Well, I am still pretty happy with all of the reviews I've gotten over the week. I was even surprised to find a review in spanish! That means other people are liking my work ^^ I was even more surprised to have a couple of requests to do some oneshots. I've missed that.

In any case, I have do have a few ideas lined up so don't give up on me when this story's over, which will now be about seven more chapters ;).

So, for now, read, rate, review, and enjoy!

The days flew by. A trite way of describing something I know, but it was the truth. My time with Gokudera ate up everything else, and all the heartache I had been feeling before vanished into thin air before I realized it.

Granted, we weren't the perfect couple at first. After all, my previous record of one being the boy I kissed on the playground in preschool before he ran off crying about cooties left much to be desired on the romantic level. And it seemed like Gokudera had no clue how to either.

Our first fight was about us holding hands down the street the next day.

Our second was the fact that we held them weirdly.

And our third involved him sniffing my hair too much.

You can guess what the fourth one was.

Eventually, we developed a clumsy rhythm and settled into a pattern. We would fight, I would get mad and say it was over, and he would immediately take his opinion back and apologize. Either way, I always won.

Soon, I couldn't live without him by my side despite every fight we had. The fights became fewer and fewer as we grew accustomed to each other and before I knew it, I was pulling out my summer uniform from the back of the closet and applying waterproof makeup with the light pink lipstick that Gokudera said he loved on me.

That day, I had bounded out of the house after Mom managed to pull off an omelet that wasn't too salty this time to meet Gokudera at the gate. He hugged me and we made the trek down the street to where he had parked the bike.

"You have a present for me?" I giggled in response to his earlier statement, grabbing his arm out of instinct. I wound my arms around his muscles and squeezed tight. He grasped his fingera around mine, having taken off all his rings previous (yet another previous fight we had had) so he wouldn't pinch me by accident. "But I didn't get you anything!" I pouted.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss anything." He chuckled, leading me around a puddle in the concrete. "We don't have an anniversary or anything."

I stopped, surprised. "You keep track of things like that?"

He shrugged. "Why not? It tells you how a relationship stands the test of time. Besides, it's a precious memory to me. The girl of my dreams agreed to go out with me, why wouldn't I be happy?"

I blushed like mad, punching his arm as hard as I could. "Sh-shut up!" I growled with a smile. He laughed in response and fell silent. I immediately recognized it as a way for him to avoid spoiling the surprise. "…So what's the present for then?" I pressed, hinting for a hint.

"No reason. I just felt you deserved it." Anyone in a thousand mile radius could hear the smile in his voice. And unfortunately it was against my favor.

I hopped around the corner with him, seeing only his bike and nothing else spectacular. I felt my shoulders fall heavily in disappointment as I glanced around. No giant box with a blue bow, like I had secretly hoped, or even a tiny Tiffany box with white flowers.

I had to remind myself that this was Gokudera. He believed a little treasure said a lot more than yen did. I just really hoped it wasn't just a 100 yen coin like he had often tossed at girls previous.

Instead of smacking me with money, Gokudera walked over to his bike rifling through his messenger bag. I got excited, thinking he was going to drive me to my present instead. I was more than willing to skip the history test this afternoon that I was destined to fail anyway if Gokudera had something special planned.

He seemed to find what he was looking for and pulled it out of the bag with a plop. "Here, for you." He said, holding it out to me.

Thinking he was handing me the cherry red helmet that he kept stored, I took it from him expecting it to be much heavier. Instead, it was lighter and easier to hold in my hands. I looked down and gasped in shock. It was a round helmet like his, but it was a beautiful shade of pink vermillion. It was decorated with deep swirls of ruby red and white with silver trim.

I had often complained about him getting bugs in his teeth as we drove. He had joked that maybe he should take his helmet back and I could ride without one instead. I had clenched the helmet close to my torso for about an hour afterwards before I mostly assured that he would not let me arrive anywhere with wild motorcycle hair.

He then pulled me aside later and simply asked, "Do you just want one of your own?"

"I don't know…maybe. In the future I guess." I had admitted. "But my mom can't know about it obviously. She can't know that I'm dating a guy, let alone one that drives a motorcycle. She'd kill me before letting me kill myself on that thing."

He had laughed heartily before wrapping an arm around my grinning shoulders. He had kissed my cheek and said "Don't worry. I'll pick out one that's perfect for you…" in his low tenor that made me melt every time he used it on me.

I smiled at him, clutching my present to my chest, beaming with joy. "…Did you know vermillion's my favorite color?" I asked him.

He looked surprised. "N-no…I just saw it and…it reminded me of you…"

I grinned and slipped it over my head. It fit perfectly. I slid in behind the pink-faced Gokudera on the bike and snuggled deep into his back as the vehicle took off down the road. Even through the confines of the helmet, I could smell the orange and nicotine rolling off his skin into my nose.

Yep, this was my Gokudera. Adorable without even trying.

"It's so hard to believe…" Hana murmured lowly, spinning my teddy bear pencil along the desk with a giant grin on her almond-shaped face. "I mean, you and Dumb Dera! I never would have pictured it."

"Don't call him that!" I argued, coming to his defense. "He's actually very smart, he just doesn't agree with everything the teacher says."

"Oh my god…" Hana slid on my desk, moving towards me with chin resting on her elbows. "You really do like him don't you?"

I shrugged sheepishly, clutching my skirt nervously. "…I don't know…" I murmured. "I-I guess…maybe?"

Hana shrieked excitedly and danced around in a circle in front of my desk. My cheeks flamed as several of the other students milling about turned around to watch curiously. I laughed as I attempted to calm Hana down.

Hana Kurokawa and I had met when she followed Kyoko to high school and we hit it off well. Shortly after, she confessed to Kyoko and I that she was attracted to Kyoko's brother Ryohei and wanted to move their relationship forward.

