And In Another Life
Chapter 9: You're So Sure
Takemichi can leap through time. I can see the future. He puts himself through hell to save us all. I live through hell to save myself from heartbreak and in the end, I can't even do that. My best chance at life is to live without you, but I don't know how to do that. No matter who I love or how far you push me, I don't want to. In this life and the next, you always pull and I push too deep then I fall right back to you.
"You must have the boy under some kind of spell for him to call you out here this late." Kiki said, glaring out onto the dark streets. "I bet he's somewhere stuffing his face with a fist full of cookies."
You're probably not wrong. Yukari thinks, but says, "He said it was an emergency."
Kiki gives Yukari a sidelong glance that the other girl avoids by pretending not to see. But her obvious smile gives her away. It's bullshit.
Kiki steps right into her face with a dead look, "Really?"
Yukari knew it wasn't a real emergency—at least not life threatening. Because if it were that, she'd hoped he'd call Draken…or the police. Like…come on.
No, she knew even with the rushed excitement in his voice and his hurry to jump off the phone, that wasn't the case. It was an excuse really, and she took it. She took it because her parents didn't always know how to behave when the three of them were together. They didn't shield her from their tension anymore. They let it come to dinner, bedtime, movies.
And quite frankly, it was an awful dinner guest, who was conveniently never invited when company was around. When Baji was there tonight, it was almost the way it was when she was little. Almost. And sometimes, that difference just feels worse.
Yukari elbowed her friend with a smile, wrapping her arms as well as she could around her neck to pull her close. "It's not so bad."
"I don't know these people."
"I don't know them either?" Yukari offers, in a hope to smooth things over. "And, it's not like you've let that stop you before. You're Kiki. Nothing stops you."
Kiki frowned, "Why are you so awful at kissing my ass? You make it seem impossible to do correctly. No wonder I can't keep a boyfriend. I got all the shitty material to work with."
Yukari snorted with laughter, still holding on. "All for one and one for all?"
Kiki groans, "You really need to work on your sales pitch. Let's just get this over with." She sighs, stowing her baseball bat into her backpack and tapping it to make sure it was secure. When Yukari begged her to go out with her, she insisted on bringing a weapon. Her first option was a sword, but Yukari talked her down to a harmless looking baseball bat. "You owe me a week's worth of meals, you know? Breakfast, lunch and dinner. So seven times three. Do the math on that."
"Twenty-One meals," Yukari nods, loosening her hold triumphantly, before tapping her temple. "I've got it all recorded in my ledger."
Meanwhile, Kiki looked as about impressed as a sloth sliding down a tree. "Right. This better not be awful."
Just as they were near the park, the roar of an engine could be heard in the distance. It was late, golden light from streetlamps pockmarked their way down the sidewalk. When they turned, a white blue fell on them, before speeding past and turning into the park's small entrance.
Yukari cleared her throat, and proceeded to brush down the back of her skirt—
"Bitch."
Slightly embarrassed and defenseless, Yukari could only offer a shrug.
Kiki closed her eyes tight before pointing toward the driver of the bike, now around the corner and out of view. "Bitch." Kiki dug into the word this time, stretching out the vowel sound. "Bitch."
"I know." Yukari whispered. "I got the call when he was over. My parents felt better about me leaving…if he came with me."
Kiki's eyes fluttered incredulously, "Your parents need to see a fucking psychologist because—don't get me wrong, I love Baji too, that's my boy but—he's not…" Kiki paused, her eyes narrowing on Yukari as the brown haired girl moved her gaze beyond her head. "He's not Izuru, Kari. He's nothing like him."
"They know that." Yukari tells her, fighting the wobbling in her stomach. She patted Kiki's arm, but the girl didn't relax her stance. "They do."
Kiki didn't address it again, deciding to lead her to where they knew Baji would be waiting.
Baji swung his leg over his bike just as Kiki and Yukari joined him.
"Hey, hair commercial." Kiki said, easily disguising her earlier irritation at his inclusion with a tilt of her chin. "Nice jacket, I could probably see that thing from Mars."
"Is it your job to hate on me, or is that just something you do to make your life seem less pathetic?" Baji cut her a smirk, and dusted off his loud orange windbreaker with gold zipper and buttons. Yukari's mom had asked him to put it on as he drove, having not worn a jacket to come over, she demanded he put on the new one she got him. fortunately, it didn't clash with his black and grey striped t-shirt and dark denim jeans and converse. He was stylish most days, another reason Yukari's mother liked him.
