High School Sweethearts
Written by:
13ISMYNUMBER
Chapter 32
Ensnared
"Loving you is like breathing. I would rather die than lose you again."
Misaki Harada
She stirred, eyes closed, slow and heavy breathing. She felt a hand move a strand of hair from her face.
She didn't want to open her eyes, she was somewhere between dreaming and reality. Somehow, ever since she came back from Rome all that ever happened to her was a quick bite of reality in the butt. She thought that sleeping was her only escape from it.
So she shut her eyes tightly, forcing herself to dream…to forget where she is.
'Oh shit, where the hell really am I?' She shouted inside her head.
Forcing her eyes open and shooting up, she felt someone get out of bed from her side. She snapped her head from the direction.
Chucks, jeans, a white loose shirt, and a face.
Tsubasa Andou was standing there, hands in his pockets, looking at her stoically. She blinked, thinking of what had happened.
'I was at home, woke up, went down, sat down on the stairs…opens the door…and…and…Uh shit, I've been kidnapped.' She thought as she rolled her eyes.
She pushed herself off the bed and start heading for the door when Tsubasa blocked her way, hands still in his pockets, and said, "Where do you think you're going?"
"Away from here, from you." Misaki bit back bitterly. She pushed Tsubasa aside with all her strength and walked out the door as fast as she could.
Only to be greeted by, white and blue. Everything was white on where she was, and on where she's staring at, blue that goes endless.
'Oh fuck, I'm in the middle of the ocean.'
"You were saying something?" Tsubasa said. Without turning around, Misaki knew that Tsubasa was probably smirking at her.
High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number
Anna sat down on the couch. Kitsuname had decided to meet up with the girls at Sumire's house for the sake of Anna having a nice reunion with them.
Kitsuname, who was behind the couch, bent down next to Anna, he kissed her cheek and whispered to her ear, "You go have fun with your cousins, I'll be back to pick you up in two hours. Okay?"
Anna looked at him and kissed him on the lips, cupping his face and said, "Thank you."
Kitsuname straightened up and smiled at her. "You're welcome."
Anna watched him as he headed for the door and shouted, "I love you."
Kitsuname turned around, walking backwards, waving. "I love you more. Have fun."
And then he was out of the house.
"Maybe, Koko and I should get married too." Sumire thought aloud.
Everyone stared at her, as Anna giggled. She said, "S, marriage isn't some ride to L.A. It's something far more complicated than that."
"Oh really now, sister?" Nonoko raised a brow at her with a smirk and continued, "So I left for four years, stayed in New York, and now when I get back not only are you getting married but you're talking as if you've got love figured out."
"Is that bitterness I sense, Nonoko?" Hotaru intervened.
Nonoko crossed her arms in front of her chest and said, "No."
Anna rolled her eyes and giggled again. "Look, it's not that I got love figured out, it's just that somehow, it's been kind to me and you gotta give it some credit for that."
A few seconds of silence and Mikan cleared her throat. "So, wedding. This Saturday, are you excited?" Mikan said with a smile.
"Oh you guys, you don't know how happy I am. I mean, we figured life together and now," She paused with a dreamy look on her face, "we're getting married. His family loves me, and my family loves him too, well, except for grandmamma but she likes him. I mean, she made it clear when she decided to let me be with him."
Mikan pursed her lips together and said, "You're lucky you know…I mean one of the luckiest people on earth. It's very rare to, you know; find true love and well…"
"Be with them." Nonoko finished for Mikan. Anna looked at her sister and her cousin with sad eyes. She said, "You did, you found it too."
"Yeah, and they kept tossing it out the window." Sumire said uninterested and not looking at them.
"S." Hotaru said warningly.
"What? I'm just saying." Sumire said looking at Hotaru, who gave her a meaningful look. "Okay, okay, I got it. We already talked about this. You guys," she pointed at Nonoko and Mikan, "just…just…what's the right term again? Uh…right, 'We love them, yes. But sometimes, we just run out of reasons to fight for what we feel' or something like that, right, Mimi?"
Mikan gave Sumire a playful glare and said, "Yes, S. That's exactly what I said."