It seemed a mystery to most of the girls, when she constantly batted away much more intelligent and handsome guys on a regular basis and wanted a simple-minded jock like the boxing club captain. With her dark black locks and tiny obsidian eyes hidden behind tasteful makeup and the alluring scent of jasmine, at least four boys daily fell to their knees and proclaimed their love. Still, Hana persisted, saying she wanted no one else but was unwilling to overstep the boundary of her friendship with Kyoko just for a boy.

To her delight however, Kyoko heartily gave her consent and introduced her friend to her brother. According to her, Kyoko could see the sparks in the air when Hana and Ryohei's eyes met. They spent every minute they could spare together for a month and began dating seriously afterwards.

Since that time, Hana had been the relationship guru for the girls. She hung out with everyone constantly like she had been part of the group all along. Hana was even the one who helped Chrome get over her shyness to ask Yamamoto out.

I came to her immediately, confiding in her about Gokudera's and my relationship, slowly informing everyone else. They were shocked (no surprise) but they seemed to be elated after the initial shock wore off. It was almost like they knew it was going to happen. I tried not to let my annoyance show on my face when I realized it.

Hana giggled in Ryohei's wrestling jacket, whipping her hair over her shoulder like a model from a picture I'd always admired. "Just watch," she said, her coal black eyes twinkling. "You're gonna marry him, I just know it."

I waved her off, my face steaming. "Sh-shut up! That won't happen."

Nami giggled at my elbow. "I had a feeling," She admitted, taking the opportunity to insert herself into my humiliation. "The moment I saw you two together, I thought you two looked cute together."

I slid in my seat and banged my head against the desk in utter embarrassment.

"Can I be one of the bridesmaids at your wedding?" Hana teased further, poking my shoulder. "Blue looks the best on all of us."

"Shut up!" I hollered, thoroughly embarrassed. "You're making people stare!"

Class time had barely begun and I was already getting glares. After our first argument, it seemed like wildfire was set through the school bringing the news that Gokudera was dating along with it. Girls I used to just pass by in the hallway either cheered me or gave me dirty looks. One girl even accused me of being a skank before being promptly pulled away by a nearby teacher and subsequently suspended.

It bothered me to some degree, but it never seemed to get vicious. Though I had heard so many times from neighboring students that the "Goku-DOKI" fan club (the one that had been founded day one and survived off destroying any girl in their warpath) was out for blood, I never got any sort of threat from them.

So I wasn't afraid. Why would I be? I had the sweetest, most thoughtful guy I'd ever known by my side. Granted at one point, I had hated him senseless but nevertheless Gokudera had proven himself worthy. I had quickly become addicted to him following me around, dishing out attention and I only wanted more.

Hana twirled my pencil on the desk. "But it's still hard to believe…" She murmured mainly to herself. "I mean, we all knew it was going to happen but we expected the idiot to grow up some before it happened. Maybe he did and we didn't notice."

I sighed. "I tried to ask him what made him change his mind about me once. His eyes…got a little faraway and he didn't answer. So I didn't press."

Hana shuffled and leaned on her hand. "I suppose that's okay and all because it did happen, but doesn't it bother you that you don't entirely know? I mean, I would be concerned if a guy like that kept too many secrets from me. It's probably wise to…" She trailed off, sniffing the air. She continued to sniff the air around my desk before landing beside my right ear. A cat-like grin tip toed across her face as my cheeks became very hot. "…Haru…are you wearing…perfume?"

I bit my lip in utter embarrassment. "…Yes…Yes I am."

An eruption of giggles from my friends rang out through the classroom as my head slipped to the top of my desk again.

Class began afterwards and I spent a good hour staring at the spanse of math equations on the blackboard before giving up and took to staring out the window, watching for a red motorbike instead. Gokudera was notorious for not bothering up to show for the early morning classes-sometimes not at all-but he would always come back around for lunchtime with me.

That, meaning, I made him lunch and he actually got some nutrition in his diet.

The first time we had had lunch together, it had been a quiet, awkward one. Still not used to each other, we took to eating in silence.

Until I saw what he was eating. "…Is that fish rotten?" I had pointed out, seeing a slip of salmon flop out of a poorly constructed rice ball. He had calmly picked it up with his chopsticks and stuck the gray thing in his mouth, chewing slowly.

Just before I vomited right then and there, he had the tact to mention "Yeah, it tastes a little weird but with enough soy it doesn't bother me as much."

So he was bound to die young not just because of food poisoning but also sodium intake. I had promptly snatched the lunch box away and threw it in the trash where it belonged. When he protested, I told him he could have mine. And then he grinned.

"…Really…?" He had murmured slowly, just like an evil man would. I sighed, knowing I'd signed a contract with the devil as I slid my bento towards the middle of the shared desk so he could snare an octopus-wiener.

Since then, it became our tradition to sneak up to the rooftop to eat and chat during the day. And it was my favorite part.

But it would only begin if he got there!

I sighed as the minutes ticked by and still no sign of the red motorbike when it entered the grounds appeared. My eyes slid to the carefully wrapped package sitting inside my desk, just waiting to be devoured by two people. I had put all of his favorites in and he had told me just that morning that he was looking forward to it, making my heart heavy with every minute without any signs of his arrival. My eyes were trained on the entrance in anticipation.

"…ura…Miura…Miura!"

I jolted back to reality when I heard the teacher yell my name across the classroom. All the eyes were on me, and I flushed instinctually as I stood up from my desk. "Yes sir?" I asked meekly.

His coco brown eyes narrowed in contempt. Apparently, he still hadn't forgotten the day Gokudera pulled me out. "Are you making a habit of not attending my lectures, whether consciously or not?"

My face burned as the class rang with laughter in response. "N-no sir…" I squeaked out nervously.

His snorted and turned to the blackboard as he scratched out some math equations. "Get out. You've been called to the office for business."