"I try to do a bit of both when I can." Kiki tells him, looking him over she points, "your dick's hanging out."
Baji's hands flew to his pants. His face flamed red when he looked back up to find Kiki cackling.
"You're so gullible!" she said, clutching her stomach, "you didn't know your actual dick wasn't hanging out of your jeans all the way over here? Ha! You're such a moron."
He ground his teeth together, "Oh, fuck off, Matsuda, before I smack that big ass forehead of yours."
"At least we all know I got a brain behind this big ass forehead of mine, instead of that rotting cabbage you won't let out of its cage up there." Kiki told him, "let that thing breathe, Monkey-Bars."
"I'm sick of your fuckin' jokes, and you wonder why you only have like two friends."
"I don't need a bunch of dudes hanging around me to feel special, unlike you—"
It was at this point that, Yukari decided to tune them out. She walked between them, staring forward as their insults and digs flew over her head.
It was strange to her how the two of them told her, on their own, how much they liked the other but would immediately argue the second they actually saw each other in person. She and Chifuyu had to have their own little conversations then, just to drown them out.
The entrance into the park had four motorcycles out front, all lined together and gleaming under the glow of the moon and stars. The park itself was pretty sparse. It had a nice swing set and jungle gym, and sizable geometric climbing dome and sandbox. Off to the side and back were wooden picnic tables lit under the glow of streetlamps. A couple figures lounged about, chatting, sitting close, but with a sizable space between them.
Emma and Draken she could see from a mile away. Draken with his head turned slightly away from her while Emma's knees were facing right towards her object of desire.
Yukari honestly couldn't decide if he were just stupid or scared. Or maybe patient, maybe that was his thing. From what she got from Emma, Draken was even older than Mikey, putting the two at two years apart. Maybe to him that felt like a lot, and because she was younger he had to be careful. That and because she was his best friend's sister.
That much Yukari could understand even if the patience thing went right over her head.
"Is that Baji?" a gruff voice, drew her attention off to the right. "The one in the middle must be Mikey's wifey…but who's the other one?"
Wifey? What has Mikey been telling these guys?
"Dunno, but she seems to really have it out for Baji. I wonder what he did?"
"He started it, one hundred percent."
"That's a goddamn lie, Pah!" Baji suddenly called out, breaking out of his argument to defend himself. "This girl just started in on me for no reason. I don't know what her problem is."
Yukari eyed the two guys standing near the entrance bouncing a soccer ball between them. One was stout in a pair of red pants and flipflops, the other was lanky and awkward looking sporting a shirt that looked like a replica of Starry Night. The odd pair stopped their playing the second the three came closer.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Pah asked with a smirk.
Baji replied, "Hell no," at the same time that Kiki snapped, "As if."
Kiki gave Yukari a quick look over her shoulder before sauntering up to the boys with her arms crossed. then, it dawned on Yukari. She wasn't just doing this to do this. Kiki had a plan. This was the start of 'the' plan. Yukari had better play her part. Kiki grinned, "I'd rather kiss a pig, not that he doesn't have me beat there. He'd rather fuck one."
The two boys, Pah and who Yukari assumed was Peh, roared with laughter, slapping Kiki's back as Baji flew into a rage and began chasing all three of them around like they were little kids.
"I'm gunna murder you all!"
Well, there goes calm.
"Hey!" Draken called standing to his feet and cupping his mouth, "Cut that shit out before you hurt yourselves. I'm not taking anyone to the hospital tonight!"
"Mind your own damn business!" Baji yelled back, continuing to chase them around the entire park, around a towering lanky boy and another one with silver hair and a single earring.
"Assholes." Draken grumbled, watching them like an old man tired of the young people and their new technology.
Yukari folded her arms as she watched Kiki, toss her bag back at Baji, to distract him, while she and the other boys ran for dear life. Baji, caught it easily, and tossed it aside, but not before slipping the bat out of it and flipping it between his hands. Kiki let out a squeal, before kicking it into high gear. For someone who'd complained the whole drive over, you sure are having fun.
"Kari!"
Yukari had just begun to laugh at them when she noticed someone standing at the top of the dome. She rolled her eyes and then shook her head. She only needed a single guess to know who it was. She knew that voice anywhere by now.
His black eyes met hers and he grinned like he'd been waiting like an impatient child all day for a birthday cake he'd been promised not two seconds before. It was a sure grin, a smile that knew she was coming and could never, ever be wrong.
