Hey! Thanks for the feedback so far!

I've taken into account your preferences and written a slightly longer chapter this time.

It picks up from the last chapter.

She felt like she could lay down and take a long, relaxing snooze then and there...

That's when she willed herself to the kitchen and started on the hot chocolate.

Before that, she took the wet clothes and put them on a drying rack on the far end of the house. It was only after her suggestions and persuasion that he went out and got himself the 'bare-necessities' that even a struggling household like the Ayuzawa's wouldn't live without. It wasn't about the money for Takumi. Heck, he could go to Harvard or MIT if he wanted to without even clearing high-school, in a sports car everyday at that.

No, he lived as though he'd die the next day. He didn't have an heir or even someone to consider a nominee to his belongings. He believed that everything is vanity...

Misaki took a pan and poured some milk in it. Once that began to heat up, put in two spoonful's of hot cocoa mix. And stirred it. She remembered that Takumi liked his slightly bitter so after he poured her cup, she added just a bit more of the cocoa powder in the pan, mixed it in, and poured it into his mug.

"The whole house smells amazing" she heard him say.

Takumi walked in wearing a similar pair of sweats.

They sat on the couch and enjoyed their hot drink as it stormed outside. The direction of the wind changed and the rain hit the window of the apartment, distorting their view of the world outside.

"This is nice" he said,

"What?" she looked at him,

"Just hanging out in the rain…you making us hot chocolate. It feels nice" he said, "This is just the way I like it" he said, relishing the taste of the drink.

"Usui, can I ask you something?"

He nodded,

"What happens when…what happens when we graduate school? I can't seem to think beyond that"

Takumi shifted, "Well, what do you have in mind for college?"

"I was thinking about law."

"That's very fitting" he chuckled,

"Hey!"

"It's true. You'd make an amazing prosecutor"

"I don't necessarily have to become a prosecutor, I'd do well as a defender too you know" she said, her lips at the rim of the mug.

"Of course. I just said that 'cause of how you are at school" he took a sip, "You'd be an amazing defender of justice, Ayuzawa" he put an arm around her and pulled her closer.

"What about you, Usui?" She said, internally screaming at their physical proximity.

"Well…I have a few options, let's see"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you were a chef one day and a doctor the other, who knows, you might even become a pilot or a policeman"

"Calm down, I may have the potential, but I am only human!"

Misaki laughed, and realised that what he said was indeed true. She called him alien, but he is just as human as she is. He has a heart, a heart that has been through and will go through a lot.

"What about…us?" her cheeks heated against the cold temperature inside.

Takumi's eyes softened as he prepared himself for the conversation that was to follow. A major part of him wanted to tell her the truth, the other didn't think it was the right time.

"Wherever you go, remember that I'll always stalk you." He said, slyly.

He earned a slap across his chest. It was playful nonetheless.

"What I meant to say was, I'll always stalk your heart and your thoughts"

"I know what you mean." She shifted, "I don't…I can't, I don't want this to not mean anything anymore"

Takumi froze. Was the dangerous Kaichou really fumbling with her words?

It wasn't a first, but hey, it wasn't a frequent occurrence either.

Misaki gave him a reason to look for happiness in the mundane. To look forward to wake up the next day knowing that he isn't promised tomorrow. In vanity he came to acknowledge the beauty of memories and reminiscing.

He knew he'd come to this apartment in the future if he were to ever abandon it to go live in another country. He took care of his house; prepared it to transform into a home whenever she came over.

"We were brought together for a reason." He stroked her cheek, "If we're meant to be, we will. If we aren't, then what we have between us will be the judge of what will remain between us." He said, stroking through her hair.

Misaki felt odd. It was like some negative energy had interfered their silent moment. She tried to ignore it, and leaned into Takumi. He kissed the top of her head and continued sipping his warm beverage. A thousand thoughts swirling in his mind.

"Your hair's still wet" he said, distracting himself,

"Oh, it's not a big deal" Said Misaki, inspecting her hair for dampness.

"Sure it is. Come, I'll dry your hair."

He went to his room and brought out a blow-dryer.

"I didn't know you used hair tools" she said, surprised.

"I won a raffle at the store the other day. I don't even remembering entering." He said, comically stoic.

Takumi plugged in the blow dryer and sat behind Misaki on the sofa, such that she face the main door and he faced her back while his back faced the armrest. He turned the hair dryer on a slow speed and began drying her hair, gently combing his fingers through the locks that were in the line of focus of the warm air.

Though they remained silent, they experienced something they hadn't before. It was an everyday task, yet they felt close.

His fingers unintentionally brushed her neck and the exposed part of her shoulder. Misaki didn't shiver at his touch and instead felt warmth in her heart. The silence (minus the sound of the rain and the hair dryer) led her to think of a time in a possible future where a situation like this would be the norm of her life.

"There you go, all done." Takumi unplugged the blow dryer and went back to his room to keep it in his drawer, wondering when he'd use it again.

He came back and collected the mugs from the table before Misaki stopped him and offered to help him with the washing.

He protested, but then obliged and began to work on dinner. Misaki looked through her bag in the living room for something to put her hair up in, and found a scrunchie. It continued to storm outside.

Walking back to the kitchen, she tied her hair loosely in a low bun, her feathered bangs framing her face.

"Didn't your mom make that?" He said, stirring the sauce.

"What?" She asked,

"The scrunchie un your hair"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. How'd you know?" She turned the tap on and rinsed the mugs before reaching for the dish soap.

"I stayed late the last time I was over."

"Right! You even helped mom. Thanks for that."

"You know, she told me a lot about your childhood" he said, frying the beef.

"What did she tell you?!"

"Oh, nothing much. Just the things I need to know. Like how Hashed Beef and Rice is your favourite dish."

She looked at him suspiciously to extract more, but he just ignored it and focused on getting her favourite dish right.

Misaki kept the mugs upside down on the drying rack and proceeded to dry her hands.

"Where do you keep the hand towels?" She bent, eventually kneeling as she inspected a cupboard under the counter.

He crouched as well, and reached over from behind her, pointing to the stack of towels in the cupboard. She dried her hands and turned around to thank him. In the heat of the moment she felt like giving him a kiss on the cheek so she decided to do that before she changed her mind. But Takumi unknowingly turned his face at the same time, resulting in their lips to meet.

Misaki felt like pulling back though she didn't want to, and reflexly put her arms around his neck, dragging him down to her height. She could taste the bitter chocolate from his lips as they pulled back, then reconnected after adjusting their position. Takumi held on to her securely, as if some force was going to pull them apart. He pulled the scrunchie from her hair slowly so as to not actually pull on her hair, and let it fall on the counter. His fingers raked through the hair on the back of her head, tenderly simulating her scalp. He let his fingers wander through her soft strands. Misaki sighed at the feeling. He inhaled her scent, warm and sweet, holding on to its memory.

They pulled back for the last time, neither of them wanting to cross the line of respect they had for the other.

As they ate the meal, the rain began to tame. Their clothes had dried and she changed back into them even though she wanted to steal his sweats. They walked to her house in comfortable silence. Misaki hugged him outside her house as they parted ways. In his mind, Takumi wondered when he'd see her again.

In his heart, he never lost hope.

I hope you enjoyed it!

As usual, let me know what you think :)

This story will end with another chapter or two, after which I'm not really sure what to write about. I have several ideas, I just have to elaborate them.

As for the sequel/second chapter of 'Achievement', I might write it, although I can't promise when.

The season's changing, so if something reminds you of TakuMisa and you want to read a fic on that topic, drop a comment!

See you in the next chapter!