All Thanks To Red Hue

by ToxicSniper210

Red Hue: where we bring color into your love life. Or at least that's what the commercial said. Hikaru knows that he can't have Haruhi, so he gives the website a shot. He meets a woman by the name of Ripley Barrett, who he starts to form a connection with. But when he actually meets her, she's not what he was expecting. Hikaru/OC

20. Survive These Two Weeks In Hell: Part 1

Step #20:

Survive These Two Weeks In Hell: Part 1

...\~/...

October 8th, 8:23 A.M.:

He loved having Ripley in his life. He had a whole list of things he wanted to do with her, like give her a tour of New York City (keeping all rudeness and flirtatious attitudes towards other women out of it this time), let her experience New York-style hot dogs from one of the many stands in Central Park, and introduce her to Amaranth, the same restaurant Syd and Johnny went on their first date. He'd finally be able to do the Post-It Note idea he had wanted to do for so long, something he was sure Ripley would go along with. He'd make sure she stayed warm when they held each other close on the couch while they watched movie after movie, laughing at every funny part they could. He imagined them walking down the sidewalks of Central Park, admiring the way the leaves were beginning to change colors, and just talk like they used to do all the time. This week was the time for him to show her that he was a worthy boyfriend, wanted her to have no doubts about their relationship. Nine whole months he'd known her and he didn't want to screw it up, not like he did before.

Hikaru inhaled slowly, breathing in the numerous scents and aromas of his favorite café. He hadn't been in it for so long, but he was glad that nothing changed. The only thing that was different was the cashier, who was now a nerdy, pimply-faced teenage boy with red-studded braces on his teeth. Everyone around him was either laughing and chatting with friends or busily typing on laptops, trying to get papers done before the deadline. A particular couple sat together on one side of a booth, making out without a care in the world. That kind of thing used to bother him, but he ignored it with a smirk as he took a careful sip from his latte-filled Styrofoam cup. Hikaru diverted his golden eyes from the intimate couple to the drawing he was trying to complete. Professor Caine's assignment to his class was to draw everything important to them in a border of New York's skyline. Inside his skyline border was a collage of everything significant to him: Kaoru, the Host Club, his family, the staff at Alexander's Café, and of course, Ripley.

His phone buzzed on the table and after reading the caller ID, he picked up. "Hey, Kaoru."

"Is she there yet?! Is Ripley there yet?!"

"Aren't you a bit too excited, Kao?"

"Don't I have a right to be, being your brother and all? I'm just...happy that you've found someone..."

Hikaru gave a small smile, "Thanks. I'm just so nervous and excited. I don't want to mess anything up, but I get to spend a whole week with her."

The other side of the line got quiet. Hikaru was about to ask if Kaoru was still there, but then his brother replied in a cheeky tone. "So...Hikaru...you two aren't going to do anything naughty, right?" The dark-haired man flushed at his brother's raspy, suggestive tone, the question he asked not helping in the least. Hikaru squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, the phone slipping from his sweaty hand, clattering to the table. He picked it back up slowly, careful to not drop it again. "Well? I'm not going to get any news about a possible niece or nephew, am I?"

"N-no! Kaoru, how can you even think that?"

"Because we're both warped, you more than me."

"Well, despite what you say, I want this week to be clean and romantic."

"Having se-"

Hikaru quickly hung up on Kaoru before his brother could finish his sentence. His skin felt like it was on fire, his heart racing and palms clammy. Curse his brother for being such a pervert! Hikaru sighed, resting his head in his hand. He and Ripley had only been dating for two weeks, so those kinds of thoughts hadn't even crept into his brain yet. They were still in the stage where calling each other 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' was weird and every time he opened up Facebook, he would be surprised at how many likes he had on his 'from single to in a relationship with Ripley Barrett' status. It was even weirder having girls from Ouran congratulate him and ask about Ripley. And then of course the Demonic Brothers had commented, saying things like 'If only there was a dislike button...' and 'Hey, Hikaru, can you join our 'Hikaru Hitachiin Hate Club' page? So far, we have six people- us, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Ghandi, and Death the Kid.'

His phone vibrated again, this time a text from Tara:

Your apartment is atrocious! Did you really expect to bring a lady in here?

...\~/...

"Tara-senpai, you didn't have to come down and help. I was planning on doing all this myself later."

"Define 'later'? She could be here any minute. What? Did you want her to admire your glorious mountain of dishes?"

"How did you know?" Hikaru gasped out dramatically, clutching at his chest. "I wanted Ripley to see the mountain I created and you're ruining it."

"Sue me." Tara spat, drying off a dish as she turned to glare at him.

Hikaru sat at the island table, head tilted to one side. There was something different about his senpai, but he couldn't quite figure out what. She looked the same as she always did- long, blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, her side-swept bangs falling into her vivid blue-green eyes; the dark circles she had had since the first day they met were still prominent on her fair skin. Tara was still tall, still cranky, and still foul-mouthed. Hikaru rested his cheek in his hand, staring at the woman before him. It'd been a long time since he and Tara had been alone in a room, left to talk just face to face without anybody interfering. The man's eyes flicked to the kitchen door, half expecting for a certain ex-vice president to come waltzing in, but the door remained closed. That's what was different: Kyoya wasn't with her. For the six years they'd been together, Hikaru couldn't remember the last time he'd seen them separated. They were the kind of couple Hikaru aspired to be, he didn't want to flaunt his relationship around, rubbing it into peoples' faces. But still, Tara seemed on edge about something.

"Tara-senpai, where's Kyoya-senpai?"

The dish she'd been drying slipped out of her hands and onto the floor, shattering into numerous, little shards. "You dumbass, look at what you made me do..." she hissed, hurrying to get the broom and dustpan. Her reaction to the question answered one thing; it had something to do with Kyoya. Hikaru noticed a faint blush on Tara's cheeks as she swept the shards into the pan, her eyebrows furrowed deeply, looking like she was deep in thought about something. Now what happened between the two, Hikaru had to wonder.

"He's still in Boston. He...had some work to get done and told me to go on ahead."

"Are you lying to me, senpai?"

"Hikaru, never in my life have I told a lie. Why would I start now?"

"But you seem kind of...off today. It does have something to do with Kyoya-senpai, right?"

He watched as Tara dropped the broom and came over to the table, plopping onto one of the stools. She folded her hands and set them in front of her mouth, diverting her gaze towards the window and away from the man across from her. She moved her hands down to open her mouth, looking like she was about to say something, but closed it, a dissatisfied groan escaping her. "Tara...?"

"Kyoya and I went to Japan a couple weeks ago to visit his family and still, after six years of trying to impress his family, his sister is still the only one that likes me!" she exclaimed, banging her fists against the table. "I just...I just don't know what to do and it's driving me insane! I want Kyoya to have someone that his family can accept and actually like so he won't be so concerned about getting his dad's approval! What if I'm holding him back? What if his dad has another woman in mind for Kyoya and he's waiting to break the news to Kyoya? What if-!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Tara-senpai, wait!" Hikaru shouted, holding out his hands to quiet her. "First of all, Kyoya-senpai wants his father's approval based on his work ethic, not who he's with! And since when have you ever cared about impressing his family? Never once have I heard you say anything about them."

Tara sighed, her hands shaking a bit as she wrung them nervously. "His dad introduced him to another woman."

"WHAT?!"

"Yep," Tara replied, her manicured nails digging into the top of her hand. "He did it right in front of me too. Kanayo Yamamoto, that's what her name was, and the daughter of a healthcare tycoon, just like Kyoya's father. She was..." Tara exhaled a shaky breath. "God, she was gorgeous, just the kind of woman you'd expect Yoshio Ootori to have his sons paired up with."

"But you're beautiful, too!" Hikaru exclaimed, leaning forward suddenly. "I can't think of anyone perfect for Kyoya, but you! He loves you."

Tara went quiet, but then, "Hikaru, you'll be the only one outside of Kyoya, his family, and I that will know this, and you can't tell anyone."

Hikaru arched an eyebrow, "Wha-?"

"I'm infertile."

It was like the whole world shattered for a moment. Here was Tara Alexander, the eldest of Nathan Alexander's seven daughters, a woman who was family-oriented and that used to care about nothing but her family. He remembered all the times she would talk about wanting a big family once she got married (if she ever found someone brave enough to marry her), wanting sons and daughters of her own. The Host Club used to talk about what Kyoya and Tara's kids would be like in the future, their kids being geniuses, awesome cooks, and short-tempered like their mother and demonic tendencies like their father. But now here was Tara, basically confessing to him that she couldn't complete those dreams of having a house full of little Tara's and Kyoya's (though the thought of that was rather disconcerting).

"What did Kyoya say?"

Tara shook her head, taking a deep, audible breath. "He didn't say anything. His father sure did, though."

"Of course he did. What'd that bastard say?"

"He said Kyoya should marry someone who could produce a suitable heir, so the Ootori name could continue. The next day, he introduced Kyoya to that woman."

"Tara..."

The blonde gave a sigh, wiping at her eyes. "Well, there's no point in blubbering about it." He watched as the vulnerable Tara returned to her scowling, moody one. "What does your bathroom look like, a cesspit?" she questioned, grabbing an assortment of cleaning supplies from under the sink. "Do you know how to clean a living room, dumbass?"

"Yes I do, thank you very much."

"Then stop sitting there and get going."

...\~/...

"You said you think sweater vests were sexy, right?" Hikaru asked, propping his phone between his shoulder and ear, holding up a red, dark gray and black diamond-patterned vest. Tara had ordered him to do things around the house, like clean the living room, his artist's station, his bedroom, and reorganize the storage closet for no reason. She wanted this place to be spotless and he hated how she forced him to do a majority of the work. After doing all that menial work, he'd gotten filthy, and the moment he got out of the shower, he heard his cell phone go off. It was Ripley, calling to inform him on where she was at.

"Damn right, I do. Word of warning, though, I may not be able to keep my hands off of you when I see you."

Hikaru gave a devious laugh. "And I wouldn't stop you."

"W-well, good! Fine! That's...how am I supposed to respond to that...?"

"You could elaborate on what you would do to me." he purred into the phone. God, what had gotten into him?

"Um...I would, you know...do stuff and then other stuff...a-and, uh, do something else..."

He could only imagine her face turning beet red at this current moment. He was right when he said it would be fun making her blush because it never failed to amuse him. Hikaru found it so cute how Ripley would stutter over the phone when he said something minutely seductive and incredibly adorable when she tried so hard to flirt back, but failed miserably. For some reason, because of their conversation, Kaoru's voice bounced around in his head, the suggestive questions he had asked earlier in the coffee shop echoing inside his mind. Hikaru shook his head of all indecent thoughts, but Ripley's stammering response forced him to reply, "But what kind of stuff, Ripley-chan?"

"S-so, it's almost twelve o'clock," Ripley said, clearing her throat. "Did you just get up or something? Because you're asking me what to wear and-"

"Nope, just got out of the shower. Wearing nothing, not even a towel."

"Oh God..." Ripley squeaked out, "I'm hanging up now! Driving!" Click!

After several moments of standing there and staring at his phone, the realization of what just happened finally sunk in. His eyes grew wide as he brought a hand to his mouth.

"Shit, what the hell just happened?!"

...\~/...

Knock, knock, knock!

Hikaru jumped from the couch, running to the door, only to pause by a mirror and check his appearance. He had to look perfect for her, had to. His hair was styled just the way he wanted it, bangs parted to the right like always. For once, his eyes didn't look dead and there were no dark circles to give him the appearance of being dead tired. Sweater vest over a dress shirt with a pair of dark jeans will hopefully make Ripley's statement about her not being to keep her hands off him come true. Hikaru stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. A whole week alone with Ripley, a whole week dedicated to them with no disturbances. He put on a grin as he opened the door, but it immediately faded when his eyes rested on something unexpected.

"Are you lost?" he asked flatly, the urge to slam the door shut almost too powerful.

In front of him was Erika, Ripley's Asian roommate, staring up at him with puppy-dog eyes, feigning an "innocent" smile.

"You're not who I wanted to see. Good-bye." Hikaru added, moving to close the door, but the Asian girl jumped into his apartment before he could close her out forever. "Get out! Why are you here anyways?! I didn't give you permission to come to my house!" Suddenly, a thought that made him pale entered his mind. If Erika was here, then that meant...

"Renee!" someone (that someone sounding a lot like MJ) shouted out in the hallway, sounding like they were straining to do something. Hikaru groaned loudly, hitting his head repeatedly against the door when Ripley's red-headed friend came through the door, dragging something across the ground. That something...was Renee. The black woman remained sprawled on the floor, panting heavily. "All...those stairs...I'm dead..." Hikaru turned to say something, but the sight of MJ pushing a large luggage bag with Dawn riding on top of it into his apartment stopped him. "What are you-" A dramatic scream came from Renee, the woman stretching her arms above her. "I think...I think I see the light!"

"Shut up, Renee," MJ yelled, panting slightly. "You have nothing to complain about!"

"Yeah," Dawn added, "You made me carry all your bags and you have the most luggage out of all of us!"

"I felt your pain, though," Renee replied, pointing to her heart. "I felt it right here, right in my heart."

MJ looked up at Hikaru, noting his glowering expression. "What are you so pissy for?" she asked, giving him a glare that was equal to his.

"Hmm, oh, I don't know." Hikaru said snidely, his upper lip lifting in disgust. "I'm going to take a guess and assume it has something to do with four pests coming into my apartment uninvited, but still, I don't know."

"Oh, you have roaches? Yeah, you better get those checked out before they get out of control. Oh wait, on second thought, I wouldn't want you to get rid of your only friends." MJ retorted, standing up and crossing her arms. The two were at least a foot apart, grimacing at each other. "A roach among roaches and all that."

"Then they'd love you." Hikaru spat.

"Guys, let's not fight." Erika said, holding her hands up. "Ripley could be here any minute. Do you really want her to walk in on you two fighting?"

Hikaru shifted his eyes away from MJ for a moment, contemplating on whether or not he should stand down. Arguing with his girlfriend's best friend wasn't exactly the smartest thing in the world, but then again, they were being intrusive. Them being here meant that the week that was devoted to just him and Ripley was ruined because he knew for a fact that they'd follow their every step. Judging by MJ's hostility, he already knew she was going to be the biggest pain out of all of them. The other three were going to be easy to befriend; all he had to do was give no reasons for them to doubt him and he had them. Well, Dawn and Erika, at least since Renee seemed to not care. Hikaru looked back over, his eyes locking in with MJ's glare, her lips set into a firm frown. Yep, she'd be a hard one to persuade that he was a worthy enough person for Ripley.

"Where's Ripley?" he asked.

"Not here, obviously." MJ replied.

"No shit, I'm not blind. When she called last time, she mentioned nothing about you four coming."

"That's because she doesn't know we're here!" Dawn piped in, still sitting on the luggage bag. "We're a surprise!"

"A rather unpleasant one..." Hikaru grumbled as he closed to the door. He began to walk to his bedroom where he could pout in peace, but then MJ's voice made him come to an immediate stop, her words beginning to rub his nerves raw. He spun on his heel, his fingers curling into clenched fists, knuckles turning white. Contain your anger, contain your anger, contain your anger... Hikaru thought to himself over and over again. Everything will be alright once Ripley gets here; she'll fix this. Hopefully... That's all he could do: hope. He knew Ripley wouldn't have much of a say in what they did if MJ had it stuck in her mind that she was staying.

"And where do you think you're going?" MJ questioned pointedly.

"To my room. Is there a problem with that?"

"Uh, yeah, we're your guests."

"So?"

"So, how about greeting us properly for starters."