Somehow, the screams from the four delinquents run all the way down until she hears nothing save for her own heart beat. Her brain is full of it, the rapid pounding and the slick thrill of elation building in her belly. She couldn't say for certain why the hairs on her arms stood on end or why gooseflesh appeared en masse against her skin. She only knew that her adrenaline was currently spiraling, spinning faster and faster as she looked up at him. hazel and black. Ying and yang. The bright moon at his back, shadowing his face and painting silver lines around his body. He looked—from the ground anyway—inhumanly beautiful. Angelic, even as he wore a devil's smirk.
Mikey leapt down with a thump and strolled toward her with his hands in his baggy sweatpants, his black sweater hanging off his right shoulder—
Not that it had any significance. Just that it was a detail. Only that the small appearance of his shoulder was somehow distracting, weirdly intimate almost. His shoulder seemed to pull into focus, pulsing into her per view.
She can't say how long she stared, until he stopped walking and stood in front of her.
"You made it."
Whatever excitement was in his voice, ran across the small space between them and slipped into her body like a wandering spirit. Her head was buzzing as the sweet air of the night seemed to sizzle and snap around them. Crackling like lightning let out of its bottle.
Kiki was dead wrong.
Yukari had nothing on the hold that Mikey had. The absolute control of the space they existed in. she barely felt comfortable even breathing when he was this close. She needed him to cut the magic in half and shatter the moment by whining or looking like the little kid she was used to. By puffing out his cheeks and looking like a chipmunk baby. Because this Mikey-cool and swagged out to the heavens, Mikey (Kiki's description, not hers)—he made her feel like the slimmest piece of glass. The thinnest thread, asking to be cut.
She had to actually pinch herself, to make her mouth move instead of grin at him like a maniac when he stopped in front of her, head cocked to the side. Eyes just so damn sure she would be here when he asked, because he asked. The corner of his pouty mouth pulled up in a smirk that swallowed her. She couldn't begin to describe how crazy infuriating it was! Infuriating too that she loved it. That she ate it up. She was starved for it.
"It sounded serious." Yukari says, her voice scratchy for some reason, that makes her sound cooler than she felt, more confident than she was. "And, as friends, who would I be if I didn't come…and with reinforcements." She put her hand out towards the four, hoping that his dark eyes would move to their friends—just so she'd have space to move.
They don't. He has her in his scope and he's not moving, until he takes the shot.
So she does. She steps so close their shoes, her sandals and his flipflops, would barely be separated by anything. She tilts her head, as she views him, the moonlight against his pale skin. The golden strands of his hair shadowing his onyx eyes. Her hand pokes at his chest, with soft strokes as she says, "Well, what did you need?"
If he had said, "You."
That would have been it. That would've sealed the deal. She would've said, "Good." And that would've been the end. She would've kissed him dead on the mouth in front of all of his friends and spent the rest of the night writing her initials on his skin. She would have bought herself a neckless with his initials and worn that thing until the chain shattered or the world came to an end. One or the other.
But, instead, she has to shut her eyes in surprise as he blows a bubble with his gum and it pops, splattering the mess all around his mouth.
Yukari blinks once, and immediately looks for the exit. I should've known this was too good to be true.
He looked like an actual clown now. Grinning and hyper. Now, he had crumbs on his cheeks and a jelly stain down the front of his sweater. His hands were sticky as they fastened around hers and hauled her around to meet his little group. "Everyone! Get over here! I want you to meet someone!"
It was strange how she didn't notice before.
He did succeed at one thing though. He'd put her back in her right state of mind. Because cool Mikey wasn't who he was, it was who she saw in glimpses, bits and pieces. Chipmunk Mikey was still the guy she'd met at the restaurant, adorable and sweet, but it wasn't the guy she'd wrote her name on. Or drooled after as he watched her. They were two very different people. Perhaps one wasn't even a person at all.
And that realization…was freeing.
The dream world shattered, the fog lifted and the magic that had held her captive and wanting, fizzled out into the corners of the world, pushing the real world back into focus.
For some reason, Baji doesn't snap at Mikey. He does stop and comes over right along with the rest of them.
"Baji had told me about you two already," she told the stout boy and lanky one as Mikey pulled her forward and presented her like it was show and tell and he had the best thing since cereal. "Pah…" she said, winking at him and getting herself a blush in return, he ducked his eyes rubbing his head. "And Peh, right?"
