Title: Living in a Romance Novel

Chapter 8: Clever Words

Authors Note: As promised, this chapter has come out a lot quicker than usual. I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews and hope they enjoy the next part of Living in a Romance Novel. I tried to keep Shigure in character as much as possible, hopefully I succeeded.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. Evalena White is my own creation however, and belongs solely to me.

" A man never knows how to say goodbye; a woman never knows when to say it."
~ Helen Rowland

The red x's had been creeping closer to the giant circle that bolded the fourteenth. Lena had looked forward to this day, that was why it was circled. She had reminded herself constantly that this was a favor for Mii, and a large one at that. The job was terrible, Shigure was one constant head ache after a next and then to deal with her estranged family? She missed New York, the parties, the life and the excitement. She missed her office friends and Jenkins in particular.

So why did she continue to delay calling Shigure to let him know that today was it, she was leaving. Her plane seat was reserved, first class to celebrate, and all of her luggage was packed. Prince was whining by the door, there was nothing to keep her here.

Her eyes betrayed her as Lena glanced over at the slowly dying roses. Her flowers had kept long enough, "To be a fool, and think I would have lived some fantastic tale in my home country, to believe I might have fallen in love and found true happy ever after," she laughed at herself and picked the roses up to toss them out, they were nearly dead anyways.

Dead, finished, the end, just like her stay in Japan. It was time to embrace it, two months and three weeks ago after meeting Shigure she had called Mii, begging her to go home.

"I'm being foolish, I need to just call him and let that be that," she muttered and marched over to the telephone. She dialed his number, and the line began to ring.

Or was that the door bell?

Yes, that was definitely the door bell.

Convinced, Lena swiftly hung up the phone, and checked the door. Of course nobody was there. "This is just ridiculous, now what will he think if I call and hang up three times? I'm acting like a nervous school girl asking a boy to prom," she chastised her actions and walked back to the phone.

Taking a swallow of air, she dialed again.

"Hello, Shigure Speaking," the voice was upbeat and sung out.

Lena knew he'd be even happier to find that Mii would be back, the writer that he could walk all over and get away with murder.

"Hello Shigure," she said as politely as possible.

"Ah, Lena, to what can I owe this unexpected but delightful surprise? Did you miss me? The sound of my voice or manly…"

"Knock it off Shigure," Lena huffed into the phone as he began to go on about his top form body, "I'm calling to tell you I'll be leaving today."

"Leaving?" for some reason, he hadn't expected that, not at all. Had three months already passed?

"Yes, leaving. Mii will return shortly, I'd ask that you be kind to her, but I know you won't," so she wouldn't bother asking.

"Well, alright then. Have a safe flight," he cheered into the phone lines.

Damn him for sounding so pleased and happy, would it hurt, just a little to seem saddened by her departure?

"First class, it will be lovely," she shot back furiously into the phone lines. Damn him, damn him, damn him. He wasn't supposed to enjoy her departure date but mourn it! She wanted him to beg her to stay because he had fallen madly in love with her.

Or, something like that.

"Try not to be too harsh on the flight attendants, you seem rather temperamental today," Shigure offered, what he considered good advice when he could hear how furious she was on the phone. In his imagination he could see the subtle blush rise to her cheeks, she'd pull on her delicate lace blouse because her face would start to heat up. Her nostrils might flare ever so slightly and her eyes would narrow in on him like the bow to an arrow.

"You inconsiderate blind dunderhead of a man," Lena snapped, "A 'I'll miss you Lena,' or how about, 'it won't be the same around here without you Lena' or even, 'I can't believe your leaving already' would have been preferable. But no, what do I get? Have a nice flight," apparently she cared far more than she let on about Shigure.

Of course he had to treat it as a joke.

"How thoughtless of me, I can't believe you'll be leaving already, it won't be the same around here – we'll all miss you. Does that sound better?" he asked, still cheerfully in the phone.