Hikaru's eyes narrowed before he bowed dramatically in front of MJ, "Please, madam, and accept my apology for me being rude. I almost cannot contain my excitement for having the Queen of Bitches inside my humble abode." He couldn't keep back the smirk that was growing on his lips, letting it stay there even when he stood to see the dead-panned expression of the red-head. "Am I forgiven?"

"You're forgiven." MJ said after some thought, but then she added, "But just so you know, I'm the only bitch here. Call anybody else here a bitch and I'll kick your ass."

"Oh no, I was only reserving that title for you, madam."

Dawn and Erika looked between the two with mouths agape. Dawn leaned towards Erika, cupping a hand over her mouth. "I think MJ's met her match." Erika nodded her head in agreement. They watched as MJ sat herself on the couch, shoving Renee's feet out of the way. Dawn and Erika remained on the floor, waiting for Hikaru and MJ's next quarrel, but nothing happened. The dark-haired twin scoffed, walking over to his artist's table, pulling out the art project he had been working on earlier. The four women entertained themselves by talking, thankfully keeping him out of the conversation. Hikaru absent-mindedly ran his ink pen along the border, sighing. The moment Erika had walked in, the other three following suit, he literally felt his week of plans go down the drain. Every little detail he had imagined dissolved the moment he heard their voices. Finally, when things were going good for him, life had to rear its ugly head.

"...to eat?" Dawn asked from her spot on the floor.

"What?" Hikaru turned in his stool, his narrowed gaze settled on Dawn.

"I asked if you had anything to eat."

"No, and don't even think about going into my kitchen."

"Speaking of kitchens, I get his bed tonight." Renee declared.

"What does that have to do with kitchens?" MJ asked, face scrunched up.

"And my room is off limits! No one can go in there." Hikaru spat, his eyes mere slits.

"Why? Are you hiding something in there?" MJ asked, giving him a coy smirk.

Hikaru's shoulders slumped. Couldn't she just accept his rule of not going into his room without interrogating him? His eyes flicked to the clock, wishing Ripley would get here faster. He had to wonder how her roommates arrived in New York City before she did. They couldn't have left before her because that would've led to suspicion on Ripley's part, something they probably didn't want. Maybe if he impressed them enough, they'd all leave early, allowing him to have Ripley all to himself. He wasn't really keen on sharing her this week. Hopefully they'd listen to Ripley if she asked them to give them some alone time. For some reason, he felt like that wouldn't work, especially if MJ had a say in anything. Speaking of MJ, Hikaru noticed the look she was still sending in his direction, waiting for an answer.

"Oh yeah, I really didn't want you guys to find the horde of women I was keeping locked away."

Before MJ could get her comeback out, a loud banging came at the door.

The Roomies gasped in happiness and Hikaru's heart leapt.

She was here...

Ripley was here!

Hikaru started for the door, but MJ hissed, "Better not screw this up, Hika."

...\~/...

"Is something wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

"We have a problem." he replied, stepping aside for her to look in.

Hikaru watched as the smile she had on her face immediately drooped into a frown, sighing dejectedly. She looked just as disappointed as he probably did when he saw the four women too. He had to wonder what she was thinking at the moment, had to wonder if everything she had planned disappeared too. Hikaru stepped back, his hand still on the door when Dawn and Erika bounded from their spots, grabbing Ripley for themselves and hugging her tightly. They didn't even notice how she didn't hug back. No, the short woman didn't look happy at all, she looked mad.

"Ripley, we're so happy to see you!" Erika cried out, holding on to one of Ripley's hands.

"Are you surprised that we're here?!" Dawn questioned excitedly, gripping onto Ripley's other hand.

The woman in question diverted her eyes from the two, looking everywhere but at her roommates.

"I'm going to go get my bags..." she said quietly, pulling her hands from their clutches.

"But Ripley..." Erika whimpered, following her, but when Ripley waved her hand at her, the Asian stopped. She turned to Dawn, "I think she's mad at me..."

Hikaru rolled his eyes, arms crossed. "She's not mad at just you, she's mad at all of you." He looked from the four, noticing how MJ was sitting on the couch patiently waiting for his response. Knowing her, she was probably cooking up several comebacks as he spoke. "She was excited about coming here for week, especially because we would be spending it alone. Did you really expect her to be happy to see you? The first thing that probably entered her head when she saw you guys is 'Shit, our week's ruined'." Hikaru frowned, golden eyes flicking back to Erika when she spoke.

"We were worried that you'd hurt her again..." she said quietly.

Hikaru froze, that terrible feeling of remembrance spreading through him. "...I don't plan on doing that again..." he replied even quieter.

"But how are we supposed to know that?" MJ interjected. "How do we know you won't act like a total douche-bag again? See, we care about Ripley, so we have to make sure she's happy."

"Well, I can make her plenty happy on my own." Hikaru said. "Without your assistance."

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Ripley...

Can you come down here and help me with my bags?

...\~/...

Ripley's back was pressed against the back of her truck when he walked down to help her. The look on her face was unreadable, but he had a feeling that she was feeling both disappointment and anger about her roommates being here in New York. When he approached her, Ripley looked over at him and gave a big smile, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He had to bend down in order for her to do so, his own arms coiling themselves around her waist. Even though he relished in the feeling of having her in his arms, it was still weird to be hugging a woman that was a bit fuller than most. He used to think that holding women like Haruhi was better, but after having Ripley, bigger women gave him more to hold.

Ripley tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let her, his arms wrapped securely around her. She gave a small laugh, returning her arms to his neck, Hikaru's head resting on her shoulder as he peered up at her. "So you're not going to let me go, huh?" she asked, her fingers playing with a lock of his hair.

"Yep, we're going to stay like this for awhile." he answered, tightening his hold on her.

There was a comfortable silence between them and Hikaru hoped to the Heavens that the Roomies wouldn't run down and ruin the moment. He nuzzled her neck, her warmth seeming to seep through his skin and spread throughout his entire body, making him feel relaxed and content. He could feel her scratching his scalp soothingly, the sensation causing him to close his eyes and enjoy the feeling of it. People walked past them and stared for a few moments before looking away, but Hikaru didn't really care what they thought of them. If they knew the crap he'd gone through to get where he was, they'd give him a break.

"Hika, I'm sorry about my roommates coming here. I had no idea they were going to do that. When I left this morning, they were gone, but I thought they had just gone to their classes early." He felt her pull him closer, like she was trying to make him feel her apology. "I was really hoping that we'd be able to spend this week alone…"

"Its okay." he reassured softly. "We'll manage. If I have to, I'll rent another apartment on the other side of the city so they can't find us."

"Um, you should actually do that right now because knowing them, we're never going to get any alone time." Ripley smirked, pulling back just enough to look at him. "You may actually want to rent five other apartments so we can alternate and keep them guessing in case they do find us at one of them." She watched him laugh lightly, his smile brightening his facial features. God, he was handsome…

"We can go to an entirely different state." Hikaru suggested.

"Nope, entire different country. MJ would still sniff us out, even if we moved all the way to Hawaii."

"I don't doubt that for a second…" Hikaru replied, his expression turning straight. After shaking the mental image of MJ smelling the ground in hopes to find their scent, he felt the brown-eyed gaze of Ripley staring right up at him. His golden eyes moved down, boring into hers. "What?" he asked, laughter laced into his voice when he noticed the goofy grin she was giving him.

"I'm just glad to be here with you." she said and he immediately felt a blush creep onto his face. "I've been really looking forward to it, too. To be honest, it's the only thing I've talked about since you left…" she admitted, a blush of her own turning her cheeks a deeper hue.

He didn't know what got in him when he started to lean in, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with the way she looked at him, and the sincerity that she had when he said that to him. And the fact that she started to move too so she could meet him was, for lack of a better word, amazing. Hikaru felt his lips graze hers ever so lightly, the feeling of electricity pulsating through his veins, his mind going fuzzy in an instant. Almost did he push further when a voice shouted behind them, "NO KISSING ALLOWED!"

Hikaru and Ripley pushed away from each other – Ripley wiping her hands against her thighs and Hikaru slipping one into his pocket while the other rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. MJ was standing there at the door, her arms crossed, tapping her foot against the concrete. The other three were nowhere to be seen. The smile Ripley had before turned into a frown at the sight of her best friend, her eyes narrowing.

"Shit, MJ, can't you give us some privacy?" Ripley spat.

"I was just saving you from making a horrible decision." MJ replied coolly, approaching Ripley without hesitation.

"MJ, I am a full grown woman. I think I can make decisions for myself, thanks."

"Well, it seemed you were choosing the wrong one, so I thought I'd tell you. Just being a good friend, that's all." MJ said, feigning innocence in both tone of voice and smile.

"No, what you were being was a pain in the ass." Ripley corrected. Her eyes shifted from MJ to Hikaru, who was shaking his head in defeat and had a rather put-out expression on his face. She had a feeling she'd see that expression on him a lot this week and she wished she had a way to change it. Ripley's eyes flicked back to her friend, saying, "MJ, can you just give me and Hikaru five minutes? Can't I just say hi to him?"

"So, your definition of saying hello is to make out?"

Ripley sighed in frustration, "We weren't going to make out."

"Definitely looked like you were going to."

"When you get a boyfriend, I'll make sure to breathe down your neck every second of every day when you go to visit him."

MJ shrugged, "I wouldn't care."

"Yeah, you would. It's annoying."

The red-head huffed, backing away from the two. "I only came down here to check on you, to make sure you weren't having difficulties or anything. Sorry I cared." And she directed a glare in Hikaru's direction before she turned on her heel to enter the apartment building, leaving Hikaru and Ripley to their own devices. The moment they were about to have before MJ came around was gone; they made no move to do it again. Ripley looked up and could make out Renee, Dawn, and Erika peering out the window that was placed in Hikaru's kitchen. They waved when Ripley noticed them, but she refused to wave back. All she felt at the moment was annoyance and frustration.

"It's alright; we'll figure it out." Hikaru said softly, trying his best to lift her spirits.

"No, it's not." Ripley muttered, not looking at him.

She felt her face grow warm when Hikaru's lips pressed against her cheek, lingering for a moment before pulling back.

"I'm serious when I said that we'll manage."

Hikaru obviously didn't know who he was messing with…

…\~/…

After pulling Ripley's few bags up the stairs, the couple stopped outside his apartment door, exchanging glances, both frowning. "My offer for renting another apartment is still up for grabs." Hikaru urged, wanting her to agree to it and leave her roommates to wonder about where they were. But Ripley shook her head, turning the knob to his door, swinging it open. The Roomies were perched on the couch and floor, just like how they left them. Three of the four turned their heads in Hikaru and Ripley's direction, Renee's eyes glued to the blaring television.

"Hey…" Ripley muttered to her friends, turning to Hikaru. "Where do you want me to put my bags?"

"My bedroom." he replied, taking lead and walking towards his room. Once again, someone got in their way, this time it was Erika. She seemed determined to keep the two from going to his bedroom, fists placed sternly on her hips. "Both of you in the same bedroom is against the rules! So is kissing, flirting, and inappropriate man-handling! Breaking the rules will result in immediate kicking Hikaru's ass!"

Hikaru and Ripley stood there with a dead-panned gaze. Erika didn't move from her pointing-accusingly-at-Hikaru pose, despite the failure to affect them in any sort of way. Hikaru then said, "Look, we're just going to go in there and talk for awhile, okay? Since, you know, you guys are in here, waiting to yell about everything I say."

"We don't yell about everything you say." MJ informed.

"The-" Hikaru started.

"Oh my God, he said 'the'!" the four chorused, going quiet, and then bursting out laughing.

"Let's just go…" Ripley whispered, nudging Hikaru's back with her bag. "While they're distracted and all."

That's when Renee chimed in, "Oh, dibs on his bed." She patted the couch. "My beautiful body can't sleep on this crap-ass couch. It has higher standards."

Hikaru snorted, "Beautiful body? Crap-ass couch? And, Renee, Ripley has more rights to my bed than you do."

"They're going to take that the wrong way…" Ripley mumbled, wincing when the four women let out shouts of protest. Their screeching voices were beginning to give her a headache, the pain starting at the nape of her neck and travelling upwards. She already knew she'd be popping pain pills everyday as long as they were here. And the things they were shouting were so gross that Ripley dropped her bag and covered her bag out of humiliation. Hikaru looked as though he would snap at any moment. It had only been about a half an hour since her arrival, too.

"Someone's lonely and looking to get bonely." Dawn.

"We have to protect Ripley's virginity from the evil Mr. Hikaru!" Erika.

"Do you hear them?! They want to bump uglies while we're in the next room!" Renee.

"None of that is going to happen without our permission, sir! You are still on probation, mister!" MJ.

Hikaru glanced at Ripley, seeing how she had her face buried in her hands, and dropped her bags to the floor, coming up to her. His hands wrapped around her wrists, trying to pry her hands away from her face so he could see what lay beneath. When he finally managed to pull her hands away, what he saw made his heart skip a couple beats. Ripley's face was bright red, looking like she might explode at any second, and her brown eyes were watery and her bottom lip quivered. She refused to look up at him when he whispered her name softly, too embarrassed to do anything. The Roomies were still tossing vulgar scenarios, ignoring the fact that their best friend was looking ready to pop.

"Alright, alright, that enough," Hikaru shouted, gaining the attention of four, very still, now very quiet women. The dark-haired man turned to Ripley, ordering her to go to his bedroom and forget about the bags. They all watched her scurry out of the room, keeping her tomato red face out of view. The older twin frowned now, turning slowly back to the roommates, who all had shivers run up their backs from the death glare he sent them. "If you're going to stay in this apartment, you have to follow my rules, got that?!" Three of the four nodded, MJ stubbornly refusing to do so. He went on, "One, there will be no more perverted interpretations of everything I say! Did you see Ripley?! You embarrassed the hell out of her!" Before anyone could comment, he continued quickly, "Two, when Ripley and I go out, which we'll be doing today, you four will refrain yourselves from following us, got that?"

MJ cupped her hand over her mouth, hiding it from Hikaru's view. "I don't like that rule; I'm not going to follow that rule."

Dawn nodded knowingly, "Neither am I." she whispered back, then turned towards Hikaru, pretending like he couldn't hear them. "Yes, sir! Anymore rules?"

Hikaru's eye twitched. Did they think he was stupid or something? Of course they did… "Three, no one can go into my bedroom, understand? And no one can sleep in my bed." the golden-eyed man emphasized, directing his gaze over in Renee's direction.

"Ripley's in your room right now. If no one's-" MJ started, but Hikaru interrupted her.

"Because she's my girlfriend, MJ, something you'll have to accept sooner or later. She's allowed in my room whenever she wants." He cleared his throat. "And now four, you can't fowl up my apartment or eat me out of the house? Clean up after yourself and we'll get along famously."

Dawn raised her hand and with the questionable raise of his eyebrow, Hikaru called on her. "Can we play your video games?"

"Uh…no."

"Can we take a dump in your toilet?"

He was taken aback by her question, then his stature slumped. "No, you have to hold it."

"Why would you want to use his toilet anyways? It probably has an STD on it or something from all the women he's been with." MJ stated matter-of-factly, staring up at Hikaru. "Man-whore."

"For your information, I've only had two serious girlfriends, and I have more dignity than to fling myself from woman to woman." he informed.

"Well, Ripley said that you were quite the charmer in high school, flirting with every girl that came your way. And don't even get me started on your time in Boston…" MJ trailed off when another voice growled out, "I never said that." Everyone looked towards the hallway entrance and saw Ripley standing there, her fingernails digging into her thighs, trying to contain her anger.