Pah had a scary sort of face, but when he smiled, he looked adorable, "Yeah, that's—"
Mikey wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him, she didn't fight it, just let him be happy. Let his chest press into her back, his chin on her left shoulder. "That's awesome, Kari!"
"Yeah, now let go so I can greet your friends and not just look at them." She says, wiggling from his grip, she was surprised by the patience in her own voice, the surety that was there. she could tell that he didn't want to, even as he released her and crossed his arms. "Sorry about him. It's good to finally meet you. Baji told me how awesome you too are, I look forward to being friends."
Pah and Peh both squirmed but returned her hand shake when she offered it. "Me too," Pah's voice was gruff, but she was determined to make him feel comfortable.
She stepped toward him, making note of Mikey's arm pressing against hers. The small, tiny chaos it was causing in her stomach. "So, which bike is yours?"
"I have a Z400FX." Peh cuts in puffing out his chest, as he leans over, "I rode with Pah though so you wouldn't see it."
"You could show me a picture." She said, "I'd love to see it."
"Yeah?" and he pulled out his phone and she walked over to his side. He was gigantic, and had to really lower the phone so she could see the screen. "Uh, here it is."
"It's pretty. I like the color too. Camouflage " She said, smiling at him. "I'm not a big motorcycle fan, but I love your colors."
He laughed. "Pah's is the—"
"I can tell her myself!" Pah said, cutting in, now gathering himself. "mine is the CBX400f."
"Very cool." She said reassuringly, not being a single step closer to knowing which he meant, and smiling anyway. "my dad has one that looks like that. He's having it restored. I'm sure he'd love to have one that looks as good as yours."
That may or may not have been true, she couldn't really recall what it looked like. She just knew it didn't look like Baji's or Mikey's. That's all.
Pah grinned, "It is the best."
"Not as good as my CB250T." Mikey cuts in, looking like he'd just eaten something sour, as he poked his lips out, casting both boys a look that had them scooting away. "Anyway, that'll be enough flirting with my girlfriend. Come on, Kari. You still have to meet Mitsuya and Hakkai."
As he hauled her off toward Draken and Emma, she turned toward the two as they trailed behind them, "I'm not his girlfriend. I just met him a couple days ago and—"
"A couple days?" he snorts, incredulous, "it's been way longer than a couple days. And don't try and act like you weren't just flirting with me a couple minutes ago." He looks back, and wags his eyebrows, "I still feel your fingerprints on my chest."
She looked to the heavens, "Mikey…I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Kari, you were this close to kissing me back there." Mikey said. Yukari felt like she'd been hit with how fast she cringed. She really didn't think he noticed. "and not to mention the way you were looking at me….your eyes were dilated. I read somewhere that when a person's eyes are dilated that means they're looking at someone they're attracted to."
She gave him a look, "You 'read somewhere', Mikey?"
"Fine. Mitsuya told me a while back." He shrugged flexing the warm fingers wrapped around hers, "still, it doesn't make me any less right."
"I—"
She paused as he suddenly pulled their joined hands up by his head, pulling her close to his face.
"Admit it," he said, with all the confidence of a god. "You like me."
That…wasn't a bad moment. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, just by his words alone, however, all that mess around his mouth…killed it. She used her free hand to reach into her purse and pull out a handkerchief, which she proceeded to use to wipe up the crumbs and remove the sticky gum from his cute little face. he held her captive this whole time, watching as she put the napkin away.
"Like you or not," she tells him, "You don't want me as your girlfriend. You'd have no idea what to do with me."
"I can make a few suggestions." Kiki says stepping up on the bench to sit next to Emma.
"Not helping." Yukari cuts her a friendly, 'shut up, or I'll kill you' smile. Mikey holds her there a moment, eyes looking her over, trying his hardest to find what he'd glimpsed moments ago and coming up empty. The pout that followed was expected. Even her putting her hands on his shoulders to console him as he crossed his arms in protest seemed natural. His head going on her shoulder as she patted his head and cooed. "You're okay," she said, "You're still cute even if I'm not trying to kiss you. Don't let anyone tell you any different."
"He's even a handful with you." Mitsuya had a shock of silver hair and bright lilac eyes. His easy smile made hers came easy too. It was probably helped by the fact that he was just as easy to look at as well.
"An armful always," she said, now running her fingers through his hair in soothing strokes. "I know you too. It's good to meet you, Mitsuya. Where's—"
The boy who she assumed to be Hakkai had his back to her, stiff as a board.
Mitsuya patted his shoulder, but didn't force him to turn. "He's shy."
