"You hanging out with Mai again?" Chihiro asked as Haku ran downstairs.
"Huh? Yah, since I had to cancel our date tomorrow." he answered her and ran out the door.
Chihiro sighed, ever since she told Haku to date Mai, she regretted her decision. She slumped back and started whatever DVD was in the player. She noticed it was a sequel to one of her favorite movies. She found herself crying during a song.
"It's the wrong kind of magic, now you see him, now you don't.
Used to be, he'd dropped anything for me.
And now lately he won't.
He used to slay dragons to keep me from harm
and come running to my open arms.
I want the magic of love again.
The look of longing in his eyes.
All the wonder and surprise of knowing that the best is yet to come."
Chihiro saw herself back when Haku first got there. The way he looked at her, the way he held her hand all the time. The way he was always with her. Now she was lucky if he acknowledged her when they walked home, since Mai was always with them. She clung to Haku like a lost puppy, which made Chihiro angry, most of the time she wanted to strangle the girl but she didn't want to come off as jealous.
"He was never mine." Chihiro whispered to herself.
The words hurt, especially since Haku came to the human world to be with her, yet he never asked her to be his. No, he wanted them to grow up a bit, then he chose Mai. Jezebel glared at the T.V and turned if off, then buried her head in the pillow she was laying on.
"I forgot my- Chihiro? What's wrong?" Haku asked, Chihiro didn't hear him go back in.
"Nothing" she said angrily.
"No nothing, tell me. Come on, roll over!" he said trying to turn her, she obliged, but she pulled the pillow with her so it would cover her face.
Haku tugged on the pillow, then decided to tickle Chihiro until she let it go. She was giggling and he flipped the pillow onto the floor and looked at her. Her laugh died and she felt the tears spring in her eyes.
"What's the matter?" Haku asked in a concerned voice.
"Nothing!" she told him and tried to get up so he let her.
She walked to her room and he followed her.
"Why are you upset?" he kept asking.
"No reason! Don't you have a date to get to?" she snapped.
"Yah." he said and looked at the clock.
"Don't be late, I'll be fine." she told him and stood up.
She opened her arms and he hugged her tightly.
"See you later." he said and kissed her cheek then left the house.
Chihiro sighed and walked back to the living room to slump back down on the couch. Her mother walked in, "Oh, I heard Haku leave, I thought you were going with him."
"He's going on a date mom." Chihiro said in a sad voice, she couldn't help it.
"Why do you sound so upset?"
The dam broke, Chihiro started crying and clung to her mom.
"What is wrong Chihiro?" her mom kept asking.
"Mommy, it just hurts ok."
"What? Haku going on a date?"
"With her! He could have had anyone else but he picked her! I hate her! Her and her brother!" Chihiro threw the pillows around the room.
"Do you really hate her, or do you hate that he's dating her?"
"Both!" she said and frowned.
Haku had come into the house again with Mai, he wanted to hang out with Chihiro too, since she seemed upset. He heard the conversation and cleared his throat. Chihiro turned and looked, with wide eyes, from him to Mai. He looked upset, and Mai looked like she was ready to cry.
Chihiro stood up and walked to her room. She slammed the door and threw herself on her bed, she buried her head in her pillow and started to cry. After a few minutes, she heard a knock on her door.
"Go away!" she called, her voice thick with tears.
"Chihiro, it's me." Haku's voice called through the door causing Chihiro's heart to hurt.
"Even worse!" she yelled.
"Chihiro please."
She didn't answer and she heard him sigh and then nothing. For a long time she didn't hear anything, so she got curious. She opened the door and saw that he was sitting on the floor by her doorway. He looked over at her and she visibly winced at his expression. It held nothing of the old look he used to give her. She felt as if her chest was ripping in half and it was getting harder for her to breathe. She started gasping and the room spun. The floor was suddenly moving towards her at an impossible speed and she closed her eyes. Expecting to hit the floor and feel pain, she was surprised when she felt arms around her. She was lifted up and the arms were replaced by her bed. A small whimper escaped her lips and she reached for whoever it was that had her. He lowered his torso towards her so she could lock her arms around his neck. Then he moved her a bit so he could climb into her bed with her.
She buried her face into his chest and cried again. She could feel a hand stroking her hair and she could hear his voice murmuring to her, incoherent things, but they made her feel better. She finally stopped crying and looked up at him. The ripping pain was back when she saw that the look was still completely absent in his eyes. She winced again.
"Chihiro what's hurting you?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
"My chest." she whispered.