"Yes you did, remember?" MJ narrowed her eyes. "The week after you visited him for the first time, you said he flirted with every single woman when you two went on that date, and you said that he flirted with girls all the time when he was in high school especially during his time in Boston."

Ripley's eyes were fixed on MJ, her face emotionless. Then, she walked towards Hikaru, grabbing his hand, and pulling him towards the door. "Come on, let's go get something to eat." she said quietly, opening the door, but the sound of MJ's voice made her stop.

"Great, we'll come wi-"

"No, you won't." Ripley interjected. "You stay here. Just…leave us alone…"

And with that, Ripley pulled a silent Hikaru through the door.

…\~/…

The couple ate their hot dogs in silence, the many sounds of New York City surrounding them. The bench beneath them was cold, but once the scenery of Central Park distracted them, the feeling no longer mattered. Hikaru eyed the woman next to him, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. His girlfriend has remained mostly quiet on their walk to the park, holding his hand tightly all the way over, like she was afraid to let go. He was glad that they'd gotten out of his apartment and away from her roommates because he could see the frustration Ripley was developing, looking like she was going to pounce on any one of them. Hikaru watched as Ripley balled up the aluminum foil wrapping, shooting it into a nearby trashcan.

"Did you like it?" Hikaru asked, the hot dog in his hand suddenly not looking very appetizing.

"Yeah, it was good." she replied, licking the corners of her mouth.

Another bout of uncomfortable silence. This type of silence was a first for them.

"Look, I know I apologized earlier, but I'm really sorry they came here. And I'm sorry that MJ keeps on insulting you like she is. I…I knew she was going to act like that towards you because she's still bitter about what happened the other week. I've told her that I'll take care of it, that she doesn't have to worry about me, but she refuses to let it go." Ripley still didn't look at him when she added, "And she won't let up until she's a hundred percent sure that you're a good match for me."

"I'd rather go against Godzilla. At least I'd have a better chance at winning…"

Ripley laughed lightly, "I'd have to agree with you on that one."

Hikaru smiled warmly, "I like your laugh. Have I ever told you that?"

"Yes…many times."

Silence for a couple moments. "Ripley, I really want this to work out. What if I don't get approval from any of your friends or family? What if they still hate me after this?"

"Then we'll have no choice but to elope, preferably to Italy." Ripley stated.

"Can't it be Spain or Bali or somewhere else?"

"No, it has to be Italy, it has to be."

"Why does it have to be Italy?"

"Because I'll be able to eat Italian food every day, ride in a gondola, attend Carnival every year, and drool over really hot Italian guys." The look on Hikaru's face was priceless, eyes wide and jaw slack; it was obvious that he didn't like the 'hot Italian guys' part. Ripley laughed again, moving closer to him so she could swing her legs over his and wrap her arms around his middle.

"I don't really like the idea of you finding other guys attractive but me." Hikaru grumbled, his arm automatically wrapping around her shoulders.

"Heh, I know. I just say things like that because you're cute when you get possessive."

"Hey, how about we walk around the city for a bit? Give us some time to talk before we head back to the apartment to be split up by your roommates."

Ripley smirked, "That sounds like a splendid idea, but there's one flaw to your idea."

"What?"

"Going back to your apartment…"

…\~/…

"Does everyone have everything? You guys need any blankets, pillows, cots, gags for your friends?"

"No, I'm pretty sure we have everything. Thanks, though."

Hikaru gave a small hum in response as he dried off another plate, placing it in its rightful place in the cupboard. Thank God Tara had prepared dinner for them earlier and left it all in the fridge to warm up or else dinner probably would've been a disaster. Now, he and Ripley were finishing up on the dishes while the Roomies set up their pallets out in the living room. Renee had the couch, MJ had the recliner, and Ripley, Dawn, and Erika had the floor.

"Is your back going to be okay if you sleep on the floor?"

"It'll be fine. Stop worrying, okay?"

"The offer for sleeping in my bed with me is still standing."

Ripley shook her head, smiling, "Hell no. You know how that would go down."

Overhead, the lights flickered when a loud clap of thunder boomed outside. Rain pelted against the kitchen window, sounding almost like ice bouncing off of glass. Ripley's expression showed discomfort, not from the storm, but from the thought of a blackout. Hikaru grasped her shoulder, causing her to look at him. "Don't worry, this storm's not bad enough for a blackout."

"What happens if there is one?"

Hikaru thought for a second, then said with a straight face. "I'll beat up Renee."

"Beat up Ren- why?!"

"I just don't know." Hikaru replied with a shake of his head and a sigh.

Another boom of thunder, another strike of lightning, and another flicker of the lights.

Hikaru gave a reassuring kiss to Ripley's temple. "I'm going to bed, okay? I have a long day planned ahead of us, so I want you to get some rest too."

"Alright... Good night..."

...\~/...

It was almost midnight when a loud thud woke Hikaru, causing him to sit upright. When he heard a pained hiss and a string of curse words, he asked in a questioning voice, "Ripley?" He moved to turn on the lamp, but nothing happened, and when a strike of lightning and a crash of thunder lit up New York City's dark sky, he knew that there must've been a blackout and Ripley had woken up to it. Another thud and a shout made Hikaru feel around on his nightstand for his phone, grabbing it finally and turning it on, the bright light shining over a disgruntled Ripley with a grimace etched into her features. Hikaru slowly got out of bed, directing his phone towards the ground so that he wouldn't trip over anything, and reached Ripley, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"How's your foot?" he asked.

"F-fine," she sputtered out. "But it's not my foot I'm worried about..."

"The dark?"

There was a pause of silence before Ripley muttered, "Can I sleep with you?"

At that moment, he was thanking the Heavens above that the storm brought about a blackout. His face flared up to a dark red, heat practically radiating off his skin. His whole body seemed to go stiff when Ripley's fingers curled around his sleeve, needing him to answer, but every answer he came up with would become lodged in his throat, his words coming out as a choked up mess. Just the thought of Ripley in his bed, snuggled up next to him was mind-spinning. Ripley's hand fell from his sleeve, hanging at her side now.

"I know you asked me earlier, but if you're actually uncomfortable about the thought, you can just tell me."

"N-no, I'm...I'm fine with it." Damn it, his voice cracked. He probably sounded like a teenager in puberty.

A shiver ran up his spine when Ripley's arms wrapped around his torso, her cheek resting on his chest. "Thank you, Hika..."

"No...problem..." he stammered out.

...\~/...

October 9th, 8:38 A.M.:

When he woke up, he woke up to two things: one) Ripley was huddled against, curled up into a little ball with his arm around her. Her brown hair had dried into a mass of curls, skin pale with shadows under her eyes. Despite having been together for just a few weeks, waking up to a woman beside him was a bit of a shock, the feeling being one he hadn't experienced in a while. Hikaru wrapped some of her curls around his long fingers, admiring how peaceful she looked at the moment. He hoped he was the reason for that peace, giving her solace when the blackout hit. And two) it took him a moment to notice, but someone was brushing their fingers along the skin of his stomach. Hikaru knew it wasn't Ripley since her arms were folded between them, so that could only mean one thing... Hikaru turned over, his back now to Ripley, and his face centimeters away from Renee, noses almost touching. At that moment, Renee's eyes slid open, her brown eyes meeting his golden ones.

"GAH! Get out of my bed, you moron!" Hikaru shouted, sliding back to get some distance from Renee, crushing Ripley in the process. His shout caused Ripley to jerk awake, groaning when the weight of her boyfriend fell on top of her. Ripley's hand flailed out, smacking a semi-awake Dawn in the face, which made her let out a scream, waking MJ and Erika, who were both huddled under blankets at the foot of Hikaru's bed.

"Get off of me!" Ripley spat, pushing Hikaru off of her. Hikaru sat up, looking between the other four women. "What in the hell are you doing in my bed?!" he asked loudly, demanding an answer. "Didn't I tell you the rules?! No one but Ripley is allowed in my bedroom!"

A sleepy-eyed MJ went to open her mouth, but a raspy voice answered instead. "So does that mean I'm not allowed in here anymore?"

Everyone, except Ripley, who had fallen back asleep, looked up at the bedroom door. Hikaru gasped when his eyes fell upon a grinning Kaoru, who was dressed casually in a light blue, striped button-up and jeans, his light red hair parted at the left as always. It wasn't two seconds and Hikaru was out of bed, his arms wrapped around a laughing Kaoru, Hikaru's head rested on his little brother's shoulder. Hikaru was always thankful for the red-headed twin's visits and calls, especially when he was so close to losing him after belittling Ripley during their first date. Kaoru slapping him and saying the words 'you sicken me' would be etched into his mind until he felt that everything between them was normal again. Hikaru could only wonder what Kaoru would do if things between Ripley didn't go as planned. Probably leave him, just as he was about to do weeks before.

"You know you'll always be allowed in my bedroom." Hikaru said.

"Oh really? Do you really think Ripley would mind sharing?"

"Stuck between two gorgeous twins like us? Nah, I don't think she'll mind."

The twins looked over when they heard Dawn gasp excitedly, shaking Ripley awake. "Ripley, did you hear that, DID YOU HEAR THAT?! They said...twins...in bed...with you!" MJ let out a squeal, pulling Dawn away from a shifting Ripley Barrett, MJ looking frightened. "Dawn, you woke up Ripley! You know how she is in the mornings!" Dawn's face was blank for a moment before realization hit and her expression turned scared. Dawn practically jumped into MJ's arms, Erika and Renee scooting to the end of the bed, hoping that Dawn didn't actually wake their friend up.

"Hey, what's the problem? She should get up any way; Tara's cooking...break..." Kaoru trailed off when Ripley sat up bed.

"You know," Ripley started, her voice low. "I have to get up at three in the morning every day for my paper route. Can I for once get to sleep in?"

The Roomies, Hikaru, and Kaoru screamed when they saw Ripley's expression, which was far too scary to put into words. The six witnesses couldn't get out of the room fast enough.

Once Ripley was alone in the quiet once more, she muttered grumpily, "Noisy fuckers..." and fell back onto the pillows.

...\~/...

"What the fuck is goin' on?" Tara shouted over the screams of six terrified individuals. Kaoru grabbed the blonde's shoulders, shaking her furiously. "She's just like Kyoya, Tara-senpai! Just like him! She even has the scary eyes and the scary face and the scary voice and everything!" Through her annoyed expression, Tara's face fell slightly at the sound of Kyoya's name, but her expression hardened when she shoved Kaoru back, shrugging his hands off her shoulders. Tara hissed, "You're all just a bunch of pusses, you know that? Grow some balls and go wake her up. Breakfast's almost ready."

"But...but...but..."

"But, but, but," Tara mocked in a high-pitched voice. She pointed her spatula at Hikaru, then at the door. "Since she's your girlfriend, you go get her, lover boy."

Hikaru shook his head, "Nuh-uh, she might eat me."

Tara's pointed look was all he needed in order to hurry out of the kitchen. But what he found in his living room was something he didn't want to see. Hikaru stopped short when his golden eyes settled on a bored-looking Clarisse De La Fontaine, who was perched elegantly on the couch, examining her red-painted talons. Clarisse's icy eyes flicked towards Hikaru when he entered the room, her gaze floating over his body like she was trying to find some flaw to pick at. Their eyes met and Hikaru watched as Clarisse's pink tongue darted out to lick her ruby licks, reminding him of a snake. Hikaru's eyes moved over to the door that lead to the hallway, his bedroom not to far away. One of Clarisse's talents was to degrade others, especially ones that had to do with appearances, and the only person he wanted to keep away from Clarisse was Ripley, who was still so sensitive about the way she looked. Knowing Ripley, she'd probably feel insecure the moment she set her eyes on Clarisse's size-two, flawless figure.

Hikaru was about to step towards the direction of his bedroom when Clarisse's French-accented voice filled his ears, "Zo, I 'ear zat you finally 'ave a girlfriend."

"Yeah, so? What's it to you?"

"Nothing. I just vanted to know vhat she ees like."

"Ten times the person you'll ever be." Hikaru retorted.

"No need to be defensive. I vas just vondering." Clarisse said back coolly, looking at Hikaru through her dark eyelashes. "Kaoru ees...quite fond of 'er."

"Is he now?" Hikaru mumbled, taking another step towards the hallway. Hopefully he could get to Ripley before she came out in her pajamas and curly bed-head. That'd be a horrible first impression for Clarisse.

"Yes, eet ees quite annoying. 'E goes on an' on about 'ow you two are perfect for each other. Ees she 'ideous like I assumed back on Valentine's Day?"

"No, she's gorgeous...and fuller than you are."

Their eyes locked onto each other, glaring. Clarisse's eyes moved past him, looking at something behind him. "Speak of ze devil..." Hikaru turned to see Ripley standing there, rubbing her eyes lazily, curls fanning out to the middle of her back. Her clothes were baggy, consisting of a gray T-shirt with the words 'Talk Nerdy To Me' spelled across it with 'Nerdy' in element symbols and St. Louis Cardinals shorts that probably belonged to one of her brothers at some point. Skin oily and pale with crust nestled in the crooks of her eyes, there was a million and one things that Clarisse could talk about. "Hikaru, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier, I'm just...not a morning person..." Ripley said in a tired voice, coming towards him. Hikaru forced a grin, unsure about the expression Clarisse was giving Ripley, and grabbed his girlfriend's shoulders, ushering her back towards his room. "Wait, who's that?" Ripley asked, her feet planted to the ground as Hikaru tried to push her out of the room.

"Just a floozy, Ripley, and you know you shouldn't associate yourself with such women." Hikaru answered, smirking devilishly towards the blonde model, who huffed angrily.

"Is that Kaoru's girlfriend?"

Clarisse answered before Hikaru could, "Yes, I am. An' you are?"

"I'm Ripley, Hikaru's...girlfriend." It was still weird referring to herself as such, especially since they'd only been dating for a few weeks.

"Very...pleased to meet you..." Clarisse said.

"Ripley, don't you think you should get ready?" Hikaru asked through gritted teeth. He leaned in, cupping his hand around Ripley's ear, and whispering, "She likes to find flaws in people and pick at them, so I suggest getting dressed and all that before she says something rude."

Ripley frowned, "Fine..."

"Breakfast's ready!" MJ yelled from the kitchen.

"You dumbass, I could've done that!" Tara yelled.

"Then why didn't you?!"

...\~/...

Tara had stayed quiet for the duration of breakfast, even skipping out on moments where her sarcasm would've fit in perfectly. All throughout breakfast, Hikaru watched Tara stand by the counters, picking at her food with her fork, a rather sad expression on her face. The whole infertile thing was still fresh in his mind, and just the thought of it put a damper on his mood a bit, too. No one seemed to notice either, Kaoru being too absorbed in a conversation with the Roomies and trying to ignore Clarisse's complaints about Tara's cooking (another thing that Tara didn't respond to like she normally would when someone insulted her cooking), and Ripley was busy waking up and following the conversation her friends were having. Hikaru wanted to say something, but he remembered Tara mentioning that he was the only outsider that knew about the grave news and how she wanted to keep it that way. But were there exceptions? He wanted to keep it a secret, but keeping it from Kaoru, his own twin brother, and Ripley, his confidant and significant other, just seemed wrong. Maybe Tara would understand if he let out the news to just those two... Probably not...

"Are you okay? You seem...occupied..." Ripley stated, running her fingers through his dark hair. His eyes closed on instinct when the feeling of her fingernails scratching his scalp, the feeling too good to ignore. Ripley went somewhat stiff when Hikaru wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose into her neck. It was just the two of them, cooped up in his bedroom with everyone out in the living room. Hours had gone by of Kaoru, the Roomies, and Ripley just talking, but Clarisse's persistent whines got the best of his little brother and he finally caved into taking her to a cafe for lunch. Tara had left as well, saying that she had business to do at her dad's. But for reason, being nestled so close to Ripley and having her play with his hair made him feel so childish, like a mother who was trying to comfort a hurt child.