"Y-yes sir." I weakly sat down and with a quick glance to the clock, grabbed the wrapped lunch. With any luck, I could put off coming back to class and skip to my happy time on the roof after the office visit. I sped through the rows of desks and through the door, avoiding eye contact with the teacher as he handed me my pass to freedom.

I ran through the hallways, finally stopping outside the office. I sat down to regain my breath and calm my frantic heart before approaching the clerk.

"We didn't send for you." They told me after inquiring. I walked away, shrugging, thinking nothing of the matter. I was all set to head for the rooftop to wait for the late buffoon when I bumped into Aiko Yamada.

Aiko Yamada was the queen bee of the entire school, holding every male student in the palm of her hand. With her chocolate brown tresses with blonde tips that curled in delicate swirls around the nape of her neck and almond green eyes that hypnotized every poor soul with a single stare, she could easily sway any sucker to her bidding.

However, every smart girl knew for a fact that she was a hunter. She chased down the hottest men she could find, ensnared them, and then trampled them underfoot for another hunk down the road. And every girl knew she had been gunning for Gokudera next.

If any girl was smart, she'd clear away from the warpath.

However, I wasn't all that smart.

Yamada narrowed her green eyes at me after I nearly ran her over exiting the offices. "Well, well." She sneered over her perfectly white nose. "If it isn't Miura. Shouldn't you be in class right now?"

"Shouldn't you?" I snapped back, silently wondering if all those years of gymnastics training would pay off in a few minutes.

She snickered, as if it were a corny joke. "I suppose so, shouldn't I? Well, since you don't seem to be too busy to talk right now, shall we take a walk?"

"Over a cliff?" My snarky comments had developed with age and constant battles with Gokudera in previous years.

She giggled fakely. Yamada then extended her hand to me, but I brushed past her without a word. She herded me to the rooftop, the peak of the sun hitting the top of her head so perfectly that it resonated like a golden halo around her devilish head.

She turned to me with a sweet expression as she leaned against the chain linked fence.

"Shall I just be honest?" Yamada asked sweetly, like she was cooing to a baby.

I dropped my lunch by my feet and stuffed my arms into my arms defiantly. "Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you're gonna tell me to break up with Gokudera."

The devil grinned wider. "Wow!" She gushed. "You're good! They told me you were too stupid to get the idea, but I figured you were fairly intelligent."

I growled. "I never said I would."

"Oh, I don't really believe that Miura." She stood up, brushing imaginary dirt off her skirt. "I heard through the grapevine that you actually liked Sawada. Why you do, I can't possibly imagine but if you're simply biding your time with Gokudera I do hope you realize there are many other girls who would like a chance to—"

"He asked me out." I stated flatly. There really was no point in hiding the truth now, especially since the hounds were now breathing down my neck.

She seemed genuinely surprised by this, before narrowing her eyes in thorough dislike. "…Gokudera never confesses to girls."

"Well, he did to me," I snapped. "So please quit accusing me of tricking him into dating me. If you have an argument, take it up with him."

Yamada seemed relieved. "So you will break up with him."

"Not a chance." I growled again. Her smile vanished. "If you had asked me two months ago, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. But now…" My voice trailed off as an unconscious smile tiptoed across my face. "…Now he's dear to me. I won't want anyone else, ever. He's nice to me and he cares about my feelings." My fingers trailed over my shoulders protectively, imagining they were the long, calloused fingers I adored instead. "It's trite but…I really like him."

"'Like him'?" Yamada snarled viciously. "You don't just like a guy like Gokudera! You either love him, or you don't!"

"Why is it suddenly so important that I have to love him?" I shot back just as heatedly. "Can't I just be happy with the way things are now?"

Yamada jabbed a finger against my chest. She suddenly seemed almost human, her face flushed and chest heaving like she had run a marathon. The funny thing was, I don't even know if she had even run a marathon before. Her perfect hair seemed to slip out of its perfect shape, falling lamely beside her pink ears. Even her nose seemed bigger and her eyes seemed to shrink in her eye sockets. She looked more normal than any other girl I'd seen in my life.

"I'm warning you," Her usually musical voice sounded nasally and garbled in her normal façade. "Stay away from Gokudera. If you don't, you'll regret it bitch. Got it?"

"Clearly." I snapped. "Now leave me alone."

She stood back up straight, readjusting back into her perfect visage. Her nose shrank and her hair snapped back into place without a second thought. Her face cooled and when she opened her eyes again, her olive green eyes (normal sized again) narrowed at me with fake sweetness. "Gladly." She said in that musical voice, dancing past me in a flurry of what I thought was rose petals.

…Where the hell would the rose petals come from anyway?

I sighed, bending down to grab my lone lunch sitting passively by my ankles. I then felt something shuffle behind me. I grinned and stood up, brushing off the lunchbox absently before addressing the sound.

"…Is she your type Gokudera?"

I heard a thud and felt two strong arms envelop me from behind. "No frickin' way," I heard whispered huskily in my ear. "You are so much better."

I grinned and spun around in his tight grasp. I kissed Gokudera's cheek quickly, tasting cigarettes. "Good." I cheered. "I figured you weren't into the stick thin, gotta-be-prefect type."

"Yeah, especially since I got the perfect girl here. What's the name…something or other Nadeshiko."

"Aww…good boyfriend stuff, keep it up dear."

Lunch passed by without further incident, and with much begging and pleading Gokudera agreed to stay with me an extra hour, delaying my return to math class. I snuggled up against his lap and pointed out funny looking clouds to hide my real thoughts. One cloud looked like Yamada's fat head. One looked like her nose. One looked like her nose after a poorly done nose job. One looked like-

Finally, Gokudera sighed. "…Alright, what's wrong?"

I looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you keep referring to Yamada. What, are you in love with her or something?"

"No!" I flushed in anger. "I…exactly the opposite actually…" I admitted, slowly.

"Is this about what she said?"

"No."

"Yes?"

"…Yes."