Poor thing. "Hakkai, I would love to see your face. You think you could turn around for me?"
Mikey grumbled, but before he could put up a louder protest. She used her free hand to flick his forehead. "You literally have your skull in my neck, Mikey. I need you to calm all the way down. It's fine. No one here is as cute as you."
That made him happy and he snuggled closer.
She smiled, weirdly content herself. Even she had to admit how flattering his attentions were. For all of her crush on Baji, he didn't give her nearly as much energy as Mikey gave.
Talk about being delusional.
Kiki just looked at her. The kind of look you give your best friend when you think she's being a lunatic, but won't say so in public. That judgey kind.
Hakkai managed to turn a quarter of the way toward her, but didn't meet her gaze.
"See?" Yukari said, deciding it would be best for everyone involved that she not push him any further. "You have a nice face."
Mikey lifted his head, grinning. "Is he as cute as me?"
Yukari rolled her eyes, "Is anyone?"
When he laughed, she pushed his face back, and detached him from her shoulder.
"No wonder you're together," Mitsuya remarks with a laugh, "You tell him exactly what he wants to hear."
"Only when he deserves it," she says, giving the blonde a wink over her shoulder, "And despite being a gigantic liar, he's not nearly as pushy as he was few days ago."
"Girl," Kiki says, standing up, "He just told half his friends you're his wifey. Can you tell me your definition of pushy, so I know you what words you need to tell your tutor you need to work on?"
Yukari opens her mouth, and then closes it. "Anyway, Mitsuya, Hakkai, lovely to meet you. This," she gestures to Kiki who gives them a wave of her fingers, "Is one of my oldest and best friends. She's not nearly as nice as I am."
"I'm not nice at all," Kiki says as she jumps from the bench and strides right into Mitsuya's face. he lifts his eyebrows but doesn't back away. "Wanna find out the hard way?"
Yukari slaps a hand over her face as her friend drops her hip and crosses her arms.
Mitsuya's mouth slowly twitches into a smile, playing along. "Is there an easy way?"
"If you want it easy, you may as well date a dog."
Yukari had no words, "…Kiki…"
"I can't argue with that." He replies, not moving, but not not enjoying himself. His light eyes sparkled down at the shorter girl.
I wouldn't even know how, Yukari thinks, as she watches her friend flirt. Kiki doesn't really even flirt with anyone, ever, so even if this was bold, bold, Yukari wanted nothing more than to watch it unfold.
"How old are you?"
Kiki lifted an eyebrow, "Old enough."
Kiki! What should I do? Move everyone away or keep them close? Are you actually serious or just joking? Yukari couldn't tell. She'd literally, never seen Kiki flirt with purpose before. Not counting all the times, Yukari thought Kiki was flirting with Baji. If this is how Kiki flirts, Yukari was wayyy off.
I have to be a better wing woman.
Instead of waiting on Yukari to make a move, Kiki reached forward and lightly punched Mitsuya's arm. "Just kidding, pretty-boy." She says, walking past him, but bumping his shoulder as she strode toward the swings. "You look like a goody-goody."
"Isn't he in a gang, Kiki?" Yukari offers the same question, she gave her.
"Yeah, and so is Baji and he's a little Momma's boy."
Baji's face turned immediately, and he set off after her the second she took off running. Mitsuya snorted, watching as Peh and Pah joined and even Mikey took off after them, thrilled by the chaos. He's such a kid.
"Hey!" He called, somehow finding himself at the very center of the circle "We should play tag."
And this is the boy that gives me butterflies?
Kiki made a circle and hid herself behind Mikey, who seemed to keep the seething Momma's boy at bay. "Oh, Baji's 'it' for sure. He can't catch shit. Not you guys and definitely not a girl. Baji couldn't catch a girl if we gave him instructions. Couldn't keep one either."
Mikey and the rest laughed at his expense. Kiki's eyes quickly darted to Yukari's letting her know the barb was made just for her. Yukari smiled.
"We'll see." He spat out against the ground and cracked his knuckles.
"I think you pissed him off." Mikey tells Kiki.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Kiki says, "He's a sensitive little momma's boy, ain't he? The truth hurts sometimes."
"What girl he couldn't keep?" Mikey asks, and Kiki, not missing a beat, throws her hair over her shoulder, "Me, obviously, can't you tell he's in love with me?"