"Do you promise to keep a secret?" he asked, his lips brushing against her skin.

"I promise." she whispered back, her fingertips grazing over the nape of his neck.

It took him a while to muster the courage to tell her, going against Tara's wishes was something he hadn't done before and somehow felt so wrong.

"Tara's...she's infertile..."

Ripley froze for a moment, pulling away from him, "You mean she can't...?"

"Yeah..."

The look in Ripley's eyes was one of concern and sympathy. Sure, Tara had never seemed like the motherly type, but any woman finding out that she couldn't have kids would be devestating. Ripley settled a hand on her stomach, the thought of not being able to have children of her own bothered her. She looked down when Hikaru's hand covered hers comfortingly, squeezing it in his. Her brown eyes found his gold ones, suddenly wondering what his views on having children were.

"Ripley, do you want to have kids?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah, do you?"

"Yeah... Do you want boys or girls?"

"Boys. You?"

"Girls. Seems we have a bit of conflict there, love."

"I'm sure we can work it out in the future."

"What are your favorite names?"

"I love the names Matthew and Isaiah for boys. Girls...I guess I like Finnegan and Faith."

"I like the name Rika, so have a girl or else..."

Ripley gave a small laugh before the room went silent, the silence comfortable between them. It was little moments like these that he cherished, telling him that even the quiet couldn't make them feel awkward, unlike some couples who always had to have something to talk about or else things would get uneasy between them. Having her arms around him was something he was only able to imagine throughout those nine months, and he felt most at peace doing it for real. Hikaru snuggled up against her, as close as he could, and sighed, enjoying the quiet. But when he heard a voice, Dawn's voice singing Ripley's name as she came towards his bedroom, a devious idea popped into his head.

"What the hell are you-!" Ripley yelped when Hikaru suddenly flipped over her, knees pressed to both sides of her waist, straddling her with his face nuzzling the crook her neck. When the door opened, Dawn poked her head in, grinning. "Hey Ripley, have you seen my- OH MY GOD!" The sight before her was not a pleasant one, more awkward than anything else.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ripley hissed in Hikaru's ear. "They're going to think we're-"

He chuckled, hot breath fanning across her jaw. "And that's exactly what I want them to think, so just play along."

Behind them, Dawn's mind was about to explode with decisions: should she break them apart or let them be? Dawn took a step forward, but the thought of getting close to them when they're doing that was disgusting. Instead, she went with option C: scream like crazy and let everyone else know that Hikaru and Ripley were making out and breaking a rule that the Roomies set for them and expected them to follow. Dawn ran from the room, but she ran straight into Kaoru, who had just arrived and wanted to tell his brother that he was back.

"Hey, is Hikaru in there?"

"Y-yeah, and he's...he's...BLEH!" Dawn exclaimed, her expression twisting into one of disgust.

"Is Ripley in there?" Kaoru questioned, his eyebrows lifting and lips stretching into a playful smirk. His arm slithered around Dawn's shoulders, leaning in close. "Are they doing what I think they're doing?"

"Making out?" Dawn's squeaked, her voice a high pitch. Her eyes were glued to the arm wrapped around her shoulders, the arm connected to a very attractive man, who just so happened to have an equally attractive twin.

"So, my dear brother couldn't keep his hands off her, eh? Come on, let's go break them up." Kaoru said, grabbing Dawn's hand and pulling her towards Hikaru's bedroom, despite the red-faced woman's protests. When Kaoru jumped into the room, he was met with disappointment when his eyes rested on Hikaru laughing hysterically and Ripley sitting there with her face a beet red, giving short, little laughs, most likely caused by Hikaru's hysteria rather than what happened. Dawn couldn't focus on anything but her hand in Kaoru's, her cheeks getting redder by the second. "I heard you guys were doing some pretty heated activities in here." Kaoru said.

"We didn't actually do anything." Hikaru replied between laughs. "All I did was lay on her, which, you know..." Hikaru then wrapped his arm around Ripley's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I did enjoy. Maybe I should do that again later?"

Ripley shoved him away, slipping off the bed. "Okay, that's enough!" she exclaimed, rubbing her hands against her thighs. "I've got a lifetime's worth of personal touch right there. Heh..." Ripley then gave a squeamish look and hurried out of the room, pushing past Kaoru and Dawn, who still had her hand in Kaoru's.

"Did you tell her that we're going dress shopping today?" Kaoru asked.

"Crap, I didn't. Knowing her, we'll have to tie her up and drag her out of the apartment."

Before they could stop her, Dawn rushed into the living room, excitedly announcing, "Guys, we're taking Ripley dress shopping!"

Hikaru and Kaoru winced when they heard Ripley yell, "Oh, hell no! HIKARU!"

...\~/...

"This is so stupid." Ripley grumbled, arms crossed with her feet planted in the middle of the store.

"Quit your complaining, Ripley. Dress shopping's fun." MJ said, holding up a teal dress with sequin swirls patterned down the skirt. "Do you like this one?"

"No."

"Stop being so difficult."

"I'm not being difficult."

"Fuuuunnn," MJ teased, shaking the dress in front of her stubborn best friend.

"MJ, fun is sitting in front of a TV playing video games; fun is reading manga while listening to some epic battle music; fun is driving around the country roads at high speeds. Your definition of fun is, for lack of a better word, bleh!" Ripley stated, making a disgusted face, which MJ mimicked. At that moment, Kaoru walked up with a pudgy, suited salesman following him, who looked very pleased to have the world-renown Kaoru Hitachiin in his store. The brunette gamer eyed the armful of dresses that hung on Kaoru's arm, waiting to be tried on. Ripley scanned the rest of the store, seeing Dawn, Erika, and Renee looking through racks of clothes, and Hikaru was searching the displays. With a sigh, Ripley sat down in a chair that sat near the front of the store near the windows. This was terrible, not fun, but the twins said something about Amaranth and needing the proper Amaranth attire. Why the hell did she have to wear a dress, though? Why couldn't she wear a nice blouse and slacks?

"Ripley, what do you think of these?" Hikaru asked after approaching her, holding up two dresses. One was snow white with a shimmery tool fabric and the other was a forest green one-shoulder that would probably look better on a stick-figured girl than her. Ripley glared at them, then at him, shrugging her shoulders with a meek, "Meh."

"Stop being so difficult."

"Alright, MJ," the spectacled woman said. "You try it on and if it looks good on you, I'll decide whether I like it or not."

Hikaru gave her a pointed look, "Why are you so against dresses? They'd look good on you."

"You know, I'd take that as a compliment, but it's not true. All these dresses in here are made for size two women, not women with a lot of meat on their bones."

"MJ and Renee tried on dresses and they looked fine."

Ripley's brown eyes moved over the dresses, taking in every detail. "I'm not doing it."

Hikaru's face fell into a disappointed one, peeved at her response. "Fine. If you don't want to go on a nice date with me tonight, then so be it."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Hikaru stomped away, throwing the dresses onto a random rack- the same rack MJ was looking through. She smirked at Hikaru, saying, "Did you get through to her?"

"No, she's being a brat."

"Two peas in a pod, I guess." He knew she was referring to him when she said that, doing so in a snide manner. He was not in the mood to be tormented today, especially when his girlfriend was refusing to dress up. He'd known the little fact of Ripley hating shopping ever since they started talking on Red Hue, but he never knew it would be so hard to get to cooperate. They'd been to three other stores, all with top-notch, designer dresses, but his Red Hue soul mate turned away from every single piece of clothing they shoved in her direction. Hikaru stole a glance in Ripley's direction, the woman's head held back, looking as if she was trying to sleep. Probably was, considering she had been woken up early, but she was most likely bored more than anything else. Maybe going to dinner at a fancy restaurant wasn't her thing... He never really did ask her what her ideal date was. A date Ripley would like...? A home-cooked meal while watching rented movies seemed more her style, but she was in New York City of all places. They needed to go on NYC-styled dates.

"Bribe her." MJ suggested.

"What?"

"Bribe her," MJ repeated, never looking up from the rack. "Coax her with a video game or something. That'll get her to do it."

"Okay..." Hikaru said hesitantly. "If you say- Hey, where did she go?"

Out of nowhere, the sound of clapping began to fill the store, capturing the attention of both Hikaru and MJ. They could see a crowd forming around the dressing rooms, and Kaoru looked back at them, beckoning them to come over. "Guys, you have to see this!" Hikaru and MJ exchanged glances before walking over to the dressing rooms, taking in the scene that everyone was clapping about. There in the door of the dressing room was Ripley, looking pissed. She was dressed in a knee-length purple gown, a layer of purple lace scaling the entire dress, also forming the sleeves. It flattered her curves and made her look modest, not much skin showing. Kaoru nudged Hikaru with his elbow, "Doesn't she look nice? The dress was designed by a friend of mine, Vance McMoore. He specializes in plus-sized clothing." Kaoru's words were wasted though when Hikaru stepped forward, grinning.

"You look great, Ripley." Hikaru complimented.

Ripley continued to look miffed, crossing her arms. "Okay, you saw me in a dress. Happy now?" She was still annoyed.

"Most definitely." he said.

"...I'm going to go change now." And she turned on her heel, hurrying back into the dressing rooms, leaving everyone to talk amongst themselves.

"You look amazing..." Hikaru whispered. If only she could see it, too.

...\~/...

Ripley clutched Hikaru's arm tightly, feeling very out of place inside Amaranth, surrounded by well-off folks, who probably dined at the restaurant regularly. The place smelled amazing, a grill in the distance lighting up with fire, the chef performing tricks for the customers. The men were talking to one another, dressed in tailored three-piece suits, and the women were clothed in designer cocktail dresses, shawls elegantly draped over their bony shoulders. Even though she was dressed in an expensive gown as well, Ripley still felt like a freak compared to the high-class customers. The brunette stole a glance up at Hikaru; he looked perfectly relaxed, used to the company of people who were high in status.

Hikaru noticed how nervous she was, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Relax, you look amazing. Stop comparing yourself to them." And with that, he pressed his lips against her temple soothingly, breaking away when a waiter approached them, bowing politely.

"Welcome to Amar- Oh, it's you."

"You remember me? It's been a few months..."

It was the waiter that served him and the girls when Johnny and Syd came to dine at Amaranth. The waiter was still balding and still sported that tiny mustache over his lip and looked at Hikaru with a critical eye. He probably remembered how much trouble Hikaru caused that day in January.

"I always remember my bad customers." the waiter drawled, but Hikaru could only smirk. The waiter tucked two menus under his arm, signaling them to follow him by waggling two fingers. Hikaru guided Ripley through the restaurant, keeping up with the waiter's quick strides. Finally, they reached a two-person table by the windows, looking out at New York City's Times Square. Ripley, for a moment, forgot that she was a customer in a very prestigious restaurant, and pressed her body against the window, gawking at the neon signs and lit up billboards. Seeing one of New York's most famous of landmarks in person was a lot cooler in person than seeing it in pictures. She felt a pair of arms circle around her waist, Hikaru chuckling in her ear. "People are staring, love."

"Oh, sorry..." Ripley muttered, backing away from the windows, which caused her to lean into him.

"No need to apologize. I think it's cute."

Hikaru pulled her chair out, gesturing for her to sit down. Ripley curtsied playfully, flattening the skirt of her dress to her legs as she sat down so it wouldn't creep up. Hikaru sat himself across from her, picking up one of the menus. His date took one hesitantly, opening it up to skim through the choices. Everything on the menu was worded fancily, most of the food names foreign and hard to read, and even the descriptions of the dishes were complicated to understand. Ripley eyed Hikaru, who was reading over the food categories with ease and thoughtfulness. She let out a sigh, folding her menu, setting it aside. It was the little things like this that reminded her that she and Hikaru came from two different worlds - the poor and the wealthy. He was used to dressing up and eating out at five-star restaurants while her family considered places like Red Lobster as high-class. The Hitachiins probably had vacation homes all over the world, visiting foreign cities without a second thought, while her family could never afford to leave the U.S. and only travelled to states that they had family they could stay with.

Ripley was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Hikaru staring at her, his head cradled in his hand. "What are you thinking about?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Huh...what? Sorry, I was-"

"Zoning out?" He finished her sentence with a smile. "I asked what you were thinking about."

"Oh, um...what to order. I don't even know what any of this stuff is..."

"Want me to order for you?"

"Yeah..."

"Something with seafood?"

Ripley nodded. She watched Hikaru signal for their waiter, the stern-faced man walking over to take their orders. The woman's eyes scanned the restaurant, taking in her surrounding. A group of four, most likely a double date, laughed loudly at something one of the men said. A family sat behind them at the next table, the mother looking as if she thought the universe centered around her, the woman's daughter giving off similar airs, eyes connecting with Ripley's. They held each other's stares for a moment before looking away. Ripley had to wonder if the girl knew that she wasn't of wealthy descent. Did the rich have the ability to pick out the peasants among the high-class?

"I was also thinking about how different you and I are." Ripley added, folding her hands in her lap. She felt like that was a dainty thing to do. Hikaru's tilt of the head caused her to continue. "Well, I was just thinking about how used you are to places like these, while my family would have to sell an arm and a leg to sit in one of these chairs. But at the same time, you hardly know anything about the...what'd you call it...commoner world? I just...think it's funny...sort of."

Hikaru was quiet for a moment, just staring at the woman across from him. He always found her thought process amusing, and always looked forward to hearing what she had to say. She looked so nervous, acted like she was so out of place. The spectacled woman squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, fidgeting with her hands, almost as if she didn't know what to do with them. He shook his head slowly, knowing that she was comparing herself to the other women in the restaurant. Ripley was truly beautiful tonight, he just wished she would believe it. He had to wonder if maybe his 'I don't like the way you look' comment the few weeks before damaged her self-esteem... Shit, why did he have to wonder? Of course it did. But what he truly wondered if she would ever believe him when he called her beautiful in the future. He sure hoped she would.

"I've had a little practice in understanding the commoner world, thanks to Haruhi." Hikaru finally said. "Hopefully I'll be able understand the commoner's way of life better as I date you."

"Of course you will," Ripley replied. Then, she smirked, "Don't worry, Hikaru, you'll never have to ask stupid questions about our world ever again after I'm done with you."

Hikaru stuck out his tongue, pulling his bottom eyelid down. Ripley flipped him the bird in return and said, "You know, that look suits you. No, no, don't stop. You looked intelligent for once."

They went quiet when the waiter gave them their drinks- Hikaru a glass of wine and Ripley a cherry coke. Hikaru swished the alcohol around in the glass before taking a drink, the sweet essence hitting his tongue. Ripley stared at him as he set his glass down, her mind thinking back to the time when Kaoru visited her after Hikaru left her alone in the city, saying how Hikaru had returned to his apartment in a drunken mess. He caught her stare and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm not going to drink that much." Ripley nodded slowly, shifting her eyes away from him. She told herself that she'd knock him upside the head if he ordered more than two drinks tonight.

The waiter returned shortly after, informing them that their food would be out in about twenty minutes.

"Um, where's the restroom?" Ripley asked.

"It's down the hall, to the... Actually, follow me and I'll show you."

Ripley nodded, standing up to follow him, but she paused for a moment. Very quickly, she gave Hikaru a chaste kiss to the cheek, straightening with a weird look on her face. It was obvious that she was new to the whole relationship thing. "I'll be back in a minute." she said. What she did next was very Ripley-like, however: a hard pat on the back that made him choke on his wine, spitting out when her hand made contact. Ripley snorted and smirked, walking away laughing.