She had her eyes closed, she couldn't stand looking at him, seeing the absence of love for her in his eyes.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"I miss you."
"I'm right here."
"No, I missed you." she opened her eyes, which were full of tears, "I miss you walking me to class, I miss you chasing me around the track during gym, I miss you throwing food at me during lunch and walking home with me. I miss the way you used to hold my hand, even if we were just sitting in the car, and the way you used to look at me, like I was the only person in the universe." her voice broke and she started crying yet again.
Haku wiped her tears, "You told me to be with Mai." he reminded her.
"I know, and it was the stupidest mistake of my life. I didn't want you to feel obligated to be with me, just because you came back. I mean, I know hearts change, even though mine hasn't...I figured yours had."
He looked, almost angry, which caused Chihiro to cringe.
"Where is Mai anyway?" she had to ask.
"She went home, she was kind of upset with you."
His voice wasn't cold, or hard, or even angry. It was gentle, which made it hurt more. She sighed, she was being stupid, and jealous.
"I'm sorry." she said.
Haku shook his head, I'll talk to her later, she'll be fine." he told her.
"Go on your date Haku."
"Nah, I don't think either of us is up to it right now."
Chihiro winced again, "You aren't making me feel better." she muttered.
He didn't say anything, but he did try to untangle himself from her, which caused her to whine. He laughed and shook his head, "You're such a baby Chihiro."
She frowned and clung to him more, "Can I have just one weekend with you Haku?" she asked in a desperate voice, "Just one weekend where I have my best friend back, and he's not followed by his shadow." she frowned, "We haven't had time to ourselves since you two started dating."
Haku frowned, he hadn't thought about about that. What his relationship with Mai was doing with his relationship with Chihiro.
"Alright, lets go watch movies." he said then lifted her up and carried her down to the living room.
He settled down on the couch with her still in his arms and took the remote for the TV and DVD player. He hit play and the movie that Chihiro was watching earlier started again. Chihiro winced when the song played.
"Give me a magic wand to wave, tell me the magic words to say to bring back the magic of love."
"Can we watch something else?" she asked him.
He let her go so she could go pick another movie. She put on a horror movie, which caused Haku to raise a brow, "You hate horror." he told her, "You get nightmares."
Chihiro just shrugged and settled back so she was leaning into him. He sighed and put his arm around her. The movie began, and about ten minutes in, they showed the corpse of someone who was scared to death. Chihiro gasped and turned her face to hide it in Haku's chest. He laughed and just held her tighter. The pair finished the movie and she started another one, this one wasn't a horror movie, it was a comedy. They got halfway through a fifth movie when they both drifted off to sleep.
Chihiro was running down the halls at school she was frantically looking for Haku. Yubaba was chasing her, trying to get her to clean the big tub. The crone was spitting fire and looked menacing. She ran into her homeroom and there stood Mai. She was grinning wickedly at the scared girl.
"He's mine. He may have come back for you, but he is all mine now." Mai was saying in a cruel voice.
Haku walked in, he looked passed Chihiro and walked over to Mai, the two embraced and were soon locked in a passionate embrace. Their hands ran over each others bodies, even touching private places. Chihiro felt her eyes grow wide and her chest felt like it was being split in two.
"Haku..."
He broke away from Mai and looked at Chihiro, he gave her a look of disgust, "I'm leaving Chihiro, I'm going to the Spirit World and I'm taking Mai with me." he said.
Chihiro shook her head, "No, please."
"You're too jealous, we will never be happy." Haku told her in a cruel voice.
"No, I won't be jealous anymore, just stay here. Please." she kept saying.
"No, I won't be jealous anymore, stay here...Haku stay here. I won't be jealous, Haku...please don't leave me. Please. I won't be jealous. Please. Don't leave, I love you..." Chihiro was saying in her sleep.
Haku woke up when he heard her talking. His eyes went wide when he heard the last part. He gently shook her too wake up.
"No." she was mumbling, tears rolling down her eyes.
Haku was walking away, Chihiro felt herself shaking, as if she would shatter at any moment. She cried and tried to follow him, only to stumble and fall.
"Haku, please don't leave me." she kept saying over and over.
"Chihiro wake up, you're dreaming." he said and shook her a bit more.
He was relieved when she opened her eyes, "Haku..." she whispered then throw herself on him and clung to him like a child.
"Don't leave Haku, please don't ever leave. Even if you are with Mai, just don't leave." she cried.
"I won't leave Chihiro, you're fine. I'm right here. I'm never leaving you." he assured her and held her tightly.