine and now gently settled on the small of her back. His left hand held hers near his heart.
Rei didn't notice their closeness until Yuuichirou was pressing her body to his. The only thing she noticed was Yuuichirou's hand making its way down her back. He touched her skin ever so gently with his fingers, which sent electricity down her spine. Rei was too shocked by his boldness to do anything about it. She was also surprised by her reaction to his touch. She was so absorbed in his touch to realize how close he was getting. Why did I have to pick this dress? she thought. His touch left a trail of fire down her back.
Yuuichirou leaned his head against hers getting a good whiff of her hair. Rei tried not to laugh as his stubbles from his five o'clock shadow ticked her cheeks and she moved her left hand from his bicep to the back of his neck to cover her smile.
"I'm glad you didn't show me your dress a few nights ago," Yuuichirou whispered in her ear. His warm breath set fire to her skin. "You look so beautiful. I couldn't ask for a better surprise." He pulled her closer to him. Rei turned slightly pink and smiled into his shoulder. Yuuichirou took a locket of her hair in his left hand and gently stroked it in between his thumb and index finger, while still holding Rei's hand. "That ribbon looks familiar," he said, still stroking her hair.
"It should," She said. This time it was Yuuichirou's neck that was set fire by a warm breath.
"I knew it would look good on you." They continued to dance. This moment became the best thing in Yuuichirou's life. He couldn't believe that someone his perfect was in his arms.
Rei, however, was not as excited. Her heart had been doing jumping jacks the second Yuuichirou's hand touched her bare back. The only thing she could hear was how hard her heart was beating. It was a miracle she could hear Yuuichirou whispering, but then again, he whispered right in her ear. I have to calm down, she thought. This is just an ordinary dance with Yuuichirou. Why am I acting like this? She began to relax her muscles, trying to will herself into calmness. As she relaxed, she noticed that the entire time she had been clutching on to Yuuichirou. She loosened her grip on him and soon began to calm down. Although her heart beat was still at a slightly chaotic speed, she began to relax. She let herself be swept away by the song. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. Yuuichirou felt her breath on his neck and buried his face further in her hair and smiled at himself.
The song came to an end and the couples began to disperse. The moment that lasted an eternity ended too soon. Yuuichirou released Rei from his hold, going against everything his head was screaming for him to do. She pulled away from him and now stood a foot away, looking at him right in the eyes. She smiled warmly at him and said, "Thank you for the dance."
Yuuichirou still held Rei's hand. "No, thank you," he said, bending down, but not taking his eyes off Rei's face, and bringing her hand up to his face to kiss it gently. Rei blushed.
"I'm thirsty," Rei said hurriedly, taking her hand back. She felt a bit uncomfortable about the gesture, especially after following such an intimate dance.
"I'll get it for you," Yuuichirou offered. He led her over to the punch bowl and poured her a cup. She sipped it slowly. She wanted time to think about what just happened. She didn't know if what she felt was just the fact that she was so close to someone or it it was something more. She didn't get very much time to think, however, because Usagi and Grandpa came over.
"Hey Rei!" Usagi shrieked and ran over to her friend. "That dance was a lot of fun. You looked great out there, by the way! I didn't know you could waltz." Rei just shrugged and gave Yuuichirou a sideways glance, which sent a joy coursing though his veins. "Grandpa too! Who knew he could dance?" Rei smiled at Usagi and Grandpa smiled proudly.
"Yeah, he doesn't look like he can cause he's so short," Rei said, still sipping her drink. Usagi laughed and Grandpa pouted.
"I may be short, but I am a dancing machine!" Grandpa cried. He spotted a pretty young girl standing alone a few feet away and grinned. "If you ladies will excuse me, I am going to dance with another fine young lady." Rei turned bright red with anger. Just then, Minako and Makoto stormed over fuming.
"What an asshole!" Makoto said through clenched teeth.
"Ugh, you said it!" Minako fumed.
