Disclaimer: Just as before I do not own Hana Yori Dango.. nor do I own any of the songs or artists the songs come from. I know the grammar isn't completely corrected on some of it so I'm thinking about having a Beta Reader. I'm keeping Single as the title because it's the song that started this whirlwind.

Single Chapter 2

Tsukushi shoved another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth avoiding his curious gaze as she tried to forms the words she was going to say. He didn't push though he never did he just sat there and waited. Sighing softly she pulled spoon out of her mouth and look hesitantly up at him. "Am I a burden to you Rui?" She could barely get the question out and as soon as she said it she wished she could take it back. She didn't want to hear the answer. Frowning Rui stood up and laid the spoon on the lid of the ice cream. Running a hand through his hair he walked over to the window and she could see that his shoulders were tense. Her first instinct was to run to him and wrap her arms around him to comfort him but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea after all the air in the room suddenly seemed strained and she couldn't get the image of the way he looked at her earlier tonight out of her mind. "I know what the song meant Rui.. I looked up the words." She saw his fist clinch and placing her spoon next to his she slowly got up off the couch before placing the half eaten pint of ice cream on the table next to the lid with the spoons.

He was watching her reflection in the window and she felt her face grow warm. Clasping her hands together to steady their shaking she took a tentative step towards him his silence beginning to worry her. She saw a ghost of a smile in his reflection before he turned back towards her. "I had a feeling you'd find out what the lyrics to the song was. When I saw you walk out of the DJ booth it only confirmed it. You're not the type to just let something go." Although his expression was guarded she noted that his fist was still clenched. "You never did answer my question." She told him softly taking another step towards him. She half expected him to turn from her again but he remained where he was. Shaking his head he unballed his fist and noticed a slight sag in his shoulders. "You can never be a burden to me. Aggravating at times yes.. a burden no." A bit of his mask slipped and he gave her a half smile.

'It must be tiring for him. All this time.. being there for me.. caring for me and receiving nothing in return. I truly am a selfish person.' Lost in her own thoughts she didn't realize that he had moved in front of her until she felt his hand on her cheek. "The song.. it expressed how I felt at that moment and how I still feel. That is my burden and it's something that will never change no matter how far apart we are." Looking up into his eyes she saw the same look she saw at the club and it caused her breath to catch in her throat. Dropping his hand from her cheek he stepped away from her. "I know it was unfair of me to request such a song when I knew that you'd research it but I couldn't help myself." Turning away from her he walked back to the window. Taking in a shaky breath she closed her eyes. 'I'm going to burn in hell for this.' She thought sadly but the loneliness had begun to take it's toil on her and she had to finally admit to herself who had truly been there for her through everything.

Finally she opened her eyes and gathered her courage. "I loved it. I loved the song and more importantly I loved that you danced with me to it." Her words caused him to spin around to face her the mask finally dropping all the way to reveal confusion, sadness and a little bit of hope. "Makino.." He started but she raised her hand to quietly hush him. "I've been unfair to your feelings Rui. I don't deserve them. It's just that since Domyoji has been gone I've been so lonely and you've been there to pick up the pieces when I fall. I didn't know how much I relied on you until today." She could see his face slowly return to it's impassive mask. This isn't what she wanted, she didn't want him to go back to being cold she wanted him to smile all the time. She wanted him to be able to express his love and not hide it like a sin. She wanted him to feel free.

'But do you want him to be with someone else?' The thought weaseled into her mind before she could stop it. Yes she wanted him to be happy and love openly but.. without her? She couldn't see her future without Rui it hurt too much. Just the thought of him not being there by her side felt like an ice shard had been stabbed into her heart. "Rui I.." She was cut off by a wave of his hand. "Please don't say any more. It seems like I've heard it a thousand times before. I know you care for me and I know it pains you to think that you rely on me too much. I help you because I want to. I don't feel obligated to it's just natural instinct for me to worry about you, care for you.. It's not something I can shut off. It's maddening at times and when you hurt it hurts me but like I said it's my burden to bare so please.. do not apologize anymore."