"NO," she snapped rather rudely at the phone line, "It doesn't bloody count when I tell you it's what I want to hear, you're the most frustrating man I've ever had the misfortune to come across," the ass. He had no right to play with her affections this way.

Shigure laughed into the phone line and sighed, "There's no pleasing you, is there Evalena?"

It was always a shock to hear her full name, "I told you not to call me that," she demanded in a softer tone. He had caught her off guard.

"I know," was his cocky reply.

"Well…" she sighed and leaned against the wall, sliding down until her body hit the floor, "I just called to say good-bye, so….bye."

Shigure nodded into the phone and spoke too softly for any of the teenagers to hear. Yuki craned his neck, Tohru stood with wide eyes and Kyo just sighed.

"Ah, that's that. I suppose," Shigure turned to the youngsters and grinned, "So Tohru, what scrumptious meal have you prepared for us lowly men tonight?" He got blinking stares back at him, and Shigure finally sighed and slid down to the table.

"You seem very calm for what just happened," Yuki remarked slowly, careful as if he was walking on tiny egg shells and didn't want them to break.

"Elaborate," he finally remarked after a moment of chewing on Yuki's question.

"Well, that was White-San on the phone, was it not?" he asked, probing for details. With a firm nod from Shigure, Yuki continued. "It seemed to be you were starting to care for her, quite deeply…enough to hide her from Akito, and further Hatori. That's why you tried to talk Hatori out of telling Akito about her."

"You heard me that night?" he hid the shock as well as he could and remained in a calm voice. Hatori and he had kept their voices so low…

"Shigure, you know Akito must become aware of her. She's far too involved with you, it's a danger to the family secret now.

"Don't be silly, Lena is hardly around, barely more than Mii was," Shigure retorted.

"Then why were you so concerned when she hit her head tonight?"

"And be an inconsiderate clod like Yuki and Kyo? I think not! Any well brought up man would have been concerned for the fair lady's well being."

"Indeed. Still, Akito should become aware if she's going to be around longer."

"Perfect, Lena's only here for a few short weeks and then she's back to where she came from, so no harm needs to be done to her."

"We'll see," Hatori hesitated, but ended the conversation on that.

"Oh that was nothing! Nothing!" Shigure exclaimed as he waved his hands around, "Really Yuki, you shouldn't jump to such conclusions."

"You're an idiot," Yuki remarked, "And that, is fact, not jumping to a conclusion."

"So mean…" Shigure whimpered while Tohru tried to comfort him.

"I'm sure Lena is very homesick, oh, we should have gotten her a going away present, I'm so stupid not to have marked her departure down on my calendar!" Tohru berated herself and sunk to the table, why couldn't she do anything right?

Kyo grumbled into the table and finally mumbled a slightly coherent sentence, "Look, if your bothered that she's leaving so much, just go and stop her."

"Who said I'm bothered?" Shigure sighed into the table, "Really, I'm fine."

Tohru frowned as she inspected Shigure carefully, "I know, I'll make your favorite dinner! Whatever you'd like for tonight, it's up to you."

"Clearly, you weren't expecting her to leave. I don't know what you thought would happen," Yuki said as he pushed his hands against the table and stood up. "There's absolutely nothing for her here, its better that she goes home anyways."

Yuki began to walk away and then stopped, "But you won't will you? You won't let her get away, because your head's stuck your own filth that you write, happy endings," because in the Sohma house hold, there was no concept such as happy endings.

"Departure sixteen to New York City has been delayed due to storms," the intercom beeped on and then died down.

"Perfect," Lena dragged her carry on to the departure gate sixteen waiting area and sighed. The day had gone from bad to worse with that peachy bit of news. Prince wouldn't be happy down in the kennels, flying dogs was a pain in the ass.

"Ms. White, if there is a Ms. White, please come up to the desk" a flight attendant called her name over the intercom.