...\~/...

"They seem to be enjoying themselves." Kaoru said, peeking at the new couple from over his menu. "You don't think he'll say something stupid, right?"

"Knowing him, maybe. Knowing Ripley, she doesn't do anything that'll cause him to say something stupid, so tonight should go smoothly." Tara replied, scanning over her menu. "Shit, it's been a long time since I've eaten out. Feels weird having other people make my food... Hope they don't fuck it up."

"Tara, they're trained professionals. They had to go through the same training you did, so I'm pretty sure they'll do just fine." Kaoru said. "So you really think they'll do alright?"

"Hikaru and Ripley will be fine. Those dumbasses on the other hand-" Tara pointed at Ripley's roommates without looking up from her menu. "-I'm pretty sure they'll interfere somehow."

Kaoru looked from Tara to the Roomies to his brother, who was playing with his silverware as he sat at the table alone. For a moment, Kaoru's heart ached, the sight of his brother alone reminded him of the six agonizing years of Hikaru living by himself, facing the hardships life threw his way and being in pain for so long. Kaoru had noticed that Hikaru started improving after meeting Ripley, so hopefully she would bring back the old Hikaru, the one that loved to be around people and have fun.

"That little man-whore, he's chatting up another woman!" one of the Roomies hissed. He wished they wouldn't call Hikaru such harsh names.

Kaoru looked towards his brother once more, noticing that Hikaru was indeed talking to another woman.

...\~/...

He hoped that Ripley would get back soon.

He was already getting bored.

"Hikaru...? Oh my God, Hikaru! It's so good to see you again!" a cheerful voice exclaimed. Before he could turn to see who called out his name, he was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. Hikaru turned his head to gasp for air, the person oblivious to the fact that she was suffocating him. The voice continued, "Hikaru, you're looking great! Better than you did when I saw you last time at the bar! Though you still are a bit skinny, but you don't look so tired anymore! Oh my gosh, am I intruding on a date or something? Or are you here alone? I just can't believe you're here!" Finally, the hugger pulled back, allowing Hikaru to get a good look at his friendly attacker. His eyes grew wide when he saw who it was.

"Deana...?"

The woman, his ex-girlfriend, nodded enthusiastically, her dark red curls bouncing. Hikaru stood up, this time going in for a hug, which Deana accepted gratefully. Unlike their first reunion at the bar in January, this hug wasn't awkward. Maybe he had gotten over the fact that she left him without informing him without knowing. She looked great, dressed in a red knee-length gown that was decorated with sparkles, top to bottom. It matched her hair perfectly, lips painted a darker shade of red. But the one thing that was different about her was her stomach, which bulged out in a perfect curve. Deana noticed his staring and smiled, teeth showing.

"You can ask, I don't mind." Deana said.

"Are you pregnant?" Hikaru asked quietly.

Deana nodded, "I'm about two and a half months in. It's a girl."

"Wow, I just...I just...can't believe you're going to be a mother... Congrats! Is your husband here?"

"No, he's working late tonight. I'm here with some friends of mine. You?"

For some reason, Hikaru felt his heart begin to race. Just the thought of finally being able to call Ripley his girlfriend made him happy. "I'm here with my girlfriend. It's her second time in the city and I wanted to introduce her to Amaranth."

Deana's eyes got wide, lips forming a perfect O. "You're here...with your girlfriend?" When Hikaru nodded, she smiled warmly. "That's...awesome. I'm so happy you found someone. Is it that woman you talked about before?"

"Ripley? Yeah... We've been dating for a couple weeks now. I've known her for a full nine months."

"Do you love her?"

"Deana, I can't even begin to describe how much I do."

The woman laughed, but she stopped when a curious voice went, "Hikaru...?"

They both turned to see Ripley standing there, fiddling with her fingers nervously. The dark-haired twin grabbed Ripley's hand, pulling her close to him, his arm around her shoulders. "Deana, this is Ripley, my girlfriend. Ripley, this is Deana, she's an old friend of mine." He didn't want to say ex-girlfriend because he knew she'd probably feel insecure. Hikaru backed away when Deana wrapped her arms around Ripley's neck, pulling her into a hug. He watched the red-haired woman whisper something into the brunette's ear, then pull back and smile, patting Ripley's shoulder gently. Deana turned to Hikaru. "Well, I'll leave you two to your date. It was nice seeing you again, Hikaru." His ex-girlfriend touched Ripley's arm, "And it was nice meeting you, too. You look beautiful in that dress, by the way." And the pregnant woman tottered off, hands settled on her stomach. Hikaru watched her leave until she turned around the corner, disappearing into the other section of the restaurant.

"Was that...an ex-girlfriend?" Ripley questioned quietly.

Hikaru sighed, grasping her shoulders. "Yeah, it was, but as you can tell it didn't work out. Our break-up was rather...messy."

"What happened?" But before he could answer, Ripley added hurriedly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I thought we've already been over this before. I'll answer any question you have for me." They sat down, Hikaru immediately picking up his fork to fiddle with it. "Deana and I...um...maybe I should... Well, basically, I dated her to get my mind off of Haruhi, to fill the void that she left, and after awhile Deana caught on. One day, I came back from classes and all her things were gone, just a note telling me that she was moving back to her parents' place. I called her, texted her, e-mailed her, everything, but I never got an answer. It was about six months when I got a postcard from Bali, saying that she had gotten married and was on their honeymoon."

"Why did she have to send you that postcard? Didn't she even think that maybe it would've made you feel worse?" Ripley asked. He noticed how tightly she gripped her drink between her hands.

Hikaru shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe she was telling me that I didn't have to worry about her, I don't know. It just...kind of made me feel like a failure."

All he could hear was Ripley grumbling, which he smiled at, but he caught her gaze when she looked over at him.

"Since you said that I could ask you anything, I need to ask you something serious." Ripley said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not...I'm not filling the void, right? I'm not just a substitute for Haruhi, right?"

"What? No! You're not a substitute!" He grabbed her hand, leaning forward in his seat. "I told you I don't love her like that anymore. How could you think that?"

"Well," Ripley's eyes were glued to her hand in his. "You said that Deana filled the void Haruhi left behind, so how would I be any different? I just... You know what, never mind. It was a stupid question."

"You're different because you stood beside me, even when I told you that I was in love with another woman. No woman had ever done that for me before. I needed that and you fulfilled it, especially when everyone was beginning to give up on me." Hikaru answered, despite Ripley telling him to forget it. "You're not here with me because I want someone to fill Haruhi's place; I'm with you because I love you and I want you in my life." He released her hand after he squeezed it. "So don't ever question why you're here again, okay? We're together because we love each other, not because I'm looking for a replacement."

Ripley gave a small smile, making room for her plate of food when the waiter came to their table, balancing a tray on his hand.

"Sir, I forgot to mention this, but Amaranth now has a dancing hall. If you're interested, just wave for a waiter and they'll show you to it." With a nod, the waiter added, "Enjoy your food."

...\~/...

Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know.

She is my baby and she live next next door.

Ev'ry mornin' till the sun comes up, she brings me coffee in my favorite cup.

That's why I know, yes I know!

Hallelujah, I just love her so!

"I know this song." Ripley whispered to Hikaru as he guided her to the dance floor. There were a dozen other couples wrapped in each others' arms, swaying to the music. She felt awkward when Hikaru whipped around to face her, resting his hand on her waist, grabbing her other hand. Remembering how everyone else did it in high school, Ripley placed her free hand on his shoulder, eyes flicking around to check the other dancers to make sure she was doing it right. Hikaru chuckled, stepping closer to her. "You're okay; you're doing it right." It was quiet between them, only Ripley singing the song softly under her breath. He had to wonder if this was Ripley's first dance. Knowing how she was with men, she was probably too shy in high school to ask a guy to dance with her, which made him relieved. He liked the thought of having the privlege to be her first dance.

"Have you ever danced with someone before?" he asked. He just had to know.

"I slow-danced with Renee once. Does that count?"

"Uh, no. I meant with a guy."

"...I slow-danced with Renee once." she repeated.

Hikaru snorted, trying to contain his laughter, but he couldn't. He broke out into a fit of laughter, which caused Ripley to laugh too, earning the attention of everyone in the dancing hall. He didn't care, though, and it looked like Ripley didn't either. They still swayed as they laughed, the music playing overhead, Ray Charles' song 'Hallelujah, I Love Her So' fading out to another song, this time a slow tune. About half of the other dancing couples left the dance floor, leaving Hikaru and Ripley with about five or six other dancers. It was Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' that started playing, a classic in Ripley's opinion. She couldn't help but notice the blush that spread across Hikaru's face when she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest, something she remembered all the girls in high school doing with their boyfriends.

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing.

Watch you smile while you are sleeping.

While you're far away and dreaming.

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender.

I could stay lost in this moment forever.

Where every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure.

"You really do look gorgeous tonight, love." Hikaru whispered into her ear. "Do you think you do?"

Ripley was quiet for a moment. "Well...mmm...I don't know. I guess?"

"You don't, do you?"

"No..." Ripley said with a sigh. "I always feel so weird dressed up and I just...I feel like I don't look right."

"Well, I think you do." Hikaru replied in a soft voice.

"Do you mean it?" Ripley asked, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.

"Yes, I do."

Don't want to close my eyes.

I don't want to fall asleep 'cause I'd miss you, baby.

And I don't want to miss a thing.

'Cause even when I dream of you.

The sweetest dream will never do.

I'd still miss you, baby.

And I don't want to miss a thing.

"Can this be our song? I like this song..." Hikaru said.

"This can be your song for us, but my song for us will always be 'Waste' by Foster the People." Ripley replied.

"We should do a mash-up for our wedding."

"Ooo, that would be a weird one. ...I kind of want to hear that now."

"Sorry to change the subject, but your friends are staring at us." Ripley pulled away a bit to look over her shoulder and what she saw made her scowl. She saw Dawn, Erika, and Renee wave excitedly, but MJ shook her head, shooting a death glare in Hikaru's direction. The couple stopped dancing when MJ started mouthing something, crossing her arms in an X. Ripley gave a confused look, trying to figure out what MJ was trying to tell them, but reading lips was never one of her stronger suits. She looked up at Hikaru, who was looking at the Roomies with a straight face. "Do you know what she's saying?"

No kissing, that's what MJ was telling him not to do.

"She's telling me not to do this."

And he kissed her.

Not a simple brush of the lips, but a full mouth-on-mouth kiss.

His hand cradled the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair, his other hand still rested on her waist. Just like before, a feeling similar to electricity coursed through his entire body, but knowing that they weren't going to be interrupted this time made it ten times better. Though, one thing kept on running through his mind: what was Ripley thinking? While he was relishing in the feeling of finally stealing Ripley's first real kiss, something he had imagined himself doing, Ripley felt frozen under his touch, almost like she had been turned to stone the moment his lips crashed into hers. Hikaru pulled back reluctantly, already missing the feeling of his mouth on hers. His girlfriend's face was bright red, almost glowing, her expression surprised and eyes wide.

Hikaru arched an eyebrow. "Ripley...are you okay?" When she didn't respond, Hikaru called out her name again, but nothing.

What happened next was totally unexpected.

She fainted. Ripley freakin' fainted.

The woman's knee buckled and she crumpled to the floor, landing on her side with a loud thud. Hikaru's jaw dropped, immediately dropping to his knees, pulling Ripley's limp body into his arms. "Oh my God, Ripley! What the hell?! Are you okay?! Come on, answer me! Ripley!" It wasn't two seconds before her roommates, Kaoru, and Tara rushed over, surrounding her. Waiters and waitresses alike, even customers, circled Hikaru and Ripley. "Hey, Ripley, wake up! Come on, wake up! Oh God...I killed her!" Hikaru shouted, throwing his arms up, Ripley's unconscious body falling to the ground again.

"You just dropped her again, you dumbass!" Tara yelled.

"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

"You asshole, you killed my best friend!" MJ shouted.

"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

"Look, she's coming around!" Kaoru pointed out. Everyone stared at the spectacled woman with concern, but the majority of them couldn't help but smile when Ripley herself gave a goofy smile, her expression a dreamy one. She gave a small laugh, staring off into space.

"Heh, he kissed me. He really, really kissed me." Ripley mumbled.

"I think we should go back home, Hikaru." Kaoru suggested.

"Yeah. That'd be a good idea."

...\~/...

October 10th, 9:23 A.M.:

Ripley woke up to loud chatter out in the living room. She was still dressed in her Amaranth attire, noticing Hikaru's three-piece suit hanging on the back of his computer chair. A groan escaped her as she rubbed her head, fingers running through her tangled hair. After the kiss that Hikaru delivered, the night was a blur, hoping that she hadn't ruined the rest of Hikaru's plans. Ripley slid her feet off the bed, kneeling on the floor to rummage through her bag. She pulled out a gray long-sleeved shirt, a black 'I Love NY' t-shirt, jeans, and socks. After she got dressed and pulled her long hair into its usual messy bun, Ripley hopped to the door whilst pulling on her tennis shoes.

But before she could leave, Ripley stopped when she heard voices outside the door: Hikaru and Kaoru's.

"Tara's...infertile...? But...how? That just isn't fair." Kaoru said quietly. "She always talked about having kids and...oh God..."

"I know. I thought the same thing. Did you see how tense it was when Kyoya came into the room? Tara wouldn't have anything to do with him."

Kyoya? Hikaru had mentioned something about the remaining Host Club members arriving in New York sometime in the week. Ripley wondered if it was just Kyoya that arrived.

"You don't think they'll break up, do you?" Kaoru asked, his voice almost a whimper.

Hikaru was quiet for a moment. "I don't know, Kaoru. I sure hope not."

The twins' conversation was interrupted when an overly cheerful, childish voice exclaimed, "Hika-chan, your goddaughter wants to see you!"

"Alright, Hunny-senpai, I'm coming!" Hikaru called out. Ripley could then hear him say to Kaoru, "Keep what I said to yourself, 'kay?"

"You know I will."

Ripley listened to someone's footsteps, probably Hikaru's, retreat into the living room. She went to open the door, but someone else opened it and she came face-to-face with Kaoru, who jumped when he saw her. Even though he gave her a bright smile, she could see the sadness, most likely from the news about Tara not being able to bear children. When Ripley didn't return the smile, Kaoru's true feelings came through, and his smile drooped into a frown. The red-haired twin stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. His hand remained on the doorknob, his golden eyes staring at his hand. "Did you hear us?" Kaoru asked. Ripley nodded, giving him a lopsided smile.

"He already told me, though."

"The others are here, so is Syd. I wonder if Tara's going to tell her about it."

"Are they close?"

"Pretty much. Syd really looks up to Tara." Kaoru sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Lucky you that you didn't see Tara and Kyoya together earlier. It was so awkward. No one knew why either, but now it's just..." He trailed off, but added. "Did Hikaru tell you how Kyoya reacted to the news?" Another sigh came from the man when Ripley shook her head. "Seeing how tense they were, I assume that he didn't react in the right way."

"Probably..."

Kaoru look over at Ripley, taking in how shy she looked, diverting her attention from him and focusing on the window on the other side of the room. When his fingers brushed against her arm, he got her attention, smiling. "Hey, how are you feeling? You took a pretty nasty fall last night."

"Yeah, I'm fine. What Hikaru did caught me off guard, though."

He gave a small laugh, "Obviously. Oh, breakfast should be ready soon, by the way. I think Tara's making strawberry and chocolate crepes. Ever had them?"

"Nope!"

