LOVE STORY

Yup wow an update the DAY AFTER another update! It's practically a miracle! Enjoy it while it lasts…

"Mai! Mai!" a voice called from downstairs.

I opened up my bedroom door and went to the top of the stairs. "Yes?" my voice echoed.

"Someone wants to see you!"

I walked down the stairs quickly. Who was it? I half smiled quickly to everyone eating in the kitchen as I passed through the room to the door. In the doorway stood –

Kyoya.

My heart dropped a little. I was half expecting it to be Mori.

"I was just checking to see how you're doing with your – family," he said with a big fake smile, glancing at Mrs. Tanaka.

"Don't –" I started.

"Yes?" his smile got wider.

My hair fell in my face as I blushed. "Nothing," I muttered.

"Well, Tanaka-sempai, would you mind if I took Mai for a moment?"

"Uh, sure!"

What did Kyoya want…?

I followed him outside onto the front porch. I waited. So did he.

….

…

…

…

…

"Ummm…"

…

…

…

…

…

"Why… are you here?" I asked finally. It seemed this whole time in silence he was examining me.

"You're still in debt, remember?" he smiled again.

…. So that's why…

"Oh…." I drifted off.

"Yes, and well, how are you going to ever pay us back?"

"Well… Once I get enough money, I'll –"

"How?" Kyoya interrupted.

"…. A job?"

"When?" he asked.

"Um…"

"The information Asa has given me hasn't been very useful."

He pulled out his black notebook and tapped his pen on it.

"Asa?" I asked. That girl from my class?

"I needed information on you somehow. Think about it. I need answers. Soon." He slammed his notebook shut. "Well, hope to see you soon, Mai."

He must've had everything planned out perfectly, because just then, a limo pulled up. Kyoya smiled. "I believe someone else is here for you."

As Kyoya got in the limo, Takashi got out the other side. As soon as the limo drove off, Mori and I hugged again.

"Kyoya…"

"He just wanted to see how I was going to pay my debt back," I replied. I was still in shock he hired that girl Asa. I never knew he would go that far…

"Ah."

The door opened and Tanaka-sempai peeked her head out. "Who's this?"

"He's… Morinozuka Takashi. From my old school."

"OOOooohh! Haha come in!"

We went up to my room and closed the door.

"So," he stared at me. I stared back. "Ah."

"I missed you…"

"I missed you too," he murmured. "I was wondering what happened today."

"It's nothing. It's ok."

"You can't do this alone. I can protect you. …Who was… the man?"

I sighed. "Same one as before. When I fell…"

"Ah."

Takashi could tell I didn't want to talk about it.

"So I was wondering," I gave a slight tease-smile. "Why are you here?"

"I missed you. And Haruhi told us… About –"

"She told you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," I muttered. "I told her… I told her I didn't want anyone to know –"

"She told us to protect you, Mai."

"Oh. I see."

"Ah," he said simply. Then he gave a deep sigh of compassion. "Plus I missed you."

"Me too."

"I love you," he murmured.

This might be unusual for you, but he acted different around me. He could express his feelings easier. Maybe this was because I have the same problem. "I love you," he repeated, his voice stronger this time.

"I'll never leave you again," he promised. "I was so arrogant."

I stuck my middle finger over his lips, and he stopped talking. Maybe that's all he had to say. He still didn't talk a lot with me. I don't either. Silence is truly golden. He might've had more to say, but I didn't want to hear it.

"No, you're not," I said firmly.

He just looked down at my finger, which was still on his lips. I slowly put it down.

I still loved you, no matter what. I understand, and it's ok. As long as you're here now, with me."

"Forever and always," he promised.

"I love you, forever and always," I repeated. "You are my life."

Then I leaned in, just wanting to kiss his cheek. Suddenly, he reached out his fingers and gently turned my face to look at his. His eyes were eager and intense. He leaned in, and our lips were together at last. I was startled for a second, but then I put my arms around his neck. Mori wrapped his around my waist. Our kissing was soft and gentle at first, but we got intense quickly (aww man! I used intense twice! Heh oh well. Deal with it….I SOUNDED MEAN~! IM SOO SORRY! Haha results of an innocent person right there!).

As we got more aggressive, his strong arms got so tightly wrapped around me I could hardly breathe. Our heads slanted so we could get closer. This was the happiest I remembered being in my life. I could have stayed like this forever, just Mori and me, kissing.

But…

I stopped and pulled away.

"Mai."

"I can't."

"Mai, can't what?"

"Takashi, I just can't ok!" I threw up my hands and closed my eyes. I actually put some frustration in my voice. That surprised me. I never sounded frustrated.

So of course, I took off, racing down the stairs and out the front door again. I jumped off the porch, skidded down the hill, ran down the street on the grass of yards along the way; my bare feet getting dribbled with late afternoon dew. I took a left and continued running. I didn't know where I was going at first, I was just following my heart, but then I realized where my feet were taking me.

Soon, I came to a forest. I brushed along the paths until I found the place I came to a lot since I moved here; a huge bolder. To me, it looked like a happy face from the scratches and cuts it made. I climbed up.