If Prince had broken out of the kennel or god forbid taken a snap at someone she'd tan his rear. A dogs bite was no laughing matter. Dreading the news of the flight attendant, Lena slowly walked up to the desk. What if they damaged her luggage? She had designer clothes in there.

"Well, what is it?" she finally mumbled as she stood in front of the desk, looking like a child waiting to be given the blow from their parents, a punishment for bad behavior.

The flight attendant looked up with amused eyes, "There's a rather…' and at this she giggled, "Handsome man who has been trying to flag you down any means possible. He's just outside the metal detectors."

"Thanks," Lena rolled her eyes and went back to her seat.

"Uhm, excuse me," the lady poked her in the shoulder to get Lena's attention.

This really wasn't her day, "Yes?" Lena asked, fighting to control her temper.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you understood what I said. There's this man here for you, he really is right outside the metal detectors. He worked very hard trying to find you before your flight took off."

"Do you know how much work it is going through those damn metal detectors? I have to take my shoes off," she didn't know if whatever stupid nonsense Shigure wanted to bother her with was worth it.

That threw the woman off her mark, "Oh…but…he's, so persistent, and gorgeous! You should talk to him."

"I should?" Lena asked with questioning eyes. Shigure was rarely serious, but he had to have a good reason for coming so far….

He wouldn't travel this far just to do a practical joke on her.

"The man had stars in his eyes when he said your name, trust me, you have no idea what you're walking away from," the flight attendant insisted.

"Well….damn it," Lena sighed and grabbed her carry on to roll out with her past the guards and metal detectors. At first, she didn't see anybody. It would be like him to call the airport to have the flight attendant try and whisk her out of her good seat, close to the door that led to the airplane.

Her eyes scanned the people that passed by her when somebody suddenly grabbed her hands.

Lena would have screamed, but she felt hot lips push against her own and her body's will melted against them when her soft eyes found Shigure's dark chocolate ones. He kissed her there, right in the middle of the air port with everyone brushing past in a hurry. Some stopped to stare; she distinctly heard a few awes.

"What are you doing?" she stuttered when he pulled back and framed her face with one of his hands. His other hand still held her hand.

"Coming to bring you back home of course," he saw her carry on and smiled, "Now I know this isn't all you packed…" women, so demanding in what they brought.

Lena pulsed red as she starred at him, "Now wait a damn minute, I am going back home. You're wasting your time here." There was nothing he could say or do to keep her in Japan.

"Fine, I promise. I'll have my manuscripts on time. Are you happy now?" he hated the words that slipped from his lips, but if it brought her back…

"It's not about the manuscripts, Shigure," Lena pointed out, "This was a temporary three month deal between Mii and I."

"She's loving New York, do you want to deprive her of more opportunities?" he insisted, "Besides, it's so much more convenient if my girlfriend lives in the same continent that I do."

"I'm not your girlfriend," Lena once again, had to point out with his arguments.

"Not if you say no," Shigure fired back and grabbed up her carry on, "What do you have in this?" he whined at the weight.

Lena rolled her eyes as she tried to take it from him, for a moment it was two grown adults wrestling over a stupid carry on when she finally let go, "You don't want me to stay as your girlfriend."

"Would I be here if I didn't?" he muttered, "believe me; I've never worked so hard for a woman."

Lena snorted, "Oh, I believe that one, this is….ridiculous," she finally said.

"I could charm you if you want," Shigure offered.

She knew he could, damn writers with their imagination and clever words, "I'd rather you didn't."

"The beautiful goddess that stands before me, won't you take my humble, humanly offer…"

"Please stop," she added more firmly.

"to come and spend all of our waking days and endless nights,"

"FINE. I'LL COME. JUST STOP." She groaned and grabbed her carry on from him, "but I get to take my own luggage."

Shigure held the biggest smile on his face as they left the airport, "Whatever you say, darling."

"Just stop talking right now," Lena sighed and looked at him rather furtively. She didn't know what she was more surprised about, when he offered to take her hand, or when she accepted and took his hand in hers.