"Well, you're certainly in for a treat then."

...\~/...

"Goddamn it, what the hell is going on here?! I just...ARGH!" Tara yelled, throwing her spatula down on the counter. "I am done! I burnt every fuckin' one! I'm...ARGH!"

"Tara-senpai, please calm down. You're breaking things." Haruhi said calmly, holding her hands up defensively. "They're just a little burnt. No one's going to mind."

"Not going to mind? NOT GOING TO MIND?! I'm going to mind, damn it! I don't burn food, Haruhi, never! I am a professional! Burning food is not in my arsenal!"

"But it's alright to make mistakes sometimes, senpai. If you want, I can help. Maybe we can scrape the burnt stuff off."

"No, no, no..." Tara said, holding up her hand. "I don't need your help. I don't want your help. I just want my food to come out alright."

"And it will, if you calm down."

Tara got silent for a moment before she pointed at the door. "Out."

"But-"

"Get...out." Tara ordered curtly. Haruhi knew when to back down when Tara was involved, and it was obvious the blonde needed some time on her own. The doe-eyed brunette nodded, walking out the kitchen door, only to run into Ripley. Hikaru's girlfriend muttered an apology, but froze when she saw who she ran into. Haruhi gave a warm smile, backing away to give Ripley some room. "Oh, Ripley, it's nice to see you again. How are you?"

"Um...fine? Great. How are you?"

"Good, but I should warn you that Tara's on a rampage, so watch out if you're going in there."

"Oh, thanks. I was actually heading in there. I'll be careful."

Haruhi nodded and went off in Tamaki's direction, and before Ripley could take a step towards the kitchen, Hikaru slid in front of her, holding up a a hand.

"Now don't faint when I do this." he said cheekily, grinning.

"Wha-" Hikaru pressing his lips against hers caused her to stop talking, instead taking in the feeling of kissing her boyfriend in front of everyone. When he pulled away, Hikaru beaming, obviously proud of what he'd done, while Ripley was as stiff as a board. Since she wasn't much of a touchy-feely person, and hugs were something she rarely gave out, kissing was a level she thought she'd never arrive at. Especially when the man she was kissing was extremely handsome and someone she had thought was out of her league before Red Hue. The gamer girl let out a yelp when Hikaru collected her in his arms, spinning her around once before setting her down, his large, slender hands grasped her shoulders. "Morning, my little night owl!"

"You're in a good mood today." Ripley stated. Truth be told, seeing Hikaru in such a good mood made her smile and lifted her mood a bit. It must be the fact that everyone was together again and he got to see his goddaughter that set his day in the right direction. Remembering how he looked the first time they met, so tired with dark bags under his golden eyes, seeing him jovial was a nice change. Hikaru no longer had bags under his eyes, the golden orbs themselves full of life and practically shining was a much better look, in her opinion. She almost wanted to reach out and touch his cheek for some reason, but she kept her hands by her sides. Ripley watched Hikaru look over her when someone called out his name, Tamaki from the sounds of it, and he gave a quick kiss to the cheek before heading off in the direction of Tamaki. Ripley turned towards the others, giving a small smile. Renee and Erika sat on the couch with Reiko, cooing over the new twins, Kimiko and Hitoshi, while Hunny, Syd, and Mori stood near them. MJ and Dawn sat on the floor, talking with Kaoru, laughing. Tamaki, Hikaru, and Haruhi stood in a corner of the room, Tamaki holding up one of Hikaru's art pieces, gesticulating wildly with Haruhi's hands placed softly on his arms. And then there was Kyoya, leaning against the wall as he stared out the window. Ripley's eyes narrowed when she saw him; it was weird seeing him without Tara at his side. She hoped they would work things out soon.

"Fuck!" Ripley heard Tara shout from the kitchen.

The brunette entered the kitchen cautiously, peeking around the fridge. Tara faced the counters, face in her hands. Something smoked from the pan, the crepes being the first thing that came into Ripley's mind, and she stepped towards the blonde. Stretching her hand out, she tapped Tara on the shoulder. "Tara?" What she expected was for Tara to turn around in surprise, not to turn around and punch Ripley straight in the nose. Pain shot through her nose and up the bridge, Ripley yelping in pain as she clutched her face, bending forward slightly.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I just-"

Ripley holding up a hand caused Tara to stop.

"But-" Ripley holding up her index finger silenced the blonde.

Ripley straightened, pulling her hand away. Blood. She brought her fingertips to the bottom of her nose, bringing them back into view to see the crimson color of blood coating the tips. Tara wetted a paper towel, turning the shorter woman towards her, gingerly wiping the blood off her face. Ripley noticed how Tara's vivid blue-green eyes were rimmed with red and puffy, looking as if she had been crying. Probably, considering everything that was going on in her life. She didn't even know Tara was capable of crying; the blonde always seemed so strong-willed and resilient to the obstacles that life threw at her. Ripley cringed when Tara hit a sore spot, flinching.

"I am so sorry. I'm just tense right now and... I'm just so sorry."

"It's fine. I've had worse happen to me." Ripley allowed her head to be tilted back. "Tara, do you want to talk about it? You seem like you need someone right now."

"Did Hikaru tell you?" Tara asked quietly. Ripley nodded. "How much?"

"Just that...you're infertile. I'm sorry, Tara."

The two sat at the island table, Ripley pressing the paper towel to her nose, Tara cradling her head in her hands. The blonde shook her head, "I know I can always adopt kids, which would be better than having my own in a way, but it was how Kyoya dealt with the issue that bothered me. He...he didn't even say anything, just let his father show him to another "suitable" woman. Kyoya didn't even look at me for the rest of night; nothing. You should've seen her, Ripley. You out of all people should understand where I'm coming from, having a boyfriend that's almost too good for you and then seeing them talk with someone that's more suitable for them. That woman was to me, like Haruhi was to you."

"Yeah, I can see where you're coming from."

"I love that man." Tara admitted with a shake of her head. "He's become such a big part of my life that just imagining him out of it is...frightening. Is that the right word? Frightening? Waking up with no Kyoya at my side would be like waking up to complete and utter darkness. Frightening..."

There had been a time, the time when Hikaru was struggling between his feelings for Haruhi, that Ripley had been truly worried that Hikaru would disappear from her life. Hearing him talk about Haruhi, seeing how happy the woman made him without even having to be there, scared Ripley just like how Tara was feeling now with the whole Kyoya situation. What if Haruhi had figured that she married the wrong man and went after Hikaru, leaving Ripley with no one? What if that happened and Hikaru had no longer felt the need to have her in his life, no need to call her everyday or talk to her through Red Hue? Frightened was the right word; frightened was the only word to describe the feelings Tara felt and the situation she was in.

"Yeah, frightening is a good word..."

"Did you feel that way when Hikaru told you about Haruhi?" Tara questioned softly.

Ripley nodded, "Definitely..."

"Why are you crying?" Tara asked, her voice cracking.

"Because you are." And Ripley slid off her stool, hurrying towards Tara, and the two held each other, crying on each other's shoulders. Hearing Tara's sobs made it hard for Ripley to keep her own tears back, the throbbing in her nose not making the situation any better. The brunette rocked the crying blonde gently back and forth, pulling her into a tighter hug. It was strange seeing such a headstrong woman break down like she had.

The kitchen door swung open, and laughing filled the room, "Hey, when's breakfast going to be ready?" came Hikaru's voice, but his footsteps stopped. Kaoru, who also entered the room, gasped when he saw the sight of the two women sobbing. The twins hurried towards them, Hikaru catering to Ripley while Kaoru tended to Tara, who had become nothing but a weeping mess. The dark-haired twin wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, bringing her as close as possible. Cooing soothing words, rubbing her back, he did everything he could to calm her down, but the feeling of her shaking was worsening, and it wasn't until a couple minutes that Ripley was full-on sobbing, clutching to him. Hikaru looked over at Kaoru, who had a concerned, yet confused look in his eyes, wondering what had caused the two women to become so upset.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, you can leave." a cool voice said from the kitchen door. The twins looked up to see Kyoya standing there, staring straight at Tara, his eyes showing almost no emotion.

"But-" Kaoru started, but the sharp look Kyoya gave him caused him to go quiet.

"Come on, Ripley, we can go to my room." Hikaru said softly, pushing past Kyoya with Ripley in his arms. Kaoru followed quickly after them.

The last thing they heard Kyoya say was, "Tara, we need to talk."

...\~/...

"Haruhi, take a picture of me stomping on the Statue of Liberty!" Tamaki exclaimed, posing with his foot held up and his arms above his head, face twisted in mock rage. Haruhi gave a small smile, holding up her camera to take her husband's picture. The twins came up behind him and pushed Tamaki, causing him to stumble forward, laughing when Tamaki whipped around a started shouting at them. Ripley stood to the side, wondering if this was what the Host Club was like when they were in high school. Maybe they were like this behind the scenes, when they didn't have any customers to tend to or flirt with. She kind of wished she'd been able to experience it, even if it was just once, when they were younger. Ripley looked over at her friends, watching them laugh at the scene before them. Unbeknownst to her, Haruhi approached her from the side.

"It's kind of nice seeing them like this." Haruhi said, taking in the scene fondly.

Ripley turned her head towards Haruhi quickly, then gazed out at the Host Club. Haruhi was probably thrilled to see her friends reunited like they were, especially Hikaru being the way he was right now.

"Kaoru used to tell me how bad Hikaru was, but he told me not to call because he wanted Hikaru to work up the courage to call me. I always thought it was a stupid idea, but Kaoru wanted his brother to deal with his own problems rather than having people fix them for him. We were so worried about him, and since he's so rash sometimes, that caused us to worry even more." Haruhi's expression turned solemn, her eyes casting downward. "I really regret listening to Kaoru; I should've called him or visited him or something. I kind of failed in the best friend department when I did that, didn't I?" It was posed as a question, but it seemed to be a question for herself instead of Ripley.

"He called you, didn't he?" Ripley asked. "He worked up the courage in the end, right?"

"Yeah, I guess he did..." Quiet fell on them for a moment. "It was you that day? When he called me? That was you that I heard."

"I told Hikaru to call you after he told me about you. He almost didn't, but I told him he had to. I was listening on the other end."

"Why did you do that? I mean, I understand why, but I want to hear you say it."

Ripley knew exactly what Haruhi wanted to hear. "Because I value Hikaru's happiness over mine, that's why."

The doe-eyed woman stared at her minute before smiling, "I'm glad he found someone like you. I really, really am. He deserves someone like you, and you deserve him, too."

Their conversation ended when Hikaru ran up to them, grabbing Ripley's hand, interwining his fingers with hers. "Ready to go to the Statue of Liberty?" he questioned, grinning.

Ripley's jaw dropped and asked excitedly, "You mean, inside it? Literally?!" When he nodded, a grin spread across the woman's face, and she pointed towards the statue itself. "Onwards!"

...\~/...

"Oh my gosh, we actually saw him! We saw Spider-man! It was the same exact one as the one in the picture you sent me!" Ripley exclaimed, a foam Statue of Liberty crown set crooked on her head. Tamaki had the same exact crown, and he got one for Haruhi, but she refused to wear it. Of course, each of the Roomies got one as well, since they wanted to match, but seeing Ripley be the enthusiastic tourist that New York City always attracted, it made him smile. But that smile faded when they heard a yell and a crash coming from near his apartment, a door slamming afterwards, and Kyoya hurrying down the steps. The group stopped in their tracks, watching as Kyoya passed them, a flaming red handprint splayed across his cheek.

"Wait, Kyoya, where are you-?" Tamaki started, but hurried footsteps interrupted him.

"Yeah, leave, you fuckin' coward!" an enraged Tara screamed, leaning over the railing, sneering when she saw the black-haired man disappear from her sights. "I hate you, you rotten bastard! Go suck your dad's dick, for all I care, you submissive little shit!"

"Tara, calm down. Control your temper." Tamaki instructed gently, holding his hands out as if to brace himself for any possible attacks. Knowing Tara, she would probably go after him with fists up, just looking for something to let her anger out on. All she did at the moment was snarl viciously when Tamaki added, "You just said things you'll probably regret later."

"Regret? Regret?" Tara said with a stressed laugh, pointing towards nothing. "That bastard threw me away the moment we found out I couldn't bear him an heir and-" Tara stopped immediately, her face losing all color when she slipped about the news. Tamaki's face went blank, but realization hit when he figured out what she meant. "You mean...?" he started to say, but the blonde woman turned on her heel and marched back into the apartment.

Hikaru shook his head, letting go of Ripley's hand, and hurried down the stairs.

No one had to ask where he was going.

He wasn't about to let the two people that stuck with him longer than anyone else fall apart like this.

...\~/...

"Kyoya-senpai, wait!" But the ex-vice president made no signs of stopping. "Damn it, Kyoya, STOP!"

He finally did, moving his jacket out of the way so he could settle his hands on his hips. Hikaru slowed down to a stop, too, approaching Kyoya's front.

"What the hell happened?!" Hikaru asked, his voice louder than he meant it to be.

"A fight happened, isn't it obvious?" Kyoya replied. The older twin could tell that his senpai was fighting to keep his voice level. He could literally see the bottle Kyoya kept his emotions in about to burst. Hikaru actually wanted to see that; he wanted to know that Kyoya wasn't treating his situation as if it was dust on his shoulder.

"Your father is the cause of this, isn't he?"

"Don't," Kyoya emphasized, pointing at Hikaru. "Blame this on my father. Don't speak ill of him, Hikaru."

"But he is the cause of this. Bringing up Tara's infertility like that, rubbing it in her face. Did she even know about it until he said something?"

Kyoya said quietly, "No."

"And then he started introducing you to other women and you complied, didn't you?" Hikaru said, a hint of disgust laced in his voice.

"Don't chastise me when you did the same exact thing, Hikaru." Kyoya knew he hit Hikaru below the belt when the dark-haired twin's face went straight. "Casting Miss Barrett aside when you found out what she truly look liked? Flirted with other women who weren't flawed? Don't act like I'm disgusting person when you yourself did the same thing."

"But I fixed things, didn't I? Are you? Or are you going to find another woman just because daddy dearest doesn't like the one you have now?"

"I'm not a cold-hearted monster like everyone makes me out to be." Kyoya snapped. He was about to snap himself.

"Then answer my question, or are you afraid of what you might say?"

The spectacled man went quiet, almost too quiet, so eerily silent that Hikaru could feel goosebumps rise on his arms. He hated the silence Kyoya was giving, which meant that he hit him below the belt as well. Hikaru hoped, almost on a desperate level even, that Kyoya would give an answer that he wanted, an answer that told him that everything was going to be okay between he and Tara. That they were going to continue being in a relationship and add on to the five years they had behind them. Hikaru wanted the casual bickering between them to keep going, he wanted the close relationship the two had to not stop, he wanted everything to be normal.

"Well?" Hikaru urged, raising an eyebrow.

"I..." Kyoya put a hand to his mouth when his voice cracked. "I...don't want to talk about it. Not right now. I have a lot to think about."

...\~/...

When Hikaru got back to his apartment, Ripley was sitting outside the door, legs stretched out, head tilted back, and hands clasped over her stomach. He prodded her foot, causing the woman to loll her head forward and stare at him.

"Hey..." he greeted softly.

"How did it go?" she asked, her voice just as soft as his.

Hikaru sighed as he pressed his back to the wall, sliding down so that he was sitting on the floor beside Ripley. "There was nothing I could do. I guess it's just up to Kyoya and Tara to fix things…if they can." Just the thought of those two not being able to make it made him feel defeated in his own way. "Those two were there for me all those years. I always thought it would be Kaoru that was there all the time, but he was too busy making a name for himself while I sat around being depressed. I always wanted a relationship like them, one where it's a friendship, but everybody can tell that that I'm in love with my significant other, too." Hikaru looked over at Ripley. "Do you think we have a relationship like that?"