He sighed heavily. "Haru, I told you. I only care about you."

"I know, it's just…" I trailed off, remembering something. "…Did you call me Haru?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well I do it already when I say goodnight so why not?"

"No!" I yelped, launching upward. "No, no, no, no! We are not using first names! No, no, no, no!" I hollered, scrambling up and away from him as far as I could.

He followed me. "What's the problem?" He snapped.

"The problem is that the moment we start using first names, the whole relationship changes! You say the first name during a kissing scene, the next moment we're making out under a fireworks show and doing it in the broom cupboard at school."

He frowned. "Okay, first off, quit it with the yaoi references, it creeps me out. And second," He sighed, scratching his head. "What's wrong with the first name? You know mine; I said you could use it too. You never do. I call you by your first name when I say goodnight, you aren't bothered by it then."

"Yes, but that's why I run inside after I say it!" I yelped back. "It's cause I know you won't follow me into my house and it's my safety zone! You can't suddenly start calling me Haru with abandon! I already get enough crap as it is just for dating you! If we start using first names, then it's like cementing the fact that we're together! I don't want that!"

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I suddenly saw how those words could be taken, and my face flushed in response. "…W-wait, that didn't come out right…" I mumbled. "I-I mean, I like you and me together. I really do! B-But…if we start using first names, th-then—"

He clapped a hand on my head. When did he come up next to me? At that moment, I didn't care because I snuggled closer to his chest and breathed in his scent. "…I get it." He murmured into my hair. "I promise, I won't do anything weird, I swear. No first names for now. You tell me when, okay?"

I nodded yes against his chest. I knew it wouldn't be too far down the road, I really did like him a lot. I wish I could have been able to use the l-word but I figured that would come later.

"…re gonna marry him, I just know it…"

I flushed against Gokudera's chest, glad he couldn't see it. We slowly broke apart and I slid to the ground silently. He followed suit, placing himself next to me. We sat in silence for a long moment.

"…That one looks like her big fat head on a stick."

"Seriously, what is with you and Yamada?" He murmured under his breath. "She's just one girl, I'm sure you could take her."

"It's not her I'm worried about Gokudera." I was very careful, using his name. "It's what she can do that scares me. You know her dad's that famous policeman."

"Really?"

"And her mother's a big time lawyer."

"Figures. She sweet-talked one of the teachers the other day into quitting at the cram school."

"Her family could ruin everything." I sighed. "I wanna get my license, actually graduate University. I can't do that if they're breathing down my neck all the time. Besides," I trailed off, looking at Gokudera out of the corner of my eye. "…I wonder if one day you would take her offer…"

He frowned and seemed stunned. "What gives you that idea? I told you, I'm not into girls like that." He wrapped an arm around my head comfortingly. "Only you."

The idea did make me happy to some extent and I giggled without thinking.

"…Give me one of those." He mumbled, pointing to the gel pens sticking out of my pocket. I used them mainly for emergencies; whenever a girl got bored in class and announced that we were allowed to doodle on her meant that a girl had to be quick and ready or else she forfeited her own place for adornment.

I picked up one at random, holding it out to him. He winced. "…Pink? Really?"

"Just take it crybaby." I chuckled as he took it from me. Then, he grabbed my arm.

That took me by surprise. "Wh-what? Let go!"

"Just give me a minute!" he protested, flipping off the cap. I stilled, begrudgingly, as he brought the tip to my wrist. With my arm captured and his head bent, obscuring my view I could vaguely feel some sort of drawing being graffittied on my skin. As usual, he was very methodical and precise drawing each line with great care, rubbing away unwanted lines with a slick finger and a pinched brow.

Finally, after what seemed like decades he clicked the lid back on the pen and blew on my wrist. I couldn't resist a shiver when I felt his nicotine breath hit my sensitive skin.

After a couple short puffs, Gokudera relinquished my arm back to me. "There," He said. "Now you're mine."

I blinked and looked down to my forearm for clarification. My mouth opened in a perfect 'o' upon seeing a perfect image of Uri decorating my forearm.

Uri was Gokudera's precious pet cat that doubled as his partner for various mafia-related reasons. When they had first met, they had despised each other to no end. However, lately the golden haired cub had warmed up to the stubborn man and now cuddled up to him like a perfect kitten whenever he was around.

I could almost see every tuft of fur coming off the cat's back in exquisite perfection. I saw every light and detail looking through me with wide eyes and I swore I almost saw the cat's tail twitching around the base of my palm. It was perfect.

I looked back up to Gokudera. "It's amazing!" I gushed. "It's almost like he's on my wrist."

I could see a hint of a blush rising up over his poker face. "W-Well, Uri likes you a lot a-and, well, you were upset about people trying to win me over so…so this way you'll know that…" He turned to me with a gentle look on his face. "…You'll know that you're the only girl I'll ever want." He finished.

I grinned and blushed. "Th-that so?"

Gokudera shuffled back to his position next to me. "Yeah…so…hope you like it."

It was so sweet…that it even gave me an idea. I grabbed his wrist and plucked my purple gel pen up.

I stuck the lid in my teeth and started drawing. Gokudera watched silently as I swirled the tip around on the skin of his forearm, the blush slowly fading away from his face.

Finally, I topped my drawing off with one final line and popped the pen back in its lid. "Done!" I announced, waving my hand over it to dry.

Gokudera's arm lifted out of my grasp, tilted to face him. He chuckled lowly when he saw it. "..It says 'PROPERTY OF HARU 3'."

"You didn't really think I was going to do something gushy and romantic did you?"

"Well, I was sort of hoping you would."

"Nah. It's better this way. Less ambiguous."

"…You misspelled 'sniveling' in the fine print at the bottom."

"Like she will tell the difference. I bet she can't even say 'sniveling obtuse bitch'."

Gokudera laughed again, facing me. "Thanks Miura." He kissed my forehead and stood up. "Despite using it as a billboard to Yamada, I love it. They say purple's manly."