Behind me was the forest. In front of me was a large, stretching field, and to my right, a deep, ocean blue, sparkling lake. To my left was a swamp, still as ever. It was so peaceful here: just me and the land. How people used to live.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. What had I done back there? I confused myself. This made no sense. I sighed and then started humming a soft tune that the girls back at the orphanage had loved. Surprisingly, I sort of missed them.

Just then, I felt something soft brush against my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up. I sighed deeply. I hadn't even heard him come up.

"Takashi," I breathed.

"Mai," he answered back.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"You… What… I… I didn't know you could… What happened?" he managed. I never heard him like that before.

"I… I… I don't know," I finished honestly.

He wrapped his arms tightly around me. Mori gave the best bear hugs. I felt better already.

"I think I might know…" I thought out loud. "I think… I just felt too…" I searched for a word. "Happy. I… If I'm too happy then I guess to me it just doesn't seem real. I want it to be. I really want all of this to be real. But, a family? A beautiful place like this, just to myself? And… you? You can't possibly be real."

"Mai, I am. I'm here, always. I am real."

"No, you're just… you can't be. I must be stuck in a dream or something." (A/N: PUNNNN~! Haha sorry) I said. "When will I wake up? Will it be the day before I ever went to Ouran? The day you left me?"

Mori looked hurt. "Maim I'm sorry –"

"No. I can't. I can't do this."

"Ah."

"I just can't Mori. I…"

"It's all right if you want to leave. I understand."

"Mori I-"

"I deserve it. I left you."

I sighed. "Why are you here anyways?"

"I followed you into the woods."

"Why?" I asked again.

"Because… I love you. I promised I'd be with you."

That's when I hugged him, and when I started the kissing again. Back when I was at Ouran, we had our first kiss, but it was nothing compared to the second one. And the second one was nothing compared to the third. It just seemed to keep getting better. Who cared if it was a dream? Either way I had Mori at this moment.

~x~.~x~.~x~.~x~.~x~.~x~.~.~x~.~x~.~x~.~x~.~x~.~x~.

We must've been there for a while, because soon the sun started to set. It looked fresh out of a painting; the reds and the oranges blending in with the purple clouds and the soft, light blue sky. Mori jumped down off the boulder and stuck out his hand, facing it upwards, offering it to me. I placed my hand gently on top of his. He threw me onto his back. I was scared I'd fall off at first, but then I realized. This was Takashi.

"You're light," he commented.

I smiled. I closed my eyes and threw my head up towards the sky. When he started walking, I leaned sideways a little so we could see each other's faces.

"I love you," I whispered in his ear.

He bounced me a little to get me back in position and gave a half smile. I giggled softly, my eyes tiny slits as I squinted against the sun. I. Had. Giggled. Me. And it felt so good. I started laughing harder, enjoying the moment. Obviously, Mori wasn't used to me laughing, but after a while, he joined in with deep little chuckles here and there. I kissed the top of his head softly.

We got about halfway through the field when he put me down. He took my hand, and we watched the sun set together. Before it was finished setting, the moon came out; its glowing pearl colored crescent shining brightly over us.

Once the sun had gone to sleep, we realized there were more stars here, out in the open. It felt like the sky was much closer to us than ever before. We lay down on the high, yellow grass, looking up at the dark sapphire sky, the stars sparkling and twinkling like little diamonds. I pointed out some of the constellations I could find, and Takashi did the same.

I felt something lick my upper right arm, so I turned my head. The water! Gently moving back and forth, the lake water lapped against the shore, its color deep blue, almost black, with reflections of the sky above. I scooped a handful up and slowly let it drip out of my hands. My feet were aching from my run before, so I wadded in, pulling Taka along with me. I liked that nickname: Taka.

Before long, we were splashing each other and having a great time. And of course, before I knew it, the sky turned slightly lighter. Not a lot, but just a little.

"I need to go back now," I muttered.

Without even asking, Mori threw me on his back, walking back towards the forests, the wind blowing our hair back as rose petals fluttered by.

Once we reached the forest, it was quiet, but extremely noisy at the same time. Crickets chirped, frogs belched out into the night. Leaves crunched as Mori stepped lightly on them, and slithering noises meant snakes were nearby.

"Ah," I was slightly startled. Something had just flashed in my face. There it was again! "Fireflies," I pointed.

Mori put me down once again and we walked around, catching fireflies in our bare hands, only to let them go again after about ten seconds.

This was such a romantic night I had spent with Mori. Nothing could make me happier: nobody and no thing.

But, if you know me, happiness doesn't last long.

Ahh! Ok so people want me to give the MURDERER a name, but…. What should his name be ne? Ugh stupid midterms. I HAD A DOUBLE SNOW DAY! Snow day yesterday, snow day today… That's probably why you folks get DOUBLE UPDATE! Ahaha I said "folks." Anyways, ok so having an imperfect look makes the character not Mary-Sue? Mai has scars all over her body… I mentioned that earlier but oh well! NO FACES! ! That's hard! ^-^ T_T T.T o.O o_O O_O My stupid computer thinks these faces are words T_T

Melikecake, your family is ghetto! Fo' shizzle!

TearfullPixie, I'm glad! ^_^ Makes me feel happy ne

Shiorixuchiha: And I love you for reviewing!

Thanks everyone for reviewing! Please, do it again ^_^