"Of course, we spent the last nine months getting to know each other, right?"

"Yeah, we did…" Hikaru said with a smile. "By the way, how's Tara?"

"She went to her dad's when you left. I think being with him is the best thing to do right now."

"He can probably understand better than anyone, being divorced and all."

"So can you. You've had a couple break-ups."

"I guess I can relate, but still. They're perfect for each other. I love listening to them bicker."

"When they would play on the Xbox, they would argue. It was hilarious!"

Hikaru started to laugh. "I remember when they first met each other. Kyoya, he was so polite to her. 'My name is Kyoya Ootori and-' and she just interrupted him by calling him a bastard! At the time, we all thought she was a bitch, but now I can't listen to her without laughing." He stopped laughing, bringing his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "If they were to break up, I just hope Tara would continue to be part of our lives. She's become such a huge part of it that it would be weird not having her there."

"I'm sure everything will be alright between them. Every couple has their spats."

"So you don't think they'll split?"

"I don't think they will. You said Kyoya has his surprising 'he-actually-cares-about-his-friends moments', right? How is Tara, his girlfriend, any different?"

"I hope you're right. If you aren't, I'll punish you." Hikaru said cheekily, giving a grin.

"Ew! Gross! Don't kiss me, you pervert!" Ripley laughed, pushing off a kissy-faced Hikaru. When the door opened to his apartment, they broke apart, looking up at the person that was about to come out.

It was Haruhi. "Hey, guys, I made lunch. Come get some."

Hikaru and Ripley exchanged glances when Haruhi left.

"What if she saw that?" Ripley whispered.

"That would've been really awkward…" Hikaru replied, smirking.

…\~/…

The remaining Host Club members left for their hotel rooms, and Hikaru planned to cuddle up with Ripley in his room and watch a movie, but the Roomies had other plans. Two words: Electric Crimson. The Electric Crimson was one of New York City's best night clubs, a place where eligible, young bachelors and bachelorettes went to look for a good time and hopefully go home with someone. Angela, one of Nathan's workers, said that she had gone there a few times, and had been hit on by perverted, old men, looking for someone to warm their bed. Hikaru had no idea why the Roomies wanted to go there, but he was forced to go.

"Come on, dance!" MJ shouted over the music, nudging him roughly with her elbow.

Hikaru grimaced, tapping the counter with two fingers, catching the drink that the bartender sent his way. He didn't want to be here, he wanted to be back in his apartment. Clubs had never been his thing; too many people wanting a false relationship and too many people being fake. He wanted Ripley to come, but she was allowed to stay behind after arguing with MJ for at least twenty minutes. Why couldn't he get any slack?

"We're in a club and you're just going to sit there and mope?! Come on, dance with us!" MJ grabbed his arm, but he yanked it back, taking a gulp of his scotch. No matter how disgusting alcohol was, he still enjoyed the warm buzz it delivered. Mid-drink, however, he remembered how bad he'd gotten a couple weeks before, stumbling into his apartment and insulting whoever he set his eyes on. Suddenly, that warm buzz no longer seemed desirable.

"Fine, I'll dance. Only for a song, though!" Hikaru yelled over the deafening bass. As he walked to the middle of the crowd, he could feel vibrations course throughout his entire body, and he could smell the heavy perfume women laid on to seem attractive. Men and women alike sweated profusely from the bright lights shining down on them, colored lasers sliding over everyone and blinding him. The memory of the photo shoot from Valentine's Day flashed through his mind, making him sick to his stomach. Hikaru hated this place and wanted out. He wanted to be wrapped up in Ripley's warm embrace, instead.

Hikaru stood awkwardly on the dance floor, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. The Roomies seemed to do it naturally, raising their arms above their heads, shaking from side to side. This was not the type of dancing he was used to; the disgusting dancing he saw all around him was nothing like the smooth waltz he'd been taught to do. At least what the Roomies were doing was clean. Complete strangers were grabbing each other and grinding against one another, like they had known each other all their lives. Hikaru froze when a rather attractive blonde came up to him and immediately attached herself to him. He pushed her away roughly, walking closer to the Roomies.

"You're new to this, aren't you?!" Erika asked, she and Dawn dancing together.

"We didn't dance like this in Ouran!" he said back loudly, gesturing towards the dancers.

"Just feel the beat! You can do it!" she shouted. "I bet if Ripley were here, you'd dance!"

"I want her here!"

"We know! We do, too!"

After a couple seconds, Hikaru pointed towards the bar. "I'm going to go sit down!"

"No! Dance with us!" Dawn protested.

All he did was shake his head, pushing through sweaty dancers, and finally reached the bar, plopping himself down on one of the stools. This time he ordered a coke. No more alcohol for him. He didn't want to overdo it and have the Roomies drag him back home, forcing him to confront a disappointed Ripley smelling of alcohol and with fewer brain cells than he left with. Hikaru sighed, playing with his bangs.

"Why'd you quit dancing?!" a voice asked beside him.

Hikaru looked over, seeing MJ slide onto one of the stools, and order a cup of water. Sweat collected at her brow, also dotting her skin. He had to wonder how many times the Roomies had gone out dancing like this and how many times Ripley had joined them. Large crowds of people made his girlfriend nervous, so he assumed zero. Hikaru looked over his shoulder to see Erika, Dawn, and Renee dancing within the crowd. He wondered how long they'd be out there until they came for a drink.

"I don't like clubs! That's why!" Hikaru answered, sipping out his coke. He shoved it away when he tasted the rum in it. What? Couldn't order a coke without rum anymore?

"You have to get used to them!"

"I'd rather not! Too many people!"

"You're starting to sound like Ripley!"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?!"

MJ went quiet when someone tapped Hikaru's shoulder. He turned to see the blonde from earlier, the woman that tried to dance with him, but he shoved off. Her face was done up with make-up quite nicely, her clothes revealing, and she was standing in an angle that gave him a perfect view of her cleavage. Hikaru turned his head away, refusing to look at her. The dark-haired man felt the woman's fingers toy with his hair, nails occasionally brushing against the back of his neck.

"Hey, why'd you shove me away before?!" she asked. Her voice was smooth, seductive; just like his when he wanted it to be.

"Obviously because I wasn't interested!" he replied.

"Come on, don't be like that! There must be something about me you find interesting!"

"I have a girlfriend!"

"Ditch her for the night!"

"Go piss up a rope!" he hissed, shrugging off the hand that she settled on his shoulder.

"Come on, baby. Just you and me, in the alley, if you aren't interested in going home with me!"

Hikaru grabbed the hand the woman used to stroke his face, squeezing it hard. The woman pulled her hand out of his, clutching it like he pained her. That's when he leaned in and said coolly, "I don't screw around with hookers." And smirked as he leaned back, staring at her dumbstruck expression.

That's when she slapped him, nails digging into his left cheek. Pain seared up the side of his face and he clutched at his cheek gingerly, wincing when his cheek started to throb. Why was it that women with sharp claws always had to hit him? Hikaru turned in his seat, bringing his cold coke to his face. The coldness relieved the pain a bit.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?!" MJ asked, holding out her hands, but not quite knowing what to do with them.

Hikaru looked at her, setting the drink down so he could cup his hand over the wound. "I'm going back to the apartment! Do you know how to get there?!" When she nodded, Hikaru climbed off the stool, walking through the crowd. He caught a glimpse of the woman from before grinding with a muscular man who was drunk off his ass, acting like nothing had happened. He shook his head, trudging out of the club with a swollen cheek.

The Electric Crimson was the worst place ever.

…\~/…

Since his apartment building sat on the corner of one of the busiest streets, street musicians tended to make camp at the spot, playing to their hearts content and collecting tips from passersby. This particular band consisted of a guitarist, saxophonist, drummer, bassist, and keyboardist, playing as loud as they could for the group they had attracted. Hikaru smiled when he saw Ripley sitting on the steps of his apartment building, looking so sweet bundled up in one of his coats. Tonight, a cold front had come through, chilling the city just enough to where peoples' breath came out in visible puffs. Hikaru was hunched over, hands shoved deep in his pockets when he approached his Red Hue lover, sitting on the step beside her.

"These guys sound exactly like the Dave Matthews Band! Ever heard of them?" Ripley asked, pointing at the band. When Hikaru shook his head, Ripley added, "Look them up sometime. They're amazing." She grinned. "And that saxophonist is awesome! Look at him!"

"Didn't you say you played the saxophone in high school?"

"Yep, and I still do sometimes. Mark invited me to play in his band sometimes."

Hikaru must've turned his head just the right angle because Ripley gasped, turning his head towards her. "What happened?! How did you get this?!"

"This woman slapped me." The raise of Ripley's eyebrow caused him to continue. "Well, she was hitting on me, and even though I told her that I had a girlfriend and that I wasn't interested, she still insisted that we…well…you get the picture."

"So, she slapped you because you rejected her?" He could hear the relief in her voice, or was that happiness?

"No, I think she slapped me because I told her that I didn't screw around with hookers. Totally not my type of woman." Hikaru said, grinning slightly, trying his best to ignore the throbbing in his cheek.

Suddenly, he felt Ripley's lips press against his, pulling away after a couple of seconds. "Did that make the pain go away?" she asked, her cheeks turning redder than they were. The bitter wind had already made them red.

A blush of his own started forming, but he shrugged casually. "Kind of… I can still feel the pain. Maybe one more time?" And she did just that, she kissed him one more time. This time, however, he allowed his hand to slip behind her neck, insuring that she wouldn't pull away as quick. He had to wonder if her heart was racing just as fast as his was, or if she were becoming breathless just like him. God, this was amazing. When he first met her on Red Hue, he never imagined himself sitting on the front step with her, kissing her like he was. When they pulled back, he grinned. "Miss Barrett, the pain's still not gone." And he kissed her again, not caring if she wanted to or not.

Nope, she wanted to.

…\~/…

October 11th, 5:53 P.M.:

The day had been mostly uneventful when it came to drama. Hikaru, Ripley, the Roomies, and the Host Club, minus Kyoya and Tara, toured the city more. They explored museums, went to a Broadway musical that Hikaru had gotten tickets to ahead of time, ate at a five-star Italian restaurant that MJ had read about on the internet, and gift-shopped. Hikaru enjoyed being able to spend time with everyone without any drama, but Kyoya and Tara's absence seemed to be present in everyone's minds and hard to ignore sometimes.

Kyoya and Tara were still apart and still not speaking to each other. Tamaki tried calling Kyoya to try and get some explanations out of him, but his best friend refused to pick up, leaving every call unanswered. Kaoru had tried doing the same with Tara, but he failed as well. It seemed that Kyoya and Tara didn't want any disturbances, didn't want anyone to remind them of each other. Hikaru's conversation with the ex-vice president was settled in his mind, echoing throughout his mind at random times. I'm not the cold-hearted monster everyone makes me out to be. Hikaru knew Kyoya could be cold sometimes, but a monster. No, he knew that Kyoya could never be such a thing.

Now, Hikaru looked through his mail, unmoved by the large sum of money he had to give for rent. Postcards from his mom, whom he had not made up with yet since the scary argument he had with her after the Ripley incident; a letter from Mei saying congratulations about getting together with Ripley and telling him about her engagement with Kasanoda. He'd have to send them an engagement gift and a card. He couldn't believe that those two were actually going to get married. Took them long enough…

He almost went into his apartment when a soft voice said, "Hey, Hikaru." He turned to see someone he thought he'd never speak to again: Sarah, the woman he'd taken on a date the night he signed up on Red Hue. She was a bit heavier now, but still pretty. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, owl-like eyes staring at him. Sarah stood at her apartment door, the door wide open behind her. He could hear her television blaring from inside.

"Hey…Sarah. Thought you'd never talk to me again after-"

"I know. I wanted to apologize for that." After all this time? Wasn't it a little late for that? Hikaru bit back his words, though. He really didn't feel like causing anymore trouble. Sarah rubbed her bare arm nervously. "I was so rude to you and you didn't deserve my brother going after you. He's in jail again." Surprise, surprise. "And when I slapped you. I'm sorry about that, too."

Hikaru held up a hand and shook his head, "It's okay. No hard feelings."

Sarah gave a weak smile. "So, was that your girlfriend? The one with the glasses?"

"Yeah… Unbelievable, isn't it?"

"You looked happy with her."

"That's because I am."

They both looked at his apartment door when it opened. Hikaru could see Renee staring at him through the crack.

"What?" he hissed.

"Who's that?" she asked, pointing towards Sarah.

"My neighbor?"

"What's her name?"

"Sarah…"

Renee stared at him a couple moments before nodding once and saying, "That is all." And she closed the door with a click. Hikaru gazed at the door a few seconds before shaking his head confusedly, slowly looking back at Sarah. The woman had a small smile on her face, amused by the scene that just occurred.

"My girlfriend's roommate." he informed.

"I see." she said with a little laugh. "Well, I'm going to go back inside. I just wanted to apologize and say congrats."

"Yeah, thanks. See ya."

"See you." And she left, closing the door behind her gently.

…\~/…

MJ was standing in the middle of his apartment, arms crossed, looking miffed. The moment he walked in and saw her glare at him, Hikaru immediately knew there'd be trouble ahead. The golden-eyed twin set his mail on the table by the door, hanging up his coat. He sighed when he heard MJ clear her throat, trying to gain his attention.

"What do you want, MJ?" he asked, regretting the moment he gave her his attention.

"What was that about?" she interrogated.

"What was what about?"

Before she could answer, Dawn said, "MJ, don't…"

The red-headed roommate ignored her. "You, talking to that girl. What was that about?"

"We were doing exactly that: talking. What? I can't have a civil conversation with other women now?" he asked, going on the defensive.

"Sure, you can have civil conversations. You flirting with girls while talking to them, that's what I'm worried about." Seriously? This was what it was about?

"Why do you always assume that I'm flirting with other women? I messed up once, okay? Let it go."

"Sorry, but that's not in my nature." Figures as much that the most difficult one out of the roommates would be the one to hold grudges. Hikaru sighed again, running his hand down his face, only to wince when he accidently ran his hand over his now bandaged cheek, pain spiking throughout his cheek.

"Well, you can, alright? I haven't given you any reason to question my fidelity, so I don't know why you still don't trust me. I've been treating Ripley with respect and love, isn't that enough to convince you?"

"Oh, let's see," MJ started counting off her fingers. "That woman at Amaranth; you know, the one that was all over you? The woman you just got done talking to. Then, there was the woman last night at the club-"

"I rejected her, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but how can I trust you when so many women keep coming after you? How do I know that you won't find one of them attractive and leave Ripley for her? It hasn't been that long since you screwed her over. That's why I don't trust you yet."

"Look, I'm trying to make things work between me and Ripley, so don't get in my way." Wrong words to say…

"Excuse me? Ripley is my friend…no, wait, my best friend. And I'm going to protect her. And if protecting her is classified as "getting in your way" in your book, then that's exactly what I'm going to do. You are not going to tell me what to do. Period."

Why the hell did talking to Sarah have to set MJ on a tangent? Hikaru glared at Renee, who was just lazing on the couch, watching the scene before her unfold. "Why did you have to tell her I was talking to Sarah?! You're just causing trouble!"

"Hey," MJ shouted, clapping her hands together once. "Don't blame her! I already knew you were talking to that woman! She's looking out for Ripley, too!"