"Anytime." I grinned as he held out a hand to help me up. "…Maybe next time I'll draw butterflies and unicorns and rainbows."

"Then maybe next time I'll draw a dragon breathing fire and chocolate coins."

The rest of the day was tiring without Gokudera around. Instead of attending the last lecture, I spent the forty minutes waiting for the dismissal bell to ring signaling the triumphant return. My bag hung from my fingers and my cerise helmet sat neatly beside me. My toe tapped impatiently, wishing the bell would ring.

Some people might call it obsessive, some could call it loving. I call it waiting for a guy who's too good for school.

My legs swung out in front of me, dancing in midair. It was a nice feeling to be free, even if I was waiting on a guy. A smile stretched across my lips with every thought about Gokudera my mind could conjure up. I think the word is…whipped?

My phone beside me buzzed against the cement and I whirled on it out of habit. But instead of Gokudera's name flashing on the caller i.d., it was the tall, lean star baseball player of Namimori High. That could only mean one thing.

I grinned and flipped it open. "Hi Chrome. Borrowing Yamamoto's phone again?"

I heard a little cough on the other end of the line and I could almost hear the blush in her voice. "Y-yes." She said sheepishly. I found myself smiling in spite of her shyness.

Chrome Dokuro had been my friend for a few years. She was tiny and incredibly shy, but slowly warmed up to everyone, Yamamoto especially. It wasn't for a while until I realized that the reason Chrome offered to become the baseball team's manager was because she had developed feelings for said player. Everyone waited for him to notice her feelings, but as the time slowly dragged on, nothing happened. Finally, we helped Chrome by preparing her confession and told Yamamoto of her feelings.

Of course, he was thoroughly flabbergasted. But after the initial shock wore off, he smiled and agreed. They had been together ever since. His dad loved having her around, and she slowly developed a passion for cooking as he taught her the art of sushi making.

She retained her timid nature but was slowly budding as an individual.

I could hear her fidgeting in her uniform as she spoke over the phone. "U-um…w-well, you remember how everyone was talking about the festival on Sunday?"

"Oh yeah…everyone was going to see the fireworks show, right?"

"Y-yes…w-well, you see…" I could hear the blush spreading all the way to her ears. "..Uh-um…Y-Yamamoto said he wanted to take me, y-you know, as a date. B-but, I don't have a yukata to wear."

I frowned. "But, you don't need one to go, right? Unless…" A sly grin spread across my face. "…did Yamamoto ask you to?"

"N-no!" She protested. "J-just, it was just an afterthought."

I gigged, thinking to myself. "…Um, well I do have one. It's a little big, but I think we could make it fit." I assured her. "And it's blue, so it'll look good on you."

"R-really? It's not a problem?"

"Chrome, if it was a problem I wouldn't offer, would I?" I grinned. "I'll drop it by later, okay? Tell Kyoko too."

"Okay." Her voice sounded cheery and I winced as the sound of a loud crack of a bat filled my ear. "Oh, I'm sorry; I'm going to have to go. One of the team members just fell and I need to go see if his leg's broken or just bends that way sometimes."

I repressed a shudder. "Alright, see you later."

"Goodbye."

A click and a buzz later told me she was gone. I stared at the phone in my hand for a moment, dreading the thought now planted in my mind.

The Summer Fireworks Festival was the main event of the whole Namimori community. Stores for weeks had been preparing for the rush, putting up sales for everything from foods to electronics with the guarantee that it would be the biggest event yet. It was also the time of the year when girls pulled out their dusty yukatas out from their closets and dragged along their boyfriends through the stalls.

Along with being the most-family fun event, it was also the most romantic as it ended with a world famous pyrotechnic show. The rumor was that if you kissed spontaneously at the moment the first firework went off, you would be bound together by the gods of fate and nothing could tear you apart.

That is, if you believed in that sort of a fairytale.

I sighed, scratching my head. It was a nice idea, and I had in fact agreed to go, but the issue still remained if I was going alone. Gokudera had said nothing about it, and when I had agreed to go we hadn't been together. Though he was going with the group as well. So it left a lot to the imagination.

I sighed again, almost missing the sound of Gokudera's bike running up to the school grounds. I grinned and practically leaped off the stairs to grab him as he got off his bike.

"I can't believe I used to be scared of this thing!" I exclaimed as I dismounted in front of my house. "It's so much fun to ride! You should teach me to drive it sometime!"

"Yeah, no way in hell." Gokudera snickered back. "But I understand. I rode on one a lot when I was younger and cars these days just aren't as fun. I'm glad you feel better about it now." He patted the vehicle, a loud clang resounding in response. "It's my baby, second to you."

Ignoring the obvious compliment wasn't easy. My face betrayed me, flushing instantly in response. The line between liking him giving me attention and actually loving him was becoming more blurry by the day. I could almost feel the words on the tip of my tongue, and it took more effort to swallow them back little by little.

I brushed away the uncomfortable thoughts, focusing on the issue at hand. Also standing as one of the most important steps in our relationship, Gokudera and I had been out occasionally. We usually went out for pizza after school or sat in Buttercup, sniffing the air as they readied the baking rush on the weekends. Due to my constant fears, neither of us had gone out on a real date, the only exception being the time Gokudera pulled me away to take our picture together in a photo booth.

It was my fault really. I never expected to want to be near him as much as I did. I never even suspected that our relationship could last as long as it did. The excuse was there: I was scared of being hurt again. Gokudera sat by my side and listened to me. And I now cared about him more than I liked to admit.

I chewed my lip as my thoughts turned once again to Sunday. Gokudera had said nothing about it, and it somehow slipped my mind until Chrome brought it up over the phone. I wanted to go…I just needed to know if Gokudera did too.

"…Um, Gokudera?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…y-you know…the festival this Sunday?"