"While you, N, said, uhm…along the lines of…uhm…'If they broke our hearts a long time ago, what makes us think they won't do it again?' yup, that's it, that's what you said." Sumire quoted playfully as if she was reading a line from a script. "You know what, the both of you; you should go produce and direct a very, very, very sad movie. Because, baby doll, it would be a hit."
"Are you mocking us?" Nonoko said irritated. "I mean, it's like you never listened to what we said. We talked about this, it's over for us."
"Oh, I listed, didn't you just hear me repeat what you guys said?" Sumire said in a challenging manner.
"Okay, okay, break it up, you two." Anna said standing up. She stood in front of Sumire and Nonoko and said, "My wedding's coming up where in all of you would be maids-of-honor so show some honor and well, be civil and be nice to each other."
"I am nice…Anna, you know I am nice. I'm like a little angel," Sumire said drawing a halo on top of her head on air.
Nonoko rolled her eyes, gave an irritating huff and glared at Sumire.
"What?" Sumire said. She glared back and said, "Oh you know what, Ms. I'm-all-professional-and-grown-up, go get yourself a love life."
"Okay, that's it!" Nonoko said as she charged on Sumire. Mikan held Nonoko back but her hands could still reach Sumire, who was fighting back. Anna was trying to stop them in the middle and Hotaru…
"Okay, SHUT UP!" Hotaru shouted. Everyone looked at her, "You're all acting far worse than Misaki when she found out about Kendra."
Anna sat down between Nonoko and Sumire and said, "Oh, by the way, where is she?"
High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number
"Oh, wow, dinner under the stars, how romantic." Misaki said with sarcasm and venom in her voice. Tsubasa just chuckled and said, "You don't like it?"
"Oh, I like it alright. It's the person I'm having dinner with that I don't." Misaki bit back. She glared at him and he stared at her. After a few seconds, he gave her a smile.
"Don't do that." Misaki whispered as she stared back on her plate with untouched food.
"Why?" Tsubasa said as his smiled widened. Misaki looked up at him and back on her plate. "Am I finally getting through you?"
"No, you're making me want to puke." Misaki said as she stood up and walked a few feet away from where they were having dinner.
A few hours ago, Misaki realized that she was in a private yatch in a private island. So practically, she was in Andou territory, meaning if she walks out, which won't get her far since she's in the middle of the ocean; she'd still be caught by Tsubasa.
Tsubasa stood up from where he was seated and followed Misaki. Her back was at him, and he was just a foot away from her.
"Look, Misaki…" Tsubasa started.
"No, you look. Because I'm tired of looking." Misaki said as she turned tears in her eyes. "What do you want from me? You have Kendra already, what else could you, an insatiable sadistic bastard, want from me?"
"Woah. Wait, what do you mean I have Kendra?" Tsubasa said as his brows knitted together.
"You were with her in my house, remember?" Misaki said with a raised brow.
Tsubasa chuckled and said, "Oh that. I was, there was…look, Kendra and I are just friends. Or at least, for me she's just a friend, I think she still hates me for what I did."
"Well, she'll be pretty dumb if she forgives you easily." Kendra remarked.
"Anyway," Tsubasa said continuing what he was about to say awhile ago, "you got it all wrong, I was at your home, trying to ask Kendra if she has any news on you, which she didn't have."
Misaki turned her back at Tsubasa and continued to walk until the edge of the deck; she stared at the endless ocean. Tsubasa followed her.
He got near her, but didn't touch. "You probably hate me for all of this, but I don't really know how I could—" He was cut off.
"No, don't. Please, just don't talk." Misaki closed her eyes shut and forced them open again. She turned around to see Tsubasa just inches away from her face. She said, "Because if you do, you're just gonna confuse me more and that's just gonna add up to the long list of questions I have for four years now."
Tsubasa looked away from her. He stepped a few steps back and his eyes fell back on her again.
"If you love, or even care for me even just a little bit, you would stop this and take me home now." Misaki pleaded.
"I can't, I've worked too hard to get you where I want you and letting you go just like that would be stupid of me." Tsubasa whispered back to her.