"What's wrong?" Rei, Usagi, and Yuuichirou asked at the same time.
"Kane said some really rude stuff to me and I had to restrain myself from punching him in the gut," Minako said.
"Well Yukio actually tried something fresh with me. He grabbed my ass! I didn't try to restrain myself. I punched him right in the face and kicked him in the shins," Makoto said. She seemed happy with herself.
"I am so sorry guys," Yuuichirou said touching both the girls on the shoulders. "I told them not to do anything but they're idiots. I can't believe they'd pull something like that here."
"It's okay, Yuuichirou-chan," Minako said. "Rei told us about them and what they did isn't all that surprising if you really think about it. But if they try anything again, all hell is breaking loose. I may be the Goddess of Love but I'm also a warrior. And warriors are not afraid of a fight!" She raised her fist triumphantly. Makoto nodded in agreement.
Yuuichirou was a bit confused by this statement but figured it was a girl thing so he shrugged it off. He looked around the room to look for the two boys but he couldn't find them. He smiled at himself. Yukio and Kane were driven away by the first two girls who stood up to them.
"Come on, why don't you dance with me?" Yuuichirou said extending his hand to Minako. "Forget about those guys. And I promise I won't try anything."
"Okay," Minako smiled wearily. She took his hand and the two walked off to the dance floor together. Just then, Ami came over completely glowing.
"This ball is so much fun!" she said. Upon seeing Makoto's pissed off expression, she turned serious. "What's wrong Mako-chan?"
"Nothing," Makoto replied. She smiled at her blue-haired friend. "Come on, let's dance." She grabbed Ami's hands and dragged her to the dance floor, leaving Rei and Usagi alone. Usagi turned to Rei.
"Rei, is something wrong?" Usagi asked, putting her hand on Rei's shoulder. "You barely said a word since you danced with Yuuichirou. Did something happen?"
"No." Rei honestly did not know why she still felt like this or what it even meant. Rei gave a shaky smile to her friend. "I'm fine, really."
"You know, it's okay to like him," Usagi said with a smile.
"I don't like him!" Rei protested. Rei looked at Usagi in complete shock.
"If you say so." Usagi grinned in a teasing way that made Rei smile back.
"I don't!" Rei repeated.
"Okay, okay." Usagi grabbed Rei's hand and pulled her to the dance floor. "Let's dance. We're supposed to be having fun."
"Only if you don't pull anything on me," Rei teased. The good thing about having Usagi as her best friend was that she'd always be there for her. She was always able to forget her worries when she was around her. In no time, the two friends laughed and moved to the music. Soon, the other girls joined them, forming a small circle of friends that danced together, worries lost.
"I'll be right back," Rei laughed. They'd been dancing together for a while and Rei was absolutely parched. She walked over to the bowl of punch and was cut off guard by Yuuichirou.
"Hey. I see you're having fun," Yuuichirou smiled, nodding to her friends.
"Yeah I am." Rei smiled back and turned to see her friends who were all still dancing and laughing. "They are so crazy." Yuuichirou only laughed.
"Did you want something to drink?" Yuuichirou asked gesturing to the punch.
"Yeah, I'm thirsty."
Yuuichirou poured her a glass and handed it over to her. She gulped it down in two seconds. Yuuichirou laughed at this and poured her another glass.
"Do you want to take another walk with me?" Yuuichirou asked as Rei sipped on her second glass.
"Sure."
He led her out of the ballroom, down the stairs and out of the building. The full moon was high above them and stars were easily seen sparkling in the night sky. They walked into the garden, which was decorated with twinkling lights.
They walked through the garden side by side in silence. A chilling winter breeze picked up which made Rei shiver. Although her dress was pretty, id did not retain heat very well. Rei crossed her arms in an attempt to keep warm. Yuuichirou noticed this and took off his jacket. He placed it gently over her shoulders.
"Thank you," Rei said gratefully, putting her arms through the sleeves. The jacket was too big for her: The sleeves went past her hands and the shoulders were too broad, but it was so warm.