He had looked away from her to stare off at nothing as if it hurt to look at her and it probably did at times. She felt the tears prick at her eyes and she shook her head. This wasn't right. She loved Domyoji didn't she? Hadn't she pledged to wait for him and love him. Even now the Saturn necklace was around her neck with the miniature planet nestled in the hollow of her throat. The cool metal of the charm seemed to burn her flesh as if punishing her for her confused emotions. But she couldn't deny it any longer.. she still loved Rui and still wanted him in her life forever. She was being selfish and she hated herself for it.. hated herself for hurting one of the most precious people in her life just by her very existence.

Her and Domyoji had a passion between them that her and Rui never had. They fought and made up all the time and went against all odds to be together. Now that his mother wasn't bothering her family anymore and wasn't trying to chase her away they had the green light to continue their lives together. 'Was it worth it though? All the fighting and the tears we cried.. was it really worth it?" Domyoji was always busy and had the weight of the company on his shoulders. She knew she should be understanding of that and support him all she could but was that the life she truly wanted for herself. She saw that Domyoji's world was so different than her own and she saw how Rui had fitted in so well with her family this last year. Even though he wasn't used to the food they ate he still enjoyed spending time with her family and always took the time to see her. Was passion enough to build a lasting relationship? Could passion buffer the canceled dates and years of absence? She asked herself this as she studied Rui's profile. He had yet to say anything else.

'Could my future happiness really be in front of me right now?' A chill ran down her spine as she thought this and she shivered inwardly. The clock struck midnight causing them both to look towards it. Sighing Rui went over to the coffee table and packed up the ice cream. "It's late.. You can stay in the guest room." His tone sounded tired to her ears and she longed to run to him and embrace him but suppressed the urge. 'I won't give him false hope.. I can't do that to him. Until I can come to terms with my emotions I will not do anything else to lead him on.' Straightening her shoulders she followed him out the door and went to the door he indicated as the guest room. It was right across the hall from his own.

Once inside the guest room she fell on top of the bed weary and restless at the same time. She couldn't seem to get comfortable. It was too quiet in the Hanazawa house. She was used to her family's rowdy behavior and then it dawned on her how lonely Rui might be. Thinking back to the past year when he was at her house playing cards with her dad he seemed genuinely happy not as if he was just playing to make his elders happy. She remembered how rude she was to him when she saw him in her home the day she found out Shizuka was getting married. Had Rui been sad that his first love was getting married? She had been so entangled in her own troubles that she hadn't thought of how Rui was feeling that day in Paris as he watched the woman he had loved marry another man. 'Would he stand by at my wedding just as he had at Shizuka's? What would be going through his head as I married one of his best friends?' The thought of Rui standing by as she married Domyoji was unsettling and she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "I'm not being fair to either of them." She said softly to no one in particular. 'One of them is going to get hurt.. but which one?' Rui always said that if she was happy then he was happy.. but what about Domyoji? All those times he hurt her did he care about her happiness? When he pushed her away because of his mother didn't he know how much that bothered her?

'If I choose Rui over Domyoji what will happen to him?' The thought made her uneasy and she replayed the past couple years over in her head. He had gone from a spoiled rich kid to a young adult with a softer side. He was protective when it came to her and had saved her on many occasions just as Rui had but hadn't most of those been because of him? Also because he was so popular the kids at school had bullied her mercilessly and he didn't do anything about it until she stood up to him and punched him in the face and even after that the treatment at school had gotten worse and he had played some very mean pranks on her. Her mind flashed back to the time she was almost raped and Rui had shown up saving her from what would have been a fate worse than death. If those boys had succeed she wouldn't be fit to even consider marriage. Life at the high school would have been even more unbearable. She knew she had inner strength to rival any bully at school but if Rui hadn't shown up when he did that one act might have broken her beyond repair.

Her eyes traveled to the door and she remembered she still had her coat on. Standing up she slipped it off her shoulders and laid it against the back of one of the chairs in the room. The room was the size of her apartment but that didn't surprise her one bit. The young men in F4 hardly surprised her now a days, she actually came to expect weird behavior and outlandish spending from them. 'If only we had all grown up in ordinary homes maybe things might have been different.' She wouldn't have felt the pressure of Domyoji's mom if she had been a common house wife or working mother in an average paying job. 'If only I hadn't been sent to that school by my mother.' Even as she thought it she felt a twinge in her heart. 'If I hadn't then I may have never met Rui.' She knew that all four of them had family responsibilities even Rui but she knew that if she were to ask him he would live a simple life with her.