Misaki took a deep breath and looked at him. The emotion on her eyes could not be read. "Then I'll just swim home."
And before Tsubasa could register what Misaki said, she already jumped over the deck and onto the ocean. Tsubasa ran to the edge and searched her with his eyes.
Tsubasa dove after her.
High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number
Kitsuname came after two hours to pick Anna up. But he wasn't alone.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Nonoko said to the man standing ten feet from her.
Sumire laughed and said, "Wow, first time I heard you curse."
"Oh shut it, S." Nonoko said, surely pissed.
"I think it's better if we leave—" Mikan started but was cut off when Nonoko stood up and said, "Oh no, you can stay, I'm going."
Nonoko headed for the door. She waved at her driver to come over with the car but someone grabbed her from behind.
"Nonoko, look." Yuu started when Nonoko turned but was greeted with a slap.
"That's for grabbing me." Nonoko said.
Another slap.
"That's for coming back into my life thinking you could just win me back."
Another slap.
"And that's, that's for… never giving my heart back to me."
Nonoko's tears fell from her eyes. The car stopped, and Nonoko turned around. She headed for her car and opened it. She looked behind her to see Yuu's hand on his cheek where she slapped him.
She left him. Again.
High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number
Tsubasa pulled her back on the deck. They were both wet and tired. Misaki coughed as Tsubasa pushed himself up. Misaki was still in a daze when she felt herself being lifted up.
Tsubasa was about to enter the room when Misaki said, "Just take me home, please."
Tsubasa placed her down. Misaki leaned on the wall and when she looked up, Tsubasa was already positioning his hands beside her head. She was trapped by his form and the wall behind her.
"Look, fine, tell me what you want to say. I just want to go home and forget all of this." Misaki pleaded once more.
Tsubasa was silent.
"What do you want? Come on, tell me. Talk now!" Misaki shouted at him. He leaned his face in front of her. She could feel his breath on her lips.
"You said, no talking." Tsubasa whispered.
He captured her lips.
Misaki's eyes were wide open. She felt him bite onto her lower lip and she opened her mouth, letting his tongue enter. She was in a daze from the swim and now she was fucked up confused. What does he mean with this?
His hands slid down from the wall and a hand came around her waist, pulling her to him. He explored her mouth and she stood there, motionless. His other hand came up tracing her spine and up behind her neck, pushing her head towards him too.
Tsubasa pulled away and looked at her. "You better start responding, because if you don't I could make you seem like you disappeared all of a sudden in this world. I could keep you here with me forever."
Misaki swallowed hard and licked her lips. Salty. She looked up at him. He leaned down again to capture her lips. And this time, she responded.
His hands slid down to her thighs, lifting her right leg up and wrapping it around his hips. He did the same to the left leg. He was now carrying her with the wall's support. His lips, sometimes leaving her lips, kissed down her jaw and neck, and then back on her lips again.
She was…enjoying it. She loved the feeling of…being loved. It was as if, everything that was happening now was just out of pure love and not out of pure must because if she didn't she would just suddenly disappear…with him…forever. But for one moment, she could let herself say that maybe; he didn't need to threaten her because maybe, that's why she didn't want to be alone with him.
She knew this was gonna happen.
He pushed her off of the wall and carried her inside the room. He pushed her down on the bed, her legs still intertwined in his hips, making him on top of her. He pulled his lips away from her and whispered, "Let's forget…forget about what happened four years ago and act on emotion."
Misaki nodded her head. Stopping herself from smiling.
"Do you want this?" Tsubasa whispered in her ear. She smiled and whispered back, "Yes."
They began to kiss again…
But one kiss led to another…
And another…
And so much more.
High School Sweethearts by 13 is my number
Misaki forced her eyes open. Here she was again, same place, same spot as yesterday…the only difference was it was a different time. She woke up yesterday at around two hours after noon. And now, she woke up early in the morning.
Her elbow propped her up and she was looking around…
She missed one little difference…right there beside her was Tsubasa Andou, sleeping soundly an arm wrapped around her. She lay back down and stared at his face. He was peaceful.