"The one Boss and everyone're going to?" He questioned. "Yeah, of course."

"U-um," I blubbered stupidly. "…I was wondering…w-well…are you going?"

He frowned. "I said I would, didn't I?"

"Y-yes…I just thought—"

"Are you not coming?"

"N-no, I was planning to—"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I-I meant…are we…going together?"

He frowned again. "I thought it was obvious."

"You never said so!"

"Again I thought it was obvious."

I groaned. "You have to tell me these things Gokudera. Otherwise I won't know!"

Gokudera chuckled and sighed with a grin. He offered his hand and I took it. He knelt before me in his normal fashion whenever he wanted to weasel something out of me. He cupped his hands around my palm. "…Will you go to the festival with me Haru Miura?" He grinned sweetly.

"…Yes. Finally, jerk!"

He chuckled and released my hand as he stood up. "What color yukata are you going to wear? I don't wanna miss you in the crowd."

"U-um," I stammered. "I-I'm not going to wear one."

He frowned again. "How come? Don't the girls usually do that? It's some kind of tradition right?"

"Yes. But I'm lending the one I have to Chrome so she can wear it. She needs it more than I do."

He growled. "What, so she can show off for Ball-Freak? That sucks. I would've liked to see you in one."

I giggled. "You've seen me in mine before."

"Yeah, but not for just me." He argued. "Oh well. What color should I expect then?"

I thought silently for a moment. "…I guess…pink?"

He grinned and chuckled. "That seems to be your color, doesn't it?" Gokudera joked, coming forward. I waited, soon feeling his arms wrap around my waist and pull me into his chest. It was like squeezing a toy fresh from the box; cigarette smoke invaded my nose instantly, despite him telling me long ago that he had given up the habit. I had grown accustomed to the smell, relishing every flavor that rolled off of him. "I guess I just love even that about you." He murmured against my cheek, his hands sliding up to caress my back.

I turned boneless in his grasp, feeling safer than a child in his mother's arms. After what seemed like years ticking away in his strong hold, Gokudera relinquished me. He pecked my forehead before I could squirm away. "…See you soon."

"S-See you." I stammered stupidly. I cursed myself inwardly, mentally smacking myself into the wall a hundred and seven times. When I finally turned back around, I caught the visage a pink-faced Gokudera speeding away break neck as though the cool air would cool his head.

Chrome was currently living with Kyoko and her family. She had been for a while now, when she had been dropped off at the doorstep with nowhere to go about two years previous. She had spent the majority of her time beforehand following around two other strange boys whose names escape me (they never bothered to learn my name, why should I remember theirs?).

Under Kyoko's careful care, she had flourished. Chrome was no longer as scrawny as she used to be, nor as malnourished. She developed a healthy glow and her hair had sprung down around her shoulders after having been introduced to shampoo for the first time in a few years. Her timid nature still remained, but not as prominent.

That was Yamamoto's influence. He taught her to smile and laugh comfortably and without abandon. Through his…unusual methods, Chrome had changed for the better. She became the baseball team's manager, known through the other boys as their "other mascot".

After an hour or so adjusting my large yukata on her tiny frame, she peeked out from the top in a flattering baby blue with tiny blackbirds adorning the sleeves with a pink face. I praised her greatly before yawning for an hour or so, pretending to be tired. She finally let me go when I agreed to meet up with her beforehand to help with her hair for the festival.

I slipped into the dark hallway, passing Kyoko's brother in his room on his nightly three-hour phone call to Hana. I was pointedly trying to avoid Kyoko as much as possible. While being with Gokudera had lessened the pain of losing my first love, it still felt awkward to hang around the two of them. I still caught myself staring at their combined hands and of course pausing in the hall long enough to see their lips crash together before going to class. When it had spilled out that I was still thinking these thoughts, Gokudera had shrugged. "It'll slip away naturally, I promise." He assured me. "I did the same thing for a while before I had noticed you completely."

Nevertheless, I had had little contact with Kyoko since, almost subconsciously blaming her for taking away my love despite knowing it obviously wasn't true. So why was I still sneaking around her house?

"Haru!"

I froze in my quiet tracks, slightly jumping out of my skin for a moment before turning around to face the sweet-sounding voice that emerged from Kyoko's lighted bedroom. The light flooded the dark hallway, illuminating her fancy sweat outfit and the light shining off the cell phone in her hands. I swallowed back the lump in my throat when I saw the backlight still on and something sounding like Tsuna's voice on the other end. "…Kyo…ko…"

"Are you leaving already?" She asked quickly, like she had been running a mile. Her face was flushed with excitement and delight. "I was hoping you and I could spend some time together, if that's okay I mean," She murmured, sounding incredibly hopeful.

"A-Actually, I need to get home—"I mumbled feebly.

"Please?" She begged, pulling out her signature puppy dog eyes that I could never refuse in my lifetime. I found myself nodding and she brightened.

She brusquely pulled the contraption up to her ears and whispered fiercely, "Sorry Tsu, can I call you back later?"

My heart did a leap in my chest as she nodded and whispered something like 'I love you too' before flipping the device shut and turning back to me. She held out her hand, and ushered me inside her pink bedroom.

She told me she would quickly grab some tea and be right back, shutting the door softly behind her. I ran my fingers through the soft carpet, remembering many good times in this bedroom together. Long sleepovers, late night study dates, and many giggles and secrets shared under the scary glow of an old flashlight that was housed in the table drawer beside her four poster bed.

It was also the same room that Kyoko blurted out that she was going to tell Tsuna she loved him.

I was just cleaning up some cookies from the bakery when I stopped short in the midst of picking up some butter cookie crumbs. "…Wh-what?" I had sputtered, trying not to let the panic seep into my voice.