They stopped when they reached a small pond. It was so quiet and peaceful, the moon reflecting over the placid pond, making to look like there were two moons. Rei sighed contently at the scene.
"It's beautiful here isn't it?" Rei breathed.
Yuuichirou looked at her and smiled sweetly. Her skin looked more milky white from the moon light. "Yeah… beautiful."
Rei turned to look at him and smiled at him. The two quietly sat staring at the scene before them.
Another breeze picked up, a bit stronger this time, and rustled the leaves. Rei tightened Yuuichirou's jacket around her to keep the cold air out. Yuuichirou scooted closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder to warm her up.
"Do you want to go inside?" Yuuichirou asked, rubbing her arm in an attempt to warm her up.
"No, I like it out here," Rei said, looked at him. Rei's nose and Cheeks were turned a shade of red from the cold.
"Are you sure? You look cold. Your nose looks like it's gonna fall off," Yuuichirou laughed.
"No it's not!" Rei protested, throwing her hand up to her nose. "Your nose is pink too!"
"Yeah, but not as red as yours. And look at your cheeks! They're just as red."
"Nuh-uh!" Rei cried, sounding like a child.
"Oh yeah, then what's this?" Yuuichirou reached up with both hands and placed them on either side of her face. Rei took a sharp breath but didn't back away. His hands were so warm. He ran his thumbs over the area next to her nose where all the color resided. Her cheeks felt like ice compared to Yuuichirou's warm hands.
The playfulness in Yuuichirou's eyes was replaced by something else that Rei couldn't put her finger on. They stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity. Her amethyst eyes did not leave his sepia ones. Her eyes were Yuuichirou's favorite thing about Rei's face and this was the first time he'd ever gotten to see them so close. With her face still in his hands, he leaned in closer to her. Rei was frozen in place. Her mind went completely blank as he got closer to her. When his lips were only a few inches from hers, her brain switched on. What are you doing? she screamed at herself.
She pulled herself out of his hands and turned her head away from him.
"You're right, we should go back inside," Rei whispered still not looking at him.
Yuuichirou dropped his hands and his head.
"Alright." He stood up and waited for Rei to do the same. They walked in silence for a few moments as they headed back to the ballroom, the music getting louder as they got closer to the building.
Since Rei's brain switched on, she couldn't turn it back off. Her mind raced with thoughts at a million miles an hour. I almost kissed Yuuichirou! was a thought that kept running through her mind. She was snapped out of her mind when Yuuichirou broke the silence.
"I forgot to tell you, I talked to my dad today," Yuuichirou said, trying to make the situation less awkward.
"Really? What did he say?" Rei asked half heartedly.
"We had a nice talk actually. We reconciled our differences and he actually told me he was proud of me." Yuuichirou was smiling again.
"Wow, that's great," Rei replied, this time actually meaning it. She knew that this really meant something to Yuuichirou.
"Yeah. He also told me that he was gonna give me the company when he retires."
"But I thought you didn't want it," Rei said frowning at Yuuichirou. She was wondering where that was going.
"I didn't but when we talked, he told me he only wants to give it to me and the way he told me, I just couldn't say no."
Rei didn't know what to say. Does this mean he's going to leave the shrine and stay here? She thought. Her mind now raced with thoughts of Yuuichirou leaving. Why would he leave? Is he telling me this because I didn't kiss him?
"Rei-chan, are you alright?" Yuuichirou asked noticing her change in demeanor. They were now inside the building, standing in the entrance hall.
"I'm fine, Kumada-san," Rei replied. She took off Yuuichirou's jacket and handed it back. "Thank you for the jacket." She turned around and walked up the stairs to the ballroom, leaving Yuuichirou standing there, holding his jacket in his hand staring after her.
AN: Ok guys, please don't be mad at me for this ending. Thanksgiving is coming up which means a break from classes and more time to write. I promise to have the next chapter up very soon!