Tracing his lips, eyes and nose, careful not to wake him up, she remembered last night events. It all became clear to her…of course, they had sex. No, she didn't think it would end up like this. She thought it would stop in kissing and touching but not this.
She stared at him. She smiled. He stirred quietly in his sleep, his arm around her tightening his grip.
What was she going to say to him when he woke up? Of course, walking out now was out of the option. Hello, they were in the middle of the sea! His sea, nevertheless.
But if there was one thing she would've felt thankful for when they were having sex it would've probably be the fact that, they stopped talking and thinking. Everything that had happened was out of pure emotion.
She tried to reach for anything to cover her up. Her hand landed on a cloth and she pulled it up for her to see. It was his shirt. Oh, damn. She tried another and her hand landed on her underwear, another try was her bra.
She thought that maybe this could probably work for her already.
Pushing Tsubasa's hand silently and slowly, she placed her bra and underwear on. Next was covering herself his shirt. By the time she was done, Tsubasa has pushed himself up from the bed and he too was looking for his boxers.
Misaki's back was turned to him as he placed his boxers back on. By the time Misaki heard him he said, "Don't say I raped you. You can't rape the willing."
Misaki laughed and looked up at him and said, "Yeah, got that."
She stood up from the bed and started tying her hair back from her face. "You look good in my shirt." Tsubasa commented.
He made his way towards her and Misaki just waited for him.
"Can we talk now?" Tsubasa asked in a serious tone. Misaki nodded her head.
"About what happened last night…" Misaki started.
"I won't believe you if you said, it was nothing. That was nothing. I saw it in your eyes, I felt it in your body." Tsubasa said sternly. Misaki looked away but a hand brought her face back to look up at him.
"I just…I just have so many questions." Misaki said as she pushed his hand away from her face.
Tsubasa pushed a button behind her and said, "Let's talk about it in breakfast."
Misaki sat back down on the bed and said, "Can we start now?"
Tsubasa nodded and sat back down with her.
"Why didn't you go after me, if you still love me?" Misaki said, looking out the small window and into the ocean.
Tsubasa ran a hand through his hair and said, "I guess, you could say that among all of us, Koko's the only one who has a backbone."
Misaki huffed and glared at Tsubasa. "So, you were scared?"
"Why, weren't you? Isn't that why you left, why you avoided me when you came back?" Tsubasa countered back at her.
Misaki stood up and woke towards the window and said, "Yes, I was. I was scared shitless." She turned around to look at him. "How did you know it was me and not Kendra whom you love?"
Tsubasa stood up and went over to her. He held her hands in his. "When you walked away and it was you whom I wanted and not her." He replied with a small smile. "Anymore questions?"
"Was I really just a rebound?" Misaki said with sad eyes. Tsubasa avoided her eyes.
"Ruka talked to me about it. He said, you can never replace Kendra. He was right…but I never listened. At first, maybe that's what really drawn me into you but then I started seeing your difference from her." Tsubasa replied in a murmur.
Misaki cupped his face in her hands and made him look at her. She said with a smile, "Like?"
"Like how much you hated me, Kendra loved me, always cared for me. Also, how much wilder and aggressive you are, Kendra's not like that. She's always nice to the people around her, and she does not get drunk with a guy. Or she doesn't just get drunk. Period." Tsubasa said, his straight lined lips formed into a smirk as he said the last part. He remembered the night when Misaki got drunk in front of him.
Misaki playfully glared at him. She then smiled. "So, what are we now?"
"You're mine, I'm yours." Tsubasa answered. Misaki gave her a questioningly look. And he continued saying, "I'm your boyfriend."
Tsubasa's hand went dropped her hands. Both hands wrapped around her waist to bring her closer to him. "Only question is, how would I know you won't runaway again?"
Misaki's eyes widened in realization. "Oh shit. I'll be going back to Rome after two weeks. Fuck. How could I forget? I mean, that's exactly what I said to myself, 'We can't work out because I'm leaving again.'"
"Then don't go." Tsubasa said and then his lips found its way back to her neck. He was kissing her.
"I can't." Misaki said pushing Tsubasa away from her neck to face her. "I have school. I'm still in college, you moron. I stopped for a year."