"I know…" She had said in response, pink staining her embarrassed face. "I mean, I had known forever that Tsuna liked me. But…it wasn't until some months back that I started thinking he was…looking incredibly handsome. He made these faces that…well, if you saw them, you'd just know that he could say anything and you would believe in him. When he said he would protect me, I believed in him without a second thought because I made the mistake of staring into his eyes." She had giggled softly as her eyes slowly slipped into a memory I couldn't reach. She loved him. She really loved him.

She had chuckled again and rubbed her arms comfortingly on her arms. "I'm slightly worried he's fallen for someone else though. I hope he hasn't made any crushes since the last time." She admitted.

I knew it had meant some courage for her to come out and tell me it, but I still couldn't help but resent her words. Who had loved Tsuna longer? If I couldn't have him, then certainly not Kyoko who was only thinking of her feelings now.

In that frenzied moment, I wanted to kill her. I suddenly understood why girls got into fights over boys. I imagined myself tearing her pretty hair from her scalp and raking my fingernails against her pale cheeks until they stained crimson.

The moment I thought these crazy thoughts however, they died away as quickly as they came. But now I felt sickened to my stomach for more than just one reason. I stood up and made the excuse that my mom wanted me home early to help with dinner and took off. I cried for two hours afterward for my pathetic thoughts and my uncharacteristic jealousy. What was wrong with me?

The next day, I resolved myself. I called Tsuna to the roof, and made my offensive maneuver. Maybe if I got to Tsuna before Kyoko then she would have nothing left. I had it planned already, simply waiting for the right time to come forward with my desires for over two months so it was simple enough to do.

Despite that, the words stuck in my throat and my head was swirling with the snarls I had thrown at my dad as I watched him leave, Kyoko's smiling face as she talked about him, my mother's brokenhearted stare as my dad refused to accept her plea to stay. I just wanted one thing in my life to go right, and it was all hinging on Tsuna's response.

I finally managed to spit the words out, and the air was thick with a tense feeling afterward. I watched Tsuna's mouth open and close several times within the span of apparently four minutes but what felt like forty years to me. Finally, he smiled forlornly and stared at me with pity-filled auburn eyes.

"…Oh Haru…I'm really…very sorry. I wish I could accept your feelings but…I'm afraid I can't. Believe me; never in my wildest years would I ever expect a girl to confess to me, period. But the thing is…I'm in love with someone else..."

My heart froze at this statement. But before I could utter another word, he went on.

"She's…strong and compassionate like you. But, there's just something about her that makes me incredibly happy. I mean, not to say that you don't of course, but…" He trailed off, his eyes growing distant on the windy rooftop. I was startled to see true love radiating in his eyes. "…but she makes me want to be better. You accepted me when I was invisible and I appreciate that," He smiled that reached deep into his eyes. "…But I want to be stronger. And she gives me the courage to do so every day."

He had slowly walked up to me, putting his warm hand on my head in comfort. "Thank you for loving me Haru. I couldn't have done it without you."

Kyoko poured the tea in front of me keeping her face blank, devoid of any of the previous excitement she had showed earlier. I sat for a long, tense moment just staring into my cup watching the tea leaves dance around the rim. Finally, I decided to cut the silence.

"…Um, Kyoko…"

"I wanted to congratulate you." Kyoko flushed pink, staring at me directly with a determined look on her face.

I resisted the urge to squeal in delight like I normally did whenever she made that face and coughed it away. "What, what'd you say?"

"You and Gokudera dating." She responded slowly. "I meant to congratulate earlier, but I never got that chance. I think I kept missing you somehow."

No. The truth was I avoiding her.

She smiled warmly. "I've missed having you around. It's hard to talk the girl talk with anyone else." She admitted, giggling softly.

"O-Oh?"

Suddenly, her smile melted and disappeared in a flash after my cautious response. "Um, Haru…" She fidgeted with something in her lap before lifting her head up nervously and peering up at me through honey brown bangs. "…Did I do something to upset you? I'm incredibly sorry if I did!"

"Wh-what?" I jumped in surprise.

She went on. "You've been different ever since I started dating Tsuna. He told me not to worry, that it wasn't my fault, but I can't help thinking it is! Please, tell me if I'm wrong or not! Please say I am!"

I was taken aback. "N-No it's—"

"Did I say something? Did I hurt you somehow? Did Tsuna?"

"N-No, I—"

"Please Haru!" She launched from across the table, grabbing my hands clasped tight around my teacup through her frenzied speech. "I want us to be friends! Please tell me I haven't lost my best friend because of something stupid I did without thinking!"

This was so Kyoko. So concerned with what others thought that she gave little attention and concern for herself, even when she so obviously deserved it. I suddenly saw why Tsuna fell in love with her.

"…she gives me the courage to do so every day…"

All my anger and resentment melted away as Tsuna's words floated back to the top of my memory. I understood what he meant, and just what he saw in Kyoko. Now I got it. Kyoko was a much better person than I was, and now I realized I had some major growing up to do.

I felt like a million weights had been lifted off my shoulders, like the night Gokudera and I agreed to go out. I had clutched my clothes that smelled so much like him to my nose and went to sleep dreaming of the tender kiss on my palm. I smiled wistfully. He had become my Kyoko.

I was brought back to reality upon the realization that Kyoko was still watching my face, waiting for her answer. I smiled down at her and released my hold on the teacup to cup her hands completely. "…No. No, you didn't."

Kyoko's visage lit up at my words, relief spreading. "Really?"

I felt my head nodding as the words slipped slowly out of my mouth. "It was…so stupid of me. I was angry at you for following your heart. I thought that you were stealing the love of my life," I chuckled lowly and smiled at my friend with the warmest grin I could manage. "And then, I realized you had found yours." I finished, suddenly proud of myself.

Kyoko smiled and clenched her hand still trapped in mine comfortingly. "I never, ever meant to take Tsuna from you…I would never hurt you like that on purpose…you know that right?"

"I do. Now anyway." I sighed. "Can you forgive a selfish girl like me?"

