Summary: It's been three months since they broke up, and Karin got lost in the darkest without the light of a certain energetic blonde. But all that will change when they meet again one night.
Ai/Karin

Madly in love

Euphoric shouts and slurred lyrics being sang get mixed with the loud pumping of the music playing and buzzing in her ears, and yet Karin, far from being seduced by the lively rhythm to the point of letting her body get lost in the sea of sweated bodies dancing and rubbing against each other, can't help but stay glued to the seat of the stool she's on, almost staying static on it.

Her fingertips, far from moving along with the rhythm of one of her favorite songs playing in the background, only play with the rim of the glass in front of her, circling it, before she takes it and drinks the strong liquor filling it in one go, letting the alcohol burn her throat and hopefully the numbness she feels inside. After it, the glass clanks against the counter with a loud thud that warns the bartender to fill it up with the strongest liquor he has in store.

As the golden liquor begins to fill up her glass once again, Karin can't help but let her mind wander to a certain spirited blonde with a similar hue of eyes.

The coldness she felt until that moment slowly begins to fade, and Karin isn't sure if it's due to the effect of the alcohol finally kicking in her system, or most likely, to the memories of that very blonde smiling at her beamingly, giggling cutely in her ear as she teases her.

- You've always been such a lightweight, Karin.

The blonde's warm voice used to tease her whenever they went out to have some drinks or at home while relaxing sipping some expensive wine she was gifted with in a photo shoot, before she felt her strong arms surrounding her to take her back home or to their bedroom in between more teases.

But now, that safety, that warmth and the beaming light Ai poured into her life is long gone leaving her stumbling lost in the dark, leaving her cold and numb.

A shaky sigh escapes Karin's lips as she shuts her eyes in an attempt to not cry, before the blue haired girl's hand grips her glass tighter and gulps the liquor in it in one go, paying for it to then let the bitter taste of alcohol burn her and warm her insides while her stumbling feet make their way through the dance floor in between the crowd to get out of the bar and find herself face to face with the ironically welcome cold wind lashing at her.

As another gust of cold wind lashes at her making her shiver, Karin can't help but wrap her coat tighter around her body in an attempt to shelter herself from it, setting her way back home with the dim light of the streetlights guiding her and giving her the light that her life seems to lack off ever since a certain blonde left it.

A chuckle escapes her lips as Karin thinks about it.

It's been three months since she and Ai broke up and the blonde keeps being present in every single one of her thoughts, in every minute, in every second of it. Ironic, if she thinks about how she was actually the one putting an end to their long relationship…

But no matter how devastated Karin is, she keeps telling herself it was for the best, not bearing to look at the dull glint in Ai's mesmerizing golden eyes. Or how she managed to steal her contagious laugh.

Nor how the blonde stopped smiling, fake or sad smiles replacing her always sweet ones.

Her hands ball into raged fists inside the pockets of her coat upon the impotence of have stolen the energy and happiness of the blonde with so many periods of time away due to her work as a model, always finding an excuse to spend less and less time together in exchange to make money so they could have a better life without realizing it was taking a toll on them and on their relationship until the only thing left for them was to break up.

A shaky sigh escapes Karin's lips as the image of a heartbroken Ai comes to her mind, her tears soaking her beautiful face as a pained but understanding expression adorned it, making her hate herself even more for hurting such a beautiful and kind soul.

As Karin keeps replaying such hurtful moment and the way she broke Ai's heart in her mind, she doesn't realize her feet carried her towards her home, seeing a pair of familiar green sneakers, before she lifts her gaze and locks eyes with that pair of golden eyes that has been haunting her ever since then.

- Ai…

Karin whispers the blonde's name quietly, surprised to see her sat at the step of her front door as if she couldn't believe what her eyes are seeing.

- Ai am me – Ai jokes in return with one of her lame puns that Karin came to love so much, her sweet yet coy smile unknowingly warming the older girl.

- What are you doing here?

Karin can't help but ask, before she notices the light jacket the other girl is wearing and which does nothing to stop her from shivering against the cold weather, prompting her to rush past her and open the front door of what once was their home, to invite the blonde to get inside its warmth.

Silence greets them as soon as the front door closes, seeing Ai hugging herself while shifting in her feet, and Karin hates herself from being so selfish of wanting nothing more than be the one hugging the younger girl and having Ai in her arms like she used to do.

- I… I miss you…

Ai confesses, a hopeful pang crosses Karin's chest making her drop her keys to the floor accidently.

- Ain't no need to be so surprised.

Ai lets out an awkward joke, making a teary smile appear on Karin's lips.

- I miss you too. You have no idea how much I do.

Karin whispers, letting the effect of the strong alcohol in her system encourage her to shorten their distance and pull the younger girl in her arms as she wanted, feeling Ai tensing up, before she relaxes and rests her head on Karin's shoulder as she used to do, wrapping her arms around the older girl's waist tightly.

- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

Karin whispers against Ai's head, kissing her hair as she feels the blonde tightening her embrace around her, timid sniffles filling the quiet air.

- It's okay.

- No, it isn't. I hurt you – Karin says pained, hugging Ai tighter – I was an idiot and hurt you, but if you… if you let me, I'll spend the rest of my days making it up to you.

- Are you proposing?

Ai lets out in between sniffles, pulling away to see an embarrassing blush dusting Karin's cheeks.

- N-no! I-I mean, not yet…

Karin murmurs embarrassed, making the blonde squeal in surprise, something uncommon of her, before she giggles, infecting Karin with her sweet laugh.

- Well, I guess Ai can do that. But with one condition – Ai says becoming serious.

- Which one?

Karin answers in a beat.

- Don't push me away again.

Ai says quietly, seeing a soft expression adorning Karin's still blushing face, before she feels the older girl cupping her cheeks, stroking them ever so tenderly.

- Never again, I promise.

Karin promises her, before they lock their lips in a tender kiss and another tight hug with the promise of a future together.