"You fuckin' liar!" he took off after them in a blur, tagging Pah, when he didn't seem to be able to run fast enough and hitting Peh not too long after. Mikey and Kiki though? Those two were like lightning and no amount of swearing on his part or laughing on theirs could make him faster.
Yukari felt like a mom as she climbed up next to Emma and Draken, her hands pressed back against the table, watching them run the night away.
Draken, eventually got up, and decided to help Baji out, tapping Mitsuya's arm and Hakkai deciding to come along not soon after.
Emma scooted closer to Yukari, folding her arms with a pleased sigh as she watched the group whop and holler like little kids.
"I did tell him to give you some space, you know." Emma reveals.
Yukari, weirdly enough, finds an odd sense of relief in that, relief Emma senses she needs. Relief that makes her feel both giddy and absolutely stupid. "Oh? Thanks for that."
Emma raises an eyebrow, letting Yukari know she saw behind her smile, saw through her sudden quiet. Saw the barely repressed jealousy smothered behind a smile.
Yukari lays back on her hands, not putting a name to the feeling, but seeing it lurk anyway. "I don't think I'm always like this…"
"I am." Emma says with a serious expression. "I'm so jealous sometimes…it's embarrassing. It makes me so…frustrated. You hide yours pretty good. If I wasn't so good at hiding mine, I probably wouldn't have noticed yours." Emma bumps her arm against Yukari's, "It's not a crime, you know. It's okay to feel that way."
Yukari nods, "It's still humiliating though, especially when it's directed at someone you love and who loves you more than anything."
Emma places a hand on her shoulder and turns the brown haired girl to face her. "I'm probably the only one here who knows exactly what you're feeling." Emma presses closer, "But…you don't have to worry about my brother liking someone else. He talks about you all the time," she lowered her voice, "I hear them talk about you. He wants to know more about you, but he also just wants to skip a few steps."
"All the steps."
"Every step."
Yukari laughs, "I have…a lot of steps though."
Emma rolled her eyes, "Not too many if he can so easily make you jealous without trying."
She had her there. "It's not deep jealousy, it's surface thin. Kiki is just so awesome…I wish I could be more like her."
"And I wish I could be more like you." Emma gestures toward the group. "You're so mature and calm. Yeah, you can be silly, but you're kinda like Draken in that way. You're patient."
"And you're not?"
"Nope." She says, "but I don't really have much of a choice."
"Because you love him."
Emma nods, "Yes."
"Then it'll be fine, I promise. He cares about you too, if he didn't, would he be so comfortable around you? Sitting next to you…alone?" Yukari teased the blonde girl.
"We were alone."
"yeah, you were and you looked amazing."
"That's what I was thinking!"
"Well, you did! And so hot together!"
Emma raised her fists to the air, "That's what I keep saying!"
Yukari giggled, "Oh, and by the way, I'm not usually this patient. If I had met Mikey first, I promise you, you and I would've been friends weeks ago. You'd be tired of seeing me."
Emma laughed, but stopped a moment, her brow wrinkling, "Oh, you mean, before the other guy. The guy who doesn't like you back?"
She nods.
"You think he likes someone else?"
"Yes."
Emma presses her lips together before she speaks, "Do you think you know who?"
Yukari smiles, "Who makes you so jealous, anyway?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Emma says, but before she answers, Yukari can see the answer playing right in front of them. It's not a romantic rivalry, but a platonic one can be just big, just as insurmountable. Just as ugly enough to fester and turn into something monstrous. "My brother."
She and Emma chat a little longer after that, nothing too serious. Hobbies. Music. Friends. This and that. Emma doesn't have many female friends. Yukari had two female best friends, Baji and Chifuyu quickly becoming her best guy friends. She had associates at school. 'School friends' she liked but didn't share any secrets with. Yukari was excited to include Emma in her friend circle, but even this she had to be careful with, because, afterall, it was her brother she was facing. And hurting him could mean the end of their friendship altogether.
Were we friends in the past? Yukari had to wonder at that. She didn't thinks so, because if they were, she doubted Emma would've stood for how awful Yukari could be. Emma would probably kick her ass for it.
Mikey drug himself back to her thirty minutes later, glancing over to his sister. Emma rolled her eyes with a huff, but stood up. She tapped Yukari's knee meaningfully, before she decided to jog over to the others.
Mikey threw himself into her lap, whining, "Kari! I'm tired!"
She laughed, and began working her fingers through his hair, ignoring her heart beating at their closeness. "Who told you to run around for so long?"
"I had to give you time not to be mad at me."