Kyoko giggled. "If Gokudera can somehow manage to love a selfish girl like you, I think I can too." She teased, making my face redden immediately.

I hid myself behind my fingers. "Oh stop it!" I giggled.

"How in the world did that happen anyway?"

I peeked out from one bent finger. "…You really wanna know?" I taunted, gaining the upper hand.

"Tell me, tell me!" She launched herself forward, positioning herself directly in front of me as I proceeded to tell her the story that had ran through my head for months on loop that had us collapsing on the ground in an eruption of giggles and squeals.

Before I knew it, it was hours past my curfew and I ran down the concrete walk in the pitch dark to get home before my mother. My heart felt lighter than it had in weeks and it suddenly felt like everything was going right with my life. All thoughts of previous experiences flew out the window and I felt content.

Granted, there had been bumps through the path even one today, I realized as I slowed to a light skip. Yamada Aiko was troublesome, and she certainly wasn't going to give up any prey of hers just yet, but I no longer cared. My face erupted into a smile as my thoughts traveled to Gokudera again, as though he were keeping me company even in the dark.

Forget what anyone else said. Gokudera was someone I could trust in, I was certain.

I pushed the wooden door open, squeaking it closed when I realized with a huff that my mother had already arrived. Her black sneakers had been tossed haphazardly onto the ground with mud spilling off the sides along with a trail of wet socks leading a path down the hall.

Dread coiled in my stomach, suddenly understanding the gravity of the situation. Quietly, I grabbed a towel and dabbed away the mess on the shiny leather and placed them neatly up against my shoes and bag. Then, in socked feet, I swept up the tossed socks with one hand before making the trek into the family room.

I could smell chocolate cake even from the end of the hallway, making my fear swirl more restlessly in my abdomen. There were only two reasons in the world a woman my mother's age would pull out a German chocolate cake mix out from the bare pantry. One, her adulterous husband left her for a woman half her age (Check) and two, she was fired from her job.

Sure enough, my mother was twirling around a long silver fork in a three layer chocolate cake absently, biting it now and then. Every bite added to her growing chocolate beard and I could almost see every skin blemish bound to appear in the morning popping up already. I almost didn't notice her muddy waitress uniform, torn in various places and the large red mark spreading across her cheek that made her wince with every chew.

I grabbed the ice pack sitting forlornly on the countertop beside her, dabbing it at her mark. She waved me off. The fork lifted a large piece of cake and icing from the plate, landing right in front of my face. "Want some?" My mother's tired voice asked, attempting a smile coming off as a before picture of straggled, crooked teeth destined for braces.

"No thanks." I wrinkled my nose. She shrugged uncaringly and stuck the brown mess in her mouth anyway. I grabbed a napkin. "What happened?" I asked astounded, swiping it around the corners of her mouth.

She swallowed and burped, making me cringe for a moment. "What else?" She asked wistfully, twirling the fork around in her fingers. "Some punk wanted something more than just the sake from me, I didn't let him, he pushes me down in the mud and smacks me, and I get fired for kicking him back. Funny old world, huh?" She sighed, brandishing her weapon at me playfully. "Well, where were we tonight huh?"

"I was at Kyoko's," I answered instantly. "Dropping off my yukata for Chrome to wear on Sunday."

My mom frowned, actually dropping her fork on the plate. "But I thought you were going. You were going to go with your friends, right?"

"Yeah, I'm still going."

"Then what are you going to wear?"

I shrugged. "I guess just some normal clothes. It's not that big of a deal."

Mom stood up then, brushed her lip off with her muddy forearm. "It's tradition!" She said sternly. "And I'm not going to have my daughter leave the house unless she outshines all of the other girls in her yukata."

I tried not to laugh at the brown mess still lingering at her chin. "M-mom, I don't need to outshine the other girls." I argued lamely, knowing it was a losing battle with her. "Half the girls don't wear yukatas anyway, so it's not that big of a deal."

"It is to me." She waved her arm at me, lifting a dying brown plant off the ornate chest she hid in the dining room. I begrudgingly walked over, careening my head to look over her shoulder. She unlocked the heavy rusted bolt and pulled it open. She lifted out a package of silvery white tissue paper wrapped in a neat pink bow and let the top slam shut.

Mom walked over to the kitchen table and began untying the knot eagerly. "I wore this when I was your age," She told me eagerly as the first layer of tissue came off. "It was my first time at the festival. Your grandparents weren't able to hold down a steady job for long, so we never stayed in one area for an extended period of time.

"I knew no one in the town and my homeroom teacher had helped me pick this out because my mother was always too busy working. Still, I walked around and I found the goldfish scooping." She looked up and grinned at me as another layer of silver was unwrapped. "You can better bet I outfished all the other girls there.

"Your father was manning the booth, and he was giving me directions under his breath." Mom giggled. "His boss told him to leave and he offered to walk around the festival with me. I was so happy to have someone keep me company that I instantly agreed." Her eyes trailed over the last sheet of paper and I knew I could see some traces of gold peeking out from the opaque paper. "…He told me that he thought goldfish suited me." Her fingers slowly ran over the paper as she slowly unfurled it. "…I think it'll suit you too."

It was rose pink. The kind of shade that I always thought was too bright enough to be considered pretty but made me think it would be beautiful on a model. My fingers reached out and began tracing tiny goldfish dunking their heads into golden seas adorning the sleeves and neckline. The obi was a beautiful shade of goldenrod that I knew would look beautiful on my mother with pink rose petals dancing along the trim.

My finger trailed along a bright red eyeball. "…Mom…it's so…beautiful."

She beamed, clasping her hand with mine. "So you'll wear it?"

"Of course!" I launched against her, ignoring the smell of mud and chocolate and smoke covering her neck. I shared even a secret smile...because Gokudera was definitely going to love me in pink.

Later that night, I cursed myself for even thinking of the man and his home-wrecker that I swore was never going to darken my thoughts again.