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14-II
It was probably about three hours later when the door finally opened.
"Welcome home," I said without moving from the window.
"Thanks," you said, surprised. "How did you get in here?"
"Oh, I stole your keys last week and made myself a copy," I replied. I'd been planning on surprising you with Bathroom Bikini Miki Part II, but...
"You're incorrigible, you know that?" you said with a smile in your voice. I felt your arms wrap themselves around my waist. I leaned back into the security of your arms. Can't we just stay like this forever? I reached up and touched your face, almost to make sure you were really there.
"...Did you wait long?" you asked in a strange voice.
"Not really," I lied with a shake of my head. "I came here after work. I had a last minute meeting and then came straight here. Where've you been?"
"I had to talk to Maki about something."
"I thought you might," I said with a nod. You released my waist and grasped my shoulders, spinning me around to face you. I looked down at your feet. I couldn't look at you. I didn't want to find out your answer yet. If this was the end, I wanted to prolong it as long as possible.
"Miki," you said in a low voice. You lifted my chin up until I couldn't help but look you in the eye. You looked tired, concerned, conflicted. "They told you, didn't they?" you asked flatly. I wrenched myself away from you.
"Oh, that's right!" I exclaimed, clasping my hands together. "I'm supposed to congratulate you!" I put on my best cutesy voice. "Yocchan~ Congratulations!"
"Don't do this." Your gaze pierced me. I looked away and we both fell silent as the minutes ticked by. A thousand thoughts were racing through my mind. Tell her you love her. Break it off before she can. Beg her not to leave. Laugh it off and go home. Avoid the conversation entirely and just have sex. Grab that loudass clock off the wall and smash it to little bitty pieces.
I snuck a glance at you. You were staring intently at the floor, your jaw clenched, your eyes clouded over... you looked so lost and so in control at the same time. I looked back down at my feet.
"...I don't want to lose you," I said quietly without moving.
"Then you won't," you replied, walking towards me. You put your arms around me and pulled me against you. "We'll figure something out," you murmured into my hair. "We'll make it work. I promise." I clung desperately to the back of your shirt.
"Can I sleep here tonight?" I asked in a small voice.
"Of course!" You pulled away a bit and smiled down at me.
"I mean, literally," I added, looking up at you. "Just sleep."
"I will do my best not to ravage you in the middle of the night," you replied with a grin. I smiled softly. "Hey, come on, now," you chided. "No one's dying. Everything's gonna be fine, ok?"
"I know, I just - YOSSI!" I squealed with laughter as you suddenly began tickling me. "Stop it!" I gasped out. "Seriously!" You laughed. "Oh, my stomach huuuurts now! What the hell?" I said when you had finally stopped.
"I wanted to see you smile," you replied simply. I flushed. "It's getting pretty late, though," you continued. "So, where's your overnight bag anyway?" ...whoops.
"Uh, I forgot it," I replied sheepishly.
"Well, I'm not sure about pajamas for tonight, but I'm sure you have at least a dozen full outfits here from all the clothes that I've found strewn about."
"Hey, I'm not the one tearing them off and throwing them about the apartment!" I protested, following you into your bedroom.
"That reminds me, have you found my bra yet?" you asked as you looked in your closet for something for me to wear to bed.
"It's been four months, Yocchan, I don't think we're ever going to figure out where that damn thing went." I saw you reach for something "And I'm not wearing one of your fug tracksuits."
"Well, you're not sleeping naked!" you declared, finally throwing me a giant T-shirt. "I'm having a hard enough time keeping my hands off you as it is." I laughed as you made a big show of turning around and covering your eyes. I quickly stripped down and threw the shirt on.
"Where the hell did you get this thing?" I asked. "It's freaking huge!" You shrugged as you turned back to me.
"I don't remember anymore. I think it might have been some random wardrobe shirt from '03 that I took home by accident." I snickered and jumped onto your bed, snuggling down under the covers.
You grabbed your standard tank top and loose pants and proceeded to perform a hilarious mock-striptease.
"That needs music." I was laughing so hard I could barely get the words out.
"Hey, I'm dancing. You can at least supply the music," you replied with a grin as you threw your shirt onto my head.
"SAMUI KARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I half-sang, half-bellowed. You burst into laughter and pulled your pants on. "FUYU DA MOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
"Doumokou mo Naissu yo, Mikitty!" you exclaimed with your I'm-cute grin as you jumped into bed next to me. I snuggled into your waiting arms.
"We're so weird," I commented.
"Speaking of weird, Maki said something strange today." Maki? Oh. Oh, right. I'd almost forgotten.
"What's that?" I asked, the cheeriness of a moment ago gone. You realized your error.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up again," you apologized, pulling me closer. I leaned my head on your chest and closed my eyes.
"It's not like we can avoid the subject forever," I replied. "What did she say?"
"That she couldn't hold a conversation with you when I was in the room because you'd zone out and stare at me." I laughed.
"Yeah, why do you think she hated me for so long?"
"How did you get her to like you again, anyway?"
"Made out with her after the Gomattou Utaban."
"Of course you did." You shook your head.
"Wait. You've kissed Maki, Rika, and Aya, right?" You nodded. "So I've made out with everyone you have?!"
"Uh... not quite." I sat up and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, really! Who am I missing?" You groaned.
"Well, I don't think this really counts. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even remember it. She was really, really drunk," you replied hesitantly.
"OH MY GOD, NAKAZAWA?!" I exclaimed.
"What the hell!? No!"
"Yasuda?!"
"NO! Damn! Abe!"
"Abe NATSUMI!?"
"Yeah, Nakazawa got her and Kaorin totally smashed for their 20th birthday. I ran into them in the street and Abe called me cute, grabbed me and kissed me, then they all laughed hysterically and stumbled off. It was the weirdest thing."
"...wait, so besides me, you've kissed Abe, Maki, Rika, and Aya?" I asked, a grin starting to spread across my face. You nodded. "um, does Tsunku know?"
"What? I don't think so, why?"
"DEF.DIVA much?" You swatted playfully at me. "I always wondered why Rika was in that group," I yawned. You ran your hand through my hair as I snuggled back into my Yoshizawa pillow.
"Comfy?" I could hear your voice echo in your chest. I nodded and drifted off to sleep to the sound of your steady heartbeat.
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