"Who said I was mad at you?"
Mikey lifted his head, "Draken and Emma said you would be."
She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well, I'm not. I am a little annoyed though. You call me all the way out here and spend more time with my friends than me. Is that the way you treat the girl you like?"
"Shit, I knew I shouldn't have listened to Emma."
She giggled, "I'm kidding," but not really, "Emma gives great advice," and she did. She actually did miss her little chipmunk falling all over her, his warm arms around her waist, his head pressed to her neck. His soft hair tangled around her fingers. She liked wrapping him up in her arms, wanting to have any excuse to. "But, are you okay? You had to have some reason for wanting to see me, right?"
"Yeah," he says, he voice quiet. "I wanted to see your smile."
She paused in her ministrations.
He lifted his head, his dark eyes holding her in place. "I missed it."
And, just like that, she did smile. "How's that?"
He seemed to really be examining her now, looking her over, from her hair down to her collar bone and everywhere in between. Mikey nodded, giving her a glowing review. "Perfect."
How can one boy have no earthly clue how to hold her attraction and yet be so suddenly attractive when she least expects it? Like…how? Why is he like this? Why is he so frustrating?
Mikey pulled himself up from her lap—much to her hidden disappointment—but didn't leave her. he came to her left, leaning into her side, taking her left hand to run his thumb across her fingers. She was thankful it was a little chilly so her hands weren't slippery with sweat.
"You know I thought you'd have soft hands, but the pads of your fingers have callouses."
"From violin." She says, "They're not as bad as they were, my mom made sure of that."
"Can you play me something?"
She scrunched her nose, "Greedy, aren't you?"
"Well?"
She laughs at his smugness. "Fine. Thursday, I want you to come over. I'll play you something then." Her parents wouldn't be there then, so she didn't have to explain him to them, or have them compare Mikey to Baji. She wanted to hear none of it. "I'm not that good. I won't be winning any awards, that's for sure."
"You don't need to." He tells her, "No one's better you."
"Mikey, you haven't even heard me play!"
"I don't need to. I know you're a hard worker. You wouldn't be bad at anything."
She watched him for a moment, tempted to ask him a question she also didn't want to know the answer to. Did you ever have a girlfriend, Mikey? Is that why you know exactly what to say? Or do you just make everyone feel special when you decide you like them? Even your friends?
This seemed too good. Too much like a dream.
Yukari glanced away from him, toward their friends. Laughing and hollering. Did they feel like this too, when they were with him? Special? Called out. Among the heavens. Beside an angel?
He smirked.
One with a wicked grin?
"I hate that you know exactly what to say to me." Yukari dares to look back at his eyes, and they take their time consuming her, drinking her up. How do you do that? "You don't even know me."
"I know you." He says, with so much certainty, she almost believes him. "I'm your princess, aren't I?"
She pauses, her brows flickering, her ears mishearing, as she reaches to place her hand against his, "What?"
Yukari's eyes were fuzzy in the golden festival light, tears ran down her cheeks. Her arms wrapped around his head to pull him close and keep him near, even as the brick wall against her back cut through her yukata, and mussed up the ornaments in her carefully constructed hair.
When their lips parted, she could breathe, but it was a painful relief. Guilt was at the back of her mind, her eyes looked briefly past Mikey's blonde hair. who was she looking for?
She didn't want to be seen, but longed to be. It would make it easier.
Pressed on all sides, she'd never felt more trapped and yet never more free.
Rain began to patter down around them, first hitting her on the forehead, pulling them apart just so he could pull closer still and devour her all the more. His kiss was hungry, and yet more precise than he had ever been with her. he'd never been so deliberate. He wasn't blindly kissing her here. He had a goal in mind. And he'd get it if it was the last thing he—
Mikey's fingertips are cool, against her cheeks, his palms, warm as a furnace. "You trying to kiss me or something?"
She giggles aloud, placing her hands over his, "No, I'm just a little sleepy. That's why I closed my eyes. Thanks though, your lovely hands warmed me up."
"Yeah?" he comes closer, "My lips can do a better job."
She rolled her eyes, now, not at all afraid for some reason, "How many girls have you kept warm with those lips of yours, Mikey?"
"You'd be the first," he says this like she's just won a prize, "and the best."
"What about the last?"
"Promise?"
She giggled again, shaking her head, sliding his hands from her cheeks, but keeping her hold on them. "Haha."
"I meant that."
"I know, Mikey! You're so—urgh!"