The sound of her cell phone ringing in her coat pocket brought her out of her thoughts. Furrowing her eyebrows she wondered at who would be calling so late. Quickly making her way to the phone she snatched it out of her pocket and looked down at the caller id. 'Domyoji... Now he decides to call.' Looking around the room she takes a deep breath before opening up to answer it making her voice sound tired. "Hello?" She yawns softly to emphasize the tiredness. "Where are you?!" she hears him bark over the phone. Wincing she sits down on the bed and reminds herself to keep her cool. "In bed why?" Looking up at the ceiling she heard something slam on the other end before he replied coldly, "Who's bed? You're not home I just came from your place and there is no one there.." Eyes wide she almost dropped the phone. Scanning her mind for a proper excuse she closed her eyes finally one came to her and she crossed her fingers hoping that it would work. "My parents decided to visit some friends. You stood me up so I had no where else to go." She heard his angry huff through the phone and heard the sound of a car engine turn on. "Look.. I'm sorry I was busy tonight. When you come back we'll reschedule alright? I've got a couple of weeks left here in Tokyo before I have to return to New York."

His words seemed like a punch in the stomach. 'Reschedule? Like I'm one of his business clients?' Plastering a fakes smile on her face she replied, "Sure no problem. I'll call you when I get back." He didn't seem to notice the fake cheerfulness in her voice and she was thankful for that. "Alright then.. Sorry to have woke you. Did Akira come by and tell you that I couldn't make it?" Biting her lip she wondered if she should lie and say Akira did or lie and say that she had just got tired of waiting. Afraid that he might run into Akira she decided on the latter. "No I just got tired of waiting. It was cold out and I think Akira might have gotten sidetracked, you know how he is on the weekends." She heard Domyoji laugh on the other end and was surprised to feel her stomach drop. 'What is wrong with me? I used to stay awake for his calls just to hear his voice and his laughter.' His voice on the other end brought her attention back to him. "So see you when you return. Stay safe." Then the line went dead. That was it, no I love you, miss you.. It was more of the ending of a business call."

Tossing the phone on to the chair she pulled her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes. 'I just lied to him.. I had promised to tell him the truth always and I just lied to him. If he found out where I was then there would surely be hell to pay.' Cold dread swept over her as she opened her eyes. 'If I were to break up with him would he treat me as his mother did.. would he destroy me and my family, my friends.. Rui..?' The thought left a bad taste in her mouth and suddenly she wanted to brush her teeth. The door creaked as she opened it and she winced wondering if Rui was still awake or if he had fallen asleep already. Normally he could fall asleep at the drop of a hat. She was surprised however to see the bathroom light on. 'Maybe he left it on for me in case I needed to use it.' She wouldn't put it past Rui to think of her needs ahead of time. Turning the door knob she opened the door and stepped inside. The bathroom was huge just like the rest of the rooms in the house. It seemed as if the sinks where in the back with the shower and tub. In the entrance there was a sitting area and a beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers on the table between the chairs. 'Chairs in a bathroom.. what are these rich people thinking?' Quietly she made her way to the back of the bathroom. The sound of dripping water caused her to pause. 'Did Rui leave the water running by accident?'

Shrugging she continued to the back and turned the corner running right into Rui's bare chest. The towel he was using to dry his hair fell from his hand as he reached out to catch her before she fell backwards. His feet were still slick from the shower and her extra weight caused him to pitch forward both of the tumbling to the ground with Tsukushi on top of him. Her eyes were closed tight as if bracing for the impact of the floor. Rui watched the changes in her expression as she realized that she had not hit the tiled floor but instead rested on something warm and soft to the touch. With her hands splayed out across his chest her fingers felt of the skin underneath them. With a gasp of shock her eyes flew open as she realized who she was laying on and where she was touching. With his arms wrapped protectively around her Rui sat up positioning Tsukushi in his lap. She tried to wriggle at of his grasp and was shocked to her his sharp in take of breath. Turning eyes full of alarm towards his face to scanned it for any signs of pain. "Rui are you hurt?" Once again she tried to wiggle out of his grasp to check on him and was once more greeted by an odd sound from him.