Tsubasa rolled his eyes and said, "Then continue it here."
Misaki pushed him away fully this time. "Oh no, no, no. I like Rome, and I want to finish it there. Its either you wait for me, or you come with me."
"Okay." Tsubasa said with a small smile. Their food arrived and Tsubasa sat down in front of the food. Misaki followed him. She stood in front of him, arms crossed.
"What 'okay'? What do you mean 'okay'?" Misaki said.
Tsubasa looked up at her and said after taking a bite of bread, "Okay means okay."
"Of course, I know what okay means. But it doesn't answer my question." Misaki said frustrated.
"You didn't have a question." Tsubasa said as he continued buttering his bread. Misaki sat down with a huff and glared at him.
"Okay, then here's my question. Will you just wait for me or come with me to Rome?" Misaki said looking at him hopefully. Tsubasa placed bread on her table and poured some juice on her glass.
Misaki waited, watching him carefully.
Tsubasa licked his lips and heaved a sigh. He then finally said, "Here's a question for you. If I go with you, what will I do?"
"Wait for me to get back? Oh, I don't know. Go diving or something." Misaki said irritated by the question.
"Exactly. I will wait. So what's the difference of waiting for you here in Japan and there in Rome?" Tsubasa said.
"I don't know, maybe the fact that if you're there, you get to see me every single day."
"True. But then, I waited for you for four years, kidnapped you and had sex with you only to get you back." Tsubasa pointed out.
"Your point?" Misaki said with a raised brow.
"My point is I waited for you for that long, what makes you think I can't wait here again for another one year?" Tsubasa said with a smile.
"I didn't say you can't wait here. I gave you two options." Misaki said more annoyed this time.
"Yes, but you also made it clear you wanted me there with you."
"Of course, I want to be with you." Misaki said in a whisper.
Tsubasa took her hand in his and said, "It's not that I don't want to be with you. I just don't want to feel left out and be a nuisance to you. So, I'm staying here, I'm gonna wait for you."
Misaki rolled her eyes and said, "Long distance is soooo not my thing."
Tsubasa chuckled and said, "Oh by the way, if you ever go behind my back, I will kill the guy."
Misaki smacked his hand playfully and said, "Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you? You are the player between the two of us."
"Excuse me, ex-player. I changed my ways in the four years you've been gone." Tsubasa said as he laughed.
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. He then said, "I love you. Don't you ever go away from me again."
Misaki smiled and replied, "I love you too."
They sat there in silence, eating. It wasn't the awkward silence but the 'we're-both-happy' type of silence. After eating, Misaki and Tsubasa were back on the edge of the deck, looking over the sea.
"Are we going home?" Misaki asked Tsubasa, who was hugging her from behind. She felt him nod.
"It's about time we do. Wedding would be tomorrow." Tsubasa whispered.
Misaki turned her head slightly to look at him. She said, "Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that."
Misaki turned back to the sea and smiled.
Silence.
"If I ask you to marry me right now, would you say yes?" Tsubasa suddenly said. Misaki couldn't turn around to see his face.
She sighed. She then smiled and chuckled to her own. She leaned her head back intoTsubasa's shoulder, she felt his breathing.
Breathing…
Living without him, without constantly thinking about him, what life would that be? Empty. Thinking about him, loving him, it's like breathing. It makes you feel alive. If he suddenly disappears from this earth, she would just probably stop breathing and be miserable again, regardless of them getting back together now and them being apart before. Because, she has to admit it, he made her feel alive and she loved it. So, she replied silently but with love, "Loving you is like breathing. I would rather die than lose you again."
I know you probably all want to kill me but hey I am not abandoning my story. I just got caught up with things, you know. SCHOOL. Anyway, its sembreak here for 2 weeks so I decided to put it in the list of things that I would get done in those two weeks of nothing but boredom and projects and homeworks.
Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. It has been a long while since i wrote.
By the way, High School Sweethearts might be coming closer to its end.:)) HAHAHA
Thank you for reading!
PLEASE DO REVIEW.
Stay safe.
13ismynumber