"You're not protecting her anymore! All you're doing is being a bitch to me every time I'm around you. If that's your definition of "protecting Ripley", then you need to go home because no one is too impressed with your methods." MJ looked taken aback, and Dawn and Erika let out gasps. Before MJ could answer, Hikaru added, "Look, you don't need to protect her anymore. I'm not going to slip up and say something awful to her or flirt with other women; I'm not going to do that! I want this relationship to work out. She…she means so much to me and I don't want to lose her…"

For once, MJ casted her eyes downward, instead of staring at him straight on. "I want to believe you," she said quietly. "Ripley is really happy with you, and I'm thrilled about that. But I've seen that happiness get yanked away from her, and it was by you. You completely threw her for a loop. She was so down, because of you. I'm not going to let her dive right into this relationship, something she's never experienced before, without someone looking out for her. It's going to take me longer than a week for me to trust you. And if you care about Ripley as much as you say you do, then you'll respect what I have to say and let me take my time in trusting you."

Hikaru eyed her warily, knowing that each and every one of Ripley's roommates had the ability to be devious, leading him to believe them and then completely mess with his head later. But MJ seemed so sincere and he knew that she cared about Ripley just as much as he did, so maybe she was being honest. But then again, MJ hadn't given him any reason to trust her either. She was eyeing him, the other Roomies staring at him as well, all waiting for his answer.

"I don't want to see her go through that again, either. That's why I'm trying hard to not slip up and make things alright. I just need some space, some time alone with her. We've barely gotten that this week, and that was the whole point of her visit. And I know that you're trying to…protect her, but can you not be so rude about it?"

It was his turn to wait for an answer. MJ stood there, her expression thoughtful. "You're right," she said finally. "I have been rude to you. How about this? When you come to stay with us at our apartment, I'll try not to be such a bitch. I promise I won't say nearly as many mean things to you."

"Good, that's all I ask for." He wasn't stupid. He could see the devious twinkle in her eye, the same look he and Kaoru would get when they were up to something mischievous.

The door opened, Ripley walking in with two bags of Subway sandwiches in her hands. "Hikaru, you wanted jalapenos, right? I know you like spicy food, so…" Ripley looked up when MJ grabbed one of the bags, peering in it. "We'll take our food to go, please!" MJ said, grinning.

"To go? Where are you going?"

MJ looked over at the other Roomies, winking when she said, "We're staying at a hotel tonight. I'm getting tired of hearing Renee whine about sleeping on Hikaru's crap-ass couch." MJ flicked her eyes in Hikaru's direction, giving him a sweet smile.

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she really did want to make amends.

"Oh…o-okay, if you want. Here. This one has all your sandwiches in it."

"Thanks! Come on, guys, grab your bags! We're out!"

The four women filed out of the apartment, Ripley and Hikaru staring at their retreating backs. They could hear their conversation:

"Dibs on sleeping with Erika tonight!" MJ called out.

"What?! I don't want to be Renee's cuddle buddy!" Dawn exclaimed.

That's when Renee let out a maniacal laugh, but ended up choking on her spit, the laugh ending abruptly.

Ripley looked over at Hikaru, confused about the entire situation. "What just happened?"

"To be honest, I have no idea."

…\~/…

October 12th, 6:15 P.M.:

It was Friday, Ripley's last day with him before she had to leave the next morning. The Roomies and Host Club had given the couple a day to themselves, milking their last day together for all it was worth. They took a walk through Central Park, enjoying the sweet smells the October morning gave them; they rented more movies and sat in his apartment wrapped in each other's arms, watching the Avengers, Gran Torino, and Reel Steel; and they played video games from beginning to end. Now, they were attending a party that Nathan was holding at his café, food prepared by Tara and the staff. The café was bustling with activity and energy, just how Hikaru liked to see the place.

"At least it's not awkward like last time." Ripley commented.

"Yeah… Sorry about that." Hikaru said, giving a sheepish smile. All Ripley did in return was smile back. "Enjoying the food?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. It's Tara's cooking, how can I not?"

Hikaru frowned, "She's not here…"

"Yeah, she left the moment Kyoya walked in."

"Still think they're going to fix things?"

"Yes, yes I do."

Hikaru looked around, taking in the sights. Hunny and Mori were huddled in the corner closest to the windows, talking amongst themselves. He watched as the bouncing child-like blonde hurried over to his wife, who was talking rather quietly with Haruhi and Tamaki, both women holding Reiko and Hunny's children. Mori stood by himself for about five minutes until MJ finally went over to him, attempting to make conversation, but looking frustrated after getting a string of one-word answers. Dawn, Kaoru, and Erika were talking to Luke Bennett, one of Nathan's chefs and the man that was obsessed with manga and anime, which probably spurred the conversation between the three. Was it Hikaru imagination or was Dawn's face redder than usual? And then there was Syd, Salem, and Cassidy, sitting in the other corner by the windows. They looked bored, which wasn't a surprise.

Hikaru could only smile to himself.

…\~/…

"Do you think Hika-chan loves her?" Hunny asked Mori, clutching his pink Usa-chan to his chest. The poor stuffed rabbit was getting so old and ragged, one of its ears tattered on the edges. Every time Hunny looked at Usa-chan, his eyes could only stare at the faded light brown stain Tamaki and the twins had caused when they spilled tea over his stuffed animal. He couldn't help but smile at it, though. Those were good times back then, and were beginning to become good times again. Though, it was sad that they couldn't spend every day together like they were once able to.

"Yeah."

"Do you think Rip-chan loves him?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think Hika-chan still has feelings for Haru-chan?"

"No."

"But as a friend, right?"

"Yeah."

Hunny smiled fondly at Usa-chan, fiddling with the rabbit's ears. "Good. I thought so, too." He looked up at the stoic man. "So, do you think everything's going back to normal?"

"No…"

"What? Why?!"

"Tara and Kyoya."

"Oh…" He'd forgotten about them. Hunny's light brown eyes, the color matching his name, centered on Kyoya, the black-haired man standing at the back of the café by himself. His eyes were casted downwards and Hunny had to wonder if Kyoya felt like he belonged at the moment. The party was being hosted by Tara's father, after all. Hunny jumped off his chair, beaming up at Mori. "I'm going to go talk to Reiko, 'kay?"

Mori only nodded, giving a small smile as he watched the blonde bounce over to his wife and kids. The smile slipped off his face, returning to its normal frown. It wasn't five minutes later when Ripley's friend, MJ, approached him, hands clasped behind her back. She stood beside him, silent for awhile, neither making a move to start conversation. Until MJ finally did.

"Hi, I'm MJ, one of Ripley's roommates. I don't think we've been properly introduced." she greeted. "What's your name?"

"Mori."

"Oh, you're Mori? So you're one of Hikaru's friends, then?"

"Yeah."

"That's cool. You must have a lot of patience to deal with him, heh." MJ went straight-faced after her attempt at humor failed. Mori didn't even crack a smile. "So, how long have you know him?"

"We were in the Host Club together."

"Well, I know that, but how long have you known him? Like what grade were you in when you met him?"

"Second year of high school."

Geez, couldn't this guy give longer answers? "So…what do you do? Like are you in college, are you working, or what?"

"I'm a lawyer." he said. Finally, something that she could talk about!

"Do you work prosecution or defense?"

"Defense."

"Have you had any high profile cases, or really complicated cases? Or can you not talk about them because of the whole client confidential clause thing?" MJ's brown-green eyes met his dark ones for a moment before he shifted his gaze away. Then, he said in his baritone voice, "What do you do?" Guess he couldn't talk about it because of the whole client confidential thing…

"Um… I'm currently going to college to get my degree in psychology so I can be a guidance counselor or a criminal profiler – I haven't quite decided yet. I also work at Barnes and Noble. It sounds like it wouldn't be an enjoyable job, but I love books, so it's actually pretty good. Do you like to read?" There, she'd given him plenty of things to talk about.

"Yeah."

Seriously? MJ was now finding it hard to smile. Here she was, trying to make conversation (quite difficult to do, she found out), and all he was giving her was one-worded answers. Mori looked down at her again, seeing her annoyance through her smile.

"Well, what do you like to read?" Oops…she didn't mean to say that through gritted teeth. She cleared her throat. "Personally, I'm a mystery kind of girl with a little romance thrown in. Do you like mysteries?"

"Yeah, and historical fictions."

"Oh, well, that's…cool." An awkward silence fell upon them; she hated awkward silences. "This is quite the gathering, isn't it?"

She couldn't help but notice the small smile he gave, his eyes directed towards Hikaru. MJ followed his gaze, seeing Hikaru and Ripley laughing about something. "It's been a long time since he's been happy." Mori said.

"Oh, really? Well, I'm…glad that he is. And of course, Ripley is too. You know, I remember in high school when she was having a really hard time…she couldn't really find herself, and I was just praying for her to make it through and get to the point in her life where she knew she would be happier, and well…here she is!" Why was she telling him all this? They were complete strangers, but for some reason, she felt compelled to tell someone what she was feeling, and here was Mori. "I knew she would make it. I love it when I'm right." she joked, laughing. He didn't laugh back. She stopped laughing.

"He really loves her. Give him a chance to prove himself." Mori said.

"I am giving him a chance! I was hard at first, but Ripley really wants me to like him, and I'll do anything for her. Ripley is more of a sister to me than my blood siblings."

Then, Mori did something unexpected. After a bout of silence between them, he placed one of his large hands on top of her head, ruffling her hair a bit. MJ's rolled up, trying to see his hand, but failed to see it. And when he smiled at her, she just couldn't ignore the blush that was creeping up her neck.

And he said was, "Good."

She really hoped he couldn't see her red face… "Right. Yeah. So…um…I'm going to go get something to drink, but uh, yeah…good talk." MJ ducked out from under his hand, turning to leave, but paused. She looked up at him, looking him straight in the eye. "Don't get me wrong. I know Hikaru's a good guy, but I have to protect Ripley first, so that's why I have to be hard on him. You look like you have the whole protective thing down, so am I right in assuming that you understand?"

He nodded once. "Yeah."

MJ gave a tight-lipped smile. "Okay, good. Glad we're on the same page." She turned away, but doubled back. "You know, you talk a LOT more than Kaoru said you would."

...\~/…

A cold wind swept through the café when the door opened, the bell tinkling. Everyone looked up to see who it was, only to see Tara, and the whole room went quiet. The blonde started to walk towards the back of the room where Kyoya was, paused when she noticed everyone's stares, then continued to stride to the back. Kyoya, who knew that she had come for him, met her halfway. They were only a foot apart and tense as ever.

"Tara, don't start anything." Kyoya warned. "If you want to talk, let's take it to the kitchen."

"No, I want everyone to see." she spat.

"I thought you didn't like to discuss personal matters in public?"

That's when Tara dropped to one knee, looking up at the man in front of her. "Kyoya, I'm so, so sorry about everything I said. I didn't mean it when I said I hated you because I don't. I love you, more than you can even imagine. I dread the thought of waking up and not seeing you there beside me. You're one of the best things that ever happened me, and I know I call you a bastard all the time, but you're my bastard, and I want to keep it that way." Tara took a deep breath and continued, even if Kyoya's face was as emotionless as ever. "I know I can't bear children and I know you want an heir, but…if you need to find another woman in your life to fulfill that wish, then so be it." Her voice was shaky and her eyebrows were scrunched together, not from anger, but from trying to keep the tears back. That's when she took something out of her pocket, a small velvet box, opening it to reveal a polished silver band.

"Kyoya Ootori, will you marry me?"

Gasps filled the room, the loudest coming from Nathan, who wrapped his arms around Angela's neck. "My daughter's going to get married!" he squealed, but his ecstatic expression turned grave. "My daughter better be gettin' married." he threatened, glaring at Kyoya.

Kyoya looked away from Nathan and back down to Tara, who looked borderline desperate. "Come on, I just made a fool of myself in front of everyone, so the least you can do is give me an answer."

After a minute of complete silence, Kyoya sighed, closing his eyes. "If I must, but only if I have to." He watched as Tara's eyes went wide, smirking when he watched her bottom lip quiver pathetically. "So, does that mean you…will?" she asked slowly.

He nodded, smirking.

That's when Tara's barrier broke. Her other knee dropped to the ground, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed. Kyoya dropped to one knee, taking her in his arms, feeling her arms wrap tightly around his neck, acting as if she was scared to let go. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, his other reaching behind her back, wrapping his hand with her ponytail, a habit he had formed long before they started dating. Kyoya continued that signature smile of his, laughing slightly.

"Tara, I don't care about producing an heir. I stopped caring about what my father said a long time ago when it came to you. I'd be perfectly fine with adopting children." He pulled back, cradling her head in his hands. "You're the strongest women I know, having to lose a sister and put up with all the pain and torment life has thrown at you. You can be foul-mouthed, stubborn, and violent most of the time, but you're one of the most intelligent, modest, honest women I know, and I cherish having you by my side every day."

The woman's watery eyes widened, tears streaming down her face. She clung to him again and he held her close to him.

"Besides, all those women my father introduced me to would've been too easy to handle, and I need a challenge, and you give that to me. And I'm sure that I'm the only man who can handle you."

Tara laughed through the sobbing.

"You're an idiot for thinking I'd leave you, moron." Kyoya said.

"Well, y-you're a d-dumbass for l-letting me think it, y-you bastard." Tara retorted weakly.

And despite all the tears, snot, and blotchy skin, Kyoya kissed her, kissed her tenderly and sincerely, the kind of kiss any man should give their fiancé.

…\~/…

October 13th, 8:34 A.M.:

"Are you sure you have to go?" Hikaru asked, handing Ripley her last bag. The woman nodded, closing the back door of her truck, turning towards him with a small smile. "You know you don't have to. You can always transfer here and live with me." he suggested, shrugging.

"I know, but I have family back in Illinois. Besides, you get to see what the country's like in a couple weeks."

"Yeah, and I have to deal with your roommates, too."

"And my brothers…"

"Oh…yeah…I forgot about them."

Ripley gave a weak smile, "I already miss you and I haven't even left yet."

"Don't worry; just a couple more weeks and I'll come visit."

Ripley hesitated for a moment, but she suddenly grabbed Hikaru's shoulders and pulled him into a kiss, forcing the man to bend at the waist into order to receive it. He held out his hands, still shocked from the suddenness of her action, and he couldn't help but get light-headed when she did so. When she pulled away, it was his turn to have his knees buckle beneath him, his whole body falling to the ground in an unconscious heap. Ripley's eyes grew wide, jaw dropping.

"We have got to stop doing this!"

---

I'M BAAAAAACK! I'm so, so, SO sorry about how long its taken me to update, but I ran into a terrible bout of Writer's Block and school sort of got in the way. But, one day, I was watching The Help (wonderful movie and book; check them out if you haven't), and inspiration struck me. I suddenly became very determined to finish this. Anyways, when it comes to the poll, the Kaoru/OC story won, so I may tackle that this summer, but I'm going to be working on another project, too. I am going original. It is my goal to complete my dream of becoming a published author this year, or if not this year, then sometime early next year. So, in the future, if you're browsing through your local bookstore and happen to come across a book by Trinity Martens, give it a look!

So, getting the meaningless things out of the way, let's talk about the fanfic! Hikaru and Ripley, did I write them okay or was it kind of 'meh'? And Kyoya/Tara, plenty of them in this chapter, I must say. I'll be honest, the conversation between Ripley and Tara sort of made me bawl like a baby. But it was a happy ending for Kyara (is that an okay coined name?), right?! And I believe I started a bit of romance between a couple of other characters. So, overall, was it a good chapter? It was a long-ass chapter, I can assure you that. So, review and give me your input! Three more chapters, readers!

Author's Note-Fin