"Oh, my god, Mikey! You're so fine and funny!" Kiki mimicked her voice as she and the others sauntered over. "You're so crazy, I just really wanna have your babies! Kiss me already!"
"Yeah?" Mikey grinned, looking like he was about to dive into her face. "I was thinking the same thing."
Kiki fanned herself, "Yes, please!"
Yukari dodged out of the way, holding him down as she shook her fist at her friend, "Shut up, Kiki! I do not sound like that." Everyone, of course noticed that she did not refute anything about wanting his babies…or his kisses for that matter.
Mitsuya, decided not to mind his own business, "You kinda do."
"Right!" Kiki declared. "When's the wedding? Emma, you want to be a bridesmaid?"
Emma clapped her hands together, "I'd love that."
"Draken, I clock you in as the best man? Is that right?"
Draken came into the joke easily, "Yeah, I'm cool with that."
"Good," Kiki said, "So, we have Pah, Baji, Mitsuya and Draken on Mikey's side. Emma and I will be bridesmaids and because I'm nice, I'll let Hina be the maid of honor—"
"Guys!" Yukari cried out, laughing. "We were just—It wasn't—I don't—I mean I do, but—I'm almost fifteen I—Damn it!"
"Aright, Kiki, cut it out." Baji said dryly, "Leave her alone. We gotta go anyway. Your mom and dad just called me. I gotta take you home."
"What?"Mikey whined. "But you were just about to kiss me!"
She rolled her eyes, "Mikey, I'm not kissing a guy I'm not dating. And to be dating you have to take me on at least three dates. This—" she gestured at the park and their friends, "This is not a date."
He shrugs, easy fix. "Let's go on a date then. Tomorrow—"
"Mikey, you goof, we're hanging out first, then, I might go on a date with you. I might."
"Oh, you will." He says as he leaps onto the grass and holds his hand out to help her down. "You love being with me. You were watching me the whole time I was away from you."
"I was not!" she turned to Emma, "Tell him, Emma."
"You want me to lie?" she says.
"Guys!" she said, "Really?"
"You did come on to him," Draken says, "You tried to kiss him twice today."
"I saw that too." Pah said, nodding his assent. "I think it was really cool of you. I like a girl who can take charge."
"Real cool," Peh parroted.
"Not to mention, how cozy you two looked on the bench." Mitsuya says, "If that's not wifey material, I don't know what is."
"Oh, my god! Guys! I was tired! I was sleepy! I'm delirious!" Even she could hear the denial in her voice.
Draken snorts, "Sure."
She throws her hand up and instead tugs on her blonde boy, "Mikey, tell them, you're kidding." She says, looking up at him as sweet as she can manage. "Tell them, I wasn't actually trying to kiss you."
He winks, "For a kiss."
She shoves his chest, grinning. "Ugh! I can't stand you."
"Oh, my God, Mikey, you're so bad!" Kiki roared with laughter, making Yukari shrink back behind Mikey who took this opportunity to wrap his arms around her.
"I do NOT sound like that!" But she was laughing too, because she knew Kiki was picking on her, for sure, but was also doing this for her, showing her how life with them could be. And it felt all the better with her here. Her best friend. Yukari decided then to make it up to her, to make up for those jealous moments that clouded her head. She'd be better. She would. "Just take me home!"
Author's Note:
Guyyyyys! I'm so happy to be back. I was thinking about the direction of this story and decided to make a few changes. Since I obviously included a non-canon character, I am going to alter canon just a bit to give myself some room. Im aiming to come to a conclusion by 25 chapters. That's the plan.
I also noticed a few of the chapters aren't well edited, like, at all. I need to fix those so hopefully, I can do that this month and update early next month. I hope these two chapters can hold you guys over until then. Also, if anyone knows a beta reader, send them my way. I don't put nearly as much effort into this story as I should because I'm always changing the goal post. I'd love someone to keep me on it.
Also: Thank you for the reviews! I love them! I was reading them and just knew I had to go on and kick this chapter out. I'm glad you like the story so far and Mikey. But, again, this is going to be so cute...until it isn't.
The chapter was originally supposed to be much longer, but I'll just save the next bit for the next chapter. I am struggling with cutting conversation short for some reason. This was supposed to be a much shorter scene, but I wanted to flesh out Kiki's character a bit more and show how she responds to people. And to set up things to come. I have too much fun with this little group. Hopefully, I can accomplish all my goals for the next chapter to stay on track for the 25 chapter finish I want.