His hands tightened on her waist and with his eyes closed he took in a shaky breath. "Please just stop moving." His voice sounded very strained and his face seemed tense to her. "Are you hurt? Do you need me to look at it? What ever it is let me help please?" She was surprised at his low chuckle and the shake of his head. When he opened his eyes there wasn't any hint of pain but there was something there something warm and inviting. "If I told you what was wrong you'd more than likely punch me dead in the face." Lifting her off his lap he placed her on the floor next to him. She quickly scanned him for any fractures or on coming bruises but couldn't find any. The quick movement of his hand to his lap caused her eyes to follow it. There, behind the towel and Rui's hand was the source of his discomfort.

Blushing a deep red she quickly stood up and looked away. "S-sorry.. I just wanted to brush my teeth but it can wait til in the morning." A grin tugged at Rui's lips as he slowly stood up. Tsukushi made a move to leave but was stopped by Rui's hand gently encircling her right wrist. "Please don't apologize. I should have locked the door." Still not daring to look at him Tsukushi shook her head. "I should have knocked." She could still feel the warmth of his chest underneath her finger tips and see the look in his eyes as she sat on his lap. 'What the hell is with tonight?!' With a tug of her arm she was propelled towards Rui's chest as his other arm encircled her. "Breath Makino.. if you don't get passed this you'll never be able to look me in the eyes again." She knew he was right but all her thoughts were in shambles even more now that she was pressed to his chest.

He released her wrist and slowly reached up to stroke her hair softly as she took in a steady breath. She had seen half naked men before and she knew the effect she had on Domyoji when they kissed but she hadn't even kissed Rui. Just coming in contact with him made her have this effect on him? The sheer embarrassment of the situation made her want the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Slowly she came to realize that her breathing had became normal and that her face was pressed against Rui's chest which was still slightly damp from his shower. There was a droplet of water near her nose and she had the sudden urge to stick the tip of her tongue to it. She shook herself inwardly ashamed at the thought.

'What is wrong with you?' She scolded herself as she felt Rui gently push her away and look down at her. "Better?" He asked softly as he brushed a couple strands of hair away from her face. Nodding she looked up at him relieved that she could still look him in the eyes after what had just happened.

"I'll leave you to brush your teeth. If you need me I'll be just across the hall alright?" Nodding in reply she watched as he grabbed a robe from a nearby hook and threw it quickly around himself. As she heard the door close behind him she let out a shaky breath. 'Will this night ever end?' She thought grudgingly to herself as she trudged over to the sink. Finding a tooth brush still wrapped in it's packaging there she smiled. 'He thinks of everything.' After quickly brushing her teeth she dried her face as her eyes strayed towards the floor where they had fell. She could still feel the heat of him against her skin and felt a blush creep up her neck towards her face. Shaking her head as if to shake away the images she hung the towel up and excited the bathroom. She knew she'd never be able to walk in there again without remembering this night.

Once down the hall to her room she stopped and looked at Rui's door. She could tell by looking at the floor that the light was off and she wondered if he was really asleep this time. Sighing softly to herself she went back to her room and turned her own light out before climbing into bed. She wondered if she should stay away from her apartment until her parents came back. She made a mental note to call her mom in the morning and ask when they would return. She would find a way to keep this night a secret. If not then there was no telling what would happen.

Outside of the Hanazawa house a lone black car was parked just out of eye sight of it's inhabitants. The man had got enough photos of the two inside for his boss to be thoroughly satisfied. He was being paid a hefty sum to follow these two around. First the night club, then the girl's house. He was shocked when he followed the guy back to see that the girl was waiting on the steps. 'Did they have this planned all along?' A sly smirk spread across the mans face and he flipped through the photos on his digital camera. It had been expensive but with what he was going to make from the shots he took tonight it'd be more than worth it. Chuckling he looked down at the picture he took at the night club the two in the picture pressed close together on the dance floor. "They've got something going on those two, the chemistry speaks volumes."

End of Chapter 2

Alright.. I had to correct names and such after uploading chapter 1. Haven't gotten any readers or reviews yet. Hopefully that will change. I know there's more out there that still love reading fan fiction like I do. So as always reviews are most welcome.